How to do Business with UP

How to Do Business with the City of University Park

Suppliers are encouraged to visit with the city departmental users; however, in exercising professional courtesy, it is recommended to first visit with the Purchasing Division. Purchasing staff can direct the supplier to the department(s) who utilizes their specific products and/or services. 

Join Our Vendor List

The City uses Periscope S2G (formerly called BidSync) to post all sealed bids/RFPs and some informal requests for quotes. Join our vendor list by registering here. Registration is free and registrants will automatically receive notices if the City posts a bid or RFP for products or services matching the vendor’s business profile as created in Periscope.
 
Submission of Sealed Bids / Proposals

All current bid opportunities are listed here. Per state statute, all purchases expected to cost $50,000 or more must be acquired via competitive bid process. In many cases this means that the City will post a sealed bid or RFP (“Request for Proposal”) opportunity. All bids and RFPs are awarded to the lowest responsible bidder or to the bidder/proposer who provides the goods or services at the best value to the City pursuant to Texas Local Government Code Sec. 252.043. All sealed bids/proposals must be submitted by the date and time noted in the bid documents.

Unless otherwise specified in the bid/RFP documents, sealed submissions must be delivered using one of these two methods:

• In paper format, to “City of University Park, Attn: Purchasing, 4420 Worcola Street, Dallas, TX 75206”
• Electronically via Periscope at https://www.periscopeholdings.com/s2g

Late sealed submissions will not be accepted for any reason. Sealed bids are publicly opened at a date, time, and location specified in the bid documents. Tabulations of sealed bids are available here. Only the names of the suppliers submitting proposals in a sealed RFP process are announced at the public proposal opening. Contents of the proposals are not open for public inspection until after the contract is awarded.
 
Bidding Parameters

Bidding parameters are established to ensure that sizable purchases are subject to fair competition among available, responsible vendors. The following parameters have been established by the City of University Park in compliance with Texas state law to assist Purchasing Division employees, as well as other city employees, in obtaining competitive quotes.
 

1. Purchases between $1 - $3,000
2. 
   Quotes are not required but are recommended as a best practice. Orders may be placed by Purchasing or the user department directly with vendors by telephone, by an emailed copy of the purchase order, or procurement card transaction.
    
3. Purchases between $3,001 – $50,000
4.  
5. On purchases of this magnitude, the Purchasing Manager determines the method of procurement by using formal written quotes, telephone quotes followed up in a written format, or Internet quotes, which shall be retained in the Purchasing Division. Quotes shall be obtained from a minimum of three vendors either by the user department or by the Purchasing staff. At least two contacts from certified historically underutilized businesses (HUBs) must be included in compliance with Texas Local Government Code Sec. 252.0215. In some instances, requests for these “informal” quotes are posted to Periscope and listed on the City’s Purchasing site here. 
    
6. Purchases over $50,000
7.  
8. Formal sealed requests for bids/RFP’s are required. Notice to bidders must be publicly advertised in the newspaper for two (2) consecutive weeks, with the first date of publication being at least fourteen (14) days before the date set to publicly open the bids or proposals. Competitive bids/RFP’s are awarded by the University Park City Council. Requests for proposals are opened so as to avoid disclosure of the contents of proposals to competing proposers until after the award by City Council.

Cooperative Purchasing  

Texas Government Code Chapter 791 and Texas Local Government Code Chapter 271 authorizes local governments to enter into interlocal agreements with other governmental jurisdictions including all states within the United States, independent school districts, counties, councils of governments, and non-profit corporations created to provide various governmental functions/services (such as cooperative purchasing).  Cooperative purchasing saves time and effort and allows the City of University Park to combine its purchasing power with other entities to achieve lower prices on various goods and services. The city has interlocal agreements with various entities throughout the state of Texas and is a member of several cooperative purchasing programs throughout the United States.

Cooperative purchasing contracts have been competitively bid by a lead entity and thus satisfy state bidding requirements. Visit the following websites for more information about cooperative purchasing programs:
 

• The Local Government Purchasing Cooperative (BuyBoard®) 
• Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) 
• Houston-Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC) Cooperative Purchasing Program 
• National Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (NCPA) 
• North Texas SHARE 
• OMNIA Partners 
• Sourcewell
• Texas Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS) 
• The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) 
• U.S. General Services Administration (Schedules 70 and 84) 

 

Purchase Order

An official numbered purchase order is the primary method for purchasing goods, services, or equipment obligating the City of University Park for payment. Transactions over $3,000.00 may not be valid and binding unless it has an official purchase order number. Many orders are placed by telephone and all vendors should ask the buyer for a purchase order number or their city issued credit card number.

Delivery

All shipments must be externally identified with a packing list indicating contents and referencing the city purchase order number and department name. It is preferred that the name of the person initiating the transaction also be listed on the packing list for additional identification purposes. Deliveries must be made “F.O.B. Destination” unless other arrangements have been approved by City officials at the time of the order. Collect shipments will not be accepted.

Invoices

All invoices are paid on a NET 30 basis after goods or services are provided and accepted by City staff.
Itemized invoices must be submitted to:

City of University Park
Attn: Accounts Payable
3800 University Blvd.
University Park, TX 75205
 
Or payables@uptexas.org (preferred)

To ensure prompt payment, invoices must reference the City of University Park purchase order number and be priced in accordance with the purchase order. All invoices are matched against the purchase order and the receiving report to initiate payment. Care in preparing and submitting invoices will help eliminate problems in processing payments on a timely basis. The City attempts to discount and pay all invoices in accordance with quoted terms. The City issues payment via credit card, paper check, or ACH transaction. Questions regarding billing or payments should be directed to Accounts Payable at 214.987.5314 or payables@uptexas.org.

Tax Exemption
 
The City is exempt from federal excise tax and city and state sales and use tax. If the prices quoted and recorded on any invoice include such taxes, the amount of the tax will be deducted from payment OR the City will request a revised invoice from the vendor. Tax Exemption Certificates are available upon request.
 
Insurance Requirements

Contractors performing work for the City of University Park shall provide the city a Certificate of Insurance outlining the coverage and provisions identified by the city.

Contractors shall provide the City evidence that all subcontractors performing work on the project have the same types and amounts of coverage as required or that the subcontractors are included under the contractor’s policy.

All insurance companies and coverage must be authorized by the Texas Department of Insurance to transact business in the State of Texas and must be acceptable to the City of University Park.