Government

Bids and RFPs

The County solicits work with contractors through Bid and RFP (Request for Proposal) processes. 

You may obtain Bid and RFP information by visiting our Public Works Bids, Human Services Bids or General County Bids pages.

If you are interested in submitting a bid, please review the bid regularly to see if any addenda have been issued to the original document.

What are Bids and Requests for Proposal?

Bids

Bids are used to procure items that have easily definable characteristics. Finding the lowest price is the main concern in the sealed bid process. An Invitation for Bid is advertised. Then an official usually opens all sealed bids at an appointed time, reads them aloud and records them. The contract is awarded to the company with the lowest bid. The bid must be submitted on time and according to the instructions required of the Invitation for Bid.

Requests for Proposal

Requests for Proposal are typically used when the award will be based on factors other than just price. Like sealed bids, proposals are usually used for larger purchases. Proposals often allow businesses and government contracting officials to bargain over details before a contract is awarded. The government official is looking for the proposal that provides the best value. For this reason, the lowest price submitted is not always the winning proposal.