Doing Business with the City

Where to Find Bid & Proposal Opportunities

Want to do business with the City of Irving? All bid specs and necessary documents are available online through the city's e-procurement website. If you want to stay in the loop, register as a vendor to receive email alerts about new solicitations. Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises should also upload their current certification info during registration.

Heads up! The city is not responsible for any bid opportunities re-posted by third-party websites. Always check the official site for accurate and up-to-date information.

How the Procurement Process Works

What the city buys and how it buys it depends on the dollar amount:

1. Under $3,000 → No competitive bids required. Purchases can be made directly by departments or through the Purchasing Division.
2. $3,000 - $49,999 → The city must get at least three quotes, with at least two coming from State of Texas HUB-certified businesses (if available). Quotes may be collected via fax, email, written quotes, or sealed bids, but the city prefers online submissions.
3. $50,000+ → A formal sealed bid or proposal process is required, and it’s handled by the Purchasing Division (unless exempt under Texas state law).

Submitting a Formal Bid or Proposal:

1. Vendors are 100% responsible for making sure their bid/proposal is received on time. Late submissions will not be accepted—no exceptions.
2. For contracts over $50,000, electronic copies must be submitted through Ion Wave and hard copies (if required) must be submitted in a sealed envelope or package no later than the stated due date and time. Hard copies submission will be time stamped by the Purchasing Division.

Types of Contracts the City Uses:

1. Annual Contracts are for commonly used supplies and services that are purchased on an as-needed basis. These agreements lock in pricing for a set term and are renewed as needed.
2. Contracts for one-time purchases or projects are for goods or services solicited to fulfill specific (and usually immediate) needs of the city.
3. Cooperative Contracts are contracts awarded by other agencies, cities, counties, and state cooperative programs.

Bid Openings & Award Process:

1. Bid openings are held online through Microsoft TEAMS and all interested parties are invited to join the opening through the link provided in Ion Wave. Prices will be read aloud for straight low bid solicitations. For Best Value bids, Requests for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications, only the names of the respondents and their MWBE or HUB status will be read aloud because other factors in addition to the cost of goods and/or services will be evaluated to determine contract award.
2. After the opening, the Purchasing Division posts a list of respondents in Ion Wave. Respondents are listed from apparent low bidder to highest bidder in the case of a straight low bid, although this is informational only, because being the lowest bidder doesn’t guarantee you’ll win due to responsiveness and responsibility factors. Lists of respondents for Best Value bids, Requests for Proposals, and Requests for Qualifications will generally be listed in alphabetical order.
3. The requesting department evaluates responses and makes a recommendation for award.
4. For awards over $100,000, the City Council must approve the award before it’s finalized.