The process for managing contracts

CA 1 - Introduction

Contract1 Administration begins after project award and continues through contract expiration. This chapter provides guidance for those managing contracts.

CA 2 - Hillsborough County contracts

A list of awarded, solicited term contracts may be found in the Euna Procurement Portal. Additionally, a list of contracts including those non-solicited contracts, may be found online.

A contract is formed when a quote or offer submittal is accepted, referred to as an "award," which must be approved by the proper authority. The award is documented by one of the following:

CA 2.1 - Stand-Alone Purchase Order (SPO)

An SPO is issued when an award has no term, such as a one-time purchase of goods or services.

CA 2.2 - Oracle agreements

Oracle agreements which include Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), Contract Purchase Agreement (CPA), or Complex Contract Agreement (CCA) are issued when the County has requirements for definite or indefinite quantities of goods or services that cover a specific period of time. BPAs have line items, CPAs/CCAs do not, and CCAs are issued when the procurement includes retainage.

Issuance of Oracle agreements do not create an encumbrance of funds nor are they connected to a requisition (REQ). Funds are encumbered only when the requesting department (RD) issues a release purchase order (RPO) against Oracle agreements which authorizes a specific delivery of goods or services. The Oracle agreement will reflect an updated balance2 following approval of an RPO.

CA 3 - Oracle Cloud controls:

CA 3.1 - SPO

If a department submits a change to increase an SPO, the changed SPO will auto-reject after submission with the following message: “PO does not have backing agreement. Contact PO Buyer to assist with Change Order Processing.”

If a department submits a change to decrease an SPO, the changed SPO will auto-approve after submission.

CA 3.2 - BPA amount-based line

If a RD submits a change to a RPO against a BPA amount-based line for more than the amount that was awarded on that BPA line item (Agreed Amount/Agreed Quantity), the change will not be processed. Specifically, allowance lines or sole-source award amount lines where a fixed dollar amount was contractually established.

On new release PO’s, the system will generate the PO number, but it will remain in an incomplete status with an error message found under manage POs by searching the Requestion number. An alternative method to determine if the RPO did not process is by inquiring the REQ and seeing a blue dot next to the REQ number stating: “This line item is being processed by Buyer.” If either message is received, contact the buyer to delete the PO, and the REQ requester must withdraw and edit it as appropriate.

CA 4 - Changes to existing contracts

Any change to a contract resulting from an award should be documented in Oracle Cloud.

CA 4.1 - Change method

  1. Administrative revision
    • Administrative revisions are used for contract changes with cumulative totals within the Director of Procurement and County Administrator authority, which is $250,000 or less and has no signature requirement.
    • Requests require a justification memorandum signed by the RD director (or designee), supporting documentation including concurrence from the contractor, and shall be submitted to Procurement Services via an REQ. After reviewing for compliance with contract terms and procurement requirements, Procurement Services obtains necessary approvals and processes the change in Oracle Cloud.
    • Note: If adding funds to a SPO, the REQ must include funded lines that match the supporting documentation
  2. Board approval
    • Board approval is required for contract changes with cumulative totals greater than $250,000, and/or has a signature requirement.

CA 4.2 - Changes to Purchase Orders

Processed by departments to the REQ. Exceptions include:

  1. an increase to a SPO - see section on controls or adding a funded line;
  2. adding a funded line to a BPA RPO - Oracle Cloud does not include the functionality. Departments must process a new release RPO;
  3. requesting a change to an expired BPA/CPA/CCA.

CA 4.3 - Work order changes

RD must process a REQ that routes to Procurement Services to process Work Order changes. The request must be clear with attachments uploaded to the header and only include pertinent information. If a request is not clear, the REQ will be returned. If the request is to add a new line to the RPO against a CPA/CCA, the Requestion line must be funded.

CA 4.4 - Cancellation of release Purchase Orders or SPO

The RD must process the cancellation to the REQ. Once approved, the RPO or SPO will be canceled.

CA 4.5 Changes to Oracle agreements

Processed by Procurement Services upon receipt of a REQ with complete supporting documentation.

CA 4.6 Opening an expired BPA/CPA for revision to PO:

Departments must include the following information to the header of a non-catalog REQ:

  1. The invoices for receipt of goods and/or services during the contract period.
  2. Customer to disclose what caused the problem of not encumbering funds prior to receiving goods and/or service.
  3. Have someone in the client’s chain of command disclose what is going to be done to prevent (2) above from occurring in the future.

CA 4.7 - Cost adjustments

  1. Escalation (Increasing price)
    • If the contract includes an escalation clause, the contractor must submit the relevant documentation within the designated time frame.
    • RDs must review the contractor’s request for accuracy and if it is determined to be valid, they must submit an Oracle REQ with an excel spreadsheet showing the current price, the price adjustment, and the revised price.
  2. De-Escalation (Decreasing price)
    • If the contract includes a de-escalation clause, the County may reduce the line-item prices. The Contractor will be notified via Oracle.

CA 4.8 - Changes of the contractor

  1. No change to FEIN
    • The County requires an updated W-9 in order to process.
  2. Change to FEIN
    • The County requires: An updated W-9, copy of the bill of sale, formal letter detailing the name change, updated point of contact, and insurance if applicable. Upon receipt and review, Procurement Services will process the novation agreement.

Note: Invoices must be submitted in the name of the awarded contractor until the novation is fully processed.

CA 5 - Modification and change orders (exclusive to construction projects)

Modifications/Change Orders (M/CO) are bilateral changes requiring execution by both the County and the contractor.

It is the responsibility of the RD to ensure the proposed M/CO is market and price competitive, does not materially change the original scope of work, and is correct. M/CO to solicited awards must be approved by the RD’s director, the County Attorney’s Office, and Procurement Services before obtaining the Contractor’s signature. To submit to Procurement Services, the RD must submit a request to Procurement, via an approved cloud Requestion, prior to the deadline documented on the BOCC Meeting Agenda Deadline Calendar. If the deadline is not met, the M/CO may be pushed to the next Board meeting.

The contractor must sign the M/CO before submission to the Board, and the RD is responsible for preparing and submitting the agenda item. Upon Board approval and receipt of the executed agreement, Procurement Services will process in Oracle Cloud and the County’s electronic procurement system (EPS), and the RDs can issue release POs or a notice to proceed that authorize the contractor to perform work.

Procurement Services is only able to process changes that are accurate and approved by the Board. If an error is identified, the RD will be responsible for resubmitting a corrected item to the Board.

CA 6 - Changes to construction contracts through Allowance Authorization Releases (AAR) (Resolution No. R90-0134 & R93-0096)

The County includes allowance provisions in construction Agreements to handle unforeseeable minor changes that may be needed during the course of a project.

For all contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2025, the following AAR process will apply:

All AARS (which are a form of an administrative change order) must be approved by the County within 35 calendar days of receipt of an AAR agreeable to the County and in a form that complies with the requirements of the underlying contract for purposes of payment. A County project manager must advise the contractor in writing of the specific reasons why such a submittal is not acceptable within 35-day calendar days after the receipt of such document. Once a revised AAR is received by the County, the same timeline for approval will apply. Upon receipt of an acceptable AAR, the County PM must process and secure all the internal approvals required for submission for payment within 35 calendar days of the date of receipt. Should these steps not be completed within the 35-day period, the AAR submitted will be treated as automatically approved by operation of law and must be paid in full.

For AARs issued for contracts entered into before July1, 2025, the approval process contained in the contract will apply.

The County Administrator shall have the authority to approve AAR’s not exceeding $200,000 or 10% of the total dollar value of the Agreement, whichever is less, for the performance of allowance work, unless otherwise authorized by the Board.

The County Administrator shall have the authority to approve AAR’s not exceeding a total time allowance of sixty (60) days or twenty percent (20%) of the time specified in the Agreement for final completion of the project, whichever is less, for performance of allowance work, unless otherwise authorized by the Board.

Any proposed allowance work that will exceed the established dollar or time limits must have prior Board approval.

CA 7 - Procedures

All allowance work shall be performed in full compliance with all requirements of the Agreement. Please note that for AARs issued for contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2025, the timeline for processing and approval will apply as defined in the section above. Please note that if the statutory timeline for approval defined above is not complied with, the AAR must be treated as automatically approved and processed for payment regardless of where it is in the approval process referred to below.

  1. The County Administrator may delegate the administration of the allowance work provision to the RD directors.
  2. The County determines the need to perform certain types of allowance work and requests a proposal from the contractor.
  3. The contractor must submit a detailed proposal outlining the work to be performed, time schedule and pricing within five (5) working days, unless otherwise extended by the RD.
  4. The contractor shall prepare its price for the proposed allowance work in accordance with the pricing procedures established for change orders within the agreement.
  5. The contractor should be entitled to sufficient time to perform the allowance work but only for the number of days approved by the County.
  6. The County may adjust any agreement milestone dates affected by the allocation of time for allowance work.
  7. The County must pre-approve all charges and time for allowance work in writing, in the form of an AAR.
  8. The AAR shall describe in detail the allowance work to be performed, the price and time, if any, allocated for the work.
  9. The RD director must sign the AAR and include the County Attorney approval in the package.
  10. The Contractor shall not be authorized to perform any allowance work without an approved AAR.
  11. If the County and the contractor agree on the price for proposed allowance work but cannot agree on the amount of time for such work, or vice-versa, then the item(s) agreed upon shall be stated in the AAR, with the remaining issue to be addressed by further negotiations in the change order process.
  12. The allowance work remaining at project completion shall be deducted from the Agreement price and time by an approved change order.

CA 8 - Contract Managers’/Project Managers’ responsibilities

  • Retrieve a copy of contract documents from the Clerk’s OnBase or EPS’s contracts module.
  • Contact contractor(s) to provide RD contact information and update as needed for internal changes.
  • Monitor the PO/contract/agreement to ensure that the contractor complies with specifications and the terms and conditions of the award.
  • Monitor the expiration date of insurance certificates and submit renewal certificates via the contract renewal Insurance Submission Form on COIN.
  • Resolve all REQ issues (funding/receipts/invoices/change orders/cancellation) with the Enterprise Solution and Quality Assurance (ESQA) department.
  • Manage contract remaining balance as release POs are approved.
  • Ensure all work requested by the contractor is documented in a duly issued PO within the contract term.
  • Ensure contractors meet agreed upon obligation for Disadvantaged Minority/Disadvantaged Women Business Enterprise (DM/DWBE) utilization goal.
  • Ensure contractor invoices for goods/services rendered are received timely and contains all requirements.
  • Resolve Contractor questions.
  • To avoid a contract gap, submit a REQ for a new solicitation six (6) months in advance of contract expiration.
  • On CCNA project(s), complete Consultant Automated Performance Evaluation System (CAPES) evaluations by the Qualification close date Oracle Cloud.
  • Document and maintain any contractor performance deficiencies and forward such documentation to Procurement Services.
  • Submit change requests via REQ in Oracle Cloud. Requests must include related back up documents and be descriptive, organized, and accurate. If not, the REQ will be returned. If the award is in aggregate, RD must submit a spreadsheet showing a full accounting to date.

CA 9 - Rating of professional firms – CAPES

CAPES tracks the performance of professional firms and provides an average rating for their work. This process begins at the end of professional services work. The RD evaluates the professionals’ performance based on the specific scope of work. ESQA manages the CAPES process, except for disputes. If a professional submits a dispute to Procurement Services, the dispute will be submitted to the RD for resolution.

CA 9.1 - Consultant performance evaluation appeal process of a dispute

Any professional who wishes to rebut the results of the Consultant Performance Evaluation, must follow the steps outlined below for the Consultant Performance Evaluation Appeal Process:

  1. Requesting an evaluation appeal (also referred to as disputing evaluation results):
    • (A) Definition. Appealing Party (Supplier in dispute of CCNA Evaluation) is considered any professional services firm or Consultant who is rebutting the Evaluating Department’s performance rating of the project’s work.
    • (B) Submittal of an appeal. Appeals shall be submitted via e-mail to ProcurementServices@HCFL.Gov (unless otherwise stated below) and within five (5) business days of receipt of performance rating or decision. Upon receipt of the appeal, Procurement Services will submit the appeal request to the evaluating department for review and further actions.
    • (C) Required form of appeal. All appeals must be in writing and shall contain the following information:
      • (I) The email containing the appeal request must be clearly labeled and marked with the words "Consultant Performance Evaluation Appeal" and must clearly identify the consultant evaluation on which the appeal is based, including, but not limited to, the number assigned to the evaluation by the County (example, Initiative number);
      • (II) The appealing party’s name and postal address, the name of the appealing party’s contact person and said person's email address, and phone number;
      • (III) A statement that clearly communicates that the appealing party is submitting an appeal request to the County; and
      • (IV) Clear and concise statements indicating the grounds and evidence on which the appeal is based, including, but not limited to, facts, rules, regulations, and all supporting documents. Any grounds that are not specifically stated in writing at the time the appeal is filed shall be waived by the appealing party.
    • (D) Additional information requested by the County. The appealing party shall provide any additional information requested by the County within the time period specified in the County's request. Failure to provide the requested information and/or failure to timely provide the requested information may result in the resolution of the appeal without consideration of the requested information.
  2. Review of appeal by the Evaluating Department:
    • (A) Evaluating Department appeal. When an appeal request has been timely and properly submitted to the County, the Evaluating Department shall review and render a decision. The Department has the right to request additional information from the appealing party when they believe it may be helpful in the review of the appeal. The applicable Evaluating Department shall prepare minutes of all meetings between County staff and the appealing party regarding the appeal.
    • (B) Evaluating Department decision. After conducting his/her review of the appeal, the Evaluating Department may make the determination to: If the appeal is upheld, then the Department must work with ESQA to make the corrective actions necessary to address the issues raised in the appeal, which may include, but is not limited to, requesting a cancelation of the disputed Consultant Performance Evaluation and requesting a new Supplier Initiative event (CCNA evaluation), or implementing an alternative remedy if it is in the best interest of the County and in compliance with applicable laws. If the decision does not resolve the appeal, the Appealing Party may request a second level appeal to the Evaluating Department Director.
  3. Review of second level appeal by the Evaluating Department Director:
    • (A) Evaluating Department Director’s Review. When an appeal request has been timely and properly submitted to the County, the Evaluating Department Director shall review and render a decision on the appeal. The review by the Evaluating Department Director shall include, but is not limited to, review of the appeal and all supporting documents filed by the appealing party, review of responses and/or documents provided by County staff, consideration of information obtained from meetings with the appealing party, and/or County staff, and review and consideration of any applicable policies, procedures, ordinances, statutes and laws. The Evaluating Department Director shall have the right to request additional information from the appealing party when they believe it may be helpful in the review of the appeal. The applicable County Department shall prepare minutes of all meetings between County staff and the appealing party regarding the appeal.
    • (B) Evaluating Department Director’s decision. After conducting his/her review of the appeal, the Evaluating Department Director may make the determination to:
      • (I) Uphold the appeal; if the Evaluating Department Director upholds the appeal, then the Evaluating Department Director shall take the corrective actions necessary to address the issues raised in the appeal, which may include, but is not limited to, rescoring the Consultant Performance Evaluation, replacing the score with the County’s average score for the specific discipline, or implementing an alternative remedy if it is in the best interest of the County and in compliance with applicable laws; or
      • (II) If the Evaluating Department Director denies the appeal, the Evaluating Department Director shall issue his/her decision in writing and the decision shall be sent via email to the appealing party. The County shall resume the Consultant Evaluation Process as it relates to the applicable evaluation unless the decision of the Evaluating Department Director is appealed. The appealing party may file a written appeal to the Evaluating Department Assistance County Administrator or Executive Team by submitting it through the Evaluating Department Director.
      • (III) If the Evaluating Department Assistance County Administrator or Executive Team denies the appeal, the Evaluating Department Assistance County Administrator or Executive Team shall issue his/her decision in writing and the decision shall be sent via email to the appealing party. The County shall resume the Consultant Evaluation Process as it relates to the applicable evaluation unless the decision of the Evaluating Department Assistance County Administrator or Executive Team is appealed. The appealing party may file a written appeal to the County Administrator by submitting it through the Evaluating Department Assistance County Administrator or Executive Team.
    • (C) If the County Administrator concurs with the decision to deny the appeal, the County Administrator shall issue his/her decision in writing and the decision shall be sent via email to the appealing party. The County shall resume the Consultant Evaluation Process as it relates to the applicable evaluation unless the decision of the County Administrator is appealed. The appealing party may file a written appeal to the Board of County Commissioners by submitting it through the Director of Procurement.
    • (D) The decision of the Board is final.

CA 10 - Renewals

The County’s EPS will send out reminder notices for solicited awards 180 days in advance of contract expiration.

If a contract has an auto renewal, the RD must submit an Oracle REQ to request process initiation.

To renew a contract, the RD must submit a completed Renew a Contract Request form and supporting documentation via an Oracle REQ at least 60 calendar days prior to contract expiration.

CA 11 - Replacement contracts for ongoing needs and services

If contracted goods and/or services are still required, submit a request in the County’s EPS or RQ (for non-solicited projects) six (6) months in advance of contract expiration to avoid potential contract gaps.

CA 12 - Termination of contract

The two (2) ways to terminate an existing contract3 include:

CA 12.1 - Termination for convenience

In the event the County elects to terminate the contract, Procurement Services, on behalf of the County, will provide the contractor with notice of termination in writing.

CA 12.2 - Failure to perform

The RD must document issues as they occur (essential) and attempt to resolve by issuing a Cure Notice. Cure Notices are to be sent to ProcurementServices@HCFL.gov, to add to the contract file.

If during the Contract Period, the contractor should refuse or otherwise fail to perform any of its obligations under the contract, the RD should submit a detailed memorandum by way of an Oracle REQ, to request the contract be terminated. The request will be reviewed, and if determined to be valid, a formal letter will be drafted and sent to the contractor.

Awards approved by the Board must be terminated by the Board.

CA 13 - Default / Breach and debarment

In case of a default or breach, the RD must take appropriate action in coordination with Procurement Services and the County Attorney’s Office. County action may include written notification to contractor of the default or breach, evaluation of possible curative action(s) on the part of the contractor, action(s) to be taken regarding seeking payment or performance through the bonding company if the project is bonded, and debarment of Contractor.

CA Notes

  1. A contract is a mutual agreement involving an offer, acceptance, and consideration, creating legal obligations for both parties. To be binding, it requires legal capacity and mutual agreement on its terms.
  2. Updated Balance: The award amount less all released amounts
  3. Termination for Convenience: In the event the County elects to terminate the Contract, the County shall provide the Contractor with notice of termination in writing by electronic and/or certified mail. The County shall pay the Contractor for any accepted goods, Services and/or Work provided by the Contractor to the County prior to the Contractor’s receipt of said termination notice.
Last Modified: 11/17/2025, 7:55:13 PM

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