Section 2000.2045  Prequalification

a)         General

1)         The CPO shall identify by publication in the Bulletin the categories of supplies and services (including professional and artistic services) for which the CPO may prequalify vendors of those supplies and services.  The CPO is not required to prequalify vendors but may do so when determination of a vendor's qualifications prior to procurement would be advantageous to the State.

2)         The SPO may require that vendors be prequalified as a condition of being placed on the bid list.  An opportunity to prequalify shall be allowed at least one time each fiscal year. The opportunity to prequalify and whether prequalification will be a condition of bidding or being awarded a contract shall be announced in the Bulletin.  The notice shall alert vendors that failure to participate in the prequalification process may result in the vendor being ineligible to receive contracts.

3)         When prequalifying a vendor, the CPO may limit prequalifications to determining whether a vendor has been and is likely to be "responsible" using the criteria set forth in Section 2000.2046 of this Part.  The fact that a prospective vendor has been prequalified does not necessarily represent a finding of responsibility for a particular procurement.

4)         When prequalifying a vendor, the CPO may consider factors tailored to a specific procurement or type of procurement that shall be announced in the Bulletin.

5)         Except in the case of professional and artistic services, distribution of and responses to the solicitation may be limited to prequalified vendors and award of a contract may be denied because a vendor was not prequalified.  If eligibility for the procurement will be limited to prequalified vendors, the Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposals or other procurement request shall state that fact.

b)         Professional and Artistic Services

1)         Any prequalification of vendors of professional and artistic services shall include, at a minimum, a specified level of:

A)        education;

B)        experience; and

C)        technical ability;

            and may require certification or licensure, or membership in professional associations.

2)         Categories for prequalification will include, but are not limited to, those listed in Section 2000.2035 of this Part.

c)         Qualified Products Lists

Qualified products lists are treated in Section 2000.2050 (Specifications and Samples) of this Part.