How to Find Matching Tenders by Selecting Effective Category Codes

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Looking for opportunities that match the products and services your business sells can be challenging to find on your own. On Merx, we can help solve this challenge as we search through various local, provincial, and federal government agency sites, providing your business with tenders that matter to you. By adding the correct category codes to your bidding profile, you’ll receive daily email notifications anytime we find new tenders that match the codes you’ve selected. With thousands of new opportunities issued each month in a variety of different industries, you’re bound to have success finding your next big contract.

There are hundreds of participating buying organizations who utilize Merx to publish their open tenders and are actively looking for matching vendors to bid on them. By adding category codes to your bidding profile, buying organizations that are looking for vendors in a specific category will be able to easily find your business and potentially invite you to bid on certain opportunities. The main reason industry coding systems are used by government agencies is to properly categorize tenders and to ensure the right vendors can find and bid on these opportunities.

What Category Codes Are on Merx?

On Merx, there are three different category code classifications that can be used to find the right opportunities for the industry(s) you work in. The best way to receive as many matching opportunities as possible is to select relevant codes using all three coding types.

Merx Categories

The first type of code we have is Merx Categories. This is a classification system that Merx has created consisting of 52 goods and services codes. When government agencies as well as private and Crown corporations categorize tenders to identify the goods and services they are looking to purchase, Merx simplifies these codes into Merx Categories. You will find four broad categories to search through: Construction, Goods, Services, and Other. You can scroll through the entire list of codes and select the ones that are most relevant to your business, or you can also search for codes by entering keywords into the search bar.

Here is what you’ll see when you go to select your Merx Categories:

For example, if you’re looking for office equipment tenders, simply type ‘‘office’’ into the search bar and any relevant codes we have matching that keyword will come up that you can select and add to your account.

After you’ve selected all the codes that apply to your business, you can hit the ‘‘Search’’ button at the bottom of the screen and start exploring.

GSIN Categories

The next type of codes that you should select are the Goods and Services Identification Number (GSIN) codes, which are used by the federal government to identify generic product descriptions for its procurement activities. These codes are classified into three broad categories: Construction, Goods, and Services. Here is what you’ll see:

Again, by typing in keywords that relate to the goods or services your business sells, you can find the codes that are most relevant to your business and start finding matching opportunities.

UNSPSC Categories

The last set of codes that you should select is the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC), which is an open, global, and multi-sector standard for classification of products and services. It is composed of a five-level hierarchal classification code set and is managed by GS1 US for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Here is what you’ll see:

Start Finding the Right Categories and Get to Bidding

Make sure when choosing the right codes for your business that you read through the entire list of potential codes to ensure you do not miss anything. If you are unsure of what codes to select or need further assistance, the Merx Customer Support Team is always available to help so you don’t risk missing out on any important opportunities. You can call us at 1-800-964-6379 or email us at merx@merx.com M-F 7am – 8pm EST.

When logged into your Merx account, all the codes that you have selected and added to your profile will be listed in the ‘‘My Organization’’ section under ‘‘Working Categories.’’ Now when an agency or other buyers issue a tender with the codes matching your ‘‘Working Categories’’, you’ll be notified by email with a list of tenders to explore and potentially start bidding on.

Start spending less time searching for opportunities and more time winning opportunities with Merx. If you are new to Merx, register here to start taking advantage of these features. If you are already a registered vendor, update your categories here and watch your opportunities grow!