0032-K.docx

STATE OF WYOMING

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION & INFORMATION

GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION, PROCUREMENT SECTION

2323 CAREY AVENUE

CHEYENNE, WY 82002

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NUMBER 0032-K

Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments Forestry Division

Big Sandy GNA Roadside Fuels Reduction

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME

September 9, 2024 – 2:00:00 P.M. MOUNTAIN TIME

AGENCY REPRESENTATIVE:

Nate Wilson

PROCUREMENT REPRESENTATIVE:

Jordan Tompkins Jordan.tompkins@wyo.gov 307-777-6799

Table of Contents

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SECTION 1: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

1. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS:

The A&I Procurement Office will receive proposals for providing the Big Sandy GNA Roadside Fuels Reduction Project for the State of Wyoming, Office of State Lands and Investments-Forestry Division (Agency) through the Public Purchase online bidding system. Proposals are due no later than 2:00:00 P.M. (Mountain Time) on September 9, 2024.

The technical proposal and cost proposal should be uploaded as separate documents and identified as such.

1.1. Proposals should be accompanied by the attached Proposal Price Sheet and signed by the proper official of the firm. All proposals should be uploaded on the Public Purchase online bidding system. Proposals sent by facsimile, email or paper copy may be rejected.

1.2. Proposals should be submitted through the Public Purchase online bidding system on or before the date and time specified. Proposals received after the date and time specified may be rejected.

1.3. The State of Wyoming reserves the right to withdraw this Request for Proposal, without cause, at any time before a contract has been fully signed and submitted to the A&I Procurement Office.

2. MODIFICATIONS OR WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS:

2.1. A proposal may be altered through the Public Purchase online bidding system before the proposal due date and time contained in this document.

2.2. The proposer may withdraw its proposal through the Public Purchase online bidding system up to the proposal due date and time contained in this document. If a proposal is accepted and the proposer fails to furnish the service agreed upon in the proposal, that proposer may be eliminated from future consideration.

3. PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS:

3.1. A proposal may be rejected if it modifies any of the provisions, specifications or minimum requirements of the Request for Proposal.

3.2. In case of error in the extension of prices in the proposal, unit prices will govern.

4. AWARD AND CONTRACT INFORMATION:

4.1. The State of Wyoming will ensure that minority business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals. The State of Wyoming will not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, color, sex, creed, national origin, or disability status.

4.2. The proposer also, agrees that should their firm be awarded a contract, it will not discriminate against any person who performs work there under because of age, race, color, sex, creed, national origin or disability. In addition, the successful proposer shall comply with the Americans with Disability Act and the Wyoming Fair Employment Practices Act.

4.3. The proposer expressly warrants to the State that it has the ability and expertise to perform the contract if awarded. In doing so, it shall use the highest standards of professional workmanship.

4.4. The State of Wyoming reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informality or technical defect in the proposals, or to award the contract in whole or in part, if deemed to be in the best interest of the State to do so. The A&I Procurement Office will award the contract to the firm, determined to have the most responsive and responsible proposal by the Agency.

4.5. The successful proposer will be required to agree to and execute a formal contract with the State containing terms required by the Attorney General with reasonable adjustments acceptable to the State.

4.6. If applicable, the State will negotiate payment terms based upon a schedule to be determined by the proposer and the State. Paying invoices will be based upon the proposer successfully completing the deliverables within the stated deadlines, and upon the Agency’s written acceptance of the deliverables or services.

4.7. The project manager may award additional acres at a later date if additional funding shall become available, based upon the price per acres stipulated in the bid proposal. The project manager and successful proposer may negotiate to +/- 10% of the price per acre (shall need to justify increase) if additional acres are awarded at a later date.

DATED: August 5, 2024 State of Wyoming Procurement Section Buyer: Jordan Tompkins

SECTION 2: GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. INSURANCE:

1.1. The contract between the successful proposer and the State shall require the successful proposer to carry certain insurance policies. All such insurance policies, except workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation policies, shall contain a waiver of subrogation against the Agency and the State, its agents and employees.

2. LAWS TO BE OBSERVED:

2.1. The proposer shall keep fully informed of, and comply with, all applicable federal and state laws or rules, all local bylaws, regulations and all orders and decrees of bodies or tribunals having any jurisdiction or authority. The proposer shall protect and indemnify the State and its representatives against any claim or liability arising from or based on the violation of any law, bylaw, ordinance, regulation, order or decree whether by himself or its employees.

3. ASSIGNMENT:

3.1. The proposal shall not be assigned by the proposer. Third party participation is authorized only as a joint venture that shall be clearly stated in detail in the original proposal and signed by all parties participating.

3.2. The proposer shall not enter into any subcontracts for any of the work contemplated under this Request for Proposal without the State’s prior written authorization.

4. EXTENSION AND AMENDMENT:

4.1. The proposer and the State covenant and agree that this proposal or subsequent contract may, with the mutual approval of the proposer and the State, be extended one year at a time, for a total contract period not to exceed three (3) years. (Agency may modify reasonably to suit project needs)

5. AUDIT AND ACCESS TO RECORDS:

5.1. The State or any of its duly authorized representatives shall have access to the proposer’s books, documents, papers, electronic data and records that are directly pertinent to this Request for Proposal.

6. CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

6.1. The proposer warrants that no kickbacks, gratuities, or contingency fees have been paid in connection with this Request for Proposal and none have been promised. The proposer warrants that no one being paid pursuant to the proposal is engaged in any activity that would constitute a conflict of interest with respect to the purchases of the proposal.

7. NO FINDER’S FEE:

7.1. The proposer warrants that no finder’s fee, employment agency fee, or any such fee related to the proposal shall be paid.

8. SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY:

8.1. Pursuant to Wyoming Statute § 1-39-104(a), the State of Wyoming and the Agency expressly reserve sovereign immunity and specifically retain all immunities and defenses available to them as sovereigns. The proposer acknowledges that the State of Wyoming has sovereign immunity and only the Wyoming Legislature has the power to waive sovereign immunity. Designation of venue, choice of law, enforcement actions, and similar provisions shall not be construed as a waiver of sovereign immunity. The parties agree that any ambiguity in this Request for Proposal shall not be strictly construed, either against or for either party, except that any ambiguity as to sovereign immunity shall be construed in favor of sovereign immunity.

9. INDEMNIFICATION:

9.1. The proposer shall release, indemnify, and hold harmless the State, the Agency and its officers, agents, and employees from any and all claims, suits, liabilities, court awards, damages, costs, attorneys’ fees, and expenses arising out of the proposer’s failure to perform any of the proposer’s duties and obligations hereunder or in connection with the negligent performance of proposer’s duties and obligations, including, but not limited to, any claims, suits, liabilities, court awards, damages, costs, attorneys’ fees, and expenses arising out of proposer’s negligence or other tortious conduct.

10. APPLICABLE LAW/VENUE:

10.1. The construction, interpretation, and enforcement of this Request for Proposal shall be governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, without regard to conflicts of law principles. The terms “hereof,” “hereunder,” “herein,” and words of similar import, are intended to refer to this Request for Proposal as a whole and not to any particular provision or part.

11. RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP AND MARKETING OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INTELLECTUAL ASSETS SUBMITTED FOR THE RFP (IF APPLICABLE):

11.1. It is acknowledged and agreed that the only party with a right to market, trademark, patent, copyright, or any like right to any intellectual property or intellectual assets submitted in relation to the Request for Proposal shall be and is solely vested in the State. This includes all intellectual property and intellectual assets related to both the written proposal and the oral presentation and any and all documents, pitches, products, media pitches, web screens, layouts, etc. produced for the written proposal and the oral presentation, and any updates, changes, alterations, or modifications to or derivative works.

SECTION 3: SPECIAL PROVISIONS INFORMATION

PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED THROUGH THE PUBLIC PURCHASE ONLINE BIDDING SYSTEM BY 2:00:00 P.M. MOUNTAIN TIME ON September 9, 2024. PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED MAY BE REJECTED.

It is the responsibility of the proposer to clearly identify all information that is considered confidential in accordance with the Wyoming Public Records Act, Wyoming Statute §16-4-201 through §16-4-205. Please identify each confidential page with the word “CONFIDENTIAL” in capital, bold letters centered at the bottom of each page. Information not clearly marked may be considered public. If the proposer submits information that it believes is confidential, it should include a statement justifying its basis for that belief.

1. STATE PARTIES:

1.1. This Request for Proposal is issued by the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, General Services Division, Procurement Section (Procurement) on behalf of the Office of State Lands and Investments-Forestry Division (Agency).

1.2. Throughout this document and others in connection with this project, various references are made, or will be made to the “State.” Generally, whenever this reference appears, the term “State” incorporates all state agencies working on this project.

1.3. It should be understood that the Director of Office of State Lands and Investments-Forestry Division is empowered to be the signatory on all contracts, agreements, or modifications pertaining to this project. Any contracts, agreements, or modifications not bearing this signature or that of a designee are invalid.

2. CONTENT AND PROCUREMENT POINTS OF CONTACT:

2.1. Procurement is the primary point of contact from the date of release of the Request for Proposal until a proposer is selected and the selection is announced.

2.2. Written questions about the procurement should be submitted through the Public Purchase online bidding system until 2:00:00 P.M. Mountain Time on August 19, 2024. Any questions received after that deadline may not be accepted or considered. Each question should be submitted individually. It is the proposer’s responsibility to check the Public Purchase online bidding system for answers to questions, addenda, or bid tabulations. Telephone calls, emails or faxes may not be accepted.

2.3. Written responses will be available through the Public Purchase online bidding system. Responses will not identify the firm that submitted the question. Only the written answers issued by the Agency are the official position on an issue, and these answers shall become part of the Request for Proposal.

3. RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS WITH AGENCY STAFF:

3.1. Until a proposer is selected and the selection is announced, proposers shall not communicate with Agency staff except via written questions through the Public Purchase online bidding system.

3.2. If a proposer violates this restriction, the State reserves the right to reject the proposal.

4. EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROPOSAL:

4.1. All terms, conditions and costs quoted in the proposer’s response will be binding on the proposer for one-hundred eighty (180) days from the effective date of the proposal.

5. ADVERTISING AWARD CONDITIONS:

5.1. A fully executed contract should be completed with the State before the successful proposer may advertise the award of the contract or the services being performed. The proposer should agree not to refer to awards in commercial advertising in such a manner that states or implies that the firm or its services are endorsed or preferred by the State of Wyoming.

6. CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS:

6.1. The State will notify the most qualified/successful proposer and negotiate a contract in accordance with the Wyoming Attorney General’s contract guidelines. The successful proposer will be required to enter into and sign a formal contract with the Agency.

6.2. In the event the Agency determines contract negotiations are making no forward progress, negotiations will be terminated, and at the State’s sole discretion, negotiations may be initiated with the next most qualified/successful proposer, or the RFP may be withdrawn or reissued. This process will be followed until an agreement is reached, or until the State determines that the RFP will be withdrawn or reissued. The State assumes no obligation to a selected proposer until an agreement is reached and a contract is fully executed. The State will not negotiate concurrently with more than one proposer for the same award.

7. BEGINNING WORK:

7.1. The successful proposer may not perform any work that could be billed until a contract has been executed. The State will not pay for any work by the proposer before a contract is executed.

8. COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT:

8.1. The proposer warrants that no materials, products, and services proposed will infringe upon or violate any patent, copyright, trade secret, or other proprietary right of any third party. In the event of a claim by any third party against the State, the State shall promptly notify the proposer, and the proposer shall defend the claim. The defense will be at the proposer’s expense.

9. COST OF PREPARING PROPOSALS:

9.1. All costs incurred for preparing the proposal and for other procurement related activities are solely the proposer’s responsibility. The State of Wyoming will not provide reimbursement of these costs.

10. RISKS AND LIABILITIES:

10.1. By submitting a proposal, a proposer assumes any and all risks and liability associated with information in the proposal and its release.

11. AMENDMENTS:

11.1. The State reserves the right to amend this Request for Proposal before the proposal submission date. Amendments shall be uploaded to the Public Purchase online bidding system. It is the proposer’s responsibility to check the Public Purchase online bidding system for amendments.

12. PROPERTY DAMAGE AND LIABILITY INSURANCE:

12.1. The proposer may be required to furnish proof of property damage liability insurance in the amount deemed necessary by the Agency for this project, if applicable.

12.2. Questions regarding required insurance coverage and limits for this project should be submitted in writing, in accordance with instructions outlined in the special provisions.

13. MISREPRESENTATION OF INFORMATION:

13.1. Misrepresentation of a proposer’s status, experience, or capability in the proposal may result in disqualification of that proposer from the selection process. Discovery of litigation or investigations in a similar area of endeavor may, at the discretion of the Agency and after consultation with Procurement, preclude the proposer from the selection process.

14. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS:

14.1. All material submitted becomes property of the State of Wyoming, which is under no obligation to return any of the material submitted.

15. LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS:

15.1. This Request for Proposal is issued under Wyoming Statute §9-2-3204.

16. PROPOSER RELATIONS WITH STATE:

16.1. The proposer and its staff will have an ongoing relationship with the State that is based on trust, confidentiality, objectivity and integrity. The proposer will operate at all times in the State’s best interests and in a straightforward, trustworthy and professional manner. The proposer shall:

16.1.1. Work cooperatively with the State’s staff and business partners whenever required.

16.1.2. Work cooperatively with the staff of other proposers whenever required.

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SECTION 4: KEY DATES

SECTION 5: ADMINISTRATIVE BACKGROUND

1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND:

1.1. This project will hand thin and pile conifer stands in order to reduce fuel loading and help to mitigate impacts from wildfire along the Big Sandy Opening Road (FS-370850) on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Sublette County, WY. This project is administered through Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) wherein Wyoming State Forestry Division performs forestry/restoration work on National Forest lands in cooperation with the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Currently heavy fuel loading exists along this road corridor which increases potential fire behavior and also reduces visibility along the road corridor. The Big Sandy Opening Road sees substantial recreational traffic during the summer months.

2. PURPOSE AND INTENT:

2.1. The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit competitive proposals from proposers who can offer hand thinning and piling fuels reduction work to meet the Agency’s needs and expectations, as described within this RFP.

3. STAKEHOLDERS:

3.1. United States Forest Service lands within the Bridger-Teton National Forest

SECTION 6: REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS

1. SCOPE OF PROJECT:

Hand thinning and piling on 56.8 acres of Forest Service land according to the following General Requirements. All contractual obligations must be completed by September 30, 2025.

2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES - The Contractor shall perform 56.8 acres of hand thinning and piling services in accordance with the following:

1. Unit Boundary Marking: All units (6,7,17,32,40,58,65,67,83,85,86,87, and 88) are identified in the maps provided in Attachment A. The treatment units will be generally identifiable with georeferenced pdf maps. Treatment unit boundaries will NOT be flagged. Within these units the contractor shall treat the area within 100 feet from the edge of the road prism. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ask for clarification, if needed, on any geospatial referenced unit boundaries prior to final inspection.

2. The Contractor shall treat all units using the following criteria:

A. All Dead trees greater than 2’ tall and less than 11” diameter at breast height (DBH) shall be felled.

B. All unhealthy (ie severe mistletoe, rust, split top, dead top, severe crook, or weak/discolored crowns) conifer trees regardless of size shall be felled except for whitebark pine and limber pine.

C. “Leave Trees” are the remaining live trees after cutting. All live conifer trees greater than 2’ tall and less than 11” DBH that are not selected as leave trees using the following criteria are to be felled.

(i) ***All whitebark pine and limber pine will be left regardless of disease, defect or size***

(ii) Leave trees will include all live trees greater than 11” DBH or until spacing of 25 trees per acre is met.

a. Leave tree spacing of 25 trees per acre (40’x40’) is an average and will be varied up to 90% (4’-76’ spacing) in order to leave the most desirable trees and create clumps.

b. Dead trees will be ignored for spacing purposes.

(iii) Leave Tree Preference: Leave trees shall be selected using tree health, size, and species in order to leave the highest quality trees:

a. The highest scoring individual trees will be retained as leave trees using the following table:

Subalpine fir /Engelman spruce Size (DBH) Score

Douglas-fir/ Lodgepole Size (DBH) Score

Species:

Size (DBH):

Disease/Defect:

Leave Tree Score:

D. Within Aspen stands (defined as areas of predominantly aspen species composition greater than one-quarter (1/4) acre) and within twenty feet (20’) of their perimeter, all live conifer trees between 2’ in height and 11” in DBH shall be felled.

a. No leave trees less than 11” DBH except for whitebark pine and limber pine will be left within aspen stands.

E. All felled trees are to be cut below the lowest live limb and severed completely from the stump.

a. Stumps shall not exceed four inches (4”) in height measured from the uphill side of the tree or from natural obstacles

F. All live conifer leave trees greater than eight inches (8”) DBH shall be pruned to the following specifications except for whitebark pine and limber pine:

a. Cut all live and dead limbs from ground level to a height of six feet (6’) above the ground on the uphill side of the tree.

b. All limbs shall be cut within one-half inch (1/2”) of the limb collar

c. Limbs that attach to the bole of the tree above six feet of height but extend below that height shall be cut to a height of six feet above ground level

G. All slash generated by the felled trees and pruning operations described above along with existing dead and downed materials shall be piled to the following specifications:

a. The Contractor shall transport slash up to a radius of one (1) chain (66’) to any pile to meet the minimum pile size specifications of 4 x 4 x 5 feet. Piles can be greater in size if they also meet the following additional specifications.

b. All trees felled (live and dead) shall be bucked and limbed no longer than 4 feet in length. All cut live material 8 inches in diameter or less shall be piled. All cut dead material 12 inches in diameter or less shall be piled. Remaining material shall be scattered ensuring no material is abutting other cut materials. All limbs will be severed from boles prior to piling.

c. Piles shall be located at least 15 feet from the bole of live whitebark pine or limber pine.

d. Piles shall be located at least 15 feet from the bole of any Douglas-fir greater than 12 inches DBH

e. Piles must be dome shaped with the smaller diameter branches in the middle of the pile and larger diameter rounds on top so that the slash consumes fully when burned

f. Any slash protruding more than one (1) foot beyond the general contour of the pile shall be cut off and placed in the pile.

g. Slash shall be tightly packed within the piles; loose piles with gaps that can be seen within them are not acceptable

h. Piles shall be constructed in suitable locations for their individual size to prevent heat damage to residual trees. Piles will be free standing and not constructed on or around large rocks.

i. Piles shall be at least ten (10) feet from the bole of any standing tree or snag and outside of the drip line

j. Piles shall be located outside of ephemeral draws and riparian vegetation and twenty feet (20’) from stream banks.

k. Piles shall be located at least twenty feet (20’) from roads.

l. Piles shall not be constructed on existing trails or within dispersed camping areas.

m. Piles shall be located at least twenty feet (20’) from fences. Any damages to fencing caused by contractor operations will be immediately repaired by the contractor.

H. No whitebark pine or limber pine shall be felled, cut, or damaged

3. The Contractor shall have a qualified, English speaking crew leader on site at all times

4. The Contractor shall keep all access roads and trails adjacent to or within each unit clear of slash and open to travel when not working in the area. The Contractor shall promptly remove slash accumulation from open meadows and water courses.

5. The Contractor shall furnish all skilled labor, experienced supervision, transportation, equipment, operating supplies, incidentals, and inspection services necessary to perform work in compliance with the Contract.

6. All transportation, equipment, operating supplies, and personnel shall arrive on site clean and free of vegetative debris or mud to reduce the introduction and spread of noxious/invasive weed species.

7. In order to provide for public safety, it is the Contractors responsibility to provide for traffic control needs and spotters during project operations. At minimum, the Contractor shall be responsible for signing work area in both directions of travel prior to entering work zone on publicly accessible USFS land (Example: TIMBER FALLING AHEAD).

8. The Contractor must provide a notification to the Agency two days prior to beginning work. The Contractor will be required to meet with the Agency representative before starting project work. The Contractor shall keep the Agency representative informed as to their planned work schedule.

9. Work camps may be established only in locations authorized in advance by the Agency representative, and only after the prior written authorization of the responsible land manager.

10. The Contractor shall protect all known monuments, witness corners, reference monuments, and bearing trees against avoidable destruction, obliteration, or damage during the Contractor’s operations. If any known monuments, witness corners, or accessories are destroyed, obliterated, or damaged by the Contractor’s operations, the Contractor shall hire the appropriate county surveyor or registered land surveyor to re-establish or restore the monuments, witness corners, or accessories, and shall pay all costs.

11. The Contractor shall keep all gates and openings closed, and shall fully respect all rights of any of the Agency’s lessees or other authorized users. Any damage to fences or gates caused by the Contractor, its agents, or employees, shall be repaired immediately by Contractor, with the cost of repairs paid by the Contractor.

3. RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

3.1. Project Manager: The proposer should designate a project manager to represent and oversee the project. This individual will serve as the focal and contact point for all proposer business matters relating to the project. An individual resume, a list of their qualifications, years of experience, current work assignments and office location should be included. Confirm that the project manager will:

3.1.1. Be the single point of contact for the duration of the engagement.

3.1.2. Be responsible for timely completion of all phases of the project.

3.1.3. Be responsible for meeting all contractual requirements for the duration of the project.

3.1.4. Remain assigned to the project through completion of the project as determined by the Agency.

3.2. Resource Management and Staffing Plan: the proposal should contain the proposer’s staffing plan in response to the requirements set forth in the RFP. At a minimum, the staffing plan should address the following:

3.2.1. Staffing Levels (estimated by staff disciplines by month for the duration of the project).

3.2.2. The agency shall have the right to request the removal of any proposer staff member from all work on this project, and the proposer will comply with any such request immediately.

3.2.2.1. The replacement for any staff member who is removed from or leaves the project for any reason should match or exceed the replaced staff member in terms of skill level and experience. Such replacements are subject to the Agency approval at the time of assignment and again 90 days later.

SECTION 7: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE:

1.1. A pre-proposal conference/site visit will not be held in connection with this RFP.

2. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL, FORMAT AND CONTENTS:

2.1. Proposals should be submitted in two major sections: the Technical Proposal and the Cost Proposal. Omission of this section or any item within this section may result in the proposal being eliminated. The proposer should, at a minimum, address the following points:

2.1.1. Table of Contents: The table of contents should include all items listed in this section.

2.1.2. Executive Summary: The executive summary will condense and highlight the contents of the technical proposal in such a way as to provide the State with a broad understanding of the proposer’s qualifications and approach to meeting the requirements of the RFP.

2.1.3. Proposer’s Background and Experience: The proposer should include a company summary including the company history, location, office location(s), company size, financial statements (if applicable), and the statement of technical areas of expertise. The proposer should be able to substantiate to the satisfaction of the Agency that the proposer has sufficient resources to complete the project successfully within the time requirements.

2.1.4. Resumes: The proposer should include brief resumes for personnel that will be working on the project, if awarded the contract. The resumes should clearly identify expertise in the functional areas listed in Section 6. Specialized training courses will not be acceptable for demonstration of expertise in the required areas. Proven work experience combined with related education will be the means of substantiating expertise.

2.1.4.1. Resume Format: Each project reference in a resume should include both the customer name and the time period the person worked on the project, as well as a brief description of the scope of work for that project. In addition, resumes should explain the role and responsibility of each person participating in the project. The State expects that personnel associated with these resumes will be the personnel working on the project, should the proposer be awarded the contract.

2.1.5. References: Corporate references are required from at least three (3) prior clients.

2.1.5.1. References may be verified during the proposal evaluation by telephone calls made by members of the Evaluation Committee or through e-mail or the United States Postal Service.

2.1.5.2. If contact with the referenced contact person or an alternative that has knowledge of the proposer is not made after reasonable attempts during the designated evaluation period, the reference will be classified as unsatisfactory. All attempts to contact a referenced client will be documented, including the date and time of the attempt.

2.1.5.3. The Agency reserves the right to contact other State of Wyoming agencies regarding engagements they may have had with the proposer’s company in the past, in addition to the references provided in the proposal.

2.1.6. Single Point of Contact: The proposer should identify a single point of contact for all contract management activities. The proposer’s Project Manager’s name and resume should be submitted with the proposal. The successful proposer should not change the Project Manager without written Agency approval.

2.1.7. Proposer’s Project Work Plan: The proposer should submit a work plan that meets the needs of the RFP and indicates a thorough understanding of the scope of work as outlined in Section 6. The proposer should identify realistic person hours of effort and responsibilities for the deliverables and each work activity.

2.1.8. Contract Exceptions: Proposers should state agreement with all General Provisions and should furnish any exceptions to these provisions.

2.1.9. Staffing and Project Organization: A staffing plan should be included with numbers of personnel and a project manager identified.

3. COST PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT:

3.1. Cost Proposal Price Sheets: These pages are required by the A&I Procurement Section and are the State’s official pricing documents. Each applicable proposer should upload the Technical Proposal and the Cost Proposal Sheets as separate documents, and identify them as such, using the Public Purchase online bidding system. The price to be entered on this page is the total fixed In case of error in the extension of prices in the proposal, unit prices will govern. Cost breakdowns are not included on this page. The proposer should ensure all signatures and identifying numbers are properly affixed to this page in order for the Cost Proposal to be accepted.

3.2.

SECTION 8: EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

1. OVERVIEW:

1.1. The Agency will conduct a comprehensive, fair, objective and impartial evaluation of proposals received in response to this Request for Proposal. Proposals will be evaluated independently by the evaluation committee members. The evaluation committee shall be made up of members representing the project subject expertise. The evaluation committee will review and score all proposals independently and consolidate the scores in order to determine the award.

2. COMPLIANCE WITH MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS:

2.1. To be considered responsive, a submitted proposal should meet the minimum requirements defined in this RFP. The minimum requirements are intended to ensure that evaluation of the Technical Proposal can proceed and that the Contractor agrees to perform all responsibilities within the RFP.

3. TECHNICAL SCORING AND RANKING:

3.1. PROPOSER BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE: 20 Points. Proposer should present materials describing its organization capability to successfully perform the responsibilities of this contract.

3.2. STAFFING AND PROJECT ORGANIZATION: 10 Points. The proposer should provide an staffing plan with the number of proposed personnel and the Project Manager identified

3.2.1. The proposer should identify a single point of contact for all contract management activities. The proposer’s Project Manager’s name and resume should be submitted with the proposal. The successful proposer should not change the Project Manager without written Agency approval.

3.3. PROPOSER’S PROJECT WORK PLAN: 20 Points. The proposer should submit a work plan that meets the needs of the RFP and indicates a thorough understanding of the scope of work. The work plan should:

3.3.1. Identify all required work activities, milestones and deliverable dates.

3.4. VALUE ADDED: 10 Points. This would be any added value that would differentiate the proposer from the other proposals that the Agency may receive.

4. COST SCORING AND RANKING:

4.1. COST ANALYSIS: 40 Points. The cost shall be presented as key deliverables in the form of individual cost and a project total (sum of the deliverables). The State of Wyoming reserves the right to conduct a cost analysis of the proposer’s budget proposal. The analysis will include a review of all the associated costs based on the technical content of their submission. The total project cost should include all of the items listed in the scope of work. If any of the scope of work services cannot be provided in the proposal or the requirement cannot be met, this is to be clearly explained as to why and what alternative approach will be and its associated cost. If there are no exclusions or exceptions, it will be determined that all of the criteria have been met for the price quotes, inclusive of all personnel, overhead, travel, equipment usage, and other miscellaneous costs for the specified contract period.

5. EVALUATION POINT SUMMARY:

Proposer Background and Experience: 20 Points

6. FINAL RANKING OF PROPOSALS:

6.1 The State of Wyoming will be the sole authority of evaluating proposals. The firm that best meets the conditions of each of the criterion will be awarded the highest (not necessarily maximum) points for that criterion. The balance of the proposals will be rated based on their evaluated points. After each criterion is evaluated, the proposer with the highest number of points will be notified. The State of Wyoming reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any informality of technical defect in the proposals, or to award the contract in whole or in part, if deemed in the best interest of the State to do so.

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SECTION 9: PROPOSAL PRICE SHEET AND SIGNATURE PAGE

The undersigned agrees to provide proposals for hand thinning and piling fuels reduction work to the Wyoming Office of State Lands and Investments-Forestry Division in accordance with the Request for Proposal, General Provisions, Special Provisions and Proposal Price Sheet for Request for Proposal Number 0032-K.

RFP 0032-K, Page 1 of 2

BOILERPLATE

REVISED SEPTEMBER 2022

Total Evaluated all-inclusive price for contract:

Price per acre:

1. BY SUBMISSION OF A PROPOSAL, THE PROPOSER CERTIFIES:

1.1. Prices in this proposal have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication or agreement for the purpose of restricting competition.

1.2. The Proposer has not and will not attempt to induce any other person or firm to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

1.3. The person signing this proposal certifies they are authorized to represent the company and are legally responsible for the price and supporting documentation provided as a result of this advertisement.

1.4. Proposer will comply with all applicable state and federal regulations, policies, guidelines and requirements.

Prices in this proposal have not been knowingly disclosed by the proposer nor will they be disclosed prior to award.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Proposer Name: Phone:

Email Address:

Mailing Address:

City: State: Zip:

Employer Identification Number (EIN):

3. OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL:

Proposer’s Legal Structure

The proposer shall provide to the Agency a certificate of good standing from the Wyoming Secretary of State or other proof that proposer is authorized to conduct business in the State of Wyoming before performing work under this Contract. The proposer shall ensure all annual filing and corporate taxes due and owing to the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office are up-to-date before signing the contract. Proposers may contact the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, Corporate Division at (307) 777-7311 for assistance.

4. VENDOR VERIFICATION

I certify under penalty of perjury, that I am a responsible official (as identified above) for the business entity described above as the proposer, that I have personally examined and am familiar with the information submitted in this disclosure and all attachments, and that the information is true, accurate and complete. I may be charged significant penalties for submitting false information, including criminal sanctions, which can lead to fines and/or imprisonment.

Signature Date

Name Title