Point of Entry

The primary point of entry into the Library of Congress purchasing system is the Office of Contracts, located in the John Adams Bldg, Room 325, 2nd St, S.E. (between Independence Ave. & East Capitol Street) Washington, D.C. 20540-9410.

You may market your products/services to this office by submitting a business prospectus and completing a Solicitation Mailing List Application (See Form SF129). Note: See mailing address in Section 5 if you cannot bring it to the office. To conduct marketing activities on-site at the Library of Congress, vendors should contact the Contracts and Logistics Services for further guidance prior to canvassing our downtown offices.

Advertised Procurement Opportunities

Complete open-market solicitations for procurements in excess of $100,000 are posted on this web site in Section 4. In addition, procurement opportunities that are valued at more than $25,000 are synopsized in the Commerce Business Daily.

Getting on the Bidder's Mailing List

All prospective offerors seeking to do business with the Library of Congress must first fill out the Standard Form (SF) 129, "Solicitation Mailing List Application", and return it to the Library of Congress by e-mail to JGRI@loc.gov, or mail to Contracts and Logistics, LA-325, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. 20540-9410. The SF 129 is on this web site. In order to conduct business with the Library of Congress, vendors are required to be placed on our Bidders Mailing List and all vendors must enter our database for payment by Electronic Funds Transfer. Generally, the Library makes payments by Electronic Funds Transfer. A waiver must be granted to receive payment in any other form. See wavier forms under Section 6.

Submitting Bids or Proposals

Bids or proposals may be submitted to the Library of Congress in response to solicitation requirements which appear on the web site and generally advertised in the Commerce Business Daily. Unsolicited proposals are accepted and reviewed, but only processed if the idea is novel and not already an established need of the Library. (See Unsolicited Proposals written up later in this section).

The Library has a credit card program for purchases that are less than $2,500. In addition, purchase orders are generally awarded on a competitive basis for requirements that aggregate in dollar values in excess of $2,500, but less than $100,000. Bids or proposals that are submitted in response to a RFQ, IFB or a RFP should be submitted in a sealed envelope with the requisite number of copies to the Contracts Office specified in the solicitation document.

Unsolicited Proposals

The Library of Congress has an Unsolicited Proposal Program to consider proposals outside the scope of those made in response to a solicitation. Such proposals generally include novel offers or concepts, products, processes, or technology to which a supplier has a patent, trademark or other proprietary rights. Marketing efforts for commercial products and offers relating to previous Library contracts or proposals are not considered under the program.

Sales of Library of Congress Items

In addition to being interested in contracting with the Library, some suppliers may wish to purchase items from the Library of Congress. The Library maintains two gift shops, one in the foyer of the James Madison Memorial Building and one on the ground floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building.

Business Ethics

We are also committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct in all of our business dealings. Under government-wide regulations issued by the Office of Government Ethics, our employees are prohibited from accepting gifts or gratuities from our suppliers or from persons seeking contracts or other types of business. While these rules do allow for limited exceptions for items of nominal value, the offer or acceptance of gifts is inappropriate and discouraged, even if such practices are customary in the commercial world.

Code of Ethics

It is the Library's policy to conduct itself ethically and fairly in relation to its vendors and all others with whom it does business. We fully endorse the "Standards of Purchasing Practice" of the National Association of Purchasing Management.

Our objectives include:

• The purchase of material and services that will bring the maximum value for dollars spent.
• The maintenance of fair and ethical relationships with all responsible vendors and potential vendors.
• The encouragement of existing and potential vendors to present ideas and suggestions that can be mutually profitable.
• The promotion of competition while maintaining the confidential nature of vendors' ideas.

 

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