Rental and Maintenance of Self-Contained Refrigerated/Freezer Vans

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is conducting a competitive procurement for the rental and maintenance of self-contained refrigerated and freezer vans across 18 groups of correctional facilities statewide. The solicitation (Invitation for Bid #6000001949) requires 8ft W x 8.5ft H x 48ft L fully operational gas/diesel powered refrigerated/freezer vans capable of maintaining temperatures from -10 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Vendors must provide these vans within 12 hours of notification, with rental options for weekly (seven consecutive days) and monthly (thirty consecutive days) periods. The contract will run from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018, with the award being made to the lowest responsible bidder who complies with all requirements. Bid submissions were initially due March 1, 2016, but were extended through March 10, 2016 at 2:00 PM, with a public bid opening at 2:30 PM. Evaluation criteria include price, compliance with technical specifications, and the ability to service multiple institutions within designated geographic groups. Bidders must submit comprehensive pricing for all locations within their chosen group(s) and provide detailed rate sheets for weekly and monthly rentals, delivery, and pickup charges.

The procurement includes Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation incentives, with potential score adjustments ranging from 1-5% based on DVBE involvement levels. The State reserves the right to award the contract in multiple ways: potentially to a single vendor for all institutions, to vendors per geographic group, or to individual institution vendors based on what serves the state's best interests. The contract allows for significant flexibility, with CDCR reserving the right to augment the Master Agreement amount by 25-100% of the total bid amount. While no incumbent vendors are specifically mentioned, the bid package indicates that the estimated van quantities are just projections, and actual usage may vary. Bidders can offer a discount of at least 0.5% (minimum $50) for invoices paid within 30 days of receipt. Though specific budget ranges are not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the solicitation covering 18 facility groups suggests a potentially substantial contract value for the selected vendor(s). Electronic bid submissions require both Excel and PDF versions of the rate sheet, with USB flash drives no longer accepted.