Instructions for accessing the Online Openings

The Purchasing Office, under the direction of the Department of Finance, is empowered with administering centralized procurement for the City of Allentown. The goal of the Purchasing Office is to procure materials, supplies, and services to meet the essential needs of the City Departments and Bureaus, at the lowest possible cost, consistent with the quality needed for the proper and effective operation of City government.

The Purchasing Office is responsible for monitoring the purchasing process for compliance with established purchasing regulations and procedures, processing and maintaining all Purchase Orders, preparing, reviewing, and advertising all formal Invitations to Bid and Requests for Proposal, performing product testing and research, and purchase scheduling to maximize bulk and quantity discounts.

This responsibility is achieved through competitive purchasing using publicly offered Invitations to Bid and Requests for Proposal and formal/informal quotations. All purchases in excess of $40,000.00 must be publicly offered. Formal and informal quotes are used for purchases under $40,000.00.