For quite some time, the Los Alamos Commerce & Development Corpration and the Chamber of Commerce has embraced a “Think Members First ” philosophy in its approach to purchasing of goods and services. We recently reviewed our purchases over the past 12 months and 74.8% of of LACDC/Chamber purchases were made with Los Alamos Chamber members and local businesses. We will continue to seek to offer our members the first opportunity to provide quotes for products and services needed at the LACDC/Chamber. We have not historically had a formalized policy on purchasing, but based on a suggestion from a member we have developed and instituted the following SOP to add rigor and process guidance to our approach.
Policy Statement: When purchasing services, materials and/or merchandise, the LACDC/Chamber will abide by a “Think Members First” philosophy.
Process: For any purchase of products or services expected to exceed $1000, the Member Services Coordinator will be consulted to seek to determine whether any members may be a potential source for fulfilling the requirement. Priority will be given to Chamber member suppliers if they are the low bidder or are within 10% of the low bid for comparable products/services. In the event that a member provides a bid but is not the selected source, the LACDC/ Chamber will seek to consult with the member to verify that the member has had the opportunity to provide a bid for comparable products or services. If available, a tangible sample will provide a clear example of the required standard for the purchase.