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Last Update: September 2024
Thank you for your interest in doing business with the City of Cambridge! We are always looking for the best partners, regardless of whether we have worked together in the past. This guide is an overview of the process we use to award work. The processes we use to award work are determined by city ordinance and state law. They are designed to provide us with products and services that meet our needs at the lowest price. Suppliers must be responsible, responsive, and be registered as a vendor with the city (see: City Vendor Registry) to work with the City of Cambridge.
What to know about Submitting a Proposal
The proposal process looks first at technical merits of the bid or proposal, and then price is revealed after the technical evaluation is completed. A committee will evaluate each proposal, and in some cases, an interview will be required.
Always follow the directions as outlined on the invitation for bid (IFB) or request for proposal (RFP). Some requests have different submission requirements. For example, every IFB or RFP outlines both the specific City forms that are required for the work and the Massachusetts law that applies to the work and needs to be followed. Often, there is a Question and Answer (Q&A) period for vendors interested in submitting a bid or a proposal. If a question is important, the City will post the answer to the Purchasing website so all vendors can see the answer.
Supporting Materials
You will need a federal or personal tax ID number or social security number to do business with the City. We often ask for references. Sometimes there are requirements for deposits, bonds, insurance, and/or certifications. For example, many building construction projects require state DCAMM Certification. If applicable, we may want to inspect equipment or have a sample product sent to determine whether it meets the specifications.
Help and Resources
Each invitation for bid or request for proposal will have a contact person assigned to answer questions. Some will have a conference call, walk-through, site visit, or Question and Answer (Q&A) period. It is important to follow the contact directions in the bid or proposal carefully because unsigned documents, missing forms, and conversations with unauthorized city staff may cause a bid or proposal to be rejected.
The procurement thresholds, or limits, are determined by the total value or cost of the work. Depending on the value of the work, we may have multiple options to choose from. The list below covers most, but not all of the ways the City awards work. It is based on the value of the work.
Purchases under $10,000 – Sound Business Practices. For goods and services (including professional services) below $10,000, the City uses “sound business practices” to find the suppliers that give us the best value. That could mean a staff person contacting via phone, email, or website to obtain prices for the scope of services/goods needed.
If the pricing is not available on the vendor’s website, the vendor must provide a proposal on its letterhead, including details of the work to be performed, time required and the terms of payment. The vendor should sign the proposal and complete a W-9.
Purchases from $10,000 - $50,000 – Written Quote Contract. For work between $10,000 and $50,000 ($100,000 for Cambridge Public Schools), the City must solicit, or ask for written quotes from at least three (3) different suppliers. The Purchasing Department helps departments find vendors, including vendors certified by the City of Boston’s Supplier Diversity Office and the State of Massachusetts’ Supplier Diversity Office.
Purchases above $50,000 ($100,000 for Cambridge Public Schools) – Invitation for Bids/Request for Proposals. For work above $50,000 ($100,000 for Cambridge Public Schools) the City publicly advertises in COMMBUYS, City website, the Cambridge Chronicle, and for supplies or services estimated to cost over $100,000 in the Goods and Services Bulletin published by the Secretary of the Commonwealth for at least two (2) weeks before reviewing the submitted bids. All businesses can submit bids, but only suppliers that meet the minimum criteria identified in the bid document are considered. Bids are opened at a predetermined time and place. There is a standard contract for procurements in this price range. A copy of the contract is included in the bid documents for businesses to review.
All IFBs and RFPs are advertised on the city website. Bid and Proposal opportunities are posted on Thursdays. You can view these here: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/cambridgema or sign up on the City's eProcurement Portal to receive email notifications about bid opportunities. Currently bids can be submitted in sealed envelopes delivered either in person, by courier or by U.S. Post, or electronic delivery through the eProcurement Portal. Late submissions will not be considered.
It is a good idea for vendors to go back and check the website or their email regularly if they plan to submit a bid or proposal because the City also posts bid updates such as Questions and Answers or changes to the website for each bid.
After the proposed work is awarded, we will send a contract to the winning bidder. The bidder signs and returns the contract to the City, the City circulates the contract internally for its required signatures and then a fully signed contract is sent to the vendor for their records. Then the City department that requested the contract will create a purchase order. The City will post notice of award on its website.
Construction work is awarded based on contract value thresholds. Requirements vary depending on the type of construction being done and the value of the work.
Projects valued under $10,000 - Sound Business Practices. Construction work under this threshold follows the same procedures as sound business practices for goods and services. However, there may be additional requirements for construction projects such as the requirement for the contractor to pay its employees the prevailing wage and for contractors to submit their certified payroll to the city each week.
Projects valued from $10,000 - $50,000 – For construction work within this threshold range, the City must use a written scope of work to solicit written responses from no fewer than three (3) contractors who customarily perform the type of work being sought. The City must post a notice at least two (2) weeks before responses are due on the city’s website, in COMMBUYS, in the Central Register, and in the Purchasing Department office. Projects within this range have additional requirements set by the state such as OSHA Training, 50% Payment Bonds (if the project is estimated to cost more than $25,000), along with Prevailing Wage requirements and the requirement to submit certified payroll to the City.
Projects valued over 50,000 to $150,000 – For construction work within this threshold the city must use a sealed bid process as defined by state law (M.G.L. c. 30, section 39M). The city must post notice on its website, in the Central Register, in a newspaper of general circulation, and on COMMBUYS at least two weeks before the bids are due. In addition to the requirements for lower threshold projects, work in this category requires a bid deposit of 5% of the value of the total bid.
Projects valued over $150,000 – For construction work within this threshold the city must use a sealed bid process as defined by state law (M.G.L. c. sections 149, 44A-44J). In addition to the requirements for lower threshold projects, projects within this threshold may require prequalification, will require the use of filed sub-bids if the value of that trade category is more than $25,000, 100% payment bond, 100% performance bond, DCAMM certification of general bidders (if more than $150,000) and filed sub-bidders (if more than $25,000) and the city must perform contractor evaluations.
Projects valued over $10,000,000 – For construction work in this category, the city must solicit statements of qualifications prior to soliciting sealed bids in addition to meeting the requirements for lower threshold projects.
Projects valued under $10,000 – Sound Business Practices. Construction work under this threshold follows the same procedures as sound business practices for goods and services. However, there may be additional requirements for construction projects such as the requirement for the contractor to pay its employees the prevailing wage and for contractors to submit their certified payroll to the city each week.
Projects valued from $10,000 - $50,000 – For construction work within this threshold of value the city must use a written scope of work statement to solicit written responses from no fewer than three (3) contractors who perform such work, post a notice at least two weeks before written responses are due on the city’s website, in the Central Register, on COMMBUYS, and in the Purchasing Department. OSHA Training, 50% Payment Bonds (if the project is estimated to cost more than $25,0000, along with Prevailing Wage requirements and submission of certified payroll are requirements.
Projects valued over $50,000 – The city must solicit sealed bids by posting notice at least two weeks before the bids are due in the Central Register, in a newspaper of general circulation, on COMMBUYS, and in the Purchasing Department.
Purchases under $10,000 – Sound Business Practices – For construction materials valued below $10,000 the city must follow the sound business practices requirements described above in the goods and services section. Prevailing wage is not required because these contracts do not involve labor.
Purchases from $10,000 - $50,000 – The city must use a written scope of work statement to solicit written responses from no fewer than three vendors who provide the material needed. The city must post a notice at least two weeks before responses are due on the city’s website, in a newspaper of general circulation, in the Central Register, on COMMBUYS, and in the Purchasing Department. A 50% payment bond is required if the value of the contract is more than $25,000.
Purchases over $50,000 – The city must conduct a sealed bid process and post notice in the Purchasing Department, in a newspaper of general circulation, in the Central Register, and on COMMBUYS for at least two weeks prior to the bid submission deadline. The city also must require a bid deposit of 5% of the value of the total bid and a 50% payment bond.
The city has the option of conducting a sealed bid process under Chapter 30B for construction materials at any value. This option is similar to the process above but does not require vendors to submit the 5% bid deposit and the 50% payment bond is required only if the value of the contract is more than $25,000.
There are a number of other requirements vendors should understand are submitted as a part of your quote, bid, or proposal submission. These documents are signed by the vendor as a part of their quote, bid, or submission response.
For instance, the City has a Living Wage ordinance which requires that any vendor providing services valued at $10,000 or more to the City pay its employees no less than a "Living Wage." The Living Wage is adjusted each year for the cost of living. The current "living wage" for the City of Cambridge contracts is $19.09 per hour. The "living wage" is calculated differently if the service your company provides in connection with the cleaning of buildings and security guard services. In the case of janitorial services and security guard services, the ordinance requires your employees to be paid either the “living wage” or the wage rate set by the Commonwealth for building services (also known as prevailing wage) whichever is higher.
Vendors also need to be aware of the City’s Truck Safety ordinance which requires that any large vehicles being used by vendors to provide supplies and/or services to the City be equipped with safety features such as convex mirrors, cross-over mirrors, decals, and side under-ride guards to protect vulnerable road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians. Any Class 3 or above motor vehicle, trailer, semi-trailer or semi-trailer unit, with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) exceeding 10,000 pounds and able to travel at speeds more than 15 miles per hour is considered a large vehicle for purposes of this requirement
Additionally, the City has adopted a Written Information Security Policy (the "WISP”) that vendors must follow in order to protect people’s Personally Identifiable Information that the City obtains. Vendors must sign and return the WISP with their bid or quote submissions.
It is important to review all the materials in the bid or proposal documents to ensure that you understand what will be expected of you if you are awarded the contract.
When to Start Work
You cannot start work until a purchase order (for purchases under $10,000) has been issued by the Purchasing Department or a contract (for purchases valued at $10,000 or more) has been executed by the City with your company for that product or service. The City’s contract is also called the “Articles of Agreement.”
How to Receive Payment
The City cannot pay for anything up front, only once the goods and services are delivered. You may have a payment schedule in your Statement of Work (SOW) if applicable. When you have a purchase order, the City has acknowledged receipt of the goods or services, and you have submitted an invoice on letterhead, then payment will be issued.
The City of Cambridge offers electronic payment through Paymode. If you are already a Paymode customer you can add the City of Cambridge into your network. Note that there are two plans available with Paymode, a Premium and a Basic Plan. The Premium Plan offers perks such as detailed remittance information. The Premium Plan has a 1.5% network fee from every payment received. The Basic Plan is simpler, and currently there is no charge to vendors using the Basic Plan.
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