Glendale Community College District Engages PlanetBids for Digital Procurement
Glendale, Calif. – Glendale Community College District has selected PlanetBids to
transform its procurement operations, employing multiple tools for solicitation and
vendor management to create a digital, end-to-end purchasing workflow.
The District chose PlanetBids’ modules for solicitations and vendor management, advanced
e-bidding for public works, prequalification, document creation, and insurance certificate
management.
Glendale Community College District serves the greater Glendale area, managing a procurement
program that spans professional services, construction, capital improvement projects,
and operational contracts subject to California's public contracting requirements.
Prior to selecting PlanetBids, the District managed procurement entirely manually,
with no centralized vendor database, and no automated system for vendor outreach,
Q&A management, or prequalification tracking.
For a community college district of this size managing professional services procurement
alongside public works and capital projects subject to CUPCCAA informal bidding thresholds,
an integrated procurement approach provides greater program-wide visibility, transparency,
and accountability. It establishes a consistent framework for procurement and project
delivery, strengthens oversight, and enables District leadership to more effectively
manage resources, risk, and stakeholder expectations across the capital program.
PlanetBids was able to highlight its platform’s usage by other area institutions,
including Rio Hondo College and Pasadena Community College District, to show how PlanetBids
is purpose-built for public education procurement across multiple campuses and departments.
A Platform Built for the District's Full Procurement Program
Centralized Solicitation Management – The District now manages all solicitations through
a single platform, from accepting purchase requests to creating and posting solicitations
to accepting electronic bids, with enforced document requirements, unlimited solicitation
templates, and a complete audit trail. Every solicitation record is
centralized and easily accessible, supporting the transparency and compliance obligations
of a California community college district.
Vendor Management and Outreach – The District's vendor portal gives contractors, consultants, and service providers
a direct path to register, select relevant categories, and receive automatic notifications
when solicitations post. The bid broadcast feature extends outreach to PlanetBids'
California vendor network by commodity code, expanding competition well beyond the
District's existing contacts. The District manages the entire Q&A and addendum release
and acknowledgment process within the portal, removing important communications from
email chains and placing them in an auditable, trackable system that protects against
protest risk.
Advanced eBidding for Public Works – For construction and capital improvement projects, Advanced eBidding supports subcontractor
listing, contractor license verification against the California State Contractors
Board and DIR to meet SB 854 requirements, and the documentation controls complex
public works bids require. Prime contractors can search the vendor database to add
subcontractors directly to their bid submittal, and subcontractor listings become
part of the electronic bid opening record.
Prequalification – The District now manages both standard contractor prequalification and CUPCCAA
informal bidding prequalification within PlanetBids, with configurable forms, documentation
requirements, and time-limited certification periods. For informal public works projects
subject to CUPCCAA thresholds, having a current, verified prequalified contractor
list in the system eliminates the manual verification burden that previously fell
on staff and gives the District a structured, defensible process for determining contractor
eligibility before solicitations go out.
Insurance Certificate Management – The platform tracks vendor insurance documentation, sends automated renewal reminders
to vendors, producers, and internal staff, and stores certificates within vendor profiles
linked directly to relevant solicitations. Coverage gaps surface automatically, ensuring
contractors stay in compliance before work begins without requiring manual follow-up
from District staff.
Document Management – The District can now build, collaborate on, and store solicitation scopes, contract
templates, and procurement documents within PlanetBids, with AI-assisted scope generation,
version history, track changes, and configurable access controls for internal staff
and outside consultants.
“PlanetBids earned our business through trust, patience, a proven track record, and
demonstrated success with public agencies and community colleges. Their understanding
of public education procurement and commitment to transparency and efficiency gave
us confidence in choosing them as our procurement partner.” — Silva Sorkazian, Gafcon
PMO, Contracts and Risk Manager
"Glendale Community College District took a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to
this decision, and we respected that," said David DiGiacomo, CEO of PlanetBids. "We
were confident the platform would speak for itself, and it did. We are glad to welcome
the District as a full PlanetBids customer and look forward to supporting their procurement
program for years to come."
Vendors interested in working with Glendale Community College District can register,
view open opportunities, and sign up for notifications on new solicitation postings
in the District's new PlanetBids vendor portal at https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/90050/portal-home.
About Glendale Community College District
Glendale Community College has been a cornerstone of education in the region for nearly
a century, providing affordable pathways to college degrees, professional certifications,
and job-ready skills that fuel the local economy. The College is committed to delivering
accessible, innovative education that meets the needs of its diverse community and
prepares students for success in a rapidly changing world. GCC is the top ranked community
college in the nation for economic upward mobility, ranks number two in transfers
to four-year colleges and universities among Los Angeles County community colleges,
and ranks third in transfers to USC among community colleges nationwide. GCC's success
is made possible by the dedication of its faculty, classified professionals, and managers,
who have created a vibrant, inclusive college community where students thrive and
futures are transformed.
About PlanetBids
PlanetBids' lifecycle procurement platform helps procurement professionals in the
public, private, education, and non-profit sectors streamline their purchasing operations
and improve vendor and supplier relationships for better budget and resource management.
With tools for bid and vendor management, business certification and insurance tracking,
contract and document management, and reporting, PlanetBids is purpose built by
procurement industry experts for agencies of all sizes and budgets. To learn more,
visit https://planetbids.com.
Media Contacts:
Kath Fields
Senior Director of Marketing
PlanetBids, LLC 13263 Ventura Blvd, Suite 101
Studio City, CA 91604
kathfields@planetbids.com
818-992-1771
planetbids.com
LinkedIn: PlanetBids
Amy Williams
AVP, Administrative Services
1500 Verdugo Rd. Glendale, CA 91208
Phone: 818-551-5208
www.glendale.edu
Silva Sorkazian
Measure GCC Program Management Office
Contracts and Risk Manager
1500 N. Verdugo Rd. Glendale, CA 91208
Tel: 818-561-0456
ssorkazian-cp@glendale.edu
www.glendale.edu
https://capitalimprovements.glendale.edu/
