A Guide for Contractors and Suppliers
rev. November 2002  

The Purchasing Office should be your first point of contact with the City. Our role is to bring together users and suppliers to ensure that the City receives the best value for the services, materials, supplies and equipment needed to effectively and efficiently operate the City. We are here to help you  understand how best to do business with the City of Ormond Beach. As can be expected, there are rules to follow and we will do our best to inform you of these rules, or as we call them, the City's Code of Ordinances. Should you ever have a question or concern we encourage you to contact the Purchasing Coordinator directly at (386) 676-3223. We hope you will find this information helpful. 

One of the unique things about working with the City is that we are local government; therefore, we are accountable to various elected officials, auditors and most importantly, taxpayers. Consequently, everything we do is considered "public information” and may be subject to public inspection. As a result, we believe the best way to protect the interest of the citizens we serve is to deal ethically, fairly and objectively with all vendors, contractors and suppliers.

Vendor List and Internet-Based  

Bidding System

The City of Ormond Beach utilizes the services of DemandStar by Onvia to maintain our vendor database and issue all requests for bids and RFP’s.  Vendors wishing to be placed on the City of Ormond Beach's vendor list and receive automatic notification of bids and RFP’s are encouraged to register with DemandStar by Onvia.  For more detailed information, please refer to the page titled "Our New Internet Bidding System," or visit the DemandStar website at www.demandstar.com.  You may also contact them by phone at (800) 711-1712.

The Purchasing Office has the responsibility of conducting City business in a professional manner. Each department has funds allocated to it; however, from a purchasing perspective, there is only one kind of money, the public's money. The City’s operating funds comes from  local taxpayers, State and Federal governments, various fees, grants, special activities, etc. Therefore, all purchases no matter how large or small must be made in accordance with the City’s established  Code of Ordinances.

The City’s Code of Ordinances dictates what method of procurement that must be used for each type of purchase: 

Purchases from $500 - $2,500  — requires 3 Verbal Quotes

Purchases from $2,500 - $24,999 — requires 3 Written Quotes

Purchases over $25,000 — requires Formal Bid or Request for Proposal

It is against the City’s Purchasing Ordinance to split a purchase into two or more orders to avoid the $500 limit and related requirement for three verbal quotes.

Local vendors are provided with a list of City employees who are authorized to make purchases under $500 without a purchase order.  The list is updated annually.

In general, price competition is the best way to make money go further.  That is why we advocate competition "wherever practicable” in an effort to promote fairness and better pricing.

Verbal Quotes are used for purchases over $500 but less than $2,500. The using department will contact the suppliers to obtain quotes. Once the user has obtained three quotes a purchase order is prepared for review and approval by the appropriate authorities.

Written Quotes are required when the purchase is over $2,500 but less than $24,999. Again, the using department will generally contact the suppliers for quotes and prepare a purchase order for approval by the appropriate authorities. Copies of the written quotes will be attached to the purchase order.

Formal Solicitation is required when the purchase is anticipated to exceed  $25,000. There are two basic types of formal solicitations:

  1.          Invitation  to Bid ( ITB)
  2.          Request for Proposal (RFP)

Both the ITB and RFP require advertisement in the local newspaper and may also be advertised in other area newspapers and professional trade journals. The intent with these solicitations is to generate as much involvement as possible with qualified suppliers. There are some significant differences between the ITB and RFP. The primary difference is award criteria. Generally, the ITB is awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. In other words, the bidder who submits a bid that meets all of the requirements and specifications of the ITB at the lowest overall cost.   On the other hand, the RFP is typically awarded to the responsive and responsible respondent receiving the highest overall ranking, as decided by a selection committee.  During the RFP evaluation process, the top ranked respondents may be asked to give a formal presentation to the committee.  Additionally, the price and other terms of agreement may be negotiated with the firm receiving the highest overall ranking by the committee.

The City is always seeking the best value for the money. Occasionally, a brand name is used in specifications to establish a standard grade or quality and will generally be followed by the words "or equal.'. The City will consider any substitute item(s) that meet or exceed all the requirements of the specifications. It is the supplier's responsibility to provide all the information on any substitute item(s) they use in their bid. The City reserves the right to review and either accept or reject any substitute item(s).

Questions pertaining to an ITB or RFP should be directed to the Purchasing Coordinator  at (386) 676-3223, or to the City’s Project Manager, if so listed. The City will frequently hold a public "prebid" or "preproposal" meeting  to review the specifications and answer any questions prior to the ITB or RFP opening date. When appropriate, a site visit  may be conducted following the "prebid' or "preproposal" meeting.  We strongly encourage all prospective bidders or respondents to attend these meetings.

When revisions or clarifications to the ITB or RFP are necessary, the City will issue an addendum. An addendum is a written document that modifies the  ITB or RFP and becomes part of the ITB or RFP documents. Sometimes it is necessary to issue more than one addendum. Each bidder on the list of bidders (or plan holders list) will receive a copy of each addendum. All addenda need to be acknowledged on the appropriate page of the ITB or RFP document when submitting a bid or proposal. 

The City of Ormond Beach requires anyone who is performing any work on City owned property to provided the following forms of insurance:

General Liability
Automobile Liability
Workers Compensation

The amount of the coverage for each of these forms of insurance depends on the total dollar value of the contract. Please read the ITB or RFP specifications and check with your insurance agent to make sure that you comply with all of the City’s insurance requirements before submitting your quote, bid or proposal.

Be sure to read the entire bid package and complete all the required documents. Check the figures to make sure that the unit prices and the extended amounts agree. In the event there is a discrepancy between the unit price and the extended amount, the unit price will prevail. Likewise, if there is a discrepancy between the amount shown in numbers and the amount shown in written words, the written words will prevail. Be sure to SIGN YOUR BID OR PROPOSAL BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT.  ITB and RFP opening times are strictly adhered to.  Any bids or proposals submitted after the time specified in the ITB or RFP, or in an addendum, will not be accepted and will be returned to the bidder unopened.

Faxed or other electronically submitted bids or proposals are NOT ACCEPTABLE. All bids or proposals need to be delivered to the City as specified in the bid or proposal specifications.

If you realize that you have made a mistake in your bid or proposal prior to the bid opening date and time, you may take your bid back and correct it and resubmit it before the bid opening date and time, or you may submit a sealed statement clarifying the error before the bid opening date and time.

Bids and proposals CAN NOT be corrected or withdrawn after the bid opening date and time.

In short, "piggybacking" refers to using competitive bids obtained by other governmental entities.  The City may utilize a competitive bid solicited by any other municipal, county, state, federal governmental agency, any combination of such agencies or any other competitive bid deemed to be in the best interest of the City.  By piggybacking other bids the City can avoid the time consuming process of soliciting bids for the same commodity or service.   

We also purchase directly off the State Term contract, which, as the name implies, are bids solicited and awarded by the State of Florida, Department of Management Services. The State of Florida also offers a State Negotiated Agreement Price Schedule (SNAPS agreement), which permits, but does not obligate, us to purchase supplies and services without soliciting bids or quotes. Please advise us of any Term contracts or SNAPS agreement you have been awarded by the State of Florida, or of contracts that have been awarded to you by other governmental entities.

Once quotes, bids, or proposals are received, the department requesting the purchase will be involved in evaluating the results. For purchases under $25,000 the City Manager or his designee will approve the purchase. For purchases valued at $25,000 or more the City Manager will make a recommendation to the City Commission who, in turn, will vote on the award at a scheduled City Commission Meeting.

Once an award is made, a purchase order or a written contract is prepared with all the supporting documentation (i.e. insurance certificates, payment and performance bonds) attached. The appropriate parties then sign the purchase order or written contract document, and the order is placed.

Payments are made from approved invoices. To avoid delays, submit a complete invoice that includes: the purchase order number, if applicable, a description of the item(s) or service, who received the item(s) or service, and the quantity, unit price, delivery charges and total price, along with any discount terms that may apply.  The City will make payments in accordance with the Florida Prompt Payment Act, Florida Statutes, Chapter 218, Part VII. The City usually makes payments within 30 days after receipt of an approved invoice.

City of Ormond Beach
Accounts Payable, Finance  Department
P.O. Box 277  
Ormond Beach, FL 32175-0277