Request for District-Wide Digital Copier Solution

Forest Hills Public Schools issued a Request for Proposal on February 24, 2021, for a district-wide digital copier solution encompassing equipment procurement, installation, consumable supplies, and ongoing maintenance services across multiple school locations in Michigan. The procurement seeks digital multifunction devices (MFDs) with copying, scanning, printing, and fax capabilities compatible with Windows and Chrome environments in two equipment categories: 90-100 pages per minute (ppm) monochrome copiers and 40-50 ppm monochrome copiers, with quantities distributed across approximately 50 locations including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, administrative buildings, and support facilities. Key deliverables include equipment installation with network connectivity configuration, removal of existing copiers, a 60-month warranty covering parts, labor, travel, and delivery, PaperCut software migration to the current version with five-year licensing, and training services including two operator sessions, technical IT staff training, and building-level training upon request. Vendors must provide separate cost components for equipment with warranty and installation as the base bid, per-copy pricing for consumable supplies and maintenance based on 80 million total copies over five years, and PaperCut software licensing and implementation fees. The proposal deadline was March 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. local time, with vendor questions due by February 17, 2021, anticipated award in May 2021, and implementation scheduled for summer 2021. Vendors must submit a 5% bid bond or cashier's check with proposals, and performance and payment bonds equal to the total purchase price may be required upon award. The District reserves the right to adjust quantities by 25% upward or downward and to award to multiple vendors or specific buildings at its sole discretion.

The RFP documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting responses to disadvantaged or minority-owned enterprises, nor do they identify incumbent vendors or current contractors by name. However, the procurement notes that the District is replacing existing copiers installed between 2014 and 2018, indicating transition from previous equipment infrastructure. The District is tax-exempt except for enhancements to real property, which should be reflected in pricing considerations. All vendor personnel accessing District facilities must comply with criminal background screening requirements. While specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in the published RFP materials, the scope encompasses approximately 50 locations with varying annual usage volumes ranging from approximately 13,839 to 1,142,411 copies per location, suggesting a significant multi-year capital and operational commitment. The bid opening was scheduled to be conducted remotely via Zoom on March 5, 2021, with the point of contact being Chris Carr at Plante Moran (Christopher.Carr@plantemoran.com).