TRA Procurement Policies-- Doing Business With TRA

The Authority annually expends several million dollars on goods, services, and supplies. In 2006, these expenditures (excluding professional services) exceeded $39 million.

With respect to procurement, it is the TRA’s intent to promote competitive pricing and broad participation of vendors in purchasing.

VENDOR PARTICIPATION

A Vendor Solicitation List (VSL) will be used for both solicitation of bids and for pricing purchases, which fall below the required bid amount. Vendors will be deleted from the VSL at the vendor’s written request. Vendors may also be deleted from the VSL when goods or services are nonconforming, fail to meet quality standards, or fail to be delivered as promised.

DISADVANTAGE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PARTICIPATION

Business enterprises, including disadvantaged, minority, women owned, or Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), will be encouraged to submit a vendor profile to a TRA purchasing site for inclusion in that location’s VSL.

TRA will accept the statement of the vendor as to 51% ownership by an individual or class of individuals who qualify as HUB owners, i.e. Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Native Americans, and Women. TRA will accept vendor certification of HUB status by the North Central Regional Certification Agency, North Texas Women’s Business Counsel, or Texas General Services Commission.

TRANSACTIONS REQUIRING COMPETITIVE BIDS

For contracts of $25,000 or more where purchases are available through the State of Texas General Services Commission (GSC) catalog, the manager will obtain three other quotes. If the GSC catalog price is the lowest and best price, the item need not be bid. The purchase order may be initiated after approval from the General Manager.

For contracts of $25,000 or more where the purchase is not available through the GSC catalog, the Authority advertises the letting of the contract, including the general conditions, time, and place of the opening of the sealed bids. The notice is published in one or more newspapers with general circulation in the state, or with general circulation in the Authority’s jurisdiction. The notice is published once a week for three consecutive weeks before the date that the bids are opened, and the first publication is no later than the 21^st day before the date of the opening of the sealed bids.

The appropriate manager will make publication of a Bid Notice only after a determination of the availability of the products or services.

Bid awards based on the lowest and best bid will be determined by an analysis of the bids received, as well as bid awards by GSC. Recommendation for awarding the lowest bid and proper approval of the award will be made to the General Manager and/or the Board of Directors.