The Cone of Silence prohibits supplier communication regarding a bid solicitation after the solicitation has been posted and advertised on the Kansas State University Bid Portal. This Cone of Silence protects the professional integrity of the procurement process by shielding it from undue influences before the recommendation of award.

All questions related to a pending solicitation must be submitted through the Kansas State University Bid Portal using the “Submit a Question” button. Answers to supplier questions will appear in the bid addendum on the K-State Purchasing Solicitations site. Should unauthorized communication occur between university personnel and a potential supplier during this process, the supplier's bid may be disqualified and the entire bid process canceled.

The Cone of Silence is terminated once a purchase order has been released, a contract has been fully executed or all bids have been rejected.

• All prices shall be in U.S. Dollars.
• All prices, terms and conditions must be shown.
• The University is exempt from state sales or use taxes and federal excise taxes for direct purchases. These taxes must not be included in price quotations.
• In the case of an error in computations or totals, the unit price shall govern.
• All suppliers are required to show shipping/freight as a separate line item on the bid quote and invoices. Ordered items must be shipped FOB Destination with all applicable freight, handling, insurance and custom charges paid by the supplier.

Awards are typically made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting the bid specifications.

Consideration may focus toward but is not limited to:

• Cost
• Conformity to specifications
• Quality and performance of the products or services being requested
• Delivery / completion time
• Adequacy and completeness of bid
• Supplier's understanding of the project
• Compliance with the terms and conditions of the bid solicitation
• Experience in providing like products or services
• Qualified staff

The University reserves the right to award to more than one supplier, unless the supplier specifies otherwise in the submitted bid.

Where more than one item is specified in the bid solicitation, the University reserves the right to determine the low bid on the basis of individual items, systems, or on the basis of all items included in the bid solicitation.

The University reserves the right to accept or reject all or any part of the bid solicitation. Additionally, the University reserves the right to waive minor deviations when such deviations do not alter nor deter the department from accomplishing the intended use or function.

All bids become the property of the University once submitted. The Kansas Open Records Act (K.S.A. 45-215 et seq.) requires public information be placed in the public domain at the conclusion of the selection process and be available for examination by all interested parties. Information in bid files will not be released until a bid has been awarded or all proposals have been rejected.

General Accounting's Vendoring page Secure portal in which to submit W-9s, W-8BENs, W-8BEN-Es, 8233s and Authorizations for Electronic Deposit.

Department contact information Order confirmations and invoices must be sent to the end-using department. Consult your purchase order or visit the link for department contact information.

Contractual provisions attachment Per State of Kansas and university policy, the contractual provisions attachment must be initialed and returned with your bid.

Certificate of tax clearance Kansas statute requires any business or individual bidding on state contracts or participating in a contract renew to submit an approved certificate.

Kansas sales and use tax exemption certificate Request the University's Kansas Sales and Use Tax Exemption certificate through Financial Reporting.

Purchase parking permits It is the supplier's responsibility to purchase parking permits and ensure that personnel display these permits appropriately while on university property.

K-State trademark licensing Any entity wishing to use university trademarks or text must use marketing licensed by K-State Trademark Licensing.

Kansas Office of Minority & Women Business Development Provides certification and education for disadvantaged, minority-and women-owned businesses.

U.S. Small Business Administration This federal site aids businesses in registering for MBE/WBE/DBE status.

Federal Contractor Registration A private registration firm that assists small businesses, non-profit entities and government facilities in completing the System of Award Management (SAM) Registration filings and Small Business Certifications.

State of Kansas eSupplier Public Portal The State of Kansas Supplier Portal provides registration, solicitation, contract and procurement opportunities.

State of Kansas Additional Bid Opportunities View additional bid opportunities from other Kansas universities.

Bond Information View bid, performance and public works bond forms that must be submitted to the university with the appropriate bond of use.

K-State Athletics Facility Projects Learn how to give to specific athletics capital projects or receive more information.

State of Kansas Department of Facilities Solicitations Review K-State construction projects as they are posted.