The bid room brings together the documents you are working on for one tender. Here you can write responses, fill out templates, and attach files. Open Bid room from the tender sidebar.
When the bid room is empty and tasks have been extracted from the procurement documents, click "Create first draft". The agent helps you draft the responses.
An overview of the bid room
The bid room can contain a progress plan, responses, formalities, and fillable templates. You can also add your own files and folders.
Find items with search and sorting
Use the search field at the top of the bid room to find folders, documents, and files. In the card view, you can sort by name, last modified date, or file size. In the list view, click a column heading to sort. Search and sorting are stored in the URL, so the view remains the same when you reload the page or share the link.
1. Answers
In Answers, you will find the text documents created for the bid. Check them against the requirements in the procurement documents.
Open the full document
Click the document title on the card. In list view, click the document name.
The document opens on its own page, where you can read and edit the full text.
Edit the text directly, or open the agent with ⌘J on Mac or Ctrl+J on Windows. Describe what you want to change.
The card in the bid room only shows a preview. You do not need to export the document to read the rest.
If the document shows "Cannot reach the document", click "Try again". If the text is still missing, contact support with the document link. Avoid deleting it while the problem is being investigated.
Deleted a document or want to recover earlier text? See how to restore documents and previous versions.
Change part of the text with AI:
Select the text you want to change.
An AI menu appears with suggestions such as "Make longer" and "Improve writing". You can also give it direct instructions, for example to change the tone.
Choose an action and check the suggestion before using it.
2. Formal requirements
Formal documents, such as tax certificates and credit ratings, are collected here. Cobrief AI searches your knowledge base and attaches what it finds.
Each formal requirement appears as its own card. If Cobrief does not find a matching document automatically, the requirement still appears in the overview. Open the card to see details such as document type and date, then click "Upload formality document" to attach the right file manually. The document is linked to the requirement and included when you export the bid.
3. Fillable templates
Many tenders include templates to fill out, such as self-declarations, requirement specifications, or supplier information. Here you can work on drafts of the completed templates.
Important to know:
Cobrief AI automatically fills out templates in Word format (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx).
If you have your own Word or Excel template that is not part of the procurement documents, click "+ New…" and choose "Create fillable template".
If the template is in another format, such as a locked PDF, you can complete it yourself and upload the finished file.
Once you have reviewed and adjusted the information the AI has filled in, click "Fill out and export". Cobrief inserts the information into the original template format, ready for download.
If you need a variant of a fillable template, the agent can also make a copy. The copy appears as its own template under Fillable templates, so you can keep working without changing the original.
Need a more detailed walkthrough of template filling? See this article.
Customise AI for each bid
At the top of the bid room, you will find AI basis and AI instructions. You can also set these for an individual text document or fillable template. Open the document and use the fields in its properties.
AI basis
Add information specific to this bid, such as an agreement with a partner or project-specific details. The AI can also use the knowledge base under Library.
When space is limited, some sources are grouped behind a button showing a count and "more". Click it to see all the sources.
Use the upload button next to AI basis to add sources. Choose whether new files should be saved in the knowledge base or only used here. Saving to the knowledge base is selected by default in the upload dialog. Check the selection before saving.
Sources you add to the AI basis do not automatically become bid attachments. Add files you need to submit to the customer as bid files.
AI instructions
Here you can give the AI specific instructions for its responses in this tender. You can influence the tone and content of the generated text.
Examples of instructions:
Highlight our experience delivering to the public sector.
If the attached certificate confirms it, describe our ISO 9001 certification. Do not claim it applies if the documentation is missing.
Mention our experience with [customer name], as it is relevant to this tender.
Changing instructions does not rewrite existing text automatically. Ask the agent to update the relevant response, then check the result.
Give documents clear names
Text document: Open the document and change the title at the top. Click outside the title field to save the name. The title is used when the text is exported to Word.
Uploaded file: Open the file's three-dot menu and choose "Edit". Enter the name in "Filename", then click "Save changes". The file extension is kept.
An uploaded file may still use its original filename when downloaded individually. The full bid export uses the name from the bid room. Check filenames before submission. You can rename the downloaded file locally if needed.
Check the content before submission
Compare the responses with the requirements and award criteria in the procurement documents.
Check figures, dates, names, and references against their sources.
Make sure CVs and references describe actual experience. Remove general claims you cannot support.
Check that you have used the right certificate and document type for each formal requirement.
Open the exported files and check their content, location, and filenames.
AI suggestions are drafts. Your team needs to check that the bid is correct and complete.
Ready to submit? Download the bid
Once you have reviewed the tasks in the progress plan, checked the responses, and gathered the necessary documents, you are ready for the final step.
Click "Export bid room" to download a ZIP file. The export can contain:
The responses you have written in Cobrief, converted to Word files (.docx).
The formal documents and attachments you have uploaded.
The completed templates, ready for use.
Save the bid to the knowledge base
When you move a tender with a bid to a status of the type Delivered, Cobrief asks whether you want to save the bid to the knowledge base. The dialog appears when the bid has documents that can be saved and you have permission to manage both the bid and the knowledge base. Nothing is saved automatically.
Text documents, filled templates, and uploaded files that are not already in the knowledge base are preselected. Clear the selection for anything you do not want the AI to use as a source.
Choose the folder's name and location, then click "Save N documents", where N is the number you selected. The documents become searchable for the AI and can be used as sources in later bids.
If you choose "Not now", you can save later from the three-dot menu at the top of the bid room. Choose "Save the bid to the knowledge base" the first time. Later, the menu shows "Update the bid in the knowledge base". Cobrief reuses the same folder and replaces older copies of the documents you select again.
Review the finished files before submitting them.
You will find links to the tendering platform under "Participation links". Follow the buyer's submission instructions. Cobrief does not submit the bid for you.
Check well in advance whether you need an account with the tendering platform.
Good luck 😊