Electrical, Lighting, Communication & Related Product Supplies

The Howard County Public School System is soliciting bids for an on-call procurement of Electrical, Lighting, Communication & Related Product Supplies through Invitation to Bid #028.26.B3. The procurement seeks to establish a pool of qualified contractors to provide tools, materials, parts, and equipment for the Office of Building Maintenance. Bidders must have an office/facility located within 50 miles of the school system and provide a percentage discount off manufacturer list prices for a comprehensive range of electrical, lighting, communication, and related products from preferred manufacturers like Eaton, Bussman, and Square D. The contract will commence upon award and run for three years, with potential renewal options for two additional one-year periods contingent on successful performance and funding availability. Bids are due on December 11, 2025, at 1:00 PM and must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire portal. The evaluation criteria will focus on the lowest responsive bidder offering the highest "Discount Off of List" and lowest pricing relative to list price, with the Howard County Public School System reserving the right to award item-by-item, group-by-group, or make no award at all.

The procurement encourages participation from Certified Minority Business Enterprises, with contractors required to register on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage within five days of award. Bidders must comply with comprehensive insurance requirements, including commercial general liability coverage of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence, business automobile liability, and workers' compensation insurance. The contract includes a detailed Contractor Performance Evaluation Scorecard that will assess vendors across 23 performance indicators, including quality of work, responsiveness, professionalism, and compliance. Contractors will be evaluated using a 10-point rating scale and must maintain high standards of interaction with students, staff, and other stakeholders. While no specific budget range is explicitly stated, the contract allows for a Not-to-Exceed annual amount that will be determined based on the successful bidder's proposed pricing. Additional requirements include ethical compliance, background investigation provisions, and adherence to student data privacy and technology accessibility standards.