The WCPS Procurement Department acts as a liaison between businesses and all WCPS's schools, programs and departments. It is the responsibility of the WCPS Procurement Department to ensure all procurements are:

• Required to fill a bona fide need for the WCPS system;
• Made in compliance with all laws and regulations relating to purchases by a Local Educational Agency (LEA) within the State of Maryland; and
• Made with complete impartiality based strictly on the merits of supplier proposals and applicable related considerations such as delivery, quantity and past performance.

The WCPS Procurement Department encourages and supports cooperative purchasing, as outlined in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Education Article, Section 4-123, through such organizations as the Eastern Shore of Maryland Educational Consortium. It is the responsibility of the WCPS Procurement Department to:

• Identify contracts for use by the various WCPS schools, programs and departments;
• Identify and recommend utilization (piggy-backing) of appropriate existing governmental agency, regional or national cooperative contracts;
• Create Bidding Documents for WCPS contract opportunities; and
• Evaluate and recommend award to the evaluated low responsive and responsible