Procurement Services Unit

The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Office of the Secretary, Procurement Services Unit, is responsible for overseeing all procurement/purchasing of goods and services in accordance with the State Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) and department procurement regulations, policies and procedures. The Office of the Secretary Procurement Services Unit consists of approximately twenty-six (26) procurement officers designated throughout the State of Maryland Public Safety facilities.

The principal policies and purposes of these regulations are to:

• Provide for increased public confidence in the procedures followed in public procurement;
• Ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all persons who deal with the procurement system of this state;
• Simply, clarify, and modernize the regulations governing procurement by this state;
• Permit the continued development of procurement regulations, policies, and practices;
• Provide increased economy in state procurement activities and to maximize to the fullest extent the purchasing power of the state;
• Provide safeguards for the maintenance of a procurement system of quality and integrity;
• Foster effective broad-based competition through support of the free enterprise system; and
• Promote development of uniform procurement procedures to the extent possible.

Based upon the dollar amount and/or nature of a request, the department will utilize one of the following methods to procure a contract:

• Preferred Providers
• State Contracts
• Request for Quotes (RFQ)
• Invitation for Bids (IFB)
• Request for Proposals (RFP)
• Sole Source
• Emergency

Solicitation and/or advertising of RFQs, IFBs, RFPs, sole source awards, and emergency awards will be posted on the state’s eMaryland Marketplace website or the department’s open solicitations webpage.