Purchasing

The City of Westminster is funded by tax dollars. As such, the city's purchasing procedures have been established to ensure that tax dollars are spent in the most economical way. The city uses competitive means for the purchase of all products and services whenever possible. The city also utilizes contracts and price agreements established by the State of Colorado, the Multiple Assembly of Procurement Officials (MAPO) and other cooperatives or agencies when it is to the city's advantage. The city believes in open, fair competition and strives to ensure that all vendors have equal opportunity to compete for city business.

The City of Westminster's Current Bids Page

City Vendor Setup Forms

IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer ID & Certification)

Joe Lachermeier, Purchasing Officer, 303-658-2048

City's Bid Process
The City of Westminster operates under a decentralized purchasing system. That means that any purchasing decision up to $5,000 is made independently by the divisions in the city. When the estimated amount for a product or services falls between $5,000 to $30,000, the divisions are required to obtain three quotes. On purchases beyond $30,000, the city requires the divisions to use the city's bid process.

The bid process is initiated through either an Invitation for Bid (IFB), used when the city knows exactly what specifications it needs for the purchase; or a Request for Proposal (RFP), used when the exact specifications or process is unknown.

Participating in the city's bid process is simple. Businesses may register their products or services based on the National Institute of Government Purchasing  (NIGP) code with a company called Demand Star. When a bid comes up that matches the selected NIGP code, the vendor is automatically notified that there is a bid available in their area of interest. The cost for this service is $30 a year, per county. Businesses interested in Westminster should purchase access for Adams County. This site can be accessed by clicking on the "Current Bids Page" link above. Or the vendor may choose to monitor the city's web site on their own, at no cost. All of the city's bids for commodities are posted on the web site.

Each IFB and RFP put out by the city is listed on the Demand Star web site by NIGP code and by county. If the code put out by the city matches the code of that input by a Westminster business, a fax is sent to the business notifying them that a bid has been issued by Westminster for their product or service. The business can then download the bid documents off the Internet, or have it faxed to them.

The status of the bid is kept current on the Demand Star site. Direct inquiries can by made via e-mail by clicking on the "Contact" box in the upper right corner, and then clicking on bid information for contractors and vendors. Questions can also be answered by calling the city directly and asking to talk to someone in the division who initiated the bid. The city's general telephone number is 303-658-2400.