How to Receive Bid Packets

The Board (CH local) delegates to the Superintendent or designee the authority to make budgeted purchases for goods or services. However, any single, budgeted purchase of goods or services that costs $25,000 or more, regardless of whether the goods or services are competitively purchased, shall require Board approval before a transaction may take place. The following is a list of the procurement methods used by Gainesville ISD.

• Cooperative Purchasing– The district participates in several cooperatives.
• Formal Quotes – Formal quotes from at least three vendors are required when the purchase of like materials/equipment is up to $49,999   aggregate for a 12-month period.  The district has the option to obtain formal quotations or submit these purchases to competitive bidding. (Statute Sec. 44.031 TEC)  The need for formal quotes is to be reviewed each year after budgets are submitted.
• Sealed Bids - Items Over $50,000 or for Aggregate Amounts for 12 Months Used primarily for on-time purchases of specific items that do not have the lowest and best price available from the BuyBoard or other interlocal contracts: when it is known that there is a budget to cover the purchases, and not negotiation will be required; or when the end user does not have a specific product requirement that precludes hard bidding and an “or equal” is acceptable. The Texas Education Code Chapter 44.031(a); (b) allows school districts to procure goods and services with a value of $50,000 or more in the annual aggregate utilizing competitive bids, request for proposals and competitive sealed proposals.  The major difference between a bid and proposal is price negotiations.  Once bids are closed, the pricing cannot be negotiated.  When utilizing request for proposals and competitive sealed proposals, the District may negotiate pricing or other terms up until the time of award. The following procedures apply to bids and proposals.  For the purposes of this section, the word “Bid” applies to competitive bids, request for proposals and competitive sealed proposals.  Projects or combination of projects that must be bid are to be submitted to the Finance Director as quickly as possible. The bid process can be very lengthy. Bid specifications must be developed, the bid must be advertised for two consecutive weeks, and after the bid is opened and tabulated- approval by the Board of Trustees must take place. This process can take several weeks to complete.  Only after the approval of the Board of Trustees can a purchase order be issued. All competitive bid documentation should be sent to the Business Office where a file will be maintained in accordance with the record retention laws.

To ensure your company is included on our request for bids please click on the Vendor Info Packet link, fill out and mail to 800 S. Morris St., Gainesville, TX  76240 or email to Alyce Greer at agreer@gainesvilleisd.org.

Vendor Info Packet 

Purchasing Cooperatives

Buyboard 

DIR-Texas Department of Information Resource Home Page

Educational Purchasing Cooperative of North Texas (EPCNT)