Laundry vending services

South Carolina State University is seeking a comprehensive laundry vending services contract for its campus, covering residence halls and on-campus apartments housing approximately 3,500 students. The procurement involves replacing the existing inventory of 231 laundry machines, including 23 washers, 14 single dryers, 5 stack dryer drying pockets, and 189 stackable washer/dryer units, with new commercial-grade, Energy Star-rated equipment. Mandatory requirements include installing 9 ADA-compliant washers in designated locations, using front-loading equipment where space permits, and maintaining an all-inclusive, free-vend model for students. The contractor must provide full-service management, including equipment installation, utility connections, preventive bi-monthly maintenance, 24-hour repair response, weekly facility visits, and a web-based monitoring application. The solicitation was released on February 12, 2021, with a mandatory non-bid conference held on February 22, 2021, site visits available between February 17-19, 2021, a question deadline of February 22, 2021, at 5:00 PM, and offer submissions due on March 15, 2021, at 11:00 AM. Award notification is scheduled for March 24, 2021, with a contract term of one year and four optional one-year renewals, spanning July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2026.

The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with no specific set-aside designations mentioned in the documentation. The contractor must maintain liability insurance with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence for commercial general liability, auto liability, and worker's compensation, with the university listed as an additional insured. While no incumbent vendor information is provided, the existing equipment inventory includes machines from manufacturers such as General Electric, Whirlpool, Frigidaire, Maytag, and Speed Queen, with manufacturing dates ranging from 2005 to 2018. The university will pay for services in two equal installments at the end of fall and spring semesters, with the contractor required to submit per-machine annual pricing and disclose costs for adding or removing equipment. Upon contract termination, the contractor must remove all equipment at their own expense and restore facilities. The total value of the contract is not explicitly stated, but given the comprehensive scope of services and equipment replacement across multiple residence halls, it represents a significant investment in campus laundry infrastructure.