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How We Select Organizations and Service Providers
Thank you for your interest in doing business with Clackamas County. Our Procurement and Grants pages provide access to all current RFPs, RFQs, bids, and grant opportunities, along with instructions, required forms, and county policies.
We follow Oregon public contracting laws and ethical standards to ensure a fair, transparent, and unbiased review process. We strongly encourage participation from emerging small businesses, and women-, minority-, and veteran-owned firms. County staff are available to answer questions and support you through the process
Getting Started
If you’re new to county procurement, we know the process can feel overwhelming. Our website offers tools and guidance to help new vendors understand how county departments request and purchase goods and services.
Every year, the county enters into hundreds of contracts with suppliers, contractors, and community partners. Our goal is to help you understand how to work with us effectively.
What is Procurement?
Procurement is how the county purchases goods and services needed to serve residents. The general steps include:
- Identifying a departmental need
- Determining required goods or services
- Requesting quotes or proposals
- Executing a contract
Competitive Bidding
Some purchases must go through a competitive process, depending on the dollar amount and applicable state laws or Local Contract Review Board (LCRB) rules.
Most competitive processes follow three stages:
- Publishing the solicitation
- Evaluating responses
- Awarding a contract
Types of Solicitations
Request for Quote (RFQ)
Used to collect price quotes for clearly defined goods or services. Awards generally go to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Used for more complex services. Proposals are evaluated on multiple criteria, such as experience, qualifications, financial capacity, and approach—not just cost.
Invitation to Bid (ITB)
Primarily used for public improvements or construction. Bids include itemized unit costs, and awards are typically based on the lowest price.
How To Bid
Our website provides current listings and step-by-step instructions for submitting bids or proposals.
Helpful tips from our Procurement division.
Register with OregonBuys to locate current county, state and local RFP and bid projects.
Register with Bid Locker to submit your RFP/BID.
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Several county departments administer grants using state, federal, or partner funding. These include:
- County Administration
- Equity and Inclusion Office
- Health, Housing and Human Services
- Housing Authority of Clackamas County
- Clackamas County Development Agency
- Transportation and Development
- Juvenile
- Sheriff/Community Corrections
- Sustainability Office
- Water Environment Services
Grants are announced through Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). After each deadline, a scoring committee reviews applications using established evaluation criteria.
Open Grant Opportunities
| Open opportunities | Closing date |
|---|---|
| Extreme Weather and Smoke Rural Hotel / Motel Shelter | 06/30/2026 |
Tips for a Strong Submission
- Follow instructions exactly
- Use the required format
- Be complete but clear
- Submit on time Proofread carefully
- Send to the correct contact
- Respect page limits
- Highlight what makes your organization unique
Solicitations typically include a summary, scope of work, evaluation process, contact information, submission instructions, and (for grants) funding amounts and performance periods.
Ethics and Standards
County staff follow:
- The Oregon Ethics Act (ORS 244)
- County procurement rules and code of ethics
- Local Contract Review Board rules
- Core values: Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, Individual Accountability, and Trust (SPIRIT)
These standards ensure that all contracting and grant processes are fair, impartial, and transparent.