Section 500.420  Prequalification

a)         General

1)         The CPO shall identify by publication in the Auditor General Bulletin the categories of supplies and services (including professional and artistic services) for which the OAG may prequalify vendors of those supplies and services.  The OAG is not required to prequalify vendors but may do so when determination of a vendor's qualifications prior to procurement would be advantageous to the OAG.

2)         An opportunity to prequalify shall be allowed at least one time each fiscal year.  The opportunity to prequalify shall be announced in the Auditor General Bulletin.  The notice shall alert vendors that failure to participate in the prequalification process may result in the vendor being ineligible to receive contracts.

3)         When prequalifying a vendor, the Procurement Officer may limit prequalifications to determining whether a vendor has been and is likely to be "responsible" using the criteria set forth in Section 500.430 of this Part. The fact that a prospective vendor has been prequalified does not necessarily represent a finding of responsibility for a particular procurement.

4)         When prequalifying a vendor, the Procurement Officer may consider factors tailored to a specific procurement or type of procurement, which shall be announced in the Auditor General Bulletin.

5)         Except in the case of professional and artistic services, distribution of and responses to the solicitation may be limited to prequalified vendors and award of a contract may be denied because a vendor was not prequalified. If eligibility for the procurement will be limited to prequalified vendors, the solicitation shall state that fact.

b)         Professional and Artistic Services

Any prequalification of vendors of professional and artistic services shall include, at a minimum, a specified level of:

1)         education;

2)         training;

3)         experience; and

4)         technical ability;

and may require certification or licensure, or membership in professional associations.

c)         Qualified Products List

Qualified products lists are treated in Section 500.600 (Specifications) of this Part.