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DIR’s deputy chief procurement officer, Lynn Hodde Blue, and its Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) team walked attendees through steps on how their businesses can work toward becoming a vendor. They also demonstrated where vital information is located on the agency website.
Those wanting to subcontract can search for products and services that they provide — be it authorized hardware, website design, staffing services — then look for contracts that contain those items. Vendors can bid on portions of an opportunity out for bid or directly contact the “owner” of the cooperative contract to become a subcontractor.
In a nutshell: Respond to an open solicitation and be awarded a contract or subcontract with a DIR vendor and resell using the current contract.
The “Schedule of Solicitation Opportunities” page lists contracts in various life-cycle stages such as in planning, posting, evaluation or negotiation.
Those in the development phase haven’t been released for response yet; however, those listed will help vendors understand what products and services DIR may be soliciting soon.
Branded contracts (which fall under cooperative contracts) in the development phase include devices and related or value-added services for Motorola Branded Products and Related Services. Others include Cisco and Google. Upcoming contracts may not be identical to the prior one, according to DIR.
Branded contracts may have multiple contracts with authorized sellers. They generally have a two-year duration with two options of one-year extensions; for practical purposes, four years. DIR begins evaluating and planning for a contract at the three-year mark.
Contract details are online; for example, the Motorola planning is for a “subsequent procurement to DIR-TSO-TMP-426,” which evolved into a contract ending in July.
Resulting purchases come from Texas state agencies, higher education and K-12 entities because they can purchase directly and quickly, said HUB program manager Theresa Williamson.
Hodde Blue added that “once you’ve either gone through that procurement process and been awarded a contract, or once you’ve partnered with someone, it doesn’t guarantee you anything, other than you have a DIR contract number to sell from. … Once you get on a contract, once you partner with somebody, and you’re on a contract, you should sell it that way.”
“I talked to a vendor before this class started. She has a contract; it is not a fast-paced event. This is a marathon, not a sprint,” she said. “She’s been working on it, and she has gradually added customers under her contract. She’s also adding employees to her team because opportunities are growing.”
“We are Texas … we have the most opportunities, and our economy is really good right now. So we do have opportunities, and we’re always going to have opportunities.”
