Definitions.
Sarasota Code § 2-347
in effectSec. 2-347. - Definitions.
The following words, terms, and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this division except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Bid means an offer by a bidder to provide materials or to perform specified work under specified conditions for a specified price. Bids may be written or electronic, and may, in the city's sole discretion, require contemporaneous submission of a bid bond. Bids must not contain any exceptions or conditions which would preclude the city from accepting the bid and forming a contract. Conditional bids shall be deemed non-responsive.
Bidder means any business that offers commodities or services to the city for a given price and specified terms. The term shall include offerors and respondents to solicitations or request for quotes.
Business means any sole proprietor, corporation, partnership, joint venture or other entity that is duly licensed or registered, if required, and is authorized to transact business in the state.
Change order means any adjustment to the original quantities or scope of work of a solicited material or service. A contract amendment is not a change order.
Cooperative procurement means the combining of requirements of two (2) or more public procurement entities to leverage the benefits of volume purchases, delivery, and supply chain advantages, best practices, and the reduction of administrative time and expenses.
Emergency means a state of emergency as declared under the provisions of section 13-2 of the code, or as declared by the Sarasota County Commission, the Governor of the State of Florida, or the President of the United States.
Invitation to bid (ITB) means a solicitation for competitive sealed bids, and is typically used when the city is capable of specifically defining the scope of work for which a contractual service is required, or of establishing precise specifications defining the actual commodity or group of commodities required.
Invitation to negotiate (ITN) means a competitive negotiation process that is used when the procurement authority deems it is in their best interest to negotiate with proposers to achieve "best value." An ITN is a form of source selection that is similar to the request for proposals process, wherein a short list of acceptable proposers is created and the city may negotiate with responders sequentially or concurrently.
Materials/goods/commodities means and includes anything that is a tangible product, including but not limited to vehicles, food, computers, computer software, and building materials. The term does not include services.
Piggyback means a form of acquisition wherein a governmental entity has awarded a contract using competitive solicitation methods as good or better than the city's, where the contract entered by the original entity has not expired and where its terms permit other entities to use the contract under the same core terms and conditions as in the original contract. Where the city engages in piggybacking, it may not significantly alter the price and scope of the original contract (except that it may negotiate lower prices), but it may require its own insurance, delivery, invoicing, and similar terms. Where a piggybacked contract allows for one (1) or more extensions or renewals, the city manager is authorized to exercise such provisions even if those provisions are not exercised by the original contracting entity.
Professional or consultant means those contractors who, as individuals or duly organized business entities, have been or will be retained by the city for the purpose of providing recommendations or advice related to planning level or policy level decisions, or who will be engaged in the collection of data or research that will provide the basis for such decisions or future plans and actions of the city, as well as those who will be retained to supervise and monitor the performance of contractors or subcontractors of any nature.
Purchase order means a document issued by the procurement official that memorializes the city's acceptance of a quote or bid for the provision of materials, goods, commodities, or services. A purchase order sets forth the descriptions, quantities, prices, discounts, payment terms, date(s) of performance or shipment, and any other associated terms and conditions, and will identify the vendor. Purchase orders may be in either paper or electronic form, and may contain standard terms and conditions which may be incorporated by reference in city solicitation documents or as a hyperlinked reference to a page of the city's website. Vendors submitting bids, quotes, or other offers to the city are deemed to have reviewed the city's standard purchase order terms and conditions. Unless the city elects to contract with a business by way of a stand-alone contract, the purchase order's standard terms and conditions shall be deemed to have been accepted by such vendors as evidenced by the submission of a quote or bid.
Quote means a flat or unit price provided by a vendor for any service or material being sought by the city where a formal procurement method is not being used. For purposes of this section, it shall also mean a price list, publicly advertised price, web-based price list, or any other means by which the business communicates its prices to potential customers. Quotes may be provided to city staff verbally, in writing or via electronic means.
Request for proposals (RFP) means the solicitation of proposals, usually from providers of services, or of a mix of services and related goods or commodities. Price is usually not a primary evaluation factor. An RFP provides for the negotiation of all terms, including price, prior to contract award. May include a provision for the negotiation of best and final offers. May be a single-step or multistep process.
Request for qualifications (RFQu) means a solicitation seeking statements of the qualifications of potential responders (development teams, consultants, financial services providers, etc.) to gauge potential competition in the marketplace prior to issuing a RFP or ITN.
Responsible vendor means a vendor which is fully capable to meet all of the requirements of the city's solicitation standards and requirements, and the obligations as may be set forth in the city's purchase order terms and conditions or proposed alternative form of contract. A responsible vendor must possess the full capability, including financial, legal, logistical, and technical, to perform as contractually required, and be able to fully document the ability to provide good faith performance. The city's assessment of vendor responsibility will include consideration of all relevant information bearing on a vendor's qualifications, including the historical performance record of the vendor and the vendor's named subcontractors or proposed joint venturers, past performance of similar work or provision of similar materials, goods, commodities, or services to the city, the vendor's experience on similar projects, the vendor's references, potential conflicts of interest based on existing business or contractual relationships, the vendor's history of having been suspended or debarred by any governmental agency, whether the vendor has been sued for breach of contract or criminally charged for fraud, bribery, collusion, or similar public corruption or business-related crimes, within a prior time period relevant to the solicitation. Vendor responsibility shall be determined in the city's sole judgment and is not a subject for protest.
Responsive vendor means a vendor which has submitted a response to a city solicitation which fully conforms in all material respects to all of the solicitation's minimum specifications and requirements, including providing responses to each question or request for information, and the provision of any supplemental documents, forms, bonds, proof of insurance, or other records or materials required by the solicitation to be included in the response.
Sealed competitive bid means a bid, containing the bidder's offered price and terms, submitted to the city in response to an invitation to bid process, whereby all responses remain sealed until a specific date and time, after which no more bids may be received, and the bids received are then opened for tabulation and evaluation for bidder responsibility and bid responsiveness. A bid which purports to alter minimum qualifications or specifications set forth in a solicitation shall be deemed to be non-responsive.
Service means intangible labor products including but not limited to accounting, cleaning, consultancy, training, instruction, entertainment, engineering, and maintenance.
Solicitation means the act of obtaining firm prices for goods or services, and/or proposals or qualifications from vendors to address the operational needs of the city. A solicitation may include informal requests for price quotes, or the formal issuance of an ITB, RFP, ITN, RFQ, or any other form of competitive solicitation the city may use when seeking to acquire materials, goods, commodities, or services.
Specifications means any description of a good's physical or functional characteristics, or the nature of materials or services being solicited. The term may include a description of equipment performance or characteristics, the quality, origin, or functionality of goods, the means and methods of the provision of services, engineered drawings or construction plans, warranty requirements, as well as any requirements for inspecting, testing, or preparing a good or service for delivery.
(Ord. No. 26-5588, § 2, 3-2-26)
Source: City of Sarasota, Florida, Code of Ordinances and Zoning Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/sarasota/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIITHCO_CH2AD_ARTVIFIPUSA_DIV3PRCO_S2-347DEFetched: 11/14/2026