Chapter 15 - Small IT Purchase Procedures

The following competitive requirements shall be followed for all small IT purchases, regardless of delegation:

Procurements up to $10,000 – In accordance with Executive Order 35 (2019), all procurements up to $10,000 are set aside for DBSBD certified micro businesses when the price quoted is fair and reasonable and does not exceed five percent (5%) of the lowest responsive and responsible noncertified bidder. Micro businesses are those businesses that have been certified by the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD) that have no more than twenty-five (25) employees and no more than $3 million in average annual revenue over the three-year period prior to their certification.

Purchases may be made using the eVA Quick Quote system or upon the solicitation and receipt of a minimum of one written or oral bid/quote from a DSBSD-certified micro business. If a responsive and responsible DSBSD-certified micro-business is not available, the procurement file shall be documented with the agency’s factual basis for that determination. If an agency receives no acceptable bids or offers from micro businesses, the procurement may be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible small business bidder if the price is fair and reasonable. If there is no small business bidder available, the procurement shall be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible non-small business bidder.

Procurements over $10,000 up to $100,000 – eVA Quick Quotes shall be solicited from at least four (4) DSBSD-certified small business sources, including small businesses owned by women, minorities and service-disabled veterans and micro businesses, if available, in writing. In the procurement selection process for these set-asides, at least one of the proposals/bids shall be obtained from a micro business unless upon due diligence no micro business in a particular category exists or was willing to submit a proposal/bid. If two or more DBSBD-certified small business sources cannot be identified as qualified to set aside the procurement under $100,000, the procurement file shall be documented with VITA's efforts through eVA to obtain the number of required sources. An award may be made to a qualified, reasonably ranked DSBSD-certified small business, including minority-, women-, or service disabled veteran-owned small business or micro business offerors, if available, that is other than the highest ranking offeror if the price submitted is fair and reasonable and does not exceed five percent (5%) of the lowest responsive and responsible noncertified bidder. If an informal RFP is utilized in lieu of Quick Quote the award shall be made to the highest ranking and qualified small business, including small woman-, minority-, service disabled veteran-owned or micro business offeror. If the procurement is set aside and the agency or institution receives no acceptable bids or offers, the set aside may be withdrawn and the procurement resolicited utilizing non-set-aside procedures. In estimating the total cost of the procurement, all possible renewal periods on a term contract must be considered to determine if the procurement will not exceed $100,000.