2. Presenter’s Contact Information
Larry Klein
Procurement Services Group
Office of General Services
(518)
OGS Website

3. Agenda Welcome and Introductions Course Overview – Purchasing 101
General Information
Session Time
Hush Sounds
Ask Questions
Listen, Learn, and Enjoy

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 and B
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. 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
Not available as needed from either?

8. Discretionary Purchases
Not subject to State’s competitive bidding
requirements
$50,000 for most State agencies
$50,000 to $100,000 if purchased from NYS small
business, M/WBE or recycled/remanufactured
products
Guidelines on website at:
Discretionarypurchasingguidelines8-17.pdf

9. Discretionary Purchases
Under $50,000:
Procurement record must support
selection of vendor and reasonableness of
price
Must advertise in Contract Reporter
$15,000 - $50,000

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. Whether IFB or RFP
Level Playing Field

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

15. What Am I Responsible For?
NYS agencies, public authorities, and public benefit corporations are required to publish:
Bid solicitations of $15,000 or more;
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.

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

17. 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).

18. 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 and
notifies the Contract Reporter.
Bid info must still appear in the Contract
Reporter (w/o proposal due date).

19. MWBE Utilization Class Description
Thursday May 17, :45pm – 3:45pm Meeting Room 1
Class Description
Learn about the requirements of Article 15A. Also, this class will provide information about ESD certification, searching the MWBE directory, State agency responsibilities, and OGS functions. This is also a valuable opportunity to have your MWBE questions addressed. While this class will focus on requirements for State agencies, there is value for any participant with an interest in this topic.

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

21. How to Do a Search in the MWBE Directory
To access the webpage – Click NY Loves Biz
Doing Business in New York.
Once in the New Attitudes New Opportunities New
York page click on Small & Growing Businesses on
the left and select minority and women-owned
business in the drop down list.
Go to the second bullet (Minority and Women-
Owned Business Certification) and select “Search
the Directory” and you will be taken directly into the
MWBE Automated Directory.

22. (Division of Minority and Women Owned Business Development)
State Agency Use Only
Please call
DMWBD
(Division of Minority and Women Owned Business Development) at
(518)
to get your password

23. Prevailing Wages Class Description
Thursday May 17, :00am – 10:00am Meeting Room 5
Class Description
This session will provide an overview of how Public Work Labor Laws and Prevailing Wages apply to you and the payment of services that you procure from OGS statewide contracts.

24. 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.

25. How are they determined?
Prevailing Wage Rates
How are they determined?
Prevailing rates are based on collectively bargained agreements.
The Department of Labor utilizes those agreements to determine the rate that covers the type of work activity in question.

26. 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.

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

28. Additional Information
A copy of the current or past year’s Prevailing Wage
Rates can be obtained on CD by ing your
request to:
Any questions, please contact:
NYSDOL Bureau of Public Work
SOBC – Building 12, Room 130
Albany, NY 12210
Phone: (518)
Fax: (518)

29. Questions and Answers ?

30. Presenter’s Contact Information
Larry Klein
Procurement Services Group
Office of General Services
(518)
OGS Website