23SFSKM4 | Book Club Partner

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is seeking a vendor partner to provide a comprehensive book club program for its staff. The selected vendor will be required to supply approximately 15 copies of DESE-selected book club titles on a quarterly basis, facilitate access to host an annual virtual author event, and make additional books available to DESE staff as needed. Key objectives of the program include fostering a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and welcoming organizational culture at DESE. Vendors must demonstrate a commitment to equity, particularly racial equity, and the ability to procure a wide diversity of books. Evaluation criteria include the vendor's book procurement process, sample pricing, author engagement plan, and overall commitment to equity. The bid is due on March 17, 2023, and a pre-bid conference is scheduled for March 9, 2023.

This contract opportunity is open to all qualified vendors, with a preference given to businesses registered with the Massachusetts Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) that meet the best value criteria, including having their principal place of business in Massachusetts, being in business for at least one year, employing 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, and having gross revenues of $15 million or less based on a three-year average. The total contract value is to be determined based on DESE's ongoing needs, which are estimated to range from the thousand-dollar to several thousand-dollar range per year, to be funded through a combination of federal and state funding sources.