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Procurement Policy

Procurement Planning

Planning is essential to managing the procurement function properly. Hence, the HA will periodically review its record of prior purchases, as well as future needs, to: find patterns of procurement actions that could be performed more efficiently or economically;  maximize competition and competitive pricing among contracts and decrease the HA's procurement costs; reduce HA administrative costs; ensure that supplies and services are obtained without any need for re-procurement, e.g., resolving bid protests; and minimize errors that occur when there is inadequate lead time. Consideration should be given to storage, security, and handling requirements when planning the most appropriate purchasing actions.

Purchasing Methods

A. Micro Purchases

Purchases of less than $10,000.00 are known as Micro Purchases.  Only one quote is required provided the quote is considered reasonable.  To the greatest extent feasible, and to promote competition, Micro Purchases should be distributed among qualified sources.  The HA shall not break down requirements aggregating more than the Micro Purchase threshold into several purchases that are less than the applicable threshold merely to permit use of the Micro Purchase procedures.

B. Small Purchase Procedures:

Under small purchase procedures the HA shall obtain a reasonable number of quotes (preferably three); however, for any amounts above the Micro Purchase ceiling, but not exceeding $250,000.00, the HA may use small purchase procedures.  Quotes may be obtained orally (either in person or by phone), by fax, in writing, or through e-procurement.  Award shall be made to the qualified vendor that provides the best value to the HA.  If award is to be made for reasons other than lowest price, documentation shall be provided in the contract file.  The HA shall not break down requirements aggregating more than the Small Purchase threshold into several purchases that are less than the applicable threshold merely to permit use of the Small Purchase procedures.

Note:  Documentation of all quotes must be maintained in the procurement file.

C. Sealed Bids:

Sealed bidding shall be used for all contracts that exceed the small purchase threshold and that are not competitive proposals or non-competitive proposals, as these terms are defined in this document.  Under sealed bids, the HA publicly solicits bids and awards a firm fixed-price contract (lump sum or unit price) to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming with all the material terms and conditions of the Invitation For Bid (IFB), is the lowest in price.  Sealed bidding is the preferred method for procuring contracts and purchases that are expected to exceed $250,000.00.

1. Conditions for Using Sealed Bids.

HA shall use the sealed bid method if the following conditions are present:

  • a complete, adequate, and realistic statement of work, specification, or purchase description is available;
  • two or more responsible bidders are willing and able to compete effectively for the work;
  • the contract can be awarded based on a firm fixed price, and;
  • The selection of the successful bidder can be made principally on the lowest price.

2. Solicitation and Receipt of Bids.

An IFB is issued which includes the specifications and all contractual terms and conditions applicable to the procurement, and a statement that award will be made to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder whose bid meets the requirements of the solicitation.  The IFB must state the time and place for both receiving the bids and the public bid opening.  All bids received will be date and time-stamped and stored unopened in a secure place until the public bid opening.  A bidder may withdraw the bid at any time prior to the bid opening.

3. Bid Opening and Award.

Bids shall be opened publicly.  All bids received shall be recorded on an abstract (tabulation) of bids, and then made available for public inspection.  If equal low bids are received from responsible bidders, selection shall be made by drawing lots or other similar random method.  The method for doing this shall be stated in the IFB.  If only one responsive bid is received from a responsible bidder, award shall not be made unless the price can be determined to be reasonable, based on a cost or price analysis.

4. Mistakes in Bids.

Correction or withdrawal of bids may be permitted, where appropriate, before bid opening by written or telegraphic notice received in the office designated in the IFB prior to the time set for bid opening.  After bid opening, corrections in bids may be permitted only if the bidder can show by clear and convincing evidence that a mistake of a nonjudgmental character was made, the nature of the mistake, and the bid price actually intended.  A low bidder alleging a nonjudgmental mistake may be permitted to withdraw its bid if the mistake is clearly evident on the face of the bid document but the intended bid is unclear or the bidder submits convincing evidence that a mistake was made.  All decisions to allow correction or withdrawal of a bid shall be supported by a written determination signed by the Contracting Officer.  After bid opening, changes in bid prices, or other provisions of bids prejudicial to the interest of the HA or fair competition shall not be permitted.

A. Competitive Proposals:

Unlike sealed bidding, the competitive proposal method permits: consideration of technical factors other than price; discussion with offerors concerning offers submitted; negotiation of contract price or estimated cost and other contract terms and conditions; revision of proposals before the final contractor selection; and the withdrawal of an offer at any time up until the point of award.  Award is normally made on the basis of the proposal that represents the best overall value to the HA, considering price and other factors, e.g., technical expertise, past experience, quality of proposed staffing, etc., set forth in the solicitation and not solely the lowest price.

1. Conditions for Use.

Where conditions are not appropriate for the use of sealed bidding, competitive proposals may be used.  Competitive proposals are the preferred method for procuring professional services that will exceed the small purchase threshold.

2. Form of Solicitation.

Other than A/E services, competitive proposals shall be solicited through the issuance of a Request For Proposals (RFP).  The RFP shall clearly identify the importance and relative value of each of the evaluation factors as well as any sub-factors and price.  A mechanism for fairly and thoroughly evaluating the technical and price proposals shall be established before the solicitation is issued.  Proposals shall be handled so as to prevent disclosure of the number of offerors, identity of the offerors, and the contents of their proposals until after award.  The HA may assign price a specific weight in the evaluation criteria or the HA may consider price in conjunction with technical factors; in either case, the method for evaluating price shall be established in the RFP.

3. Evaluation.

The proposals shall be evaluated only on the criteria stated in the RFP.  Where not apparent from the evaluation criteria, the HA shall establish an Evaluation Plan for each RFP.  Generally, all RFP's shall be evaluated by the Contracting Officer.  The Contracting Officer shall be required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest.  An Evaluation Report, summarizing the results of the evaluation, shall be prepared prior to award of a contract.

4. Negotiations.

Negotiations shall be conducted with all offerors who submit a proposal determined to have a reasonable chance of being selected for award, unless it is determined that negotiations are not needed with any of the offerors.  This determination is based on the relative score of the proposals as they are evaluated and rated in accordance with the technical and price factors specified in the RFP.  These offerors shall be treated fairly and equally with respect to any opportunity for negotiation and revision of their proposals.  No offeror shall be given any information about any other offerors proposal, and no offeror shall be assisted in bringing its proposal up to the level of any other proposal.  A common deadline shall be established for receipt of proposal revisions based on negotiations.  Negotiations are exchanges (in either competitive or sole source environment) between the HA and offerors that are undertaken with the intent of allowing the offeror to revise its proposal.  These negotiations may include bargaining.  Bargaining includes persuasion, alteration of assumptions and positions, give-and-take, and may apply to price, schedule, technical requirements, type of contract, or other terms of a proposed contract.

When negotiations are conducted in a competitive acquisition, they take place after establishment of the competitive range and are called discussions.  Discussions are tailored to each offerors proposal, and shall be conducted by the contracting officer with each offeror within the competitive range.  The primary object of discussions is to maximize the HAs ability to obtain best value, based on the requirements and the evaluation factors set forth in the solicitation.  The contracting officer shall indicate to, or discuss with, each offeror still being considered for award, significant weaknesses, deficiencies, and other aspects of its proposal (such as cost, price, technical approach, past performance, and terms and conditions) that could, in the opinion of the contracting officer, be altered or explained to enhance materially the proposers potential for award.  The scope and extent of discussions are a matter of the contracting officer's judgment.  The contracting officer may inform an offeror that its price is considered by the HA to be too high, or too low, and reveal the results of the analysis supporting that conclusion.  It is also permissible to indicate to all offerors the cost or price that the governments price analysis, market research, and other reviews have identified as reasonable. Auctioning (revealing one offerors price in an attempt to get another offeror to lower their price) is prohibited.

5. Award.

After evaluation of the revised proposals, if any, the contract shall be awarded to the responsible firm whose technical approach to the project, qualifications, price and/or any other factors considered, are most advantageous to the HA provided that the price is within the maximum total project budgeted amount established for the specific property or activity.

6. The HA must contract for A/E services using Qualifications - Based Selection (QBS) procedures, utilizing a Request For Qualifications (RFQ).  Sealed bidding shall not be used for A/E solicitations.  Under QBS procedures, competitors' qualifications are evaluated and the most qualified competitor is selected, subject to negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation.  Price is not used as a selection factor under this method.  QBS procedures shall not be used to purchase other types of services, though architectural/engineering firms are potential sources.

B. Noncompetitive Proposals

1. Conditions for Use.

Procurement by noncompetitive proposals (sole-source) may be used only when the award of a contract is not feasible using small purchase procedures, sealed bids, cooperative purchasing, or competitive proposals, and if one of the following applies:

  1. The item is available only from a single source, based on a good faith review of available sources;
  2. An emergency exists that seriously threatens the public health, welfare, or safety, or endangers property, or would otherwise cause serious injury to the HA, as may arise by reason of a flood, earthquake, epidemic, riot, equipment failure, or similar event.  In such cases, there must be an immediate and serious need for supplies, services, or construction such that the need cannot be met through any of the other procurement methods, and the emergency procurement shall be limited to those supplies, services, or construction necessary simply to meet the emergency;
  1. HUD authorizes the use of noncompetitive proposals; or
  2. After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate.

2. Justification.

Procurement based on noncompetitive proposals shall be supported by a written justification for the selection of this method.  The justification shall be approved in writing by the responsible Contracting Officer.  Poor planning or lack of planning is not justification for emergency or sole-source procurements.  The justification, to be included in the procurement file, should include the following information:

  1. Description of the requirement;
  2. History of prior purchases and their nature (competitive vs. noncompetitive);
  3. The specific exception in 2 CFR Part 200;
  4. Statement as to the unique circumstances that require award by noncompetitive proposals;
  5. Description of the efforts made to find competitive sources (advertisement in trade journals or local publications, phone calls to local suppliers, issuance of a written solicitation, etc.);
  6. Statement as to efforts that will be taken in the future to promote competition for the requirement;
  7. Signature by the Contracting Officers supervisor (or someone above the level of the Contracting Officer); and
  8. Price Reasonableness.  The reasonableness of the price for all procurements based on noncompetitive proposals shall be determined by performing an analysis, as described in this Policy.

C. Cooperative Purchasing/Intergovernmental Agreements

The HA may enter into State and/or local cooperative or intergovernmental agreements to purchase or use common supplies, equipment, or services.  The decision to use an interagency agreement instead of conducting a direct procurement shall be based on economy and efficiency.  If used, the interagency agreement shall stipulate who is authorized to purchase on behalf of the participating parties and shall specify inspection, acceptance, termination, payment, and other relevant terms and conditions.  The HA may use Federal or State excess and surplus property instead of purchasing new equipment and property if feasible and if it will result in a reduction of project costs.  The goods and services obtained under a cooperative purchasing agreement must have been procured in accordance with 2 CFR Part 200.

D. Independent Cost Estimate (ICE)

For all purchases above the Micro Purchase threshold, the HA shall prepare an ICE prior to solicitation.  The level of detail shall be commensurate with the cost and complexity of the item to be purchased.