1-LIB124229 Consolidated Notices Mass Marketing Email System RFP - FINAL.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SALT LAKE COUNTY

Consolidated Notices & Mass Marketing Email System

RFP # LIB124229

Date of Issue: September 18, 2025

Salt Lake County Library Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part 1: Overview and Instructions

1.1 Purpose of the Request for Proposals

1.2 Deadline for Proposal Submission

1.3 Projected Schedule for the RFP Process

1.4 Pre-Proposal WebEx Meeting

1.5 Question Submission

Part 2: Scope of Work and Requirements

2.1 Background

2.2 Scope of Work

2.3 Length of Agreement

2.4 Fee and Escalation Clause

2.5 Insurance Requirements

2.6 Proposal Format / Submission Requirements

Part 3: Response Evaluation and Notice to Proposers

3.1 Evaluation and Scoring Criteria

3.2 Written Agreement Required

3.3 Notice to Proposers

EXHIBIT A – References EXHIBIT B – Sample Agreement Acceptance EXHIBIT C – Certificate of Final Acceptance

ATTACHMENT A – Proposal Cover Summary ATTACHMENT B – Request for Protected Status ATTACHMENT C – Procurement Preference System ATTACHMENT D – Environmental Compliance Practices ATTACHMENT E – Example RFP Contract

Part 1: Overview and Instructions

1.1 Purpose of the Request for Proposals “RFP”

Salt Lake County, on behalf of Library Services, “County” is soliciting proposals from qualified firms “Proposer / Contractor” to provide a consolidated notification system and marketing email system to provide patrons with better communication regarding their library account as well as library activities and resources.

The proposed notification system will need to integrate with the Library’s Integrated Library System (ILS), currently Innovative’ s Polaris, and will need to be capable of sending all applicable ILS notice types.

The proposed marketing email system is required to integrate with the Library’s ILS and have the ability to fully create and build marketing emails as well.

This RFP is intended to provide interested Proposers with sufficient minimum requirements. The requirements in the Scope of Work for this RFP are not intended to limit a proposal's content or creativity. Proposers are encouraged to expand upon the specifications to give additional evidence of their ability to provide the services requested in this RFP. However, Proposers must address the needs and requirements stated in the Purpose and Scope of Work of this

RFP.

The award of additional features beyond the minimum requirements is in the County’s sole discretion and will be clearly identified in the resulting contract if it is deemed appropriate by the County and falls in line with the initial RFP Scope of Work.

1.2 Deadline for Proposal Submission

Proposals must be uploaded before 1:00 PM on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in Contracts and Procurement online solicitation system, the Utah Public Procurement Place (U3P) powered by Bonfire:

https://utah.bonfirehub.com/projects. No proposals will be accepted after the closing date and time.

1.3 Projected Schedule for the RFP Process

County reserves the right to modify the following schedule at its discretion:

https://utah.bonfirehub.com/projects

Activity Date Pre-Proposal WebEx Meeting Thurs., Oct. 2nd Final day to submit questions Thurs., Oct. 9th Proposal Due Date Thurs., Oct. 23rd Committee Meeting Thurs., Oct. 30th Proposer Interviews (TBD) Weds., Nov. 12th

1.4 Pre-Proposal WebEx Meeting

Interested Proposers are invited to participate in a pre-proposal WebEx meeting to discuss the project and to ask questions about this RFP. It will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2025, beginning at 10:00 am. Please contact Michael Emery, Jr., at memery@saltlakecounty.gov to request the WebEx meeting information.

Proposers are encouraged to submit their questions in writing before the meeting through the county’s online solicitation system, the Utah Public Procurement Place (U3P) powered by Bonfire. The meeting is for informational purposes only and is not binding. If the RFP needs to be modified or clarified, the County will issue a written amendment on U3P.

1.5 Question Submission

Questions may be submitted through U3P until the deadline for questions submission, which is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 1:00 pm. Answers to the questions will be posted in U3P for everyone to view. Do not contact County officers or employees, or selection committee members.

Part 2: Scope of Work and Requirements

2.1 Background

The Salt Lake County Library has a service population of approximately 900,000.

Library provide services to over 300,000 active patrons at 18 branches and 22 total locations. These patrons check out approximately 13 million items per year.

In addition to the materials circulation, Library provides a rich content of programming attended by more than 550,000 patrons annually.

Library seeks to implement a solution, by the end of 2025, that will provide both a complete upgrade to our ILS notices and a full marketing email system.

Notice methods will include email, SMS texts, and phone. Notice types will include, but will not be limited to, hold, overdue, pre-due, etc. Library currently mailto:memery@saltlakecounty.gov sends out a monthly average of 375,000 notices, 31,000 text notices, and 15,000 phone notices. These are averages and may be higher for any particular month.

It should be noted that some notice types are not optional within our system.

Marketing emails must be modern, graphical, branded, personalized, and customizable, and will include the ability to select any segment of our patron database at any time. Library currently sends out a monthly average of 950,000 marketing emails per month.

2.2 Scope of Work

ILS Notices:

1. All notifications types and methods must fully integrated with the Library’s ILS, Innovative's Polaris.

2. Notice types will include, but not be limited to, hold, overdue, pre-due, etc.

3. Notice methods will include email, SMS text, and phone.

4. Email Notices - customizable, graphical, HTML based, fully branded, personalized per patron via ILS integration.

5. Text Notices - reliable SMS delivery (no email to text) across all major carriers. No character limits or expanded character limits. Capable of adding links within the notice.

6. Phone Notices – full control over the content of the messages and the number of times the message is repeated.

7. The ability for ILS email notices to cross-promote library events, programs, collections, and materials.

Marketing Email System:

1. The Marketing Email System should be fully integrated with our ILS.

2. The Integration should be via secure API and fully encrypted.

3. Email creation should be easy to use, drag and drop style. Graphical with full HTML capabilities.

4. Emails have the ability to be fully and properly branded for our Library.

5. Segmentation - build manual and automatic lists of patrons based on any combination of data in the ILS

6. The ability to create multi-step campaigns, including ones where emails can be automatically triggered by patron actions.

7. Emails are able to be personalized per patron using integration with the ILS, including emails that promote library events, programs, collections, and materials.

8. Scheduling and triggering functions, so that emails can be sent in response to a specific action or according to a length of time.

9. Ability to allow the system to be integrated with our catalog/website allowing content (new release lists, genre newsletters, etc.) from those areas, to be integrated into the marketing emails.

10. Include clear methods to allow patrons to update their communications and opt in and/or out of all marketing emails and/or other newsletter lists.

11. Ability to perform test email sends, as well as the ability to perform A/B testing functionality.

Overall:

1. All connections must be secure and encrypted.

2. Data Transfer must be secure and encrypted. (No SIP/SIP2 connections)

3. The system should include robust analytics and statistics within the admin functionality. This should cover email engagement metrics such as open rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, and spam reports, along with other performance indicators that help evaluate overall effectiveness.

4. Full reporting should be available, including the ability to customize reports as needed. We’d like reports that not only summarize analytics and statistics but also support deeper analysis:

i. Scheduling and automation

ii. Drill-down capabilities

iii. Role-based access

iv. Export formats: flexible export options (CSV, Excel, PDF, etc.)

v. Real-time or near real-time data

5. The system should provide dashboards for quick, at-a-glance insights.

Exporting raw data or transaction data is a strong plus. Reports, analytics, and statistics should be easy to export or schedule to be emailed from the system as needed. The reporting environment should also support a wide variety of business intelligence reports related to notices and patron interactions.

6. Ability to have reports, analytics, and statistics exported/emailed from the system as needed.

7. Ability to have system alerts, including critical service failures and/or SLA breaches that can trigger immediate alerts to designated staff.

2.3 Mandatory Requirements

1. The proposed solution shall fully integrate with our current ILS (Innovative's

Polaris) without the need for custom development and/or programming Library's side.

2. The proposed solution shall include a delivery method for all three types of notices we require, including email, SMS text, and phone. And it must be capable of delivering all ILS-based notice types using all three delivery methods.

3. The proposed solution must also include a marketing email system capable of meeting all requirements specified within this RFP.

4. All external connections/data transfers must be secure and encrypted at all times. No SIP/SIP2 connections.

5. The proposed solution must comply with Utah’s Government Data Privacy Act (GDPA) and all other applicable state and federal privacy regulations.

6. If patron data is retained by the proposer, the proposer must agree that patron data will not be sold, shared, or used for any purpose outside of fulfilling the agreed upon notice and email functions.

7. If patron data is retained by the proposer, the proposer must provide options for notice history to be anonymized and/or deleted after a specified retention period, in alignment with Library’s privacy and data retention policies.

8. The proposed solution must include a full and detailed project plan, including a detailed outline of their proposed schedule for completing the implementation of the solution, as well as a detailed description of the members of the proposer’s team who will be responsible and involved with the implementation of the solution.

9. Must provide 3+ references of projects of a similar size and scope to our system and the requirements set forth in this RFP.

2.4 Performance Expectations:

Notification System Uptime - We expect that the system will be available at a minimum of 99.98% of the time, and that any anticipated/known downtime will be clearly communicated to the Library prior to the planned downtime.

All scheduled daily notices will be sent within two hours of having been recieved by the vendor.

Delivery Success Rates:

• Email delivery rate: ≥ 98% of emails accepted by recipient mail servers (after bounce filtering).

• SMS delivery success rate: ≥ 98% of valid SMS messages (excluding invalid numbers and opt-outs) confirmed as delivered by the carrier.

• Phone notices: ≥ 95% of phone calls successfully initiated with call completion (voicemail or live answer).

• Service Level Guarantee: We expect that emergency support instances will be responded to the same business day and all non-emergency support tickets will be responded to within 48 hours

2.5 Required Questions:

1. Does your system fully integrate with Innovative’s Polaris ILS application?

2. Is your service model On Prem or Cloud based? Both? Explain in detail.

3. Are all requests into and data leaving our system encrypted at all times?

4. Do you retain any patron data within your system? If so, describe in detail.

5. What impact do you anticipate your API calls will have on the stability and performance of our production environment?

6. Does your pricing scale based on the quantity of notices sent?

7. Describe your system’s whitelisting/blacklisting capability. How much control do we have to make changes to these lists?

8. Are your phone notices generated using a automated voice and/or are we able to record the message text ourselves?

9. Does the proposed system maintain a recording of all phone calls? And will the Library be able to hear individual call recordings upon request?

10. Does the proposed system allow the Library to configure the caller ID and/or the phone number? What other phone configuration requirements does the system have?

11. Are your notice emails only generated using pre-built templates or can they be built completely from scratch?

12. How does your system detect, report, and manage bounced or rejected email, text, and phone notices? Include details on retry attempts, error handling, and how invalid contact information is flagged or removed.

13. Does your marketing email system provide both pre-built templates as well as from scratch email creation?

14. Will there be limits to any of the proposer's solutions in terms of email size/length, text message length or content, and phone message length or content?

15. What is your System Uptime Guarantee? Please provide a written copy.

16. What is your Service Level Guarantee? Please provide a written copy.

2.6 Length of Agreement

The contract resulting from this solicitation will become effective on the date of execution with a six (6) year term with the option to renew for three (3) additional one (1) year terms. If maintenance and support is proprietary to the software solution, then it may be renewed yearly as long as the software is used.

There is no guarantee that contract(s) will be awarded from this solicitation.

2.7 Fee and Escalation Clause

The price(s) proposed must be guaranteed through the first term of the contract.

The County’s budget is on a calendar year. Contractor may submit a written request for price escalation no later than July 30th of the calendar year prior to the expiration of the Initial Term, or July 30th for any subsequent Additional Terms. Any such request shall be accompanied by written justification for the increase. Any price increase may not exceed 5% over the price for the immediately previous term. Any price escalation may be approved or rejected by the County in County’s sole discretion. If approved by the County, to be effective any price escalation must be added as a written amendment to this Agreement.

Contractor agrees that County’s refusal to grant a price increase shall not give Contractor any rights or remedies for termination for default, or for any other claim or cause of action.

Certificate of Final Acceptance must be fully executed before monthly fees will be paid.

2.8 Insurance Requirements

Insurance Requirements. Insurance Standard Level Insurance will be required per the amounts listed below. Please refer to the attached example agreement for information concerning insurance requirements.

A. Workers' compensation and employer's liability insurance as required by the State of Utah.

B. Commercial general liability insurance in the minimum amount of $500,000 per occurrence with a $1,000,000 general policy aggregate.

C. Professional liability insurance in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 annual policy aggregate limit.

D. Commercial automobile liability insurance that provides coverage in the minimum amount of $100,000 per occurrence per person/ $300,000 per accident I $50,000 property damage OR single combined limit of $500,000.

-OR IF THERE WILL NOT BE ANY VEHICLE OPERATIONS-

E. The Contractor shall not operate a vehicle in connection with any services rendered under this Agreement. Inasmuch as the Contractor agrees not to operate a vehicle in connection with services rendered under this Agreement, the County shall not require the Contractor to provide commercial automobile liability insurance.

2.9 Proposal Format / Submission Requirements

Submit proposals in the online solicitation system (U3P). All proposals should be formatted as three (3) separate PDFs: 1) Program Proposal; 2) Pricing Proposal; and 3) Supplemental Attachments (Optional). NO MORE THAN

THREE (3) SEPARATE DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED.

Proposers must submit a narrative response to the elements outlined in 3.1 Evaluation and Scoring Criteria and conform to the submission requirements listed below.

Proposals not following the Proposal Format/Submission Requirements outlined herein may result in being deemed non-responsive.

1. Program Proposal (PDF #1):

A. Document #1 (Program Proposal) should begin with the completed Attachment A Proposal Cover Summary (Required). Attachment A is not included in the page count.

a. Table of Contents should be included, organized in the same order as the Evaluation Criteria in Section 3.1 (not included in the page count).

b. Format should be 1) 8-1/2 X 11 size with white background 2) portrait layout only and 3) black 12-point font. Section headings may be in color and a larger font.

c. The PDF view should be in Single-Page layout.

d. Title page, cover letters are not required but are acceptable (not included in the page count).

B. The narrative response to the elements outlined in 3.1 Evaluation Scoring Criteria may not exceed [25-pages].

C. The Program Proposal should include within the PDF all exhibits (Resumes count toward the narrative limit, all other exhibits do not count toward the narrative limit).

D. The Program Proposal PDF with all attachments, exhibits, appendices, etc., is limited to 10 MB to allow for electronic distribution.

2. Pricing Proposal (PDF #2):

A. Excel in lieu of PDF documents are acceptable unless otherwise specified in the RFP.

3. Attachments (PDF #3)

A. Attachments B, C, D, E (Optional)

1. If requesting protected record status complete Attachment B and upload a redacted program proposal.

• All documents submitted in response to this RFP will be treated as public records in accordance with GRAMA unless a claim of business confidentiality is submitted. Refer to Section 3.3.A.

• Failure to provide a redacted copy, or otherwise comply with the requirements, waives your request for protected record.

2. If requesting preferences, include the completed Attachment C and proof. Refer to Section 3.1.A.

3. Attachment D County’s Environmental Compliance Practices and Non-

Debarment Certification compliance. Proposers should attest to the Attachment D compliance statement in the U3P event Questions Section. Proposers are not required to submit a signed Attachment D.

4. If requesting alterations to Attachment E or the RFP per Section 3.2 of this RFP, include a PDF of items requested and reasonable alteration desired.

Part 3: Response Evaluation and Notice to Proposers

3.1 Evaluation and Scoring Criteria

Response to the program proposal will be evaluated, scored, and ranked by a Selection Committee. Each member of the committee will be provided a score sheet to complete the proposal evaluation utilizing the point system listed below. Committee Members individually score the proposals and rank them 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. according to their total score. The following point system is utilized:

Excellent (5): If the proposal offer exceeds expectations, with an excellent probability of success in achieving all requirements of the RFP, and is very detailed in providing innovative ideas, new concepts or optional features applicable to the project; a score of “5” is given.

Good (4): If the proposal offers a very good probability of success, achieves all requirements of the RFP in a reasonable fashion and provides some innovative ideas, new concepts or optional features applicable to the project; a score of “4” is given.

Acceptable (3): If the proposal offers a reasonable probability of success, but some of the requirements may not be met and does not include innovative ideas, new concepts or optional features applicable to the project; a score of “3” is given.

Poor (1-2): If the proposal falls short of expectations and has a low probability of success; a score of “1-2” is given.

Unacceptable: If the approach completely fails the requirements; a score of “0” is given.

Proposals will be evaluated, scored, and ranked on the following criteria. The program proposal is 75% of the scoring and the pricing proposal is 25% for a total of 100.

1. Program Proposal The program proposal will be evaluated, scored, and ranked by a Selection Committee. Each member of the committee will be provided a score sheet to complete the proposal evaluation.

5% Relevant Experience. Provide detailed relevant experience for projects of similar scope and comparable size which shall include the following: name of client, contact person and current phone number, brief description of project, date, total contract amount, and any other pertinent information regarding the experience. County may contact any or all of your clients for a reference.

10% Proposer's Qualifications. Provide a brief description of your firm, the scope and nature of projects routinely provided by Proposer on projects of this nature. Identify the type of business (corporation, partnership, sole proprietor, etc.) under which your firm operates, date business started, and license number to do business in the State of Utah. Describe your staffing resources to accomplish the scope of these services and tasks.

50% Proposed Approach & Scope. Describe how the Proposer will approach each task of the project. Describe your method of scheduling and routing for these services. Give a full description of the methodology to be employed in completing the tasks and deliverables of this RFP. Rather than stating commonly followed practices, focus on discussing issues and ideas that are unusual to this project and identifying unique practices of your firm.

10% Timeline. Time is of the essence in all project activities to assure the earliest possible project delivery. Provide a brief history of the Proposers past experience and the ability to complete projects on time. Provide a time schedule stating when the key tasks of your proposal would be completed. This Section shall demonstrate the Proposers ability to provide desired services within time frames specified and at specified levels as described in the scope of work.

2. Pricing Proposal:

The pricing proposal will be reviewed separately.

25% Proposed Pricing/Costs/Fees. The proposal must include pricing for each of the tasks stated under scope of work and any additional tasks Proposer's firm recommends. Proposer must price any recommended additional tasks separately. The proposal must include a total "not-to exceed" price for the delivery to County of all services required to complete the project herein which includes any and all professional fees; and any and all costs the Proposer may incur, including any costs for transportation, lodging, communication, printing, etc. The proposal must also include an hourly rate for each team member who the Proposer plans to utilize in completion of the project. County is not willing to pay an hourly fee for travel time. No additional reimbursement beyond the "not to exceed" price will be considered.

A. Preference System Salt Lake County may adjust scoring pursuant to its Preference System established by ordinance and policy. Please complete Attachment C preference system and include the required proof of request.

B. Interview, Demonstration, and Site Visit.

The Selection Committee may invite Proposers for an interview, demonstration, or conduct a site visit. The purpose is clarification and verification of the written proposal. The Selection Committee may re-score the proposal after the interview, demonstration, or site visit.

C. Recommended Award After the Selection Committee has completed their evaluation, they will notify the County Mayor of the top-ranked Proposer. Award is conditioned upon the execution of a satisfactory contract.

D. Debrief Meetings Debrief meetings with the selection committee members will not be allowed, however, a Proposer may discuss the RFP process with the chair/facilitator of the committee at any time.

3.2 Written Agreement Required

The selected Proposer must agree to all requirements in the RFP scope of work.

The selected Proposer must also be willing to enter into a written agreement with County and agree to all the terms set forth in the Example Contract, attached to this RFP.

If you wish to request alterations the RFP, including any of the terms of the example RFP Contract (Attachment E), or any of the exhibits, attachments, or addenda, the alterations must be specifically identified in your proposal with reasonable alternatives presented. Any such exceptions must be submitted as a separate PDF and labeled “Requested Alterations.” Only those alterations so specified will be available for discussion or negotiation. Proposer understands that deviations from the Example Contract are made at the County’s sole discretion.

Proposers are advised that the County is not bound by the terms of the RFP until a written agreement is fully executed and any activity taken on by the Proposer prior to full execution of a written agreement is done at the Proposer’s sole risk.

3.3 Notice to Proposers

By submitting a proposal to this RFP, Proposer understands and agrees to the following:

A. Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA):

County is a governmental entity subject to the Utah Government Records Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”), Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-2-101 to -901. As a result, County is required to disclose certain information and materials to the public, upon request. Generally, any document submitted to County is considered a “public record” under GRAMA. Any person who provides to County a record that the person believes merits protection under subsection 63G-2-305(1) or (2) must submit with their proposal all of the following: (1) a written claim of business confidentiality, (2) a concise statement of reasons supporting the claim of business confidentiality, and (3) a separate copy of the proposal with the information requested to be protected redacted. Failure to comply with any of the three requirements for a claim of business confidentiality waives the request for protected record. Generally, GRAMA only protects against the disclosure of trade secrets or commercial information that could reasonably be expected to result in unfair competitive injury.

For your convenience, County has provided a Business Confidentiality Request Form which is attached to this RFP as Attachment B. All documents submitted in response to this RFP will be treated as public records in accordance with GRAMA, unless a claim of business confidentiality has been properly made and approved by County. All proposed costs/pricing/fees submitted to the county are public records. An entire proposal cannot be identified as “PROTECTED,” “CONFIDENTIAL,” or “PROPRIETARY” and may be considered non-responsive if marked as such.

B. Copyrighted Material Waiver: In the event that the proposal contains copyrighted or trademarked materials, by submitting its proposal the Proposer grants the County the right to use, reproduce, and publish the copyrighted or trademark materials in any manner the County deems necessary for conducting County business and for allowing public access to the responses under GRAMA or otherwise, including but not limited to photocopying, County Intranet/Internet postings, broadcast faxing, and direct mailing.

If the proposal contains materials whose copyright or trademark is held by a third party, it is the Proposer’s sole responsibility to obtain permission from that third party for the County to reproduce and publish the information.

By submitting its proposal, the Proposer certifies that it owns or it has obtained all necessary approvals for the reproduction or distribution of the contents of the proposal and agrees to indemnify, protect, save and hold the County, its representatives and employees harmless from any and all claims arising from all intellectual property claims related or connected to the proposal and agrees to pay all legal fees incurred by the County in the defense of any such action.

C. Restrictions On Communications: From the issue date of this solicitation until a Proposer is selected and the selection is announced, Proposers are prohibited from communications regarding this procurement with agency staff, evaluation committee members, or other associated individuals EXCEPT the Buyer overseeing this procurement. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification.

D. RFP Cancellation: This RFP may be cancelled at any time prior to the execution of a written agreement if deemed in the best interests of County.

This includes cancellation of the RFP after an award has been made, but prior to the execution of a written contract. Proposer is not entitled to recover any costs related to the preparation of the proposal due to cancellation of the RFP or withdrawal of an award prior to the execution of a written agreement.

E. Firm Pricing: All prices, quotes, or proposals are to remain firm for 120 days after the closing date, unless a different period is stated in County’s RFP. Any proposal that does not offer to remain firm for the required period may be considered to be non-responsive.

F. Costs: Proposers bear all costs and expenses related to this RFP including, but not limited to, preparation and delivery of the proposal, attending the pre-proposal conference, and attending the interview.

G. Licensing: All applicable federal, state, and local licenses must be acquired before the contract is entered into between County and the selected Proposer. Licenses must be maintained throughout the entire contract period. Persons doing business as an Individual, Association, Partnership, Corporation, or otherwise must be registered with the Utah State Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. NOTE: Forms and information on registration may be obtained by calling (801) 530-4849 or toll free at 877-526-3994, or by accessing: https://corporations.utah.gov/.

H. Changes or Modifications: Any changes or modification to the RFP will be made by written addendum. Proposer submitting a proposal based on any information other than that contained in County’s RFP and any amendments (addenda), do so at their own risk.

I. Receiving Proposals: Contracts and Procurement will administer receipt and opening of all proposals. After the closing time, only the identity of each Proposer will be made public. If only one proposal is received in response to County request, Contracts and Procurement, in coordination with the agency requesting the project, may recommend entering into a contract to the single Proposer if the conditions cited above are met.

Alternatively, Contracts and Procurement may re-solicit for the purpose of obtaining additional proposals.

J. Rejection of Proposals: Any proposal containing significant deviations from the specifications of the RFP will be considered non-responsive and may be rejected in whole or in part.

K. Protests: Pursuant to Salt Lake County Code of Ordinances § 3.20.150, a protest in regard to the RFP document must be submitted in writing prior to the RFP closing date. All other protests must be submitted in writing within five (5) business days after notification of the award is posted on U3P. A protestor may file only one (1) protest after the RFP closing date.

Protest letters must specifically and completely state the facts that the protestor believes constitute error in the RFP document or the award.

L. Free and Competitive Selection: Any agreement or collusion among prospective Proposers to fix a price or limit competition will render the proposal void, and such conduct is unlawful and subject to criminal sanction. By submitting a proposal, the Proposer hereby certifies that no one in its firm or company has either directly or indirectly restrained free and competitive selection, participated in any collusion, or otherwise taken any action unauthorized by County Purchasing Ordinances or applicable law.

M. Ethical Standards: Proposer represents that it has not: (a) provided an illegal gift to any County officer or employee, or former County officer or employee, or to any relative or business entity of a County officer or employee, or relative or business entity of a former County officer or employee; (b) retained any person to solicit or secure this contract upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage or contingent fee, other than bona fide employees of bona fide commercial agencies established for the purpose of securing business; (c) breached any of the ethical standards set forth in State statute or Salt Lake County https://corporations.utah.gov/

Code of Ordinances § 2.07; or (d) knowingly influenced, and hereby promises that it will not knowingly influence, any County officer or employee or former County officer or employee to breach any of the ethical standards set forth in State statute or Salt Lake County ordinances.

N. Campaign Contributions: The Salt Lake County campaign finance disclosure ordinance limits campaign contributions by Proposers to County candidates. Salt Lake County Code of Ordinances § 2.72A.

Proposer acknowledges and understands those limitations on campaign contributions mean that any person, business, corporation or other entity that enters into a contract or is engaged in a contract with County is prohibited from making campaign contributions in excess of $100 to County candidates during the term of the contract and during a single election cycle as defined in the ordinance. Proposer further acknowledges that violation of those provisions governing campaign contributions may result in criminal sanctions as well as termination of the Contract.

O. Reasonable Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals to attend meetings may be provided upon receipt of a request with two (2) working days’ notice. Please contact Contracts and Procurement at 385.468.0300. TTY users may call 711.

P. Environmentally Responsible Procurement Practices: County has implemented environmentally responsible procurement practices. Please refer to Attachment D.

Q. Notice to Retirees of Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”)

County is a URS “participating employer.” Entering into an agreement with County may affect a URS retiree’s retirement benefits including, but not limited to, cancellation of the retiree’s “retirement allowance” due to “reemployment” with a “participating employer” pursuant to Utah Code Ann. § 49-11-504 to -505. In addition, Proposer is required to notify County immediately if a retiree of URS is the Proposer; or an owner, operator, or principal of the Proposer. Proposer may refer the URS retiree to the URS Retirement Department at 801-366-7770 or 800-695-4877 for all questions about post-retirement employment regulations.

R. Employee Status Verification System Proposer shall register and participate in the Status Verification System before entering into a contract with County as required by Utah Code Ann.

§ 63G-12-302. The Status Verification System is an electronic system operated by the federal government, through which an authorized official of a state agency or a political subdivision of the state may inquire by exercise of authority delegated pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1373 to verify the citizenship or immigration status of an individual within the jurisdiction of the agency or political subdivision. Proposer is individually responsible for verifying the employment status of only new employees who work under Proposer’s supervision or direction and not those who work for another Proposer or subcontractor, except each Proposer or subcontractor who works under or for another Proposer shall certify to the main Proposer by affidavit that the Proposer or subcontractor has verified, through the Status Verification System, the employment status of each new employee of the respective Proposer or subcontractor. The Proposer shall comply in all respects with the provisions of Utah Code Ann. § 63G-12-302.

Proposer’s failure to comply with this requirement may result in the immediate termination of its contract with County.

EXHIBIT A

Reference Form

Proposer: please request references from 3-5 of your customers. As least one reference in the public sector.

Customer: please complete this reference form and return to requester at your earliest convenience.

Proposer’s Name

Name of customer

Customer contact name, email address and phone number

Number of years contracted

Contract annual $ value

Describe services, company size, industry, length of association.

Other pertinent information

*Customer service

*Communication

*Met project benchmarks and timeline

*Overall satisfaction

*Selection committee member:

rate quality of reference

*Selection committee member:

rate work performed relevant to

County RFP

*Rubric

5 excellent

4 very good

3 average

2 fair

1 poor

EXHIBIT B – Sample Agreement Acceptance or Alternate Proposed

Choose the option below that applies regarding acceptance of the sample agreement included in the Request for

Proposal (RFP).

(___) 1. Proposer affirms acceptance of the Request for Proposal (RFP) and included sample agreement, and Proposer takes no exception, nor will put forth any additional or conflicting terms and conditions, contracts, or third-party agreements for consideration should the Proposer be awarded the contract.

(___) 2. Proposer takes exception to the sample agreement included in the Request for Proposal and includes those exceptions below along with proposed terms and conditions, additional contracts, or third-party agreements the Proposers requests County to consider should the Proposer receive an award of the contract. Proposer understands that deviations from the Example Agreement are made at the County’s sole discretion.

REQUIRED IF EXCEPTIONS TAKEN: A concise written statement below detailing exceptions to the sample agreement included as part of the Request for Proposal. Include additional pages and attachments as necessary such as terms and conditions, contracts, and/or third-party agreements also to be considered.

NOTE: Failure to submit this exhibit as part of proposal will be considered affirmation of acceptance of the

Request for Proposal (RFP) and included sample agreement and Proposer takes no exception, nor will put forth any terms and conditions, contracts, or third-party agreements for consideration should the Proposer be awarded the contract.

County reserves its right to award the next highest ranked proposer should an acceptable agreement cannot be reached between Proposer and County.

Exhibit C

Certificate of Final Acceptance

Project Name: ____________________ Contract#: _________________________

Project#: _________________________ Date of Final Acceptance: _____________

Location: _______________ __________ Contractor__________________________

Address: __________________________ Address: ___________________________

Signing of the Final Acceptance form shall certify that the work contained in the subject contract has been inspected by the parties listed below and all requirements contained in the proposal including the items listed below have been substantially completed, that the Contractor has fulfilled all contractual obligations that the warranties have been accepted and the Contractor may be authorized to receive payment as specified in the contract.

1) Statement of work ___ 2) Functional Requirements ___

2) Technical Requirements: ___ 3) Project plan complete ___

The first day of the month following the Date of Final Acceptance begins Year two (2) through

Year five (5).

SIGNATURES

Project Lead Date

Chief Information Officer Date

Contractor Date

Attachment A - Request for Proposals Cover Summary t

Legal Name

Doing Business As (if applicable)

Address City State Zip Code

Contact Person after contract award Telephone Number

E-mail Contact

I certify that to the best of my knowledge the information contained in this proposal is accurate and complete and that I have the legal authority to commit this organization to a contractual agreement. I realize the final funding for any service is based upon funding levels and the approval of the Mayor for Salt Lake County.

Proposer Authorized Representative Type or Print Name

Date

Position or Title

Signature required when submitting hard copy.

Electronic signature acceptable if an electronic proposal is allowed.

X

Proposer

Please include one or two e-mail address for notification of an interview.

Name, telephone number, E-mail address

Attachment B

REQUEST FOR PROTECTED RECORD

(Business Confidentiality Claim)

I request that the attached/enclosed information (record) provided to Salt Lake County, or any of its agencies (divisions or programs), be considered confidential and given protected status as defined in Utah’s Government Records Access and Management Act (“GRAMA”).

Name and Address of business and representative making this confidentiality claim:

Description of the information (record) which is to be covered by this confidentiality claim and which you believe qualifies for protected status:

The following reasons support this claim of business confidentiality and protected status under Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-305 (please check all of the following that apply):

(___) 1. The record provided is a trade secret as defined in Utah Code Ann. § 13-24-2 (See Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-2-305(1) and 63G-2-309).

(___) 2. The record is commercial or non-individual financial information and: (a) disclosure of the information could reasonably be expected to result in unfair competitive injury to the person submitting the information or would impair the ability of Salt Lake County, or its agencies, to obtain necessary information in the future; and (b) the interest of the provider in prohibiting access to the information is greater than the interest of the public in obtaining access. (See Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-2-305(2) and 63G-2-309).

REQUIRED: A concise written statement supporting a business confidentiality claim, as required by Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-309(1). Attach additional sheets if necessary.

NOTE: Claimant shall be notified if a record claimed to be protected is classified public or if the determination is made that the record should be disclosed because the interests favoring access outweigh the interests favoring restriction of access. Records claimed to be protected under this business confidentiality claim may not be disclosed until the period in which to bring an appeal expires or the end of the appeals process, including judicial appeal, unless the claimant, after notice, has waived the claim by not appealing within thirty (30) calendar days. See Utah Code Ann § 63G-2-309(2). The procedure to appeal a GRAMA classification within thirty (30) calendar days is described in Countywide Policy 2040, which can be found on the County’s website www.slco.org or by typing the following link into your address bar:

https://slco.org/globalassets/1-site-files/policies/countywide/2040.pdf?v=03282022114310737.

Signature of Claimant Representative: _________________________________ Date: ____________________

Claimant Representative Name and Title: ________________________________________________________ http://www.slco.org/ https://slco.org/globalassets/1-site-files/policies/countywide/2040.pdf?v=03282022114310737

Preference System Updated 5.5.23

SALT LAKE COUNTY CONTRACTS & PROCUREMENT

ATTACHMENT C - PREFERENCE SYSTEM

Salt Lake County may award bids or adjust scoring to a proposal through a preference system. One or more preferences may accrue to vendors who submit responsible, responsive offers if other factors are met.

Vendors may request the following preferences:

• Employee Health Care Preference

• Veterans and Companywide Hiring Preference

Employee Health Care Preference The Health Care Preference shall accrue to vendors who currently provide and will maintain the following through the term of the contract with the County:

• A health benefit plan, as defined by Utah Code Ann. § 26-40-115(1), made available to the vendor’s covered employees and their dependents.

• A copy of the health benefits certificate or a letter signed by the vendor's carrier detailing coverage and dates of coverage of the health care benefits.

Veterans and Companywide Hiring Preference The Veterans and Companywide Hiring Preference shall accrue to vendors who currently provide and will maintain all of the following through the term of the contract with the County:

For veterans:

• A completed and signed certificate explaining its program to actively recruit and employ veterans that includes the success rate of its program by listing the percentage of its workforce that qualifies as veterans under this policy;

• A completed and signed certificate verifying that a vendor has employed, and is currently employing, at least one veteran under its recruitment program;

Companywide:

• A drug and alcohol testing policy that applies to all covered individuals employed or hired by the vendor and requires covered individuals to submit to random testing;

• A job training program recognized by a federal, state, or local governmental entity; and,

• A job safety program that complies with job safety and health standards of the Occupation and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) or the state standards which are at least as effective as the federal standards.

https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26/Chapter40/26-40-S115.html?v=C26-40-S115_2019051420190514

Preference System Updated 5.5.23

REQUIREMENTS

If required certification form and preference documentation is not received with the proposal, the County will not consider the preference request.

The County maintains the right to monitor the vendor's compliance of any preference status. Violation of this contract condition shall be the basis for immediate termination of the contract for default by the vendor.

Request for Proposals (RFPs) A proposer may receive one (1) point added to the total score of its proposal for each of the preferences offered herein for which the proposer qualifies.

Updated 5.5.23 Preference System

PREFERENCE CERTIFICATION FORM

YOU MUST CHECK THE BOX FOR EACH PREFERENCE OPTION CLAIMED

If you do not include this completed certification form along with required documentation with your bid or proposal submission, your preference request will not be considered.

Employee Health Care Preference – Currently provide and will maintain qualifying health benefits to covered employees and dependents through the term of the contract with the county. A copy of the health benefits certificate or a letter signed by the vendor's carrier detailing coverage and dates of coverage of the health care benefits must accompany the bid or proposal to have the preference request accepted.

Veterans and Companywide Hiring Preference – Currently provide and will maintain all of the following programs through the term of the contract with the county:

Veterans and Companywide Hiring Preference Certification Form

Company Name:

Explanation of Program to Actively Recruit and Employ Veterans*:

Percentage of workforce that qualifies as veterans:

Vendor has employed, and is currently employing, at least one Veteran under its recruitment program. Yes No *For purposes of this section of County Policy, a veteran is an individual who has served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States for more than 180 consecutive days; or, was a member of a reserve component who served in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized and who has been separated or retired under honorable conditions; or, has incurred an actual service-related injury or disability in the line of duty.

Vendor maintains a drug and alcohol testing policy that applies to all covered individuals employed or hired by the vendor and requires covered individuals to submit to random testing. Yes No

Updated 5.5.23 Preference System

Vendor maintains a job training program recognized by a federal, state, or local governmental entity. Yes No

Vendor offers a job safety program that complies with job safety and health standards of the Occupation and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) or the state standards which are at least as effective as the federal standards. Yes No

By signing below, vendor certifies that the information provided on this Veterans and Companywide Hiring Preference Certification Form is true and correct as of the time of submitting this bid or proposal.

Vendor’s Signature:

Attachment D - Environmental Compliance Practices

Vendor Compliance Statement and Non-Debarment Certification

1. Salt Lake County has implemented environmentally responsible procurement practices. The County requires all persons, businesses, corporations and other entities doing business or entering into a contract with the County to comply with all federal, state and local environmental laws, rules and regulations. Compliance with environmental laws, rules and regulations is a relevant factor in evaluating the integrity and responsibility of a business. The county, in its sole discretion, may not solicit proposals from, award contracts to, procure, or otherwise enter into business arrangements with any person, business, corporation or other organization that is noncompliant. If a vendor is suspended, proposed for debarment, debarred, ineligible or excluded from contracting with another government entity due to environmental non-compliance, the County in its sole discretion, may deem the vendor non-responsible and decline to award a contract.

2. Based on the foregoing, the vendor certifies, to the best of its knowledge, that neither the vendor nor any owner, officer or agent of the vendor:

2.1 is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or excluded from the award of a contract or purchase by any federal, state or local agency based on a finding, determination, notice of violation or order of environmental non-compliance;

2.2 is presently indicted or charged by a…