Glossary
The glossary below lists and defines key procurement- and contracting-related terms useful for entities wishing to do business with the City of San Diego in response to solicitations posted on the City's vendor portal.
| Key Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Awarded Contract | A contract that has completed the solicitation and evaluation process and has been formally approved for performance by the selected vendor, contractor, consultant, or supplier. |
| Bid | A vendor's formal offer to provide goods, services, construction, or other work in response to a City solicitation. A bid typically includes pricing, required forms, certifications, and other information specified in the solicitation. |
| Bidder | A firm or individual that submits a bid in response to a City solicitation. |
| Bid Discount | A preference available under certain City small-business programs that allows eligible firms to receive a specified evaluation advantage when competing for City contracts. |
| Bid Documents | The complete package of documents issued by the City for a solicitation, including instructions, specifications, contract terms, forms, and submission requirements. These documents establish the requirements governing the procurement and any resulting contract. |
| Bid Opportunities | Current procurement and contracting opportunities made available by the City through its vendor portal. |
| Bid Opening | The process through which submitted bids are opened and recorded in accordance with City procedures. Bid results may subsequently be published or made available through the vendor portal. |
| Bid Tabulation | A summary of bids received for a solicitation, generally showing bidders and submitted prices or other key information. |
| Competitive Procurement | A procurement process designed to ensure fair and open competition among qualified vendors through publicly advertised solicitations and objective evaluation procedures. |
| Compliance | The process of ensuring that contractors, consultants, and vendors satisfy all applicable contractual, regulatory, equal opportunity, and other requirements associated with City contracts. |
| Consultant Services | Professional or technical services provided by firms or individuals possessing specialized expertise. Consultant services are procured by the City through the Request for Proposals (RFP) solicitation method. |
| Contractor | A business entity that enters into a contract with the City to perform construction, services, or other work. |
| Contract Terms and Provisions | The legally binding clauses and conditions governing a solicitation and any resulting contract, including performance obligations, legal requirements, and risk allocation provisions. |
| Emerging Local Business Enterprise (ELBE) | A certified local business that meets the City's eligibility requirements for emerging local businesses and may qualify for specific contracting incentives and participation benefits. |
| Equal Opportunity Contracting (EOC) | The City program responsible for promoting fairness, diversity, nondiscrimination, outreach, compliance, and participation opportunities in City contracting. |
| Evaluation | The process used by the City to review bids, proposals, qualifications, pricing, responsiveness, responsibility, and other factors identified in a solicitation. |
| Formal Solicitation | A publicly issued procurement document requiring a structured response from vendors and conducted through the City's vendor portal. Examples include ITBs, RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and RFSQs. |
| Goods and Services | Products, supplies, equipment, maintenance, operational support, and non-construction services purchased by the City to support everyday municipal operations. |
| Good Faith Effort | Actions taken by a bidder or proposer to satisfy participation or outreach requirements associated with a City contracting program. The City publishes instructions describing acceptable Good Faith Effort documentation. |
| Invitation to Bid (ITB) | A formal solicitation used by the City to obtain competitive bids for specified goods, services, or construction work, generally emphasizing compliance with requirements and price competition. |
| Local Business | A business meeting the City's established local presence requirements and eligible, when certified, for participation in its local business programs. |
| Outreach | Efforts undertaken by the City or contractors to inform businesses about contracting opportunities and encourage broad participation in public contracting. |
| PlanetBidsTM | The City's web-based vendor registration and bid management system used to advertise solicitations, distribute procurement documents, and facilitate vendor participation. |
| Preference Points | Evaluation points awarded to eligible firms under certain City programs to encourage participation by certified local businesses. |
| Pre-Award Compliance | The review conducted before contract award to verify compliance with applicable program requirements, equal opportunity obligations, certifications, and other contractual conditions. |
| Prime Contractor | The firm that contracts directly with the City and assumes primary responsibility for contract performance. The prime contractor may engage subcontractors to perform portions of the work. |
| Procurement | The process by which the City acquires goods, services, consultant services, and construction work through fair, transparent, and competitive methods. |
| Proposal | A detailed response submitted in answer to a Request for Proposals (RFP), typically describing technical approach, qualifications, experience, staffing, and pricing. |
| Public Works Contracting | The procurement and administration of construction, infrastructure, repair, improvement, and related public works projects undertaken by the City. |
| Request for Information (RFI) | A solicitation tool used to obtain information from the marketplace, gather industry input, or assess potential solutions before issuing a procurement. |
| Request for Proposals (RFP) | A formal solicitation seeking detailed proposals from vendors. Evaluation may consider qualifications, technical approach, experience, and other factors in addition to cost. |
| Request for Qualifications (RFQ) | A solicitation seeking information regarding a firm's qualifications, experience, and capabilities for a specific project or service. |
| Request for Quotes (RFQ/Quote Request) | A solicitation requesting pricing and related information for specified goods or services of low dollar value. |
| Request for Statements of Qualifications (RFSQ) | A formal process used to evaluate the qualifications and capabilities of firms before selection, shortlisting, or establishment of qualified vendor pools. |
| Restricted Bidding | A procurement approach in which competition is limited to firms meeting specified eligibility requirements, such as certified program participants. |
| Responsive Bid | A bid that conforms to all material requirements of the solicitation, including required forms, certifications, and submission instructions. This definition reflects standard City bidding requirements that require complete and properly submitted bid documents. |
| Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) | A business certified under the City's SLBE Program as meeting applicable size and local presence requirements. Certified SLBEs may receive contracting benefits, such as restricted bidding opportunities, bid discounts, and preference points. |
| Solicitation | A formal request issued by the City seeking bids, proposals, qualifications, information, or quotations from prospective vendors. |
| Subcontractor | A business engaged by a prime contractor to perform a portion of the work required under a City contract. |
| Supplier | A vendor that provides goods, materials, equipment, or related products to the City. |
| Vendor | Any supplier, contractor, consultant, manufacturer, distributor, dealer, or other business entity interested in providing goods or services to the City. |
| Vendor Portal | The City's online procurement platform used for vendor registration, notification of opportunities, access to solicitation documents, and bid submission activities. Registration is required to submit bids. |
| Vendor Registration | The process through which a business creates and maintains its profile in the City’s vendor portal in order to receive notifications and participate in City solicitations. |
| Workforce Reporting | Reporting requirements and compliance activities associated with monitoring workforce participation and equal opportunity objectives on City contracts. |
| Best Value | The procurement principle of obtaining the optimal combination of quality, performance, service, risk management, and cost for taxpayers rather than focusing solely on lowest price. |
| Transparency | The City procurement principle that contracting activities should be conducted openly, fairly, and in a manner that promotes public confidence and accountability. |