Title
MOTION TO RATIFY THE CITY MANAGER’S APPROVAL TO AWARD IFB # TS-25-02 “WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT” TO THE MOST RESPONSIVE/ RESPONSIBLE BIDDERS SHOWN BELOW:
ODP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS NOT TO EXCEED $12,780.41
TPRO SERVICES, LLC NOT TO EXCEED $68,514
SHUTTLES PRO NOT TO EXCEED $736
Summary Explanation and Background
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
- Chapter 35 of the City’s Code of Ordinances is titled “PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES, PUBLIC FUNDS.”
- Section 35.15 defines an Invitation for Bid as “A written solicitation for competitive sealed bids with the title, date and hour of the public bid opening designated therein and specifically defining the commodities or services for which bids are sought. The invitation for bid shall be used when the city is capable of specifically defining the scope of work for which a service is required or when the city is capable of establishing 15 precise specifications defining the actual commodities required. The invitation for bid shall include instructions to bidders, plans, drawings and specifications, if any, bid form and other required forms and documents to be submitted with the bid.”
- Section 35.18 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "COMPETITIVE BIDDING OR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS REQUIRED; EXCEPTIONS.”
- Section 35.18(A) states, "A purchase of or contracts for commodities or services that is estimated by the Chief Procurement Officer to cost more than $25,000 shall be based on sealed competitive solicitations as determined by the Chief Procurement Officer, except as specifically provided herein."
- Section 35.19 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "SEALED COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCEDURE."
- Section 35.19(A) states "All sealed competitive solicitations as defined in § 35.18 shall be presented to the City Commission for their consideration prior to advertisement."
- Section 35.21 of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "AWARD OF CONTRACT."
- Section 35.21(A) of the City's Code of Ordinances is titled "City Commission approval.”
- Section 35.21(A)(1) states, "An initial purchase of, or contract for, commodities or services, in excess of $25,000, shall require the approval of the City Commission, regardless of whether the competitive bidding or competitive proposal procedures were followed. However, emergency purchases as described in § 35.18, shall not require advance City Commission approval. In such emergency situations, the City Manager may approve the purchase or contract, subject to later ratification by the City Commission."
SUMMARY EXPLANATION AND BACKGROUND:
1. On December 18, 2024, the City Commission authorized the advertisement of IFB # TS-25-02 " Workforce Development Project", which was advertised on January 15, 2025.
2. The purpose of this solicitation was to seek proposals from qualified firms to provide the requested computer equipment for the Academic Village Charter School’s CAP workforce expansion program.
The requested equipment is new technology to enhance hands-on learning, equip students with industry-relevant skills, and create or expand capacity for career and technical education programs at the City's Charter Schools.
3. This request arose from the Academic Village Charter School’s (AVCS) award of the Workforce Development Incentive (CAP) Grant in the amount of $166,736, which supports the expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that lead to industry certifications in place at the AVCS.
The CAP Grant is distributed by the School Board of Broward County (SBBC) district.
The SBBC notified the charter schools of their award on November 6th, 2024, and required charter schools to identify needs, complete procurement, receive orders, and close out invoices by April 17, 2025
Given the grant timeline, the standard procurement process, typically spanning several months from bid preparation to receipt of ordered products, required efficient coordination. The process includes bid package development, commission approval for advertising, evaluation, commission approval for award, PO processing, receipt of goods, and process of payment. With the November 6, 2024 notification from SBBC, the charter schools had a tight timeline to identify their needs and prepare the bid for award in order to receive and pay for the products by April 17, 2025.
4. The City Commission’s December 18, 2024, approval to advertise the bid reflected the compressed timeline and preliminary nature of the requested equipment list, which included items described generally or nearing end-of-life status. Procurement collaborated closely with Charter Schools and the Technology Services Department to clarify product specifications prior to advertising. Recognizing time constraints, further refinements were managed during the vendor Q&A period, a common practice to ensure responsive and flexible procurement while maintaining compliance.
Below is the list of the requested items:
|
Line # |
Description |
Qty. |
|
1 |
ASUS - Vivobook Pro 15 OLED Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 7 WITH |
30 |
|
|
16GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 - 1TB SSD - Earl Gray |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
VR Kit set of 8 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
Pre-Assembled American Style Heavy-Duty 20 Bay Laptop Charging Cart for |
1 |
|
|
School Classroom Storing and Charing 20 Chromebook, Laptop, and Tablet |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
Wacom One 12 Drawing Tablet with Screen, 11.6" Full HD Laminated |
27 |
|
|
Screen Graphics Tablet with Wacom One Pen, Beginners Creative Tablet |
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED Gaming Laptop 16.0" Touch 4K Display |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
Gaming Mouse |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional |
1 |
|
|
Photographic Inkjet Printer, 17 x 22-Inches, Black |
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
BenQ Zowie S1 Symmetrical Gaming Mouse for Esports | Professional |
30 |
|
|
Grade Performance | Driverless | Matte Black Coating | Medium Size |
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
HP 17.3" Flagship HD+ Business Laptop, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Intel Quad Core |
3 |
|
|
i3-1125G4(Beat i5-1035G4), Bluetooth, HDMI, Webcam, Windows 11, Silver, w/GM Accessories |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
Lenovo ThinkVision T24i-20 24" Full HD WLED LCD Monitor - Raven Black in-Plane Switching |
6 |
|
|
(IPS) Technology - 1920 x 1080 - HDMI - VGA - DisplayPort - USB Hub HDMI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
Lenovo ThinkCentre 50q Gen 4 Business Mini Desktop, 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13420H, |
6 |
|
|
16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, Display Port, HDMI, RJ-45, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Pro, Black |
|
As a result, Procurement worked with the Charter Schools and the Technology Services Department to try and obtain clarifications on part numbers and product descriptions prior to publicly advertising the solicitation. It was ultimately decided that due to time constraints the cleaning up of the item descriptions of the request would be resolved by vendors during the Q&A period. Any items that need clarification or are end of life (EOL) should be pointed out by the vendor. It is not uncommon for vendors to have stock of EOL items, so if vendors do not bring forward issues it would be because they could provide what was requested or an equal alternative.
During the Q&A there were a few questions but most revolved around Item 2, the VR Kits.
5. On February 18, 2025, the City opened three (3) proposals, which included both primary bids and alternative products, along with no bids. The proposals from the vendors included partial bids and alternate products.
Below are the proposals for both the Primary Response Table and the Alternative Response Table. Please note the blank entries represent “No Bids” from the vendors. If a vendor submitted the same price for an item in both the primary and alternative tables, the price is listed only once in the primary table section below. Additionally, some vendors included alternative products within their Primary Response submissions.
|
|
Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a |
|
TPRO |
|
|
|
ODP Business Solutions) |
Shuttles Pro |
Services LLC |
|
|
Line |
Primary |
Alternative |
Primary |
Primary |
Alternative |
|
Item |
Table |
Table |
Table |
Table |
Table |
|
1 |
$33,501.60 |
|
$50,460.00 |
$46,770.00 |
|
|
2 |
|
$8,421.36 |
$24,657.00 |
$19,497.00 |
|
|
3 |
|
|
$736.00 |
$799.00 |
|
|
4 |
$7,039.44 |
|
$14,067.00 |
$11,583.00 |
|
|
5 |
|
$1,272.60 |
$3,294.00 |
$3,999.00 |
|
|
6 |
|
$22.75 |
$44.00 |
$129.00 |
|
|
7 |
|
$1,095.82 |
$2,255.00 |
$1,599.00 |
|
|
8 |
|
$1,130.10 |
$2,370.00 |
$2,070.00 |
|
|
9 |
|
|
$2,754.00 |
$2,247.00 |
|
|
10 |
$1,710.18 |
$1,008.00 |
$2,004.00 |
$2,394.00 |
|
|
11 |
$3,614.40 |
|
$6,444.00 |
$5,094.00 |
$5,334.00 |
* For Item 2, ODP submitted the unit price of $350.89 for a single unit not a set of 8. The table above is adjusted to display their actual proposed cost (unit price * units in set * quantity of sets requested) = total cost; ($350.89 * 8 * 3) = $8,421.36.
6. Due to product specification verification, product availability challenges, and delivery timelines, the determination of which vendors would be preliminary awarded for each line item was not finalized until April 2, 2025, to vendors that stated they could provide their awarded items by the grant deadline.
City Manager approval was requested and received, to move forward with the purchase prior to Commission approval in order to meet the delivery deadline of April 14, 2025, and reimbursement deadline of April 17, 2025. The delivery deadline was to make sure the City would meet the reimbursement timelines for this grant. The purchase orders for these items were fully approved by April 3, 2025.
7. To best meet the City’s interest and grant requirements, the City decided to award the bid on a split order basis to the most responsive and responsible bidders. Below is a summary of the items and vendors that were recommended for the award:
Item 1: ASUS - Vivobook Pro 15 OLED Laptop - Intel Core Ultra 7 WITH 16GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 - 1TB SSD - Earl Gray
Vendor 1: TPRO Services LLC
Total: $46,770.00
ODP submitted the lowest proposals for Item 1, however ODP’s proposal was for an alternative product that was not an approved equivalent, as it did not meet the minimum specification criteria.
TPRO provided the second lowest proposal for Item 1 and their proposal was for the product as requested, therefore they were awarded.
Item 2: VR Kit set of 8
Vendor: TPRO Services LLC
Total: $19,497.00
ODP’s submittal appeared to be the lowest bid for Item 2. However, upon reviewing ODP’s pricing, it was determined that ODP’s price was per VR device and not for a set of 8 as requested. Thereby, the system incorrectly shows their total to be $1,052.67 for 3 sets of 8. ODP’s bid was adjusted to the per unit cost of a set of 8, and their bid total for Item 2 thereby became $8,421.36.
After the adjustment, ODP still remained the lowest bid, however their proposed item did not include the requested interactive learning software for schools.
TPRO provided the second lowest proposal for Item 2 and their proposal was for the product as requested, which included the interactive learning software for schools, therefore they were awarded.
Item 3: Pre-Assembled American Style Heavy-Duty 20 Bay Laptop Charging Cart for School Classroom Storing and Charging 20 Chromebook, Laptop, and Tablet
Vendor: Shuttles Pro
Total: $736.00
Shuttles Pro provided the lowest proposal for Item 3 and their proposal was for the product as requested, therefore they were awarded.
Item 4: Wacom One 12 Drawing Tablet with Screen, 11.6" Full HD Laminated Screen Graphics Tablet with Wacom One Pen, Beginners Creative Tablet
Vendor: Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a ODP Business Solutions)
Total: $7,039.44
ODP provided the lowest proposal for Item 4 and their proposal was for the product as requested, therefore they were awarded.
Item 5: ASUS Zenbook Pro 16X OLED Gaming Laptop 16.0" Touch 4K Display
Vendor: Item not awarded.
Total: N/A
ODP provided the lowest bid for Item 5, and Shuttles Pro provided the second lowest bid, however both bids were for alternatives. The Technology Services Department evaluated the proposed alternatives and determined that neither of the products were approved equivalents, as they did not meet the minimum specification criteria.
TPRO provided the third lowest proposal for Item 5 and their proposal was for the product as requested, therefore they were awarded. However, on April 7th, TPRO reached out to the Procurement Department to notify them that their supplier had cancelled their order for this item as they no longer had it available.
As no additional bids were received for this item, it was not awarded.
Item 6: Gaming Mouse
Vendor: Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a ODP Business Solutions)
Total: $22.75
ODP provided the lowest proposal for Item 6 and their proposal met the criteria requested, therefore they awarded.
Item 7: Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer, 17 x 22-Inches, Black
Vendor: Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a ODP Business Solutions)
Total: $1,095.82
ODP provided the lowest proposal for item 7, however their proposal was for an alternate product, while TPRO provided the second lowest proposal for the requested product.
The Technology Services Department evaluated the proposed alternative from ODP and determined it to be an approved equivalent as both items met the requirement of printing size 17 x 22. Additionally, the alternative product had better specifications and provided a higher Max Print Resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi.
Therefore, ODP was awarded Item 7.
Item 8: BenQ Zowie S1 Symmetrical Gaming Mouse for Esports | Professional Grade Performance | Driverless | Matte Black Coating | Medium Size
Vendor: Item Not Awarded
Total: N/A
ODP provided the lowest proposal for item 8, however their proposal was for an alternate product, while TPRO provided the second lowest proposal for the requested product.
The Technology Services Department evaluated the proposed alternative from OFP and determined it to be an approved equivalent as both items met the minimum specification requirement, were plug-and-play, and had the same number of sensors.
Therefore, ODP was initially awarded Item 8.
As the deadline approached, the Procurement Department continued to follow up on the delivery status for Item 8, which remained on a tentative 2-3-week delivery timeline from April 1st, as the item was being shipped directly from the manufacturer. On April 15th, one day after the delivery due date, ODP provided an update that all the Lenovo products, which includes Item 8, were still awaiting shipment from the manufacturer. At this point, the Charter Schools reached out to SBBC to obtain an extension for the pending items. On April 17th, SBBC approved an extension through June 4, 2025, to allow time to receive and process payment for the final items purchased.
On April 22nd, ODP reached out to Procurement to notify them that Item 8 was unexpectedly discontinued and the manufacturer will not be producing a comparable wired version. Due to the desired product being discontinued and an impending deadline, the schools opted to forgo the option of purchasing Item 8.
Item 9: HP 17.3" Flagship HD+ Business Laptop, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Intel Quad Core i3-1125G4(Beat i5-1035G4), Bluetooth, HDMI, Webcam, Windows 11, Silver, w/GM Accessories
Vendor: TPRO Services LLC
Total: $2,247.00
TPRO provided the lowest proposal for Item 9 and their proposal was for the product as requested, therefore they were awarded.
Item 10: Lenovo ThinkVision T24i-20 24" Full HD WLED LCD Monitor - Raven Black in-Plane Switching (IPS) Technology - 1920 x 1080 - HDMI - VGA - DisplayPort - USB Hub HDMI
Vendor: Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a ODP Business Solutions)
Total: $1,008.00
ODP provided the lowest primary and alternative proposal for Item 10, however ODP made an error in their primary response as the item was discontinued and no longer available. As a result, the Technology Services Department evaluated the proposed alternative and determined it was an approved equivalent.
As previously mentioned, on April 15th, the day after the delivery due date, ODP provided an update that all the Lenovo products were still pending the manufacturer. In addition, the SBBC provided an extension on April 17, 2024, until June 4, 2025.
On May 5th, five of the six monitors were received, and updated tracking information was provided for the remaining unit. A follow-up with ODP was conducted on May 20 and in response, on May 23rd, OPD issued new tracking details and arranged expedited shipping due to a delivery issue. The final monitor was received on May 29th, completing the order in full.
Item 11: Lenovo ThinkCentre 50q Gen 4 Business Mini Desktop, 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13420H, 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, Display Port, HDMI, RJ-45, Wi-Fi 6, Windows 11 Pro, Black
Vendor: Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a ODP Business Solutions)
Total: $3,614.00
ODP provided the lowest proposal for Item 11 and their proposal was for the product as requested, therefore they were awarded.
This item also experienced significant shipping delays and was not received until May 5th.
8. Due to the aforementioned uncertainty revolving SBBC’s reimbursement deadline and the shipping delays experienced, this ratification was retained until the items purchased, their quantities, and SBBC’s reimbursement total was finalized.
9. Office Depot, LLC (a/k/a ODP Business Solutions), TPRO Services LLC, and Shuttles Pro have all completed the Equal Benefits Certification Form and have stated that the "Contractor currently complies with the requirements of this section."
10. Motion to ratify the City Manager’s approval to award IFB # TS-25-02 “Workforce Development Project” to the most responsive/responsible bidders shown below:
ODP Business Solutions not to exceed $12,780.41
TPRO Services, LLC not to exceed $68,514
Shuttles Pro not to exceed $736
Financial Impact
FINANCIAL IMPACT DETAIL:
a) Initial Cost: Amount not to exceed $82,030.41
b) Amount budgeted for this item in Account No: Upon the initial award, a budget amendment was processed to increase the Academic Village Charter School Workforce CAP Grant budgetary revenue account and the correlating Academic Village Charter School operating accounts:
Revenues: CAP Grant 172-000-5051-334695-3316-000-0000
Expenses: Noncapital Equipment-Tech 172-569-5053-552650-5300-649-0000
Noncapital Computer Equipment 172-569-5053-552653-5300-649-0000
c) Source of funding for difference, if not fully budgeted: Not Applicable
d) 5-year projection of the operational cost of the project: Not Applicable
e) Detail of additional staff requirements: Not Applicable.
FEASIBILITY REVIEW:
A feasibility review is required for the award, renewal and/or expiration of all function sourcing contracts. This analysis is to determine the financial effectiveness of function sourcing services.
a) Was a Feasibility Review/Cost Analysis of Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor Conducted for this service? Not Applicable.
b) If yes, what is the total cost or total savings of utilizing Out-Sourcing vs. In-House Labor for this service? Not Applicable.