Doing Business
​Guide to Doing Business with the OCUA
The purpose of this guide is to try to acquaint you with the procedures followed by the Purchasing Department in carrying out procurement activities for the OCUA. The Ocean County Utilities Authority (OCUA) encourages vendors and merchants to contact us with new products or services that may help us to better serve our participants. Familiarity with these procedures will assist you in presenting your product or service. Intended as a general guide, this information may not respond to all the questions you may have. If you do have other questions please contact us.
How to Get a Business Certificate
Obtain necessary business certificates with OCUA, ensuring compliance and eligibility for utility services and government contracts.
Method of Procurement
Explore OCUA’s procurement methods, outlining transparent processes for acquiring goods and services to support utility operations.
Purchasing Policies
Learn about OCUA’s purchasing policies, ensuring ethical, fair, and transparent practices in acquiring products and services.
Introducing your Product
Discover how OCUA introduces new products, ensuring quality, innovation, and sustainability for enhanced water treatment and service delivery.
Get on the Bidder's Mailing List
Stay informed with OCUA’s bidder’s mailing list, offering updates on upcoming contracts, procurement opportunities, and relevant announcements.
How to get Business Registration ​Certificate
As per P.L. 2004, c. 57 (Chapter 57), effective September 1, 2004, the State of New Jersey is requiring all vendors who conduct business with local units of government, to register with the Division of Revenue and receive a Business Registration Certificate that must be provided to all local units of government you transact with.
The law provides in part that:
- A copy of the Business Registration Certificate, issued by the New Jersey Department of the
- Treasury, shall be submitted to the Local Unit of Government BEFORE any Purchase Order or other contracting document can be issued.
- A copy of the Business Registration Certificate shall be provided at the time any bid or request for proposal is submitted. In a bid situation failure to do so is a FATAL defect and cannot be cured.
- Contractors are responsible for notifying any subcontractors of the requirement.
- The law applies to all vendors, in state and out of state.
- The New Jersey Department of the Treasury will soon be releasing rules in accordance with the above.
All vendors must submit a copy of their New Jersry Business Registration Certificate to the Ocean County Utilities Authoiry before a Purchase Order or Contracting document can be issued.
The Business Registration Certificate can be obtained FREE OF CHARGE by contacting:
The Division of Revenue at 609-292-1730 or it can be done online by clicking here
Once your certificate is obtained mail or fax a copy of your certificate to the Ocean County Utilities Authority and all local governments you conduct business with. The staff at the Division of Revenue office should be able to answer any questions you might have regarding this new legislation.
The following are the methods and types of OCUA procurements:
- Requests for Proposals (RFP's) - Procurement practice of soliciting sealed proposals for professional services. Award is based on a variety of factors such as work plan and references.
- Requests for Qualifications (RFQ's) - Procurement practice of soliciting sealed proposals for professional services. Award is based on a list of qualification factors and references.
- Invitation to Bid (ITB) - Procurement practice of soliciting sealed bids for equipment, parts, supplies or public works projects. Award is based on the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.
- Request for quotes (RFQ's) - Informal quotations for purchases below the current New Jersey State bid threshold for goods and or services. Quotes may be requested verbally by phone if below $1000, or in writing by mail, fax or email.​
The OCUA is guided in its activities by the following basic policies:
- To conduct all purchasing in accordance with the applicable laws of the State of New Jersey, specifically:
- N.J.S.A. 40A:11-1 et seq., the Local Public Contracts Law, and their corresponding rules, N.J.A.C. 5:34 et seq., and
- New Jersey Local Unit FQR's Law, Chapter 19, P.L. 2004 (as amended by P.L. 2005,c.51), N.J.S.A. 19:44A- 20.4 et seq.
- To stimulate competitive bidding in order to obtain goods and services at the lease cost.
- To provide all viable vendors with an opportunity to offer their goods or services to the Authority.
- And to treat all vendors fairly.
Introducing Your Product
While it is beyond the scope of this site to list all the products and services the Authority buys, we are interested in your product or service if it is required by the Authority.
Under the Authority’s centralized purchasing function, the Purchasing Agent is the authority for all purchases. Employees outside the Purchasing department do not have the authority to commit funds or enter into contracts. The Purchasing department acts as a liaison between all vendors and the Authority.
It is requested that you complete a Vendor Application Form and mail or fax it to the Purchasing Department. Or call the Purchasing Department to make an appointment. All vendors are welcome to drop off literature at any time.
All purchases in excess of the bid threshold are made on the basis of an existing New Jersey State Contract (see “How to do Business with the State of New Jersey” for details), or formal, written, competitive, sealed bids. Bid documents must be used and are supplied by the Purchasing Department.
Purchases valued between $1,000.00 and the bid threshold are made on a competitive basis utilizing a request for quotation form which may be mailed or faxed by the Purchasing Department. Purchases under $1,000 may be made by soliciting either verbal or written quotations.
Vendors must not accept or fill an order without a Purchase Order issued by the Purchasing Department.
New Jersey State Contract Information from “How to do Business with the State of New Jersey”.​
Eligibility
Any firm in or outside New Jersey is eligible to apply for placement on the State’s Bidder’s Mailing List. Firms specializing in building construction or road construction should apply directly to the Division of Building and Construction or the Department of Transportation respectively.
Upon full completion of the Bidder’s Mailing List Application and the State’s acceptance of it, a company is placed on the Bidder’s Mailing List to receive Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) as the State’s procurement requirements arise, and submit bids in accordance with the stipulated specifications.
Note, however that all corporations must be registered with the New Jersey Secretary of State prior to receiving any contract award. New Jersey corporations must obtain a Certificate of Incorporation; corporations incorporated outside New Jersey must file a Certificate of Authority prior to conducting any business in this State. Corporations should contact:
New Jersey Secretary of State
Department of State
CN 300
Trenton, NJ 08625-0300
Telephone: 609-530-6432
Bidder’s Mailing List Application
The Bidder’s Mailing List Application provides the State with specific information about each vendor which is entered into the Purchase Bureau’s data base. This automated systems facilitates the substantial record keeping functions and expedites Request of Proposals (RFP’s) mailings and all related correspondence.
To be placed on the Bidder’s Mailing List, interested vendors should comply with the following procedure.
1. Obtain a Bidder’s Mailing List Application from the Purchase Bureau:
New Jersey Department of the Treasury
Division of Purchase and Property
Purchase Bureau-Bid List Management
CN 230
Trenton, NJ 08625-0230,
Telephone: 609-292-14700
2. Fill out the form. Carefully consider item 10 which requests a listing of the commodities or services for which your firm is most qualified to receive RFP’s. Designate your selection(s) by using 5-digit commodity codes which are listed in the New Jersey Commodity Code Directory. It is important that you carefully select only relevant codes since your firm’s name will be automatically purged from the applicable mailing list if you fail to respond to three consecutive opportunities to bid for a particular product/service.
3. Return the completed application to the address indicated above prior to or at the time of your first bid submittal. Vendors will be contacted regarding incomplete applications or questions; otherwise, firms will be placed on the Bidder’s Mailing List.
4. Notify the Purchase Bureau in writing if any information provided in the Bidder’s Mailing List Application changes. This will enable the Purchase Bureau to maintain each vendor’s file on an current basis.
NOTE: The purpose of Bidder’s Mailing List Applications is to provide the Purchase Bureau with basic information about firms as potential bidders. The completed Applications do not guarantee that firms will be mailed Requests for Proposals (RFP’s). Obtaining Requests for Proposals are the sole responsibility of vendors. The State of New Jersey specifically disclaims any liability for failure to mail any Requests for Proposals.