DKM-1251 Athletic Equipment, Apparel and Related Services

James Madison University is issuing an RFP for athletic equipment, apparel, and related services on behalf of the Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium (VHEPC) with proposals due August 13, 2026 at 2:00 PM. SWaM business participation is a scored evaluation criterion (10 points), and all offerors must submit SWaM utilization plans; contractors awarded contracts over $100,000 must demonstrate SWaM subcontracting compliance before final payment release.

The scope covers strength and conditioning equipment, cardio equipment, fitness equipment, protective equipment, bags, and associated apparel to support JMU's 18-sport Division I athletics program and University Recreation facilities. Offerors must be manufacturers or fully authorized resellers and must provide complete electronic catalogs with published pricing, discount percentages, and list prices; specify annual allotments of free apparel and equipment; and detail trade-in programs, installation, training, delivery, warranty, and repair services with associated costs clearly identified. All orders shall be FOB destination.

The initial contract period runs one year from award with four optional one-year renewal periods. This contract will serve as a cooperative procurement vehicle available to other public bodies, educational institutions, and affiliated foundations. JMU currently maintains a Nike contract through May 31, 2029.

Evaluation weighs quality and suitability (30 points), offeror qualifications and experience (25 points), service methodology (20 points), SWaM participation (10 points), and cost (15 points). The Commonwealth reserves the right to make multiple awards. Oral presentations may be required at the University's discretion.

Offerors must register in eVA and are subject to Virginia vendor transaction fees (1% capped at $500 for SBSD-certified small businesses or $1,500 for others), eVerify requirements for employers with more than 50 employees, criminal background checks for personnel on campus, and compliance with accessibility standards for information and communications technology. Proposals must include the RFP cover sheet, offeror data sheet, SWaM utilization plan, references, five-year business history, resumes of assigned personnel, detailed service methodology, and proposed pricing.