Invitation to Bid

THIS IS A REOPENING DUE TO THE ORIGINAL BID NOT ACCEPTING NEGATIVE VALUES. The Columbus City Schools is seeking bids for the purchase and delivery of gasoline and diesel fuel for use in district vehicles and equipment. Deliveries shall be made to various fuel tank locations around the district. The contract term will be for one (1) year with two (2), optional, one (1) year renewals. The bid price differential shall remain constant if renewals are exercised with no changes in the differential. Questions will be accepted until 12:00 noon on Friday, July 11, 2025 3:00 pm, and must be submitted via Public Purchase. Answers will be provided by 12:00 noon on Monday, July 14, 2025 via Public Purchase. Bid Return Instructions: Vendors must use the Columbus City Schools electronic bidding system, Public Purchase. Electronic response is the only method of submission. All bids must arrive before the bid closing date and time; Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. Pricing: Prices for diesel fuel and gasoline must increase and/or decrease in a like amount with any increase and/or decrease in the daily contract prices for fuels in the daily contract publication, “The Oil Price Information Service” under the heading OPIS Contract Benchmark, Rack Average, and subheading Columbus, Ohio. This bid shall contain the fixed dollar differential (over or under) the OPIS daily average. The bid shall also include pricing for both “transport” and “tank wagon” shipments. The fixed differential price shall include the cost for electronic fuel tank monitoring systems and installation at all Columbus City Schools delivery locations with no additional or annual fees or costs to the Columbus City Schools. Fuel prices must remain firm for that day. Failure to bid all items will result in the bidder being deemed non-responsive. The Columbus City Schools reserves the right to split the purchase orders to more than one (1) vendor or cancel the purchase order at any time. The Columbus City Schools reserves the right not to award a purchase order. Delivery and Acceptance: Vendors must guarantee, in writing, that fuel will be delivered as needed, and must arrange to deliver fuel from another terminal or location if the local racks are out of product. This service will be at no additional charge to the Columbus City Schools. The vendor must include a fleet inventory of transport and tanker wagon trucks owned and in service in the Columbus, Ohio, area at the time the bid is submitted. Transport shipments shall be delivered within 24-hours or less of order. Tank wagon shipments shall be delivered within 8-hours or less of order. Emergency delivery shipments shall be delivered within 4-hours or less of order. Online fuel level monitoring and automatic ordering is required. The vendor shall set up regular delivery schedules. Invoices: All invoices must be itemized with delivery location, type of fuel, gallons delivered, OPIS Contract Benchmark Rack Average (Columbus Ohio), differential cost per gallon, Federal LUST tax, Federal Environmental Tax, Ohio State Tax, and Total Line Item Cost for the corresponding delivery. Bills of lading or delivery receipts will not be accepted as invoices. Technical Assistance: The Columbus City Schools may request the vendor to provide technical expertise with regard to the product(s) supplied. Failure to meet the specifications requirements, when tested, may require the contractor to remove all fuel in the tank, and reimburse the facility for all fuel removed. The vendor will also be required to replace the shipment and will be held liable for any damages to equipment incurred by the district, to include testing costs. Fuel failing test(s) but already consumed will be paid at the rate of the grade for which it passes. Any subsequent failure to meet specification requirements may result in immediate cancellation of the purchase order. All fuels delivered under this bid must be of good quality, refined to the highest level for use in motor vehicles, and must contain no waste products. Vendors will guarantee, in writing, that if the Columbus City Schools suspects a bad load of fuel, the vendor’s maintenance staff must respond immediately to test the fuel. While waiting for the fuel test results, wet hose fueling of each vehicle is required. If the results do not pass the test, product must be pumped out of the tank and the exact amount of new fuel put back into the tank(s) at no additional charge to the Columbus City Schools. SPECIFICATIONS Electronic Tank Monitoring System: Currently, the Columbus City Schools has eleven (11) delivery locations with seventeen (17) tanks. The electronic, online monitoring system must monitor and report tank capacity, average use, low level alarms, tank fill alarms, and fuel movements twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. All alarms must be emailed automatically to Columbus City Schools designated staff. The vendor must include a specification sheet for the electronic monitoring system. The tank monitoring system must be provided at no additional cost to the Columbus City Schools. Gasoline Requirements: The gasoline blend must contain no more than ten-percent (10%) ethanol by volume and must meet the following specifications: Diesel Requirements: The diesel fuel must be Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) with a maximum sulfur content of 15 parts per million (ppm). The fuel must be delivered with algaecide and jellying inhibitor, when applicable. Jellying inhibitor normally required for winter operation only – November 1 through March 31. Summer operation is from April 1 through October 31. Winter Fuel Algaecide and Jellying Inhibitor: Columbus City Schools school buses do not use electric block heaters and require a premium winter fuel additive to help reduce fuel line freeze-up, prevent jelling, and assist in starting in cold temperatures. This additive must add a minimum of 4 points of cetane and must pour at -30° F. Additive must be splashed filled into truck at the terminal before fuel is loaded. Cost of fuel additives must be included in the Columbus City Schools diesel fuel winter months. Vendors must list all recommended winter additives and include specification sheet(s). Current Delivery Locations: Locations may be added, deleted, or changed at the discretion of the District. Location Tank Name Product Capacity (Gallons) Est. Annual Usage (Gallons) 17 th Avenue Service Center 889 East 17 th Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43211 17 th Ave. Tank #1 (UST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 275,000 17 th Avenue Service Center 889 East 17 th Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43211 17 th Ave. Tank #2 (UST) 87 E10 10,000 85,000 Ft. Hayes Service Center 630 Cleveland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43215 Ft. Hayes Tank #1 (UST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 400,000 Ft. Hayes Service Center 630 Cleveland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43215 Ft. Hayes Tank #2 (UST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 400,000 Frebis Avenue Service Center 1799 Frebis Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43206 Frebis Clear (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 750,000 Hudson Distribution Center 737 East Hudson Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43211 Hudson Rd. Dyed (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 1,700 2,000 Ft. Hayes Career Center 546 Jack Gibbs Boulevard Columbus, Ohio 43215 Jack Gibbs Dyed (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 900 1,000 Kingswood Data Center 1091 King Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43212 King Ave. Dyed (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 3,000 3,000 Morse Road Service Center 4001 Appian Way Columbus, Ohio 43230 Morse Rd. Tank #1 (UST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 190,000 Morse Road Service Center 4001 Appian Way Columbus, Ohio 43230 Morse Rd. Tank #2 (UST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 190,000 Landscape Department 1249 Smith Road Columbus, Ohio 43207 Smith Rd. Reg (AST) 87 E10 275 1,000 Landscape Department 1249 Smith Road Columbus, Ohio 43207 Smith Rd. (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 500 1,000 South High School 1160 Ann Street Columbus, Ohio 43206 Ann St. (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 270 500 Food Production Center 450 East Fulton Street Columbus, Ohio 43125 Food Services Tank #1 (UST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 10,000 10,000 Food Production Center 450 East Fulton Street Columbus, Ohio 43125 Food Services Tank #2 (UST) 87 E10 2,000 10,000 Linden McKinley High School 1320 Duxsberry Road Columbus, Ohio 43211 Duxsberry Dyed (AST) #2 ULSD 15-PPM 500 500 Required Forms Checklist: Fuel vendors will guarantee, in writing, that fuel will be delivered as needed and must make arrangements to deliver fuel from another terminal or location if the local racks are out of product. This service shall have no additional cost to the Columbus City Schools. Fuel vendors must include a fleet inventory of transport and tanker wagon trucks owned and in service in the Columbus, Ohio, area at the time the bid is submitted. Fuel vendors must guarantee, in writing, that if the Columbus City Schools suspects a bad load of fuel, that the fuel vendors maintenance staff will respond immediately to test the fuel. Fuel vendors must include a specification sheet for monitoring system. Fuel vendors must list all recommended winter additives, including specification sheet(s). Fuel vendors must enter their bid through Public Purchase. FAQ: The tanks at the Frebis Service Center and for all generators are above ground. SMARTank by Skybiz is the fuel tank monitoring system, which can be accessed online. The Ft. Hayes Service Center has two tanks, each with an estimated use of 400,000 gallons per year. The Morse Road Service Center has two tanks, each with an estimated use of 192,000 gallons per year. The above-ground tanks will need a truck mounted pump to fill them. Any contract extensions must be mutually agreed upon. The new contract will begin July 1, 2025. Payment terms are 30-days. Fuel tanks will be on an automatic delivery system. Dyed diesel is used for off-road equipment and generators. Common carriers are permitted, provided a statement is submitted with the bid. The District will not pay for sample fuel tests. The vendor will provide additives. All tanks are standard design and none were custom made. All tanks are horizontal. This is an all-or-none bid.