Bag in box milk crates - (6 gallon)

The South Carolina Department of Corrections, Purchasing Branch, issued a Request for Quote (RFQ) for the procurement of 2,808 six-gallon milk crates for the Agriculture Division at Wateree River Dairy. The solicitation specified milk crates with precise dimensions: outer measurements of 17.75" L x 10.15" W x 10"H and inner measurements of 16.75" L x 9.5" W x 9.5"H, constructed from black polyethylene plastic with no logos or printing. All items must be new and delivered to the SCDC Agriculture Division located at 8200 State Farm Road, Rembert, South Carolina 29128, with delivery restricted to hours between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The procurement required sealed offers to be submitted by August 9, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., with award posting scheduled for August 16, 2022. Evaluation criteria included lowest responsible and responsive bidder status, with pricing to include all delivery costs on an F.O.B. Destination basis and freight prepaid by the seller. Delivery was mandated within 30 days of the contractor receiving the purchase order.

The solicitation included provisions for South Carolina and United States end-product preferences and resident vendor preferences, which bidders were required to claim. Vendors were required to be registered as South Carolina vendors and provide certifications regarding independent price determination, debarment status, drug-free workplace compliance, and ethics compliance. No specific funding source or budget amount was explicitly identified, but the final awarded contract went to Design Specialties, Inc., located in Hamden, Connecticut, for $21,762.00, with a unit price of $7.75 per crate. The contract terms included fixed pricing for the duration of the agreement, with the State retaining rights to terminate for convenience or cause. All taxes were to be paid by the State and were not to be included in the bid price. The procurement did not specify any specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or small businesses, and no incumbent vendors were mentioned beyond the awarded contractor.