T0025 Bid Amendment 1.docx

PHILIP D. MURPHY

Governor State of New Jersey

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

DIVISION OF PURCHASE AND PROPERTY

PROCUREMENT BUREAU

33 WEST STATE STREET

P. O. BOX 230

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08625-0230

ELIZABETH MAHER MUOIO

State Treasurer

SHEILA Y. OLIVER

Lt. Governor

MAURICE A. GRIFFIN

Acting Director https://www.njstart.gov

September 29, 2021

To: All Interested Vendors {Bidders}

Re: Bid Solicitation # 22DPP00672 T0025 Clothing: Business/Formal Attire, Casual Wear, Coats, Undergarments, and Sleepwear – Statewide

Quote Submission Due Date: October 19, 2021 (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

Bid Amendment #1

The following constitutes Bid Amendment #1 to the above referenced Bid Solicitation:

· This Bid Amendment includes answers to questions

It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor {Bidder} to be knowledgeable of all of the additions, deletions, clarifications, and modifications to the Bid Solicitation and/or the New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions relative to this Bid Solicitation as set forth in all Bid Amendments.

All other instructions, terms, and conditions of the Bid Solicitation shall remain the same.

Bid Solicitation #22DPP00672 T0025 Clothing: Business/Formal Attire, Casual Wear, Coats, Undergarments, and Sleepwear – Statewide

Answers to Questions

Where applicable, each questions references the appropriate Bid Solicitation section

Section Reference Question (Bolded) and Answer

Answer: It is recommended that users utilize Internet Explorer to view PDFs. Certain PDF forms cannot be opened in the Chrome or Firefox built in PDF viewers that are enabled by default. If using Chrome or Firefox it is recommended that the file is downloaded instead by clicking the download button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser after an error message is received. An alternative option is to disable the built in PDF viewers in Chrome or Firefox.

Answer: Yes. Prior to the Quote Opening Deadline, a Vendor {Bidder} should review the documents comprising the submitted Quote to ensure that all of the required documents have been completed and attached. Oftentimes a Quote is deemed non-responsive because a Vendor {Bidder} fails to attach a required form or attaches a blank form. To review a submitted a Quote a Vendor {Bidder} should log into NJSTART and review each document attached to the Quote submission. Instructions on how to review a submitted Quote can be found in the Quick Reference Guide entitled How to Review a Submitted Quote which is available on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page under Vendor Reference Guides.

Answer: As stated in Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.1.1, Exceptions to the NJ Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTC): Questions regarding the SSTC proposed exceptions to mandatory requirements, including the Special and Standard Terms and Conditions in Sections 5 and 9 of this Bid Solicitation must be posed during this Electronic Question and Answer period and shall contain the Vendors {Bidders} suggested changes and the reason(s) for the suggested changes. Additionally, as stated in Section 4.1, General: Quotes including Vendor {Bidder} proposed terms and conditions may be accepted, but Vendor {Bidder} proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the Bid Solicitation, as defined in Section 2.0 of this Bid Solicitation, or that diminish the States rights under any Blanket P.O. resulting from the Bid Solicitation, may render a Quote non-responsive.

For the partial small business set aside, Categories 3 and 4, how can I check if my business is registered and approved as a small business with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services? Can I apply online?

Answer: By clicking on the below link, you will be directed to the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Small Business Registration and M/WBE Certification Services Unit. Here you can login to your account or apply for certification:

https://www.nj.gov/njbusiness/contracting/sbsa/

Yes, you can apply online. Here is the link to the online application:

https://www.njportal.com/DOR/SBERegistry

Answer: If your firms small business status is listed as Expired or Revoked by the DORES Small Business Registration and MWBE Certification Services Unit at the date the Quote is received and opened, the Quote submitted by your firm will be considered nonresponsive and will not be evaluated and considered for a Blanket P.O. award.

Answer: Yes; Vendors {Bidders} are required to provide, with its Quote, the signed Specification Conformance Certification as indicated in Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.3.

Answer: Quotes may not be submitted as a hardcopy.

As stated in Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.2, “Vendors {Bidders} shall submit a Quote electronically through NJSTART.”

Please review Bid Solicitation Section 4.3 (NJSTART Quote Submission) for information on how to electronically submit a Quote through NJSTART.

Answer: The State Using Agencies may purchase men’s, women’s, boys and girls business/formal attire, casual wear, coats, undergarments, and sleepwear in bulk.

Please be advised that pursuant to Bid Solicitation Section 3.3, “The State will order any quantity necessary to meet its requirements. No guarantee is made by the State to purchase any amount of product from any Vendor {Contractor}. The State guarantees neither minimum, nor average, nor maximum quantities per order, nor total quantity during the Blanket P.O. term, including any extension(s) thereof”.

State-Supplied Price Sheet Instructions On the bid solicitation form that was emailed to our company, there are specific items that were chosen (ex: Item #4: (###-###). Why were only these items chosen and are these the only ones that need to be entered on the State-Supplied Price Sheet?

Answer: The twelve (12) categories listed in the Bid Solicitation and State-Supplied Price Sheet are the combined list of categories from T0025 and T1291. These categories represent the most utilized items by the State Using Agencies.

Products identified as examples in each category include, but are not limited to the types listed. Products offered must only be for the categories identified in Bid Solicitation Section 3.2. No other categories of clothing will be considered as part of this Bid Solicitation. All products offered in a category shall meet the description of that category.

Vendors {Bidders} may offer a price list/catalog that has an exhaustive list of products offering various men’s, women’s, boys, and girls clothing items for each category identified in Bid Solicitation Section 3.2 in various sizes and packaging configurations.

Also, on the Bid Solicitation the items are bundled, where before they were itemized out by gender and size. Which price should be going on the State-Supplied price Sheet? Thank you in advance.

Answer: The Vendor {Bidder} shall submit a firm, fixed percentage (%) discount or markup from the product catalog/price list. The Vendor {Bidder} shall not submit fixed pricing for individual items (individual item pricing), including pricing based on size, on the State-Supplied Price Sheet.

As per Section 4.4.5.2 of the Bid Solicitation, which states in pertinent part, “Step 3 - The Vendor {Bidder} shall insert a firm, fixed percentage (%) discount or markup from the product catalog/price list, by entering the percentage discount or markup bid in the "Percentage (%) Discount (-) or Markup (+)” field on the price line on the State-Supplied Price Sheet. A Vendor’s {Bidder's} entry in the "Percentage (%) Discount (-) or Markup (+)” field shall be considered a percentage (%). For example, entry of "50" shall be considered "50%" and that of "0.50" shall be considered "0.50%".

If a Vendor {Bidder} leaves the "Percentage (%) Discount (-) or Markup (+)” field blank on the price line, it shall be considered that the Vendor {Bidder} provided no Quote for the price line item.

A series or a range of discounts/markups or fixed prices (firm dollar amount) on the price line shall not be acceptable and shall result in rejection of the Quote for that price line only.

If a Vendor {Bidder} is offering its pricing at the same pricing listed on the pre-printed catalog/price list, the Vendor {Bidder} should provide 0% in the “Percentage (%) Discount (-) or Markup (+)” field on the State-Supplied Price Sheet”.

In addition, as per Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.3, which states in pertinent part, “The Vendor {Bidder} should submit with its Quote the brand’s latest preprinted price list or catalog with list prices, as of the Quote opening date, for each brand/price line item bid”.

The latest preprinted price list or catalog with list prices submitted with the Vendors {Bidders} Quote for the brands bid shall contain all available sizes, fabrics, and package configurations.

For example, a Vendor {Bidder} may offer the Gildan brand at 5% discount, as indicated on the State Supplied price sheet, under Category 9 Men’s and Women’s Undergarments.

The Vendor {Bidder} shall submit the Gildan brand product catalog/price list showing the various Gildan items (including various sizes) and pricing to which the 5% discount is applied.

Answer: For informational purposes only, please see Attachment A located on the Attachments tab in NJSTART.

It is important to note that the Bid Solicitation has been reformatted to allow Vendors {Bidders} to offer price lists or catalogs based on an entire product listing within a specified category, provided that the products within the price list/catalog meet the category.

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