DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY

Business Opportunities

The City of St. Cloud welcomes the opportunity to do business with interested vendors. The city recommends that you become familiar with our purchasing policies and procedures. The contents of this publication are intended to be a very general guide. For any questions not answered, please contact Procurement Services.

USING OPENGOV

Procurement streamlines the bid submittal process for vendors by reducing the amount of time it takes for staff to create, post, and evaluate each bid. This e-Procurement Portal allows prospective Vendors and Suppliers the ability to:

• Electronically submit bids in one place and eliminate the submission of paper proposals. 
• Receive notifications of future bid opportunities by selecting the “Subscribe” button (after account creation).
• Receive timely support for bid questions.
• Submit questions and receive answers online regarding open bid opportunities.
• Track updates to existing bids by clicking the “Follow” button. This will allow all interested bidders to receive amendments and addenda automatically.
• Use a vendor guided process of responding electronically to bids to ensure your bids have been accurately completed.
• View bid opportunities issued by the City of St. Cloud in one location.

To view bids from the City of St. Cloud, please visit the City of St. Cloud's OpenGov portal. 

To register as a vendor and submit proposals, please refer to OpenGov's Vendor Guides. 

Bid Notification

All bid information is available through OpenGov or by calling Procurement Services at 407-957-7212.

What is Expected of the Vendor

All vendors will be afforded equal opportunity to quote and will compete on equal terms. The city expects the vendor to deal with honesty and integrity and to deliver a high quality product / service on time and as ordered. The vendor shall be a team player, have good communications, and have the necessary facilities, equipment, materials, and labor force to meet their obligations.

Tabulations

Bid results are made available after all bids have been tabulated and analyzed in accordance with Florida Statutes. Information on results may be mailed or faxed to vendors upon request or accessed through OpenGov.

PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS

PROCUREMENT POLICY

Rules Governing Purchases and Contracts

Rules governing purchasing and contract procedures were established under the concept of open competitive bidding. The City of St. Cloud purchases in accordance with applicable laws, statutes, and ordinances. Purchase awards are made to the most responsible and responsive bidder whose bid is reasonable and otherwise in the best interest of The City of St. Cloud.

Purchase Regulations

All purchases less than $3,000 are made on the open market after establishing that prices are competitive. Purchases valued between $3,000 and up to $25,000 are made on the open market on a competitive bid basis without newspaper advertisement.

All City purchases with an estimated value of $25,000 or more are normally purchased by a formal sealed bid. These requirements are incorporated into a bid package that includes the City's standard terms and conditions. The formal sealed bids are advertised in local newspapers and are broadcast through DemandStar and VendorLink. Formal sealed bids are opened publicly at specified dates, times, and places. The award of formal sealed bids is to the lowest, most responsive, and responsible bidder.

Formal Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

Formal requests for proposals (RFPs) are used when the city has no detailed specifications and solicits the vendor community for solutions to a particular requirement. These solicitations have specific award criteria that include price, but with the understanding that price may not necessarily be the determining factor in award.

Professional services (engineers, architects, land surveyors, and landscape architects) are selected in accordance with Florida State Statute 287.055, the Consultant's Competitive Negotiations Act.

Invitation to Bid (ITB)

Solicitation of three or more offers to supply goods or services at a stated price and in full compliance with specifications and conditions. All purchases in excess of $25,000 for an item or group of items shall be made by first securing three or more sealed competitive proposals or bids. This shall in no way be construed as limiting the number of bids or proposals solicited; it being intended that as many competitive bids or proposals be secured as possible consistent with good purchasing practices.

Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

Requires a vendor to provide a formal substantiation of credentials, certifications and qualifications, which demonstrate capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements. Among the factors to be considered in an RFQ are competency, adequacy of personnel, past record, and experience of the business or person.

Request for Quotes

Required for purchases in excess of $7,500 but less than $25,000 must be processed through Procurement Services with a QUO number assigned.

Procurement Card

Procurement cards are utilized by the City in an effort to expedite payments to our vendors and provide internal customers with the ability to make purchases within the City's established guidelines.