Overview

This Quick Reference Guide (QRG) is intended for Buyers and Procurement Officers who want to create a contract from an existing solicitation in the eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA). It shows how to create a contract for an awarded IFB solicitation in eMMA, but the process is similar to other projects.

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

Creating a Contract from an Awarded IFB Solicitation

NOTE: This QRG begins after the processes of awarding and notifying a vendor are complete.

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.NOTE: Additional fields may display depending on your selections.

1. Navigate to your project if necessary and click the Award & Contract tab on the left-hand side panel and click the Create/Update a contract button to the right of the awarded Vendor. The Contract window opens and displays the contract form. Several fields will auto-populate with information from your sourcing project.
   
   
   
2. Enter information in the General Information section:
   1. Contract Title (*): Enter a title for your Contract
   2. Contract Type (*):Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select one of four options:
      1. Individual
      2. Master without Secondary Competition
      3. Master with Secondary Competition
      4. Secondary Level Agreement
   3. Main Contract Using Agency/Sub-Agency/Site (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and click the See All option. A new window opens with a list of agencies, limited to your scope by default.
      
      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.
      
      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 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 300,000 KB.
       
   5. Confidential (checkbox): Click this checkbox if this contract is Confidential.
      
      
3. Scroll down this window to review information selected by default for this contract. Information such as Solicitation Documents to Add, Vendor Response Documents to Add, Team Members to Add, and Proposal/Bid Items to Add. All options, provided in the solicitation up to this point, are automatically selected. De-select an option to exclude it from this contract.
   
   
   
4. 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 solicitation.
   
   
   
5. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
6. 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 also click the blue hyperlinks for the Contract ID, Contract Title, or Vendor as well.
      
7. Click the Negotiated Terms tab on the left-hand side-panel.
8. Enter the dollar amount for the contract in the Contract (Not-to-Exceed) Amount field.
   
   IMPORTANT: If you are creating a MASTER contract (with or without Secondary Competition) enter a zero in decimal form (0.0) in this field.
   
   
9. Click the Header tab on the left-hand side-panel to view the Contract Header section.
   
   
   
   
10. 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 See All option. Click the checkbox to the left of the procurement method for your contract.
    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. Click the checkbox to the left of the Procurement Officer or buyer you want for this contract.
    6. Linked Sourcing Project and Business Request: These fields auto-populate 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.
    7. Is Secondary Non-Competitive Award? (*): Is this contract a Secondary Non-Competitive Award? Click this field and select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
    8. Is P3? (*): Is this a Public-Private Partnership (P3) contract? Click this field and select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
11. Enter information in 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 to on which to enter this contract into the public record.
    3. Award Date: Click this field and select a date on which you expect to award the contract.
    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.
    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.
       
       
12. 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 for this contract.
    3. Option Period (months): Enter the number of months a contract is extended upon renewal.
    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 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).
       
       
13. 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 this is correct, no action is needed here.
    2. Statewide Contract (*): Is this a Statewide Contract? Click this field and select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
    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 and Commodities (*): 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.
    5. 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.
       
       
    6. Award Authority (*): Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the group with the authority to award the contract.
    7. 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.
    8. Category of Work (*):Click this field to open the drop-down menu and select the category of work that pertains to this project.
       1. Hiring Agreement (*): Depending on your selection for Step 13h, this field displays to the right of the Category of Work field. Click this field and select Yes or No from the drop-down menu.
    9. 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.
    10. Contract Reporting Type (*): Click this field and select your contract type from the drop-down menu.
        
        
14. Click the Additional Information tab from the left-hand side-panel.
    
    
    
15. 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.
    
    
    
    
16. If you selected Yes in the previous step, follow these instructions. If not, skip to Step 17.
    
    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.
17. Click the Save button at the top of the page.
    
    IMPORTANT: If you skip this step you risk losing your work to this point.
    
    
18. Enter information in the Program Goals section. New fields may display depending on your selections. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.
    
    1. Federal Funding: Does your project have Federal funding? Click this field and select Yes or No.
    2. SBR Designation: Does your project have a Small Business Reserve (SBR) Designation? Click this field and select Yes or No.
    3. VSBE Goal: Does your project have a Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprise (VBSE) goal? Click this field and select Yes or No.
       1. If you selected Yes, two new fields display:
          1. The VSBE Goal % (*) field displays. Enter a percentage for your VSBE goal.
          2. The VSBE Waiver (*) field displays in the Waiver section to the right. Click this field and select Yes or No.
             1. If you select Yes, 7 new fields display.VSBE Waiver Percentage (*)
                VSBE Dollar Commitment
                VSBE Waiver Request Date (*)
                VSBE Waiver Requested Amount
                VSBE Waiver Approved Date
                VSBE Waiver Approved Amount
    4. SBE Goal?: Does your project have an Small Business Enterprise (SBE) goal? Click this field and select Yes or No.
    5. DBE Goal?: Does your project have a Disability Business Enterprise (DBE) goal? Click this field and select Yes or No.
       1. If you selected Yes, two new fields display:
          1. DBE Participation (%) (*): Enter a percentage for your DBE participation goal.
          2. DBE Waiver (*): This field displays in the Waiver section to the right. Click this field and select Yes or No.
             1. If you select Yes, 6 new fields display in the Waiver section. Enter the appropriate answers in the respective fields as they apply to your project.
                 
                DBE Waiver Requested
                DBE Waiver Percentage
                DBE Dollar Commitment
                DBE Waiver Request Date
                DBE Waiver Requested Amount
                DBE Waiver Approved Date
                DBE Waiver Approved Amount
    6. MBE Goal: Does your project have a Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) goal? Click this field and select Yes or No.
       1. If you selected Yes, three new fields display:
          1. MBE Goal (%) (*): Enter the percentage for your MBE goal in this field.
          2. MBE Sub-Goals: Does your project have MBE sub-goals? Click this field and select Yes or No.
             1. If you selected Yes, six new fields display. Enter the appropriate percentages in the respective fields as they apply to your project:
                
                Native American MBE Participation (%)
                African American MBE Participation (%)
                Asian American MBE Participation (%)
                Hispanic American MBE Participation (%)
                Women-owned MBE Participation (%)
                Minority Subcontractor: Click this field and select Yes or No.
          3. MBE Waiver (*): This field displays in the Waiver section to the right. Click this field and select Yes or No.
             1. If you select Yes, six new fields display in the Waiver section. Enter the appropriate answers in the respective fields as they apply to your project.
                MBE Waiver Percentage (*)
                MBE Dollar Commitment
                MBE Waiver Request Date (*)
                MBE Waiver Requested Amount
                MBE Waiver Approved Date
                MBE Waiver Approved Amount
    7. Federal Exemption: Does your project have Federal exemption? Click this field and select Yes or No.
    8. Federal Funding Split: If your project has Federal funding, enter the split (in decimal form) in this field.
    9. Special Funding Split: If your project has special funding, enter the split (in decimal form) in this field.
    10. Other Funding Split: If your project has other funding, enter the split (in decimal form) in this field.
    11. For the fields at the bottom of this section related to funding, please refer to your fund certification to fill these fields in correctly.
        
        
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. Click the Documents tab on the left-hand side-panel.
    
    
    
21. (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.
       
       
22. Click the + Add Document button. Any attached documents are listed on this page.
    
    NOTE: Uploaded documents may not exceed 300,000 KB.
    
    
    
    
23. From the drop-down menu that opens, select the Certificate of Standing option. The Document pop-up window opens.
    
    
    
24. 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 300,000 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.
25. Click the Save & Close button in the Document pop-up window. The document displays on the Documents page.
26. Click the In Good Standing button to the right of the Certificate of Standing document you added.
    
    
    
27. Click the Add Document button to open the drop-down menu and select the Tax Clearance option.
    
    
    
28. 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 300,000 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.
29. Click the Save & Close button in the Document pop-up window. The document displays on the Documents page.
30. Click the In Good Standing button to the right of the Tax Clearance document you added.
    
31. Click the Save button at the top of the Documents page.
32. Click the + Add Document button and select the Contract Document option from the drop-down menu that opens.
    
    
    
33. 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 300,000 KB.
       
       NOTE: You cannot directly edit documents in eMMA, but you can upload new versions.
       
       
34. 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.
    
    
    
    
35. 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.
    
    
36. 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. If you wish to use DocuSign, please check with your agency and see the QRG Using DocuSign in eMMA for DocuSign instructions.
    
    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.
    
    
37. 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.
    
    
38. Once the Vendor has signed and returned all required document(s) to the PO, the Buyer must click the Vendor Execute button at the top of the screen to move the workflow process forward.
    
    NOTE: The Procurement Officer is responsible for moving the workflow through the process after each required signature is complete and at various points where required. They are also responsible for uploading the final Contract Document in eMMA. The Procurement Officer should be making Agency Specific Task Approvals and Form Verifications between each approval from the signatories.
    
    
39. Follow the workflow and make sure to complete the responsive responsibility checks for the vendor.
40. 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.
    
    
    
41. 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.
    
    
    
    
42. 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 on the hyperlink in the Subject column to open a new window and see the email content.