RFQ 230124-169 Inmate-Patient Clothing Textile.docx

STATE OF MAINE

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

BUREAU OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES

RFQ # (03A 230124*169)

(Clothing, Textiles – Inmate & Patient)

Quotations/Responses Due: (2/14/2023) not later than 4:00 p.m. local time

Note: All questions and responses must be provided via the State of Maine’s e-Procurement system: AdvantageME / Vendor Self Service (VSS).

General Instructions on Bidder Questions It is the responsibility of each Bidder to examine the entire RFQ and to seek clarification by submitting questions through the Q & A List tab on the Solicitation page. Any answers to questions will appear there as well. It is the vendor's responsibility to log in to view all questions and answers posted. Additional information obtained any other way will not be valid.

In the event that you must contact us for any other reasons than the Q & A previously mentioned, only the Buyer listed on the Solicitation page may be contacted from the time this RFQ is issued until award notification is made. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding this RFQ. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.

Summary For this competitive Request for Quotations (RFQ) process, the State of Maine Division of Procurement Services (“Division”) is acting on behalf of the (Maine Correctional & Psychiatric Facilities) (“Requesting Department”). The Division and the Requesting Department seek quotations (also referred to as “bids” or “responses” herein) to provide the goods/services listed above. This document provides instructions and descriptions of requirements for this competitive process.

RFQ REQUIREMENTS

1. Description of Requirements

The following is a description of the goods and/or services sought by the State of Maine under this RFQ.

· Please see Appendix B on page 10

2. Bid Contents Requirements

In addition to the cost, delivery, and other information required in VSS, all bids should contain the following information as attachments, in the Appendices listed below:

· Appendix A: Bid Cover Page and Debarment Form (Pages 9 & 10 of this document)

· Appendix D: Municipality Political Subdivision and School District Participation Certification (Page 12 of this document)

· Cost Response Sheet, Excel Format

· Appendix E: Code of Conduct (Required)

· Samples: Required

3. Master Agreement Term

In addition to any mutually agreed upon delivery dates for purchases of goods, the contract resulting from this RFQ will have a term, or “Period of Performance”, during which the contract is considered to be in effect. The anticipated contract term is defined in the table below. Please note that the dates below are estimated and may be adjusted as necessary in order to comply with all procedural requirements associated with this RFQ and the contracting process. The actual contract start date will be established by the completed and approved contract.

Contract Renewal: Following the initial term of the contract, the Division may opt to renew the contract for three renewal periods, subject to continued availability of funding and satisfactory delivery/performance.

The term of the anticipated contract, resulting from this RFQ, is defined as follows:

4. Submitting a Quotation

a. Quotations Due: Quotations must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the date listed in VSS. Quotations received after the 4:00 p.m. deadline will not be accepted.

b. Submission Instructions: Bidders must submit their bids in the State of Maine’s electronic procurement system: Advantage “Vendor Self Service” (VSS). More information on this system can be found at the following internet link: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system

c. Multiple Quotations: Unless specifically prohibited in Section 1 of this RFQ, Bidders are permitted to submit multiple quotations for this RFQ, offering alternative items or pricing for the State of Maine to consider in its best value determination.

d. Withdrawal of a Quotation: Bidders are permitted to withdraw their own quotations up until the due date and time for receipt of quotations. To do so, a Bidder must enter the VSS system (as referenced above), identify and open their submitted quotation located in the Solicitation Responses tab, and click the “Withdraw” button found at the bottom of the screen. Quotations cannot be withdrawn after the due date and time for receipt of quotations.

e. Attachments: Any attachments provided with the Advantage VSS bid submission must be in MS Word, MS Excel, or Adobe (.pdf) format, unless otherwise specified in Section 1 of this RFQ. Vendors are encouraged to submit supporting documentation that aid the requesting department in understanding how the bid conforms to the requirements. The VSS attachment file size limit is 2Mb. Please contact the buyer for this RFQ if you must submit attachment files larger than this.

f. Vendor specifications: Unless otherwise stated in this RFQ document, limited specification information will be required upon submission of a bid in response to this RFQ. However, a Bidder’s response should include an affirmative statement that their bid complies with all requirements/specifications of this RFQ, unless the Bidder specifically addresses how its bid differs from the specifications, and why the differences should be deemed acceptable by the State. Failure to provide an affirmative statement that the bid complies with the requirements/specifications of the RFQ, or failure to address how the bid differs from the requirements/specification and an explanation for why those differences should be acceptable, will result in the bid being rejected.

5. General Instructions

a. The Bidder must submit a cost quotation response that covers the goods and term of the contract, including any optional renewal.

b. The cost quotation shall include the costs necessary for the Bidder to fully comply with the contract terms and conditions and RFQ requirements.

c. Failure to provide the requested information may result in the exclusion of the quotation from consideration, at the discretion of the Division.

d. No costs related to the preparation of the quotation for this RFQ or to the negotiation of the contract with the Department may be included in the quotation.

e. The State is exempt from the payment of Federal, State and local Taxes on articles not for resale. Please provide quotations that do not include these taxes. Upon application, an exemption certificate can be furnished by the State at the point of contract finalization.

6. Quotation Evaluation and Selection

Evaluation of the submitted quotations shall be accomplished as detailed below:

a. State of Maine RFQ documents are evaluated on a Best Value basis. The term “Best Value” may take into consideration the qualities of the goods or services to be supplied, their conformity with the specifications listed in the RFQ, the purposes for which they are required, the date of delivery, and the best interest of the State. Once the goods or services have been determined to conform to the specifications then the Division will make its award decision based on the lowest price among the Bidders.

b. The State reserves the right to not make an award to the lowest price bidder when that bidder has had documented poor performance and/or a contract terminated or not renewed within the last five years.

c. At the discretion of the Division, if a Bidder’s submission is deemed to not conform to the specifications listed in the RFQ, or otherwise not conform to the requirements of the RFQ, then that Bidder’s submission may not be considered for contract award.

d. The Division reserves the right to not make any awards as a result of this RFQ.

e. The Division may make an award to the Best Value Bidder whose specifications most closely meet the specifications of this RFQ.

f. If the specifications provided with this RFQ are of a technical nature, then the Division’s RFQ Coordinator, at his or her discretion, may seek to use an evaluation team comprised of subject matter experts, end-users from the Requesting Department, or other State Department representatives. In such a case, the evaluation team will judge the merits of the quotations received in accordance with the best value criteria defined in the RFQ.

7. Negotiations

a. No Best and Final Offers: The State of Maine will not seek a best and final offer (BAFO) from any Bidder in this procurement process. All Bidders are expected to provide their Best Value pricing with the submission of their quotation.

b. The Division reserves the right to negotiate with the successful Bidder to finalize a contract at the same rate or cost of goods and services as presented in the selected quotation. Such negotiations may not significantly vary the content, nature or requirements of the quotation or the RFQ to an extent that may affect the price of goods or services requested. The Division reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with a selected Bidder who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the quotation submitted in response to the RFQ.

c. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, the Division may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, the Division may cancel the RFQ, at its sole discretion.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RFQ AND CONTRACT

PART I GENERAL INFORMATION ON RFQs

A. Purpose and Background

The State of Maine (“State”) Department of Administrative and Financial Services (“Department”), Bureau of Business Management (“Bureau”), Division of Procurement Services (“Division”) acts as the purchasing agent on behalf of all Executive Departments and other agencies within State Government. For this competitive Request for Quotations (RFQ) process, the Division is acting on behalf of the Requesting Department listed on the cover page. The Division and the Requesting Department seek quotations (also referred to as “bids” or “responses” herein) to provide the goods/services as defined above in Section 1 of this document. This document provides instructions for submitting quotations, the procedure and criteria by which the Bidder(s) will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State and the awarded Bidder(s). Following Bidder selection and upon reaching a mutual agreement, the State and the selected Bidder will enter into a contract – taking the form of a State of Maine Master Agreement or Buyer Purchase Order (all generally referred to as “contract” herein), as applicable.

B. General Provisions

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/1/title1sec401.html

C. Delivery Terms

For the purchase of goods, the Division and selected Bidder will decide upon a delivery date in accordance with the State’s requirements and the terms offered in the Bidder’s quotation. Unless stated otherwise in Section 1 of this RFQ, all deliveries are expected with shipping terms of “Free on Board (FOB) – Destination”. The State intends for this to mean that all goods shall be priced in the bid response to include shipping charges, if any, to the State’s desired location. The “FOB – Destination” shipping term is also intended to mean that the State shall not bear any responsibility for the goods in question until the State takes possession of them at the destination point of delivery.

D. Alternate Bids and Approved Equals

When, in submitted bid forms and specifications, an article or material is identified by using a trade name and catalog number of a manufacturer or vendor, the term "or approved equal," if not inserted with the identification, is implied. There is a presumption that any reference to a particular manufacturer's product either by trade name or by limited description has been made solely for the purpose of more clearly indicating the minimum standard of quality desired. Consideration must be given to proposals submitted on approved equal alternate commodities to the extent that such action serves the best interest of the State. The bidder submitting a proposal on a commodity other than as specified shall furnish complete identification, descriptive literature or data with respect to the alternate commodity that the bidder proposes to furnish. Lack of such information on the bid must be construed to mean that the bidder proposes to furnish the exact commodity described. The State reserves the right to reject any bids, in whole or in part, to waive any formality or technicality in any bid and to accept any item in any bid.

E. Appeal of Contract Awards

Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from this RFQ may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 MRSA § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules, Chapter 120 (found here: http://www.maine.gov/purchases/policies/120.shtml). The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within 15 calendar days of receipt of notification of contract award.

If this RFQ results in the creation of a pre-qualified or pre-approved list of vendors, then the appeal procedures mentioned above are available upon the original determination of that vendor list, but not during subsequent competitive procedures involving only the pre-qualified or pre-approved list participants.

PART II CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS

A. Contract Document

The successful Bidder will be required to execute a contract in the form of a State of Maine Buyer Purchase Order, Contract Agreement to Purchase Services or State of Maine Master Agreement.

The Standard Terms and Conditions used with the aforementioned contract types may be found on the Division of Procurement Services’ website at the following link:

https://www.maine.gov/dafs/procurementservices/sites/maine.gov.dafs.procurementservices/files/inline-files/BPO_General_Terms.doc

In the event that the State of Maine’s Standard Terms and Conditions or RFQ provisions do not otherwise cover contractual scenarios that are specific to the goods or services being purchased under this RFQ, then the State is willing to consider a Bidder’s standard terms and conditions. Consideration or use of a Bidder’s standard terms and conditions shall only occur under the general agreement that in the event of a conflict, the State of Maine’s Standard Terms and Conditions and RFQ provisions shall take precedence.

Other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State can be found on the Division of Procurement Services’ website at the following link: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/forms

B. Independent Capacity

In providing services and performing under the contract, the successful Bidder shall act independently and not as an agent of the State of Maine.

C. Payments and Other Provisions

The State anticipates paying the selected Bidder for goods and services received, on the basis of net 30 payment terms, upon the receipt of an accurate and acceptable invoice. An invoice will be considered accurate and acceptable if it contains a reference to the State of Maine contract number, contains correct pricing information relative to the contract, and provides any required supporting documents, as applicable, and any other specific and agreed-upon requirements listed within the contract that results from this RFQ.

The State of Maine reserves the right to pay for goods purchased through this solicitation by any of several available means, which include but may not be limited to check, EFT, and/or procurement card. Bidders are advised that state statute precludes sellers from imposing a surcharge on credit or debit card purchases (text follows):

“9-A MRSA §8-509 (1): A seller in a sales transaction may not impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card or debit card in lieu of payment by cash, check or similar means.”

Appendix A

STATE OF MAINE

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES

BID COVER PAGE and DEBARMENT FORM

Bidder’s Organization Name:

Chief Executive - Name/Title:

Headquarters Street Address:

Headquarters City/State/Zip:

(provide information requested below if different from above)

Lead Point of Contact for Bid - Name/Title:

Street Address:

City/State/Zip:

By signing below Bidder affirms:

· Their bid complies with all requirements of this RFQ;

· This bid and the pricing structure contained herein will remain firm for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening;

· That no personnel currently employed by the Department or any other State agency participated, either directly or indirectly, in any activities relating to the preparation of the Bidder’s proposal;

· That no attempt has been made or will be made by the Bidder to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal; and

· The undersigned is authorized to enter into contractual obligations on behalf of the above-named organization.

Name:

Title:

Authorized Signature:

Date:

State of Maine RFQ # (03A 230124*169) Rev. 3/6/2018 Debarment, Performance, and Non-Collusion Certification

By signing this document, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the aforementioned organization, its principals, and any subcontractors named in this proposal:

1. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, and declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from bidding or working on contracts issued by any governmental agency.

1. Have not within three years of submitting the proposal for this contract been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for:

0. fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a federal, state or local government transaction or contract.

0. violating Federal or State antitrust statutes or committing embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

0. are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or Local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (b) of this certification; and

0. have not within a three (3) year period preceding this proposal had one or more federal, state or local government transactions terminated for cause or default.

1. Have not entered into a prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a response for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and this proposal is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. The above mentioned entities understand and agree that collusive bidding is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards.

· Failure to provide this certification may result in the disqualification of the Bidder’s proposal, at the discretion of the Department.

To the best of my knowledge all information provided in the enclosed proposal, both programmatic and financial, is complete and accurate at the time of submission.

Name:

Title:

Authorized Signature:

Date:

Appendix B

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES

DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS

The items on this bid opportunity will be used by residents in State of Maine Correctional and Psychiatric Facilities. All items must be designed for safe use by the residents and cannot be easily turned into weapons or be used for self-harm in these specialized environments. The final decision if products meet the posted specifications including resident safety and required Code of Conduct documents will be determined by the requesting Department(s) and Procurement Services. All products must meet the posted specifications to be evaluated, unless the Bidder provides an explanation for why the differences should be acceptable. The Division is not required to accept the explanation(s) for substitutions.

Please see attached excel spreadsheet for complete list of items. When bidding please refer to Item Description and Extended Description on spreadsheet and bid according to those specifications.

Please see list of samples that will be requested for this bid. The samples must be sent to: State of Maine, Procurement Services, Attn: Sue Garcia (Bid Samples), SHS #9, 4th Floor, Burton Cross Building, Augusta ME 04333-009 and must be received by the bid closure date and time. Samples will be returned at the vendor's expense within 30-45 days after bid award. Samples will be tested; the State cannot guarantee they will be in resalable condition upon return. Items left unclaimed after thirty days of award will be sent to the using agency or destroyed. A specification sheet for each sample item must be attached to the bid sample submitted. If the specification sheet is not included with the sample, the bid may be rejected.

The following samples will be required: Sample must state the line item spreadsheet # and Style/Mfr. # of the item.

Samples required - Please submit color and size requested These are the top 15 Usage Items on the current Master Agreement

Blanket, 90% Wool/10% Synthetic, Gray, 66x90 (line 291)

Blanket, Economy Grade, 100% Cotton non-allergenic, 66"x90" (line 293)

Boxers, Men’s, Economy W/Fly Frt, White, Cot/Poly, Size XL (line 14)

Briefs, Men’s, White, 60/40 Cotton/Poly Size XL (line 32)

Hat, Stocking Watch Cap, Color - Orange (line 53)

Socks, Men’s, Crew, Cotton/Poly, White, One Size Fits All (line 175)

Sheets, Flat, Poly/Cot, White, 66x104, 130 Thread Count (line 311)

Shorts, 6 Inch Inseam, No Pocket/Drawstring, Gray - XL (line 144)

Sweatpants - Elastic Waist/No Pocket, Gray, Poly/Cotton - XL (line 194)

Sweatshirt, Crew Neck, Gray, 45/55 Poly/Cotton - XL (Line 206)

Sweatshirt, Crew Neck, Gray, 50/50 Poly/Cotton - XL (Line 210)

T-Shirt, Economy, 100% Cotton Preshrunk White - 2XL (line 242)

T-shirt, No Pocket, Med Wt., 5 oz., White Preshrunk - XL (line 259)

Towel, Bath. White, Cotton, Reg Grade, 20 x 40 (line 314)

Washcloth, 100% Cotton, White, Reg Grade 12x12 (line 318)

All requested items must be bid to be considered.

Evaluation and Award: Once the products are determined to meet the posted specifications bids will be evaluated by calculating the price for one of each item. The award will be made to the bidder that submits the lowest bid total for all products requested. The State of Maine will make one award for this bid opportunity.

INMATE/ PATIENT CLOTHING & TEXTILE

TERMS & CONDITIONS

MA 18P__________________

COMMODITY ITEM: Various Inmate and Patient Clothing and Textiles used in the State of Maine Correctional and Psychiatric Facilities - Statewide.

CONTRACT PERIOD: April 1, 2023 thru March 31, 2025. Extensions will be offered at the State’s and Department’s discretion. Initial contract is for 2 years with possible (3) 1-year renewals options.

EXTENSION OF CONTRACT: The Director and/or CPO of Procurement Services may, with the consent of the contractor extend the Contract period beyond the indicated expiration date.

CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: The Division of Procurement Services reserves the right to cancel a contract with a thirty-day written notice OR cancel immediately if the contractor does not conform to terms and conditions and specifications of contract.

COMPANY CONTACT: To place orders under $5000.00, inquire about orders that have not been delivered, any and all shipping issues, quality issues, billing issues and any other issues pertaining to this Master Agreement email ______________________or call ______________ between 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday thru Friday. All orders not submitted through a DO will be sent through the company contact.

CONTACT PERSON: For all Master Agreement issues not resolved using the company’s customer service center the contact person is ________________________________

PRICES: Prices shown are to be net including transportation charges fully pre-paid by the contractor FOB destination. Prices are to remain firm for the duration of the contract.

QUANTITIES: It is understood and agreed that the contract will cover the actual quantities required by State Agency over the length of the contract. Value of current Master Agreement from 12/1/16 – 12/31/21 is $1,605,698.08.

DELIVERY: Contractor MUST inspect all garments thoroughly before shipment to State Agency. Inspection will not release contractor of the responsibility for faulty workmanship and any faulty item or component part will be repaired or replaced by the vendor. Items (all sizes including special sizes) must be received within 21 calendar days from receiving order from Department. The Contractor will be responsible for the delivery of material in first class condition at the point of delivery, and in accordance with good commercial practice.

ORDERING PROCEDURE: Delivery orders (DO) will be created in AdvantageME for all orders over $5000.00. Orders less than $5000.00 can be ordered using a P-Card. If a DO is used the DO will be e-mailed to the email address set up in AdvantageME by the Vendor as a .pdf file. ______________

PROCUREMENT CARD: State policy requires vendors to accept the State of Maine Procurement Card as a form of payment, with very rare exceptions. Your company will be required to accept these cards. The pricing offered to the State of Maine shall be the final cost to the State of Maine regardless of payment method. No surcharge or other compensation will be allowed. The State of Maine reserves the right to reject your bid if you are unwilling to accept this condition.

CODE OF CONDUCT ANTI-SWEATSHOP FEE: Within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter, you are required to pay a fee in the amount of 1% of the total dollar value of goods purchased through this contract during that quarter. Your payment must be accompanied by a report showing the dollar value of goods purchased, broken down by Department, the total dollar value of purchases by all Departments, and the calculation of 1% of the total dollar value as the fee for the quarter. Checks must be made payable to the Treasurer, State of Maine and must be delivered, along with the quarterly report, to:

Div. of Procurement Services Attn: Vendor Fee Burton M. Cross Building, 4th Floor 9 State House Station 111 Sewall St.

Augusta, ME 04333-0009

Failure to pay the 1% fee may result in: (1) Loss of future contracts or purchase orders with the State of Maine and/or (2) Immediate termination of the existing contract, within 30 days of written notification.

QUARTERLY REPORT: It will be the responsibility of the vendor to produce a quarterly report. The Division of Procurement Services requires a quarterly report, please see Code of Conduct Anti Sweatshop fee clause.

USING AGENCIES include but is not all inclusive:

DOWNEAST CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, 64 Base Road, Machiasport, ME 04655 LONG CREEK YOUTH DEV. CENTER, 675 Westbrook St., So. Portland, ME 04106 MAINE CORRECTIONAL CENTER, 17 Mallison Falls Rd., Windham, ME 04062 MAINE STATE PRISON, 807 Cushing Rd., Warren, ME 04864-4600 MOUNTAIN VIEW YOUTH DEV. CENTER, 1202 Dover Rd., Charleston, ME 04422 SOUTHERN MAINE RE-ENTRY CENTER, 2 Layman Way, Alfred, ME 04002 RIVERVIEW, 250 Arsenal Street, Augusta ME 04333 DOROTHEA DIX, 656 State Street, Bangor ME 04401

NOTE: Code of Conduct Affidavits (COC) (Appendix E) must be filled out for ALL items on this bid opportunity. If articles of clothing are manufactured in multiple facilities a separate COC must be filled out for each manufacturing facility location. Bids without the required COC will be rejected.

NOTE: COMPLETE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF PLANT(S) WHERE CLOTHING/TEXTILE IS ASSEMBLED MUST BE COMPLETED OR BID WILL BE REJECTED.

Appendix C

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES

COST RESPONSE

All responses to this RFQ will require a cost quotation response, in a format selected by the State of Maine. That format is described below.

Fill out required sections in this word document, in Vendor Self Service (VSS) enter 0.00 in price, delivery days, attach word document and descriptive literature (if applicable) and submit your response.

· Appendix A: Bid Cover Page and Debarment Form (Pages 9 & 10 of this document)

· Appendix D: Municipality Political Subdivision and School District Participation Certification (Page 12 of this document)

· Cost Response Sheet, Excel Format - Required

· Appendix E: Code of Conduct - Required

All bids must have Bid Price Sheet – RFQ 03A 230124*169 Bid Prices. Must be in EXCEL format. Bids submitted in other formats may be rejected.

Bid Price Sheets must have the following sections filled in:

Bidder’s Name Vendor Customer # - The VC or VS number assigned to your business by the State of Maine Bidder’s Part Number – The part number you will want used when orders are placed Bid Price – The price for the items on excel spreadsheet Delivery Days – The calendar days from the time the department places the order until the day they can expect to receive the order.

All attachments must be smaller than 2MB in size.

Appendix D

DIVISION OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES

MUNICIPALITY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION and SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATION

The Division of Procurement Services is committed to providing purchasing opportunities for municipalities, political subdivisions and school districts in Maine by allowing them access, through our vendors, to our contract pricing.

Will you accept orders from political subdivisions and school districts in Maine at the prices quoted?

_____ Yes

_____ Yes, with conditions as follows:

______ No

Name of Company:

Address:

Signature: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Date: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Appendix E

State of Maine

State Purchasing Code of Conduct

Affidavit

Maine is a state that believes employers should fairly compensate hard work, that the health and safety of working people should be protected and that no form of unlawful discrimination or abuse should be tolerated. Maine citizens are aware that laws and regulations designed to safeguard basic tenets of ethical business practice are disregarded in many workplaces, commonly referred to as "sweatshops." State Government purchase of goods made under abusive conditions on behalf of its citizens offends Maine citizens' sense of justice and decency. Moreover, when the State of Maine contracts with vendors whose suppliers profit by providing substandard wages and working conditions, Maine's businesses are put at a competitive disadvantage. Therefore, the State of Maine believes in doing business with vendors who make a good faith effort to ensure that they and their suppliers at the point of assembly adhere to the principles of the State of Maine's purchasing code of conduct.

In its role as a market participant that procures goods covered by this code, the State of Maine seeks to protect the interests of Maine citizens and businesses by exercising its state sovereignty to spend Maine citizens' tax dollars in a manner consistent with their expressed wishes that the State deal with responsible bidders who seek contracts to supply goods to the State of Maine, and protect legally compliant Maine businesses and workers from unfair competition created by downward pressure on prices and conditions attributable to businesses that violate applicable workplace laws.

Seeking to protect these local interests through the least discriminatory means available, the State of Maine requires that all bidders seeking contracts to supply the State of Maine with goods covered by this code sign this affidavit stating that they and, to the best of their knowledge, their suppliers at the point of assembly comply with workplace laws of the vendor's or supplier's site of assembly and with treaty obligations that are shared by the United States and the country in which the goods are assembled.

To the best of my knowledge, I swear:

1. that I have furnished a copy of the state purchasing code of conduct to each supplier at the point of assembly of the goods subject to the bid process and have required that each supplier affirm whether it is in compliance with the Code;

2. that the entity listed below and its suppliers at the point of assembly will comply with all applicable wage, health, labor, environmental and safety laws, legal guarantees of freedom of association, building and fire codes, and laws relating to discrimination in hiring, promotion, or compensation on the basis of race, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or affiliation with any political, nongovernmental, or civic group except when federal law precludes the State from attaching the procurement conditions provided in 5 M.R.S.A., C. 155, sub-c 1-B; and

3. that the entity listed below and its suppliers at the point of assembly will comply with all human and labor rights treaty obligations that are shared by the United States and the country in which the goods are assembled. These may include obligations with regard to forced labor, indentured labor, slave labor, child labor, involuntary prison labor, physical and sexual abuse, and freedom of association.

QUOTATION # 03A 230124*169

Part numbers covered by this document:

The person signing this affidavit certifies that he/she has fully informed himself/herself regarding the accuracy of the statements contained herein, and under penalty of perjury, affirms the truth thereof, such penalties being applicable to the bidder/contractor as well as to the person signing in its behalf:

Name of Company:

Street Address:

City, State, Zip code:

Telephone: Fax:

Authorized Signature:

Printed Name and Title:

COMPLETE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF PLANT(S) WHERE CLOTHING/ TEXTILE IS ASSEMBLED:

Name of Mfr.

Plant Name Street Address City/State Country Telephone #

Personally appeared the above named and made oath that the above statement by him/her is true.

Before me

Date

MUST BE FILLED OUT AND ATTACHED TO YOUR BID RESPONSE ON VSS WITH QUOTE #

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