30-26207-DPH Cooler Industrial Control Panel (ICP) Replacement

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA INVITATION FOR BIDS NO. 30-26207-DPH
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Offers will be publicly opened: March 31, 2026
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Issue Date: March 12, 2026
Refer ALL inquiries regarding this IFB to: Commodity Number: 391215
Katrina Smith Description: Autopsy Cooler Panels Replacement
Katrina.Smith@dhhs.nc.gov
Using Agency: DPH - Office of the Chief Medical
919-855-4085
Examiner
See page 2 for mailing instructions. Requisition No.: RQ232309
OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE
The State seeks offers for the goods and/or related services described in this solicitation. The State's acceptance of any
offer must be demonstrated by execution of the acceptance found below and any subsequent Request for Best and Final
Offer, if issued. Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows: In cases of conflict between
documents comprising the contract, the order of precedence shall be (1) Best and Final Offers, if any, (2) special terms and
conditions specific to this IFB, (3) specifications, (4) Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions of this
IFB, and (5) the agreed portions of the awarded Vendor's offer. No contract shall be binding on the State until an
encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the contract.
EXECUTION
In compliance with this Invitation for Bid, and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to
furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified
herein. By executing this offer, I certify that this offer is submitted competitively and without collusion.
Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.
OFFEROR:
STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:
CITY, STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE TOLL FREE
NUMBER: TEL. NO
PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:
Offer valid for sixty (60), days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER
If any or all parts of this IFB are accepted, an authorized representative of Department of Health and Human Services shall
affix their signature hereto. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful vendor(s).
FOR STATE USE ONLY
Offer accepted and contract awarded this ______ day of _____________________, 20____, as indicated on attached
certification,
by _____________________________________________ (Authorized representative of DHHS-DPH).
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE .................................................................................................................. 4
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION ........................................................................................................................................ 4
2.1. SITE VISIT ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
2.2. VENDOR QUESTIONS ............................................................................................................................................... 4
2.3. ADDENDA ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.4. OFFER SUBMITTAL ................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.5. BASIS FOR REJECTION ............................................................................................................................................ 6
2.6. LATE OFFERS ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
2.7. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS ..................................................................................................................................... 6
2.8. NOTICE TO VENDORS .............................................................................................................................................. 6
2.9. E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION ........................................................................................................................... 6
2.10. DISTRIBUTORS AND RESELLERS ......................................................................................................................... 7
2.11. POSSESSION AND REVIEW ................................................................................................................................... 7
2.12. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO) ......................................................................................................................... 7
2.13. AWARD ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
2.14. POINTS OF CONTACT ............................................................................................................................................. 8
3.0 SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S) .................................................................................................................... 8
3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S. - DISCLOSURE STATEMENT ......................................... 8
3.3. E-VERIFY ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
3.4. PRODUCT MAKE AND MODEL ............................................................................................................................... 10
3.5. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE .................................................................................................................................. 10
3.6 SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................................... 10
3.7 ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................... 11
3.8. PRODUCT RECALL ................................................................................................................................................. 11
3.9. WARRANTY .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
3.10. CONTRACT TERM .................................................................................................................................................. 12
3.11. DELIVERY ............................................................................................................................................................... 12
3.12 SPECIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................................................... 12
4.0 FURNISH AND DELIVER ........................................................................................................................................ 15
5.0 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ................................................................................................................................. 16
5.1. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES ................................................................................................... 16
5.2. RECYCLED CONTENT ............................................................................................................................................. 16
5.3. ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS .................................................................................................................................... 16
6.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ......................................... 17
7.0 DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................................ 19
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
1.0 INTENT, USE, DURATION AND SCOPE
PURPOSE: The State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (hereinafter referred
to as the DEPARTMENT) has issued this Invitation for Bid (IFB) to obtain fair, reasonable, and acceptable
pricing for the acquisition of the replacement of two custom-built cooler control panels located in the
autopsy suite of the Division of Public Health, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME). These
panels are part of a non-standard IDEC-based PLC/HMI system that has been in service for several
years. The replacement is necessary to improve reliability, reduce maintenance complexity, and add
remote monitoring capabilities.
BACKGROUND: The existing cooler control panels in the OCME autopsy suite were installed when the
OCME building was originally built and has been in service for more than 10 years. The panels are
custom-built around an IDEC PLC and HMI platform that is now non-standard. The system requires
frequent maintenance and has accumulated significant wear and obsolescence over its service life. The
panels directly control refrigeration equipment used to store decedents, making continuous and reliable
operation essential.
The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract.
2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION
2.1. SITE VISIT
Urged and Cautioned Site Visit
Date : March 19, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time
Instructions: Prospective Vendors and/or Vendor representatives are URGED and CAUTIONED
to visit the site of the project and apprise themselves of all conditions; which will affect the
performance of the work required or reasonable implied by this IFB. A non-mandatory site visit is
scheduled for March 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET at 4321 District Drive, Room 1205, Raleigh, NC
27607. All attendees must sign in. This opportunity to visit the site may not be rescheduled unless
so authorized by addendum to this IFB. Submission of an offer shall constitute sufficient evidence
of this compliance and no allowance will be made for unreported conditions; which a prudent Vendor
would recognize as affecting this performance of the work called for in this IFB.
Vendors are cautioned that any information released to attendees during the site visit, other than
that involving the physical aspects of the facility referenced above, and which conflicts with,
supersedes, or adds to requirements in this IFB, must be confirmed by written addendum before it
can be considered to be a part of this offer. Attendees may take measurements and photographs.
Attendees are requested to email their intention to attend the site visit to Matthew Ciampa at
matthew.ciampa@dhhs.nc.gov, at least twenty-four hours prior to site visit date and indicate
the names and email addresses of all attendees.
2.2. VENDOR QUESTIONS
All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements are to be addressed to the
contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation. Vendor contact regarding this Solicitation with
anyone other than the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation may be grounds for
rejection of said Vendor's offer.
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
Written questions concerning this Solicitation will be received until March 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm
Eastern Time. They must be submitted to the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation
via Katrina.Smith@dhhs.nc.gov Please enter "Questions Solicitation 30-26207-DPH" as the subject
for the message. Questions should be submitted in the following format:
REFERENCE VENDOR QUESTION
IFB Section,
Page Number
2.3. ADDENDA
The State may issue addenda if Vendor questions are permitted as described above, or if additional
terms, specifications, or other changes are necessary for this procurement. It is important that all
Vendors bidding on this IFB periodically check the NC eVP for any and all Addenda that may be
issued prior to the offer opening date. All addenda shall become an Addendum to this IFB.
2.4. OFFER SUBMITTAL
Due Date: March 31, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern Time
IMPORTANT NOTE: Vendor shall bear the risk for late submission due to unintended or
unanticipated delay-whether submitted electronically, delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service,
courier or other delivery service. Vendor must include all the pages of this solicitation in their
response. It is the Vendor's sole responsibility to ensure its offer has been delivered to this Office
by the specified time and date of opening. Any proposal delivered after the proposal deadline will be
rejected.
Sealed offers, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received until 2:00pm Eastern
Time on the day of opening and then opened, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as
described herein. Offers must be submitted via the Ariba Sourcing Module with the Execution page
signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor's firm. Failure to return a signed offer
shall result in disqualification.
Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone or email in response
to this IFB shall NOT be accepted and will automatically be deemed Non-Responsive.
a) Submit one (1) signed, original electronic offer through the Ariba Sourcing Module.
b) The Ariba Sourcing Module document number is: WS2067350232
c) All File names should start with the vendor's name first, in order to easily determine all the files to
be included as part of the vendor's response. For example, files should be named as follows:
Vendor Name-your file name.
d) File contents SHALL NOT be password protected, the file formats must be in .PDF, .JPEG, .DOC
or .XLS format, and shall be capable of being copied to other sources. Inability by the State to open
the Vendor's files may result in the Vendor's offer(s) being rejected as Non-Responsive.
e) If the vendor's proposal contains any confidential information (as defined in 7.0 NCDIT Terms and
Conditions, Paragraph #18), then the vendor must provide one (1) signed, original electronic offer
and one (1) redacted electronic copy.
For Vendor training on how to use the Ariba Sourcing Tool to view solicitations, submit questions,
develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the
following site: https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
Questions or issues related to using Ariba Sourcing Tool itself can be directed to the North Carolina
eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available
Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST.
2.5. BASIS FOR REJECTION
Pursuant to 9 NCAC 06B.0401, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or
in part; by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered;
non-compliance with the specifications or intent of this solicitation; lack of competitiveness; error(s)
in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State; cancellation or
other changes in the intended project, or other determination that the proposed requirement is no
longer needed; limitation or lack of available funds; circumstances that prevent determination of the
best offer; or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State. Vendor
contact regarding this IFB with anyone other than Katrina Smith may be grounds for rejection of said
Vendor's offer.
2.6. LATE OFFERS
Regardless of cause, late offers will not be accepted and will automatically be disqualified from
further consideration. It shall be the Vendor's sole risk to ensure delivery at the designated office by
the designated time. Late offers will not be opened and may be returned to the Vendor at the
expense of the Vendor or destroyed if requested.
2.7. NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS
Vendor offers will be deemed non-responsive by the State and will be rejected without further
consideration or evaluation if statements such as the following are included:
* "This offer does not constitute a binding offer",
* "This offer will be valid only if this offer is selected as a finalist or in the competitive range",
* "Vendor does not commit or bind itself to any terms and conditions by this submission",
* "This document and all associated documents are non-binding and shall be used for discussion
purposes only",
* "This offer will not be binding on either party until incorporated in a definitive agreement signed
by authorized representatives of both parties", or
* A statement of similar intent.
2.8. NOTICE TO VENDORS
The State objects to and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional terms and
conditions not previously agreed to by the State and submitted with an Offeror's response.
This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Offeror's
response. By execution and delivery of this Invitation for Bids / Request for Quote and
response(s), the Offeror agrees that any additional terms and conditions, whether submitted
purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect.
2.9. E-PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION
This is an E-Procurement solicitation. See Paragraph #47 of the attached Department of
Information Technology Terms and Conditions.
The Terms and Conditions made part of this solicitation contain language necessary for the
implementation of North Carolina's statewide E-Procurement initiative. It is the Vendor's
responsibility to read these terms and conditions carefully and to consider them in preparing the offer.
By signature vendor acknowledges acceptance of all terms and conditions including those related to
E-Procurement.
a) General information on the E-Procurement service can be found at http://eprocurement.nc.gov/
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
b) Within two days after notification of award of a contract, vendor must register in NC E-
Procurement @ Your Service at the following web site: https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login
c) As of the IFB submittal date, the Vendor must be current on all e-Procurement fees. If the Vendor
is not current on all E-Procurement fees, the State may disqualify the Vendor from participation
in this IFB.
2.10. DISTRIBUTORS AND RESELLERS
"Resellers" as used herein, refers to businesses that routinely sell or distribute Vendor's Products,
and may include "Distributors", "Value Added Resellers" (VARs), "Original Equipment
Manufacturers" (OEMs), Channel Partners, or such other designations. These businesses must be
approved by the State prior to placement of any orders. Any contract established will be subject to
this solicitation and any resulting Agreement(s), and to the terms and conditions of the State's
competitive bidding process.
The Agency acknowledges that the Reseller has merely purchased the Third-Party Items for resale
or license to the Agency, and that the proprietary and intellectual property rights to the Third Party
Items are owned by parties other than the Reseller ("Third Parties"). The Agency further
acknowledges that except for the payment to the Reseller for the Third-Party Items, all of its rights
and obligations with respect thereto flow from and to the Third Parties. The Reseller shall provide
the Agency with copies of all documentation and warranties for the Third-Party Items which are
provided to the Reseller. The Reseller shall assign all applicable third-party warranties for
Deliverables to the Agency.
2.11. POSSESSION AND REVIEW
During the evaluation period and prior to award, possession of the bids and accompanying
information is limited to personnel of the issuing agency, and to the committee responsible for
participating in the evaluation. Vendors who attempt to gain this privileged information, or to
influence the evaluation process (i.e. assist in evaluation) will be in violation of purchasing rules
and their offer will not be further evaluated or considered.
After award of contract the complete bid file will be available to any interested persons with the
exception of trade secrets, test information or similar proprietary information as provided by statute
and rule. Any proprietary or confidential information, which conforms to exclusions from public
records as provided by N.C.G.S. 132-1.2 must be clearly marked as such in the offer when
submitted.
2.12. BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)
The State may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs
from the Vendor(s) within this range; e.g. "Finalist Vendor(s)". If negotiations or subsequent offers
are solicited, the Vendor(s) shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when
requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The State will
evaluate BAFO(s), oral presentations, and product demonstrations as part of the Vendors'
respective offers to determine the final rankings.
2.13. AWARD
It is the general intent to award this contract to one Vendor. As provided by statute, award will be
based on Best Value Analysis, Lowest Price Technically Acceptable Source Selection Method in
accordance with N.C.G.S. 143B-1350(h), which provides that the offer must be in substantial
conformity with the specifications herein, and 09 NCAC 06B.0302.
A link to the NC Electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows the public to retrieve contract award
information electronically from the web site: https://evp.nc.gov/ Results may be found by searching
by IFB number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
dependent upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation
process.
2.14. POINTS OF CONTACT
Contact by the Offeror with the persons shown below for contractual and technical matters related
to this IFB is only permitted if expressly agreed to by the purchasing lead named on page 5, or
upon award of contract:
Vendor Contractual Point of Contact Vendor Technical Point of Contact
Name of Vendor: Name of Vendor:
Street: Street:
City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:
Attn: Attn:
Email: Email:
3.0 SPECIFICATIONS
3.1. VENDOR STANDARD AGREEMENT(S)
The terms and conditions of Vendor's standard services, license, maintenance or other agreement(s)
applicable to Services, Goods, Software and other Products acquired under this Agreement may
apply to the extent such terms and conditions do not materially change the terms and conditions of
this Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this Agreement
and the Vendor's standard agreement(s), the terms and conditions of this Agreement relating to audit
and records, jurisdiction, choice of law, the State's electronic procurement application of law or
administrative rules, the remedy for intellectual property infringement and the exclusive remedies
and limitation of liability in the DIT Terms and Conditions herein shall apply in all cases and
supersede any provisions contained in Vendor's relevant standard agreement or any other
agreement. The State shall not be obligated under any standard license and/or maintenance or
other Vendor agreement(s) to indemnify or hold harmless the Vendor, its licensors, successors or
assigns; nor arbitrate any dispute, nor pay late fees, legal fees or other similar costs.
For Vendor Completion:
_____ The Vendor represents and warrants that the terms and conditions of Vendor's standard
license, maintenance, or other agreement(s) do not apply to this procurement. No vendor
agreement, standard or otherwise is incorporated into this IFB #30-26207-DPH.
_____ The Vendor standard license, maintenance, or other agreement(s) is provided with the IFB
response and shall be incorporated into this IFB #30-26207-DPH based on the outcome of a legal
review.
3.2. VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE U.S. - DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
In accordance with the Statewide Information Security Manual (SISM), the State restricts the
location of information systems that receive, process, store, or transmit State and Federal data to
the United States which includes the following areas: US States, US Territories, US Embassies,
and US Military installations (stateside or overseas). This restriction applies to the Vendor and to
any subcontractors engaged to provide Services under this Agreement or with access to State Data.
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
The Vendor must ensure that its subcontractor agreements contain the same restrictions and will
be responsible for monitoring and enforcing subcontractor compliance at all times.
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. 143B-1361(b), the Vendor must complete and return this Disclosure
Statement Attachment F with its solicitation response. The Vendor may attach additional pages to
its response if needed. The State of North Carolina will evaluate Disclosure Statement Attachments
for additional risks, costs, and other factors associated with its service prior to making an award for
any such Vendor's offer. The Vendor must provide the following information in its bid response:
Vendor to complete:
a. The location of work performed under a state contract by the Vendor, any subcontractors,
employees, or other persons performing the contract and whether any of this work will be
performed outside the United States.
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b. The corporate structure and location of corporate employees and activities of the Vendor, its
affiliates or any other subcontractors.
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c. Vendor agrees to provide notice of the relocation of the Vendor, employees of the Vendor,
subcontractors of the Vendor, or other persons performing Services under a state contract
outside of the United States in the event such relocation occurs during the contract term.
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IFB Number: 30-26207-DPH
d. Vendor agrees that any Vendor or subcontractor providing call or contact center Services to the
State of North Carolina shall disclose to inbound callers the location from which the call or
contact center Services are being provided.
e. Will any work under this contract be performed outside the United States?
YES NO
The use of resources or workers located outside the United States is a critical security exception
that must be escalated to the State Chief Information Officer for review pursuant to N.C.G.S. 143B-
1376(c) and 143B-1320(c). These critical security exceptions are approved only in rare and
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extenuating circumstances. Vendor should account for this when preparing its response.
______________________________________________________________________________
3.3. E-VERIFY
Pursuant to N.C.G.S. 143B-1350(k), the State shall not enter into a contract unless the awarded
Vendor and each of its subcontractors comply with the E-Verify requirements of N.C.G.S. Chapter
64, Article 2. Vendors are directed to review the foregoing laws. Any awarded Vendor must submit
a certification of compliance with E-Verify to the awarding agency, and on a periodic basis thereafter
as may be required by the State.
3.4. PRODUCT MAKE AND MODEL
SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED USE
Vendors are requested to offer only items directly complying with the specifications herein or
comparable items which will provide the equivalent capabilities, features and diversity called for
herein. The State reserves the right to evaluate all bids for suitability for the required use and to
award the one best meeting requirements and considered to be in the State's best interest.
3.5. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE
All offers shall include specifications and technical literature sufficient to allow the State to determine
that the equipment meets all requirements. This technical literature will be the primary source for
bid evaluation. If a requirement is not addressed in the technical literature it must be supported by
additional documentation and included with the bid. Bid responses without sufficient technical
documentation may be rejected.
3.6 SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS
3.6.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Vendors shall provide a completed Vendor Readiness Assessment Report State Hosted Solutions
("VRAR") at offer submission. This report is located at the following website:
https://it.nc.gov/documents/vendor-readiness-assessment-report
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