Lease/Rental of 2 Postal Machine Inserters

The State of Maine, Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Division of Purchases, is requesting quotations for the lease or rental of two postal machine inserters, with responses due October 19, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. local time and questions due October 12, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

The scope requires two new inserters capable of processing 7,000 sets of 8-by-11 flat sheets into standard #10 envelopes per hour, each equipped with a postage meter, multiple insert stations, double detectors, sheet feeders with folding capabilities, and barcode scanning functionality. Both units must interface with the State's Business Manager accounting system. One inserter is to be located at 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta; the other at 68 Sewall Street, Augusta. Both machines must be operational no later than December 31, 2011.

Bidders must propose pricing for both four-year and five-year lease terms. All maintenance, service, parts, shipping, delivery, setup, and removal costs must be included in the lease price. The contract term runs from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2015, or December 31, 2016, with potential renewal for up to two additional one-year periods subject to continued funding availability and satisfactory performance. Billing invoices must be submitted quarterly and itemized by location.

Evaluation criteria allocate 50 points to the cost proposal (lowest bid receives full points, higher bids proportionally fewer), 25 points to service performance and references, and 25 points to equipment footprint. The State reserves the right to contact bidder references and schedule interviews for clarification. Awards are made to the lowest responsible bidder on a best-value basis. Contract execution is contingent upon approval by the State Purchases Review Committee, with an effective date no earlier than 14 days after award notification. The State is exempt from Federal and Maine sales and use taxes; bidders should quote accordingly.