Printer_Copier Lease RFP FY25.pdf

LEXINGTON CITY SCHOOLS

THRIVE IN THE HIVE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Lexington City Schools (LCS) invites qualified suppliers to submit proposals for:

PRINTER/COPIER LEASE, REGULAR AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLIES

This document constitutes Lexington City Schools (hereafter called the “District”) Request for Proposals (“RFP”) soliciting proposals from qualified individuals, firms, or organizations to provide the items, goods, supplies and products as described in this RFP.

SEALED PROPOSALS FOR PROVIDING THE PRODUCTS DESCRIBED HEREIN MUST BE RECEIVED

NO LATER THAN: 3:00 P.M. MARCH 28, 2025. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AFTER THAT TIME AND

DATE WILL BE REJECTED .

ALL PROPOSALS WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:

Lexington City Schools Attn: Lisa Jones 1010 Fair Street Lexington, NC 27292

All inquiries for information regarding preparation and submission requirements of this proposal shall be in writing and directed to:

Director of Technology: Terri Holshouser tholshouser@lexcs.org Lexington City Schools 1010 Fair Street Lexington, NC 27292

All other communication and questions regarding this RFP must be directed to the above person. No other contact with any member of the Board of Education, any administrators, staff or employees of the District is permitted before or after completion of the RFP process. Failure to follow this directive or any attempt to contact or influence any such person may result in rejection or disqualification of proposal.

All responses to written requests for information and questions will be in writing and will be sent to all known interested parties. Oral responses will be considered unauthorized and non-binding to the District.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

@LCSJackets @lcsspotlight Icsjackets Lexington City Schools, NC

1010 Fair Street Lexington, NC 27292 mailto:tholshouser@lexcs.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed proposals are subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received at: 1010 Fair St. Lexington, NC 27292 until 3:00 pm (ET) March 28, 2025. Proposals shall be clearly marked with the Lexington City Schools’ Proposal name and number submitted by the deadline identified above. Late Proposals and Proposals submitted via fax or email will not be accepted.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

Proposals entitled for consideration must be made to Lexington City Schools in accordance with the following:

1. Proposals must be printed in a font no smaller than 11 point on 8 ½” x 11” paper.

2. Proposals, along with all required documents, must be submitted in the manner described herein.

3. By responding to the RFP, the proposer certifies that it has not communicated with any employee or member of the District in a manner that might provide the proposer an advantage over any other proposer. A violation of the foregoing is cause for rejection of that particular Proposal without further consideration.

4. By submitting a Proposal, proposer certifies that he/she understands, agrees with, and will abide by, the terms and conditions set forth in this RFP.

5. All costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation of a Proposal responding to this RFP are the responsibility of the proposer and will not be reimbursed by the District.

Proposals are not to contain confidential/proprietary information. Lexington City Schools is subject to North Carolina Public Records statutes. Proposals must contain sufficient information to be evaluated without reference to any confidential or proprietary information. Any Proposal submitted that is marked “confidential” or “proprietary,” or that contains materials so marked, may be returned to the proposer and not be considered for award.

Provide at least three (3) references with contact information where you provided similar machines and maintenance services. At least one of the references should be of comparable size to the number of machines to be provided. Copies of the RFP may be obtained from the Lexington City Schools website by clicking the following link:

https://www.lexcs.org/page/bids or visiting our website at www.lexcs.org .

PROPOSALS FINAL

All proposals received shall be deemed final, conclusive and irrevocable, and no proposal shall be subject to correction or amendment for any error or miscalculation

CONTRACT TERMS

Effective July 1, 2025 Conditions: Three (3) year term with two (2) one year optional extensions at the election of the Lexington City Board of Education and not as an automatic renewal

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

@LCSJackets @lcsspotlight Icsjackets Lexington City Schools, NC

1010 Fair Street Lexington, NC 27292 https://www.lexcs.org/page/bids http://www.lexcs.org/

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered responsive, a proposal must contain the following:

1. Detailed description of the machines proposed. Regardless of manufacturer or model, these machines must meet the technical descriptors provided within this document.

2. Include in your proposal how you plan on examining the number of copies printed at each machine to verify the proper equipment is in place and is properly utilized. Outline a method to replace under or over utilized machines.

3. Response time for service calls. Prompt, reliable service is required.

4. Specific training for all staff and system administrators who will be working with the machines.

5. Include any warranty terms being provided.

6. Provide a statement that a full set of replacement toner cartridges and toner waste cartridges will be available at each location at all times for each device.

7. Provide a statement about how your firm will perform criminal background checks on all existing and newly hired employees that will service Lexington City Schools’ locations before they provide any service or delivery to District locations.

ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION

Lexington City Schools reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals presented, and the right to waive any informalities or irregularities it deems is in the best interest of the District.

Proposals will be accepted at the above stated time and place; however, no commitment will be made at that time. All proposals will be evaluated for pricing, specifications and other pertinent information. Any nonconforming or incomplete proposals may be rejected. Bidders must comply with the instructions contained in the proposal package.

If the contractor cannot meet any of the specifications, expectations or services in the RFP, or takes exception to any of the terms or conditions presented, these exceptions should be distinctly noted in the appropriate sections. If no exceptions are noted, Lexington City Schools will assume full capabilities and agreement to expectations.

CONTRACT

The Board of Education must formally approve the award of any contract(s). The successful Proposer will be required to enter into a written contract with the District which will include, but is not limited to, the Products described herein and the contract provisions included herein, all of which shall be subject to review by the district’s legal counsel.

DELIVERY

The delivery and installation of the equipment proposed must be during the month of June 2025. The equipment must be delivered to the identified sites at the contractor's expense. The representative will remove all boxes and other debris as a result of installation. The representative will be responsible for leaving the area clean and ready for use.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

@LCSJackets @lcsspotlight Icsjackets Lexington City Schools, NC

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

INSURANCE

The successful Proposer will be expected to provide the following types of insurance with the described limits:

● Comprehensive General Liability (Including Contractual Liability)

○ $1,000,000 per person per occurrence

○ $1,000,000 property damage per occurrence

○ $1,000,000 aggregate all claims per occurrence

● Worker’s Compensation -as required by law

● Employer’s Liability -$1,000,000 per occurrence

● Automotive Liability -$1,000,000 per occurrence

INSTALLATION

Successful contractor will:

● Provide qualified labor for delivery and installation of equipment

● Schedule equipment and software installation with the District Technology staff

● Perform installation in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions

● Conduct work in a manner which is least disruptive to regular operation at the District locations.

FINANCING

LCS will not accept 3rd party leasing.

BILLING

Billing must be processed no less than on a quarterly basis and must provide at minimum the following:

1. One master invoice summarizing all billing for the total program population.

2. Detailed backup for master invoice that identifies, by location and machine number the following:

a. All models and accessories

b. Beginning and ending meter readings with total copies made broken down by color or black & white.

c. Total charges by location including sales tax (as a separate line item).

d. Provide current and previous meter reading with the date of meter read.

NEW EQUIPMENT (not used, reconditioned, refurbished, newly remanufactured or remanufactured equipment) may be added at any time during the program period. LCS will NOT be charged any additional costs. All equipment added will be concurrent with the original program. This program shall include ALL operating supplies (excluding paper and fax supplies) and ALL service requirements as necessary to meet the current and future copy/print demands generated by the school system.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

OVERALL SCOPE OF PROGRAM

The purpose of this RFP is to obtain pricing for and select a contractor to provide a Cost per Copy (CPC) program for the Lexington City Schools system. The selected contractor shall provide multi-functional digital devices with print, copy, scan and fax capabilities throughout LCS at a fixed price per copy. The contractor shall furnish, deliver, install, properly train and maintain to the end user’s complete satisfaction, LCS is also requesting a bid for PaperCut print management software as a separate option through the contractor.

ENTITY INFORMATION

Lexington City Schools is a public K-12 school district located in Davidson County, North Carolina with approximately 2,853 students, 500 staff members and seven (7) physical locations:

Central Office -000 1010 Fair St.

Lexington, NC 27292

Charles England Elementary- 308 111 Cornelia St.

Lexington, NC 27292

Lexington Middle School- 332 100 W. Hempstead St.

Lexington, NC 27292

Pickett Elementary- 340 200 Biesecker Rd.

Lexington, NC 27295

Lexington Senior High School- 336 26 Penry St.

Lexington, NC 27292

Southwest Elementary School-352 434 Central Ave.

Lexington, NC 27292

South Lexington School- 348 1000 Cotton Grove Rd.

Lexington, NC 27292

REQUIRED SERVICES

ALL devices proposed must be compatible with Windows and MacOS. At the time of the award, each District location’s needs will be communicated to the apparent successful bidder outlining the specific business needs for devices at that location. The proposer will provide specification sheets listing all accessories, features, functions and technical requirements for each model copier/printer/fax proposed under this solicitation. ALL of this must be provided during the complete term of the contract and must be included in the bid price.

The contractor will furnish, deliver, install, train staff and maintain copiers to the end user’s complete satisfaction.

New Equipment (not used, reconditioned, refurbished, newly manufactured, or remanufactured equipment) will be supplied. Equipment will be able to support the projected workload provided in the planning section of this document.

ALL operating supplies and delivery of supplies, (excluding paper), ALL service requirements as necessary to meet the current and future volume demands, and copier/printer management software should be included.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

As a separate option, contractors should include a quote for PaperCut print management software. Quoting PaperCut assumes the contractor's equipment is compatible with PaperCut software. If not quoted, please indicate if contractor’s equipment is compatible

LCS shall compensate the awarded contractor on a PER COPY basis, which shall represent the total compensation to the contractor. The contractor shall NOT inflate this PER COPY rate for the duration of this agreement. However, the contractor may decrease the rate at any time during the program term. LCS will NOT GUARANTEE any daily, monthly or annual volumes to the awarded contractor. However, LCS has produced a total of approximately 660,000 black & white pages and 25,000 color pages per month.

The costs for maintenance, supplies, drums, staples, repairs, all taxes (excluding NC sales tax) and other applicable items must be included in your proposed cost per copy. Contractor will provide any receptacles that are required to operate the devices. LCS’ only cost in operating the devices is paper and fax supplies if a standalone fax machine is needed. There will be no CPC on standalone fax machines.

The awarded contractor must average a two to four (2 to 4) hour service response time on all service calls. A qualified, factory trained service technician must respond to each service call. Frequent neglect or deviation from this response time will be deemed a material breach and result in the termination of the program. Upon arrival at any school or department for service calls, the service representative must notify LCS personnel of his/her arrival. If a unit is down for more than 24 hours, a comparable loaner machine is to be supplied by the provider. Poor performing and/or problematic copier/printer/fax units will be replaced with similar equipment that continues to meet the requirements outlined in this document. If there are 3 service calls in a 30 day period, the machine is to be replaced with a comparably used unit with the same features. If there are 6 service calls in 60 days, the machine is to be replaced with a new unit with the same features.

Training for the “key operator” and other departmental personnel shall be provided within 24 hours after installation.

On-going training is to be provided as needed at NO additional cost to LCS. The awarded contractor shall maintain complete ownership of the equipment for the duration of the program. Upon completion of the program the contractor shall have no more than two (2) weeks to remove all of its equipment. There will be NO costs to LCS for any removal charges and/or freight expense. If a contractor fails to comply, LCS may forward the equipment to the contractor on a “collect” basis by common or contract carrier.

The awarded contractor shall provide preventative maintenance and remedial maintenance service during District normal business hours, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., except on state holidays, to keep copiers in good working condition.

a. Perform preventative maintenance based on specific requirements of the equipment.

b. Perform on-call remedial maintenance on an as needed basis as determined by the District.

c. Provide diagnostic tools for the District Technology Services staff to perform copy/print meter read reports.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications for the required multi-function devices are listed below:

1. All devices, except stand-alone fax machines, must be network capable for print, copy and scan. Scanning options shall not create a CPC charge.

2. All devices, except stand-alone fax machines, must be capable of restricted access with user assigned codes and the ability of system administrators to grant/modify maximum volume levels for each code.

3. Large capacity cassettes should hold at least 2,000 sheets of paper.

4. Network capable machines must be able to scan from the device control panel to e-mail, network file share and

FTP. Scanning must be available in color or black & white.

5. LCS system administrators must be able to monitor system activity from either local and/or remote locations

(i.e. consumables usage, system events, etc.) using software and training provided by the contractor at no charge to LCS.

6. All scanning devices proposed will have the ability to scan documents into a minimum of: TIFF JPEG PDF

7. All multi-function devices must have the ability to effectively utilize 20 lb. xerographic bond paper and card stock. No equipment may be proposed which requires special or coated paper.

8. Must include Advanced Encryption Standard 64-bit encryption of content storage on the hard drive. Must be compliant with International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) hard drive security standards (ISO 15408 certification)

9. Devices must have a job erase function to overwrite hard drive contents.

10. Minimum Speed: 30 ppm or faster

11. Dual-Scan document feeder with 50-sheet capacity (scan speed of 120 IPM)

12. Minimum Memory 4.0 GB Ram/Dual 32 GB HDD All drivers/mobile print/secure printing

13. Network connectivity: TCP/IP

14. Scan to Email via Google SMTP compatibility (aspmx.l.google.com (port 25))

15. Scan to Black & White and Color minimum 200 dpi

16. Scan to network functionality

17. Paper handling capability

a. Letter - portrait and landscape

b. Legal (11 x 14) and 11 x 17

c. Bypass Tray

d. Envelopes - ability to print envelopes fast ○

e. Photo Paper, Card stock, and labels

f. 50 sheet stapling finisher (will be selected on some machines)

g. Saddle stitched booklet capability (will be selected on some machines)

h. (two) 2 and (three) 3 hole punch (will be selected on some machines)

i. Automatic document feeder

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

j. Automatic duplexing

k. Collating capabilities

l. Reduction and Enlargement capability

m. Scanning Resolution minimum 300 dpi

n. Output Resolution of 300 dpi (will be selected on some machines)

o. Cardstock weight of up to 110 (will be selected on some machines)

CONDITIONS

The resulting contract(s) will be subject to the availability for funding and shall be terminated immediately if for any reason the funding budgeted to satisfy this RFP and/or Agreement is withdrawn, limited, or impaired.

District retains flexibility of adding or removing equipment anytime during the contract term without any additional costs (ie. delivery, installation and/or training) other than the contracted cost. Any additional equipment added to the contract would also terminate on the same date as the original contract. The contractor will not increase the agreed upon rate during the term of the contract.

WARRANTY

Contractor warrants that all Products covered by this agreement will conform to each and every specification, drawing, sample or other description which is furnished to or is adopted by the District and that they will be fit and sufficient for the purpose intended, merchantable, or good material and workmanship and free from defects. Such warranty shall survive delivery and shall not be deemed waived either by reason of the District’s acceptance of said materials or by payment for them.

INSURANCE

Contractor must maintain occurrence-based insurance including comprehensive general liability, and if applicable Worker’s Compensation and Employer’s Liability in the amounts described herein. Such insurance shall be provided by insurance companies authorized to do business in the State of North Carolina. The District shall be included as an additional insured on all required insurance policies, except Worker’s Compensation and Employer’s Liability, with respect to the liability arising out of the performance of Contractor’s Product under this agreement.

Certificates of insurance of Contractor’s insurance coverage shall be furnished to the District at the time of commencement of the Products. All such insurance shall provide for notice of cancellation of insurance policies thirty

(30) days before such cancellation is to take effect.

REPORTING

During the term of this Agreement, Contractor shall report to, and confer with the District’s Executive Director of Finance and/ or her designee on a regular basis, and as may be reasonably requested, concerning the Products provided by Contractor and issues related to the Products. Contractor also agrees to meet and confer with other District Administrators, officers and employees as directed, or as may be necessary or appropriate.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP# 206-2025-001 LCS

LICENSES AND PERMITS

Contractor shall obtain at Contractor’s expense all licenses and permits necessary to provide the Products.

INDEMNITY

Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the District and the members of the Board of Education, and the District’s officers, employees, servants and agents from and against any and all liabilities, losses, damages, cost and expense of any kind (including, without limitation, reasonable legal fees and expenses in connection with any investigative, administrative or judicial proceeding, whether or not designated a party hereto) which may be suffered by incurred by or threatened against the District on account of or resulting from injury, or claim of injury, to person or property arising from Contractor’s Products actions or omissions relating to this Agreement, or arising out of Contractor’s breach or failure to perform any term, covenant, condition or agreement herein provided to be performed by Contractor.

GOVERNING LAW-JURISDICTION

This agreement shall be governed, construed and interpreted under North Carolina law, and shall be deemed to be executed and performed in the County of Davidson, North Carolina. Any legal action arising out of, or relating to this agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, and the parties agree to the exclusive exercise of jurisdiction and venue over them by a court of competent jurisdiction located in the County of Davidson, North Carolina.

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR

The District and Contractor agree that Contractor will act for all purposes as an independent contractor and not as an employee, in the providing of the Products, and in the performance of Contractor’s duties under this Agreement.

Accordingly, Contractor shall be responsible for payment of all taxes, including federal, state, and local taxes arising out of Contractor’s products, including by way of illustration but not limitation, federal and state income tax, social security tax, unemployment insurance taxes, and any other taxes. In addition, Contractor and Contractor’s employees shall not be entitled to any vacation, insurance, health, welfare, or other fringe benefits provided by the District.

Contractor shall have no authority to assume or incur any obligations or responsibility, nor make any warrants for or on behalf of the District or to attempt to bind the District.

(336) 242-1527 (336) 249-3206 www.lexcs.org