Selling to San Bernardino County

HOW TO GET STARTED

The process to doing business with San Bernardino County begins with registering with the online procurement system (ePro). You can register at epro.sbcounty.gov and click the ePro Supplier Registration button, located at the top right of the page.

REQUIRED VENDOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

•  Tax ID
•  Company Name
•  Email Address
•  Vendor Legal Name
•  Mailing Address Line (country, city, state/province, zip code)
•  Company Phone Number
•  Company Email Address
•  User Contact Information
•  Commodity Code(s) Selection: Vendors are encouraged to add all applicable commodity codes that represent their products or services to their ePro account. This ensures that when bids are posted, the system automatically sends email notifications to vendors with matching commodity codes—so you don’t miss out on opportunities.

Purchasing Procurement Vendor Workshop

This video provides vendors with guidance on using the ePro system effectively. It begins by demonstrating how to register as a vendor, set up and manage your account details, and locate relevant purchasing contacts. The video then moves into the solicitation process, explaining the different types of solicitation documents and how to post questions related to a bid. Finally, it walks through how to complete and submit a bid response in ePro, highlighting best practices and common errors to avoid for a successful bid submission. This video is a valuable resource for vendors seeking to participate in procurement opportunities with confidence and accuracy.

CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS
Capital improvement and public works projects such as building construction, road, flood control and solid waste improvements between $45,000 and $175,000 are awarded by an informal construction bid process which will include detail plans and specifications. Capital improvement projects exceeding $175,000 are awarded through a formal construction bid process and require San Bernardino County Board of Supervisor’s approval.

CONSULTANT SERVICES
All consultant service contracts are selected through a request for proposal (RFP) process. The Purchasing Agent may award consulting contracts up to $100,000 without Board of Supervisor’s approval.

LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE POLICY
San Bernardino County has established a local vendor preference policy to encourage local vendors to provide goods and services needed for the County operations. This local buying fuels the local economy and contributes to the strength of the community. This policy includes a 5% local preference for vendors whose principal place of business is within the boundaries of the County. To qualify for this policy, local vendors must meet the following criteria:

• Business established and open minimum 6 months
• Can demonstrate ongoing business activity
• Minimum 25% of the full-time regular and management employees working from locations inside San Bernardino County

Informal Quotes
Informal quote requests may be requested directly via email or through the County’s electronic procurement system, ePro.

Formal Solicitations
Request for proposals and formal invitation to bids are formal written solicitations for a service or commodity, which outline the specific bidding process and contract terms. Typically, these formal bids are issued for the purchase of commodities and services greater than $100,000 but may be used for procurements under this threshold. To review the different solicitation types that the County uses, see this video.

Public Works
Public project procurements are projects that pertain to the construction, reconstruction, alteration, renovation, improvement, demolition or repair of publicly owned, leased or operated facility. In addition, a public project includes the painting or repainting of any public owned, leased or operated facility. A facility is any plant, building, structure, ground facility, utility system, real property, streets and highways, or other public work improvement. Public projects for the purposes of bidding requirements do not include maintenance work.

Public Projects $75,000 And Under
All public projects $75,000 and under may be performed by County employees by force account, or by contractors under a negotiated contract or purchase order [Public Contract Code section §22032(a) and County Code §14.0102(e)]. For purposes of bidding, three quotes are required and/or a non-competitive solicitation justification. The County of San Bernardino will only award public projects to contractors holding proper state licenses and insurances.

Public Projects Up To $220,000
All public projects $220,000 and under may be performed pursuant to a contract issued under informal bidding procedures (Public Contract Code section §22032(b) and County Code §14.0144). The solicitation is conducted utilizing an informal bid package, which does not require Board approval. Bid documents must be mailed/faxed/e-mailed to the 3 required trade journals at least 10 days prior to the date bids are due (Public Contract Code section.

Public Projects Over $220,000
Public projects over this amount require a formal bidding procedure. The plans and specifications for the project must be submitted to the Board and authorization received for the department to seek formal bids (P.C.C. §22039). The notice inviting formal bids must be published at least 14 calendar days before the date of opening of the bids in a newspaper of general circulation, printed and published in the jurisdiction of the public agency. The notice inviting formal bids shall also be sent electronically and mailed to the three required construction trade journals. The notice shall be sent at least 15 calendar days before the date of opening bids. A contract with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder must be submitted to the Board for approval.

The Public Contract Code requires the dollar thresholds stated above to be reviewed every five years. In the event the thresholds are modified, this manual will be updated accordingly.