As provided in §16-311 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, every contract for any building, improvement, equipment, or supplies shall be procured through competitive sealed bids, unless the procurement falls into one of the following categories:

• books or other materials for instruction;
• merchandise, food, and beverages purchased for re-sale;
• an emergency repair;
• a purchase made by a county for a community college under procedures authorized by the county charter or an act of the Maryland General Assembly; or
• a purchase that qualifies as a “small procurement.”

The president designates the director of procurement to implement the process for competitive sealed bids.  Additionally, the president recognizes that for certain procurements, utilizing a competitive sealed bid process would not be practicable or advantageous to the college.  Therefore, the president delegates the authority to the director of procurement to determine if the procurement should be made through an alternative method, such as competitive sealed proposals or sole source procurement.   

A contract as a result of a competitive sealed bid shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, who conforms to the specifications, with consideration given to:

• quantities involved;
• time required for delivery;
• purpose for which the purchase is required;
• competency and responsibility of the bidder; and
• ability of the bidder to perform the contract satisfactorily.

The board of trustees may reject any and all bids and readvertise for other bids

A contract entered into or a purchase made in violation of this policy is void.

Policy Manual Review/Revision:   07/01/10