Vendor Resources

Vendor Handbook

  • Table of Contents (each section is detailed below)

      • Introduction and General Information
      • Order Types
      • Source Selection
      • Public Bid Openings
      • Awards
      • Protests, Disputes, Resolutions
      • Loaner/Demonstration Equipment
      • Public Information Request
      • Tax Status
      • Delivery of Materials
      • Invoice
      • Expediting
      • Purchasing Ethics


    Introduction and General Information

    Location:
    Hays CISD Purchasing Office
    21003 IH 35
    Kyle, TX 78640
    Phone: 512-268-2141

    Business Hours:
    Normal business hours are 7:30 a.m-4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended. We request that sales calls be limited to fifteen (15) minutes.

    Responsibilities:
    The Purchasing Office is responsible for the procurement of all supplies, materials, equipment, and services for Hays CISD. The District assumes no liability for payments of obligations except those incurred in accordance with current purchasing regulations.

    Liabilities:
    Provisions of the Board of Trustee's policy CH(Legal), CH(Local) and The District's Purchasing Procedures govern the purchasing policies of The District. Purchases are made on a competitive bid basis whenever possible. All employees of The District are prohibited from receiving any gift or gratuity in connection with any purchasing activity.

    Purchase Orders:
    An official purchase order contains an authorized purchase order number and signature. A Hays CISD Purchase Order or P-Card are only recognized methods for the purchase of goods or materials obligating The District for payment. 

    Order Types

    Cooperative Purchases
    The District uses contracts from the cooperatives and alliances named below:

    Hays CISD Purchasing Office
    Requests are processed by the Purchasing Office for the purchase of goods, materials, and services to be paid from both state appropriated and non-state appropriated funds.

    Telephone or email (informal) quotes may be solicited by individual departments when the request is for less than $50,000. Formal written solicitations are requested by the Purchasing Office when the request exceeds $50,000. Only the Purchasing Office may solicit formal written solicitations. Telephone (informal) quotations are not acceptable in response to formal written solicitations.

    Source Selection

    Hays CISD submits all formal written bids through the MUNIS Bid Module.  Please ensure that you are registered in the MUNIS Vendor Self-Serve Portal with all applicable commodity codes chosen for which you wish to receive bids.  DO NOT choose all commodity codes.  See link under Vendor Resources (above) to register to receive solicitations and/or Purchase Orders from Hays CISD. 

    The Purchasing Office may solicit bids from all suppliers in any particular category, or select those whom it believes are best qualified to provide the selected supplies, materials, equipment or services. Current District bid invitations are available for review by the public on the District Purchasing web page. If you are unable to download a bid, please contact the Purchasing Department at 512-268-2141 ext 46035. Bids may be returned by mail, through the MUNIS Vendor Self-Service website or hand-delivered to the Purchasing Office. Bids must be time stamped in the Purchasing Office on or before the specified time and date (usually 2:00 p.m. on the Bid Opening Date). There are no exceptions to this rule.

    Board Adopted Rules for Electronic Bidding

    • Electronic bid and proposal information shall be kept secure and confidential.
    • User passwords shall not be visible to anyone other than the user.
    • Bids submitted by a vendor can only be viewed by that vendor and no other vendor.
    • When a solicitation is set as a “Sealed Bid” the sealing of the bid cannot be undone until the date and time set to “Open” the bid.

    Public Bid Openings

    The majority of District Purchasing Office bid openings are conducted at 2:00 PM and are open to the public. Interested bidders may request that a specific bid be read aloud by appearing in person at the bid opening site when bids are scheduled to open.

    Awards

    Award of a purchase order will be made to the bidder who submits the bid and represents the best value to the District which conforms to specifications, terms, and conditions of the invitation to bid.

    Loaner and/or Demonstration Equipment

    Vendors' representatives may provide demonstrator or loaner equipment for purposes of exploration/examination. This is done entirely at the option of the vendor and with no commitment by The District.

    Note: Items left on campus on a "sold" or "hold" basis do not constitute a valid sale.

    Public Information Requests

    Bids which have opened and purchase orders which indicate the price of supplies, materials, equipment, or services are available under the Texas Public Information Act by making a written request to the Chief Communication Officer. Requests must specify Purchase Order Number or Bid Invitation Number. RFP information is available only after an award is made or a contract is signed.

    Tax Status

    Hays CISD claims an exemption from taxes under Article 20.04(E) 4&5 for the purchase of tangible personal property. The District's Federal I.D. number is 74-1587518.

    Delivery of Materials

    The District does not have Central Receiving. The Purchase Order will specify the appropriate delivery address. Any questions regarding delivery should be directed to the Purchasing Office at 512-268-2141 ext 6035.

    Substitutions of items specified in a purchase order are not permitted without Purchasing's prior written approval.

    Invoices

    Invoices for material delivered to the District should be submitted to:

    Hays CISD Accounts Payable
    21003 IH 35
    Kyle, TX 78640

    -or- via email to:  Accounts.Payable@hayscisd.net

    Any questions concerning invoices sent by mail or email should be directed to Accounts Payable at 512-268-2141. 

     Purchasing Ethics

    • First consideration shall be given to the objectives and policies of the District.
    • Every effort shall be made to obtain the maximum ultimate value for each dollar of expenditure.
    • Honesty in sales representation shall be demanded, whether offered through the medium of oral or written statement, an advertisement, or a sample of the product.
    • Purchasing staff and others authorized by or under these regulations to make purchases shall not accept personal gifts or gratuities that might in any way result in an obligation to individuals or firms seeking business.
    • All qualified, reputable bidders shall be given equal opportunity to submit bids on a uniform basis when competition is possible.
    • No bidder shall receive special consideration or be allowed to revise a bid after the time set for opening bids.