Flagler County Public School District 1769 East Moody Boulevard Bunnell, Florida 32110 (386) 437‐7526 How to do Business with the Flagler County Public School District Flagler County Public School District Purchasing Department Mr. Carmen Campanella, Director Maureen Ruggiere, Purchasing Agent Tara Tranter, Receptionist Christine Wyatt, Assistant How to do Business with the Flagler County Public School District The information below is a guide to assist potential and current vendors on "How to do Business with the School District". Should you have any questions please contact us for assistance. Mr. Carmen R. Campanella, Director of Purchasing Obtaining Information Our website offers information on bidding and is available 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, for your convenience. Our website is: http://www.flaglerschools.com/departments/purchasing/ Location and Business Hours The Purchasing Department is located at: Government Services Building, 1769 East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell, Florida 32110. Mailing address is: PO Box 755, Bunnell, Florida 32110. Telephone # (386) 437-7526 Fax # (386) 437-8215 Business Hours: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Monday thru Friday. Visits by sales reps. are welcomed, but only by appointment. Responsibilities Purchasing Department Provides centralized purchasing support for all schools and departments. All requests for equipment, supplies and services are processed by this department with the exception of new construction and major renovation projects. Construction Department Responsible for managing all new construction and major renovation projects for the school district. Solicitations for proposals are publicly advertised and notices published in various construction bulletins. The department submits it recommendations to the school board for approval independent of, but with the assistance of the, Purchasing Department. Acceptance of Gifts Employees are prohibited from accepting gifts or gratuities that might influence their decision to purchase from a specific vendor with the exception of promotional items bearing company logos or advertising. Vendor Registration The authority to approve responsible vendors to transact business with the School District lies within the Purchasing Department. Vendors wishing to receive bid solicitations must first complete a Vendor Application Form, which can be found at our Website: (http://www.flaglerschools.com/departments/purchasing/546 ), or by writing or calling the Purchasing Department and requesting a copy. This form must be on file prior to receiving a bid award. For Construction Projects over $280,000 all vendors must be Pre-Qualified with our School District prior to receiving a bid award. Vendors offering construction services must first complete a Contractor Prequalification Package, which can be found at our website: (http://www.flaglerschools.com/departments/facilities/1525 ) or by writing or calling the Construction Department and requesting a copy. The vendor will be contacted by the Construction Department once they are approved via mail. Please contact the Construction Department with any questions regarding this procedure. Vendor Information Form Before a purchase order can be issued, new vendors or the internal requestor must fill out a New Vendor/Update Request Form and submit it along with a completed W-9 form, both can be found at our website: (http://www.flaglerschools.com/departments/purchasing/546 ). Please submit both forms to the attention of Christine Wyatt, Purchasing Department, PO BOX 755, Bunnell, Florida, 32110. Anti-Competitive Practices Vendors are hereby notified that the Purchasing Department cooperated fully with the Florida Attorney General to monitor all procurement activities for anti-competitive practices, such as price fixing, bid rigging, collusion, etc. Bids & Quotations Informal Quotations (Under $1500.00) It is suggested that for purchases less than $1500.00 the school/department use good purchasing practices. Best offer is determined and an official purchase order is issued, signed by the Superintendent or designee. Formal Written Quotations ($1500.00 to $10,000) A minimum of three (3) written quotations are required; more at the Buyer’s discretion. The best offer is determined and an official purchase order is issued, signed by the Superintendent or designee. Sealed Bids & Proposals ($10,001.00 or more) Specifications are developed and bids are then solicited. Bids & Proposals are then posted on the District’s Website and mailed out to vendors listed in the purchasing vendor database. After bids are evaluated and approved by the School Board, an official purchase order is signed by the Superintendent and issued to the successful bidder(s). Pre-Bid Conferences On more complex bids/proposals, a Pre-bid Conference may be necessary. Attendance at Pre-Bid Conferences may be MANDATORY. Failure to attend a mandatory Pre-Bid Conference (On-Time) and sign the attendance roster will disqualify a vendor from bidding the project. Submitting Bids Sealed bids may be returned by US Mail, private courier service, or hand delivered to the Purchasing Department located at 1769 East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell, Florida 32110. All bids must be enclosed in a sealed envelope with the return label provided. Once received, bids are logged in with time and date. LATE BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Sealed bids sent by email or fax will not be considered, unless otherwise indicated in the bid specifications (if allowed, vendor must follow up with a hard copy in the mail). Email and faxing are acceptable methods for informal or written quotes. PLEASE NOTE: The Purchasing Department is not responsible for the reliability or performance of the US Postal Service, private courier service or the District’s inter-office mail delivery system. It is solely the vendor’s responsibility to ensure that its bid is received in the Purchasing Department by the deadline specified in the bid documents. You may call us at any time to confirm that we have received your bid. Public Bid Openings All bid openings are open to the public and conducted by the Purchasing Department at the location specified on the Bid Invitation Form/Documents. After sealed bids are opened, the bids and accompanying documents may be publicly examined. Following the bid opening, copies of bid tabulations may be obtained from our Website. A nominal fee may be charged if hard copies of any of the documents are requested. Posting of Bid Award Recommendation Once bids are evaluated, the Purchasing Department sends to the School Board for the approval of recommended vendor. After the School Board approves the award, the Purchasing Department will post this award on its website: (http://www.flaglerschools.com/departments/purchasing/1197 ). Bid Protests A vendor who wishes to protest the recommended award of a bid may do so by following procedures set forth in the Terms and Conditions of the bid, the Administrative Rules of the Florida Department of Education, and Chapter 120, Florida Statutes. The procedure is included in each bid under the terms and conditions (part #46). Only those vendors who submit a bid are eligible to protest the award of a bid. Specifications The School District shall establish specific quality and performance standards for goods, equipment and services, based upon the needs of its customers. Often it is necessary to seek assistance in the development of these specifications from vendors. Although such assistance is valuable and greatly appreciated, no preferential treatment can be given in return for such services. Award Policy In most cases, awards will be made to the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder. However, there will be times when quality, delivery times, etc. may be just as or more important in determining the winning bid. Bids must be submitted on the required forms furnished with the bid documents for your bid to be considered responsive. With a Request for Proposal (RFP) the firm(s) evaluated and determined to be the best firm(s) for that project will be awarded the contract. The School Board reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids. Methods of Purchase Purchase Orders The traditional and most commonly used document issued by the District’s Purchasing Department is the paper purchase order. NOTE: Vendors are not authorized to ship materials or provide services before obtaining a printed, original signed purchase order from the Purchasing Department. In the event of an emergency, a purchase order number may be telephoned or faxed to the vendor to authorize shipment or work to commence, but in all instances, a confirming printed purchase order will follow. Failure to obtain a purchase order in advance may result in the vendor being removed from the Purchasing Department’s Vendor List for 1 year. Petty Cash Certain departments are authorized to use petty cash to purchase materials. Transactions of this type are only tax exempt if the employee confirms that the purchase is being made for official District use. Purchasing Cards District departments/employees are authorized to participate in the District’s Purchasing Card program. Transactions using this program are tax exempt and will only be used for official District needs. The District’s sales tax exemption number is imprinted on the face of each card. Permits The awarded Contractor must obtain all permits for Construction Projects through our Construction Department. A Permit Application must be filled out and submitted to the Construction Department. The form can be found at our Website: (http://www.flaglerschools.com/departments/facilities/1525 ). Florida State Contracts The State of Florida, Department of Management Services, Division of Purchasing issue state Contracts for use by ALL Florida State agencies and political subdivisions in lieu of seeking competitive bids of their own. The School District receives and gives consideration to the prices available from such contracts whenever it is determined to be in its best interest to do so. Bid “Piggy-Backing” In lieu of seeking competitive bids, and by mutual consent of the School District and the vendor, the School District shall have the option to purchase under current contracts from other governmental agencies, school districts or other educational institutions at the unit prices offered in their bid documents, if such purchase prices are to the economic advantage of the School District. Equipment or Materials Ordered “On Approval” Vendors may offer demonstration or loaner equipment, software, etc, for evaluation by School District employees “on approval”; however, such action will not legally bind or obligate the School District to purchase these items. If a School District employee wishes to evaluate a product and requests to have it shipped “on approval”, the vendor must first obtain a purchase order, in advance, to authorize the shipment. If the requestor decides to return the product to the vendor, the purchase order will be canceled without obligation. Pricing Guidelines All bidders offering goods and/or services to the School District shall offer firm fixed delivered prices unless otherwise stated in the Invitation to Bid. Standard Delivery Terms All items delivered shall be F.O.B. Destination with all transportation charges prepaid and included in the price of the equipment/material unless otherwise stated. The title to the equipment shall transfer to the School District at the time of delivery, unless otherwise stated in the Invitation to Bid. Any exceptions to these freight terms taken by the bidder must be clearly stated in the bidder’s proposal. Bidders with exceptions to any delivery terms must make them known to the Buyer prior to filling the order. Damaged Items In the event an item is received and it is later determined there is concealed damage when the item is unpacked, the item must be replaced by the vendor at no cost to the School District. Compliance with Bid Specifications Purchase orders will be issued to the successful bidder with the understanding that all items delivered must meet the specifications listed in the bid documents unless otherwise noted in the proposal and agreed to by the School District. Items delivered not as specified will not be “accepted” and will be returned to the vendor at no expense to the School District. Payments With few exceptions, the original invoice, referencing the purchase order number, should be mailed to: The Flagler County Public School District Accounts Payable Department PO Box 755 Bunnell, Florida 32110 Telephone # 386-437-7526 x-1204 Florida Prompt Payment Act (Sec. 218.70, F.S.) governs the timeliness for payments to vendors. This provides that payments shall be made within 45 days from delivery of goods and receipt of a proper invoice for non-construction purchases, and within 20 days of completion of work and receipt of a proper invoice for construction services. The Project Manager must approve invoices for Capital Construction Projects for payment before the Accounts Payable Department will be authorized to issue payment. Accounts Payable Terms The successful bidder will be required to submit invoices and reference purchase order numbers on all requests for payment. All statements must reference valid FCSB purchase order numbers. Invoices shall be mailed directly to: Accounts Payable, Flagler County Public Schools, PO Box 755, Bunnell, Florida 32110. A separate invoice must be received for each purchase order number. Payment for partial shipments shall not be made unless specified. Invoices, which do not reference valid FCSB, purchase order numbers or which are erroneous (incorrect contract prices, minimum order charges, etc.) shall be returned to the vendor for resolution of the discrepancies. It is the sole responsibility of the vendor to reconcile the purchase order and the vendor’s invoice and to notify the purchasing representative of any discrepancies prior to billing. The school board will only pay the dollar amounts authorized on the purchase order. Tax Exemption Status The Flagler County Public School Board is a government agency and is exempt from certain taxes. Our Sales Tax Exemption Number is preprinted on every purchase order. A copy of our Sales Tax Exemption Certificate is available upon request by calling our Finance Department at (386) 437-7526. The School District’s Florida Sales Tax Exemption number is 85-8012621910C-7. School Board Meetings School Board Meetings are open to the public and are normally held the first and third Tuesday’s of every month in the School District Board Room located at the Government Services Building, 1769 East Moody Boulevard, Bunnell, Florida 32110. Meetings begin at 6:00 pm. Exceptions may occur. Exact dates and times for the current fiscal year are available at: http://www.flaglerschools.com/default/viewcalendar.aspx?calendarName=School%20Board%20Calendar or by calling the Superintendents office at 386-437-7526.