COUNTY OF ALAMEDA ADDENDUM No. 3 to RFQ No. 900963 for Office Supplies Specification Clarification/Modification and Recap of the Networking/Bidders Conferences Held on August 14, 2014 and August 18, 2014 This County of Alameda, General Services Agency (GSA), RFQ Addendum has been electronically issued to potential bidders via e-mail. E-mail addresses used are those in the County’s Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Vendor Database or from other sources. If you have registered or are certified as a SLEB, please ensure that the complete and accurate e-mail address is noted and kept updated in the SLEB Vendor Database. This RFQ Addendum will also be posted on the GSA Contracting Opportunities website located at http://www.acgov.org/gsa/purchasing/bid_content/ContractOpportun ities.jsp . 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907 Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 510-208-9600 Website: http://www.acgov.org/gsa/departments/purchasing/
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900963 Office Supplies Addendum 9-16€¦ · Web viewCOUNTY OF ALAMEDA. ADDENDUM No. 3. to. RFQ No. 900963. for. Office Supplies. Specification Clarification/Modification and Recap
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COUNTY OF ALAMEDAADDENDUM No. 3
to
RFQ No. 900963
for
Office SuppliesSpecification Clarification/Modification and Recap of the Networking/Bidders Conferences
Held on August 14, 2014 and August 18, 2014
This County of Alameda, General Services Agency (GSA), RFQ Addendum has been electronically issued to potential bidders via e-mail. E-mail addresses used are those in the County’s Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Vendor Database or from other sources. If you have registered or are certified as a SLEB, please ensure that the complete and accurate e-mail address is noted and kept updated in the SLEB Vendor Database. This RFQ Addendum will also be posted on the GSA Contracting Opportunities website located at http://www.acgov.org/gsa/purchasing/bid_content/ContractOpportunities.jsp.
***REVISED EXHIBIT A, BID RESPONSE PACKET ATTACHED***
Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply chain.
1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907 Oakland, CA 94612Phone: 510-208-9600 Website: http://www.acgov.org/gsa/departments/purchasing/
County of Alameda, General Services Agency – PurchasingRFQ No. 900977, Addendum No. 2
If printing this document, please print only what you need, print double-sided, and use recycled-content paper.
RFQ No. 900977, Addendum No. 2 Page 2
The following Sections have been modified to read as shown below. Changes made to the original RFQ document are in bold print and highlighted, and deletions made have a strike through.
The RFQ coversheet has been modified to read as follows:**IMPORTANT NOTICE**
STRATEGIC SOURCING CONTRACT
Bid pricing must be completed online through Alameda County Strategic Sourcing Portal (Online Bid Process).
The following pages require signatures and must be scanned and uploaded to Alameda County Online Bid Process:
1. REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, Bidder Information and Acceptance pagea. Must be signed by Bidder
2. Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, SLEB Partnering Information Sheeta. Must be signed by Bidder b. Must be signed by SLEB Partner if subcontracting to a SLEB
2. REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, SLEB Information Sheet, must be completed and signed by Bidder.
Page 6, Section C ( BACKGROUND ), has been modified to read as follows:
C. BACKGROUND
The County of Alameda has more than 9,000 employees in more than 21 agencies and departments located in approximately 169 leased and owned facilities. Alameda County requires inside delivery of office supplies to an estimated 158 distinct street addresses. This estimate is based on ship to addresses used for office supply purchases during the year (7/01/2012 - 6/30/2013). One street address may have multiple delivery locations. The awarded contractor(s) shall invoice accurately and separately each of the 28 County Business Units and their departments. Some locations, such as the County Administration Building, require delivery personnel and their packages to pass through security inspections.
The County spent approximately $1,333,500 $1,735,589 for fiscal year 2012 2014 on Office Supplies, placing 33,500 37,892 orders for a quantity of 135,200 158,644 items and over 8,000 products, an average of 3,157 lines ordered per month. Actual dollar volume is not guaranteed and may be more or less.
Alameda County has a strong commitment to sustainability. The Board of Supervisors has passed numerous policies that promote purchasing practices that reduce the County’s environmental impact, including the Climate Action Plan (R-2010-170) and the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy (R-2011-108). As part of this commitment,
Alameda County intends to partner with the selected vendor to identify and implement actions that will conserve natural resources, create markets for recycled content products, and reduce pollution, water use and greenhouse gas emissions related to the products and services provided as part of this contract.
Page 8, Section E ( SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ), Item 3, has been modified to read as follows:
3. Contractor’s Office Supplies Catalog
Bidder(s) must provide at least one (1) copy of each of its own full line catalog(s) that include the full array of products offered with bid response. This catalog(s) should contain pictures of the items, catalog numbers, suggested list (retail) prices and brand names. Bidder(s) must also provide access to Bidder’s online website, if available, for County review.
a. Online Catalog for County Office Products
(1) A catalog shall be provided by the contractor for all contract products at no cost to the County. This catalog shall be customized to the County’s contract to show products awarded under this contract and clearly indicate green products. Pricing listed shall be the County’s contract pricing, and shall be the amount invoiced to departments ordering the contract products.
(1) The online catalog shall be updated as needed to reflect product and pricing changes.
(3) The County customized online catalog must be accessible and viewable by all County employees, but shall limit ordering to authorized individuals.
(4) The County customized online catalog must have a hard block feature, whereby individual products that are excluded from this contract may not be ordered. See Excluded Items (Hard Block), page 11, for a list of items excluded from this contract.
(5) The County customized online catalog must have a soft block feature, whereby green products are suggested as an equivalent alternative when a targeted product is selected by a user.
(6) The catalog must clearly identify green products. Green products are ones that meet environmental criteria such as post-consumer recycled content, energy efficiency, reduced toxicity, or reduced waste. See Exhibit E – Environmental Criteria for a list of environmental criteria as defined by the County.
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 2
(7) The contractor shall continually seek new green products that are equivalent in quality and cost to traditional products to add to the County’s contract catalog. General Services Agency (GSA)-Procurement & Support Services and Sustainability shall be notified on a quarterly basis of new environmentally preferable products that the contractor has added, or is planning to add, to the catalog.
(8) The contractor(s) shall obtain final, signed approval by the County for the online catalog. At the time of award a suitable and adequate timeline for the design and construction of the online catalog shall be established by the contractor and the County.
(9) The catalog shall include a search function that allows users to use key environmental criteria terms to search for products with those features (e.g., recycled notebook returns search results of notebooks with recycled content).
(10) The catalog search function shall prioritize general product search results by listing contracted items and green product alternatives before off-contract items. For example, a search for Notebook returns contracted notebooks and both on-and-off-contract environmentally preferable alternatives ahead of off-contract notebooks.
(11) To assure maximum accessibility and functionality to the online catalog, the County discourages the use of pop-up windows.
(12) Hard Copy Catalog for County Office Products
(a) The contractor shall provide a copy of their full-line hard copy catalog to departments upon request.
(b) When requested to provide a hard copy catalog, the contractor shall also provide a copy of their green products catalog, if available.
(c) All hard copy catalogs shall be printed double sided on a minimum of 10% post-consumer recycled content paper.
(d) Printed catalog revisions with updated pricing and new product offerings shall be made annually and distributed automatically to all users that have previously requested one.
(e) Care must be exercised to ensure that catalogs clearly identify the contract products, the package quantity, the ordering units, whether the product is green as defined in this bid,
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 3
and the post-consumer recycled content percentage, if applicable.
(f) The contractor(s) shall obtain final, signed approval by the County for the hard copy catalog. At the time of award a suitable and adequate timeline for the design and construction of the hard copy catalog shall be established by the contractor and the County.
Page 21, Section K ( BRAND NAMES AND APPROVED EQUIVALENTS ), has been deleted :
K. BRAND NAMES AND APPROVED EQUIVALENTS
1. Any references to manufacturers, trade names, brand names and/or catalog numbers are intended to be descriptive, but not restrictive, unless otherwise stated, and are intended to indicate the quality level desired. Bidders may offer any equivalent product that meets or exceeds the specifications. Bids based on equivalent products must:
a. Clearly describe the alternate offered and indicate how it differs from the product specified; and
b. Include complete descriptive literature and/or specifications as proof that the proposed alternate will be equal to or better than the product named in this bid as PDF attachments to your online bid submission.
2. The County reserves the right to be the sole judge of what is equal and acceptable and may require Bidder to provide additional information and/or samples.
3. If Bidder does not specify otherwise, it is understood that the referenced brand will be supplied.
Page 28, Section T ( SUBMITTAL OF BIDS ), has been modified to read as follows :
T. SUBMITTAL OF BIDS
1. All bids must be completed and successfully downloaded through the Alameda County online bid process BY 2:00 p.m. on the due date specified in the Calendar of Events. Technical difficulties in downloading/submitting documents through the Alameda County online bid process shall not extend the due date and time.
2. Bidders must also submit an attached electronic copy of their proposal. The electronic copy must be in a single file (MS Excel, version XP or more recent), and shall be an exact scanned image of the original electronic Exhibit E – Bid Response Spreadsheet, including additional required documentation.
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 4
3. No email (electronic) or facsimile bids will be considered.
4. All costs required for the preparation and submission of a bid shall be borne by Bidder.
5. Only one bid response will be accepted from any one person, partnership, corporation, or other entity; however, several alternatives may be included in one response. For purposes of this requirement, “partnership” shall mean, and is limited to, a legal partnership formed under one or more of the provisions of the California or other state’s Corporations Code or an equivalent statute.
6. All other information regarding the bid responses will be held as confidential until such time as the General Services Agency has completed its evaluation, a recommendation to award has been made by the General Services Agency, and the contract has been fully negotiated with the intended awardee named in the recommendation to award/non-award notification(s). The submitted proposals shall be made available upon request no later than five (5) calendar days before the recommendation to award and enter into a contract by the General Services Agency. All parties submitting proposals, either qualified or unqualified, will receive mailed recommend to award/non-award notification(s), which will include the name of the bidder to be recommended for award of this project. In addition, award information will be posted on the County’s “Contracting Opportunities” website, mentioned above.
7. Each bid received, with the name of the bidder, shall be entered on a record, and each record with the successful bid indicated thereon shall, after the award of the order or contract, be open to public inspection.
8. California Government Code Section 4552: In submitting a bid to a public purchasing body, the bidder offers and agrees that if the bid is accepted, it will assign to the purchasing body all rights, title, and interest in and to all causes of action it may have under Section 4 of the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. Sec. 15) or under the Cartwright Act (Chapter 2, commencing with Section 16700, of Part 2 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code), arising from purchases of goods, materials, or services by the bidder for sale to the purchasing body pursuant to the bid. Such assignment shall be made and become effective at the time the purchasing body tenders final payment to the bidder.
9. Bidder expressly acknowledges that it is aware that if a false claim is knowingly submitted (as the terms “claim” and “knowingly” are defined in the California False Claims Act, Cal. Gov. Code, §12650 et seq.), County will be entitled to civil remedies set forth in the California False Claim Act. It may also be considered fraud and the contractor may be subject to criminal prosecution.
10. The undersigned Bidder certifies that it is, at the time of bidding, and shall be throughout the period of the contract, licensed by the State of California to do
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 5
the type of work required under the terms of the Contract Documents. Bidder further certifies that it is regularly engaged in the general class and type of work called for in the Bid Documents.
11. The undersigned Bidder certifies that it is not, at the time of bidding, on the California Department of General Services (DGS) list of persons determined to be engaged in investment activities in Iran or otherwise in violation of the Iran Contracting Act of 2010 (Public Contract Code Section 2200-2208).
12. It is understood that County reserves the right to reject this bid and that the bid shall remain open to acceptance and is irrevocable for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days, unless otherwise specified in the Bid Documents.
13. Bidders must insert a percentage discount off the published vendor’s catalog price for each non-core product category, which are listed as separate questions on the bid event:
a. Binders and binding supplies, b. Filing and storage supplies, c. Calendars, planners & organizers, d. Labels and label makers, e. Envelopes and shipping supplies, f. Staplers, hole punches, etc., g. Desk accessories, h. Batteries and electrical supplies, andi. Pens, pencils, and markers.
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 6
Responses to Questions
Q1) Small/regional office supply dealers rely on large wholesalers (i.e. United Stationers and SP Richards) to fulfill a large percentage of their order. If a qualified, registered Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) were to respond to your Request for Quotation (RFQ) with the intention of using Office Depot as their fulfiller, would the County accept that scenario?
A1) This bid does not request any information about the identification of the SLEB vendor’s wholesaler/supplier. If Office Depot distributes products or sells at wholesale prices to the Contractor, that relationship between Office Depot and the Contractor does not concern the County.
Q2) Some items on the bid list were customized products and only the incumbent can know the true price. Competitors’ prices will be low, inflating the bid of the incumbent. How can this be addressed?
A2) Attached is a REVISED EXHIBIT A, BID RESPONSE PACKET, page 6, Alameda County Online Bid Process, Online Bid Process, which has been amended and custom products have been removed.
Q3) Have there been any updates to the SLEB requirement for a company that is merged?A3) This bid requires that the company submitting the bid is SLEB certified. Any award will be
to a SLEB certified vendor.
Q4) SLEB Award: The RFQ language states to be considered for the contract award, a minimum of 20% of the total award must be provided by a SLEB. This would suggest that a second (non-SLEB) supplier could be awarded the remaining 80%. This would result in two (2) awards, and two (2) contracts. Per the first bidders’ conference on Thursday, August 14, 2014, the contract will be awarded 100% to a SLEB supplier. Would the County please clarify?
) The above RFQ language has been removed from the cover page. The prime contractor must be SLEB certified, and there will be no need for a SLEB partner.
Q5) Off-Contract Pricing: Will the County accept list less discounts by product category (i.e. “X’% off writing instruments, “Y”% off pads & tables) vs. a single list less discount for all off-contract items?
A5) Yes. Bids must include a percentage discount off list price for each of the following nine (9) categories of non-core products: 1. Binders and binding supplies, 2. Filing and storage supplies, 3. Calendars, planners & organizers, 4. Labels and label makers, 5. Envelopes and shipping supplies, 6. Staplers, hole punches, etc., 7. Desk accessories, 8. Batteries and electrical supplies, and 9. Pens, pencils, and markers. Please see revision above for Page 28, Section T (SUBMITTAL OF BIDS).
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 1
Q6) Off-Contract Pricing: Will the County accept “X” discount on all items in a select catalog and “Y” discount for all other items, or “X” discount on in-stock and “Y” discount on wholesaler items, and will the County require bidders to quantify the number of SKU’s being discounted?
) No. Regardless of the manufacturer, bids must include a percentage discount off list price for each of the following 9 categories of non-core products,: 1. Binders and binding supplies, 2. Filing and storage supplies, 3. Calendars, planners & organizers, 4. Labels and label makers, 5. Envelopes and shipping supplies, 6. Staplers, hole punches, etc., 7. Desk accessories, 8. Batteries and electrical supplies, and 9. Pens, pencils, and markers.
Q7) Custom Hard Copy Catalog: Will the County accept a full-line color catalog with an insert containing the County’s core list items and all the required data?
A7) The County will accept a full-line color catalog if it meets all other bid specifications.
Q8) Catalog Items: Is there a minimum number of items that need to be in the hard copy/ virtual catalog?
A8) The 1,500 core items, plus a full-line of office products, need to be included in all catalogs.
Q9) Page 6, Section E (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS), Item 1.a., states:Bidder shall provide fixed pricing for the office supplies specified in the Alameda County Online Bid Process bid form. Prices will be fixed for three (3) years.
Page 22, Section M (PRICING), Item 1, states:The contract pricing may be adjusted annually based on the increase or decrease in the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) (http://www.bls.gov/cpi/#) tables under the all items index: for the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, area for the most recently published percentage change for the twelve-month period preceding the contract anniversary date, which shall be the effective date for any rate adjustment or 3%, whichever of the two (2) rates is lower.
Are bidders correct in understanding that initial pricing is firm for the first year, then subject to increase/decrease based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) table?
A9) No. All core items, which are those items on the bid list (approximately 1,500), will have firm prices for the three-year term of this contract. Non-core, or custom products, will be held to the discounts according to their category for all three (3) years of the contract, but after the first year of the contract, the pricing of the non-core items may be adjusted annually. This adjustment would be based on the increase or decrease in the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) (http://www.bls.gov/cpi/#) tables.
Q10) Are the County’s users used to seeing both a net price and a list price on the online catalog? A10) County catalogs include the cost and a suggested retail or list price.
Q11) Would the County please clarify whether pricing individual items below dealer cost is an acceptable pricing strategy for this RFQ, or if adherence to the State of California – Business & Professions Code, Chapter 4, Sections 17000-17051, is expected in all responses to this RFQ?
) Alameda County bids and contracts abide by and are compliant with all California state rules and regulations.
Q12) Does the County require that the awarded SLEB vendor/contractor meet all the County requirements themselves, or can a SLEB outsource critical services to a big box vendor (i.e. delivery, customer service, accounting, website, other services needed to support the contract), rather than manage these tasks internally?
) There are certain requirements within the bid specifications the County expects of the contractor that would prevent outsourcing of many critical services, for example: “Contractor shall provide delivery”; “Contractor shall invoice the requesting department”; “Contractor shall provide a dedicated competent account manager”; “Deliveries are to be made by Contractor’s own equipment”; “Contractor must possess a fleet of trucks or other delivery service vehicles”; and “A catalog shall be provided by the Contractor”. However, a SLEB may outsource activities other than the required services if it best suits his/her business plan.
Q13) Who is the incumbent for Office Supplies? Is the vendor SLEB certified? How long have they had a contract with the County?
A13) The incumbent is Blaisdell’s Business Products, a certified SLEB vendor that has been on the County’s Office Supplies contract since August 1, 2007.
Q14) Page 10, Section E (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS), Item 3.a.(12), states:
(12) Hard Copy Catalog for County Office Products
(a) The contractor shall provide a copy of their full-line hard copy catalog to departments upon request.
(b) When requested to provide a hard copy catalog, the contractor shall also provide a copy of their green products catalog, if available.
(c) All hard copy catalogs shall be printed double sided on a minimum of 10% post-consumer recycled content paper.
(d) Printed catalog revisions with updated pricing and new product offerings shall be made annually and distributed automatically to all users that have previously requested one.
(e) Care must be exercised to ensure that catalogs clearly identify the contract products, the package quantity, the ordering units, whether
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 3
the product is green as defined in this bid, and the post-consumer recycled content percentage, if applicable.
(f) The contractor(s) shall obtain final, signed approval by the County for the hard copy catalog. At the time of award a suitable and adequate timeline for the design and construction of the hard copy catalog shall be established by the contractor and the County.
In understanding the County’s interest in sustainability, with regard to the hardcopy catalog specifically from the County, as vendors have their own general full-on catalogs, is the County also requesting a separate hardcopy catalog specific to the County?
A14) No. The County requires a full-line hard copy catalog only.
Q15) As manufacturers consolidate and change their prefixes on part numbers, does the County want bidders just to bid on the intended items on the list even though the prefix may have changes as of July 1, 2014?
A15) Bidders must bid on the intended items, even if the prefix has changed. Q16) Page 14, Section E (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS), Item 8.a.(6), states:
Deliveries are to be made by contractor’s own equipment to the ordering agency or department and to the desk of the person placing the order(s). Due care shall be exercised in packing, handling and shipping to ensure that the ordered supplies arrive to the final destination in excellent condition.
Page 14, Section E (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS), Item 8.a.(8), states: Contractor must possess a fleet of trucks or other delivery service vehicles that can make immediate delivery to all designated delivery points, countywide, within 24 hours after an order is received by contractor. All deliveries are to be Freight On Board (F.O.B.) Destination to the location designated by the ordering department. No additional charges will be accepted.
Would it be acceptable for the contractor to lease delivery vehicles or use another third party service such as UPS?
) The contractor may possess a fleet of delivery vehicles that it leases, but it may not use another third party for its routine deliveries.
Q17) What are the chances there will be a multiple award?A17) Because several items like office paper, toner, and ink have already been split off from
the office supplies category, it is unlikely that there will be a multiple award, but the County reserves the right to award to a single or multiple contractors.
Q18) Under the existing contract, are invoices done upon each shipment, or are they consolidated in a weekly or monthly format?
A18) Vendors must invoice with each shipment.
RFQ No. 900963, Addendum No. 3Page 4
Q19) Are invoices ever paid by credit card?) No. Invoices are paid with County issued checks.
Q20) With regard to brand names and group equivalents for items custom branded for vendors that are private label, which are the exact same product as a 3M product, will the County consider those items at all, and can bidders submit those products with the proper literature explaining that it is the same item as a 3M product?
A20) Section K has been removed. Exceptions are not allowed.
Q21) Within the industry, a lot of manufacturers have had substantial price increases of seven (7) to 10 percent. Is that something that bidders should submit, with proper documentation from manufacturers, which specifies nationwide price increases on a particular line of products, and will the County take that into consideration on the 1,500 items or is the price locked in?
A21) Prices for all products will be firm for the first year of the contract. The contractor is expected to resolve price increases with their distributors and suppliers, rather than passively accept increases and raise County prices.
Q22) Can bidders get a list of the 8,000 products ordered on the contract? A22) This information may be requested by contacting John Butchart at
Q23) Page 6, Section C (BACKGROUND), states:The County spent approximately $1,333,500 for fiscal year 2012 on Office Supplies, placing 33,500 orders for a quantity of 135,200 items and over 8,000 products. Actual dollar volume is not guaranteed and may be more or less.
This passage has been amended to read, as follows:
The County spent approximately $1,333,500 $1,735,589 for fiscal year 2012 2014 on Office Supplies, placing 33,500 37,892 orders for a quantity of 135,200 158,644 items and over 8,000 products, an average of 3,157 lines ordered per month. Actual dollar volume is not guaranteed and may be more or less.
This statement speaks to the volume of the contract in annual spend and number of items.What has been or is the average number of orders placed monthly?
A23) For fiscal year 2014, an average of 3,157 orders were placed per month, compared to an average of 2,791 in FY 2012.
Q24) Do the total spend amounts include the 1,500 items, or is that the total spend over the contract?
A24) The total spend amount includes core and non-core items.
Q25) Could the County provide a percentage of how much of that total spend amount was on the 1,500 items and how much was on everything else (e.g. 60/40%, 70/30%) to offer an idea of how much is on the three-year fixed price?
) The core items on this bid list represent approximately 72%, or $1,256,000 of the total sales value of $1,735,589 for FY 2014, and approximately 81%, or 129,000 of the total quantity.
Q26) The statistics provided are from 2012-2013. Has the County seen an increase or a decreasein purchasing over the last year?
) The numbers above are actually from fiscal year 2012, July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.Here are the numbers from fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014:
Blaisdell's Sales of Office Supplies to Alameda County
AS DESCRIBED IN THE SUBMITTAL OF BIDS SECTION OF THIS RFQ, BIDDERS ARE TO SUBMIT ONE (1) ELECTRONIC COPY OF THE BID IN MS EXCEL FORMAT (VERSION XP OR MORE RECENT). THE ELECTRONIC COPY MUST HAVE ALL APPROPRIATE PAGES SIGNED
ALL PAGES OF THE BID RESPONSE PACKET (REVISED EXHIBIT A) MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH ONLINE BID PROCESS AS PDF ATTACHMENT(S) IN TOTAL WITH ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ATTACHED THERETO; ALL INFORMATION REQUESTED MUST BE SUPPLIED; ANY PAGES OF REVISED EXHIBIT A (OR ITEMS THEREIN) NOT APPLICABLE TO THE BIDDER MUST STILL BE SUBMITTED AS PART OF A COMPLETE BID RESPONSE, WITH SUCH PAGES OR ITEMS CLEARLY MARKED “N/A”
BIDDERS SHALL NOT SUBMIT TO THE COUNTY A RE-TYPED, WORD-PROCESSED, OR OTHERWISE RECREATED VERSION OF REVISED EXHIBIT A – BID RESPONSE PACKET OR ANY OTHER COUNTY-PROVIDED DOCUMENT
ALL NOTATIONS MUST BE PRINTED IN INK OR TYPEWRITTEN; NO ERASURES ARE PERMITTED; ERRORS MAY BE CROSSED OUT AND CORRECTIONS PRINTED IN INK OR TYPEWRITTEN ADJACENT, AND MUST BE INITIALED IN INK BY PERSON SIGNING BID
BIDDER MUST QUOTE PRICE(S) AS SPECIFIED IN RFQ DOCUMENT AND AS SPECIFIED IN THE ONLINE BID PROCESS EVENT
BIDDERS THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS, AND/OR SUBMIT INCOMPLETE BID PACKAGES, SHALL BE SUBJECT TO DISQUALIFICATION AND THEIR BIDS REJECTED IN TOTAL
IF BIDDERS ARE MAKING ANY CLARIFICATIONS AND/OR AMENDMENTS, OR TAKING EXCEPTION TO POLICIES OR SPECIFICATIONS OF THIS RFQ, INCLUDING THOSE TO THE COUNTY SLEB POLICY, THESE MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE EXCEPTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AMENDMENTS SECTION OF THIS REVISED EXHIBIT A – BID RESPONSE PACKET IN ORDER FOR THE BID RESPONSE TO BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 1
BIDDER INFORMATION AND ACCEPTANCE
1. The undersigned declares that the Bid Documents, including, without limitation, the RFQ, Addenda, and Exhibits have been read.
2. The undersigned is authorized, offers, and agrees to furnish the articles and/or services specified in accordance with the Specifications, Terms & Conditions of the Bid Documents of RFQ No. 900963 Office Supplies.
3. The undersigned has reviewed the Bid Documents and fully understands the requirements in this Bid including, but not limited to, the requirements under the County Provisions, and that each Bidder who is awarded a contract shall be, in fact, a prime contractor, not a subcontractor, to County, and agrees that its Bid, if accepted by County, will be the basis for the Bidder to enter into a contract with County in accordance with the intent of the Bid Documents.
4. The undersigned acknowledges receipt and acceptance of all addenda.
5. The undersigned agrees to the following terms, conditions, certifications, and requirements found on the County’s website:
Bid Protests / Appeals Process [http://www.acgov.org/gsa/departments/purchasing/policy/bidappeal.htm]
6. The undersigned acknowledges that Bidder will be in good standing in the State of California, with all the necessary licenses, permits, certifications, approvals, and authorizations necessary to perform all obligations in connection with this RFQ and associated Bid Documents.
7. It is the responsibility of each bidder to be familiar with all of the specifications, terms and conditions and, if applicable, the site condition. By the submission of a Bid, the Bidder certifies that if awarded a contract they will make no claim against the County based upon ignorance of conditions or misunderstanding of the specifications.
8. Patent indemnity: Vendors who do business with the County shall hold the County of Alameda, its officers, agents and employees, harmless from liability of an nature or kind, including cost and expenses, for infringement or use of any patent, copyright or other proprietary right, secret process, patented or unpatented invention, article or appliance furnished or used in connection with the contract or purchase order.
9. Insurance certificates are not required at the time of submission. However, by signing REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, the contractor agrees to meet the minimum insurance requirements stated in the RFQ. This documentation must be provided to the County, prior to award, and shall include an insurance certificate and additional insured certificate, naming the County of Alameda, which meets the minimum insurance requirements, as stated in the RFQ.
10. The undersigned acknowledges:
Bidder is a certified SLEB (Bidder must provide its SLEB Certification Number in the SLEB INFORMATION SHEET)
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 3
Official Name of Bidder:
Street Address Line 1:
Street Address Line 2:
City: State: Zip Code:
Webpage:
Type of Entity / Organizational Structure (check one):
Corporation Joint Venture
Limited Liability Partnership Partnership
Limited Liability Corporation Non-Profit / Church
Other:
Jurisdiction of Organization Structure:
Date of Organization Structure:
Federal Tax Identification Number:
Primary Contact Information:
Name / Title:
Telephone Number: Fax Number:
E-mail Address:
SIGNATURE:
Name and Title of Signer:
Dated this day of 20
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 4
Alameda County Online Bid Process
Online Bid Process https://ezsourcing.acgov.org/psp/SS/SUPPLIER/ERP/h/?tab=DEFAULT
Please see attached Excel Spreadsheet, “Bid Form.”
COST SHALL BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE ALAMEDA COUNTY ONLINE BID PROCESS AS IS. NO ALTERATIONS OR CHANGES OF ANY KIND ARE PERMITTED. Bid responses that do not comply will be subject to rejection in total. The cost quoted shall include all taxes and all other charges, including travel expenses, and is the cost the County will pay for the three-year term of any contract that is a result of this bid.
Quantities listed In the Alameda County Online Bid Process are estimates and are not to be construed as a commitment. No minimum or maximum is guaranteed or implied.
By submission of through the Alameda County Online Bid Process Bidder certifies to County that all representations, certifications, and statements made by Bidder, as set forth in each entry in the Alameda County Online Bid Process and attachments are true and correct and are made under penalty of perjury pursuant to the laws of California. Please see the Revised Excel Spread Sheet Bid Form – the following rows have been removed. These were custom items that should not have been included in the RFQ: 341, 342, 351, 408, 409, 410, 599, 695, 696, 714, 1120, 1121, 1125, 1127, 1128, 1129, 1130, 1131, 1132, 1133, 1134, 1135, 1136, 1137, 1138, 1139, 1140, 1141, 1142, 1143, 1144, 1145, 1146, 1147, 1148, 1464, 1465, 1466, 1467, 1468.
All of the specific documentation listed below is required to be submitted with the REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet in order for a bid to be deemed complete. Bidders shall submit all documentation, in the order listed below and clearly label each section with the appropriate title (i.e. Table of Contents, Letter of Transmittal, Key Personnel, etc.) and attached it as PDF file(s) to their online bid submissions through Online Bid Process.
1. Table of Contents: Bid responses shall include a table of contents listing the individual sections of the quotation and their corresponding page numbers.
2. Letter of Transmittal: Bid responses shall include a description of Bidder’s capabilities and approach in providing its goods and/or services to the County, and provide a brief synopsis of the highlights of the Proposal and overall benefits of the Proposal to the County. This synopsis should not exceed three (3) pages in length and should be easily understood.
3. REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet: Every bidder must fill out and submit the complete REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet.
(a) Bidder Information and Acceptance:
(1) Every Bidder must select one choice under Item 10 of page 3 of REVISED Exhibit A and must fill out, submit a signed page 4 of REVISED Exhibit A.
(b) SLEB Information Sheet:
(1) Every bidder must fill out and submit a signed SLEB Information Sheet, (found on page 9 of REVISED Exhibit A).
(c) References:
(1) Bidders must use the templates on pages 10 and 11 of this REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet to provide references.
(2) Bidders are to provide a list of 3 current and 3 former clients. References must be satisfactory as deemed solely by County. References should have similar scope, volume and requirements to those outlined in these specifications, terms and conditions. Bidders must verify the contact information for all references provided
is current and valid. Bidders are strongly encouraged to notify all references that the
County may be contacting them to obtain a reference.(3) Bidder shall provide on a separate sheet(s), complete reference
information for all public institutions or agencies for which it provides or has provided comparable product, systems and services. Each reference
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 6
shall include the project name and location, the scope of services performed and the name, address, telephone and fax numbers of the person who may be contacted for reference information.
(4) The County may contact some or all of the references provided in order to determine Bidder’s performance record on work similar to that described in this request. The County reserves the right to contact references other than those provided in the Response and to use the information gained from them in the evaluation process.
(d) Exceptions, Clarifications, Amendments:
(1) This shall include clarifications, exceptions and amendments, if any, to the RFQ and associated Bid Documents, and shall be submitted with your bid response using the template on page 12 of this REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet.
(2) THE COUNTY IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO ACCEPT ANY EXCEPTIONS, AND SUCH EXCEPTIONS MAY BE A BASIS FOR BID DISQUALIFICATION.
4. Key Personnel: Bid responses shall include a complete list of all key personnel associated with the RFQ. This list must include all key personnel who will provide services/training to County staff and all key personnel who will provide maintenance and support services. For each person on the list, the following information shall be included:
(a) The person’s relationship with Bidder, including job title and years of employment with Bidder;
(b) The role that the person will play in connection with the RFQ;(c) Address, telephone, fax numbers, and e-mail address; (d) Person’s educational background; and(e) Person’s relevant experience, certifications, and/or merits.
5. Description of the proposed method to deliver office supplies: Bid response shall include a description of the proposed method to deliver office supplies. The description shall specify how the proposed deliveries will meet or exceed the requirements of the County and shall explain any advantages that this proposed method would have over other possible delivery methods. The description shall include any disadvantages or limitations that the County should be aware of in evaluating the quotation.
6. Description of the Proposed Services: Bid response shall include a description of the terms and conditions of services to be provided during the contract. The description must: (1) specify how the services in the bid response will meet or exceed the requirements of the County; (2) explain any special resources, procedures or approaches that make the services of Bidder particularly advantageous to the County; and (3) identify any limitations or restrictions of Bidder in providing the services that the County should be aware of in evaluating its Response to this RFQ.
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 7
7. Dun & Bradstreet Supplier Qualifier Report
(a) Most recent Dun & Bradstreet Supplier Qualifier Report. For information on how to obtain a Supplier Qualifier Report, contact Dun & Bradstreet at http://www.dnb.com/government/contractor-management-portal.html
8. Bid Form Exhibit E: Bid response shall include an electronic copy of the Bid Form Exhibit E spreadsheet in MS Excel format, version XP or more recent.
Street Address: _____________________________________________City_____________State______ Zip Code______
Bidder Signature: Date:
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 9
CURRENT REFERENCES
RFQ No. 900963 – Office Supplies
Bidder Name:
Company Name: Contact Person: Address: Telephone Number: City, State, Zip: E-mail Address: Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:
Company Name: Contact Person: Address: Telephone Number: City, State, Zip: E-mail Address: Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:
Company Name: Contact Person: Address: Telephone Number: City, State, Zip: E-mail Address: Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 10
FORMER REFERENCES
RFQ No. 900963 – Office Supplies
Bidder Name:
Company Name: Contact Person: Address: Telephone Number: City, State, Zip: E-mail Address: Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:
Company Name: Contact Person: Address: Telephone Number: City, State, Zip: E-mail Address: Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:
Company Name: Contact Person: Address: Telephone Number: City, State, Zip: E-mail Address: Services Provided / Date(s) of Service:
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 11
EXAMPLE
EXCEPTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AMENDMENTS
RFQ No. 900963 – Office Supplies
Bidder Name:
List below requests for clarifications, exceptions and amendments, if any, to the Error: Reference source not found and associated Bid Documents, and submit with your bid response.
The County is under no obligation to accept any exceptions and such exceptions may be a basis for bid disqualification.
Reference to: Description
Page No. Section Item
No.
p. 23 D 1.c. Vendor takes exception to…
*Print additional pages as necessary
REVISED Exhibit A – RFQ No. 900963Page 12
EXHIBIT CVENDOR LIST
RFQ No. 900963 – Office Supplies
Below is the Vendor Bid List for this project consisting of vendors who have responded to RFI No. 900963, and/or been issued a copy of this RFQ. This Vendor Bid List is being provided for informational purposes to assist bidders in making contact with other businesses as needed to develop local small and emerging business subcontracting relationships to meet the requirements of the Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Program: http://www.acgov.org/gsa/departments/purchasing/policy/slebpref.htm.
This RFQ Addendum is being issued to all vendors on the Vendor Bid List; the following revised vendor list includes contact information for each vendor attendee at the Networking/Bidders Conferences.
RFQ No. 900963 – Office SuppliesBusiness Name Contact Phone Address City Zip Cert
Type Email
Alexis Entertainment Group / Robert A Jacobs & Associates Robert Jacobs