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Bidding on Palm Beach County contracts
What small contractors need to know before they bid, based on the bid documents we read. Two County departments run their bids differently.
See what you could bid onTwo departments, two sets of rules
A blank price line
On Engineering bids, a pay item left blank or marked N/A may make the whole bid irregular. On the Purchasing bid we read, a blank line is treated as a no-bid for that item. Either way, write free or $00.00 for a line with no cost.
Pre-bid meetings
The Engineering landscaping bids we read had an optional pre-bid meeting. On the Purchasing bid IFB 21-020/KP it was mandatory: the sign-in sheet was collected 10 minutes after the start, and anyone who arrived later counted as absent and was disqualified.
Small business goal and local preference
The SBE subcontracting goal
Submit OSBD Schedules 1 and 2 with the bid. A waiver or partial waiver request with proof of good faith efforts must be filed by the bid due date, or the bid is non-responsive. The goal was 20% on the 2020 and 2022 landscaping bids and 5% on the 2026 one. In the earlier cycles the waiver request was due at least 7 business days before the bid.
Local preference
A 5% local preference, and a 5% Glades preference, apply only with proof of a Palm Beach County place of business before the notice date.
Bonds and qualifications
Bid bond and the waiver program
A bid bond with a power of attorney is required. There is none under $50,000, and a waiver program covers $50,000 to $200,000. After award, a public construction bond of at least $50,000 per work order under $200,000 follows.
Show you are qualified
Send an FDOT prequalification letter, or a Qualifications and Experience Package: two similar projects in five years, resumes of key staff, an equipment schedule and a signed certification.
You must do 40% yourself
The contractor must perform at least 40% of the total contract amount with its own organization.
Prices
One fixed unit price per line
Each line takes a single fixed unit price to two decimals. If your math is wrong, the unit price wins over the extended total.
Unbalanced prices can be rejected
Unit prices that are front-end loaded or far out of line with the norm and with competitors' prices for the same item may be rejected.
Addenda and registration
Acknowledge every addendum
Acknowledge all addenda on the Proposal Form. Questions are due at least five working days before bid opening, and addenda can post up to 72 hours before. On the Purchasing bid, a signed amendment and any replacement pages had to be returned with the bid or it was rejected.
Register in VSS
You and every subcontractor must be registered in the County's VSS system before the County finalizes an award.
We have fewer Palm Beach records so far: 5 solicitations (three Engineering landscaping bids and two from Purchasing) and no recorded rejections yet. This page comes from the rules in those bid documents, not from award results.
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