To stimulate the local economy, Queen Anne’s County Commissioners recently approved a procurement preference for local vendors. As reported by MyEasternShoreMD,

Businesses based in the county will have a 10-percent easement on county contracted bids. The 10 percent allowance is only allowed for contracts less than $50,000 for all solicitations exclusively funded with local dollars but allows local vendors to bid more than outside competitors and still be in consideration.

A vendors must designate Queen Anne’s County as its principal place of business through the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). For sole proprietorships, vendors must identify Queen Anne’s County as their area of residence on their most recent Maryland Income tax return. Local vendor bids must be at least 50 percent of the overall contract value to be considered.

This change and others were suggested by a workgroup tasked with assessing ways to help local businesses succeed. Another change recommended is the creation of a bid review committee to review solicitations where the lowest bid is not the only factor for awarding a contract.

The county will also establish a website for local businesses to provide information about their company to be notified of solicitations.