Procurement

Butte County is a significant partner with the business community. Our goal is to foster a fair and competitive environment for business to thrive in and around Butte County. As such here is some information that may be helpful for working with the County:

The County is a public agency and it is essential for the public to expect and perceive our endeavor to be:

  • Open and without bias, favoritism or the appearance of impropriety to the market place
  • For anyone qualified to provide, is given the opportunity to submit their best offer of product, service or expertise
  • Whoever offers the greatest value to the County/tax payer is awarded
  • Follow all law, code and ordinance

Therefore, County purchases of commodities, goods, services and expertise shall be let to the responsible party who submits a responsive bid, quote or proposal that provides the best value and is in the best interests of the county. This is done through various venues called competitive solicitations.

A Competitive Solicitation is a process of offering suppliers or providers in the community an opportunity to vie for business. The solicitation method, instrument or procedure may vary based upon the nature of the acquisition and estimated dollar-value. It is the process of stating requirements and allowing any qualified supplier or provider to submit their best offer in compliance.

Competitive Solicitations are the means by which the County opens up its business opportunities to the community so that any qualified provider may make their best value offering to meet the need. There are 4 different types of solicitations.

Quote

A quote is an informal method of presenting a comparison of available pricing prior to making a selection. It is used in limited circumstances, for limited dollar amounts, in accordance with our ordinance, policies and procedures. It is far easier to access the vendors for a particular commodity or service when they are already in our Vendor Data Base.

Invitation for Bids (IFB)

An IFB is a competitive sealed method of procurement conducted by General Services Contracts Division that requires:

  • Public opening of bids at a pre-designated time and place
  • Acceptance of a bid at public opening without alteration or correction except as authorized in the Butte County Contracts and Purchasing Manual or Public Contract Code
  • Any and all other qualifying factors being equal, award goes to the lowest bid price

Request for Quotations (RFQ)

And RFQ is a competitive method of procurement that General Services Contracts Division may use whereby formal written, signed quotes are obtained for commodities, supplies, equipment or certain services. This method is constrained by dollar amounts. It can also be used for limited dollar amounts on Public Projects.

  • Does not consist of public openings
  • Selections is not restricted to lowest price and may include evaluation criteria
  • Outcome may be negotiated as appropriate

Request for Proposal (RFP)

An RFP is a competitive method that is employed when the provision is subject to interpretation; not well defined; complex and not strictly based on objective criteria.

  • Requires proposer to submit a written proposal
  • Proposal may include a prescribed format
  • Proposal may require narrative description of approach to solve the problem
  • Selection is typically based on a set of criteria and a Panel is often assembled to assess the submissions
  • Recommendation typically initiates a process of negotiation

Doing business with the County of Butte just got easier. Please go to the Public Purchase website and register to be one of our vendors.