Mountain Line (Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public

Transportation Authority) 216 W. Phoenix, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

(928) 679-8907 www.mountainline.az.gov

Instructions to Respondents: Submission and

Evaluation Procedures for Mountain Line Solicitations file://CHEVELLE/Shared$/Procurement/Procurement%20Documents/Board%20Approved%20Suite/www.mountainline.az.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I: PROCEDURAL INSTRUCTIONS

Instruction 1: Defined and Controlling Terms Instruction 2: Minimum Requirements for Respondents Instruction 3: Acceptance of Contract Documents Instruction 4: Respondents’ Pre-Submittal Obligations and Representations Instruction 5: Preparation of Response Instruction 6: Errors, Inquiries and Addenda Instruction 7: Response Submittal, Due Date and Time Instruction 8: Withdrawal of Response Instruction 9: Response Opening Instruction 10: Mountain Line Reserved Rights Instruction 11: Additional Prohibitions and Restrictions Instruction 12: Acceptance Period Instruction 13: Evaluation Instruction 14: Protests Instruction 15: Cooperative Purchasing Agreement

SECTION II: RESPONSE CONTENTS (Required Format and Organization of Submittals) SECTION III: EVALUATION (Explanation of How Responses Are Reviewed) SECTION V: AWARD (Overview of Post-Evaluation Process)

Important Notice to Respondents:

This document provides procedural instructions, submission requirements, and evaluation guidelines for vendors responding to a Mountain Line Solicitation. It is intended to accompany — not replace — the official Request for Proposals (RFP), Request for Qualifications (RFQ), or Invitation for Bids (IFB).

Respondents are solely responsible for reviewing the complete Solicitation, including the Scope of Work, technical specifications, contract terms, and any addenda, which are issued separately through Mountain Line’s Bonfire procurement portal.

Nothing in this document shall be construed as a solicitation, contract, or offer to contract. No rights or obligations shall arise unless and until a contract is formally awarded and fully executed by authorized representatives of both parties.

SECTION I: INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

INSTRUCTION 1: DEFINED AND CONTROLLING TERMS

1.01 Definitions: Terms used in the Solicitation have the meanings indicated in the Contract, the Project Specifications, Special Provisions, and Contract Documents, as applicable. Additional terms used in the Solicitation have the meanings indicated below:

A. “Consultants” shall mean the Subconsultants retained by the Respondent for the performance of any of the Services to be provided by the Respondent under the Contract Documents.

B. “Firm” shall mean each or any of the individuals, firms, partnerships, joint ventures, corporations, or other legal entities submitting their qualifications in response to the Solicitation.

C. “Mountain Line” shall mean the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority, a political subdivision of the State of Arizona.

D. “Project” shall mean the Project set forth in Section IV Project Description set forth below.

E. “Purchasing Policy” shall mean Mountain Line’s Purchasing Policy which governs this procurement and is incorporated in the Solicitation by this reference.

F. “Respondent” shall mean the qualified, licensed person, firm or corporation who furnishes Services under the Contract Documents.

G. “Respondent” shall have the same meaning as “Firm.”

H. “Response” or “Submittal” shall mean the Response.

I. “Response” shall mean a response submitted in response to the Solicitation.

J. “Services” shall mean any and all services to be provided under the Contract Documents and any and all other services required for the full, professional, and timely performance by the Respondent and its Consultants.

K. “Site” shall mean the physical location where the Project is located and any ancillary or adjacent areas to be utilized by Respondent and/or Mountain Line in relation to the Project.

L.

INSTRUCTION 2: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF RESPONDENTS

2.01 Professional License/Certification/Registration: All individual architects, engineers, Consultants and other professionals engaged in providing Services for Mountain Line shall be licensed shall be licensed or certified by and/or registered with the State of Arizona as required pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-121, et seq., for the types of work included in Services to be rendered by them related to the Project that is the subject of the Solicitation, and each Respondent must certify its compliance by completing, signing and returning the form provided as Exhibit A, Attachment 5 hereto.

2.02 Insurance: Respondent must have or obtain within the time period set by Mountain Line the Insurance coverages and certifications and fully comply with the insurance requirements set forth in Exhibit A, Attachment 19 to the Solicitation.

2.03 Failure to Meet Minimum Requirements: Any violation or failure to meet the requirements of this Instruction II may, at the sole option of Mountain Line, cause a Response to be considered non-responsive and/or the Respondent being deemed non-responsible resulting in the rejection of the Response, and may result in cancellation or termination of the resultant Contract if discovered after the Contract has been awarded.

INSTRUCTION 3: ACCEPTANCE OF CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

3.01 Mountain Line Standard Contract: Mountain Line has developed standard forms of Professional Services Contracts and Task Orders, which can be found on our website at https://mountainline.az.gov/services-programs/purchasing/. If selected, as the Respondent for this Project, a Respondent agrees to execute this form of Contract Documents. Provisions in a Response that conflict with, and/or exceptions to, and/or requests for changes in, Mountain Line’s contract terms, Special Conditions, Exhibits and/or other Contract Documents may result in a Response being considered nonresponsive and rejected. By submitting a Response, Respondent also acknowledges its understanding and agreement that Mountain Line may make changes in the standard form of contract documents and that therefore the form of contract documents presented to the successful Respondent may be different from the form of contract documents referenced above, in which case the successful Respondent will be given the opportunity to review the changes.

3.02 Contract Documents: The Contract Documents may include, without limitation, the Solicitation, any addenda to the Solicitation issued by Mountain Line, the Response of the successful Respondent, Mountain Line General Conditions, Task Orders, and such other terms as Mountain Line determines are in its best interest and appropriate for the Project.

3.03 Prior Contracts Not Applicable: Any previous agreements, contracts, or other documents, which have been executed between the Respondent and Mountain Line, if any, are not applicable to Solicitation or any resultant contract.

INSTRUCTION 4: RESPONDENTS’ PRE-SUBMITTAL OBLIGATIONS

AND REPRESENTATIONS

4.01 Respondent’s Obligations: It is the responsibility of each Respondent before submitting a Response to:

A. Examine and carefully study the Solicitation, and any data and reference items identified in the Solicitation Documents;

B. Become familiar with and satisfy itself as to all Laws and Regulations that may affect cost, progress, and performance of the Services;

C. Consider the information known to Respondent itself; information commonly known to businesses performing like Services doing business in the community of the Project;

information and observations obtained from visits to the community; the Solicitation;

and to consider: (1) the cost, progress, and performance of the Services; (2) the means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures to be employed by Respondent; and

(3) safety precautions and programs.

D. Become aware of the general nature of the Services to be performed by Respondent and others on the Project that relates to the Services as indicated in the Solicitation;

E. Promptly give Mountain Line written notice of all conflicts, errors, ambiguities, or discrepancies that Respondent discovers in the Solicitation and confirm that the written resolution thereof by Mountain Line is acceptable to Respondent; and

F. Determine that the Solicitation is generally sufficient to indicate and convey understanding of all terms and conditions for the performance and furnishing of the Services.

4.02 Respondent’s Representations: By signing and submitting its Response, Respondent represents, certifies, and agrees that:

A. Respondent has complied with every requirement of this Instruction and the Solicitation;

B. The Response did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices;

C. The Respondent shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment in violation of the Federal Executive Order 11246;

D. The Respondent has not given or offered to give, and does not intend to give at any time hereafter any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip favor, or service to a public servant in connection with the submitted Response;

E. Failure to sign the Response, or the falsity of a statement in a signed Response, shall void the submitted Response or any resulting contracts, and the Respondent may be disbarred;

F. The Respondent is current in all obligations due to Mountain Line, if any;

G. Based on the information and observations referred to in the preceding Instruction 4.01, that at the time of submitting its Response no further examinations, investigations, explorations, tests, studies, or data are necessary for the determination of its Response and that Respondent has the financial, bonding (if required), technical and resource capacity and capability to fully and timely perform the scope of services in accordance with the other terms and conditions of the Solicitation and the Contract Documents;

and, H. There will be no subsequent financial or time adjustment, other than that provided by the subsequent Contract, for lack of such familiarization.

INSTRUCTION 5: PREPARATION OF RESPONSE

5.01 All Responses shall include all of the information, documents, Attachments, and other items set forth in Section II Response Contents below, fully completed. In the case of any conflict between this Instruction 5 and the requirements set forth in Section II shall control.

5.02 Responses should be prepared simply and economically, providing adequate information in a straightforward and concise manner. The Response must display clearly and accurately the capability, knowledge, experience, and capacity of the Respondent to meet all of the requirements of the Solicitation including those set forth the scope of Services and respond to the evaluation criteria in Section VII Evaluation of this Instruction.

5.03 All Responses must not exceed 18 pages in length (exclusive of resumes, attachments, and letters of recommendation) unless a different page limitation is set forth in Section VI Response Contents below. No oral, telegraphic, electronic, facsimile, or telephonic modifications to the Response will be considered.

5.04 The Respondent shall clearly identify any/all exceptions to the Solicitation specifications or contract terms in Exhibit A, Attachment 22. This is the only means for a Respondent to identify any/all exceptions to the specifications in the Solicitation and/or Mountain Line’s standard Contract terms. Exceptions raised at a later time, or in any other location in the Response, will not be considered in any negotiations. Respondents may review the Contract at:

https://mountainline.az.gov/services-programs/purchasing/. Exceptions to Mountain Line’s standard Contract terms may, in Mountain Line’s sole discretion, be basis for the Response to be rejected as nonresponsive.

5.05 Public Record/Confidential Information:

A. All Responses submitted in response to the Solicitation, whether or not accepted by Mountain Line, shall become a matter of public record available for review, subsequent to the award notification, in accordance with Mountain Line’s Solicitation Policy.

B. If a person believes that a response, offer, specification, or protest contains information that should be withheld as proprietary or confidential, a statement advising Mountain Line of this fact shall accompany the Response and the information shall be identified in Exhibit A, Attachment 7.

C. The information identified by the person as confidential shall not be disclosed until Mountain Line makes a written determination whether the information must be disclosed under Arizona law. If Mountain Line determines that the information must be disclosed, Mountain Line will provide the Respondent with notice of such fact, and that the Respondent has five (5) days within which to file a legal action protesting the planned disclosure. If no legal action is taken within the time specified, Mountain Line will disclose the information and will not be responsible for any claims or losses arising from or related to such disclosure.

5.06 The Response shall be submitted with an original ink or electronic signature by a person authorized to sign the offer. If the Respondent is a corporation or other legal entity, the Response must be signed in the legal name of the corporation followed by the name of the state of incorporation or organization and the legal signature of an officer or other person authorized to bind the corporation or other legal entity to a contract. Unsigned Responses will be considered nonresponsive and will be rejected.

5.07 Periods of time, stated as number of days, shall be calendar days.

5.08 Erasures, interlineations, or other modifications in the Response shall be initialed by the authorized person signing the Response. No Response shall be altered, amended, or withdrawn after the specified due date and time.

5.09 Mountain Line shall not reimburse the cost of developing, presenting, submitting, or providing any Response to this solicitation, or any other costs or expenses of any Respondent.

https://mountainline.az.gov/services-programs/purchasing/

INSTRUCTION 6: ERRORS, INQUIRIES AND ADDENDA

6.01 It is the responsibility of all Respondents to examine the entire Solicitation package and seek clarification of any item or requirement and to check all Responses for accuracy before submitting a Response. Negligence or errors in preparing a Response confers no right of withdrawal or correction after Response due date and time.

6.02 Should a Respondent find any ambiguity, conflict, inconsistency, omission, or other error in the Solicitation or should the Respondent be in doubt as to its meaning, he or she shall at once submit clarification via the Bonfire Public Q&A, and ask that the Solicitation be clarified or modified. If prior to the date fixed for Response, a Respondent knows of or should have known of an error in the Solicitation, but fails to notify Mountain Line of the error, the Respondent shall bid at its own risk, and if awarded the contract shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.

6.03 All questions regarding the contents of the solicitation and the solicitation process (including requests for ADA accommodations), shall be submitted via the Bonfire Public Q&A. Questions improperly submitted and/or received by Mountain Line after the deadline will not be answered.

6.04 Answers to the written questions or requests for clarification or modification of the Solicitation submitted by Respondents, as well as any other changes to the Solicitation, will be provided in a timely manner in the form of FAQ or Addenda via the Project Bonfire portal.

6.05 Any correspondence related to the Solicitation should refer to the appropriate Solicitation number and title, page, and paragraph number.

6.06 It is each Respondent’s obligation to assure that it has received and reviewed all Addenda issued. Each Respondent shall acknowledge receipt of Addenda by completing, signing, and including Exhibit A, Attachment 2 in the Response. Failure by a Respondent to acknowledge receipt of all Addenda may result in that Respondent’s Response being deemed non-responsive and possibly rejected. Addenda acknowledgement returned to Mountain Line separately from a Response will not be accepted.

6.07 In order to obtain information and/or register for the Solicitation, a Respondent must register as a vendor at https://mountainline.az.gov/services-programs/purchasing/.

INSTRUCTION 7: RESPONSE SUBMITTAL, DUE DATE AND TIME

Electronic Bid Submittal: Each Response shall be submitted via the Project Bonfire portal with the Solicitation name, Solicitation number, and Respondent’s name clearly indicated in the file name. The Response should not include any special characters in the title.

7.01 Responses must be submitted via the Project Bonfire portal by the Due Date and Time specified in the Project Bonfire portal.

7.02 It is the responsibility of the Respondent to ensure on-time delivery of the Response. Late Responses shall not be considered under any circumstances.

7.03 Any Response received after the Response Due Date and Time will be rejected as non-responsive and returned to the sending Respondent unopened.

A.

INSTRUCTION 8: WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSE

At any time prior to the specified Response Due Date and Time, a Respondent may withdraw the Response by submitting a request via the Project Bonfire Portal. Any request to withdraw a Response must be made by a duly authorized representative of the Respondent..

INSTRUCTION 9: RESPONSE OPENING

If the Solicitation is a Sealed Bid, responses will be opened in a publicly recorded Zoom meeting, as specified in the Project Bonfire portal. The name of each Respondent will be publicly read and recorded in the presence of a witness. All other response materials will remain confidential and accessible only to Mountain Line personnel involved in the procurement process. After a contract is awarded and fully executed, the successful response and associated evaluation documentation will be available for public inspection.

Responses will be released to the Evaluation Committee after the submission deadline. The Committee will evaluate and score proposals in accordance with the process described in Section V:

Evaluation. All responses will remain confidential throughout the evaluation process. After a final contract is executed, the selected response and relevant evaluation materials will be available for public review in accordance with public records law.

INSTRUCTION 10: MOUNTAIN LINE RESERVED RIGHTS

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Solicitation, Mountain Line expressly reserves the right to:

A. Extend the date by which Responses are due;

B. Withhold the award or cancel the Solicitation for any reason Mountain Line determines;

C. Reject any or all Responses, in whole or in part;

D. Waive any immaterial defect, irregularity, or informality in any Response;

E. Reissue a Solicitation;

F. Unless the Respondent states otherwise, award by individual line item, by group of line items, or as a total, whichever is deemed most advantageous to Mountain Line. If a Respondent’s Response is an “all or nothing” offer, it must be expressly so indicated in the Response; and/or

G. Exercise any and/or all other rights available to Mountain Line under the terms of the Solicitation, the Purchasing Policy, at law, or in equity.

INSTRUCTION 11: ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS

11.01 No person, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other legal entity shall be permitted to submit more than one (1) Response for the same Project. A person, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other legal entity that has submitted a sub-consultant Response to a Respondent is disqualified from submitting a Response for the Project as a Respondent. A person, firm, partnership, joint venture, corporation, or other legal entity shall be allowed to submit a sub-consultant Response to more than one (1) Respondent.

11.02 Respondents shall not submit to, or communicate in any way with Mountain Line regarding, information prohibited from consideration by applicable Arizona or Federal law. Accordingly, any Response that contains any information of this type will be deemed nonresponsive, will not be considered and the Response will be returned to the Respondent. This exclusion of information applies to the Response, to any interview and to all other aspects of the Solicitation competition.

11.03 Respondents and members of their teams shall not communicate concerning the Solicitation with the Respondent for this project, Mountain Line’ Project Executive, any Mountain Line Consultant or Program Manager, Selection Committee members, or employees of Mountain Line, except as stipulated in Inquiries and Addenda above. A Respondent’s failure to abide by this requirement may result in rejection of a Response.

11.04 With regard to any violation of any of the provisions of this Instruction 11, Mountain Line expressly reserves the right to pursue any and all remedies available to it under Mountain Line’s Purchasing Policy, at law or in equity, including, but not limited to, the following:

A. Any violation of this Section discovered before an award of the resultant contract may, in Mountain Line’s sole discretion, subject a Respondent to a warning letter, rejection of its Response, or disbarment, depending on the nature of the violation.

B. If a violation of this Section is discovered after the resultant contract has been awarded, Mountain Line may, by written notice to the Respondent, cancel the resultant contract. In the event Mountain Line cancels the resultant contract pursuant to this provision, Mountain Line shall be entitled, in addition to any and all other available rights and remedies, to withhold or recover from the Respondent the amount of any gratuity provided and any and all incidental and/or consequential damages incurred by Mountain Line as a result of the violation.

INSTRUCTION 12: ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

12.01 In order to allow for an adequate evaluation, Mountain Line requires all Responses to be valid and irrevocable for one hundred and eighty (180) days after the opening time and date and each Respondent agrees that it will hold open its Response for such period.

12.02 No contract or agreement, expressed or implied, shall exist between Mountain Line and any Respondent, or be binding on Mountain Line, before formal approval by Mountain Line Board and the execution of the resulting written contract by both parties.

12.03 If agreement on the terms of a resultant Contract cannot be reached after a period deemed reasonable by Mountain Line in its sole discretion, Mountain Line may negotiate and enter a Contract with any other Respondent who submitted a timely and responsive Response to the Solicitation, as provided by law.

INSTRUCTION 13: EVALUATION

Evaluation of timely and responsive Responses submitted by responsible Respondents shall be based upon the evaluation process and criteria set forth in Section VII to the Solicitation.

INSTRUCTION 14: PROTESTS

Mountain Line believes that it can best maintain its reputation for treating firms, Respondents, etc., in a fair, honest, and consistent manner by conducting solicitations in good faith and by granting competitors an equal opportunity to win an award. If a Respondent believes that Mountain Line has fallen short of these goals, it may submit a written protest pursuant to Mountain Line’s Purchasing Policy, which is available at: https://mountainline.az.gov/services-programs/purchasing/.

INSTRUCTION 15: COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENTS

15.01 An award of contract resulting from the Solicitation may be extended for use to other municipalities and government agencies of the state. Any such usage by other municipalities and government agencies must be in accordance with the ordinance, charter and/or rules and regulations of the respective political entity. Any public agencies not identified within the Solicitation who wish to cooperatively use the contract are subject to the approval of Proposer.

15.02 Mountain Line is also a member of S.A.V.E. (Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures), which consists of numerous municipalities, counties, universities, colleges, schools, cities, and other Arizona State agencies. These cooperatives are achieved through Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA) in accordance with provisions allowed by A.R.S. § 11-952 and § 41-2632.

The IGAs permit purchases of material, equipment, and services from proposers at the prices, terms and conditions contained in contracts originated between any and all of these agencies and a successful Respondent.

SECTION II– RESPONSE CONTENTS

1. Required Response Contents in addition to Attachments: The Response shall include:

A. A transmittal/cover letter (not included in page count) that introduces the Respondent, confirms that all elements of the Solicitation have been read and understood, and summarizes the Respondent’s interest in the work. The transmittal letter shall be one-page maximum and signed by an individual authorized to bind the Respondent contractually.

Acknowledgement that the firm is agreeable to engaging with Mountain Line and has read and accepted the contractual language indicated in Mountain Line professional consultant agreement.

B. Executive Summary (included in page count of 18 pages) providing a summary illustrating the team’s capabilities, experience with similar projects, qualifications, and unique attributes.

C. Relevant Experience and Performance (included in page count). Provide no more than five

(5) examples of similar projects for transit systems of similar size and scope completed in the last five years. For each comparable project identified, provide:

1. Description of project including, but not limited to unique aspects/learnings/creative outcomes and relevance to Mountain Line Project

2. Project duration

3. Role of the Respondent and Deliverables

4. Respondent’s partnering efforts and successes

5. Owner’s reference information (name, title, telephone number, and email)

6. Past Performance Survey, Attachment 6, completed by Owner

D. Project Team: Qualifications and experience of the individuals directly involved with the project.

1. Provide an overview of the team (included in page count) that includes:

a. A general description of the Respondent and/ or Team, including the Legal Organization of the proposed team.

b. Summaries of the key skills and contributions of each team member to this work. Explain the role of all anticipated professional disciplines that the Respondent will require during the duration of this project.

c. Home office locations of key staff, length of time with Respondent.

d. A description of how the Respondent will ensure that a qualified team will be continuously available and managed for the duration of this project.

e. Documentation of where individuals on the proposed project team for this project have successfully worked together previously in completing the projects described in the Relevant Experience section.

2. Provide an organization chart, including any consultants’ one (1) page (included in page count)

3. Provide key staff one (1) page resumes (not included in page count)

4. Identify any contract or subcontract held by the Respondent or officers of the Respondent, which has been terminated within the last five years. Identify any claims arising from a contract resulting in litigation or arbitration within the last three years. Briefly describe the circumstances and the outcomes.

E. Project Approach (included in page count).

1. Describe:

a. The Team’s philosophy and approach to the project

b. How the team will approach this initiative

c. Any significant challenges the Team would anticipate in delivery of this project

d. Any innovation or best practices that could be implemented to improve the deliverables or approach for Mountain Line in the future

e. The Team’s competitive advantages and why they would be the best team to partner with Mountain Line on this high priority project

2. Provide a high-level work plan that shows inputs/outputs, milestones, method of documentation and data reporting, along with a listing of the Respondents’ Deliverables.

F. Index tabs may contain photographs if there is no other identifying information contained thereon with respect to the photographs. If any photographs are included and identifiable as to their respective project the index tabs will be counted as a page and included in the page count.

2. Other Forms/Attachments: All other forms and attachments provided that are not specifically called out as are for reference only anddo not need to be included in the Response.

SECTION III – EVALUATION

1. Most Advantageous to Mountain Line: Pursuant to Mountain Line Purchasing Policy, evaluation of Responses and award of the Contract will be made with reasonable promptness to the Respondent whose Response best conforms to the Scope of Services and will be most advantageous to Mountain Line with respect to price, qualifications, conformity to Scope of Services and other factors.

2. Mandatory Compliance: This is a compliance section and carries no evaluation points.

Respondents must meet minimum criteria as specified to receive further consideration.

A. Professional Standing

1) The Arizona Corporation Commission shall properly have certified the Respondent for corporation and limited liability companies.

2) The lead professional must be properly registered, licensed and certified at the time of Response, if required.

3) The Respondent must have been in continuous business for a minimum of five years.

B. Financial Stability

1. Respondents must demonstrate the availability of resources and financial capability required to complete the Services.

2. Copies of audited financial statements are not required with the Submittal. Prior to the final selection, Mountain Line reserves the right to request a Respondent to provide a copy of the Respondent’s financial statements for the previous two fiscal years.

3. Mountain Line reserves the right to make such additional investigations as it deems necessary to establish the competence and financial stability of any Respondent submitting a Response.

3. Evaluation Criteria for Responses and Scoring: This is an evaluation section which establishes criteria and the associated total potential points for each category. This section provides a summary of how responses will be reviewed and scored, in accordance with the evaluation process defined in the full Solicitation.

Quality Level will be based on the following scoring method:

Score Rating Description

0 Unacceptable Response is entirely non-compliant, missing, or fails to address the requirement. Provides no value or understanding.

1 Poor Response is inadequate or minimally addresses the requirement. Significant weaknesses or deficiencies are present.

2 Fair Response meets some requirements but lacks detail, clarity, or sufficient evidence. Moderate concerns exist.

3 Satisfactory Response meets all minimum requirements. Acceptable and complete, with no major strengths or weaknesses.

4 Good Response exceeds minimum requirements in some areas. Demonstrates a solid approach with minor strengths.

5 Excellent Response fully addresses all aspects of the requirement with exceptional detail, insight, and added value. Demonstrates clear understanding and exceeds expectations.

4. Response Evaluation Process:

A. Selection Committee: An appropriately qualified Selection Committee shall evaluate the

Responses and performance data that are submitted in response to the Solicitation for the proposed contract.

1) The Selection Committee will evaluate the Responses submitted in response to the Solicitation. The evaluation will be to determine the qualifications of each Respondent to perform the Services under the Solicitation based on the selection criteria.

2) In making its determination, the Selection Committee will evaluate the Response, client references, interviews (for Respondents on the short-list only), and additional information received or obtained by the Selection Committee. The Committee may request or obtain additional information at any time during the selection process through interviews, presentations, correspondence, and visitation of completed projects or otherwise.

3) During the selection process, Mountain Line will evaluate each Response to determine which Respondent (if any) is best qualified to perform the required Services and can provide the experience specified in the Solicitation.

B. Short List: In order of scored ranking, based on criteria established by the Selection Committee and included in the Solicitation, a short list of a presumptive limit of three (3) Respondents deemed to be the most qualified to provide the Services by the Selection Committee will be established. Notwithstanding the presumptive limit of three (3) Respondents on the short list, in the event that the scores for more than three of the highest scoring Responses are within ten percent (10%) of one another, the short list will be comprised of all such Respondents.

C. Team Oral Presentation/Interview: The Selection Committee will interview each Respondent on the short list so that they may present their credentials, comparable past work, and any ideas they wish to share with the Selection Committee.

1) An invitation will be sent via email to each interviewed Respondent with the specific evaluation and scoring criteria along with the time, date, and location of the interview;

2) The order in which the Respondents appear before the Selection Committee will be determined by lottery.

3) The team will have thirty (30) minutes to present to the Selection Committee their firm’s qualifications. The roundtable discussion will last sixty (60) minutes for questions and discussion between the Committee and the Respondent.

4) No more than six (6) representatives of the Respondent’s team may be present (this includes presentation operators if needed). The prospective key personnel for the Project must be present. Only the individuals proposed for the project team are allowed.

D. Shortlisted Respondents Evaluation: The Evaluation Committee will evaluate finalist Respondents after the oral presentations/interviews based on the criteria described below.

Mountain Line reserves the right to request additional information from Respondents prior to final selection, and to consider information about the Respondents other than that submitted in the Response.

1) Finalist Respondents Team Interview (Maximum 40 Points): Mountain Line may provide interview questions in advance to Respondents. Mountain Line’ Selection Committee will evaluate interviews based on the team’s Responses to questions, ability to effectively communicate, and the Committee’s assessment of the team’s ability to work successfully with each other and Mountain Line staff. Mountain Line may also ask Respondents to submit written Responses to some questions in advance of the interviews.

2) Strategic Fit (Maximum 60 Points): Mountain Line will evaluate proposed solutions based on overall best fit with Mountain Line goals and objectives. The Committee will consider solution simplicity, overall alignment with the requirements set forth in the Solicitation, as well as compliance with contract terms and conditions and any and all additional findings from Mountain Line’ due diligence process.

E. Ranking: After the interviews, the Selection Committee will rank by score the Respondents deemed to be the most qualified to provide the Services.

F. Negotiation: Mountain Line shall enter into negotiations for a contract with the highest qualified Respondent on the short list for the Services. The negotiations shall include consideration of compensation and other contract terms that Mountain Line determines to be fair and reasonable. In making this decision, Mountain Line shall take into account the estimated value, the scope, the complexity, and the nature of the Services to be rendered.

1) If negotiations are successful, Mountain Line will request approval from Mountain Line Board of Directors to execute Mountain Line’ standard contract for the Services.

2) If Mountain Line is unable to negotiate a satisfactory agreement with the highest-ranked Respondent, at a price and with terms which Mountain Line determines to be fair and reasonable, negotiations with that Respondent will be formally terminated.

3) Mountain Line may then undertake negotiations with the next highest-ranked Respondent in sequence until an agreement is reached or determine to reject all Submittals and re-solicit the Solicitation or use another selection process that Mountain Line deems prudent.

Respondents that are unable to accommodate Mountain Line regarding acceptable fees and/or costs will not be allowed an opportunity to resubmit fees and/or costs once they have been released from negotiations.

5. Notice of Intent to Award: The next step will be for Mountain Line to issue a Notice of Intent to Award, and if applicable notices of the intent not to award at all or to some Respondents. Mountain Line reserves the right to cancel the Solicitation, to reject any or all Responses, and to waive or decline to waive any irregularities in any submitted Responses, or to withhold the award for any reason it may determine in the best interest of Mountain Line.

6. Delivery of Insurance Policies or Certificates and Execution of Contract Documents:

Within ten (10) days of receipt of notice of intent to award, the successful Respondent shall deliver to Mountain Line the required insurance policies or certificates in a form satisfactory to Mountain Line.

Policies or Certificates must reference Mountain Line Project Number and Mountain Line Project Name with the original Response and with each and every updated Response thereafter. Failure to do so may result in rejection of the successful Respondent’s Response and withdrawal of the Notice of Intent to Award. Promptly after Mountain Line receives satisfactory insurance policies or certificates Mountain Line will deliver to the successful Respondent two (2) duplicated originals of the form of contract documents to be executed by the successful Respondent. The successful Respondent shall execute and return to Mountain Line System all copies of the contract documents within ten (10) days after receipt of the contract documents. Failure to return the executed copies of the contract documents may result in rejection of the successful Respondent’s Response and withdrawal of the Notice of Intent to Award.

7. Changes in Respondent Organization: In order for a Respondent to remain qualified for award under the Solicitation after it has been shortlisted, unless otherwise approved in writing by Mountain Line, the Respondent’s organization as identified in its Response must remain intact for the duration of the procurement process. If a Respondent wishes to make changes in the Respondent Team Members or Key Personnel identified in its Response, including, without limitation, additions, deletions, reorganizations and/or role changes, the Respondent shall submit to Mountain Line a written request for approval of the change. Any such request shall be addressed to Mountain Line’ designated point-of-contact for the Solicitation. If a request is made from a Respondent to allow the deletion or role change of any Respondent Team Member or Key Personnel identified in its Respondent shall submit such information as may be required by Mountain Line to demonstrate that the changed Team Member meets the Solicitation criteria. Mountain Line is under no obligation to approve such requests and may approve or disapprove an entire request, or any portion of a request, in its sole discretion.

SECTION V: AWARD

1. Recommendation for Award The successful Respondent, if any, will be selected and recommended by the Selection Committee to the appropriate Mountain Line Officer and/or the Mountain Line Board of Directors, as applicable, based on the evaluation criteria set forth in this Solicitation.

2. Authority and Compliance Any Contract resulting from this Solicitation will be awarded in accordance with Mountain Line’s Purchasing Policy, applicable Arizona statutes, and any federal procurement requirements if applicable. The final award and execution of the Contract is subject to approval by the appropriate Mountain Line authority as defined in Mountain Line’s internal policies and procedures.

3. No Contract Until Fully Executed No contract shall exist unless and until it has been formally approved and fully executed by both the Respondent and an authorized Mountain Line signatory. Any notification of selection or intent to award does not constitute a binding agreement and shall not be relied upon by the Respondent as such.

4. Reservation of Rights Mountain Line reserves the right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any or all Responses submitted and/or to cancel this Solicitation at any time. Mountain Line also reserves the right to waive any immaterial defect, irregularity, or informality in any Response received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective Responses.

5. Most Advantageous Response Any Contract awarded shall be based upon the Response determined by Mountain Line to be most advantageous to Mountain Line, considering price, qualifications, conformity with the Scope of Services, and other evaluation factors identified in the Solicitation.

6. Public Record After formal execution of the Contract, the successful Response and associated evaluation documentation shall become available for public inspection in accordance with applicable Arizona public records laws.

7. Governing Terms This document is provided for instructional purposes only. If any conflict arises between this document and the terms of the Solicitation, or any applicable code or statute, the Solicitation, code, or statute shall prevail.