April 16, 2012 - Cabarrus County

c. All bids must be opened in public and the board or governing body shallaward the contract.d. Award shall be made to the “lowest responsible bidder or bidders, whosebid meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the Invitation for Bids,taking into consideration quality, performance and the time specified inthe proposal for the performance of the contract.” In the event the lowestresponsible bids are in excess of the funds available for the project orpurchase, the governing body is authorized to enter into negotiations withthe lowest responsible bidder or bidders above mentioned, makingreasonable changes in the specifications as may be necessary to bring thecontract price within the funds available, and may award a contract tosuch bidder.e. All contracts must be executed in writing.f. The successful bidder may be required to post a performance bond in theamount of 100% of the total bid price to the County. Performance bondsare due prior to contract execution as a guarantee of the faithfulperformance of the terms and conditions of the contract. Performancebonds are required for construction or repair contract for projects over$500,000 per NCGS §143-129(c) and for each contract over $50,000 perNCGS §44A-26; and, must be in the form of a bond, certified check, or cash.g. There is no minimum number of bids required for apparatus, goods,supplies and equipment. If only one response is received, it can be openedand awarded based on a determination that the prices are fair andreasonable.2. Purchasing ProceduresThe formal bid process may take up to ten (10) weeks to complete once arequest has been received, therefore, planning and scheduling is of the utmostimportance.a. Written specifications must be prepared. Good, clear specifications are anessential aspect of competitive bidding. Quality and service can be asimportant as price; therefore, specifications are needed that will fulfill, butnot exceed the requirements for which the items and/or services arePage 18 of 48Attachment number 1F-6Page 90