Purchasing

TRA Procurement Policies

TRA annually expends several million dollars on goods, services and supplies. It is TRA's intent to promote competitive pricing and broad participation of vendors throughout the purchasing process.

Vendor Participation

A Vendor Solicitation List (VSL) will be used for both the solicitation of bids and the pricing of purchases that fall below the required bid amount. Pricing of purchases not required for bid will be made through Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), non-HUB vendors and consolidated purchasing sources.

Vendors will be deleted from the VSL at the vendor’s written request. Vendors may also be removed from the VSL if goods or services are non-conforming, fail to meet quality standards or fail to be delivered as promised.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Participation

Business enterprises, including disadvantaged, minority, women-owned or HUBs, are encouraged to submit a vendor profile to TRA for inclusion in that category’s VSL.

TRA will accept the statement of the vendor as to 51 percent ownership by an individual or class of individuals who qualify as HUB owners, i.e., Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Native Americans and women. TRA will accept vendor certification of HUB status by the North Central Regional Certification Agency, the North Texas Women’s Business Council and the consolidated purchasing sources.

Current Bid Opportunities

  1. Goods & Services are handled by the Purchasing and Warehouse Division of the Administrative Services Department and include all operational services and supply bids.
  2. Construction and Engineering projects are handled by the following departments:
    • Planning Design and Construction Administration (PDCA)
    • Technical Services and Basin Planning (TSBP)

Transactions Requiring Competitive Bids:

Purchases Over $150,000

For contracts over $150,000, where purchases are available through the consolidated (Cooperative) purchasing sources, the manager will obtain three additional quotes. If the consolidated purchasing source’s price is the lowest price, the purchase order may be initiated after approval from TRA’s general manager.

For contracts over $150,000, where the purchase is not available through the consolidated purchasing sources, TRA shall advertise the letting of the contract, including the general conditions, and the time and place of the opening of sealed bids. The notice shall be published in one or more newspapers with general circulation in the state, or with general circulation in TRA’s jurisdiction. The notice shall be published once a week for two consecutive weeks before the date that bids are opened, and the first publication shall be no later than the 21st day before the date of the opening of sealed bids.

Bid awards based on the lowest bid will be determined by an analysis of the bids received and what is available from the consolidated purchasing sources. Recommendations for bid awards will be made to the general manager and/or the board of directors.

Contracts over $25,000, but not more than $150,000

For contracts over $25,000, but not more than $150,000, TRA will solicit written competitive bids on uniform written specifications from at least three bidders.

Contracts of not more than $25,000

For contracts not more than $25,000, TRA is not required to advertise or seek competitive bids.

Contracts Not Competitively Bid.

The Authority occasionally procures goods and services in excess of $75,00 without a bid solicitation, which would be required but for an exception under law. Those contracts are listed below.

April 2014

    • Infor-Lawson Enterprise Resource Planning System Agreement – Tex. Water Code § 49.278