076A-26.pdf

Invitation No. 076A-26

ITB 076A Fiber Optic Cable and Devices

REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1: Intent

The purpose of this invitation to bid is to establish a term contract for ITS fiber related devices, such as fiber optic cable, fiber optic equipment and accessories.

There will be 3 groups with associated parts and hardware as follows:

Group 1 – Fiber Optic Cable Group 2 – Fiber Optic Equipment Group 3 – Fiber Optic Cable Accessories

Section 2: Contract Duration

The effective duration of this contract shall be twelve (12) months from the date of award.

Section 3: Free on Board (F.O.B.) Place of Destination

Please be advised, the vendor must honor any bid price submitted in this Invitation to Bid for all of ODOT’s twelve (12) Districts and eighty-eight (88) counties in the State of Ohio.

All deliveries shall be Free on Board (F.O.B.) to any of ODOT’s twelve (12) Districts and eighty-eight (88) county destination locations in the State of Ohio, as per the enclosed map. Purchase orders when issued, will detail specific destination points. The Department will not accept any additional charges for these deliveries.

District 1 - Lima

District 7- Sidney

District 2 - Bowling Green District 8 - Lebanon

District 3 - Ashland District 9 - Chillicothe

District 4 - Akron District 10 - Marietta

District 5 - Jacksontown District 11 - New Philadelphia

District 6 - Delaware District 12 - Garfield Heights

Central Garage - Columbus (CG) Traffic Operations/Sign Shop - Columbus

Section 4: Delivery

Delivery shall be made within sixty (60) calendar days upon written or verbal notification of a valid State of Ohio purchase order. Delivery beyond these specified timeframes is subject to ODOT approval with proper written documentation from the manufacturer, stating a delay in materials/production.

All equipment shall be delivered to the Office of Traffic Operations unless delivery is requested to be made directly to a District Office.

Office of Traffic Operations 1606 West Broad Street Columbus, Ohio 43223

(614) 387- 4113

4.1: Delivery Hours

All deliveries shall be made between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding State holidays, unless special permission is granted by the Department to temporarily waive or adjust this requirement. Large, shipped items shall be accessible for a forklift.

Section 5: F.O.B. Delivery Minimum Order: $250.00

a. Orders meeting or exceeding the minimum shall be shipped F.O.B. Place of

Destination at the unit bid price.

b. Orders amounting to less than the minimum shall be shipped at the unit bid price, prepaid with freight/shipping charges added to the invoice. Copies of freight/shipping charges are to be included with the invoice.

c. No minimum shall apply to an order picked up by the Department at the vendor location, at the unit bid price.

d. Vendors are required to accept credit card payment for orders up to $5,000.00.

Section 6: Contract Award

The award of this invitation will be to all responsive and responsible bidders per item.

Bids must be for the specific item listed per the manufacturer and associated part number. If there are no manufacturer or part numbers listed on items, the item is open to any manufacturer and part that meets the required specifications.

ODOT may elect to purchase indefinite quantities of such bid items.

Note: Many items in this invitation to bid are grouped together for compatibility purposes, but the Department reserves the right to order any items individually.

Section 7: Price Adjustments

In the event of material shortages or unexpected situations similar to the pandemic, ODOT will consider pricing adjustments. All bid pricing shall not increase for the first ninety (90) calendar days after the date of the bid opening. Thereafter, a request for a price increase may be submitted in writing to the Department’s Office of Contract Sales along with all documentation that supports the need for the price increase. No price increase will be effective until it is approved by the Department and the Vendor is notified of such approval in writing. The price increase will take effect upon the date the Vendor is notified. In the event that a price increase is accepted by the Department, the Vendor may not seek an additional price increase for at least thirty (30) calendar days. The Department reserves the right to reject any proposed price increase, or to cancel the contract if such action is determined to be in the best interest of the Department.

In the event of a general price decrease, the Department shall be guaranteed full benefit of the price reduction for all undelivered purchase orders on the effective date of the decrease and thereafter. The Department will be entitled to a price decrease any time the Vendor sells a product or a service to any similarly situated customer for less than the price agreed to between the Department and the Vendor under this Contract. Any time the Vendor sells a product or provides a service to any customer or dealer for less than it is available to the Department under this Contract, the Vendor must notify the Department of that event within thirty (30) calendar days of its occurrence and immediately reduce the price of the affected goods or services to the Department under this Contract. If the Department believes it is appropriate, it will ask to renegotiate the price under this Contract of the goods and services affected by the general reduction in price. If the Vendor and the Department cannot agree on a renegotiated price, the Department will have the right, upon notice to the Vendor, to immediately remove the affected products and services from this Contract.

Section 8: Descriptive Literature

All bidders should submit with their bid descriptive literature that fully describes the items being bid. The descriptive literature should be submitted in pdf (Portable Document Format) with color files arranged with a separate file for each Group of the contract.

Literature must clearly show by callout, circle, highlight or similar means those items being specified for bid and the contract item number.

Manufacturers' guarantees and/or standard warranties on all equipment bids shall be provided to ODOT with the bid package.

Failure to submit this descriptive literature may cause the Department to deem your bid as non-responsive.

Section 9: Product Specifications

Vendors are required to provide the requested part number. If part numbers are no longer available or discontinued by the manufacturer, the vendor shall provide an approved equal that will be fully compatible with existing material and include documented reasoning. If no part number is listed, it can be assumed that various models of devices / equipment may be approved to be acceptable.

9.1: Description

This work shall consist of furnishing ITS Fiber Optic cable and materials, testing equipment & training, and specified accessories. All equipment shall be in conformance with the types, models and systems as specified.

Equipment shall comply with this document and applicable sections of the ODOT 2023 Construction and Material Specifications (C&MS), Standard Construction Drawings (SCDs), and Supplemental Specifications 804, 809, 904 and 909.

Wherever the following abbreviations are used in these specifications, they shall be construed to have the following meaning:

CalTrans: California Department of Transportation CMS: 2023 Construction and Material Specifications, ODOT EIA: Electronic Industries Association NEMA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association ODOT: Ohio Department of Transportation OTO: Office of Traffic Operations QPL: “Qualified Products List” as published by CalTrans SCD: Standard Construction Drawing TAP: Traffic Approved Products List APL: Approved Products List

9.2: Materials and Equipment

Equipment and materials furnished shall be new and free of defects. Electrical parts, switches, and other elements of the installation shall be of ample capacity to carry the required current without excessive heating or drop of potential.

Standard industrial quality components (IC chips, transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.) shall be used wherever possible. These components shall be clearly identified with the original identification. Other vital information such as voltage polarity, emitter or collector terminals, pin locations, etc., shall be designated by an approved industrial procedure. All components shall be available and in production by a reputable manufacturer.

Major items or assemblies of equipment shall bear a nameplate, indelible marking or brand that shall identify it as to type, model, catalog number and manufacturer.

If there is an industry shortage of specific part numbers specified or parts that have become obsolete, products with specifications equal to or greater than the product listed may be approved as a substitute, provided there is no additional cost to ODOT. Vendors must submit a request in writing to the Office of Contracts and following contact below for review and approval.

Jason Yeray, P.E.

Traffic Operations Adminstrator Jason.yeray@dot.ohio.gov

9.2.1: Warranty

Warranties shall be per Supplmental Specification 804.04. Manufacturer’s guarantees or warranties on all equipment shall be transferred to ODOT upon delivery and acceptance of the equipment.

Equipment furnished under this contract shall be guaranteed to perform according to these specifications and to the manufacturer's published specifications. Defective equipment shall be repaired or replaced within 60 days upon receipt by the vendor.

Section 10: Bid Submission

The awarded Vendor must be registered with the State of Ohio in the OHIO Buys system to enable ODOT to process invoice payments. The Vendor’s registered name and address in the system must match the details on submitted invoices. If not already registered, the Vendor must complete registration immediately upon contract award.

Ohio Buys - OhioBuys Overview | State of Ohio Procurement OAKS - How to Register | OhioPays Procurement Resources - Procurement Services | Department of Administrative Services (ohio.gov)

If assistance is needed reach out by email (obm.contactcenter@obm.ohio.gov) or phone (877-644- 6771).

mailto:Jason.yeray@dot.ohio.gov https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprocure.ohio.gov%2Fstate-and-local-agencies%2Fresources%2Fohiobuys-overview&data=05%7C02%7CJason.Yeray%40dot.ohio.gov%7C6405da80e80e43f2c92708dd737afc16%7C50f8fcc494d84f0784eb36ed57c7c8a2%7C0%7C0%7C638793694224130979%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=ia%2Ffd8Z6H9EkJl%2FtQ1QVdMZjQ22GJfxky5bWxlywHUg%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fohiopays.ohio.gov%2Fgetting-started%2F02-how-to-register%2F02-how-to-register&data=05%7C02%7CJason.Yeray%40dot.ohio.gov%7C6405da80e80e43f2c92708dd737afc16%7C50f8fcc494d84f0784eb36ed57c7c8a2%7C0%7C0%7C638793694224118385%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=y0qjzUk%2FH6Kz5Vx0z2A3nF6yrELXfCPgJbqfHw8lKd4%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdas.ohio.gov%2Fbuying-and-selling%2Fprocurement-services%2F2-procurement-services&data=05%7C02%7CJason.Yeray%40dot.ohio.gov%7C6405da80e80e43f2c92708dd737afc16%7C50f8fcc494d84f0784eb36ed57c7c8a2%7C0%7C0%7C638793694224093534%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PGnmT%2BDi3GV2c8qjM%2FPoInsDj4Z93tR3q2fNdjMdqrY%3D&reserved=0 mailto:obm.contactcenter@obm.ohio.gov

Vendors must submit their Bid Responses electronically in OhioBuys before the published deadline date & time, Columbus, Ohio local time on the Proposal due date. Vendors will not be able to submit Bid Responses, or unsolicited Proposal amendments after the deadline.

Vendors must allow adequate time for uploading a Bid Response prior to the due date and time.

ODOT recommends that vendors submit Bid Responses as early as possible. If a second round is issued for any reason, vendors must resubmit their bid if they had already submitted in a previous round, as the previously submitted Bid Responses do NOT carry over to the new round.

The Signature process takes place after the award now. The email will come from documents@esign.ohio.gov and will go to the signatory that was identified in the bid submission. The subject line will be the bid # Signature Request, (example: 101G-25 Signature Request).

No contract can be issued to your company until we receive your signature to complete the process.

And you must have an OAKS Payor ID before a contract can be issued. To obtain that, you will need to go into https://ohiopays.ohio.gov.

mailto:documents@esign.ohio.gov https://ohiopays.ohio.gov/

State of Ohio, Department of Transportation (ODOT)

Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services

Ohio Buys

Terms and Conditions for Submitting Excel Pricing File in Bid Package

If an Excel File is Present in Ohio Buys

1. SUBMISSION OF EXCEL PRICING FILE: Bidders should submit the pricing page in the original excel format.

2. UNAPPROVED ALTERATIONS TO EXCEL PRICING FILE: Bidders who materially alter the original content of the Excel pricing file (e.g. specifications, formulas, etc.) issued by the Department may be found non-responsive and ineligible for award of this procurement.

3. CHANGES TO EXCEL PRICING FILE: The Department will only make modifications to the Excel pricing file by written addendum only. Where changes are necessary to the Excel pricing page, the Department will issue a new Excel pricing page indicating the revisions made and a revision date for the changes.

It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to check for issued addenda prior to submitting a bid package to ensure the most updated Excel pricing file is being utilized.

4. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Bidders may electronically provide any descriptive literature (e.g.

brochures, spec/cut sheets, drawings, MSDS, etc.) regarding the products and/or services offered by the bidder. As this literature may be publicly posted for viewing by purchasers, bidders must not submit any literature electronically in which they consider to be a trade secret, proprietary, or confidential in any way.

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INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR BIDDING

(Last revised 2/12/2025)

1. BIDDER REGISTRATION: The Department requires awarded bidder(s) to successfully register as a State of Ohio Supplier with the Department of Ohio Shared Services and successfully obtain an OAKS vendor identification number (OAKS ID) within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of contract award and execution. The Department cannot utilize awarded Contracts to purchase from a bidder who cannot obtain an OAKS ID from Ohio Shared Services. In the event an awarded bidder is unable to obtain an OAKS ID, the Department shall reserve the right to revoke its award to the bidder and immediately cancel any resulting Contract.

a. A Supplier Information Form and W-9 must be completed and sent back directly to Ohio Shared Services in order to register and apply for an OAKS ID. The following website can be accessed by bidders to obtain both the forms and specific instructions for obtaining an

OAKS ID:

b. http://ohiosharedservices.ohio.gov/SupplierOperations/Forms.aspx

c. It is strongly recommended that all interested bidders not already registered with Ohio

Shared Services submit the above paperwork prior to the bid submission deadline.

2. HOW BIDS MUST BE SUBMITTED: Vendors must submit their Bid Responses electronically in Ohio Buys before the published deadline date & time, Columbus, Ohio local time on the Proposal due date. Vendors will not be able to submit Bid Responses, or unsolicited Proposal amendments after the deadline.

Vendors must allow adequate time for uploading a Bid Response prior to the due date and time.

ODOT recommends that vendors submit Bid Responses as early as possible. If a second round is issued for any reason, vendors must resubmit their bid if they had already submitted in a previous round, as the previously submitted Bid Responses do NOT carry over to the new round.

3. PREBID QUESTIONS, DISCREPANCIES, AND CLARIFICATIONS: Any discrepancies, omissions, ambiguities, or conflicts in or among the bidding documents or doubts as to the meaning shall be brought to the Department’s attention by the bidder no less than three (3) business days prior to the bid submission deadline. All questions, discrepancies, clarifications, etc. must be submitted electronically in Ohio Buys. During the competitive bidding process, bidders (and their agents) are prohibited from contacting any ODOT office, including District offices, other than the Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services section to obtain responses to any questions. The Department may find a bidder non-responsive for failing to adhere to any of the above requirements.

4. MODIFICATIONS TO THE BIDDING DOCUMENTS: When it is deemed necessary to modify these bidding documents, the Department will only do so by written addendum. The issuance of an addendum is dependent upon the information received and the impact on the competitive bid process. All issued addenda will be posted to the Ohio Buys website.

5. PRE-BID CONFERENCES: The Department reserves the right to hold mandatory or optional pre-bid conferences at its discretion. Conferences may be held either in-person or via webinar/phone conference formats. Bidders will be required to sign in at all pre-bid conferences. The sign-in sheet for all pre-bid conferences is considered a public record, will be kept in the bid file, and will be shared with any requesting party. Additionally, any business cards collected during any pre-bid http://ohiosharedservices.ohio.gov/SupplierOperations/Forms.aspx conference shall be considered public records and may be distributed out to all conference attendees. Any changes to the requirements or specifications of a procurement, as a result of the pre-bid conference content, will be made by written addendum and publicly posted.

a. For mandatory pre-bid conferences, the Department requires that those companies intending on submitting a bid be in attendance for the entire duration of the pre-bid conference. Mandatory pre-bid conferences will officially begin five (5) minutes after the scheduled date and start time at the location specified in the Special Terms and Conditions.

Those bidders not in attendance at that time will be considered ineligible to submit a bid.

The conference will be considered adjourned and complete when a representative of the Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services section indicates so. To be considered in attendance and eligible to bid, a bidder must have at least one representative of the company in attendance. A single representative cannot be present on behalf of two or more companies (bidders). Each company (bidder) must send its own representative on behalf of their organization. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the representative follows the sign-in procedures to properly document the bidder’s attendance. The Department shall not be held responsible for a bidder’s failure to arrive at the meeting on time, properly sign-in, or failure to stay for the entire duration of the meeting.

6. LATE BIDS: A bid received after 1:00 p.m. eastern time, on the bid submission deadline. The system will not allow a bid after the closing date and time.

7. BIDS FIRM: Once opened, all bids are firm and cannot be altered by the bidder. Once a Contract is awarded and executed, the Vendor shall deliver all products and/or services at the bid prices and terms contained in the Contract. All submitted bids shall remain valid for a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the date of the public bid opening. Beyond sixty (60) calendar days, bidders will have the option to either honor their submitted bid or make a written request to withdraw their bid from consideration. The Ohio Department of Transportation shall receive the benefit of any decrease in price during the sixty (60) day period.

8. WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS: A bidder may withdraw their bid in Ohio Buys prior to opening. If after opening a vendor wishes to withdraw their bid, they may do so in writing to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

9. MODIFICATION OF SUBMITTED BIDS PRIOR TO BID OPENING: A bidder may modify their bid response prior to the scheduled date and time set for the public bid opening in Ohio Buys.

10. UNIT BID PRICES: The unit bid price(s) submitted shall govern the award of this procurement unless otherwise specified in the bid evaluation criteria. The unit bid price should be entered for each required bid item on the Department’s pricing page. Use of ditto marks, arrows, or other markings in lieu of the actual unit price may result in a non-responsive bid determination. Lot or group prices listed in the unit bid price area shall be considered as the unit price unless clearly identified as the lot price. Unless specifically allowed in the contract’s terms and conditions, requests to change or alter unit bid prices after the public bid opening are prohibited.

a. The following requirements also apply to unit bid prices:

11. DECIMAL POINT: Bidders should not insert a unit cost of more than two (2) digits to the right of the decimal point. Digit(s) beyond two (2) will be dropped and not recognized by the Department for the purposes of bid evaluation or contract award.

12. CREDIT CARD FEES: Bidders must incorporate into their unit bid price(s) submitted all costs and fees associated with the State’s use of a payment (credit) card.

13. DISCOUNTS: While bidders may offer to the Department discounts for prompt payment and other similar incentives, discounts and incentives these will not be used to alter the submitted unit bid price(s) for purposes of bid evaluation and contract award. This section only applies to bids awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder either by individual bid item or group of bid items and does not include bids which are awarded to all responsive and responsible bidders (i.e. Multiple Award Contracts).

14. MULTIPLE AWARD CONTRACTS: Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 5513.02, the Department may award Contracts to all responsive and responsible bidders for articles (i.e. bid items) meeting the general specifications provided. These are referenced by the Department as ‘Multiple Award Contracts’. Unit bid prices submitted for Multiple Award Contracts shall be considered by the Department as an amount-not-to-exceed unit bid price for the entire duration of the Contract. These awarded, amount-not-to-exceed bid prices often do not reflect potential quantity discounts, freight discounts, nor other similar discounts/incentives offered periodically by a distributor, manufacturer, or supplier. Where like or similar bid items are being offered by two or more awarded Vendors (bidders) on the awarded Contract, the Department reserves the right to obtain quotes from all awarded bidders on the Contract in order to achieve the best and most up-to-date pricing available to the Department at the time of ordering.

15. UNBALANCED BIDS: The Department will not accept unit bid prices that are deemed to be either materially or mathematically unbalanced. The final determination of an unbalanced unit bid price shall be at the Department’s sole discretion.

16. TIE BID PROCESS: If two or more responsive bids offer the same unit bid price, ODOT may break the tie as follows: during the bid evaluation process, the bidders that submitted tie bids will be contacted and given up to three (3) business days to submit a written revised unit price for the affected item or items. Bidders are not required to submit a revised unit price. In the event a tie still exists after the above-prescribed deadline has passed, ODOT will schedule a coin flip to be conducted in the presence of both bidders. The winner of the coin flip will be deemed awarded the affected bid item(s).

17. PREFERENCE FOR OHIO/BORDER STATE PRODUCTS: The bid award for this procurement may be subject to the domestic preference provisions of the Buy America Act, 41 U.S.C.A., 10a- 10d, as amended, and to the preference for Ohio products under O.R.C. Sections 125.09 and

125.11 and Ohio Administrative Code Rule 123:5-1-06.

18. RESPONSIVE BIDDER: A bidder is responsive if its bid responds to the bid specifications in all material respects and contains no irregularities or deviations from the specifications that would affect the amount of the bid or otherwise give the bidder an unfair competitive advantage.

19. MINOR INFORMALITIES OR IRREGULARITIES IN BIDS: A minor informality or irregularity is one that is merely a matter of form and not of substance. It also pertains to some immaterial defect in a bid or variation of a bid from the exact requirements of the invitation that can be corrected or waived without being prejudicial to other bidders. The defect or variation is immaterial when the effect on price, quantity, quality, or delivery is negligible when contrasted with the total cost or scope of the supplies or services being acquired. The Department either shall give the bidder an opportunity to cure any deficiency resulting from a minor informality or irregularity in a bid or waive the deficiency, whichever is to the advantage of the Department.

20. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY: The Department will only award this procurement to what it deems to be a responsible bidder. The Department’s determination of a bidder’s responsibility includes, but is not limited to, the following factors:

i. experience of the bidder;

ii. bidder’s financial condition;

iii. bidder’s conduct and performance on previous contracts;

iv. the bidder’s facilities;

v. the bidder’s management skills;

vi. the bidder’s employees;

vii. past experience and/or quality of bidder’s proposed subcontractors;

viii. the bidder’s ability to execute the contract;

ix. review of Federal and Department debarment lists;

x. bidder has history of successful performance on contracts of similar size and scope; and

xi. current or impending legal actions against a bidder.

21. APPARENT CLERICAL MISTAKES: Clerical mistakes apparent on the face of the bid may be corrected, at the Department’s discretion, before contract award. The Department first shall obtain from the bidder a verification of the information intended and will attach written verification of the mistake by the bidder in the contract file and award documents. Example of apparent clerical mistakes are:

1. Obvious misplacement of a decimal point or comma;

2. Obvious incorrect discount factor; or

3. Transcription error in Part Number.

22. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The Department reserves the right to request additional information to evaluate a bidder’s responsiveness to the procurement’s requirements and/or to evaluate a bidder’s overall responsibility. These requests may require the bidder’s submission of confidential materials (e.g. financial statements). If a bidder does not provide all of the requested information within the prescribed timeframe, the Department may find the bid non-responsive and ineligible for award.

23. PRODUCT SAMPLES: The Department may require bidders, by procurement or by request during bid evaluation, to provide sample supplies or equipment or examples of work, at the Bidder’s expense. Samples must clearly identify the Bidder, the bid number, and the item the sample represents in the bid. The Department will return samples that are not destroyed by testing, at the Bidder's expense, upon the Bidder’s timely request. The Department may keep the samples of the Bidder awarded the contract until the completion of the contract. Unsolicited samples submitted in response to this procurement will not be evaluated and the Department may dispose of them in any way it chooses.

24. SPECIFICATIONS: The Department is authorized by Sections 5513 and/or 125.02(B) of the Ohio

Revised Code to prepare specifications and establish contracts to obtain the supplies, equipment, and/or services referenced within this procurement. The purpose of the provided specifications is to describe the supplies, equipment, and/or services to be purchased and will serve as a fair and equitable basis for comparison of submitted bids. The Department may use any form of specification it determines to be in the best interest of the Department and that best describes the supplies or services to be purchased. Specifications may be in the form of a design specification or a combination thereof. If the department determines that a design, performance or a combination specification is not in the best interest of the Department, it may use brand name or equal specifications.

a. Unless otherwise specified in this procurement, all products, equipment, supplies, etc.

offered by bidders must be in a new condition. A ‘new’ product is one that will be first used by the Department after it has been manufactured or produced. Used, reconditioned, or previously titled products, supplies, or equipment will not be considered for award of this procurement.

b. The Department uses qualified products list (QPL) and/or approved products lists (APL) developed by either itself or other qualified institutions to specify acceptable products and supplies that have been through proper application and testing procedures to verify conformance with technical and/or performance specifications. Where the Department requires products and supplies to be included on a specific QPL/APL listing, the Department will not accept bids for products/supplies that are not included on a specified QPL/APL at the time of public bid opening.

c. A bidder may not be compensated for damages arising from inaccurate or incomplete information in the procurement specifications or from inaccurate assumptions based upon the specifications.

25. USE OF BRAND NAMES: Unless otherwise provided in this solicitation, the name of a certain brand, make, or manufacturer does not restrict bidders to the specific brand, make, or manufacturer named, but conveys the general style, type, character, and quality of the article desired. Any article which the Department, in its sole discretion, determines to be the equivalent of that specified, considering quality, workmanship, economy of operation, or suitability for the purpose intended, may be accepted. The bidder is responsible to clearly and specifically identify the product being offered and to provide sufficient descriptive literature, catalog cuts and technical detail to enable the Department to determine if the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation.

Failure to furnish adequate data for evaluation purposes may result in declaring a bid nonresponsive. Unless the bidder clearly indicates in its bid that the product being offered is an equivalent product, such bid will be considered to offer the exact brand, make, or manufacturer name referenced in the bid solicitation.

26. DEVIATIONS: Statements or modifications made by a bidder in their submitted bid package that deviate from this procurement’s terms, conditions, specifications and requirements may render a bid non-responsive and ineligible for award.

27. ESTIMATED QUANTITIES: Any purchase estimates indicated for bid item(s) are to be considered as estimates only. The Department makes no representation or guarantee as to the actual amount of item(s) to be purchased by the Department or Political Subdivisions.

28. OVERLAPPING CONTRACT ITEMS: The products and/or services included in this solicitation may be available from other State of Ohio contracts and/or other contracts made available for the Department’s use. The existence of these contracts containing like or similar products and/or services could be either known or unknown to the Department at the time this procurement has been published. Unless otherwise stated in this contract, the Department may acquire these products and/or services from any available source. The Department will make purchases from sources that are deemed to be in the best interest of the Agency.

29. REJECTION/PARTIAL AWARD OF BIDS: The Department reserves the right to reject any or all bid responses, award partial contracts, or choose to rebid when:

1. Product, supplies and/or services are not in compliance with the requirements, specifications, and terms and conditions set forth in this procurement; or

2. Pricing offered is determined to be excessive in comparison with existing market conditions, or exceeds the available funds of the Department; or

3. Only one bid is received, and the Department cannot determine the reasonableness of the bid prices submitted; or

4. It is determined that the award of any or all items would not be in the best interest of the Department; or

5. The Department, in its opinion, did not achieve the desired amount of competition amongst qualified bidders for the products, supplies, and/or services being offered in the bid solicitation; or

6. Inadequate or ambiguous specifications were cited in the bidding documents; or

7. The Department determines that specifications and/or requirements were missing from the bidding documents; or

8. A bidder imposes additional terms and conditions against the Department.

30. NOTICE TO BIDDERS OF REJECTED BIDS: When the Department deems it necessary to reject a bid, the Department will notify each affected bidder and the reasons for such actions.

31. BID PROTESTS: Any apparent low bidder either deemed not responsible or whose bid has been deemed non-responsive shall be notified by the Department of that determination and the reasons for it. The notification will be provided by the Department in writing and sent by U.S. mail and at the email address provided on the front cover of the bidder’s bid. The bidder will have five (5) calendar days after receipt (by mail or email confirmation) of this notification to file a written, valid protest of the Department’s determination. A valid written protest must contain substantive information and evidence so as to refute the Department’s asserted claims against either the bid’s responsiveness or bidder’s responsibility, whichever apply. The Department will only review and respond to valid written protests containing substantive information and evidence. After review of the valid written protest, the Department will either affirm or reverse its original determination.

a. If a valid written protest is not received by the Department within five (5) calendar days of receipt, the Director of ODOT will move forward awarding the Contract and the affected bidder will have effectively waived its right to protest the Department’s decision. For the purposes of this paragraph, “receipt” shall be defined as verification (via either certified mail return receipt or electronic read or delivery receipt) that the apparent low bidder has received the Department’s written determination against the affected bidder. Upon the bidder’s receipt, the five (5) calendar day response deadline shall commence.

32. DELAYS IN CONTRACT AWARD: Delays in the award of this procurement beyond the anticipated

Contract start date may result in a change in the contract period as indicated in the Special terms and conditions of this bid solicitation. In these instances, ODOT shall reserve the right to award a contract covering a period equal to or less than the initial contract term than originally specified in this bid solicitation.

33. CONTRACT AWARD AND FORMATION: Successful bidder(s) will receive via U.S. regular mail and/or email a Notice of Contract Award letter as well as a photocopy version of the Signature Page executed by both Parties. These documents shall serve to form the Contract between the Parties.

The Signature Page must be executed by both the bidder and the Director of ODOT for the Contract to be deemed valid and enforceable. The Department will maintain in the Contract file the Signature Page document containing each parties’ original signature(s).

a. Upon award of a procurement, the bid invitation number (e.g. Invitation No. 999-16) will subsequently become the number assigned to the resulting Contract (e.g. ODOT Contract number 999-16) and will be referenced by the Department in all matters and documents related to said Contract.

b. Upon award of a procurement, successful bidders will thereafter be referenced as “Vendor” or “Contractor” by the Department in all matters and documents related to the resulting Contract.

34. PUBLIC POSTING OF AWARDED CONTRACTS: All Contracts awarded by the Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services section are posted to the Ohio Buys website and open for public review.

Successful bidders and awarded Contract pricing can be found via the following website:

https://ohiobuys.ohio.gov/page.aspx/en/ctr/contract_browse_public

35. PUBLIC RECORD: All opened bids and their contents are subject to the Public Records Law, Section 149.43 of the Ohio Revised Code. Copies of bid responses must be requested and will be provided within a reasonable period of time and at a fee established by the Director of ODOT. To expedite and properly respond to such public records requests, a written request must be submitted through Ohio Buys To prevent delays in evaluating bids and awarding contracts, such requests for recently opened bids, will be honored after a Contract has been executed.

a. Bidders may request that specific information, such as trade secrets or proprietary data, be designated as confidential and not considered as public record. Material so designated shall accompany the bid and be in a sealed container duly marked, and shall be readily separable from the bid in order to facilitate public inspection of non-confidential portion.

Prices, makes, models, catalog numbers of items offered, deliveries and terms of payment cannot be considered as confidential. The decision as to whether or not such trade secrets or proprietary data shall be disclosed at the bid opening rests solely with the Department.

b. Requests to view previously submitted bids must be submitted in writing to either of the following addresses:

Public Records Request: Ohio Buys https://ohiobuys.ohio.gov/page.aspx/en/ctr/contract_browse_public https://ohiobuys.ohio.gov/page.aspx/en/prj/foia_request_extranet_manage

GENERAL DEFINITIONS

(Last revised 11/30/2020)

When used in this procurement or any ensuing contract, the following definitions shall apply. If a conflict exists between these definitions and any definition listed in the bid specifications, the bid specifications shall prevail.

1. AGENCY: Ohio Department of Transportation.

2. AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR: The bidder/vendor who maintains written legal agreements with manufacturers/producers to act as their agent and provide supplies, materials, equipment or services listed in the bid/contract. The authorized distributor must maintain active and sufficient facilities necessary to perform the awarded contract, own title to the goods inventoried within these facilities and maintain a true stock of these goods on a continuing basis and in sufficient quantity to provide uninterrupted service to ordering agencies.

3. BIDDER: The company and/or authorized representative of the company who has signed and is submitting a bid response and who will be responsible to ensure proper performance of the contract awarded pursuant to the bid. The term bidder, proposer, contractor, or vendor may be used interchangeably in this document.

4. DEPARTMENT: Ohio Department of Transportation

5. EQUIPMENT: Items, implements and machinery with a predetermined and considerable usage life.

6. F.O.B. PLACE OF DESTINATION: meaning the Vendor pays, and includes the cost of such in their bid, and bears the risk for the transportation/delivery of goods delivered to the specified locations provided by the Purchaser.

7. PROCUREMENT/CONTRACT: All documents, whether attached or incorporated by reference, utilized for soliciting bids. Upon completion of the evaluation and award of the bidder's response, the procurement then becomes the contract between ODOT and the successful bidder, both governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.

8. INVOICE: An itemized listing showing delivery of the commodity or performance of the service described in the order, and the date of the purchase or rendering of the service, or an itemization of the things done, material supplied, or labor furnished, and the sum due pursuant to the contract or obligation.

9. LOWEST RESPONSIVE\RESPONSIBLE BIDDER: A bidder who offers the lowest cost for the goods or services listed in the bid; and whose proposal responds to bid specifications in all material respects and contains no irregularities or deviations from the specifications which would affect the amount of the bid or otherwise give him a competitive advantage; and whose experience, financial condition, conduct and performance on previous contracts, facilities, management skills evidences their ability to execute the contract properly.

10. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE): means an individual, partnership, corporation or joint venture of any kind that is owned and controlled by U. S. Citizens and residents of Ohio, who are and have held themselves out as members of the following socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Only businesses certified by the State of Ohio Equal Opportunity Division in accordance with Section 123.151 of the Ohio Revised Code shall be recognized as being MBE certified within the purpose of this invitation.

11. MATERIALS: Items or substance of an expendable or non-expendable nature from which something can be made, improved or repaired.

12. PURCHASE: To buy, purchase, installment purchase, rent, lease, lease purchase or otherwise acquire equipment, materials, supplies or services. "Purchase" also includes all functions that pertain to obtaining of equipment, materials, supplies or services, including description of requirements, selection and solicitation of sources, preparation and award of contracts, and all phases of contract administration.

13. SERVICES: The furnishing of labor, time or effort by a person, not involving the delivery of a specific end product other than a report which, if provided, is merely incidental to the required performance. "Services" does not include services furnished pursuant to employment agreements or collective bargaining agreements.

14. SPECIFICATION: Any description of the physical or functional characteristics or of the nature of supplies, equipment, service, or insurance. It may include a description of any requirements for inspecting, testing, or preparing supplies, equipment, services, or insurance.

15. SUPPLIES: Provisions and items normally considered expendable or consumable.

16. UNBALANCED: Any unit price contained in the bid schedule which is obviously unbalanced either above or below reasonable cost analysis and or unreasonably disproportionate to current market prices as determined by the Director of ODOT, or if such unbalanced prices are contrary to the interest of the department.

17. VENDOR: The bidder who, upon awarding of a contract, then becomes a Vendor who is considered to be a primary source for providing the goods and/or services included in the awarded contract and the party to whom payment will be made upon delivery of the goods and/or completion of the contract.

18. SUBVENDOR/SUBCONTRACTOR: An individual, firm or corporation to whom the Vendor sublets part of the contract to be performed.

STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

(Last Revised 11/8/23)

1. HEADINGS: The headings used in this Contract are for convenience only and shall not be used to affect the interpretation of any of the Contract terms and conditions.

2. ENTIRE CONTRACT: This Contract consists of the complete procurement, including the

Instructions, Terms and Conditions for Bidding, these Standard Contract Terms and Conditions, the Special Contract Terms and Conditions, ODOT Cooperative Purchasing Program Requirements, mutually executed Signature Page, Specifications and Requirements, awarded unit bid pricing, and any written addenda to the procurement; the completed competitive sealed bid, including proper modifications, clarifications and samples; and applicable, valid State of Ohio purchase orders or other ordering documents (“Contract”).

3. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS. Pursuant to the Constitution of the State of Ohio, Article II Section

22, ODOT’s funds are contingent upon the availability of lawful appropriations by the Ohio General Assembly. If the Ohio General Assembly fails at any time to continue funding for the payments or obligations due hereunder, the Work under this Contract that is affected by the lack of funding will terminate and ODOT will have no further obligation to make any payments and will be released from its obligations on the date funding expires.

The current Ohio General Assembly cannot commit a future Ohio General Assembly to a future expenditure. If the term of this Contract extends beyond a biennium, the Contract will expire at the end of a current biennium and the State may renew this Contract in the next biennium by issuing written notice to the Vendor no later than July 1 of the new biennium. The operating biennium expires June 30th of each odd-numbered calendar year.

4. OBM CERTIFICATION: None of the rights, duties, or obligations in this Contract will be binding on the Department, and the Vendor will not begin its performance, until all of the following conditions have been met:

1. All statutory provisions under the O.R.C., including Section 126.07, have been met; and

2. All necessary funds are made available by the Ohio Office of Budget and Management; or

3. If ODOT is relying on Federal or third-party funds for this Contract the ODOT gives the Vendor written notice that such funds have been made available.

5. CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS: Amendments or modifications to this Contract must be executed in writing between the parties and signed by the Director of ODOT. Amendments or modifications to this Contract made between the Vendor and other Department personnel shall be void and unenforceable.

6. CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION: Any general rule of construction to the contrary notwithstanding this Contract shall be liberally construed in favor of the effect the purpose of this Contract and the policy and purposes of the Department. If any provisions in this Contract are found to be ambiguous, an interpretation consistent with the purpose of this Contract that would render the provision valid shall be favored over any interpretation that would render it invalid.

7. GOVERNING LAW / SEVERABILITY: This Contract shall be governed by the laws of the State of

Ohio, and the venue for any disputes will be exclusively with the appropriate court in Franklin County, Ohio. If any provision of the Contract or the application of any provision is held by that court to be contrary to law, the remaining provisions of the Contract will remain in full force and effect.

8. ASSIGNMENT / DELEGATION: The Vendor will not assign any of its rights nor delegate any of its duties under this Contract without the written consent of the Director of ODOT. Any assignment or delegation not consented to may be deemed void by the Department.

9. PLACEMENT OF ORDERS/METHODS OF PAYMENT: The Department shall use either State of

Ohio Purchase Order or State of Ohio Payment Card (i.e. credit card) to authorize performance under this Contract and to issue payments for supplies, products, and/or services acquired.

Vendors are required to accept both forms of payment. For Department purchases over $2,500.00, an official State of Ohio purchase order must be generated and obtain approvals from the Office of Budget and Management, the Department of Administrative Services, and the Director of Transportation prior to its effectiveness. An approved State of Ohio purchase order will be sent to the Vendor and the Vendor will provide the goods and/or services listed on the ordering documents and in accordance with the Contract’s terms and conditions. Any order placed not using an approved ODOT purchase order or against a State payment card, shall not be considered a valid order and may result in denial of payment and/or return of goods at the Vendor's expense.

10. ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS: The Vendor must accept orders placed by the Department pursuant to this Contract up through the last day of the Contract’s effectiveness, inclusive of any contract extensions exercised or agreed-upon between the Parties.

11. BLANKET PURCHASE ORDERS: The Department utilizes blanket purchase orders to pre-authorize funding for use on Contracts containing bid items that, due to the urgent nature of maintaining the Department’s highways and facilities, are critical to the Department executing its mission and objectives. The generation of blanket purchase orders are not used by the Department to place a specific order, rather as a means to make funding more readily available for use when Contract items are needed. The Vendor shall keep all blanket purchase orders on file and make them readily available for use by Department personnel to place orders against. When placing orders against a blanket purchase order, the Department will telephone or email orders referencing the blanket purchase order and its associated ODOT purchase order number. All of the Contract’s terms and conditions shall apply to the Department’s orders referencing a blanket purchase order.

For all blanket purchase orders, quantities and amounts to be purchased from these purchase orders is unknown by the Department and Vendors must not construe these purchase orders as a commitment to purchase a specific amount of goods and/or services. Accordingly, the Department reserves the right to increase or decrease the available funding on these blanket purchase orders at its discretion.

12. DELIVERY INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: Upon pick-up or delivery of any…