When is a contract for commodities and general services appropriate?
OCA is generally responsible for purchasing commodities and general services on behalf of City departments. Commodities and general services can be procured using stand-alone purchase orders with City's standard PO terms or they can be purchased through a multi-year contract. However, recurring purchases of commodities and general services over $20,000 generally result in a contract issued by OCA. This is because it is generally more efficient and cost effective to put recurring transactions on a multi-year contract than buy them one by one. Depending on the purchase, OCA may create the contract specifically for your department or make it available citywide for all city department to use.
What do I need to do to request a multi-year contract for commodities and general services?
If you are buying certain commodities or general services over $20,000 on a recurring basis, reach out to OCA for guidance. If OCA determines that a multi-year contract is warranted, you will need to:
- Complete the CL-700 (03-24) checklist to begin the process
- Ask OCA to conduct a solicitation OR grant you a solicitation waiver
Where can I learn more about City's multi-year contracting requirements?
Go to OCA's multi-year contracting page to learn more about the City's processes for entering into a multi-year contract.