State Contracting & Certification Robert Major, Vendor Relations Coordinator

Office of Supplier Diversity The Office of Supplier Diversity (OSD) certifies Florida-based woman-, veteran- and minority-owned small businesses. We provide technical assistance, training and targeted information about contract opportunities, special events and networking activities. Florida Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs) are the first group of businesses referred to state agencies and other stakeholders seeking to diversify their purchase order and contract opportunities. CBEs are also listed on the Office of Supplier Diversity’s public directory at osd.dms.myflorida.com/directories.

Discussion Topics Terms unique to state contracting Procurement from a vendor’s perspective Statewide contacts for procurement and contracting for CBEs MyFloridaMarketPlace Certification process Vendor Resources

Terms Unique to State Contracting Invitation to Bid (ITB) A scope of work is specifically defined. Vendors asked to submit pass/fail information like licenses, references, and certifications, and contracts are awarded to the responsive and responsible vendor with the lowest price. Request for Proposal (RFP) Used when it is not practicable for the agency to specifically define the scope of services or deliverables. Vendors are evaluated on price, capabilities, commodities and services that meet requirements in the RFP. Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) Used to achieve a specific goal and/or receive the best value. The agency is able to more specifically define what it needs during negotiations, consider solutions and adjust requirements to obtain the best value. E-Quote An informal procurement used to purchase goods or services below $35,000, and the agency defines what it needs in the quote process. ITB=Price RFP Price=Quality ITN=Best Value

General Procurement Process When a state procurement is solicited: Solicitation is posted on the public Vendor Bid System (VBS). Notifications are emailed to vendors registered in Vendor Information Portal for the requisite commodity codes. Solicitation will outline beginning and end dates, with specific events that occur throughout the process in the timeline of events. Solicitation changes (addenda) are also posted on VBS. Most solicitations have a question-and-answer process. Pre-Response Conferences may also be held. These are informal and are not binding on the agency. Official responses are submitted in writing during the Q & A process. Any questions regarding the solicitation are directed to the procurement officer. The procurement officer is the sole point of contact for the vendor.

State Term Contracts Information about the state term contracts and other contracts are available on State Purchasing’s web page.

MyFloridaMarketPlace MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) is the state’s online purchasing system. Allows for centralized procurement activities for both buyer and vendor Allows single registration that enables vendors to receive notifications for ALL state agency solicitations by commodity code 24/7 access to bid opportunities and information through Vendor Bid System Sourcing (tool that allows for issuing formal and informal solicitations) Vendors are able to modify the following: Username/password General business information Contact information Certified Business Enterprise selections Business locations Commodity codes Solicitation selections

MyFloridaMarketPlace MFMP Customer Service Desk Phone: 866-352-3776 Email: VendorHelp@MyFloridaMarketPlace.com Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EDT

Why Certify? First tier referrals Listing in Online Directory provided to state purchasing directors and used by cities, counties and private sector companies: http://osd.dms.myflorida.com Targeted communications, including contract opportunities, special events, networking activities, technical assistance and training

Certification Process Designations: Woman (WBE) Veteran (VBE) Minority (MBE) Requirements: Registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace 51 percent owned and managed by woman, veteran or minority Permanent resident of Florida Net worth less than $5 million Fewer than 200 employees Business domiciled in Florida U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident Alien (Governed by Florida Statutes 287.09451 and Chapter 60A-9 of Administrative Rules)

How Do I Get Started? First step: Register as a vendor through the MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Information Portal (VIP) at http://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com.

MFMP Registration 1. During the registration process, you may select any of the following designations for certification: Woman Veteran Minority 2. Upon completion, review the supporting documentation list from OSD. 3. Submit your documents to OSD. 4. Staff will review documentation. 5. If additional information is needed, OSD will contact you. 6. If determination is made for certification, it will be processed online and certificate will be emailed to record on file.

Documents For Certification Veteran (those seeking VBE): Veteran Application AND DD214 OR Document for service-disabled

Documents For Certification Minority or Woman: (one of the following) SBA(8)(a) Federal Certification Birth certificate Passport Naturalization records Foreign birth certificate Tribal registration card (Native American) Permanent Resident Alien card OR Affidavit of minority designation

Documents For Certification Permanent Resident of Florida: Declaration of Domicile in the clerk of court’s office in the county courthouse AND one of the following: Florida driver’s license Homestead exemption OR Voter Registration

Documents For Certification Ownership: To establish 51 percent ownership interest, ANY of the following shall be considered: Articles of incorporation or Articles of organization (LLC) Sole proprietorship Partnership agreement OR Federal SBA(8)(a) certification

Documents For Certification Management: To establish 51 percent management interest, ANY of the following shall be considered: Partnership agreement Resume(s) OR Payroll within the last 12 months

Documents For Certification Small Business Domiciled in Florida: To establish business domicile, ONE of EACH under each category below: 1. Registration from the Department of State 2. Business with fewer than 200 employees Payroll within the last 12 months 3. Net worth of business not more than $5 million Financial Statements OR Last two years of federal filed tax returns

Documents For Certification Useful Business Function: (one of the following) Affidavit of Corporate Representative Notarized statement of useful business purpose by authorized corporate representative OR Copy of recent quote submitted by company OR Recent signed contract/invoice

Documents For Certification Licensing: A small business must have and maintain all state or otherwise required licensing before becoming a Certified Business Enterprise. If a professional license is required for the industry, the owner/manager seeking the certification must be the licensed qualifier. Professional (licensed and regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation) Business operational license/business tax receipt (city/county) OR Attestation of no license required (industry does not require licensing)

How Long Is the Process? Approximately 15 business days to process certification documents when all requested documents are received by OSD. Registration in MyFloridaMarketPlace is NOT automatic certification as a WBE, VBE or MBE. Businesses are certified for two years.

Recertification Online process at dms.myflorida.com/osd Company FEID/Tax ID number Gross revenue last fiscal year Gross revenue from state term contracts Net worth of your company Number of employees Owner/co-owner names and responsibilities License/permit numbers for any certificates required for your business operations If you miss your recertification period, you must re-apply. Keep your information up-to-date in MFMP. Include an active email address and monitor your email messages.

Vendor Resources Market research tool - Florida Accountability Contract Tracking System (FACTS) View active bid opportunities – Vendor Bid System Other bid opportunities – posted on OSD vendor page

Contact Information Procurement personnel can be found on the DMS website at DMS.myflorida.com: home page Business Operations State Purchasing

Contact Information Other useful information is also located here, such as how to register in VBS through MyFloridaMarketPlace.

Contact Information Robert Major, Vendor Relations Coordinator Office of Supplier Diversity 4050 Esplanade Way, Suite 380 Tallahassee, Florida 32399 850-487-9863 robert.major@dms.myflorida.com dms.myflorida.com/osd osdinfo@dms.myflorida.com