Procurement Procedures - Chapter 10: Cooperative Procurements & Use of Other Government Contracts

CP 1 Introduction

This chapter provides guidelines for Hillsborough County's (County) participation in cooperative purchasing¹ programs to achieve cost savings through economies of scale and reduced administrative costs. The County may participate in cooperative purchasing when it serves the County's best interests.

CP 2 Piggybacking

Piggybacking is an intergovernmental cooperative purchasing method where a public entity's contract allows other public entities to buy from the same vendor under the same terms and conditions in lieu of the public entity issuing its own solicitation and awarding its own contract. Any use of piggybacked contracts requires approval in accordance with Procurement Policy.

CP 2.1 Procedures

When piggybacking another entity’s contract, the following procedures shall apply:

1. The contractor must have agreed, in the original bid document, to extend the same terms and conditions of the contract to other governmental agencies. In instances where this language is omitted and the contractor agrees in writing to piggyback on the contract, the County may opt to utilize the contract if it is in the best interest of the County.
2. The Requesting Department (RD) must submit documentation, with their Oracle requisition, from the lead agency to include:
• (A) Quote from Vendor without additional terms and conditions;
• (B) A complete copy of the solicitation;
• (C) Tabulation of all solicitation responses;
• (D) A copy of the award letter/memo/agenda item to the awarded Vendor; and,
• (E) A complete copy of the awarded Vendor’s proposal; and
• (F) Any other relevant documentation that makes up the executed agreement/contract.
• (G) Approval of the insurance certificate from the County’s Risk Management & Safety Department if applicable.
3. The RD must document, in writing, that the commodities or services needed are within the scope of the contract, that the scope meets the RD’s needs and that the pricing is fair and reasonable².
4. The commodity or service needed must be specifically within the scope of the contract awarded by the other entity and the contract must be active.
5. Any purchase order issued shall reference the public entity’s bid or contract number.

CP 3 State of Florida & U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Contracts

If Procurement Services or a RD identifies an active, suitable, State Contract or GSA contract, it may be used instead of conducting a new procurement. The RD must review the contract terms and conditions to ensure they meet its needs and serve the County's best interest. Once adopted, the RD must administer the purchase in accordance with the originating contract requirements.

The RD must submit documentation in accordance with Section CP 2.1(2).

CP 4 Hillsborough County Governmental Purchasing Council (GPC)

The GPC is a council of government purchasing officials that coordinate cooperative purchasing activities³. For GPC procedures follow steps under CP 2.1 (Procedures).

CP Notes

1. Cooperative Purchasing: A cooperative contract in government procurement is an agreement where multiple public entities (like state agencies, counties, or cities) join together to purchase goods or services from a single contract.
2. Fair and Reasonable must be supported by market research and comparison to other governmental entities of similar size.
3. Authority for the shared use of contracts is derived from two special acts of the Florida Legislature enacted during the 1969 legislative session (Chapters 69-1112 and 69-1119, Laws of Florida and Chapter 2004-466 effective June 17, 2004 (see Appendix).