Chapter 5 Formal Solicitations purchases over $25,000

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1 Chapter 5 Formal Solicitations purchases over $25,000 Under board policy DJEA, Purchasing Authority, a formal solicitation is required for all purchases and contracts that exceed $25,000. All formal solicitations must be conducted by the Procurement Service Department. All contracts with a total value over $100,000 require board approval. All consultant contracts with a total value over $50,000 require board approval. Board meetings are held on the 2 nd Monday of each month. There are four (4) types of formal solicitations used by APS: a. Invitation to Bid, (ITB) b. Request for Proposal (RFP) c. Request for Qualifications (RFQ) d. Request for Information (RFI) An Invitation to Bid (ITB) is used to obtain pricing on specific goods or services. Specifications are provided by the APS owner s representative to be used in the solicitation. The award will be made to the lowest responsive responsible bidder. This type of solicitation is most commonly used to purchase goods. A Request for Proposal (RFP) is used to obtain goods or services based on a scope of work provided by the APS owners representative. An evaluation committee will review and evaluate the proposals based on pre-determined evaluation criteria to determine which vendor offers the best value to the District. This type of solicitation is most commonly used to purchase services. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is used to determine the qualifications of a vendor to provide goods or services. Proposals are reviewed and evaluated by an evaluation committee to determine if the vendor is qualified. The evaluation criteria are determined by the APS owner s representative. This type of solicitation is most commonly used to purchase services. A Request for Information (RFI) is used to obtain information from potential vendors prior to issuing a formal solicitation (ITB, RFP or RFQ). The information submitted may be used to develop specifications or scope of work for a formal solicitation. Formal solicitations may be done for the following: One time purchase New solicitation (has not been solicited previously by APS) New solicitation (a current contract is expiring with no more options to renew ) New solicitation (requesting department has elected not to exercise the option to renew) Rev. 12/15/11 8

2 New solicitation (the requirements of the requesting department have changed from the previous solicitation) All formal solicitations must be conducted by the Procurement Services Department. There are six (6) stages in the procurement process required to complete a formal solicitation: 1. Discovery 2. Development 3. Release 4. Evaluation 5. Award 6. Contract Execution The time to complete each stage may vary by solicitation. The following is a list of the estimated number of days required to complete each stage: Stage Estimated Number of Days to Complete 1. Discovery Development Release Evaluation Award Contract Execution Typically ITB s are released for a minimum of fourteen (14) days and RFP s and RFQ s are released for a minimum of twenty one (21) days. Requesting departments are encouraged to plan accordingly for a formal solicitation so as to allow sufficient time to complete the process. Stage 1 - Discovery 1. The requesting department identifies a need for goods or services that are estimated to cost more than $25, The requesting department should complete and submit a Formal Solicitation Request Form to Procurement Services to begin the process. 1 E-Rate Waiting Period. At the conclusion of the 28-day waiting period after the Description of Services Requested and Certification Form (Form 470) is posted on the USAC website, the applicant may select a vendor for tariff or month-to-month services or execute a contract for new contractual services. (USAC Universal Service Administrative Company, ) Rev. 12/15/11 9

3 3. If the goods or services were previously solicited for by APS the Procurement Officer will pull and review the solicitation binder for the previous solicitation. The final solicitation document and addendums (if applicable) should be reviewed with the requesting department and used as a guide for developing the new solicitations. 4. The Procurement Officer and Contract Administrator should meet a minimum of one (1) time with the requesting department to discuss the solicitation. The following Formal Solicitation Timeline Planning Calendar should be used as a guide to develop a timeline for the solicitation: Contract Expires or Date Goods or Services are Needed Discovery, Development, Release and Evaluation Submit Board Agenda to Procurement Services by the 2 nd Monday of the month Board Approval (Legislative Meeting) Send to Legal for Review and Contract Execution January June-July August September October February July-August September October November March August-September October November December April September-October November December January May October-November December January February June November-December January February March July December-January February March April August January-February March April May September February-March April May June October March-April May June July November April-May June July August December May-June July August September Stage Estimated Number of Days to Complete Discovery 7 14 days Development days Release days Evaluation 7 14 days Award days Contract Execution days Please note that the times listed above are estimated only and may vary by solicitation A formal solicitation (ITB, RFP, RFQ) is required if the annual expenditure is over $25K All formal solicitations must be conducted by the Procurement Services Department Board approval is required for expenditures over $100K per year and consultant contracts over $50K A vendor should not provide goods or services until a contract has been executed and a purchase order issued Rev. 12/15/11 10

4 Stage 2 - Development 1. The following will need to be determined by the Owner s Representative and Procurement Services: Type of solicitation to be used (ITB, RFI, RFP or RFQ) Tentative timeline Specifications or scope of work Submission requirements Evaluation criteria (for RFP or RFQ) Names of candidates to serve on the evaluation committee (for RFP or RFQ), typically 3-5 people Name and contact information for potential vendors Name of person(s) from the requesting department who will be responsible for answering vendor questions about the solicitation. 2. Upon receipt of the written request, Procurement Services will create a draft solicitation using the information provided by the Owner s Representative. 3. If the goods or services have been previously solicited by APS, Procurement Services will send a copy of the specifications or scope of work from the previous solicitation to the Owner s Representative. This information can be used as a guide for developing specifications or scope of work for the new solicitation. 4. The evaluation criteria and evaluation committee should be finalized and approved by the Owner s Representative before the solicitation is released. Stage 3 - Release Once the solicitation has been approved by the Owner s Representative: 1. It must go through Procurement Services Department peer review and be signed by the Director. 2. Procurement Services will post the solicitation on the APS web site and the Georgia Procurement Registry. 3. The Procurement Officer will send an Outlook invitation to the Procurement Services Department with the time and date the solicitation is due. 4. Procurement Services may notify potential vendors when the solicitation is released via fax or If the goods or services have been previously solicited, all vendors that responded to the previous solicitation should be notified. The vendor contact information can be pulled from the previous solicitation binder. 6. If applicable, the Procurement Officer may conduct a pre-bid or pre-proposal conference The requesting department must have a representative at the conference. If a conference is going to be held, an Outlook invitation should be sent to Procurement Services staff and the Owner s Representative. 7. The pre-bid/pre-proposal conference must be recorded. 8. All vendors and APS employees who attend the pre-bid or pre-proposal conference should sign in on the form provided by Procurement Services. Rev. 12/15/11 11

5 9. Vendors may submit questions regarding the solicitation to the Procurement Officer by the deadline listed in the tentative timeline. 10. The Procurement Officer will forward the questions to the requesting department who will review and provide answers. The Procurement Officer may be able to provide answers to some of the questions. 11. The Procurement Officer will create an addendum with all questions and answers submitted by vendors which will be posted on the APS web site. Advertising Formal Solicitations All formal solicitations are posted on the following: APS web site Georgia Procurement Registry APS may, at its option, elect to provide additional advertisement of the solicitation such as advertising the solicitation in a newspaper or a publication with statewide and/or nationwide circulation. Posting a solicitation and addendum to the APS web site: 1. Procurement Officer sends an electronic copy of solicitation as a word document to the administrative assistant 2. Save and change to a PDF document 3. Sign in to APS website 4. Click on site manger 5. Add a row to the APS webpage 6. Insert due date and solicitation number 7. Attach the PDF solicitation to the webpage 8. Save 9. Review to ensure solicitation is posted correctly on APS website and the Georgia Procurement Registry Posting a solicitation to the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR): 1. Go to doas.ga.gov 1. Direct Links 2. Login to GPR for State & Local Entities 3. Enter User ID and Password 4. Go to Main menu (bottom of page) 5. Select Bid Processing 6. Select Post A Bid 7. Complete mandatory data sheet (from ITB, RFP, etc.) 8. Enter NIGP codes (maximum 5) 9. Click Next step 10. Click Check this form 11. Click Post this Bid Rev. 12/15/11 12

6 Removing a solicitation from the APS web site: 1. On the due date and after the time due remove solicitation from website 2. Login to APS website 3. Click site manger 4. Click the solicitation to remove 5. Click remove row 6. Save 7. Review to ensure the solicitation has been removed. Receiving Bids/Proposals All vendor responses to a formal solicitation should be received as follows: 1. All bids/proposals must be date and time stamped on a solicitation receipt 2. All bids/proposals must be recorded for receipt on the solicitation receipt log 3. All bids/proposals must be stored in a secure location Packages that are not properly marked may be opened for identification only by the Procurement Officer and one other staff member from Procurement Services. The Procurement Officer should write any missing information on the package and note the opening on the receipt form. The package should immediately be resealed and placed in a secure location. Bid Opening (ITB only) All bids received in response to an Invitation to Bid (ITB) shall be publically opened on the scheduled date and time shown in the solicitation. The Procurement Officer and one other staff member from the Procurement Services Department will read aloud the bidders names and the bid prices. No commitment or statement regarding contract award should be made to any bidder at the bid opening. After the bid opening, the Procurement Officer should review all bids to ensure that the bidders have not made any obvious mistakes in their bids, e.g., the sum of individual bid line items does not equal the total bid price or the extended cost is incorrect. If a bidder appears to have made a mistake, the Procurement Officer should immediately notify the bidder in writing of any apparent mistake in his/her bid and request verification of the bid as submitted. The bidder must submit the verification in writing to the Procurement Officer. The Procurement Officer should place a copy of the verification in the solicitation binder. If the extended cost (unit cost x quantity) is incorrect, the unit cost will be the accepted bid cost rather than the extended cost. The vendor should be notified as specified in the preceding paragraph. Rev. 12/15/11 13

7 Administrative Review Each bid/proposal will be declared responsive or non-responsive. Responsive bids will be evaluated by the Procurement Officer and Owner s Representative and responsive proposals will be evaluated by the evaluation committee. Non-responsive bids/proposals will not be evaluated by the Procurement Officer, Owner s Representative or the evaluation committee. The goal is for Contract Administration to complete their portion of the administrative review within two (2) business days after the closing date of the solicitation. The time may vary depending on the number of responses received. The Procurement Officer will complete an administrative review form using the template and save it on the shared drive before the solicitation due date. After the closing date and time, Contract Administration will conduct a preliminary review of all bids/proposals received to determine responsiveness. The administrative review should identify the following: a. all late bids/proposals, b. any bids/proposals which are missing required documents or information, c. any bid/proposal submitted by a vendor which is currently debarred by APS according to the vendors response on the offeror information form. Contract Administration will review each vendor response and select one of the following for each item listed on the administrative review form: a. Pass b. Conditional c. Fail d. N/A Listed below are the next steps for each rating: a. Pass no further action required b. Conditional vendor will be contacted and asked to provide incomplete or missing documentation c. Fail vendor will not move forward in the valuation process d. N/A item is not applicable to this solicitation Contract Administration will a completed administrative review form to the Procurement Officer and Procurement Assistant for review. The Procurement Assistant will be responsible for contacting a vendor to request that they submit the any incomplete or missing documentation. Contract Administration will also save the spreadsheet in the solicitation file on the shared drive. When making the request the Procurement Assistant should give the vendor a deadline for submitting the missing document(s). Rev. 12/15/11 14

8 The Procurement Assistant will update the Administrative Review Form when all conditions are satisfied. Both Administrative Review Forms (the original completed by Contract Administration and the final completed by the Procurement Assistant) shall be saved on the shared drive If the vendor does not submit the incomplete or missing documentation within the specified time, vendor s response will be deemed non-responsive and will not move forward to the evaluation stage. Stage 4 - Evaluation Evaluating a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 1. All vendor proposals that pass the administrative review will be evaluated based on the criteria listed in the solicitation document. 2. The evaluation will be done by a committee of typically three to five people however the number of evaluators may vary by solicitation. 3. The Procurement Officer will work with the Owner s Representative and Evaluation Committee members to facilitate the evaluation process. 4. Once all Evaluation Committee Members have completed their evaluation, the Procurement Officer will create an Evaluation Summary that shows the scores for each evaluator for each vendor, and a total score for each vendor. 5. The Procurement Officer will score pricing and add to the Evaluation Summary. 6. The Evaluation Summary will be sent to the Procurement Services Director and Assistant Director for review. 7. Once certified by the Director and Assistant Director, the Evaluation Summary will be sent to the Owner s Representative for review. Pricing and copies of vendor proposals (if requested) should also be sent to the Owner s Representative for review. 8. The Owner s Representative must sign off on the Solicitation Award Recommendation. Evaluation Committee Composition The Evaluation Committee should include members from different functional areas who are free of bias or conflict of interest. Most evaluation committees should have three (3) to five (5) members. Those members must sign a confidentiality agreement prior to starting their evaluation which will limit them from discussing any part of the process with internal staff or with any vendor that has submitted a proposal. They must also be prepared to be part of the process through the vendor presentations, where applicable. Rev. 12/15/11 15

9 Responsibilities of the Procurement Officer The assigned Procurement Officer will be responsible for the following: 1. Developing a schedule for the Evaluation Committee and ensure that the evaluation is completed in a timely manner. 2. Creating the evaluation template based on the submission requirements and criteria listed in the solicitation. 3. If a contract is going to be awarded to multiple vendors, the Procurement Officer should obtain, from the Owner s Representative, the number of vendors required to meet the needs of the District. 4. Send members of the Evaluation Committee an Outlook invitation with the time, date and location of the evaluation prior to the solicitation being released. 5. Reviewing, with the Evaluation Committee, the procedures for the evaluation process. 6. Reviewing, with the Evaluation Committee, the solicitation and criterion to be evaluated. 7. Reviewing, with the Evaluation Committee, the confidentiality agreement. And instructions. 8. Scheduling and coordinating vendor presentations, if applicable. 9. Creating an agenda and evaluation template for vendor presentations, if applicable. 10. Requesting additional information or clarification from vendors. 11. Requesting Best and Final Offer (BAFO), if applicable. 12. Evaluating cost proposals. 13. Compiling the final evaluation summary and sending to the Requesting Department for their review and concurrence. Evaluation Committee Instructions Each member of the Evaluation Committee will: 1. Read and sign the confidentiality agreement. 2. Be given a copy of the solicitation to review. 3. Be given a copy of each responsive vendor s proposal and an evaluation worksheet. 4. Evaluate and score all proposals on the evaluation worksheet. 5. Notify the Procurement Officer if additional information or clarification from a vendor is required to complete the evaluation. 6. Provide justification for all criteria scored a Evaluate oral presentations if applicable. 8. Sign off and date their individual evaluation worksheet. Establishing Evaluation Criteria While the Requesting Department is ultimately responsible for determining the evaluation criteria ion, the Procurement Officer must ensure that the integrity of the process is maintained. Typically the Requesting Department develops the criteria Rev. 12/15/11 16

10 with some assistance and guidance from the Procurement Officer. The criteria must be related to the scope of work or specifications of the solicitation. Determining the Point Allocation of Evaluation Criteria After determining the evaluation criteria to be used, the relative importance must be established by the Requesting Department. Each criteria should be weighted according to their relative importance. Evaluation Keys Evaluation keys are the measurement baseline that will be used by the evaluator to determine whether a proposal meets, exceeds or fails to meet a requirement. Using these keys helps to establish the minimum level of acceptability for a requirement and provide the basis on which ratings above and below the minimum is set. The Procurement Officer should work with the Owner s Representative to establish the keys. Instructions for using the evaluation worksheet: 1. Click on the worksheet labeled scoring 2. Vendor names will be listed in row 2 starting in column D. 3. The criteria to be evaluated will be listed in Column B starting in row To begin, click on a cell and you will see a drop down menu with four (4) ratings. 5. Select a rating for each row. 6. Once you have scored all criteria for a vendor, go to the next vendor until all responses have been evaluated. 7. Save the evaluation worksheet and return to the Procurement Officer once all proposals have been evaluated. Ratings The following ratings will be used to score vendor proposals: 1. Insufficient - Does not meet the requirement/expectation or did not provide the requested information. 2. Marginal - Minimally meets the requirement/expectation. 3. Good - Adequately meets the requirement/expectation. 4. Excellent - Fully meets or exceeds the requirement/expectation. Evaluator must provide comments to support an insufficient rating. Comments can be listed at the bottom of the evaluation worksheet in the column for the vendor receiving the insufficient rating. Competitive Range APS will evaluate all responsive proposals and reserves the right to establish a competitive range. The competitive range is defined as the proposals as determined during the evaluation process of having a reasonable chance of being selected for Rev. 12/15/11 17

11 award. Vendors in the competitive range will be required to give an oral presentation to the ABE. Proposals not in the competitive range are given no further consideration. Vendor Oral Presentation / Demonstration Vendors may be required to do an oral presentation or demonstration as part of the evaluation process. Once the initial evaluation has been completed, the Procurement Officer will schedule the presentation/demonstration with vendors and prepare an agenda. The agenda should be sent to the vendors who will be making a presentation/demonstration and all members of the evaluation committee. All evaluation committee members who participated in the initial evaluation must attend all presentations/demonstrations. If any member is unable to attend then their initial evaluation will not be considered. The presentation/demonstration will be evaluated by the evaluation committee using a worksheet created by the Procurement Officer. Scores from the presentation/demonstration will be added to the initial evaluation scores. Best and Final Offer (BAFO) Once all proposals have been evaluated, a best and final offer (BAFO) may be requested from each vendor. BAFO s are not requested for scopes of work or specifications that differ from those included in the solicitation. A BAFO is issued for revised pricing only related to the original solicitation. Evaluating an Invitation to Bid (ITB) 1. All vendor bids that pass the administrative review will be evaluated. 2. Bids are not evaluated by a committee. The Procurement Officer will create a bid tab and review with the Owner s Represent once it has been certified. 3. The Procurement Officer will create a bid tab and enter all the information submitted on the bid forms.. 4. The bid tabulation should be an Excel spreadsheet and include the following (if applicable): a. Item description b. Brand and model # c. Vendor item number d. Unit of measure e. Quantity or estimated quantity f. Unit cost g. Extended cost h. Any vendor comments or exceptions from the bid form i. Vendors should be listed in alphabetical order. j. The low bid meeting specifications should be highlighted (by line, group or overall). Rev. 12/15/11 18

12 5. When an item is the low bid (price) but does not meet specifications, indicate on the bid tab the reason the item does not meet specifications. 6. When none of the items bid meet specifications, indicate on the bid tab that there will not be an award for that item. 7. Once the bid tabulation has been completed, it should be proofed by another staff member of Procurement Services. 8. The Owner s Representative must sign-off on the Solicitation Award Recommendation. Resolving Tie Bids A tie bid exists when two (2) or more bidders offer, at identical prices, products that meet all specifications, terms, and conditions. In such a situation, APS will use the following to determine award in the order listed below: 1. Preference for goods or services provided by Offeror whose home office is located within Fulton County Georgia 2. Preference for goods or services by Offeror whose home office is located within the State of Georgia 3. Earliest delivery date, if applicable. 4. Flip of a coin conducted by the APS Procurement Services Department. Awarding a Contract to Multiple Vendors If awarding contracts to more than one vendor, the Owner s Representative should determine the number of vendors that will be required to meet the needs of the District. This should be provided to the Procurement Officer before proposals are evaluated. Stage 5 - Award During this stage of the process, work will transition from the Procurement Officer to Contract Administration. The Procurement Officer will send a Letter of Intent to the recommended vendor(s) within two (2) days after sign-off by the requesting department, or four (4) days after board approval (if applicable). The Procurement Officer is responsible for creating and maintaining a solicitation binder. Once all letters of intent and/or notice of non-award letters have been sent the solicitation binder should be given to the Assistant Director to review. The Assistant Director of Procurement Services (ADPS) will review the solicitation binder and give to Contract Administration if complete or return to Procurement Officer if incomplete. Rev. 12/15/11 19

13 Once the solicitation binder is complete, the ADPS enters a contract request in Cobblestone Contract InSight. Awards will posted on the APS web site at: Quick Links Purchasing Contracts Awarded Notice of Non-Award A notice of non-award letter should be sent to each vendor that responded to a formal solicitation and is not being recommended for award. Awarding to Other Than the Low Bidder or Highest Rated Offeror When making an award from an ITB to other than the lowest responsive, responsible bidder or to other than the highest rated Offeror from an RFP or RFQ, the owner s representative must provide a statement explaining the basis for the decision. Written justification must be submitted to the Director of Procurement Services for review and approval. Responsive is defined as a vendor who has submitted a bid that fully conforms in all material respects to the requirements outlined in the ITB. Responsible is defined as a vendor who is fully capable to meet all of the requirements of the ITB and subsequent contract. Vendor must possess the full capability, including financial and technical, to perform as contractually required. Vendor must be able to fully document the ability to provide good faith performance. Single Bid or Proposal If only one bid or proposal is received in response to an ITB, RFP or RFQ, an award may be made to the single Offeror if the Director of Procurement Services determines that the price submitted is fair and reasonable or the proposal meets the specifications of the solicitation. Stage 6 - Contract Execution 1. Once Contract Administration receives the solicitation binder they will begin drafting a contract between APS and the recommended vendor(s). 2. The Procurement Assistant creates a new entry within the contract management system and forwards the file to Contract Administration 3. A contract between APS and the vendor must be executed before goods or services can be provided. Rev. 12/15/11 20

14 4. Contract Administration forwards contract to APS Legal within seven (7) days after receiving the file from the Procurement Assistant. 5. Legal reviews and executes contract then returns to Contract Administration. 6. Many contracts include renewal options that can be exercised at the direction of the owner s representative. If a contract contains a renewal option, the owner s representative will be contacted by a Contract Administration (within days of the renewal date) to determine whether or not the department wishes to renew the contract. 7. Please note that options years can only be exercised for the same specifications or scope of work that was included in the solicitation. Post Award Conference It is recommended that a post award conference be held with the awarded vendor(s). Contract Administration will schedule the meeting and prepare an agenda. A representative from the user department should attend the meeting in order to review and discuss APS business practices, terms and conditions of the contract, and APS responsibilities and the vendor. Solicitation Binder The assigned Procurement Officer is responsible for setting up and maintaining a solicitation binder for all formal solicitations. Once all letters of intent and/or notice of non-award letters have been sent the binder will be reviewed and certified by the ADPS and upon completion, given to Contract Administration who will enter the data into the contract management system. The solicitation binder shall contain the following: 1. Vendor Responses (Procurement Officer) a. Original copy of each vendor s response and a CD. 2. Solicitation / Addendums (Procurement Officer) a. Original, signed final solicitation document and addendums (if applicable). b. Pre-bid or pre-proposal conference sign-in sheet (if applicable). c. Solicitation receipt log. 3. Tab Sheet / Evaluation (Procurement Officer) a. ITB final bid tabulation b. RFP / RFQ evaluation summary, individual evaluators scoring sheet and evaluator confidentiality agreement. c. Administrative review form. d. Evaluation review form. e. Solicitation sign-off by requesting department. 4. Correspondence (Procurement Officer and Contract Administration) a. Relevant s and written documentation related to the solicitation. 5. Board Agenda (Procurement Officer) a. Copy of the board agenda (if applicable). Rev. 12/15/11 21

15 b. Memo stating board approval is not required (if applicable). 6. Notice of Award (Procurement Officer and Contract Administration) a. Letter of intent to each recommended vendor b. Notice of non-award letter to all vendors not being recommended for award. c. Renewal letter (if applicable) 7. Contract (Contract Administration) a. Copy of the executed contract 8. Summary (Contract Administration) a. Contract summary page Solicitation Documents to be Saved on the Shared Drive A solicitation folder will be set up on the shared drive at: Procurement on aps-finance (Z:) Purchasing (Year) Solicitations The following documents should be saved in the solicitation folder: 1. Correspondence 2. Evaluation Summary Bid Tabulation Evaluation worksheets (summary and individual) Evaluation committee confidentiality agreements Bid tabulation 3. Letter of Intent Letter(s) of intent, scan and save signed copy Notice on non-award letter(s), scan and save signed copy Renewal letter(s), scan and save signed copy 4. Solicitation Drafts Draft solicitation(s) 5. Solicitation Final Final solicitation, scan and save signed copy Addendum(s) if applicable, scan and save signed copy Pre-bid / pre-proposal conference sign in sheet, if applicable Pre-bid / pre-proposal audio file, if applicable Solicitation receipt log 6. Vendor Pricing Copy of vendor pricing, scan and save 7. Vendor Responses Copy of vendor proposals, scan and save Rev. 12/15/11 22

16 Vendors In order to do business with Atlanta Public Schools a vendor must first register with the Procurement Services Department. The vendor must complete and submit an application to Procurement Services. The application is available on the APS Procurement Services web site at: The application takes 3-5 business days to process. Once the application has been processed the vendor will be assigned a vendor number. Vendors are responsible for notifying Procurement Services of any changes in contact information. There are two (2) categories of vendors recognized by APS: a. Registered b. Awarded A registered vendor is one who has submitted a vendor application to Procurement Services and been assigned a vendor number. This allows the vendor to participate in the procurement process. Once the vendor has received a Lawson ID, they should be notified that they are an APS registered vendor. An awarded vendor is one who has been determined to be the lowest responsive responsible bidder or offers the best value to the District as the result of a formal or informal solicitation. An awarded vendor must also be a registered vendor. Debarment The Atlanta Board of Education seeks to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the school system by doing business exclusively with companies and individuals who are ethical, honest, and responsible. The Board may exclude any individual or company from contracting with the Atlanta Independent School System for a period of five years, who is debarred pursuant to this policy or who appears on any suspended, excluded or debarment list issued by the agency of the Federal, State or local government (i.e. is listed as a party on the Excluded Party List System (EPLS) of the United States Government.) The entire DJEBB policy can be found on Atlanta Public Schools BoardDocs ( 4004&RevNo=1.47&C=D&Z=P). Rev. 12/15/11 23