District seeks pool of prequalified contractors for recurring facility work
Summary
Del Valle ISD issued a request for proposals to prequalify multiple vendors for recurring trade services — from irrigation and playgrounds to HVAC and roofing — allowing district staff to assign projects from a vetted pool and request quick quotes without reissuing project-specific bids.
Del Valle ISD told trustees it is moving forward with a job-order contracting (JOC) procurement to create a pool of prequalified trade-service vendors for recurring facility work, from landscaping and fencing to HVAC, plumbing and roofing.
Facilities staff said the RFP was posted in August, questions were due Sept. 1 and submissions were due Sept. 10. The district said it anticipates awarding multiple, equal-status contracts and will select the number of awarded vendors at its discretion. Under the proposed model, when a project arises the district will assign work to a vendor in the pool or request quotes from several vendors to determine best value.
Trustees asked whether JOC eliminates competition; facilities staff replied that the JOC process itself is an RFP that meets statutory requirements and that new vendors may be added in subsequent openings. Willoughby said the typical contract term is three to five years. Trustees asked whether the pool will include multiple vendors for each trade; staff said they expect a robust pool but the number of vendors per trade depends on market availability.
No award was requested Wednesday; staff will return with a recommended vendor list after evaluation of submittals.
