Request a Bid Package
Request for Qualifications with Cost Proposals
RFQ/P #44-012 For the provision of Athletics Officiating Services
Schedule of Events:
Bid Post Date: June 20, 2023
Bidders Questions Due Date: July 10, 2023
Answers to Questions Due Date: July 12, 2023
Bid Due Date: July 20, 2023 @ 2:00pm EST
Bidding Process: The County is now seeking sealed proposals from interested qualified parties to provide athletic officiating services for Hall County Parks & Leisure Services youth and adult athletic leagues for FY 2024, and to form a binding contract for officiating services with a secured vendor that meets all quality and performance measures. The County will accept bids in the Purchasing Department located on the fourth (4
th
) floor of the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, GA 30504, until July 20, 2023, at 2:00PM.
Addendums: If needed and in the best interest of the County, Purchasing may make any extension of the bidding period by a formal written addendum and publicly posted. The County will not read cost factors at that time but may publish the results once the evaluation process is completed.
Proposal Documents: Bidders may request submittal documents via the County’s Website at
https://www.hallcounty.org/Bids.aspx
,then click the ‘Request a Bid Packet’ link, fill out the requested information, click ‘Submit’, and Purchasing will send you a bid package via email.
General Qualifications:
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The contractor shall be responsible for all work performed in support of this contract. Sub-contractors shall perform no work unless pre-approved in writing by the County. Contractors must disclose any intended Sub-contractors within the bid at the time of bid submissions. If the bidder intends to use a sub-contractor to fulfill one entire segment of this contract, then the bidder should submit to the County professional references for the sub-contractor on jobs similar in size and scope. Once the County has awarded the contract, the contractor cannot change sub-contractors without seeking written pre-approval from the County. The County reserves the right to check all references and conduct background checks on any changes to sub-contractors or workers performing work under this contract. The contractor shall be wholly responsible for the quality of their sub-contractor’s work. The contractor shall not award more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the work to sub-contractors on any project, without prior approval of the County Representative.
2. The awarded contractor(s) shall provide products and services as detailed in this RFQ/P.
3. The County must pre-approve any change orders in writing.
The County may deny any work done before the issuance of a written change order. Contractor is not to accept any verbal change order(s) from the project manager. The County will work will be considered out of scope and thus not compensated.
4. Contractor shall provide copies of the following Licensing with their bid response:
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Valid Business License
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Required licenses and certifications
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Letter of Bondability that your firm can acquire a Payment bond equal to 100% each of the contract value. Awarded Contractor must produce the Bond prior to any work commencing.
Request for Clarification: The County reserves the right to request clarification of information submitted and to request additional information of one or more applicants. The County considers a bid response as an irrevocable offer, good for a period of one-hundred and twenty (120) days from submission.
Legally Binding Agreement: The County and the selected Service Provider shall enter into a formal agreement; substantially in the form of the attached EXHIBIT K: SAMPLE CONTRACT TEMPLATE. All questions regarding the scope of services should be included in the response to the Proposal. If there are no objections, an affirmative statement to this effect is required.
The County reserves the right to reject all proposals, and to negotiate fees, conditions, or terms with the respondent submitting the overall best proposal.
Proposal Information: In consideration of service fee proposal, assume the following:
Technical Proposal Response: Bidders must answer all mandatory questions, which are pass/fail, and the mandatory scored questions, which are weighted. The County’s Evaluation Committee will weigh the answers with point values. The total maximum points available for the Technical Proposal response is eight-hundred (800) points.
The proposer’s response should be limited to direct answers to the questions asked. Proposers are required to answer all the mandatory, scored questions.
Bidders may expanded their answers to the questions onto separate pages if needed, with the question repeated at the top of each page, in addition to the space provided next to each mandatory scored question worksheet.
Responses to the questions should be clear and concise. If possible, summarize key information or points for each question at the beginning of answers.
Evaluation and Selection: The County will evaluate all submittals in accordance with the Official Code of Hall County, Georgia 3.10, and as further detailed herein. The County will evaluate proposals using a two-step process. The first is the ‘Technical Proposal’ that outlines the bidding firm’s qualifications and experience and its approach to offering the Service. The total available points available is eight-hundred (800) points.
The Evaluation Committee will then evaluate cost for such services to determine the best value in the interest of the County. The total available points available for cost is two hundred (200). The total highest score is a possible one-thousand (1,000) points. The highest scoring proposal will be the apparent award winner and may enter negotiations with the County.
The County has determined its own Evaluation and Selection Committee to review the submitted qualifications and the cost proposals of submitting firms. During the evaluation process, the County reserve the right, when it may serve the County’s best interest, to request information for clarification from proposers and to allow corrections to errors or omissions.
Defined Terms: For the purpose of this Request for Qualifications and Cost Proposals, the terms; ‘consultant’, ‘submitter’, ‘proposer’, ‘firm’ and ‘bidder’, ‘contractor’, ‘agency’, ‘company’, shall mean one and the same. Additionally, the terms ‘submittal’, ‘bid’, ‘response’ and ‘proposal’ shall also mean one and the same. Additionally, ‘Hall County, Georgia’, ‘Hall County Government’, ‘Hall County Board of Commissioners’, and ‘County’, shall all mean one-and-the-same.
Validation: Bidders must sign and notarize their submittals. Hall County requires that bidder’s provide a cover letter with a signature by an officer of the firm with the submittal to ensure its originality. Please submit one (1) hard paper proposal marked “Original” with a signature, along with three (3) copies, and additionally provide the proposals (technical and separately cost) in a digital format on a flash drive, in both Microsoft Word and Excel, as each document requires.
The County reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and use any idea(s) in a proposal regardless of contract award or not. The County shall have the right to waive any informality or irregularity of immaterial deviation in any bid received.
Bidders must complete and return all forms and documents entitled ‘Mandatory’ with the bid or the proposal. Failure to do so may deem the proposal non-responsive and the County will not evaluate for award.
Award Process: The County reserves the option to reject any or all bids, in whole-or-in-part, or to select any bidder to complete the described Service. The County will not make an award of contract solely based on lowest bid, but also on approach, references, qualifications and other subjective criteria as the County may deem necessary and determine at its sole discretion. Bidder then expressly understands that the County may reject the proposal for any reason without liability on part of the County to the Bidder.
Questions: Bidder’s must present all questions in writing and directed solely to the issuing officer at
mhawkins@hallcounty.org
For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address.
. No other contact of any nature, verbal, email, or other communication is permissible with any other County staff member, nor its elected officials, nor Commissioners, during the evaluation process. The County may deem such as collusion, and thus render the submission in violation of the Official Code of Hall County and thus the County may render the proposal as non-responsive and not evaluate the proposal for an award.
A pre-bid meeting will be held Friday, June 30, 2023 @ 10:00 AM at the following address:
North Hall Community Center
4175 Nopone Road
Gainesville, GA. 30506
This will give an opportunity to ask any questions.
Respectfully,
Mike Hawkins, Buyer
Hall County, Georgia
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Statement of Need
3.0 General Business Requirements
4.0 Scope of Services
5.0 Submission of Proposals
6.0 RFQ/P Response Preparation
7.0 Selection Process
8.0 Exhibits and Attachments
1.0. INTRODUCTION
Hall County, Georgia, incorporated in the State of Georgia, desires to establish a qualified vendor, and is soliciting submissions for this Request for Qualifications with Cost Proposal (herein ‘RFQ/P’) for the service.
2.0. STATEMENT OF NEED
The County seeks to award one (1) company for the Athletics Officiating Services. The County expects the awarded company to be prompt, attentive, and able to perform the work in a timely and scheduled manner and with personnel, including sub-contractors, to be professional in approach and uniform in production.
3.0 GENERAL BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS
3.1 Insurance Requirements. The Contractor must maintain insurance policies at the Contractor's own expense and must furnish the County with a Certificate of Insurance (COI) providing evidence of coverage at least in the amounts indicated in EXHIBIT K – SAMPLE CONTRACT TEMPLATE FOR SERVICES. The insurance certificate must list County as the certificate holder and as an additional insured under the commercial general, automobile and umbrella liability policies as follows: “Hall County Government, its Board of Commissioners, its officers, employees and agents, 2875 Browns Bridge Rd, Gainesville, GA 30504”.
3.2 Payment Bond. The successful awarded Contractor must furnish to the County a Payment bond equal to one-hundred percent (100%) of the total amount of the initial year’s contract award amount and at each renewal and extension thereafter. The County will only accept surety companies licensed to do business in the State of Georgia.
4.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES
Contractor agrees to provide the service to the County as described in this RFQ/P # 44-012 and the bidder’s response. The selected Contractor will be asked to perform all operational responsibilities associated with this system on an annual basis. This Contract shall have a one (1) year initial term, with four (4) additional one (1) year renewals, based on the approval of both parties. Hall County reserves the right to reject all proposals.
4.1 CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES
1. GENERAL
The vendor is to provide and schedule qualified officials to officiate league games for the following sports: youth basketball, youth baseball, youth softball, adult softball, and adult basketball. Games may be scheduled at any of the following parks: Alberta Banks Park, Butler Park, Cool Springs Park, East Hall Community Center and Park, Hog Mountain Sports Complex, Laurel Park, Mulberry Creek Community Center, Murrayville Park, North Hall Community Center and Park, Platt Park, Sardis Park, Spout Springs Sports Complex, and other facilities used for league play as determined by the Owner.
Interested vendors are to provide pricing for officials for each sport and age division, experience and references, qualifications (professional certifications of all key personnel, chart describing their roles, and the specific contributions that you expect them to make as part of your proposal), and service delivery (written method of approach to describe how you manage the staffing, training, scheduling, monitoring, evaluating, and other necessary services related to officiating recreational athletic leagues). The specific services requested are outlined in detail in the scope of services within this request for proposal.
2. BACKGROUND
Hall County Parks & Leisure Services (“HCPL”) offers youth and adult athletic leagues in the fall, winter, spring and summer seasons. The leagues and estimated number of participants per league based on participation information for leagues offered during Fiscal Year 2023 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023) are noted below:
SUMMER:
* Adult Basketball: Ages 18+ - 42-60 players: 6-8 teams
FALL:
* Youth Baseball: Age 6 to 16 – 575 players; 53 teams
* Youth Softball: Age 8 to 12 – 166 players; 14 teams
* Adult Softball: Ages 18+ - 80-120 players; 8-12 teams
WINTER:
* Youth Basketball: Ages Kindergarten to 8th Grade – 1434 players; 160 teams
SPRING:
* Youth Baseball: Age 5 to 16 years – 939 players; 80 teams
* Youth Softball: Age 8 to 12 years – 277 players; 26 teams
3. STATEMENT OF WORK
The HCPL athletics program is expected to include approximately 3,500 or more children and adults from the local community. The number of league games per sport/season is based on the total number of teams and is estimated to be as follows:
SUMMER (June-August)
* Adult Basketball: 42-64 Games
FALL (September-October):
* Youth Baseball: 270 Games
* Youth Softball: 70 Games
* Adult Softball: 64-96 Games
WINTER (November-February):
* Youth Basketball: 800 games
SPRING (March-May):
* Youth Baseball: 400 games
* Youth Softball: 130 games
NOTE: HCPL reserves the right to add a league during the term of the contract if there is a demand to do so.
Games will be held primarily on weeknights with some younger divisions playing primarily on Saturdays. Other leagues may play on weekends (including Sundays) if needed due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, field maintenance/repairs, etc. Some leagues may offer end-of-season tournament play, which could increase the number of games estimated above.
HCPL expects that a typical game for most sports will involve a two (2) person crew who will officiate one (1) to three (3) games per day. Weekend schedules may require up to six (6) games per day, per facility if needed. All baseball and softball games are expected to have one (1) umpire positioned behind home plate with protective gear and one (1) official positioned in the field of play.
A preseason meeting will be scheduled for each sport by the HCPL. The authorized representative and booking agent for the selected Contractor are required to attend all preseason meetings with staff at no charge to HCPL. All officials who may work one of the games are encouraged to attend at no charge to HCPL.
All officials will be expected to pass a basic rules knowledge test of 90% or higher prior to the first scheduled games for each sport and season in order to officiate games for the current season. The tests will be administered by HCPL staff.
The selected Contractor is expected to provide officials that are competent and familiar with, and operate within, standard governing bodies for sports rules plus local supplemental league rules. Examples of standard governing bodies for sports rules may include but are not limited to the following: Georgia High School Association (“GHSA”), National Federation of High Schools (“NFHS”), National Softball Association (“NSA”), Amateur Softball Association (“ASA”), etc.
TRAINING: The selected Contractor will conduct a minimum of one (1) internal training meeting per sport per season for which attendance will be mandatory for Contractor’s officials. HCPL expects officials to attend these meetings at no charge to HCPL. HCPL will also have an open invitation to attend these training meetings to address any concerns directly.
The selected Contractor will provide mandatory training of their officials both in the classroom and on the court/field. The Contractor or other approved/accredited organization may conduct the training. League rules will be distributed by HCPL to the Contractor prior to the start of each sport’s season. The Contractor should distribute rules to all officials affiliated with the Contractor. The Contractor will maintain a signature sheet for each official confirming review of the rules. HCPL will provide training facilities to the Contractor free of charge once per sport per season per the term of the agreement for the purpose of training officials and/or subcontractors.
MINIMUM EXPECTATIONS OF HCPL: The selected Contractor will be required to adhere to the following minimum expectations of HCPL regarding their performance and the performance of their officials during the life of the agreement.
1. The Contractor will provide HCPL with a weekly schedule of assigned officials for each game scheduled during the following week.
2. All officials will be required to wear standard uniforms for the sport that they are officiating. Uniforms are subject to HCPL approval.
3. Officials must arrive at a game site at least fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled game time to check the safety and condition of the playing facility. Financial penalties for late arrivals and no-shows will apply.
4. Make-up games are generally scheduled on game days, but occasionally games may be made up on other days. Make-up days will be scheduled as needed to complete the playing season. Make-up or tournament dates may extend beyond the initial season conclusion date provided on the original schedule.
5. The Contractor will instruct all officials to cooperate with assigned HCPL staff in any incident/accident situations. Officials will provide any/all information necessary for proper documentation by HCPL staff.
6. HCPL will not be held responsible for any accident or injury sustained by the Contractor’s officials.
7. Contractor must provide proof of background checks and pertinent information for all affiliates prior to the commencement of HCPL athletic events and games. HCPL has the right to request an annual criminal background check on all Contractor’s officials/sub-contractors. If requested by HCPL, the Contractor must provide a completed background check and pertinent information for each official to HCPL for review.
8. Officials will treat program customers, volunteers, other officials, and HCPL employees with courtesy and respect.
9. HCPL will have the right in its sole discretion to require Contractor to remove an official from the HCPL officiating schedule.
10. HCPL will eject from the premises any coach, participant, or spectator who touches an official in an attempt to forcibly detain, accost, or harm her/her. The official and/or Contractor will determine if he/she will press criminal charges and will notify HCPL in writing as soon as possible if such action is taken.
11. Any official reported to HCPL for inappropriate behavior will be suspended pending a complete investigation by HCPL staff. HCPL reserves the right to suspend and/or restrict any official for inappropriate behavior before, during or after any scheduled game. The results of any investigation may be forwarded to the appropriate state and national association.
12. Any official physically attacking a coach, player, spectator or HCPL staff before, during, or after a game shall be suspended indefinitely from all programs and reported to the appropriate state and national association.
13. The Contractor and all officials/sub-contractors will comply with the Owner’s Drug Abuse Policy, and will comply with all applicable Federal, state, county, and local laws, ordinances, regulation, and codes in performance of the agreement.
14. The Contractor will obtain and maintain, at its own expense, during the term of the agreement commercial general liability insurance from a responsible insurance company legally licensed and authorized to transact business in the state of Georgia. The minimum limits for general liability insurance, which must include personal liability coverage will be $500,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $500,000 per occurrence for property damage.
15. The Contractor shall attend all preseason, mid-season and postseason coach's meetings as set forth by HCPL.
16. The Contractor will ensure that each official enforces safety rules for coaches and participants. Officials will be responsible for ensuring that players and coaches have and utilize proper equipment and for keeping players and coaches in the appropriate locations during the game.
17. The Contractor and shall not be considered an agent or employee of HCPL.
18. Ejections; officials must submit in writing, an accident report when a participant or spectator is ejected or removed from the event. The report needs to be submitted to HCPL within 24 hours of the incident.
19. The Contractor will invoice HCPL each week of the sport’s season, in accordance with the agreed upon payment information and process.
20. The Contractor will provide an invoice indicating the number of games weekly to the HCPL Athletic Division staff member assigned as League Commissioner who verifies and approves it for payment.
21. Officials reporting to game site after the official game start time will be considered late and will be penalized 50% of the specified game fee.
22. The Contractor will not charge for games cancelled or postponed by HCPL Athletic Division.
SCHEDULE: HCPL will schedule all games through the Contractor’s booking agent or officials’ assignor, as designated by the Contractor. Completed season schedules will be provided to the booking agent a minimum of one (1) week prior to the first scheduled game of each season per sport. Schedules will provide distinctions among games by age groups. Contractor will acknowledge that circumstances may arise during the course of the season that require games to be canceled and/or rescheduled. HCPL will provide as much notice as is reasonably possible regarding any schedule changes. No compensation will be provided for any games that are canceled and not rescheduled.
DELIVERABLES: Based on the results of the statement of work required, the following deliverables are required during the term of the agreement between the County and the Contractor.
Task 1: Weekly Schedule of Assigned Officials
1. Prepare and submit weekly schedule of assigned officials for each sport for each game scheduled during the following week. The reports will be required via email to HCPL staff.
Task 2: Preseason Meetings
1. Contractor and booking agent are required to attend pre-season meetings with pertinent HCPL staff, to discuss league rules and plans at no charge to HCPL.
2. Encourage all officials who may work one of the games for that sport to attend pre-season meetings at no charge to HCPL.
Task 3: Training
1. Contractor will provide training for officials both in the classroom and on the field/court at least once per sport per season.
2. Contractor will notify HCPL of all scheduled training programs.
Task 4: List of Qualified Officials
1. Prepare and submit a list of qualified officials for each sport at least one (1) week prior to the start of the season. List all certifications held by the each official.
Task 5: Criminal History Request Forms
1. Upon request by HCPL, Contractor must provide a completed Criminal History Check Form for each official to HCPL for review. Officials who do not successfully pass the County’s Criminal History Check will not be permitted to officiate games for HCPL. A copy of the Criminal History Check policy will be provided to the Contractor upon request.
PAYMENT INFORMATION AND PROCESS: Contractor will invoice County each week of the sport’s season, in accordance with the agreed upon schedule of fees. The County will review and process payment to the Contractor once the invoice information has been verified and approved by HCPL Athletic Division staff as complete and accurate. Contractor will receive payment of properly submitted and approved invoices in the form of a check. Contractor may pick up check in person or County will mail payment for approved properly submitted invoices to Contractor within thirty (30) days or receipt of invoice. Upon the Contractor’s written election, the County shall endeavor (but shall not be obligated) to have checks issued and made available for pick up by the Contractor sooner than thirty (30) days of receipt of invoices.
PAYMENT OF SUBCONTRACTORS The Contractor is obligated to take one of the two following actions within seven (7) days after receipt of amounts paid to the Contractor by HCPL for work performed by any subcontractor under this Agreement:
A. Pay the subcontractor for the proportionate share of the total payment received from the County attributable to the work performed by the subcontractor under this Agreement; or
B. Notify HCPL and the subcontractor, in writing, of the Contractor's intention to withhold all or a part of the subcontractor's payment with the reason for nonpayment.
RENEWAL AND AWARDED BIDS
No less than ninety (90) days prior to the expiration of a contract period, HCPL will evaluate its future needs and the Contractor’s performance to determine the necessity for continuing these services. HCPL’s decision, relative to contract continuation, is final and will be provided to the Contractor, in writing.
HCPL anticipates making a single award; however, it reserves the right to make multiple awards should it deem in the best interest of the County.
5.0 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
5.1 The County request that Bidders submit proposals addressing all items listed below. Failure to include any of these mandatory documents may result in disqualification. All responses must be in writing. Bidder’s should submit Four (4) copies of each proposal with one (1) marked “Original” and three (3) marked “Copy” and all documents loaded onto one (1) USB flash drive in MS Word, Excel and PDF formats depending on the document.
5.2 Bidder’s must submit their sealed bid response packages with clearly marked with “RFQ/P #44-012 Athletics Officiating Services” on the outside in the lower left hand corner of the package. The bid submittal must have a signature on the “Original” proposal. Hall County suggests this bidder’s provide this signature on their “Introductory Letter”. Failure to sign your proposal in the introductory letter may render the proposal as “non-responsive” and thus not considered for award. Bidders MUST include their email address.
5.3 Follow these instructions carefully. Include in your bid response package two (2) separate, sealed envelopes. Mark one envelope with “RFQ/P #44-012 Technical Response,” and enclose these completed Exhibits:
Copy of Business License
Certificate of Insurance
Exhibit A - Mandatory Bid Response Sheet
Exhibit D - Mandatory Questions Worksheet
Exhibit E - Mandatory Scored Questions/Responses
Exhibit F - Mandatory S.A.V.E. Program Affidavit
Exhibit G - Mandatory Cone-of-Silence Affidavit
Exhibit H - Mandatory Completed W-9 Form
Exhibit I – Mandatory E-Verify Affidavit
Exhibit J – Mandatory Contractor Ethics Affidavit
EXHIBIT K – Sample Contract Template for Services
In a separate sealed envelope from above, clearly mark “RFQ/P #44-012 Mandatory Cost Proposal Worksheet,” and enclose a completed Exhibit C - Mandatory Proposal Cost Worksheet.
Do not enclose the Cost Proposal Worksheet in the Technical Response envelope. This will render your proposal as non-responsive and thus not evaluated for award.
5.4 The County will make all proposals submitted publicly available by a written Open Records Request.
Bidders may submit to the following address by the deadline date and time. All deliveries must be date and timed stamped. The County is not responsible for late bids due to mailing delays.
5.4.1 Hand Delivery/FedEx/UPS/USPS/Courier:
Hall County Government Center
Purchasing Division - 4th Floor,
2875 Browns Bridge Road
Gainesville, Georgia 30504
Attn: Mike Hawkins
5.4.2 Mailing Address:
Hall County Government Center
Purchasing Division - 4th Floor,
P.O. Drawer 1435
Gainesville, GA. 30503
Attn: Mike Hawkins
6.0. RFQ/P RESPONSE PREPARATION
6.1 The Contractor bears all responsibility for all expenses incurred in responding to this RFQ/P such expenses to be borne exclusively by the proposer.
6.2 Cover Letter: Prepare and submit a cover letter for transmittal addressing General Qualifications. Provide the following information: Name of Proposer, Name and title of the persons who will manage the engagement, mailing address, physical address, telephone numbers, and email address of Proposer
6.3 Describe the organization of your firm, the location of offices, and your resources that are available to accomplish the work for the County.
6.4 Of the services listed in the Scope of Services, indicate which ones, if any, your firm would be unable to provide. If there is another service that your firm could provide instead, please elaborate.
6.5 The County will not accept Joint Proposals unless otherwise noted herein. An awarded Contractor may utilize subcontractors, as needed and pre-approved by the County. Bidders must submit all intended Sub-Contracts with their proposal. If plans to subcontract portions of the required services are included, please provide detail on such plans
7.0 SELECTION PROCESS
7.1 The evaluation process will include a pre-appointed Evaluation Committee comprised of Hall County stakeholders and subject matter experts. The Committee will evaluate the qualifications presented by the interested bidders. Those deemed most qualified by the Mandatory Scored Worksheet, may be short-listed as follows:
Step One (1) - considered for further evaluation. Once short-listing has been complete, the County will review the price proposals provided in a separate sealed envelope,
Step Two (2) - If necessary, the Evaluation Committee will schedule interviews of the “short-listed” bidders,
Step Three (3) - The County retains the right to ask for a Best and Final Offer.
7.2 Each proposal should contain the Mandatory Cost Proposal Worksheet (in a separate envelope) as provided with the RFQ/P document.
7.3 The Evaluation Committee will review each proposal with regard to demonstrated breadth of service, experience, financial stability, personnel, rates, references, and other related criteria.
7.4 The successful respondent will be required to submit acceptable evidence of compliance with professional liability insurance coverage requirements as outlined in this document, prior to execution of the contract.
7.5 Respondents are encouraged to submit clear and concise responses and excessive length or extraneous information is discouraged. In an effort to ensure our ability to evaluate and choose a successful Contractor, respondents are encouraged to organize their proposal as follows:
Section 1 – Cover Letter and Executive Summary
Section 2 – Answer Questions and Scored Questions listed in RFQ/P
Section 3 – Cost Proposals (Sealed in a separate envelope)
7.6 Bidder’s must locate and complete all Exhibits to this RFQ/P and submit with the bid. Bidders failing to do so may result in the bid to be Non-responsive and thus not evaluated.
7.7 If unable to reach an agreement with the highest scoring Contractor, the County retains the right to negotiate with the next highest scoring company and so on until reaching a satisfactory agreement or the County may terminate the process.
7.8 The County structured the evaluation process to secure compatible, highly skilled companies who would be most effective in delivering the Services. The primary objective of the evaluation process is to select a firm that:
7.8.1 Clearly demonstrates a thorough understanding of the contract Responsibilities; and,
7.8.2 That, presents a compelling work plan that yields the desired contract services and deliverables; and,
7.8.3 Shows adequate resources to handle the project
7.8.4 Presents a focused effort to allocate those resources to the project
7.8.5 Demonstrates exceptional value for the cost of services proposed.
7.8.6 Bidders are to complete the attached Mandatory Scored Questions and submit with their bid. The total amount of points possible is 1,000. Eight-hundred (800) points are potentially available from the bidder’s Technical Response, and two hundred (200) points will be potentially available from the Bidder’s Cost Proposal.
7.9 Steps to Award
The Evaluation Committee will recommend award of the contract to the highest scoring company(s). Upon the County’s award of contract, the County will present an agreement to the selected contractor(s) for execution. If execution of this agreement with the selected Contractor is unsuccessful, the County retains the right to negotiate with the lower ranked Contractor(s) and so on, until reaching a satisfactory agreement.
Step 1: The Evaluation Committee will evaluate the bidder’s responses according to the criteria as described herein, and score and rank the proposals. The County reserves the right to request clarification of information provided and to request additional information required to assist in the evaluation process.
Step 2: Purchasing will then open the Cost Proposals and score the responses. Purchasing will combine these results with the results of Step 1 scoring. After this scoring, Purchasing will rank the highest scoring proposers on a short list.
Step 3: The Evaluation Committee may schedule interviews with the short list bidders. All costs associated with the interview (if required) will be at the expense of the proposing Bidder.
Step 4: Based upon the results of the proposals, references, and the interviews, the Purchasing Division along with the Evaluation Committee may negotiate with the Contractor(s) ranked highest in an attempt to reach agreement. If negotiations with the highest ranked firm are unsuccessful, the County may negotiate with the second ranked Contractor, and so on until reaching a satisfactory agreement.
8.0 Exhibits and Attachments
Exhibit A - Mandatory Bid Response Sheet
Exhibit B - RFQ-P Submittal Terms and Conditions
Exhibit C - Mandatory Proposal Cost Schedule
Exhibit D - Mandatory Questions Worksheet
Exhibit E - Mandatory Scored Questions and Responses
Exhibit F - Mandatory S.A.V.E. Affidavits
Exhibit G - Mandatory Cone-of-Silence Affidavit
Exhibit H - Mandatory W-9 Form
Exhibit I - Mandatory E-Verify Affidavit
Exhibit J - Contractor Ethics Affidavit
Exhibit K – Sample Contract Template
