PROGRAMMABLE CONTROLLERS TRAINER

Midlands Technical College in Richland County, South Carolina, is conducting a competitive procurement for programmable controllers training equipment through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) solicitation. The procurement is divided into three distinct product lots: Lot 1 requires eight Siemens Simatic Step 7 PLC Training Systems with S7 314 Series Processors, featuring analog capabilities and real-time simulation software; Lot 2 calls for eight MecLab Trainer units with stack magazine, conveyor, handling stations, and pneumatic training components; and Lot 3 seeks four Industrial Wiring Trainers designed for double-sided operation accommodating up to four simultaneous student setups. The solicitation was originally issued on February 21, 2020, with questions due by February 28, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. and sealed bids due on March 12, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. The bid opening will occur at the Airport Campus in Reed Hall, Room 119, and the award notification was initially scheduled for March 16, 2020 but has been extended to March 25, 2020. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with delivery expected within thirty days of purchase order receipt to the Mechatronics/FAME Department in West Columbia.

The solicitation does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, but requires all offerors to be registered with the State of South Carolina as vendors. Bidders must submit signed cover pages, supporting documentation, and descriptive literature with manufacturer specifications. The contract mandates that all equipment must be new, with no refurbished or rebuilt items permitted. Successful contractors will be required to provide the manufacturer's standard written warranty, complete operational manuals, installation services, twenty hours of training on equipment and software, and twenty-four-hour technical support. While no specific budget range is disclosed, the procurement involves multiple lots of sophisticated training equipment for the college's technical education programs. Online bidding is not permitted, and all offers must be submitted in sealed paper form to the Procurement Office, with Rina Drescher serving as the Procurement Officer overseeing the solicitation.