ITB - Crime Scene Supplies and Related Items for the Harris County Sheriff's Office

Harris County, Texas is soliciting bids through an Invitation to Bid (ITB) for Crime Scene Supplies and Related Items for the Harris County Sheriff's Office for a one-year contract term beginning approximately June 1, 2026, with the due date of June 8, 2026. The procurement seeks to establish a pool of multiple vendors to provide forensic and crime scene supplies on an as-needed basis, including DNA and evidence collection items (sterile cotton swabs, DNA swab boxes, GSR collection kits), sharps containers and evidence tubes, fingerprint collection supplies, labels and identification materials, evidence bags and containers, nitrile gloves, plastic bottles, and various chemicals such as petroleum ether, detergents, and indanedione. The contract also includes camera repair parts and services for Nikon and Canon equipment. Bidders must provide firm pricing for the initial contract term and any renewals unless otherwise specified, with all costs being all-inclusive of labor, material, equipment, and testing costs. All deliveries must be completed within forty-five days, and the County reserves the right to award by item, category, overall, or as best serves County interests. Qualified vendors must maintain a local account manager, provide customer service Monday through Friday during business hours with overnight and weekend contact availability, participate in bi-monthly meetings with HCSO staff, and warrant all products free from defects in material and workmanship for one year following acceptance or payment.

Harris County imposes several compliance requirements and restrictions on bidders, including mandatory minimum insurance coverage with workers' compensation employers' liability limits of $1,000,000, commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, automobile liability of $1,000,000, and umbrella/excess liability of $1,000,000, with Harris County named as an additional insured on a primary and non-contributory basis. Bidders must comply with Harris County's minimum wage policy requiring $21.65 per hour for all workers directly assigned to eligible contracts, though contracts for goods only (such as this procurement) may qualify for exemption based on the goods-only nature of the work. All bidders must submit a Tax Residence Certification form and a Subcontractor Listing Form identifying any subcontractors; if the awarded contract exceeds $25,000 and subcontractors are used, a payment bond for the total contract amount is required. Bidders must have current tax status with Harris County as of the bid due date and must certify non-debarment status and completion of the Certificate of Interested Parties (Form 1295) prior to submission. No incumbent vendors or budget ranges are identified in the procurement documents, and Harris County retains the option to renew the contract for four additional one-year periods subject to Commissioners Court approval on the same terms and conditions as the original year. Award authority rests with the Harris County Commissioners Court, and the contract becomes binding only upon execution by the County, certification of funds by the County Auditor, and issuance of a Purchase Order.