Division of Purchases & Supplies

A detailed description of the product(s) and/or desired services, which a supplier must be able to procure, deliver, or provide to the City of Cleveland in response to a Request for Bids or Invitation for Bids.

A Request for Bids (RFB) is a formal solicitation that contains all of the forms and instructions necessary to submit a bid for an item(s) or project under $50,000.00.

An Invitation to Bid (ITB) is a formal solicitation that contains all of the forms and instructions necessary to submit a bid for an item(s) or project at $50,000.00 or more.

The City of Cleveland may enter into one of the following contracts for goods and/or services:

1. Requirement Contract 
   A contract for 100% of the City or department's needs for a good or service over the time period or lifetime of the contract, typically one or two years.
2. Standard Contract 
   A contract for the purchase of a fixed quantity of articles, commodities, supplies, materials, equipment or services.
3. Public Improvement 
   Major construction, reconstruction, site replacement, rehabilitation, alteration, demolition or repair to buildings or other City infrastructure.
4. Professional Services 
   A contract for a specialized service to be provided by a qualified, trained professional or company of professionals, such as a lawyer, accountant, architect, designer, technical engineer, software company, or management consultant. Because the City's decision for the award of a Professional Services Contract must be based upon many complex criteria, such as professional qualifications, years of experience, creativity, project design, past history of successful similar projects, advanced training and/or other credentials not reducible to a written specification, Professional Services Contracts are not procured by the Division of Purchases and Supplies through the public bid process. Instead, Professional Services Contracts are procured by a department through a Request for Proposal process.

Please visit the City of Cleveland’s website. Then click on the “Business” tab. Thereafter, click on “Contracts and Procurements” under the “Doing Business in Cleveland” header.

1. Bids $50,000.00 and more
   • Under the “Resource Links” subheader, click “Invitations to Bid over $50,000.00.”
   • Review the bid summary and associated information
     1. To view the documents associated with a standard, requirement and contract, click on (+) next to the project title and then “Bid Document.”
     2. To view the documents associated with a public improvement contract, submit an email to purchasing@clevelandohio.gov requesting to be added to the plan holder’s list along with contact information (company name, address, phone, fax, email, etc.) Plans can be picked up in person in Room 128 or via FedEx by including your company’s FedEx account number. Bid document fees may apply.
   • Complete the bid according to the specifications outlined in the bid packet.
   • Return the bid in a sealed envelope to Room 128 of City Hall before 12:00 (noon) on the bid opening date.
   • Bids received after the 12:00 (noon) deadline will be considered non-responsive.
2. Bids under $50,000.00
   • Under the “Resources Links” subheader, click on “Invitations to Bid under $50,000.00.”
   • Review the bid title(s).
   • Click (+) near the RFB number to view additional bid information.
   • To view the bid specifications and other documents, click on “Bid Document.”
   • Download the bid documentation.
   • Review and complete the applicable sections of the bid specifications, etc. Please ensure your submission includes a PDF file of the completed Request for Bid Form, Terms and Conditions, and Northern Ireland Disclosure. Failure to include the required documentation may result in a non-responsive bid. Submit a completed bid to CityofClevelandBids@clevelandohio.gov
   • Please be sure to include the bid title, buyer and RFB number in the email subject line.
   • Bids must be submitted before 3:00 pm on the date bids are due.
   • Bids submitted after 3:00 pm will be deemed non-responsive.

When submitting a bid in person, please be sure to time stamp the sealed bid envelope before placing it in the bid slot. The time stamp and bid slot are located near the front desk in Room 128 of City Hall.

For questions about the specifications and/or bid documents, please contact the buyer assigned to the project. The buyer’s contact information is listed on the Request for Bid or Invitation for Bid.

Bids of $50,000.00 or more are opened on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:00 noon.

Bids under $50,000.00 are opened Monday thru Friday at 3:00 pm.

Failure to submit all of the required bid documents will render a bid non-responsive. Additionally, failure to submit a bid in a timely manner will render a bid non-responsive. It is imperative that a bidder carefully review the bid documents and follow all of the instructions outlined therein to avoid disqualification. Please refer to the Bidder’s Check List, included within the bid, to ensure you are including all of the requisite documentation. If you have any questions, please contact the buyer assigned to the bid for more information.

Yes. A bidder may submit a bid even if they are not located in the City of Cleveland and/or the State of Ohio.

No. A company is not required to be certified/preapproved/registered with the City of Cleveland prior to submitting a bid.

Invoices are reviewed by the respective departments and City officials. Once they approve the invoices for payment, the Division of Accounts is responsible for processing all payments due to contractors for services and/or products provided to the City of Cleveland.

If changes are made to the bid documents and/or specifications, the Division of Purchases and Supplies will issue an addendum. For Public Improvements projects, plan holders will receive a copy of the addendum via email. Additionally, addendums for standard and requirement bids are posted on the City’s website.

Please visit the City of Cleveland’s website. Then click on the “Business” header. Thereafter, click on “Contracts and Procurements” under the “Doing Business in Cleveland” subheader. Scroll down to the “Resource Link.” Click on the “Invitations to Bid Under $50,000.00” or “Invitations to Bid Over $50,000.00” to view bid specifics.

Please contact the buyer assigned to the project and request a copy of the bid tabulation. Additionally, for projects of $50,000.00 or more, the bid tabulation for each project is posted on the City’s website. For more information on the bid tabulation for a specific project, see the Bidding Results page.

A Project Labor Agreement is an agreement between the City of Cleveland and local unions that establishes terms and conditions for construction work on specific public improvement projects. PLAs ultimately require that contractors and subcontractors on a specific City project follow the terms of the unions’ collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) for the work on that project.

PLAs aim to promote labor peace, quality workmanship, and effective use of public funds. This includes ensuring that workers meet the skill, safety, and licensing standards required for their respective trades.

No. Employees are not required to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. If awarded the contract, the contractor must agree to the PLA, which includes following the applicable CBAs only for work on the specific project.

The PLA applies to on-site construction work, including demolition, site preparation, and certain material transportation. Exclusions include work by architects, project managers, specialty vendors, engineers, and other non-construction personnel.

No. This only affects projects going forward, where the PLA is included as part of the bid requirements. It is not retroactive, and it does not affect any project already in progress.

Projects with a PLA requirement will include bid language and attachments clarifying the requirement in the bid documents, and exempt projects will not. PLAs are only required for eligible public improvement projects with an estimated cost of $500,000 or more.

Following the PLA is a part of the contract between the City and the contractor. If a contractor violates the PLA, it will be in violation of its contract with the City.

All subcontractors of every tier are obligated to execute the "Acknowledgement of Assent" form, indicating that they will abide by the terms of the PLA. It is the general contractor’s obligation to ensure that these forms are signed and that the subcontractor abide by the PLA.

In short, contractors:

• As part of their bid submission, include an executed "Acknowledgement of Assent" form, indicating that the contractor will abide by the PLA.
• Follow the applicable CBAs for the duration of the project.
  • If the contractor is already a signatory to the CBA, nothing changes.
  • Otherwise, the contractor becomes a temporary signatory to the CBA for the work on the specific City project. This is done by executing the “Letter of Assent” form.
• Require all subcontractors to follow the same rules by having them execute the same “Acknowledgement of Assent” form.