Overview

This Quick Reference Guide (QRG) is intended for Buyers and Procurement Officers who want to create a master contract with secondary competition from an awarded solicitation in the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA). These instructions are applicable only to buyers who are authorized to create master contracts, namely, those in the Department of General Services (DGS) or Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).

PREREQUISITE: This QRG assumes you have 

• Created a business request
• Created a sourcing project linked in eMMA to that business request
• Created a solicitation from that sourcing project
• Awarded the solicitation to multiple vendors

OTHER QRGS

QRGs for related tasks include the following:

• Create a Master Contract WITHOUT Secondary Competition 
• Create a Secondary Solicitation in eMMA [Coming Soon…]
• Create Secondary Level Agreement Against Master [Coming Soon...]
  
  

NOTE: For best results, use the Google Chrome browser to access eMMA.

If you need help at any time, please reach out to the eMMA helpdesk at emma.helpdesk@maryland.gov.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Creating a Contract from an Awarded Solicitation

NOTE: This QRG uses diagrams with specific callouts to show required and optional fields in forms. A yellow callout with a red border indicates a required field, while yellow callouts with a black border indicate optional fields. Letters within the callouts correspond to the explanations below the diagram.

This process includes contract creation for one vendor. Each awarded vendor receives their own MC, each of which is attached to the Business Request, and each of which supports task order releases. As each task order is processed, the activity flows back to the Master Contract, which flows back to the Business Request, to ensure all spending is properly accounted for.

1. Navigate to your sourcing project if necessary and click the Award & Contract tab on the left-hand side panel and click the Selected: to be notified link to notify the Vendor(s) of your selection. A popup window is displayed.
   
   
   
   
2. Modify the email message, if desired, then click the Send & Close button to notify the Vendor(s).
   
   
   
3. Click the Create/Update a contract button to the right of the notified and awarded Vendor. The Contract window opens and displays the contract form. Several fields will auto-populate with information from your sourcing project.
   
   
   
4. Enter information in the fields for the General Information section. Some fields will auto-populate with information from your solicitation. Some fields will be read-only.
   1. Contract Title (*): Enter a title for your Contract.
   2. Contract Type (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select Master with Secondary Competition from the menu.
   3. Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency/Site (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and click the See All option. The Select Organizations window opens with a list of agencies, limited to your scope by default.
      
      IMPORTANT!! If this is a statewide contract, State of Maryland Government(state_md) must be selected in the Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency/Site field and your agency in the Additional Contract Using Organizations field.
      
      NOTE: To see a list of all organizations, click the X to the right of the Limit to my scope filter or click the Limit to my scope checkbox in the filters section above the list of organizations to choose from agencies in your organizational hierarchy.
      
      
      
      Use the plus and minus icons to the left of the agency groups to expand and collapse them. Select the checkbox to the left of the agency you want to add and close the Select Organizations window. The window closes and the selected agency displays in this field.
      
      
      
   4. Click or Drag to add files: Click this button to browse files on your device or drag document files here to add them.
      
       NOTE: Uploaded documents cannot exceed 307,200 KB.
       
5. Scroll down to review the information for accuracy.
   
   
6. Click the Save & Close button at the top of the window. You are taken back to the Sourcing Project, on the Award & Contract page. Your created contract displays as a link to the right of the awarded Vendor (see below).
   
   
   
7. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
   
   
8. Click the contract link to the right of the solicitation on the Award & Contract page to open a window of the Contract OR:
   1. Click the Contracts tab at the top of the page to open the drop-down menu and select the Browse Contracts option.
      
      
      
   2. Use the search fields and filters to find the contract in the list displayed and click the Edit (pencil) icon to the left to view the project. You can click the blue hyperlinks for the Contract ID, Contract Title, or Vendor as well.
      
      
      
9. Click the Negotiated Terms tab on the left-hand side-panel.
   
   
10. Enter the dollar amount for the contract in the Contract (Not-to-Exceed) Amount field.
    
    
    
11. Click the Header tab on the left-hand side-panel to view the Contract Header section.
    
    
    
12. Enter information in the fields for the Contract Header section. Fields may vary depending on selections made in your solicitation project and which Procurement Method you select.
    
    1. Procurement Method (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the appropriate procurement method.
    2. Alternate ID: This field is an additional identifier. If you have a Financial Management Information System (FMIS) number or an internal contract number, enter it here. If not, then skip this field.
    3. Contract Description (*): Enter a description for this contract in this field.
    4. Engineer’s Estimate: If applicable, enter the Engineer’s Estimate amount in US dollars.
    5. Procurement Officer/Buyer (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the See All option. A popup window opens. Click the checkbox to the left of the Procurement Officer or buyer you want for this contract.
       
       NOTE: This person will be the person who is responsible for this contract and any changes once the workflow is launched.
       
       
    6. Linked Sourcing Project: This field auto-populates based on your sourcing project. This should be the Master Solicitation where the vendor was awarded. If needed, click the field to open a drop-down menu of your sourcing projects and select the correct one.
    7. Linked Business Request (*): This field auto-populates based on your sourcing project. If needed, click the field to open a drop-down menu of your sourcing projects and select the correct one.
       
       
13. Enter information in the fields for the Contract Dates section.
    
    1. Effective Date (*): Click this field and select a date for the contract to start.
    2. Advertise Date: Click this field and select a date on which to enter this contract into the public record.
    3. Award Date: Click this field and select a date on which you the contract was awarded.
    4. Fiscal Effective Date: Enter the date the funding for your procurement is approved.
    5. Expiration Date (*): Click this field and select the expiration date for this contract.
       
       IMPORTANT!! If you are entering information for a MASTER contract (with or without Secondary Competition), you will see a field for No End Date. No is the default selection for this field; if No is not automatically selected, click No to indicate there is an expiration date (a required field).
       
       
       
    6. Actual End Date: Click this field and select the date when the contract actually ended.
    7. Fully Executed Date: Click this field and select the date when the contract was fully executed.
       
       
14. Enter information in the fields for the Options and Review Schedule section:
    
    1. Option Type (*):  Depending on whether your contract has options, click this field and select either No Options, or Option(s) with Same Terms.
       
       NOTE: If you select Option(s) with Same Terms, optional fields (b) # of Option Periods, and (c) Option Period (months) become mandatory fields.  The Total Options Amount field appears in the Negotiated Terms tab and becomes mandatory as well.
       
       
    2. # of Option Periods: Enter the number of option periods that this contract is extended upon renewal.
    3. Option Period (months): Enter the duration (in months) of the renewal option. i.e. How long is the extension period?
    4. Review Date: Click and select the date to review this contract. It should be before or on the same as the notice date.
    5. Review Period: Enter the time in months (ahead of the minimum notice period) reserved for reviewing the upcoming renewal or termination for the contract.
    6. Notification Date: Enter the date that you want the notice sent out. It must be prior to or equal to the contract end date or the actual end date.
    7. Notification Period (months): Enter the minimum number of months’ notice required before termination or auto-renewal (per the contract).
       PRO TIP: Once you set a review and notification date, eMMA will send you a renewal notification before the option needs to be renewed.
       
       IMPORTANT!! If you have added options to this contract, you must add them to the Negotiated Terms page. Click the Negotiated Terms tab, enter the full amount of the options in the Total Remaining Options Amount field and click the Calculate button.
       
       
       
15. Enter information in the fields for the Contract Scope section:
    
    
    1. Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency/Site (*): This field auto-populates based on your entries above. If agency selection is correct, no action is needed here. If not correct, click the X to the left of the agency name to remove it, then select a different agency name from the drop-down menu that appears.
       
       IMPORTANT!  The agency/sub-agency you select for the Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency will be your agency—the agency creating the contract.
    2. Statewide Contract: Is this a Statewide Contract? Click this field and select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
       
       IMPORTANT!! If this is a statewide contract, State of Maryland Government(state_md) must be selected in the Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency/Site field and your agency in the Additional Contract Using Organizations field.
       
       
    3. Agency Specific Contract: Is this an agency-specific contract? Click this field and select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
    4. Additional Contract Using Organizations (*): These fields auto-populate from information entered for your sourcing project. Click the fields to adjust them as needed. Otherwise, no action is needed here. If not correct, click the X to the left of the organization to remove it, then select a different organization or commodity name from the drop-down menu that appears.
       
       NOTE: If you had selected Yes in Statewide Contract (b), then enter the State of Maryland Government in the Additional Contract Using Organizations field. If you had selected No in Statewide Contract, then enter the agency you entered in Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency again in the Additional Contract Using Organizations field.
       
       
    5. Commodities (*): Click the Commodities field to open a drop-down list and click the See All option at the bottom. Select the commodity(ies) from your original sourcing project, if those commodities are not already auto-populated in this field.
    6. Functional Area: This field is only used in Secondary competitions for IT procurement. Enter your main commodity if this applies to your project.
       
       IMPORTANT!! This Functional Area is not the same functional area that the State Procurement Office may be familiar with. This field offers a list of commodities. Click this field and select your Main Commodity for the time being from the drop-down list.
       
       
    7. Award Authority (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the group with the authority to award the contract (typically BPW or Delegated).
    8. Competitive Bid Solicitation Resulting in Single Viable Bidder: This field relates to whether you received more than one bid for your solicitation. Click this field and select the option Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
    9. Category of Work (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the category of work that pertains to this project.
    10. Agency Specific Delegation Categories (*): Click this field to open a drop-down menu. This captures unique agency categories in addition to the work categories listed.
    11. Contract Reporting Type (*): Click this field and select your contract type from the drop-down menu.
        
        
16. Click the Additional Information tab from the left-hand side-panel.
    
    
    
17. Click the Retainage field in the Retainage section on the right side of the page to open the drop-down menu and select Yes or No from the menu.
    
    NOTE: Additional fields may display depending on the selection you make.
    
    
    
    
18. If you selected Yes in the previous step, follow these instructions. If not, skip to Step 19.
    
    1. Click the Retainage Type field to open the drop-down menu and select either F: Fixed Amount or P: Percentage. A new mandatory field opens to the right depending on your selection. Enter the Amount or Percentage required in the field based on your selection. For Retainage Amount (*), enter a dollar amount. For Retainage Percentage (*), enter the percentage amount.
    2. Click the Escrow (*) field to open the drop-down menu and select Yes or No from the menu. If you select Yes, a new field displays to the right. Click the Escrow Vendor field and search for the Vendor in charge of escrow for your project.
       
       
19. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
    
    IMPORTANT!! If you skip this step, you risk losing your work to this point.
    
    
20. Enter information to complete the Program Goals section as needed. New fields may display depending on your selections.  A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
    
    NOTE: This information is entered in SECONDARY AGREEMENTS, not in the master contract.
    
    
    
    
21. Click the Contacts tab in the left-hand side-panel to display the Internal Contacts section.
    
    NOTE: The PO who creates the contract is the Responsible party by default and is the only team member who can edit Contract information (via an amendment) after the contract is published.
    
    IMPORTANT!! If you need to change or add a contact to the contract team, you need to make that change before you launch the workflow for the contract.
    1. To remove a user contact, click the X to the left of the contact’s name.
       
       
       
    2. To change the role of an existing Buyer contact, click the field to the right of a user’s email address, in the Profile(s) column, to open a drop-down menu. Select a profile role for the contact from the drop-down menu.
       
       
       
    3. To add a new SME or other Buyer contact, click Select user(s) to open the drop-down menu, which displays a partial list of users in eMMA. Click one or more names on the list or click See All at the bottom of the menu to display the Browse Users window.
       
       
       
    4. To add a Vendor contact, click the Create New Contact button. A pop-up window displays. Enter information for the Vendor Admin contact in the fields provided. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
       
       
       
22. Click the Documents tab on the left-hand side-panel.
    
    
    
23. (Optional) If you have existing documents on this page, then you will see two buttons to the right of the document; Create New Version and Finalize.
    
    1. Click the Create New Version button to upload a new version of the document if necessary.
    2. Click the Finalize button ONLY if this is the final version.
       
       IMPORTANT!! DO NOT CLICK THIS BUTTON if the document needs alterations or signatures. Only click the Finalize button when no further changes or signatures are needed.
       
       
24. Click the + Add Document button. Any attached documents are listed on this page.
    
    NOTE: Uploaded documents may not exceed 307,200 KB.
    
    
    
    
25. From the drop-down menu that opens, select the Certificate of Standing option. The Document pop-up window opens.
    
    
    
26. Enter the appropriate information in the respective fields. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
    
    1. Document Name (*): Enter a name for the document in this field.
    2. Summary: Enter a brief summary of the document in this field.
    3. Acquired Date (*): This date auto-populates with today’s date. Click this field to select a different date.
    4. Visible to Vendor: You must select this checkbox if you want Vendors to be able to view this document.
    5. Click or Drag to add files(*) button: Click this button to browse your device for a file or drag a file to this button to add it.
       
       NOTE: Uploaded files cannot exceed 307,200 KB.
       
       NOTE: You cannot directly edit documents in eMMA, but you can upload new versions.
       
       
    6. Waive Certificate of Standing Requirement:Select this checkbox to waive the certificate of standing requirement.
       1. If you select this checkbox, the Reason for Waiver Request (*) field displays. Enter the reason for waiving this requirement.
27. Click the Save & Close button in the Document pop-up window. The document displays on the Documents page.
    
    
28. Verify that the awardee vendor holds a good Certificate of Standing in the SDAT Business Express database and has passed a Tax Clearance check. Then click the In Good Standing button to the right of the Certificate of Standing document you added.
    
    
    
29. Click the Add Document button to open the drop-down menu and select the Tax Clearance option.
    
    
    
30. Enter the appropriate information in the respective fields. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
    
    1. Document Name (*): Enter a name for the document in this field.
    2. Summary: Enter a brief summary of the document in this field.
    3. Acquired Date (*): This date auto-populates with today’s date. Click this field to select a different date.
    4. Visible to Vendor: You must select this checkbox if you want Vendors to be able to view this document.
    5. Click or Drag to add files (*) button: Click this button to browse your device for a file or drag a file to this button to add it.
       
       NOTE: Uploaded files cannot exceed 307,200 KB.
       
       NOTE: You cannot directly edit documents in eMMA, but you can upload new versions.
       
       
    6. Waive Certificate of Standing Requirement:Select this checkbox to waive the certificate of standing requirement.
       1. If you select this checkbox, the Reason for Waiver Request (*) field displays. Enter the reason for waiving this requirement.
          
          
31. Click the Save & Close button in the Document pop-up window. The document displays on the Documents page.
    
    
32. Verify that the awardee vendor holds a good Certificate of Standing in the SDAT Business Express database and has passed a Tax Clearance check. Then click the In Good Standing button to the right of the Tax Clearance document you added.
    
    
    
33. Click the Save button at the top of the Documents page.
    
    
34. Click the + Add Document button and select the Contract Document option from the drop-down menu that opens.
    
    
    
35. Enter the appropriate information in the respective fields. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
    
    1. Document Name (*): Enter a name for the document in this field.
    2. Summary: Enter a brief summary of the document in this field.
    3. Visible to Vendor: You must select this checkbox if you want Vendors to be able to view this document.
    4. Click or Drag to add files (*) button: Click this button to browse your device for a file or drag a file to this button to add it.
       
       NOTE: Uploaded files cannot exceed 307,200 KB.
       
       NOTE: You cannot directly edit documents in eMMA, but you can upload new versions.
       
       
36. Click the Save & Close button in the Document pop-up window. The Contract Document displays on the Documents page. You will see two buttons to the right of the document: Create New Version and Finalize by PO.
    
    IMPORTANT!! DO NOT CLICK the Finalize by PO button if the document needs alterations or signatures. Only click this button when no further changes or signatures are needed.
    
    
    
    PRO TIP: If you had indicated that your project has an MBE, VSBR, or other program goal, you may see a blocking error message such as “No Subcontractor was added for the following goal(s): MBE,” and you will need to add one or more subcontractors for that goal. Click the +Add Sub Contractor button.
    
    Follow the linked instructions below from Step 4, before moving to the next step in these instructions. https://mdprocurement.freshdesk.com/en/support/solutions/articles/70000592930-add-a-subcontractor-to-a-contract-and-add-an-invoice-po-
    
    
    
    
37. Click the Workflow tab on the left-hand side-panel and click the Launch Workflow button at the top of the Workflow page.
    
    
    NOTE: If at any point you see the workflow stopped at a point labeled Signature Type?, then the system needs to know how you want your contracts signed.
    
    IMPORTANT!! These instructions explain the manual signing process. The word “manual” here refers to the process of obtaining a signature in ink and paper and/or otherwise outside the system.
    
    
38. Click the green Manual button at the top of the Workflow page to obtain a signature manually. The Signature Type point turns green after you click it.
    
    NOTE: Currently, DocuSign is not available for Contracts in eMMA.
    
    
    
    
39. Click Save at the top of the Workflow page. The Buyer must now separately seek required signatures on all documents. Vendors do not have the ability to upload or manipulate the Documents tab.
    
    
40. Click Save at the top of the Workflow page. The Buyer must now separately seek required signatures on all documents. Vendors do not have the ability to upload or manipulate the Documents tab.
    
    
    
41. Follow the workflow and make sure to complete the responsive responsibility checks for the vendor.
    
    
42. Once final signed copies of all contract document(s) are received, and all workflow approvals obtained, Buyers should ensure final versions are uploaded and finalized on the Documents tab. In the Documents tab, click the Edit (pencil) icon to the left of the document to upload newest versions.
    
    
    
43. The Procurement Officer clicks the Documents tab in the left-hand side-panel, and clicks the Finalize by PO button for the Contract Document.
    
    IMPORTANT!! Only click the Finalize by PO button if the document needs no further changes or signatures.
    
    
    
    
44. The Procurement Officer clicks the Workflow tab in the left-hand side panel and clicks the Publish button.

Workflow Page Features

Approval History

Below the workflow, the Approval History logs the progression of the workflow.

 This section shows:

• Activity: The applicable workflow step.
• Name: The user who is eligible to perform that step and has been notified by the system to validate the task.
• Delegate to (if applicable): To whom the task was delegated.
• Created on: When the task was initiated.
• Validated on: When the task was completed.
• State: The state of the task is shown in the three circles in this column; red indicates a rejection, orange indicates the action still pending, green indicates a completed task.
• Due Date (if applicable): The date the task was due.
• Initial Performer: The user who completed the workflow task.
  
  

Previous Approvals and Refusals

Click the chevron (arrow) to the left of Previous Approvals and Refusals. This section shows any previous approvals and refusals this contract might have gone through before the current workflow.

The system generates email notifications that go out as the workflow moves through the approval process. These let you and others know what the next step is. You can view this at any time in the Contract process.

Mail History

In the Workflow tab of the contract, scroll below the workflow and Approval History. Click the chevron (arrow) to the left of Mail History to expand this section.

This section shows each sent email from the eMMA system as well as who sent it and when. Click the hyperlink in the Subject column to open a new window and see the email content.