Virginia Procurement Overview

If you are interested in doing business with the Commonwealth, the Crater Procurement Assistance Center can assist you with the following:

• Register in Virginia's statewide e-procurement solution, e-VA. E-VA, is one of the most comprehensive procurement systems in the country. State agencies, colleges, universities and many local governments use eVA to announce bid opportunities, invite bidders, receive quotes, and place orders for goods and services. About 88% of the Commonwealth's purchases are made through this system. Registration in e-VA takes approximately 2 hours to complete online. It will provide information about your business to more than 9,000 users. Register at www.eva.state.va.us.
• Get certified as a Small, Women or Minority-Owned Business (SWAM). Each year the state buys goods and services totaling more than $5 billion. The Commonwealth of Virginia wants to do business with you and increase participation of small, women owned, and minority-owned businesses. In order to qualify as a Small, Women- or Minority-owned (SWAM) business your business must be certified by the Virginia Department of Minority Business Enterprise. The certification is free and can be completed online at www.dmbe.virginia.gov/swam. As of June 2009, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Company can obtain a designation as a SDVOB on their SWAM certification. Veterans wishing to apply for SDVOB status must first seek eligibility certification from the Department of Veteran Services by calling (540) 857-7101 or by printing the SDVOB application. Veterans can apply for the SWAM status before or after obtaining eligibility certification from DVS. Both services are available at no charge.

Sell to the Commonwealth

Each year, the Commonwealth of Virginia purchases more than $5 billion in materials, equipment, supplies, printing, and professional and non-professional services. As such, anyone who sells goods or services is a potential vendor.

Virginia Business Opportunities lists all major products and services that state agencies and localities are purchasing on the Virginia Business Opportunities (VBO) website. At this site you can see major goods and services that state agencies and localities are purchasing. In a typical week, 125 to 200 solicitations are displayed - and solicitations are added daily. The site provides the buyer's name and contact information for each item listed, and you can sort the opportunities by category, agency, buyer, or locality.

Award Methods

Awards are made using one of the following six methods of procurement:

• Small purchase procedures
• Competitive sealed bidding
• Competitive negotiation
• Sole source
• Emergency
• Reverse auctioning

Purchasing Goods

Agencies will purchase non-technology goods and printing up to $50,000.

The Division of Purchases and Supply (DPS), the Commonwealth's central office for buying non-technology materials, equipment, supplies, and printing, normally will purchase these items for state agencies when the estimated cost exceeds $50,000. It also establishes statewide contracts for frequently used goods and some services which are also available for use by localities and other public bodies.

DPS as well as state agencies and some localities use its electronic procurement solution, eVA, to identify vendors and advertise solicitations. Vendors who register in eVA will receive automatic notification of solicitations, if they prefer. In addition, they will receive any changes to the solicitations and most of all, be able to respond to solicitations online, saving mailing and delivery costs at the same time. Registration with eVA is a prerequisite to being awarded a contract.

Agencies have unlimited delegation for non-technology nonprofessional services. Nonprofessional services include all services not defined as professional services (see Professional Services below).

Vendors should work with agencies as they would with any other client; that is, letting the purchasing people know who you are and what you have to offer. This will help ensure you will be contacted when bids and proposals are solicited.

Purchasing Thresholds

In purchasing non-technology goods and printing or nonprofessional services, the Division follows these guidelines:

• For amounts up to $5,000: Competitive bids are not required, but will be set-aside exclusively for DMBE-certified small businesses. Agencies simply contact at least one DMBE-certified small business and, if the price is considered fair and reasonable, make the purchase.
• For amounts over $5,000 and up to $50,000: At least four DMBE-certified small businesses must be solicited if available. These procurements will be set-aside for DMBE-certified small businesses.
• For amounts exceeding $50,000: Procurements may be set-aside in whole or in part, exclusively for DMBE-certified small businesses. Unless set-aside for small businesses only, at least six vendors must be solicited - to include at least four DMBE-certified small businesses.

Purchasing Professional Services

Usually, each state agency contracts directly for professional services. So any firm that wants to submit proposals in these areas should contact the appropriate agency.

The Commonwealth normally purchases professional services through competitive negotiation. By law, only the following are defined as professional services:

• Accounting
• Actuarial services
• Architecture
• Land surveying
• Landscape architecture
• Law
• Dentistry
• Medicine
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Professional engineering
• Economists procured by the State Corporation Commission

If you want to learn more about e-VA and how to use e-VA go to e-VA training.

ARIBA

The Ariba Supplier Network gives companies a comprehensive, shared eBusiness solution that automates and streamlines business processes, from trading partner discovery to transaction management to financial settlement..

By connecting buyers, suppliers, and service providers across multiple systems and processes, the Ariba Supplier Network helps organizations eliminate the complexity and expense of interacting through manual or point-to-point solutions and drives effective business collaboration for both buyers and suppliers.