MERX

What MERX is

MERX helps businesses find and bid on Canadian public sector contracting opportunities. Its listings include federal, provincial, and MASH sector tenders, and its search can cover titles, organizations, abstracts, solicitation numbers, regions, tender and agreement types, GSIN, and categories. Opportunity Matching can send relevant opportunities each weekday by fax or email. The first matching profile is free; up to three profiles cost $1.95/month, and up to nine cost $2.95/month.

Suppliers can preview eligible electronic tender components before ordering, depending on their subscription and whether they have ordered the opportunity. Electronic Bid Submission lets suppliers upload bid files for buyers to retrieve after the closing date and time. A Document Request List helps identify possible partners and gather competitive information. Amendment notifications are free, while automatic delivery of amendment documents is paid. MERX also includes tender document management, compliance tracking, reusable content, and approval workflows. It runs on the web. The Basic plan is free; Pay-As-You-Go costs C$70 per solicitation. MERX says tenders are posted several times each business day, with 1,700 to 2,500 open at a time.

Who it suits

MERX suits businesses seeking Canadian public tenders, including smaller organizations; the company says more than 80% of its Canadian Public Tenders customers have fewer than 50 employees. It may also suit suppliers who want search, matching alerts, document handling, and electronic bid submission in one web service.

Limits

Basic is free and provides on-demand document downloads and eBid submissions; the listed Pay-As-You-Go option costs C$70 per solicitation. The first Opportunity Matching profile is free; up to three cost $1.95/month and up to nine cost $2.95/month. Tender previews depend on subscription and whether the opportunity has been ordered.

Getting started

1. Visit https://www.merx.com/.
2. Use the free Basic plan for refined search, daily notifications, and on-demand downloads and eBid submissions.
3. Choose Pay-As-You-Go for on-demand opportunity access at C$70 per solicitation.
4. Create an Opportunity Matching Profile; the first is free, with options for up to three or nine profiles at monthly prices.
5. Select a Premium Local, Regional, or National plan for the corresponding coverage area.

Verdict

Choose MERX if your business needs to find Canadian public tenders and manage documents, alerts, and electronic submissions through a web service. Look elsewhere if you need automatic amendment document delivery without an added charge or prefer a platform outside the web.