Vital Records Certification Document Paper

Department of Buildings and General Services Agency of Administration
Office of Purchasing & Contracting
133 State Street, 5th Floor | Montpelier VT 05633-8000
802-828-2211 phone |802-828-2222 fax
http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing
SEALED BID
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Vital Records Certification Document Paper
ISSUE DATE March 17, 2026
QUESTIONS DUE March 24, 2026 - 4:30 PM (EST)
RFP RESPONSES DUE BY March 31. 2026 - 4:30 PM (EST)
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS SOLICITATION WILL BE POSTED AT:
http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php
AND
https://vtbuys.suppliers.vermont.gov/page.aspx/en/usr/login?ReturnUrl=%2fpage.aspx%2fen%2fbuy%2f
homepage
THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH UPDATED
INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO PERIODICALLY CHECK THE
ABOVE WEBPAGEFOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SOLICITATION.
STATE CONTACT: Stefanie Malmstein, State Commodity Procurement Administrator
E-MAIL: SOV.ThePathForward@vermont.gov

1. OVERVIEW:
1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the Office of Purchasing &
Contracting, on behalf of the Vermont Department of Health (hereinafter the "State") is seeking to
establish contracts with one or more companies that can provide Vital Records Certification Document
Paper.
1.1.1. Title 18 V.S.A. 5001 (a) requires the use of "security paper" for the issuance of certified copies of
vital records. These copies are the target of fraud and theft which is a growing national problem.
Therefore, we must integrate as many security features into our paper as reasonable to counter the
threat of modification or duplication by other parties.
1.1.2. The State is choosing to pursue a contract with an experienced organization for the production,
storage and delivery of the certification document paper.
1.2. SECURITY: Due to the security involved with the production of this type of paper, proposals will only be
accepted from organizations that meet the following criteria:
1.2.1. The organization is an existing business that currently produces, stores, and delivers certification
document paper to local, state, and/or federal agencies.
1.2.2. The organization can restrict the printing of certification document paper to its' facilities within the
U.S.;
1.2.3. The organization complies with the requirements, restrictions and other safeguards
described in the operational manual prepared by the National Industrial Security Program
(NISP) to prevent unauthorized disclosure of classified information released by the U.S.
Government Executive branch Departments and Agencies to their contractors. The manual also
prescribes requirements, restrictions, and other safeguards to protect special classes of classified
information.
1.2.4. The organization is certified to the latest version of one or both of these security standards:
ANSI/NASPO Security Assurance Standard v. 2024.
ISO 14298:2021 - Management of security printing processes.
1.2.5. The organization has a minimum of five (5) years' experience in the provision of certification
document paper;
1.2.6. The organization is financially stable and not currently in bankruptcy or reorganization, nor has
been so within the past three (3) years;
1.2.7. The organization currently provides certification document paper to a minimum of three (3) Vital
Records' Offices in the U.S.;
1.2.8. The organization has appropriate security and theft prevention measures in place to safeguard the
State's products and information , and has passed at least one external third-party audit within the
past 18 months;
1.2.9. The organization can provide secure production, storage, and delivery, with tracking of all
certification document paper;
1.2.10.The organization can agree to maintain the confidentiality of any and all details concerning the
State's protective features for the certification document paper. The successful bidder may be
required to complete a non-disclosure agreement in a form acceptable to the State.
1.2.11.If an organization finds that any of the above qualifications cannot be met or considers them
unnecessary, the organization should submit a statement during the question Period. The
statement must detail which of the qualifications are considered unnecessary and an impediment to
bidding, and a description as to why the qualification(s) should be waived. The State will determine
if the qualifications(s) can be waived and note any waived qualifications in the release of answers
to the questions received during the Questions Period.
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1.3. CONTRACT PERIOD: Any contract(s) arising from this solicitation will be for a period of two years with
an option to renew for up to three additional twelve-month periods. The State anticipates the start date for
such contract(s) will be April 1, 2026.
1.4. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this solicitation are to be addressed in
writing to the State Contact listed on the front page of this solicitation. Actual or attempted contact with
any other individual from the State concerning this solicitation is strictly prohibited and may result in
disqualification.
1.5. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any bidder requiring clarification of any section of this solicitation
or wishing to comment on any requirement of the solicitation must submit specific questions in writing no
later than the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this solicitation. Questions may be e-
mailed to the point of contact on the front page of this solicitation. Questions or comments not raised in
writing on or before the last day of the question period are thereafter waived. At the close of the question
period a copy of all questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted on the State's web
site http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing/bids. Every effort will be made to post this information as soon as
possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions. All
information provided by vendors during this process will be public and bidders shall not provide
confidential information, except as described in 5.1 below.
1.6. CHANGES TO THIS SOLICITATION: Any modifications to this solicitation will be made in writing by the
State through the issuance of an Addendum to this solicitation and posted online at
http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Modifications from any other source are not to be
considered.
1.7. CONTRACT QUANTITY: Any quantities stated in the detailed requirements of this solicitation are
estimates only based on prior usage, and are annual quantities, unless otherwise stated. Actual
purchases may be higher or lower depending on the State's needs.
2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS:
2.1. Production of Certification Document Paper: The State requires the production of Certification
Document Paper that meets the following specifications:
2.1.1. Archival Quality: The paper must be "permanent and endurable," which is the common terminology
for archival quality. The bidder must supply five (5) sheets of the proposed archival quality paper so
that the State may test in in various laser printers.
2.1.2. Laser Toner Retention Coating: The paper shall be treated to enhance toner adhesion during laser
printing. The heat from the laser printer will activate a chemical reaction that fuses the toner to the
paper.
2.1.3. Full Chemical Sensitivity: The paper shall contain full chemical sensitivity to protect against
chemical alteration. The paper must react to solvents and be erasure sensitive. For example, the
paper shall be sensitive to: oxidants (i.e., bleach), solvents (i.e., Acetone), alcohol (i.e., methanol),
and acids/bases (i.e., sulfuric acid). Use of these agents will cause a noticeable stain to appear.
2.1.4. True Security Watermark: A minimal two tone standard Fourdrinier watermark formed into the
paper that cannot be reproduced on a scanner or copier shall be included.
2.1.5. Invisible Security Fibers and Serialization: The paper shall contain a security fiber that can only be
seen when using a standard UV lamp. Also, there shall be a repeating serial number that is invisible
and can only be seen when using a standard UV lamp. The repeating serial number shall be
provided by the Vital Records' Office upon award of the contract.
2.1.6. Screened State Seal: The paper shall contain the State seal imprinted as a screened image on the
face of the document.
2.1.7. Prismatic Print Background: The paper shall contain a prismatic background by blending at least 2
- 3 colors through the body.
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2.1.8. Thermochromic ink: A heat sensitive ink shall be applied to a band of repeating state seals on the
back of the paper.
2.1.9. Engraved Intaglio Printed Border and Engraved State Seal and outlined text: A standard
Intaglio printed border (green ink) with an engraved state seal shall be included. "STATE OF
VERMONT" and "CERTIFICATION OF VITAL RECORD" shall be outlined in the top border.
2.1.10. Engraved Microprint Line: An engraved microprint line in green ink shall be included. The
microprint line will be a continuous, repeated line along the interior of the bottom border. It shall only
be legible under a magnifying glass and will appear as a straight blurred line when copied. The
microprint line shall read as "Vermont Vital Record."
2.1.11. Engraved Intaglio Latent Images: The paper shall include the letters "V" (for Vital) and "R" (for
record) in the corners of the top border, and viewable when the paper is laying flat at eye-level in
natural light.
2.1.12. VOID Feature: The paper shall include the hidden word "VOID" in the background. When color
copied, the word "VOID" shall appear on the copied document.
2.1.13. Sequential Control Numbering and Bar Coding: The paper shall contain sequential control
numbering and bar coding. The numbering schema (e.g., length; format; location) and starting
number shall be provided by the Vital Records' Office upon award of the contract.
2.1.14. Hologram: The paper shall include a standard security hologram. The hologram must be applied
to the paper through a hot stamping method and not label application. The hologram must not impact
the ability to print copies on a standard laser printer.
2.1.15. If the bidder feels that the use of any of these security features, alone or in combination together,
will significantly impact the ability to print a certified copy from a standard laser printer, this fact should
be noted in the RFP response. A brief explanation of the technical problem and a proposed solution
(i.e., substitution for another feature) should be included.
2.1.16. Bidders may propose alternative micro-print wording, serialization, text, or other embedded
notations if it is felt that the State is requesting text or numerals that are too generic and should be
modified to improve the security feature.
2.2. The production of the certification document paper must occur within a secure environment that includes:
2.2.1. Alarm systems
2.2.2. Secure locked work areas
2.2.3. Security cameras
2.2.4. Card key id access
2.2.5. Security policies and procedures manual on file.
2.2.6. All of the vendor's employees that are involved in the production must have passed a background
check. The winning bidder will need to provide a written statement that the employees involved with
the production and storage of the State's paper have background checks on file. No person involved
with a felony can be involved with production, or have access to materials (pre- or post-production) of
the State's paper.
2.3. Storage of Certification Document Paper: The State requires that the vendor shall produce and store
the certification document paper at the vendor's warehouse until requested for shipping by the designated
Vital Records' contact. The vendor must provide the following services:
2.3.1. Volume: The vendor shall store up to 200,000 sheets of the State's certification document paper
during each contract year. Bidders must include a description of how the paper is organized (e.g.,
sheets per carton, case, etc.).
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2.3.2. Space: The vendor's warehouse facility shall be a secure area and include (but not be limited to) the
following security features:
2.3.2.1. Alarmed entrances and emergency exits
2.3.2.2. Camera monitored exterior windows
2.3.2.3. Controlled roof access
2.3.2.4. Internal secure areas
2.3.2.5. Restricted access areas
2.3.2.6. Key controls.
2.3.2.7. The State's paper supply shall be stored separate from any other organization's paper.
This may be a locked "cage" or other separation device that ensures the State's paper is not
stacked next to, upon, or among any other organization's crates or cartons of paper.
2.4. Warehouse Employees: All of the vendor's warehouse employees that are involved in the storage and
shipping must have passed a background check. The winning bidder will need to provide a written
statement that the employees involved with the storage and shipping of the State's paper have
background checks on file. No person involved with a felony can have access to the storage area of the
State's paper.
2.5. Packing: The State's paper shall be packed in reinforced cardboard cases with chip board protecting the
document on the top and bottom of the case.
2.6. Inventory: The vendor shall maintain an inventory of the State's paper, including but not limited to the
location, the amount, and any special handling requirements.
2.7. Disaster Protection: The vendor must have appropriate disaster prevention technology in place to
provide a reasonable level of protection for the State's stored paper. This includes, but is not limited to,
fire suppression, wind / water protection, and earthquake / tremor protection.
2.8. The State reserves the right to make an on-site visit of the production and warehouse facilities at any time
during the contract period. The State would provide 30 days advance notice of an intended visit. Bidders
must state in their proposals that they agree to accommodate any site visits by the State if provided with
the 30 day notice.
2.9. Tracking and Delivery of Certification Document Paper: The State requires the tracking and delivery of
Certification Document Paper that meets the following specifications:
2.9.1. Release of State Paper: The vendor shall release to the State a supply of the certification document
paper upon request from the designated Vital Records' contact. The release shall be confirmed in
writing (email is fine) to the Vital Records' contact. Releases shall occur within 48 hours of the
request and there shall be no charge for the release.
2.9.2. Minimum Release Amount: The vendor shall not require a minimum release of paper larger than
one case containing 2,000 sheets.
2.9.3. Identification: Each carton and case of the certification document paper shall be clearly labeled to
show the requisition number, form number, and start and end numbers. All cases shall be
sequentially numbered and secured with an appropriate type of protective tape to prevent the case
from splitting open and to identify if the contents have been accessed.
2.9.4. Shipping: All shipments must be tracked via the freight company. The Vital Records' contact shall
be provided with tracking information upon release of the paper to the freight company. Confirmation
or proof of delivery must be provided for all deliveries unless otherwise stated by the Vital Records'
contact. The State reserves the right to require the use of a specific freight company. Typically, the
State will accept shipments from FedEx and UPS. However, the State may choose to change the
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preferred freight company based on performance, security, or location. The State will discuss any
such change in advance with the vendor to assess the feasibility and the shipping cost.
2.9.5. Missing or Damaged Shipments: In the event that a shipment of paper is missing en route or
damaged / opened, the vendor will take responsibility to identify the cause and provide remediation of
the issue. If the shipment or partial contents cannot be found, the vendor will notify both the Vital
Records' Office and appropriate law enforcement organizations. If a shipment is lost or damaged, the
vendor shall provide replacement product or credit to the State.
2.10. Timeline and Other Deliverables: The State requires that performance under the contract meet the
following additional specifications:
2.10.1. Production Timeline: The vendor must provide printing and availability of the State's paper within
90 days after signature of the contract and agreement on any custom design work (e.g., engraved
plate).
2.10.2. Delivery Speed: The vendor must be able to release the State's paper within 48 hours of the
request and provide delivery to the designated location within five (5) business days to any location
within Vermont.
2.11. Vendor Contact: The vendor must assign a representative of the organization to be the ongoing contact
to the Vital Record's Office to address any questions, shipping issues, etc. The Vital Records' Office must
be notified fifteen (15) days in advance of any change in this contact person.
2.12. Breach of Security: The vendor must inform the Vital Records' contact of any security breach at the
vendor's facilities within 24 hours should the breach occur to the area in which the State's paper is stored or
in the production area during printing of the State's paper. Also, the vendor will inform the Vital Records'
contact of any dismissal of employees that are related to theft or breach of security and had access or
involvement with the production and/or storage of the State's paper. The State reserves the right to involve
law enforcement organizations should there be reason to suspect theft or release of confidential information
regarding the security features incorporated into the State's paper.
2.13. Features Availability: The vendor shall provide 30 days advance notice to the State should the vendor
identify that a specific security feature requested for the State's paper will no longer be available or must be
modified due to phase-out or lack of materials.
2.14. Proofs: The vendor shall provide proofs to the Vital Records' contact to review before printing a supply of
the certification document paper. The Vital Records' contact shall provide a written approval to the vendor to
begin production after accepting and approving the proofs.
2.15. State Examples: The vendor shall not display or share a proof or any type of example of the State's
certification document paper outside of the vendor's organization without explicit and written permission from
the Vital Records' contact.
2.16. Management Structure and General Information
2.16.1. Project Management: The Contractor will be accountable to the Vital Statistics Information
Manager and his/her designee(s), and holds responsibility for the project deliverables, schedule and
adherence to contract provisions. The Contractor must abide by all VDH standards and protocols as
defined by the Vital Statistics Information Manager and his/her designee(s).
2.16.2. Status Reports: Monthly status reports are not required for the performance of the contract.
However, the vendor will need to provide written documentation of the following:
2.16.2.1. Mock-up / example of any custom design work (e.g., engraved plate);
2.16.2.2. Completion of any custom design work (e.g., engraved plate);
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2.16.2.3. Proofs of the certification document paper for review and approval;
2.16.2.4. Tracking information for shipped paper;
2.16.2.5. A completed security audit conducted within the past 18 months;
2.16.2.6. Detailed accounting of any security breach, employee dismissal, or other matter requiring
notification to the State (if applicable).
2.16.2.7. The State reserves the right to request additional information from the vendor regarding the
State's paper supply.
2.17. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES AND RETAINAGE: Depending on the size of the contract, liquidated
damages and/or retainage fees may be required. Contracts for $15,000 or less are not required to include
either liquidated damages or retainage. Contracts over $15,000 but not more than $100,000 must include
liquidated damages but do not require retainage. Contracts over $100,000 must include both liquidated
damages and retainage.
3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
3.1. PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all costs that
Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If applicable, all equipment
pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No request for extra delivery cost will be
honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled, serviced, and ready for immediate use, unless
otherwise requested by the State. No charge for packing, shipping, or for any other purpose will be
allowed over and above the price quoted. Prices quoted for printing are to include printing, binding,
wrapping, and packaging.
3.1.1. Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing policy submitted by
Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii) cover the full spectrum of
materials and/or services required.
3.1.2. Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive
bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome to submit the pricing in response
to this solicitation.
3.2. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and select the
Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent with the goals and
performance requirements outlined in this solicitation. The State of Vermont reserves the right to obtain
clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal. Failure of bidder to
respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that bidder's
proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of the State, the State reserves the
right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to waive
technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to make purchases outside of the awarded
contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.
3.2.1. Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and prior to the final
selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may invite Bidder(s) to provide a
BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from only those Bidders that meet the minimum
qualification requirements and/or have not been eliminated from consideration during the evaluation
process.
3.2.2. Presentation. An in-person or webinar presentation by the Bidder may be required by the State if it
will help the State's evaluation process. The State will factor information presented during
presentations into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs associated with providing
the presentation.
3.3. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST:
3.3.1. Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCOI): An OCOI arises when a bidder as a business entity has
interests (for example, customers, partners, contracts) that could undermine, or reasonably be
perceived to undermine, its faithful and unbiased performance of a contract with the State that may
result from this solicitation.
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3.3.2. Personal Conflict of Interest (PCOI): A PCOI arises when an interest held by an individual, agent or
employee of a bidder could undermine, or reasonably be perceived to undermine, its faithful and
unbiased performance of a contract with the State that may result from this solicitation.
3.3.3. Requirements: The State does not seek to contract with any individual or business entity having a
conflict of interest which cannot be mitigated to the State's satisfaction. To ensure the State's
awareness of actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs and OCOIs, bidders shall:
a) Prior to submitting a proposal, conduct an internal review of its current affiliations and activities and
identify actual, potential, or reasonably perceived PCOIs or OCOIs relative to a contract with the
State that may result from this solicitation.
b) Disclose in your proposal any actual or potential PCOI or OCOI or the existence of any facts that
may cause a reasonably prudent person to perceive a PCOI or OCOI with respect to a contract
with the State that may result from this solicitation. Disclose, also, any actions proposed to mitigate
the PCOI or OCOI.
The State shall have sole discretion to determine whether a PCOI or OCOI can be mitigated to the State's
satisfaction and may discuss the conflict with the bidder if and to the extent the State deems discussion
necessary to its determination. The State reserves the right to (a) reject from further consideration any
proposal having a PCOI or OCIO that cannot be mitigated to the State's full satisfaction and (b) terminate
a contract upon discovery that a contractor failed to disclose facts pertaining to a PCOI or OCOI in its
proposal, or otherwise misrepresented relevant information to the State.
3.4. EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE PROCUREMENTS:
For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the Climate Change
Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the Certificate of Compliance for
this solicitation.
After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business practices that promote
clean energy and address climate change as identified in the Certification, shall be given favorable
consideration in the competitive bidding process. Such favorable consideration shall be consistent with
and not supersede any preference given to resident bidders of the State and/or products raised or
manufactured in the State, as explained in the Method of Award section. But, such favorable
consideration shall not be employed if prohibited by law or other relevant authority or agreement.
3.5. METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made under the provisions of 29 V.S.A. 903. The State may
award one or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other compliant bidders
at any time if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. All other considerations being
equal, preference will be given to the following as identified in the applicable Certificate of Compliance.
3.5.1. resident bidders of the state and/or to products raised or manufactured in the state;
3.5.2. purchase of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States (including but not limited to
iron, aluminum, steel, cement, and other manufactured products) when the award involves the use of
applicable federal funds under 2 C.F.R. 200.322)
3.5.3. bidders who have practices that promote clean energy and address climate change.
3.6. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State may select one or
more bidders with which to negotiate a contract, based on the evaluation findings and other criteria
deemed relevant for ensuring that the decision made is in the best interest of the State. In the event State
is not successful in negotiating a contract with a selected bidder, the State reserves the option of
negotiating with another bidder, or to end the proposal process entirely.
3.7. COST OF PREPARATION: Bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in the
preparation of a response to this solicitation and shall be responsible for all expenses associated with any
presentations or demonstrations associated with this request and/or any proposals made.
3.8. CONTRACT TERMS: The selected bidder(s) will be expected to sign a contract with the State, including
the Standard Contract Form and Attachment C as attached to this solicitation for reference. If IT
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Attachment D is included in this solicitation, terms may be modified based upon the solution proposed by
the Bidder, subject to approval by the Agency of Digital Services.
3.8.1. Business Registration. To be awarded a contract by the State of Vermont a bidder (except an
individual doing business in his/her own name) must be registered with the Vermont Secretary of
State's office https://sos.vermont.gov/corporations/registration/ and must obtain a Contractor's
Business Account Number issued by the Vermont Department of Taxes http://tax.vermont.gov/ .
3.8.2. The contract will obligate the bidder to provide the services and/or products identified in its bid, at the
prices listed.
3.8.3. Payment Terms. Percentage discounts may be offered for prompt payments of invoices; however,
such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or more in order to be considered in making
awards.
3.8.4. Quality. If applicable, all products provided under a contract with the State will be new and unused,
unless otherwise stated. Factory seconds or remanufactured products will not be accepted unless
specifically requested by the purchasing agency. All products provided by the contractor must meet
all federal, state, and local standards for quality and safety requirements. Products not meeting these
standards will be deemed unacceptable and returned to the contractor for credit at no charge to the
State.
3.9. SUBSTITUTION: Bidders may offer, in their bids, substitutes to items identified by a manufacturer's
number or brand. When offering a substitution, bidder must describe any differences and provide
technical information that will assist in the State's evaluation.
3.10. ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION: Bidders are requested to complete the Environmental Information
Form which is included in the Certificate of Compliance for this solicitation identifying the following for each
product being quoted:
a. Percent (%) of recycled content and post-consumer content; and
b. Mercury content certification.
3.11. SAMPLES:
3.11.1. Bidder Supplied Samples: The Commissioner reserves the right to request from the
Bidder/Contractor a representative sample(s) of the Product offered at any time prior to or after
award of a contract. Unless otherwise instructed, samples shall be furnished within the time
specified in the request. Untimely submission of a sample may constitute grounds for rejection of
Bid or cancellation of the Contract. Samples must be submitted free of charge and be accompanied
by the Bidder's name and address, any descriptive literature relating to the Product and a statement
indicating how and where the sample is to be returned. Where applicable, samples must be
properly labeled with the appropriate Bid or Contract reference.
A sample may be held by the Commissioner during the entire term of the Contract and for a
reasonable period thereafter for comparison with deliveries. At the conclusion of the holding period
the sample, where feasible, will be returned as instructed by the bidder, at the bidder's expense and
risk. Where the bidder has failed to fully instruct the Commissioner as to the return of the sample
(i.e., mode and place of return, etc.) or refuses to bear the cost of its return, the sample shall
become the sole property of the receiving entity at the conclusion of the holding period.
3.11.2. Enhanced Samples: When an approved sample exceeds the minimum specifications, all Product
delivered must be of the same enhanced quality and identity as the sample. Thereafter, in the event
of a Contractor's default, the Commissioner may procure a Product substantially equal to the
enhanced sample from other sources, charging the Contractor for any additional costs incurred.
3.11.3. Conformance with Sample(s): Submission of a sample (whether or not such sample is tested by,
or for, the Commissioner) and approval thereof shall not relieve the Contractor from full compliance
with the requirements specified in this solicitation. If in the judgment of the Commissioner the
sample or product submitted is not in accordance with the specifications or testing requirements
prescribed in the Bid Specifications, the Commissioner may reject the Bid. If an award has been
made, the Commissioner may cancel the Contract at the expense of the Contractor.
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3.11.4. Testing: All samples are subject to tests in the manner and place designated by the Commissioner,
either prior to or after Contract award. Unless otherwise stated elsewhere in this solicitation, bidder
samples consumed or rendered useless by testing will not be returned to the bidder. Testing costs
for samples that fails to meet Contract requirements may be at the expense of the Contractor.
3.12. WARRANTY: The manufacturer shall include with its proposal a written warranty for each product that it
intends to furnish. Warrantees must be based on commercial use, and shall extend fora minimum term
of one (1) year from the date a Product is available for use by the purchaser; however, longer term
warranties are desirable and will be given favorable consideration, all else being equal.
4. ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS:
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) means the purchase of products and services that have a
lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or
services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw material acquisition, production,
manufacturing, packaging, distribution, re-use, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product or service).
The State of Vermont has established specific goals and objectives aimed at providing sound environmental
stewardship, protecting human health, reducing state operating expenses associated with the use and control
of regulated hazardous materials, and reducing potential liability attributable to environmental impact.
Therefore, where applicable, the following environmental criteria shall be considered for all State purchasing
and contracts.
4.1. Paper: The State desires to reduce the use of chlorine in the products it purchases to protect the
environment from pollution. Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) paper means paper in which the recycled
content is processed unbleached or is bleached without the use of chlorine or chlorine derivatives AND any
virgin material contained therein is totally chlorine free (TCF).
4.1.1. Copier Paper: The State requires PCF copier paper which contains a minimum of 50% post-
consumer recycled material (any virgin material must be TCF).
4.1.2. Printing and Writing Paper: The State requires at least 30% post-consumer recycled content for
non-coated paper and at least 10% post-consumer recycled content for coated paper. Preference
will be given to chlorine free options when suitable choices are available.
4.2. Recycled Content: The Commissioner of Buildings and General Services may, at his/her discretion, spend
up to 10% more for comparable products that are made of recycled materials. If products made of recycled
materials are to cost more than 10% more than comparable products, the Commissioner shall receive
consent of State entities that are to use the product before completing the order in question.
4.3. Sustainable Products: Bidders are encouraged to provide alternative price quotations on wood or paper
products that are derived from sustainably managed forestlands. Sustainably managed forest lands shall
be defined as those lands enrolled and/or licensed under one of the following third-party certification
programs: Sustainable Forestry Initiative Program, the American Tree Farm System, the Canadian
Standards Association's Sustainable Forest Management System Standards, the Finnish Standard, Forest
Stewardship Council, Pan-European Forest Certification, Swedish Standard, the United Kingdom
Woodland Assurance Scheme or other such credible programs as may be developed and implemented.
Bidders must provide satisfactory documentation of certification with their bid.
4.4. Life-Cycle Cost Evaluation: Life cycle cost analysis shall extend beyond the cost of purchasing, to include
installation, operation, maintenance, durability, and disposal of a particular product.
4.5. Energy Efficiency (Energy Star): Bidders shall provide products that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet
the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency when applicable. The bidder is encouraged to
visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and updated lists of qualifying products.
5. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES: The content and format requirements listed below are the
minimum requirements for State evaluation. These requirements are not intended to limit the content of a
Bidder's proposal. Bidders may include additional information or offer alternative solutions for the State's
consideration. However, the State discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals, and Bidders are advised to
include only such information in their response as may be relevant to the requirements of this solicitation.
Revised August 21, 2025
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