Alameda County Waste Management Authority
Local Preference Purchasing Policy

I. The Agency will give a 2.5% vendor bid preference to a local business for goods, materials and general services provided that the goods, materials and/or general services meet the standards set forth in the Agency’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (EPP).  The Agency will give an additional 2.5% vendor bid preference to a local business that is also a certified small or emerging business  for goods, materials and general services provided that the goods, materials and/or general services meet the standards set forth in the Agency’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy.

A. General services are defined as basic operational services such as printers, gardeners, janitors, etc.  General services differ from professional services, with professional services requiring a specialized expertise or skill set.  Example, a gardener is considered general services, whereas a landscape designer would fall under professional services.  The Executive Director, Administrative Director or designee will determine whether a contractor falls under the general services or professional services category.

B. A small or emerging business must be certified by the Alameda County Small Local & Emerging Business Program (SLEB).

C. A local business must be in operation in Alameda County for at least six (6) months to qualify for the local preference.

1. The business must have a verifiable address in Alameda County and must be able to prove that the business has been in operation in Alameda County for at least six months.

2. The business must have a valid business license with the local jurisdiction in which the business resides.

II. The Agency  will calculate the bid preference as follows:

A. The local vendor’s bid will be reduced by 2.5% when comparing to other bids.  
Assuming all elements of the bid are equal (e.g., quality, timeliness of delivery, adherence to the EPP, etc) upon calculation of  the 2.5% preference, if the local vendor has the lowest bid, it will receive the contract subject to the Executive Director’s or, if over $15,000, the Board’s approval.

B. The local and certified small and emerging vendor’s bid will be reduced by 5.0% when comparing to other bids. Assuming all elements of the bid are equal (e.g., quality of goods, timeliness of delivery, adherence to the EPP, etc) upon calculation of  the 5.0 % preference, if the local and small or emerging vendor has the lowest bid, it will receive the contract subject to the Executive Director’s or, if over $15,000, the Board’s approval.

III. The Executive Director or designee may waive this preference and the bid process as a whole in the event of an emergency or if the operational effectiveness of the Agency would be seriously threatened if the purchase of goods or services was not made immediately.

IV. Professional services contracts are exempt from the local vendor preference.  However, when issuing a RFP or RFQ the Agency will pursue outreach of Alameda County contractors using available vendor information such as the Alameda County’s vendor list.