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Purchasing

Mission

Procure goods and services for all County departments at the right price and quality utilizing the most up-to-date resources.

About the Department

The Purchasing Department is overseen by the Director of Contracts and Procurement, who serves as the County's authorized purchasing agent. Staff include a Contract Manager, Procurement Manager, Senior Buyer, Senior Contract Coordinator, and two Buyers.

The Purchasing Department is the central purchasing agency for the County. The primary function of the Purchasing Department is to acquire services, supplies, and equipment for all County departments. The Purchasing Department must ensure that procurement activities are in conformance with procurement law, that the needs of the end-user departments are met and that the best price is obtained, while ensuring a fair and open process.

Goals & Objectives

It is the goal of this office to provide efficient and courteous service to the citizens and fellow employees of Berks County; as well as, to procure goods and services for all County departments at the right price and quality utilizing the most up-to-date resources and techniques, while simultaneously promoting fairness and competition among vendors.

Information / Resources 

Announcements

Department Operations
Further information may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department at 610‑478‑6168.

FAQS

Request For Proposals (RFPs) and Invitation To Bids (ITBs) advertised in the Reading Newspaper are published in this web site. Bidders can sign up on the County's website to receive e-alerts, which send an email notification to the end user party that an RFP or ITB has been posted in which it provides a direct link to the County's website so that it can be downloaded or will provide instructions for accessing through a hosted site. In addition it provides potential proposers and bidders with notification of postings of addendums / amendments to RFPs and ITBs. Click on the following link for instructions on how to Subscribe or Update your eAlerts.
Vendors who provide goods or perform services without first obtaining evidence of proper purchase authorization (a contract or a purchase order) run the risk of not being paid.

Links

A non-profit educational organization dedicated to helping governments manage tax dollars. View
The Pennsylvania Chapter of NIGP. View

Surplus Auction

Interested parties may bid on County of Berks surplus items through the McGrew Equipment Auction website at https://mcgrewbid.com/auctions. 

The County intends to use this platform for the current auction as well as future surplus auctions. All participants must register on the site by selecting the “Register” option and completing the required information. Additional registration instructions can be found by selecting this link. 

Bids may be submitted until the closing date and time listed for each item on the auction website