The Consolidated Purchasing Program

The Truth in Negotiations Act was passed on December 1, 1962 requiring government contractors to submit cost or pricing data if the procurement met specific requirements in order to establish that the offer is fair and reasonable. The history of The Truth in Negotiations Act will set the stage for its significance in the twenty-first century. Prior to World War II, the United States government conducted its bidding process for procurement in an open bid environment. What was required for a bid was a complete description of the requirement, two or more suppliers capable and willing to complete the requirement, a selection based on price competition and sufficient time to prepare a complete statement of the government’s needs and terms.

Part 15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) “prescribes [the] policies and procedures governing competitive and noncompetitive negotiated acquisitions.” One component of negotiated acquisitions that occurs early in the acquisition process is the solicitation of proposals. FAR 15.201, titled, “Exchanges with Industry before Receipt of Proposals,” regulates the type and manner of communications, also sometimes referred to as exchanges, which can – and cannot – take place between the Government and potential suppliers prior to the receipt of a potential supplier’s proposal and the subsequent award of a contract.

Once I have a clear Statement of work and the previous vendors are interested in bidding; I will compete this procurement to the best practices of government procurement are achieves.

Sealed bidding is a procurement method used when the best value is expected to result from the selection of the lowest evaluated offer. Generally competitive sealed bidding are used to procure supplies and services except when price is not the determinative element in the

Following the RFP, the City of Ottawa must choose a contract for the post. The RFP outlines the the procurement process and states that the purchase of construction services must be in accordance to the City of Ottawa’s Purchasing

We must remember that government contracting or “acquisition” guidelines, Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), exist for the key purpose of providing "uniform policies and procedures for acquisition." which satisfies customer's needs in terms of cost, quality, and timeliness; minimize administrative operating costs; conducts business with integrity, fairness, and openness; and fulfill other public policy objectives.

The financial conditions of a federal contract are consulted and negotiated with a contract professional before a proposal is sanctioned. The negotiation process is not prohibitive, however the numerous proposals acquired by a contracting officer clearly define that the firm is ready to carry on the negotiation process in an easy manner. GSA consulting services enables the experienced and skilled consultant to carry on the negotiation procedure which will; increase the option of getting the business proposal sanctioned in the first take.

Sealed bidding is the means by which government contracts competitively when requirements are clear, accurate and complete. An Invitation for Bid (IFB) is typically used when the scope of work or project specification is well defined; payment will be based on a lump sum or per unit basis and no discussions or negotiations are required (Koch, 2012). Examples of IFB services include trash and debris removal, oil testing services, parking lot sweeping, recycling services.

Strict adherence to formal procedures characterizes sealed bidding which attempts to provide a “level playing field” or as a multitude of references point out equal footing to all bidders who compete for a contract. Competitive negotiation is a more flexible process that enables the agency to conduct discussions, evaluate offers, and award the contract using price and other factors. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), whose origins can be traced back to the ASPA of 1947 was codified at Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations and became effective 1 April 1984. The FAR contains the uniform policies and procedures for acquisitions by all federal agencies to date. It addresses nearly every procurement related statute or executive policy; and subsequently encompasses every stage of the acquisition process. In a nutshell, FAR appears to have modernized and thus enveloped the aforementioned three acts.

The bidders had to pay a $100 for McClelland Consulting Engineering, Inc. in order to receive the complete set of contract documents, and the amount paid was not refundable. The bidder is require to apply a federal and state requirement and condition of the employment under this contract such as minimum wage rates.

Request for Proposal method to buy information application from a third-party vendor through competitive bidding. (Purcell)

Sealed bidding is a form of reviewing contracts in which the bid is literally 'sealed' and "submitted in response to invitation-to-bid (ITB). Sealed bids received up to the deadline date are generally opened at a stated time and place (usually in the presence of anyone who may wish to be present) and evaluated for award of a contract" (What is a sealed bid, 2012, Business Dictionary). Although the bids are sealed prior to being opened at the designated date, afterwards all "interested parties" can review the bids, although "they don't have access to the bidders' financial data and other proprietary information. The contract is awarded to the company with the lowest bid" under most circumstances (What Sealed bids vs. proposals: How they compare, 2012, ONVIA). Of course, the reliability of the contractor and the feasibility of the lowest bid must first be evaluated before the contract is extended. The bid must fulfill the stipulations of the original IFB. The past history of the company will also be gauged. "They gauge a bidder's level of responsibility based on the company's means to fulfill all the contract requirements" (Sealed bids vs. proposals: How they compare, 2012, ONVIA).

After projects are designated, they are officially sanctioned utilizing a record described as a project charter. Should the company decide to outsource the work to an external resource to complete the undertaking, it will prepare a record entitled a request for proposal (RFP); subsequently, interested outworkers present their proposals for the consumer, who afterwards chooses which free-lancer to hire to complete the project and signs a contract with the designated contractor. (Gido, J., 2015)

First-price sealed-bid Auctions – where participants submit their bid without any information on prices and the highest bidders wins. The bid is based on the speculation what other bidders will be bidding.

A contract or agreement will be released, after award, for any work to be performed as a result of this RFP. The proposal, negotiated terms, and the contract will constitute the complete agreement between Respondent and MRH. If Respondent requires an additional contract, then Respondent should include their sample contract as an attachment to the proposal submitted for review.