USDA Forest Service - Acquisition Management

Evaluate Our Service We welcome your comments on our service and your suggestions for improvement.

USDA Forest Service

P.O. Box 96090

Washington , D.C. 20090-6090

(202) 205-8333

FirstGov: the official portal web site of the U.S. government.

Vendor Support

From key announcements to user documentation to training tools, several resources are available to help you use the VIPR Vendor Solution.

Announcements

2007 & 2008 Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPA) Are in VIPR! If you have an existing 2007 or 2008 I-BPAs with the U.S. Forest Service, you may have received an e-mail notice from VIPR informing you that the Contracting Officer for your agreement has issued a modification to the agreement. If you wish to continue doing business with the Forest Service under your agreement, you MUST respond to the modification.

User Documentation

Getting Help

If you have questions about the VIPR Vendor Solution…

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which may answer your question.
Contact the Interagency Incident Systems Helpdesk at helpdesk@dms.nwcg.gov or (866) 224-7677 (press option 3 for VIPR / eAuth). Check the Helpdesk Web site for current hours of operation.

eAuthentication Level 2 Account Instructions
Provides instructions for obtaining a Level 2 eAuth account, which Vendors will need when working with the VIPR Vendor Solution.
Formatta Filler software for PCs (free)
Provides a link to the required software for completing the online forms within the Forest Service solicitation packages used in the VIPR Vendor Solution. You must install the Formatta Filler 7.0 PC version of this software (the Mac version of Filler does not work with the VIPR Vendor Solution). For assistance installing Formatta Filler, view the the Formatta Filler Installation Instructions.

IMPORTANT: The Forest Service solicitation packages that are posted to FedBizOpps (FBO) can only be viewed, completed, and submitted using the free Formatta Filler software; other applications that are used to view and fill in forms (i.e. Adobe Reader) will NOT work with the VIPR Vendor Solution.
VIPR Vendor Solution User Guide(posted on 10-29-09)
Provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for responding to solicitations, acknowledging amendments, receiving awarded agreements, and responding to agreement modifications.
VIPR Vendor Solution Quick Reference Guide(posted on 10-29-09)
Provides high-level instructions for responding to solicitations, acknowledging amendments, receiving awarded agreements, and responding to any agreement modifications. (This is a scaled-down version of the VIPR Vendor Solution User Guide.)
Instructions for Responding to a Modified Agreement(posted on 05-29-09)
Provides a quick sheet of instructions for responding to a modified agreement. For more detailed instructions, view the VIPR Vendor Solution User Guide.
Selecting a Dispatch Center
Provides instructions for selecting a Dispatch Center (DC), which is needed for completing resource data entry forms when responding to solicitations.

Training Tools

Contact your regional Contracting Officer to learn about local information sessions or training events.

In addition to the user guides (listed above), online tutorials are available to assist Vendors with using the VIPR Vendor Solution.

VIPR Vendor Solution Tutorials – Provides interactive online tutorials that walk Vendors step-by-step through the process for getting started with the VIPR Vendor Solution, locating solicitations at the FBO site, responding to solicitations, submitting revised offers on open solicitations, responding to amended solicitations, responding to modified agreements, and printing packages.

When using the tutorials, please note the following:

The purpose of the tutorials is to provide an overall sense of how to use the VIPR Vendor Solution, so you may notice slight differences between the information displayed in the tutorials and the steps in the real-time incident procurement process.
The tutorial package is intended for vendors and works correctly when accessed by external users. Internal users can access the tutorial package, however, for internal users the text in the Concept and Introduction panes for the tutorial topics may not appear and although the playback modes are grayed out, internal users CAN click on the playback modes to view the tutorials once a topic from the Outline pane is selected.
The player used to run the tutorials requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later.
If you use more than one monitor with your computer, ensure your Web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer) will open in your primary monitor when you click on the link to access the tutorial.
When you click on the tutorial link, you many need to press and hold the CTRL key down until the tutorial opens.
If you appear to be having difficulty getting the tutorial to run, you may have a pop-up blocker running, which will prevent the tutorial from displaying. Learn how to disable pop-up blockers.
The Do It! playback mode in the tutorial requires a special script, which may not run on your system. If you are unable to access this mode, you can use the other playback modes to walk you through the steps in the tutorials. click to enlarge
For all playback modes, to stop a tutorial while it is playing and return to the main tutorial topic page, click the Esc key on your keyboard.

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Box 96090 Washington , D.C. 20090-6090 (202) 205-8333 FirstGov: the official portal web site of the U.S. government.	Vendor Support From key announcements to user documentation to training tools, several resources are available to help you use the VIPR Vendor Solution. Announcements 2007 & 2008 Incident Blanket Purchase Agreements (I-BPA) Are in VIPR! If you have an existing 2007 or 2008 I-BPAs with the U.S. Forest Service, you may have received an e-mail notice from VIPR informing you that the Contracting Officer for your agreement has issued a modification to the agreement. If you wish to continue doing business with the Forest Service under your agreement, you MUST respond to the modification. User Documentation Getting Help If you have questions about the VIPR Vendor Solution… Check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which may answer your question. Contact the Interagency Incident Systems Helpdesk at helpdesk@dms.nwcg.gov or (866) 224-7677 (press option 3 for VIPR / eAuth). Check the Helpdesk Web site for current hours of operation. eAuthentication Level 2 Account Instructions Provides instructions for obtaining a Level 2 eAuth account, which Vendors will need when working with the VIPR Vendor Solution. Formatta Filler software for PCs (free) Provides a link to the required software for completing the online forms within the Forest Service solicitation packages used in the VIPR Vendor Solution. You must install the Formatta Filler 7.0 PC version of this software (the Mac version of Filler does not work with the VIPR Vendor Solution). For assistance installing Formatta Filler, view the the Formatta Filler Installation Instructions. IMPORTANT: The Forest Service solicitation packages that are posted to FedBizOpps (FBO) can only be viewed, completed, and submitted using the free Formatta Filler software; other applications that are used to view and fill in forms (i.e. Adobe Reader) will NOT work with the VIPR Vendor Solution. VIPR Vendor Solution User Guide(posted on 10-29-09) Provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for responding to solicitations, acknowledging amendments, receiving awarded agreements, and responding to agreement modifications. VIPR Vendor Solution Quick Reference Guide(posted on 10-29-09) Provides high-level instructions for responding to solicitations, acknowledging amendments, receiving awarded agreements, and responding to any agreement modifications. (This is a scaled-down version of the VIPR Vendor Solution User Guide.) Instructions for Responding to a Modified Agreement(posted on 05-29-09) Provides a quick sheet of instructions for responding to a modified agreement. For more detailed instructions, view the VIPR Vendor Solution User Guide. Selecting a Dispatch Center Provides instructions for selecting a Dispatch Center (DC), which is needed for completing resource data entry forms when responding to solicitations. Training Tools Contact your regional Contracting Officer to learn about local information sessions or training events. In addition to the user guides (listed above), online tutorials are available to assist Vendors with using the VIPR Vendor Solution. VIPR Vendor Solution Tutorials – Provides interactive online tutorials that walk Vendors step-by-step through the process for getting started with the VIPR Vendor Solution, locating solicitations at the FBO site, responding to solicitations, submitting revised offers on open solicitations, responding to amended solicitations, responding to modified agreements, and printing packages. When using the tutorials, please note the following: The purpose of the tutorials is to provide an overall sense of how to use the VIPR Vendor Solution, so you may notice slight differences between the information displayed in the tutorials and the steps in the real-time incident procurement process. The tutorial package is intended for vendors and works correctly when accessed by external users. Internal users can access the tutorial package, however, for internal users the text in the Concept and Introduction panes for the tutorial topics may not appear and although the playback modes are grayed out, internal users CAN click on the playback modes to view the tutorials once a topic from the Outline pane is selected. The player used to run the tutorials requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later. If you use more than one monitor with your computer, ensure your Web browser (e.g., Internet Explorer) will open in your primary monitor when you click on the link to access the tutorial. When you click on the tutorial link, you many need to press and hold the CTRL key down until the tutorial opens. If you appear to be having difficulty getting the tutorial to run, you may have a pop-up blocker running, which will prevent the tutorial from displaying. Learn how to disable pop-up blockers. The Do It! playback mode in the tutorial requires a special script, which may not run on your system. If you are unable to access this mode, you can use the other playback modes to walk you through the steps in the tutorials. click to enlarge For all playback modes, to stop a tutorial while it is playing and return to the main tutorial topic page, click the Esc key on your keyboard.
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