RFP - Protective Footwear

The City of Knoxville has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for protective footwear to outfit approximately 300 employees within the Public Service Department. The procurement seeks responsible firms to provide an annual pre-set boot allotment for employees, specifically requiring 6- and 8-inch safety toe boots and athletic-style safety toe shoes from a local store within 20 miles of 3131 Morris Avenue. The contract will have an initial one-year term with two optional one-year renewals, and will be available for use across city departments. Proposals are due on June 25, 2025, at 11:00:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with the RFP becoming available on June 3, 2025. The evaluation process will utilize a 100-point scoring system, allocating points as follows: Pricing/Cost (40 points), Variety of Offered Footwear (30 points), Delivery Schedule (15 points), and Qualifications and Experience (15 points). Employees will be allowed to purchase up to two pairs of safety shoes within their annual allotment, with purchases to be completed in a single transaction and no balance carried forward.

The City strongly encourages prime contractors to engage diverse businesses, establishing specific fiscal year 2023 goals for minority-owned (4.3%), woman-owned (10.3%), and small businesses (34.8%). No specific budget range or award value was explicitly stated in the documentation. The procurement does not appear to have strict restrictions on vendor types beyond the encouragement of diverse business participation. Vendors must provide a fixed percentage discount off retail pricing, with no guaranteed order quantities specified. The contract's structure allows for flexibility in footwear selection while maintaining specific safety and procurement guidelines. Proposers will need to demonstrate the ability to meet the City's requirements for footwear variety, local accessibility, and competitive pricing to be considered for award.