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HOWARD COUNTY
PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND
EQUAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (EBO)
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Office of Purchasing
Howard County, Maryland
September 26, 2013
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HOW WE DO BUSINESS
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• Maximize Competition
• Award to Lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder
on Competitive Sealed Bids
• Award to Best Value on Competitive Sealed Proposals
• Transparency in Public Procurement
WHO WE BUY FOR
County Administration
Citizen Services
Technology &
Communications/ICBN
Finance
Fire and Rescue
Police
Inspection Licenses &
Permits
Planning and Zoning
Public Works
Health
Law
Sheriff’s Office
State’s Attorney’s
Office
Board of Elections
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WHAT WE BUY
Goods
Services
Professional Services
Construction (Capital Projects)
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BID THRESHOLDS
Small Purchases – up to $10,000
Informal Bids – between $10,001 and $29,999
Formal Bids – $30,000 and above
EBO Coordinator reviews EBO participation
goal in pre-bid/proposal conferences.
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PROCUREMENT METHODS
Between $10,001 and $29,999
Informal Request for Quotes
Over $30,000
Competitive Sealed Bids/Formal Invitation for Bid (IFB)
Competitive Sealed Proposals/Formal Request for Proposals (RFP)
Any Dollar Value
Cooperative Procurement (Piggyback)
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HOW COUNTY FUNDS ARE
SPENT
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Purchase Orders
Purchasing Cards (Visa)
EQUAL BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM
o Encourages increased participation by Minority, Women
and Disabled Business Enterprises in the procurement of
all goods and services.
o It is an extension of current Purchasing procedures and
is practiced on an on-going basis.
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EQUAL BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY GOALS
Howard County’s Goals are:
1. Award 15% of the County’s total amount of all
contracts directly to EBOs every fiscal year. This
includes construction, architectural and engineering
services, and other procurements for goods and
services.
2. When the contract value is $50,000 or more, the
prime contractors will subcontract at least 10% to
EBOs as subcontractors or suppliers.
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The County will Obtain its Minority Participation Goals
Primarily through Two Mechanisms:
1. By Encouraging Minority Firms to Respond Directly to
County Solicitations for Goods and Services.
2. By Encouraging Prime Contractors to Include Minority
Firms as Sub-contractors and/or Suppliers.
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EQUAL BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY GOALS
EBO PARTICIPATION o Contractors must make a genuine good faith effort to find
EBO Participation.
o Documentation of efforts is provided before waivers are
approved.
o EBO Coordinator works with awarded Contractors to find
EBO Participation
o Researches commodity history, if necessary
o Suggests means of meeting the goal
o Provides a list of certified EBO vendors based on
commodity codes
o Verifies EBO certifications
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HOWARD COUNTY
EBO CERTIFICATION
The participation of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), including
Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and Disabled Business
Enterprises (DBEs) is essential to the realization of Howard County’s
social and economic development goals.
The Office of Purchasing's commitment and policy is to assure all
persons an equal opportunity to participate in the procurement of all
commodities and services.
Certification is an important facet in order to foster participation
by minority firms in the procurement process.
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WHAT IS CERTIFICATION ?
The County's Equal Business Opportunity Program requires that, in
order to take advantage of the program, businesses be certified as
authentic and bona fide minority business enterprises (MBEs),
woman business enterprises(WBEs) and disabled business
enterprises(DBEs).
o Formal process is required - Application available online at
www.howardcountymd.gov/purchasing
o No application fee
o Assistance is provided to businesses in completing the
vendor registration and self-certification form, if needed
o Certification is valid for two years
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CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY
Most basic eligibility factor: To be certifiable, a business should be at
least 51% owned, controlled and managed, on site on a day to day
basis, by one or more individuals defined in the following groups:
Minority Business Enterprise: A business concern which is at least
51 percent owned by one or more minorities who are U.S. citizens or
legal resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership or
limited liability company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity
ownership interest which is owned by one or more minorities, and
whose management and daily business operations are controlled by
one or more of such individuals.
Minority: An individual who is a member of one of the following
groups: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and
Hispanic Americans
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CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY
Woman-Owned Business Enterprise: A business concern which is at least
51 percent owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens or legal
resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership or limited liability
company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest
which is owned by one or more women, and whose management and daily
business operations are controlled by one or more of such individuals.
Disabled Business Enterprise: A business concern which is at least 51
percent owned by one or more individual who has a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities or has a
record of such impairment, who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, or in
the case of a corporation, partnership or limited liability company or other entity,
at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest which is owned by one or
more disabled persons, and whose management and daily business operations
are controlled by one or more of such individuals.
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CERTIFICATIONS RECOGNIZED
FOR EBO PARTICIPATION
The County recognizes businesses certified by the following:
1. Howard County Equal Business Opportunity Commission
(EBOC)
2. State of Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)
3. City of Baltimore
4. Federal agencies when that agency is the grantor for a County
project
5. Other states and municipalities or certifying entity when it would be
impractical or unreasonable not to use a certified minority.
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WHAT CERTIFICATION WILL DO
o Equal opportunity
o Bidders list
o Contract notifications
o Marketing - Listing in EBO Vendor Directory
o Marketing - Promotion of Subcontractors to Prime Contractors
o Seminars, Open Houses, Training Workshops
o Networking, Referrals
o Increases Opportunities
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THANK YOU….
…..and I encourage each of you to get EBO
certified by Howard County !!
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Mahesh Sabnani
Equal Business Opportunity Program Coordinator
Howard County Government
Office of Purchasing
6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Ste. 501
Columbia, MD 21046
Phone: 410-313-3694, Fax: 410-313-6388
Email: [email protected]