Multi-Year Contracting for Goods & Services - Government Contracting 101 Workshop - April 23, 2025

Sep 12, 2026

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Multi-Year Contracting for Goods & Services explains long-term municipal contracting for goods, services, grants, and construction through a practical Government Contracting 101 small business workshop. The session covers what multi-year contracting is, how the City of San Francisco’s unique procurement rules affect vendors, and how to determine whether contracting is a fit for a business. It also details what the City buys, who the key departmental players are, where opportunities are posted, how to read solicitation packets, major solicitation types (IFB, RFP, RFQ, RFI), and what to expect after submitting a bid or proposal, including contract review and execution.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

What we'll cover in this session

What is multi-year contracting?

What the City buys

Is contracting with the City right for me?

Multi-year contracting for goods & services in San Francisco: a who's who guide

Where to find opportunities

Types of solicitations

What to look for in a solicitation packet

Multi-Year Contracting for Goods & Services Molly Peterson Government Operations Team | City Administrator’s Office CITY CONTRACTING 101: A SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP April 23, 2025 What we'll cover in this session 􀂃 What is multi-year contracting? Is contracting with the City right for me? 􀂃 What the City buys, who the players are, and where to find opportunities 􀂃 Types of solicitations & what to look for in a solicitation packet 􀂃 Preparing your bid/proposal 􀂃 What happens after you submit your bid/proposal 􀂃 Contract review & execution 2 All in 15 minutes! 3 What is multi-year contracting? 􀂃 Long-term contracts for goods, services, grants, construction (often called "formal" contracts) 􀂃 Follows complex process that takes several months to over a year, depending on the City’s need 􀂃 The City and County of San Francisco is a unique client: 􀂃 We work for the public good and in service of San Francisco’s residents and visitors . 􀂃 We have unique processes and rules that govern our public procurement process . 􀂃 Ex: gas-powered landscaping equipment ban, limitations on campaign contributions, insurance requirements, etc . 􀂃 We require the businesses and nonprofits who work with us to follow all our laws and rules and document their compliance . 4 What the City buys Commodities Products such as materials, equipment, and supplies. Examples: Office supplies Chemicals Plumbing equipment Food & catering Construction Public works or improvements and related services including design, consulting and construction management services. Examples: General contractors Architecture Engineering Trucking & hauling Services Professional Services: services that require analysis, judgement, specialized knowledge, etc. General Services: all other services that are not professional services Examples: Consulting (e.g. IT, public health) Graphic design Janitorial services Security guards Specialized training Grants Award of funds to entity to provide services to the public Examples: Community-based projects Food assistance Outreach services Performing & fine arts 5 Is contracting with the City right for me? Ask yourself: Does my business provide goods or services that could be relevant to government operations or public services? Sample scenarios My business provides luxury wellness retreats targeted towards tech executives . Maybe not worth it… My business offers organizational development consulting services for public institutions . Could be worth it! My business provides catering for different sized events and is committed to sustainable food handling practices . Could be worth it! 6 Multi-year contracting for goods & services in San Francisco: a who's who guide Department-byDepartment for their individual needs Centralized and citywide in focus | City Department Types of multi-year contracts | | | --- | --- | | All City departments Professional services contracts; grants | | | Chapter 6 departments (SFO, MTA, PUC, Port, Rec and Park, and Public Works) | Construction services | |
Office of Contract Administration (OCA) | Citywide general services and commodities agreements (called “term contracts”) | | Department of Technology (DT) | Citywide technology agreements (called “enterprise agreements”) | | Controller’s Office Citywide pre-qualified pools of vendors
| | 7 Where to find opportunities The SF City Partner portal is used by multiple City departments, including the Office of Contract Administration, to advertise for and collect bid responses. In addition, other City departments post links to their own bidding systems here . Some City departments have their own departmental contracting portal that you can access through their individual websites . Looking to the future! Many City departments also publish forecasts of the bid opportunities they will be opening in the near future. By reviewing these forecasts, you can prepare

FAQs

What is multi-year contracting and what types of work does it cover?

Multi-year contracting refers to long-term contracts for goods, services, grants, and construction. It follows a complex process that can take several months to over a year depending on the City’s needs.

How can a small business determine whether contracting with the City is a good fit?

A business should check whether it provides goods or services relevant to government operations or public services. The workshop also provides sample scenarios showing where services may or may not be worthwhile.

What should you review in a solicitation packet before preparing a bid or proposal?

Focus on the scope/specifications, solicitation type, contract duration and NTE amount, minimum qualifications, bid/proposal evaluation criteria, required documentation, LBE subcontracting requirements (if applicable), ethics and communication protocols, attached terms and conditions (including insurance), and the solicitation schedule and milestone dates.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Angel