"Small purchase" by email or phone
Whenever a material, supply or service has an estimated delivered cost of up to $10,000 (micropurchase) or up to $250,000 (a small purchase) quotations may be sought by Pace iSupplier Portal, email, or telephone.
Invitation For Bid (IFB)
Whenever a material, supply or service has an estimated delivered cost of over $250,000, an Invitation For Bid (IFB) may be used. An IFB is a solicitation document used in sealed bid procurements. Pace uses an IFB when all of the following conditions are present:
- Specifications and purchase descriptions are clearly defined and complete;
- No discussions with offerors required;
- Reasonable expectation of receiving more than one bid;
- Fixed price contract will be used;
- Award made on the basis of price and price-related factors alone.
Request For Proposal (RFP)
Whenever a material, supply or service has an estimated delivered cost of over $250,000, a Request For Proposal (RFP) may be used. An RFP is a solicitation document used in other than sealed bid procurements. Pace makes use of an RFP when any one of the following conditions are present:
- When an IFB isn't appropriate;
- Adequate specifications not available;
- Discussions with offerors needed;
- Award based on both technical and price evaluation.
Sole Source
Whenever a product, equipment or service has an estimated cost of $150,000, Pace may use a sole source Request for Proposal. A sole source is a procurement used for "public exigency" or "emergency", when no other source exists, for software licenses, and OEM items. The sole source must be justified and approved before the product or service is procured.
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Whenever Architectural and Engineering (A&E) and related services are required at any dollar level, a Request for Qualifications solicitation document is used to procure the services. An offeror is selected based on qualifications alone and then a fair and reasonable price for the services is negotiated. If a fair and reasonable price cannot be negotiated with the most qualified firm, then negotiations with the next most qualified firm are conducted, etc. A&E services are those professional services of an architectural or engineering nature, which are required to be performed or approved by a person licensed, registered, or certified to provide such services.