Doing Business with the District - South Florida Water ... · Our service area includes eight field ... that support our role in managing our region’s water ... maintenance, land

S O U T H F L O R I D A W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T D I S T R I C TS O U T H F L O R I D A W A T E R M A N A G E M E N T D I S T R I C T

The South Florida Water Management District purchases goods andservices from vendors throughout the state and the nation.

These procurements are held to high industry standards and aregoverned by the agency’s commitment to quality, cost effectiveness,

efficiency and fairness in a competitive arena.

The South Florida Water Management District is the largest of five regional water managementdistricts in the state of Florida. We are charged with managing and protecting the waterresources in a 16-county area extendingfrom Orlando in central Florida, south toKey West. Our main office is located15 minutes from downtown West PalmBeach. Our service area includes eight fieldstations and four service centers.

Inherent in the District mission is ourresponsibility to provide water quality,water supply, flood control and theprotection of natural systems for peopleliving in the region. We accomplish ourmission through many diverse activitiesthat support our role in managing our region’s water resources. These include operations andmaintenance, land acquisition and management, planning and research, community andgovernment relations, regulation and construction.

ON THE INSIDE

n Procurement Thresholdsand Categories

n Finding BusinessOpportunities

n Becoming Registered with the District

n Awarding Contractsthrough Competition

n Tips on Becoming aSuccessful Vendor

Doing Businesswith the District

Helping Us Meet Our Goals We rely on businesses to supply goods and services of every nature and description to help us successfullycomplete District initiatives and meet our goals. Needed services run the gamutfrom remote data collection, to dredging,to janitorial services, to property leasing,to spillway construction. The number and type of commodities we purchase are just as diverse, including auto parts,lab equipment, fencing, mowers, computer software and paper supplies.

The District takes pride in its efforts to continually seek out willing and able contractors, and we encourage all segments of the business community to look for opportunities to do businesswith the District by participating in theagency’s procurement process.

Finding Business OpportunitiesTo optimize chances for finding businessopportunities, we invite you to join in theDistrict’s business network. You can learnabout current solicitations by visiting ourWeb site. Information is frequently updated.

Additionally, all formal solicitations greaterthan $150,000 are announced in at leastone newspaper with local distribution inthe county where the work will actually beperformed. Every effort is made to publishnotices in a manner that encouragesresponses from all segments of thebusiness community.

Becoming a Registered Vendor Vendors who feel they may be able tosupply needed services and commoditiesshould become registered with the Districtby completing and submitting a BusinessRegistration Application to our agency.Forms are available online and can bereturned through email; or, they can be downloaded and sent by fax to our Procurement Bureau.

The District also has an active SmallBusiness Enterprise (SBE) Program. To participate, firms must be registeredvendors and must become certified assmall businesses by the District. To fulfill

the criteria of certification, a business mustdemonstrate that the three-year-averagegross receipts of the business, togetherwith its affiliates, do not exceed $13million for construction, $5 million forcommodities and $6 million for services.

Awarding Contracts through CompetitionAll standard procurements greater than$100,000 and construction procurementsgreater than $200,000 require formalsolicitation. In addition, standardprocurements greater than $150,000 andconstruction procurements greater than$500,000 require Governing Boardapproval of final award. Competitionthrough the use of a Request for Bids, or RFB solicitation, results in an awardbased solely on price and price-relatedfactors. Use of a Request for Proposals, or RFP solicitation, results in an awardbased on an evaluation, or integratedassessment of each proposal. For an RFP,final selection of a contractor involvesconditions other than price. In either case,the contractor must meet the requirementsfor responsiveness and responsibility asdescribed below:

Responsiveness. Bids received by thesubmission deadline are publicly openedand reviewed to determine whether theyconform to the instructions and requirementsof the solicitation, including bonding,insurance and licensing requirements.

Responsibility. District staff conduct areview to assess whether the apparent lowbidder has the capability to perform thework in all respects and the integrity andreliability to ensure good faithperformance.

To find bid results, business owners can go to the “Current Solicitations /Contract Opportunities” page on theDistrict’s website. Preliminary results forRFBs are posted within two working daysfrom the time solicitations are opened.After final review and tabulation, anofficial Notice of Intent to Award is postedfor seventy-two hours. Contract awards tosuccessful bidders generally occur withinten business days from the time the

Procurement Thresholds and Categories

General procurements represent the

majority of the District’s procurement

needs. These purchases are categorized

by procurement threshold amounts as

shown below.

StandardLess than or equal to $10,000: • No competition required

Greater than $10,000 to $50,000: • Verbal quotes

Greater than $50,000 to $100,000: • Three written quotes required

Greater than $100,000: • Formal competition

ConstructionLess than or equal to $50,000: • No competition required • Verbal quotes desirable

Greater than $50,000 to $200,000: • Three written quotes required

Greater than $200,000: • Formal competition

Office LeasesLess than 5,000 Sq. Ft.: • No competition required

Formal competition requires submission

of a Request for Bids (RFB) or Request for

Proposals (RFP). Contracts are awarded

to the responsive/responsible bidder

(RFB/lowest price) or respondent

(RFP/most advantageous proposal).

submitted bids are opened. For RFPs, theposting of an “Authorization to Enter intoNegotiations” is made followingcompletion of the evaluation process.Contract awards for successful proposalsmay take approximately four to eightweeks depending on the number ofproposals received, the duration of theevaluation, and whether presentations arerequired.

Tips on Becoming a Successful VendorBusinesses can take some very importantsteps to increase chances for becoming asuccessful vendor. After carefully reviewingthe solicitation, contractors should:

• Check to see that all solicitationrequirements are being met and allrequested information is being provided

• Make sure the submittal is received by the District before the bid or proposal deadline

Small business firms should also be diligent in seeking out businessrelationships. Firms interested in finding opportunities should:

• Review solicitations on the District’s website that call for services orcommodities the firm can provide

• Download applicable solicitations, plan holders lists and pre-bid attendeelists from the District’s website, andcontact these firms to establish workingrelationships prior to upcoming projects

• Attend pre-bid/pre-proposal meetingswhere important aspects of the solicitationare reviewed and questions are answered

• Review solicitation addenda posted onthe District’s website listing questionsand answers during the inquiry periodas well as any changes to the solicitation

While there are no guarantees forreceiving work from the District, carryingout sound business practices can set thestage for future business relationships.Once the firm is registered, the best wayto benefit is to stay informed about Districtopportunities and network with otherfirms within the community.

The District proactively hosts workshopsand other outreach events. These activitiesare generally publicized in local newspapersand are listed on the agency’s website.They offer excellent networking opportunities.We also participate in trade fairs targetingsmall businesses and minority business enterprises.

The District upholds itscommitment to ensure thatthe community we contractwith reflects the community

we serve. We do this bycultivating opportunities forbusinesses in an atmosphere

that is creative, legal,and fair.

The District’s Procurement Bureau helps fulfill the agency missionby establishing contractual relationships to support Districtprograms projects, and operations.

The South Florida Water Manage ment District is a regional, governmentalagency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state. It is theoldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts.

Our Mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancingand improving water quality, flood control, natural systems, and water supply.

EN02/18

South Florida Water Management District3301 Gun Club Road • West Palm Beach, Florida 33406561-686-8800 • 800-432-2045 • www.sfwmd.gov

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 24680 • West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4680

DID YOU KNOW?

n The procurement team consists of all participants in the process,including not only Districtprogram and projectrepresentatives and procurementstaff, but also the contractors whoprovide the products and services.

n Procurements greater than$100,000 require formal solicitationprocedures (through a Request for Bids and/or a Request forProposals) and those in excess of$150,000 require approval by theDistrict's Governing Board beforesource selection and award of the contract is made.

n In a Request for Proposals (RFP),performance factors may outweighcost factors. Therefore, a contractmay be awarded to a firm that is determined to be the mostadvantageous, considering all factors detailed in thesolicitation document.

n All contracts, purchase orders and supporting documentation are subject to periodic audits bythe District Inspector General'soffice, and contract files aresubject to public inspection inaccordance with Florida's PublicRecords Law.

Supporting the Fundamentals of Good ConductWe are entrusted with full responsibility to provide fair and equal opportunity forthe sharing of business opportunities. We engage in a procurement planningprocess that maximizes competition whilesatisfying the needs of the District in themost effective, economical and timelymanner. Planning is a team effort thatincludes staff professionals fromthroughout the agency.

Our procurement policy perpetuates anideal that supports the fundamentals ofgood conduct and incorporates good faithbusiness principles. The District commits to:

• follow accepted public procurementpractices

• conduct business with integrity

• ensure open and fair competition

• meet the need for quality products and services

• adhere to competitive biddingprinciples relative to cost and timelydelivery, and maintain the public trust.

Let’s Do Business!Call us, send a fax or visit our website. Wewant to do business with the community weserve.

Website: www.sfwmd.gov

Procurement: (561) 682-2510 (561) 682-2680Small BusinessEnterprise: (561) 682-6446

Fax Number: (561) 681-6275

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