Office of Procurement Management https://www.hawaii.edu/procurement Your Resource for UH Procurement Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:05:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 PROCUREMENT CIRCULAR NO. 2026-10 https://www.hawaii.edu/procurement/2026/03/20/procurement-circular-no-2026-10/ Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:05:48 +0000 https://www.hawaii.edu/procurement/?p=5227 SUBJECT: USPS Postmark Procedure Change Affecting Mailed Proposals under HRS Chapter 103F

Procurement Circular Summary (No. 2026-10)

The State of Hawaii State Procurement Office issued this circular to notify agencies of a procedural change by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that affects how mailed proposals are evaluated for timeliness under Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 103F.

Key Change

  • USPS postmarks may now reflect the date mail is processed, not the date it is mailed.
  • This can cause proposals mailed before the deadline to receive a postmark after the deadline.

Impact

  • Proposal timeliness is determined by the USPS postmark date.
  • The change may lead to:
    • Late disqualification of otherwise timely submissions
    • Confusion among offerors
    • Increased risk of procurement protests

Guidance to Agencies

Agencies are advised to:

  1. Notify offerors of the USPS postmark change in RFPs
  2. Encourage early mailing to avoid delays
  3. Clarify that the official postmark date determines timeliness
  4. Allow electronic submissions (e.g., email) when permitted
  5. Use the State’s e-procurement system (HIePRO, transitioning to Aloha eBUYS)

Bottom Line

Agencies should clearly communicate submission requirements and promote electronic submissions to avoid issues caused by USPS processing delays.

To view PROCUREMENT CIRCULAR NO. 2026-10 please see the link below.

PROCUREMENT CIRCULAR NO. 2026-10

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]]> Do I need to login to use HANDS? https://www.hawaii.edu/procurement/2019/07/26/do-i-need-to-login-to-use-hands/ Fri, 26 Jul 2019 00:03:21 +0000 http://www.hawaii.edu/procurement/?p=139 Vendors are not required to login to search for bidding opportunities or awards. Login is required for Hawaii Compliance Express and to respond to HIePRO solicitations.

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