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GSA says informal bids and qualified-contractor list are sending most small construction work to Alameda County firms
Summary
GSA Director Kimberly Gassaway told the Procurement Contracting Committee that the county's informal construction process and a 2025 qualified contractors list helped local firms win the majority of small public-works contracts, but supervisors asked for more analysis of why larger informal awards skew non-local.
Kimberly Gassaway, Director of the Alameda County General Services Agency, told the Procurement Contracting Committee on July 21 that the agency is using a 2025 qualified contractors list and an informal bidding process that, she said, is directing most small construction work to local firms. "The current informal bidding limit is $220,000," Gassaway said, and she added that the purchasing agent is authorized to award contracts up to $75,000 without board approval.
The presentation said GSA emails bid notices to 293 contractors on the qualified list and promotes the list on the agency website and through chambers, trade journals, and equity-focused networks. Gassaway reported year-by-year local award shares for informal construction work: 2022, 67.4%; 2023, 75.5%; 2024, 62.1%; and, in the first five months of 2025, about 66%.
The nut graf: The county's informal procurement pathway appears to be achieving a board goal of sending more small contract work to local firms, but supervisors requested further detail on contracts between $75,000 and $220,000 after staff noted larger informal awards trend toward non-local bidders.
Supervisors asked for additional breakdowns and outreach materials. Supervisor Marquez said the presentation answered many questions but requested the outreach blurb GSA sends to local chambers so the supervisors'offices could promote opportunities in their newsletters. Gassaway agreed to add the supervisors to distribution lists and to provide job-level analysis of contracts in the $75,000'$220,000 range to explain why those awards skew non-local.
Gassaway described outreach channels used to populate the qualified-contractor list and announce solicitations, including the National Association of Minority Contractors, East Bay contractor newsletters, trade journals, 16 local chambers of commerce, and shared databases used by regional agencies. She emphasized that the qualified list is refreshed annually but that contractors may join at any time.
The committee confirmed there were no public speakers on the item and did not take formal action. Staff said they will provide the requested details on larger informal contracts and the outreach materials supervisors asked to distribute.
The committee moved on to the next agenda item; GSA said it will bring the qualified-list update to the committee annually.
