PROCUREMENT | HOME | POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

No Lobbying Report	LINK
No Lobbying Report The No Lobbying List contains solicitations issued by the Purchasing Office, Capital Contracting Office, and all other delegated authorities.	PDF

Ordinance	LINK
Anti-Lobbying and Procurement Ordinance On June 14, 2018, Council repealed and replaced Article 6 of Chapter 2-7 Anti-Lobbying and Procurement.	PDF
Anti-Lobbying and Procurement Rules On February 28, 2019, The adopted rule regarding Anti-Lobbying and Procurement became effective.	PDF

View Notice of Amended Rule Adoption for Living Wage

The Current Living Wage Amount is $20.80 per hour for contracts executed during the City’s 2024 Fiscal Year, which is effective from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

The Capital Contracting Office oversees all City-contracted construction projects with regards to the pay of all workers employed on the projects, as governed by Dept. of Labor-established prevailing wage rates and TX Statute 2258.

Learn more about wage compliance.

Wage Theft Ordinance (Amendment)

On December 12, 2022, Council amended City Code Title 4 by establishing wage theft standards in the City.

The City of Austin adopted the Procurement Code for Humane Workplace Conditions (Work place Conditions Code) set forth in Ordinance No. 20070621-152 to encourage responsible contracting and to eliminate inadvertent support of vendors using illegal sweatshop labor. The ordinance was not intended to prevent the City or its vendors from doing business with companies that have operations in a foreign country.

Since the early 2010s, the City of Austin has maintained separate Local Business and Small Business Preference Procurement Programs to encourage and promote additional opportunities for Local and Small Businesses to participate under City contracts. At the request of Austin City Council in the Fall of 2022, the City’s Local Business and Small Business Preference Procurement Programs were recently streamlined and enhanced. Beginning October 1, 2023, and continuing for a two (2) year pilot period, the City’s “Local Preference Program” will operate as follows.

Local Preference Program.

The City defines Local Business as any person or corporate entity with headquarters located in Greater Austin (“Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area”) including the counties of Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson. The City defines headquarters as the location where:

(1) the company’s owners or leadership direct the company’s operations, or

(2) the company’s central administrative operations occur.

Program Notes.

(1)    Professional Services.  Professional services contracts are not included in the Local Preference Program.

(2)    Subcontractors.  Subcontractors are not included in the Local Preference Program.

(3)    Preference Points.  When Local Business Offerors participate in Invitations for Bids (IFB) or Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the City, their bids or proposals will be subject to the following preferences points:

Contract Scopes	Total Value	Small Points
Goods, General Services & Construction	$50K to $100K	5
Goods & General Services	$100K to $500K	5
Goods & General Services	$500K to $50M	3
Goods & General Services	Above $50M	0

 

(4)    Best Value Competition. Best value competition under IFBs and RFPs are very similar. In both solicitation methods, the contract will be awarded to the Offeror submitting the bid or proposal that represents the best value to the City by virtue of receiving the most points.

(4.1)     Invitation for Bids (IFB).  The price criteria weight is fixed at 90 points. Bids may not be revised, and no negotiations are allowed.

(4.1.1)     IFB Example:  Each bid will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Criteria	Points
Price	90
Local Business Preference	Up to 5
Small Business Preference	Up to 5
Total:	Up to 100

 

(4.2)     Request for Proposals (RFP).  Price criteria weight is variable. In addition to criteria for Local and Small Business, there will be other evaluation criteria. Proposals may be revised, and negotiations are allowed.

(4.2.1)     RFP Example:  Each proposal may be evaluated based on criteria similar to:

Criteria	Points
Proposed Products and Service	25
Company Qualifications and Experience	25
Key Personnel Qualifications and Experience	20
Price	20
Local Business Preference	Up to 5
Small Business Preference	Up to 5
Total:	Up to 100

 

(5)    Price Points.  IFBs will include 90 points for price. RFPs will include a lower amount of price points.  For both IFBs and RFPs, the low price will receive all price points. All other bids or proposals will receive a proportionate amount of the price points depending on their price’s relative distance from the low price, based on the following formula: ( Low Price / Each Price ) X 90 Points

(5.1)     IFB Example:  A solicitation receives four (4) bids. Price Points are allocated as follows:

Offerors	Prices	Price Points	Point Allocations
Offeror A	$200,000	90	90.00
Offeror B	$250,000		72.00
Offeror C	$550,000		32.73
Offeror D	$50,000,100		0.36

 

 

Since the early 2010s, the City of Austin has maintained separate Local Business and Small Business Preference Procurement Programs to encourage and promote additional opportunities for Local and Small Businesses to participate under City contracts. At the request of Austin City Council in the Fall of 2022, the City’s Local Business and Small Business Preference Procurement Programs were recently streamlined and enhanced. Beginning October 1, 2023, and continuing for a two (2) year pilot period, the City’s “Small Business Program” will operate as follows.

Small Business Program.

The City defines Small Business as any person or corporate entity holding a recognized certification that, among the certification’s requirements, includes compliance with the US Small Business Administration’s Small Business Size Standard. Currently, the City recognizes the following certifications in determining a Small Business for purposes of this program:

City of Austin           

·            Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE)

·            Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE)

·           Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

State of Texas

·            Historically Utilized Business (HUB)

·           Small Business Enterprise (SBE)

US Federal Government

·            Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

·            Women-owned Small Business (WOSM)

·            Economically Disadvantaged Women-owned Small Business (EDWSB)

·            Veteran-owned Small Business (VOSB)

·            Service-disabled Veteran-owned Small Business (SDVOBS)

·            Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE)

Program Notes.

(1)    Professional Services.  Professional services contracts are not included in the Small Business Program.

(2)    Subcontractors.  Subcontractors are not included in the Small Business Program.

(3)    Preference Points.  When Small Business Offerors participate in Invitations for Bids (IFB) or Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the City, their bids or proposals will be subject to the following preferences points:

Contract Scopes	Total Value	Small Points
Goods, General Services & Construction	$50K to $100K	5
Goods & General Services	$100K to $500K	5
Goods & General Services	$500K to $50M	3
Goods & General Services	Above $50M	0

 

(4)    Best Value Competition.  Best Value competition under IFBs and RFPs are very similar. In both solicitation methods, the contract will be awarded to the Offeror submitting the bid or proposal that represents the best value to the City by virtue of receiving the most points.

(4.1)     Invitation for Bids (IFB).  The price criteria weight is fixed at 90 points. Bids may not be revised, and no negotiations are allowed.

(4.1.1)     IFB Example:  Each bid will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Criteria	Points
Price	90
Local Business Preference	Up to 5
Small Business Preference	Up to 5
Total:	Up to 100

 

(4.2)     Request for Proposals (RFP).  Price criteria weight is variable. In addition to criteria for Local and Small Business, there will be other evaluation criteria. Proposals may be revised, and negotiations are allowed.

(4.2.1)     RFP Example:  Each proposal may be evaluated based on criteria similar to:

Criteria	Points
Proposed Products and Service	25
Company Qualifications and Experience	25
Key Personnel Qualifications and Experience	20
Price	20
Local Business Preference	Up to 5
Small Business Preference	Up to 5
Total:	Up to 100

 

(5)    Price Points.  IBFs will include 90 points for price. RFPs will include a lower amount of price points.  For both IFBs and RFPs, the low price will receive all price points. All other bids or proposals will receive a proportionate amount of the price points depending on their price’s relative distance from the low price, based on the following formula: ( Low Price / Each Price ) X 90 Points

(5.1)     IFB Example:  A solicitation receives four (4) bids. Price points are allocated as follows:

Offerors	Prices	Price Points	Point Allocations
Offeror A	$200,000	90	90.00
Offeror B	$250,000		72.00
Offeror C	$550,000		32.73
Offeror D	$50,000,100		0.36

 

Purchasing Ethics Policy

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

City of Austin employees are not allowed to accept gifts from vendors. This includes paying for meals. If you customarily send a token of appreciation to your customers, the City asks that you please not send any item to City employees or offices. There are many worthy organizations in our community that would be happy to receive such items, and will be able to see that they go to people in need. Your assistance is appreciated.

ALL BIDS AND COMPLIANCE PLANS NOT RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DATE AND TIME SET FORTH WILL BE RETURNED TO THE BIDDER UNOPENED.

Probation, Suspension, Debarment and Wage Theft Vendor List	LINK
City of Austin Restricted Vendor Report The City of Austin Restricted Vendor Report contains vendors that are NOT authorized to do business with the City of Austin.	PDF