Immpact2 Handouts

The State of Maine Division of Purchases is requesting quotations for ImmPact2 handouts, with quotations due June 12, 2012. The procurement carries a recycled-content price preference: bidders offering paper products with a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled material that fall within 10% of the lowest compliant bid may receive up to a 10% price preference, provided they explicitly indicate recycled content and disclose the specific percentage in their bid submission.

Maine's Division of Purchases also mandates that all paper products and printing services prioritize post-consumer recycled fiber and/or virgin fiber from certified forest operations. Acceptable certifications include ATFS, FSC, MLCP, PEFC, or SFI. Bidders must specify the percentage of post-consumer recycled fiber and certified virgin fiber content for each proposed product and provide proof of chain-of-custody certification or equivalent documentation. The State is authorized to pay a price premium of up to 4 percent above the lowest bid to secure products with 100 percent post-consumer recycled or certified virgin fiber content; if no bids meet that threshold, preference applies to the highest percentage of qualifying fiber content within 4 percent of the lowest bid price.

Quotations must be submitted electronically through Maine's Vendor Self Service (VSS) platform by 2:00 p.m. local time on June 12. All bids must provide separate unit pricing for each item and include a standardized fiber-content documentation table. Equivalent items meeting minimum quality standards may be submitted as alternatives to specified products. Questions must be posted through the VSS Question and Answer portal. The contract permits an overrun not to exceed 3% of contract value and includes an extension clause allowing the State Purchasing Director to extend the period beyond the initial term, with a maximum total contract period not to exceed three years. Award decisions may be based on lowest price or a combination of factors including quality, conformity, delivery time, and total cost, with price receiving a minimum 25% evaluation weight. Past vendor performance may be considered in award determination. All purchases are FOB Destination; the State is tax-exempt.