HOWARD COUNTY

PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND

EQUAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (EBO)

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Office of Purchasing

Howard County, Maryland

September 26, 2013

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HOW WE DO BUSINESS

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• Maximize Competition

• Award to Lowest Responsive and Responsible Bidder

on Competitive Sealed Bids

• Award to Best Value on Competitive Sealed Proposals

• Transparency in Public Procurement

WHO WE BUY FOR

County Administration

Citizen Services

Technology &

Communications/ICBN

Finance

Fire and Rescue

Police

Inspection Licenses &

Permits

Planning and Zoning

Public Works

Health

Law

Sheriff’s Office

State’s Attorney’s

Office

Board of Elections

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WHAT WE BUY

Goods

Services

Professional Services

Construction (Capital Projects)

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BID THRESHOLDS

Small Purchases – up to $10,000

Informal Bids – between $10,001 and $29,999

Formal Bids – $30,000 and above

EBO Coordinator reviews EBO participation

goal in pre-bid/proposal conferences.

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PROCUREMENT METHODS

Between $10,001 and $29,999

Informal Request for Quotes

Over $30,000

Competitive Sealed Bids/Formal Invitation for Bid (IFB)

Competitive Sealed Proposals/Formal Request for Proposals (RFP)

Any Dollar Value

Cooperative Procurement (Piggyback)

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HOW COUNTY FUNDS ARE

SPENT

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Purchase Orders

Purchasing Cards (Visa)

EQUAL BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM

o Encourages increased participation by Minority, Women

and Disabled Business Enterprises in the procurement of

all goods and services.

o It is an extension of current Purchasing procedures and

is practiced on an on-going basis.

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EQUAL BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITY GOALS

Howard County’s Goals are:

1. Award 15% of the County’s total amount of all

contracts directly to EBOs every fiscal year. This

includes construction, architectural and engineering

services, and other procurements for goods and

services.

2. When the contract value is $50,000 or more, the

prime contractors will subcontract at least 10% to

EBOs as subcontractors or suppliers.

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The County will Obtain its Minority Participation Goals

Primarily through Two Mechanisms:

1. By Encouraging Minority Firms to Respond Directly to

County Solicitations for Goods and Services.

2. By Encouraging Prime Contractors to Include Minority

Firms as Sub-contractors and/or Suppliers.

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EQUAL BUSINESS

OPPORTUNITY GOALS

EBO PARTICIPATION o Contractors must make a genuine good faith effort to find

EBO Participation.

o Documentation of efforts is provided before waivers are

approved.

o EBO Coordinator works with awarded Contractors to find

EBO Participation

o Researches commodity history, if necessary

o Suggests means of meeting the goal

o Provides a list of certified EBO vendors based on

commodity codes

o Verifies EBO certifications

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HOWARD COUNTY

EBO CERTIFICATION

The participation of Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), including

Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) and Disabled Business

Enterprises (DBEs) is essential to the realization of Howard County’s

social and economic development goals.

The Office of Purchasing's commitment and policy is to assure all

persons an equal opportunity to participate in the procurement of all

commodities and services.

Certification is an important facet in order to foster participation

by minority firms in the procurement process.

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WHAT IS CERTIFICATION ?

The County's Equal Business Opportunity Program requires that, in

order to take advantage of the program, businesses be certified as

authentic and bona fide minority business enterprises (MBEs),

woman business enterprises(WBEs) and disabled business

enterprises(DBEs).

o Formal process is required - Application available online at

www.howardcountymd.gov/purchasing

o No application fee

o Assistance is provided to businesses in completing the

vendor registration and self-certification form, if needed

o Certification is valid for two years

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CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY

Most basic eligibility factor: To be certifiable, a business should be at

least 51% owned, controlled and managed, on site on a day to day

basis, by one or more individuals defined in the following groups:

Minority Business Enterprise: A business concern which is at least

51 percent owned by one or more minorities who are U.S. citizens or

legal resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership or

limited liability company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity

ownership interest which is owned by one or more minorities, and

whose management and daily business operations are controlled by

one or more of such individuals.

Minority: An individual who is a member of one of the following

groups: African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and

Hispanic Americans

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CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY

Woman-Owned Business Enterprise: A business concern which is at least

51 percent owned by one or more women who are U.S. citizens or legal

resident aliens, or in the case of a corporation, partnership or limited liability

company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest

which is owned by one or more women, and whose management and daily

business operations are controlled by one or more of such individuals.

Disabled Business Enterprise: A business concern which is at least 51

percent owned by one or more individual who has a physical or mental

impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities or has a

record of such impairment, who are U.S. citizens or legal resident aliens, or in

the case of a corporation, partnership or limited liability company or other entity,

at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest which is owned by one or

more disabled persons, and whose management and daily business operations

are controlled by one or more of such individuals.

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CERTIFICATIONS RECOGNIZED

FOR EBO PARTICIPATION

The County recognizes businesses certified by the following:

1. Howard County Equal Business Opportunity Commission

(EBOC)

2. State of Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)

3. City of Baltimore

4. Federal agencies when that agency is the grantor for a County

project

5. Other states and municipalities or certifying entity when it would be

impractical or unreasonable not to use a certified minority.

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WHAT CERTIFICATION WILL DO

o Equal opportunity

o Bidders list

o Contract notifications

o Marketing - Listing in EBO Vendor Directory

o Marketing - Promotion of Subcontractors to Prime Contractors

o Seminars, Open Houses, Training Workshops

o Networking, Referrals

o Increases Opportunities

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THANK YOU….

…..and I encourage each of you to get EBO

certified by Howard County !!

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Mahesh Sabnani

Equal Business Opportunity Program Coordinator

Howard County Government

Office of Purchasing

6751 Columbia Gateway Dr., Ste. 501

Columbia, MD 21046

Phone: 410-313-3694, Fax: 410-313-6388

Email: msabnani@howardcountymd.gov