104-26.pdf

ITB 104-26 RWIS/ITS Parts or Approved Equivalents 5/8/2025

REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS

Section 1.0 Intent

The purpose of this invitation is to establish a contract for part pricing, installed and uninstalled as well as hourly labor costs for new installations, repairs and upgrades to the Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Road and Weather Information System (RWIS), including approximately 190 Environmental Sensing Stations (ESS) located on State right-of-way in twelve

(12) ODOT Districts and eighty-eight (88) counties in Ohio.

Section 1.1 Pricing

Bidders must submit net delivered (F.O.B.) pricing for miscellaneous parts as described in this ITB and in the Department’s excel pricing page.

Section 1.2 Multiple Award

ODOT will accept all responsive bids submitted on or before the specified bid opening date and make an award to all responsive bidders pursuant to O.R.C. 5513.02.

NOTE: Approved Equivalent items are to be evaluated for compatibility during the purchasing process. See Section 1.3 and 1.7.

Vendors must submit their Bid Responses electronically in OhioBuys before the published deadline date & time, Columbus, Ohio local time on the Proposal due date. Vendors will not be able to submit Bid Responses, or unsolicited Proposal amendments after the deadline. Vendors must allow adequate time for uploading a Bid Response prior to the due date and time. ODOT recommends that vendors submit Bid Responses as early as possible.

Note: If a second round is issued for any reason, vendors must resubmit their bid if they had already submitted in a previous round, as the previously submitted Bid Responses do NOT carry over to the new round. New rounds may be the result of an addendum, extensions, etc.

Note: The Signature process takes place after the award now. The email will come from documents@esign.ohio.gov and will go to the signatory that was identified in the bid submission.

The subject line will be the bid # Signature Request, (example: 101G-25 Signature Request). No contract can be issued to your company until we receive your signature to complete the process.

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

Section 1.3 Purchasing

For all items that are the original equipment manufacturers (O.E.M.) parts, the part will be considered compatible and ODOT will complete the purchase of the item.

For all items that are listed as an approved equivalent to the O.E.M. parts, ODOT will determine if the approved equivalent is compatible. If the item is determined to be compatible, then ODOT will consider the purchase complete. If the item is not compatible, t h e v e n d o r m a y p r o v i d e t h e n e c ess a ry h a r d wa r e o r s o f t w ar e r e q u i r e d t o m ak e i t c o mp a t i b l e w i t h O D OT ’s sy s t e m , a t n o a d d i t i o n a l c os t t o O DO T . I f t h e i t e m i s n o t m a d e c o m p a t i b l e b y t h e v en d o r , the item will be returned to the vendor at no cost to the Department. ODOT will proceed to the next lowest responsive vendor to provide the item selected.

Purchasing Off Contract Activity

The Department may utilize its direct purchasing authority and purchase from other sources off contract when the estimated amount of materials is under $1,000.00, as long as the purchase complies with ODOT purchasing rules.

ODOT reserves the right to utilize its direct purchasing authority and purchase from other sources off contract when all contract Vendor(s) are unable to meet the requirements of this contract.

Section 1.4 Contract Duration

The effective duration of this contract will be from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

Section 1.5 Invoicing and Payment

Approved invoices will be paid provided the Vendor is in compliance with the specifications of this invitation.

Section 1.6 Pricing page.

Vendors will provide a unit cost per item. It is an Itemized Pricing Sheet for Parts.

Section 1.7 Equipment and Materials to Be Supplied

All items supplied under this agreement shall be new, original or approved equivalent.

Approval of equivalent items will be at the sole discretion of ODOT and must conform to the current Construction and Material Specifications (C&MS) manual where applicable.

Section 1.8 Specification Statement

Specifications from the current CM&S as shown herein are incorporated into the Invitation to Bid and made a part thereof. To obtain a copy of the C&MS, contact:

Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Contracts 1980 W. Broad St., 1st floor Columbus, Ohio 43223 Telephone: 614-466-3778 or 800-459-3778

Section 1.9 Warranties

The Vendor will warranty all items purchased under this agreement.

• Items will operate according to manufacturers’ specifications for a minimum period of

12 months following installation.

• For items that have a manufacturer’s warranty longer than 12 months, the vendor shall identify the length of the warranty on the pricing page under “Manufacturer Warranty”

• Vendor will maintain documentation for all items delivered under this agreement.

• Documents will be available for review by ODOT upon request.

In the event a delivered or installed item for use is found to be unsatisfactory, the vendor will replace the item at no additional cost to the Department. All costs incurred in correcting unsatisfactory operation will be the responsibility of the vendor.

Section 1.10 Laws and Regulations

The Vendor will strictly follow the specifications outlined in the contract.

Section 1.11 RWIS Equipment Manufacturers

ODOT’s RWIS components were manufactured by:

- Surface Systems Incorporated (SSI)

- Nu-Metrics Incorporated, (NMI)

- Quixote Transportation Technologies

- Vaisala Inc.

- M.H. Corbin

- High Sierra

- Wavetronix

- Boshung

- Various Other Suppliers

The ODOT RWIS integrates various manufacturers’ components into a unique configuration.

It is ODOT’s intent to develop an ‘open’ sourced system which utilizes components from any compatible RWIS supplier.

SECTION 2: PURCHASE OF PARTS

Section 2.0 Pricing

Vendor will submit pricing for each item offered for purchase on t h e p r i c i n g p a g e for parts in accordance with the enclosed terms, conditions and specifications and must meet all physical, mechanical and electrical specifications. Vendor will submit net delivered pricing to any of the following ODOT locations listed below:

District 1 – 1885 North McCullough St. – Lima, Ohio 45801 District 2 – 317 East Poe Rd. – Bowling Green, Ohio 43402-1330 District 3 – 906 Clark Avenue – Ashland, Ohio 44805 District 4 – 2088 S. Arlington Road. – Akron, Ohio 44306 District 5 – 9600 Jacksontown Road – Jacksontown, OH 43030 District 6 – 400 E. William Street – Delaware, Ohio 43015 District 7 - 1001 Saint Marys Avenue - Sidney, Ohio 45365 District 8 – 505 S. State Route 741 – Lebanon, Ohio 45036 District 9 – 650 Eastern Avenue – Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 District 10 – 338 Muskingum Drive – Marietta, Ohio 45750 District 11 – 2201 Reiser Ave. – New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663

District 12 – 5500 Transportation Blvd. – Garfield Heights, OH 44125

Central Office - 1980 West Broad Street, Columbus Ohio, 43223

Current RWIS Maintenance Provider – Address provided upon award

Section 2.1 Free on Board (FOB) Destination

The net unit bid price will include delivery charges, F.O.B. to any ODOT District or Central Office.

When two or more items can be combined into fewer delivery charges, and result in a cost savings, an appropriate cost savings shall be passed on to the department.

Section 2.2 Delivery Hours

All deliveries will be made between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding State holidays, unless special permission is granted by the Department to temporarily waive or adjust this requirement.

Section 2.3 Ownership

All materials provided by the Vendor and accepted as part of the resulting contract will become property of ODOT upon payment.

Section 2.4 Delivery

All part(s) purchased under this agreement must be delivered within sixty (60) calendar days from the Purchase Order (PO) issue date.

ODOT may request an expedited delivery within ten (10) business days, for which the vendor may charge an expedited delivery price. Refer to Pricing Page. Prior to requesting an expedited delivery, ODOT will contact the lowest responsive vendor and confirm if the requested item(s) can be delivered within the expedited delivery time frame. If the lowest responsive vendor cannot provide the expedited delivery, ODOT may exercise its option to purchase from the next lowest responsive vendor that can meet this expedited delivery request. Bidders may indicate special items that regularly require longer than 60 days. Bidders shall propose an appropriate time frame and provide justification.

Section 2.5 Late Penalties

STANDARD DELIVERY: For items not meeting the sixty (60) calendar day delivery from the date of PO issuance, a late fee penalty of ten (10) percent will be administered on the sixty-first (61st) day. Each subsequent seven (7) day delay will result in an additional ten (10) percent penalty off of the original price. For items accepted by ODOT as requiring longer than 60 days, the initial window shall be extended to the mutually agreed upon delivery deadline. The penalty schedule shall still apply in seven (7) day increments beyond the last day of the mutually agreed upon delivery deadline for each subject item.

Penalties breakdown:

Calendar days after PO date of delivery

Penalty off original cost

0 to 60 None

61 to 67 10%

68 to 74 20%

75 to 81 30%

82 to 88 40%

89 to 105 50%

106 to 112 60%

113 to 119 70%

120 to 126 80%

127 to 133 90%

134 and beyond 100%

EXPEDITED DELIVERY: If an expedited delivery is not completed within the fourteen (14) calendar days from the PO date, the vendor will forfeit their expedited delivery fee. The item will also still be subject to normal late penalties if the delivery date is more than sixty (60) calendar days after the PO issuance date.

SECTION 3 INSTALLATION OF PARTS

Section 3.0 Description

Bidder will submit lump sum pricing which includes labor, equipment, materials, travel and technical expertise for each item offered for purchase. Pricing must include all costs associated with the installation. No cost above the bid price will be paid. Any required traffic control will be provided by ODOT.

Section 3.1 Invoicing and Payment

Only accepted and approved work will be eligible for invoicing in accordance with Section 1.

Accepted and approved work is any work not otherwise covered in this agreement.

Section 3.2 Equipment to Be Supplied

When purchased by ODOT, all material utilized must be approved equal to or higher than original equipment and meet ODOT C&MS.

Section 3.3 Ownership

All materials provided by the bidder and accepted as part of the resulting contract will become property of ODOT upon payment. All material in the bidder’s stockpile at the end of the contract will be the property of the bidder and will not be purchased by ODOT.

Section 3.4 Work Completion, Exceptions

All work performed under section 3 of this agreement must be completed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date the PO is received by the bidder, weather permitting. ODOT may waive this requirement based on operational need. No additional time will be allocated for acquisition of materials and supplies by the bidder. The item will be subject to normal late penalties if the delivery date is more than sixty (60) calendar days after the PO issuance date, as described in Section 2.5 of the table for “penalties breakdown”.

Section 3.5 Expedited Work, Late Penalties

ODOT may request an expedited repair to be completed within five (5) business days, for which the bidder may charge an expedited installation price, per site for expedited work. If work requested is not completed within the allotted time, ODOT may at its’ discretion, reduce the bidders’ pay for the late completion, at an amount equal to the fee which the bidder submits for expedited work.

Section 3.6 Notifications, Inspections & Approvals

ODOT may at its’ discretion provide employee(s) onsite to review and inspect any work performed under this agreement. The Project Manager must be notified by email of all planned work statewide at least two (2) working days prior to commencement. No payment will be made for unapproved or unacceptable work. ODOT shall be the final authority for work acceptance and approval for payment.

Section 3.7 Reporting of installed parts

Vendor shall provide documentation of installation, including, but not limited to, photos, part number, serial number, date of installation, sketch of location (for invasive pavement sensors), wireless frequency (for wireless components), and any other pertinent technical configuration information.

SECTION IV RWIS MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR TRAINING

Section 4.0 Description

Bidder will submit a lump sum price per employee, to provide a maximum of three (3) days RWIS maintenance and repair training as described in this invitation. If, at ODOT’s discretion, training is conducted at an ODOT facility, the bidder may charge one (1) mobilization for each day of training.

Mobilization may be subject to government mobilization or travel rates. The bid price and any mobilization will be the complete and total price for training. No payment beyond the bid price will be approved. ODOT may purchase vendor provided training of selected ODOT personnel for all phases of maintenance and repair of ODOT’s RWIS.

Section 4.1 Specifications

Bidder will provide classroom lecture and field training designed to teach selected ODOT employees and/or employees of the RWIS Maintenance provider the fundamentals of RWIS operation and maintenance and/or new equipment. The course should be designed to introduce the participant to basic data acquisition concepts as they relate to the measurement and display of meteorological data. Emphasis must be placed on the operation of all ODOT owned atmospheric and pavement sensors. Additionally, the course should assist each participant in developing basic skills in the use of all diagnostic and testing software required for ODOT’s RWIS. Class size and number of days to provide training may be at the bidder’s choosing, but must be submitted to ODOT along with a course syllabus and complete list of training materials for approval, with the bid. Bidder will provide in the Pricing Parts Page, a complete listing of all equipment and materials needed to perform RWIS maintenance and repair on the ODOT system which will be purchased separately, as required.

Section 4.2 Minimum Topics to be Included

Below are the minimum topics ODOT RWIS training must include:

• Introduction to data acquisition

• All Remote Processing Units (R.P.U.’s)

• NTCIP Compliant Software

• Installation and calibration of:

• Temperature / Humidity Sensors

• RM Young Wind Sensor (Anemometer)

• Weather Identifier and Visibility (WIVIS / OWI) Sensor

• PWD-11 & 12 Sensors

• All Sub Surface Temperature Probes

• Vaisala’s FP2000 Pavement Sensor

• Vaisala’s G10 Pavement Sensor

• RFMS Radio Module

• Sierra Raven XT Modem

• Lufft RPU

• MH Corbin VX 21-1, VX 21-2

• Other components not listed but installed on ESS

• Troubleshooting, Repair, Preventive Maintenance Best Practices

• Operational use of All Diagnostic, Testing, Calibration or Other Software Required to Support ODOT RWIS Maintenance & Repair.

Section 4.3 Course Goals

Upon completion of this course, the selected ODOT/maintenance vendor participant should have:

a) An ability to apply knowledge of sensor theory to determine if a sensor is operating properly.

b) An ability to use techniques, skills and test equipment to troubleshoot, repair and calibrate a remote processing unit and associated sensors.

c) An ability to effectively communicate problems/issues to the appropriate vendor.

Section 4.4 Teaching Methods

The following teaching methods must be included for any ODOT employee/maintenance vendor participating in an ODOT RWIS training program:

a) Each attendee must receive a copy of all field maintenance and repair guides and manuals.

b) Each attendee must receive hands on training at each type of operational RWIS site.

c) A question and answer session will follow each topic presented.

d) A self-test exam must be given to each attendee to measure individual progress.

State of Ohio, Department of Transportation (ODOT)

Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services

Ohio Buys

Terms and Conditions for Submitting Excel Pricing File in Bid Package

If an Excel File is Present in Ohio Buys

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

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

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

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

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

(the remainder of this page has been left intentionally blank)

INSTRUCTIONS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR BIDDING

(Last revised 2/12/2025)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. PREBID QUESTIONS, DISCREPANCIES, AND CLARIFICATIONS: Any discrepancies, omissions, ambiguities, or conflicts in or among the bidding documents or doubts as to the meaning shall be brought to the Department’s attention by the bidder no less than three (3) business days prior to the bid submission deadline. All questions, discrepancies, clarifications, etc. must be submitted electronically in Ohio Buys.

During the competitive bidding process, bidders (and their agents) are prohibited from contacting any ODOT office, including District offices, other than the Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services section to obtain responses to any questions. The Department may find a bidder non-responsive for failing to adhere to any of the above requirements.

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

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

a. For mandatory pre-bid conferences, the Department requires that those companies intending on submitting a bid be in attendance for the entire duration of the pre-bid conference. Mandatory pre-bid conferences will officially begin five (5) minutes after the scheduled date and start time at the location specified in the Special Terms and Conditions. Those bidders not in attendance at that time will be considered ineligible to submit a bid. The conference will be considered adjourned and complete when a representative of the Office of Contract Sales, Purchasing Services section http://ohiosharedservices.ohio.gov/SupplierOperations/Forms.aspx indicates so. To be considered in attendance and eligible to bid, a bidder must have at least one representative of the company in attendance. A single representative cannot be present on behalf of two or more companies (bidders). Each company (bidder) must send its own representative on behalf of their organization. It is the sole responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the representative follows the sign-in procedures to properly document the bidder’s attendance. The Department shall not be held responsible for a bidder’s failure to arrive at the meeting on time, properly sign-in, or failure to stay for the entire duration of the meeting.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

14. MULTIPLE AWARD CONTRACTS: Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 5513.02, the Department may award

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

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

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

17. PREFERENCE FOR OHIO/BORDER STATE PRODUCTS: The bid award for this procurement may be subject to the domestic preference provisions of the Buy America Act, 41 U.S.C.A., 10a-10d, as amended, and to the preference for Ohio products under O.R.C. Sections 125.09 and 125.11 and Ohio Administrative Code Rule 123:5-1-06.

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

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

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

i. experience of the bidder;

ii. bidder’s financial condition;

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

iv. the bidder’s facilities;

v. the bidder’s management skills;

vi. the bidder’s employees;

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

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

ix. review of Federal and Department debarment lists;

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

xi. current or impending legal actions against a bidder.

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

1. Obvious misplacement of a decimal point or comma;

2. Obvious incorrect discount factor; or

3. Transcription error in Part Number.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

28. OVERLAPPING CONTRACT ITEMS: The products and/or services included in this solicitation may be available from other State of Ohio contracts and/or other contracts made available for the Department’s use.

The existence of these contracts containing like or similar products and/or services could be either known or unknown to the Department at the time this procurement has been published. Unless otherwise stated in this contract, the Department may acquire these products and/or services from any available source. The Department will make purchases from sources that are deemed to be in the best interest of the Agency.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

31. BID PROTESTS: Any apparent low bidder either deemed not responsible or whose bid has been deemed non-responsive shall be notified by the Department of that determination and the reasons for it. The notification will be provided by the Department in writing and sent by U.S. mail and at the email address provided on the front cover of the bidder’s bid. The bidder will have five (5) calendar days after receipt (by mail or email confirmation) of this notification to file a written, valid protest of the Department’s determination.

A valid written protest must contain substantive information and evidence so as to refute the Department’s asserted claims against either the bid’s responsiveness or bidder’s responsibility, whichever apply. The Department will only review and respond to valid written protests containing substantive information and evidence. After review of the valid written protest, the Department will either affirm or reverse its original determination.

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

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

33. CONTRACT AWARD AND FORMATION: Successful bidder(s) will receive via U.S. regular mail and/or email a Notice of Contract Award letter as well as a photocopy version of the Signature Page executed by both Parties. These documents shall serve to form the Contract between the Parties. The Signature Page must be executed by both the bidder and the Director of ODOT for the Contract to be deemed valid and enforceable. The Department will maintain in the Contract file the Signature Page document containing each parties’ original signature(s).

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

b. Upon award of a procurement, successful bidders will thereafter be referenced as “Vendor” or

“Contractor” by the Department in all matters and documents related to the resulting Contract.

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

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

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

a. Bidders may request that specific information, such as trade secrets or proprietary data, be designated as confidential and not considered as public record. Material so designated shall accompany the bid and be in a sealed container duly marked, and shall be readily separable from the bid in order to facilitate public inspection of non-confidential portion. Prices, makes, models, catalog numbers of items offered, deliveries and terms of payment cannot be considered as confidential. The decision as to whether or not such trade secrets or proprietary data shall be disclosed at the bid opening rests solely with the Department.

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

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

GENERAL DEFINITIONS

(Last revised 11/30/2020)

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

1. AGENCY: Ohio Department of Transportation.

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

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

4. DEPARTMENT: Ohio Department of Transportation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

(Last Revised 11/8/23)

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

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

3. APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS. Pursuant to the Constitution of the State of Ohio, Article II Section 22, ODOT’s funds are contingent upon the availability of lawful appropriations by the Ohio General Assembly.

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

The current Ohio General Assembly cannot commit a future Ohio General Assembly to a future expenditure.

If the term of this Contract extends beyond a biennium, the Contract will expire at the end of a current biennium and the State may renew this Contract in the next biennium by issuing written notice to the Vendor no later than July 1 of the new biennium. The operating biennium expires June 30th of each odd-numbered calendar year.

4. OBM CERTIFICATION: None of the rights, duties, or obligations in this Contract will be binding on the

Department, and the Vendor will not begin its performance, until all of the following conditions have been met:

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

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

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

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

6. CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION: Any general rule of construction to the contrary notwithstanding this

Contract shall be liberally construed in favor of the effect the purpose of this Contract and the policy and purposes of the Department. If any provisions in this Contract are found to be ambiguous, an interpretation consistent with the purpose of this Contract that would render the provision valid shall be favored over any interpretation that would render…