Purchasing - Primary Functions and Responsibilities

The Purchasing Division of the General Services Department of the County of Santa Cruz supports and approves purchases for all County departments and agencies. This division is responsible for purchasing, leasing, lease/purchasing or renting any equipment, materials, supplies, and all other personal property the County may need. Purchasing shall engage independent contractors for personal services where the cost does not exceed the amount set forth in Section 25502.5 of the Government Code. Purchasing employs independent contractors for construction and repair work where the estimated aggregate cost does not exceed the amount set forth in Sections 20121 & 20132 of the Public Contracts Code.

Solicitations
Purchasing Agents work with requesting departments and vendors during the evaluation of proposals to find the right combination of cost, quality, and service that best meet the County's needs.

By law, many County purchases must be made by competitive bid. In these cases, suppliers shall be notified of the upcoming bidding opportunity via posting on the Solicitations web page.

In the case of informal requests, specifications detailing the product or service needed are also sent to potential vendors who have expressed interest in satisfying the County’s needs.

Capital Projects
Capital improvement public works projects, such as the County building construction or repairs which exceed an estimated cost of $10,000, are awarded through a formal bid process and usually include detailed plans and specifications.

These projects shall be advertised in the newspaper and through the Construction Projects web page.

Plans and specifications for Capital Projects will be made available at the following locations:

Bids shall be awarded to the lowest responsive bidder.