HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Purchase Registration Letter 2017
County of Hawai`i
PURCHASING DIVISION DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1101 Hilo, Hawai`i 96720
Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
Harry Kim Mayor
Deanna S. Sako Director Nancy Crawford Deputy Director
Sebastian Calaway Purchasing Agent
January 30, 2018
PUBLIC PURCHASE ELECTRONIC BIDDING SYSTEM
Dear Vendor,
The County of Hawai’i Purchasing Division uses the electronic bidding and vendor
management software, Public Purchase to post and receive bid and quote documents
electronically. Public Purchase is an easy to use web based e-procurement service for on-line
bidding and vendor management used by many government organizations. There is no cost
for vendor’s to use the system to receive and submit bids for the County of Hawaii.
Public Purchase does offer additional bid search services at a cost, but these additional services
are not required to receive notifications and submit bid documents for the County of Hawai’i.
Vendors interested in using the system must first register. The registration process is
broken down into two steps, first registering with Public Purchase and then with the County of
Hawai’i. Registration for each step should only take a few minutes each, and vendors are
recommended to have their business information available throughout the registration process.
Vendors must complete both Steps 1 and 2 to be able to receive and submit quotes and bids
through Public Purchase.
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STEP 1 – REGISTER WITH PUBLIC PURCHASE
Vendors are to first go to the system’s website
(https://publicpurchase.com/gems/register/vendor/register) and follow the on-line instructions,
clicking “next step” at the bottom of each page to complete the first registration step. After
completing this Step 1 registration process, it can take up to twenty-four hours for the account
to become active in the Public Purchase system. Once active, a notice will be received from
notices@publicpurchase.com informing the account is active and proceed to Step 2 to complete
the registration process. It is recommended to add this email address to the computers contact
list to avoid this and other emails from Public Purchase being sent to the junk folder.
STEP 2 – REGISTER WITH THE COUNTY OF HAWAI’I
Once the activation notice has been received from Public Purchase, proceed to the
Public Purchase website (www.publicpurchase.com), log into the system using the username
and password, and accept the system’s terms and conditions.
Next, click on the following link
(http://www.publicpurchase.com/gems/hawaiico,hi/buyer/public/home) to complete the step by
step registration process (clicking “next step” at the bottom of each page to move through the
registration process). It is recommended that vendors have a listing of the items / services
they provide, as vendors will need to select the classification codes in Public Purchase for the
items they want to receive an email notification for. In addition, a County of Hawai’i vendor
registration form will be required to be completed.
Vendors are responsible for maintaining and keeping its vendor information current and
up-to-date. Vendors can go into the system at any time and update their information.
WHY USE PUBLIC PURCHASE
The County of Hawai’i uses Public Purchase and its online bid submittal and vendor
management software to streamline the procurement process for both the County and vendor,
maintain a real time listing of bid and quote opportunities on its website, and provide historical
information of past bid opportunities in the system. Furthermore, the Public Purchase system
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will alert vendors of upcoming quotes or bids by sending automated emails to vendors with
matching classification codes of the items the County is interested in purchasing. Lastly,
vendors can ensure their contact information in the system is up-to-date and current, and make
the changes as necessary.
If assistance is needed with registering as a vendor, please contact Public Purchase at
support@publicpurchase.com, or use the Live Chat feature located in the upper left-hand corner
of the Public Purchase website (www.publicpurchase.com), available during business hours.
Thank you for your interest in becoming a vendor for the County of Hawai’i and using
Public Purchase, the County’s e-procurement system. I can be contacted at 808.961.8440 or
sebastian.calaway@hawaiicounty.gov with questions.
Sincerely,
______________________
Sebastian Calaway
Purchasing Agent