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Policy DJ
The school system, in its operation, must by necessity purchase many items. These purchases must be carried out in an orderly and responsible manner. Because the school system is a public entity, purchases must also be made with the awareness of the public’s “right to know.” The following, therefore, seeks to implement a policy that takes into account these many facets.
Quotation – bid – R. F. P.
For the purposes of this policy, a bid or request for a quotation will be considered as one and the same. Request for Proposal (RFP) is a form of bid request in which the specifications of work to be performed or item to be rendered will be described by the submitting person or party.
Number of Bids and Advertising
In requesting bids, at least three will be routinely sought. These may be from local people, business, or firms or from those outside of town. Every effort will be made to identify local parties who may be interested in providing articles and local parties who may be interested in providing articles and services to the school system and seek their bids. In the event that two or more parties cannot submit bids, then notices of the item or services sought will be advertised in local paper(s).
Sole Source
There are exceptions to every rule and there are times that only one supplier will be or can be used. If a class has standardized on a certain computer, for example, it would not be advantageous t seek bids from other manufacturers for an additional unit. Likewise, a certain product or line is clearly superior to others and faculty and / or staff may feel that this is the only brand that is acceptable. In this case, a “sole source” purchase would be permissible. Sole source purchases may only be authorized by the business manager or Superintendent.
Dollar Limit
The efficient operation of any enterprise requires that many purchases be made each day. To require that each and every one be placed out to bid would cause tremendous delays and inefficiencies. Therefore, purchases of $10,000 or more must be placed out to bid. The grouping of smaller items, such as office supplies, to allow for them to be bid out should be encouraged. Purchases between $801-$10,000 must be informally bid (quotes).
Opening of Bids
The policy of the school system will be to schedule the opening of bids at a convenient time during the day. The bids will be opened at a specified time after which no other bids will be entertained. The results will be tabulated and analyzed by the Superintendent or his / her authorized representative.
There are times when it is mutually advantageous to submit bids or quotations jointly. Examples of this might be fuel oil, paper, or other items where large volumes bring reduced prices. The other parties or a spokesperson for all the parties in this case may place an item out for bid on behalf of the school system. The bids, once opened, then are handled as are all others with a review and award.
Awarding of Bids
The awarding of the contract for the service or items to be purchased will be to the person, firm or company that provides the best service or item at the least cost to the school system. All bids of fifteen thousand dollars or more shall be awarded by the Board. Bids of lesser amounts may also be awarded by the Board when circumstances or Board wishes dictate.
Bid Format
The school system will use a bid cover sheet and format that outlines the procedures for submitting a bid.
Cross Reference: City of South Portland Code of Ordinances Section 2
Adopted: June 11, 2001
*Please excuse any formatting errors.
