| Procurement Directory |
Tips for Winning Participation
The Materiel and Contracts Department is solely responsible for purchasing materials and services, as well as administering contracts, for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
The Department's mission is to procure services, supplies, equipment, and construction at the lowest price that meets SEPTA's minimum requirements, while ensuring a fair and open procurement process. This is accomplished by using sound, accepted, competitive procurement practices.
This brief guide is intended to provide basic information to prospective vendors interested in doing business with SEPTA concerning basic tips for participating in the procurement process. Please note that these tips serve only as a general guide.
Bidders and Proposers must carefully read bid or proposal documents in their entirety to properly submit a bid or proposal. Vendors will be expected to undergo a responsibility review which includes a review of past performance, financial and administrative practices. Qualified vendors are encouraged to participate in SEPTA's bidding and proposal opportunities.
DO
- Register your business with the SEPTA's Materiel and Contracts Department, stating the type(s) of goods and/or services your business offers.
- Look in the local newspapers and visit SEPTA's website at www.septa.org for advertisements of bids and proposal requests.
- CAREFULLY READ all bid or proposal solicitation documents, and follow the instructions for preparation of your offer in every detail.
- Attend pre-bid or pre-proposal meetings. These meetings often provide valuable insight into the nature of the goods and/or services that SEPTA wants to purchase.
- Ask questions. All questions must be submitted in writing to the appropriate Buyer within SEPTA's Materiel and Contracts Department. Any verbal responses SEPTA representatives may give bidders or proposers are not official responses.
- Return an executed agreement with your bid or proposal.
- When required because of Federal funding, return a properly completed "Buy America" certificate with your bid.
- For competitive bids, be prepared to submit your Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Plan within five (5) days following the bid opening if you are the apparent low bidder and if a DBE Plan was required by the bid documents.
- Be prepared to submit Certificates of Insurance to SEPTA within ten (10) days of Notice of Award.
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DON'T
- Fail to attend mandatory pre-bid or pre-proposal meetings. Failure to do so could disqualify your business from bidding or proposing on a contract
- Fail to submit your bid or proposal prior to the date and time specified by SEPTA. Failure to submit your bid proposal on time will disqualify your bid or proposal from consideration
- Fail to submit all of the documents required to make your bid or proposal complete, including but not limited to acknowledgment of all addendums issued by SEPTA. The items required to be submitted with a bid or proposal are delineated in the "Instructions to Bidders."
- Fail to submit accurate bids or proposals. Math errors could cause your bid or proposal to be rejected.
- Deviate from SEPTA's specifications or scope-of-work when submitting bids or proposals. Although SEPTA will consider "equal" goods and services that differ from what is found in the specifications or scope-of-work, bids and proposals must be priced based on what SEPTA has specified. The bid or proposal documents prescribe how bidders and proposers may offer "equal" goods or services. These procedures must be followed precisely.
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