How to Do Business with Pinellas County
A guide for prospective vendors and contractors
Is your business interested in providing goods
or services to Pinellas County Government?
Pinellas County accepts bids from businesses of all types and sizes for a wide range of goods and services to keep County operations running smoothly.
Visit the Pinellas County Purchasing website at Pinellas.gov/purchasing for:
- General Information
- Construction Services
- County Contracts
- Current Bids
- Procurement Guide
- Professional Services (Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act)
- Purchasing Contacts
- Vendor Resources
- Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program
- Tampa Bay Regional Co-op & other links
How to Submit Bids to Pinellas County Government
Registration
To submit bids, proposals and quotes for products or services over $25,000, businesses must register for a free, no cost OpenGov Procurement account at procurement.opengov.com/signup.
To receive notifications for bid opportunities, subscribe to Pinellas County’s page on the OpenGov portal at secure.procurenow.com/portal/pinellasfl.
Step-by-step instructions may be found at Pinellas.gov/purchasing.
For additional assistance, please contact our Vendor Administrator at (727) 464-5139.
Responses
Submittals will only be accepted through the online e-procurement system, OpenGov. Mailed or hand-delivered paper copies will not be accepted.
To respond to a bid, proposal or quote solicitation, submit a response prior to the submission due date.
Review all sections of the solicitation document, including requirements and attachments. Ensure all requirements are included and that the response is complete and accurate. If any information is omitted or incomplete, the submittal
may be deemed non-responsive. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email notification.
All bids and proposals are opened via electronic lock-box at the scheduled due date and time.
Shortly after opening, participating vendors will receive an email notification with the Unofficial Bid Tabulation. The current status of all solicitations may be viewed in OpenGov.
Pinellas County Small Business Enterprise Program
Pinellas County Economic Development and Purchasing work in partnership to help small businesses and improve participation in the competitive process for goods and services. The Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program gives preference for small businesses located within the region, including Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, and Manatee counties. To review eligibility requirements and learn how to apply for the SBE Program, visit pced.org/sbe.
Quick Quotes
To further promote SBEs, departments may utilize Purchasing’s Quick Quote process to award to small businesses. The Quick Quote process allows departments to seek competitive quotes from Pinellas County’s certified SBE vendor list, up to $100,000.
Purchasing Procedure
Below is the general procedure for County Purchases.
- County departments identify the need for a product or service and initiate a request to Purchasing.
- Staff in the requesting department research solutions and devise specifications or criteria.
- Purchasing evaluates the request and carries out a competitive process according to established policies and procedures. See the table above for solicitation methods, approval authority and dollar amount thresholds.
- Sound business practices and procedures are followed in determining the best offer for required goods and services.
- A Pinellas County purchase order form containing terms and conditions and pricing is authorized and a purchase order number is assigned.
- Receipt, pricing and terms and conditions are verified by the requesting department. Invoices and payments are authorized and forwarded for processing to the Clerk of Circuit Court, Finance Division, Accounts Payable.
Who approves purchases?
| Dollar Value of Product/Service | Solicitation Method | Approval Authority |
|---|---|---|
| $1-$25,000 | Purchasing Card <5k or Purchase Order | Department Director |
| $25,000-$150,000 | Quick Quote up to $100k or Informal Solicitation Small Business Enterprise Program. | Purchasing Director |
| $150,000+ | Formal Solicitations Including capital improvement projects with mandatory Small Business Enterprise Program % goals. | $150,000-$250,000 County Administrator $250,000+ Board of County Commissioners |
Vendors must register in OpenGov to view active solicitations.
Small businesses must register for the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program at pced.org/sbe.
Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners Purchasing Division
Mission: To provide dedicated, efficient and effective professional services to internal and external customers in the procurement of quality products and services with optimum value for the taxpayer.
The Purchasing Division is dedicated to meeting the Countyʼs needs and ensuring the best value for taxpayers. The division follows specific rules set forth by County ordinance and outlined in the Purchasing Policy and Procedure Manual available on our website, Pinellas.gov/purchasing.
Purchasing works with appointing authorities, constitutional officers, and local municipalities. It also works
with the following Pinellas County Government departments and divisions:
- Administrative Services
- Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE)
- Animal Services
- Building & Development Review Services
- Business Technology Services
- Communications
- Construction & Property Management
- Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Economic Development
- Emergency Management
- Housing & Community Development
- Human Services
- Office of Resilience & Asset Management
- Office of Management & Budget
- Parks & Conservation Resources
- Public Works
- Safety and Emergency Services
- Solid Waste
- Utilities
Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners
Pinellas County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners (BCC) consisting of seven publicly elected officials. Within the governing body, there is a chairman and a vice chairman chosen by the majority of the commission.
Certain authorities and responsibilities have been delegated by the BCC to the County Administrator, who manages day-to-day County business and reports directly to the BCC. Pinellas County Government is an agency of the State of Florida and governed by the authority of a “Home Rule Charter” granted by the state.
Pinellas County Government comprises numerous agencies, managed by publicly elected officials. All agencies are at liberty to utilize the Board of County Commissioners Purchasing Department.
Please note, the following agencies purchase goods and services independently from Pinellas County Government. See below contact information for inquiries about doing business with these agencies.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
(727) 582-6860 | 13770 Automobile Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33762
Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections
(727) 464-8683 | 13001 Starkey Road Largo, FL 33773
Pinellas County Tax Collector
(727) 464-7777 | 315 Court Street, 3rd floor, Clearwater, FL 33756
Pinellas County Property Appraiser
(727) 464-3207 | 315 Court Street, 2nd floor Clearwater, FL 33756
Pinellas County Clerk of Circuit Court
(727) 464-7000 | 315 Court Street Clearwater, FL 33756
Pinellas County complies with all federal, state and local laws related to persons with disabilities. To request alternate formats of this information, contact the Office of Human Rights at (727) 464- 4062 (V/TDD) or email accommodations@pinellas.gov. Funding for this brochure was provided by Pinellas County Purchasing. 1,500 brochures were printed at a cost of $321.95 or $0.21 each. 07/25
Contact Us
Pinellas County Government Purchasing Division
400 S Fort Harrison Ave. 6th Floor, Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3311
Hours of Operation:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday