302.01
Applicability
The purchase, lease, lease-purchase or contracting for goods
expected to cost in the aggregate in excess of ten thousand dollars and
services expected to cost in the aggregate in excess of twenty-five thousand
dollars shall be obtained as a result of competitive bidding, except as
provided below.
302.01A The Division
may exempt an item from competitive bidding other than a major procurement, if
the item or service is unique, is purchased in quantities too small to be
effectively purchased through competitive bidding, if there is an immediate or
emergency need for the item, or if the Division determines that the best
interests of the lottery will be served by exemption from the bidding
process.
302.01B Whenever a
purchase is exempt from competitive procurement procedures under these
regulations, the Director is required to make a determination that the cost of
the goods or services are reasonable under the circumstances. In making this
reasonableness determination, the Director may use historical pricing data, and
personal knowledge of product and marketplace conditions.
302.02 Methods of obtaining bids or proposals
used by the Division
Bids or proposals are to be obtained by one of the following
methods. If more than one method is applicable to the purchase of a particular
item, the Division shall choose the method of bidding to be utilized.
302.02A
Informal bids - goods.
Informal bids are required for the purchase, lease, lease-purchase or entering
into a contract for goods costing in the aggregate more than ten thousand
dollars ($10,000).
302.02A(1) The Division
shall prepare a written invitation-to-bid (ITB) and shall mail, fax, hand
deliver or e-mail the ITB, to vendors on the list maintained under these
regulations, Prospective Bidder Selection, in the business of providing the
goods sought by the Division.
302.02A(2) The invitation to bid shall
contain the due date and time of the bid opening, a complete description of the
item needed, and any other necessary or proper items. All sample items must be
received by the bid due date. The Department may elect how bidders may submit
bids, including by mail, fax, hand delivery, e-mail, telephone or
otherwise.
302.02A(3) Bids received
prior to the time set for the bid opening of the bidding document shall be held
by the Division unopened until the bid opening.
302.02A(4) All bids shall be opened by the
Division. As the bids are opened they will be summarized and tabulated, and the
results of the summary/tabulations shall be made available to any interested
party. The original bids and the summary/tabulations will be maintained by the
Division for one year following the date on which the bids were opened, at
which time all original bids, records and summary/tabulations may be destroyed
by the Division.
302.02A(5) An
award shall be made within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of the bid
opening unless a different time frame is stated by the Division in the ITB or
subsequently agreed to by the Division and the bidders. The price quoted by the
bidders shall remain binding through the applicable time period. If an award is
not made within the applicable time frame, all bids shall be deemed rejected.
The Division is not required to issue notices of non-acceptance.
302.02B
Informal bids -
services. Informal bids are required for the purchase of services
costing in the aggregate more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
302.02B(1) The Division shall solicit at
least three bidders in the business of providing the services sought by the
Division. If the Division is unable to discover at least three businesses which
provide the services sought, the Division may solicit bids from fewer than
three bidders.
302.02B(2) The
results of all bids will be tabulated, and the results of the tabulations shall
be made available to any interested party. A record of the bids and tabulations
will be maintained by the Division for one year following the date on which the
bids are solicited, at which time all original bids, records and tabulations
may be destroyed by the Division.
302.02C
Request for proposals.
Request for proposals (RFP) are required for major procurements. The purpose of
a RFP is to provide the vendor with sufficient information about the Division's
requirements and goals to allow the vendor to propose a solution to the
Division's requirements.
302.02C(1) The
Division shall prepare a written request for proposals and shall send by
electronic or U.S. mail the RFP to vendors on the list maintained under these
regulations in the business of supplying the goods or services sought by the
Division.
302.02C(2) Proposals
shall be opened at the time designated in the proposal and made available to
any interested party on the date and hour designated in the proposal. Any
portions of the proposal that have been properly identified by the vendor as
trade secrets or proprietary information shall not be disclosed by the
Division.
302.02C(3) An award shall
be made within ninety (90) calendar days from the date of the proposal opening
unless a different time frame is stated by the Division in the RFP during which
the award shall be made or during which bids will remain binding, or
subsequently agreed to by the vendors. The terms quoted by the vendor shall
remain binding throughout the time period for making an award, or the time
period specified in the RFP. If an award is not made within the applicable time
frame all proposals shall be deemed rejected.
302.02C(4) At a minimum a RFP shall address
the following criteria: important dates in the proposal and the award process
including the due date for the proposal and the date and hour of the proposal
opening; the scope of the work to be performed and any specific requirements
which the vendor must meet; the providing of samples, and any contractual terms
and conditions which the Division anticipates may affect the terms of the
vendor's proposal.
302.02D
Department of Administrative
Services. Goods and services may be obtained by the Division through the
Department of Administrative Services whenever such procurement is possible and
is in the best interest of the Division.
302.02E
Emergency purchases. An
emergency purchase procurement, other than a major procurement, shall be made
when an unexpected, sudden, serious, or urgent situation demands immediate
action. An emergency purchase may be used only to purchase goods necessary to
meet the emergency. Subsequent purchases must be obtained through the normal
purchasing procedures in these regulations. Competitive procedures are not
required to make emergency purchase procurements.
302.02E(1) For an emergency purchase of goods
more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), the Division will state in writing
the nature of the emergency, the bidder selected, the goods procured, the date
of the procurement and factors leading to a determination of the emergency
purchase.
302.03 Changes in ITB or RFP
The Division may make changes to any solicitations at any
time. Any changes will be sent to all persons who received the ITB or
RFP.
302.04 Questions about
ITB or RFP
302.04A The Division may accept
questions about any ITB submitted in any manner deemed acceptable to the
Division. For an ITB, the Division is only required to answer a question only
to the specific vendor asking the question, although it may elect to notify all
potential bidders about the question and the Division's response.
302.04B The Division may accept questions
about any RFP submitted in any other manner deemed acceptable to the Division.
The Division will establish the date by which all questions have to be
received. The Division may answer some or all of the questions received at its
election. All answers to RFP questions will be in writing and will be provided
in the same manner and to the same persons as changes to an RFP, along with a
copy of the questions that were answered.
302.05 Cancellation of ITB or RFP
If an informal invitation to bid or request for proposal is
canceled prior to the time set for opening the bids or proposals any responses
already received shall be returned unopened.
302.06 Advertising solicitations
Requests for proposals issued by the Division for goods or
services costing in the aggregate greater than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)
shall be advertised five (5) days before issuance in a daily paper of general
circulation in Nebraska.
302.06A The
advertisement shall indicate that it is a notice to prospective vendors,
contain the bid due date and time of opening, describe the items to be
purchased, and provide the name, address, telephone number and fax number of
the person to be contacted to obtain official bidding documents.