Sometimes when Cuyahoga County tries to buy goods or services, there's aren't any businesses vying to be the vendor. Business owners explained some of their reasons in documents sent to the county and interviews with cleveland.com. CLEVELAND, Ohio – Sometimes, when Cuyahoga County tries to buy goods or services, it’s lucky if even one business responds.
The reasons companies give for not pursuing county work are varied and sometimes complex, a review of 260 “no-bid” sheets in 2022 shows. The county asks businesses to fill them out explaining why they chose not to respond to requests for proposals, bids or qualifications.Other times, businesses said they didn’t see the county’s request, or at least not in time to respond by the deadline.
A construction company complained that “the amount of paperwork required to turn in a bid seems excessive” and recommended a faster process that would make it easier for smaller companies with limited staffing to apply.
, but “sometimes things can be done.” He continues to question contracts with few bidders to find out why interest is low and highlight potential areas for improvement. To that end, Porter said county departments are proactively reaching out to new potential vendors about projects they may be interested in and hosting educational events to get more businesses registered in the county’s database. While companies don’t have to register to view contract opportunitiesThe county is also encouraging more small-, minority- or women-owned, which helps with increasing diversity in contracting.
There has been talk of streamlining the process by allowing businesses to certify once with the state and have it apply in their home county as well, but it’s unclear if and when that will happen. In the meantime, Porter said the county has created how-to guides to make it easier to apply by walking businesses through each step of certification.
It’s also been working to provide more timely payments. Departments are approving contracts sooner, tracking invoices more closely and ensuring businesses have the right county contacts to address their questions and concerns, Porter said.
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