 | Board of Visitors minutes October 5, 2000 |  |
C. Methods of Contractor Selection
All contracts with nongovernmental contractors for the purchase of goods or services shall be awarded by one of the following methods. In all instances, competition should be sought to the maximum practical degree, but no contract award will be reversed based upon the method of contractor selection used. Written records of all procurements shall be maintained. Vendors may be prequalified for particular types of contracts at the discretion of Medical Center Purchasing.
- 1. Small Procurements. Procurements of goods or services to be obtained at anticipated prices of $30,000 or less may be undertaken by any method reasonable under the circumstances, given the complexity of the transaction, the likely extent of competition, the term of the contract and the needs of the requesting department. Methods include informal bidding, including telephone or other quotes, competitive sealed bidding, competitive negotiation and sole source. Negotiation with any vendor is permitted and encouraged, and the agreed price should in all instances be reasonable under the circumstances. Written records of sources solicited and prices should be maintained.
- 2. Procurements Over $30,000. Procurements of goods and
services anticipated to be priced at more than $30,000
should be made with such competition, including public notice, as
is practicable under the circumstances. Where requirements are
clear and price is the sole determining factor in the award,
competitive sealed bidding shall be used unless other factors make
this method impractical. In such cases, telephone solicitations,
supported by written documentation to ensure reasonable price and a
reasonable scope of competition, is permitted with the prior
approval of the method and the procurement specifications by the
Director of Materiel Support Services. Other methods may be used as well.
- a. Competitive Sealed Bidding. Where competitive sealed bidding is used, the procurement shall be undertaken pursuant to an Invitation for Bids ("IFB") which shall prescribe all relevant contractual requirements, including quantities, term, conditions, etc. The IFB may be distributed to prospective bidders identified by Medical Center Purchasing and notice of the procurement shall be posted in the offices of Medical Center Purchasing for public view. Other methods of publication are encouraged where practicable. Variations of competitive sealed bidding may be used, such as a process for vendor pre-qualification.
- b. Competitive Negotiation. Where factors other than price are important in selecting a vendor, competitive negotiation pursuant to a Request for Proposal ("RFP") may be used. In addition, a system of competitive negotiation pursuant to an RFP shall be used for procurements of professional services, as such services are defined in Virginia Code § 11-37. The RFP shall set out the requirements for vendor qualification and selection, and describe what is sought to be purchased. The RFP may be distributed to prospective offerors identified by Medical Center Purchasing and notice of the procurement shall be posted in the offices of Medical Center Purchasing. The competitive negotiation process used for contractor selection by Medical Center Purchasing shall ensure that information made available to any offeror or prospective offeror is available to all other offerors or prospective offerors. Following evaluation of written proposals, Medical Center Purchasing shall rank the proposals, may negotiate with two or more offerors, and may award a contract upon achieving a reasonable and satisfactory price and non-price offer from an offeror.
- c. Sole Source. Sole-source procurements for procurements over $30,000 may be undertaken only after a written finding that only one source is practicably available for the goods or services sought, which shall be reviewed and approved by the Director of Materiel Support Services or designee. Procurements at auction may be similarly authorized, based upon a written determination that it is in the best interest of the University and the Medical Center to undertake such a purchase.
- d. Cooperative Procurements. Cooperative or joint procurements by the University on behalf of the Medical Center are authorized. To the extent that it is economically beneficial and lawful to do so, the Medical Center may participate with other units of the University in the joint procurement of goods and services, or it may purchase under blanket University or state contracts. The Medical Center may also participate in cooperative procurements with other educational institutions, charitable organizations, healthcare provider alliances, and purchasing organizations, such as the University Health System Consortium ("UHC") and the Virginia Hospital Association.
| Board of Visitors minutes October 5, 2000 | |