Pre-qualification of vendors for computers, laptops

Palm Beach County's Board of County Commissioners, through its Purchasing Department, has issued a Request for Pre-Qualification (RPQ) for vendors to supply computers, laptops, hardware, and peripheral equipment on a term contract basis for Palm Tran, the county's public transit system. The solicitation seeks pre-qualified vendors capable of providing twelve categories of equipment including Dell Precision workstations, Optiplex desktops, Latitude laptops in multiple configurations, Dell Ultrasharp and standard monitors, Samsung Galaxy tablets, and Dell PowerEdge servers, with item quantities ranging from 1-2 units for servers to 350-550 units for monitors. All products must be new, current manufacture, and free from defects, with vendors required to be manufacturers or authorized dealers, distributors, or resellers. Responses must be submitted in sealed packages on the provided response form to the Palm Beach County Purchasing Department, 50 South Military Trail, Suite 110, West Palm Beach, Florida 33415, with the initial pre-qualification submission deadline of July 18, 2024, at 4:00 p.m., though new vendors are permitted to submit at any time thereafter for evaluation and addition to the pre-qualified list. The contract term is sixty months or until estimated funding is expended, and all pricing must be firm and include shipping, freight, and handling charges with F.O.B. destination terms. Individual projects will be awarded on a competitive basis to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder offering quoted items, with the county reserving the right to accept or reject any pre-qualifications, waive non-substantive irregularities, and conduct facility inspections to verify vendor capability to perform.

This solicitation is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration and is subject to Buy America provisions and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation requirements, with a non-mandatory goal of fifteen percent DBE participation. Vendors must maintain specified insurance coverage, comply with E-Verify employment eligibility verification, register in the county's Vendor Self Service system, and obtain or maintain current business tax receipts and applicable licenses. Compliance with applicable federal regulations addressing civil rights, environmental standards, and accessibility requirements is mandatory. The anticipated contract value over the sixty-month term is $816,000, representing the total estimated funding available for all pre-qualified vendors to compete for during the contract period. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation documents. The pre-qualification framework allows Palm Beach County to streamline procurement processes by identifying qualified suppliers in advance, enabling more efficient procurement while maintaining competitive sourcing practices for individual purchase orders issued to pre-qualified vendors.