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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - PROVIDING GOODS AND SERVICES TO THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO

How do I register as a vendor with the County?

The County does not currently have an online vendor registration system. If you are interested in doing business with the county, you can send us a company “line card” detailing the products and/or services your firm can supply to the county. Please include point of contact information (i.e., name, address, phone, fax, email, etc). You can either mail this information to our address County of Sacramento, Contract & Purchasing Services Division, 10545 Armstrong Avenue, Suite 202A, Mather, CA 95655 or email Purchasing at purchasingmain@saccounty.net.

Once we receive your information, it will be forwarded to the appropriate buyer(s), if applicable. We will make every effort to ensure that your firm receives a copy of all applicable bids we issue that you can respond to, but we cannot guarantee that you will. Please check our web site regularly for bidding opportunities. All of our bids are listed and can be downloaded at www.saccountybids.com/Current_Bids.htm. The site is updated daily. Please check often for bidding opportunities.

What does the bidding process entail?

The County posts bid solicitations (Request for Bid (RFB), Request for Quote (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP)) at www.saccountybids.net. Once you have reviewed a copy of the solicitation and determined that your firm and your product/service meets all the mandatory requirements as described in the bid, you must formulate your written response (bid/quote/proposal) in accordance with the instructions detailed in the solicitation. The solicitation will include instructions detailing the type of information required in your response and the proper format required. Vendor’s response must be physically received and “time stamped” by Purchasing staff PRIOR to response due date/time listed on the front page of the solicitation.

All bids will be “publicly opened” at our office immediately following the response due date/time. All vendors are welcome to attend the bid opening. The Contract Services Officer (Buyer) who issued the solicitation will open all responses received and announce the names of the vendors who responded and pricing (depending on the size and complexity of the solicitation). Since the buyer will need to analyze each response to determine whether or not it is considered “responsive and responsible”, we will not determine the apparent “winner” at the bid opening.

After the bid opening, the Contract Services Officer will review all solicitation responses and reject any non-responsive bids. Example: Response was not signed; Response did not include all mandatory information and forms. All responsive bids will be evaluated further.

After the non-responsive bids are rejected, the Contract Services Officer and a representative(s) from the using department(s) will review the responses and evaluate the responses according to pre-established evaluation criteria. Typical evaluation criteria may include one or more of the following criteria: pricing, adherence to specifications, checking customer reference, vendor’s financial stability, and vendor’s ability to perform. After all bids are analyzed and scored, the “best value” response is determined and a letter of intent to award is issued and posted on the Purchasing web site.

The letter of intent to award provides general information about the bid evaluation and which vendor(s) will be awarded the contract. Once the letter of intent is issued, vendors may make an appointment to review the bid file which contains all vendor responses and evaluation summary.

Should I contact the departments directly?

The County of Sacramento purchasing functions are both centralized (via the Contract & Purchasing Services Division) and decentralized (departments can perform limited purchasing on their own). You should contact the Contract & Purchasing Services Division first. If the goods and/or services that a vendor provides is not handled centrally through the Contract & Purchasing Services Division, then we may instruct you to contact the department(s) directly.

I am a contractor. How do I register with the County for construction jobs?

All large construction projects are handled through the Municipal Services Agency. The large constructions bids are listed at http://www.saccountybids.net/construction/construction_bids.aspx. You may contact the Municipal Services Agency at 827-7th Street, Room 105, Sacramento, CA 95814, telephone (916) 874-6544. The Contract & Purchasing Services Division will occasionally handle small construction bids. The small construction bids are listed at http://www.saccountybids.net/small_construction.htm.

Can I view previous bids?

Yes. Contact the Contract & Purchasing Services Division to schedule an appointment to review previous bid files. We can be reached at 916-876-6360 or purchasingmain@saccounty.net.

Can you help me register? The web site is not working.

If you ever need assistance with our web site, or any other procurement issues, please contact us at 916-876-6360 or purchasingmain@saccounty.net.

Do you have a preference program for disadvantaged businesses?

Yes, the County has a Procurement Opportunities Program which provides outreach and information to any business that wishes to do business with the County, including small business enterprises (SBE) and micro-business enterprises (MBE). The program allows a maximum five percent (5%) price preference on material and supply contracts of less than $100,000 issued through the Contract & Purchasing Services Division to businesses that are certified as a micro-business enterprise. The business must be:

1. Independently owned and operated.
2. Not dominant in its field.
3. Located in the Sacramento Regional Market Area.
4. Together with its affiliates, it is either:
   
   
   • A service, construction or non-manufacturing firm with 25 or fewer employees and average annual gross receipts of two million, five hundred thousand dollars ($2.5 million) over the three previous years, or
   • A manufacturing firm with 25 or fewer employees. More information on the County’s Procurement Opportunities Program is located at www.saccountybids.net.

Which buyer handles my product?

In many cases, we have more than one buyer handling the same commodity. Please call our main number (916) 876-6360 to find out who you should contact regarding the products/services your firm has to offer to the county.

How long does it take to "get a PO"?

Purchase Orders that originate from Purchasing require the vendor to complete the Department Child Support Compliance form. In addition, vendors may be required to submit proof of insurance. The time to create a purchase order will vary depending on the scope of work and any additional requirements.

How long does it take to get paid?

Normally, the County remits payment within 30 days or receipt of invoice. Please contact the ordering department for a status on any open invoices.

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