FAQS
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Prospective Bidders
What exactly is Mohave?
Mohave is a nonprofit corporation known predominately for its cooperative purchasing contracts that benefit member agencies throughout Arizona. Public school districts, cities, counties, community colleges, and qualifying nonprofit organizations use Mohave contracts through cooperative purchase agreements. As a statewide public procurement unit, administrative fees paid by users fund Mohave. No direct tax dollars come to Mohave.
How do I become a Mohave vendor?
First you must sign up on the Mohave Prospective Bidders List on our website. This will put you on a mailing list to be notified of future Mohave solicitations for the categories you signed up for when you registered. If you respond to a solicitation and are then awarded a contract, then you will be a Mohave vendor.
I just signed up on the Prospective Bidders List, does this mean I have a Mohave contract?
No, the Prospective Bidder List is essentially a mailing list of interested vendors that wish to be notified of Mohave solicitations. In order to be an approved vendor that can sell to members through Mohave, you must be awarded a contract through a formal competitive procurement.
How often are Mohave contracts awarded?
Most Mohave contracts are one-year contracts with up to four annual extensions. This means that Mohave contracts are usually rebid every 5 years.
When will the contract in my category be rebid?
You may search by category, key word or by the name of a known contract holder to access the information. Click on the name of a vendor in the category you’re interested in to view their page. The vendor page will display the scheduled final expiration date for the vendor’s contract. We generally issue a solicitation 3 – 5 months before the final expiration of the existing contract. That date is shown as the “Final Expiration” on the vendor’s page. However, contracts are subject to review and rebid prior to each renewal; that date is shown as the “Next Renewal” in the on the vendor’s page. The best way to know when a contract is rebidding is to maintain accurate and up-to-date contact information for your firm in the Prospective Bidder system.
Where can I find information about current and future solicitations?
Information about current solicitations can be found on the homepage of our website under the Contracts and Solicitations tab. Please bear in mind that scheduling for future solicitations is subject to change based on current Mohave needs and workloads, so check back often if you are anticipating a future solicitation.
Mohave does not currently have a contract that includes my category, how does Mohave add new contracts?
Mohave solicits for contracts based on member interest. If you are working with one or more Mohave members and they are expressing interest in purchasing from you through Mohave, ask them to let us know they are interested. Members can speaking directly with a member of our contracts team or email Outreach & Education (O&E). If Mohave receives enough member interest in a new kind of contract, we will look into organizing a solicitation. If Mohave does decide to solicit a new contract, we may look at your company as an example of the services or products requested, but there is no guarantee that you will be awarded a contract. All solicitations must comply with applicable competitive purchase requirements and will be awarded on accordance to those.
What is the difference between a Mohave member and a Mohave vendor?
A Mohave member is an organization that uses Mohave’s contracts for purchasing goods and services. Examples include school districts, political subdivisions, city governments etc. A Mohave vendor is a business that has contracted with Mohave to sell goods and/or services to Mohave members. A list of current Mohave members can be found on the “Current Mohave Members” list on our website.
Is Mohave affiliated with the State of Arizona contracts?
No, Mohave is not in any way connected with the State of Arizona contracts.
What is the solicitation process that Mohave uses to award contracts?
Mohave uses the same state rules and regulations that govern our members’ procurement. These include: the Arizona State Board of Education School District Procurement Rules, the Arizona Procurement Code and applicable sections for the Arizona Revised Statutes.
I have a new service/product that your members could really use. Can you do a new contract for this?
Mohave issues solicitations based on member needs and requests only. If a Mohave member has expressed interest in seeing a new kind of contract, please ask them to let us know. If there is sufficient member interest, we will look into issuing a solicitation for a new contract. Members may let Mohave know of their interest by calling or emailing our contracts staff.
Why do members use Mohave?
Members use Mohave’s contracts because Mohave’s purchasing policies and procedures come from the Arizona State Board of Education School District Procurement Rules, the Arizona Procurement Code and other sections of the Arizona Revised Statues. They are designed to obtain maximum value and benefit for our members, promote active participation from qualified vendors and provide fair, open and nondiscriminatory competition. Because we meet the requirements, our members are considered to have met the requirements. Mohave contracts are not a way to avoid the bidding requirements. They are a legal means to satisfy them, just as if the members had conducted the competitive procurements themselves.