by Katie Logisz
April 10, 2006

The United States Conference of Mayors is a national sponsor of U.S. Communities, a cooperative purchasing alliance which allows for cities and other public agencies to utilize their combined purchasing power in order to secure contracts at or below GSA contract pricing. One public agency acts as a lead agency selecting a vendor through a competitive bidding process. Other agencies can then piggyback onto these contracts. Contracts offered through U.S. Communities are non-exclusive, allowing cities and other public agencies to pick and choose which contracts will best benefit them and provide savings.

Currently, U.S. Communities is seeking a vendor for a contract for automobile parts and accessories for light duty vehicles. The city of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County is the lead agency for this new contract. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Procurement Services is requesting proposals from interested organizations to provide automotive parts, accessories, and related services to Charlotte and other public agencies participating in the U.S. Communities program. Charlotte has issued a request for proposals on behalf of the U.S. Communities Purchasing and Finance Agency through a public agency clause, allowing for use by other public agencies, such as counties, cities, schools, states and non-profits. Respondents to the RFP must give due consideration to the potential market.

A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held on April 17 at 9:00 am at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center to review the RFP and answer any questions regarding this project. Information containing the instructions for the preparation and submission of proposals are located in a bid document online at http://www.ips.state.nc.us. Proposals are due to Charlotte-Mecklenburg by May 2.

For more information on how your city can realize savings through U.S. Communities, contact Katie Logisz with the Conference at 202-841-0775 or send e-mail to klogisz@usmayors.org. More information on U.S. Communities and its contracts are available online at usmayors.org and www.uscommunities.org.