CONTRACT: Rock Salt and Solar Salt

The New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services, Division of Procurement and Support Services, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 3131-27 on April 22, 2026, to establish a one-year supply and delivery contract for rock salt and solar salt to support state agencies, primarily the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT). The procurement seeks to supply approximately 183,188 tons of rock salt and solar salt annually across six NHDOT highway districts and turnpike locations, with estimated quantities varying by district from 19,550 tons to 38,900 tons for rock salt and from 1 ton to 7,960 tons for solar salt. Bidders must submit complete vendor offer sheets for all districts and salt types they wish to supply, signed transmittal letters, and contact information by the May 22, 2026 deadline at 9:00 AM Eastern Time. The contract commences September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027, with initial fill-up requirements due between October 23 and November 6, 2026, varying by district. Prospective vendors must comply with strict chemical composition standards requiring a minimum of 95 percent total chlorides (sodium chloride), with moisture content not exceeding 1 percent for rock salt and 3 percent for solar salt, and must provide deliveries within five business days of order placement during normal business hours (6:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST Monday through Friday), with emergency deliveries required within 24 hours. The contract includes a bonus structure for deliveries with moisture content lower than specified and liquidated damages for non-conforming deliveries, including progressive penalties for initial fill-up failures beginning at 10 percent per ton, increasing 5 percent every 15 days thereafter, with contract default occurring by November 13, 2026. Bid pricing must remain firm throughout the contract period, stated in U.S. dollars, and include all delivery and incidental costs without surcharges or fuel charges, with pricing presented on an F.O.B. destination basis. Questions are due by May 8, 2026, with state responses provided by May 15, 2026.

The solicitation documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting bidder eligibility based on disadvantaged enterprise status or other organizational classifications. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available documentation. Successful vendors must obtain and maintain $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate commercial general liability insurance and appropriate workers' compensation coverage prior to contract award, maintain dedicated account representation, and submit quarterly and annual usage reports including recycled materials data and green certifications. The contract is non-exclusive, allowing the state to award by section based on lowest cost, and the state reserves the right to add or delete locations throughout the contract term by request for quote, as well as terminate the contract with 30 days' written notice. Specific award values or budget ranges are not provided in the solicitation materials, as pricing is to be established through competitive bidding based on the vendor offer sheet submissions.