The county’s Office of Procurement has launched a new web-based service to connect vendors with county departments in conjunction with Small Business Month, officials announced.
The Vendor Innovation Portal “will allow businesses to introduce their company and connect with the most appropriate contacts in the county that could best utilize their goods or services,” according to a press release.
“Vendors frequently contact me with innovative ideas that would not only improve outcomes like environmental impact, but they could also save the county money,” said Ash Shetty, the county’s chief procurement officer. “The Vendor Innovation Portal provides more opportunities for businesses in our supply pool to communicate directly with the relevant county departments.”
The portal is once of several programs and initiatives the office has created to help county small businesses, such as Local Business Preference Program that went into effect in August 2020.
“LBPP requires a 10 percent price preference for a local business bidding on an Invitation for bid or an evaluation factor worth 10 percent of the total points for a local business submitting a proposal under an RFP for a contract awarded by the County, the VIP announcement said.
Interested vendors can learn more about the portal during an online town hall to be held via Zoom on Friday, May 14 from 12–1 p.m. The event will be hosted by Jerome Fletcher, assistant administrative officer, and Shetty will be discussing the portal.
The link will be posted online under Calendar & Events.
Procurement by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images