Procurement Policy

Three or more bids are required for all jobs, except for individual consultants, as described below.  Every attempt shall be made to solicit bids from minority and woman-owned businesses and union shops.  All bids shall be reviewed by the soliciting department and submitted to the Deputy Executive Director for final approval.

Even when a contracted service is an approved budget item, the Executive Director or the Deputy Executive Director must approve in advance any specific plans, draft agreements or contracts.

Competitive Bids

Competitive bidding shall be obtained through the use of oral price quotations, written price quotations and/or the formal competitive bid procedure.

•     All purchases estimated to cost between $2,000 to $4,000 must have at least three oral quotations.

•     All purchases estimated to cost over $4,000 shall be based on at least three written quotations.

•     Bids are required for one-time service jobs such as printing (typesetting and related services) and mail services (labeling, stuffing and metering).

•     Bids are required annually for repetitive work such as Voter printing and mailing, direct mail activities and equipment maintenance.

Contracts shall be awarded based on price, quality of work, experience and the qualifications of the vendor.

Professional Services (Individual Consultants)

All professional services shall be procured by formal written contract.  The League shall pay a competitive rate for an individual consultant based on recent rates paid to the individual in question and on current market rates.  Any additional out-of-pocket expenses that may need to be paid to the consultant shall be described in detail, including a limit for each type of expense.

Professional service contracts shall include limits of time and fees.  All contracts must include a clause or paragraph describing the evaluation mechanism or product to be delivered, with a clear timetable for completion.

Service/Contract Agreements

All service/contract agreements shall be by formal written contract unless they are renewals of existing contracts and the only changes are that of price or new periods of coverage.

Exceptions

Due to the unique nature of the League’s needs in areas such as public relations, training, design, and photography, the bidding process may be suspended on a case-by-case basis with the advance approval of the Executive Director and the Deputy Executive Director.