AccentCare (the Buyer) is accepting bids on a five (5) year volume for their Copier Lease and Service Program. Please read this complete ebid, all email notices, and the Sorcity Member Agreement, in full, so you understand the bid guidelines and are properly prepared for this bid if your company qualifies and would like to participate.

Currently, the Buyer has lease and service contracts that have either ended or that will be ending over the next 5 years from now as follows: (All end dates are provided in the Line Item Worksheet) (Updated 4/26)

1. Currently Ended: 18%

2. Within 1 year: 38%

3. Between 1-2 years: 35%

4. Between 2-3 years: 9%

The Buyer would like to establish a long-term relationship with a Supplier who is able to provide the Copier Lease and Service, with the quality and service-levels outlined in this bid document. The anticipated start date for this award is June, 2012.

Over the past 5 years, the Buyer has essentially doubled in size through two primary acquisitions and anticipates continued growth, so factor this into your bidding.  Additional quantities, or locations added, will be treated as increased volume under this ebid award, and governed under the same terms as this Event.

They would like to establish an account where upon all AccentCare locations are part of a company-wide program with a single point of contact. All locations will purchase through this award, which should provide assurance to the awarded bidder that the dollar value awarded is intended to be met.

Although price is an important element of this award, this is not a price-only decision. Other factors to be considered include fulfillment and responsiveness as well as the Buyer's standard terms and conditions, and relationship. After the bidding ends the Buyer may contact several low bidders to further understand the bidder's capabilities, and additional benefits, before an award is made (see Key Dates below).

PLEASE NOTE: 

Any direct contact with the Buying Organization regarding this opportunity, during or after this bid process, until the Buyer contacts you, will cause you to be in violation of the bid process and be eligible for penalties, to ensure the bid process remains fair (see Sorcity Member Agreement).

The service levels and quantities listed in the Line Item Worksheet are expected to be the minimum purchasing requirements during the next 5-years, based on the last 12-months of actual usage, but fulfillment of award is measured on category dollar value you bid and not specific line item quantities. Suppliers should know that the Buyer does not intend to award at a price higher than what they are currently paying, so bid aggressively.

Lease terms, usage and copier models listed are based on the best available inventory report the Buyer had at the time of the bid.  If there are any discrepancies, the Buyer and awarded Supplier will work in good faith to resolve.  It is expected that discrepancies would occur less than 15% of the time regarding the usage, models and lease end dates provided.  (Added 4/26)

BID STRUCTURE: 

If you are able to provide and bid on all items listed and meet all terms and conditions stated, then you are invited to bid in this Online Bid Event (ebid). You may not bid otherwise.  

Please fill out Accessory Pricing Request form on the 2nd tab of the Line Item Worksheet, so the Buyer can see pricing for additional accessories on any of the copiers being bid.  While this pricing will not be calculated into your bid totals, the award will consider both tabs, so we encourage you to bid aggressively, as the pricing sheets will be the basis for award and pricing over the 5-year term. (Added 4/25)

Bids will only be accepted through this ebid.  Bidding in any other manner, or attempting to sell directly to one of the Buyer's locations will disqualify you for this business for the term of the award and will remove you from good standing with the Buyer and Sorcity for future business.  Please perform honorably. We look forward to your participation and help in maintaining the integrity of this fair and objective bid process.

Additional bid guidelines:

1. Please comply with the instructions in the Bid Notice email you were sent informing you of this opportunity.

2. Please follow the instructions of the Line Item Worksheet, including entering your Dun & Bradstreet number where noted, as it is part of this bid package

3. Sorcity is providing you this Updated 4/25/12 4/26/12 Line Item Worksheet to list per copier pricing, which will automatically calculate the “Total” bid price. Only the “Total” from the Worksheet may be entered as your bid in the online Event. Do not attempt to enter line item prices online or your bid will be inaccurate.

4. Please be sure to save the Line Item Worksheet to your desktop first, then use it to work up your Bid.  This will allow you to promptly return this worksheet once the bidding ends.

5. YOUR COMPLETED LINE ITEM WORKSHEET IS A REQUIREMENT AND MUST BE RETURNED TO SORCITY WITHIN (1) HOUR AFTER THE BID ENDS, regardless of bid position. Failure to do so may render your bid unacceptable and invoke penalties.

6. Bid price is to include all of these items and is not to include any additional costs:

   1. Monthly Lease Price

   2. Lease Interest

   3. Service Price

   4. All supplies including staples and toner (except copy paper) (Removed 4/25)

   5. Delivery and installation

   6. Ensure equipment installed functions properly with the Buyer’s AS400 network by: recommending steps for the integration based on the application of the equipment, providing the network administrator with the drivers required as well as training, and providing support during installation onsite and/or by phone until equipment is fully functional within Buyer's AS400 Network.

   7. All associated costs for freight of copier pick up upon lease end

7. In addition to the lease pricing, please list your cost per copy for black and white copies, where indicated.  The cost per copy is to be included in your total bid placed online.

8. Please enter your cost per copy for color copies in the box provided at the bottom of the Line Item Worksheet. Color usage is minimal but the Buyer does anticipate increased use in the future.  This price will not factored in to you bid totals, but will be considered in their final evaluation for the award. (Added 4/25)

9. You must bid equipment of equivalent or better specifications as the equipment listed in the Line Item Worksheet.  Equipment you bid must at least meet the minimum requirements of pages per minute, sheet paper capacity, and sheet document feeder size for each current model listed. 

10. You must enter your description details in the "Manufacturer Name and Product Model #" columns in the Line Item Worksheet, highlighted in yellow, for the equipment you are offering.

11. As pre-existing leases end during the new 5-year term, you must provide a new copier in place of the previous copier for the remainder of the 5-year term, and honor the monthly price you quoted on the Line Item Worksheet. This copier should be the better of either the model you bid, or the current most equivalent upgrade at no price increase.

12. Buyer is requesting Bidder's best price in the bid to include: rebates, allowances, and other incentive programs. The Buyer does not want these other incentive programs in addition to the price, but included as part of the price bid.  The intention of this requirement is to eliminate these other programs so tracking and auditing is not required, but instead, straight forward prices are provided.

13. Please be aware that some locations have multiple copiers.  These are not duplicates so please bid each separately in the Line Item Worksheet.

REQUIREMENTS:

These are requirements specific to this purchase:

1. All copiers bid must:

   1. be new equipment.

   2. be AS400 compatible.

   3. have a scan-to-email feature.

   4. be able to Fax, Scan, and Print.

2. All supplies must be covered by the service agreement except for paper.

3. You must respond to service requests within 2 hours and have a technician onsite within 4 hours.

4. You must provide a separate contract for the lease agreement and the service agreement.

5. You must provide online (Internet browser-based) reporting including:

   1. Meter Readings.

   2. Usage reports for specific locations.

   3. Electronic invoices.

KEY DATES: Anticipated for Award (U.S. Time)  Modified 5/16/12, 4/24/12