Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Procurement Frequently Asked Questions
Commodity Contract Information - I have been talking to a department and they are interested in my goods/services. You have a contract for it already but I can beat the price so how do I provide my products to the department anyway?
Placer County is always interested in new options and opportunities. Contact our office at 530-886-2122 and you will be referred to the buyer responsible for that product and service. They will share with you the specific information about that product and the contract. We will work with you to explain the timeframe and process so that you have an opportunity to compete for the contract.
EBid Username/Password Retrieval Question: I forgot my password and user name, how do I get back into my profile to respond to the bid?
Please contact our office at 530-886-2122 and we can assist you.
Register for Electronic Bid Notification - How do I become a vendor and get registered with the County to be notified of solicitations?
Go to the Public Purchase Registration page and you will be able to register for notifications.
Doing Business With Placer County - How can I sell things to Placer County?
You need to register as a vendor so that as opportunities arise you will receive a notification and be able to respond to the bid/RFP. Go to the Public Purchase Registration page and complete the vendor registration process to begin receiving notifications.
Rebid a Commodity or Service - When will a commodity be rebid?
Placer County normally re-bids every three years but that is a decision that is evaluated at each renewal period.
Local Vendor Preference - How do I qualify for Local Vendor Preference?
Complete information and the form that would need to be submitted can be found at the Local Vendor Preference Page
Hard Copy Bids - I can’t submit my bid electronically because I don’t know how to navigate the County’s E-Bid website. Can I submit a hard copy instead?
Certainly, while many of our bids are submitted online we accept hard copy responses as well. The hard copy response must be submitted to our office by the date and time for the electronic responses in order to be considered.
Preference Policies - Does Placer County have preference for Small Businesses, Minority Owned Businesses, Women Owned Businesses, Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, or Disabled Veteran Businesses?
Placer County has a 5% local vendor preference but we do not have any other ongoing preference policies. Specific projects may have preferences and if they are applicable they will be clearly identified in the bid or RFP document.
Annual Contract Renewals - How many times can an annual contract be renewed?
Normally for three years, however we review each contract annually to determine if it is in the best interests of the County to renew or rebid the commodity or service.
Open Construction Bids Frequently Asked Questions
Payment for Plans and
Specifications: How can I pay for the Plans and Specifications
for Placer County’s Construction Bids?
We accept Master Card and VISA, or you can pay with
your checking or savings account.
Convenience
Fee: Is there a Convenience fee for using my Credit
Cards or Electronic Fund Transfer?
A convenience fee of $2.50 will be charged to your
credit card for MC or VISA transactions; $1.50 will be charged for
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) from your bank account. This
fee will be added to your purchase when you enter your credit card
information.
Shipping and
Handling: How do you ship the plans and
specifications?
When you order your plans, you choose the Shipping
Method:
- Pick Up – Pay for the plans on-line and pick
them up in person at Placer County Procurement
- Ship by County Mail – An additional “County
Shipping Fee” will apply
- Fed Ex – Provide your account number and choose the
delivery rate, and there will be no additional County Shipping
Fee.
How to Order
Plans and Specifications: What are the steps to get started on Ordering
Open Construction Bids?
To get started, go to
www.placer.ca.gov/Admin/Procurement/openconstructionbids.aspx and follow these steps:
- Select the plans you want to order by clicking the dot in the “Order Plans” column. Note:
You may only order plans for one project at a time. If you wish to
order plans for more than one project, you will need to place a
separate order. Press Order Selected Plans at the bottom of the
screen to continue.
- Enter the number of sets you wish
to purchase in the Quantity field, then select the Shipping Method
you desire: • Pick Up – You may pay for the plans
on-line and pick them up in person at Placer County Procurement
• Ship by County Mail – An additional “County
Shipping Fee” will apply • Fed Ex – Provide your
account number and choose the delivery rate, and there will be no
additional County Shipping Fee. Complete the Customer Order and
Shipping fields, and press Confirm Order to continue.
- Order Confirmation: Review all
information very carefully for accuracy. If corrections are needed,
choose Modify Order Information to return to previous screen(s). If
everything is correct, choose Continue to Payment Screen.
- Choose payment by credit card for MasterCard
or VISA payment, or choose Electronic Funds Transfer.