DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF SUNNYVALE

The City of Sunnyvale relies on the business community to provide the materials and services that are an important component of Sunnyvale's service delivery system.  If your firm provides high quality and reliable materials and services at a reasonable price, the Sunnyvale Purchasing Division is interested in hearing from you.

Sunnyvale purchases are made through a competitive bidding process in which purchases are divided into formal and informal categories.  Formal purchases are valued at more than $50,000.  Bidding opportunities are advertised on the Sunnyvale web site.  Log on to www.sunnyvale.ca.gov and click on City Bids to get to the Purchasing Division home page.  Formal sealed bids must be received by the City by a specified date and time and are opened publicly by a representative of the Purchasing Division.  Award of a contract resulting from a formal bid invitation is made by the Sunnyvale City Council.

Informal purchases are valued at $50,000 or less.  Some requests for quotations for purchases valued at less than $50,000 are also advertised on the Sunnyvale web site.  Quotations may be submitted by telephone, fax, mail or e-mail.  Quotations for purchases valued at less than $25,000 may be solicited by either the requesting City department or by the Purchasing Division. Contracts for informal purchases are awarded by the Purchasing Officer as the Sunnyvale City Manager's designee.   

Sunnyvale bid invitations, as well as bid invitations from many other public agencies, are advertised and bid documents are distributed through the Onvia DemandStar public purchasing network.  Onvia DemandStar maintains a database of member suppliers who are automatically notified of bid opportunities relevant to their businesses.  For more information on becoming an Onvia DemandStar member, please visit the Bidder Registration section of the Purchasing Division web site.  Although Sunnyvale encourages bidders to become Onvia DemandStar members, registration with Onvia DemandStar is not a requirement for doing business with the City of Sunnyvale.  Businesses who choose not to register with Onvia DemandStar can still obtain bid information by monitoring the City's web site and can download bid documents from Onvia DemandStar for a nominal fee.  Your firm can also arrange to pick up a copy of a specific bid package at the Purchasing Division office at the Sunnyvale City Hall Annex, 650 West Olive Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086.

Sunnyvale recognizes the importance of Sunnyvale businesses by offering a one percent bidding preference for Sunnyvale businesses who are interested in providing equipment or supplies to the City.  This means that, when evaluating bids, Sunnyvale buyers deduct one percent from a Sunnyvale firm's bid price when comparing it to bid prices from businesses from other locations. 

For more information about doing business with the City of Sunnyvale, contact the Purchasing Division at 408-730-7405.

Back to Top

Lenders for Community Development (LCD) has used innovative a public-private model to direct $75 million in community investment into economically challenged neighborhoods, improving the lives of 6,000 households.  LCD’s programs combine to create a distinctive, comprehensive approach to poverty alleviation, providing integrated financial tools and training designed to help people build personal, financial, and shared community assets.

1)  Entrepreneurship and Job Creation:  As the Bay Area’s largest microfinance lender, LCD has directed $5.4 million in financing, and extensive technical assistance, to 300 local micro-entrepreneurs considered “unbankable” by conventional lenders.  More than two-thirds (69%) of loans have gone to minority-owned businesses, 57% to women-owned businesses, and 83% to businesses owned by low-income people.  LCD is a leader in demonstrating that microfinance—which has proven so effective in developing countries—can also be a powerful resource for low-income and immigrant communities in Northern California.

2)  Matched Savings and Financial Literacy Education:  LCD is a national leader in supplying Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)—matched savings accounts for the working poor that combine financial education and incentives—to help families move out of poverty.  Through its IDA program—the Assets for All Alliance—LCD has provided over 20,000 hours of high-quality financial management training to Silicon Valley’s working poor, and helped 1,500 households begin to save towards an asset—a first home (130 first-time home purchases), higher education (over $1.3 million invested), or a small business.  LCD matches the savings 2:1 and participants can exit the program with up to $6,000 to invest.  To date, 1,528 households have enrolled in Assets for All, and 93% have established a regular savings pattern.  Despite a median income of $24,000, these clients have accumulated over $5 million (savings + match) to invest in asset purchases.  As one of the largest and most effective IDA providers in the country, LCD supplied the model for thriving IDA collaboratives in San Francisco (SF Earn) and Los Angeles (United Way Saving for the American Dream Initiative).

3)  Affordable Housing and Neighborhood Infrastructure:  LCD is a catalyst for increasing the supply of affordable housing and community infrastructure needed by working poor families to stabilize their lives.  By providing subordinate financing to nearly every project to develop permanently affordable housing in Silicon Valley, LCD has helped build 4,200 new units of housing to date.  LCD also uses its unique expertise to finance schools, child care centers, and other social services.  The National Hispanic University’s new 65,000-square-foot learning center—the centerpiece of its East San Jose campus—is one example of the 15 new community facilities LCD has financed.  In total, LCD has originated over $65 million in loans to non-profit and for-profit real estate projects providing high community impact in low-income neighborhoods.

If you have any questions about these programs or other services, please contact Ms. Bhakti Panchal, Office Manager, at Lenders for Community Development.  Or you can email her at Bhatki@L4CD.com.  You can also visit us on the Web at www.L4CD.com

Back to Top

CALL FOR BOARD AND COMMISSIONS APPLICATIONS

Deadline May 12, 2006

The City of Sunnyvale is looking for volunteers to serve on various advisory boards and commissions. Board and commission members are appointed by the City Council. These positions assist Council and help to set the direction for the City. Special requirements or qualifications such as residency, voter registration and professional experience may be required.

Recruitment is currently underway for openings on the following boards and commissions:

Interviews will occur in June 2006. 

For more information and to request an application, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at (408) 730-7595 or by email at jclark@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us, TDD (408) 730-7501. 

Back to Top

RENT A ROOM FOR YOUR NEXT BUSINESS MEETING

The City of Sunnyvale has several facilities which are ideal for business meetings, conferences, retreats, trainings, brainstorming sessions, and more. We have accommodations to fit almost every need; from small meeting and picnic areas to state-of-the-art, internet ready conference rooms that can seat 300 guests or clients. Below is a list of meeting rooms we offer: 

Conference Room

464 sq. feet; Capacity-16

Lounge Room

612 sq. feet; Capacity-20

Boardroom

640 sq. feet; Capacity-25

Neighborhood Room

864 sq. feet; Capacity-40

Laurel Room

900 sq. feet; Capacity-40

Cypress Room

912 sq. feet; Capacity-40

Sequoia Room

912 sq. feet; Capacity-40

Meeting Room

1,290 sq. feet; Capacity-49

Program Room

804 sq. feet; Capacity-40

Art Room

1,030 sq. feet; Capacity-49

Community Room

1,600 sq. feet; Capacity-80

Ballroom

3,548 sq. feet; Capacity-250

Orchard Pavilion

4,363 sq. feet; Capacity-300

Please call (408) 730-7751 for more information, or visit us on the web at:

http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/facilities

Back to Top

SUNNYVALE COMMUNITY CENTER SERVICES

The Sunnyvale Community Center offers a wide variety of classes and activities for pre-school, youth, teens, adults, seniors, and also offers therapeutic recreation. The center facilities include a brand new gymnasium, pottery and art studios, a 200 seat theatre and a dance studio. Our activity guide is available at www.sunnyvale.gov/recreation or call (408) 730-7350 to request a copy to be mailed to you.

Youth and Teen activities: Sunnyvale offers a host of activities for youth ages preschool to young adult. Classes are available in an assortment of interest areas, including art, drama, music, theater, dance, aquatics and sports, as well as plenty of extracurricular activities such as the Sunnyvale Youth Basketball League, Drop In Gym at the Columbia Neighborhood Center, golf and tennis classes, the Teen Advisory Council, and a Teen-only live music event each month.  After school and drop in programs are available year round and offer arts, crafts, games, sports and snacks for a minimal cost.  For information on any of these activities, please call (408) 730-7350

Golf: Sunnyvale has two golf courses, open year round, with lessons taught by industry professionals available for both youths and adults. For more information on our golf programs, please call (408) 738-3666

Back to Top

Please contact Economic Development if you have any questions or comments.  You can reach us at (408) 730-7607 or email econdev@ci.sunnyvale.ca.us