info.risd.edu

Procurement

The mission of Procurement, a department within Procurement Services, is to directly support RISD's educational, environmental and administrative needs. We are dedicated to assisting the college community with the timely and cost-effective procurement of goods and services through the negotiation of special pricing agreements, terms and negotiated contracts. A centralized procurement process, with competitive bidding, maximizes the college's leverage and purchasing power, ensuring best value for end users.

Procurement also oversees the Procurement Card program and the Travel Management Program. Please see the appropriate links for more information about how to obtain RISD travel rates and links to partner travel agencies.

For departments interested in retaining the services of an independent contractor, please refer to the appropriate process to create an independent contractor agreement.

Procurement Guidelines

Controller Policies

Requests for Proposal (RFPs)

Rhode Island School of Design has the following RFP/bid opportunities available. Please review the documents and respond appropriately.

Document and attachments Title/description Pre-bid/RFP meeting dates Due date
RFP

Vendor RFP questions (Excel file download)
Request for Proposal—Project Open Door study October 18, 2022
submit questions about RFP by 4 pm
November 1, 2022
RFP

Vendor RFP questions (Excel file download)
Request for Proposal—RISD Laundry Services and Maintenance December 1, 2021 January 14, 2022
RFI

Amendment
Request for Information—Multi-state Employment Consultant n/a January 6, 2022

RISD preferred/contracted vendors


  • Poland Springs
  • WB Mason
  • B&H Photo
  • Grainger
  • Shred-it
  • Newport Tent Company
  • Connection (formerly Gov Connection)
  • Whalley Computer Associates
  • Zoom
  • For further information on the above vendors please contact epro@risd.edu.

    Additional vendor discounts and programs:

    • Home Depot: save up to 20% on all qualifying paint and primer purchases. Contact abarr@risd.edu to sign up.
    • Lowes: save up to 7% on all qualifying purchases. Contact abarr@risd.edu to sign up.
    • Amazon Business: benefit from tax exempt status, free prime shipping on eligible items, and a 2 - 5% discount on all qualifying items. Contact abarr@risd.edu to sign up.

    For furniture purchases please contact abarr@risd.edu.

    For procurement card/travel + entertainment card inquiries please contact epro@risd.edu.

    Campus Travel portal for visitor travel (not paid for by RISD)

    RISD currently partners with several area hotels for accommodating campus visitors. Please use our campus travel portal—which is run by the Campus Travel Management (CTM) company—to self-book rooms at these partnering establishments. Booking through the portal provides campus visitors with the convenience of nearby lodging and discounted local hotel rates.

    Preferred travel agency: The Travel Collaborative

    RISD is a member of The Boston Consortium (TBC) Travel Program. This program offers RISD travel discounts on lodging and/or air, rail and rental car reservations through The Travel Collaborative.

    Providing travelers with a seasoned travel agent to assist with booking, this service is intended to support more complex travel schedules. The Travel Collaborative offers additional discounted rates with a variety of airlines and hotels. To take advantage of these discounts, RISD employees can reach out to one of the agency's travel agents:

    Susan McGonagle
    susan@travelcoll.com
    617 497-8151

    Maryella Blundo
    maryellab@travelcoll.com
    617 497-8132

    Thom Mulhern
    tam@travelcoll.com
    617 497-8149

    For questions about the Boston Consortium Travel Program, the Travel Collaborative or the discounted rates they provide, please email epro@risd.edu.

    RISD-paid faculty and staff travel: Egencia

    RISD partners with Egencia (an Expedia company) as a complete travel management platform for RISD-paid travel. Booking through Egencia helps ensure better deals on flights and provide efficiencies when booking local and out-of-state hotels, rail passes, and car rentals.

    Users can access the platform on your browser or with the Egencia app, which provides one place to book and manage all trip components. It also lets you create your own profile and store travel preferences, rewards member numbers, etc., that will be applied each time you book travel. Anyone who books travel on behalf of others can easily arrange travel for guests.

    Egencia benefits include:

    • a familiar, easy-to-use online booking tool
    • business traveler tools that let you set personalized travel preferences
    • the free Egencia app that can be used on iPhones, iPads or Androids to easily find, book and make adjustments to your travel at any point in your journey
    • safety notifications
    • 24/7 assistance for travel changes, refunds, delays and cancellations

    For any questions about Egencia or the discounts they provide please contact epro@risd.edu.

    Transportation services

    RISD Rides shuttle service
    Procurement Services has contracted with First Transit to provide RISD Rides, a free late night shuttle service for RISD students, staff and faculty.

    Charter bus rentals
    Through a sister division, First Transit provides the opportunity for bus rentals for field trips or events through Peter Pan Bus Lines, which offers $115.00/hour (6 hour minimum) charter pricing for bus rentals.

    First Transit contact information for charter bus rentals:
    Travis Mills, First Transit General Manager
    401 309-5094
    travis.mills@firstgroup.com

    MDT Bus Lines, Inc. contact information:
    Phone: 508 336-7111, 401-640-0055

    Automobile rentals
    Through E&I Cooperative Services, RISD has access to contract pricing from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental. Enterprise is the largest car rental company in North America and now owns National Car Rental. The contract offers exceptionally low rates and the ability to choose from two rental programs based upon the individual's needs and requirements. This rate is accessible on RISD's custom Egencia site. Please contact Procurement epro@risd.edu with any access questions.

    Relocation services
    Within the interview/hire process, RISD Procurement Services may offer assistance with the moving and relocation of household goods to some employees. With the goal of providing reduced costs, greater efficiency and convenience for the employee, RISD has negotiated contract pricing with Conlon Moving Services, a division of United Van Lines. Upon confirmation of the employment offer, the employee should contact the Conlon Relocation Coordinator at the information below to schedule an appointment to review the details of the move and survey the contents of the house. Conlon will provide an accurate, written estimate to Procurement Services for review and processing.

    Conlon Moving Systems, United Van Lines contact information:
    Barbara Hodgson, Relocation Coordinator
    800 831-7356 x 14

    behodgson@conlonmoving.com