You can find out about bids on a weekly basis by:

• Consulting the New Haven Register Sunday Edition
• Searching for solicitations on the BONFIRE - Public Purchasing Portal
• Additionally, you can make an appointment with the Procurement to let the specialist know of your interest and capabilities in meeting the needs of the City. The phone number is listed on the Notice to Bidder Section of the bid/proposal package. You may also refer to the online employee directory for City of New Haven office phone numbers.

No, since the City's procurement process is digital, there is no charge associated with obtaining a solicitation package. Simply access the information from your digital device. The Bureau of Purchases does not provide hardcopies copies of solicitations.

No. You will not be able to download any documents from our website without properly registering. Once registered, you may download solicitation documents.

If you decide to respond to the solicitation you may either:

1. Submit a hardcopy of your response via the via the U.S. Postal Service or a private carrier service on or before the solicitation due date. No Faxes. We cannot accept a facsimile of this document.
   
   or
   
   
2. Alternatively, you may submit an electronic version of your response through our online system. The website registration process allows you to create an account used to obtain access to online bids and bid documents. It is also the account used to submit online bids.

Note: We do not mail out or email copies of any bid documents or bid tabulations, however you may drop by our office to pick up a copy during office hours (Office Hours: 9 AM to 5PM, Monday -Friday).

Our system does not use cookies. Our website works best with PCs using Microsoft Windows Operating System and Internet Explorer 7.0.

You must first register as a vendor with our website. Click on the gray 'Vendor Registration' Button on the top of the page and fill out the form as directed. Once submitted you will be able to search for and download bid packets.

1. Click on the gray 'Vendor Login' button on the top of the page and login to the site using the credentials supplied when you registered. Your username is your email address. If you have forgotten your password, please click on the 'Forgot your password? Click here for help!' link.
2. Once logged on you may either search for different types of solicitations using the six color-coded button choices at the top of the page:
   • Commodity Bids
   • Service Bids
   • Construction Bids
   • Quotes
   • RFPs/RFQ's
   • SBI Bids
   Or you may scroll down to see our 'Calendar of Solicitation Deadlines During Current Month' and our 'Pre-Solicitation Meeting Dates Falling Within Current Month' to view up-to-the minute information.
3. Once you find a solicitation of interest, follow the links to the 'View/Download Opportunities' page where you will be allowed to download all documents associated with this solicitation depending on your status. Note: Only registered SBI vendors will be allowed to download SBI bids or submit online responses for these specific bids. Also note: Once a bid has been archived (60 days past closing) you will not be allowed to download the bid packet but only the tab sheet.

Complete the fillable forms and download, sign the required forms, and then scan and upload the forms through the project portal.

To begin bidding over the Internet using our online system, your Signature On File forms packet must be approved and activated by the New Haven Bureau of Purchases as explained above. Your packet must be received at least ten days prior to the date you wish to begin bidding over the Internet in order to allow adequate processing time. Please note that there are no exceptions to this policy and there is no way to expedite this process. Once your paperwork has been received and approved, our online account will be activated and approved for bid submission. Each time you log on to our system you will see your online access status.

There are two ways you can easily submit a bid online using our system, however, you must first be logged in successfully to our website and secondly, you must have sent in your Signature On File forms packet (explained above) and have been approved. Once logged in with the correct status follow these tips below:

1. First Option: Search solicitations using the six color-coded button choices at the top of the page:
   • Commodity Bids
   • Service Bids
   • Construction Bids
   • Quotes
   • RFPs/RFQ's
   • SBI Bids
   Or you may scroll down to see our 'Calendar of Solicitation Deadlines During Current Month' and our 'Pre-Solicitation Meeting Dates Falling Within Current Month' to view up-to-the minute information. Follow the links of the solicitation of interest to the 'View/Download Opportunities' page where you will be allowed to download all documents associated with this solicitation.
   
   Click on the gray 'Submit Bid Online' button and you will be taken to the submission form with the solicitation number automatically filled in for you.
   
   
2. Second Option: Once logged in, click on the gray 'Submit Bid Online' button in your company's tool bar at located the very top of every page.
   
   You will be taken to a page where you will need to enter the exact bid number associated with this solicitation. Once completed you will be take to the submission form.

Yes, to both questions.

If you submit a bid multiple times before the deadline, only the last submission will be kept and passed on to the Bureau of Purchases. If you request a bid to be withdrawn before the deadline, it will not be passed on. To request a bid be withdrawn after opening - please email Purchasing@newhavenct.net your request along with your submission receipt number.

No one can access the solicitation that you submit until the public bid closing, it stays in a secure cloud base virtual 'lock box' and there is no way for anyone else to see it. The 'lock box' is time sensitive to the associated project's closing date. The system cannot read your bid and will not pass it to Bureau of Purchasing until the official solicitation closing.

It is very unlikely, and considerations have been taken to avoid any loss of data. As a bonus, you will receive an electronic solicitation receipt whenever you submit a solicitation, which can be used to prove when the solicitation was submitted. These solicitation receipts also display the time and date of your submission.

Your bid is secure in our system. The system does not allow for the directory which stores your documents to be browsed on the Internet. The system also does not allow anyone to follow the link to open your bid documents unless they are an authorized user of the City of New Haven Bureau of Purchases and the closing time has passed.

When submitting over the Internet, you will have two options. You may continue to provide a paper bid bond which will be due at the Bureau of Purchases office prior to the bid due date and time. You may submit an electronic bid bond. The specific electronic bid forms may be found when you download the specific solicitation packet. If you choose to submit an electronic bid bond, please be advised that upon signing the bid bond all legal obligations associated with the bid bond ae in full force and effect.

Nothing, the system is free. You must only register.

None, there are no fees charged for bidding over the Internet.

No, there is no charge to the contractor for using the City of New Haven Online Procurement services.

No, if your account was cancelled by the City Of New Haven Bureau of Purchases then you may not reconnect. You will need to contact the Bureau of Purchases in person to discuss.

Michael V. Fumiatti
Purchasing Agent
200 Orange Street
203-946-8201
Email

Office Hours
Monday -Friday
9:00AM - 5:00PM

Vendors interested in being placed on the bidders list should register at the BONFIRE - Public Purchasing Portal.

No, placement on the bidder's list is no guarantee of your company being notified of a solicitation.

To schedule a sales visit, call for an appointment during normal business hours.

Procurement Staff Contact Information

No, all information is obtained through the procurement portal. In fact if you do send a bid package by facsimile, your bid submission will be rejected.

Normally the using agency submits a requisition to Procurement Services for a specific requirement.

City agencies have been delegated authority for small purchases up to and including $10,000. For purchases of $500 and under a non-competitive decentralized Requisition is used. For purchases over $500 and up to and including $10,000 three written quotes are required.

The Bureau of Purchases has the responsibility to purchase or all supplies, materials, equipment, and contractual services as needed. The City does not procure services or commodities for the Housing Authority or Parking Authority. However, from time to tome both agencies will piggyback off City contracts.

Departmental Information

No, all responding bidder's are provided with results by web site posting after award is made. Bidder's may browse awards/intent notices for further information.

Due to current Covid 19 Pandemic conditions and for the for see able future, in person public closings have changed to virtual public closings through the Zoom application. You will need consult a solicitation for applicable details.

It is the desire of the City of New Haven to increase the number of minorities who participate meaningfully in all City contracts. To this end, the City uses goals and encourages good faith efforts by all parties who engage in governmental contracting. The City is strongly committed to the utilization of minority firms/individuals for all goods and services. The City provides all firms, regardless of race or nationality, equal access to the procurement process. The City employs a Minority Business Recruiter to assist firms in doing business with the City. Minority Business Enterprise information may be accessed here.

All goods, services, insurance and construction estimated to cost more than $10,000 will be subject to a formal bid or request for proposals.

No, the city will not FedEx/Overnight mail a bid package to a vendor.

Normally contracts will be let out bid approximately three months prior to expiration of the current contract.

Indefinitely, but the City reserves the right to purge vendors from the bidder's list with inactivity in excess of two years.

Bureau of Purchases is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. E.S.T. Monday through Friday. We are located in Hall of Record, Room 301 at 200 Orange Street, New Haven, CT. 06510

The Purchasing Agent for the City of New Haven is Michael Fumiatti, 203-946-8201

All goods, services, construction or insurance requirements estimated to cost more than $10,000 are subject to the following advertising sources:

• Advertised in the New Haven Register, (only Bids, RFP's & RFQ's).
• Posted on the City's website
• Notice sent to construction Reporting Agencies
• State Web Site - Department of Administrative Services

You may request information about or copies of previous contracts through the Freedom of Information Act process by contacting the following:

City of New Haven Bureau of Purchases
200 Orange Street
New Haven, CT 06510
203-946-8201

Generally Speaking, copies of previous contracts can be obtained within four business days of receipt of a formal request, with limited exceptions and unless the document is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. There is a fee of (.50) per page for plain paper copies. If the first page of copy contracted document is certified there is a $1.00 charge for the first page. There is no fee for a visual review however; appointment must be made in advance with a representative from the Bureau of Purchases.