Public Bidding: Can the Agency Re-Bid?
September 26, 2011
Public agencies typically reserve the right to reject all bids and to re-advertise for bids. Why would an agency do this?...
Legislative Alert: New Law Impacts Bidders’ Access to Public Records and Evaluation Committee Meetings
June 7, 2011
On June 2, 2011, Governor Scott signed HB 7223 into law. This new legislation amends Florida's Public Records and Sunshine Laws, by expanding "exemptions" applicable to bids, proposals and replies to sealed competitive solicitations, and closes evaluation meetings from the public in certain instances....
You Must Have Standing to Protest Bids
June 2, 2011
So the public agency makes a contract award decision and you are unhappy. Do you have the right to complain? Before filing a protest, you need to have standing to challenge the decision. What does that mean?...
Public Procurement of Professional Services
February 1, 2011
The Consultants' Competitive Negotiation Act provides a procedure for the public procurement of certain professional services, including architectural and engineering....
Common Bidding Mistakes, Part 2
January 20, 2011
Avoiding common bidding mistakes may be the difference between having your bid rejected, and the award of a lucrative public contract. In our prior posting, we outlined five of what we have described as the "top ten" common bidding mistakes. The following are additional issues to watch out for when preparing a bid for a public agency in Florida....
Common Bidding Mistakes – Part 1
December 21, 2010
To be considered for an award of a public contract, it is critical that your bid or proposal contain all required information and forms....
Bidder’s Tools: Florida’s Public Records and Sunshine Laws
November 29, 2010
How do you monitor a public agency's review and evaluation of bids and proposals? What right do you have to observe evaluation committees when proposals are evaluated?...
Getting Started in Public Procurement
November 17, 2010
Contractors looking for work in these tough times should keep public projects in mind. If you are not familiar with the public procurement or "bidding" process, knowing the basics will help in getting started. Most public agencies have standard policies and procedures for advertising and awarding contracts. The first step is identifying the public agencies that need your services. From there, you will need to determine how the agency advertises its projects, and the terms and conditions for the particular project.
In Florida, there are layers of government, all of which advertise and award construction work. The tricky part is that these agencies all have their own requirements. For example, State agencies such as the Florida Department of Transportation, may be subject to the requirements of statutes and administrative regulations that may not be applicable to local government agencies. In other words, public procurement in the State of Florida is not a "one size fits all" process. For local governments, including counties and municipalities, there may be purchasing ordinances and policies that apply to the particular agency. Determining what the process is for the agency you are interested in doing work for is critical.