The Purchasing Division provides assistance to City divisions for the cost effective and efficient procurement of goods and services as well as the disposition of surplus property. This division is responsible for the coordination of special programs such as outreach to minority and women business enterprises, prevailing wage compliance, vendor relations, auctions of surplus property, and state cooperative purchasing.
Current Bid Opportunities Join the Bidders List Purchasing Terms & Conditions
pdf Registration/Eden Online Instructions (4.35 MB)
Doing business with the City of Kalamazoo
The City of Kalamazoo is very appreciative of those businesses that bid on City projects and faithfully provide those goods and services contracted for. Quotes and bids for purchases of $25,000 and above are solicited from firms using a bidders list. The list is organized using a commodity code system for the various goods and services needed by the City and is maintained on an on-going basis. The Purchasing Division also maintains a pdf directory of minority and women-owned enterprises (56 KB) . If your firm is owned (51% or more) by one of the ethnic minority groups as defined by the Public Works Employment Act of 1977 (African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Eskimos, or Aleuts), please pdf complete this registration (177 KB) so that we may add you to the directory.
If you are a vendor that would like to receive payments electronically, please complete and return an pdf EFT Enrollment Form (91 KB) .
To be added to the bidders list
To be added to the bidders list you must complete the online registration process by clicking here. Once registered, navigated to “Vendor Commodity Codes” and add relevant codes to your account. The City of Kalamazoo currently uses the 5-digit NIGP (National Institute of Governmental Purchasing) commodity codes to identify which goods and services are needed/can be provided by a vendor. The commodity code list can be viewed and/or searched to find all relevant commodity codes (you can use the search function by pressing the “control” and “f” keys simultaneously). These commodity codes must be added to your profile, as they will determine which bid opportunities you are notified of. You will receive notices via email, so please ensure that you provide a valid email address that is monitored regularly. If a bidder is unable to be contacted via the bidders list information on file, they will be inactivated from the bidders list program until contact information is updated.
Bid solicitation
Announcements requesting bids are emailed to vendors on the appropriate bid lists, and posted at City Hall and on the Bid Opportunities webpage. Notices may also be sent to Builder's Exchange or other plan houses for construction projects, as special circumstances require. The following methods are used to solicit bids:
- Request for quotations (RFQ) : Informal written quotes that include price, terms of sale, and description of goods or services offered by a bidder. Bidders are encouraged to provide an immediate response to an RFQ since the period of time is short and awards are usually prompt.
- Invitations for Bids (IFB) : An IFB is a formal bid document available on the City's website to prospective bidders for the submission of sealed bids to provide commodities or services. IFBs include specifications and the City's term and conditions for the purchase. This document will become the purchasing contract.
- Request for Proposal (RFP) : This type of formal bid document is also available on the City's website and is most commonly used for professional services or consulting contracts. Provision, including work plan, level of effort, and price may be negotiated.
- Request for Qualification (RFQ) : This document is used primarily for professional services, i.e., architectural or engineering as part of a two-step process. The first step is to evaluate the qualifications of the firm and the second step is obtaining proposals.
Each bid document includes instructions on how to prepare and submit a bid. Any bids received after the bid opening cannot be considered. In the event that a vendor will not be bidding on a project, a Statement of No Bid should be returned to the Purchasing Division advising whether future bid invitations for the type of supplies/services covered by the bid solicitation are desired. Bidders may be removed from the list if they do not respond to bid solicitations or their contact information is incorrect.
Award policy
All submissions are evaluated by the Purchasing Division and the user department and the award is made to the low responsive bid from a responsible bidder. The City considers price, responsiveness to the specifications and terms of purchases, qualifications, capability of bidder, and other relevant factors to determine the low responsive and responsible bidder. All awards require approval by the Purchasing Manager, City Manager, or City Commission based upon the dollar amount of the purchase. The City reserves the right to:
- Make an award on an aggregate or split basis, whichever is in the best interest of the City.
- Consider any bid non-responsive and reject the bid if all of the requested information and/or technical literature is not submitted with the bid.
Bidding assistance
Contractors interested in meeting and learning how to do business with local and state buyers can visit the Procurement Technical Assistance Center Office of Southwest Michigan for events and additional information. The Michigan Public Purchasing Officers Association also holds events, which are available on their website.
Surplus auctions
Once a year, or as necessary, the City and other governmental units join together to auction surplus property and items seized in criminal and civil cases. This includes all sorts of furniture, equipment, vehicles, computers and other items no longer needed for government use, sold "as is, where is".
The City also occasionally offers surplus property for sale on the website www.publicsurplus.com.