Introduction#
The City of Fort Collins has established a centralized Purchasing Division. Purchasing strives to promote a fair and open market, allowing any business, regardless of size or ownership, opportunity to compete to satisfy the City's needs for goods, services, and construction.
Commodity purchases are accomplished by issuance of a numbered purchase order authorized by the Director of Purchasing. Services, capital and construction are secured by contract and supported by the issuance of a purchase order.
The Purchasing Division is an internal service with the responsibility to provide all City departments and divisions with the procurement assistance required to maximize value for the dollars spent. The goal of Purchasing is to provide a centralized source for pricing and quotations, order placement, vendor contact and general problem solving. We promote the use of Life Cycle Costing and sustainable procurement whenever feasible.
Our Mission#
To facilitate the procurement of the material, equipment and services needed by the City through equitable, broad-based competition within the free enterprise system.
Our Vision#
The City of Fort Collins is a recognized leader in the sustainable purchasing arena. Sustainable purchasing takes into account the triple bottom line of environmental, social and economic aspects. Sustainable purchasing also recognizes the product life cycle of acquisition, utilization and disposal. Safety is a recognizable element in environmental and social segments of the criteria.
What is Sustainable Purchasing?#
Sustainable Purchasing is a process for selecting products or services that have a lesser or reduced negative effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This process is also known as "Environmentally Preferable Purchasing" (EPP), or "Green Purchasing".
General Information#
Departments within the City of Fort Collins are authorized to procure goods or services costing less than $7,500 without going through the Purchasing Division. NOTE: Purchases utilizing federal grant funding may have different dollar limits.
Commodity purchases are accomplished by issuance of a numbered purchase order authorized by the Purchasing Director. Services, capital improvements and construction are secured by contract and supported by the issuance of a purchase order. Orders under $7,500 may be issued by departments, but orders over $7,500 must be authorized by the Purchasing Division.
The City of Fort Collins requires a formal competitive process for all purchases above $60,000. All competitive solicitation notices are posted on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (RMEPS) at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins. For most competitive solicitations the City will use either the Invitation to Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposals (RFP) process. ITB awards are awarded based on the lowest price from a responsive and responsible vendor. RFP awards use additional criteria leading to an award based on ‘best value’. Most ITB and RFP solicitations are posted on RMEPS and if not available electronically, the notice will state where the ITB or RFP package may be obtained.
For purchases between $7,500 and $60,000, the Purchasing Division and/or department completes an informal competitive process in which quotes are obtained from multiple vendors. The Purchasing Division will often post requests for quotes on the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System as well.