PURCHASING CARD PROGRAM

The State of South Carolina is seeking proposals for a comprehensive Statewide Term Contract for a Purchasing Card Program that will serve state agencies, higher education institutions, and local political subdivisions. The procurement targets a corporate purchasing card services provider capable of managing approximately 18,044 active cards across three participant groups, with a current annual transaction volume of $390,760,872.77. Proposing vendors must offer a web-based platform with capabilities including multi-segmented general ledger allocation, flexible reporting, ERP system compatibility, and comprehensive card management features. The solicitation requires contractors to provide no-fee purchasing card services, with no annual or transaction fees, and offer competitive rebate percentages based on total annual spending. Key evaluation criteria include the proposed rebate structure, technological capabilities, and demonstrated experience managing large-scale purchasing card programs. Proposals were originally due on January 21, 2021, with award notification anticipated for April 2, 2021, and a contract term of five years with two optional one-year renewals, effectively spanning a potential seven-year period from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2028.

The procurement does not appear to have specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, but requires vendors to be single, distinct legal entities that can be sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, or government entities. The current incumbent contractor is Bank of America, and the new contractor must manage all transition requirements at no cost to the state, including migrating existing data from the current Works system without requiring agencies to manually rebuild their general ledger structures. Contractors must demonstrate financial capability, have at least five program customers with over 10,000 cards issued, and show no contract terminations for cause involving more than 10,000 cards in the past five years. The program currently serves approximately 192 agencies with transaction limits ranging from $10,000 for Group A agencies to $100,000 for designated Group B personnel. While no specific total contract value is listed, the annual spending volume of nearly $391 million suggests a significant potential award value for the selected vendor.