Contracting with the City 101

There are many ways to work with the City of Baltimore, whether you’re a big or small vendor. On these pages, learn about new contract opportunities, what your company needs and the step-by-step process of submitting a bid. We look forward to working with you.

City Contract Basics

Learn what you and/or your business need to do to bid or submit proposals on contracts

Contracting with the City 101

Your business needs to be an official. Examples are a sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Corporation, or Corporation that's properly registered with the state. It also needs to be in good standing with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation.
We want to know what your business does. Does it provide things like materials, supplies, and equipment? Does it offer professional services like legal, accounting, architecture, engineering, or healthcare? Or does it do construction and public works services?
To participate, you should sign up for an account on CitiBuy. Most contracts are obtained through CitiBuy, except for construction and public works ones. For those, you'll need to buy bid books at the Abel Wolman Building. Having a CitiBuy account helps you see contract opportunities, get updates, and submit bids or proposals.
If your business is into construction or public works, you need to get prequalified before bidding. It's a process that checks if your business can handle the work and has the money for it. The Office of Boards and Commissions handles this.
Is your business minority or woman-owned? Baltimore City has a program to give them preference in subcontracting. For contracts worth $50,000 or more, the city will see if some parts can be subcontracted and set goals based on what's available in the market. Only MBE and WBE certified firms from Baltimore City can count toward these goals.
Ready to bid? Find contract opportunities on the website under "CURRENT CONTRACTS" and on CitiBuy for supplies, equipment, services, or materials. For construction and public works contracts, check the weekly Board of Estimates agendas, the Baltimore Sun, and the Daily Record.
Depending on the contract, you might need to buy a detailed bid book, especially for public works contracts.
You must follow all the instructions in the contract carefully. If there are important mistakes, the Board of Estimates might reject your bid or proposal. Bids must be in on time as stated in the contract.
There are two main types of contracts: "Invitation for Bids/Notice of Letting" and "Request for Proposals."
"Invitation for Bids/Notice of Letting" is when the city knows exactly what it wants and asks for prices. The contract goes to the lowest responsible bidder.
"Request for Proposals" is when the city has an idea of what it wants but lets proposers come up with their own plan and cost. The process is often in two steps, with separate scoring for price and technical proposals. The contract goes to the highest-scoring proposer or the lowest responsible bidder, as mentioned in the contract.
Be careful about bonding and financial security. The contract will tell you what kind and how much bonding or securities are needed, and you must follow those rules.
Your bid or proposal needs to meet the requirements and show that your business can handle the job and has a good track record.
If you don't win a contract, the City will let you know ahead of time. The timing depends on the City's schedule and how urgently they need to award the contract. You'll have time to protest if you disagree.
You can check the latest agenda of items up for approval by the Board of Estimates.
If you're not happy with the contract award, you can protest. The Board of Estimates will listen to your protest if they think it's valid, meaning you're directly affected by the decision.
Routine items on the agenda get approved all at once with a single vote.
Items that are being protested or are not routine are considered and voted on separately.

The How and Why of Contracting

Learn about the contracting process and why there are certain steps and procedures

The way Baltimore City buys things and makes contracts can be complicated. There are many rules and different parts to it.

The Baltimore City Charter is like a big rule book that tells how the city's government is organized. It also says that the Board of Estimates is in charge of the City's money. They make the budget, keep track of money coming in and going out, and decide how city property is used. The Charter also says there's a special way to buy things and services for the city.

The Bureau of Procurement in the Department of Finance is like the main shopping place for the city. But they don't buy things for construction or big projects. Other city departments, like Public Works, Transportation, General Services, or Recreations and Parks, buy those things. There's a book called the Green Book that tells how to do it.

Professional services that require special knowledge and skills don't need to be bought through a bid.

There's another rule book called the Baltimore City Annotated Code. It has rules about buying and contracting. It includes programs to help minority and women-owned businesses. It also includes rules about fair wages.

The Board of Estimates can make more rules. Some include checking if contractors and consultants are qualified and looking at how contracts benefit the city.

The Administrative Manual is like the city's guidebook for how things are done inside the city. If they want to change it, the Board of Estimates has to agree.

Background

The procurement and contracting process for Baltimore City can be complicated and confusing. The laws and policies governing procurement and contracting are from different sources and various agencies administer different pieces of the process.

The Baltimore City Charter, which establishes the structure and organization of Baltimore City's government, charges the Board of Estimates with formulating and executing the fiscal policy of the City. Its three main functions are to prepare the annual budget, oversee the City's income and expenditures, and regulate the use of City property. The Charter also established a centralized purchasing process for goods and services.

While the Bureau of Procurement, which falls under the Department of Finance, is the central purchasing entity for the City, it does not procure construction or public works contracts. Those contracts are procured by the Departments of Public Works, Transportation, General Services, or Recreations and Parks depending on which agency needs the services. The City of Baltimore Standard Specifications book (aka the Green Book) dictates the contracting process for construction and public works projects.

Also, professional services, or services that require the application of special knowledge, technical skill, and the experience that comes from instruction, training, and the exercise of mental faculties, are procured directly by the department or agency needing the service. Professional services are not subject to competitive bidding.

The Baltimore City Annotated Code, which is the collection of ordinances passed by the Baltimore City Council, includes provisions pertaining to contracting and procurement. These include provisions establishing the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Program as well as requiring compliance with the minimum, living, and prevailing wage rates.

The Board of Estimates is authorized to adopt resolutions and regulations. By resolution, the Board established procedures for prequalifying contractors and consultants, a neighborhood preference condition for certain contracts, as well as an economic benefit evaluation factor for certain contracts.

Internal City processes and procedures are established by the Administrative Manual. Any changes, additions, or deletions to the Administrative Manual must be approved by the Board of Estimates.

Regulations

Stay in the know. Download a copy of the regulations guide.

Regulations

In Maryland, there are many rules and instructions for getting contracts. We need a special set of rules called "Procurement Regulations" to put all this information in one place. Other places in Maryland already have these rules. These rules help the people who want to do business with the city understand how the city decides who to work with. They also help the public know how the city spends its money on things like services.

You can think of these rules like a big web of information. In the middle, we have the "Procurement Regulations." They connect to all the other rules, like laws and policies, like a big puzzle. This way, it's easy for everyone to find the information they need.

Final Regulations
Professional Services Resolution
Non-Competitive Procurement Resolution

Procurement Regulations

Click on item to expand:

I. Procurement Regulations

City Procurement System – General

Definitions

Ethics and Standards of Behavior

Release of Information

Pre-Qualification

Minority and Women's Business Enterprise

Formal Solicitation

Professional Services Solicitation

Informal Solicitation – RFI

Emergency Procurement

Non-Competitive Procurement (No Advantage, Not Practicable, or Emergency Nature)

Conflict of Interest

Contract Modification

Termination

II. Protest Regulations

Repeal of Resolution
Board Agenda
Conduct during Board Meetings
Protests
Procurement Lobbyist
Required Posting

III. Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Regulations

Certification Eligibility
Certification Process and Procedures
Minority and Women's Business Enterprise Certification Appeals Board Rules of Operation
Annual Participation Goals
Setting Contract Goals
Counting MBE and WBE Participation
Utilization Requirements
Waivers

IV. Debarment / Suspension Regulations

Scope and Authority
Debarment Definitions
Written Notices
Investigation and Preliminary Recommendation to the Board
Suspension Pending Decision
Notice, Hearing, and Decision – Automatic Debarments
Notice and Hearing – Other Debarments
Duties of the City – Other Debarments
Decision of the Board – Other Debarments
Reinstatement

V. Severability

VI. Effective Date

VII. Amendments

VIII. Appendices

Current Contracts

See the most current list of contracts.

Please select the contract listing you would like to view:

Baltimore Development Corporation
General Procurement (Materials, Supplies, Equipment, or Services)
Housing Authority of Baltimore City
Parking Authority
21st Century Schools

Have more questions? Submit your question or find your answers here.

FAQs – Find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about City contracting