Forsyth Co. extends local business initiative

CUMMING - Forsyth County is continuing a program aimed at providing more opportunities for local companies to do business with the county government.

The County Commission recently voted to extend the existing Local Business Initiative through December 31, 2014.

 The goal of the program is to provide more opportunities for local companies to conduct business with the county government, Procurement Director Donna Kukarola said.  There are opportunities for all types of businesses to work with the county government, as we purchase a wide variety of materials, equipment and services.

The Local Business Initiative, in place since 2009, is applicable only to projects with a total cost of less than $500,000. Under any applicable solicitation or bid issued by the county, vendors desiring to qualify for the program will be required to demonstrate they satisfy all of the requirements. This must be done each time a vendor submits a bid, quote or proposal and would like to be considered under the Local Business Initiative.

For solicitations less than $500,000, a qualified local business that submits a "responsive and reasonable" price for a service receives a local preference credit of five percent. However, there are some exclusions under certain circumstances.