B2B procurement alternatives: marketplaces, tenders, e-procurement

RFQs by email, phone and Excel

The classic approach: you send the request to the suppliers you know and compare offers in a spreadsheet. It needs no new tool, but it only reaches suppliers you already know, and company checks and negotiation history are handled manually.

B2B marketplaces and directories

Online catalogues of companies and products where you buy from, or request a quote from, the listed sellers. They are useful for discovery and for standard products; search usually starts from keywords, and negotiation and the contract mostly happen outside the platform.

Tender and public procurement platforms

Systems built for formal award procedures, with rules, deadlines and standardised documentation. In Romania, public authorities run their procurement through the electronic public procurement system. They are designed for formal procedures with strict participation and evaluation rules.

E-procurement suites for large companies

Procurement software deployed inside an organisation: internal approvals, budgets, ERP integration, catalogues of approved suppliers. It gives internal control, but requires an implementation project and works mainly with suppliers the company has already onboarded.

Markonex: AI B2B matchmaking, from request to contract

Markonex is a B2B marketplace for companies in Romania to buy and sell: buyers publish requests for quotation (RFQs), the platform automatically finds matching ANAF-verified suppliers and manufacturers, and offers, negotiation, agreements and contracts happen on the same platform. It runs in the browser with no implementation, and new suppliers find you through your request.

What it does not do: Markonex does not process payments, is not a public procurement platform and does not replace internal approvals in an ERP.