Laundry and Dry Cleaning Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) – Laundry and Dry-cleaning Services

The Department of National Defence (DND) has a requirement for the services of a firm to provide Laundry and Dry-cleaning services to the Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa). The pick-up and drop-off location is the National Printing Bureau, in Gatineau.

The Contractor must perform the following tasks for the duration of the Contract:

Cleaning

The Contractor must clean all non-white garments, by the usual commercial or any patented process to remove dirt, grime, dust, grease or other usual industrial type of soil likely to be encountered in a workshop or outdoor environment;

The Contractor must neatly fold all garments without pressing and return in the box in which they were picked up;

All like items (once laundered) must be kept together for ease of identification (i.e. shirts with shirts, pants with pants, etc.); and

Follow a detailed sequence of operations for washing grease-laden non-dyed cotton clothing (all whites).

Standard Pick-Up and Delivery

The Contractor must pick up soiled garments every week on Thursdays at the loading dock of 45 Sacré Coeur Blvd in Gatineau , QC between the hours of 08:00 and 15:00;

Laundered garments picked up the previous week, must be delivered to 45 Sacré Coeur Blvd in Gatineau, QC the following week (on Tuesdays) between the hours of 08:00 and 15:00;

Due to the estimated amount/size of the weekly dry-cleaning requirements, pick up / drop off must be made in a vehicle with a minimum cargo capacity of 145 cu ft (e.g. a minivan with seats removed); and

The Contractor must load and unload all soiled / laundered garments unassisted.

Repairs

Repairs must be made when identified by DND through the use of tags affixed to the affected items. Such repairs may include, but are not limited to: mending rips, patching holes and sewing on missing buttons. Buttons and patching materials will be provided by DND, with the affected items, at time of pick-up.

Urgent Services

From time to time, services may be required that fall outside of the regularly scheduled Thursday pick up and Tuesday drop off days.  In the event of an Urgent Service Request (i.e. by phone or email), the Contractor must:

•  Pick up soiled items within 24 hours of the Urgent Service Request being made;

•  Launder all items to the same standards as a Standard Pick Up as identified herein;

•  Prepare items for delivery to the same standards as a Standard Pick Up as identified herein; and

•  Drop off laundered items within 48 hours of pick-up.


MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS

The bidder must meet the following criteria:

1.  The Bidder must possess a valid dry-cleaning permit.   A copy of the permit must be submitted with the Bidder’s proposal.

2.  The Bidder must be a member of a professional association for dry-cleaners such as the Ontario Fabricare Association (OFA).  A copy of the professional association certificate must be submitted with the Bidder’s proposal.

3.  The Bidder must demonstrate that it is capable of providing services to a large professional organization by having provided dry-cleaning and laundry services to large, professional organizations such as hotels, restaurants or hospitals for five consecutive years in the past 10 years.  	
 
It is the intention of the department to award a contract for a period of one (1) year with four (4) additional one-year options. The contract, if awarded, will be awarded to the bidder who meets the mandatory criteria and provides the lowest cost financial proposal. DND reserves the right not to award a contract, regardless of the responses received.

Where this notice and the RFP differ, the RFP shall prevail.