                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

SHORT TITLE; PURPOSE; DECLARATION OF INTENT (§ 2.2-4300)

A. This chapter may be cited as the Virginia Public Procurement Act.

B. The purpose of this chapter is to enunciate the public policies pertaining to
governmental procurement from nongovernmental sources, to include governmental
procurement that may or may not result in monetary consideration for either
party. This chapter shall apply whether the consideration is monetary or
nonmonetary and regardless of whether the public body, the contractor, or some
third party is providing the consideration.

C. To the end that public bodies in the Commonwealth obtain high quality goods
and services at reasonable cost, that all procurement procedures be conducted in
a fair and impartial manner with avoidance of any impropriety or appearance of
impropriety, that all qualified vendors have access to public business and that
no offeror be arbitrarily or capriciously excluded, it is the intent of the
General Assembly that competition be sought to the maximum feasible degree, that
procurement procedures involve openness and administrative efficiency, that
individual public bodies enjoy broad flexibility in fashioning details of such
competition, that the rules governing contract awards be made clear in advance
of the competition, that specifications reflect the procurement needs of the
purchasing body rather than being drawn to favor a particular vendor, and that
the purchaser and vendor freely exchange information concerning what is sought
to be procured and what is offered. Public bodies may consider best value
concepts when procuring goods and nonprofessional services, but not construction
or professional services. The criteria, factors, and basis for consideration of
best value and the process for the consideration of best value shall be as
stated in the procurement solicitation.

HISTORY: 1982, c. 647, § 11-35; 1983, c. 593; 1984, c. 764; 1986, cc. 149, 212,
559; 1994, cc. 661, 918; 1995, c. 18; 1996, cc. 683, 1019; 1997, cc. 85, 488,
785, 861, 863; 1998, cc. 121, 132; 1999, cc. 230, 248, 735; 2000, cc. 29, 382,
400, 642, 644, 666, 703; 2001, cc. 392, 409, 736, 753, 774, 844.