Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU Facilities Management, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242

REPOST: REQUEST FOR QUOTE NO. 2018
RFQ NO. 2018: PLUMBING PARTS AND COMPONENTS for KENT STATE
UNIVERSITY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
DATE OF ISSUE: Wednesday, March 25, 2026
SEALED PROPOSALS DUE: Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 4:30 PM Eastern
and time specified above. Proposals timestamped after that date and time will be rejected.
Proposals are to be submitted in accordance with the enclosed Proposal Instructions and Specifications. There will not be a
formal proposal opening.
The Procurement Department shall at all times reserve the right to reject any or all proposals, award partial proposals, waive
any proposal informalities or irregularities, and request new proposals if doing so is deemed to be in the best interests of Kent
State University.
Questions pertaining to any specifications contained herein should be directed to:
Alan D. Parker, Strategic Sourcing Manager
Kent State University, Procurement Department
330 Harbourt Hall, 615 Loop Road
Kent, Ohio 44242-0001
Phone: 330-672-9192
Fax: 330-672-7904
aparke60@kent.edu
www.kent.edu/procurement
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RFQ#2018
Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
Issued March 25, 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Project Timeline
2.0 Overviews of Kent State University and the College of Podiatric Medicine
3.0 Request for Proposal Instructions
4.0 Request for Proposal Agreement Terms
5.0 Request for Proposal Format and Evaluation Criteria
6.0 Specifications
7.0 Definitions
8.0 Sample of Response Forms 1 through 9 (Samples only for illustrative purposes, not intended as actual
submission documents.)
Specifications and travel itinerary: Distributed within RFP (Section 6.0) and
downloadable at https://kent.edu/procurement/bids
APPENDIX A Specifications and Price form Exhibit A: Distributed within RFP (Section 6.0) and downloadable at
https://kent.edu/procurement/bids
Continued on next page.
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RFQ#2018
Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
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1.0 PROJECT TIMELINE
All respondents are expected to adhere to the following timeline in completion of the Request for Proposal
process:
Wednesday, March 25, 2026: RFQ issued.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 4:30 PM Eastern: Proposals due via DocuSign submission attribution of
proposals received and evaluations to begin the following day.
Contract Award: Week of March 30, 2026: Anticipated contract award.to awardee(s).
Contract Start Date: May 1, 2026
Continued on next page.
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RFQ#2018
Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
Issued March 25, 2026
2.0 KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
Overview of Kent State University: Kent State University is one of 76 public higher-research universities, as
categorized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is ranked in the top-tier list of Best
National Universities by U.S. News & World Report. In a class by itself, Kent State is the only public university in
Northeast Ohio ranked in the top tier. With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric
Medicine, a Twinsburg Academic Center, and academic sites in major world capitals such as New York City, Geneva
resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910.
The Kent Campus has a student body of nearly 27,000 and a thriving residential population of more than
6,600. Its seven regional campuses draw full- and part-time students, now totaling more than 12,000, from across
Northeast Ohio: Kent State at Ashtabula; Kent State at East Liverpool; Kent State at Geauga in Burton and the
Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg; Kent State at Salem; Kent State at Stark in Canton; Kent State at Trumbull
in Warren; and Kent State at Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia.
Urban Design Collaborative is the combined home of the urban design graduate program and the public service
activities of the College of Architecture and Environmental Design; the center offers architectural and urban design
expertise to urban communities, design professionals, and nonprofit and academic partners in Cleveland and Northeast
Ohio. In addition, Kent School of Library and Information Science offers the Master of Library and Information
Science degree program to residents of central and southern Ohio at its site in the State Library of Ohio in Columbus.
Outside of Ohio, located in the heart of the New York Garment District, the Kent State Fashion NYC
fashion journalism.
The University offers more than 200 global education opportunities at its campuses in Florence, Italy, and Geneva,
Switzerland; centers in China and India; as well as partnerships with 60 institutes and universities across the globe
from Columbia to Vietnam and Germany to Kenya. The Kent Campus is a global education destination in its own
right, serving as home to 3,000 students hailing from 111 countries.
Kent State is proud of its outstanding faculty and staff, students, collaborative culture, exceptional academic and
research orientation, and strong commitment to engagement, academic excellence and diversity. The University offers
more than 282 associate and baccalaureate degree programs. Kent State serves the state, the nation and the world
through 165 graduate programs. Academic programs are organized into 10 colleges and one independent school:
Aeronautics and Engineering; Architecture and Environmental Design; Arts and Sciences; the Arts; Business
Administration; Communication and Information; Education, Health and Human Services; Nursing; Podiatric
Medicine; and Public Health, as well as the School of Digital Sciences.
Continued on next page.
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RFQ#2018
Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
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3.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
3.1 Proposal Instruction and Information: In order to receive consideration, companies responding to this RFP
are required to submit their proposal via DocuSign at https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids and the Certificate
of Completion must be timestamped no later than the date and time specified. Proposals timestamped
after that date and time will be rejected.
Forms 1 through 9 must be completed, dated, and signed by a responsible company official, in addition to
the information requested of your company.
It is the responsibility of the respondent to ensure that all required documentation, as enumerated above,
arrives on time and at the designated location. Any submissions received after the stated date and time, or
those that do not contain the required information as enumerated above, or the correct number of copies,
will be considered incomplete and unresponsive, and will be disqualified.
guide the proposer in interpretation of the quality, design, and performance desired, and shall not be construed to
exclude proposals based on furnishing other types of material or service which may be judged as an acceptable
alternate. If the description of your offer differs in any way, you must give a complete detailed description of
your quotation including pictures and literature where applicable. Unless specific exception is made, assumption
will be that you are submitting a proposal exactly as the specifications of this document require. All prices MUST
BE FIRM. Proposers will be expected to deliver on order(s) at the price quoted.
provides contractors with a formal and unrestrictive opportunity for their services to be considered. The process
of competitive negotiation being used in this case should not be confused with the process of competitive sealed
bidding. The latter process is usually used where the goods and services being procured can be precisely described
and price is generally the determinative factor. With a RFP and competitive negotiation, however, price is not
required to be the determinative factor, although it may be, and the University has the flexibility to negotiate with
one or more contractors to arrive at a mutually agreeable relationship. Check your proposal carefully for it may
not be corrected after the proposal has been opened.
3.1 New Product Lines: Upon written request by the successful proposer, new related product lines, not available
at the time of proposal bidding, may be added during the course of this agreement at like discounts for the
represented manufacturers.
3.2 Specifications: Specifications have been based on products and services familiar to the University and are firm
as listed, however reasonable alternates may be considered unless noted otherwise. To be approved by University
Facilities Management: Associate Director(s), Facilities Manager, or Housekeeping Manager(s)
3.3 Exceptions to Specifications: The proposer shall clearly state in the quote any exceptions to, or deviations from,
these specifications, terms or conditions; otherwise, the proposer will be responsible for compliance with all
requirements listed herein. Proposers shall provide a separate, itemized list of any and all exceptions. Such list
must be cross referenced to the corresponding numbered item in this bid.
3.4 Additional Information: In the event that information submitted by the Respondent is unclear to the University,
the University may request additional explanation from the Respondent for the purpose of evaluation and
decisions. The respondent shall answer requests for additional information or clarification in writing, and these
Respondents failing to provide adequate
information on any issue in a timely manner to allow a comprehensive evaluation by the University shall be
considered unresponsive, and their proposal subject to rejection.
3.5 Verbal Information: Respondents shall NOT base the proposal on verbal information from any employee of the
University from the date and time the RFP is received by the proposer, unless otherwise noted elsewhere in the
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RFP. Any such incident will invalidate the proposal, and bar that particular vendor from receiving a purchase or
contract award. In case errors or omissions are found in the proposal document, companies submitting proposals
shall at once inform the signee in the Procurement Department who will publish the correction to all companies.
3.6 Evaluation and Contract Award: Selection and award of contract will be made to the single supplier (or
multiple suppliers if deemed appropriate) whose proposal, in the sole opinion of Kent State University, represents
the best overall value to the University. Factors which determine the award are more fully detailed in the
specifications, and will include, but will not be limited to, the followin
ervices, ability to fulfill the contract, and
general responsibility as evidence of past performance. Payment terms and cash discounts will be considered as
determining factors in the contract award.
Should the total potential spend of the contract resulting from this RFP, inclusive of all possible renewals, exceed
or appear to exceed $1.0 million, the final selection will be pending Board of Trustees approval at its next
scheduled meeting; and appropriate contract review, approval and execution pursuant to University Policy.
Notwithstanding the above, this RFP does not commit the University to enter into any contracts as described in
this document. The University reserves the right to reject any or all offers and to waive formalities and minor
irregularities in the proposals it receives.
3.7 Proposer Presentations: Proposers submitting proposals which meet the selection criteria and which are deemed
to be the most advantageous to the University may be required to give an oral presentation to the University
selection team. Scheduling of these oral presentations will be done by the Procurement Department.
3.8 Samples: Requested samples necessary for evaluation must be provided without cost or obligation to Kent State
University, and shall become the property of the University. Upon request by the supplier, unless destruction,
alteration or retention of the sample is required for evaluation purposes, samples may be returned to supplier at
3.9 Procedure for Conducting Negotiations:
Who To Negotiate With First
After completion of the initial evaluation process, the University may begin negotiations with one or more vendors
of such negotiations will be offered after a reasonable amount of time has elapsed from the proposal deadline.
Negotiations shall continue to the satisfaction of the University or, if the University determines a satisfactory
agreement cannot be reached, the University may initiate negotiations with one or more of the remaining vendors.
Negotiations With Multiple Vendors
The University reserves the right, at all times during the negotiation process, to negotiate with one or more vendors
at the same time, but is under no obligation to do so. The vendor(s) with whom the University enters into
negotiations must have present a representative with decision-making authority.
If Negotiations Are Unsuccessful
With respect to any of the services that are a part of this RFP, in the event that the University determines that a
contract cannot be negotiated with any of the vendors who respond to the RFP, the University shall have the right
to issue a new RFP or other process to seek qualified applicants, to provide the services itself, or to use another
process (e.g., sole source contracting) in order to have the product(s) and/or service(s) provided.
3.10 Valid Proposals: Proposals will be considered valid for a period of one hundred-eighty (180) days after the
scheduled due date, unless otherwise noted.
3.11 Preference to United States and Ohio Products: State of Ohio Am. H.B. 271 requires that preference be given
to products produced or mined in the United States and in Ohio.
3.12 Buy America:
and section 10a-10 d
that does not meet this requirement shall be rejected, except in those circumstances where a determination has
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RFQ#2018
Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
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been made that certain articles, materials and supplies are not mined, produced or manufactured in the U.S. in
sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of satisfactory quality.
3.13 Buy Ohio: Sections 125.09 and 125.11 of the Ohio Revised Code require that in the evaluation of bids, the
University give preference to products which are "mined, excavated, produced, manufactured, raised, or grown
in the state by a person where the input of Ohio products, labor, skill, or other services constitutes no less than
to mean that the bidders:
Pay required taxes to the state of Ohio; and are registered and licensed to do business in the state of Ohio with the
Office of Secretary of State; and have ten or more employees based in Ohio, or seventy-five percent or more of
their employees based in Ohio.
Any bids meeting the above criteria will be given a preference of up to five (5) percent over the lowest price "non-
Ohio" bid submitted; except that such preference will not be applied against vendors from bordering states,
provided that the border state imposes no greater restrictions than contained in sections 125.09 and 125.11 of the
Ohio Revised Code. Where it has been determined that selection of the lowest Ohio proposer, if any, will not
result in an excessive price or a disproportionately inferior product or service, the contract shall be awarded to the
low Ohio proposer at the proposal price quoted. Where it is advantageous to award the contract to other than an
Ohio proposer or Proposers from a border state, then the contract shall be awarded accordingly.
3.14 H.B. 476, State Contract and Boycotting: Pursuant to R.C. 9.76(B) Consultant warrants that Consultant is not
boycotting any jurisdiction with whom the State of Ohio can enjoy open trade, including Israel, and will not do
so during the contract period.
3.16 : If the proposed product or service is an Electronic
then your proposal must include a response to this section so the proposed product or service can be evaluated by
University personnel for compliance with the University Policy 4-16.
(s) and/or service(s) include, but are not limited to, systems and application software
(including mobile), online services such as learning management systems, content management systems,
access portals, online marketing solutions, websites, web content and multimedia, digital materials (video,
audio, etext, ebooks, lab simulations), telecommunications, and self-contained products such as displays,
kiosks, touchscreens, operable controls (key carded door openers), and personal response systems.
If the proposed product or service is not an EIT product or service, consider this section complete.
Pursuant to University Policy 4-16, Kent State University is committed to ensuring that its electronic and
information technologies, including but not limited to, all information provided through university and third-party
websites, online learning and course management systems, and curriculum, institutional and administrative data
systems: (a) provide equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology;
(b) provide equal treatment in the use of such technology; and (c) be accessible to individuals with disabilities in
compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended and the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1990, as amended (ADA-AA) and other applicable laws of the State of Ohio.
: Provide information
about the digital accessibility of proposed product(s) and/or services(s). This process is handled via an online
form. Please carefully read the instructions below:
a. In a web browser, visit http://bit.ly/eitvendorsurvey
lead technical staff member best suited to share information about the digital accessibility of the
product and/or service.
i. PLEASE DO NOT START FORM until previewing of the list of questions that will be
asked.
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Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
Issued March 25, 2026
ii. If available, please make sure to attach a completed VPAT when completing the form. A
blank template of the VPAT is available at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility.
iii. NOTE: KSU may, in its sole discretion, deem as non-responsive, any form submission
that is deemed by the university as incomplete.
3.17 Rights Reserved: The University reserves, and in its sole discretion may, but shall not be required to, exercise
the following rights and options with respect to the proposal submission, evaluation and selection process under
this RFP:
To reject any proposal proposal is incomplete or is not responsive
to the requirements of this RFP, the Respondent does not meet the Qualifications set forth in the RFP, or
To supplement, amend, substitute or otherwise modify this RFP at any time prior to selection of one or
more respondents for negotiation or to cancel this RFP with or without issuing another RFP;
To accept or reject specific items or elements in any proposal and award a contract based only on such
items or elements
unfaithful in the performance of any contract with the University, or is financially or technically incapable
or is otherwise not a responsible respondent;
To waive any informality, defect, non-responsiveness and/or deviation from this RFP and its requirements
that is not, in the University
To permit or reject at the University
omitted), of proposals by some or all of the respondents following proposal submission;
To request that some or all of the respondents modify proposals based upon the University
evaluation;
To request additional or clarifying information or more detailed information from any respondent at any
time, before or after proposal submission, including information inadvertently omitted by a respondent;
To inspect and otherwise investigate projects performed by the respondent, whether or not referenced in
the proposal, with or without the consent of or notice to the respondent;
To conduct such investigations with respect to the financial, technical, and other qualifications of
respondents as the University, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate.
To enter into post-submission negotiations and discussions with any one or more respondents regarding
price, scope of services, and/or any other term of their proposals, and such other contractual terms as the
IUC-PG may require, at any time prior to execution of a final contract. The University may, at its sole
election, enter into simultaneous, competitive negotiations with multiple respondents or negotiate with
individual respondents seriatim. In the event negotiations with any respondent(s) are not satisfactory to the
University, the University reserves the right to discontinue such negotiations at any time; to enter into or
continue negotiations with other respondents; and, to solicit new proposals from entities that did not
respond to this RFP.
(Section 4 follows, next page.)
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RFQ#2018
Plumbing Parts and Components for KSU UFM
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4.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL AGREEMENT TERMS
4.1 Contract: All Agreement Terms and Specifications set forth in this Request for Proposal are to become an equal
part of the final contract. Contracting for this project will be facilitated by University-issued purchase orders, and
the terms of this Request for Proposal will govern.
4.2 Period of Agreement: The term of the agreement shall be for three (3) year from the date of contract execution.
4.3 Renewal of Contract: After the initial three (3) year term, Kent State University reserves the right to renew the
contract resulting from this RFP for three (3) additional one (1)-year terms. Any renewal agreed upon shall occur
ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of the contract then in force.
4.4 Termination: Either party may terminate this contract after the expiration of sixty (60) days from the effective
date of the contract. Termination may occur by giving the other party ninety (90) days prior written notice of
intent to terminate; except that any breach of this contract shall be just cause to terminate immediately the contract
and any obligations existing thereunder without any prior notice to you. Termination resulting from breach of
contract will be cause, at the sole discretion of the Procurement Department, to suspend the proposer from
submitting a proposal on any project at the university for a period up to three (3) years.
4.5 Choice of Law: This Request for Proposal will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the
State of Ohio.
4.6 Extended Payment Clause: Kent State University may, upon written notice to the proposer receiving the
contract, suspend or terminate the unpaid balance of this contract, if the Ohio General Assembly, in a subsequent
biennium, fails to appropriate funds making possible the continuation of such payment.
4.7 Contractor Responsibilities: The selected contractor shall be deemed by the University as an independent
contractor and shall not, during the term of the contract, or any renewals or extensions thereof, sell, assign,
transfer, sublet, or sublease all or any part thereof without the prior written consent of the University; and, should
contractor become insolvent, or if proceedings in bankruptcy shall be instituted by or against contractor the
remaining or unexpired portion of the contract shall, at the election of the University, be terminated. Contractor
will be required to assume responsibility for all services offered whether or not it produces them.
4.8 Value: Because the volume cannot be predetermined, any contract resulting from this RFP will not guarantee a
specific amount of business, or income. It should also be noted that any contract resulting from this RFP is not
an exclusive contract. The University will reserve the right to place purchase orders in any manner deemed by
the University to be in its own best interest.
4.9 Estimated Requirements: The University in no way obligates itself to purchase the full quantities indicated, but
the entire amount of any discount offered must be allowed whether or not the purchases are more or less than the
nts may be greater than or less than the quantities shown, and
the successful proposer shall be obligated to fulfill all requirements as shown on the purchase orders whose
mailing dates fall within the term of the contract.
4.10 Sales Tax: Kent State University is exempt from Ohio sales tax and federal tax and will furnish an exemption
certificate upon request.
4.11 Price and Freight: All pricing must be quoted FOB Destination, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, 44242.
Include all freight, transportation, and any applicable handling and/or installation charges necessary to complete
delivery on an FOB Destination basis. Please specify if your pricing is quoted delivered or pickup.
4.12 Title and Risk of Loss: Supplier shall retain title and bear the risk of any loss or damage to the items purchased
responsibility for loss or damage shall cease except as
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to all stated terms and conditions. Passing of title upon such delivery shall not constitute acceptance of the terms
by Kent State University.
4.13 Preferred Invoicing and Payment Methods: The successful proposer must invoice products or services
awarded exactly as indicated on a resultant University purchase order, to include cost, unit specified, quantity
ordered, item descriptions, etc.
Kent State University prefers to receive invoices for goods and services via electronic means. It is the goal of the
University to make payment on invoices via Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer. To that end, please
indicate your company's capabilities for electronic invoicing and payment where appropriate in Section VI of this
document.
4.14 Payment Terms and Cash Discounts: Kent State University will endeavor to use any cash terms offered, and
these could be considered in determining the final net price depending on the discount period.
In the event that Kent State University is entitled to a cash discount, the period of computations will commence
on the date of delivery or receipt of a correctly completed invoice, whichever is later. If an adjustment is necessary
due to damage, the cash discount period shall commence on the date final approval for payment is authorized. If
a discount is part of the contract, but the invoice does not reflect the existence of a cash discount, the University
is entitled to a cash discount with the period commencing on the date it is determined that a cash discount applies.
4.15 Rejection of Goods or Services: All goods or services purchased herein are subject to approval by Kent State
University. Any rejection of goods or services resulting because of nonconformity to the terms and specifications
4.16 Guarantee and Warranty Requirements: Proposer shall guarantee all products and installation against any
defect in
proposed, and a comprehensive list of all authorized service centers must be provided by supplier. List to include
the company name, location, and telephone number.
4.17 Product Substitutions: There will be no substitutions of ordered product allowed unless the University has first
been notified and permission granted. University Facilities Management Associate Director(s), Facilities Manager
or Housekeeping Manager(s) should be notified and verify the substitution.
4.18 Price Adjustment: All prices quoted are expected to remain firm during the term of the contract; however, in
the event of a price change related to an increase or decrease, prices may be changed subject to a negotiated
adjustment to reflect such an increase or decrease. Such negotiations and adjustments will be considered only
upon written request to the Procurement Department, documented with cost data, filed prior to our request for
delivery and submitted after the expiration of ninety (90) days from the date of the proposal closing.
4.19 Audits: With advance notice to Vendor, from time to time during the contract term and for five (5) years after
termination of the contract,
compliance with the requirements of, the contract. The University will utilize all invoicing and documentation,
rnal controls documentation required under the contract
including, but not limited to any applicable audit or security assessment reports or certifications such as: SAS 70
or its replacement SSAE 16, SOC 2, or ISO 27001, and copies of any applicable corporate information security
policies or other supporting documentation. University personnel from the University Facilities Management
Department, , Procurement Department, and/or the Auditing Department may perform
these audits. Audit discrepancies must be resolved to the reasonable satisfaction of Kent State University, and
the university reserves the right to terminate the any contract resulting from this RFP if at any time the audit
results are not resolved to its reasonable satisfaction.
Vendor must provide access to files and information reasonably necessary, including, but not limited to all
cancelled checks, work papers, books, records and accounts upon which invoices are based, and any and all
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