1. Do’s & Don’ts
Procurement Services
June 5, 2017

2. OCPS Vision To be the top producer of successful students in the nation
OCPS Mission To lead our students to success with the support and involvement of families and the community

3. OCPS Goals Intense Focus on Student Achievement
High-Performing and Dedicated Team
Safe Learning and Working Environment
Efficient Operations
Sustained Community Engagement

4. District Profile 10th largest district in the nation
4th largest in Florida
Over 188 schools
Over 203,340 students
Over 23,929 employees
Approximately 270 Locations
Purchasing - invests millions $$ locally

5. Procurement Services Department
Procurement & Contracting
Facilities & Construction Contracting
Office of Business Opportunity
Materials Management

6. Contract with the School Board
Welcome future partners! Are you register with the School Board?
School Board Procurement website:
School Board Office of Business Opportunities website:
Do Network - Make Yourself Known to Procurement Services:

8. UPCOMING SOLICITATION ADVERTISEMENT -VENDORLINK -GO LIVE DATE IS MAY 1st

9. Contract with the School Board (continued)
Don't make assumptions about opportunities:
Do research what the School Board is really looking for
Do follow current market conditions to build relationships with School Board
Do identify what potential buyers want and show them you can provide what is relevant and important to them.
Attend pre-bid conferences to network and build relationships with decision makers, while increasing your knowledge about School Board spends
Do check the Office of Business Opportunity website for Networking Events
Be patient as securing your first contract can take months

10. School Board Small Business Programs
Small Business Program Goals
Do obtain small business certifications to gain opportunities:
Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE)
Local Developing Business (LDB)
Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE)

11. School Board Contracts
Consultant Competitive Negotiation Act Selection (CCNA)
Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Formal Bids - Sealed Bid and/or Hard Bid (Invitation to Bid - ITB)
Requests for Proposals (RFP)
Competitive quotes
Purchase Orders
Purchasing Cards
Not all purchases go through the formal procurement process that typically requires posting bid solicitations.

12. Market School Board Identify if the School Board buys what you sell
Identify what the School Board calls your product or service
Make a list of contracts already awarded and research the types of companies that won them
Identify where within the School Board is your product or service bought/used (schools or specific departments)
Identify who makes the decision to buy
Identify the process to introduce a new item. Is testing required?
Identify if it it’s worth your time and effort to introduce the new item
Obtain when will the next purchase occur
Obtain how you can access the purchasing history

13. Working with the School Board
Don't schedule meetings with the buyer until after reviewing the websites and researching the School Board’s needs
Don't use any workers or staff members that might not pass the background checks for security clearance
Do use energy-efficient equipment and products, and promote the fact that you do
Don't try to bid on jobs that exceed the capabilities and qualifications of your firm

14. Working with the School Board (continued)
Do allocate the appropriate resources for creating and implementing a robust compliance program
Don't submit documentation without all the proper signatures, certifications, bonds or other required information
Do offer value and quality services or goods in the line of business for which you are qualified
Don’t seek or propose on more work than you can manage.
Do be open and honest with the buyer about your firm's capabilities and experience
Don't try to underbid what the job costs to secure the contract, as you will need to cover your overhead and still turn a profit in the end

15. Do A Trial Run Request a solicitation Are you competitive?
Watch for the award and compare your pricing
Always read ALL the procurement statue, policies and procedures that apply to the particular procurement opportunity
Always follow the set procedures
Directed questions to the Buyer

16. Be ready, Be responsive, Be responsible
Read the solicitation carefully
Note the date and time of bid opening
Obtain clarification about any part of the solicitation you do not understand
Get a copy of the specifications for the particular proposed purchase, conditions of purchase, delivery, and payment schedule
Don’t submit an offer that differs from what was requested. (non-responsive)
Attend pre-bid meetings
Do a walk-through if possible (construction and service contracts)

17. Be Ready, Be Responsive, Be Responsible (continued)
Do get all your key players involved in preparing your bid
Don’t waste your time and the School Board’s on solicitations that your firm is not qualified to perform
Do have someone unfamiliar with the solicitation proofread your proposal/bid (Does it make sense?)
Do submit bid on time per the bid instruction

18. Teaming with Prime Contractors
Do check School Board website for solicitations by prime contractors
Do check the prime contractors’ website for their solicitations and Pre-bid and Bid-opening times and dates
Do obtain signed teaming agreement prior to proposal submission

19. https://www2.ocps.net/cms/One.aspx?portalId=54703&pageId=99352

20. No Contact Period
Don’t contact School board members and school board personnel from initial date of the advertisement through and include the date the Orange County School Board determination to approve or reject the final recommendations.

21. Track Bid After Submitted
Document awarded successful bidder and contract price information:
Winning bid information is recorded.
Document the information

22. Following Compliance
Don't forget to follow all recordkeeping requirements
Do communicate with the School Board regularly to notify them of any changes and to keep them abreast of the status of the project or delivery dates
Don't try to outsource or subcontract your contract without first seeking approval from the School Board
Do regularly inspect the work as your firm progresses through the contract as you do not want to find out once you are finished that a part of it is not compliant with the contract.
Although overwhelming, with some diligent effort and a solid plan in place, School Board contracting can be a great opportunity for any firm.

23. After Award
Don’t attempt to sell or transfer your School Board contract without the School Board consent and agreement (assignment of claims, novation, and change of name.)
Don’t overextend yourself financially, or otherwise (responsibility determination)
As work progresses, do discuss problems that come up on the job with the School Board representative and provide solutions to problems that come up
Do become familiar with School Board policy and regulations.
Do have a quality assurance or control plan and do follow it
Do inspect the work you perform frequently and make sure it is compliant with the contract specifications

24. HOW TO OBTAIN COPIES OF PRIOR TABULATIONS OR AWARD DOCUMENTS?

25. PURCHASING & CONTRACTING
Contact Us!
Procurement and Contracting
445 West Amelia Street
Orlando, FL
Telephone:
Fax:
Website

26. FACILITIES & CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING
Website

27. REMEMBER
OCPS is committed to working with the small and diversely-owned businesses.
OCPS encourages the use of minority/woman-owned, local-developing and veteran-owned businesses in all contracting.

28. THANK YOU We look forward to doing business with you!

29. Questions AND ANSWERS