306.01

Northern Arizona University
Purchasing Policy and Procedure

Bidding Requirements Over $35,000


POLICY:

It is required all procurements costing more than $35,000 or with an estimated cost exceeding $35,000 shall be based on competitive sealed bids or proposals. Procurement requirements will not be artificially divided or fragmented into increments or components costing less than $35,000 to circumvent the applicable competitive sealed bidding requirement.

EXCEPTIONS

Sole source, emergency, and professional service procurements exempted by the Board of Regents.

Exceptions to bidding requirements are explained in "Waiver of Bidding Requirements for Procurements Costing More than $35,000" (Section 306.02).

Procurements costing more than $35,000 will be accomplished with the greatest amount of public competition consistent with the item or service to be purchased and in accordance with applicable statutes and directives.

PROCEDURE:

COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDS

Purchasing Services will issue a sealed bid that includes but is not limited to:

  1. a complete description or specification of the goods or services to be procured,


  2. all contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement,

    -and-


  3. a place, date, and time for submission of bids.

NOTICE OF RFQ

Adequate public notice of the RFQ must be given a reasonable time before the date set for submission of bids. This notice shall be mailed to a representative number of interested vendors and shall be available upon request from Purchasing Services.

APTAN (Arizona Procurement Technical Assistance Network)

When bid response time allows, bids are advertised through APTAN, a full service, statewide procurement network. APTAN is a program designed to provide the small business owners with assistance in obtaining government business.

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING

Public notice may include publication in a newspaper of general circulation. Procurements for services costing more than $35,000 require newspaper advertising.

BID OPENING

Competitive sealed bids shall be opened publicly, in the presence of one (1) or more witnesses, at the time, date, and place designated in the RFQ. The amount of each bid, along with other relevant information, shall be read and recorded.

COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS

Purchasing Services will not issue a request for proposal (RFP) until the Director of Procurement has determined the use of competitive sealed bidding is not practicable or advantageous to the University.

Purchasing Services will issue an RFP that includes but is not limited to:

  1. a statement that:


    1. proposals will be opened at the time, date, and place specified in the RFP


    2. only the names of the proposers will be read and recorded

      -and-


    3. the University reserves the right to conduct discussions with the proposers, to accept revisions of proposals, and to negotiate price changes;

      NOTE: The University will not disclose any information derived from proposals submitted by or discussions with competing proposers until after an award is made.
  2. a complete description of the goods or services to be procured or the result to be obtained from such goods or services;


  3. all contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement;


  4. a place, date, and time for submission of proposals;


  5. evaluation criteria, in order of importance.

NOTICE OF RFP

Public notice shall be the same as specified for competitive sealed bids.

PROPOSAL OPENING

Competitive sealed proposals will be opened publicly, in the presence of one (1) or more witnesses, at the time, date, and place designated in the RFP. Only the names of the proposers and other information deemed appropriate by the Director of Procurement will be read and recorded. Proposal contents will not be public information until after award of the contract.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION COMMITTEE

At times it is beneficial to have a committee evaluate proposals. The committee will be appointed by the Director of Procurement, and may be comprised of members of the requesting department, interested members of the NAU community, and Purchasing staff. Each member of the evaluation committee shall sign a "Requirements for Proposal Evaluation Committees" (Exhibit 306.01A) form prior to participating in the evaluation.