Truck Tool Boxes

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Purchases, issued Request for Bid (RFB) 605 2300000754 on behalf of the Division of Equipment to procure truck tool boxes designed for use on Cabinet-owned one-ton and larger vehicles. The solicitation, posted on May 23, 2023, with a closing deadline of May 31, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time, seeks competitive bids for tool boxes from four specified manufacturers: Better Built, Weather Guard, Joe Box, and Tractor Supply. Vendors may bid on one or more product lines and must submit bids exclusively through the Kentucky Vendor Self Service (VSS) e-procurement platform at https://vss.ky.gov. All materials must be new, of standard commercial quality, and free from defects, with delivery F.O.B. Destination Freight Prepaid to various Kentucky locations, with the primary receiving location being the KYTC Division of Equipment Receiving Shop at 1239 Wilkinson Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. Evaluation will be conducted on a best-value basis using measurable criteria: 95 points allocated for percentage discount off the manufacturer's published list price and 5 points for delivery performance, with the vendor offering the greatest discount and shortest delivery time receiving maximum points and other bidders scored proportionally. A public bid reading will occur at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 31, 2023, with a tentative award date of June 16, 2023. The resulting master agreement will have an initial contract period from award through June 30, 2024, with four optional one-year renewal periods available at the discretion of both parties.

Kentucky resident bidders and qualified bidders, including Kentucky Correctional Industries, Kentucky Industries for the Blind, and certain nonprofit organizations serving individuals with severe disabilities, are eligible for statutory preferences of 20 percent and 15 percent of maximum points, respectively. All bidders and offerors must submit a completed and notarized Annual Affidavit for Bidders, Offerors and Contractors, attesting under penalty of perjury that they have not knowingly violated Kentucky campaign finance laws. Pricing shall remain firm for the first twelve months of the contract, with only one permitted price increase during the contract term, which must be based on documented industry-wide increases and submitted thirty days in advance; any industry-wide price decreases must be passed to the Commonwealth immediately. Late delivery penalties of one percent per day will apply to invoices, unless delays result from Commonwealth actions, third parties, acts of God, pandemics, or natural disasters. No specific budget ranges or award values are disclosed in the solicitation documents; instead, the Commonwealth indicates it intends to award contracts as necessary to meet its equipment needs. The contract may be extended up to 90 days beyond all renewal periods with mutual written consent between the parties.