Abstract: An internet-based commerce system simultaneously usable by multiple purchasing organizations and multiple vendors while controlled by a virtual single server and database is disclosed. The commerce system handles the requisitions for goods and services by system users within a purchasing organization and directs requisitions to other users for approval within that purchasing organization using approval routes electronically established within the database. Requisitions are electronically processed into Requests for Quotation, Requests for Proposal, Requests for Information or Requests for Bid that are then released to the Internet for electronic responses by users representing vendors who access the system. Vendors with profiles matching the requests are actively notified of the requests preferably through response-prompting electronic mail. Using the system, users profiled by the system as buyers for the purchasing organizations process the electronic responses into awards.