FOREWORD
The public bidding process, utilized by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC), is designed to operate in an efficient, legal and cost-effective manner. It is the responsibility of the Director of Procurement and Materials Management and other officers of the MWRDGC, with policy guidance by the Board of Commissioners, to achieve that goal.
The purpose of this guide is to familiarize the public with the bidding
process and help potential suppliers of materials, equipment and services
sell to the MWRDGC.
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Bids Under $25,000 for Commodities and Under $10,000 for Services |
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Department of Procurement and Materials Management Staff and Buyers |
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The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago encompasses an area of approximately 883 square miles. It is one of the largest governmental bodies in the state of Illinois, with seven treatment facilities reclaiming nearly 1.6 billion gallons of wastewater daily.
Governed by a nine-member Board of Commissioners, policies and day-to-day operations of the MWRDGC are implemented by the Executive Director and nine operating departments, including the Department of Procurement and Materials Management.
The Director of Procurement and Materials Management is the chief officer of the Department of Procurement and Materials Management. The Director of Procurement and Materials Management is responsible for all procurement of construction contracting, services, products and materials used by the MWRDGC as well as supervisory management of inventory control and storeroom operations.
This guide catalogs the procurement opportunities offered by the MWRDGC which often averages more than $130 million/year.
A firm can get on the supplier list for materials, supplies, equipment and/or services by registering online at www.mwrd.org. Simply click on the “Become a New Vendor” quick link on the home page and complete the vendor application. Complete the “National Institute of Government Purchasing (NIGP) Commodity/Service List” to indicate the supplies, equipment and services that your firm can provide. Once your vendor application has been approved, you will receive an email indicating your vendor number. A firm can also fax, mail, or email a vendor application, as per instructions provided in the “Become a New Vendor” section of our website. A firm may also choose to send a written request, on company letterhead, to the Director of Procurement and Materials Management requesting a vendor application to be mailed to them. In all cases, the firm’s tax identification number must be stated on the vendor application. A potential supplier then may receive invitations to bid, by fax or mail, when the MWRDGC seeks to purchase items or services within the firm’s designated area(s) of expertise.
Placement on the supplier list grants prospective bidders access to procurement opportunities.
As a public agency, the MWRDGC encourages full participation in the open bidding process. Its Diversity Program is designed to increase participation of businesses owned by minorities, women, and/or small businesses in all MWRDGC procurement activities. The Diversity Administrator provides technical assistance to majority contractors and minority, women, and/or small business owners to help them meet the goals of a specific project.
Most procurement occurs at the MWRDGC’s main office, located at 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611. All suppliers, who are interested in bidding for a MWRDGC contract, can pick up specifications and bid forms at the Department of Procurement and Materials Management in the main office between the hours of 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday. In addition, specifications and bid forms will be mailed directly to potential suppliers upon fax request at (312) 751-3042. Specifications and bid forms may also be downloaded online from the District’s website, www.mwrd.org. Simply click on the “Contracts & Proposals” quick link on the home page, and then on the “For Contracts Being Currently Advertised, click here” link on the following page. Upon receipt or download of the specifications and bid forms, your firm is considered a plan holder for that contract. A plan holder list is available online, in the “Contracts & Proposals” section of the website. Any addendum for the contract will be posted online, and faxed or mailed to all plan holders on record.
HOW THE MWRDGC PROCURES GOODS AND SERVICES
All procurement transactions performed by the MWRDGC are governed by the "1963 Purchasing Act of the Sanitary District of Greater Chicago," as amended. The Act states that all purchase orders or contracts of $25,000 or less for commodities and $10,000 or less for services may be let in the open competitive market, without formal advertisement, after solicitation of bids.
With few exceptions, all purchase orders or contracts exceeding $25,000 for commodities and $10,000 for services are let by free and open competitive bidding after they have been formally advertised. These types of agreements are called "Formal Contracts." The document entitled "Major Contracts," identifies formal contracts which are scheduled for advertisement. This booklet is updated annually.
Some contracts, by nature, are not adaptable to competitive bidding, as stated in the Purchasing Act (under 70ILCS 2605/11.4). In these categories, the Act provides for the award of such contracts directly by the Director of Procurement and Materials Management, without competitive bidding.
In emergency situations that affect public health or safety, contracts may be let, without formal advertisement, pending approval by the Board of Commissioners.
BIDS UNDER $25,000 FOR COMMODITIES AND UNDER $10,000 FOR SERVICES
Bids under $25,000 for commodities and under $10,000 for services are obtained through a "Quotation Request and Record Form" that is issued by the MWRDGC Buyer and sent to appropriate suppliers. The form identifies a complete description of the commodity and/or service requested and is faxed to the potential supplier. In a few instances, the quote request may also be mailed to the supplier. Bids must be received by and are opened at 10:30 a.m., Chicago time, on the date specified on the form. Bids may be submitted either in person, by fax, or by mail in the pre-addressed return envelope provided with a mailed quotation request.
Bid deposits are not usually required for bids under $25,000 for commodities and under $10,000 for services.
In the event that a supplier is unable to bid, the firm should indicate a "no bid" response on the request form and return it to the Department of Procurement and Materials Management.
FORMAL CONTRACTS (BIDS OVER $25,000 FOR COMMODITIES AND OVER $10,000 FOR SERVICES)
The MWRDGC utilizes formal advertisement to initiate the bidding process for contracts exceeding $25,000 for commodities and $10,000 for services. Prospective bidders are notified by:
- advertisement in a general circulation newspaper.
- a posted notice on the Department of Procurement and Materials Management’s 5th floor bulletin board at the MWRDGC main office.
- an invitation to bid faxed or mailed to registered suppliers listed in our supplier data base, who’s indicated NIGP code(s) correspond with the given contract.
- occasionally, advertisement in specialty periodicals.
- on the MWRDGC web site http://www.mwrd.org
All formal bids must be submitted on forms furnished by the MWRDGC. Prospective bidders may request bid forms and specifications in person at the MWRDGC Department of Procurement and Materials Management in the main office or by faxing a request to (312) 751-3042. Bid forms and specifications may also be downloaded online from the District’s website, www.mwrd.org, in the “Contracts & Proposals” section of the website. In addition, there is a new feature (under the same link stated above), where bidders can ask questions and receive responses online for contracts and RFPs.
The invitation to bid will specify whether or not the bidder is allowed to request mailing of the documents. If a bid document is requested for mailing, the MWRDGC does not ensure that the document will arrive to the potential supplier in time for their firm to provide a bid on the due date stated in the invitation to bid. If a bid document is downloaded online from the District’s website, the District assumes no liability for the inability of any bidder to successfully download any and all contract documents.
A document fee may be required for plans and specifications. This fee is non-refundable and is stated in the invitation to bid.
All formal bids must be delivered and deposited in the Bid Depository Safe located in the main office building lobby, 100 East Erie Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611 on or before the due date and time fixed for said bid opening as specified in the invitation to bid.
All formal bids faxed, electronically transmitted, or received after the due date and time, will be returned to the bidder.
Generally, formal bids must be accompanied by a bid deposit, payable in the form of cash, cashier’s check, certified check, or bid bond as stated in the contract document. Bid deposits are returned to the bidders, after the bid opening, according to the terms of the contract documents.
All formal bids are opened and read publicly by the Director of Procurement and Materials Management, or designee, at the specified time, date and place set forth in the invitation to bid. Bid results are available at the Department of Procurement and Materials Management, 5th floor of the main office building, or in the “Contracts & Proposals” section of the District’s website, as soon as possible following the bid opening.
In 1995 the District implemented a new bid deposit policy as outlined below:
Bid deposits shall NOT in any event be required for the following classes of contracts unless upon determination of the Director of Procurement and Materials Management that the time of delivery or such other critical circumstance warrants the imposition of a bid deposit requirement:
- Contracts which are emergency, sole source procurements or negotiations
- Contracts for materials or supplies of which does not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00)
- Contracts for the purchase of standard manufactured motor vehicles
- Contracts for replacement parts or services for equipment that depend upon requirements
Each contract document will notify a bidder if a bid deposit is required or not required.
On April 20, 1995, the Board of Commissioners of the MWRDGC approved passage of a multi-project labor agreement (MPLA) with the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council to utilize union trades people where applicable. The agreement will apply to construction projects and the MWRDGC reserves the right to determine which contracts are included in the agreement. Construction projects where the multi-project labor agreements apply are stated in the invitation to bid in the contract document.
Process of Accepting and Awarding Contract Bids
The following is a general overview of the process:
After the opening of contract bids, contract bid status is made available online, in the “Contracts & Proposals” section of the District’s website. Upon identifying an apparent low bidder, post qualification data forms will be mailed to the apparent low bidder by the Director of Procurement and Materials Management. These forms must be completed and returned to the Department of Procurement and Materials Management within 21 days.
Subsequent to the receipt and approval of the bid and requested data, a recommendation for award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder will be made to the MWRDGC’s Board of Commissioners. Upon approval of the contract by the Board of Commissioners, the Director of Procurement and Materials Management will notify the successful bidder via issuance of a purchase order or an official notification of award letter. Board award information is also available online in the “Contracts & Proposals” section of the website. The department for which the service and/or commodity is provided will then administer the performance of the contract to its completion.
As a public agency, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago welcomes all suppliers to participate in the open bidding process for contractual projects.
The MWRDGC encourages all potential suppliers to use the guidelines provided to assist them in future bidding efforts.
Any questions regarding bidding/buying procedures should be directed to the Department of Procurement and Materials Management staff. Key staff members are listed below.