Whether you are part of a large organization or a small business, we encourage all vendors to participate in the purchasing process of the San Diego Community College District. Our goal is to find appropriate products and services at competitive prices, in a timely fashion, with efficiency and good service, in a legal and professional manner. Each campus and site location has very diverse and specific needs in serving our students. We hope that you will find the following guidelines helpful about how to start doing business with us, our bid process, and other related topics in which your company might be interested. We purchase a vast array of commodities (from A to Z) for all our classrooms and offices.

• Business Opportunities
• Getting Started - How to do business with the District
• Purchase Orders, Contracts, District-Authorized Procurement Cards
• Delivery Locations
• How to get paid
• Bid/RFP Invitations - (click here to download)
• Contract List
• Competitive Bidding: Legal Concepts and Principles
• About the District
• FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions by Vendors
• Final Thought

 

• Business Opportunities

  The San Diego Community College District is committed to encouraging all business enterprises, including Minority, Woman and Disabled Veteran-owned, and small emerging businesses to compete successfully in the district’s purchasing process. The District is supported in large part by the local property tax dollars and we have a strong desire, wherever practical, to return money to the community through the purchase of goods and services.
  

• Getting Started - How to do business with the District
  
  Interested Vendors/Suppliers
  We have created a new form called our Supplier Application (PDF file). Please complete this form using the Commodity Group Classifications and return it to us via mail, fax, or include it as an attachment to our e-mail address (purchase@sdccd.edu). We will add your company's information in our interested vendors database. Our mailing address is: Purchasing & Contract Services, San Diego Community College District, 3375 Camino del Rio South, Suite 270, San Diego, CA 92108. We maintain this list only as a courtesy to our vendors; however, it cannot guarantee a bid will be mailed. Remember, whenever your company changes addresses or contact persons, it is your responsibility to provide updated information to our department. The District is not responsible for misdirected mail.
  

In compliance with the California Education Code 81641, we advertise all our Bids/RFP's in the Public Notice Section of the San Diego Daily Transcript. In addition, we will post our bids on this website for your information and convenience. Click here to view the Invitations to Bid/RFP which we are currently offering, along with a brief list of commodities for upcoming bid invitations.

• Purchase Orders, Contracts, District-Authorized Procurement Cards
  
  District policy requires that a Purchase Order (PO), Contract, or District-Authorized Procurement Card must be used for the purchase of all goods and/or services. To protect your company, make sure you have a Purchase Order, Contract, or authorized credit card number before you proceed with any request or before you supply any goods and/or services to any of the San Diego Community College District employees, campuses, centers, or locations. This policy ensures prompt payment upon completion of services or delivery of merchandise. However, if you provide goods and/or services without a PO, Contract, or an District-Authorized credit card number, you are doing business with the individual who places the order and that individual is personally responsible for any obligations incurred. Only a properly designated Agent of the Board of Trustees, primarily the Purchasing and Contract Services Director, can obligate the district for the purchase of goods and services. Every Purchase Order has general Terms and Conditions. If you have any questions, please call Purchasing and Contract Services at 619-388-6562.

• Delivery Locations

Please ship items to the delivery location indicated on the Purchase Order; this specific address is found in the "Delivery" section (top center). Many of the items purchased are requested to be shipped to our Central Distribution Center located at 9315 Hillery Drive, San Diego, CA 92126. For more information, check out "About Us, Our Locations" for hours of operation. Sometimes we will indicate on the PO for items to be shipped to one of our campus sites or a special contact person to arrange and accept delivery at a specific time and location. Packing slips should properly reference our PO number. Remember when items are shipped to the proper location, the receiving process flows smoother and payment to you is not delayed.

• How to get paid
  
  Upon completion of services or delivery of merchandise to the correct delivery location address indicated on the Purchase Order, submit your invoice to:

Accounts Payable
San Diego Community College District
3375 Camino del Rio South, Suite 205
San Diego, CA 92108-3883

Be sure to include the following on the invoice:

• Our Purchase Order number
• Invoice number and date
• List of the services or goods provided, with quantity delivered and price per item. Do not invoice for items not shipped. When applicable, Indicate the time period of the service provided and meter readings.
• Your “remit to” address
• Address the invoice to the San Diego Community College District, not to an individual or college campus.

This information must be included or it may result in your payment being delayed.

Our PO's offer payment of NET 30, which means payment will be normally issued within 30 days of satisfactory receipt or invoice, whichever is later. When we receive your invoice, it is matched with the district’s acknowledgment of receipt of your goods or services. If the site receiving your goods or services has not acknowledged receipt, Accounts Payable will have to request this information. If you have not received payment within 30 days of actual invoicing, you may want to check on the status of your invoice with Accounts Payable at 619-388-6554. Provide them with the PO number, your invoice number and date, dollar amount of the invoice, and when applicable, the contract number.

Accounts Payable often receives a high volume of calls and your call may be routed to voice mail. If this happens, remember to speak clearly and slowly, providing the name of your company, your name, phone number, invoice amount, and the District’s PO or Contract number. A staff member will return your call as soon as possible.

• Bid/RFP Invitations

When the District needs to purchase equipment, materials, supplies, or services that exceed the mandated bid limit threshold, normally an invitation to submit a bid or proposal is offered. These notices are routinely published in the San Diego Daily Transcript. The bids can be obtained from the Purchasing and Contract Services Department or can be downloaded from this website (see our What's New section for the Current Invitations to Bid. IMPORTANT-- Formal Bids must be submitted by the date and time indicated on the bid. Only hard-copy sealed bids will be accepted. Bids received after the deadline and fax bids will not be considered. Please allow ample time if your bid is sent by mail.

• Contract List

For a comprehensive list of the bid contracts issued by Purchasing, click here.

• Competitive Bidding: Legal Concepts and Principles

The competitive bidding requirement is founded on public policy declared by the Legislature of California to protect the taxpayers (not businesses) from fraud, corruption, favoritism, extravagance or carelessness of public officials (regardless of their intent), and the waste of public funds.

The Public Contract Code and the Education Code govern procurement activities of community colleges. Pursuant to sections 20111 and 20651 the District is required to bid for public projects in excess of $15,000, and for equipment, materials, supplies, or services of more than $72,400 (new limit effective January 1, 2008). This covers anything furnished, leased, or sold to the district; and the Board of Trustees must normally award to the "lowest responsive and responsible bidder."

The law states: "It shall be unlawful to split or separate into smaller work orders or projects any project for the purpose of evading the provisions of this article..." A project may be separated into several trade-oriented contracts, as long as the competitve bidding requirements have been met.

A contract made without compliance with competitive bidding laws, where such bidding is required, is void and unenforceable and is in excess of the public agency's power. In addition, no payments may be made by a public agency under a contract let in violation of the competitive bidding laws. Exceptions to the bidding laws include the following:

• Educational materials such as textbooks, library books, films, tests, and software.
• Perishable foodstuffs and seasonal commodities needed for the operation of a cafeteria.
• Surplus federal property.
• Energy service contracts.
• Facility financing and ground leases.
• Purchase through other public agencies.
• Emergency repair contracts. Repairs, alteration, or improvements necessary to permit the continuance of existing classes, or to avoid danger to life or property. Requires unanimous vote of the Board.
• Special services and advice (consultants) in matters related to financial, economic, accounting, engineering, legal, and administrative functions, and for the issuance and preparation of payroll checks.
• Sole source. If a particular product is needed, and only one source exists, to require a formal bid would be counter-productive. If the act of bidding does not create an economic advantage, and the purpose of the law would be served, then the bid process is not required.

About the District

The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) is the second largest community college district in California and the sixth largest in the nation, providing credit and non-credit instruction to students through its associate degree, certificate, occupational and general programs. The District prepares students for entry-level jobs, and arts & sciences programs that transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The three accredited colleges - San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar have a combined enrollment of 120,000 students each year. The Continuing Education program services another 99,000 students throughout the city of San Diego at its many educational centers and sites. The District also provides education to 58,000 service personnel at military bases across the nation.

SDCCD has a service area of 196 square miles within the City of San Diego, with campuses covering more than 300 acres. The District is financially solvent and had a budget of $382 million for the 2003/2004 fiscal year. Over 6,500 full and part-time employees work for the District.

• FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions

We welcome and encourage your participation in this section! Please email us with your questions at purchase@sdccd.edu. We will respond directly to you until we complete this section.

FAQ's Under Construction

• Final Thought

Our system is designed to provide checks and balances for the ultimate protection of the taxpayers' interests. The checks and balances are sometimes complex, and at times the entire process may seem overwhelming. However, we are here to help, so if you have any questions about doing business with the San Diego Community College District, please feel free to call us. We will be happy to explain any of the steps in this process.