Award Policy
The purchasing department can provide a customized tool to evaluate and award your bid based on this model
Awards will be made to the bidder providing the best value to the College based on "total cost of ownership" criteria, capability of the vendor in providing all requirements in the bid document, availability of funds, and other relevant factors.
Primary Criteria:
- Quality: Should be the most suitable level needed to accomplish goals while minimizing College exposure to risk
- Service: Should be the most suitable level needed to accomplish goals while minimizing College exposure to risk
- Delivery: Should be in the manner and timeframe established in the bid, additional costs are included in the price evaluation
- Price: Should be the most cost effective solution which meets the stated needs in the bid document; lowest price is not necessarily the final decision factor
Consistency multipliers can affect any or all of these measurable factors and when used, will be used unilaterally. Multipliers are generally used to equalize variances to specification to ensure fair comparison between bids. Example: one bid for paper is in 1000's, another in cases, and the third in reams. Multipliers would be used to equalize bids to the least common denominator, in this case reams of 250, for accurate comparison of pricing.
Secondary Criteria:
- Past performance history
- Comfort level with supplier
- Size, age, capacity of firm
- Skill level of management team
- Specific expertise
- Corporate citizenship
- Social responsibility
- Environmental sensitivity
- Community reinvestment
- Process factors
- Electronic technology
- Payment terms
- Company or industry-specific criteria
Any or all of these subjective criteria may be used and weighted according to importance. All criteria and weight factors used will be applied equally to all bids submitted.
Non Criteria:
The following are not considered in evaluating bids submitted to the College:
- Assistance in developing of specifications or other advisory services provided by the vendors such as demonstrating equipment. Although such assistance is valuable and appreciated by the college, it is an assumed cost of doing business and no preferential status can be given in return for such services. Payment expected for such must be negotiated in advance of receiving a bid.
- Female, minority, handicapped and small business status. Augustana College is an equal opportunity purchaser and this status is only used for statistical purposes. In the event where two bids are tied and otherwise equal in all other respects, this status might be taken into consideration for breaking the tie.
- Cash discounts offered for early payment, except in the case of tied bids.
- Alumni and friends of the college will not be given preferential status except in the case of tied bids.
- Friends of employees will not be given preferential status.
- College donors - donations to the college are tax deductible and are not considered in the bidding process. This is not to be confused with special purchase grants, discounts, rebates, or limited offers provided through the manufacturer and available to all vendors capable of providing that item or service. These types of discounts directly affect price and should be noted in the bid by all vendors.
