Batteries, auto / marine / utility, various manufacturers

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners Purchasing Department issued Invitation for Bid (IFB) #18-102/SM on August 31, 2018, for the procurement of automotive, marine, and utility batteries from various manufacturers and brands. The solicitation is divided into two geographic lots: Lot #1 covers Palm Beach County excluding the Glades area, and Lot #2 covers the Glades area exclusively. Bidders must provide single, fixed percentage discounts or markups applied to current manufacturer price lists for specified manufacturers (A/C Delco, Motorcraft, Exide, Crown, and Trojan for Lot #1; A/C Delco, Motorcraft, Exide, and Trojan for Lot #2). All unit prices must be submitted with two decimal points, and no separate shipping charges are permitted. The successful bidder must provide factory/manufacturer warranty on all batteries, maintain adequate inventory with proper stock rotation, and deliver orders within three business days of receipt at the F.O.B. destination point. Bid submissions were required by September 27, 2018, at 4:00 p.m., with the resulting term contract anticipated to span 60 months or until the estimated expenditure of $204,400 is reached, whichever occurs first. The County reserves the right to return non-conforming items at the bidder's expense.

The solicitation includes a minimum 15% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation goal, with local preference provisions allowing qualified Palm Beach County and Glades businesses a 5% price reduction consideration in the evaluation process. The successful bidder must maintain Commercial General Liability Insurance of at least $500,000, Business Auto Liability Insurance of $500,000, and Workers' Compensation Insurance in accordance with Florida Statute Chapter 440. An amendment issued on August 31, 2018, required bidders to replace specific bid response pages with revised versions establishing the pricing structures for both lots and detailing the battery specifications for NC Delco and Motorcraft products. Failure to sign and return the amended bid response pages resulted in bid rejection. The contract budget is estimated at $204,400, with orders to be placed on an as-needed basis throughout the contract term.