Purchasing

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Vision

Establish the Purchasing Division as the central, automated procurement source for all City and County agencies to ensure the appropriate, cost-effective acquisition, distribution, and disposal of all goods and services for our clients.

Mission

To effectively administer the complete procurement cycle of all goods and services on behalf of our clients from the initial needs determination and purchasing process, through evaluation, delivery, implementation, and final disposition of the goods or conclusion of the contracts according to Local, State, and Federal requirements.

Strategic Goals

  • Provide, at the time and place needed, in the proper quantity and of the proper quality all materials, supplies, tools, and services required for the City's, County's and Building Commission's operations.
  • Secure such materials, supplies, tools and services at the lowest possible cost, consistent with prevailing economic conditions, while establishing and maintaining a reputation of fairness and integrity.
  • Furnish management with timely information and to advise them concerning market conditions and trends which could affect the future availability and price of any needed materials, supplies, tools or services.
  • Protect and preserve all materials which are being held in storage to meet future requirements.
  • Provide all traffic and transportation services necessary for the accomplishment of the above duties.
  • Obtain the greatest possible revenue from the disposal of by-products and of surplus, damaged, or obsolete materials and equipment.
  • Encourage the procurement and use of recycled products.
  • Promote a safe work environment.
  • Pursue emerging technology
  • Facilitate interaction and communications between the Purchasing Division and our clients.

 

PROCUREMENT GUIDE 

City of Lincoln/Lancaster County                           

                                                       Click for Printable Brochure(PDF, 595KB)                

Pete Kroll
Purchasing Agent
(402) 441-8313
pkroll@lincoln.ne.gov

 

PURCHASING POLICIES

The Purchasing Division is responsible for administering purchasing policies, programs, and procedures for the acquisition of materials, equipment, supplies, services, and construction projects for City/County government. The following policies have been established as guidelines for these services:

  1.  All requests for prices or services and all purchases should be made via the Purchasing Division. This authority may be delegated to others if certain criteria exists in accordance with the City of Lincoln's Code/Charter, or the County Purchasing Act.

  2. The Purchasing Division has the authority to investigate the quality, quantity, and type of materials purchased in order to best serve the interests of the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County and the taxpaying citizens.

  3. The Purchasing Division shall not knowingly issue a purchase order or contract where there is evidence of a conflict of interest.

  4.  Acceptance of gifts, other than advertising novelties, is prohibited. No City/County Purchasing employee shall personally receive a benefit or profit from any purchase or contract made in conjunction with their position with the City or County.

  5. The City/County shall purchase from suppliers who have adequate financial strength, high ethical standards, and a record of adhering to specifications and providing the full measure of services requested.

Specifications for City/County bids, quotes and requests for proposals may be viewed at our office or on the Purchasing E-bid web site.  Vendors are welcome to visit the Purchasing office to discuss their services and product lines.

City of Lincoln/Lancaster County Purchasing

"K" Street Complex, 440 S. 8th Street

SW Wing, Suite 200, Lincoln, NE  68508

Phone (402) 441-8103                          

Office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.                                                                                                                                                                                                          (Please call in advance to ensure time is available) 

ELECTRONIC BIDDING

The Purchasing Division utilizes an Electronic Bidding System (Ebid). Through this process, Vendors receive immediate notification of bids via email which allows them to view, download or print the specs and plans, and submit a bid online. Following the Award Notification, bid results may be accessed from any internet enabled device.

VENDOR REGISTRATION - Ebid 

All Vendors will be required to register as follows:

lincoln.ne.gov  or lancaster.ne.gov

Type the word "bid" in the "search box" / Click on "Bids and Contracts"

Click on  "Supplier Registration" on the side panel on the right

Enter Information as required.  It is quick, easy, and secure!

Once registered, Vendors will receive two e-mail notifications, the first one acknowledges registration, the second, registration activation.  Upon e-mail notification of registration activation, you may submit your electronic bid on the E-bid system.

TO SUBMIT A BID ELECTRONICALLY

1.  Enter the username and password.

2.  Click on the Bid Number.

3.  Click on each tab to fill out the bid and submit.

4.  Click "submit" when you have completed all areas of the bid.

E-BID SECURITY

The Ebid System was designed to maintain the security of the solicitation process, including protecting the integrity of sealed bid responses. Key security features include, but are not limited to:

  • All sealed bid data is stored in encrypted fields while the bid is still available for Supplier response.

  • Each User is required to use a unique password that they select.

  • Passwords are stored in an encrypted format using a one-way hash.

  • Other security features are available for your protection.

PURCHASING METHODS - BID THRESHOLDS

City, Formal Bids - $50,000.00 and Over

County, Formal Bids - $50,000.00 and Over

City, Informal Bids - $10,000.00 - $49,999,99

County, Informal Bids - $10,000.00 - $49,999.99

City, Department Micro-purchase - Under $10,000.00

County, Department - Obtains Quotes -  Under $10,000.00

City/County Departments and Agencies may make one-time micro-purchase via their own staff for supplies or services which total an amount less than $10,000.00 unless the commodity or service is already under contract.  When the Department/Agency makes the purchase, they obtain and record at least three (3) quotations, either written or verbal and shall first look for local vendors who provide this service/product.  If a local vendor is not available at a fair and reasonable cost, other vendors shall be contacted.  Typically, no purchase order is generated.  Under no circumstances shall orders by Departments or Agencies be spit into smaller orders to avoid a quote or bid being processed by the Purchasing Division.  City Departments shall use the Micro-Purchase process requiring them to request prices from local businesses.    

Purchasing will obtain Informal Bids or Quotes using the Ebid system for equipment, supply items, or services with a single purchase value above the department limit, but less than $50,000.00 City/County.  All registered Vendors will receive immediate electronic notification of Informal Bids or Quotes for their respective commodity or service via email.  

City/County Departments and Agencies must adhere to the "Formal Sealed Bid" procedure when making a purchase or contract for $50,000.00 City/County or more. This procedure includes public notice in a regional newspaper and requesting Formal Bids via the E-bid System from qualified suppliers. Vendors registered under the corresponding commodity or service code used will receive immediate notification, via email, upon issuance of the bid.

SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS

Purchasing makes every effort to prepare detailed specifications which accurately define the products or services to be purchased. In some case’s a brand name may be used to describe a particular product. When a brand name is used, it is for the purpose of establishing a grade or quality level of material.  It is not our desire to prevent competition.  Alternates may be offered and will be considered if the City/County determines them to be of equal value to the specified brand.  It is the Vendor's responsibility when offering an alternate to provide supporting documentation and/or product literature outlining the features and benefits of the product offered.

INFORMAL BIDS OR QUOTES

This process does not require a specific number of days for solicitation.  Normally, Quotes are posted on the Ebid System for 1-10 days depending on the dollar amount and/or complexity of the product or service being requested.

FORMAL BIDS

This process is used for commodities or services with a value of $50,000.00 and over where a firm fixed price for the products or services described is required to award the bid. All Formal Bids are advertised for a minimum of 14 calendar days (10 days in cases of emergencies).  All Formal Bids are received via the Ebid System at a date and time specified in the bid.

SAMPLES AND LITERATURE

Vendor's should examine the specification documents carefully to ascertain if they are required to submit samples or descriptive literature with their offer. When samples or descriptive literatures are required, it is understood, unless otherwise indicated in the specification, that they are offered without cost or obligation to the City/County.  Samples will be held for evaluation until analysis and award recommendation is complete, after which time they may be picked up by the Vendor.

TO VIEW CLOSED BIDS

Click on Closed Bids.

Click on the Selected Bid Number.

Click on the Bid Tabulation by Supplier.

Bids will be awarded to the lowest responsible, responsive Bidder, meeting the specification requirements

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

This process is designed to be a competitive negotiation platform for professional services, commodities, or services that require more than a price to determine what is the best product or service for the City/County. This process allows the City/County the flexibility to negotiate with a select company/firm or selected companies/firms to arrive at a mutually agreeable relationship. Registered Vendors will receive notification of RFP's automatically via the Ebid System for the commodities or services they have registered for. 

AWARD TO THE SUCCESSFUL FIRM

A checkmark in the electronic signature box of the Ebid shall be considered an offer on the part of the Vendor. Such offer shall be deemed accepted upon issuance by the City/County of purchase orders and execution of contract documents appropriate to the work.  The City/County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all offers; request Best and Final Offer; request rebids; to award item-by-item, by groups, or "lump sum"; to waive irregularities and technicalities as shall best serve the requirements and interests of the City/County.

Thank you for your interest in doing business with City/County government.

For additional information on specific purchasing requirements contact us at:

Phone Number: (402) 441-8103

Email:  Purchasing@lincoln.ne.gov

or Visit our website at: lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: Purchasing).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   LAST REVISION: 07/01/2022        

         

 

Living Wage

The submitters agree to pay all employees employed in the performance of this contract, a base wage of not less than the City Living Wage per section 2.81.010 of the Lincoln Municipal Code.

This wage is subject to change up or down every July.

Living Wage Rates


Period Annual Rate for Four-Person Family Hourly Rate with Health Benefits Hourly Rate without Health Benefits
07/01/2023 to 06/30/2024 $30,000 $14.42 $15.87
07/01/2022 to 06/30/2023 $27,750 $13.34 $14.67
07/01/2021 to 06/30/2022 $26,500 $12.74 $13.99
07/01/2020 to 06/30/2021 $26,200 $12.60 $13.85
07/01/2019 to 06/30/2020 $25,100  $12.07  $13.32 

Affirmative Action

The City of Lincoln-Lancaster County Purchasing Division provides equal opportunity for all bidders and encourages minority businesses and women's business enterprises to participate in our bidding process.

Code of Ethics

The City of Lincoln and Lancaster County Purchasing Division has adopted the following ethical principles which shall govern the conduct of our Purchasing Division. We shall:

  • Seek or accept a position as head or employee only when fully in accord with the professional principles applicable thereto and when confident of possessing the qualifications to serve under those principles to the advantage of the employee organization.

  • Believe in the dignity and worth of the service rendered by the organization and the societal responsibilities assumed as a trusted public servant.

  • Strive to uphold the highest ideals of honor and integrity in all public and personal relationships in order to merit the respect and inspire the confidence of the organization and the public being served.

  • Believe that employees' interest for personal profit obtained though misuse of public or personal relationships is dishonest and not tolerable.

  • Identify and eliminates participation of any individual in operational situations where a conflict of interest may be involved.

  • Believe that employees of the Division should at no time or under any circumstances accept directly or indirectly, gifts, gratuities, or other things of value from suppliers which might influence or appear to influence purchasing decisions.

  • Keep the governmental organization informed, through appropriate channels, on problems and progress of applicable operations by emphasizing the importance of the facts.

  • Resist encroachment on control of personnel in order to preserve integrity as a professional organization. Handle all personnel matters on a merit basis. Politics, religion, ethnicity, gender and age carry no weight in personnel administration in the agency being directed or served.

  • Seek or dispense no personal favors. Handle each administrative problem objectively and empathetically without discrimination.

  • Subscribe to and support the professional aims and objectives of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc.

    Adapted from the National Institute of Governmental Purchasers (NIGP)