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MCPPO PUBLIC CONTRACTING OVERVIEW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Less than $10,000 - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Sound
Business Practices-ensuring the receipt of a favorable
price by periodically soliciting price lists or quotes.
At least $10,000 but not more than $50,000 -
.....ANSWER... ✔✔ Written Price Quotations-solicit at
least 3 written quotes from vendors that customarily
provide the supplies or services you are procuring, and
award the contract to the responsible vendor who gives
you the lowest written quote that meets your purchase
description.
Responsible Vendor - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Under MGL
30B, a responsible vendor has the capability to perform
fully the contract requirements and the integrity and
reliability that assure good faith performance.
More than $50,000 - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Advertised
Competition-must advertise for sealed bids or proposals.
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IFB Process - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Process requires you
to select the lowest priced bid from a responsible and
responsive vendor who meets your purchase description.
RFP Process - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Allows you to award
a contract to the responsible and responsive vendor who
submits the most advantageous proposal, based on
price and the comparative criteria that you defined in
the RFP.
Chief Procurement Officer - .....ANSWER... ✔✔
Responsible for all activities related to buying, leasing,
renting, or otherwise acquiring supplies or services for a
jurisdiction regardless of the contract value. Only a
Chief Procurement Officer may conduct a request for
proposal process under Chapter 30B.
-Appointed Chief Procurement Officer
-Jurisdiction must specify in writing that selection of the
most advantageous offer requires comparative
judgements in addition to price.
-Must document the reasons for the determination -
.....ANSWER... ✔✔ What is required to use the
Chapter 30B RFP process?
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Proprietary Specifications - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Cite
specific brand names or have the effect of restricting the
procurement to one product.
Difference between IFB and RFP award - .....ANSWER...
✔✔ -IFB you will select the best priced bid from a
responsible and responsive bidder.
-RFP you will select the most advantageous responsible
and responsive proposal, taking into consideration both
price and non-price proposals.
Sole Source Procurement - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ A
purchase of supplies or services without advertising or
competition from a single or sole source.
Ch 30B 7 authorizes sole source procurement of supplies
or services with a value of $50,000 or less when a
reasonable investigation shows that there is only one
practicable source for the required supply or service. -
.....ANSWER... ✔✔ When can sole source
procurement be used?
If you determine in writing, after reasonable
investigation, that there is only one practicable source
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for the items. - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ When can you use
sole source procurement for contracts valued at more
than $50,000?
Maintain a written record of your sole source
procurement specifying the following:
-vendor's name
-amount and type of contract awarded
-listing of the supplies or services procured
-basis for your determination that there was only one
practicable source for the supplies or services you
purchased - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ What documentation
is required for a sole source procurement?
Emergency Procurement - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ If the
time required to comply fully with Ch 30B would
endanger the health or safety of people or property
due to an unforeseen emergency, you may procure the
needed item or service without complying. However, you
must comply to the extent possible.
Surplus Supplies - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ You may
dispose of surplus supplies with an estimated net resale
or salvage value of less than $10,000 using any method
allowed under written procedures established by your
MCPPO PUBLIC CONTRACTING OVERVIEW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Less than $10,000 - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Sound
Business Practices-ensuring the receipt of a favorable
price by periodically soliciting price lists or quotes.
At least $10,000 but not more than $50,000 -
.....ANSWER... ✔✔ Written Price Quotations-solicit at
least 3 written quotes from vendors that customarily
provide the supplies or services you are procuring, and
award the contract to the responsible vendor who gives
you the lowest written quote that meets your purchase
description.
Responsible Vendor - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Under MGL
30B, a responsible vendor has the capability to perform
fully the contract requirements and the integrity and
reliability that assure good faith performance.
More than $50,000 - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Advertised
Competition-must advertise for sealed bids or proposals.
,2|Page
IFB Process - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Process requires you
to select the lowest priced bid from a responsible and
responsive vendor who meets your purchase description.
RFP Process - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Allows you to award
a contract to the responsible and responsive vendor who
submits the most advantageous proposal, based on
price and the comparative criteria that you defined in
the RFP.
Chief Procurement Officer - .....ANSWER... ✔✔
Responsible for all activities related to buying, leasing,
renting, or otherwise acquiring supplies or services for a
jurisdiction regardless of the contract value. Only a
Chief Procurement Officer may conduct a request for
proposal process under Chapter 30B.
-Appointed Chief Procurement Officer
-Jurisdiction must specify in writing that selection of the
most advantageous offer requires comparative
judgements in addition to price.
-Must document the reasons for the determination -
.....ANSWER... ✔✔ What is required to use the
Chapter 30B RFP process?
,3|Page
Proprietary Specifications - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ Cite
specific brand names or have the effect of restricting the
procurement to one product.
Difference between IFB and RFP award - .....ANSWER...
✔✔ -IFB you will select the best priced bid from a
responsible and responsive bidder.
-RFP you will select the most advantageous responsible
and responsive proposal, taking into consideration both
price and non-price proposals.
Sole Source Procurement - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ A
purchase of supplies or services without advertising or
competition from a single or sole source.
Ch 30B 7 authorizes sole source procurement of supplies
or services with a value of $50,000 or less when a
reasonable investigation shows that there is only one
practicable source for the required supply or service. -
.....ANSWER... ✔✔ When can sole source
procurement be used?
If you determine in writing, after reasonable
investigation, that there is only one practicable source
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for the items. - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ When can you use
sole source procurement for contracts valued at more
than $50,000?
Maintain a written record of your sole source
procurement specifying the following:
-vendor's name
-amount and type of contract awarded
-listing of the supplies or services procured
-basis for your determination that there was only one
practicable source for the supplies or services you
purchased - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ What documentation
is required for a sole source procurement?
Emergency Procurement - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ If the
time required to comply fully with Ch 30B would
endanger the health or safety of people or property
due to an unforeseen emergency, you may procure the
needed item or service without complying. However, you
must comply to the extent possible.
Surplus Supplies - .....ANSWER... ✔✔ You may
dispose of surplus supplies with an estimated net resale
or salvage value of less than $10,000 using any method
allowed under written procedures established by your
