INVITATION FOR BID
IFB # 001-47
For the provision of:
Bottled Water Services
Hall County, Georgia, Board of Commissioners (herein “County”), is seeking qualified vendors to provide bottled water services (herein “Services”). The County seeks to award one (1) vendor to perform all the Services.
Schedule of Events:
Bid Post Date: May 6, 2026
Bidders’ Questions Due: May 15, 2026, at 5PM
Bid Due Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 2PM
Bidding Process: Hall County is now accepting sealed bids from qualified vendors for the provision of the Services in the County’s Purchasing Division, located on the fourth (4th) floor of the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30504 until 2:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 21, 2026. All bid packets must be sealed and time and date stamped by the Hall County receptionist located on the 4th floor to be considered.
General Qualifications: Bidders must be in the regular business of providing similar Services. Bidders must be licensed, insured, and bonded in the State of Georgia.
Questions: All communications must be directed solely to Julie Dorough, Issuing Officer, at
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for questions or clarifications of the IFB requirements.
Addenda: If needed and in the best interest of the County, the Purchasing Division may make an extension of the bidding period by a formal written addendum and publicly posted on the County website. All addenda must be signed by the Bidder and returned with the bid packet.
Proposal Documents: Bidders may obtain all submittal documents at no cost via the County’s website at
https://www.hallcounty.org/Bids.aspx,then
scroll down and click the link for Bottled Water Services and download all required documents under “Related Documents”. Any addenda will also be posted at the bottom of the webpage as needed. Bidders are responsible for checking for addenda. Addenda must be signed and returned along with the bid packet.
Bid Response: Each Bidder must provide a total of two (2) hard paper copies of its bid, including any addenda, with one (1) marked “Original” and one (1) marked “Copy”. Submit both hard paper copies in a sealed envelope(s).
Each Bidder must provide one (1) hard paper copy of Exhibit C – Cost Proposal Worksheet. Prices quoted on Exhibit C – Cost Proposal Worksheet shall be fixed and firm for the duration of the contract.
Electronic signatures on bid documents are acceptable; however, hard copies of the bid response are required, as stated above.
Bidders must also provide their responses on one (1) USB drive.
Public Reading: Bid openings are open to the public and to Bidders. Bidders are not required to attend but may do so. The Issuing Officer named herein, or another Purchasing team member, will open and publicly read all Bidder’s company names, their locations, and proposed costs on the date, time, and at the address above.
Evaluation and Selection: The County will evaluate all submittals in accordance with the Official Code of Hall County, Georgia 3.10, and as further detailed herein.
Award Process: The County reserves the right to reject any or all bids, in whole or part, or to select any Bidder, without liability on part of the County to the Bidder to complete the described work. The County intends to award the contract to one (1 vendor that it deems to be the lowest cost, responsible and responsive Bidder to perform all the work described herein. Lead times and length of time to complete the work may also be a factor in award.
Bid Retention: Bidders may not withdraw their bid after the bid opening. Bids must be valid for one hundred twenty (120) calendar days. All forms, documents, and exhibits attached hereto must be completed and returned with the bid. The County reserves the right to retain all bids submitted and use any idea(s) in a bid regardless of award. The County shall have the right to waive any informality or irregularity of immaterial deviation in any bid received.
Bidders must sign Exhibit B – Contract for Services. Bidders may submit redlines and exceptions to Exhibit B – Contract for Services to the Issuing Officer prior to submitting their bids. Redlines and exceptions to the contract must be submitted by the Bidders’ Questions Due Date listed above.
Legally Binding Agreement: The County and the awarded Bidder shall enter into a formal agreement; substantially in the form of the attached Exhibit B – Contract for Services. Contracts are only valid if they are signed by the County’s Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, or his/her designee, and the awarded Bidder. Bidders must sign the Exhibit B – Contract for Services and submit it with their bid responses. All questions regarding the contract, redlines, and exceptions must be submitted in writing to the Issuing Officer prior to the Bidders’ Questions Due Date listed above. If there are no written objections or exceptions, then the County will understand this as an affirmative acceptance of the Scope of Work as it is presented.
Non-Collusion Clause: Bidders must have no contact of any nature with any other Bidders, County staff members (except the Issuing Officer named herein), its elected officials, nor Commissioners, during the evaluation process. The County will deem such as collusion and thus render the submission in violation of the Official Code of Hall County and thus the County may render the proposal as non-responsive and not evaluate the proposal for an award.
By submitting a proposal, the Bidder represents and warrants that no official or employee of Hall County Government has, in any manner, an interest, directly or indirectly, in the proposal or in the contract which may be made under it, or in any expected profits to arise there from.
Taxes: The County is exempt from State of Georgia Local Sales and Use Tax. The Bidder understands and acknowledges that it is responsible for any sales and use taxes it may incur. The Bidder will not charge or invoice the County any sales and use tax as a separate line item. The Vendor may request a copy of the County’s Georgia Sales and Use Tax Exemption Certificate.
Table of Contents
1.0
INTRODUCTION
2.0
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.0
SCOPE OF WORK
4.0
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
5.0
IFB RESPONSE PREPARATION
6.0
SELECTION PROCESS
7.0
STEPS TO AWARD
1.0
INTRODUCTION
The County desires to award one (1) vendor for the Services described herein and is soliciting sealed bids for this Invitation for Bid (herein “IFB”) for the Services. Bidders must be in the regular business of providing water coolers and bottled water service.
2.0
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
A.
The County reserves the right to conduct any review it may deem advisable to assure services conform to the specifications.
B.
Prospective firms, including all officers, must not be, or have been, barred by any Federal, State, or Local authority.
C.
A Bidder must not be, or have been, in any legal suit for negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, or otherwise malpractice charges.
D.
A Bidder must be legally able to conduct business in the State of Georgia.
E.
A Bidder must not have abandoned a project or an engagement or otherwise been terminated for non-performance or subpar performance
F.
A Bidder must not be under an enforcement action for related investigation pending by a professional or regulatory group.
3.0
SCOPE OF WORK
Hall County is seeking a contract to provide bottled water to multiple Hall County divisions and departments with a guaranteed bid price for a 12-month period. This contract will begin upon contract execution and be in effect until June 30, 2027. The successful bidder may be allowed four (4) annual one (1) year renewals of this contract all upon the same terms and conditions.
A.
Bidder Information: The products offered shall be comparable with the detailed requirements listed below (unless otherwise noted). The Mandatory Cost Proposal Worksheet, EXHIBIT C, is used to verify compliance to item specifications and/or requirements. Any deviations from specifications or requirements must be noted by bidder otherwise bid is as specified. All bids are to include shipping where applicable. If any line item has a zero or is blank, that line item will be considered a “No Bid”.
B. Basic Requirements / Specifications:
1.
The successful bidder will deliver and install an estimated 50 water coolers/dispensers for approximately 26 County departments located throughout greater Hall County no later than start of business on July 10, 2026. If not awarded this contract, the current vendor must pick up their equipment by no later than close of business on June 30, 2026.
a.
Full-size, free standing coolers/dispensers shall be approximately 13”Wx13”Dx
36”-48”H.
b.
All coolers/dispensers shall be Underwriter Lab approved and operate via 120
volt, single phase, 60 Hz electrical service.
c.
All equipment shall be new or in like new condition.
d.
ENERGY STAR®: Although not a requirement, water coolers that have earned the Energy Star® are preferred. Water coolers that have earned the ENERGY STAR® help reduce energy bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
e.
All equipment shall not contain lead or lead-based solder in contact with the water.
f.
Dispensers shall be available in hot/cold combination models.
i.
Cold water service equipment shall be mechanically cooled.
ii.
Hot water service equipment shall be electronically heated thermostatically controlled to deliver water at approximately 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit.
g.
All coolers/dispensers shall have a removable drip tray. Serving faucets shall be off type with a minimum of six (6) inches clearance with the drip tray.
h.
Delivery person shall clean and disinfect faucets on each dispenser at each delivery.
i.
The Contractor will repair or replace any defective water coolers within 24 hours of notice of deficiency throughout the contract period.
2.
The successful bidder will provide a light weight, space-saving, stackable storage
rack to hold a minimum of four, 5-gallon bottles of water to each County department
requesting a rack.
3.
The successful bidder will deliver approximately 500, 5-gallon bottles of potable spring water and other potable water products on an ‘as-needed’ basis each month.
a.
All Bottled water shall be bottled in accordance with all applicable state and federal regulations. All plant procedures and testing should conform to Independent Bottled Water Association (IBW) regulations and standards. Any applicable certifications must be submitted and attached to the Bid Form
b.
All 3- gallon and 5-gallon capacity containers shall be returnable/reusable and designed for inverted operation on cooler/dispenser.
c.
All containers shall be clear or translucent, impact resistant, poly carbonate plastic.
d.
Water safety caps shall be compatible with the cooler/dispenser models selected.
4.
Delivery Requirements:
a.
All deliveries shall be made, inside delivery to each department, during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, excluding holidays.
b.
Deliveries shall be made on a consistent and regular, pre-established basis depending on the individual departmental requirements.
c.
No minimum or maximum numbers of bottles required per department per delivery.
d.
An itemized receipt must be signed by departmental personnel for each delivery.
e.
A copy of the signed receipt must be left with departmental personnel after each delivery. The receipt must contain date, quantity, and description of product(s) delivered.
5.
Delivery Personnel:
a.
Must wear shirts bearing their company logo and display picture ID badges clearly showing their full names.
b.
Must drive company vehicles bearing the company’s identifying name or logo.
c.
Must comply with all instructions from County security personnel during the delivery of product.
4.0
SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
A.
The County requests that Bidders submit proposals addressing all items listed below. Failure to include any of these documents may result in disqualification. All responses must be in hard copy format. Bidders should submit a total of two (1) hard paper copies of the technical proposal: one (1) copy of marked “Original” and one (1) marked “Copy”. Each Bidder must also provide one (1) hard paper copy of Exhibit C – Cost Proposal Worksheet. Bidders must also provide their responses on one (1) USB drive.
B.
Bidders must submit their response in a sealed envelope clearly marked with “IFB # 001-47, Bottled Water Services,” on the outside. The submittal must be signed. Faxed or emailed bids will not be accepted.
C.
It is mandatory that the following documents be completed and included in the bid response.
Exhibit A – Bid Response Form
Exhibit B – Contract for Services
Exhibit C – Cost Proposal Worksheet
Exhibit D – W-9 Form
Exhibit E – E-Verify Affidavit
Exhibit F – Ethics Affidavit
Any Addenda
Copy of Business License
Certificate of Insurance
Copies of professional licenses or certifications
D.
Bidders are responsible to review and comply with any addenda regarding this IFB that will be posted on the County website. Bidders must sign as acknowledged and return all addenda with the bid package response.
E.
All bids must be sealed.
F.
If a Bid Bond is required then it must be included in the bid response.
G.
Any alternate options of additional services or deductions thereof may be included in the response; however, Bidders must complete the cost worksheet as provided and enclose in the bid response.
H.
Delivery. Bidders must submit bids to the following address by the deadline date and time. All deliveries must be date and time stamped. The County is not responsible for late bids due to mailing delays.
Hall County Government Center
Julie Dorough, Issuing Officer
Purchasing Division – 4th Floor
2875 Browns Bridge Road
Gainesville, Georgia 30504
5.0
IFB RESPONSE PREPARATION
A.
The Bidder bears all responsibility for all expenses incurred in responding to this IFB.
B.
The County will not accept joint proposals unless otherwise noted herein.
C.
Of the services listed in the Scope of Work, indicate which one(s), if any, your firm would be unable to provide. If there is another service that your firm could provide instead, please elaborate.
6.0
SELECTION PROCESS
A.
The County’s Project Manager will review each proposal with regard to demonstrated breadth of service, experience, financial stability, personnel, rates, references, lead times, and other related criteria.
B.
The successful Bidder will be required to submit acceptable evidence of compliance with professional liability insurance coverage requirements as outlined in Exhibit B – Contract for Services.
C.
Bidders are encouraged to submit clear and concise responses. Excessive length or extraneous information is discouraged.
D.
Bidders must complete all exhibits to this IFB and submit with their bids. Bidders failing to do so may result in their bid to be deemed non-responsive and thus not evaluated. Bidders are also encouraged to check Hall County’s website for addenda, attachments, and other supplemental documents for this IFB during the bidding period.
7.0
STEPS TO AWARD
The County’s Project Manager will recommend award of the contract to the lowest Bidder. In the unlikely event of a tie, the County may enter into negotiations of terms and conditions. Upon approval of the Board of County Commissioners, the County will issue to the awarded Bidder a Notice of Award, a Purchase Order, and a Notice to Proceed.
A.
The County reserves the right to request clarification or additional information provided by any Bidder.
B.
The Purchasing Division will rank the Bidders on a bid tabulation summary.
C.
The County’s Project Manager may schedule interviews with any Bidder at his/her discretion. Any costs associated with an interview will be at the expense of the proposing Bidder.
D.
Based upon the results of the proposals, references, and the interviews, the Purchasing Division along with the County’s Project Manager may negotiate with the lowest Bidder in an attempt to reach an agreement. If negotiations with the lowest Bidder are unsuccessful, the County may negotiate with the next lowest Bidder, and so on until reaching a satisfactory agreement.
