5-Bid Invitation Requirements.pdf

B-2604BM Audio Visual Equipment Invitation & Requirements

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is soliciting competitive sealed bids from qualified suppliers for the purchase of Audio Visual Equipment. GCPS is the largest school system in Georgia with over 140 schools and enrollment of over 182,000 students.

Communication – Gwinnett County Public Schools Personnel: Individuals, firms, and businesses seeking an award of a Gwinnett County Public Schools contract may not initiate or continue any verbal or written communications regarding a solicitation. Bid submissions will be received digitally until September 11, 2025, at 9:00 AM EST, through the Bonfire Interactive online portal located at https://gwinnett.bonfirehub.com or by visiting the GCPS Purchasing website at https://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/24587. A list of submitting firms will be available the following business day on our website. All communications concerning the Bid must be submitted in writing to the Gwinnett County Public School’s Purchasing Department via Bonfire under the “Message Center” section of the bid. No response other than written communication by the Purchasing Department will be binding upon Gwinnett County Public Schools. Violations will be reviewed by the Purchasing Director. If determined that such communication has compromised the competitive process, the offer submitted by the individual, firm, or business may be disqualified from consideration for award. The Purchasing Department, in its discretion, may call upon user departments for clarification in their area of expertise. All questions or commentary must be received in Bonfire under the “Message Center” section no later than September 4, 2025, at 9:00AM EST to allow for appropriate and timely responses.

Term The term of this contract is effective November 1, 2025 or upon award, through October 30, 2026. GCPS reserves the right to renew this contract for a maximum of four (4) additional one-year periods for a total potential term length of five (5) years with the approval of the Gwinnett County Board of Education. Renewals will be approved in one-year increments. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 50-5-64, this contract shall not be deemed to create a debt of The Board for the payment of any sum beyond the fiscal year of execution or, in the event of a renewal, beyond the fiscal year of such renewal.

Award will be made to the supplier(s) submitting the lowest responsive and responsible bid. GCPS reserves the right to reject any or all bids to waive technicalities, and to make an award deemed in its best interest.

Bids may be split or awarded in entirety. GCPS reserves the option to negotiate terms, conditions, and pricing with the lowest responsive, responsible bidder(s) at its discretion. All companies submitting a bid will be notified in writing of award.

Approximate Quantities This is a demand usage contract. Anticipated annual quantities are estimated for bid purposes only and not to be construed as a commitment to order a specific quantity. Items will be ordered as needed.

Cost It is GCPS’s expectation that your firm submits its best pricing at the time of the solicitation. The District understands that external factors may impact your firm’s ability to hold pricing for the term of the contract. GCPS reserves the right to review and accept or deny requests for price changes due to extenuating circumstances in the economy, marketplace, or acts of God. This option will only be exercised if it is deemed in the District's best interest.

o The supplier may request an adjustment in the unit prices/total cost in the event of a cost escalation of the unit price/total cost if such items/materials are subject to circumstances in the economy, marketplace, or acts of God or materially impacted by a tariff that arises after the supplier’s response was submitted to GCPS. The existence and timing of such unit prices/total cost escalation must be fully documented by the supplier and shall be subject to the following conditions:

o The supplier must provide written notice to GCPS of any anticipated cost escalation within ten (10) days of becoming aware of such escalation;

o The supplier must submit detailed documentation, including supplier quotes or other evidence reasonably acceptable to GCPS, to substantiate the increased costs;

http://www.gcpsk12.org/Page/24587 o GCPS shall have the right to verify the cost escalation through independent means;

o Any adjustment to unit prices/total cost shall be limited to the actual increase in costs incurred by the supplier and shall not include any additional overhead, profit or fee; and o The supplier shall undertake all reasonable efforts to mitigate the impact of price/cost escalations, including, without limitation, seeking and/or proposing alternative suppliers or materials where feasible and ordering materials in advance.

o In such case, GCPS and the supplier shall negotiate in good faith to agree on the appropriate adjustment to the unit prices/total cost. If after execution of the price/cost Amendment a tariff or other market condition is subsequently reduced or removed or prices of impacted materials are reduced, supplier must provide written notice to GCPS within ten (10) days of supplier becoming aware of such removal or reduction. GCPS and the supplier shall then negotiate in good faith to agree on the appropriate reduction to the prices/cost, which shall be formalized through a revised award letter in accordance with the terms of the Agreement.

Addenda & Opening of Proposals/Bids It is the ultimate responsibility of the supplier to ensure that they have all applicable addenda prior to submitting a response. Addenda will be posted on the Bonfire website: www.gwinnett.bonfirehub.com or by visiting the GCPS Purchasing website at https:publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/about/business-and-finance/p-and-p.

The opening of solicitations will be conducted electronically through the Bonfire Procurement Portal. Only the names of the submitting companies will be made publicly available by the close of business the following business day on our website. To view the list of respondents, suppliers must log-into the Bonfire Interactive online portal located at www.gwinnett.bonfirehub.com or by visiting the GCPS Purchasing website at https:publish.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/gcps/home/public/about/business-and-finance/p-and-p then select the “Past Public Opportunities” tab. The solicitation status will automatically change to “Closed” after the solicitation Due Date and Time.

Bid Requirements

Vendor Requirements for Flat Panels The supplier must have a representative within 50 miles and a physical office within 200 miles of the GCPS Instructional Support Center. For the Samsung Flat panel TV’s, the supplier must be a Samsung Gold Education partner.

**Note: All sections (grouped items) within the bid table do not have to be bid, however all items within each grouped section must be bid. Grouped items will be awarded to One (1) supplier. The non-grouped section will be awarded by line item. Delivery pricing is to be included with the cost of each unit.

Discontinued/Replacement Models Discontinued/replacement models will only be considered when the manufacturer has discontinued the product, the product is obsolete, or the producer/manufacturer is having difficulties in the manufacture and delivery of the product. The awardee is required to notify GCPS that the manufacturer’s item awarded is scheduled to discontinuance and will no longer be available for purchase. The awardee is required to notify GCPS and must provide an approved replacement at the originally awarded price (OR) a price reduction based on technology advances in the marketplace or manufacturer of the item being replaced. The district reserves the right to compare pricing with other suppliers. If such comparisons reveal that other suppliers are selling the same replacement product for less, the district may re-award the item(s) to the supplier with the lowest cost to ensure GCPS remains within current market conditions.

NOTE: Gwinnett County Public Schools requires pricing to remain firm for the duration of the initial term of the contract. Failure to hold firm pricing for the initial term of the contract may be sufficient cause for Gwinnett County Public Schools to declare bid non-responsive.

http://www.gwinnett.bonfirehub.com/ http://www.gwinnett.bonfirehub.com/

Supplier requests to offer replacement models for any item originally awarded on this bid shall be submitted in writing to the Purchasing Department Buyer: Betsy Mccurry, Betsy.McCurry@gcpsk12.org, along with the following documentation:

• Proof that the manufacturer has discontinued the item and it is no longer available.

• Complete technical specifications for the replacement model for consideration and approval by the district.

The district must issue written acceptance before the supplier may ship any replacement product. Circumstances may warrant verbal acceptance by the Purchasing Department as needed with written acceptance thereafter.

For items listed under a group set, changes will only be considered when the manufacturer has discontinued the product, the product is obsolete, or the producer/manufacturer is having difficulties in the manufacture and delivery of the product. The awardee is required to follow the steps listed above and notify GCPS that the manufacturer’s item awarded under the group set is scheduled to discontinuance and will no longer be available for purchase. At this time of notification, the awardee should provide an approved replacement at the originally awarded price (OR) a price reduction based on technology advances in the marketplace or manufacturer of the item being replaced. The district reserves the right to compare pricing with other suppliers. If such comparisons reveal that other suppliers are selling the same replacement product for less, and the overall cost of the group set is lower than the initial award, the district may re-award the item(s) to the supplier with the lowest overall cost of the group set to ensure GCPS remains within current market conditions.

mailto:Betsy.McCurry@gcpsk12.org