A Guide to Doing Business With New Mexico Tech

NM TECH’S SUPPLIER BASE

The Institute recognizes the value in maintaining a broad supplier base and list of potential bidders. The Purchasing Services Office does not charge a fee to add suppliers to its bidder list. The Purchasing Services Office supplier and bidder databases are sources from which NM Tech selects potential bidders. Bidders are selected at random, and on a rotating basis, based on the commodity to be purchased. After three years, inactive bidders are purged from the databases. Suppliers may register by completing a Bidder List Application available in the Purchasing Services Office.

NM Tech reserves the right to remove suppliers from its supplier and bidder databases. Removal may be made for a bidder’s failure to respond to three successive solicitations, repeated return of undeliverable mail, violation of NM Tech Code of Ethics, failure to meet promised delivery times, delivery of unauthorized goods, unauthorized substitution of specified goods and for unsatisfactory performance of a service.

It is the supplier's responsibility to keep the Purchasing Services Office informed of any changes in address or other pertinent information.

METHODS OF PROCUREMENT

Purchase Card – Cardholders of New Mexico Tech Purchase Card Program are responsible for initiating the purchase for materials consistent with existing policies and procedures. The material costs per transaction can not exceed $1000. Receipts for billing under the purchase card program are required and should be sent directly to the cardholders address. The purchase card can not be used for obtaining a service.

Limited Purchase Orders - The Director of Purchasing may authorize User Departments to issue Limited Purchase Orders directly to a supplier, as opposed to using the services of the Purchasing Services Office. Such purchases are not to exceed $2000 and must be billed on a single invoice.

Informal Price Quotations: Purchases Less Greater Than $2,000 Less Than $10,000.

Informal Price Quotations are secured and documented in a manner determined to be the most appropriate for the goods and services required. Examples of this method include verbal quotations, written quotations, catalog prices and price list comparisons and web-based price lists. Using departments are authorized by the Purchasing Services Office to solicit informal price quotations on behalf of New Mexico Tech. A written quotation is required for all services and materials that are valued in excess of $5,000. The NM Tech Purchasing Services Office is responsible for issuing the purchase order only after obtaining all approvals.

Sealed Bids and Proposals: Purchases greater than $10,000. Firm offers are secured from suppliers by means of a “Request for Bid” or a “Request for Proposal” document. A notice of a request for bid or request for proposal is published at least once in the Legal Section of the Albuquerque Journal or other newspapers. It is published not less than ten calendar days prior to the date set for opening bids. Responses to competitive sealed bids must be written and submitted to the Purchasing Services Office before the established date and time. It is the bidder's responsibility to ensure that their bid or proposal is physically received, and officially clocked in at the NM Tech Purchasing Services Office, no later than the established due date and time.

Bid openings: Sealed bids will be opened publicly in the Purchasing Services Office on the due date and at the time specified on the bid cover sheet. Anyone may attend the opening of a sealed bid and inspect the bids. Proposals on the other hand are not opened publicly and remain confidential until after the award is announced. Late bids/proposals will not be considered responsive and will be returned unopened.