RFP String Instruments

Rochester Community Schools issued this Request for Proposals to procure orchestral string instruments for the 2018-2019 school year. The procurement is jurisdictionally located in Berrien County, Michigan. The bid solicitation seeks 26 three-quarter violins with bows and hard cases, 26 full-size violins with bows and hard cases, 22 thirteen-inch violas with bows and hard cases, 22 fourteen-inch violas with bows and hard cases, 22 fifteen-inch violas with bows and hard cases, 26 three-quarter cellos with bows and cases, 26 full-size cellos with bows and cases, 8 half-size basses with bows and cases, and 8 three-quarter-size basses with bows and cases. Sealed bid proposals were due on June 28, 2018, at 2:00 PM local time to Jennifer Fickel, Purchasing Supervisor, at 501 W. University Drive, Rochester, Michigan 48307. Bid documents became available on June 14, 2018, through the district's website at http://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/pages/356/purchasing. Award selection criteria included bid specifications, pricing, product availability, documentation requirements, and delivery terms, with Board approval anticipated for July 16, 2018. Vendors were required to submit net pricing with any discounts, rebates, and allowances stated separately, with all prices including delivery to the district and exempt from state and federal taxes. Manufacturers' names and brand names were provided for reference only and were not intended to be restrictive, allowing vendors to bid on comparable products from any manufacturer.

The solicitation documents do not identify any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting organizational types capable of responding to this procurement. Both required disclosure documents—a sworn and notarized familial disclosure statement and a signed Iran Economic Sanctions Affidavit—were mandatory for bid acceptance, though no incumbent vendors or current contractors were listed in the available documentation. Bid packets required two original hardcopies of a Vendor Information Form, Vendor Price Quotation, Iran Economic Sanctions Certification form, and a notarized Familial Disclosure Statement. The Board of Education reserved the right to accept or reject any or all bids, waive informalities, award to a non-lowest bidder, or cancel the procurement if only one bid was received. No specific award value or budget range was disclosed in the available procurement documents.