Doing Business with
Governments in the U.S.A.
Presented by Keith K. Glatz, CPPO
Purchasing & Contracts Manager
City of Tamarac, Florida
WHY Do Business with the
Government?
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Nearly 1/3 of U.S. Gross National Product
purchased by government agencies
Government needs are fairly constant
Government doesn’t play favorites – it’s a
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
Government pays its BILLS!!!
How Does Government Buy?
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Through Bids and
Requests for Proposal
Through Small Purchase
Quotations
Through Procurement
Cards
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Handled exclusively by
Purchasing
Delegated
Individuals (Administered
by Purchasing)
What Do We Buy?
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Construction – Roads,
Infrastructure, Buildings, etc.
Professional Services
 Engineers, Architects,
Consultants
Vehicles & Heavy Equipment
 Trucks, Autos
Computers & Office Equipment
Supplies
 Office Supplies, Food,
Chemicals, etc.
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Utilities Items
Maintenance Supplies
Parts and Tools
Services – all types
Safety Equipment & Supplies
. . . And Much More!
Who is the Government in the
United States?
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Federal Government – U.S. Government
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General Services Administration (GSA)
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Primary Procurement Agency for non-Defense
purchases
Department of Defense (DOD)
Other agencies
State and Local Government
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State Governments
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Local Governments
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50 States
Counties
Cities, Towns & Villages
Special Districts
Educational Entities
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Colleges & Universities
School Districts
The Basic Requirements
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Have a Product or a Service that We need!
Most documents will be in English!
Register if required
Find Opportunities
Registration – Federal
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Must be registered through the Central Contract
Registration System https://www.ccr.gov/
Must have a “Duns Number” assigned by Dun &
Bradstreet http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or call (866) 7055711
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Must fill-out Online Representations &
Certifications Application (ORCA) https://orca.bpn.gov
May be required to undergo a U.S. Department
of Homeland Security Fingerprint Security Check
& Personnel Security Investigation
All Details at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104121
Registration – State & Local
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Each agency has its own requirements
May have to visit web-site, or contact agency by
telephone
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State of Florida:
http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purch
asing/doing_business_with_the_state_of_florida
Miami-Dade County: http://www.miamidade.gov/procurement/
City of Miami:
http://www.miamigov.com/Procurement/pages/SupplierCorner/
DoingBusiness/default.asp
Some web-sites allow you to register on-line.
Some may require paper registration by fax or
mail.
Where Do I find Opportunities?
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Federal Contracts
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General Services Administration (GSA)
Department of Defense (DOD)
FedBizOpps.gov (https://www.fbo.gov/)
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Opportunities over $25,000 (U.S. Dollars)
State & Local Opportunities
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State & Local Contracts
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State and Local Web-sites
State of Florida:
http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operatio
ns/state_purchasing/doing_business_with_the_stat
e_of_florida
 Miami-Dade County:
http://www.miamidade.gov/procurement/
 City of Miami:
http://www.miamigov.com/Procurement/pages/Su
pplierCorner/DoingBusiness/default.asp
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Subscription Services
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Private Subscription Services
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Onvia/Demandstar.com
http://www.demandstar.com/
Bidnet.com http://www.bidnet.com/
These services do not represent every
state and local government agency.
Construction
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Construction “Plan Room” Subscription
Services – provides construction plans & bids
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Datafax.net http://www.constructionjournal.com/
McGraw Hill.com (Dodge Report)
http://www.construction.com/
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ISqFt.com http://www.isqft.com/new/
The Construction Journal
http://www.constructionjournal.com/
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Reed Construction
http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/
Things I’ll Need
Insurance – If you plan to do work on our
property, you will be required to have
appropriate insurance coverage before
you can do business with the Agency.
Typical Insurance Limits
(May vary by agency and project)
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General Liability -- $2,000,000
Auto Liability
-- $1,000,000
Workers Comp. -- Statutory
Professional Liability -- $1,000,000 (used for
consulting and professional services)
Agency must normally be named on Insurance
Certificate as “Certificate Holder” and an
“Additional Insured”
Bonds & Licenses
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If you are performing construction work,
you will be REQUIRED to obtain a
Performance and Payment Bond
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As an example: Bonds required for all
projects over $200,000 in Florida
Construction contractors must be properly
licensed as a contractor by the locale
Understanding the Marketplace
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Competitive requirements – Know the bid
threshold for each agency you deal with $10,000
- $100,000 typical formal bid threshold
Purchases above the threshold must be formally
advertised and require governing body approval
Most have thresholds for informal quotations
Procurement card purchases usually established
with single purchase limit
Things to Remember When Working
With Procurement Cards
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Shipping charges, if applicable, MUST be
included in any pricing quoted
Be sure to provide receipts to the user
immediately.
If agency is ordering via Internet, e-mail receipt
immediately upon confirmation of order.
Marketplace Issues
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Competitive sealed bids are awarded to the
lowest priced bid, meeting our requirements.
Requests for Proposal are awarded to firms who
best meet the requirements of the proposal’s
written criteria. Usually the “Highest Score”
Departments may have some discretion on small
purchases under the entity’s formal bid
threshold, but may have to provide back-up to
validate that competition was sought.
Small Orders
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Majority of items ordered by Purchase Order
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Department required to supply back-up, such as
quotation, insurance certificate, etc., so please
provide this information to the department.
Normally, small orders are your BEST
opportunity
You need to establish relationships with
individual agencies to know when we have small
orders
What We Expect
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Your BEST pricing at the outset! (You must be
competitive to earn our business)
A Quality Product or Service
Accountability -- Fair and Honest Dealings -- We
subscribe to a stringent code of ethics.
Transparency – All business conducted under
public scrutiny.
What We Expect – Continued
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Product in stock
Timely Delivery
No issues with imports
Everything is easy to understand
No problems with the “paperwork”
“Service after the sale”
Bids Vs. Proposals
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Bid
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Used when clear specifications are available.
Usually adequate competition exists in the
market.
The main goal is the lowest price.
Bidders must be responsive & responsible!!
Responsive – follows the directions on the bid.
 Responsible – capable of performing the work.
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Bids Vs. Proposals
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Proposal
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Used when the buyer is looking for the best
approach to an issue.
Buyer usually has a goal, and wants to explore
the best possible solution.
Criteria OTHER than price may be considered,
such as past experience and qualifications of
personnel, how well the work plan achieves the
goal, creativity, and schedule.
Criteria may be weighted, and is evaluated by a
team.
Preparing A Bid – Fundamental
Requirements
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Read the Bid/Proposal Instructions
Check to see what YOU need to provide with your
response
Check for certifications, affidavits, and pages that need
to be signed
Be sure the PROPER person, authorized to sign bids, has
signed the document.
Proofread, proofread, proofread!
Read the Bid / Proposal Instructions AGAIN!!
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Calculate and Submit prices in U.S. Dollars
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When Preparing Bids
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Fill-out the Bid Form
 Read the Instructions! Fill-out EVERYTHING
on the bid document
 Fill-out pricing, certifications, requests for
Information about your firm or your product
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Check and re-check the unit prices.
 Extend the unit prices based on quantities.
Add-up your group totals and check the math!!!
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PRICING MUST BE IN U.S. DOLLARS!!!
Preparing Bids - Continued
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Fill-out the manufacturer name/model
numbers.
Provide delivery time
Specification cut-sheets – be sure that you
include specification sheets, or something
that verifies your product’s characteristics
and capabilities
Items to Be Included
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If we ASK for proof of insurance, WE MEAN IT! Include
your proof of insurance when requested
Bid or Proposal Bond – If we ask for a bid or proposal
bond, include it WITH the bid. (Performance and
Payments Bonds will not normally be requested until the
award stage.)
Cashier’s Check – If Cashier’s Check is requested in
place of a Bid Bond, include a cashier’s check WITH
your bid, not a company check – a company check will
deem your proposal non-responsive.
References – We need to see your references, and may
even ask for a complete client list.
Additional Items to Submit with
Proposals
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Your WORK PLAN, address OUR situation!
Provide RESUMES of the personnel who will be
WORKING ON OUR PROJECT if you win the
proposal.
Break down the HOURS you plan to devote to
our project, and a breakdown of who will be
working during those hours. (We want to see
how your organize your work.)
Proposals – Continued
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Provide your SCHEDULE, including significant
project MILESTONES and your anticipated
COMPLETION TIME.
Let us know the PROJECT ROLES of your staff,
and provide us with your PROJECT LEADER.
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We’ll expect to see your project leader at the
presentation, along with other decision makers on the
project.)
Submitting Your Bid
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For Mailed/Delivered Bids
 Clearly identify that the container contains a
response. Identify the bid/proposal number, the title,
and the due date and time.
 Make sure your solicitation is delivered to the address
indicated in the bid ON TIME! Most entities do NOT
accept late bids.
Expect the unexpected! Even overnight couriers cannot
perform miracles. YOU need to be sure that you have
plenty of time for shipping bids. If you deliver them, be
sure to account for traffic and weather hazards in
advance. There is NO excuse for a late bid or proposal.
Questions Or Comments?
THANK YOU!!