TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview
This article describes the updates made in this release to add the ability to record clause exceptions in opportunities. This was accomplished with the addition of a new Terms and Conditions page, that displays the clauses related to opportunities posted by an agency, to FedConnect. The Terms and Conditions page displays only when the agency has included terms and conditions in the opportunities that they post to FedConnect. When available, you can use the list of clauses on the new Terms and Conditions page to indicate any clauses where you have an exception.
New Terms and Conditions Page
The Terms and Conditions page in FedConnect allows vendors and applicants to identify any exceptions or special circumstances related to the clauses outlined in a federal agency's posted opportunity. If certain clauses do not apply to your proposal or require modifications based on your specific offering, this page provides a way to document those exceptions.
By specifying clause exceptions, you ensure that the agency is aware of any proposed changes to the standard terms before they evaluate your submission. It is important to review the opportunity carefully and use the Terms and Conditions page to clearly communicate any necessary adjustments while remaining compliant with the agency's requirements.
Navigation
To see the new Terms and Conditions page, follow these steps*:
- Sign in to FedConnect.
- Click All Opportunities. The All Opportunities page displays.
- In the Title column, click the link for the opportunity you want to open. The Opportunity [Summary] page displays.
- If you are not already a member of the response team, click Join in the Response Team section. If you are already a member of the response team, continue to Step 5.
- In the Response Team section, click Add Response (alternatively, you can also click the As Solicited link in the Description column for an existing, in progress response). The Cover Page page displays.
- Click Terms and Conditions. The Terms and Conditions page displays. *
* These steps assume you already know which opportunities will include terms and conditions. The Terms and Conditions page displays only if the agency intentionally chose to include those clauses in the opportunity. Don't worry if you do not see the Terms and Conditions page, it just means it wasn't there in the first place.
The following picture illustrates how the new Terms and Conditions page might look. Your results might vary.
Marking Clause Exceptions
The Terms and Conditions page includes four columns. The four columns on the Terms and Conditions page are as follows:
- The Clause Number column
- The Clause Title column
- The Exception column
- The Exception Reason column
The Clause Number column displays the list of numbers assigned to each clause in the list, in ascending numerical order, based on the numbers they were assigned in their associated clause database. Examples of clause databases include the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) database or the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), just to name two. The clauses that display are dependent upon the availability of clause databases at an agency as well as the choices made by the federal agency in the opportunity. Clause alternates display with a capital letter A following the clause number then an asterisk and then a numerical value. For example, 52.216-26 alternates display in FedConnect as:
- 52.216-7A*1
- 52.216-7A*2
- 52.216-7A*3
- 52.216-7A*4
The Clause Title column displays the description for each clause number that displays in the list. This is the description of the clause as it is written in its associated clause database.
The Exception column displays a list of check boxes. These check box fields are what you use to mark a clause as an exception. When you select the check box in the Exception column, the Exception Reason column in that row updates to display a text box. You are required to make an entry in the Exception Reason column if you select the check box for a clause in the Exception column.
The Exception Reason column is used in either an editable format or in a read-only format. When the Terms and Conditions page is editable, you can select the check box in the Exception column and a text box displays in the Exception Reason column. You can then enter text to describe why the clause you selected is an exception. When the Terms and Conditions page is read-only, any exceptions that you recorded before the opportunity was submitted will display in the Exception Reason column. Your work is saved when you click Continue on the Terms and Conditions page or when you navigate away from the page. If you clear the check box in the Exception column for a clause in the list, the system automatically clears the value from the corresponding text box in the Exception Reason column. Use care when you clear the check box as the deletion of the value in the corresponding Exception Reason column text box is immediate: there is no validation or check to ask you if you are sure, it's just gone.
The following picture illustrates how it might look when you select the check box in the Exception column and then the Exception Reason column displays a text box on Terms and Conditions Page. Your results might vary.
