Manatee County Procurement Division Doing Business with Manatee County Revised July, 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction... 1 Doing Business with Manatee County 3 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises... 5 Manatee County Vendor Registration... 6 Viewing Bids & Proposals.13 Manatee County Chamber of Commerce... 20 Contacts 20
Introduction Manatee County Government Thank you for your interest in doing business with Manatee County. On behalf of the entire, I would like to invite you to participate in competitive opportunities to deliver commodities and/or services to Manatee County government. This manual is designed to provide helpful information and explain how easy it is to do business with us. The is charged with the responsibility to procure all commodities, services and construction for departments under the supervision of the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners. I encourage you to visit us at www.mymanatee.org/purchasing. By accessing Manatee County s website at www.mymanatee.org, and selecting the Bids and Proposals link, you may download Bid or Proposal documents and Notices of Intent to Award related to those Bids or Proposals in a portable document format (.pdf) file. You may view and print these files using Adobe Acrobat software. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat software, you may download a free copy from the Adobe web page (www.adobe.com). In addition, our site provides important links to the Manatee County Procurement Code and the Administrative Standards which govern our procurement practices. We encourage you to periodically check mymanatee.org for new postings or updated information on existing solicitations; as well as information on our procurement requirements, contact information, and vendor registration. Additionally, Manatee County collaborates with the manatee Chamber of Commerce by announcing solicitation opportunities to the Chamber which are then passed to its members. Our Procurement Staff is always available to assist you with any questions you may have. Please note that our office is not able to assist with those sections of local government that come under elected officials or elected boards such as the Sheriff s Office, School Board, Clerk of the Circuit Court, various cities and other offices that may fall wholly or partially under state jurisdiction.
On behalf of myself and all of the procurement professionals in the Procurement Division, thank you for your interest in doing business with Manatee County. We are looking forward to working with you! Thank you, Melissa M. Wendel, CPPO, Purchasing Official 2 Doing Business with Manatee County
Doing Business with Manatee County This information is provided as an overview of how solicitations for goods and services are undertaken by Manatee County. This section is intended only as a general guide. If you require further assistance, please contact our office at: Manatee County 1112 Manatee Avenue West Suite #803 Bradenton, FL 34205 Telephone: (941) 749-3014 Fax: (941) 749-3034 email: purchasing@mymanatee.org Hours: 8:00 AM 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday Local governmental entities such as the School Board, Sheriff s Office and other constitutional offices have independent purchasing laws, policies and procedures. These entities may exercise their authority to make purchases using contracts established by Manatee County Government. Mission Statement To administer the procurement process in an open, competitive and fair manner and without conflict of interest or other impropriety or the appearance of impropriety. Vision Statement To continually implement and improve best practices, expertise and approaches and to maintain a high quality and efficient. Procurement Procedures Specific requirements and procedures have been established in the form of law, Board policy, and administrative procedures which govern the purchase of all goods and services required and used by Manatee County. Please see the Purchasing Administrative Standards & Procedures Manual on the County s web page. This file may be downloaded, printed, or viewed. 3 Doing Business with Manatee County
Methods of procurement The process of procurement is initiated by a request from a department or division of Manatee County for a specific commodity and/or service. There are several methods of procurement available: Request for Quote (RFQ) Written quotations are solicited from vendors who must respond by a predetermined date. Award is based on lowest price meeting specifications. Invitation for Bid (IFB) This is a formal sealed bid process governed by Florida Statutes. This process may be used to procure commodities, services and/or construction. Request for Proposal (RFP) This is a formal sealed proposal process in which the award is based primarily on the perceived ability of the proposer to perform the services or provide the materials as detailed in the RFP. Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) This is a formal competitive negotiation process that is used when the Procurement Official deems it is in the County s best interest to negotiate with one or more proposers to achieve best value. Sole Source There is only one supplier for the product. Non-Competitive This is a procurement method used to acquire goods or services from a unique source or provider who has particular skills and expertise (Ex: standardization, warranty, compatibility) though other competitive sources may be available. This procurement method may also be used upon a determination that the likely, non-speculative cost of competitive purchasing would exceed any potential savings and benefit to the County. Competitive Solicitations Value Requirements Approval $0 - $2,500 Delegated Purchase. Competition is not Consumer required, however cost reasonableness should be established. $2500.01-$5,000 Notation of quotations or price sources for Procurement purchases up to $5,000 $5,000 - $25,000 Three written price quotations by Source selection approved competitive solicitation (informal process) by Procurement Official $25,000 - $250,000 Three written price quotations by Source selection approved competitive solicitation (informal process) by Procurement Official $250,000 - $1,000,000 Bids or Proposals (formal process) Procurement Official Board of County Over $1,000,000 Bids or Proposals (formal process) Commissioners 4 Doing Business with Manatee County
Manatee County utilizes a variety of electronic means to post bid documents such as DemandStar.com, MyManatee.org, the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, etc. to distribute bids and proposals. Participation in the DemandStar.com system is not a requirement of doing business with Manatee County. epayables. Manatee County offers a credit card payment process (epayables) through Bank of America. This process benefits vendors and the County by reducing paper, providing faster payment turn-around time and reducing trips to the bank. Manatee County does not charge vendors to participate in the program; however, there may be a charge by the company that processes your credit card transactions. For more information, please visit Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court website at http://www.manateeclerk.com/departments/finance/accountspayable.aspx. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises The State of Florida, Office of Supplier Diversity provides the certification process and the database for identifying certified MBE/WBE firms. This service may be directly accessed at: www.osd.dms.state.fl.us The Office of Supplier Diversity is located in Tallahassee, Florida. If you have any questions regarding this State service, please contact their office at (850) 487-0915, or email to: osdhelp@dms.myflorida.com. The Office of Supplier Diversity s function is to improve business and economic opportunities and provide a one-stop resource for Florida s minority, women, and service-disabled veteran business enterprises. The office provides business development guidance, technical assistance, and connections to their strategic partners. 5 Doing Business with Manatee County
Manatee County Vendor Registration All vendors are encouraged to register with Manatee County using the on-line Vendor Registration webpage on www.mymanatee.org/vendor. Your cooperation in registering your business with Manatee County will enhance our opportunities to identify sources for goods and services plus identify local businesses. This information is used for sourcing in an effort to promote competition. Please note that registering your business does not guarantee notification of upcoming solicitations. Manatee County staff can assist you with your registration as needed. Our office hours are 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday on regular business days (excluding County holidays). Please call (941) 749-3014 if you wish to have a procurement staff member assist you. Thank you for reviewing this information and considering registering your business with Manatee County. 6 Doing Business with Manatee County
To register as a vendor with Manatee County, please go to www.mymanatee.org/vendor From the Register as a Vendor page, click on the Vendor Registration Form link. 7 Doing Business with Manatee County
I. REGISTRATION TYPE: please select whether you would like to register as a vendor with the ; or with the Economic Development Division for the Business Recovery Directory; or as both. 8 Doing Business with Manatee County
II. CONTACT: Continuing down the Vendor Registration page, please fill in the fields listed under Contact information. Please note: Fields with a red asterisk (*) are required fields. 9 Doing Business with Manatee County
III. COMMODITY CODES: Continuing on the Vendor Registration page, you now need to select commodity codes (three digit and five digit codes). Step 1: Optional Keyword Search. Type in a keyword that describes your business and click Search. NOTE: Do not hit enter as the system reads that as an action and will try to submit your vendor registration, which is not complete. 10 Doing Business with Manatee County
Step 2: Categories. From Step 1, select the three digit Category Code(s) that best describes your business and enter the number in the blank field on the right. You can double-click on the Category that appears in the box below the category code or click the plus (+) sign on the far right of the description listed to move the code to the left. You may continue to add three digit codes, up to a maximum of ten (10). 11 Doing Business with Manatee County
Step 3: Product/Service. Once you ve selected three digit Category Code(s), the companion five digit Product/Service codes will appear in the right side of the Product/Service box. Select all that are a best match for your business type. The selection process is the same as in Step 2. If you need to remove an item, click the minus (-) sign or double click on the left to move it back to the right. IV. CAPTCHA: Enter the text that appears in the box, then click Register. 12 Doing Business with Manatee County
Viewing Bids & Proposals To view Manatee County s formal solicitations, go to Manatee County s home page at www.mymanatee.org and under Online Services, click on Bids & Proposals. 13 Doing Business with Manatee County
The Bids and Proposals page gives you the option of reviewing active, opened or all solicitations for Manatee County. You may search for solicitations by typing in keywords in the Search Filter field or you can scroll through the various solicitations using the categorized quick links in the left side bar. 14 Doing Business with Manatee County
After finding the solicitation of interest, click on the bid number under the Reference Number column to access all documents related to the solicitation. 15 Doing Business with Manatee County
The Solicitation Details page will display allowing you to download the bid document and any addenda, plans or other documentation related to that solicitation. 16 Doing Business with Manatee County
After clicking on the document you wish to download or view, a File Download window will appear on the screen either as a pop-up box or a message at the bottom of your screen. There is no fee for downloading or viewing any document. It will ask if you want to open or save the file. Select the appropriate action you wish to take. By selecting the Open option, you will be able to view the document or save it in another location on your computer. 17 Doing Business with Manatee County
Once the document opens, you may save it to your own computer or continue to view the document on your monitor. Below is a partial view of a bid solicitation. 18 Doing Business with Manatee County
Addendums, bid tabs and award information can also be obtained as the items are issued, by clicking on the appropriate file name. 19 Doing Business with Manatee County
Manatee County Chamber of Commerce Manatee County Procurement collaborates with the Manatee Chamber of Commerce on distributing solicitations on the Chambers site: www.manateechamber.org Manatee County forwards a summary page of bid and/or proposal opportunities to the Chamber. Based on the commodity, the Chamber will match their members with the solicitation and forward the summary page via email to them. Manatee County Procurement Contacts For additional information regarding this manual, the procurement process or any solicitation, please contact the Manatee County at (941) 749-3014 or purchasing@mymanatee.org. 20 Doing Business with Manatee County