The State of Mississippi through the Office of Purchasing and Travel has many items
that are on state contracts. There are three (3) types of state contracts: (1) negotiated
contracts, (2) competitive bid contracts, and (3) agency contracts.
- Negotiated Contracts - Proposals are accepted from vendors for this type of contracts.
These proposals are evaluated with a contract being awarded to all vendors when prices
are competitive.
- Competitive Bid Contracts - These contracts are established on the basis of written
specifications and sealed competitive bids with a contract being awarded to the vendor
that has submitted the lowest bid that meets the specifications. All state agencies
are required to purchase from the awarded vendor.
- Agency Contracts - The agency contracts are established on the basis of competitive
bids or negotiation by a specific agency. The agency contract must be approved by
the office prior to any purchases being made. The availability of agency contracts
to various agencies is dependent upon the terms of the agreement and a determination
by the office that the prices should be available to other agencies.