Rental and Service of Uniforms, Mats and Other Related Products

The Town of Berlin, Connecticut (Hartford County) has issued Request for Proposal #2026-06 for the rental and service of uniforms, mats, and other related products. This three-year contract, renewable thereafter, seeks qualified and independent firms to provide comprehensive uniform rental and cleaning services for eight municipal departments including Facilities, Garage, Timberlin Golf Course, Highway, and Additional/Seasonal workers. The deliverables include various types of work uniforms such as pants, shirts, jackets, and coveralls with specific quantities designated for each worker category and department. Proposers must demonstrate expert qualification and substantial background experience in uniform rental and service operations, and the Town will evaluate submissions based on the proposer's background experience, responsiveness to RFP requirements, quality references, and proposed fees. Required insurance coverage includes Worker's Compensation, General Liability, Professional Liability, and Automobile Liability with minimum coverage of $1,000,000 per category. The contract is anticipated to start in February 2026, following the expiration of the current contract on January 30, 2026. Submission deadlines include a question deadline of September 25, 2025, and a proposal response deadline of October 2, 2025 at 2:00 p.m., with electronic submission required through the Town's OpenGov Procurement portal.

The RFP does not explicitly identify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to specific types of organizations based on disadvantaged enterprise status or other classifications. No incumbent vendor or current contractor is specifically named in the available documentation. The Town reserves the right to negotiate fees and may conduct interviews or oral presentations as part of the selection process. Optional contract components include the possibility of purchasing uniforms outright rather than renting and providing weekly cleaning cost alternatives for purchased uniforms, which may affect overall contract value. Specific award values or budget ranges are not provided in the summary documentation; however, interested proposers should review the complete RFP for detailed pricing tables and estimated quantities to calculate potential contract value based on the Town's anticipated service requirements across all eight departments.