Program Activities: Develop and Solicit RFPs for Supplemental Services

The BID's most significant expenditures will be for major service and improvement programs, such as supplemental sanitation or security services. These programs are usually provided through contractual agreements with private companies, although some BIDs deliver these services directly.

Request for Proposals (RFP) Overview

For BIDs that choose to sub-contract for services, a Request for Proposal (RFP) must be developed and issued to solicit bids from potential service providers.

The contract between SBS and the DMA outlines the following requirements for RFP issuance:

• The lowest responsible bidder to a given RFP must be selected. If other than the lowest bidder is selected, documentation must be presented to the BID Board or repsonsible committee justifying the selection.
• All contracts over $25,000 must be approved by the Board of Directors or an authorized committee.
• In order to procure services via sole source selection, the DMA must provide written justification to and obtain written approval from the SBS Commissioner.

Additional rules surrounding the issuance of RFPs should be outlined in the BID's by-laws or the BID's Procurement Management Procedures (see Develop By-Laws or Approve Management Procedures).

In general, all RFPs should contain the following elements:

• Project’s scope and any relevant background information on the BID as it relates to the project
• Clearly outlined deliverables and tasks associated with completing each deliverable
• Timelines and deadlines for each task
• Required qualifications as they relate to the project
• Fee schedules and costs as they relate to the deliverables

A sample RFP for supplementary sanitation services is available here.

Solicitation

Solicitation of an RFP usually takes place during the time between the Board's approval of the budget (March or April) and before the start of the new fiscal year (July):

• Notice of the RFP should be posted on the BID's website, in newspapers, and in other media
• All solicitations should be issued to at least three responsible bidders
• The DMA must use its best efforts to solicit bids from minority and women-owned businesses
• All RFP correspondence should be documented and filed for future reference

Review and Approval

All bids should be submitted in writing and on company letterhead. In the bid's price proposals, costs should be sufficiently itemized so that reviewers can properly evaluate each bid.

Depending on the RFP and as specified in the BID's by-laws and procurement procedures, bids should be reviewed and approved by the proper person(s) and/or committee (see Develop By-Laws  or Approve Management Procedures).

A complete list of all awarded contracts should be included in the BID’s Annual Report.