SAND CLAY

The South Carolina Department of Corrections is procuring sand clay through a competitive bid solicitation for a one-year contract term. The procurement seeks to establish a source of supply for sand clay meeting specific AASHTO soil classification group codes (A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4), with strict requirements for material quality, including being free of debris and fibrous organic material. The estimated procurement quantity is 6,000 tons, with potential variance of plus or minus 15 percent based on actual field application. Delivery will be on a "will call" basis, with vendors required to respond within 24 hours of notification and maintain the capability to deliver 200 tons or more per day. The delivery location is the SCDC Facilities at 4322 Broad River Road, Columbia, South Carolina, with a standard delivery requirement of 30 days after purchase order receipt. The bid opening was scheduled for March 10, 2020, at 10:00 AM, with an anticipated award date of March 13, 2020. Evaluation will be based on lowest responsible and responsive bidder criteria, with unit prices governing over extended prices.

The solicitation offers preferences for South Carolina resident vendors, South Carolina end products, and United States end products, with specific statutory requirements for claiming these preferences. Vendors must obtain a South Carolina state vendor number and comply with state and federal regulations, including ethics requirements, drug-free workplace certification, and debarment certifications. Penalties for late delivery are structured incrementally, ranging from 5 percent per delay period, with potential consequences including open market procurement at the vendor's expense. While no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises are explicitly detailed, the procurement process appears to encourage broad participation with its preference mechanisms. Vendors must submit bids in a sealed format to the Purchasing Branch at 4420 Broad River Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29210. Pricing must be provided as a fixed unit price per ton, inclusive of all delivery costs. No minimum order quantity is specified, and vendors cannot enforce minimum order amounts during the contract period.