Uniforms for Louisville Fire Department

The Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government's Louisville Fire Department (LFD) is issuing Request for Proposal 260189 seeking a single primary vendor to supply uniforms and uniform-related services, with the option to award secondary and tertiary contracts if the primary vendor cannot meet delivery timelines. The procurement covers a comprehensive range of uniform items organized into two sections: Section One includes daily-wear uniforms and accessories with a two-week delivery requirement, encompassing men's and women's short and long-sleeve shirts, trousers with Freedom-Flex waistband systems, outerwear jackets, sweaters, ties, belts, caps, insignia, patches, and various accessories; Section Two includes dress and honor guard uniforms with four to six-week delivery timelines, including dress coats, dress pants, skirts, shoes, and formal accessories. The vendor must maintain all Section One items in inventory within 30 days of contract award, possess adequate facilities for routine alterations within five working days, and provide FOB Delivered pricing with no separate shipping charges. The evaluation process utilizes a 100-point scale across seven criteria: Qualifications and Experience (25 points), Order to Delivery Process (20 points), Quality of Product (20 points), Capacity (20 points), Product Pricing (15 points), Online Presence (Pass/Fail), and Locality/Storefront (Yes/No preference). The vendor must establish a customized online ordering platform, designate a dedicated account representative for the LFD who meets weekly, provide samples for evaluation, and maintain Commercial General Liability insurance with a minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit, Workers' Compensation insurance at statutory limits, and Automobile Liability insurance with $1,000,000 minimum coverage. Questions must be submitted by March 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST, and sealed proposals are due by April 3, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EDT through the Bonfire portal at https://louisvilleky.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/224745.

The Metro Government has established preferences available to qualified vendors, including a local vendor preference offering a 5 percent price reduction or 5 points for businesses meeting designated local vendor requirements, and a minimum wage business preference offering a 5 percent price reduction for businesses that certify all full-time employees are paid at least $10.10 per hour, with false certifications subject to penalties of 30 percent of the contract award amount. The procurement includes mandatory Good Faith Efforts (GFE) documentation requiring bidders to demonstrate efforts in contacting Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Female Business Enterprises (FBE), and Historically Black Enterprises (HBE) subcontractors and suppliers, with participation goals of 15 percent for MBE, 5 percent for FBE, and 0.5 percent for HBE. All vendors must comply with the Louisville Metro "Ban the Box" ordinance restricting criminal history inquiries on initial employment applications, complete a Vendor Information form documenting ownership classifications including Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, Disabled-Owned, LGBT-Owned, Veteran-Owned Small Business, and Service-Disabled VOSB status, and submit IRS Form W-9 documentation. The RFP does not disclose specific incumbent vendors, current contractors, or existing infrastructure requirements, nor does it provide an estimated award value or budget range. Pricing must remain firm for six months following the proposal closing date and throughout the first year of any resulting contract, with any subsequent increases requiring written approval from the Metro Government.