NC26-55 Foss Bacsomatic Maintenance

The State of Utah Division of Purchasing, through the Agriculture and Food Department, is issuing Request for Proposal (RFP) NC26-55 to procure a maintenance contract for a FOSS Bacsomatic instrument, a critical dairy product testing equipment used to enumerate somatic cells in milk in compliance with National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments standards. The contract term will be between one and five years depending on funding availability, with a proposal due date of February 27, 2026. The selected vendor must provide comprehensive preventative maintenance services including at least one annual on-site maintenance visit with all parts and travel costs included, installation of manufacturer-released software or firmware updates, technical support with a three-business-day response time, and detailed service reports following each service event. All work must be performed by factory-trained, certified technicians during standard business hours, and the contractor must maintain a "fix-or-replace" guarantee ensuring the instrument is restored to full operational status or replaced if repairs cannot restore functionality. The contract will result in a single award to the responsive and responsible vendor with the highest evaluation score, which will be determined by 700 technical points plus 300 cost points for a total of 1,000 points; technical evaluation encompasses service technician experience and expertise with FOSS instrumentation and company track record (400 points), timeline clarity and detailed maintenance planning (200 points), and additional services exceeding minimum requirements (100 points).

The RFP documents do not specify any set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendor information; however, all vendors must comply with Utah Code provisions including anti-boycott certifications, restrictions on forced labor products, and restrictions on contracting with entities engaged in boycotts of Israel or economic boycotts. Pricing must be guaranteed for one year from the contract effective date, with any future price increase requests requiring market research documentation and approval from the Director of the Division of Purchasing, with approved increases guaranteed for one-year periods thereafter. Vendors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate, and commercial automobile liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence if vehicles are used. The fixed budget for this maintenance contract is $50,000 for the full five-year term, or $10,000 for a single year if additional funding is not secured, with any bid exceeding this budget resulting in automatic disqualification; the first on-site maintenance visit is required within 30 days of contract execution and before January 1, 2027. All proposals must be submitted through the U3P electronic system by the February 27, 2026 deadline, with cost proposals submitted separately on the designated Cost Sheet attachment and evaluated according to the prescribed format.