Gases, welding and accessories, TC

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners Purchasing Department is issuing a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for the supply and delivery of welding gases and accessories under a term contract with a submission deadline of February 3, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. Palm Beach County local time. The procurement encompasses two separate lots: Lot #1 covers welding gases for all county departments except the Glades area, including 32 items such as oxygen, acetylene, nitrogen, argon, helium, and various gas mixtures in multiple cylinder sizes with estimated annual refills ranging from 2 to 50 per item; Lot #2 covers welding gases specifically for the Glades area with 7 items and estimated annual quantities of 40 to 85 refills. The successful quoter will be responsible for pick-up, refill, and distribution of gases to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue stations and other county locations, with pricing submitted on a firm, fixed basis to two decimal places for the initial twelve-month term. Required qualifications include registration in the County's Vendor Self Service system, provision of three professional references demonstrating relevant experience within the past three years, authorization to pick up, fill, and distribute welding gases, maintenance of Commercial General Liability Insurance with a $500,000 minimum limit, maintenance of Business Auto Liability Insurance at $500,000 combined single limit, and compliance with Florida and federal requirements including E-Verify employment eligibility verification and criminal history background checks. The quoter must also provide repair services at standard hourly rates for work performed during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday), with overtime compensation at 1.5 times the standard rate for hours outside normal business hours and weekend work, and emergency/holiday compensation at 2 times the standard rate.

The solicitation includes Small/Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (S/M/WBE) set-asides and local preference provisions that offer a 5 percent price adjustment to qualified Palm Beach County or Glades-based businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in this procurement opportunity. The anticipated contract value is $40,000 for the initial twelve-month term, with options to renew for four additional twelve-month periods subject to mutual written agreement and appropriation of funds. The County will order on an as-needed basis and is responsible for daily cylinder rental at a fixed rate of $0.10 per cylinder per day, with repair parts supplied at the quoter's cost. Responses are acceptable via fax or email submission.