Evaporative Cooling Equipment Supplies

The City of Tucson, through its General Services Department, Facilities and Communications Maintenance (FCM) Division, is soliciting qualified vendors to furnish Evaporative Cooling Equipment Supplies on an as-needed basis. These supplies are required to support the ongoing maintenance, repair, and operation of the City’s evaporative cooling systems across a diverse portfolio of municipal facilities.

The City maintains an estimated inventory of approximately 1,500 evaporative cooling units, ranging from residential-scale systems to large, complex commercial-grade installations. The intent of this solicitation is to establish one or more contracts with responsible and responsive vendors capable of providing reliable, timely, and cost-effective access to required parts and materials.

Background

The City of Tucson operates and maintains a wide range of evaporative cooling equipment installed in various municipal buildings and facilities. These systems include multiple makes and models, reflecting both legacy installations and newer equipment currently in service.

The City’s existing inventory includes, but is not limited to, equipment manufactured by the following brands: UMP, Aircool, Mastercool, Champion, Juneaire, and Bigassfan. As a result, the City requires access to a comprehensive range of compatible supplies, replacement parts, and components to ensure continuity of operations and proper system performance.

Due to the scale and diversity of the installed equipment base, it is critical that awarded vendors demonstrate the ability to supply parts across multiple brands and system types, maintain consistent product availability, and support the City’s maintenance operations with minimal disruption.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 250161
• Department: General Services
• Department Head: General Services (General Services)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-08-07T07:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-08-05T16:30:00.000Z — MICROSOFT TEAMS VIRTUAL MEETING

Evaluation Criteria

• Method of Approach (40 pts) —
  1. Delivery Capabilities
     1. Describe your firm’s approach to order fulfillment and delivery. Include standard delivery timelines, ability to accommodate expedited or emergency orders, delivery methods, and any associated costs or limitations.
  2. Order Processing and Fulfillment
     1. Explain your procedures for receiving, processing, and fulfilling orders. Include controls for order accuracy, handling of backorders, and communication with City staff regarding order status.
  3. Invoicing Procedures
     1. Describe your invoicing process, specifically addressing the City’s preference for invoicing at the time of product pickup or delivery. Include available billing formats (e.g., electronic invoicing), itemization practices, and payment terms.
  4. Account Management and Point of Contact
     1. Explain how your firm will provide a dedicated single point of contact for the City. Include the representative’s responsibilities, availability, escalation procedures, and continuity of service in the event of staff absence.
  5. Customer Service and Issue Resolution
     1. Provide an overview of your customer service approach, including how order discrepancies, returns, warranty claims, and urgent requests are managed to minimize operational disruption.
  6. Manufacturer Availability and Sourcing Approach
     1. Describe your firm’s approach to sourcing products from multiple manufacturers. Include how you ensure timely access to both stocked and special-order items and how substitutions or equivalents are handled, if applicable.
  7. Emergency Response Capability
     1. Describe your firm’s ability to respond to emergency or urgent requirements. Include availability of after-hours support, response times, access to critical inventory, and procedures for prioritizing emergency orders.
  8. Certifications and Compliance
     1. Identify and provide documentation for all relevant certifications held by your firm (e.g., Certifications X, Y, Z). Include a description of how these certifications support your ability to provide quality products and services under this contract.
• Qualifications and Experience (30 pts) —
  1. Manufacturer Coverage and Inventory
     1. Submit a comprehensive list of all manufacturers your firm can supply under this contract.
     2. Clearly distinguish between manufacturers and products that are regularly stocked in your storefront(s) and those that are available on an order-only basis.
     3. Demonstrate your ability to support a diverse equipment base.
  2. Manufacturer’s Representative Authorization
     1. If submitting as a manufacturer’s representative, provide letters from each manufacturer represented. 
     2. Each letter shall certify that:
        1. The vendor is authorized to provide the specific equipment proposed;
        2. The vendor is authorized to submit an offer on behalf of the manufacturer; and
        3. In the event the vendor fails to fulfill contractual obligations, the manufacturer—upon assignment by the City—will either assume such obligations or designate an alternate authorized vendor for the remainder of the contract term.
     3. Explain your process for maintaining and updating such authorizations.
  3. Relevant Experience
     1. Describe your firm’s experience in supplying evaporative cooling equipment supplies to governmental entities or organizations of similar size and complexity.
     2. Include contract scope, duration, and outcomes.
  4. Years in Business and Organizational Stability
     1. Provide the number of years your firm has been in business, including any prior business names or organizational changes.
     2. Describe your firm’s organizational stability, growth, and experience relevant to the scope of this solicitation.
  5. Product Availability and Supply Chain Reliability
     1. Demonstrate your firm’s ability to maintain consistent product availability across multiple brands.
     2. Include information on inventory practices, supplier relationships, and contingency plans for supply chain disruptions.
  6. Staff Qualifications and Technical Expertise
     1. Provide details on the qualifications and experience of personnel assigned to this contract, including those responsible for customer service, order fulfillment, and technical support.
  7. Past Performance and References
     1. Provide references from at least three (3) clients for whom similar goods have been provided.
     2. Include information regarding delivery performance, responsiveness, invoicing accuracy, and overall customer satisfaction.
  8. Reliability and Continuity of Service
     1. Describe your firm’s ability to sustain consistent service levels throughout the contract term.
     2. Include contingency plans for high-demand periods, staffing changes, and emergency requirements.
• Price Page (30 pts) —

  Please complete the Price Page.

   

Submission Requirements

• Discounts —

  As stated in the Instructions to Offerors. Discounts, the price(s) herein can be discounted by _______%, if payment is made within ______ days. These payment terms shall apply to all purchases and to all payment methods.

• Cooperative Purchasing Program —

  Cooperative Purchasing allows other public agencies to piggyback on the City of Tucson’s contracts. Will your firm provide the City of Tucson, as the lead agency on this regional contract, a rebate in the form of a percentage of sales based upon the other agencies sales?

• If yes, please state the percentage rebate you will provide.
• Does your firm have a City of Tucson Business License?
• Please upload a copy of your business license.
• Forms to be Filled Out —

  Please ensure that all required information is included with your response.

  1. Response to Evaluation Criteria
  2. Pricing Proposal
  3. Offer and Acceptance Form
• Response to Evaluation Criteria (required) —

  Please upload your response to the Evaluation Criteria.

• Pricing Proposal —

  Please upload your Pricing Proposal (if applicable).

• Offer and Acceptance Form (required) —

  Please upload your signed Offer and Acceptance form.

• Does your response to this solicitation include a request to keep any portion confidential and withhold it from the public record? (required) —

  Please note: The City of Tucson is a public agency subject to public records laws. Therefore, all requests to withhold information from the public record must be accompanied by justification. Pricing will not be held confidential.

• Confidential Information (required) —

  If you answered yes, then you must use this field to identify the sections of your submittal that you are requesting be withheld from public record. 

  If sections are not identified as confidential in this field, your request to hold information confidential may not be accepted.

  Please note: The City of Tucson is a public agency subject to public records laws. Therefore, all requests to withhold information from the public record must be accompanied by justification. Pricing will not be held confidential.

• Is your firm submitting any exceptions for the City's consideration?  (required) —

  In accordance with Instructions to Offerors - Exceptions to Contract Provisions, any exceptions that an offeror wishes to submit for the City's consideration must be indicated here in order to be considered.

• Define the exceptions you are requesting. (required)
• Living Wage (required) —

  Will Living Wage Requirements be a part of the resulting contract?

• Will the resultant contract have Federal Funding? (required)
• Special Terms and Conditions (required) —

  Please select the required language that should be included under Special Terms and Conditions for this project. Please select all that apply.

• Insurance Requirements (required) —

  Please select the additional insurance coverages required for this project. Please select all that apply.

• Initial Term of Contract (required) —

  What is the initial term of the contract?

  Please use the following format: one (1)

  Even if you selected auto renewal, you need to add the initial term, i.e. one (1)

• Renewal Options (required) —

  Will renewal options be given with this contract?

  If you selected Auto Renewal, select No.

• Renewal Term (required) —

  What is the renewal term of the contract?

  Please use the following format: four (4)

  If no extension options will be given or you selected automatic renewals, please enter "N/A".

• Pricing (required) —

  Will you build the pricing table in OpenGov Procurement?

• Separate Pricing Document (required) —

  If you will be requesting the pricing to be provided by the vendor outside of the OpenGov system, have you attached the required document to this solicitation?

• Attachments (required) —

  Do you have any attachments?