Procurement Policy

Healthy Starts Community Development, Inc. (Healthy Starts) is committed to fair, transparent, and compliant procurement practices in the administration of publicly funded and grant-supported programs. This Procurement Policy establishes standards to ensure integrity, cost reasonableness, and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

Healthy Starts conducts procurement activities in a manner that promotes open competition, prevents conflicts of interest, and safeguards public resources.

This policy applies to all procurement activities conducted by or on behalf of Healthy Starts including but not limited to:

• Professional services 
• Construction and rehabilitation activities 
• Equipment and material purchases 
• Training and program support services

When administering federally funded programs, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, Healthy Starts complies with all applicable procurement requirements of the awarding jurisdiction and 24 CFR Part 570, as well as any more restrictive local policies.

Healthy Starts adheres to the following procurement standards:

• Procurements are conducted in a manner providing full and open competition 
• Costs must be reasonable and necessary for program purposes 
• Procurements must avoid unnecessary or duplicative purchases 
• Records are maintained to document procurement decisions and pricing 
• Contractors and vendors must be responsible and qualified to perform the work

Healthy Starts utilizes procurement methods appropriate to the scope and cost of each activity, which may include:

• Small purchase procedures for goods and services below applicable thresholds
• Competitive bidding or proposals for construction and larger procurements
• Price or cost reasonableness determinations where competitive bids are not required
   

All procurement methods are subject to review and approval by the awarding jurisdiction when required.

Healthy Starts maintains policies to prevent conflicts of interest in procurement activities.

Individuals involved in procurement decisions must:

• Disclose any real or perceived conflicts of interest 
• Recuse themselves from decision-making when applicable
   

No contractor, vendor, or related party is guaranteed or given preference in procurement decisions. Participation in assessment or technical evaluation activities does not confer eligibility or preference for award of funded work.

When initial site assessments or technical evaluations are conducted to support program scoping:

• Such assessments do not constitute bids or proposals
• Assessment activities are kept separate from procurement decisions
• Final award decisions follow applicable competitive or reasonableness procedures

 This separation ensures procurement integrity and prevents undue influence. 

Healthy Starts maintains procurement records sufficient to detail:

• The procurement method used
• Vendor selection rationale
• Cost or price reasonableness
• Contract terms and approvals
   

Records are retained in accordance with federal, state, and local requirements and are made available for monitoring, audit, or review by the awarding jurisdiction.

All procurement activities are subject to oversight by the awarding jurisdiction and applicable monitoring agencies. Healthy Starts cooperates fully with monitoring, audits, and compliance reviews.

Failure to comply with this policy may result in corrective action or disqualification from procurement activities.

Healthy Starts affirms its commitment to ethical stewardship of public and philanthropic funds and to procurement practices that reflect integrity, accountability, and transparency.