Soap Products and Accessories ITQ

The Pennsylvania Department of General Services is conducting an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) procurement in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Pennsylvania Correctional Industries (PCI) to solicit qualified contractors for soap products and accessories used in PCI's soap manufacturing process. The solicitation encompasses four commodity categories: soap dispensers, fragrance additives, chemicals, and soap bases, with contractors required to demonstrate a minimum of two years of experience in their selected commodity code, except for the dispenser category. Qualified contractors must obtain written manufacturer certification confirming that soap materials will be manufactured from beef tallow and coconut oil fatty acids without pork-derived fatty acids, and must complete and submit Iran Free Certification and Worker Protection and Investment Certification forms. The contract commences on the effective date and extends through April 30, 2031, with one five-year renewal option available. All qualified contractors meeting minimum requirements will be awarded a contract, though award does not guarantee business volume; individual purchase orders will be issued based on subsequent Request for Quotes (RFQs) using either best value or low-cost selection criteria determined by the requesting agency. Contractors must adhere to strict delivery requirements limiting deliveries to normal business hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST with a maximum five-business-day window from order receipt, comply with comprehensive Department of Corrections security and facility access procedures, and provide quarterly usage reports in Microsoft Excel format. The invitation to qualify posted on March 25, 2026, with a due date of February 28, 2031, requires all qualifications to be submitted electronically through the JAGGAER portal after suppliers register as PA Suppliers in the PA Supplier Portal.

The procurement documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions limiting response to particular categories of organizations such as disadvantaged enterprises, minority-owned businesses, or woman-owned businesses. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available solicitation materials, nor are any specific technology platforms or existing infrastructure integration requirements specified beyond the mandatory use of the JAGGAER procurement portal for submissions. The documentation does not disclose a specific award value or budget range for this ITQ contract. Contractors should note that the Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct independent laboratory testing to confirm conformance to specifications at the contractor's expense if quality issues arise, and that all work products, reports, and materials developed under the contract become unrestricted Commonwealth property. Payment will be processed through Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer within thirty days of proper invoice receipt, and contractors must comply with F.O.B. Destination delivery requirements while assuming all loss or damage risk, with a mandatory one-year warranty on all delivered items.