Testing Protective Rubber Equipment and Glove

The City of Ocala is requesting quotations for annual inspection, cleaning, and testing of electrical rubber protective equipment and insulated rubber gloves under RFQ ELE/260653, with quotations due May 11, 2026. Vendors must hold NAILforPET (National Association of Independent Laboratories for Protective Equipment) certification or equivalent accreditation from a recognized test laboratory — a mandatory eligibility requirement.

The scope includes annual inspection and testing of line guards, hot sticks, blankets, line hoses, switch covers, pole top covers, crossarm covers, hoods, fiberglass insulated lay out arms, grounds equipment, and insulated mechanical jumpers across multiple voltage classes, as well as bi-weekly pick-up and delivery of insulated rubber gloves for off-site laboratory testing every eight weeks. The vendor must provide all labor, materials, transportation, and management support. Testing must comply with OSHA regulations and ASTM specifications. Work is performed during business hours (7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday) at the vendor's laboratory, excluding City-observed holidays.

The price proposal itemizes approximately 30 distinct equipment types with estimated annual quantities ranging from 1 to 148 units. Bidders must submit unit costs and extended costs for both initial test pricing and failure replacement pricing categories. Optional cost-saving programs and value-added services — such as glove rotation programs, inventory management systems, asset tracking, or testing optimization schedules — may be proposed as separate line items.

The initial contract term is three years with two optional one-year renewal periods. Any price increases for renewal are subject to negotiation and cannot exceed three percent annually absent documented market conditions supported by CPI-U justification submitted at least 90 days prior to term end. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Vendors must maintain commercial general liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate, commercial automotive liability of $1 million, and workers' compensation coverage per Florida statutory requirements.