The St Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office is requesting sealed bids from qualified vendors for the purchase of Body Armor. Bid contract is for one (1) year from the date of award with the option of two (2) annual renewals. If the bid is
re-newed, the piggyback contract will also re-new. STPSO intends to purchase sixty (60) or more Body Armor Vest within the duration of the contract.
The following line items state the minimum standards and specifications that are required for this contract. This contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive, responsible vendor submitting the lowest cost meeting the required specifications.
The body armor shall be designed for regular wear concealed under the normal duty uniform or other professional civilian clothing worn by law enforcement officers. It shall be light and thin as well as flexible so as
to provide the highest degree of comfort with a minimum amount of restriction of mobility. Armor shall be listed on Compliant Products List by National Institute of Justice Standard 0101.06 for Threat Level II and must comply in both male and female models for all sizes. A copy of NLECTC acceptance under this NIJ standard for each proposed model shall be submitted with each proposal. Bidders must include full product descriptions, drawings and/or photographs, along with all technical specifications. This contract is for one (1) year from the date of award with the option of two (2) annual renewals. Prices shall remain firm for the duration of the initial contract.
Applicable Documents
The following third-party standards, specifications, documents, amendments and/or applicable parts of issues in effect on the date of contractual purchase, shall form part of this specification:
a.) National Institute of Justice: Standard NIJ-STD-0101.06 - Ballistic Resistance of Police Body Armor
b.) MIL-STD-662F - V50 Ballistic Test for Armor
c.) ASTM D-204 - Sewing Threads
d.) ASTM D-6193 - Standard Practices for Stitches, Seams & Stitching
e.) ASTM D-1777 - Standard Method for Testing Thickness of Textile Materials
f.) ASTM D-3776 - Mass per Unit Area (Weight) of Woven Fabric
g.) ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9001-2000 Certification
New NIJ Regulations issued during the bid process or term of the contract may void all bids and contracts.
In the event of a tie bid, vendors will be asked to submit a best and final offer
Purchase Requirements:
The successful vendor must be a licensed Manufacturer, Wholesaler or Retailer of Soft Body Armor for Law Enforcement Officers.
Purchase Quantity:
Orders will be made on an "As Needed" basis for new hires and transfers for the duration of the contract. NO MINIMUM order specifications will be accepted for this bid.
Prohibited Ballistic Materials:
Any ballistic panel that contains any "Zylon" anywhere in its construction will be rejected. All materials used in the construction of this body armor shall be new, unused and without any flaws that affect appearance, durability, and function. Additionally, no metal parts or devices may be used on any portion of the soft body armor.
Labeling:
Every ballistic panel cover shall have a label. The label shall be permanently attached to the face of the panel.
The label shall contain the following information:
• Name of Manufacturer
• Certification of Compliance with NIJ 0101.06 Standard for Threat Level II
• Date of Manufacturer
• Size
• Serial Number
• Model of Vest
• Care Instructions
• Lot Number
• Identification of the proper orientation of the panel (strike face or wear face)
• An area to record Officers Name and Date of Issue
Body Armor and Panel Serial Numbers:
The ballistic panels in each unit of body armor shall have serial numbers attached to them and these serial numbers shall enable the manufacturer to trace the unit of body armor back to its original ballistic material lot number and mill roll number. The successful bidder must have the ability to trace serial numbers.
Fitting:
The successful bidder must provide trained representatives to conduct proper measurement and fitting. Fittings must comply with the ASTM E2902-12 Standards.
Delivery:
Delivery must take place within 45 days upon completion of fittings.
Adjustments & Alterations:
Any Body Armor System issued that the wearing officer does not deem to fit properly, will be returned to the manufacturer for alteration or replacement. All such adjustments will be completed at no cost to the St Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office as long as notification of the problem is given to the vendor within 30 days from date of issuance. The successful Bidder must repair or replace any and all Body Armor Systems that become unusable due to manufacturing defects during the warranty period.
Shipping:
Each vest system shall be shipped in a box, the outside of which bears a label with the Officer name, model number and size of the vest.
Product Liability Insurance:
All body armor must be covered by a Manufacturer's product liability insurance policy. Proof of products liability insurance is required.
1.) Manufacturers agree to maintain and guarantee a liability performance insurance policy in a minimum amount of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) (per incident) for coverage in the event of bodily injury or death incurred as a result of vest failure to protect.
2.) The product liability policy must provide said coverage for a period of not less than five (5) years from the date of shipment or the life expectancy of the vest, whichever is longer.
3.) The insurance company shall be authorized to transact business in the state of Louisiana.
Warranty:
The successful bidder must provide proof of warranty as specified:
Ballistic Panels - The manufacturer shall guarantee, with a written warranty, the protective panels to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of five (5) years from the date of delivery.
Carriers - The manufacturer will guarantee, with a written warranty, the carrier system to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date of delivery. The bidder shall certify that any armor exhibiting defects during the warranty period shall be replaced without cost, including freight, by the bidder and/or the manufacturer.
Soft Ballistic Component 2.1. The bullet/stab-resistant elements are warranted to perform to their NIJ-certified standard for a period of five years from the date of issue to the individual user
The following are descriptions and specifications of items being requested. If product(s) being offered differ from product(s) requested you must include catalog pages, specification sheets, or similar data to support that the product meets or exceeds product requested
specifications. Failure to furnish required data MAY BE CONSIDERED AS CAUSE FOR REJECTION OF BID.
All questions regarding this bid solicitation shall be submitted on bidnetdirect.com.
Bids shall be submitted on the attached bid forms.
Bids must include the following items:
* Signature sheet signed by an authorized representative
- Paper Bids (signature must be original and in ink. No photo copies
or pencil signatures will be accepted). Must also include documentation
to certify the legal signature authority is any corporate officer listed on
the most current annual report on file with the Secretary of State.
- Electronic Bids - Must also include documentation to certify the
legal signature authority is any corporate officer listed on the most
current annual report on file with the Secretary of State.
* Acknowledgement of Addendums
Failure to submit requested information will result in the Rejection of
the Bid for being non-responsive.
Must also include:
* Certificate of Insurance
*W9
* Vendor Registration form
ALL PAPER BIDS MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENVELOPE
* Your Company Name
* BID# Name - BID# 101725-01 Body Armor
Bidders must meet all bid requirements to be considered. FAILURE to furnish required data may be considered as cause for REJECTION OF BID for being non responsive.
- Awarded products not delivered withing forty-five (45) days will be forfieited and award given to the next lowest bidder.
- Delivery Must be available to All Locations within the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office with the main delivery location at
STPSO TRAINING CENTER
300 Brownswitch Rd.
Slidell, LA 70458
- Bid Prices must include all shipping/fuel charges.
- NO MINIMUM order specifications will be accepted for this bid.
The bidder represents that all equipment offered under these specifications shall be NEW. Used, Shopworn, Demonstrator, or Prototype models ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE.
Vendors electing to claim Louisiana preference, as defined by LA RS38:2251, et. seq., must complete the attached Louisiana Preference Claim Form and present it as part of the bid proposal.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will receive sealed bids until 11:30 a.m., Friday, October 17, 2025, for Body Armor in accordance with the following instructions and attached specifications.
Bid submittal options are as follows:
· Electronically – www.bidnetdirect.com (a Digital signature is required pursuant to state law)
· Mail – (an original signature is required pursuant to state law)
STPSO Purchasing Department
P.O. Box 1229
Slidell, LA. 70459
· Send via any carrier (FedEx, UPS, etc) or hand deliver during regular business hours to:
STPSO Purchasing Department
300 Brownswitch Rd
Slidell, LA. 70458
Bids shall be submitted either electronically or by paper on the attached bid forms.
Bidder must include all required documents noted in the bid specification portion of the document to be considered a responsive vendor.
Paper Bids shall be marked clearly on the outside of the envelope BODY ARMOR BID# 101725-01 (PLEASE SEE FORM IN DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH TO PAPER BID ENVELOPE). All bids must be received by the above mentioned date and time.
All bids received after the specified date and time will be rejected and returned unopened to the bidders.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to select a higher priced item from successful bidders where, in the judgement of the Sheriff’s Office, such item is of superior quality or design or would be more suitable for the purpose intended. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to adjust quantities by increasing or decreasing and to reject any and all bids.
Delivery prices shall be included in the bid and shall not be added on to any orders. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is exempt from all local, parish and state taxes.
Purchase orders will be issued to successful bidder as supplies are needed throughout the bid period and is the vendors only authority to ship. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reserves the right to purchase Body Armor from any source. Item(s) known to be discontinued shall be noted on original invoice and cancelled. Substitutions will not be allowed.
Invoices should be submitted for payment to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Accounts Payable Department: email: accountspayable@stpso.com or mailed to: St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office ATTN: Accounts Payable P.O. BOX 1229, Slidell, LA 70459.
St Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office shall have the right to reject any or all Bids for just cause in keeping with La. R.S. 38:2214B.
