Purchasing
The mission of the El Camino Community College District’s Purchasing Office is to provide clients with innovative, customer centered, market driven and value added solutions in purchasing goods and services for the District while finding ethical, legal and policy compliant ways to obtain these goods and services.
Vision
The vision of the El Camino Community College District’s Purchasing Office is to be regarded as a trusted, adaptive to change, and collaborative partner throughout the entire purchasing process.
Quick Links
- Risk Management Principles for the El Camino Community College District
- District Travel Approval - Faculty/Staff
- To Register as a Vendor or to See Current Bids
- Bids and RFP's (Active and Historical)
- P Card Purchase Log
- AP 7400 - District Travel
- Independent Contractor Checklist
Resources
Project Labor Agreement
Project Labor Agreement - establishes the labor relations guidelines and procedures for the College and for the Contractors and craft employees represented by the Unions and engaged in Project Work
View Project Labor Agreement (PDF)
CUPCCAA PreQualification
On April 15, 2019, the El Camino Community College District’s Board of Trustees passed a resolution to become subject to the California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA).
CUPCCAA APPLICATION FORM (Link)
Notice of Informal Bidding Qualified Bidders List
2024 Calendar Year
TO ALL CONTRACTORS:
El Camino Community College District ("District") invites all licensed contractors
to submit the name of their firm to the District for inclusion on the District's 2024
Calendar Year list of qualified bidders for the District's informally bid projects
("Qualified Bidders List") under the California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting
Act ("CUPCCAA").
Applications
Interested contractors must complete and submit the District's Informal Bidding Qualified Bidders List Application ("Informal Bidding Application") to be considered for inclusion on the Qualified Bidders List. The Informal Bidding Application requires contractors to provide:
- The name and address to which a Notice to Contractors or Proposal should be mailed, faxed, or emailed;
- A phone number at which the contractor may be reached;
- Description of the type of work in which the contractor is interested and currently licensed to perform;
- The classification(s) of contractors' license(s) held; and
- The Contractor's contractors' license number(s)
The Informal Bidding Application may be accessed online.
How to Submit Applications
Completed Informal Bidding Applications can be submitted online or by mail to:
El Camino College
Procurement Services
16007 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90506
Or by email to: purchasing@elcamino.edu
The Informal Bidding Application may be submitted at any time during the 2024 Calendar Year. Within thirty (30) days of a contractor's submittal of a completed Informal Bidding Application, the District will notify the contractor of its inclusion on the Qualified Bidders List. Upon inclusion on the Qualified Bidders List, the District will provide all contractors on the Qualified Bidders List for the trade(s) required to complete an informally bid project with notice of informal bids.
The District will annually update the Qualified Bidders List as of January 1 of each calendar year; contractors must annually submit the Informal Bidding Application for inclusion on the District's Qualified Bidders List for the ensuing calendar year.
Board Resolution Permitting Cooperative Purchasing
Providing the agency with whom the District wants to do business has a reciprocal agreement, the District may “piggyback” onto active bids for the acquisition of materials and services from other college/school districts as well as state and other public agencies.
Pre-bid Contact with District Personnel
Vendors will occasionally expend considerable time in presenting or designing a product in hopes of making a sale. If you do this, remember that the purchase will eventually be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting the specifications, terms, and conditions. Your investment of time and/or expenditures for design, demonstrations, layouts, etc., does not guarantee award to your company or preferential treatment of any kind.
Hazardous Materials
Vendors are required to provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from the manufacturer for all products that contain hazardous material as defined by Title 8 California Code of Regulations. The SDS is required for all hazardous merchandise being shipped.
El Camino College Purchase Order Terms and Conditions
Click here for the El Camino College Purchase Order Terms and Conditions (PDF).
Getting Started
Interested vendors should send a letter to the Procurement Services describing the products and services they offer. When the need arises for these services, the El Camino College will contact qualified vendors. Vendors may register by completing the Vendor Registration Form.
Buying Materials and Supplies
The Procurement Services Department buys all materials and services for the College, including all construction and maintenance services. However, the Board of Trustees has sole responsibility for approval of all purchases and contracts for the District.
The Procurement Services Department shall obtain maximum value of each dollar expended and consider the factors of price, quality, applicability, support services, pertinent county, state, and federal legislation, as well as other applicable codes.
Vendors are required to conduct their business directly with the Procurement Services Department during established business hours. If calls to other campus departments are necessary, arrangements will be made by Procurement Services Department staff.
The Bookstore staff purchases textbooks, student supplies and promotional materials.
Vendor Contact
Vendors may contact the Procurement Services Department weekdays between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Appointments are recommended. Though other departments may occasionally contact vendors, only the Procurement Services Department is authorized to issue purchase orders.
Purchases made in the name of the District without an authorized purchase order shall be considered an obligation of the person making the purchase and not an obligation of the District.
Visitor Parking
The Procurement Services Department is located in the Bookstore Building, second floor, at 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance, CA, 90506.
Courtesy Parking Permits are available to vendors through pre-arrangements with the Procurement Services Department. A daily parking permit is available from the parking permit machines in each lot. Handicap and reserved parking areas are restricted.
Purchase and Bid Process
The acquisition of materials and/or services totaling less than $5,000.00 (including sales tax), may be made by issuing a purchase order, following competitive negotiations with vendors.
Written quotations shall be secured for equipment/supplies/services totaling up to $114,500.00 and may increase annually. These purchasing procedures are designed to encourage open competition.
The Procurement Services Department shall ensure satisfaction of requirements through properly developed specifications. They are to be clear, detailed and descriptive, yet sufficiently broad to promote competition among vendors.
Law requires formal, advertised bids for Equipment/Supplies/Services totaling $114,500.00 or more (including applicable sales tax and shipping) and for Public Works projects over $15,000.00. These amounts are in accordance with Public Contract Code 20651 and may increase annually. The Torrance “Daily Breeze” is our legal newspaper of record for all advertised bids. Bid announcements are published once a week for two consecutive weeks.
All advertised bids will be received ONLY in the Procurement Services Department, in a sealed envelope identified with the bid name/number prior to the due date/time indicated in the notice calling for bids. Vendors and contractors are responsible for ensuring that the Procurement Services Department receives their bids on or before the deadline. Bids received in person or by mail after the scheduled bid closing will be returned unopened to the bidder. Faxed bids will not be accepted
All valid bids are reviewed to determine the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. This evaluation process may consider such factors as price, specification, vendor’s past performance, product compatibility and quality, and, when appropriate, proposed delivery or completion time. After bids have been reviewed and analyzed, a recommendation will be made to the Board of Trustees at their next regularly scheduled meeting (usually the third Monday of the month). Bid re-caps will be available for review by appointment only in the Procurement Services Department after awards have been made. The purchase of goods and/or services shall be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The criteria for selection of bidder will appear in the bid packet.
Failure to respond to bid invitations or price requests may result in removal from the bid list. A vendor’s response of “No Bid” is considered responsive.
Deliveries
All materials shipped to the College must be delivered to the Warehouse at Central Receiving, 3400 W. Manhattan Beach Blvd., Torrance, CA 90506, unless otherwise specified by the Purchasing Department. The purchase order number MUST appear on all cartons and packing slips.
Receiving Hours
- Monday through Friday, excluding holidays
- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.