As used in this part, the term:

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   (1) “Agency” means any of the various state officers, departments, boards, commissions, divisions, bureaus, and councils and any other unit of organization, however designated, of the executive branch of state government. “Agency” does not include the university and college boards of trustees or the state universities and colleges.

   (2) “Agency head” means, with respect to an agency headed by a collegial body, the executive director or chief administrative officer of the agency.

   (3) “Artistic services” means the rendering by a contractor of its time and effort to create or perform an artistic work in the fields of music, dance, drama, folk art, creative writing, painting, sculpture, photography, graphic arts, craft arts, industrial design, costume design, fashion design, motion pictures, television, radio, or tape and sound recording.

   (4) “Best value” means the highest overall value to the state based on objective factors that include, but are not limited to, price, quality, design, and workmanship.

   (5) “Commodity” means any of the various supplies, materials, goods, merchandise, food, equipment, information technology, and other personal property, including a mobile home, trailer, or other portable structure with floor space of less than 5,000 square feet, purchased, leased, or otherwise contracted for by the state and its agencies. “Commodity” also includes interest on deferred-payment commodity contracts approved pursuant to s. 287.063 entered into by an agency for the purchase of other commodities. However, commodities purchased for resale are excluded from this definition. Printing of publications shall be considered a commodity when let upon contract pursuant to s. 283.33, whether purchased for resale or not.

   (6) “Competitive solicitation” means the process of requesting and receiving two or more sealed bids, proposals, or replies submitted by responsive vendors in accordance with the terms of a competitive process, regardless of the method of procurement.

   (7) “Contractor” means a person who contracts to sell commodities or contractual services to an agency.

   (8) “Contractual service” means the rendering by a contractor of its time and effort rather than the furnishing of specific commodities. The term applies only to those services rendered by individuals and firms who are independent contractors, and such services may include, but are not limited to, evaluations; consultations; maintenance; accounting; security; management systems; management consulting; educational training programs; research and development studies or reports on the findings of consultants engaged thereunder; and professional, technical, and social services. “Contractual service” does not include any contract for the furnishing of labor or materials for the construction, renovation, repair, modification, or demolition of any facility, building, portion of building, utility, park, parking lot, or structure or other improvement to real property entered into pursuant to chapter 255 and rules adopted thereunder.

   (9) “Department” means the Department of Management Services.

   (10) “Electronic posting” or “electronically post” means the noticing of solicitations, agency decisions or intended decisions, or other matters relating to procurement on a centralized Internet website designated by the department for this purpose.

   (11) “Eligible user” means any person or entity authorized by the department pursuant to rule to purchase from state term contracts or to use the online procurement system.

   (12) “Exceptional purchase” means any purchase of commodities or contractual services excepted by law or rule from the requirements for competitive solicitation, including, but not limited to, purchases from a single source; purchases upon receipt of less than two responsive bids, proposals, or replies; purchases made by an agency, after receiving approval from the department, from a contract procured, pursuant to s. 287.057(1), or by another agency; and purchases made without advertisement in the manner required by s. 287.042(3)(b).

   (13) “Extension” means an increase in the time allowed for the contract period due to circumstances which, without fault of either party, make performance impracticable or impossible, or which prevent a new contract from being executed, with or without a proportional increase in the total dollar amount, with any increase to be based on the method and rate previously established in the contract.

   (14) “Information technology” has the meaning ascribed in s. 282.0041.

   (15) “Invitation to bid” means a written or electronically posted solicitation for competitive sealed bids.

   (16) “Invitation to negotiate” means a written or electronically posted solicitation for competitive sealed replies to select one or more vendors with which to commence negotiations for the procurement of commodities or contractual services.

   (17) “Minority business enterprise” has the meaning ascribed in s. 288.703.

   (18) “Office” means the Office of Supplier Diversity of the Department of Management Services.

   (19) “Outsource” means the process of contracting with a vendor to provide a service as defined in s. 216.011(1)(f), in whole or in part, or an activity as defined in s. 216.011(1)(rr), while a state agency retains the responsibility and accountability for the service or activity and there is a transfer of management responsibility for the delivery of resources and the performance of those resources.

   (20) “Renewal” means contracting with the same contractor for an additional contract period after the initial contract period, only if pursuant to contract terms specifically providing for such renewal.

   (21) “Request for information” means a written or electronically posted request made by an agency to vendors for information concerning commodities or contractual services. Responses to these requests are not offers and may not be accepted by the agency to form a binding contract.

   (22) “Request for proposals” means a written or electronically posted solicitation for competitive sealed proposals.

   (23) “Request for a quote” means an oral or written request for written pricing or services information from a state term contract vendor for commodities or contractual services available on a state term contract from that vendor.

   (24) “Responsible vendor” means a vendor who has the capability in all respects to fully perform the contract requirements and the integrity and reliability that will assure good faith performance.

   (25) “Responsive bid,” “responsive proposal,” or “responsive reply” means a bid, or proposal, or reply submitted by a responsive and responsible vendor that conforms in all material respects to the solicitation.

   (26) “Responsive vendor” means a vendor that has submitted a bid, proposal, or reply that conforms in all material respects to the solicitation.

   (27) “State term contract” means a term contract that is competitively procured by the department pursuant to s. 287.057 and that is used by agencies and eligible users pursuant to s. 287.056.

   (28) “Term contract” means an indefinite quantity contract to furnish commodities or contractual services during a defined period.

s. 22, ch. 69-106; s. 1, ch. 80-374; ss. 4, 8, ch. 82-19