Scholastic Children's Books

The Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) is seeking bids for the procurement of 47 specific Scholastic children's book titles through Request for Bid No. 437002-M18-00011130, with the intent to distribute these books to children and families as part of the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge grant initiative. The DCF plans to purchase a minimum of 1,000 copies of each book title, which will be paired with informational materials about the YoungStar program. Sealed bids must be submitted by November 2, 2017, at 2:00 PM to the Bureau of Finance, Purchasing in Madison, Wisconsin. The contract term runs from the award date through January 31, 2018, with all books to be ordered by December 31, 2017, and delivered to the Child Care Information Center. Bidders must provide a single percentage discount off list pricing, with the award made to the vendor offering the highest discount. Mandatory qualifications include three years of experience in children's book distribution, three current references from comparable institutions, and the ability to replace missing or damaged items within 30 days.

Bidders can receive a 5% preference in bid evaluation if they are Wisconsin-certified Minority Business Enterprises, and the state encourages the utilization of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) subcontractors and second-tier suppliers. To qualify for minority business or disabled veteran-owned business preference, vendors must be certified by the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program. The procurement allows for multiple vendors to receive partial awards for different book titles, with awards made on a line-by-line basis to the lowest net price bidder for each specific title. Vendors may substitute equivalent books from alternate publishers if Scholastic-restricted versions are unavailable, provided they identify the displacement and supply an alternate ISBN and list price while maintaining the same percentage discount. In the event of tie bids, preference is given to bidders capable of supplying the largest quantity for the book title in question. While a specific total contract value is not explicitly stated, the procurement involves purchasing at least 47,000 books (1,000 copies of each of the 47 titles), with actual quantities dependent on funding availability.