2. Presenter’s Contact Information
Diane Robinson/Gail Weiglhofer
Financial Administration
Office of General Services
(518)
OGS Website

3. Agenda Welcome and Introductions Course Overview – Purchasing 101
Session Time
Ask Questions

4. Governing NYS Laws, Rules, Regulations
Resources
Glossary of Terms
Governing NYS Laws, Rules, Regulations
and Other References and Resources
Discretionary and Prior Approval
Thresholds
Procurement Requirements
Procurement Guidelines
Appendix A
Agency Purchasing Flowchart

5. The Procurement Process
Determining your need
Discretionary Purchasing Levels
NYS Certified M/WBE
IFB or RFP

6. The Agency Purchasing Flowchart
Choices and decisions at each step
Remember the Procurement Record

7. Selecting a Procurement Method Selecting a Procurement Method
Complete
Needs
Assessment
Establish Total Cost of
Commodities, Services
and Technologies
Are needs met by Preferred Sources?
Yes
Preferred Sources
Are needs met by Centralized Contract?
Centralized Contract
Yes
Can purchase
be made under
Discretionary
Threshold?
Is there a
NYS certified
MWBE
Make Purchase
Yes
Yes
While more than one contractor could meet needs, could agency provide substantial basis for selecting a single contractor? No
Are needs met by Competitive Bid?
Competitive Bid
Yes
Yes
SINGLE SOURCE
Is price the sole criterion for selection, provided contractors satisfy minimum specifications? No
Would only one contractor meet needs?
Yes
SOLE SOURCE No
STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Yes
Best Value Acquisition
Sharing Existing Contract Resources
Or Developing new P/S w/existing Contractor
Yes No No
Build It Yourself
IFB
RFP

8. Process a Request for a Needed Commodity or Service
Determine
Form, function, and utility determination
Availability from preferred source
offerings/Purchase from preferred source
Check list of OGS Centralized Contracts/
Purchase from OGS Centralized Contract
Discretionary Purchase

9. Discretionary Purchases
Not subject to State’s formal competitive bidding
requirements
$50,000 for State agencies ($85,000 for OGS)
$50,000 to $100,000 if purchased from NYS small
business, M/WBE or recycled/remanufactured
products
Guidelines on website at:

10. Discretionary Purchases
Under $50,000 ($85,000 - OGS):
Procurement record must support
selection of vendor and reasonableness of
price
Must advertise in Contract Reporter
$15,000+ for State Agencies
($30,000+ for OGS)

11. Choosing a Method of Bidding IFB or RFP?
Formal Competition
Choosing a Method of Bidding
IFB or RFP?
Be sure you know what your agency really
needs
Write a specification that gets to what is
needed but is not unduly restrictive

12. Responsive and responsible offerors Contract Reporter insertion
IFB Essentials
Responsive and responsible offerors
Contract Reporter insertion
Fully defined method of award
Be prepared for tie bids and other
glitches

13. If a “Low Bid” Award is Not Feasible
Use the RFP Process
Define the project
Explain general parameters that will
determine “best value”

14. Whether IFB or RFP
Level Playing Field

15. What is the Contract Reporter?
Online listing of bid opportunities worth
$15,000+ for State Agencies ($30,000+ for OGS);
Maintains a level playing field;
Official source of New York State
government bid solicitations; and
Procurement resource for the business
community.

16. What Am I Responsible For?
NYS agencies, public authorities, and public benefit corporations are required to publish:
Bid solicitations of $15,000+ for State Agencies
($30,000+ for OGS);
Quarterly anticipated procurements of $5,000 -
$15,000 (Agencies) and $10,000 - $20,000
(SUNY/CUNY);
Instructions of how to be placed on bid lists (with
quarterly report); and
Knowing and following applicable statute –
Article 4-C.

17. Contact Information
Visit and click on NYS Finance Laws -- See Article 4-C Procurement Opportunities Newsletter.

18. How Do I Submit a Bid Solicitation Online?
Contact your agency administrator to
establish a user profile for you.
Go to
View the tutorials, user guide, FAQs.
Become familiar with the site and
submit a “test ad” (just delete it after
successful submission).

19. What if I Have an Exemption?
Guidelines may be found at the NYS
Contract Reporter website:
NYS Finance Laws, Article 4-C
OSC Bulletin No. G-107B
Procurement Opportunities Newsletter
OSC approves/denies exemption
Bid info must still appear in the Contract
Reporter (w/o proposal due date).

20. How to Do a Search in the MWBE Directory
Website Address:

21. Prevailing Wage Rates
What are they?
Prevailing Wage Rates are the wages and supplements to be paid and/or provided to laborers, workers and mechanics employed on a public work project.

22. When should they be used?
Prevailing Wage Rates
When should they be used?
Prevailing Wage Rates must be used on any public work project.
Generally, projects for construction, reconstruction or maintenance done on behalf of a public agency (entity)
are public work.

23. Where to Find Prevailing Wage Rate Information
The annual determination is available on the Department of Labor website:

24. Questions and Answers ?

25. Presenter’s Contact Information
Diane Robinson/Gail Weiglhofer
Financial Administration
Office of General Services
(518)
OGS Website