Procurement
The Procurement Division is a centralized procurement office that has the responsibility to locate and secure materials, supplies, equipment, and related services as required by various Departments within the City of Little Rock. The Procurement Division is also an active member of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) and the Arkansas Chapter of NIGP.
Purchasing and Bid Opportunities
The mission of the City of Little Rock Procurement Division is to ethically obtain goods and services at competitive prices while fostering a favorable business environment for vendors and serves as stewards for the residents of Little Rock.
A diverse support and customer-oriented team that administers and manages:
- Project bid, proposal, and qualification services
- City-wide operating procurements
- Vendor and community outreach
The City of Little Rock uses an online bidding platform (LRProcure) to solicit quotes and post bid notices. Registered vendors are automatically notified when a solicitation matches their selected goods or services via Commodity Codes. Rules governing purchasing and contract procedures were established under the concept of open bidding, and in accordance with applicable laws, statutes, and ordinances. Purchase awards are made to the lowest responsible vendor who meets City of Little Rock specifications and has the capacity to deliver the product or service. The City of Little Rock only receives bid responses through the City’s Procurement Portal. No paper or email bids will be accepted.
Contracts
The City of Little Rock Government’s default terms for competitively-bid contracts are for one year with a maximum of two (2) one-year renewals for a total of three (3) years.
Approval of Contracts & Bids
Contracts and Purchases exceeding $35,000 are approved by the City Manager, and Purchases over $50,000 are approved by Little Rock’s Board of Directors.
Bid Types
Request for Proposal (RFP) – A formal competitive negotiation procurement method for obtaining goods, services, and construction in which discussion and negotiations may be conducted with responsible proposers who submit responsive proposals. The process concludes with the award of a contract to the proposer whose offer is in the best interest for the City of Little Rock.
Request for Supplier Qualifications (RFSQ) – A formal solicitation that asks potential suppliers or vendors to detail their background and experience providing a specific good or service. In this case, the buyer is only concerned about the vendor’s skills and experience. Often, this response is called a statement of qualifications or SOQ. Negotiations and interviews will be conducted with responsible proposers who submit responsive proposals before award. The process concludes with the award of a contract to the proposer whose is deemed most qualified.
Invitation To Bid (ITB) – A formal competitive sealed bidding method where the award is made on the basis of the lowest bid price or the lowest evaluated bid price.
Invitation to Quote (ITQ) – An informal solicitation of quotes for goods and/or services that do not exceed the city’s small purchase threshold of $35,000.
Request for Information (RFI) – A formal process for gathering information from potential suppliers of a good or service. An RFI is typically the first and most broad series of requests intended to narrow down a list of potential vendor candidates. Responses are only used to gather information, instead of awarding purchases or contracts.
| Address: | Procurement 3rd Floor 500 W. Markham St. Little Rock, AR 72201 |
| Phone: | 501-371-4560 |
| Email: | LRPurchasing@littlerock.gov |
| Office Hours: | Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. |
| Contact Bonfire Support: | https://littlerock.bonfirehub.com/portal/support |
Team Information
| Vitesh Patel | Manager, Procurement |
| Richard Smith | Assistant Manager, Procurement |
| Lisa King | Procurement Analyst III |
| Brian Munsey | Procurement Analyst I |
| Natacha Wolthuis | Procurement Analyst I |
| Vacant | Procurement Data Analyst |
| Eva Ramirez | Financial Systems Analyst |
| Kayla Simbler | Printing and Procurement Assistant |
| Faren Hughes | Procurement Analyst II- Community Programs |
| Lauren Baird | Procurement Analyst II – Information Technology |
| Kiana Ward | Small Business Development Coordinator Finance |
| Tommy Lomax | Purchasing Card Program Coordinator |
In 2025, the City of Little Rock commissioned BBC Research & Consulting (BBC) to conduct a disparity study to assess whether small businesses, person of color (POC)-owned businesses; woman-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-, and disabled-owned businesses (small and diverse businesses) face any barriers as part of the City’s contracting processes. Information from the study will help the City evaluate and refine their efforts to encourage the participation of small and diverse businesses in their contracts and procurements.