SWC427 Institutional Apparel13559& Hygiene Supplies - UPDATED

The State of Tennessee Department of General Services, Central Procurement Office is soliciting bids for Statewide Contract (SWC) 427, seeking institutional apparel and hygiene supplies for various state-run organizations including correctional facilities, healthcare institutions, and other state agencies. The procurement covers five primary categories: Footwear, Clothing, Accessories, Scrub Pants, and Hygiene Kits, with specific requirements for product specifications, fabric durability, sizing, and institutional-appropriate design. Vendors must maintain a 98% order fill rate, provide detailed catalogs, and commit to semi-annual catalog updates. The evaluation criteria will assess respondents' ability to perform, conformity to specifications, and compliance with bid factors, with the state potentially awarding up to two separate contracts per category to the lowest responsive and responsible bidders. The solicitation is open from April 2, 2025, at 10:00 AM CDT to April 10, 2025, at 3:00 PM CDT, with a pre-response conference scheduled for February 25, 2025, at 2:30 PM CT via Microsoft Teams. Bidders for Category 1 (Footwear) are required to submit samples for each proposed line item, specifically one pair of each "type" of footwear in size 9 or 10 in Men's.

The contract is available to a broad range of authorized users, including state agencies, local governmental agencies, university systems, nonprofit higher education institutions, and specific tax-exempt corporations. The solicitation emphasizes diversity business participation, requiring respondents to submit a Diversity Utilization Plan to encourage engagement with minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, disabled-owned, and small business enterprises. The contract term will be effective June 1, 2025, and extend for 36 months, with the state reserving the right to execute up to two one-year renewal options, not to exceed a total of 60 months. A one percent (1%) administrative fee will be rebated back to the State of Tennessee based on quarterly contract usage. The total estimated contract purchases are five million dollars ($5,000,000.00) for the contract term. Vendors must comply with various requirements, including sales and use tax registration, accepting the state's Purchasing Card (P-Card) as a payment method, providing a return goods policy, and affirming compliance with the Iran Divestment Act. The state will utilize the TN SmartShop e-marketplace for purchasing, with strict guidelines about permissible product offerings.