A: No. There are criteria such as delivery date, quantity discounts, insurance provisions, which could affect the award of the quote.
FAQ: Purchasing
Q: Does a quote always go to the lowest bidder?
Q: What are the current bid limits for purchases?
A: $20,000.00 for the purchase of commodites and $35,000.00 for public works.
Q: Can a bid submission be faxed?
A: No, faxed bids cannot be accepted. Bids must be received from the bidder in a sealed envelope marked with the bid information as per the bid specifications. All bids are stamped and initialed when received and entered into a Bid Log listing the Bid number and title; date and time received; and method of delivery. The County does have a list of messengers who can be contacted by the vendor if normal delivery methods are not available.
Q: What are the current bid limits for purchases?
A: Quotes do not have to be advertised by law, but they may if the Purchaser feels it will bring in more vendors.
Q: Must quotes be advertised?
A: Quotes do not have to be advertised by law, but they may if the Purchaser feels it will bring in more vendors.
Q: How late can a bid be accepted?
A: Bids not received by the time and at the place advertised are designated as late bids. Late bids cannot be accepted and are returned to the vendor unopened after being recorded into the Bid Log Book.
Q: If only one bid is received, is it an automatic award?
A: No. The Director of Purchasing has the right to reject any and all bids; to rebid; to revise the bid specifications and reissue the bid; or in some cases, award the bid to the single bid vendor; whichever is in the best interest of the County.
Q: Are site visits mandatory?
A: If the nature of the bid is such that you cannot be fully informed without a site visit, we will deem it mandatory. If it is incidental to the bid, it is not.
Q: Can a bidder change a bid after it is opened?
A: No. If the submitted bid is deemed the lowest, responsive, responsible bid the County may award to the bidder. The County is permitted to negotiate only with the vendor submitting the lowest price to further LOWER the pricing, but in no instance can a vendor be permitted to RAISE a submitted bid price once the bids are open.
Q: Are all bid openings public?
A: By law, all bid openings are public. All submitted bids are opened at the time and place designated in the bid advertisement, publicly read and all bidders disclosed. A written record is made of the names of all witnesses, attendees and bids received.
