The mission of the HISD Procurement Services Department is to ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods and services needed to efficiently operate the district cost-effectively. In other words, the right products and services, at the right cost, from the right supplier, to the right location, at the right time, every time.

The Procurement Services Department, a division of the Materials Management Organization, is also responsible for facilitating the processes governed by state law to ensure best practices and an equally competitive environment for the purchase of goods and services. Through this synergistic effort, both the supplier and HISD will benefit from working as business partners to strengthen the social and economic foundation of the district and the community at large.

The Office of Procurement Services is currently located in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 West 18th Street , Level 2 North East. You may contact us between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., CST, Monday through Friday at 713-556-6515.

General information about HISD, the Procurement Services Department, the annual bid calendar, bids/proposals, the staff directory and other useful information can be found by visiting www.houstonisd.org. Select “Departments,” then “Materials Management,” which will take you to the “Procurement Services” section.

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The purchase order is an official document that may serve as the contract between HISD and the supplier for the procurement of goods and services.

A purchase order is also a binding commitment for HISD to remit payment to the supplier after the item(s) and an invoice are received by the district according to the terms and conditions as stated on the purchase order.

Suppliers may not change or modify what is stated specifically on the purchase order. If a change is necessary, it will be made only by a formal purchase order revision issued by Procurement Services. Any changes made that do not adhere to the terms outlined in the purchase order will not be honored.

Each purchase order with the supplier will be confirmed by a member of the Procurement Services Department prior to issuance. This is necessary to ensure the accuracy of pricing, availability, and the required due date, and also to ensure that prompt payment follows an accurate invoice. The unit of measure, the unit price, the description, and the total cost must all be verified, and must match before an invoice can be paid; therefore, it is extremely important that this dialogue take place prior to the issuance of the purchase order and the invoicing process.

The delivery date specified on the purchase order is in fact the date the goods or services are due at the district. This is not a ship date or a start date, but rather a completion date, and suppliers will be graded by their ability to deliver goods or services in a timely manner. This grading may adversely affect future district business with the supplier.

If third-party freight is ever required and it is the district’s responsibility to pay it, it should be prepaid by the supplier and added to the invoice as a separate freight line item listed on the purchase order. Third-party freight invoices will not be paid by the district.

Contracts are issued for a specific requirement (goods or services) for a specific period of time. Contracts do not automatically renew. If there is a “compelling” reason for the district to renew a contract, the renewal must be done formally. Likewise, if there is a “compelling” reason for the district to solicit new competitive proposals, it must do so.

All expenditures greater then $10,000 in the aggregate (districtwide) must be competitively bid by the Procurement Services Department.

Competitive bids are generally solicited by a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a competitive sealed bid. While RFP’s may result in additional negotiations before a contract award takes place, all bids/proposals should always be prepared with utmost care, providing the bidder’s best offer. Contracts awarded as a result of an erroneous offer may result in serious financial loss or other hardship for the bidder.

Before preparing an offer, suppliers are encouraged to pay particularly close attention to the district’s requirements and the intent for which a contract is awarded. Study the specifications to be sure that all requirements are met.

Specific attention should be given to the instructions to offerors and to the conditions of purchase, delivery due date, and payment terms and conditions.

When determining the amount of the offer, the supplier should be especially careful to include all costs of materials, labor, overhead, packaging, and delivery.

If a firm wants to change or withdraw a bid, it may send a letter to this effect to the Project Manager in Procurement Services. However, the notification must reach the Procurement Services office prior to the time set for the bid opening.

When a proposal is selected, usually a “Letter of Intent” will be sent to the supplier(s) stating the intent of the district to seek Board of

Education approval to execute a contract and a general outline of the proposed agreement.

If negotiations are necessary, the process will begin with the proposal submitted by the supplier as a starting point, and the results are contingent upon obtaining final Board of Education approval.

Current bid/proposal solicitations are announced in one or more local newspapers of mass distribution for two consecutive weeks. They are also posted on the district’s Procurement Web site and are physically posted on the Procurement Services Department bulletin board in the Hattie Mae White Administration Building.

When preparing a proposal in response to an RFP, the same care should be taken as with a sealed bid/proposal; however, because the RFP procedure is more flexible than the sealed-bid procedure, there is greater opportunity to seek clarity of specifications, conditions of purchase, delivery, and payment.

If the contracting officer decides to negotiate on a firm’s proposal, a complete cost analysis may be required, including all cost-drivers.

Therefore, the firm should be prepared to support the quotation with documented facts and figures.

Usually, all contracts that require Board of Education approval (greater than $10,000) will result in a Master Agreement (contract). Purchase orders will be issued referencing the Master Agreement.

It is important to note that the contract or Master Agreement contains all contractual terms and conditions governing the business relationship, and any purchase orders written as a result of the contract or Master Agreement do not supersede the terms and conditions contained within the contract or Master Agreement.

If at any time a supplier wishes to meet with a Procurement Services staff person, an appointment is strongly encouraged. Suppliers are encouraged to refrain from meeting with other district personnel during the competitive bid process to ensure a level playing field. Any discussions during that time should be done in writing; all responses will be provided in writing, and responses will be sent to all competing suppliers to ensure accuracy and consistency.

HISD is an educational institution, a political subdivision of the state of Texas, and as such is tax-exempt.  All invoices must be sent to the HISD Accounts Payable Department at the address below:

Houston ISD
Attn: Accounts Payable Department
4400 West 18th Street  (1 North West)
Houston, TX 77092-8501

Only original invoices that refer to a specific purchase order and line item, and that precisely match the purchase order in detail, will be accepted.   The district’s standard payment term is Net 30 days, from the receipt of the invoice, in the Accounts Payable Department. If additional discounts are offered for early payment, please include those discounts in the offering. Invoices will be paid only after the goods or services are received; therefore, prepayments in any form are not acceptable. All invoices must be presented within 30 days of delivery of the goods and services. Invoices received after that time may be subject to discounts for late submittal.

HISD, in keeping with its high standards, good business practices, and fiduciary responsibility as a taxpayer-supported public entity, continually strives to ensure that all suppliers have the opportunity to support HISD and is committed to providing equal procurement opportunities to M/WBE suppliers.

HISD defines an M/WBE supplier as a business enterprise that is at least 51% owned, operated, managed, and controlled by one or more members of the following socially or economically disadvantaged groups: African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian/Pacific Island Americans, native American Indians (American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and native Hawaiians), and non-minority women.

HISD’s minimum M/WBE goal is 20% of all purchasing and construction and 25% for professional services. At the very least, good-faith efforts in the use of M/WBE’s are required by policy in the purchase of:

- Goods and nonprofessional services
- Construction contracts (general and subcontractors)
- Professional services

All district suppliers are asked to commit to the same goals when doing business with their suppliers.  M/WBE seminars are held on the first (business) Monday of each month at 8:30 a.m., 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092-8501