CITY OF BEAUMONT PURCHASING

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

The City of Beaumont's purchasing function represents the second largest expenditure activity within the organization. The Purchasing function is a division of the Finance Department. The City has established policies in accordance with Texas State Laws. The Purchasing policies have been designed to stimulate competition, prevent favoritism, and secure the best goods and services at the lowest price. The Purchasing Division is also responsible for the City's mail service, Surplus Property Disposal and Contract Management.

If you are an MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) firm and wish to be recognized as such by the City of Beaumont, you must complete the required MBE forms. For the proper forms and more information concerning MBE Certification requirements, please contact the Purchasing Department, 801 Main, Ste. 315, P.O. Box 3827, Beaumont, Texas 77704, by calling (409) 880-3720, or you can download the information from this website.

GETTING INVOLVED

TYPES OF BIDS

If you are interested in doing business with the City, you will need to take some time and learn how the system works. We would suggest the following:

Come and visit with a City Buyer any afternoon between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday. Tell us what you have to offer and we can explain the City's Purchasing system and the conditions governing our Purchasing process.
Make it a practice to read the Wednesday edition of the Beaumont Enterprise. Formal bid notices are published weekly in the Classified section under Legal Notices.
Call the Purchasing Office, (409) 880-3720, and ask for the list of "Open Bids" so you will know what items will be coming up for bid in the future. We welcome you to stop by and view the list of bids posted in our office.
Start by contacting this Division before going directly to another Department. Depending on the nature of the goods, there may be occasions when a vendor is directed to a specific Department.

There are two types of bids:

Formal Bids - Bids for items exceeding a $50,000 cost estimate. Formal bids are published once a week for two consecutive weeks in the Legal Notices of the Beaumont Enterprise. Bids must be submitted in accordance with prepared specifications which describe the goods or services and the terms and conditions for bidding.
Informal Bids - Bids for items estimated to cost between $3,000 and $50,000 for which the vendor is requested to submit a written quotation.

EXCEPTIONS TO
FORMAL BIDS

Not every purchase over $50,000 requires formal bidding. Exceptions include: personal services, professional services, acquisition of land for rights-of-way, emergency purchases and items with only one source.

BIDDER'S LIST

AWARDING OF BIDS

The Purchasing Division maintains a list of vendors classified by the type of products or services they sell. Any person or company may be placed on the City's Bidders' List and be notified of upcoming bids if they have completed a Bidder's Application.

Formal bids must be returned by the vendor to the City Clerk's Office by the time and date specified. The bids are publicly opened and each is read aloud. After bid opening, all bids are tabulated and evaluated.

When the bid analysis is completed, a recommendation is submitted to City Council. Council votes to approve or reject the recommended bid.