(a) Policy. The Chief Procurement Officer, in consultation with the using department, may determine that it is in the best interests of WSSC to prequalify suppliers (bidders or offerors) for particular types of goods and supplies, services, construction, and professional and consultant services. Prequalification standards may be imposed by the Chief Procurement Officer that must be met by any supplier in order to qualify to respond to an invitation for bids, a request for proposals or other types of solicitations. Suppliers shall be required to submit information to the Chief Procurement Officer to allow a determination of whether a supplier has met such prequalification standards.

(b) Public Notice. Invitations for prequalification or notifications of the availability of invitations for prequalification shall be furnished to a sufficient number of potential suppliers for the purpose of securing competition.

(c) Procedures for Prequalifying Offerors. The Chief Procurement Officer and using department for which a solicitation is being performed shall review all information submitted by suppliers, and, if necessary, additional information may be required. If the Chief Procurement Officer, in consultation with the using department and any other affected using department, determines that the supplier meets all of the prequalification standards established under this section, the Chief Procurement Officer shall prequalify the supplier as qualified to submit a bid or proposal for the particular solicitation for which the prequalification was performed. The supplier shall be notified in writing of prequalification.

(d) Failure to Prequalify. If a supplier is found not to meet the prequalification standards established under this article, a written determination setting forth the basis for such finding shall be prepared by the Chief Procurement Officer and delivered to the supplier.

(e) Requirement for Prequalification. When prequalification is required, only those suppliers who submit the required prequalification information and who are actually prequalified to submit a bid or proposal for a particular solicitation shall be allowed to submit bids or proposals. (Procurement regulations § 4-402, dated August 1, 2012)