Purchasing Office
Rose Garcia, Purchasing Manager
Yolanda Gibson, Clerical Specialist
1720 Oregon Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
Phone: (510) 644-6430
Fax: (510) 644-8703
Department Overview
The Berkeley Unified School District Purchasing Office is under the auspices of the Business Services Department. It serves many functions besides coordinating bulk orders for the district’s schools and departments. It also serves as the conduit for all district forms, coordinates the bid procedures, and processes all vendor information and checks.
Purpose
To maintain continuity of services and supplies to support various Schools and Departments that enable them to provide their services to our students and our community, to purchase at the lowest cost consistent with the quality and quantity required.
Organization
Purchasing services for all District Departments are centralized under the Purchasing Manager. The Purchasing Manager has sole authority under the Board of Education to purchase materials and services for the District. Vendors are encouraged to discuss the District's requirements for specific products. Do not ship materials or any services without a purchase order number.
The Purchasing Staff are specialists in the commodities they purchase. The knowledge and efficiency of the staff are increased by regular exposure to new products and technology offered by vendors.
Purchasing and Procedures
Submitting Bids to the District
Bids: It is the District's policy to obtain competitive bids whenever possible. Written bids are the primary means of obtaining prices, phone quotations are solicited when practical. All written bids are due on the date and time specified on the bid form. Emergency purchases may be made without the use of the public notice or sealed bid procedure.
Sometimes a vendor will spend considerable time and money in presenting his product to an individual school or Department in the hope of making a sale. If you do this, remember that the purchase will eventually be made by competitive bid and what you spend for expensive designs, demonstrations and layouts does not guarantee you an order. Specifications prepared by schools or departments are carefully reviewed by Purchasing to eliminate undue restrictions and other limitations, which unnecessarily reduce competition, The purchase will eventually be made from the lowest responsible bidder meeting these objective specifications. The help you offer the Department in developing their purchase request cannot be considered when we make the purchase. We recommend, if you are call upon to provide expensive pre-purchase services that you consider contracting separately with the Department you assisted to list you as "suggested vendor" on their requisition so we can send you a bid invitation.
Bid List: The Purchasing Department maintains Lists of interested and responsible vendors. Vendor data sheets are available.
Bid Results: After the due date, bid awards are a matter of public record. Abstracts of written bids showing prices and awards are available for your inspection. Due to the quantity of bids received, we are unable to furnish copies of the abstract.
Specifications: Written specifications are used to the bidding process to describe the level of quality required. Unless otherwise specified, all merchandise purchased is new and unused. In addition to the specifications, certain terms and conditions governing purchases are also outlined in the bid form. An award is made to the vendor who meets the specifications, terms and conditions stated , including the delivery requirements, and offers the lowest price. Cash discounts will be considered in the award if offered for 30 days or longer.
Processing Orders
Shipment: Deliveries in almost all cases are required to be made to the District, FOB destination.
Delivery: Requirements for delivery are specified on all bids and purchase orders. Failure to meet the specified date may cause cancellation of the order and may reflect on the vendor's performance rating.
Inspection: Shipments will be inspected immediately upon receipt as a condition, quantity and conformity to specification. Variations from specification make a shipment subject to rejection.
Billing: The purchase order number must appear on all invoices, shipping tags, and all correspondence relevant to the order.
Payment:
Payment is made to the vendor after the receipt of invoice in triplicate and delivery and acceptance of material is on the purchase order. Partial payments can be arranged if necessary. All invoices are to be sent to the attention of Accounts Payable Section. Departments or schools are not responsible for payment.
Minority, Small and Local Business
The Berkeley Unified School District is interested in promoting minority, small and local businesses as an important part of a competitive bid process, which deserve our encouragement and help.
Our purchasing staff will gladly answer any questions on specifications, bid or award procedures, and the purchasing procedure in general. The Purchasing staff is encouraged to visit your plant and obtain information on your procedures.
Please let your business status and locale be known when requesting your name so it can be added to our bid lists.
Gifts and Gratuities
The District maintains a strict policy prohibiting the acceptance by its employees, of gifts and/or gratuities from any supplier or potential supplier.
Vendors Calling Hours: Monday-Friday 9 AM to 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM to 4 PM. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling (510) 633-6430 Monday-Friday between 8:30 AM and 4 PM.
Standards of Purchasing Practice
- To regard the Public Service as a sacred trust, giving primary consideration to the interests of the Berkeley Unified School District by whom we are employed.
- To purchase the best value obtainable, securing the maximum benefit for each tax dollar expended.
- To avoid sharp practices, giving qualified vendors an equal opportunity.
- To respect our obligations and to require that obligations to us and our District be respected.
- To accord vendor representatives the same treatment we should like to receive, remembering that they are important sources of information and assistance in our buying problems.
- To strive constantly for greater knowledge of purchasing methods and of the materials we buy.
- To be receptive to counsel from our colleagues and to cooperate with them to promote a spirit of unity.
- To conduct ourselves with fairness and dignity and to demand honesty and truth in buying and selling.
- To cooperate with all organizations and individuals engaged in enhancing the development and standing of the purchasing profession.
- To remember that everything we do reflects on the entire purchasing profession, and to govern our action accordingly.
When we conduct business with you, it is our desire to have you feel that each transaction has been satisfactorily concluded.
If you would like more information about how to be a vendor, please contact us at (510) 644-6430.