Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Batteries

The Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency (WCRESA), the largest of Michigan's fifty-six regional educational service agencies serving thirty-three public school districts and approximately 110 charter schools across Wayne County with combined enrollment exceeding 275,000 students, issued Request for Proposal 18-011-157 to procure Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) batteries compatible with its current UPS system. The primary deliverable is catalog number 9395-275-275-CA, a VRLA Sealed UPS Battery featuring a 120-month manufacturer warranty and five-year warranty period, with installation and support services required until all Eaton specifications are met. Suppliers were permitted to propose equivalent alternate products with complete manufacturer, product name, and item number information. Qualified bidders were required to submit comprehensive proposals including notarized ethical standards and conflict of interest affidavits, statements of qualifications with references from educational clients, and compliance certifications. Insurance requirements included Workers' Compensation Insurance with $100,000 per person/$500,000 aggregate limits, Commercial General Liability Insurance with $1,000,000 per occurrence limits, and Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance with $1,000,000 per occurrence combined single limits, with WCRESA named as an additional insured. A mandatory pre-bid meeting and facility tour occurred on October 15, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. EST in Room 223 at the Wayne RESA Education Center, 33500 Van Born Road, Wayne, Michigan. Written questions were due by 1:00 p.m. on October 17, 2018, with responses provided by October 19, 2018. Proposals were due by 10:00 a.m. on October 24, 2018, with bid opening scheduled for 10:30 a.m. EST in Room 326, and selected suppliers were required to make oral presentations on dates to be determined. The anticipated project start date was October or November 2018, with proposals valid for at least sixty days from submission, and payment to be made within thirty days of invoice receipt.

The RFP contained no set-aside designations for small businesses, minority-owned enterprises, or disadvantaged businesses, though bidders were requested to self-identify as such on the signature page. WCRESA did not identify any incumbent contractors, current service providers, or alternative preferred vendors in the procurement documents. Award was contingent upon approval by the WCRESA Board of Education, with the contract term to be specified in the Master Service Agreement issued upon award. Pricing was to be submitted on the standardized Bid Proposal form with unit prices and installation costs clearly detailed, though no specific budget range or award value was disclosed in the available documentation. WCRESA, as a tax-exempt public agency, will not be responsible for any taxes imposed on the selected supplier. The successful supplier would be required to execute the WCRESA Master Service Agreement, which included standard terms regarding indemnification, termination with sixty days' notice, and compliance with all applicable Michigan laws.