The PEPPOL Business Interoperability Specification, “BIS” from here on after, has been developed by the OpenPEPPOL AISBL Pre Award Coordinating Community and is published as part of the PEPPOL specifications.

Statement of copyright

This PEPPOL Business Interoperability Specification (BIS) document is based on the CEN CWA prepared by the BII workshop specified in the introduction below. The original CEN CWA document contains the following copyright notice which still applies:

© 2012 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members.

The CEN CWA documents and profiles prepared by the BII workshop are not specific to a business area. Subject to agreement with CEN, customizations have been made by PEPPOL to establish the PEPPOL BIS, detailing and adding further guidance on the use of BII profiles.

OpenPEPPOL AISBL holds the copyright in the customizations made to the original document. The customizations appear from the corresponding conformance statement which is attached to this document. For the purpose of national implementations, customizations covered by the conformance statement may be further refined and detailed by PEPPOL Authorities and/or other entities authorized by OpenPEPPOL AISBL, provided that interoperability with PEPPOL BIS is ensured. This PEPPOL BIS document may not be modified, re-distributed, sold or repackaged in any other way without the prior consent of CEN and/or OpenPEPPOL AISBL.

1. Principle and prerequisites

1.1. Scope

This guide aims to provide insight into transaction details for the transaction model T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0. The transaction description is meant to be a standalone description to be used as a part of one or more procurement profiles. It describes syntax mappings, requirements, rules and examples.

The transactions, specified in this document are intended to be exchanged between the tendering systems of economic operators and contracting bodies. This means that it is expected that the parties have connected their systems to the internet, and that they have middleware in place to enable them to send and receive the transactions in a secure way, using an agreed syntax.

The content model of the transactions can also be used in procurement platforms or notification platforms, so that these platforms as well as procurement systems of economic operators and contracting bodies are based on the same information and process models, which makes them more interoperable. Even if platforms are not technically interoperable, the content model facilitates understanding the tendering documents and to participate in the tendering process.

1.2. Parties and roles

The following parties participate as business partners in this transaction, acting in the roles as defined below

Table 1. parties
Party Description Example of roles

Customer

The customer is the legal person or organization who is in demand of a product, service or works.

Buyer, consignee, debtor, contracting body

Supplier

The supplier is the legal person or organization who provides a product, service or works.

Seller, consignor, creditor, economic operator
Table 2. roles
Role Description

Contracting body

The contracting authority or contracting entity who is buying supplies, services or tendering works.

Economic operator

Party participating with a bid in a procurement process to sell goods, services or works.

2. Transaction business and information requirements

The following tables describe the transaction business and information requirements of "T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0", it inherits from CEN WS/BII 3 "Trdm088 Invitation to Tender"(CWA3456 Part 117 Profile 52).

Table 3. Metadata
ID Requirement

tbr88-001

The Invitation to Tender shall contain a unique ID, the issue date and the procurement reference number. A unique ID is needed to establish the relation between all the documents in the process, and the tendering procedure by all the actors involved.

tbr88-002

The Invitation to Tender may contain the issue time.

tbr88-003

If the Invitation to Tender is an update of a previously issued Invitation to Tender, this shall be indicated.

tbr88-004

The contracting body shall be identified with a name, an address, the country of registration, an endpoint and an identifier.

tbr88-005

The Invitation to Tender may include information about contacts to obtain additional information. Email or internet address at which the procurement documents shall be available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge.

tbr88-006

The economic operator to whom the Invitation to Tender is addressed shall be identified.

tbr88-007

The Invitation to Tender shall contain the following information about the procurement process:

  • Procedure type

  • Deadline to submit offer (date, time, timezone), and/or

  • Deadline to request participation (date, time, timezone)

tbr88-008

The address to which tenders or requests to participation shall be submitted must be included in the call for tenders, including encryption parameters and time-stamping: Art 22 and 53 of Directive 2014/24/EC.

tbr88-009

The Invitation to Tender may include references to specific legislation applying to the procedure.

tbr88-012

The Invitation to Tender shall contain a title and a description of the object of the contract. The description of the object of the contract is basic information for both tenderer and contracting body.

tbr88-013

The Invitation to Tender shall contain information about the type of procurement project (goods, works, services) and corresponding subtype. Type of contracts is defined in article 2 of the Directive 2014/24/EU .and article 2 of the Directive 2014/25/EU. Depending on the contract type different articles, thresholds, information, etc. are required.

tbr88-014

The Invitation to Tender may contain extra characteristics about the type of contract (public contract, framework agreement, qualification system, concession, design contest or DPS). Types of contracts are defined in article 2 of the Directive 2014/24/EU. Depending on the contract type different articles, thresholds, information, etc. apply.

tbr88-015

The Invitation to Tender shall contain information about the classification of the object of the contract (CPV code). CPV is defined in article 23 of the Directive 2014/24/EU. This code is a basic information element for common understanding of the object of the contract in cross-border procurement.

tbr88-016

The Invitation to Tender shall contain information about the place where de the works, services or goods will be delivered (NUTS code). The location is basic information for the tenderer to elaborate the tender.

tbr88-018

The Invitation to Tender may contain information about lots. If lots are specified, each lot shall be identified.

tbr88-019

The Invitation to Tender may indicate if variants are accepted. Article 45 of the Directive 2014/24/EU.

tbr88-020

The Invitation to Tender may indicate the maximum number of variants accepted, if there were a limit.
Table 4. Provided documents
ID Requirement

tbr88-022

For each document a name shall be provided.

tbr88-023

For each document a version number, an indication of the technical type, an issue date and the language may be provided.

tbr88-024

If a document belongs to a lot, the lot shall be identified.

tbr88-025

For each document a technical document type may be provided and where necessary the URL where the software can be obtained to read the document.

tbr88-026

For each document the file size may be specified.

tbr88-027

For each document it shall be indicated whether the document is to be returned and if so, whether it must be signed and with what signature level.
Table 5. Required documents
ID Requirement

tbr88-028

The Invitation to Tender may specify what documents are required in tenders, with their name, a description and a reference ID.

tbr88-029

For each required document the level of the signature may be specified.
Table 6. Tender submission
ID Requirement

tbr88-031

In the Invitation to Tender it may be specified that postal submission of the tender is allowed. If it is allowed, the number of copies of the tender to be provided may be specified.

tbr88-032

If paper submission is allowed, it may be indicated that paper submission only serves as back-up of an electronic submission.

tbr88-033

When electronic signatures are required, the signature level shall be provided.

tbr88-034

When encryption is required, the encryption parameters shall be provided.

3. Data model: Syntax mapping and XML example

3.1. Data model and syntax mapping

The data model and syntax mapping for Invitation to Tender can be found at Syntax mapping for T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0. The data model and syntax mapping explains how to use the UBL (or an underlying syntax) to support the Invitation to Tender information transaction requirements. It provides the syntax mappings from each UBL (or syntax) element to the Invitation to Tender information elements of this transaction.

3.2. Data model diagram

The following transaction data model illustrates the classes and information elements of T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0.

InvitationToTender

3.3. XML example

The following XML example illustrates the structure of an instance of T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0.

Link to example file

Example
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<CallForTenders
    xmlns="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CallForTenders-2"
    xmlns:cbc="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonBasicComponents-2"
    xmlns:cac="urn:oasis:names:specification:ubl:schema:xsd:CommonAggregateComponents-2">
    <cbc:UBLVersionID>2.2</cbc:UBLVersionID>
    <cbc:CustomizationID>urn:fdc:peppol.eu:prac:trns:t024:1.0</cbc:CustomizationID>
    <cbc:ProfileID>urn:fdc:peppol.eu:prac:bis:p013:1.0</cbc:ProfileID>
    <cbc:ID schemeURI="urn:uuid">be8943ce-9d65-4eed-93c5-fa4748148c8f</cbc:ID>
    <cbc:ContractFolderID>3dab5e45-2bb3-4dbf-bc1f-0b812d8b9a58</cbc:ContractFolderID>
    <cbc:IssueDate>2016-10-20</cbc:IssueDate>
    <cbc:IssueTime>13:32:12+02:00</cbc:IssueTime>
    <cbc:VersionID>1</cbc:VersionID>
    <cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
        <cbc:ID>TenderEncryptionCertificate</cbc:ID>
        <cbc:IssueDate>2016-06-27+02:00</cbc:IssueDate>
        <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">PRO</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
        <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">NR</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
        <cac:Attachment>
            <cac:ExternalReference>
                <cbc:URI>cid:tenderenckey.cer</cbc:URI>
                <cbc:MimeCode>application/pkix-cert</cbc:MimeCode>
            </cac:ExternalReference>
        </cac:Attachment>
    </cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
    <cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
        <cbc:ID>Invitation to Tender</cbc:ID>
        <cbc:IssueDate>2016-10-20+02:00</cbc:IssueDate>
        <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">PRO</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
        <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">NR</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
        <cac:Attachment>
            <cac:ExternalReference>
                <cbc:FileName>TenderInviatation.html</cbc:FileName>
            </cac:ExternalReference>
        </cac:Attachment>
    </cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
    <cac:ContractingParty>
        <cac:Party>
            <cbc:EndpointID schemeID="9930">DE122268496</cbc:EndpointID>
            <cac:PartyIdentification>
                <cbc:ID schemeID="0204">991-1234512345-06</cbc:ID>
            </cac:PartyIdentification>
            <cac:PartyName>
                <cbc:Name>Beschaffungsamt des Bundesministerium des Innern (BeschA)</cbc:Name>
            </cac:PartyName>
            <cac:PartyLegalEntity>
                <cac:RegistrationAddress>
                    <cac:Country>
                        <cbc:IdentificationCode listID="ISO3166-1:Alpha2">DE</cbc:IdentificationCode>
                    </cac:Country>
                </cac:RegistrationAddress>
            </cac:PartyLegalEntity>
        </cac:Party>
    </cac:ContractingParty>
    <cac:ReceiverParty>
        <cbc:EndpointID schemeID="9946">500820007</cbc:EndpointID>
        <cbc:IndustryClassificationCode listID="tendererRole">MT</cbc:IndustryClassificationCode>
        <cac:PartyIdentification>
            <cbc:ID schemeID="0088">7300010000001</cbc:ID>
        </cac:PartyIdentification>
        <cac:PartyName>
            <cbc:Name>Dutch Flower Shop</cbc:Name>
        </cac:PartyName>
        <cac:PostalAddress>
            <cbc:StreetName>PO Box 20061</cbc:StreetName>
            <cbc:AdditionalStreetName>Tulip Street 33</cbc:AdditionalStreetName>
            <cbc:CityName>The Hague</cbc:CityName>
            <cbc:PostalZone>2500 EB</cbc:PostalZone>
            <cbc:CountrySubentity>Province of South Holland</cbc:CountrySubentity>
            <cac:Country>
                <cbc:IdentificationCode listID="ISO3166-1:Alpha2">NL</cbc:IdentificationCode>
            </cac:Country>
        </cac:PostalAddress>
        <cac:PartyLegalEntity>
            <cac:RegistrationAddress>
                <cac:Country>
                    <cbc:IdentificationCode listID="ISO3166-1:Alpha2">NL</cbc:IdentificationCode>
                </cac:Country>
            </cac:RegistrationAddress>
        </cac:PartyLegalEntity>
    </cac:ReceiverParty>
    <cac:TenderingTerms>
        <cbc:VariantConstraintIndicator>false</cbc:VariantConstraintIndicator>
        <cbc:AdditionalConditions>WOS</cbc:AdditionalConditions>
        <cac:TenderRecipientParty>
            <cbc:EndpointID schemeID="9946">500820007</cbc:EndpointID>
        </cac:TenderRecipientParty>
    </cac:TenderingTerms>
    <cac:TenderingProcess>
        <cbc:ProcedureCode listID="PR_PROC">2</cbc:ProcedureCode>
        <cbc:ContractingSystemCode listID="CONTRACT_TYPE">5</cbc:ContractingSystemCode>
        <cbc:SubmissionMethodCode listID="BII_SUBMISSION">ELECTRONIC</cbc:SubmissionMethodCode>
        <cac:TenderSubmissionDeadlinePeriod>
            <cbc:EndDate>2016-10-20+02:00</cbc:EndDate>
            <cbc:EndTime>13:32:11.891+02:00</cbc:EndTime>
        </cac:TenderSubmissionDeadlinePeriod>
    </cac:TenderingProcess>
    <cac:ProcurementProject>
        <cbc:Name>Laptops</cbc:Name>
        <cbc:Description>Laptops</cbc:Description>
        <cbc:ProcurementTypeCode listID="PROJECT_TYPE">2</cbc:ProcurementTypeCode>
        <cac:MainCommodityClassification>
            <cbc:ItemClassificationCode listID="CPV">30100000</cbc:ItemClassificationCode>
        </cac:MainCommodityClassification>
        <cac:AdditionalCommodityClassification>
            <cbc:ItemClassificationCode listID="CPV">30120000</cbc:ItemClassificationCode>
        </cac:AdditionalCommodityClassification>
        <cac:RealizedLocation>
            <cbc:ID schemeID="NUTS">DE148</cbc:ID>
        </cac:RealizedLocation>
    </cac:ProcurementProject>
</CallForTenders>

4. Code lists

Any element with the semantic data type = code, can mandate the use of a specific code list (or a fixed value). The applicable code lists can be found in the Code list section. In this section, you can find the valid codes, their names and description, and also links to where the same code list is used elsewhere in the transaction, or in other PEPPOL BIS transactions.

Information elements that are ruled by codelists in this transaction are also described in the Syntax mapping for Invitation to Tender: Syntax mapping for T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0

The following code lists for coded elements and identifier schemes are used by the transaction.

4.1. Code lists for coded elements

4.1.1. Country code

Qualifier

ISO3166-1:Alpha2 (listID)

Document location

cac:Country/cbc:IdentificationCode

Source codelist

Use Alpha-2 codes from ISO3166

4.1.2. Procedure type

Qualifier

PR_PROC (listID)

Document location

cbc:ProcedureCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.3. Procurement project type

Qualifier

PROJECT_TYPE (listID)

Document location

cbc:ProcurementTypeCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.4. Document Type Code

Qualifier

urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType (listID)

Document location

cbc:DocumentTypeCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.5. Provided document to be returned indicator

Qualifier

urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType (listID)

Document location

cbc:DocumentStatusCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.6. Document mime type code

Qualifier

Media Types (IANA)

Document location

cbc:MimeCode

Source codelist

IANA Media Types

4.1.7. Document language

Qualifier

ISO639-1 (listID)

Document location

cbc:LocaleCode

Source codelist

ISO639-1

4.1.8. Type of Contract to Establish

Qualifier

CONTRACT_TYPE (listID)

Document location

cbc:ContractingSystemCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.9. Backup for electronic submission indicator /Electronic submission required indicator

Qualifier

BII_SUBMISSION (listID)

Document location

cbc:SubmissionMethodCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.10. Economic operator role

Qualifier

ECONOMIC_OPERATOR_ROLE (listID)

Document location

cbc:IndustryClassificationCode

Source codelist

See codelist section on Main documentation site

4.1.11. Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

Qualifier

CPV (listID)

Document location

cac:MainCommodityClassification/cbc:ItemClassificationCode cac:AdditionalCommodityClassification/cbc:ItemClassificationCode

Source codelist

CPV codes

4.1.12. Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS)

Qualifier

NUTS (listID)

Document location

cac:RealizedLocation/cbc:ID

Source codelist

NUTS codes

4.2. Code list for identifier schemes

Table 7. Code list for identifier schemes
Business Term Allowed Scheme Applicable Xpath

Economic operator electronic address identifier

schemeID attribute is mandatory and must use values from EAS codes

cac:TendererParty/cbc:EndpointID/@schemeID

Contracting body electronic address identifier

schemeID attribute is mandatory and must use values from EAS codes

cac:ContractingParty/cac:Party/cbc:EndpointID/@schemeID

Economic operator identifier

schemeID attribute is mandatory and must use values from ICD codes

cac:TendererParty/cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID/@schemeID

Contracting body identifier

schemeID attribute is mandatory and must use values from ICD codes

cac:ContractingParty/cac:Party/cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID/@schemeID

5. PEPPOL Identifiers

PEPPOL has defined a Policy for use of Identifiers that specifies how to use identifiers in both its transport infrastructure and within the documents exchanged across that infrastructure. It also introduces principles for any identifiers used in the PEPPOL environment. The e-Tendering pilot adopts and extends the PEPPOL Policy in the following ways:

5.1. Party Identifiers used in business (UBL) documents

All party identifiers (cac:PartyIdentification/cbc:ID) have an optional scheme identifier attribute '@schemeID'. If used, the value shall be chosen from the code list ICD codes.

Examples of usage in cac:PartyIdentification
<cac:PartyIdentification>
        <cbc:ID schemeID="0088">5790000435968</cbc:ID> (1)
</cac:PartyIdentification>
1 schemeID attribute is optional, but when used, the codes must be from ICD codes

5.2. Electronic address identifier used in business (UBL) documents

All electronic address identifiers (cbc:EndpointID/@schemeID) use the Electronic Address Scheme code list (EAS), maintained by CEF (CEF Code lists).

Valid values are found here: EAS codes.

Examples of usage in cbc:EndpointID
<cbc:EndpointID schemeID="0184">DK87654321</cbc:EndpointID> (1)
1 schemeID attribute is mandatory and must use values from EAS codes

5.3. Document Identifiers used in business (UBL) documents

5.3.1. UBL Version ID

This transaction model is using the UBL 2.2 syntax. The namespace of the XML-message does only communicate the major version number. Since it is important for the receiver to also know what minor version of the syntax that is used, the element UBLVersionID must be stated with the value 2.2:

Examples of usage in PartyIdentification and EndpointID
<cbc:UBLVersionID>2.2</cbc:UBLVersionID>

5.3.2. Profile ID

ProfileID identifies what business process a given message is part of, and are connected to one business process, and may contain multiple document types.

Valid profile identifiers are described in the Syntax mapping for Invitation to Tender - Syntax mapping for T024 - Invitation to Tender 1.0 - and the corresponding BIS document, see Main documentation site.

5.3.3. Customization ID

The PEPPOL Customization ID identifies the specification of content and rules that apply to the transaction. Profiles are connected to one business process (ProfileID), and may contain multiple transactions. Valid document instances shall contain corresponding ProfileID and CustomizationID.

CustomizationID is a string without spaces. Which customization identification should be used, is based on which transaction is sent.
For implementers, please note that the process identifiers in the document instance MUST correspond to the SMP process identifier.
Table 8. Customization ID to be used for this transaction.
TransactionID Transaction name Short Description cbc:CustomizationID

T024

Invitation to tender

CA sends the procurement project documents to previously qualified EO.

urn:fdc:peppol.eu:prac:trns:t024:1.0

6. Description of selected parts of the transaction

In this chapter you will find descriptions and examples of parts of the documents, in addition to the description and examples given in the related CEN WS/BII 3 "Trdm088 Invitation to Tender"(CWA3456 Part 117 Profile 52).

6.1. Definition of the procurement project

The Invitation to Tender is intended to provide unstructured information of the procurement only to those participants who have been qualified based on a pre-qualification business process or on a pre-selection list of candidate economic operators (shortlist) based on other criteria: e.g. restricted or negotiated procedures as well as participation in a Dynamic Purchasing System. The economic operators are expected to read the provided documents and prepare their tenders following the requirements established as unstructured information. The Invitation to Tender message is syntactically identical to the T004 Call for Tenders that is used in open procedures or has been used in the first step of procurement procedures with qualification stages involved.

6.1.1. Invitation to Tender without lots

An Invitation to Tender without lots has a single cac:ProcurementProject class. The procurement project and all the details of the project are described using the documents attached or referred using the cac:AdditionalDocumentReference class.

In this case, the document instance must not contain any cac:ProcurementProjectLot class.

The example below demonstrates the use of the cac:ProcurementProject class for a tendering process without lots. The structured information does not convey economic information. It is used to describe the project, to provide classification codes using the Common Procurement Vocabulary and the location where the project will be executed using the NUTS code. The procurement project does not describe the tender deliverables.

Procurement project
<cac:ProcurementProject>
        <cbc:Name>Laptops</cbc:Name>
        <cbc:Description>Laptops</cbc:Description>
        <cbc:ProcurementTypeCode listID="PROJECT_TYPE">2</cbc:ProcurementTypeCode>
        <cac:MainCommodityClassification>
                <cbc:ItemClassificationCode listID="CPV">30100000</cbc:ItemClassificationCode>
        </cac:MainCommodityClassification>
        <cac:AdditionalCommodityClassification>
                <cbc:ItemClassificationCode listID="CPV">30120000</cbc:ItemClassificationCode>
        </cac:AdditionalCommodityClassification>
        <cac:RealizedLocation>
                <cbc:ID schemeID="NUTS">DE148</cbc:ID>
        </cac:RealizedLocation>
</cac:ProcurementProject>

6.1.2. Invitation to Tender with lots

When the Invitation to Tender has to be split into lots, the cac:ProcurementProject class must define the overall summary of the project and there must be a cac:ProcurementProjectLot class per each lot.

The cac:ProcurementProjectLot class only requires to define the lot identifier and the name of the Lot. All the details on the lot are described as unstructured documents referred from the cac:AdditionalDocumentReference class.

The details of each lot are described using unstructured documents referred in the Invitation to Tender.

Invitation to Tender with lots
<cac:ProcurementProjectLot>
        <cbc:ID>1</cbc:ID>
        <cac:ProcurementProject>
                <cbc:Name>First part of the works project</cbc:Name>
        </cac:ProcurementProject>
</cac:ProcurementProjectLot>
<cac:ProcurementProjectLot>
        <cbc:ID>2</cbc:ID>
        <cac:ProcurementProject>
                <cbc:Name>Second part of the works project</cbc:Name>
        </cac:ProcurementProject>
</cac:ProcurementProjectLot>

6.2. Description of the tendering process

The Invitation to Tender describes some information of the tendering process.

The cac:TenderingProcess class contains the deadlines of the process and the codes describing the type of procedure, the contract type and the type of submission.

The example below describes a restricted procedure, cbc:ProcedureCode = 2 (Restricted procedure), and the deadlines of the process. The cbc:ProcedureCode and the tender submission end date are required data elements. The cac:TenderingProcess class also contains information about the type of contract that will be established by setting one of the given codes at cbc:ContractingSystemCode. In this case, cbc:ContractingSystemCode = 5, a public contract based on a Dynamic Purchasing System shall be established.

Tendering process
<cac:TenderingProcess>
        <cbc:ProcedureCode listID="PR_PROC">2</cbc:ProcedureCode>
        <cbc:ContractingSystemCode listID="CONTRACT_TYPE">5</cbc:ContractingSystemCode>
        <cbc:SubmissionMethodCode listID="BII_SUBMISSION">ELECTRONIC</cbc:SubmissionMethodCode>
        <cac:TenderSubmissionDeadlinePeriod>
                <cbc:EndDate>2017-10-20+02:00</cbc:EndDate>
                <cbc:EndTime>13:32:11.891+02:00</cbc:EndTime>
        </cac:TenderSubmissionDeadlinePeriod>
</cac:TenderingProcess>

6.3. Description of the attachment of documents

Using this transaction, the information of the tendering process and the details of the procurement project are described in unstructured files. The Invitation to Tender reference the unstructured files. Thus, it is possible to access them in the ASiC-E Container (see BIS eDocuments guide for pre-award).

The cac:AdditionalDocumentReference class contains references to all the files for the tenderers to prepare their bids. The mandatory cbc:ID element contains an identifier of the file, and the cac:DocumentStatusCode is used to inform the tenderers about the action that has to be done with the current document. If a cac:Attachment is provided, the cac:ExternalReference shall contain the cbc:FileName and cbc:MimeCode using defined media types of e.g.IANA

Find below an example on how to define a document reference that provides a document that is provided by the contracting authority and must not be returned. In this example, the contents of the coded elements DocumentTypeCode and DocumentStatusCode have been defined following the coded values of documentTypeCode:

  • The code Provided or Pro is used to indicate that a document is provided as part of an Invitation to Tender or tender. It must include a physical attachment. The value No Return (NR) of the codelist documentStatusCode indicates that the document must not be returned during the bid or tender (e.g. the encryption certificate to encrypt a tender)

Additional document reference
<cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
        <cbc:ID>Invitation to Tender</cbc:ID>
        <cbc:IssueDate>2016-10-20+02:00</cbc:IssueDate>
        <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">PRO</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
        <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">NR</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
        <cac:Attachment>
                <cac:ExternalReference>
                        <cbc:FileName>TenderInviatation.html</cbc:FileName>
                </cac:ExternalReference>
        </cac:Attachment>
</cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>

In contrast to this a document reference could be also established as follows:

  • The code Required or Req is used to indicate that a document must be created by the economic operator and submitted as part of the bid or tender. It therefore does not use the component cac:Attachment. As documents that are classified as Required must be returned, they cannot use the value No Return (NR) of the codelist documentStatusCode. The remaining values of that codelist however, could indicate that document MUST be returned but no signature is required (e.g. Return without signature (RWOS)) or that an advanced signature is required.

        <cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
                <cbc:ID>ISO 27001 Certificate</cbc:ID>
                <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">REQ</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
                <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">RWOS</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
        </cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>

Another example shows how the contracting authority may provide a document template for product classification and pricing that needs to be filled out and returned by the economic operator.

        <cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
                <cbc:ID>Product classification and pricing</cbc:ID>
                <cbc:IssueDate>2016-10-20+02:00</cbc:IssueDate>
                <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">PRO</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
                <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">RWOS</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
                <cac:Attachment>
                        <cac:ExternalReference>
                                <cbc:MimeCode>application/vnd.ms-excel</cbc:MimeCode>
                                <cbc:FileName>ProductDescriptionTemplate.xlsx</cbc:FileName>
                        </cac:ExternalReference>
                </cac:Attachment>
        </cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>

6.4. Transport of encryption certificate via any Invitation to Tender

6.4.1. Introduction

The Invitation to Tender provides the latest updated procurement documents to a qualified economic operator. Sending the Invitation to Tender to an economic operators starts the second step of the restricted procurement procedure. Besides transporting procurement documents it MUST be used to transport the encryption certificate needed by the economic operator to encrypt his tender for submission.

Since the Invitation to Tender is also used to sent out business document changes after a T003 - Tender Status Inquiry (by sending a status-update-inquiry), any Invitation to Tender MUST contain the encryption certificate needed by the economic operator to encrypt his tender for submission.

6.4.2. Encryption certificate

The encryption certificate MUST be transported as an attachment within the Invitation to Tender’s ASiC-E Container. The Invitation to Tender business document contains metadata regarding all attachments thus also for the tender encryption certificate.

This encryption certificate metadata is assembled by the UBL container cac:AdditionalDocumentReference. In the case of the encryption certificate this container MUST contain the elements and values mentioned in the table below.

To identify the encryption certificate, the UBL MUST contain exactly one cac:AdditionalDocumentReference-container as described below. Any other container MUST NOT make use of this value combination.

Business term Card. XPath within
cac:AdditionalDocumentReference		 Value / Description

Required document reference identifier

1..1

cbc:ID

Reference identifier of a document that is provided as part of a tender or call for tenders. Value supplied by tendering system of the CA. Is not necessarily populated with the filename but rather an internal identifier.

Document issue date

0..1

cbc:IssueDate

The date on which the tender encryption key has been issued.

Document type code

1..1

cbc:DocumentTypeCode

Fixed value of “PRO” for "Provided"

cbc:DocumentTypeCode/@listID

Fixed value of "urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType"

Provided document version

0..1

cbc:VersionID

Version of a document that is provided as part of a tender or call for tenders.

Provided document to be returned indicator

1..1

cbc:DocumentStatusCode

Fixed value of "NR" for “NO RETURN”

cbc:DocumentStatusCode/@listID

Fixed value of "urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType"

Document mime type code

1..1

cac:Attachment/cac:ExternalReference/cbc:MimeCode

Fixed value of "application/pkix-cert".

Provided document name

1..1

cac:Attachment/cac:ExternalReference/cbc:FileName

Name of a document that is provided as part of a tender or call for tenders. The extension of the file MUST be “.cer”.

Instead of Provided document name, alternatively a Provided document URI could be used to reference the encryption certificate.

Provided document URI

1..1

cac:Attachment/cac:ExternalReference/cbc:URI

A URI to the document provided inside the ASIC-E package. The extension of the file MUST be “cer”.
Example of the Invitation to Tender transporting an encryption certificate with cbc:FileName
<cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
        <cbc:ID>TenderEncryptionCertificate</cbc:ID>
        <cbc:IssueDate>2016-06-27+02:00</cbc:IssueDate>
        <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">PRO</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
        <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">NR</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
        <cac:Attachment>
                <cac:ExternalReference>
                        <cbc:MimeCode>application/pkix-cert</cbc:MimeCode>
                        <cbc:FileName>tenderenckey.cer</cbc:FileName>
                </cac:ExternalReference>
        </cac:Attachment>
</cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
Example of the Invitation to Tender transporting an encryption certificate with cbc:URI
<cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>
        <cbc:ID>TenderEncryptionCertificate</cbc:ID>
        <cbc:IssueDate>2016-06-27+02:00</cbc:IssueDate>
        <cbc:DocumentTypeCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentType">PRO</cbc:DocumentTypeCode>
        <cbc:DocumentStatusCode listID="urn:eu:esens:cenbii:documentStatusType">NR</cbc:DocumentStatusCode>
        <cac:Attachment>
                <cac:ExternalReference>
                        <cbc:URI>cid:tenderenckey.cer</cbc:URI>
                        <cbc:MimeCode>application/pkix-cert</cbc:MimeCode>
                </cac:ExternalReference>
        </cac:Attachment>
</cac:AdditionalDocumentReference>