How to respond to an RFx in PASSPort.

Where bids live. PASSPort is the City of New York’s end-to-end procurement platform, and every solicitation in it is called an RFx. You can browse open opportunities in the Procurement Navigator without logging in, but to actually respond you need a PASSPort account. Note the EPIN and the Procurement Name of the RFx you want — that is how you find it again once you are logged in.

Only one status accepts bids. Every RFx moves through phases: Planned, Released, Responses Received, Selections Made, and Closed. You can only submit a response while an RFx is in Released status. Once it flips to Responses Received, the agency has stopped accepting bids — there is no late lane.

Two things to check before you invest time. First, your PASSPort role: acknowledging and building a response takes a Vendor Admin or Vendor Procurement role, so sort out internally who holds it. Second, whether the RFx requires prequalification — some procurements (for example, Health and Human Services RFx) require you to be on a prequalified list first. And read the Key Dates section carefully: it often lists a deadline for submitting questions to the agency that falls several days before the response due date.

First time in the system? If you do not have a PASSPort account yet, start with our companion guide on how to get into PASSPort — and remember that certification (SBS Connect) is a separate portal from bidding (PASSPort). You need both, in order.

Primary source: NYC MOCS — Find Contract Opportunities in PASSPort →

Acknowledge first. Open the RFx and click Participate in RFx, then I acknowledge receipt of this RFx, check the WILL RESPOND box, and click the green Valid button. This must be done by a Vendor Admin, and only the person who acknowledges the RFx can work on it — until they add colleagues through the Setup Team tab. Acknowledging generates a draft response in your Manage Responses tab.

Then work the tabs — order matters. MOCS recommends completing the response sections in this sequence:

• Questionnaire — the agency’s questions, often scored. There may be more than one (General, Technical, Financial envelopes).
• Documents — upload what the questionnaire asks for; use a clear naming convention like S2Q3_OrgChart_YourBusinessName.
• Item — the priced items; enter directly or upload the Excel. This sets your Proposal Amount.
• LL34 Compliance — your Doing Business Data under NYC’s campaign-finance law. Complete this before the Subcontractors tab.
• Subcontractors and Joint Ventures — where you meet any M/WBE participation goals.
• M/WBE Requirements — read-only; it reflects what the tab above records.

On the M/WBE goals. If the RFx carries M/WBE participation goals, your own certifications count toward them automatically. Any goal you cannot meet on your own has to be met by naming M/WBE-certified subcontractors or joint-venture partners in that tab — so line those partners up early, not the night before.

Not yet certified? M/WBE certification is what lets your firm count toward those goals — as a prime or as a sought-after sub. See how WedgeBid handles M/WBE certification.

Primary source: NYC MOCS — Respond to RFx in PASSPort →

Give yourself 48 hours. The Validate & Submit button only appears once every required tab is complete. When you submit, you sign off in a pop-up confirming your response is accurate. MOCS recommends submitting at least 48 hours before the due date — agencies can stop accepting responses at any time on the due date itself, and a blocking alert at 4:55 p.m. is not the moment to discover a required field is empty.

Submitted means submitted. Once you click Submit my proposal, you cannot simply retract or edit it. While the RFx is still in Released status you can use Duplicate Response to make a corrected copy, submit that, and then withdraw the original. Once the RFx moves to Responses Received, it is locked — no changes, no withdrawals. Confirm the Submission Status reads Submitted in Manage Responses before you walk away.

Ask questions inside the system. Use the RFx Discussion Forum (“Discussion with buyer”) to reach the agency — it documents every exchange and shares it with your team. Save email for the MOCS Service Desk, which handles PASSPort functionality problems rather than questions about the solicitation itself.

Watch this space. When MOCS changes the PASSPort response process, adds prequalification requirements, or updates M/WBE goal rules, we will cover what it means for NYC firms in this digest.

Primary source: NYC MOCS — About PASSPort →