Idaho § 67-2806 - Procuring services or personal property

§ 67-2806. Procuring services or personal property

(1) When a political subdivision contemplates an expenditure to purchase or lease personal property or to procure services, other than personal property or services excluded pursuant to section 67-2803 , Idaho Code, valued at or in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) but not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), the procurement procedures of this subsection shall apply.

(a) The solicitation for bids shall be supplied to no fewer than three (3) vendors by written means, either by electronic or physical delivery. The solicitation shall describe the personal property or services to be purchased or leased in sufficient detail to allow a vendor dealing in such goods or services to understand what the political subdivision seeks to procure.

(b) The solicitation for bids shall describe the electronic or physical delivery method or methods authorized to submit a bid, the date and time by which a bid proposal must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision, and shall provide a reasonable time to respond to the solicitation, provided that except in the event of an emergency, such time shall not be less than three (3) business days.

(c) Written objections to specifications or bid procedures must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision at least one (1) business day before the date and time upon which bids are scheduled to be received.

(d) When written bids have been received, by either physical or electronic delivery, they shall be compiled and submitted to the governing board or governing board-authorized official which shall approve the responsive bid proposing the lowest procurement price or reject all bids and publish notice for bids, as before.

(e) If the political subdivision finds that it is impractical or impossible to obtain three (3) bids for the proposed procurement, the political subdivision may acquire the property in any manner the political subdivision deems best from a qualified vendor quoting the lowest price. When fewer than three (3) bids are considered, a description of the efforts undertaken to procure at least three (3) bids shall be documented by the political subdivision and such documentation shall be maintained for at least six (6) months after any such procurement is made. If two (2) or more bids are the same and the lowest responsive bids, the authorized decision maker may accept the one (1) it chooses.

(2) When a political subdivision contemplates an expenditure to purchase or lease personal property or to procure services, other than personal property or services excluded pursuant to section 67-2803 , Idaho Code, valued in excess of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), the procurement procedures of this subsection shall apply.

(a) The purchase or lease shall be made pursuant to an open competitive sealed bid process with the procurement to be made from the qualified bidder submitting the lowest bid price complying with bidding procedures and meeting the specifications for the goods and/or services sought to be procured.

(b) The request for bids shall set a date, time and place for the opening of bids. Two (2) notices soliciting bids shall be published in the official newspaper of the political subdivision. The first notice shall be published at least two (2) weeks before the date for opening bids, with the second notice to be published in the succeeding week at least seven (7) days before the date that bids are scheduled to be opened. The notice shall succinctly describe the personal property and/or service to be procured. Copies of specifications, bid forms, bidder’s instructions, contract documents, and general and special instructions shall be made available upon request by any interested bidder.

(c) Written objections to specifications or bidding procedures must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision at least three (3) business days before the date and time upon which bids are scheduled to be opened.

(d) If the political subdivision deems it is in the political subdivision’s best interest, it may require the bidder to provide bid security in an amount equal to at least five percent (5%) of the amount bid. If required, a bid shall not be considered unless one (1) of the forms of bidder’s security is enclosed with it, and unless the bid is submitted in a form which substantially complies with the form provided by the political subdivision. The political subdivision may require that the bid security be in one (1) of the following forms:

(i) Cash;

(ii) A cashier’s check made payable to the political subdivision;

(iii) A certified check made payable to the political subdivision; or

(iv) A bidder’s bond executed by a qualified surety company, made payable to the political subdivision.

(e) Any bid received by the political subdivision may not be withdrawn after the time set in the notice for opening of bids. When sealed bids have been received, they shall be opened in public at a designated place and time, thereafter to be compiled and submitted to the governing board for award or, if a designee is authorized, for approval of the award.

(f) If the successful bidder fails to execute the contract, the amount of his bidder’s security may be forfeited to the political subdivision at the sole discretion of the governing board and thereafter the proceeds may be deposited in a designated fund out of which the reasonable expenses for procuring substitute performance are paid.

(g) The political subdivision may, on the refusal or failure of the successful bidder to execute the contract, award the contract to the next lowest qualified bidder. If the governing board awards the contract to the next lowest qualified bidder, the amount of the lowest qualified bidder’s security may be applied by the political subdivision to the difference between the lowest responsive bid and the next lowest responsive bid, and the surplus, if any, shall be returned to the lowest bidder if cash or check is used, or to the surety on the bidder’s bond if a bond is used, less reasonable administrative costs not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the bidder’s security.

(h) In its discretion, the governing board or its designee may reject all bids presented and re-bid or, after finding it to be a fact, the governing board may pass a resolution declaring that the subject goods or services can be procured more economically on the open market. If two (2) or more bids are the same and the lowest responsive bids, the governing board or its designee may accept the one (1) it chooses. In its discretion, the governing board of a political subdivision may preauthorize the purchase of equipment at a public auction.

(i) If the governing board of any political subdivision chooses to award a competitively bid contract involving the procurement of personal property or services to a bidder other than the apparent low bidder, the political subdivision shall declare its reason or reasons on the record and shall communicate such reason or reasons in writing to all who have submitted a competing bid.

(j) If any participating bidder objects to such award, such bidder shall respond in writing to the notice from the political subdivision within seven (7) calendar days of the date of transmittal of the notice, setting forth in such response the express reason or reasons that the award decision of the governing board is in error. Thereafter, staying performance of any procurement until after addressing the contentions raised by the objecting bidder, the governing board shall review its decision and determine whether to affirm its prior award, modify the award, or choose to re-bid, setting forth its reason or reasons therefor. After completion of the review process, the political subdivision may proceed as it deems to be in the public interest.

[67-2806, added 2005, ch. 213, sec. 37, p. 675; am. 2017, ch. 197, sec. 6, p. 490; am. 2023, ch. 165, sec. 2, p. 445; am. 2025, ch. 133, sec. 3, p. 693.]