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Amtrak Procurement FAQ
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How can I sign-up to become a registered supplier with Amtrak? |
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In the near future you will be able to register your firm in an Amtrak data base. Registration will include use of the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code System (UNSPSC) to have suppliers identify the commodities and/or services their firm would like to provide to Amtrak. Learn more about the UNSPSC system at http://www.unspsc.org/.
Registration however, will not guarantee your firm business. It will afford Amtrak knowledge of the goods and services your firm is interested in selling, and when the need arises, will match the solicitations requirements, in accordance with the UNSPSC codes, with all suppliers that registered using the same UNSPSC codes as are being requested in the solicitation. |
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I am interested in furnishing Amtrak manufactured widgets. What is the name of the buyer I should contact to introduce my firms widgets?
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An Amtrak Contracting Agent (CA) Directory can be found by clicking here. The directory provides the various Procurement Groups, lists the CA’s name, and provides a general category of products procured by each CA along with their e-mail address. Feel free to send a brief Letter of Introduction to the appropriate CA …@amtrak.com.
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Does Amtrak use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in its procurement process?
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Yes, Amtrak encourages its suppliers to utilize EDI to receive issued Purchase Orders (PO), and to receive payments against POs following verified receipt of delivered goods and/or services.
In addition to EDI, Amtrak recently implemented another electronic method to deliver POs to its suppliers. Contracting Agents attach to an e-mail, a copy of the awarded PO and send it to the supplier – real time.
Suppliers continue to have the option to receive a hardcopy PO via fax and/or United States Postal Service however Amtrak looks forward to eliminating paper POs.
Go Green !!
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Business Opportunity FAQ
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How does the procurement review process work? |
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Our procurement process is governed by the Amtrak Procurement Manual that provides definitive instructions and guidance on how to prepare for, conduct and award procurements for goods and services at Amtrak. Awards shall be made to responsible suppliers that possess the requisite ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of a proposed procurement. When awarding a contract consideration shall be given to such matters as contractor integrity, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. Procurement procedures and practices shall encourage competition while ensuring goods and services are obtained in a timely, efficient and economical manner. |
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Where do I find a list of projects that have not yet been put out to bid?
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Amtrak procurement web site is the best way to identify procurement opportunities.
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Diversity FAQ
Q. | Will Small Business concerns and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) be able to compete for Amtrak’s contracting opportunities?
| A. | Amtrak encourages Small and DBE businesses to compete for it’s procurement opportunities either as a prime or sub-contractor.
| Q | What is the definition of a Small Business? | A. | A Small Business is a for-profit concern, including its affiliates, which is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121 (see 19.102). Such a concern is "not dominant in its field of operation" when it does not exercise a controlling or major influence on a national basis in a kind of business activity in which a number of business concerns are primarily engaged. In determining whether dominance exists, consideration shall be given to all appropriate factors, including volume of business, number of employees, financial resources, competitive status or position, ownership or control of materials, processes, patents, license agreements, facilities, sales territory, and nature of business activity. | Q. | What are size standards?
| A. | According to the United States Small Business Administration a size standard “is the largest a for-profit concern can be and still qualify as a small business for Federal Government programs.” Size is measured by standards set forth in the “U.S. Small Business Administration Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes,” used to calculate a firms size as determined by its number of employees or via “the average annual receipts” of the firm. (United States Small Business Administration, Oct. 2007)
| Q. | What are annual receipts? | A. | Receipts means “total income” (or in the case of a sole proprietorship, “gross income”) plus “cost of goods sold” as these terms are defined and reported on Internal Revenue Service tax return forms. Receipts are averaged over a concern's latest three (3) completed fiscal years to determine its average annual receipts. If a concern has not been in business for three (3) years, the average weekly revenue for the number of weeks the concern has been in business is multiplied by 52 to determine its average annual receipts. (U.S. SBA) | Q. | What is a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)?
| A. | As defined in 49 CFR 26, a DBE is a for-profit small business concern where socially and economically disadvantaged individuals own at least a 51% interest and also control management and daily business operations. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific and Subcontinent Asian Americans, and women are presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged. Other individuals can also qualify as socially and economically disadvantaged on a case-by-case basis.
| Q | What is a socially and economically disadvantaged individual? | A. | According to 49 CFR Part 26.67, socially and economically disadvantaged individuals are citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States who are rebuttably presumed to be Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian Americans, Women, or other individual found on a case-by-case basis to be disadvantaged, whose personal net worth is verified to not exceed $1.32 million. (49 CFR Part 26)
| Q. | Does Amtrak Continue to Certify Minority and Women Business Enterprises?
| A. | Amtrak no longer certifies Minority and Women Business Enterprises. It uses however, the following state and federal agencies and national organizations to verify various types of certification acceptable to Amtrak;
1. Amtrak accepts Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certification from any state DOT under the U.S. DOT’s Unified Certification Program (UCP). For more on DBE certification, go to http://osdbu.dot.gov/DBEProgram/StateDOTDBESites.cfm.
2. Small Business verification is achieved by using the U.S. Dept of Commerce’s Small Business Administration and its System for Award Management (SAM) formerly Central Contracting Registry (CCR). Visit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s SAM at www.sam.gov.
3. Veteran and Service-disabled Veteran-owned firms can receive certification from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs at http://www.va.gov/.
4. Amtrak continues to capture payments to Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises verified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council located at http://www.nmsdc.org/nmsdc/ and http://www.wbenc.com/ respectively. |
Supplier Information FAQ
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Where will suppliers and contractors be able to find out about Amtrak procurement opportunities? |
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Amtrak procurement opportunities above a dollar threshold, (revealed on
some but not all advertisements,) will be posted on this Procurement
Portal, however, a majority of Procurement opportunities will occur when
supplier registration is in place when the UNSPSC system is in place
and functioning. |
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Will Amtrak procurement opportunities be competed? |
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Yes, with the exception of situations where there is only one source,
all Amtrak procurements on this site will be competed and awards will be
made to the responsive and responsible contractor(s) whose proposal
represents the best value for Amtrak. |
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How does Amtrak’s procurement process work? |
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Amtrak’s procurement process is governed by the Amtrak Procurement
Manual that provides definitive instructions and guidance on how to
prepare for, conduct and award procurements for goods and services at
Amtrak. Awards shall be made to responsible suppliers that possess the
requisite ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions
of a proposed procurement. When awarding a contract, consideration
shall be given to such matters as contractor integrity, record of past
performance, and financial and technical resources. Procurement
procedures and practices shall encourage competition while ensuring
goods and services are obtained in a timely, efficient and economical
manner. |
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How do I become a supplier / contractor to Amtrak? |
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When the portal is completed you are encouraged to register your firm at
Amtrak's Supplier Self-Registration page. Until then, look to the
upcoming opportunities listed on this Portal and express interest in
accordance with the requirements of the advertisement. Alternatively,
write the appropriate Amtrak Contracting Agent to ensure they are aware
of your firm and its capabilities. |
American Recovery and Reinvestment of 2009 (ARRA) FAQs
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Are there opportunities still available to participate in Project work funded by ARRA? |
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Unfortunately no. Work on Amtrak’s ARRA projects were to have been completed on or before February 17, 2011. All, with a few exceptionally large infrastructure projects, were completed on time. Project work given extension approval by the FRA is scheduled to complete by no later than Sept. 2011.
If you would like to see more information about ARRA Project results click here.
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