A purchasing office can be a valuable partner in collaborating with departments or agencies on solicitations by providing strategic support, whether through helping staff write effective and clear specifications, guiding them to use correct procurement processes, or by informing them of existing contracts that meet their needs. Such guidance may save departments from going too far down the wrong path, wasting time and causing delays in getting solicitations out the door.
Standardizing intake with an organized method for collecting “first contact” information on new procurements can help save everyone time. Having department or agency staff fill out a simple procurement intake form can support you in receiving the information you need to provide the right support. This document provides two examples of how procurement intake forms can be structured and a pool of questions to consider incorporating in an intake form. We encourage you to use these materials as a basis for developing your government’s intake form, whether that form is designed in an e-procurement system or collected via a Word document.