Soap Noodles

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet on behalf of the Department of Corrections issued Request for Bid (RFB) 758 2200000453 for the procurement of Soap Noodles to be used by Kentucky Correctional Industries in the manufacturing of bars of soap. The solicitation seeks an initial purchase of 40,000 pounds with an estimated annual purchase quantity of 40,000 to 50,000 pounds. The required product is a Tarus 134 soap base mixture in solid pellet form with an off-white color, composed of sodium tallowate (60-70%), sodium cocoate or sodium palm kernelate (10-20%), water (10-20%), glycerin (5-10%), and sodium chloride, and must be fully boiled soap base made from 85% edible-grade tallow and 15% coconut oil or RBD palm kernel oil. The master agreement will commence on June 14, 2022, for an initial contract period of one year with four optional one-year renewal periods subject to written approval by all parties. Bids were due on February 28, 2022, at 1:30 PM ET, with vendor written questions due by February 17, 2022, at 10:00 AM ET. All bids must be submitted electronically through the Commonwealth's eProcurement system; paper bids are not accepted, and vendors must be registered in the Vendor Self Service System prior to submission. Award will be made on a best-value basis using measurable criteria allocating 90 points for price (with the lowest bidder receiving maximum points) and 10 points for delivery time (with a required delivery time of 30 days after receipt of order, and points awarded only to vendors delivering sooner). Pricing must be quoted F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid and Allowed, exclusive of federal excise taxes and Kentucky sales or use taxes, and price increases are prohibited during the first twelve months of the contract.

Kentucky resident bidders and qualified bidders, as defined under KRS 45A.470 and 200 KAR 5:410, are eligible for reciprocal and preferential scoring considerations of 20 percent and 15 percent of maximum points, respectively, with Kentucky Correctional Industries specifically eligible for qualified bidder status. Vendors must comply with all applicable state and federal requirements, including Kentucky tax registration, submission of required affidavits addressing campaign finance laws and tax obligations, and EEO compliance if applicable. Bidders must submit responses with authorized signatures (unless submitting electronically) and provide vendor information including FEIN number, ownership type, and contact details for ordering and payment addresses. This is a group buy requiring vendors to bid all line items; failure to do so will render the bid non-responsive. No specific incumbent vendors or award values are identified in the solicitation documents, though contact information for additional information is available through Kyle Collins at 502-564-6521. Addendum #1, issued on February 14, 2022, modified the solicitation to add an additional delivery location for soap noodles, and vendors are required to respond to all amendments and line items to maintain bid responsiveness.