Purpose of this Article: These job aids are meant as guides to help City Users create and manage Sourcing Events, RFIs, and Bid Advertisements.

Audience: City Users

Author: Michael West & Jessica Sierra

Version 5.1

Update Date: 04.02.2024

Our system has 3 different types of bid opportunities that can be posted, each of which has its own unique purpose and workflow in our system. The job aids shown here provide guides for each of these.

  • A Sourcing Event is created when the City wishes to purchase goods or services through the PeopleSoft system. Sourcing Events can range from simple Requests for Quote (RFQs), which tend to be more price-focused events, to much more complex Requests for Proposals (RFPs), where the City is looking to award a large project, such as Construction projects where the City will be taking into consideration a Supplier’s qualifications and experience as part of the award process. For all Sourcing Events, the bidders are expected to post their bids directly in our PeopleSoft system (via the SF City Partner website).
  • A Request for Information (RFI) is generally used to gather information before issuing a Sourcing Event. For example, an RFI may be used to pre-qualify Bidders/Suppliers who will then be invited to bid on a Private Sourcing Event (one that will not be open for the general public to view or bid on). An RFI may also be used when the City does not know specifically how it wants to address a problem, and is looking for bidders to provide suggestions on how they would resolve this problem as part of their proposals. For all RFIs, the bidders are expected to post their bids/proposals directly in our PeopleSoft system (via the SF City Partner website). 
  • A Bid Advertisement is an event listing that is entered into PeopleSoft for advertisement purposes only. Posting a Bid Advertisement in PeopleSoft allows information on this Bidding Opportunity to show up on the SF City Partner website for Bidders/Suppliers to see, however instead of placing bids for this event directly into PeopleSoft, any interested Bidders/Suppliers will need to go to a different website/system to actually place their bids.