Doing Business with the City of Little Rock

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 Qualifications (RFQ) - 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.