Introduction
The purpose
of this document is to acquaint prospective bidders and suppliers with the
purchasing procedures used by the University of Connecticut.
The University intends that its purchasing be conducted
in accordance with State laws and University policies and procedures such
that students, staff, faculty and taxpayers receive full value for each
dollar of public funds spent. To that end, the University's procedures
conform to open, ethical and sound procurement policies. Qualified suppliers,
therefore, are invited to compete for the University's business, which
consists of a variety of goods and services.
University
contracts are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder - price, quality
and other prescribed selection factors considered. Where price and other
factors are identical (tie bids), preference in awarding contracts is
given to Connecticut bidders. Lots will be drawn for ties between two
or more Connecticut vendors.
The Purchasing
Department is divided into purchasing teams handling specified commodities
and/or services. Staff names, telephone and e-mail numbers are found in
the staff directory. The department working hours 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday
through Friday, excluding holidays.
This
manual is intended to provide useful information about doing business
with the University of Connecticut including the bidding, award and payment
processes. Please refer any questions you may have to the appropriate
purchasing agent handling the commodities or services you sell.
Click here for
staff listing.
How
to market your products and services
The Purchasing Department maintains active lists of vendors
for the purpose of soliciting quotations and proposals for various categories
of commodities and services as the needs are identified.
Contacting
the Purchasing Department
Prospective suppliers are encouraged
to send a catalog, line card or other listing of products/services offered
along with the following information for our vendor file and bid lists.
You can download
the Vendor Application Form or call (860) 486-2619 to have a copy
faxed or mailed.
The Vendor Application Form should be addressed to the
purchasing agent who handles the products/services you have to offer. Click
here for commodity lists. All information should be mailed to the
address below:
University of Connecticut
Purchasing Department Unit 6076
3 North Hillside Road
Storrs, Connecticut 06269-6076
If a vendor wishes to make personal contact with the
appropriate purchasing agent, appointments are preferred. Sales contacts
with the Purchasing Department are normally scheduled between the hours
of 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon and 1:00 PM o 4:00 PM.
Marketing
to Campus Departments
Vendors should consider marketing
products directly to departmental personnel. Since campus departments
determine which supplies, equipment or services to purchase and are instrumental
in initiating specifications for the equipment, supplies and/or services
they require, marketing contacts are recognized as a necessary part of
educating users on the capabilities and varieties of products in the marketplace.
Unexpected or unsolicited calls are not encouraged. Every effort should
be made to make an appointment with the appropriate department personnel
prior to your visit.
All requests for product evaluations (excluding sample
supplies) should be made through the Purchasing Department. A 'University
Equipment Loan Agreement' is issued at the departmental level for equipment
left for trial. Before a purchase order can be issued, the vendor must
sign an agreement, which denotes the vendor's responsibility for liability
and for any installation and/or shipping costs associated with the equipment.
Failure to follow this procedure could result in financial loss.
Parking
on Campus
Parking permits are required for
all vehicles on campus. Parking instructions and permits are issued at
Parking Services, 3 North Hillside Road. Valid permits allow parking in
areas designated by Parking Services. Parking in handicap spaces without
a permit, in front of fire hydrants, in fire lanes, on lawns or sidewalks
is strictly prohibited and may result in towing at the owner's expense.
If you park in a metered space you are responsible for meter payment.
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Purchasing
procedures
Order
Procedure and Dollar Thresholds
Order procedure for purchases under $10,000.00,
except those using Federal grant funds: One signed quote is required,
although the Purchasing Department may solicit multiple quotes. Orders
may not be split to circumvent the threshold.
Purchases in excess of $10,000.00 but less than or equal
to $50,000.00 require a formal bid process in which a minimum of six bids
(departmental policy) are solicited and a formal bid opening is conducted.
Purchases above $50,000.00: This procedure is similar
to the University's formal bid process. However, these solicitations are
publicly advertised.
The Purchasing Department opens the bids and completes
the evaluation. Once an award has been determined, the Purchasing Department
issues a purchase order to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.
Communication
with Vendors in Quotation/Bid Process
In order to achieve fair and equitable
competition and to maintain the integrity of the purchasing process, vendor
discussions with University personnel concerning a bid/quote request must
be coordinated through the assigned purchasing agent.
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Solicitation
Documents
Requests
for Quotations (RFQ): The Requests for
Quotation are generally used to purchase goods and/or services. Responses
must be in writing and must be delivered sealed to the Purchasing Department.
Faxed quotations from vendors are acceptable only if so stated in the
bid.
Requests
for Proposals (RFP): A Request
for Proposals may be used in establishing contracts, which seek creativity
or different ways of accomplishing a task. The RFP may be handled in the
same manner as a Request for Quotations. As with RFQs, responses to RFPs
must be in writing and delivered sealed to the Purchasing Department.
Quotation: A Request for Quotations (RFQ) also may be in the
form of a telephone request or a faxed request.
State
Contracts
The Connecticut Department of
Administrative Services/Bureau of Purchasing awards contracts through
competition to cover designated state agencies for a period of one or
more years. Although the University of Connecticut is not obligated to
utilize state contracts, they remain an option the University may utilize
when appropriate.
Responding
to RFQs/RFPs
The Request for Quotations (RFQ) or Request for
Proposals (RFP) provides all the necessary instructions and a complete
description of the requirement(s), with specifications, terms and conditions
to enable the preparation of a bid.
Responsibility
of Bidders
Prospective suppliers should be financially sound
and able to perform fully, according to the specifications, delivery requirements,
services and other stipulations in the RFQ/RFP at the price(s) offered.
In cases where the awarded contractor refuses to comply with the resultant
contract, the University reserves the right to purchase on the open market
and charge the contractor for any excess costs incurred.
Bid
Requirements
Each responding vendor is responsible for carefully
reading the RFQ/RFP and understanding its contents. Vendors who have previously
submitted bids for the same commodity or service should not presume that
the specifications, terms and conditions are necessarily the same. There
may be differences that would only be realized after carefully reading
the entire bid document. Any questions related to the bid should be directed
to the purchasing agent named in the solicitation document.
Key
Standard Bid Terms
Bid
Delivery :: Bids will be received
at the address cited in the RFQ/RFP on or before the date and time specified.
Generally, bids are opened at 2:00 PM on the specified opening date. A
bid will not be considered for evaluation if delivered after this time.
It is the vendor's responsibility to make sure that the bid is submitted
on time and to the proper place.
Signature: All solicitation documents must be properly signed
and executed in the designated place(s). Signatures in ink are a requirement
to properly execute the bid. Failure to properly execute a bid may result
in the bid not being considered for award.
Price
Alterations or Withdrawal of Bid Prior to Bid Opening: Any
price corrections on bids should be individually initialed in ink. Price
corrections may only be made, or a bid may only be withdrawn prior to
opening. In order to make corrections or withdraw a bid, proper identification
must be presented.
Additional
Information: For those bids requiring
prices lists, product literature or other information, such material must
be provided in accordance with the instructions outlined in the RFQ/RFP.
Pre-Bid
Conferences/Site Inspections
When the solicitation documents stipulates a mandatory
conference or site inspection, interested vendors must attend the conference
or site visit at the specified place, time, and date or their bids will
be automatically rejected. Such requirements are intended to supply vendors
with the valuable information or visual inspection that the University
deems to be an essential element for ensuring the completeness and responsiveness
of a bid.
Terms
and Conditions
All solicitation documents are subject to the specified
terms and conditions. Please read these terms and conditions carefully.
The inclusion of any other terms and conditions by the vendor will be
considered as an alternate, subject to the University's acceptance or
rejection. Terms and conditions included as part of published price lists,
catalogs, and other documents submitted as a part of the bid response
are considered to be waived and will have no effect either on the bid,
or any contract which may be awarded. The bidder specifically agrees to
the terms and conditions specified in the RFQ/RFP by signing the University
bid document unless exception is taken in writing.
Bonding
The University does not normally require bid bonds.
Performance bonds, however, may be called for with or without expense
to the University. Alternative bonding methods may also be provided. Otherwise,
in the case of default of the contractor, the University may procure the
articles or services from other sources and hold the contractor responsible
for excess costs incurred.
Questions
about the RFQ/RFP
If you have any questions prior to submitting a
bid, contact the purchasing agent whose name and telephone number is on
each RFQ/RFP. Once the bid opening has occurred, no changes by the vendor
will be permitted.
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Bid
evaluation, award, performance, and payment
Bid
Opening
Request for Quotation (RFQs) and Requests for Proposal
(RFPs) are opened and the names of the bidders, the manufacturers and
catalog number(s) of the item(s) they have offered, prices, delivery and
payment terms they have submitted, become public record. All other information
is confidential during the evaluation period. Requests for detailed or
written tabulations and abstracts cannot be honored.
Evaluation
During the period of evaluation and prior to award,
possession of bids and accompanying information is limited to the University
personnel involved in the evaluation process. At the discretion of the
appropriate purchasing agent, vendors may be contacted where clarification
of a proposal is necessary for proper evaluation; however, in doing so,
no change is permitted in prices.
Being the "low bidder" does not necessarily mean
that an award will be made to that vendor. The purpose of the evaluation
process is to determine the "best buy" for the University, taking into
consideration selection criteria in the RFQ/RFP and the factors spelled
out by procedure and statute.
Factors
Determining Award
Some factors considered in addition to price are
quality, adherence to specifications, delivery, service, warranty, and
other factors depending on the intended use of the commodity or service
required.
The University reserves the right to waive technicalities
or minor discrepancies in any bid, if in its judgment and without any
prejudice to any rights of other responsive bidders, the best interest
of the University would be served.
Awards are made to the lowest acceptable responsive qualified
bidder who meets all specifications, terms and conditions of the bid proposal.
This is determined by the following:
- Price
- Date and terms of delivery.
- Ability, capacity and skill of the bidder.
- Cash discounts.*
*Should any two or more tied bidders offer identical cash discounts
or no cash discount, preference will be given to State of Connecticut
bidders and lots will be drawn. When time permits, those bidders will
be invited to the drawing.
The University reserves the right
to make awards by item, groups of items or total bid, whichever it deems
is in the best interest of the University. The University may also reject
any bid, in whole or in part, or reject all bids if it determines that
the lowest bid exceeds the funds available for purchase, or if the lowest
bid is considered in excess of current reasonable market prices.
Bid
Rejection
Any bid which does not meet, or substantially
alters the specifications, bid terms or conditions of a proposal may be
rejected in whole or part. The University reserves the right to reject
any or all bids if the best interests of the University will be served.
Errors, alterations, or corrections on both the original
and copy of the bid proposal must be initialed by the person signing the
bid proposal or the authorized designee. This includes erasures, alterations
or corrections to unit price, total price, quantity, unit and description
of commodities and/or service. Failure to do so will result in rejection
of the bid for the applicable item or items.
Other factors that are cause for rejection of
a bid:
- Bid is prepared in pencil or bid proposal is
unsigned by vendor.
- Bid is received after the time and date specified
for opening.
- Bid did not include descriptive or technical
literature, specifications or samples if required in the bid proposal.
- Bidder fails to furnish bid surety if required
in the bid proposal.
- Bids were received from vendors removed or suspended
from the Bidders List.
- Other determinations which, in the judgment
of the Director of Purchasing, render the bid as non-responsive.
Award
After completion of the evaluation process,
recommendations for the award of equipment, supplies, and materials are
reviewed with the requisitioner before an award is made.
Receipt
of a Purchase Order
Shipment of goods should not be made until receipt
of the official University purchase order that gives shipping and billing
instructions. Substitution of items specified in a purchase order are
not permitted without the expressed written permission of the Purchasing
Department.
Review
of Awards
After a contract award, unsuccessful bidders can
obtain the name of the successful bidder, price, and similar basic information
through written or telephone request. Purchasing Department employees
are not required or encouraged to provide tabulations by phone.
Requests for more detailed information can be obtained
by written request or by visiting the Purchasing Department by appointment
to review the bid file during normal business hours. Vendors are encouraged
to review bid files since much valuable information can be obtained that
may be useful in future bidding situations. Photocopies are available
for $0.50/page.
Deliveries
Unless otherwise stated in the bid documents, all
deliveries must be F.O.B. Storrs, CT, at the vendor's expense. This expense
may be included as a part of the product cost or as a separate line item.
Unless other wise stated in the contract documents,
deliveries are to be made to the individual departments listed on the
purchase order. Freight deliveries can be accepted at various campus locations
(see exhibit D). Any deliveries made to the Universities Central Warehouse
must give a 24-hr notice. Call 860-486-6297 for an appointment.
Return
for Credit
No material which was purchased through a University
purchase order number shall be returned for credit without an appropriate
return authorization (BO800) form issued by the University Purchasing
Office.
Invoicing
and Payment
Unless otherwise stipulated on the purchase order
or contract, all invoices with should be submitted directly to the Accounts
Payable Department. Connecticut sales and use tax is not applicable. Payment
may be delayed if invoices or packages do not reference a University Purchase
Order number.
Payment
Terms
Payment terms shall be 2% 15 days net 45, unless
otherwise agreed to by the University.
Complaints
to Vendors
University departments are encouraged to directly
contact vendors in an effort to resolve any dissatisfaction with product,
warranty, or service performance. When problems are not resolved to the
user's satisfaction, departments are encouraged to contact the University
Purchasing Department for assistance. The University Purchasing Department
then forwards the complaint to the vendor. A vendor receiving the complaint
is urged to act immediately to resolve the complaint. Vendors who do not
act responsibly and quickly to resolve legitimate complaints may be removed
from the approved vendor list.
Procedure
for Filing Protests
Vendor protests regarding contract awards should
be addressed to the appropriate purchasing agent. If satisfactory resolution
is not achieved, complaints are administratively appealed as follows.
There are three levels of administrative appeal:
(1) the Purchasing Agent, (2) the Associate Director of Purchasing, and
(3) the Director of Procurement and Logistical Services.
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Other
University Policies
Removal
from the Bidders List
The University may remove a vendor from its Bidders
List or suspend a vendor from the Bidders List for up the twenty-four
(24) months. Examples or causes for removal from the Bidders List are
as follows:
- Three (3) consecutive failures to respond to
bid invitations. (Note: Bidder's should return all invitations to bid.
"No Bid" is considered as a response to a bid invitation and will not
count as a failure to respond.)
- Consistent failure to conform to bid or contract
specifications, terms, and conditions.
- Consistent failure to make timely delivery.
- Failure to remit any monetary penalties imposed
by the University.
- Collusion with other vendors or prospective
vendors to restrain competitive bidding.
- Giving false or misleading information on the
bid forms.
- Any violation of the State's purchasing regulations.
- Other information which suggests that the vendor
is no longer responsible or qualified to do business with the University.
Small
Business Program
The University's Small Business Program is
designed to give "small business concerns" and "small business concerns
owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals"-known
as Minority, Women, Set-aside or Disabled Businesses full access and opportunity
to participate in the University's procurement activities.
Vendors should keep the University informed of
their proper business size, ownership category, and products or services
offered (See How to market your products and services).
Tax
Exempt Status
The University of Connecticut is exempt from state
sales taxes.
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