Bid Express is an online information service for transportation bidding provided by Bidx.com, an Info Tech company. Bid Express is available on the Internet at www.bidx.com. Bid Express is a two-way service: publishing bid-related information from state transportation agencies to the contracting community, and allowing online, secure bid submission from the contracting community to the state transportation agency. Bid Express also enables electronic bid bond verification. [return to top]

Contractors pay a subscription fee to gain access to Bid Express. The fee may be paid monthly by credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. By subscribing to the service, you are able to access information from all active states. [return to top]

Bid Express automatically assigns your username and password to you when you sign up for the service. Your password will be emailed to you usually no more than 30 minutes after registering. [return to top]

Expedite Bid is software that you use to prepare your electronic bid. Bid Express is an Internet-based online service that allows a state transportation agency and its contracting community to communicate with each other. You can use Expedite Bid without Bid Express or Bid Express without Expedite Bid. However, transferring Expedite files is usually a key function of Bid Express. [return to top]

Yes, guests can access most services, although you will only be able to view data before January 1, 2002. If you like the service, you can sign up online and get full access to all that Bid Express offers. [return to top]

Yes. It has been in operation for several years, with better than 99.95% uptime. The Bid Express servers are connected to battery backup, and the battery systems are connected to a generator backup. All Bid Express servers are paired, with each server monitoring the other and automatically taking over should there be a problem. We have also installed servers in a separate geographical location, using a separate Internet provider, for even greater redundancy. [return to top]

Yes. The Bid Express telephone support desk is available from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday-Friday, except for legal holidays. After business hours, voice mail is available and messages will be addressed the next business day. E-mail and fax support addresses are also available 24 hours a day and will be answered the next business day. You can call Bid Express customer support at (352) 381-4888 or send an e-mail to customer.support@bidx.com. [return to top]

The Expedite Bid software can be downloaded by navigating to your state of interest, clicking the "Utilities Tab" and clicking the Expedite Bid link. The link will send you to an Export Control page that you'll need to complete. Upon successful completion, you'll be presented with a page containing all agencies that use Expedite Bid and it's associated version. Now, simply select that agency that applies to you and click on the version to download the software.[return to top]

Any computer that can access the Internet either via a modem or a network connection can connect to the Bid Express web service. However, full support is only provided for computers running Microsoft Windows 2000® or Windows XP®. [return to top]

Any Intel Pentium or equivalent computer can run Expedite, however we recommend a CPU of 500MHz or faster. Expedite requires a PC running Microsoft Windows 2000® or Windows XP® with 128MB of memory and 20GB of free disk space. A modem or network connection with Internet availability is required for bid submission over the Internet. Due to strong encryption within Expedite for Windows, certain restrictions apply for export and use of the software outside of the United States and Canada. [return to top]

Yes. It is required that you have an independent provider. We highly recommend that you have an independent back-up Internet provider if doing Internet bid submission. [return to top]

AOL uses a web browser that can cause problems when downloading files from some web sites. Please try the following and see if you still experience problems.

• Connect to AOL

• Minimize AOL

• Open Internet Explorer or Netscape. Do not go through AOL to access the internet (i.e. do not click on the Globe button or on the WWW button)

• Access www.bidx.com

• Download the desired files [return to top]

CompuServe 2000 uses a web browser that can cause problems when downloading files from some web sites. Please try the following and see if you still experience problems.

• Connect to CompuServe 2000

• Minimize CompuServe 2000

• Open Internet Explorer or Netscape. Do not access the internet using the CompuServe 2000 Internet ICON

• Access www.bidx.com

• Download the desired files [return to top]

A digital ID is a signature that is the legal equivalent of a written signature thus allowing for the digital signing of files. If you wish to submit bids via the Internet you will need to obtain a digital ID. There is a processing fee for each digital ID issued. One digital ID is required for each individual submitting bids over the Internet and each digital ID works for only one state transportation agency. Individuals must register a digital ID for each state in which they bid. [return to top]

First, you will need to complete the appropriate forms. Using Expedite Bid:

• From the "Tools" menu select "Options" and complete the "Agency/ID" and the "Bidder Information" tab.

• Next, from the "Tools" menu select "Digital ID's" and then select "Create ID"

• Follow the Create Digital ID Wizard instructions

• Create the ID in the name of the person who can sign for your company.

To begin bidding over the Internet using Bid Express, your digital ID must be approved and activated by BidX.com. To register and activate a digital ID, you must mail the original signed, notarized printout to BidX.com. Please allow five business days for processing once we receive your application. Please note that there are no exceptions to this policy and there is no way to expedite this process. Once your paperwork has been received and approved by BidX.com and the state transportation agency, the digital ID will be activated. You will be notified via email that your digital ID can then be used to sign and submit your bids using Expedite and Bid Express. [return to top]

Individuals may not share a digital ID; each one identifies a particular person for a particular company. However, any number of people at your business can each have their own digital ID, and if they are authorized to sign for the company, any of them can digitally sign bids. Each digital ID works for only one state transportation agency. Individuals may register a digital ID for each state in which they bid. If you change your company name, add a joint venture, or as a subsidiary company, you will need to obtain a new digital ID and pay the associated fees. (See "How do I obtain a digital ID?") [return to top]

You must create a new ID and pay the applicable registration fee again. There are detailed instructions on how to back up your digital ID on the digital ID Certificate that is printed when a digital ID is created. Note that the digital ID you create is kept in a file on your computer and secured by a password of your selection. Please maintain a backup copy of your ID and password in a secure location, as it is non-recoverable by BidX.com. [return to top]

Expedite Version 5.5a or later:
Open Expedite Bid.
Select "Tools" then select "Manage Digital IDs".
Insert a piece of media (diskette, CD, DVD) into your PC.
Highlight on the screen the ID that you want to back up.
Select "Export ID to File" button. Save the file to the piece of media using the "Export Digital ID" Save-As Dialog Box that appears, or select the network drive if your computer is connected to a local area network and you are going to backup your Digital ID to a network drive.

Expedite Version 5.3a and earlier:
Open Expedite Bid.
Select "Tools" and then select "Digital IDs".
Insert a piece of media (diskette, CD, DVD) into your PC.
Highlight on the screen the ID that you want to back up.
Select the "Export ID" button. Save the file to the piece of media using the "Export Digital ID" Save-As Dialog Box that appears, or select the network drive if your computer is connected to a local area network and you are going to backup your Digital ID to a network drive. [return to top]

Open Windows Explorer or my computer and select your c: drive (Local Disk).

Navigate to the following directory:

• C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ExpediteLogs

Using Expedite® Bid:

• You will first need to download the .ebs file from Bid Express (with exception to FDOT). After selecting the agency from our homepage, select the "Lettings" tab and choose a Letting Date. Next select the Contract ID of the job you will be bidding. Now, under the "Also Available" area select the "Expedite data file" and save this file to your computer or to some other storage media. If there is an "EBLIB file" then you may download and save all the proposals and associated amendment files at the same time. Once you have downloaded the file(s) open the Expedite® Bid software and select "File", "Open Proposal" and select the .ebs file of your choice. If you downloaded the EBLIB file then you'll initially select the .ebl file to open.

• Complete your bid including Item prices, DBE and Misc. screen as applicable

• From the "Tools" menu select "Bid Submission"

• Follow the Bid Submission Wizard instructions [return to top]

Yes, to both questions. If you submit a bid multiple times before the deadline, only the last submission will be kept and passed on to the agency. If you request a bid to be withdrawn before the deadline, it will not be passed on. [return to top]

Using Expedite Bid:

• From the "Tools" menu select "View Submitted Bids"

• Follow the View Bids Wizard instructions

• At this point you will be able to view the bid(s) that you have submitted and/or withdraw the bid(s) by highlighting the desired bid(s) and clicking on the "Withdraw Bid" button [return to top]

No one but you until the public bid opening. Until you deliberately submit a bid to the service, it stays on your PC and there is no way for anyone else to see it. When you do submit a bid, the Expedite software encrypts it before sending, using the state transportation agency’s key. Bidx.com cannot read your bid and will not pass it to the agency until the official bid opening. [return to top]

BidX.com has designed the system to avoid this happening, including keeping multiple copies of submitted files and keeping data on read-only media. In addition, you will receive electronic bid receipts whenever you submit a bid, which can be used to prove when the bid was submitted. These bid receipts will be digitally signed by Bidx.com, using the same technology you use to sign your bid. [return to top]

Your bid is VERY secure in the Bid Express system. Expedite and Bid Express use PGP™ (Pretty Good Privacy), public/private Key Pair technology, which is used throughout the world for encrypting and digitally signing documents. PGP™ is widely becoming an Internet standard for signing and encrypting technology. Details are as follows:

Our Key Type is 1024/1024 Diffie-Hellman/DSS KeyPair (PGP nomenclature). We use 1024 DSA Key for Encryption / 1024 ElGamal (Diffie-Hellman) Subkey for Signing. Symmetric Algorithm is CAST with a 128 bit key. Cryptographic hashes provided using the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA). Data is compressed prior to the encryption step with zip compatible compression. [return to top]

Please review the complete Bid Express fee schedule. [return to top]

Please review the complete Bid Express fee schedule. [return to top]

No. Expedite is funded by each participating state transportation agency and is available at no charge to the contractor. [return to top]

Yes, provided all back fees are paid. Upon reinstatement, either your previous account will be reactivated or a new Bid Express account will be established to replace the canceled account. [return to top]