WCU Baseball and Softball Wall Padding

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Western Carolina University
Invitation for Bid #: 73-IFB-00777
WCU Baseball and Softball Wall Padding
Date of Issue: 09/04/2026
Bid Opening Date: 09/16/2026
At 2:00pm ET
Direct all inquiries concerning this IFB to:
Chelsea Pressley
Purchasing Specialist
Email: cpressley@wcu.edu
Phone: 828-227-7203

Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Invitation for Bid #
73-IFB-00777
______________________________________________________
For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of bids, provide your company's eVP (Electronic Vendor
Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page
will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for
public inspection.
This page shall be filled out and returned with your bid.
Failure to do so may subject your bid to rejection.
___________________________________________________
Vendor Name
______________________________
Vendor eVP#
Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered
Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor
Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register at https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
Division of Western Carolina University
Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this IFB to: Invitation for Bid #: 73-IFB-00777
Chelsea Pressley Bids will be publicly opened:
Purchasing Department Date: 09/16/2026
Western Carolina University
Time: 2:00 pm EST
Phone: 828-227-7203
Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 257 393 685 546 146
Email: cpressley@wcu.edu
Microsoft Teams Passcode: zB7su3Wj
Call-In (Audio Only):1-980-228-9213
Phone Conference ID: 273 209 035#
Using Agency: Western Carolina University Commodity No. and Description:
Requisition No.:
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Invitation for Bids (IFB), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and
deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.
By executing this bid, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:
this bid is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),
that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A
of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and
it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.
Furthermore, by executing this bid, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor's knowledge and belief, that:
it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from
covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.
As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this
IFB, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with
more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.
As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned Vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair
employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any
Contract arising from this solicitation.
G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans,
specifications, estimates for public Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public
Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this
bid response to the IFB, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor's entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor are not aware that
any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees or agents of Vendor's organization.
By executing this bid, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS
AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.
Failure to excute/sign bid prior to submittal may render bid invalid and it MAY Be. Late bids shall not be accepted.
COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:
VENDOR'S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:
VALIDITY PERIOD
Offer shall be valid for at least sixty (60) days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days, or if extended by mutual
agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this IFB.
ACCEPTANCE OF BIDS
If your bid is accepted, all provisions of this IFB, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between
the parties ("Contract"). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the
Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.
FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on
The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.
(Authorized Representative of Western Carolina University)
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
Contents
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................... 7
1.1 CONTRACT TERM- SINGLE PURCHASE .............................................................................................. 7
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION .................................................................................................................. 7
2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT .................................................................................................... 7
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS ..................................................... 8
2.4 IFB SCHEDULE ................................................................................................................................. 8
2.5 BID QUESTIONS .............................................................................................................................. 8
2.6 BID SUBMITTAL .............................................................................................................................. 9
2.7 BID CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 9
2.10 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................ 9
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS .................................................................... 10
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD .................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION ............................ 10
3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS ........................................................................................................... 10
3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES ............................................................................... 11
3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES ................................................................................... 11
4.0 REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................................. 12
4.1 PRICING........................................................................................................................................ 12
4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY- NOT REQUIRED........................................................................................... 12
4.3 VENDOR EXPERIENCE .................................................................................................................... 12
4.4 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 12
4.5 PERSONNEL .................................................................................................................................. 15
4.6 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS ...................................................................................................... 15
4.7 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................... 15
4.8 LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS ........................................................... 16
4.9 SUBCONTRACTORS ....................................................................................................................... 16
4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION ............................................................................................ 16
5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK ........................................................................................... 16
Western Carolina University is seeking sealed bids from qualified contractors for the furnishing and installation
of athletic field wall padding at the University's baseball and softball facilities. The project includes the
installation of outdoor-rated wall padding on the existing brick outfield wall at the baseball field, as well
as padding on the outfield fencing at both the baseball and softball fields. The successful bidder shall
provide all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, transportation, hardware, and incidental items
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
necessary to complete the project. The contractor shall be responsible for verifying all field dimensions
and existing conditions prior to fabrication and installation. All wall padding shall be specifically designed
for outdoor athletic use and constructed to withstand weather exposure, ultraviolet radiation, and
repeated athletic impacts. The padding shall feature a durable, UV-resistant vinyl covering and high-
density impact-absorbing foam core or an approved equivalent. All mounting systems, brackets, and
fastening hardware required for a complete and secure installation shall be included. Installation shall be
performed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and industry standards. The
contractor shall coordinate all work with University personnel to minimize disruption to athletic
activities and campus operations. Upon completion of the work, the contractor shall remove all debris,
packaging materials, and equipment from the site and restore the work area to a clean and orderly
condition. Any damage resulting from installation activities shall be repaired by the contractor at no
additional cost to the University. Bidders shall include product specifications, warranty information,
estimated lead times, and a lump-sum price covering all costs associated with materials, freight,
delivery, labor, equipment, installation, and cleanup. Award will be made to the lowest responsive and
responsible bidder whose submission meets the requirements of the solicitation and is determined to be
in the best interest of Western Carolina University. ........................................................................ 16
5.1 CERTIFICATION AND SAFETY LABELS .............................................................................................. 17
5.2 DEVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................. 17
6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................................................ 17
6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE ........................................................................... 17
6.2 INVOICES ...................................................................................................................................... 18
6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS .................................................................................. 18
6.4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ...................................................................................................... 18
6.5 PERIODIC [WEEKLY, MONTHLY] REPORTS .............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
6.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK ................................................................................................................ 18
6.7 FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................. 19
6.8 DISPUTE RESOLUTION ................................................................................................................... 19
6.9 CONTRACT CHANGES .................................................................................................................... 19
7.0 ATTACHMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 20
ATTACHMENT A: PRICING .......................................................................................................................... 20
ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ............................................................................................ 20
ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS ......................................................... 20
ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM .......................................................................................... 20
ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR ................................................................. 20
https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/pc-worker-location-92021-pdf/open ..................................... 20
LOBBYING ACTIVITY CERTIFICATION FOR FEDERAL GRANTS ......................................................................... 20
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
Western Carolina University is seeking sealed bids from qualified contractors for the furnishing and installation of athletic
field wall padding at the University's baseball and softball facilities. The project includes the installation of outdoor-rated
wall padding on the existing brick wall at the baseball field, as well as padding on the outfield fencing at both the baseball
and softball fields. The successful bidder shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, transportation,
hardware, and incidental items necessary to complete the project. The contractor shall be responsible for verifying all field
dimensions and existing conditions prior to fabrication and installation. All wall padding shall be specifically designed for
outdoor athletic use and constructed to withstand weather exposure, ultraviolet radiation, and repeated athletic impacts.
The padding shall feature a durable, UV-resistant vinyl covering and high-density impact-absorbing foam core or an
approved equivalent. All mounting systems, brackets, and fastening hardware required for a complete and secure
installation shall be included. Installation shall be performed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and
industry standards. The contractor shall coordinate all work with University personnel to minimize disruption to athletic
activities and campus operations. Upon completion of the work, the contractor shall remove all debris, packaging
materials, and equipment from the site and restore the work area to a clean and orderly condition. Any damage resulting
from installation activities shall be repaired by the contractor at no additional cost to the University. Bidders shall include
product specifications, warranty information, estimated lead times, and a lump-sum price covering all costs associated
with materials, freight, delivery, labor, equipment, installation, and cleanup. Award will be made to the lowest responsive
and responsible bidder whose submission meets the requirements of the solicitation and is determined to be in the best
interest of Western Carolina University.
The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Specific Contract.
1.1 CONTRACT TERM- SINGLE PURCHASE
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
The IFB is comprised of the base IFB document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award. All
attachments and addenda released for this IFB in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference.
ITEMS CONTAINED IN THIS BID HAVE BEEN SPECIFIED BY THE DESIGER AND MUST BE QUOTED AS SHOWN. NO SUBSITUTIONS
WILL BE ALLOWED.
Bids will only be accepted from approved vendors from North Carolina Term Contract 420A who are authorized resellers of the
particular product.
Installation window is between 7/13/26 and 8/21/26. An exact timeline will be provided to the awarded vendor at a later date.
* Proposals must be submitted electronically at:
https://wcu.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/27852
2.1 INVITATION FOR BID DOCUMENT
This IFB is comprised of the base IFB document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are
incorporated herein by reference.
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING IFB TERMS AND CONDITIONS
It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all
relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this IFB and comply with all requirements and
specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be
issued in connection with this IFB.
If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this IFB, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with
the instructions in the BID QUESTIONS Section. If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions
asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an IFB addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the
possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer
period, prior to contract award.
Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or
consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor's bid or otherwise. This applies to any language
appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor's bid that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors'
instructions herein or to render the bid non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor's bid shall constitute a firm offer
that shall be held open for the period required herein ("Validity Period" above).
The State may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this IFB Response,
the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall
have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon during negotiations and incorporated by way of a
Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient
grounds to reject Vendor's bid as nonresponsive.
2.4 IFB SCHEDULE
The table below shows the intended schedule for this IFB. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.
Event Responsibility Date and Time
Issue IFB State 09/04/2026
Hold Pre-Bid Meeting/Site Visit State NA
Submit Written Questions Vendor 09/08/2026 by 10am EST
Provide Response to Questions State 09/09/2026 by 5pm EST
Submit Bids Vendor 09/16/2026 by 2pm EST
Virtual Bid Opening via MS Teams University Date: 09/16/2026
Time: 2:00 pm EST
Microsoft Teams Meeting ID: 257 393 685 546 146
Microsoft Teams Passcode: zB7su3Wj
Call-In (Audio Only):1-980-228-9213
Phone Conference ID: 273 209 035#
Contract Award State TBD
2.5 BID QUESTIONS
Upon review of the IFB documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the IFB in order to submit the best bid
possible. To accommodate the Bid Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the "Submit Written Questions"
date and time provided in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
Written questions shall be emailed to cpressley@wcu.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter "IFB # 73-
IFB-00777: Questions" as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable IFB section
and be submitted in the format shown below:
Reference Vendor Question
IFB Section, Page Number Vendor question ...?
Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State's response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by
the State will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, and shall become
an Addendum to this IFB. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made
in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this IFB, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely
only on written material contained in the IFB and an addendum to this IFB.
2.6 BID SUBMITTAL
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be
automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or
unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor's sole responsibility to ensure its bid has been received as described in this IFB by the specified
time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each bid when received. Any bid or portion thereof
received after the bid deadline will be rejected.
* Proposals must be submitted electronically at:
https://wcu.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/27852
2.7 BID CONTENTS
Vendors shall populate all attachments of this IFB that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized
signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor's submission of incomplete items, may result in the
State rejecting Vendor's bid, in the State's sole discretion.
Vendor IFB responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:
a) Cover Letter, which must include all of the following: (i) a statement that confirms that the Vendor has read the IFB in its
entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the IFB; (ii) a statement that the Vendor agrees to
perform in accordance with the scope of work, requirements, and specifications contained herein; and (iii) Vendor's
agreement to comply with all instructions, terms and conditions, and attachments.
b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Bid Number.
c) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the IFB.
d) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this IFB, if required to be returned.
e) Vendor's Response. [Indicate relative section references as a guide to responding to sections requiring additional responses
outside of the solicitation document. If not required, delete.]
f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING
g) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM
h) Completed version of ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR
2.10 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS
Relevant definitions for this IFB are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below which are
incorporated herein by this reference.
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Bid Number: 73-IFB-0077 Vendor: __________________________________________
3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND BID EVALUATION PROCESS
3.1 METHOD OF AWARD
North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the
additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all
award decisions shall be in the State's best interest.
All responsive bids will be reviewed, and award or awards will be based on the responsive bid(s) offering the lowest price that
meets the specifications to include any required verifications set out herein such as, but not limited to past performance,
references, and financial documents.
While the intent of this IFB is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor for all line items, the State reserves the right to make
separate awards to different Vendors for one or more-line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this IFB
in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.
If a Vendor selected for award is determined by the State to be a non-resident of North Carolina, all responsive bids will be
reviewed to determine if any of them were submitted by a North Carolina resident Vendor who requested an opportunity
to match the price of the winning bid, pursuant to Executive Order #50 and G.S. 143-59 (for more information, please refer
to ATTACHMENT H: VENDOR REQUEST FOR EXECUTIVE ORDER #50 PRICE MATCHING. If such bid(s) are identified, the State
will then determine whether any such bid falls within the price-match range, and, if so, make a Contract award in accordance
with the process that implements G.S. 143-59 and Executive Order #50.
The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in bids received.
3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION
While this IFB is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging
in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See the Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled
COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS.
Each Vendor submitting a bid to this IFB, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is
prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government
agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the
General Assembly and Governor's office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor's bid or
qualifications, the content of another Vendor's proposal, another Vendor's qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract,
and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of
directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.
Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor's proposal may be
disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the
procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the
procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency
for this IFB or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this IFB regarding requirements of the IFB (prior to proposal
submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.
3.3 BID EVALUATION PROCESS
Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.
The State will conduct an evaluation of responsive Bids, as follows:
Bids will be received according to the method stated in the Bid Submittal section above.
All bids must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the IFB SCHEDULE Section above,
unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and
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