Within parts 1230.0100 to 1230.1910, the following apply, unless clearly indicated otherwise by the context.
"Affliation" has the meaning given in the Small Business Administration (SBA) regulations, Code of Federal Regulations, title 13, part 121.
"Best value" describes a result intended in the acquisition of all goods and services unless otherwise provided for by law. Except as otherwise provided by law, price must be one of the evaluation criteria when acquiring goods and services. Other evaluation criteria may include, but are not limited to, environmental considerations, quality, and vendor performance.
"Bid" means an offer extended by a vendor in response to a request for bids.
"Broker" means a business that does not take legal title to the product, does not add value to the product, and has no written authorization to represent the manufacturer of the product.
"Business" means a contractor, subcontractor, supplier, consultant, or provider of technical, administrative, or physical services organized as a sole proprietorship, partnership, association, corporation, or other entity formed for the purpose of doing business for profit.
"Competitive bidding" means a process by which an award is made to the lowest responsible bidder meeting all terms, conditions, and specifications of the solicitation document.
"Contractor" means a business that is engaged in construction such as general, mechanical, or electrical contracting, or that provides a specific service such as trash removal, snow removal, janitorial services, or professional or technical services.
"Dealer," "jobber," or "distributor" means a business that maintains a store, warehouse, or other establishment in which a line or lines of products are kept in inventory and are sold to the public on a wholesale or retail basis.
"Debarment" means the disqualification of a person from receiving solicitations, the award of a contract by a governmental body, or selling any products or services to state agencies for a specified time commensurate with the seriousness of the offense, the failure, or the inadequacy of performance.
"Director" means director of the Office of State Procurement or a procurement manager with written delegation of authority from the director.
"Division" means Office of State Procurement, Department of Administration, Room 112, State Administration Building, 50 Sherburne Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155 and its successor divisions.
"Dominant in its field of operation" means exceeding the annual gross revenues or sales specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 16C.16, subdivision 2.
"Franchise" means an operating agreement obtained from a franchiser to conduct a business entity that does not provide the operator with the exclusive right to profit from the operator's effort, commensurate with ownership and to bear the risk of loss or failure and does not meet the test of ownership outlined in subpart 26 and parts 1230.1601 to 1230.1607.
"Joint venture" means the temporary association of two or more businesses to secure and fulfill a contract. For contracts awarded under the preference or set-aside provisions of the small business procurement program in parts 1230.1400 to 1230.1910, all parties in the joint venture must be certified as targeted group, economically disadvantaged area, or veteran-owned businesses.
"Liquidated damages" means a specific sum of money, agreed to as part of a contract to be paid by one party to the other in the event of a breach of contract in lieu of actual damages, unless otherwise provided by law.
"Manufacturer" means a business that makes or processes raw materials into a finished product.
"Manufacturer's representative" means a business that has a written agreement or agreements with one or more manufacturers or manufacturer's authorized distributors to sell the products of the manufacturer, but that is not an employee of the manufacturer.
"Material variance" or "material deviation" means a variance in a response from specifications or conditions that allows a responder a substantial advantage or benefit not enjoyed by all other responders or gives the state something significantly different from what the state requested in the solicitation document.
"NAICS" or "North American Industry Classification System" is a system developed for use in the classification of business establishments by type of activity for the purpose of facilitating the collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis of data collected by various agencies of the United States government, state agencies, trade associations, and private research organizations for promoting uniformity and comparability in the presentation of statistical data relating to those establishments and their fields of endeavor.
"Open market" means purchases made in the marketplace without the need for competitive solicitations.
"Person" means a natural person or a business and includes both if the natural person is engaged in a business.
"Principal place of business" means the business location where the individuals who manage the business's day-today operations spend most working hours. If the offices from which management is directed and where the business records are kept are in different locations, the division shall determine the principal place of business.
"Proposal" means an executed document submitted by a vendor in response to a request for proposals.
"Reinstatement" means a process by which a debarred vendor is restored to the state vendor list.
"Responder" means a person who provides an offer in response to a solicitation.
"Responsible vendor" means a vendor who:
"Small Business Administration" or "SBA" means the United States Small Business Administration.
"Solicitation" means a request for bids or a request for proposals.
"Suspension" means to be temporarily suspended by the director of the Office of State Procurement from receiving solicitations, the award of a contract, or selling any products or services to state agencies while the director determines if there is probable cause for debarment.
"Targeted group business" or "TG" means certified businesses designated by the commissioner of administration that are at least 51 percent owned and operated by women, persons with substantial physical disabilities, or specific minorities who provide goods, products, or services within purchasing categories designated by the commissioner.
The terms in items A to D have the meanings given them for purposes of administering the small business procurement program of which members are rebuttably presumed to be socially and economically disadvantaged.
"Third-party lessor" means a business that as a lessee acts as a lessor to a third party.
"Small business eligible for certification as socially and economically disadvantaged, economically disadvantaged area, or veteran-owned business" means a small business entity with its principal place of business in Minnesota organized for profit, including an individual, partnership, corporation, joint venture, association, or cooperative that is at least 51 percent owned and is operationally controlled on a day-to-day basis by citizens or lawfully admitted permanent residents of the United States. Certified rehabilitation facilities and extended employment providers need not be organized for profit to be eligible for certification.
"Socially and economically disadvantaged individual" means any individual who is a citizen, or lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States, and who has been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of the individual's identity as a member of a group or groups and without regard to the individual's own qualities. The disadvantage must stem from circumstances beyond the individual's control.
"Vendor" means a natural person or a business and includes both if the natural person is engaged in a business.
"Veteran-owned business" or "VO" means a for-profit business:
Minn. R. agency 103, ch. 1230, BIDDING AND CONTRACTS, pt. 1230.0150
Statutory Authority: MS s 16B.04; 16B.18; 16B.19; 16B.22; 16C.03; 16C.16; 16C.19