SOP_NUMBER: 405.06
TITLE: Open Market Purchases
REFERENCE_CODE: IVD01-0006
DIVISION: Administration and Finance
TOPIC_AREA: Policy-Administration and Finance
EFFECTIVE_DATE: 2024-10-31
WORD_COUNT: 829
POWERDMS_URL: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/105384
URL: https://gps.press/sop-data/405.06/

SUMMARY:
This policy establishes procedures for GDC to purchase construction, services, equipment, and goods that are not available through existing contracts, mandatory sources, or intergovernmental agreements. Purchases under $25,000 can be made without competitive bidding but must ensure fair market pricing, while purchases of $25,000 or more must go through a competitive Request for Quote (RFQ) process using the Team Georgia Marketplace. The policy applies to all GDC staff authorized to make purchases on behalf of the department.

KEY_TOPICS: open market purchases, procurement, competitive bidding, RFQ, Request for Quote, purchasing authority, delegated purchase authority, fair market prices, Team Georgia Marketplace, one-time buy, construction purchases, equipment purchases, goods and services, bid solicitation, competitive bid process, Georgia Procurement Registry

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|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|
|**Policy Number:** 405.06|**Effective Date:**10/31/2024|**Page Number:** 1 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Administration and Finance<br>Division (Purchasing)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



**I.** **Introduction and Summary:**

The purpose of this procedure is to provide information regarding the One-Time Buy
of construction, services (non-personal), equipment and goods that are not available
from a Contract Release, Mandatory Source, or an Intergovernmental Agreement
(another governmental source).

**II.** **Authority:**

A. O.C.G.A. 50-5-67 Competitive Bidding Procedures;

B. Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) Georgia Procurement Manual:

Chapter 1, Stage 1 Need Identification, 1.3.4.5 Open Market Purchases;

C. Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Purchasing Manual **:** Purchasing Tab,

Open Market Purchases;

D. GDC Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): 405.01, GDC Purchasing Manual;

405.02, Purchase Orders; 405.03, Tax Exemptions; 405.04, Mandatory Source
Purchases; 405.05, Contract Release Purchases; 405.07, PeopleSoft Financials for
Purchasing; 405.09, Purchasing Audit Procedures; 405.11, Restricted Purchases
Requiring Special Approval; and 405.12, Emergency Purchases; and

E. ACA Standard: 2-CO-1B-09, 1-CTA-1B-02, 5-ACI-1B-14, and 4-ACRS-7D-25.


**III.** **Definitions:**

As used in this SOP, these terms are defined as follows.

A. **Contract Release**    - A purchase from an established contract;


B. **Delegated Purchase Authority**    - Purchasing limits granted by DOAS, State

Purchasing Division;


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|
|**Policy Number:** 405.06|**Effective Date:**10/31/2024|**Page Number:** 2 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Administration and Finance<br>Division (Purchasing)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



C. **Mandatory Source**    - A purchase from Georgia Association of Rehabilitation

(formerly GEPS) that has certain products and services which have been certified
as mandatory and state entities are required by statue to purchase from that source.

D. **One-time Buy**    - A single purchase;


E. **Open Market Purchase**    - Goods and/or services that are not available from, an

agency contract, a statewide contract, Mandatory Source, or an Intergovernmental
Agreement;

F. **Procure**    - The act of obtaining or buying goods and/or services;

G. **Request for Quote (RFQ)**    - A competitive Procurement method used by state

entities to solicit bids for goods and services;


**IV.** **Statement of Policy and Applicable Procedures:**

A. Open Market Purchases occur when the goods or services Procured are not

available from an existing agency contract, a statewide contract, Mandatory
Source, or an Intergovernmental Agreement (another government source). Thus,
Open Market Purchases are made in the current market for a One-Time Buy or to
establish an ongoing contract.

1. Delegated Purchase Authority and Bid Solicitation Requirements:


a. Bidding authority is granted by the DOAS State Purchasing Division to

state entities to allow them to make purchases on their own behalf.
Purchases are determined by the state entity’s staff, who are generally
qualified to do so based on their experience, training, certification and
proven ability to successfully provide purchasing services to the state
entity.


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|
|**Policy Number:** 405.06|**Effective Date:**10/31/2024|**Page Number:** 3 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Administration and Finance<br>Division (Purchasing)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



b. Each entity is authorized to make an unlimited amount of Open Market

Purchases; however, such purchases are limited to a dollar amount of
$24,999.99.

c. For Open Market Purchases that are valued at $25,000 or greater, they must

be competitively bid using the RFQ process.


**Note:** Although purchases less than $25,000 are not subject to the
competitive bid process, the buyer must ensure that GDC is getting fair
market prices for said purchases and follow the GDC Purchasing Policy
(located in the Purchasing Manual under Purchasing Tab).

2. The RFQ Process for Soliciting and Accepting Bids valued at $25,000 or

greater:

a. To initiate the bid process, the authorized GDC end-user will submit an

RFQ through PeopleSoft via Requisition (see GDC Purchasing Overview
(located on CAPTIVA under Finance Tab) for additional details.

b. Each bid must be submitted through the Team Georgia Marketplace

(TGM), which is provided by DOAS State Purchasing Division and serves
as an online tool to support various state purchasing functions. TGM will
facilitate the advertisement of Procurement solicitations, electronic
bidding, and contract management.

c. The Central Purchasing Office will then post the solicitation on the Georgia

Procurement Registry for purchases exceeding $24,999.99.

d. Once the bid has been evaluated and awarded, the purchases will be

processed, as applicable.

**V.** **Attachments:** None.


|GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS<br>Standard Operating Procedures|Col2|Col3|
|---|---|---|
|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|**Policy Name:**Open Market Purchases|
|**Policy Number:** 405.06|**Effective Date:**10/31/2024|**Page Number:** 4 of 4|
|**Authority:** <br>Commissioner|**Originating Division:** <br>Administration and Finance<br>Division (Purchasing)|**Access Listing:**<br>Level I: All Access|



**VI.** **Record Retention of Forms Relevant to this Policy:**

Records containing quotes made by vendors to supply goods or services to an agency
require a retention of 11 years for Capital Improvement Projects and seven (7) years
for all other records.