Commercial Grounds Equipment - COOP

Bergen County seeks to establish twenty-four-month contracts commencing May 7, 2026, through May 6, 2028, with multiple catalog vendors for the provision of Commercial Grounds Maintenance Equipment and Accessories, defined as gas, electric, and battery-powered lawn, natural and synthetic turf, agriculture, compact construction, and outdoor power equipment. The procurement serves Bergen County's Department of Parks and Recreation and registered members of the New Jersey Cooperative Purchasing Alliance, which currently includes over 270 members across more than 15 counties. Qualified vendors must be official distributors for specified manufacturers including Toro, John Deere, Kubota, Jacobsen/Cushman, Honda, Bobcat, and Husqvarna, among others, and must submit current manufacturers' catalogs and suggested retail price listings electronically without password protection. Pricing shall be structured as a percentage discount from manufacturers' suggested retail prices (MSRP), with discounts remaining fixed throughout the entire twenty-four-month contract term, and all pricing must be firm, net exclusive of taxes, and include transportation, delivery, installation, and debris removal on an F.O.B. destination basis with inside delivery. Sealed bids must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire eProcurement platform at https://co-bergen-nj.bonfirehub.com/ by Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 12 Noon prevailing time, with specifications and drawings available at no cost on the County's website. Evaluation criteria include the vendor's ability to meet the County's anticipated annual need of approximately $1,000,000, compliance with New Jersey prevailing wage requirements under N.J.S.A. 34:11-56.37 and 34:11-56.38, maintenance of required insurance coverage (Comprehensive General Liability of at least $1,000,000, Comprehensive General Automobile Liability of at least $1,000,000, and Worker's Compensation Insurance at statutory limits with at least $500,000 Employer's Liability coverage), and adherence to New Jersey procurement regulations including N.J.S.A 10:5-31 and N.J.A.C. 17-27 et seq.

Bergen County has established a Joint Venture and Set-Aside Program under Ordinance No. 18-26 that provides opportunities for Qualified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Qualified Women's Business Enterprises (WBEs), Qualified Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs), and Qualified Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), with all eligible businesses required to be independently owned and operated with their principal place of business in New Jersey and requiring at least fifty-one percent ownership and control by members of the respective groups; certifications are obtainable from the New Jersey Department of Treasury, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, NJ Transit, the United States Small Business Administration, or the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. All vendors must complete and submit mandatory documentation including an Ownership Disclosure Statement, Certification of Noninvolvement in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus, Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran Form, Vendor Information Form, and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action certifications prior to contract award. Vendors awarded cooperative contracts must incorporate a 1% administrative fee into all prices, extend identical pricing and terms to all cooperative members without deviation, submit quarterly sales reports within thirty days of quarter completion, and pay quarterly administrative fees of 1% of total aggregate purchases; vendors may not charge cooperative members differently than Bergen County and must represent that cooperative pricing is their lowest available pricing to public agencies. The anticipated annual need is approximately $1,000,000, though the County does not guarantee minimum purchases with any vendor and has not identified any incumbent vendors or minimum order requirements. The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, award each item separately to the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications, or award based on total bid pricing, and retains the right to terminate the contract upon thirty days' notice for default or sixty days' notice for convenience.