How to Submit a Bid
Home Vendor Center Board of Contract & Supply Contact

1.  What to do if you notice an RFP you would like to bid on:

  • Download the RFP – Invitation to Bid (Solicitation)
  • Email the Purchasing Department and request that the RFP be sent to you. Email: purchasing@providenceri.gov
  • Visit the Purchasing Department in City Hall and pick-up a copy of the RFP in person.  Our office is located at 25 Dorrance Street, Providence, RI on the 4th floor in room 408.
  • You can also download the packet from BidNet website. Registration is free!

2.  Attend the Bidders Conference:

    • If applicable, attend the pre-bid conference for the RFP you are interested in. Not all RFP’s have a corresponding pre-bid conference.
    •  If one is stated in the RFP and it is noted as mandatory, you must attend in order to have your bid accepted.

3.  Ask Questions

      • Please direct questions relative to the bidding process including, how to fill out forms and how to submit a bid (Pages 1-8) to the Purchasing Department.
      • Email: Purchasing@providenceri.gov (Please use the RFP Item description in the subject line)
      • Please direct questions relative to the Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise Program and the corresponding forms (Pages 9-13) to the MBE/WBE Outreach Director for the City of Providence, Grace Diaz, Phone: (401) 680-5766, Email: gdiaz@providenceri.gov (Please use subject line “MBE WBE Forms”)

4.  Assemble your packet.

Your bid should include copies of all forms required with your bid submission are included in your RFP. If you prefer these forms as individual, fillable PDF’s you can download them below. Please refer to page 3 of you RFP for a complete list of all required forms. Please note: If any of the required items outlined on page 3 of the RFP are omitted in a submitted bid, it will be considered incomplete and cannot be awarded.

Bid Form 1 Bid Form 2 Bid Form 3 Bid Form 4

Minority + Women-Owned Business Enterprise Form

 

If you have questions about these forms or the Minority + Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program, please contact: Grace Diaz,MBE/WBE Outreach Director Phone: (401) 680-5766 – Email: gdiaz@providenceri.gov

Please read these forms thoroughly as early as possible to allow ample time to connect with Ms. Diaz and complete the appropriate forms.

 

Supplemental Information – This information is NOT requested to be provided in your initial bid by design.

The RFP you choose to respond to may include details regarding the information that you will need to provide (such as proof of licenses) to the issuing department before the formalization of a contract. An inability to provide the outlined items at the request of the department may lead to the disqualification of your bid.

 

5.  Deliver your bid to the City Clerk’s office.

      • Please note that 2 copies of your bid must be received in sealed envelopes or packages labeled on the outside with:
      • The RFP name (The “Item Description” at the top of the first page of the RFP you are answering)
      • The city department to which the RFP and bid are related
      • You can mail your packet to the City Clerk’s office or deliver your packet in person.   In either instance, your bid must be received by the City Clerk’s office staff by the “date to be opened” specified at the top of the RFP packet you are answering by 2:15 pm at the latest.Addressed to: Board of Contract and Supply, Department of the City Clerk – City Hall, Room 311, 25 Dorrance Street, Providence, RI 02903

Please note: Late bids cannot be accepted.

6.  What happens next?

      • All bids received will be opened at the Board of Contract and Supply meeting.
      • From there, bids will be distributed to the corresponding city departments that issued the RFP for review and selection.
      • Department Directors then share their bid recommendation with the Board of Contract and Supply and ask for their approval.
      • The earliest that you may hear back is two weeks from the date that your bid packet was opened (Board of Contract and Supply meetings are held every other week).
      • Awards will be made within 90 days of bid opening unless otherwise stated in the bid specifications.
      • If you have questions about a department’s timeline, please contact the subject matter expert noted on page 1 of your RFP.

7.  How will I know if my bid has been selected?

      • If a Department Director’s bid recommendation is approved by the Board of Contract and Supply, they then work with our legal team to draft a contract. Once that has been prepared by the City Solicitor, the city department will reach out to you for your signature to move forward.
      • If, after reviewing the contract drafted by our City Solicitor, you have questions or concerns, the city department you are working with will put you or your legal counsel in touch with the City Solicitor’s office to work through the details of the contract.

If you have questions specific to going through the bid process:

      • Contact the Purchasing Department
      • Phone: (401) 680-5264
      • Email: Purchasing@providenceri.gov