Westchester County uses several methods to do business with companies. One is through the procurement process. Here are some basics of county procurement.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
A RFP is a request to businesses to submit a proposal on a particular service or project. RFPs are usually highly specific and descriptive to ensure that the purposes and needs of the service or project will be met by the selected vendor. Proposals are evaluated and rated based on how well they meet the specified guidelines and requirements. Most county departments use RFPs to solicit business with outside companies. Review our list of active RFPs.
Request for Bid (RFB)
The Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Bureau of Purchase and Supplies (BPS) use RFB, which is a formal sealed bid process, to engage businesses for opportunities. Awards are made to the lowest responsible bidder.
DPW advertises all construction contracts and bids that exceed $20,000 on the Empire State Purchasing GroupHudson Valley Municipal Purchasing Group and on the DPW weekly newsletter, WestWorks. Westworks is available online and in hard copy by subscription.
Related to BPS, a RFB is the formal sealed bid process for purchases of commodities of $10,000 or more. All RFBs are advertised in "The Journal News."
Request for Quote
Request for Quotes are used when purchases of products are expected to be less than $10,000. These may be made without public advertisement, but quotes shall be secured from at least three bidders (preferably more); and this may be done via telephone, fax, US mail or Hudson Valley Municipal Purchasing Group.
In addition, county departments reach out to businesses for quotes of services less than $20,000. They may use listings to find businesses that provide specific services and/or products. If you are a minority or women-owned business, consider registering your business to be added to the MWBE database. You will have more visibility with the county as well as the public.
Request for Qualification
The Department of Public Works (DPW) uses the Request for Qualification process when retaining consulting services of architects, landscape architects, engineers, and (land) surveyors. By law, DPW must hire consultants for these related services from an established list. To be on this list, you must submit the federal SF330: Architect-Engineer Qualifications form to DPW. For more information, contact DPW.
