Business, Management, and Financial

Authorization to Purchase (Bidding Policy)

Expenditures of more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) for construction and repairs, or for the purchase of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services must be approved by the Board of Trustees. The President is authorized to approve the expenditure of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) or less for construction and repairs, or for the purchase of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services on behalf of the Board of Trustees, and to execute contracts for same. The Board of Trustees shall receive reports on any purchases and contracts at the next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. Reasonable administrative purchasing guidelines which involve comparison of product and service costs, availability, and administrative verification of the most responsible purchasing decisions applicable to each situation shall be followed. Bids may be requested for expenditures under twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) when such bids might be to the economic benefit of the college.

• Any expenditure involving an amount of more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) for construction and repairs, or for the purchase of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services shall require sealed proposals. All contracts for construction and repairs, and all purchases of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services shall be awarded to the lowest cost supplier on the basis of competitive price quotations, except in any of the following circumstances:
  
  • True “sole source” procurements of unique goods or services available only from a single supplier with no competition. An RFP must be used when two or more dissimilar but potentially acceptable alternatives are available and the total cost for the contracted goods or services will exceed the sum of $20,000.
  • Payments for fees and taxes, and purchases of contracted services or materials procured from the State of Kansas, its departments, its political subdivisions, agencies of other states or subdivisions thereof, or agencies of the U.S. Government.
  • Annual renewals of contracts for services or leases of property of equipment covering a period exceeding one year, provided that such contracts for services (but not leases of property of equipment) shall not exceed a term of five years.
  • Payments for services supplied by regulated public utilities and transportation companies.
  • Payments of wages, salaries, and fringe benefits to college personnel and reimbursements for travel and other work-related expenses.
  • Payment for services rendered by licensed or certified professionals. However, the Board of Trustees and the administration will annually evaluate the performance of at least the following professional services, and the administration will periodically issue request for proposals as directed by the Board of Trustees:

1. 1. 1. Attorney and legal services
      2. Certified Public Accountant and Auditor
      3. Architectural Services
      4. College Property and Liability Insurance Agent/Broker

• • Payments of financial aid grants and loans awarded to registered students of the college.
  • Purchases or real property, provided, however, that any purchase of real property must first be approved by the Board of Trustees.
  • Purchase/Reimbursement of goods for resale by the college bookstore or other departments of the college.
  • Purchases of goods and services by separate student, alumni, and other organizations through accounts maintained for them by the college as fiscal agent.
  • Purchases of goods at a commercial auction provided the total purchase price for all items does not exceed $10,000.
  • Purchases of educational materials directly tied to curriculum and secured by copyright.

• Excepting procurements excluded under Section 1 above, all contracts for construction and repairs, or for the purchase of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services shall be awarded to the lowest cost supplier on the basis of competitive price quotations or proposals determined by the following procedures:
  
  
  • If it is estimated that the procurement will exceed $20,000, competitive bids will be solicited for not less than 10 (ten) business days prior to the date stated for the opening of the bid.
    
    • Competitive bids will be solicited by notice published in the following areas:

1. 1. 1. 1. Public Record for Thomas County (Colby Free Press)
         2. Public bulletin at the college’s administrative offices
         3. Bids will be solicited by invitation to prospective vendors. The administration will make every reasonable effort to locate and send invitations to bid to qualified vendors located in Thomas County, to qualified vendors who have provided similar goods or services to the college in the past, to vendors that have expressed interest in receiving such invitation to bid, and to any other qualified vendor who may be capable of providing a superior product at a competitive price.

• • • All bids will be sealed when received (emails bids are accepted on an as requested and approved basis) and will be opened in public at the time and place stated in the bid notice.
    • Bids will be evaluated for conformity and follow-up/clarifying questions may need to occur.
    • The administration will report to the Board of Trustees the results of the bid and provide all supporting documentation and vendor communication.
    • It will be the policy of the Board of Trustees to award contracts for procurement on the basis of sealed bids to the lowest bid which fully complies with all bid specifications.
    • The college administration is authorized to utilize the services of licensed professional architects or engineers for the administration of the sealed bid process for the procurement of goods and services for constructions, reconstruction, or remodeling on real property improvements.
      
      
  • If it is estimated that the procurement will exceed $10,000, but be less than $20,000, the process under the preceding section may be modified by any or all of the following exceptions at the discretion of the administration:

1. 1. 1. No publication is required.
      2. The bid notice may be posted on a public bulletin board at the college’s administrative office for only three business days preceding the bid deadline.
      3. Invitations to bid may be sent to qualified vendors in Thomas County only.
      4. Unsealed bids may be accepted.
      5. The President or his/her designee may authorize the award or purchase contract.

• • If the amount of purchase is estimated to be less than $20,000, the President or his/her designee may authorize the award of purchase contract. Such authorizations shall only be granted if accompanied by three or more competitive quotes.
  • The college may participate in cooperative procurement efforts with other education institutions, pricing consortiums, or public agencies to combine purchasing power and obtain more favorable pricing. The section specifically includes the Kansas State Contract.  Procurements of individual items through such programs are exempted from the provisions of Sections B.1, B.2, and B.3 above, provided that the collective procurements follows a competitive bid process similar to the provisions of sections B.1.
  • In cases where two or more goods or services are available from different vendors which are substantially different or unique in character, but may each be potentially capable of meeting the needs of the college, the administrations may utilize a Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement process rather than a sealed competitive bid process, regardless of the expected total price of the procurement.

1. 1. 1. The administration shall provide bid specifications which defines the quality of the goods or services to be provided.
      2. A time will be scheduled as soon as feasible after the response deadline for the top 3 vendors to present their proposal and demonstrate their product to an evaluation committee appointed by the administration.
      3. The recommended proposal choice must be submitted in writing to the Board of Trustees by the evaluation committee, and must be justified through an evaluation of all relevant factors in comparison to all other proposals received.

• All contracts for the purchase of goods and services will be awarded on the basis of conformity to specifications developed by the administration. Such specifications will constitute an adequate basis for defining and evaluating the goods or services in the specified time frame and in the specified quality and quantity.  No such specifications will be fixed in a manner which effectively reasonably competitive bids on alternative products or services which adequately meets the needs of the college.  It will be the policy of the administration of the college to develop and implement standardized specifications for procurements whenever feasible. 
  
  
• Whenever the Board of Trustees of the college solicits bids for construction and repairs, or for the purchase of and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services submitted by bidders domiciled within Thomas County and by bidders domiciled outside Thomas County, and the low bid is submitted by a bidder domiciled outside Thomas County, the Thomas County domiciliary which submitted the lowest bid may be deemed the preferred bidder and awarded the bid if all of the following are met:

1. 1. 1. The quality, suitability, and usability of the construction, reconstruction, remodeling, materials, goods or wares are equal; and
      2. The amount of the bid of the Thomas County domiciliary is not more than three percent (3%) greater than the amount of the low bid; and
      3. The Thomas County domiciliary agrees to meet the low bid by filing a written agreement to that effect within 72 hours after receiving notification of being deemed the preferred bidder.

For the purpose of this Authorization to Purchase policy, “Thomas County domiciliary” is defined as:

1. 1. 1. A bidder whose principal place of business is located in Thomas County, or
      2. A bidder who does business in Thomas County and who has a sales representative whose residence is in Thomas County.

• In cases where normal service agreements have been established and the board determines it is in the best interest of the college for the service agreement to be continued or renewed, agreements may be regularly extended or renewed, unless investigation provides evidence that agreements with alternate or new vendors would be more efficient or cost effective for the college.

 

 [Reviewed June 2020]
[Updated August 2021]