Our mission is to provide
goods and services in a timely and cost effective manner through
contracts or other predetermined sources for our internal customers. All
purchasing activities are performed in accordance with applicable
Federal and State laws and City Ordinances to afford fair and equal
treatment to all vendors to compete for City business.
The purpose of this guide
is to help you, the vendor, understand the procurement policies and
procedures of the City of St. Petersburg. It is a general guide; and as
such, it may not answer all your questions. For additional information,
feel free to contact:
City of St. Petersburg
Purchasing and Materials Management
Municipal Services Center
One 4th Street North, 5th Floor
St Petersburg, Florida 33701
Telephone: (727) 893-7220
Fax: (727) 892-5325
This Guide may be updated
from time to time, at the City's discretion. The latest version of this
Guide is maintained by the Purchasing Department. Should there be a
conflict between this version and Federal, State or City laws, policies,
or procedures, the applicable Federal, State, or City laws, policies, or
procedures will control.
The ethical responsibilities
of vendors, City employees, and agents of the City having official
responsibility for a procurement transaction are set out in the Florida
Statutes, Section 112.313.
Furthermore, employees of the Purchasing Department are held to the high
ethical standards of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing,
Inc. (NIGP) Code of Ethics.
The Purchasing Department is the liaison between suppliers and City
departments. Sales representatives are a valuable resource for obtaining
specifications and information on product advancements. The City values
your visits; and staff is available to discuss ideas and concerns.
However, Purchasing recommends that you call for an appointment to
ensure the buyer assigned to your product category is available.
The Purchasing Department seeks maximum competition. In achieving this
goal, the City publicizes Bid and RFP opportunities as follows:
Posted on the Bid Board in the Purchasing Department, 5th Floor,
Municipal Services Center, One 4th Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida
direct solicitation and/or...
Advertised in newspapers having general circulation, at the discretion
of the City.
Bidders Mailing List and Bidders Mailing List Application
The Purchasing Department
maintains a list of prospective bidders categorized by NIGP
commodity/service codes. If you are interested in being placed on the
City of St. Petersburg bidders list:
Call (727) 893-7220, or write:
Purchasing Department
Municipal Services Center
One 4th Street North, 5th Floor
St. Petersburg, FL 33731
It is the vendors'
responsibility to keep their applications current and to notify the
Purchasing Department when changes occur regarding the products or
services offered, address, ownership, or status as a bidder.
Placement on the bidders
list does not guarantee receipt of a request for quotation, invitation
for bid, or request for proposal. It is the vendor's responsibility to
check the bid notices posted by the Purchasing Department.
Bidders may be removed
from the bidders list if they do not respond to solicitations. However,
a bidder may be retained on the bidders list by simply responding with a
"no bid" if they are interested in bidding on the item(s) in the future.
The City reserves the
right to validate and update the bidders list from time to time, which
may require the bidder to renew the bidders mailing list application
which is on file.
The City solicits goods and services through the small purchase
procedures (telephone, facsimile,written or electronic quotations) and
competitive sealed bids/proposals ("Invitations for Bids" or "Requests
for Proposals").
Telephone, facsimile, written or electronic quotations
are solicited for goods and services under $50,000. These solicitations
are not publicly advertised.
All quotations are evaluated by the Purchasing
Director or designee. The contract will be awarded to the lowest
responsive and responsible bidder.
Competitive Sealed
Bids:
Competitive sealed bids are solicited for goods or services
estimated to exceed $50,000. They are solicited through the issuance
of an Invitation for Bid. Bids are posted in the reception area of
the Purchasing Department. Bids may also be published in a newspaper
of general circulation at least five days prior to the bid opening
date.
Bids must be mailed or delivered to the Purchasing Department. All
bids received are time stamped, numbered and recorded. Bids received
after the designated closing date and time will not be considered
and will be returned to the Bidder unopened. Envelopes or packages
containing bids must be sealed and clearly marked on the outside
with the company name, bid number, and bid opening date.
Bids are opened and read aloud at the date, time
and place stated on the bid document. The Purchasing Director or
designee shall read prices, delivery, and payment terms relating to
the bid. No decision to award or to reject will be made during the
bid opening. The bid opening is open to the public--bidders, sales
staff, press and interested public are invited to attend.
Bids are evaluated by the Purchasing Director or
designee. The contract award will be made to the lowest responsive
and responsible bidder.
The City reserves the
right to accept or reject any or all bids and to waive any
informalities in the bid process. The Purchasing Director further
has the authority to reject a bid if the bidder has previously
failed to complete contracts of a similar nature.
Competitive Sealed
Proposals/Competitive Negotiations
Competitive Sealed Proposals/Competitive Negotiations are used for
the procurement of goods or services that are highly technical and
complex. They are solicited by a "Request for Proposal" (RFP). RFPs
are posted in the reception area of the Purchasing Department and
may be published in a newspaper of general circulation at least 15
calendar days prior to the proposal opening date.
Proposals must be
mailed or delivered to the Purchasing Department. All proposals are
received, time stamped, numbered and recorded. Proposals received
after the designed closing date and time will not be considered and
will be returned to the offeror unopened. Envelopes or packages
containing proposals must be sealed and clearly marked on the
outside the company name, RFP number, and proposal opening date.
The names of offerors
submitting proposals shall be read aloud at the date, time and place
stated on the RFP document. No other information will be provided at
that time.
Proposals will be
reviewed, evaluated, and ranked. Discussions may be held with
responsible offerors who submit proposals determined to be
acceptable or potentially acceptable for award. Contract award will
be made to the offeror who, in the City's opinion, submitted the
best and most advantageous proposal.
Contracts are
awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder whose bid
meets the specification requirements and criteria set forth in the
IFB. A responsible bidder is a bidder who has the capability in all
respects to perform fully the contract requirements, and the
tenacity, perseverance, experience, integrity, reliability,
capacity, facilities, equipment, and credit which will assure good
faith performance. A responsive bidder is a bidder who has submitted
a bid which conforms in all material aspects to the requirements set
forth in the IFB. (City Code, Section 2-228).
The City reserves
the right to award a contract based on the overall low total bid or
the split low total bid, whichever is in the best interest of the
City.
In the event of an
error in the vendor's extended price(s), the unit price governs,
unless stated otherwise in the solicitation document.
Unless otherwise stated in the Invitation for Bids or Request for
Quotations, if and whenever specification brand names, makes, names of
any manufacturers, trade names, or vendor catalog numbers are specified,
it is for the purpose of establishing a grade or quality of materials
only. When the City does not wish to rule out other competitors' brands
or makes, the phrase or equal is added. However, if a product other than
the specified is bid, it is the bidder's responsibility to identify such
product in his bid, and he must prove to the City that said product is
equal to or better than the product specified. Unless otherwise
specified, evidence in the form of samples may be requested if the
proposed brand is other than specified by the City. Such samples are to
be furnished after the date of bid opening only upon request of the
City. If samples should be requested, such samples must be received by
the City no later than four days after a formal request is made.
Bids may be modified
or withdrawn by written notice prior to the time and date set for
bid opening.
Correction or
withdrawal of bids because of an inadvertent non-judgmental mistake
in the bid requires careful consideration to protect the integrity
of the competitive bidding system, and to assure fairness. If the
mistake is attributable to an error in judgement, the bid may not be
corrected. Bid corrections or withdrawals by reason of a
non-judgmental mistake is permissible but only to the extent it is
not contrary to the interest of the City or the fair treatment of
other bidders.
What is a bid
tabulation?
A bid tabulation summarizes in matrix format the names of the
bidders who submitted bids, the quantity, unit price, and extension
for each item bid, and the total bid price quoted.
When is the bid
tabulation prepared?
The bid tabulation is prepared after the bid opening date and time.
How does a bidder
obtain a copy?
Bidders may obtain a bid tabulation by including with their bid a
self-addressed, stamped envelope clearly marked with a request for
the bid tabulation. Or after the bid award, a bidder may request a
copy of the bid tabulation by telephone. The bid tabulation may be
faxed. Bid tabulations will not be read to bidders over the
telephone.
All public records related to Invitation for Quotations,
Invitation for Bids and Request for Proposals, except those exempt under F. S. Chapter
119, shall be made available upon request to interested members of the public or members
of the news media in a reasonable time and under reasonable conditions.
Any member of the public requesting copies of public records shall be asked to
designate the specific record(s) desired and the number of copies required of each prior
to any copies being made. City staff may request this information be put in writing, but
may NOT refuse to provide copies if the requestor is unable or unwilling to put the
request in writing if the requestor has otherwise reasonably identified the records/copies
desired.
Cost
of paper copies are 15 cents per one-sided page for all documents up to 8.5" x
14". Cost of CD-ROMs are $10 per disk. Additionally, sales tax of 7% is added. A
special service charge will be assessed for providing information when the nature or
volume of the records requested requires extensive use of technology resources or
extensive clerical or supervisory assistance by department personnel. Payment is due at
the time the copies are made and may be made in cash or by check. The Purchasing
Department will issue a receipt upon request.
Vendor shall not include state, local and
federal taxes in any prices quoted to the City. The federal employee ID number is
59-6000424. The City's state sales tax exemption number is
85-8012740154C-1. A tax
exemption certificate will be furnished upon request.
In order to receive payment for goods or
services furnished to the City, submit an invoice to the requesting department at the
invoice address shown on the purchase order.
The vendor's invoice must include, at a minimum, the following:
The vendor's invoice number
The City purchase order number
A complete description of the goods or services furnished, including
quantities, unit prices and extensions, the discount terms
The name of the requesting department to whom the shipment was made.
The requesting department will authorize payment after delivery and acceptance of
the goods or services and after receipt of the vendor's invoice. Finance issues a payment
check to the vendor. Vendors should direct questions concerning payment to the invoiced
requesting department.
All vendor
complaints should first be submitted in writing to the Director of Purchasing who will
take prompt remedial action. The Director of Purchasing shall investigate the validity of
the complaints and present the findings in writing to the vendor. If the vendor is
dissatisfied with the Director of Purchaisng's remedies, he or she may then make an appeal
to the Mayor.
What is a bond?
A bond is a written instrument, issued by a surety, guaranteeing faithful performance by
the contractor.
Why require bonding?
Bonds reduce the City's financial risk in the event a contractor fails to perform or
defaults on a contract. Bonds transfer the risk of contractor default to a third party -
the surety company who issues the bond.
What are the different types of bonds?
The City utilizes several types of bonds to procure goods and services:
Bid Bond guarantees that the bidder will enter into a contract if
selected as the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. If a bidder does not accept the
award, the bid bond is forfeited.
Performance Bond guarantees that a contractor will perform the contract
in accordance with the contract terms. The surety who issued the bond may either complete
the contract or pay damages up to the bond limit. This bond is used most frequently in
construction contracts. Florida Statutes , Section 255.05 requires a performance bond in
the sum of the contract amount for all public construction contracts exceeding $200,000.
Contract Bond, similar to a performance bond, guarantees the contractor
will perform pursuant to the terms and conditions of the contract. While performance bonds
are used primarily for construction projects, contract bonds are used for service
contracts such as microcomputer purchases, grass-cutting services, and computer
programming services.
Payment Bond guarantees the contractor will pay all suppliers and
subcontractors who assist in the performance of the work. Florida Statutes Section
255.05 requires a payment bond in the sum of the contract for any construction contract
exceeding $200,000.
Fidelity Bond is similar to an insurance policy and guarantees against
losses that may result from proven acts of dishonesty on the part of the contractor's
employees. Fidelity bonds are often required in service contracts when the contractor's
employees will handle cash or are exposed to opportunities for theft.
When should a bond be required?
As indicated, bonds protect the City against risk. A bond should be required whenever a
contractor's default exposes the City to financial liability. The protection offered by
the bond is weighed against the potential for the bond requirement to inflate the contract
cost or to hinder competition.
How much should the bond amount be?
Except as required by law, the bond amount depends on an assessment of the City's
financial risk, the estimated contract value, the importance of the service to be
performed, and whether service disruption would be detrimental to the City. For example,
the City's risk may only be 10% or 15% of the contract amount. To require a bond for 100%
of the contract amount may be arbitrary and capricious. Purchasing staff works closely
with Risk Management to identify the type and amount of bonds appropriate for each
procurement contract.
The Small Business
Enterprise Program is a race/gender neutral initiative intended to
enhance procurement and construction contracting opportunities for
certified Small Business Enterprises (SBE) in Pinellas, Pasco,
Hillsborough, Manatee and Polk counties.
The
City affirms its intent to fully comply with the mandates of the Americans With
Disabilities Act and commits itself to aggressively removing any barriers that may impede
full participation by disabled persons in the procurement of services and activities.
Updated:
08/24/2007
Purchasing & Materials Mgt.
