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Interim Internal Purchasing Guidelines > 3 Supplier Relations > 3.5 Commercial Suppliers
Except for those commodities available from the mandatory sources listed in
3.3, it is Postal Service policy to purchase its requirements from commercial
suppliers using business practices and terms and conditions customary to the
commercial marketplace or from the government sources listed in 3.4.
3.5.2.a Introduction. The Postal Service prequalifies suppliers in order to enhance
competition and ensure quality performance. In addition to improving
competition and performance, prequalification can also shorten cycle time
and strengthen relations between the Postal Service and its suppliers.
Contracting officers should consider prequalifying suppliers whenever
appropriate.
1. Prequalified suppliers are firms or individuals whose record of
performance in the marketplace (commercial or governmental or both)
has demonstrated their ability to perform to consistently high standards
of quality and reliability.
2. Prequalification opportunities must be publicized in accordance with
3.5.2.e and 3.5.3. However, particular purchases or series of purchases
competed solely among prequalified suppliers (see 3.5.2.b.3) need not
be publicized, although purchase teams may do so if in the business or
competitive interests of the Postal Service.
3. Purchase teams may limit competition solely to prequalified suppliers.
Such decisions must be based on the business rationale for the
particular purchase (or series of purchases) and its relationship to the
business and competitive needs of the Postal Service. These decisions
are matters of the purchase team's judgment, as are those determining
whether to prequalify suppliers and what means to use. In addition,
when in the business interests of the Postal Service, purchase teams
may also consider adding suppliers to previously established lists when
capable suppliers which did not participate in the prequalification
process are identified. Before being placed on the list, such suppliers
must be evaluated in the same manner used to establish the original
list, but the prequalification process need not be republicized. Similarly,
if the purchase team decides that competition solely among prequalified
suppliers would not ensure of the purchase, the purchase opportunity
may be publicized or republicized.
4. When using prequalification, supplier-specific performance evaluation
factors (past performance and supplier capability; see 2.1.9), are
evaluated in order to decide which suppliers to include on the
prequalified list. The supplier should be evaluated in the same manner
as for any other purchase (see 2.1.9).
3.5.2.c Use. Prequalification may be used in either of two ways: (1) on an ongoing
basis for commercially available goods or services purchased routinely; or (2)
for an individual purchase or series of purchases.
1. Any number of methods may be used to prequalify suppliers. When
deciding on the method to be used (which should take place during the
purchase planning phase), purchase teams must consider the
particular purchase and the business and competitive needs of the
Postal Service, and tailor the prequalification method to these
considerations.
2. Determining the method should be based on:
(a) The particular purchase (or series of purchases) and its
relationship to the business and competitive needs of the Postal
Service.
(b) The dollar value or sensitivity of the purchase.
(c) The complexity of the item being purchased.
(d) The delivery schedule.
1. Publicizing. In addition to the publicizing requirements discussed in
3.5.3, purchase teams should use their market awareness to ensure
that qualified suppliers are made aware of prequalification
opportunities. Based on the state of the marketplace, announcements
regarding prequalification opportunities should be made through
whatever media are deemed most appropriate and effective. In
addition, purchase teams must ensure that market research includes
specific efforts to identify small, minority, and woman-owned
businesses capable of meeting prequalification criteria and that these
firms are encouraged to seek inclusion on prequalified lists. This effort
must be outlined in any individual purchase plan (see 2.1.5.b) that
contemplates the use of prequalified suppliers. Purchase teams must
also ensure that suppliers' subcontracting plans are consistent with 3.2
when they will be considered in prequalification criteria.
2. Time Limits. The length of time in which the prequalification list will be
in effect must be established and provided to suppliers before suppliers
are selected for the list. Limits will depend on the particular purchase
and the business and competitive needs of the Postal Service (although
lists must be reassessed periodically; see 3.5.2.f.1), but in all cases
must be reasonable in relation to standard commercial practices.
3. Selecting Suppliers
(a) After the evaluation team (see 2.1.8) has reviewed and analyzed
the supplier-specific information (see 2.1.9.c), suppliers are
placed on the prequalified list. All qualified suppliers need not be
placed on the prequalified list if the purchase team determines (1)
that a smaller group will provide adequate competition or (2) that
some suppliers are considerably more qualified than others,
thereby precluding purchase opportunities for the less qualified.
During this process, the contracting officer, as business leader of
the purchase team, must ensure:
(1) That all suppliers are treated in a business-like manner, and
that the inclusion or exclusion of a particular supplier is
based on business reasons alone.
(2) That enough suppliers are placed on the list to ensure
adequate competition for subsequent purchases.
(3) That any sensitive business information provided by a
supplier is sufficiently protected from disclosure.
4. Notification. All suppliers who responded to the prequalification
announcement must be notified of whether they were included or
excluded from the prequalification list. Suppliers who have not been
selected for the list must be provided the rationale so that they may
better prepare for future prequalification opportunities.
1. Reassessment. Periodically, purchase teams should reassess the
suppliers included on a prequalified list in order to ensure that they
remain qualified and reliable. Purchase teams should also consider
whether new suppliers should be included on the list. Such
opportunities must be publicized in accordance with 3.5.3, and
interested suppliers are subjected to the same prequalification methods
used to originally establish the list.
2. Removal. Purchase teams may decide to remove a supplier from a
prequalified list, but only when the action is based on sound business
reasons. The supplier must be informed of the removal and provided an
explanation for the decision.
3.5.2.g Requests for Prequalified Lists. Subject to the restrictions of 1.6.5 and
Handbook AS-353, prequalification lists may be provided to parties seeking
them, including businesses seeking subcontract opportunities.
3.5.2.h Competition. Purchase teams must ensure that purchases are competed
among a sufficient number of prequalified suppliers to ensure adequate
competition. The teams have broad discretion in determining when
competition is adequate, but must make this determination based on the
nature of the purchase, the marketplace, and the business and competitive
needs of the Postal Service. All relevant purchases need not be competed
among all suppliers included on a prequalified list, but all such suppliers must
be treated fairly, and periodically given the opportunity to compete for
purchases. Purchase teams must exercise sound business judgment when
determining which prequalified suppliers will compete for a particular
purchase, and must make a written determination that the suppliers selected
to compete provide adequate competition.
1. Purchase Opportunities
(a) All competitive purchase opportunities valued at over $100,000,
including prequalification opportunities, must be publicized unless
(1) precluded by emergency, (2) suppliers have been prequalified
(see 3.5.2.e.1), (3) an advance notice of services sought was
previously published as a part of purchase planning (see
3.5.3.b.3), or (4) the purchase will be of commercially available
goods or services, in which case the publicizing threshold is $1
million.
(b) At the discretion of the purchase team, noncompetitive purchase
opportunities of any value may be publicized when it is
determined that such publicizing would improve the effectiveness
of market research.
2. Contract Awards
(a) To promote competition in subcontracting, the Postal Service
announces contract awards, competitive or noncompetitive,
having significant subcontract opportunities. Such awards must
be publicized in the Governmentwide Point of Entry (GPE; see
3.5.3.b.1). Although a matter of judgment, these are normally
awards valued over $500,000 with individual subcontract
opportunities over $50,000. Announcements of contract awards
may also be made available for publication to newspapers, trade
journals and magazines.
(b) Other awards may be publicized, when in the judgment of the
purchase team, such announcement would benefit future
competition.
(c) All noncompetitive contract awards valued at more than $1 million
must be publicized in the GPE, and other media as appropriate,
upon award.
1. Governmentwide Point of Entry. Except for purchases of mail
transportation (see 4.4.4.d), solicitations must be synopsized in the
GPE. The GPE, successor to the Commerce Business Daily, is the
single point where most government purchasing opportunities and
contract awards can be accessed electronically by the public. The GPE
is accessed via the Internet at http://www.fedbizopps.gov. This
publicizing must occur as early in the purchasing process as possible,
but not later than the date of issuing the solicitation.
2. Other Media. In addition to the GPE, purchase opportunities may be
publicized via other electronic media, or in newspapers or trade
journals, depending on three factors: (a) the purchase team's
knowledge of the marketplace, (b) the business and competitive needs
of the Postal Service, and (c) whether, following contract award, there
will be significant subcontracting opportunities. Purchase teams should
also consider publicizing in media that target diverse suppliers (see
also Handbook P-1, General Purchasing Concepts and Practices).
3. Presolicitation Notices. Purchase teams wishing to identify suppliers
may do so by issuing a presolicitation notice (also called a "sources
sought" notice). The notice should (a) describe the upcoming Postal
Service requirement and any applicable qualification requirements, (b)
announce any planned presolicitation conferences, and (c) specify a
date by which the notice must be returned to ensure inclusion on the
solicitation mailing list.
3.5.4.a Definition. Unsolicited proposals are offers to sell to the Postal Service the
rights to ideas, concepts, products, processes, or technology. They are
considered unsolicited because they are not submitted in response to a
solicitation or request for proposals.
3.5.4.b Unsolicited Proposal Program. The Unsolicited Proposal Program (UPP)
provides companies and entrepreneurs the opportunity to submit new
technologies or ideas to improve postal operations.
3.5.4.c Procedural Information. Information concerning submittal and review of
unsolicited proposals is contained in Publication 131, The Postal Service
Unsolicited Proposal Program, available for review at:
http://www.usps.com/business.
3.5.4.d Acceptance. If an unsolicited proposal is found acceptable, and a
noncompetitive purchase can be justified under one of the scenarios at 2.1.3
(for example, because the supplier is a single source, or because a
compelling business interest justifies the use of the noncompetitive process),
the contracting officer negotiates a contract with the proposer.
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