Respond to an invite

Before you start

You will normally receive an email invitation from the customer running the RFP.

Open the invitation and sign in or create your Valexia account using the same email address that received it.

Permissions: Users, Submitters and Admins can help prepare a response. Only Submitters and Admins can submit it.

1. Open the invitation

Select the link in the invitation email to access the platform.

Once you have accepted the invitation, you can find it under Invitations in Valexia.

For each invitation, you can see:

• The customer and project name

• The response deadline

• Your progress

• Whether the response is open or completed

Select Respond to open an active RFP. Select View to open a response that has already been submitted.

2. Review the invitation details

Before answering the questions, review the information provided by the customer, including:

• The project name and description

• The response deadline

• Any instructions or supporting information

• The sections and questions you need to complete

Make sure your team has enough time to prepare and review the response before the deadline.

3. Complete the questions in Valexia

Questions are grouped into sections.

Open each section and enter your organisation’s response to every question. You can move between sections and return to earlier answers while the project remains open.

Every question must have an answer before the response can be submitted.

Where colleagues need to contribute, save your progress and invite them to your supplier team.

4. Complete the response using Excel

You can also use Excel to prepare answers offline or collect input from several colleagues.

From the response page, select Download Excel.

The downloaded file contains the project questions and a Response column for your answers.

When completing the template:

• Enter answers only in the Response column

• Keep the original question references unchanged

• Save the file as an .xlsx file

Valexia uses the question references to match each answer to the correct question.

When the file is ready, return to the response page and upload it through the Excel window.

Review the imported answers before continuing. Uploading the file updates the draft response; it does not submit it to the customer.

5. Save your progress

Select Save Draft while working.

Saving a draft:

• Keeps your answers available to your supplier team

• Allows you to leave and return later

• Does not send the response to the customer

Save regularly, particularly after importing answers or making substantial changes.

Saving and submitting are different actions. A saved draft remains private until an authorised team member submits it.

6. Review the completed response

Before submitting, check that:

• Every question has been answered

• The answers are complete and accurate

• Imported Excel responses appear against the correct questions

• Contributions from colleagues have been reviewed

• The response is ready for the customer to receive

The submission option will remain unavailable until all questions have an answer.

7. Submit the response

When the response is complete, select Submit.

Valexia will ask you to confirm before sending the response to the customer.

After submission:

• The customer can review your response

• Your response becomes read-only

• The invitation moves to Completed

Only Submitters and Admins can submit the response.

Why can’t I see the invitation?

Check that:

• You signed in using the email address that received the invitation

• You are viewing the correct organisation

• The invitation has not been revoked

• The invitation has not already been accepted using another account

Where a colleague received the original invitation, ask them or an Admin to add you to the team.

Why did my Excel upload fail?

Check that:

• The file is in .xlsx format

• You uploaded the completed Valexia template

• The original question references are still present

• The workbook structure has not been changed

Correct the file and try uploading it again.

Why can’t I submit?

Check that:

• Every question has an answer

• Your latest changes have been saved

• The response deadline has not passed

• The RFP is still open

• Your role is Submitter or Admin

If the response is complete but submission remains unavailable, ask a supplier Admin to check your role or contact Valexia support.

What happens next?

The customer will review and compare the submitted responses. They will contact your organisation directly if they need clarification or further information.