How to Obtain a Kentucky Procurement Contract

We recommend that you use our web site if you have the means to regularly access the Internet. If you have an Internet Service Provider, you can connect to information via the web site. Once attached, you can access bid information from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. eastern time. If you do not have your own computer setup, you may take advantage of public resource centers and many of the state's public libraries.

You may use electronic access to:

Look at a list of current Kentucky material & procurement opportunities, select one that looks interesting to you, and either review the bid on-line, or download it to your computer. The resulting document, once printed out to hardcopy at your location may be used as your official bid document. You may also submit your bid electronically through the eProcurement web site for selected solicitations.

Registering as a Vendor

All vendors wishing to do business with the Commonwealth must be registered. This allows vendors the opportunity to identify those products and services they wish to offer to the Commonwealth. Vendor registration makes it easier for agencies to find your company.

Vendors may enter commodity code information for the their product or services, as well as a commodity category. While this information is optional, vendors who select a commodity category and provide a valid email address with their point of contact will automatically receive an email notification each time a solicitation for their product or service is posted to the web site.

The web site allows you immediate access, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. eastern time, to the information you need to update your commodities any time you expand your services.

Searching for Bid Opportunities

Most solicitations allow a minimum of two weeks between initial offering and bid opening, so a daily check of new bids is recommended (weekly at the minimum). In addition to checking on the web, all solicitations are posted outside the Bid Room, on the third floor of the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. Solicitations may be downloaded via the web site and printed out at the user's location, with this copy serving as the official bid document. Hardcopy solicitations may be obtained from the:

Hardcopy solicitations may be obtained from the Transportation Cabinet at the following address:

Responding to Solicitations

To respond to a bid solicitation:

Online Bid Responses

The State's eProcurement system allows vendors to submit a bid response on line for selected solicitations. Solicitations that allow on line bid responses will be marked with a "Yes" in the Electronic Bid Permitted field on the Browse Bid Opportunities - Results page. Clicking on the "Yes" link for a particular solicitation will open the Online Bidding login page. A vendor must enter their vendor identification number and their Authentication Code to begin. (Note: The Authentication Code is the same code used to access your vendor information file or update your vendor profile through the on line access system.) Upon successfully completing the login process, the General Solicitation Information page will open. Vendors must enter a contact name and phone number for the person they would like to be contacted for questions regarding their bid on this particular solicitation. (Note: The contact information listed for a particular online response will not update or change the contact information listed in the general vendor profile.)

After providing the vendor contact information for the bid in question, select Next Page to see the Line Item Details. Fill in the required information for each line item, including the Quantity, Unit of Measure, Unit Price, Manufacturer and Model Numbers, as appropriate. The Delivery Days information should be expressed as the number of days required for delivery to the using agency after receipt of order (ARO). If bidding either a discount or a markup from a published catalog price, enter the actual catalog price in the Unit Price field, and a discount (negative number, e.g. -10) or markup (positive number, e.g. 5) percent in the Discount/Markup field for each line. After completing the required information for all lines, select "Calculate" to determine the total cost of your bid. Unless the solicitation specifically states otherwise, you must enter the required information in each line to be considered responsive to the bid.

Once the Line Item Detail information is complete, select Next page or Summary Details link to view the Summary Details. Vendors may enter a summary description for each line item of up to 400 characters (including spaces). If more space is required, a vendor may attach up to four documents to the Detail Summary page by using the "Browse" button for each attachment and selecting the appropriate document (to a maximum of 4 megabytes). If a vendor takes exceptions to any portion of the bid specifications or the general terms and conditions of the bid, they must submit an attachment that explains the exceptions.

Once all bidding information is completed, a vendor may save their bid as either a draft copy (by selecting the "Draft" radio button) or a formal submission. A draft copy may be saved without any further use of passwords. To save a bid and submit it as a Formal Submission, a vendor must enter their correct Bid Authorization Code. After saving the document, the Online Bidding Confirmation page will open. Print a copy of the page and keep it for your records, should there be any question on the date or time a bid was submitted.

All times in the State's eProcurement system are listed in the Eastern Time zone. Vendors must submit online bids in time for the document to be saved as a Formal Submission before the published closing date and time of the solicitation. Each saved document will be given a date and time stamp from the State's eProcurement database server. The database time will be set daily using the Naval Observatory time clock, and it will be the official time clock for the eProcurement system. The system will not allow late submission of online bids. In the event of system outages or power failures, the Commonwealth may extend the bid opening by an amount of time equal to the length of the system failure, but is under no obligation to do so.

 A vendor may elect to manually submit a hard copy backup to their electronic online bid. If a vendor exercises this option, they must submit a printed copy of the Online Bidding Confirmation Page with their hard copy bid. In the event there is a discrepancy between the online bid and the hard copy backup received by the Commonwealth, the vendor's bid may be disqualified.

FAXED Information

Telegraphic offers will not be considered unless authorized by the solicitation. However, offers may be modified by this means, provided such notice is received prior to the hour and date specified for receipt. Telegraphic modifications cannot mention unit or total price.

Refer only to percentage or numerical change (example: "Reduce unit price of item #1 by $1.00.")

Bid Samples and Descriptive Literature

Samples of items, when required, must be submitted within the time specified, and unless otherwise specified at no expense to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. If not destroyed by testing, samples will be returned at the offeror's request and expense, unless otherwise stated by the solicitation. Unless request for their return is made within thirty (30) days, all samples become the property of the Commonwealth. For online bid responses, all required samples must be submitted to the issuing office of the solicitation by the date and time specified for the bid closing. Samples must be clearly marked with the solicitation number, date and time of closing, and include the vendor's information and a printed copy of the Online Bidding Confirmation Page.

Acknowledgment of Addenda

All addenda must be acknowledged! Once a solicitation has been downloaded from the web site, the vendor is responsible for checking the web for modifications to the solicitation. Receipt of a modification to a solicitation by an offeror must be acknowledged by signing and returning the modification, or by letter, telegram or facsimile (when authorized). Such acknowledgments must be received prior to the hour and date specified for receipt of offers. Normally, this acknowledgment can be enclosed with the primary bid document. If the vendor has already responded to the solicitation the vendor must acknowledge the addenda and modify their bid accordingly. Failure to acknowledge modification(s) may cause the bid to be considered non-responsive. For online bid responses, the eProcurement system will correctly reference the current copy of the solicitation at the time the bid response was completed.

Bid Withdrawals

Solicitation responses may be modified or withdrawn by written or telegraphic notice (provided the notice is) received prior to the exact hour and date specified for receipt of offers. An offer may also be withdrawn in person by an offeror (with proper identification, and the signing of a receipt) but only if the withdrawal is made prior to the exact hour and date set for receipt of offers. A vendor may modify or withdraw an online bid response at any time prior to the published closing date and time for the solicitation. A draft bid response may be modified or withdrawn by completing a login with the Vendor Identification Number and the Authentication Code. A formal bid response may only be withdrawn by applying the appropriate Bid Authorization Code.

Bonding Requirements for Bidders

When justified, the Commonwealth may require a material & procurement bond when advertising for bids as surety that a bidder will hold his offer firm for a specified period of time. Additionally, a Performance Bond may be required from the successful bidder. Bond documents for online bid responses may be submitted by a photocopy of the document scanned into an attachment and submitted with the online response or by a separate hard copy submitted manually and arriving prior to the date and time of closing for the solicitation. Hard copy submissions must be marked with the solicitation number, date and time of closing, and vendor information, and include a printed copy of the Online Bidding Confirmation Page.

Late Solicitation Responses

Bids and modifications of bids (or withdrawal of bids) received at the office designated in the solicitation after the exact hour and date specified for receipt will not be considered for an award or contract, unless:

• No bids are received other than the late bid; and
• The bid is postmarked before the date and time set for the opening of bids: and
• An agency's need is determined to preclude the re-advertisement of bids; and
• The Division of Material and Procurement Services/Division of Transportation Purchases are assured that the specifications and the selection of bidders by the buyer were not the cause for the late offer being the only bid available for consideration; and
• The price is investigated and found to be the best value for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
• The State's eProcurement system does not allow late submission of online bid responses.

Formal Bid Openings

Solicitations are opened and read (upon request) on the date specified. Interested bidders are welcome to attend the bid openings. Online bid submissions are also opened and read upon request at the bid opening.

Contract Awards

Bids are evaluated and a single Award/Contract or an open-end (term) Catalog Master Agreement/Master Agreement is awarded to the responsible and responsive bidder who offers the Best Value to the Commonwealth, meeting all specifications and conditions of the solicitation. State agencies may issue Delivery Orders against the Catalog Master Agreement/Master Agreement.

Protesting a Contract Award

A bidder who questions a solicitation or selection for a contract award may file a protest with the Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet. A protest or notice of other controversy must be filed within two (2) weeks of the date the protestor knew, or should have known of, the action being protested. All protests must be in writing. The Secretary (or his designee) is empowered to render a conclusive decision, in writing, to the aggrieved party stating the reason(s) for the action taken. Protests regarding bids by the Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases should be addressed to the Secretary of the Transportation Cabinet.

Complaints against Vendors

When a State agency first experiences a relatively minor problem or difficulty with a vendor, the agency will contact the subject vendor directly and attempt to informally resolve the problem. If the vendor fails to respond satisfactorily, the agency will create and route an electronic Vendor Tracking Document to the agency that issued the Contract or Master Agreement. The Vendor Tracking Document needs to include steps the agency has taken to resolve the dispute/complaint within the description of the complaint. The issuing agency resolves the complaint and documents the actions taken on the Vendor Tracking Document. This documentation is used for future evaluations and decision-making affecting the vendor.

Open Records

Cooperative Purchasing

How to do Business with the Transportation Cabinet

General Information

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, conducts its procurement process in accordance with Chapter 45A, Kentucky Model Procurement Code, and resulting Administrative Regulations and Transportation Policies for selected highway maintenance, materials and supplies.

Information for Bidders

1. All vendors and contractors wishing to be placed on the Division's various source lists must make a request in writing addressed to:

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Division of Purchases
State Office Building
501 HIGH ST RM 905
FRANKFORT KY 40622

or call (502) 564-4630 - 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday

2. Submit bids in such a way as to ensure that they arrive in Transportation - Division of Purchases before the time set for opening the bid quotation (the time shown on the recording clock on the receptionist's desk in the Division of Purchases being agreed upon as the correct time). If specified in the bid, the Transportation Cabinet may also receive online bids in accordance with the procedures outlined above.
3. After you have received a Solicitation, thoroughly read the entire document.

Questions can be directed to the buyer listed on the Solicitation. The buyer's telephone number is listed on the Solicitation.

4. Questions relating to small purchase procedures or delegated items can be directed to the address or telephone number listed above. Small purchase procedures can be used for commodities, services, and equipment not to exceed $20,000 and construction services not to exceed $20,000.
5. Purchases exceeding $25,000 are advertised in the Louisville Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, and the Louisville Defender.
6. All bid openings are open to the public.
7. Questions relating to highway construction contracting can be directed to:

How to do Business with the Department for Facilities Management in the Finance and Administration Cabinet

General Information

1. After request for and receipt of bid documents, any questions or clarifications may be directed to the Purchasing Agent administering the Invitation to Bid. Most invitations from Contracting and Administration have a technical consultant who will also be able to answer questions. Both names will be listed in the documents, with telephone numbers.
2. Bids must be received before the specified closing hour and date for receipt of bids. All bids are time stamped showing the hour and date officially received. The time/date clock on the Bid Receipt Clerk's desk is the official bid time/date receipt indicator.
3. Bidder assumes full responsibility for timely delivery of the bid in compliance with the above described procedures and conditions.
4. All bid openings are open to the public. All bids received are publicly opened and read aloud on the hour and date prescribed in the Invitation.
5. Questions relating to small purchase procedures may be directed to: