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Board of County Commissioners Purchasing Department |
VENDOR'S GUIDE TO DOING BUSINESS The principle objective of the Purchasing Department is to utilize a fair and competitive process to procure quality and cost effective goods and services from responsive and responsible bidders and proposers. We are constantly looking for new resources, and we encourage vendors to register with the Purchasing Department and to respond to our solicitations. This guide is designed to provide general information to vendors interested in doing business with Palm Beach County; and, as such, is not binding in either a legal or regulatory sense. The Purchasing Department conducts its procurement activity in accordance with the Palm Beach County Code and with applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures. The first step in doing business with Palm Beach County is to become a registered vendor. Vendors are required to complete and submit a Vender Registration Form, which is available on our web site, from our office, or via fax. The Vendor Registration Form requests basic information about the vendor’s business, including but not limited to payment and remittance addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and federal identification number. If you have any questions relating to the vendor registration process, please contact us at purchase@co.palm-beach.fl.us or call (561) 616-6800 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. It is the vendor’s responsibility to contact the Purchasing Department with any changes to the information provided on the original Vendor Registration Form. Changes include but are not limited to company name or status, payment or processing addresses, and phone or fax numbers. A new Vendor Registration Form signifying a "Change of Information" should be submitted in order for any change to be made to the vendor information on file. A vendor’s response to a County solicitation that includes an address different from the address we currently have on file will not be considered as a request for a change to the vendor’s information. The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners encourages all small business enterprises (SBEs) to participate in business opportunities with Palm Beach County. In accordance with the SBE Ordinance, a preference is given to vendors that are certified SBEs. The Office of Small Business Assistance is committed to assisting SBEs and to improving business opportunities for SBEs within the County. SBEs are encouraged to call (561) 616-6840 for information or assistance in becoming a certified SBE. Vendors must be registered with the Purchasing Department in order to be eligible for SBE certification. The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners adopted the Local Preference Ordinance that provides a preference to vendors having a permanent place of business in Palm Beach County. To receive a local preference, a vendor must have a local permanent place of business in existence prior to the advertisement of the County’s solicitation in the Palm Beach Post. At the time of bid or proposal submittal, the vendor must complete a "Certification of Business Location", which is included in the bid or proposal document, in order to be considered for the local preference. The bidder/proposer should include the current Local Business Tax Receipt (Occupational License) in the response. Failure to submit this information will cause the vendor to not receive a local preference. WHERE TO FIND SOLICITATION INFORMATION All County solicitations are advertised on our website at http://www.pbcgov.com/pur. Solicitations are updated every Friday and award recommendations are updated every Tuesday and Friday. Invitation for Bids and Request for Proposals are advertised in the Palm Beach Post, the Palm Beach Gazette, and in El Latino. Vendors can also learn of County solicitations by calling the Purchasing Department Hotline, by viewing Channel 20, from the Minority Business Development Center and from the Hispanic Human Resources Council. The Purchasing Department’s Hotline provides a recorded message of current Invitation for Bids and Request for Proposals. The Hotline also provides current posted award recommendations, and is a local call from Palm Beach, Broward or Dade Counties.
In Palm
Beach County dial: (561) 795-8080 Interested vendors may obtain solicitation packages by written request or by visiting the Palm Beach County Purchasing Department. Solicitation information should be requested by the Number, Title and Opening Date as specified in the solicitation advertisement. In order to receive a solicitation, a non-refundable service charge in the form of a check or money order made payable to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners must be received by the Purchasing Department. We are located at:
Palm
Beach County Purchasing Department
The
Purchasing Department may issue solicitations for minor
construction-related projects; however, the majority of
construction-related solicitations are issued through the Engineering
& Public Works Department, the Water Utilities Department, the
Department of Airports, the Facilities Development & Operations
Department, and the Environmental Resources and Management Department.
Interested vendors are encouraged to contact those County Departments
at the following phone numbers: Requests for Quotation (RFQ) is normally used for purchases valued below $50,000. This is an informal procurement method where price is the determining factor when selecting a vendor. Invitation for Bid (IFB) is used for purchases valued at $50,000 or higher. This is a formal procurement method and is used when price is the determining factor when selecting a vendor. Bid openings are held at the Purchasing Department, and all interested bidders are welcome to attend. Request for Submittal (RFS) is normally used for purchases valued below $50,000. This is an informal procurement method where established criteria, in addition to price, are considered when selecting a vendor. Requests for Proposal (RFP) is used for purchases valued at $50,000 or higher. This is a formal procurement method and is used when established criteria, in addition to price, are considered when selecting a vendor. Awards are based on the evaluation of a selection committee that evaluates each proposal in accordance with established selection criteria. A one-time purchase is a contract for a specific quantity of goods or services at a firm or fixed price. According to the terms of the purchase order, delivery may be made in one or several shipments. A Term Contract is a contract that establishes pricing or other criteria for a fixed period of time. This contract requires the vendor to provide the estimated goods or services upon request during the term of the contract. Specifications Each RFQ, IFB, RFS and RFP contains specifications for the goods or services being solicited. Manufacturer names, trade names, brand information and/or catalog numbers may be listed in a specification to establish a desired quality level. Specifications are not intended to limit competition. Unless otherwise stated in the solicitation, any brand that meets or exceeds the specifications for any item(s) may be offered as long as the manufacturer's name, make/model/catalog number, etc., is stated in the bid response or proposal and submitted along with sufficient descriptive literature to prove the equivalency. Amendments to Solicitations During the course of a solicitation, the Purchasing Department may make necessary changes to the terms and conditions, specifications, or submittal date of the solicitation. In these instances, a written amendment will be mailed to all vendors that have received the solicitation. These changes become an integral part of the solicitation and are required to be signed by the vendor and returned with the vendor’s bid response or proposal. Special Requirements Pre-Bid or Pre-Proposal Conference may be designated in the solicitation in order to provide useful information to the vendor and address any questions of the vendor. Site Inspection may be designated in the solicitation in order to provide the vendor with the opportunity to visually inspect the actual work site or project that is the subject of the solicitation. Deposit/Bond may be required in the solicitation in order to assure that a bid response or proposal is submitted in good faith. A bid response or proposal may not be unilaterally withdrawn. If a deposit or bond is required, the bid response or proposal will not be acceptable without it. Performance Bond may be required of the successful bidder or proposer in order to assure that the contract will be faithfully performed. If a performance bond is required, the specific conditions contained in the solicitation will designate the type and amount required. Proof of Insurance must be provided as required in the solicitation. Samples and Testing of goods being bid or proposed may be requested by the Purchasing Department. If such a request is made, all samples must be furnished free of charge and will be returned at the vendor's request/expense if not destroyed in testing. Submitting Your Bid or Proposal All responses to solicitations must be signed and submitted to the Purchasing Department prior to the date and time specified in the solicitation. The solicitation number must be clearly designated on the exterior of the vendor’s response package or envelope. No responses to any solicitations will be accepted after the specified date and time. Acceptable Solicitation Responses Solicitation responses are evaluated in order to determine the responsiveness and the responsibility of the bidder or proposer. To be responsive, a bidder or proposer must have completed and submitted all required information as instructed in the solicitation. To be responsible, a bidder or proposer must demonstrate the capability to fully perform the contract requirements and must demonstrate integrity and reliability which give reasonable assurance of good faith and performance. In addition, all goods or services must meet the minimum acceptance quality level as stated in the specifications. Failure to meet the specifications will result in disqualification of the bid or proposal. Awards Awards shall be made to responsive, responsible bidders or proposers and are effective upon issuance of a purchase order contract, issuance of a term contract, or upon execution of a formal contract. Awards in excess of $199,999 shall be effective upon approval by the Board of County Commissioners. VENDOR RESPONSIBILITIES AFTER AWARD Contract Performance Delivery and service by the vendor is conditional upon inspection by the appropriate County agency and their certification that the vendor has fully complied with the terms and conditions of the contract. This includes, but is not limited to, on-time delivery of the exact items/service as described in the solicitation or contract. Non-Performing Vendors In order to guarantee the contract price and to ensure delivery of needed products and services, Palm Beach County reserves the right to cancel a contract with non-performing vendors. Non-performing vendors may be suspended from doing business with the County for up to two years. Invoicing and Payment To ensure prompt payment, all invoices containing the proper information must be submitted to the "Bill To" address indicated on the purchase order or contract. All invoices must contain the purchase order or contract number, proper quantities, and unit and total prices. No payment will be issued prior to receipt and acceptance of the goods and services by an authorized County representative. In accordance with Florida Statute 287.133(2)(a), persons and affiliates who have been placed on the convicted vendor list may not submit bids, contract with, or perform work (as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor or consultant) with any public entity (i.e. Palm Beach County) in excess of the amount established by the Florida Division of Purchasing in accordance with F.S. 287.017 for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. By entering into a contract or performing any work for Palm Beach County, the contractor certifies that it, its affiliates, suppliers, subcontractors and consultants who will perform under the contract, have not been placed on the convicted vendor list maintained by the State of Florida Department of Management Services within the 36 months immediately preceding the contract date. County employees may not accept personal gratuities from a vendor or associate with a vendor for personal gain. HELPFUL TIPS ON DOING BUSINESS WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY
REVISED: APRIL17, 2008
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