Printers and Multi-Functional Devices

The State of California Department of General Services (DGS) Procurement Division has issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) Event ID #0000000258 for a statewide contract to procure printers and multi-functional devices (MFDs) for state departments and participating local government agencies. The procurement covers four distinct groups of devices: Personal Desktop Printers, Office Printers, Multi-Functional Devices, and Plotters, with bidders required to submit pricing for all device types within any group they choose to bid on. The contract seeks to leverage the state's purchasing power to obtain high-quality printing equipment while reducing environmental impacts, with specific requirements for Energy Star certification, EPEAT Bronze rating, and Section 508 accessibility standards. Bidders must provide detailed technical specifications, pricing using a discount-off-list-price methodology, and value-added services including asset tagging, installation, data wiping, and equipment disposal. Key procurement dates include the IFB release on March 8, 2016, final questions due March 24, 2016, draft bids due April 7, 2016, final bids due April 21, 2016, and planned contract award on August 7, 2016. The contract will have a three-year term with options for two additional one-year extensions, and evaluation will be based on lowest cost, administrative and technical compliance, and customer reference verification.

The procurement includes significant set-aside and preference provisions for Small Businesses (SB) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE), with a 5% preference for California-certified Small Businesses (maximum $50,000) and a 3% DVBE participation goal. Local government agencies may participate under the same terms as state departments, subject to a 1% incentive fee payable to DGS-PD on all purchases. The current contract environment includes 18 existing contract awards to distributors of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with Samsung-NWN being the primary vendor across multiple categories. Contract spending in the existing system varies significantly, ranging from $11,500 for Workgroup AFP Mono Printers to $4.6 million for Work Group Mono Laser Printers. Awards will be made to responsive and responsible bidders within 9% of the lowest evaluated cost, with only the lowest bidder from each manufacturer's group able to receive an award within a group. While no specific total contract value is listed, the procurement covers an estimated 12,500 devices across various printer categories, with potential for significant statewide and local government purchasing over the contract term.