RFB-25001-1 Office Supplies

Cattaraugus-Allegany Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is conducting a cooperative bid (RFB-25001-1) for office supplies to be purchased by school districts in Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties, with Chautauqua County also included in the jurisdiction. The procurement covers a comprehensive range of office supplies including envelopes, binders, file folders, writing instruments, correction supplies, and technological accessories such as flash drives and CD/DVD media. Vendors must submit electronic bids through BidNetDirect.com by January 11, 2024, at 4:00 P.M., with a public bid opening scheduled for January 12, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. The contract term will run from February 8, 2024, through February 28, 2025. Evaluation criteria include pricing competitiveness, with the award going to the lowest responsible bidder who bids on at least 90% of the items. Vendors must provide unit costs, vendor catalog numbers, and detailed product information, with strict adherence to bid instructions required to avoid rejection.

The procurement includes provisions for Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) considerations and requires vendors to comply with sexual harassment prevention policies. Bidders must submit various certifications, including an Affidavit of Compliance, Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate, and Iran Divestment Act Certification. The cooperative bid involves five participating school districts: Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES, Ellicottville, and Friendship. Vendors are required to offer competitive pricing with discounts from their general catalogs, with the ability to provide additional items not originally specified in the core bid through a percentage discount mechanism. While no specific budget range is provided, the bid allows for flexible purchasing across multiple districts with no minimum or maximum purchase quantities guaranteed. Pricing must include all freight, packing, and delivery costs within the unit price, with no additional charges permitted, and vendors must be prepared to respond to price quote requests within one business day.