Refrigerator IFB 2025.doc

2025-2026 (Program year runs July 1, 2025 thru June 30, 2026) Invitation to Bid for

Refrigerators

Submission deadline: May 23, 2025 Energy Resource Center

General Information

1) Energy Resource Center (ERC) is a 501 (c) (3) organization which operates the Weatherization Assistance Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Colorado Energy Office, Xcel Energy, and other public and private entities. The Energy Resource Center (Agency) is a tax exempt federally funded non-profit organization that keeps people warm and safe by providing no cost weatherization, insulation, furnace services and essential health and safety repairs to eligible low-income households. Over 1000 homes were serviced last program year. Bidders can expect that approximately one third to one half that number will require a refrigerator replacement.

2) Procurement of materials for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is governed by 2 CFR 200 and 10 CFR 440 Appendix A.

3) ERC is requesting bids on pricing for Refrigerators to be used in the implementation of the WAP program.

4) “Weatherization” means insulation, air sealing, HVAC, and other general repairs in residential dwellings for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency, safety, and comfort for the occupants. More information on the WAP can be found at https://energyoffice.colorado.gov.

5) ERC operates out of four offices in Colorado: Denver, serving Denver, Jefferson, Broomfield and Gilpin counties; Colorado Springs, serving El Paso, Douglas, Elbert, Fremont, Teller, Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties; Alamosa, serving Alamosa, Saguache, Mineral, Rio Grande, Conejos, and Costilla counties; Loveland, serving Boulder, Weld and Larimer counties; Sterling, serving Morgan, Washington, Logan Sedgwick, Phillips and Yuma counties

6) The contacts for this Invitation to Bid are Mr. Myron Quintana (719-591-0772, Colorado Springs), Mr. Kevin Kurth (720-236-1326, Denver), Mr. Ronnie Malouff (719-587-9492, Alamosa), Mr. Wade Laning (920-617-2801, Loveland); Mr. Thomas Lindenmier (970-463-7020, Sterling); Procurement Specialists for ERC.

7) SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES: ONE (1) electronic submittal must be submitted online via Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (RMEPS) at www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado . It is the responsibility of the Contractor to ensure that the electronic proposal is submitted prior to the proposal closing time. No physical submissions will be accepted.

Conditions of the Invitation to Bid - Refrigerators

1) All bids become the property of ERC and will not be returned to the bidder.

2) All price quotes, terms and conditions contained in the bid shall remain fixed and valid for the program asstated above. All price quotes MUST include:

a) projected cost increases during the designated time period; (prices may be negotiated one time only during the program year due to manufacture cost increases, however, ERC reserves the right to re-negotiate prices with other vendors to secure the best price available); and

b) upon request bidders are to submit pertinent product information (specs) as well as SDS sheets, if applicliable, for any products included in the bid. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of vendor’s bid for the item specified.

· All shipping, handling and delivery fees must be included in the unit price for each item. Office locations:

· Denver, Colorado

· Colorado Springs, Colorado

· Alamosa, Colorado

· Loveland, Colorado

· Sterling, Colorado

3) The bid shall be signed by a person legally authorized to bind the bidder.

4) Failure to furnish all information requested in the Invitation for Bids or failure to follow the format may disqualify the bid.

5) Issuance of the Invitation to Bid does not constitute a commitment by ERC to award a bid, or to purchase any quantity from the bidder.

6) ERC reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive irregularities and informalities.

7) ERC reserves the right to award bid(s) to one or more vendors based on delivery time, quality of material, and lowest price for the total Insulation Materials bid, per category, or to award bid(s) to several vendors based on delivery time, quality of material and lowest price for individual items within certain categories; i.e., Vendor A may receive the bid for all weather-stripping, whereas Vendor B may receive the bid for some or all of the foundation and roof vents.

8) Winning bidders shall warranty all materials for one (1) year against defects in material (and workmanship, if applicable) from the date of provision.

9) The letter of award shall not be construed as an exclusive award of bid for the purchase of Weatherization materials. ERC reserves the right to acquire materials from any vendor if the winning bidder can not deliver materials in a reasonable time.

10) Vendors must be able to directly supply products to the homes of Energy Resource Center clients within five (5) working days from receipt of the Agency's purchase order(s, located in the following counties:

--Denver, Jefferson, Gilpin, Broomfield, Cheyenne, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Teller, Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Boulder, Larimer, Weld, Logan, Morgan, Philips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma (exceptions will be made to some of the less populated areas)

11) ERC is exempt from Federal Sales Tax (Federal EIN No. 84-0809393), Colorado State Sales Tax (State Sales Tax No. 98-03942), and City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax (see City Tax Exempt letter).

12) Energy Resource Center is part of the State of Colorado Purchasing Agreement (NP2079) and as such may purchase goods and services covered by the State Purchasing Agreements on the same terms and coniditions as the State Agencies.

13) Successful bidder agrees to waive the right of placing a lien upon any property or address served under or through the proposed award as a recourse for nonpayment or any other reason and specifically waives all rights and authorities contained in the Colorado Mechanics Lien Laws, Article 22 of Title 38 CRS

14) Successful bidder agrees to comply with the letter and spirit of the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act of 1957, as amended, and other applicable laws respecting discrimination and unfair employment practices (24-34-402, CRS). Supplier shall, in the performance of his obligations under this Agreement, comply with all applicable affirmative action and equal opportunity laws, regulations, and policies. The Supplier shall remain in compliance with the Copeland "Anti-Kickback" Act and the provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

15) Successful bidder warrants that no person or selling agency or other organization has been employed or retained to solicit or secure this bid for a compensation, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee. For breach or violation of this warranty, the Energy Resource Center shall have the right to refuse the bid in its entirety.

16) Successful bidder agrees in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5USCA 552a), that the bidder will be responsible for the confidentiality of all data disclosed to them by the Energy Resource Center.

ERC reserves the right to select multiple winning vendors for the same item.

A.

BACKGROUND:

The Energy Resource Center (ERC) is a subcontractor to provide services under the weatherization program for the Colorado Energy Office which administers the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program using funds from the Department of Energy, Xcel Energy, and the Colorado Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The intended purpose is to reduce the electric and gas bills of residential low-income customers by providing cost-effective demand management and energy savings through investments in energy-efficient technologies and practices at no cost to qualified residents. ERC provides services in five counties.

Colorado residents who are eligible to receive free home weatherization are offered a variety of cost-effective energy efficiency services, as well as energy education specifically targeted to reduce electricity consumption in their homes. The services may include the replacement of inefficient electricity-consuming refrigerators with energy-efficient models.

B.

PURPOSE:

ERC under the Weatherization program desires to contract with one vendor to supply and install energy-efficient refrigerators and to recycle/demanufacture all replaced refrigerators.

C.

GOALS:

The goal of this IFB is to set forth the context and specific deliverables of the required services, and to solicit a detailed response from Offerors that shall include pricing and service descriptions in the specified format.

D. REQUIRED TASKS:

Refrigerator Replacement and Recycling Program: Low-income customers, through this program, will have the opportunity to replace their old refrigerator with a new, energy efficient model. Eligible customers will be offered a new, white, 15, 18, 21, cu. ft. (+/-) top freezer model, 21 side x side or 19 cu. ft. bottom freezer model(Handicap only clients).The refrigerator will be a non-CFC refrigerator and approximately 10% more efficient than the current federal standard (see Attachment A). In some cases ERC’s client will be offered a larger replacement refrigerator in exchange for removing two old refrigerators.

Offerors who are awarded this IFB (hereinafter referred to as Contractor) must purchase, warehouse and distribute the products for the Program. All products / materials under this IFB must meet UL standards and come with a manufacturer’s warranty for parts and labor of at least one year. All removed refrigerators must be recycled/demanufactured in accordance with The Clean Air Act of 1990, section 608, as amended by Final Rule 40 CFR 82, May 14, 1993. This Act makes it unlawful for any person to dispose of refrigerants in a manner in which they will be allowed to enter the environment. All pricing shall incorporate disposal costs.

ERC expects to install approximately 300 replacement refrigerators per year in the homes of eligible customers. Homes will be primarily single-family residences. To participate in this program, customers must agree to have their existing refrigerator permanently removed from their home to be recycled by the Contractor.

When notified by ERC of a client with a refrigerator eligible for replacement, the Contractor will schedule with the client a mutually convenient time to remove the old refrigerator from the residence to recycle it (recovering ozone depleting chemicals, metals, etc.), install the new unit, and remove all packing materials from the customer’s premises. If an ice maker is specified, it must be connected to the existing water supply line.

The Contractor will install a new refrigerator only after verifying that the existing refrigerator works and is the same unit that was tested by the ERC auditor.

Contractor shall assume the possibility of some failed deliveries per year regardless of cause (including, but not limited to, a customer’s refusal to part with their current unit, insufficient room or access to install the new unit, the old unit’s being different from the one tested by the ERC agency, the old unit not working, etc.). Contractor bears some responsibility for verifying these issues with the customer to its satisfaction before delivery.

Contractor shall provide delivery and warranty service during normal working hours at a minimum. Normal working hours are defined as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. (Offerors may propose Saturday and/or after-hours services at no additional charge, which will be awarded extra points in the evaluation of the proposals.)

Once the new refrigerator has been installed, the Contractor shall level the unit to ensure proper operation and hook up the ice maker to an existing water supply line if an ice maker is specified for the unit. The Contractor will also ensure that door hinges are on the appropriate side, instruct the customer on refrigerator operation, deliver warranties and operating manuals to the customer, and set the temperature controls appropriately. Replacement refrigerators will have a minimum of one-year parts and labor warranty from the Contractor or manufacturer. The Contractor shall supply a toll free number to report problems with the replacement refrigerators.

Contractors agree not to involve ERC in any advertising without ERC's express, written permission for each such use.

The Contractor will still be responsible to ERC for ensuring the warranty is honored by the manufacturer (or other party including the delivery Sub-contractor) when necessary. The Contractor shall be responsible for providing warranty parts and labor at no charge. (Offeror may propose additional warranty coverage at no charge, which will be awarded extra points in the evaluation of the proposals.)

A representative will be designated as primary point of contact for resolving any and all issues concerning the refrigerator replacement program. The representative will work with ERC to answer questions as to how the Contractor’s program operates and to resolve all problems that arise.

Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters

1.

By signing and submitting this proposal, the prospective contractor is providing the certification set out below.

2.

The inability of a person to provide the certification required below will not necessarily result in denial of participation in this covered transaction. The prospective participant shall submit an explanation of why it cannot provide the certification set out below. The certification or explanation will be considered in connection with the Department of Labor's (DOL) determination whether to enter into this transaction. However, failure of the prospective primary participant to furnish a certification or an explanation shall disqualify such person from participation in this transaction.

3.

The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when the DOL determined to enter into this transaction. If it is later determined that the prospective primary participant knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the DOL may terminate this transaction for cause or default.

4.

The prospective primary participant shall provide immediate written notice to the DOL if at any time the prospective primary participant learns its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of charged circumstances.

5.

The terms "covered transaction"; "debarred", "suspended", "ineligible", "lower tier covered transaction", "participant", "person", "primary covered transaction", "principal", "proposal", and "voluntarily excluded", as used in this clause, have the meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549. You may contact the DOL for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations.

6.

The prospective primary participant agrees by submitting this proposal that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the DOL.

7.

The prospective primary participant further agrees by submitting this proposal that it will include the clause titled "Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions", provided by the DOL, without modification, in all lower tier covered transactions and all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions.

8.

A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. A participant may decide the method and frequency by which it determined the eligibility of its principals. Each participant may, but is not required to, check the List of Parties Excluded From Procurement or Nonprocurement Programs.

9.

Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to required establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause. The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings

10.

Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 6 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction with a person who is suspended, debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the agency may terminate this transaction for cause or default.

11. This certification is required by the regulations implementing Executive Order 12549, Debarment and Suspension, 29 CFR Part 98, Section 98.510, Participants' responsibilities. The regulations were published as Part VII of the May 26, 1988 Federal Register (pages 19160-19211).

1. The prospective contractor certifies to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its principals:

a. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;

b. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

c. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity (Federal, State, or local) with commission or any of the offense enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and

d. Have not within a three-year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

2. Where the prospective primary participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal.

Certification

I hereby certify that the attached is our bid for materials for the Energy Resource Center Weatherization/Furnace Program. I agree with the conditions contained in this Invitation for Bid.

Business Firm:

Address:

Telephone:

Authorized Signature:

Print Name:

Title:

Date:

Document must be downloaded and signed by an authorized agent and returned via Bidnet in it’s entirety. Failre to do so may result in the disqualification of the bid.

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