Thermal paper

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) issued an Invitation for Bid (Solicitation 5400023086) for thermal paper to support their printer operations. The procurement seeks 400 cases of thermal paper rolls, specifically for Brother Pocket Jet Printers, with specifications including 36 rolls per case, 8.5 inches by 100 feet, continuous and non-perforated, with 80-gram thickness and 7-10 year archivability. Each roll must be sealed and delivered on pallets to the SCDPS Supply Warehouse located at 10339 Wilson Blvd, Blythewood, SC 29016. The original solicitation was issued on March 30, 2022, with initial bid questions due by March 24, 2022, at 12:00 PM EST, and original bid submissions due April 1, 2022, at 12:00 PM EST. However, Amendment 1 extended the bid submission deadline to April 8, 2022, with award notification rescheduled to April 18, 2022. The contract was intended to be a one-year agreement without renewal options, with a planned start date of April 12, 2022, and end date of April 11, 2023. Deliveries were required within 30-45 days after purchase order receipt, and award would be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

The solicitation allowed for South Carolina and United States end-product preferences, including the Resident Vendor Preference for qualifying vendors. Offerors were required to be registered state vendors and could potentially provide manufacturer's descriptive literature if bidding an equal product. The procurement officer reserved the right to request free samples for testing purposes. Vendors were instructed to submit one online bid through www.procurement.sc.gov, with all shipping and freight charges included in the bid price. Notably, the solicitation was ultimately cancelled on April 18, 2022, due to ambiguous specifications, with procurement officer Megan Leath indicating that a new solicitation would be issued at a later date. While the estimated annual requirement was 400 cases, there was no minimum order quantity, and orders would be placed on an as-needed basis. The total contract value was not explicitly stated, but the last thermal paper purchase in November 2021 was for 72 cases at $108.95 per case, including freight.