Tennessee Conservationist Magazine Printing

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued a Request for Bids for printing services related to The Tennessee Conservationist Magazine on April 9, 2026, with bids due by April 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM CDT and delivery required by May 5, 2026. The contract administrator is Sydney Loomans at 615-253-7266 or Sydney.Loomans@tn.gov, and prospective bidders must submit written questions by April 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST. The procurement seeks a single contractor to provide comprehensive printing services for six magazine issues annually over an initial twenty-four-month contract period (effective June 1, 2026) with three optional twelve-month renewal periods for a maximum total contract duration of sixty months. The contractor must produce magazine press runs at four quantity levels (7,000, 8,000, 9,000, and 10,000 copies per issue) with all work performed in-house using G7 Master Print Facility Certification and FSC-certified recycled paper stock. Deliverables include forty interior pages plus paper covers with saddle stitch binding (three staples), spot gloss UV coating on covers, exterior wrapper printing, subscription card binding, color proof delivery and revisions, publisher alterations during printing, flat-rate delivery to a mailing house and twenty-one Tennessee State Parks, and annual hardcover binding of compiled editions. Bidders must submit unit pricing for seventeen separate line items, provide proof of Tennessee Department of Revenue sales and use tax registration, demonstrate G7 Master Print Facility Certification, identify any subcontractors, attest to compliance with Tennessee's Iran Divestment Act, and respond to questions regarding debarment status, criminal history, pending litigation, and prior contract terminations. The State will award the contract to the single responsive and responsible bidder offering the lowest cost that meets all specified requirements; pricing must remain firm for seven hundred and thirty days from contract execution, after which price adjustments are limited to seven percent without contract amendment, and the State is exempt from all local, state, and federal excise taxes.

No set-aside designations or restrictions targeting disadvantaged enterprises or specific organization types are referenced in the solicitation documents. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the available materials. Bidders must be registered with the Tennessee Supplier Portal prior to contract issuance and must obtain a printing authorization number as required by Tennessee Code Annotated 12-7-101, et seq. The contractor bears responsibility for travel, lodging, and meal expenses for publisher representatives attending press checks if the contractor's facility is located more than fifty miles from Nashville. Press checks must be scheduled during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) with forty-eight hours' notice required. The State anticipates maximum liability exceeding $300,000 for this contract, though no specific award value or budget range is published, and all submissions must be made electronically through the State's EDISON procurement system in U.S. dollars only. The State reserves the right to terminate the contract for convenience with thirty days' written notice or for cause if the contractor materially breaches its obligations or fails to meet quality standards as solely determined by the publisher.