3-IFB - Digital Library Books (1).pdf

WHAT: Invitation for Bid

FOR: Digital Library Books

ENTITY: Tooele County School District

POSTED: 12/18/2025

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: 1/2/2026, 3:00 PM MST

• ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE BONFIRE PORTAL

BID DUE DATE: 1/9/2026, 3:00 PM MST

BID SUBMISSION: Utah State Bonfire Portal

A. BACKGROUND/PURPOSE STATEMENT

Tooele County School District (“TCSD”) has issued this IFB to obtain bids from companies interested in providing eBooks and Audiobooks for our libraries that may be checked out to students. Our current eBooks/Audiobooks integrate with the Sora App when students check out books. If the books cannot work with this system, then you would also need to provide an app allowing children access to check out the eBooks/Audiobooks.

The lowest responsible and responsive bidder meeting all IFB Requirements for all the books listed in the appendix will be awarded the purchase.

B. COMMUNICATIONS AND QUESTION-ANSWER PERIOD

1. Bidders are prohibited from communications regarding this IFB with the Procurement Unit staff, evaluation committee members, or other associated individuals EXCEPT the procurement officer overseeing this IFB.

2. The Question and Answer period closes on the date and time specified above. All questions must be submitted as described above during the Question and Answer period. Questions may include notifying the Procurement Unit of any ambiguity, inconsistency, scope exception, excessively restrictive requirement, or other errors in this IFB. Questions are encouraged.

Answers from the Procurement Unit will be posted on Bonfire. Questions may be answered individually or may be compiled into one document.

Questions may also be answered via an addendum. An answered question or an addendum may modify the specifications or requirements of this IFB. It is the responsibility of the Bidders to submit their bids as required by this IFB, including any requirements contained in an answered question and/or addenda.

Bidders should periodically check Bonfire for answered questions and addendums before the closing date. It is the responsibility of the Bidders to submit their bids as required by this IFB, including any requirements contained in an answered question and/or addendums.

C. ADDENDA

Prior to the closing date, the Procurement Unit may, at its sole discretion, issue addenda.

Addenda may modify any minimum requirement or specification of this IFB. It is the responsibility of the Bidders to submit their bids as required by this IFB, including any requirements contained in addenda issued by the Procurement Unit.

Addenda shall be distributed within a reasonable time to allow prospective Bidders to consider the addenda in preparing bids. After the due date and time for submitting bids, at the discretion of the Procurement Unit, addenda to this IFB may be limited to Bidders that have submitted bids, provided the addenda does not make a substantial change to this IFB.

D. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE BIDDER

1. The Procurement Unit reserves the right and may reopen this solicitation or create a new solicitation if it determines there may be more competition for the procurement item than when the original solicitation was posted.

2. Price Guarantee:

If allowable under this IFB, a request for price adjustment must be made at least thirty (30) days prior to the effective date. A request for price adjustment must include sufficient documentation (market analysis) supporting the request. Any price adjustment will not be effective unless approved by the Procurement Unit. A price adjustment will be guaranteed for the same length of time as the original price guarantee. The Procurement Unit will be given the immediate benefit of any decrease in the market, or allowable discount. Prices are guaranteed for one year.

3. Protected Information:

Bidders may request that part of its bid be protected by submitting a Claim of Business Confidentiality Form.

Pricing may not be classified as confidential or protected and will be considered public information.

Process for Requesting Non-Disclosure: To protect information under a Claim of Business Confidentiality, a Bidder must complete the Claim of Business Confidentiality form, at the time the bid is submitted, with the following information:

• Include a concise statement of reasons supporting the claim of business confidentiality (Subsection 63G-2-309(1)).

• Submit an electronic “redacted” (excluding protected information) copy of the bid. Copy must clearly be marked “Redacted Version.”

The Claim of Business Confidentiality form may be accessed at:

https://purchasing.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Business-Request-for-GRAMA-Business- Confidentiality-Claim.pdf https://purchasing.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Business-Request-for-GRAMA-Business-Confidentiality-Claim.pdf https://purchasing.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Business-Request-for-GRAMA-Business-Confidentiality-Claim.pdf

An entire bid cannot be identified as “PROTECTED”, “CONFIDENTIAL” or “PROPRIETARY”.

Redacted Copy: If a Bidder submits a bid that contains information claimed to be confidential or protected, the Bidder MUST submit two separate bids: one redacted version for public release, with all protected business confidential information either blacked-out or removed, clearly marked as "Redacted Version"; and one non-redacted version for evaluation purposes clearly marked as "Protected Business Confidential."

All materials submitted become the property of the Procurement Unit. Materials may be evaluated by anyone designated by the Procurement Unit as part of the evaluation committee. Materials submitted may be returned only at the Procurement Unit's option.

4. Wherever in this IFB an item is defined by using a trade name, brand name, or a manufacturer and/or model number, it is intended that the words, “or equivalent” apply;

and invites the submission of equivalent products by the Bidders.

E. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Standard Terms and Conditions will not be negotiated. The Utah Procurement Code requires that a bid will be rejected if it is not responsive or responsible. A bid that is not responsive includes a bid that: (a) is conditional; (b) attempts to modify the bid requirements; (c) contains additional terms or conditions; or (d) fails to conform with the requirements or specifications of the invitation for bids.

A bid that contains exceptions and/or additions to the Standard Terms and Conditions will be rejected and disqualified from this IFB. The Procurement Unit will not allow a Bidder to remove or withdraw exceptions and/or additions from the Standard Terms and Conditions from a bid. However, a Bidder may request an exception and/or addition to the Standard Terms and Conditions during the Question and Answer period.

The Procurement Unit will not allow a Bidder’s terms and conditions to become part of a contract that results from this IFB. If a Bidder’s terms and conditions are attached, referenced, or embedded into a bid, whether intentionally or inadvertently, then the Bidder’s terms and conditions shall be null and void and will not become part of a contract that results from this IFB. If a Bidder is awarded a contract and the Bidder requests that its terms and conditions become part of the contract, then the Bidder’s bid will immediately be disqualified, and the Bidder will not be awarded a contract.

F. SCOPE OF WORK

In general, Attachment B that is included in a separate Excel File has the detailed list of books we are planning to purchase. Qualified bids must include all books listed (all line items must be bid in order to be considered responsive). These books must be available in the format (eBook or Audiobook) and lending model listed. Since these books will be stored in a digital library, we need to be able to have the students check the books out and return them after they have read/listened to the content. Currently we use the Sora App to check out digital books in our school district. If your eBook/Audiobook will not work with that app, then we ask that you provide an app that has the functionality to:

• allow students to check books in and out electronically on a first-come, first-served basis

• allow students to make notes, highlights, and annotations in any resource they access that are able to be saved and exported at any time

• allow students to access eBooks and Audiobooks from local public libraries without a library card

• allow teachers to assign specific resources to specific students

• function on computers (including Chromebooks), Amazon Kindle (downloadable in Kindle format), eReaders, and mobile devices with both Android OS or iOS

• render content in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish

Books must be available by February 1st, 2026.

G. EVALUATION OF BIDS

Each bid received shall be evaluated for responsiveness as outlined in the Utah Procurement Code. This IFB shall be evaluated by the objective criteria described in this IFB. Bids submitted must comply with the requirements of the IFB. Any bid that does not comply with the requirements will be deemed non-responsive and will be rejected.

Multiple or alternate bids will not be accepted unless otherwise specifically required to allowed in the invitation for bids. If a bidder submits multiple or alternate bids that are not requested in this IFB, the head of the Procurement Unit will only accept the Bidder’s primary bid and will not accept any other bids constituting multiple or alternate bids.

Any exceptions to the content of this IFB, including the prerequisites, must be protested in writing to the Procurement Unit during the question-and-answer period.

H. EVALUATION OF COSTS

Bids will be evaluated using the following methodology to determine the lowest Bidder:

The award will be given to the responsive and responsible Bidder with the lowest total price for the requested items.

If a Bidder fails to provide a cost, then its bid will be considered non-responsive, and the bid will be rejected.

Appendix –Bid Sheet 2026

Please see Attachment B for a list of the eBooks/Audiobooks we are looking to purchase. All line items must be bid. Simply inputting the unit price in the spreadsheet will calculate the overall cost. Please use the total from the spreadsheet to enter the “Total Price“ listed below. This Appendix – Bid Sheet as well as your completed Excel file of the list of books must be uploaded in the Bonfire portal as your bid response, in order to be responsive.

Total Price of Books listed $______________________

By signing below you are certifying your answers are accurate and correct, and will be uploaded in the Bonfire system as your bid response:

Signature

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