STC new toner cartridges

The State of South Carolina is procuring a statewide term contract for new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) toner cartridges compatible with Dell, HP, Kyocera, Lexmark, Brother, and Xerox printing devices. The solicitation is structured into six separate lots, one for each manufacturer, with the primary objective of establishing a comprehensive supply contract for public procurement units across the state. Potential contractors must be authorized distributors or purchase from authorized distributors, maintaining an online ordering portal with searchable inventory, discount tracking, customer assistance, and order history functions. The evaluation criteria will be based on the greatest percentage discount off the manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), with the lowest responsive and responsible offeror per lot receiving the award. Key deliverables include new cartridges that meet OEM specifications with guaranteed performance, with contractors required to replace defective cartridges within five calendar days at no cost. The solicitation timeline includes a pre-bid conference held on August 31, 2022, via Microsoft Teams, with questions due by August 31, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. The online reverse auction was conducted on September 27, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. through EasiBuy, with award notifications posted by September 30, 2022.

The contract is mandatory for state agencies and optional for local public procurement units, including counties, municipalities, school districts, and special purpose districts. There are no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises mentioned in the documentation. Contractors are required to pay a 1% administrative services fee to Procurement Services based on total quarterly sales and a 0.75% transaction fee to EasiBuy. The contract term runs from October 23, 2022, through October 22, 2027, with automatic annual renewal options unless either party provides 30 days' notice of non-renewal. Return policies are structured with no restocking fees for unopened products returned within 30 days, a 10% restocking fee for returns between 30 and 90 days, and a 20% fee for returns after 90 days. While specific award values are not explicitly stated, the contract covers a wide range of toner cartridges across six major manufacturers, suggesting a potentially significant procurement opportunity for state and local government entities. Contractors must maintain OEM certification, provide phone and email customer support, and guarantee cartridge performance to OEM specifications.