00016505 RUC Mini-RFP.docx

Mini-RFP S-73000-00016505 RUC Outreach and Communications

S018-OPO063025

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

PERSONAL SERVICES

MINI-RFP/ OregonBuys Bid Solicitation Number: S-73000-00016505 for Work Order Contract (“WOC”) Assignment Under Price Agreement (“PA”) series RUC America PA #s: 73000-00036367 to 73000-36376 and 73000-00046112

NOTE: Only Consultants that have been awarded a PA in the above PA series for the services identified (Task 7 of the PA) in this Mini-RFP are eligible to respond to this Mini-RFP.

Project Name: RUC OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS – EDUCATION, PUBLIC AWARENESS, AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Project Location: Salem, OR

DBE Participation Goal: No Goal (see section 1.3 for more information)

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: See “Bid Opening Date” for this Mini-RFP in OregonBuys.

Single Point of Contact: See “Purchaser” and “Info Contact”, including email address, for this Mini-RFP in OregonBuys. This is the only point of contact for this Mini-RFP. All inquiries regarding this procurement, whether relating to the Mini-RFP process, administration, deadline or award, potential COI issues, or to the intent or technical aspects of the Services must be submitted in writing via e-mail to the Purchaser.

Accessibility: The Oregon Department of Transportation is committed to complying with all statutory requirements to ensure that it is providing information that is more accessible to people with disabilities, as required by section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d), and 36 C.F.R. 1194 Appendix A. This includes information regarding the solicitation process. Please contact the Single Point of Contact (“SPC”) identified in OregonBuys as the “Purchaser” to request reasonable accommodation for access, due to a disability, to information related to this solicitation, or the solicitation process, or both. Accommodation requests must be received by the SPC 3 business days prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline (see “Bid Opening Date” in OregonBuys).

GOVERNING LAW: This Mini-RFP and the resulting WOC shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Oregon without regard to principles of conflicts of law. Specific laws and rules that govern the solicitation process are found in Chapters 279A and 279B of the Oregon Revised Statutes (“ORS”), and Chapter 731, Divisions 146 and 147 of the Administrative Rules (“OAR”) of the Oregon Department of Transportation. The solicitation and resulting WOC may be subject to other laws and rules.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The State of Oregon (“State”) is committed to taking active steps toward increasing and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion values across procurement processes for minority, women, emerging small, and veteran-owned businesses by reducing barriers to compete for and be awarded state contracts. All eligible interested businesses are encouraged to submit bids for this contracting opportunity.

Non-Discrimination Notice: Oregon Department Of Transportation (“ODOT” or “Agency”) in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252. 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally-Assisted programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all eligible Bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that all eligible business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

SECTION 0.0 OREGONBUYS; SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

OregonBuys is the electronic procurement system used by Agency. This Mini-RFP is advertised in OregonBuys (https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/) as a Bid Solicitation, which is open only to registered vendors that have an existing PA, as identified on page 1, with Agency for the needed Services.

0.1 INFORMATION AND ATTACHMENTS INCORPORATED FROM OREGONBUYS

The Mini-RFP includes all documents, whether attached or incorporated by reference, and any addenda thereto, used for soliciting Proposals. In addition to the provisions set forth and linked within this Mini-RFP, this Mini-RFP incorporates by this reference the information published on the OregonBuys Bid Solicitation page for this Mini-RFP, including but not limited to:

· Details entered in the Header Information section of the Summary Tab; and

· All attachments, Amendments, notices, question and answer documents, and any other files linked in the Attachments section.

0.2 CROSSWALK OF TERMS USED IN OREGONBUYS

Definition of terms used in OregonBuys.

Amendment means “Addendum” or “Addenda” as defined in OAR 137-046-0110(1).

Bid Opening Date means “Closing” as defined in OAR 137-046-0110(6).

Master Blanket Purchase Order (“MBPO”) means Any form of contract, agreement (i.e. price agreement, on-call contract, etc.), purchase order or WOC.

Quote means Any form of offer submission by vendors; i.e., Bids, Proposals, Price Proposals, or any other type of offer in response to a Bid Solicitation

Vendor means Any form of business entity registered in OregonBuys. Only registered vendors are eligible to submit a Quote and enter into Purchase Orders, MBPOs, or Release Requisitions pursuant to a Bid Solicitation or Mini-RFP advertised in OregonBuys.

0.3 GUIDANCE FOR OREGONBUYS

For quick reference information regarding common questions from vendors when using OregonBuys, see User Guides under “OregonBuys eProcurement System” on the Contracting with ODOT webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Business/Procurement/Pages/HowTo.aspx.

0.4 MINI-RFP SCHEDULE

All dates listed are subject to change.

Deadline for Proposal submittal See Bid Opening Date identified in OregonBuys for this Mini-RFP

1.1 ACRONYMS AND DEFINITIONS

Agency means the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Contractor means a licensed business participating in a contract, subcontract, or other agreement which Agency has awarded or to which ODOT has consented, or entity which employes any of the foregoing, performing Services for Agency under a contract or WOC.

DMV means ODOT’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division

EV means electric vehicles.

HEV means hybrid electric vehicles.

NTE means not-to-exceed.

OReGO Program means ODOT’s road usage program

PHEV means plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Proposal means a written response to this Mini-RFP.

Proposer means a vendor which submits a Proposal.

RUC means road usage charge.

Services means the work that is detailed in the Statement of Work and is to be provided by the Contractor for the resulting WOC.

SOW means statement of work; part of a contract that outlines the tasks, deliverables, and timeline for the Project.

SPC means single point of contact; the Purchaser identified in OregonBuys.

State means the State of Oregon.

WOC means work order contract

1.2 SUMMARY OVERVIEW AND WORK ORDER CONTRACT (“WOC”) OBJECTIVES

Oregon Department of Transportation (“Agency” or “ODOT") is requesting Proposals from eligible Price Agreement holders (identified above) regarding specific experience relevant to RUC Outreach and Communications – Education, Public Awareness, and Program Development (the “Project”), and as further described in section 4. The expected outcome of the WOC is to educate Oregonians about the OReGo Program. Agency reserves the right to modify the Services as necessary to meet Agency needs. The WOC is anticipated to start Fall 2026 and is expected to be completed by December 2031.

General background Oregon has a long history of leading the nation in the evolution of generating funds for the state’s roadway infrastructure. In 1919, the Oregon Legislature enacted the nation’s first gas tax, the first law that required road users to pay for road construction, operation, and maintenance. The “user pays” principle was extended to heavy vehicles in 1925 with the weight-mile tax. Over the following 80 years, the Oregon Legislature has regularly reaffirmed the need for users to help fund the state’s roadways and bridges through the State Highway Fund.

Funding for transportation system maintenance, improvements and construction is declining in Oregon and around the country. This is due in part to more fuel-efficient vehicles purchasing less fuel and thus paying less in fuel taxes – which go toward maintaining and building roads and highways. OReGO has established a “user pays” funding model to help fund the maintenance and operation of Oregon’s roads and bridges.

Revenue from OReGO goes to the State Highway Fund, which uses a 50/30/20 revenue sharing model with 50% of funds going to Agency, 30% going to counties and 20% going to cities to fund transportation.

OReGO Program OReGO is Agency’s current, voluntary Road Usage Charge (“RUC”) program, in which volunteer customers pay per mile to help fund the maintenance and operation of Oregon’s roads and bridges. After 2 successful pilot demonstrations in 2007 and 2012, OReGO became a permanent voluntary operational program in Oregon on July 1, 2015. OReGO is open to all vehicles with 20+ mpg. Drivers select from 2 third-party vendors to enroll in the program and have options to report miles: Odometer photo capture, telematics or a plug-in device. If an OReGO driver uses gas, they receive a non-refundable fuel tax credit. Oregon was the first state in the nation to implement a mileage-based transportation funding system and has demonstrated national leadership for this sustainable transportation funding model.

As part of the development and implementation of the OReGO Program, private sector firms (Account Managers) have been key to the program. OReGO was implemented using open system architecture and contracts with Account Managers have been key to the success of the Program. The private sector has provided data collection, account management and mileage reporting services to Agency.

OReGO Mandatory Implementation House Bill 3991 (Special Session 2025; Section 26 – 53) created a mandatory RUC Program for Electric Vehicles (“EV”), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (“PHEV”) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (“HEV”). Qualifying drivers will have the option to pay an annual flat fee or enroll in OReGO to pay the per-mile fee. The framework as defined in House Bill 3991 will result in new requirements for certain vehicles based on vehicle motive power and registration transaction type (new purchase, first time registration in Oregon, or registration renewal). In Oregon, initial registrations are valid for 4 years and registration renewals are valid for 2 years. Drivers who pay the flat fee or enroll in OReGO to pay by the mile will no longer pay an enhanced registration fee, as was mandated in House Bill 2017. House Bill 3991 outlined a phased-in implementation schedule for the mandatory RUC program:

Phase 1a – Existing Electric Vehicles upon registration renewal.

· Starting July 1, 2027, existing electric vehicles must register with OReGO upon registration renewal.

· Includes used electric vehicle sales.

· New EVs registered between July and December 2027 would not be required to enroll until their scheduled renewal in 2031 but could enroll on their own to avoid enhanced registration fees.

Phase 1b – All New EVs.

· Starting January 1, 2028, all new EVs must register with OReGO at purchase.

Phase 2 – Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

· Starting July 1, 2028, all plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles must register with OReGO as follows:

· Existing vehicles at registration renewal.

· New vehicles at purchase.

Agency estimates that, within the first year, more than 75,000 vehicles will be enrolled. By July 2030, Agency forecasts that more than 583,000 vehicles will be in the program. In the 2027-2029 biennium, OReGO is expected to raise $58 million in new revenue net of collection costs and fuels tax credits. The following biennium, after the program is mandatory for all drivers of electric and hybrid vehicles, revenue is estimated to be $206 million.

Communication Goals To help with the success of a mandatory RUC Program, Agency must partner with a consultant to conduct a marketing and public outreach campaign to educate Oregonians about the OReGO Program. The campaign must be defined by a cohesive messaging strategy that is creative, targeted to both a wide and specific demographic of Oregonians, utilize plain language, be inclusive of non-English speaking drivers and should utilize a range of multimedia platforms such as social media, offline advertising and content marketing that delivers measurable results. The consultant will be responsible for developing the campaign in coordination with Agency. Agency may require additional advertising services dependent upon Agency needs.

Introducing a new requirement of drivers statewide will require Agency to provide clear, concise messaging and a proactive outreach and education campaign. Agency has 3 main goals for this contract and the communications work for the expanded Road Usage Charge program.

1. Raise public awareness about the role of RUC in transportation funding and coming requirements.

Paying by the mile represents a major shift in the way the public is required to pay for Oregon’s transportation system. Public awareness and understanding of a road usage charge depends in part on how well Agency engages and educates Oregonians in the issues surrounding the need for additional revenue and how the OReGO Program works. Compliance with the new requirements will support the roads and bridges drivers rely on, and non-compliance will have financial consequences for drivers. Public awareness will support the acceptance of this new law and help drivers understand how the law impacts them.

2. Outreach to specific audiences leading up to deadlines (drivers and auto dealers).

Now that the Program will be expanded and required for more drivers, public outreach is critical to alert drivers, auto dealers, and DMV staff of the new requirements and share how the OReGO Program works. The public outreach campaign will need to reach impacted drivers around the state—in urban and rural communities—along with auto dealers who will provide enrollment support/information at the point of sale. Training and resources will also need to be developed for DMV frontline staff who will interact with customers and provide information and support to enroll in the Program. They will need to be equipped to be subject matter experts to provide excellent customer service.

3. Enroll customers in program—paying by the mile or paying the flat fee.

A successful communications strategy will be measured by customer enrollment and compliance with the expanded RUC requirements. To assist Oregonians with enrollment, this plan should include multi-lingual, clear, concise educational content and materials, along with an extensive outreach and media strategy for each stage of the program deadlines. An easy-to-understand website will need to be created for customers to enroll in the Program. The website will need to work seamlessly with DMV2U and Account Manager sites in order to provide a great customer experience—which will support enrollment and continued compliance with the requirements. The Consultant will be a key partner in supporting a positive customer experience for OReGO.

Success will be measured by:

· Public awareness and understanding of the RUC fee and OReGO.

· Public understanding of the purpose of road usage fees.

· Media coverage.

· Number of new accounts.

Proposers responding to this Mini-RFP do so solely at their expense. Agency is not responsible for any Proposer expenses associated with this Mini-RFP.

The selected Proposer and Agency will negotiate the delivery schedule, costs and final Statement of Work, within the scope of what is advertised here, for inclusion in the final WOC. Pending successful negotiations, the selected Proposer shall perform its obligations according to the WOC and applicable terms and conditions of the parent PA and exhibits thereto.

Agency anticipates the budget for this Project will not exceed $750,000.

1.2.1 Funding Source(s).

State and FHWA funds

1.2.2 WOC Payment.

Payment will be made for completion of, or acceptable monthly progress on, tasks and deliverables in conformance with PA requirements and all applicable standards. Agency intends to use Fixed Price per Task, but reserves the right to modify the method of compensation, as listed below, through negotiations.

The method of compensation may be based on any of the following methods (may include more than 1 method – “Mixed”):

· Cost Plus Fixed-fee, up to a maximum NTE amount;

· Fixed Price for all Services; Fixed Price per Deliverable; Fixed Price per Task or Milestone;

· Time and Materials, up to a maximum NTE amount;

· Price per Unit.

For further information see PA, Exhibit B, Compensation.

A Proposer's Proposal in response to this Mini-RFP is a firm offer, irrevocable, valid and binding on the Proposer for not less than 180 days following the Bid Opening Date for this Mini-RFP. Agency may request, either orally or in writing, that Proposer extend the offer period in writing.

Contingent upon Agency need and available funding, Agency may (for up to 9 months following the close of this Mini-RFP), in Agency’s sole discretion, make additional award(s). Agency may select the next ranked responsible Proposer who has submitted a responsive proposal (provided Proposer agrees to an extended offer period, which would cover the balance of the 9 months, if at that time the offer period stated in the paragraph above has expired or soon will expire), issue an intent to award. If agreement with that Proposer is not reached, Agency may offer award to the next ranked Proposer and so on until agreement is reached or until Agency terminates the process. Agency reserves the right to require confirmation of the qualifications of any Proposer.

1.3 QUESTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, CHANGES, AND ADDENDA

The “Purchaser” identified in OregonBuys for this Mini-RFP is the Agency’s Single Point of Contact for this solicitation. All inquiries regarding this procurement, whether relating to the Mini-RFP process, administration, deadlines, award, potential COI issues, or to the intent or technical aspects of the Services must be submitted in writing via e-mail to the Purchaser. Failing to follow the foregoing requirements may result in Proposal rejection by Agency.

1.3.1 PROPOSER QUESTIONS, REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATIONS/CHANGES, AND AGENCY RESPONSES All questions and requests for clarifications and changes must be received by the Purchaser via email on or before the deadline for Proposer Questions/Clarifications/Changes set forth in section 0.4.

Agency answers to questions received by the Purchaser will be posted in OregonBuys to ensure that all Proposers base their Proposals on the same information. Agency answers to questions will provide clarifications and interpretations but will not change Mini-RFP or contract requirements, unless an Addendum is issued (see section 1.4.2, below).

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS POSTED ON OREGONBUYS, DO NOT AFFECT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS MINI-RFP. PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, CONTRACTUAL TERMS, AND PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN THIS MINI-RFP CAN ONLY BE CHANGED VIA ADDENDA ISSUED BY AGENCY AND POSTED ON OREGONBUYS.

1.3.2 ADDENDA

Answers to questions or requests for clarifications or changes that Agency receives and that Agency, in its sole discretion, determines are substantive and provide new information, will be issued as official Addenda to this Mini-RFP. Changes or modifications to this Mini-RFP will be binding on Agency only if in the form of official Addenda issued by the Agency and published on OregonBuys in the Bid Solicitation Attachments section for this Mini-RFP.

1.4 PUBLIC RECORDS/CONFIDENTIAL OR PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

All Proposals are public records and are subject to public inspection after Agency issues the Notice of the Intent to Award. If a Proposer believes that any portion of its Proposal contains any information that is a trade secret under ORS 192.345(2) or otherwise is exempt from disclosure under the Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478), Proposer must clearly designate the portions of its Proposal that Proposer claims are exempt from disclosure, along with a justification and citation to the authority relied upon. Proposer must all also submit a fully redacted version of its Proposal.

Proposer is cautioned that price information generally is not considered a trade secret under Oregon Public Records Law (ORS 192.311 through 192.478) and identifying the Proposal, in whole, as exempt from disclosure is not acceptable. Agency advises each Proposer to consult with its own legal counsel regarding disclosure issues.

SECTION 2.0 PROPOSAL AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Unless otherwise provided in this Mini-RFP, by submitting a Proposal, each Proposer agrees to be bound by and comply with the terms and conditions of the Proposer’s existing PA, as amended. Any Proposal conditioned on Agency’s acceptance of terms and conditions other than those set forth in the existing PA and the requirements specified in this Mini-RFP (as they may be revised by an addendum to this Mini-RFP) will be rejected as non-responsive.

The Proposal must be organized as directed herein. Any links to external information included in the Proposal and any Proposal attachments will not be considered or evaluated, unless specified in this Mini-RFP.

2.1 PASS/FAIL

Items in Section 2 marked as “PASS/FAIL” that are incomplete (except for minor informalities), not submitted by the Bid Opening Date, or are otherwise not in substantial conformance with the Mini-RFP requirements, will be rejected as non-responsive. Proposals must comply with ALL requirements marked as “PASS/FAIL” to be considered for further evaluation.

2.2 REQUIRED ITEMS AND SCORING DEDUCTIONS

Notwithstanding the scoring deductions, to be considered responsive, the Proposer must substantially comply in all material respects with applicable solicitation procedures and requirements and the solicitation documents.

· Proposals will receive a 2% scoring deduction, based upon the total available points, for each item in section 2 marked as “REQUIRED” that is incomplete (except for minor informalities). Incomplete items must be completed and submitted within 2 business days of a request by Agency. Incomplete items must be delivered to the Purchaser as identified in the request in order to provide an appropriate time stamp. Failure to complete and deliver incomplete “REQUIRED” items within 2 business days of request by Agency shall result in Proposal rejection. Time limitations will be based upon the time of the request sent by Agency and the time of the e-mail sent in response to Agency request.

· Scoring deductions are on an average score per Proposal basis and not a deduction per evaluator. For example, if a Proposer received an average score of 92 points from the evaluation committee, a 2 percent scoring deduction would result in a Proposal score of 90. (Percentage will be rounded to either the lower number if under .5% or to the higher number if .5% or over.)

· Scoring deductions apply to the Total Proposal Score and not to the Interview/follow-up questions score and not to the price proposal score.

2.3 PROPOSAL DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION FORMAT (PASS/FAIL)

Agency will not accept Proposals submitted after the Bid Opening Date for this Mini-RFP in OregonBuys.

Proposals, including all attachments, forms, and other required items, must be submitted via OregonBuys. Submittal by any other means will be rejected.

· Submit the Proposal Cover Sheet (Attachment A)(See Section 2.4.3 below) as a separate PDF file.

· Submit the following as a single PDF file.

· Technical Proposal (responses to Evaluation Criteria described in Section 3.2 (see Section 2.4.4 below))

· Key Staff Resumes (Attachment B)(See Section 2.4.5 below)

· Submit the Price Proposal (Attachment E) (see Section 2.4.7 below) as a separate PDF file.

Conflict of Interest disclosures, if any, must be submitted as a separate PDF file. See Attachment A Proposal Coversheet. The ODOT COI Guidelines and COI Disclosure Form are available on the Consultant Forms and Resources page (https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Business/Procurement/Pages/PSK.aspx under Miscellaneous Procurement Forms).

2.4.2 PROPOSAL FORMAT (REQUIRED)

One Page is defined as: one side of a single 8-1/2" x 11" page, with 12-point minimum font size for the substantive text (including text in tables) and 11-point minimum font size for the Key Staff Resume and References forms. Any page over this size will be counted as 2 pages. Any page, or partial page, tabs, indexes or table of contents with substantive text, tables, graphics, charts, resumes, etc., will be counted as 1 page.

If a Proposer submits a Proposal exceeding a set page limit, Agency will consider the pages up to the allowable page limit and discard all subsequent pages subject to that limit.

Any links to external information included in the Proposal and any Proposal attachments will not be considered or evaluated, unless specified in this Mini-RFP. The Proposer may choose how to allocate the number of pages between any sections, within the overall page limit(s).

2.4.3 PROPOSAL COVER SHEET (REQUIRED)

The Proposal must include a completed Proposal Cover Sheet using the form Attachment A - Proposal Cover Sheet (located on the Bid Solicitation Attachments section in OregonBuys). The Proposal Cover Sheet is excluded from the page limit under section 2.4.4 below.

2.4.4 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (REQUIRED)

The Technical Proposal must include written responses to the Evaluation Criteria set forth in section 3.2, in the order the criteria are presented in section 3.2. Technical Proposals must describe how Proposer meets the requirements that are specified in this Mini-RFP as related to the scoring criteria. The Technical Proposals must be clear and concise.

The Technical Proposal must not exceed 13 pages (4 pages for 3.2.1. 1 page is defined as: one side of a single 8-1/2" x 11" page, with 12-point minimum font size for the substantive text (including text in tables) and 11-point minimum font size. Any page over this size will be counted as 2 pages. Any page, or partial page, tabs, indexes or table of contents with substantive text, tables, graphics, charts, resumes, etc., will be counted as 1 page.

If a Proposer submits a Technical Proposal exceeding the set page limit, Agency will consider the pages up to the allowable page limit and discard all subsequent pages subject to that limit.

2.4.5 KEY STAFF RESUMES (REQUIRED)

The Proposal must include 5 Key Staff Resumes, each not exceeding 1 page, using Attachment B Key Staff Resumes (located on the Bid Solicitation Attachments section in OregonBuys).

2.4.6 REFERENCES (RESERVED)

2.4.7 Price PROPOSAL FORM (REQUIRED)

Submit a detailed Price Proposal (Attachment E) as a separate file uploaded via the Attachments tab for this RFP in OregonBuys. The detailed Price Proposal must include the following items:

For each Task described in the Scope of Work, the Price Proposal must include identifiable costs, time estimates for completing each activity, and a summary of all proposed costs, and For all fully loaded personnel costs (enter on the Fully Loaded Rates tab of Attachment E Price Proposal), the Price Proposal must include the name and title of all positions for each individual staff person who will perform the Work, and list the salary/wage and fringe rate separately for each such individual. If awarded a Contract, the hourly rates submitted in the Price Proposal shall remain in effect for not less than the first 12 months of the Contract. https://www.oregon.gov/das/Financial/Acctng/Documents/40.10.00.pdf.

2.4.8 OTHER MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (RESERVED)

2.5 FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENTS

Any statements, written or verbal, provided by the Proposer deemed by the Agency to be false or misleading will result in all or portions of the Proposal, including response to section 3.1.2 Interviews/Follow Up Questions, if any, to be rejected and removed from consideration in the evaluation for WOC award.

2.6 ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL PROVISIONS

2.6.1 Agency reserves the right to reject any Proposal that is unreadable.

2.6.2 Per OAR 731-146-0150(4), in the event of a failure of an Electronic Procurement System or email system that interferes with the ability to submit electronic Proposals or to otherwise participate in the procurement, Agency may cancel the procurement or may extend the date and time of receipt of electronic Proposals by providing notice of the extension immediately after the Electronic Procurement System or email system becomes available.

Proposals meeting Pass/Fail criteria will be forwarded to an evaluation committee of at least 3 members that will independently review, score and rank Proposals according to the Scoring Criteria set forth in section 3.2.

The outcome of the Evaluation process may, at the Agency’s sole discretion, result in:

Agency reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and reserves the right to cancel this Mini-RFP at any time if doing either would be in the public interest as determined by Agency. Agency is not liable for any costs a Proposer incurs while preparing or presenting the Proposal or during further evaluation stages. All unreturned Proposals will become property of Agency and part of the public file without obligation to Agency.

3.1.2 INTERVIEWS/FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

Agency may conduct interviews/follow-up questions. If interviews/follow-up questions are conducted, the following will apply:

· The number of Proposers selected for interviews/follow-up questions is at the sole discretion of Agency.

· Interviews/follow-up questions responses may be evaluated by individuals that evaluated the written Proposals or by individuals which did not evaluate the written Proposals, at Agency’s discretion.

· Interview/follow-up questions scores (up to a maximum of 100 points) will be combined with the other criteria scores to arrive at a total score.

· Agency may conduct interviews/follow-up questions via teleconference, video conference, or in-person. Further details will be included with notification of time and date of interviews/follow-up questions, if conducted.

· Evaluation and scoring will be based on one or more of the following criteria:

· Understanding of Requested Services

· Technical Approach

· Project Management/Cost Effectiveness

· Proposer’s General Qualifications

· Proposer’s Capabilities

· Proposer’s Relevant Experience

· Project Team and Qualifications

3.1.3 REFERENCES [RESERVED]

3.1.4 AGENCY CLARIFICATIONS

Agency may require any clarification it needs to understand the Proposer’s Proposal. Any necessary clarifications which are in the best interest of the Agency, may be made before the Proposer is awarded a WOC, and some or all of the clarifications, and any resulting modifications, may become part of the final WOC.

3.2 SCORING CRITERIA

Proposal scoring will be based on the criteria stated in the subsections below.

3.2.1 EVALUATION ITEM 1 – Understanding of Requested Services MAX POINTS: 50 (Note: This response is limited to 4 pages.)

a. Demonstrate a clear and concise understanding of the Scope of Services that may be required to fulfill the Work Order Contract obligations. (Max 10 Points)

b. Describe what you believe are the most critical elements of this Project that must be addressed for a successful outcome. (Max 10 Points)

c. Describe your specific approach to completing the Scope of Services for this Project. (Max 10 Points)

d. Describe any significant issues and risks. (Max 10 Points)

e. Describe how your Firm is qualified to fulfill the responsibilities listed in the Statement of Work and your experience with the OReGO Program. (Max 10 Points)

3.2.2 EVALUATION ITEM 2 – Project Team, Qualifications, & Ability to Meet Schedule MAX POINTS: 90 (Note: This response is limited to 3 pages.)

a. Provide Resumes, as described in Section 2.4.5, of Key Persons (the resumes will not count in total page limit for this section or technical proposal) (Max 20 Points)

b. Describe Project Team’s workload, and ability to meet the schedule provided in each Task of the Sample Statement of Work in Section 4. The meeting schedule, creating educational material, communications to participants, and website development for Phase 1 will be critical (reference HB 3991 for all 3 Phases of implementation). Describe your approach and your ability to get started right away (Max 25 Points)

c. Describe your firm’s process for managing contract deliverables and delivery dates. Agency would like to have the kick-off meeting described in Task 1.3 within 1-2 weeks after WOC execution. (Max 15 Points)

d. Describe your firm’s quality assurance/quality control procedures and methods. (Max 15 Points)

e. Identify any subcontractors who are part of the proposed team, including a description of their role on the team. (Max 15 Points)

3.2.3 EVALUATION ITEM 3 – Description of Proposed Solution MAX POINTS: 65 (Note: This response is limited to 6 pages.)

Describe the proposed solution, addressing each of the following, at minimum:

a. Based on the draft Statement of Work (Section 4), describe how you will mitigate the risks and issues you mentioned in 3.2.1 Evaluation Item 1d. (Max 15 Points)

b. Describe your Project Management methodologies. (Max 15 Points)

c. Describe opportunities and challenges with communications between Agency, Agency’s Business Partner who is managing the operations of the OReGO Program, and your team. (Max 15 Points)

d. Describe your tools, ideas, and methodologies around education for participants and Program Development throughout the 3 Phases of HB 3991. (Max 10 Points)

e. Describe how the proposed solution(s) will enable successful completion of the Project. (Max 10 Points)

3.2.4 EVALUATION ITEM 4 – Clarity of Proposal and Conformity with Requirements MAX POINTS: 15 (Note: Proposers do not need to provide a written response to this criterion.)

The Proposal must be organized in accordance with the list of Scoring Criteria categories in Section 3.2. Proposals will be scored by evaluators on the following factors: Proposal format; ease of finding clear, concise responses that correlate with the order of evaluation criteria in this RFP; and Proposers ability to follow instructions.

3.3 Price EVALUATION MAX POINTS: 40

(Note: Pages for this response are not included in page limit.)

The Price Proposal must reflect a fixed price not-to-exceed amount for each Task inclusive of all services, expenses, travel, and fees (i.e., Payroll expenses – hours/rate/title, Admin, Overhead, etc.) Complete the attached Price Proposal form (Attachment B).

Price Proposals will be evaluated for reasonableness and competitiveness. Proposer shall provide a detailed explanation of costs.

Price Proposals totals will be scored using the following formula:

Following scoring and ranking of Proposals based on the qualifications-based criteria, the Price Proposals (Attachment E) from Proposers in the Competitive Range will be opened and scored by Purchaser as follows:

Proposer with the lowest Price Proposal will receive 40 points.

Proposer with the second lowest Price Proposal will receive 35 points.

Proposer with the third lowest Price Proposal will receive 30 points.

All other Proposers will receive 0 points.

The total scores and selection for tentative WOC assignment will be determined as follows:

· Total Proposal Score = Total of all evaluator scores for a given Proposal, divided by the number of evaluators, minus any SCORING DEDUCTIONS received per section 2.2.

· Total Interview/Follow-up Questions Score (if conducted) = Total of all evaluator scores for a given interviewee, divided by the number of evaluators.

Final Score = Total Proposal Score plus Total Interview/Follow-up Questions Score (if conducted) plus Total Price Proposal Score.

Based on Final Scores, Agency will issue an intent to award notice in OregonBuys and will negotiate the SOW, payment amount and methodology with the top ranked Proposer. If negotiations are not successful, Agency may terminate negotiations with the top ranked Proposer and may begin negotiations with the next highest ranked Proposer and so on, until successful negotiations are completed or Agency determines that cancellation of this Mini-RFP is in the best interest of the State.

3.6 AWARD REQUIREMENTS

Agency may reject a Proposal, rescind the intent to award notice, and select the next highest ranked firm for award if the apparent successful Proposer fails to provide the following required items within 7 calendar days of issuance of the intent to award notice, unless another date is specified in the intent to award notice.

3.6.1 PRICE INFORMATION

Agency shall use the apparent successful Proposer’s Price Proposal, billing rates, and negotiations to determine pricing for the Services in the awarded WOC.

3.6.2 PROPOSER RESPONSIBILITY, DEBT OWED to STATE

Agency shall reject an offer and rescind the intent to award notice if Agency determines Proposer is not responsible or if Proposer has liquidated and delinquent debt owed to the State or any department or agency of the State.

SECTION 4.0 STATEMENT OF WORK

TASK 1 Project Management Task 1.1: Project Management and Coordination Consultant shall schedule, coordinate, and conduct meetings. Consultant’s PM shall communicate and coordinate with the Agency Project Manager (“APM”) regarding the status of Services being performed and to discuss issues or concerns that may impact the Project.

Consultant shall prepare and submit a Project Management Plan for Tasks 2 through 7 that must include Consultant and Agency staff contacts, list of deliverables, budget, target delivery dates, and objectives.

Consultant shall participate in monthly status update meetings (1 meeting per month for 1 hour throughout the term of the contract), teleconferences, and status reports, as designated by the APM. Consultant shall regularly communicate Project status of scope, schedule and budget, as well as issues and decisions to be made. Consultant shall monitor the WOC budget and expenditures. Consultant may also participate in ad-hoc meetings via teleconference, unless otherwise agreed upon, at the discretion of the APM.

Task 1.1 Deliverables and Schedule:

· Project Management Plan to APM due 2 weeks after WOC NTP.

· Participation in monthly and ad-hoc update meetings or teleconferences with a maximum of 30 meetings for the first 2 years (teleconference will be satisfactory for most meetings unless otherwise agreed upon). [Non-tangible deliverable]

Task 1.2: Monthly Progress Reports Once a month, Consultant shall prepare and electronically submit a Project progress report per instructions in Section F, Compensation Provisions – Part 1, Section C Invoices of the PA. In addition, it must summarize the baseline budget, scope, and schedule per task. The progress report must also include a list of activities and accomplishments, notes of interest, and an issues list/decision log; provide records that reconcile and prove payments of all third party billings, including monthly budget recaps (which include a bulleted list of highlights and a breakdown of costs by staff time and out-of-pocket Consultant expenditures); and invoices within the terms of the WOC. Consultant shall submit the Project progress reports in PDF format.

Task 1.2 Deliverables and Schedule:

· Electronic Progress Reports to APM due once a month, by the 10th day of the following month.

Task 1.3: Project Kick-Off Meeting Consultant shall schedule, prepare for, and conduct the Project kick-off meeting. Consultant shall prepare and distribute an agenda 5 business days prior to the meeting. At a minimum, the agenda must include: Project overview, review of Project tasks, outcomes, and objectives. During the meeting, the points of contact for Agency and Consultant will be established. Consultant shall prepare draft meeting minutes that include draft action items and a record of any decisions resulting from the meeting. Consultant shall submit draft minutes and draft action items to the APM for review no later than 3 business days after the meeting. Agency will review draft minutes, action items, and decision record and submit comments to Consultant no later than 3 business days after receipt from Consultant. Consultant shall incorporate all Agency comments and submit final minutes, action items, and decision record to the APM no more than 5 business days following receipt of Agency response.

The Project Kick-Off Meeting must be completed within the first month after WOC NTP.

Task 1 Deliverables and Schedule:

· Draft agenda due to APM no later than 5 business days prior to the meeting.

· Meeting minutes, action items, and decision record due to APM no later than 3 business days following the meeting.

· Final meeting minutes, action items, and decision record no later than 5 business days after receipt of Agency response to draft.

Task 1.4: Program Support Consultant shall schedule and facilitate quarterly Project coordination meetings that include review of the Monthly Progress Reports. Agency may schedule up to 10 meetings (either in-person or teleconference) to review and coordinate the Project, Project status, and quality control processes with Agency and others whom either Consultant or Agency deems necessary, at the times and locations as agreed. Consultant shall provide key personnel to attend meetings scheduled by Agency, and attendee list must be approved by Agency. These meetings may be cancelled, rescheduled, or modified in length or participation when Agency and Consultant PM determine necessary.

Consultant shall schedule the meetings, notify all attendees of the schedule, and provide attendees with a meeting agenda via email not less than 5 business days prior to each meeting.

Consultant shall record meeting minutes and include issues discussed, deliverables status for all tasks, decisions made, agreements made, and all action items assigned at the meeting, as well as due dates for action items. Consultant shall provide all materials produced to fully support the issues discussed at the meetings and include them as part of the minutes. Consultant shall provide a written copy of the minutes to the APM via email within 10 business days following the meeting.

Task 1.4 Deliverables and Schedule:

· Agenda provided to meeting attendees no later than 5 business days prior to each meeting.

· Draft meeting minutes, action items, and decision record due to APM no later than 10 business days following each meeting.

· Final meeting minutes, action items, and decision record due to APM no later than 5 business days following receipt of Agency response to draft.

TASK 2 Phase 1 Implementation Phase 1a of the Mandatory RUC Program begins July 1, 2027 for existing electric vehicles upon registration renewal. This means that OReGO must be ready to accept participants by April 2027 as ODOT’s Driver and Motor Vehicle (“DMV”) Services Division sends out registration renewal notices 90 days in advance of their renewal date. Agency may choose to send out notifications to affected vehicle owners prior to their DMV renewal notices being received. Agency and OReGO Account Managers will be testing the systems in March 2027. Agency is creating an enrollment page which will be the first page that Participants will be directed to in the signup process. This page will be hosted by Agency, but there will be a need for supporting pages to be developed, for example, FAQ’s, educational information, potential training modules for dealerships, how to enroll instructions, etc. Consultant shall be ready to engage quickly with Agency and Account Managers to focus on website development, initial education for Phase 1a vehicle owners, potential communications to those vehicle owners prior to their DMV registration renewals, and potential marketing during this time as well. Consultant shall create an implementation plan that illustrates Consultant’s approach to implement Phase 1a. The implementation plan must include a communications plan for Phase 1a participants and possible solutions to deliver education, awareness, and instruction on how to enroll. All of these efforts for Phase 1a will need to go on in parallel to the development of the work outlined in Task 3 State OReGO Education Communications Plan. Consultant shall provide updates and other tools created from the implementation plan throughout the schedule of all 3 phases.

Consultant shall deliver initial outreach and marketing content and services in accordance with the approved implementation plan, to reach customers who are required to participate in Phase 1a of the mandatory Program.

Consultant shall create a customer-friendly website ready for the implementation of Phase 1a. Consultant shall develop the OReGO website with the intent for Agency to take over ownership of managing changes and future needs of the Program through the website. Consultant shall include a plan for updating the OReGO website (www.MyOReGO.org). The current landing page for OReGO is hosted by Agency on Oregon.gov, a SharePoint site. Consultant shall provide input for updating the website with the latest training materials and tools that are developed in other tasks, which may include videos, infographics, and other materials. Consultant shall work with OReGO Account Managers and other entities within the state (public and private) to coordinate efforts and align with Program requirements and plans. The website information must support the Phase 1a enrollment page and provide basic education and required enrollment information.. Consultant shall incorporate the updated enrollment page and any Phase 1a educational tools and marketing information needed for successful implementation of Phase 1a.

The programming language for the website has not been determined at this time, but is anticipated to be a combination of multiple programming languages due to the complexity of the initial landing page and also the intent to keep SharePoint as the standard for State Agencies.

Task 2 Deliverables and Schedule:

· Draft Implementation Plan

· Final Implementation Plan

· Outreach and marketing content and services

· Supporting Website

TASK 3 State OReGO Education Communications Plan The Education Communications Plan is a critical aspect of this Project. The plan will outline the best path forward for Tasks 4-7 and include a schedule and a detailed list of what needs to be accomplished in Tasks 4-7.

For Phase 2 and 3, Consultant shall develop a statewide OReGO Education Communications Plan that documents the approach to meeting Project goals. Consultant shall consider Task 4 – OReGO Education Tool Development and what tools can be used to provide updated information to the public; some of which could include website tutorials or other training tools and also includes tools and training for Point of Sale and cooperation with DMV and Vitu (the software used by dealerships to communicate with DMV), Task 5 – Public Awareness and solutions on the best media or other public communications opportunities, and Task 6 – Program Development; website development, Account Manager partnership and coordination, and outreach to other Agencies, States, Businesses. Consultant shall submit a draft OReGO Education Communications Plan to the APM. APM may modify the draft plan and include comments and corrections from the team and other stakeholders identified by Agency. Consultant shall incorporate changes and edits and provide the final draft back for approval to the APM.

OReGO Education Tool Development Plan As part of the Education Communications Plan, Consultant shall develop a plan for what tools and training materials will be most effective for the audience that will be affected by a mandatory RUC Program. HB 3991 (Special Session; 2025) outlines an implementation plan for vehicle owners as follows: July 1, 2027 – Existing Electric Vehicles upon registration renewal; January 1, 2028 – All new Electric Vehicles; and July 1, 2028 – New and renewing Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Hybrid Electric Vehicles.