Vermont

Key Agency(ies):

• The Department of Building and General Services (BGS), Office of Purchasing and Contracting manages acquisition of materials, equipment, supplies, fuel, and printing for all state agencies, and oversees the bidding and contracting process to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
• The Agency of Digital Services manages IT and information security contracts
• The Agency of Commerce and Community Development manages marketing contracts.

Key Statute:

• Vermont Statutes Annotated (Vt. Stat. Ann.), Title 29, Public Property and Supplies governs procurement.

Key Regulations:

• Administrative Bulletins issued by the Department of Administration website serve as the key regulations for Vermont procurement.

Procurement Types/Highlights:

• Formal procurement
• Invitation for Bids (IFBs)
• Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
• Micro-purchases
• Simplified acquisitions
• Noncompetitive procurements

Bid Protests:

• Vermont does not have specific statutory rules on bid protests or appeals.
• Appeals of agency decisions are filed with the administrative body within 30 days; further appeal to the Superior Court is possible, but does not automatically stay enforcement.
• Judicial review is available under the Vermont Administrative Procedures Act and Rule 75 of the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure.

Claims: 

• Vermont does not have a statutory, regulatory, or procedural guidance for contract claims before a specialized body.
• Contracts may pursue contract actions via the Vermont judicial system.

Suspension & Debarment:

• The State must initiate an investigation when there is reason to believe that a violation of procurement law has occurred.
• If a determination is found that the contractor has committed a violation of procurement law, the commissioner must notify the contractor.
• If in the opinion of the Commissioner of BGS, a contractor that has been determined to be not in compliance with law does not make good-faith efforts to change its practices (or change the practices of a supplier), the Commissioner may take appropriate remedial action and inform the contractor in writing.
• The Commissioner may bar the contractor from bidding on future state contracts or terminate state contracts with the contractor.

Interesting/Distinctions: 

• Vermont’s procurement system delegates significant flexibility to agencies.
• Environmental and social responsibility are explicit factors in procurement decisions.
• Vermont maintains a prequalified vendor list to ensure quality for certain types of contracts.