10 North 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
(717) 255-3040
Purchasing
Office of Purchasing
In accordance with City policy, all projects, contracts, and general purchases exceeding $3,500 annually require an encumbrance. The procurement process begins with an approved budget, which is formally adopted by City Council. Following budget adoption, individual projects and procurement activities are initiated by Department Directors and their designated buyers, ensuring alignment with the City's financial and operational goals.Public Solicitations (e.g. bids, RFx) are administered by the Office of Purchasing. Public solicitations involve three phases as follows:
- Document Phase
- Solicitation Phase
- Contract Phase
Frequently Asked Questions
Please send your request to [email protected].
The signed tabulation or bid results are typically available within 1 week. Please submit your request for a copy of a bid tabulation to [email protected].
Click on DBE Certification Guide linked above or search by keyword in Google. Please make note that some certificates are State specific while some are nationally recognized certificates.
No, Departments are authorized to source goods and services for at various spend thresholds and using various procurement vehciles. If an opporunity is known, but not posted here please contact us to get in touch with the Department or Buyer responsible for procuring the specific good or service. Please also check the buyer directory for a list of buyer emails.
Please refer to the soliciation/invitation and submit quotes/estimates to the email listed.
City buyers are required to follow all applicable procurement codes, policy, and governing laws. Additionally, Please contact us at 717-255-6472 or click on the procurement policy and buyer directory for more details.
Yes, however, goods and services offered as part of a cooperative contract must be clearly listed and priced on the contract available on the cooperative’s website. The City has previously used Omnia and Costars contracts. Policy requirements may apply, and coop contractors are not authorized to waive bidding requirements.
Please contact us at 717-255-6472 or click on the buyer directory under Documents & Links. Under each buyer is a link to the buyer’s email address where you can reach out to them directly.
For businesses located in the City of Harrisburg or performing services within the City, it is required that the business is licensed with the City. Please navigate to the Bureau of Licensing, Taxation and Central Support page to download our business license application. An annual gross receipts tax may apply.
Please click on the vendor registration form link under the Documents & Links section above. A list of recent past and current public solicitations can be found above.
Many government entities, non-profits, and private agencies may establish DBE contracting goals and even requirements by category, agency, entity, and/or department and so it may be of value as part of your business development efforts to certify. We recommend seriously considering certification if you or your company offers B2B (Business-to-Business) goods or services. Please carefully consider the time and fees associated with each certifying agency’s application process.
All open solicitations for bids, RFPs, and RFQs are listed above. Click on the view button next to each solicitation title to obtain detailed information on each listed item. Solicitation notices are also posted to the City’s Facebook and LinkedIn social media pages. Please follow the City on social media and share notices for the benefit of all.
The majority of the City’s public solicitation documents (i.e. bids, RFPs, and RFLOIs) are available on PennBid.net. If you have questions or issues downloading or locating a specific solicitation, please contact us at 717-255-6472.
Please click on “Subscribe to Notifications.”
Award information can be found in the solicitation section above and on PennBid. Bid and RFP recordings are typically recorded on the business day following the solicitation due date. Bids are awarded to the lowest most responsive bidder. RFPs are scored by a committee and/or an award may be decided by the Department Head. Please contact us at 717-255-6472 with questions on a specific solicitation. The lead time for awards can vary greatly.
Call 717-255-6472 or email [email protected] to schedule a debrief.
First please contact the person who placed the order for goods or services. If payment is past due, please call 717-255-3040 and request to speak with our Accounting Office.
No, the City dos not offer ACH payments at this time. If you require or prefer payment via ACH please let us know by email to [email protected].
Summary of Policy Guidelines
Contracts and purchases valued at more than $3,500 annually or per project, a Purchase Order must be obtained prior to the purchase of goods or engagement of services. Additionally, all credit card transactions and sole source purchase requests require approval from the Business Administrator to ensure compliance with procurement policies.Policy thresholds are as follows:
$0 – $3,500: Except for Credit Card charges, Purchases may be authorized by the Department/Bureau Director or designated department employee. The City Solicitor or vendor may require a signed contract.
$3,500-$24,499: Purchases of goods or services in this range require a City issued Purchase Order. The City Solicitor or vendor may require a signed contract.
$24,500 and above: Procurements in excess of Third Class City Code for base amounts for bids require an approved encumbrance and often a signed contract. The City Solicitor advises departments on the appropriate contracting process. Public bids are administered through the Procurement Office. Public bids and solicitations are generally solicited through PennBid.
For further details on the City’s Policy please view the Procurement Policy document.