Prospective Bidder FAQs

Can I contact the County Commissioners or other Sedgwick County departments dealing with mental health to discuss these projects?

No.  All interested contractors MUST direct all questions to the Sedgwick County Purchasing Department during the bidding process. Contacting County Commissioners, Sedgwick County COMCARE and/or other County staff outside of the Purchasing Department will be considered a violation of fair and open competition. 

Any prospective contractor for these projects who circumvents the communication process outlined will be disqualified from consideration of contract award.

All communication shall be made, in writing only, to Theresa Rhodes, ARPA Purchasing Agent, at Theresa.Rhodes@sedgwick.gov or Joe Thomas, Purchasing Director, at Joseph.Thomas@Sedgwick.gov.

How will the project(s) be funded?

The State Mental Health Hospital project(s) will be funded with a combination of State of Kansas funding and federal American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA SLFRF) dollars.

Will State of Kansas and local Sedgwick County contractors be given special consideration during the bidding process?

No. While we encourage state and local contractor participation during the bidding process, federal funding rules prohibit using local preference as an evaluative factor when reviewing bids received.

How can I be notified of bidding opportunities related to the State Mental Health Hospital?

If you or your firm are interested in conducting business with Sedgwick County, please submit your Bidder Registration to the Purchasing Department here: 

Once the Purchasing Department has received your Bidder Registration, your organization will be notified whenever a purchase request is for a product or service you specified in the application. After we receive your Bidder Registration, we will confirm your submission via email. 

Will there be other required registrations for these ARPA-funded projects?

Prior to contract award, contractor shall provide evidence of registration to do business in the State of Kansas.  Registration can be completed at www.kssos.org.

What other requirements related to these ARPA-funded projects should I be aware of?

Federal Grant Terms and Conditions

Applicable federal grant terms and conditions found in The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 2 Subtitle A, Chapter 2, Part 200, Appendix II must be accepted by the awarded contractor.

Requirements for Socio-economic Contracting

All prime contractors who intend to utilize subcontractors must take the following affirmative steps for optimal inclusion of small/minority-owned/ women’s business enterprises (S/M/WBE) firms:

  1. Place qualified S/M/WBE firms on solicitation lists.
  2. Assure that S/M/WBE firms are solicited whenever they are potential resources.
  3. Divide total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by S/M/WBE firms.
  4. Establish delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage participation by S/M/WBE firms.
  5. Use the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce.

Debarment and Suspension

A contract award must not be made to parties listed on the governmentwide exclusion in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

Cost-Plus-Percentage-of-Cost Contracts Prohibited

Cost-Plus-Percentage-of-Cost and Cost-Plus-Percentage-of-Construction-Cost proposals will not be accepted.  These types of contracts are prohibited under federal grant requirements.

Will pre-bid meetings be conducted for these projects?

Sedgwick County reserves the right to schedule pre-bid meetings as deemed appropriate and in the best interest of a successful project outcome.  Details concerning any scheduled pre-bid meeting will be provided in the solicitation documents.

Where can I check to see open bidding opportunities related to the State Mental Health Hospital projects?

Bidding opportunities related to the State of Kansas Mental Health Hospital can be found at:

Current Construction Projects

Current Bids and Proposals