Process
What happens between your solicitation and your invoice
This page exists to answer one question: can this vendor actually execute? Each stage states what we do and what you can expect back. Stated turnaround targets are commitments about our response, not predictions about manufacturer lead times.
Stage 01
Quote
Solicitations, RFQs, and purchase-card requests are reviewed against the requirement and returned as a compliant, line-item quote.
Requirements are read in full, including clauses, delivery terms, packaging and marking, and any brand-name-or-equal language. Quotes list manufacturer part numbers, unit pricing, extended pricing, lead time, and FOB terms. Exceptions, if any, are stated in writing rather than assumed. If the requirement is outside what can be supplied compliantly, a no-bid is returned rather than a speculative price.
Quote turnaround target: same business day to two business days from receipt of a complete RFQ.
Stage 02
Award
Award or purchase order is acknowledged in writing with confirmed line items, pricing, and delivery dates.
On receipt of an award or purchase order, the order is checked line-by-line against the quote. Any discrepancy in quantity, part number, destination, or delivery date is raised before sourcing begins. A written acknowledgment records the accepted terms and the point of contact for the order.
Order acknowledgment target: one business day from receipt of award.
Stage 03
Source
Items are sourced through authorized distributor and manufacturer channels with part-number-level verification.
Sourcing uses authorized distribution channels. Part numbers are verified against the award. Substitutions are never made unilaterally; where an item becomes unavailable, an alternate is proposed in writing for the buyer's approval with specification documentation attached. Applicable domestic-preference and nonmanufacturer-rule considerations are addressed at this stage, not after shipment.
Sourcing status is reported to the buyer if a confirmed ship date moves for any reason.
Stage 04
Deliver
Goods are drop-shipped from the nearest stocking location to the destination on the order, with tracking provided.
Drop-ship fulfillment removes an intermediate warehousing step and the delay that comes with it. Packing lists reference the contract or purchase order number. Tracking is provided at shipment. Delivery to secured, appointment-based, or inside-delivery destinations is arranged in advance with the receiving activity.
Tracking issued at shipment; proof of delivery available on request.
Stage 05
Invoice
Invoices are submitted through the buyer's required channel with the documentation the payment office needs.
Federal invoices are submitted through WAWF (iRAPT) or the Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) as directed by the contract. State, local, and education buyers are invoiced through their accounts payable portal or the method stated on the purchase order. Invoices carry the contract number, order number, line items as awarded, and receiving documentation.
Payment terms: Net 30 for federal orders under the Prompt Payment Act, or as stated in the order for SLED buyers.
Invoicing and payment
Payment channels and terms
- Federal invoicing
- WAWF (iRAPT) or IPP, per contract
- SLED invoicing
- Buyer AP portal or PO-stated method
- Payment terms
- Net 30 (Prompt Payment Act)
- Purchase card
- Accepted where authorized
Federal payment terms follow the Prompt Payment Act unless the contract states otherwise. Discount terms, if offered on a specific award, are stated on the quote rather than assumed.
Questions before you solicit
Ask before the RFQ closes
If a requirement has packaging, marking, domestic-preference, or delivery constraints that need discussion, it is faster to ask before the response deadline. Phone: [TO BE SUPPLIED].