5-10.1 No Preferences In Procurement

Policy: 6Hx28:5-10.1

Responsible Executive: Executive Vice President, Administrative Services

Policy Contacts: Chief Financial Officer

Specific Authority: 1001.64, F.S.

Law Implemented: 1001.64, F.S.; 6A-14.0734, FAC.

Effective Date: 12-04-2013

Date of Last Policy Review: 12-05-2025

Policy:

Policy Statement:

1. Valencia College (“College”) acknowledges and depends on many vital partnerships with individuals and businesses in our service district to fulfill our mission of preparing a world-class workforce. These forms of support and partnership include such activities as providing internships for students, service on program advisory committees, back to industry internships for faculty, sponsorship of events and celebrations for the students and programs of the college, contributions of equipment and technology to various degree and training programs, contributions to the College Foundation for scholarships, endowment, and faculty support, and service on the College Foundation Board of Directors.
2. The College desires to encourage all of these forms of support and partnership from the business community, the continuation and enhancement of which are essential to the mission of the college. At the same time, the College seeks to continue to transact business with entities within and beyond the community under the highest standards of ethics, propriety, and performance, and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
3. The College hereby clarifies and formalizes its long standing practice of soliciting and selecting contractors for construction projects and other procurement and business relationships in a way that creates a level playing field for the competing participants, without any consideration (positive or negative) of any past or present support or partnership activity, in the solicitation and selection process through Request for Proposals, Request for Qualifications, and other models of securing business services.
4. It is the policy of the District Board of Trustees of the College that in the solicitation and selection of business entities for the procurement of goods and services, the College shall not take into consideration, either in the positive or in the negative, any past or present support, contributions, volunteer or partnership activity of an individual or a business entity with the College or the College Foundation. This prohibition of such consideration applies to the solicitation of bids or proposals, the evaluation of bids or proposals, the recommendations to the District Board of Trustees for the awarding of contracts under the solicitation processes, and any other portion of the solicitation and selection processes associated with the College's procurement of goods and services. Nothing in this policy prohibits the consideration by the College of past or current performance of a business entity, either for the College or for another entity, with respect to the goods and/or services that are subject to a College solicitation and selection process.

Policy History:

Adopted 12-04-13