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Digital ID™ and bid submission with the AASHTOWare Project Bids™ Bid component

For contractors

Plan Status  Tier 
Included  ✅ Advanced, ✅ Core
Upgrade required ✘ Free

Contractors who prepare electronic bids using AASHTOWare Project Bids™ Bid component can securely submit them over the internet when subscribed as a Core or Advanced-tier member. Not sure if your agency uses the Bid component? See this article for more information: Comparison: Legacy bidding with AASHTOWARE Project Bids and bid submission in Bidx.com. 
 

Brand new to Bidx.com? Start here.

Welcome to bid submission with the AASHTOWare Project Bids™ Bid component. There are three main steps you must take after you create an account and before you can start bidding. Expand the following sections to learn about each step.

1. Download the bidding software and set up a user profile

The AASHTOWare Project Bids™ Bid Component helps you fill out your bid using the file posted by the agency on the Bid Express® site.

Install the bidding software

  1. Sign into your account on bidx.com and go to Settings.
  2. Click the Online Bidding tab.
  3. Click Install Project Bids.
  4. Read and agree to the license agreement, then click Install Bid Component. Follow the installation instructions.

When the installation is complete, the Bids component will open. You may have to click on the Bids icon.

Add your user profile in the Bid Component

Note: You'll need your Bidder ID to complete this step. If you don’t know your Bidder ID (a unique number issued by the agency you’re registered with, also sometimes called a Vendor ID), you can skip ahead to steps 2 and 3, Create your Infotech Digital ID and Submit Request to Bid, where your Bidder ID will be displayed. Then return to this step to complete the user profile. You'll need to have a user profile filled out with a valid Bidder ID before you can submit a bid.

Your user profile helps identify you and your company in the submitted bid.

  1. Select Options from the Bids opening window.
  2. Select User Profiles if the tab is not already displayed.
  3. Click the plus sign to open the User Profile Entry window.
  4. Enter your company name, address, and contact information in the available fields.
  5. Enter the bidder ID associated with the profile in the Bidder ID field. Click Add new Bidder ID.
  6. When you're finished, click Save. Click Yes in the save confirmation window.

Close the Bid component and return to the Bid Express service.

2. Create your Infotech® Digital ID™ and import it into the Bid component

To securely submit bids in Bidx.com, you must verify your identity by creating an Infotech® Digital ID™. 

Follow these steps to create your Digital ID. This process can be done on any modern browser.

  1. Sign into your account on bidx.com.
  2. Click the icon with your initials, then click Settings.
  3. Click the Online Bidding tab.
  4. Click Get Digital ID or Add Digital ID..
  5. Confirm that you are an authorized signing agent for your company by clicking Next.
  6. Enter the 6-digit verification code that was sent to your email, then click Next.
  7. Enter your name and phone number, then click Continue. The service will text you a verification code.
  8. Enter the verification code and click Verify.
    • Note: On some phones, the verification code may go to a subfolder. If you don't see the code right away, check the subfolders.
  9. Create a password. Note that you cannot reset or recover the password. 
  10. Click the checkbox to show agreement with the message written there. Then, click Generate Digital ID. 
    • The .cer file should automatically download. Check your browser's download folder to be sure it successfully downloaded before closing your browser. 
  11. When you're certain the file is saved to your computer, click Next. 
  12. To close the wizard, click X or I'll do this later.
  13. To complete your request to bid, click Let's keep going.

⚠️ Warning

  • Remember your password. 
    • You will need it every time you bid. 
    • There is no way for the Bid Express® service to retrieve or reset it.
  • Be sure to save your Digital ID.
    • Your Digital ID will automatically download as a .cer file. This is the only time you can download the file, and it isn’t stored on bidx.com. 
    • Check that the file has successfully downloaded before closing your browser. You may need to check the downloads on your browser and click “keep” to save the file.
    • We recommend storing a backup copy of your Digital ID. 

 

Import a Digital ID into the Bids component

The .cer file you just downloaded must be imported into the Bids component before you can submit a bid. Here's how:

  1. Open the Bid component.
  2. From the main screen, click Options or, from the toolbar, click Tools > Options.
  3. Click the Digital IDs tab. 
  4. Click Import digital ID.
  5. Click Browse to find the .cer file saved on your computer. 
  6. Enter the digital ID password. 
  7. Click Import. 
  8. You will see the message: Import successful. Click OK to return to the Options panel.

 

Back up a Digital ID

You can export a copy of any Digital ID that you've imported into the Bid component. 

  1. Open the Project Bids™ Bid component.

  2. From the start screen, choose Manage Digital IDs (or select Manage Digital IDs from the Tools menu).

  3. Select your Digital ID.

  4. Click the Export icon.

  5. Enter the password for your Digital ID.

  6. Click Export.

  7. Navigate to the location where you want to save your backup and click Save.

3. Request to bid with an agency.

Once you have an approved Infotech Digital ID but before you can start bidding, you have to submit a request to bid for any agency you want to bid with.

Submit Request to Bid

  1. Go to your Settings page and click on the Online Bidding tab.
  2. Click Request to Bid.
  3. From here, a wizard will guide you through the process. You'll choose the eligible bidder from a dropdown, select the agency you want to bid with, and enter your company name or Vendor ID associated with that agency.
S1-ACC3_request-to-bid.jpeg
Search for a company using either the business name or Vendor ID. If your company name isn't pre-populated by the service, double check that you've entered the name or Vendor ID correctly.
  1. If applicable, select the check box to authorize the monthly Internet bidding fee and click Save.

When you submit the request, both you and the agency receive an email with the request information. You'll get another email when the agency approves, rejects, or puts the request on hold.

If you still need to fill out your user profile on the Bid component software, make note of the Bidder ID shown here.

Recommended: Test your Digital ID

You can start working with the bid files in the Bid component even if your request to bid hasn't been approved yet.

But once your request has been approved, you can test your Digital ID in the Bid component. Here's how:

  1. Open the Bid component.
  2. Click Open Other Proposal and select any AASHTOWare .ebsx file to open (your current bid file is recommended). Let the bid document load.
  3. Go to Tools > View Submitted Bids.

If the site lets you complete this wizard and click Finish, you have successfully verified that your device is correctly set up for bidding purposes.