3-ECPA Winter Maintenance and Water Treatment Solutions.pdf

Request for Proposals for

Winter Maintenance Products and Water

Treatment Salt for Indiana School Districts

Proposals Due/Public Opening: 10am ET, Thursday, September 24, 2026

Key Contact: Kelly Taylor; ktaylor@ciesc.org mailto:ktaylor@ciesc.org

BACKGROUND: Indiana school districts continue to face increasing budget pressures driven by rising operational costs, limited funding growth, and the need to maximize resources available for student programs and services. This solicitation is issued by the Education Cooperative Purchasing Alliance in compliance with Indiana Public Purchasing Laws (IC 5-22). Participating school corporations in Indiana require reliable delivery of high-quality salt products to ensure campus safety during winter conditions and maintain building water treatment systems year-round. Vendors may bid on one or both product categories, and regional or statewide delivery structures.

PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION: ECPA is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified vendors to establish a statewide, multi-district cooperative purchasing contract for Sidewalk De-Icing Salt and Water Softener Salt for K12 schools across the State of Indiana.

Through this Request for Proposals (RFP), participating school districts will leverage cooperative purchasing and aggregated purchasing volume to obtain favorable pricing, reliable salt supply, efficient delivery services, and value-added support from qualified suppliers.

PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE:

• RFP Issued: Tuesday, August 18, 2026

• Questions Due: Friday, September 4, 2026

• Responses to Questions Issued: Wednesday, September 9, 2026

• Proposals Due: Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 10am ET

• Evaluation Period: September 24, 2026-October 2, 2026

• Board Approval: Wednesday, October 14, 2026

COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AUTHORITY: This procurement is conducted in strict accordance with the Indiana Interlocal Cooperation Act (IC 36-1-7), allowing a governmental body to enter into an agreement with other governmental bodies to form a cooperative purchasing organization for establishing contracts for goods and services.

LEAD AGENCY ROLE: The Educational Cooperative Purchasing Alliance (ECPA) is a collaborative alliance between eight Indiana education service centers dedicated to streamlining the purchasing process for Indiana’s school districts. Our procurement team, led by the Central Indiana Educational Service Center, actively works to remove barriers for schools by vetting top vendors, simplifying the procurement process while ensuring full compliance with state and federal regulations.

SCHOOL DISTRICT ROLE: Participating school districts will execute their own purchase orders, manage their own delivery schedules, and be billed directly by the vendor.

PUBLIC OPENING: Proposals will be publicly opened via Zoom at 10am ET on Thursday, September 24, 2026, but, pursuant to Indiana law, the contents of competing proposals will not be made available at that time. The name of proposing organizations will be read.

USE OF RESULTING CONTRACT(S): Contracts that are a result of this solicitation will be available to Indiana public school corporations, charter schools, private schools, and educational service centers.

CONTRACT TERM: Awarded contract(s) will be for two (2) years. The initial contract term will commence upon execution of the contract.

CONTRACT RENEWAL: With mutual agreement of the successful vendor, ECPA reserves the right to renew the prices and terms of the contract resulting from this procurement without additional competitive bidding for three (3) additional one-year terms. Such renewals would allow for the continuation of services and/or the extension of products and services to other locations or programs. Such renewals may be made so as

ECPA and the successful vendor(s) agree to the renewal. Price adjustments for renewal terms must be tied to the Producer Price Index (PPI) or a mutually agreed industry index, with a 60 day advance notice requirement.

ANTICIPATED AWARD: ECPA reserves the right to:

• Award to one or multiple suppliers

• Award by geographic region

• Award by category

Awards shall be made to the most responsible vendor(s) determined to provide the best overall value for school districts.

GOVERNING LAW: This contract will be governed by the laws of the State of Indiana.

SCOPE OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES: The selected vendor(s) shall provide one or more of the following products:

• Sidewalk Salt

• Water Softener Salt

• Delivery of products

PRICING STRUCTURE: To account for Indiana’s geography and ensure efficient freight logistics, pricing may be submitted by region or statewide.

Any and all additional charges must be disclosed within the vendor’s proposal. Undisclosed charges will not be permitted.

Each participating school district is a tax-exempt government entity, so bid pricing must exclude State

Sales Tax and Federal Excise Tax.

DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: All pricing must be FOB Destination to the participating entity’s designated facility. Deliveries will range from single-pallet drops at individual school buildings to full truckloads at central distribution warehouses. Delivery trucks must be equipped with liftgates and pallet jacks unless a facility forklift is explicitly confirmed by the purchasing district.

The awarded vendor shall be responsible for all transportation, freight, delivery, insurance, and risk of loss until the salt has been delivered and accepted at the designated receiving location. No additional freight, fuel surcharge, transportation fee, or delivery charge shall be assessed unless specifically identified in the vendor’s proposal and approved by ECPA.

GEOGRAPHIC REGIONAL BREAKDOWN:

• NORTHERN REGION: Adams, Allen, Carroll, Cass, Dekalb, Elkhart, Fulton, Grant, Huntington, Jasper, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Miami, Newton, Noble, Porter, Pulaski, St.

Joseph, Stake, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, White, Whitely

• CENTRAL REGION: Benton, Blackford, Boone, Clay, Clinton, Delaware, Fayette, Fountain, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jay, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren, Wayne

• SOUTHERN REGION: Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Dubois, Floyd, Franklin, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Pike, Posey, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, Sullivan, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Washington

PRODUCT QUALITY REQUIREMENTS:

• All material furnished shall be uniform in appearance, free flowing, free of visual evidence of foreign matter including but not limited to dirt, stone, trash, or any other material

• Materials must be chemically treated to prevent caking, and shall be free of foreign matter, lumps, and free water

• Materials must meet all federal and state regulations

• Materials must be suitable for intended use

• Sodium chloride shall be in accordance with the requirements of AASHTO M 143 o Rock salt shall be used for deicing purposes. Either rock salt or evaporated salt may be used for stabilization.

• Water softener salt shall meet industry standard ANSI/AWWA B200 for sodium chloride used in water treatment.

EXCLUSIVITY: ECPA anticipates considerable activity resulting from this RFP award, however no commitment of any kind is made concerning actual quantities to be acquired. ECPA does not guarantee usage as usage depends on the actual needs of the school districts.

Any contract resulting from this solicitation shall be awarded with the understanding and agreement that it is for the sole convenience of the purchaser.

PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF CONTRACT ITEMS: While ECPA is securing the master contract, the operational relationship exists directly between the awarded vendor(s) and the individual school districts.

• Purchase Order & Invoicing: Participating school districts will issue their own purchase orders directly to the awarded vendor(s).

REPORTING & ADMINISTRATIVE FEE:

• Vendor agrees to provide ECPA a quarterly report of the quantities sold, and sales dollars generated through this contract. Other sales reports may be requested throughout the duration of the contract.

• The vendor agrees to pay ECPA an administrative fee of 1% of all sales through the awarded contract. Payments will be made quarterly.

a. Under no circumstances may the administrative fee assessed by ECPA be charged to, passed through to, or otherwise recovered from participating school districts, either directly or indirectly.

PRODUCT AND SERVICE ADDITIONS: New products and/or services that are within the scope of this RFP may be added to the awarded contract at any time during the contract term by written amendment.

ACCEPTANCE OF RFP TERMS: A proposal submitted in response to the RFP shall constitute a binding offer.

Acknowledgement of this condition shall be indicated by the autographic signature of the organization legally authorized to execute contractual obligations. It is assumed by the organization’s response that it acknowledges all terms and conditions of this invitation for an offer. Organizations shall clearly identify any variations between its proposal and the ECPA RFP. Failure to do so shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance, except as outlined or specified in the RFP.

WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL: No proposals may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) calendar days following the due date of such proposals.

UNRESPONSIVE SUPPLIERS: Proposals from unresponsive vendors will not be accepted. Vendors who have a history of inconsistent service and unreliability will not be considered by the ECPA to be a responsible proposer.

MODIFICATIONS: Modifications, additions, or changes to the terms and conditions of this RFP may be a cause for rejection of a proposal.

QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted IN WRITING via e-mail or through the procurement software by the date referenced in the RFP timeline.

EXCEPTIONS: Vendors shall clearly identify any variations between their proposal and the ECPA RFP on the

EXCEPTIONS TO TERMS, CONDITIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS FORM. Failure to do so shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance, except as outlined or specified in the RFP.

OPEN AND FREE COMPETITION: All ECPA procurement transactions shall be conducted in a manner that provides maximum open and free competition consistent with Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR) sections 3016 and 3019.

PROPOSAL GUIDELINES:

• ECPA will consider proposals from vendors to meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the

RFP.

• The vendor signing and submitting the proposal must be authorized by and capable of binding the supplier(s) represented. The vendor shall be fully and ultimately responsible for the provision of all products and services per the requirements of the RFP.

• The vendor shall be the sole point of contact for all questions, problems, and warranty issues that may result from this proposal. The failure of Suppliers to act in no way relieves the full responsibility of the respondent for all requirements under this RFP.

• Proposal shall remain firm from the opening of this proposal through the completion of an awarded contract, unless otherwise specified.

REVIEW AND AWARD PROCESS: In order to allow ECPA the opportunity to evaluate each proposal thoroughly, ECPA requires that any response to this solicitation be valid and irrevocable for sixty (60) days after official opening date and time.

ECPA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to clarify items in a proposal, and to waive errors or corrections in a proposal. ECPA reserves the right to reject the proposal of any respondent who has previously failed to perform similar contracts with school districts and/or other eligible entities satisfactorily. The winning proposal will be recommended to the Governing Board for final approval.

PROTEST PROCEDURES: Vendor’s whose proposal has been timely filed and who is aggrieved by the award of a contract to another offeror may appeal the decision by filing a written notice of appeal. The notice must be filed within ten (10) business days of the date of award of the contract, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal state holidays. The notice of appeal must clearly and fully identify all the issues being contested by reference to the page, and section of the solicitation document and/or award of contract. An appeal will be heard by the designated ECPA members unless the petitioner is not an aggrieved party, or a prior request by the same petitioner relating to the same contract award has been granted, or the request is capricious, frivolous, or without merit. The burden of proof lies with the petitioner. The evidence presented must specifically address and be limited to one or more of the following:

1. Violation of State or Federal law.

2. Irregularities creating fundamental unfairness; or

3. Arbitrary or capricious award.

ECPA will provide a written response within ten (10) business days after hearing the appeal and shall be the final decision on the matter.

INCURRING COSTS: ECPA is not liable for any cost incurred by offerors prior to the issuance of a procurement document.

NEGOTIATIONS: ECPA may conduct exclusive or concurrent negotiations with vendors deemed reasonably susceptible for award. Proposal details, including pricing, will remain confidential. Negotiations do not constitute a contract award or confer on any property rights. If negotiations do not progress, ECPA may terminate discussions and negotiate with the next most qualified vendor(s). ECPA may conduct interviews as part of the evaluation process but is not required to do so. Interview costs will not be reimbursed.

EVALUATION CRITERIA: ECPA’s procurement evaluation committee will review and evaluate all proposals and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors for award of contracts. Proposals will be evaluated by the following selection criteria:

CRITERIA POINTS POSSIBLE

Cost & Pricing Structure 40

Delivery Capabilities, Lead Times, & Logistics 25

Product Quality, Specifications 20

Vendor Reliability, Supply Chain, References 15

TOTAL 100

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: Proposals must be submitted through the Indigo procurement portal by date and time specified. Late submissions will not be considered.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Technical Response: Vendor demonstrates their ability to meet the needs outlined in the RFP by addressing questions included in solicitation.

2. Pricing Response: Completed Excel pricing workbook

3. Required Procurement Forms: Signed documents provided with the solicitation

TECHNICAL RESPONSE:

1. COST & PRICING STRUCTURE: Vendors must complete the pricing workbook provided that outlines per-unit costs for each product bid across each region in Indiana. In addition, please address the following questions:

• Are your prices fixed for all school districts within each region?

• Outline any pallet-related fees. Do you charge a pallet deposit, and if so, please outline the specifics. (Credit amount refunded upon return, maximum allowable days for pallet return)

• Explain any fees associated with delivery to multiple locations within a single school district.

• Are there any additional fees not included in your unit price?

• What is your minimum order quantity per delivery location for both sidewalk salt and water softener salt?

• Do you agree to keep proposed prices firm for the full initial 12 month contract period?

• What specific industry price index do you propose to govern potential price adjustments during renewal years? Explain how your company handles market price decreases as well as increases.

Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate meaningful cost savings for school districts.

Vendors are expected to submit their best and final proposal, including all pricing, discounts, and terms in response to this Request for Proposals.

• ECPA does not anticipate conducting negotiations or requesting revised pricing following the proposal submission deadline. Accordingly, vendors should not assume they will have an opportunity to modify, improve, or adjust pricing or other material terms after proposals have been submitted.

2. DELIVERY CAPABILITIES, LOGISTICS:

• Describe your delivery fleet and equipment capabilities. Can your delivery vehicles guarantee standard liftgate and pallet jack service for elementary and middle school locations that lack loading docks or forklifts?

• What are your standard delivery hours, and how do you accommodate K12 facility restrictions

(e.g. avoiding delivery during morning and afternoon bus routes)?

• What is your standard delivery lead time from receiving a purchase order?

• Describe your emergency delivery protocol during severe winter weather events in Indiana. Can you guarantee a 24-48 hour delivery window for emergency sidewalk de-icing salt orders during state-declared weather emergencies?

• Do you own or subcontract your delivery fleet?

• How will school districts place orders with your company?

• What is your system for order tracking and communicating delivery status updates to school district facility managers?

• Identify specific REGIONS in Indiana that your organization is proposing to provide salt deliveries

to. If your organization can service the entire state, please indicate that.

3. PRODUCT QUALITY & SPECIFICATIONS:

• Provide chemical breakdown percentages for all proposed de-icing products. Provide the minimum effective melting temperature for each formula.

• For non-tracking or floor-safe blends, describe the additives used to minimize indoor tracking, masonry corrosion, and damage to interior school flooring (e.g. terrazzo, VCT tile).

• Detail your product packaging specifications. How are bags protected against moisture damage, tearing, and UV degradation during outdoor yard storage at school facility sites?

• How do your softener salt products address iron buildup, brine tank bridging, and sludge accumulation in commercial-grade school boiler/water treatment systems?

4. VENDOR RELIABILITY, SUPPLY CHAIN, REFERENCES:

• Provide a brief overview of your company, including years in business and ownership structure.

• Describe your experience providing sidewalk and water softener salt to K12 school districts or other public agencies in Indiana.

• Provide a list of K12 school districts in Indiana that your organization is currently working with or has worked with in the past 3 years.

• Where are your primary salt manufacturing, mining, or processing origin points located?

• List the addresses and storage capacities (in tons and pallet spaces) of all distribution facilities and supply yards that would service Indiana schools through this contract.

• Describe your supply chain contingency plan in the event of regional salt shortages, barge/rail disruptions, or extreme severe midwestern winter conditions. How do you prioritize school district orders over commercial clients during supply crunches?

• How many years has your company operated as a bulk/bagged salt distributor to public sector agencies, K12 school districts, or higher education institutions in Indiana?

• Provide 3 active client references from public school corporations or municipal government entities in Indiana that can be contacted to discuss client experience with your organization.

• Describe reporting capabilities to districts as well as ECPA.

PRICING RESPONSE:

Vendors must complete the PRICING WORKBOOK (Excel format) provided that outlines per-unit costs for each product bid across each region in Indiana. This must be uploaded into the procurement system.

REQUIRED PROCUREMENT FORMS:

Vendors must complete all forms included in the file labeled “Required Procurement Forms” and upload into the procurement system.