Guidelines for Vendors

Prior to a Bid

Below are general scenarios and the suggested actions necessary to insure fair access.

Research and Discovery by the Department or Campus

Research and discovery is expected since the end user will need to know how to put into writing (e.g. specifications) what they want and/or need. The concern is the sharing of access with all potential vendors, and insuring that the resulting research has provided a specification that is competitive. It is suggested and highly encouraged that the end user contact 3 or more vendors that have competing products or services, and compare the responses using the provided information to develop competitive requirements. If the end user is not certain the cost of the purchase to establish a budget, it is acceptable to ask for a non‐obligated quote (ask for a rounded number).

Vendor Bid Notification Registration

When end users are approached by a vendor, they should always encourage the vendor to submit a Vendor Application Form.

The vendor will receive an email notification based on the commodities chosen. Please note that by submitting a Vendor Application, the vendor doesn’t have a contract with the District.

Demonstrations

Vendors will ask if they can do a demonstration of their product or service in an attempt to interest you or put their company above the competition. We highly discourage this practice outside the formal bid process. If the District does go to bid, the vendor, if chosen to do so, will have to do the same demonstration under controlled circumstances.

Such demonstrations are to be coordinated through the Purchasing Department. Please be aware that the Purchasing Office may not agree to the demonstration if it goes against District purchasing policy or procedures, or may be in conflict with good purchasing practices.

 

Current Bid Opportunity (“On the Street”)

This is the most critical period to NOT have any discussions with any vendors that have interest in a bid award or outcome. These communications are only to be handled by the Purchasing Department. If you are contacted by a vendor asking questions about the bid, do not discuss the solicitation with them, and ask them to contact the Purchasing Department. Always thank them for their interest in our District. Do not provide any information, advice or opinions. Any comments or input provided are not binding and may create issues with the procurement process. Please note that if a vendor does have such communications, they run the risk that their bid response may be rejected for such actions. Advise them to contact the Purchasing Department directly and cease communications with other District staff.

Bid Evaluations

During this period, if any individual that has been assigned to an evaluation team has some form of conflict of interest, they should disclose this immediately to their supervisor and the Purchasing Department. Evaluators will be required to sign a non‐disclosure statement at the beginning of the process. Failure to indicate or bring attention to this issue could have serious consequences for both the District and the individual.

Existing Contracts

If a vendor has an active contract with the District but also has interest in a current bid opportunity, any discussion of the bid is to be completely avoided, with communications being directed only at the current contract. If the vendor does start to ask questions or ask for input, the District personnel is to direct them to the Purchasing Department.

 

After a Bid Award

Awarded Vendors

Once a vendor is awarded a contract with the District, they are in partnership with the District to accomplish the goals of both. The department / campus can have open communications with the vendor to insure that the vendor does meet all the obligations of the award and that the department / campus meets its obligations as well.

The end user is responsible for knowing who the main vendor point‐of‐contact(s) will be for questions, concerns, or performance issue discussions. The end user should consider scheduling a meeting with the vendor prior to the start of the contract or shortly thereafter to discuss responsibilities and expectations. Purchasing staff will be available if requested to attend.

It is critical to the operations of the District that an awarded vendor fulfills their obligations under the contract. If they do, they should be commended for being a beneficial partner with the District. The end user should let the vendor know the expectations the District has for them at the beginning of the contract.

If at any point the vendor’s performance is not meeting the contractual requirements, the department / campus is to contact the vendor concerning the issue and copy the Purchasing Department with any communications. Timely, written documentation of such events is critical in helping the vendor do what is required or to assist in insuring a badly performing vendor does not remain under contract with the District. It is unfair to the vendor and a bad business practice if the end user withholds performance issues from the vendor and does not convey the District’s concerns with performance.

Please note that the vendor cannot be held responsible to requirements that were not part of the solicitation, formal negotiations or final contract. If such situations arise, the end user should make note to add the deficiencies to the next solicitation.

If the vendor’s performance is still inadequate after the end user has provided written documentation of the issues, the end user is to contact the Purchasing Department and provide the documentation given to the vendor. The Purchasing Department will review the documentation, and if believed necessary, schedule a counseling meeting with the vendor to formalize a plan for the vendor to meet these expectations.

 

Vendors that did not receive an Award

The District's website will provide award tabulations for most of the District's solicitations.

The vendor is to click on the “Awarded Bids/Proposals” to find the complete list of tabulations. It is the vendor’s responsibility to review this information.

 

Please note that the District does not contact vendors that did not receive an award.

Every vendor should do research on why they did not receive an award, which may include meeting with the District personnel to discuss their areas to be improved prior to the next solicitation response. We encourage this in what is called a “Debrief”. In such a meeting, the Purchasing Department will request that the department / campus representative be present especially if a technically evaluation was performed. The Purchasing Department is not the “subject matter experts” and may not be able to address specific areas of the evaluation. Please note that no comparisons are to be made between competing responses.

 

District Awarded Vendors

Vendors that have gone through a bid process (informal or formal) and have been awarded specific items or services are entitled to the District’s business for those items or services.

Note that vendors in the finance system or the District’s Accounts Payable vendor system may not have an award. The District does not create an “Approved Vendor’s List.”

 

Cooperative Contracted Vendors

The decision to use a cooperative contract is to be made by each department or campus. It is the Purchasing Department’s role to insure if the best interest of the District is being met by whichever process is available to secure such products or services. The department/campus must always consider all procurements as competitive opportunities and no one vendor should be consider without such due process.

 

Unsolicited Offers or Communications

 

Vendors will contact District staff unsolicited, either by drop‐in sales calls, phone calls or emails, since they are paid to cultivate business. Again, District personnel are not obligated to talk to vendors. This decision to meet with these vendors is the decision of the department / campus. Vendors should always be encouraged to sign up using the Vendor Application managed by the Purchasing Department.