Vendor/Contractor Selection - Responsive & Responsible

District, school, and program personnel have a fiduciary duty to taxpayers and public patrons to select the vendor/contractor which is the best value when considering bids, quotes, and RFPs. When obtaining bids/quotes, personnel should ensure the bids/quotes being considered are from responsive and responsible vendors/contractors. The vendor/contractor selected must be both the most responsive and most responsible option. Not only is cost a consideration, but also timeliness, reliability, compliance, and other factors are used to determine the best value. “Best Value” is always defined and evaluated per the specifications determined in the planning phase of the purchasing process.

Vendors/contractors shall be selected based upon the specifications set forth in the planning stages for the purchase.

63G-6-303 (Superseded 05/01/13). Purpose of specifications. All specifications shall seek to promote overall economy and best use for the purposes intended and encourage competition in satisfying the state's needs, and shall not be unduly restrictive. The requirements of this part regarding the purposes and nonrestrictiveness of specifications shall apply to all specifications, including, but not limited to, those prepared by architects, engineers, designers, and draftsmen for public contracts.

Responsible Bidder: A bidder who has the capability in all respects to perform fully all requirements with integrity and reliability to assure good faith performance.

Responsive Bidder: A bidder who has submitted a proposal response which conforms in all respects to the solicitation document.