Formal Bids
Purchases of supplies, services or equipment that exceed $25,000 are subject to a formal bid request, defined as a written solicitation to at least three interested and qualified vendors and containing complete and unrestricted specifications to permit free and full competition. It must also include quantity, quality, delivery requirements and all other pertinent data, so all factors can be weighed in determining the successful bidder.
The only type of purchasing that will be excluded from formal bidding procedures are:
- Sole source of supply
- Blanket purchase arrangements
- Standardized equipment
- Emergency purchases
- Executive directive
- Geographical location
Departments that do their own product and vendor selection by the formal bidding process will retain all bid information in their department.
Purchase of equipment or services made with federal funds must also comply with the Procurement Guidelines for Purchases Made with Federal Funds.