Footwear

The State of Delaware, through its Office of Management and Budget's Government Support Services, is seeking sealed proposals for a comprehensive footwear supply contract (GSS25070-FOOTWEAR) to provide safety shoes, work boots, and general-purpose footwear for multiple state agencies. The solicitation requires vendors to offer ANSI/ASTM-compliant safety footwear, including steel toe, composite toe, and electrical hazard (EH)-rated styles, as well as work boots for outdoor fieldwork and law enforcement operations, and specialty tactical or medical footwear. Vendors must maintain sufficient inventory for timely delivery and provide on-site or virtual fitting services. The RFP was released on November 5, 2025, with written questions due by November 13, 2025, at 4:30 p.m., and written answers to be posted by November 25, 2025. Proposals are due December 9, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., with evaluation criteria including vendor qualification (15 points), service and support (20 points), location and workforce (20 points), references (15 points), and pricing (60 points), totaling 130 possible points.

The contract allows participation by school districts, political subdivisions, municipalities, volunteer fire companies, higher education entities receiving state funds, and other entities identified in Delaware Code Chapter 69. The solicitation encourages diverse vendor participation, with self-identification options for Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE), Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE), Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (VBE), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (SDVBE), and Individuals with Disabilities Business Enterprises (IWDBE). Vendors must provide three business references of similar size and scope, and subcontractors require equivalent documentation. The contract term runs through October 31, 2026, with an option for one additional one-year renewal and the potential for month-to-month extension up to three months. While no specific budget range is mentioned, the RFP covers 118 line items featuring footwear from manufacturers like 5.11, Rocky, Bates, Thorogood, Red Wing, Timberland, and Under Armour, indicating a substantial procurement opportunity for qualifying vendors.