FAQs

The Procurement Division is open for business from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, except observed holidays. The office is located at 500 Griswold, 21st Floor, Detroit, Michigan.

To be notified of current opportunities for those goods or services you must register with the Wayne County Procure to Pay system at P2P or the Michigan Intergovernmental Trade Network (MITN) at www.mitn.info. This will provide automatic notification of most of the County's contracting opportunities. Vendors must self-register. The County encourages vendors to take part in the bid process. However, it is the vendors' responsibility to keep their registration current and it is their responsibility to modify their registration online whenever any changes occur in their product or service, address, ownership, or status as a prospective bidder. Failure to respond to a formal solicitation is defined as a lack of response when invited to bid.

Sales representatives are a valuable source of information in obtaining bids, specifications, state of the art advancements or product improvements. They also assist in resolving problems in delivery, billing and payment matters, etc. Therefore, we value their visits. However, we recommend scheduling an appointment in order to effectively utilize time.

Unless otherwise required by law or Ordinance, all goods and services shall be procured by issuing competitive sealed bids or proposals.

Formal Requests for Proposals (RFP's), Invitations for Bids (IFB's) and Requests for Qualifications (RFQ's) are used for the purchase of goods and services in excess of $50,000 and construction in excess of $100,000. Informal Solicitations for Quotes (SFQ's) are used for goods and services $50,000 or less and for construction $100,000 or less. The Wayne County Commission retains the authority to review and approve contracts for goods and services in excess of $50,000 and construction in excess of $100,000. The Wayne County Executive executes the contracts and grants the final authorization to proceed.

To view current solicitations for major contracts ( those contracts expected to exceed $50,000) you must register with MITN at www.mitn.info and download the Invitations for Bids (IFBs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Qualifications (RFQs).

Informal solicitations may be submitted via telephone, in person, by mail or by email. Specific submission requirements are stated in the bid documents. Although a sealed bid technique is not used, all informal quotations greater than $5,000 are made on a competitive basis, soliciting quotes from at least three (3) vendors whenever possible.

The Wayne County Procurement Ordinance exempts small purchases of $5,000 or less from the competitive solicitation process. Procurement requirements shall not be artificially divided so as to constitute a small purchase. Competitive quotations will be obtained if the Purchasing Director determines the non-competitive quote is unreasonable.

A purchase order is required in order to provide goods or services to the County. Therefore, the County will not be responsible for payment for services rendered or goods delivered in instances where an authorized purchase order has not been issued. If you are asked to fulfill an order or provide a service without a County purchase order, you are cautioned to acquire an authorized purchase order and to obtain the name and department of the individual who issued the request for goods or services. A purchase order is essential to doing business with the County. It is your assurance that you are authorized to be paid for the goods provided or the services rendered.

Wayne County accepts quotations when there is a current need. To be notified of current opportunities for those goods or services you must register with Michigan Intergovernmental Trade Network (MITN) at www.mitn.info. This will provide automatic notification of most of the County's contracting opportunities which are solicited through a simple quotation process (for contract that will not exceed $50,000). MITN will also notify you of Major contracting opportunities (contracts that will exceed $50,000). To view current solicitations for major contracts (those contracts expected to exceed $50,000) you must register with MITN at www.mitn.info and download the Invitations for Bids (IFBs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and Requests for Qualifications (RFQs).

Vendors that have registered on the County's web-based E-purchasing system with a current email address should receive automatic notification of solicitations for quotes (for procurements valued $50,000 or less) in the commodity or service areas in which they have registered.

The County is exempt from any taxes imposed by the state and/or Federal Government. Vendors shall not include state, local and federal taxes in any prices quoted to the County. The Tax Exemption number will be furnished upon request.

The County normally contracts for two types of purchases, either a one-time contract or a term contract.

One Time Contract:The County procures required services or materials on a one-time basis. A firm price is requested for fixed quantities, or a fixed total price, with single or multiple delivery sites.

Term Contract: The County procures goods and services as needed, at fixed unit prices or fixed discount schedules, through multi-year contracts for estimated quantities of materials or services commonly used in volume by specific Divisions or on a County-wide basis. Certain contracts may include a price escalation clause.

All formal bids and proposals shall be submitted as specified in the RFP, IFB or RFQ. The documents must be received before the solicitation due date. Bids and proposals received after the designated time will not be considered.

The County strongly encourages diversity among its suppliers. The Purchasing Division administers several programs to promote vendor diversity, which include County Based Enterprises (CBE), Small Business Enterprises (SBE), Targeted Growth Community Business Enterprises (TGCBE), Expanding Business Enterprises (EBE) and more. Businesses that are certified through one of these programs will receive a bid/proposal price evaluation credit during the County's competitive bidding process. For additional information regarding these programs please contact the Purchasing Office at 313-224-5151. For information on certification requirements and processes, please contact the Wayne County Human Relations Division at 500 Griswold, 15th Floor, Detroit, Michigan 313-224-5021 or visit the Wayne County website.

Unless otherwise stated on the Notice page, all formal bids are opened publicly in the Purchasing Office at 500 Griswold, 21st Floor, Detroit, Michigan, on the date and at the time listed in the IFB. The Purchasing Director's designated representative presides over the bid openings. Other representatives of the County may be in attendance. The designated representative shall read the total bid price, as well as any other information deemed pertinent. A cordial invitation is extended to vendors, sales staff, and the interested public to be present at the bid opening to witness the reading. No decisions of award or rejections are made during the bid opening. No discussions relating to the bids are entered into during the bid opening. A copy of the "unofficial tabulation" that is recorded at the reading is made available upon request for those interested parties that are unable to attend.

For IFBs, the award is made to the lowest responsive (conforms in all material respects) and responsible (has the capability to perform and the integrity and reliability which will assure good faith performance) bidder. The Purchasing Division tabulates all formal IFBs. Copies of the official tabulations are available upon request after the award. Copies are also available in the Purchasing Office. Results are not provided over the telephone. The bid documents are public information and therefore may be inspected under the Freedom of Information Act.

For RFPs, the award is made to the proposer whose proposal is deemed most advantageous to the County based upon the evaluation criteria as published in the RFP document. The Purchasing Director's recommendation for award notice is issued to all RFP respondents after the evaluation process is finished. Proposals are available for public inspection under the Freedom of Information Act.

The County will allow for the correction or withdrawal of inadvertently erroneous bids before bid opening. After bid opening, corrections or withdrawals shall only be permitted to the extent that the bidder can show, by clear and convincing evidence that a mistake of a non-judgmental character was made. The Purchasing Director reserves the right to waive any informality or irregularity in any bid/proposal. Any provision, which if changed or waived would materially change the bid/proposal, cannot be waived, as that would impact the fairness of the solicitation process.

The County reserves the right to reject any or all bids or proposals for any reason. The County may or may not reissue bids or proposals if all are rejected.

Vendors are typically asked on the solicitation document to provide the number of days required before delivery of a product or service can be completed, or the specific date upon which delivery will be made. The time required for delivery may be a critical consideration in determining who shall be awarded the bid, or whether the contract should be awarded. Successful bidders will be expected to deliver the materials and/or services they are providing within the specified time. If delivery dates cannot be met, Purchasing must be notified immediately. Purchasing will decide, after notification of late delivery, the next course of action.

All purchases are made F.O.B. destination, unless otherwise specified. The County's title to goods occurs upon satisfactory delivery and acceptance at the delivery point shown on the purchase order. All shipments to the County must be made to the locations designated on the purchase order. Deliveries may be required to be made to different divisions in various locations. The purchase order number must appear on the shipping or delivery ticket, as well as on the invoice. Failure to meet specified delivery schedules may result in cancellation of the order. At a minimum, such delinquency will be noted in the vendor's record.

A delivery normally must be made in the exact quantity called for on the purchase order. Partial deliveries, however, are required and accepted in some instances. The County will make payment on partial deliveries when

1. A contract for the supply of goods, commodities, or contractual services extends over a period of months;
2. The solicitation/contract does not require a single payment upon completion; and
3. Authorization for payment is made by the receiving Division.

In the case of any partial delivery, the shipping ticket and invoices must indicate the quantity being delivered and not the quantity ordered by the County.

In order to receive payment for goods or services furnished to the County, submit an original invoice to the Department of Management & Budget's Central Accounts Payable Division. Invoices should not be sent to Purchasing. However, a duplicate copy of an invoice may be sent to the operating Division to help expedite the payment process. Failure to submit the original invoice to Accounts Payable is likely to delay payment. Invoices must show:

1. Purchase Order number
2. Complete description of the goods or services furnished
3. Quantity
4. Unit prices and extensions
5. Date of delivery or date services were performed
6. The discount terms
7. Name of the operating division to which shipment was made or services performed.

In addition, the invoice should include the vendor's invoice number and date. Before issuing the invoice, be sure to verify that it complies with the pricing agreed to in the contract or there may be a delay in payment while the discrepancy is resolved.

The Department of Management and Budget (M & B) also operates several satellite finance offices, which provide onsite financial services to various County departments. Two of those satellite offices, the M & B Department of Public Services Finance Division and the M & B Department of Environment Finance Division are responsible for processing payments for goods provided and services rendered to the Department of Public Services and the Department of Environment, respectively.

Central Accounts Payable Bill To Address:
Wayne County Finance Division - 14th Floor
Guardian Building
500 Griswold
Detroit, MI 48226

M & B DPS Finance Bill To Address:
M & B DPS Finance
400 Monroe, 3rd Floor
Detroit, MI 48226

M & B DOE Finance Bill To Address:
M & B DOE
400 Monroe, 4th Floor
Detroit, MI 48226

Please be mindful that the "Bill To" address is listed in the top section of each purchase order.

The vendor receives payment only after delivery and acceptance of the goods, commodities, or services. After the vendor has submitted an original invoice for the goods or services, the invoice is matched with the operating division's receiving report and the purchase order. The County's Central Accounts Payable Division or the respective satellite division then issues a check for the amount due to the vendor. Properly submitted invoices are paid within 30 days of receipt.

Vendors are advised that the County requires proper labeling and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on all products covered by the Hazard Communication Act - 29 CFR 1910.1200. It is the vendor's responsibility to be cognizant of which products are covered by the Act and to provide MSDS with the initial shipment. It is also the vendor's responsibility to provide any updates or revisions of MSDS as they may become available for any products sold and delivered to the County.