Suppliers: the businesses that register with this institution to provide the goods and services it needs. ‘Suppliers’ is used interchangeably with ‘Vendors’.

Solicitation or Invitation to Bid: a notification detailing the goods and/or services the county is planning to purchase. These often include important information that a vendor needs to know in order to fulfill this request.

Request for Proposals (RFPs): a notification asking potential suppliers to submit a proposal detailing how they would provide a needed good or service.

Bids or Proposals: the responses the institution has received from businesses for the requests it has posted.

Procurement: the process of handling all purchases and relationships with supplier/vendors/bidders. Procurement is handled through UM’s Purchasing Department.