If the IT involves work that will be carried out on the CERN site, or if the complexity of the procurement requires it, optionally hold a bidders’ conference about two weeks after the release date of the IT. At the bidders’ conference:
-    the Technical Officer shall present the technical specification;
-    the Procurement Officer shall present the adjudication rules (if applicable), the 4P (if applicable) and the commercial requirements;
-    firms shall be allowed to ask questions about the IT.

Warning: If a bidders’ conference is held, attendance is mandatory for all firms intending to submit a bid. Failure by a firm to attend the full bidders’ conference will result in the firm being disqualified from the DO.

If a bidders’ conference will be held, organize the logistics of the day including food and coffee, room bookings, buses and transfers, if any, etc.

Tip: Ask advice and support from the department’s secretaries, as they are often used to organising conferences. 
For videoconferencing with specific requirements, ask support from CERN’s IT CDA group. 

If technical questions are received from bidders while the IT is open, either during a bidders’ conference or otherwise, write up the questions and answers in a Q&A document based on a template provided by the Procurement Officer.

Tip: Contractors shall submit questions no later than one week before the submission date of the IT. CERN has no obligation to respond to questions received after this point.

If commercial questions are received from bidders while the IT is open, either during a bidders’ conference or otherwise, write up the questions and responses in a Q&A document based on the existing template.

Verify that the Q&A document containing technical and/or commercial questions is accurately and correctly drafted.

Tips: 
-    Effort should be made to group questions into a single Q&A document to minimise the number of clarifications being sent to bidders;
-    Consideration should be given as to whether an extension of time should be granted in light of clarifications or new information provided, especially if the DO response date is within one week.

Upload clarification documents to the eTendering platform (CDS) and inform all bidders via email.

Upload the bid on the eTendering platform (CDS).

If tests form part of the technical bid, hold tests at the CERN site for bidders after bidders have submitted their offers and before the commercial opening of the bids. 

Warnings:
-    If tests are held, attendance is mandatory for all firms submitting a bid. Failure by a firm to attend the tests will result in the firm being disqualified from the IT.