Heather Gray T-Shirts-Scotland Sewing Plant

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction is seeking competitive bids for heather gray t-shirts to be supplied to the Scotland Sewing Plant in Laurinburg, North Carolina through an Invitation for Bid (IFB). The procurement involves furnishing and delivering t-shirts on an as-needed basis, with specific requirements for nine sizes ranging from Medium to 7X-Large, totaling an estimated 935,872 units annually. Vendors must submit eighteen sample units (two of each size) prior to the bid opening and provide detailed lab test reports with each shipment. The bid has key deadlines including written questions due by November 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM, state responses by November 20, 2025 at 1:00 PM, and bid opening on December 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM via Microsoft Teams. Evaluation criteria include lowest responsive bid meeting all specifications, with vendors required to demonstrate financial stability, maintain a minimum five percent inventory balance, and provide three customer references. The contract will have an initial three-year term with no guaranteed minimum or maximum order quantities, and delivery must occur within four weeks of purchase order issuance.

The procurement encourages participation from Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), with a goal of ten percent utilization of diverse firms as subcontractors. Vendors must be registered in North Carolina and possess an Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) number, with strict requirements for product quality, mandating that all items must be first quality and non-compliant goods will be returnable at the vendor's expense. While no specific incumbent vendors are mentioned, the solicitation includes provisions for potential price adjustments, requiring written submission with supporting documentation and advance state agreement. Vendors must comply with the Flammability Fabrics Act and provide pricing that includes all applicable charges for shipping, handling, and delivery on a Free-On-Board Destination basis. The state reserves the right to make separate awards to different vendors for specific line items, reject any or all bids, or cancel the solicitation entirely. Pricing submitted must remain firm for 180 days from the contract effective date, with potential for future negotiations based on demonstrated cost justifications.