Invitation for Bids

Under Chapter 30B, the City of Springfield must use competitive sealed bids to procure supplies or services with a value of $25,000 or more. The City will use an Invitation For Bid (IFB) to award a supply or service contract to the responsive and responsible bidder who offers the best price.

The objective of the IFB is to obtain the best value by establishing evaluation criteria that will ensure that the City will obtain the quality of supplies or services it needs from a contractor who will perform, as the City requires.

The IFB will contain all of the information bidders will need to prepare a responsive bid. An IFB consists of the following major components:

• General Information
• Bid Submission Requirements
• Purchase Description or Scope of Services
• Evaluation Criteria
• Contract Terms and Conditions
• Standard Forms

I. General Information

This section will give bidders general information about the IFB process:

• Time and Place for pre-bid conference, if any
• Notice that bid prices must remain firm for a specified number of days, ie. (30, 60 or 90) days after the bid opening.
• How questions from prospective bidders will be handled:

Questions concerning the Invitation for Bids must be submitted in writing to: The Chief Procurement Officer seven business days prior to bid opening. Questions may be delivered, mailed, or faxed. Written responses will be mailed or faxed to all bidders on record as having picked up the IFB in the form of an addendum.

( Each bid must contain an acknowledgment of receipt of all Addenda.)

• Modifying or withdrawing bids:

  A bidder may correct, modify, or withdraw a bid by written notice received by the Chief Procurement Officer prior to the times and date set for the bid opening.  Bid modifications must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly labeled “Modification and Bid Number”.

• Prices enclosed within bid package.

II. Bid Submission Requirements

• Where and when bids must be delivered:

  Any bidder submitting an IFB shall deliver it to the Purchase Department before the deadline for receipt of bids and must be complete.  The deadline will be strictly observed.

  Bids shall be delivered by U.S Mail, Federal Express or other such service or by hand.  Delivery by facsimile is prohibited.  It is the Bidders sole responsibility to ensure that its bid is received at the proper location at or prior to the deadline.

• Number of copies of the bid required
• How bid envelope should be marked:

  Envelopes must reference IFB name, bid number, the opening date, and name of the company submitting the bid.  The Original should be clearly marked.

• Bid must include all standard forms
• Bid must be signed by authorized individual
• Bonding requirements (performance or payment bonds), if any
• Bid deposit, if any

III. Purchase Description or Scope of Services

This section provides bidders with the essential physical and functional characteristics of the supply or a detailed description of the service the City wishes to purchase.

This section will also detail the contract term length and renewal options. The IFB will specify the exact contract term length and any renewal or extension options. The IFB will state that an option to renew or extend the contract is exercisable at the sole discretion of the City.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

The City of Springfield is interested in the vendor who offers the best price and meets all of the quality requirements. The quality requirements are in effect, items to which the answers are either “yes” or “no”. The City is not concerned with whether a bidder is good, better, or best. The City is only concerned with which bidder among those offering quality goods and services and who have a record for good performance, offers the best price.

The evaluation criteria for bids are measures of:

1. Responsiveness -whether the bidder agrees to provide the supply or service the City specified and whether the bid contains all required documents and forms properly completed.
2. Responsibility - whether the bidder has the capacity, integrity, and reliability to perform under the contract.
3. Best Price

Often, determining responsiveness, responsibility, and best price will be simple matters, and a statement in the IFB that the City will award the contract to the responsive and responsible bidder who offers the best price will be sufficient.  In other cases, more evaluation may be required.

IV. Contract Terms and Conditions

• Invitation For Bids will be accepted from established corporations, partnerships, proprietorships or individuals that normally furnish such goods or services as a standard part of their business.
• An evaluation committee shall determine whether the IFB meets all the quality requirements set forth in the bid. IFB’s not meeting the quality requirements shall be rejected. The judgment of the evaluation committee shall be final. Failure to follow the instructions, meet the requirements, or agree to the terms and conditions in the IFB may be cause for rejection of the bid as non-responsive.
• The City shall award the contract within (30, 60, or 90) days after the date established for receiving the bids. All IFB’s shall remain valid and acceptable for this length of time. This time may be extended by mutual consent of all consultants and the City.
• The City of Springfield reserves the right to accept or reject all or any portion of any or all bids submitted, to waive informalities, irregularities or technicalities on any bid and to make the award in the best interest of the City of Springfield.

V. Standard Forms

Properly executed forms at a minimum include:

1. Invitation For Bid Form Completed and Signed-
   (An individual(s) of the firm who has authority to sign contracts must sign the proposal)
2. Tax Certification Affidavit, Signed and Notarized-
   (The bidder must complete and return the Tax Certification Affidavit with their bid/proposal. Failure to complete and return the Tax Certification Affidavit will disqualify the contractor form the bidding procedure.
3. Collusion Statement -
   (Chapter 30B requires each bidder to certify that the proposal was made in good faith and without collusion or fraud.  This form must be signed and returned with the bid)
4. Affirmative Action Plan

<link fileadmin purchasing purchasing_sample_forms.pdf>