Bag in box milk crates (6 -gallon)

The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) issued a Request for Quote (RFQ) for a one-time procurement of 2,808 new bag-in-box milk crates for its Agriculture Division. The solicitation specifically requested 6-gallon milk crates manufactured from black polyethylene plastic with precise outer dimensions of 17.75" L x 10.15" W x 10"H and inner dimensions of 16.75" L x 9.5" W x 9.5"H, with no logo or printing. All crates must be new and delivered to the Wateree River Dairy facility located at 8200 State Farm Road, Rembert, SC 29128, during facility hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The original bid opening date was modified to August 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., with award notification scheduled for August 11, 2023. Evaluation criteria focused on the lowest responsive and responsible bid, with unit prices governing over extended prices, and delivery required within 30 days of purchase order receipt on an F.O.B. Destination-Freight Prepaid basis.

The solicitation required all offerors to be registered as South Carolina vendors and allowed for potential vendor preferences, including South Carolina resident vendor status, South Carolina end-product, or United States end-product preferences if statutory requirements were met. Bidders were required to provide certifications including drug-free workplace compliance, ethics compliance, and independent price determination. Vendors were permitted to offer prompt payment discounts, though these would not be considered in bid evaluation. The contract was ultimately awarded to Design Specialties, Inc. of New Haven, CT, at a unit price of $7.75 per crate, resulting in a total contract value of $21,762.00. No specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the documentation. The solicitation emphasized strict compliance with state procurement regulations and required comprehensive documentation from potential bidders.