Contractor Information

LCC appreciates Contractor/Vendor interest in doing business with LCC. Therefore all contractors/vendors are invited to attend our quarterly How to do Business with LCC seminars. Your official invitation is below:

Event: "How to Do Business with LCC"
When: Quarterly
Time: 10-11 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time)
Where: Purchasing Department, Washington Court Place, 309 North Washington Square, 2nd Floor, Suite 202, Lansing, MI 48933. Please note: these events may be virtual. 
Standard Agenda: Welcome & Introductions, What LCC Buys, How LCC Buys, Vendor Application, Vendor Registration, Solicitation Process & Viewing Procurement Opportunities, Award Process, and Questions & Answers.
RSVP: B-OPS-Purchasing@star.lcc.edu 
Dates for 2024: 2/6/2024, 5/7/2024, 8/6/2024, 11/5/2024

Contractors/Vendors that are not able to attend one of the quarterly meetings may find the How to do Business with LCC PowerPoint document and additional information provided in this section helpful.

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  Brochure

  Purchasing Brochure

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  Applying to Become a Contractor

  The first step to becoming a Lansing Community College Contractor is to fill out an application and submit a current W-9. The Contractor Application and W-9 can be returned to LCC via secure email, fax 517-483-5289, mailed or submitted securely to the LCC Purchasing Drop Box:

  Purchasing Department
  309 N. Washington Sq. Suite 202
  Lansing, MI 48933

  Contractor Application W-9 Form

  LCC PURCHASING DROP BOX

  *Note: The LCC Purchasing Drop Box will not open in Internet Explorer. Please use Chrome, Safari, or Firefox for the best results.

  It is important to remember that being added to the Contractor List does not guarantee receipt of bids or otherwise obligate the College to notify a Contractor of a bid. It is therefore suggested that Contractors take the initiative to learn what is out for bid by periodically checking the Public Bid and Sole Sources page on the Purchasing Department’s website, as well as online at Bid 4 Michigan, MITN Bidnet Direct or DemandStar.

  Responsibility and authority to make commitments for purchases are assigned to the Purchasing Department. This includes all contracts with contractors regarding price, delivery, quantity requirements or other matters of a contractual nature and are to be made only by the Purchasing Department staff. Lansing Community College is not obligated to pay for any purchases made otherwise.

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  Contractor Application Update

  A Contractor may modify information provided on the application and/or W-9 by submitting the information in writing on company letterhead to the Purchasing Office:

  Purchasing - Lansing Community College
  309 N Washington Square, Suite 202
  Lansing, MI 48933

  Or Contractors can securely submit forms to the Purchasing Department through the LCC Purchasing Drop Box.     

  *Note: The LCC Purchasing Drop Box will not open in Internet Explorer. Please use Chrome, Safari, or Firefox for the best results.

  LCC Purchasing Drop Box

  A Contractor must also give written notice of any change in the company name, address or ownership.

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  Independent Contractors

  It is critical that Lansing Community College correctly determines whether the individuals providing services to the College are employees or independent contractors. Generally, the College must withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on wages paid to an employee. No taxes on payments are withheld for independent contractor services. It is at the sole discretion of Lansing Community College to determine wither a Contractor qualifies as an Independent Contractor. Classification is based on IRS guidelines, not on administrative convenience or relative cost, and is determined jointly by Human Resources, Payroll and Purchasing.

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  Rebids and Cancellation

  The Purchasing Department may cancel or rebid a solicitation before the execution of a contract or receipt of a Purchase Order by a Contractor for any reason including the following:

  • The requesting customer requests cancellation for financial or programmatic reasons.
  • All of the responsive bids exceed the requesting customer's cost estimate.
  • None of the bids met the required specifications or complied with the terms and conditions of the solicitation.
  • No bids were received.
  • A Contractor appeal was granted.
  • The best interest of the College will be served by doing so.
  • The specifications, statement of work or terms and conditions will not accomplish the intended objective.
  • The specifications or statement of work unduly restrict fair and open competition.
  • The specifications, statement of work or terms and conditions do not adequately protect the College's best interest.
  • The solicitation or the resulting contract would be in violation of law.
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  Contractor Appeal

  Only a bidder on the solicitation may appeal an award decision. A bidder is considered a Contractor who has submitted a formal offer which meets all submission requirements. A "No Bid" in the context of an appeal does not constitute a formal offer. The Purchasing Department will not consider appeals filed by manufacturers or Contractors selling through distributors, or businesses listed as subcontractors in a Contractor's proposal.

  In order to initiate an appeal, a bidder must follow these steps:

  • Within 24 hours of the bid award notification the aggrieved bidder must write to the Director.
  • The written appeal should include the bid number and should clearly state the facts believed to constitute an error in the award recommendation, or desired remedy. Only the information provided within the 24 hour deadline will be considered in arriving at a decision. The Director is not required to take into consideration any material filed by any party after the appeal deadline.
  • The Director or the Director's designee will provide a written decision after investigating the matter or, if more information is needed, will schedule an informal meeting. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Chief Financial Officer.
    
    Until issuance of a final decision on a timely appeal, the Purchasing Department will not award a contract or Purchase Order pursuant to a disputed solicitation. However, if there is a threat to public health, safety or welfare, or danger of immediate and substantial harm to College property from delay in making an award, the Purchasing Director may proceed with an award and provide written justification for such action.
    
    The Chief Financial Officer will review the recommendation and issue a decision. It will be sent to the Contractor and Purchasing Department. This decision is final. A copy of the Contractor Appeal, Director's Recommendation, and Final Decision of Chief Financial Officer will be placed in the bid file and the Purchasing Contractor Appeal folder.

  Non-Appealable Issues

  To maintain the integrity of the purchasing process and to ensure that the College receives purchases without undue delay, appeals requesting a waiver of the following omissions and requirements cannot be granted:

  • Failure of a bidder to sign a bid.
  • Failure of a bidder to properly submit a bid, per bid instructions.
  • Failure of a bidder to submit the bid to the Purchasing Department by the due date and time.
  • Failure of a bidder to initial erasures or corrections to pricing information in ink.
  • Failure of a bidder to provide samples, descriptive literature, or other required documents by the bid deadline or other specified time.
  • Failure of a bidder to provide a required bid deposit or performance bond by the date and time specified.
  • Failure of a bidder to submit a timely appeal.

  If there were no responsive bids, these requirements may be waived at the discretion of the Director. In fairness to bidders who meet specifications and to prevent delays in purchasing, the Purchasing Department will not withdraw a recommendation to award or reevaluate bids when an appeal maintains that the bid specifications were unnecessarily restrictive or that a bid exceeding specifications provided a better value than a lower bid meeting specifications.

  The inclusion of the bid price in a Contractor appeal is prohibited unless determination of the bid price is at issue in the appeal. This measure has been implemented in order to maintain the integrity of the bid process, avoid any appearance of potential impropriety, and ensure an appeal is decided solely on its merits without regard to price. Appeals which include the bid price where determination of such price is not at issue will not be considered.

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  Debarment

  The Purchasing Department may bar a Contractor from consideration for award of a contract or Purchase Order if:

  • Within the past three years, the Contractor, an officer of the company, or an owner of a 25% or more share of the company has been convicted of a criminal offense incident to the application for, or performance of, a contract or subcontract.
  • Within the past three years, the Contractor, an officer of the company, or an owner of a 25% or more share of the company has been convicted of any offense which reflects on the Contractor's business integrity such as embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction or records, receiving stolen property, breaking state or federal antitrust statutes.
  • The Contractor has failed to substantially perform a College contract or subcontract according to its terms, conditions and specifications within specified time limits.
  • The Contractor abused the solicitation process or violated the terms of a solicitation after bid submission.
  • The Contractor failed to cooperate in monitoring contract performance by refusing to provide information or documents required by the contract, failed to respond to complaints to Contractor or accumulated repeated justified complaints regarding performance of a contract.
  • The Contractor has been debarred by the State or Federal Government
    
    When the Purchasing Department believes grounds for debarment exist, it will send the Contractor a notice of proposed debarment indicating the grounds and the procedure for requesting a hearing. If the Contractor does not respond with a written request for a hearing within twenty calendar days, the Director will issue the debarment decision without a hearing. The debarment period may be of any length, but usually will not exceed three years. After the debarment period expires, the Contractor may reapply for inclusion on the bidder lists through the regular application process.
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  Vendor Registration

  Contractors/Vendors interested in doing business with LCC are encouraged to register at  MITN Bidnet Direct, and DemandStar in order to view and respond to current solicitations posted by the College.

Accounting Services is responsible for Contractor invoice payments. All invoices must be submitted to LCC Accounts Payable. Invoices may be sent via mail or email.

Accounts Payable Contact Information

Accounts Payable Front Desk Phone Number: 517-483-1732
Accounts Payable Fax Phone Number: 517-483-9876
Accounts Payable Email: fs-appayable@lcc.edu

LCC Billing Address

Accounts Payable-Lansing Community College
309 N. Washington Sq. Ste. 203
Lansing, MI 48933

If the requesting campus customer's requirements change after an award, the Purchasing Department has sole authority to approve mutually acceptable modifications. The Purchasing Department may issue a Change Order reflecting a modification in a Purchase Order or contract. If a Contractor complies with a requesting campus customer's request to alter a contract or Purchase Order without formal authorization from the Purchasing Department, the Contractor may not be entitled to payment for the modified performance.

Only the Purchasing Department has authority to modify a Purchase Order. If a change in price, performance, of terms is necessary, the Purchasing Department may issue a Change Order. The requesting campus customer has no authority to approve changes. A Contractor rendering modified performance without a Change Order risks being found in default.

• Contractor Application
• W-9
• Contractor Innovation/Demonstration Request Form
• Solicitation Waiver Request Form

Contractors can securely submit forms to the Purchasing Department through the LCC Purchasing Drop Box.     

*Note: The LCC Purchasing Drop Box will not open in Internet Explorer. Please use Chrome, Safari, or Firefox for the best results.

LCC PURCHASING DROP BOX

All Lansing Community College Purchase Orders, Blanket Purchase Orders and Contracts are subject to specific terms and conditions outline in the Terms and Conditions document.

Terms and Conditions

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  Disclosure of Information

  Documents the Purchasing Department receives in soliciting, evaluating and awarding purchases are available to the public for inspection and copying under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Purchasing Department interprets the Freedom of Information Act as exempting the following materials:

  Contractor trade secrets and proprietary information acknowledged as confidential and submitted at the:

  Information or records subject to the attorney-client privilege

  Purchasing Department's request

  Preliminary advisory opinions from bid evaluators

  In order to minimize disruptions in bid evaluation and award, and to accommodate other programmatic activities, the Purchasing Department will try to respond within five (5) business days, but reserves the right to provide written notification to extend the deadline by an additional ten business days.

  A person seeking copies of Purchasing Department documents should submit a written request specifically identifying the desired documents. Requests should be sent to:

  Risk Management and Legal Services
  Attn: Freedom Of Information Act
  309 N Washington Square
  Lansing, MI 48893

  Requestors will receive an invoice for the copying charges. In computing the charges, the following factors are taken into consideration: duplicating costs, mailing or shipping costs and labor charges. Under the FOIA, LCC is allowed to request a deposit for anticipated large dollar expenditures.

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  Reviewing Purchasing Documents

  The public may review almost all documentation in the possession of the Purchasing Department during normal business hours. The interested party must be able to adequately describe the information they are seeking in writing. Information required is typically through a bid number, Purchase Order number or contract number. To review documentation an appointment should be made with the Purchasing Department by calling 517-483-1785.

Contractors/Vendors interested in doing business with LCC are encouraged to register at MITN Bidnet Direct and DemandStar in order to view and respond to current solicitations posted by the College.

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  Current Year

  Current Year

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  Solicitation Types

  An Invitation to Bid (ITB) is issued for purchases that are estimated to be $25,000 or greater, but can be used for projects of less value. An IFB generally contains detailed specifications which have been designed in a straight-forward manner through a statement of requirements for the goods, equipment or service, and request a price quotation for the requested goods or services. Often there are many contractors who possess the capability to satisfy the stated requirements.

  A Request for Proposal (RFP) is used for purchases that are estimated to be $25,000 or greater, but can be used for projects of less value. The RFP differs from an ITB in that it typically does not detail exactly the goods or services required by the requesting customer, but instead identifies a particular problem or goal which the requesting customer wishes to solve or obtain. The problem or goal is contained in a section of the RFP usually referred to as the Statement of Work. The Statement of Work is authored by the requesting customer and is one of the sections that make up the RFP. THE RFP also contains Terms and Conditions, Bidding Information, and Information Required from Bidders. Additional sections may include samples, blueprints, exhibits, etc. Proposals must be returned by a specified date and time.

  A Request for Quotation is used for purchases that are estimated to be greater than $5,000 and less than $25,000. The buyer will seek a minimum of three (3) written quotations and an award will be made to the Contractor whose quotation is the most advantageous to the College, price, quality and other factors considered. 

  A Request for Information is used to solicit information prior to the preparation of specifications for an unusually complex purchase of goods or services in which recent relevant information is not available to the requesting customer responsible for the specification. Pricing estimates may also be requested. Purchases are not made from an RFI.

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  Bid Evaluation

  Every bid solicitation document includes the evaluation criteria. 

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  Award

  Award of a Purchase Order/contract is based on the Best Value to the College. As stated in the solicitation various criteria are used in determining the best value including price, quality, availability, delivery and fitness for the particular purpose. Consideration is also given to the vendor's potential ability to successfully perform under the terms and conditions and the vendor's past performance record.

  The College reserves the right to award by item, group of items, or total bid. The College further reserves the right to reject any and all bids if it is determined through the discretion of the Purchasing Director or coordinator that the best interests of the College will be served by doing so. The College may reject all bids for a solicitation and not make an award, and may choose to cancel a solicitation or conduct a "rebid". In determining an award, the qualifications of the vendor, conformity with terms, conditions specifications of supplies or services, cost and delivery terms will be considered. The College will not award to a person or firm that is currently debarred.

  For competitive purchases, the Purchasing Department notifies vendors of award status in writing. Vendors may contact the Purchasing Department to request status in writing. Vendors may contact the Purchasing Department to request status of a bid or check the Bids/Proposals Awarded on the Purchasing Department website.

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  Tie Bids

  If the lowest and most responsible and responsive bids received are for the same amount or unit price and all the criteria mentioned above in award are equal, and one of which is a local vendor, then the award shall be to the local vendor. If both vendors are local, then date and time of bid submission will be used.

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  Vendor Debriefings

  The Purchasing Department encourages vendors who have not been successful in competing for a bid to arrange a debriefing session with the buyer. A debriefing is not an appeal hearing. During a debriefing session, the buyer will provide information as to where the submission contained deficiencies and comment on the areas of strength, as well as describe the reasoning behind the award.

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  Contract Performance

  A Contractor must provide supplies and services conforming to the solicitation and award. Failure to perform according to the specifications within the stated time may cause contract cancellation and may create a liability for costs the College incurs in correcting deficiencies or obtaining replacement supplies and services.

  Inspection: All supplies received are subject to inspection and testing. If supplies are defective or fail to meet the bid specifications, the College shall have the right to reject the goods or to correct the defects. The Contractor shall pay the College for expenses incurred in correcting defects.
  
  The College will refuse delivery or hold rejected supplies for forty-five days after delivery awaiting instructions from the Contractor. After the forty-five-day period, the College will dispose of the supplies without liability to the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for the costs of handling, packing and transportation incurred in returning or disposing of defective or nonconforming supplies. If the inspection shows that the Contractor is in default, the College may immediately cancel the contract or Purchase Order and hold the Contractor responsible for any excess costs in purchasing a replacement.

  Change Orders: If the requesting campus customer's requirements change after award, the Purchasing Department has sole authority to approve mutually acceptable modifications. The Purchasing Department may issue a Change Order reflecting a modification in a Purchase Order or contract. If a Contractor complies with a requesting campus customer's request to alter a contract or Purchase Order without formal authorization from the Purchasing Department, the Contractor may not be entitled to payment for the modified performance.
  
  Only the Purchasing Department has authority to modify a Purchase Order. If a change in price, performance, of terms is necessary, the Purchasing Department may issue a Change Order. The requesting campus customer has no authority to approve changes. A Contractor rendering modified performance without a Change Order risks being found in default.

  Contractor Complaints: If the requesting campus customer makes demands that exceed the terms and conditions of the Purchase Order, the Contractor should contact the Purchasing Department. Only the Purchasing Department may change contract terms, specifications, conditions, or prices. Neither the requesting campus customer or project manager can alter the contract terms, specifications, conditions, or prices. This will be accomplished through issuance of a Change Order to the Purchase Order.

  Customer Complaints: The Purchasing Department will make contact with the Contractor regarding problems in contract performance. If the complaint remains unresolved, the Purchasing Department will send the Contractor a formal letter of complaint. The Purchasing Department may take any of the following actions when it finds the complaint is justified:

  Contract Cancellation: The Purchasing Department may cancel the Purchase Order, assess the Contractor for any damages and consider the Contractor non-responsive and not eligible for participation in an award when the contract is rebid.

  Debarment: After notice to the Contractor and the opportunity for a hearing, the Purchasing Department may debar a Contractor for cause from receiving and submitting bids and from award of College purchases. The length of debarment depends on the Contractor's past performance, the number and seriousness of the current complaints, the likelihood of recurrence, the reason for the deficient performance and the cost to the College associated with correcting the problem. The Purchasing Director is the only individual authorized to issue a debarment.

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  Sole Sources and Intended Purchases

  The College is authorized to procure non-competitive sole-source purchases when there is only one vendor uniquely qualified to provide a particular good or services. When this situation arises a notification is posted in this section. Questions or concerns regarding intended purchases must be emailed to B-Ops-Purchasing@star.lcc.edu.

  Sole Sources and Intended Purchases