Depending on the complexity of the solicitation, it can take from several days to several weeks to evaluate all the bids/proposals submitted. For commodities, Procurement Management makes certain that vendors are bidding on the same items and in the same units and quantities. Procurement Management sends a summary to the requesting department for review and recommendation. Procurement Management awards to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. For a bid with many items, Procurement Management, in its discretion, may award the entire contract to one bidder based on comparisons of the aggregate bids, or may make individual line-item awards to the lowest bidders. This option will be stated in the bid package. For services and technology, several criteria are taken into consideration, including but not limited to Qualifications, Experience, Approach, Financial Stability, Cost Efficiency, and Acceptance of the City's or County's Terms and Conditions. Service and Technology contracts are not always awarded to the lowest bidder. While cost is a consideration, it is not the overriding factor in a decision to award; quality of services takes precedence. The City and County strive to find a balance between the level of service and the cost for the service.