Vendors

Providing proof of the required levels of insurance coverage is a mandatory requirement for all GLWA contracts. Key points about GLWA’s requirements and how to fulfill them are listed below.

• Contractors should proactively engage with the correct individuals within their organizations as well as insurance agents to secure the appropriate coverages in advance of contract award. This helps to ensure that work may proceed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Insurance requirements are always identified in the solicitation request. It is presumed that the insurance criteria can be met when bids/proposals are submitted. Concerns about insurance requirements may be raised during the Question and Answer phase.
• The key document that contractors must provide is a “certificate of insurance” (COI). This standard document, issued by an insurance company, provides proof of an insurance policy and coverage levels.
• Required insurance coverage and amounts must be maintained for the entire term of the PO or contract.
• Renewal COIs must be provided on an annual basis until all work is completed and the contract can be closed out.

In 2022, GLWA Procurement launched the Vendor Performance Assessment (VPA) Program. A VPA is a scored survey that documents a vendor’s performance in fulfilling the contract requirements for projects awarded at $1 million or more. Collecting this data will enable GLWA Team Members to provide important feedback to both GLWA and vendors for future contract awards. GLWA’s VPA Program helps improve future solicitations, provides important data for future sourcing decisions, and gives vendors collaborative feedback on future projects

• VPA data will be collected from GLWA Project Managers within 30 days of the contract end-date via an online survey collection tool.
• One VPAs are submitted by the Project Manager and validated by GLWA’s Vendor Management Team, they will be shared with Vendors as well as GLWA stakeholders.
• VPA scores will count toward a Vendor’s aggregate performance score and will remain valid for a period of one year after Vendors receipt of VPA notification letter. During this time, VPA scores will be used by GLWA during the contract evaluation process.
• Vendors with an aggregate VPA score of 70% or less will be classified as “at risk.”
• Vendors will have the opportunity to appeal VPA scores within 7 business days of receipt.

Are you interested to learn more about doing business with GLWA? GLWA hosts Vendor Introduction meetings for interested vendors to learn more about doing business with GLWA and to ask GLWA procurement representatives any questions they may have about the procurement process in a one-on-one virtual setting. During a vendor introduction meeting, GLWA representatives deliver a presentation on how to do business with GLWA that reviews information about the GLWA procurement process and how vendors can submit a complete, competitive, and responsive bid or proposal response to any GLWA solicitation.

If you are interested to schedule a Vendor Introduction meeting, please contact us at GLWAVendorOutreach@glwater.org to schedule. Please note: GLWA Vendor Introduction meetings are not an opportunity to pitch or win business with the Great Lakes Water Authority. Procurement representatives are unable to answer questions about any pending or active solicitations or projects.