1412403 Hazardous Solid PharFInalV2.pdf

Request for Proposal #71412403

For

Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Management Disposal Services for Higher Education Institutions

October 23, 2023 Note: This public body does not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance with the Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1 or against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment.

RFP # 71412403, Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Management Disposal Services for Higher Education Institutions

INCLUDE THIS PAGE WITH YOUR PROPOSAL, SIGNATURE AT SUBMISSION IS REQUIRED

DUE DATE: Proposals will be received until November 27, 2023 at 3:00 PM. Failure to submit proposals to the correct location by the designated date and hour will result in disqualification.

INQUIRIES: All inquiries for information regarding this solicitation should be directed to Angela Caldwell, Phone: (540) 231- 1269 e-mail: acaldwell@vt.edu. All inquiries will be answered in the form of an addendum. Inquiries must be submitted by 2:00 PM on November 16th, 2023. Inquiries must be submitted to the procurement officer identified in this solicitation.

HYBRID PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: A pre-proposal conference will be held on November 9th, 2023 at 2:00 PM. See RFP Section XII, Pre-proposal Conference for additional information.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:

*Please note, proposal submission procedures have changed effective March 2023.

Proposals may NOT be hand delivered to the Procurement Office.

Proposals should be submitted electronically through Virginia Tech’s procurement portal. This portal allows you access to view business opportunities and submit bids and proposals to Virginia Tech digitally and securely.

Proposals must be submitted electronically at:

https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=VATech

Vendors will need to register through this procurement portal, hosted by Jaggaer. It is encouraged for all vendors to register prior to the proposal submission deadline to avoid late submissions.

Registration is easy and free. If you have any challenges with the registration process, please contact Jaggaer Support at 1-800-233-1121 or procurement@vt.edu.

Click on the opportunity and log in to your vendor account to begin preparing your submission. Upon completion, you will receive a submission receipt email confirmation. Virginia Tech will not confirm receipt of proposals. It is the responsibility of the offeror to make sure their proposal is delivered on time.

Hard copy or email proposals will not be accepted. Late proposals will not be accepted, nor will additional time be granted to any individual Vendor.

Attachments must be smaller than 50MB in order to be received by the University.

In compliance with this Request For Proposal and to all the conditions imposed therein and hereby incorporated by reference, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish the goods or services in accordance with the attached signed proposal and as mutually agreed upon by subsequent negotiation.

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: ____________________________ Date: _________________________

[INCLUDE THIS PAGE]

https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=VATech

I. PURPOSE:

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals to establish a Master Services Agreement for Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal Services through competitive negotiations on behalf of members institutions of The Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium and executed by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Virginia Tech Environmental Health & Safety promotes a positive, integrated safety culture for the university community, advocates safe and healthy living, learning, and working environments, and helps departments comply with regulations and mandates.

Virginia Tech is seeking qualified waste disposal companies to provide comprehensive hazardous, solid, and pharmaceutical waste disposal services for various research, academic, and administrative facilities for our higher education institutions across The Commonwealth of Virginia.

Our primary goal is to establish a partnership that ensures safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible management of waste generated by the universities.

II. VIRGINIA HIGHER EDUCATION CONSORTIUM (VHEPC)

By utilizing strategic sourcing principles and the collective buying power of Virginia’s Higher Education institutions, the Virginia Higher Education Procurement Consortium seeks to identify opportunities, leverage vendors, and recommend courses of action in order to further the strategic sourcing initiatives of the member schools. Founding membership includes 12 senior Virginia Public Higher Education institutions, as well as the Virginia Community College System. In 2022, VHEPC welcomed an additional school to the fold bringing the total membership to 14 senior Colleges and Universities.

The following institutions have indicated their commitment to utilizing services being directly solicited by awarded firms: Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, James Madison University and George Mason University.

III. LEAD INSTITUTION (VIRGINIA TECH)

Virginia Tech is serving as the lead institution for the procurement of the Request for Proposal. All communications should be strictly with the Contracting Officer of the lead institution. Contacting other institutions within the VHEPC to inquire or solicit information relating to this RFP will result in a firm’s proposal being rejected.

IV. SMALL, WOMAN-OWNED AND MINORITY (SWAM) BUSINESS PARTICIPATION:

The mission of the Virginia Tech supplier opportunity program is to foster inclusion in the university supply chain and accelerate economic growth in our local communities through the engagement and empowerment of high quality and cost competitive small, minority-owned, women-owned, and local suppliers. Virginia Tech encourages prime suppliers, contractors, and service providers to facilitate the participation of small businesses, and businesses owned by women and minorities through partnerships, joint ventures, subcontracts, and other inclusive and innovative relationships.

For more information, please visit: https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/

V. CONTRACT PERIOD:

The term of this contract is for three (3) year(s), or as negotiated. There will be an option for two

(2) two (2) year renewals, or as negotiated.

https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/

VI. EVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT SYSTEM:

The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution streamlines and automates government purchasing activities within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia Tech, and other state agencies and institutions, have been directed by the Governor to maximize the use of this system in the procurement of goods and services. We are, therefore, requesting that your firm register as a vendor within the eVA system.

There are transaction fees involved with the use of eVA. These fees must be considered in the provision of quotes, bids and price proposals offered to Virginia Tech. Failure to register within the eVA system may result in the quote, bid or proposal from your firm being rejected and the award made to another vendor who is registered in the eVA system.

Registration in the eVA system is accomplished on-line. Your firm must provide the necessary information. Please visit the eVA website portal at http://www.eva.virginia.gov/pages/eva-registration-buyer-vendor.htm and register both with eVA and Ariba. This process needs to be completed before Virginia Tech can issue your firm a Purchase Order or contract. If your firm conducts business from multiple geographic locations, please register these locations in your initial registration.

For registration and technical assistance, reference the eVA website at: https://eva.virginia.gov/, or call 866-289-7367 or 804-371-2525.

VII. CONTRACT PARTICIPATION:

It is the intent of this solicitation and resulting contract to allow for cooperative procurement.

Accordingly, any public body, public or private health or educational institutions, or Virginia Tech’s affiliated corporations and/or partnerships may access any resulting contract if authorized by the contractor.

Participation in this cooperative procurement is strictly voluntary. If authorized by the Contractor, the resultant contract may be extended to the entities indicated above to purchase at contract prices in accordance with contract terms. The Contractor shall notify Virginia Tech in writing of any such entities accessing the contract, if requested. No modification of this contract or execution of a separate contract is required to participate. The Contractor will provide semi-annual usage reports for all entities accessing the Contract, as requested. Participating entities shall place their own orders directly with the Contractor and shall fully and independently administer their use of the contract to include contractual disputes, invoicing and payments without direct administration from Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech shall not be held liable for any costs or damages incurred by any other participating entity as a result of any authorization by the Contractor to extend the contract. It is understood and agreed that Virginia Tech is not responsible for the acts or omissions of any entity, and will not be considered in default of the contract no matter the circumstances.

Use of this contract does not preclude any participating entity from using other contracts or competitive processes as the need may be.

http://www.eva.virginia.gov/pages/eva-registration-buyer-vendor.htm http://www.eva.virginia.gov/pages/eva-registration-buyer-vendor.htm https://eva.virginia.gov/

VIII. STATEMENT OF NEEDS/SCOPE OF WORK:

The Contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, equipment, tools, labels and materials, as necessary, to provide Hazardous, Solid, & Pharmaceutical Waste Management Disposal Services for the higher education facilities on an “as needed” basis in accordance with this contract and all appropriate federal, state, and local laws and regulations. This contract includes services to provide collection, transportation, disposal and recycling of wastes regulated under the RCRA Subtitle C (hazardous wastes), special wastes under RCRA Subtitle D (asbestos containing waste materials, ACM and RACM, certain PCB contaminated wastes, and tires), TSCA regulated wastes, CSA regulated wastes (DEA controlled substances) and hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, to include Virginia Board of Pharmacy Schedule 6 substances. The CSA encompasses the regulation of DEA controlled drugs. Hazardous pharmaceutical waste disposal includes many distinct waste streams that reflect the complexity and diversity of the chemicals that comprise pharmaceuticals.

Appropriate disposal and management services combine regulatory compliance and best management practices with waste minimization to safeguard human health and the environment while minimizing risk.

The contract includes hazardous and solid waste and materials that are not specifically regulated that higher education facilities has determined is in its best interest to dispose of under the terms of the contract. The term “waste” includes materials regulated under the above-named federal regulations and their corresponding equivalent Virginia regulations as well as certain non-regulated wastes.

1. General:

The Contractor shall package, pick-up, and transport hazardous, solid, and pharmaceutical waste and materials to an authorized Recycling, Treatment, Storage, or Disposal Facility (RTSDF) which shall include but is not limited to labpacking, waste identification/characterization and any other waste material services on an “as needed” basis.

These services shall be performed in compliance with all applicable federal (i.e., US EPA, US DOT and OSHA), state (i.e., Virginia Departments of Environmental Quality and Labor), and local regulatory requirements.

A. Services shall include preparation and management of waste/materials shipping documentation; labeling for transport, preparation including packaging, labeling, and placarding; and management of disposal/final disposition certificates as well as sampling, field, and/or laboratory analytical testing of wastes and materials.

B. The Contractor shall recycle, treat, store, and/or dispose materials only at a facility that maintains all applicable authorizations to accept and manage the wastes in the specific manner. At all times, where/when feasible, the higher education facilities preferred method for waste management is recycling. If there are no management options in the United States for a specific waste stream and the Contractor must ship the waste stream outside of the United States for proper management, the Contractor shall obtain the waste generator’s written approval prior to shipping this stream from the waste generator’s site. In obtaining prior written approval the Contractor shall provide full disclosure to the higher education facility of any and all intermediate transporters as well as the final destination facility name and location, applicable authorizations, final disposition for the waste stream (i.e. land disposal, reclamation etc.), and other requested information to ensure that the items shall be processed and/or disposed of in a manner consistent with the applicable facility’s authorizations. For exports of hazardous waste, where applicable, the Contractor shall maintain full compliance all applicable laws and regulations. The Contractor shall remit, to the agency requesting the waste disposal services, certificate(s) of disposal within thirty-days (30) of final waste recycling or disposal.

C. The Contractor is solely responsible for any and all spills or leaks occurring during the performance of this contract resulting from or contributed to by the actions of its agents, employees, or subcontractors. The contractor shall demonstrate its ability to effectively respond to spill incidents, including an expedited public notification procedure to warn those persons potentially affected by the spill. Offerors should have a standard operating procedure in place that ensures public safety during a spill. The contractor agrees to clean such spills or leaks to the satisfaction of the higher education facility and in a manner that complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and requirements. The cleanup will take place at no cost to the higher education facility.

The contractor shall report all such spills or leaks meeting the reportable quantity thresholds either pursuant to CERCLA or within the USDOT regulations, as applicable, as required by law and then to the agency from which the waste was collected, and to the Department of General Services, Division of Purchases and Supply, contract administrator immediately upon the discovery. A written follow-up report shall be submitted to the agency and contract administrator no later than two business days after the initial notification.

D. The Contractor shall pick-up materials to be disposed/recycled no later than fourteen (14) days after initial contact by the agency, unless the agency and the Contractor mutually agree to an alternate date.

E. The Contractor shall furnish all qualified personnel, transportation, tools, materials, equipment, labels and warning signs, required for adequate protection of materials during the packaging, transporting and activities. All such requirements must comply with EPA, USDOT, and other applicable regulatory requirements.

F. All packaging and handling of the materials shall be accomplished in a professional manner in conformance with EPA, USDOT, and other applicable regulatory standards. Contractor shall use appropriately sized containers to minimize the cost. Segregation and packaging procedures required of the higher education facility by the Contractor shall not be substantially more restrictive than required by 49 CFR, 40 CFR or the state equivalents, other than segregation required for use of different disposal technologies. All materials shall be removed from the agency immediately after completion of the packaging and preparation of the manifest, unless the agency and the Contractor mutually agree to an alternate removal timeframe. The higher education facility reserves the right to stop the packaging and/or movement of the materials when the work is not being accomplished in accordance with the contract.

G. The Contractor shall possess all authorizations required by all applicable Federal, State, and local agencies to accomplish Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Management Disposal and materials collection, transport disposal and recycling services. Contractor shall have a current EPA ID number, US DOT Hazardous Materials Registration (if applicable) and a Virginia Hazardous Waste Transporter Permit Number. Virginia Tech reserves the right to approve and/or audit the Contractor’s transporters and/or final disposal locations. Audit information or publicly available compliance information may lead the higher education facility to determine that a Contractor’s transporter or disposal location is not in the best interest of the higher education facility. If this is the case, a mutually agreeable alternative transporter and/or disposal location will be selected and the contract documentation amended.

H. The Contractor shall provide pricing on the Pricing Schedule, ATTACHMENT B - Pricing

Schedule that is attached to this solicitation. Surcharges are not allowed. All rates shall be reflective of the all-inclusive cost for providing these services.

I. Each of the higher education facility’s will conduct Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical

Waste determination and materials identification characterization at its own expense or it may request the Contractor to conduct sampling and analytical testing in compliance with RCRA and will pay the Contractor a predetermined fee for this service according to the contract-pricing schedule. Any additional waste characterization analyses required by the Contractor shall be at the Contractor’s expense. The higher education facility may request other analytical services beyond the scope of waste characterization at predetermined fees according to the contract-pricing schedule.

J. The higher education facility acknowledges that during certain situations, in which the Contractor performs specific services regarding RCRA Subtitle C regulated wastes, the Contractor may incur the status of co-generator, at which time, the Contractor and the higher education facility may be jointly and severally liable for the proper management of these wastes. For these specific instances, where the two parties may be considered co-generators of RCRA Subtitle C regulated waste, the higher education facility desires to establish a mutual agreement via this contract that the Contractor assume and perform the duties of generator on behalf of the higher education facility. Prior to assuming and performing the generator duties, the Contractor will provide written notification to higher education facility of proposed activities and allow sufficient time for the facility to provide written response.

K. In all other instances regarding RCRA Subtitle C regulated wastes in which the Contractor may not be considered a co-generator of the waste(s) in question, higher education facility shall maintain sole responsibility as the Generator.

L. Each higher education facility mentioned within this RFP fully acknowledges responsibilities as a generator of RCRA Subtitle C regulated wastes and reserves the right to seek recourse in the form of monetary or associated relevant compensation from the Contractor in the event of regulatory or other potentially deleterious action imposed against the higher education facility for improper waste management arising from the activities, as outlined in this contract, performed by the Contractor.

2. Sampling:

a. Services requested by each higher education facility may include “Sampling” of specific waste streams and materials found in tanks, drums, containers, etc. to include, but not to be limited to identification of petroleum products, hazardous/contaminated materials, constituents or wastes.

b. Sample analysis, when required, shall be performed using approved methods by qualified personnel at laboratory that maintains a Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) program accepted by State and Federal agencies for constituents or waste types analyzed.

3. Disposal and Recycling Documentation:

a. Hazardous Waste Determination Documentation including all documentation utilized to conduct the waste determination including but not limited to process flow diagrams, Safety Data Sheets (SDS), other process knowledge documentation, sampling protocol, Chain of Custody forms, and laboratory reports containing sample analytical data with accompanying QA/QC data.

b. Land Disposal Restriction Determination and Notification, if applicable.

c. Hazardous Waste Manifests, where applicable, or other shipping documentation.

d. Hazardous & Solid Waste Management Disposal Services Shipments shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations.

e. Recycling – Contractor is required to submit a certificate or statement that the waste/material recycled in accordance with all applicable Federal, State and local laws, regulations and requirements. The certificate or statement shall include the date the waste/material was recycled, the address of the facility which completed the recycling, the exact manner of recycling (use of US EPA Method Management Codes, if pertinent, if preferable), and the quantity of the waste/material recycled.

f. Disposal – See Section 4, entitled Transportation, Item 4C. below.

4. Transportation:

Transportation of Hazardous & Solid Waste management Disposal Services materials to the RTSDF from each higher education facility shall utilize the US DOT approved packaging, packing materials, labels and placards:

a. The Contractor shall include each unique container identification number on the packing list.

b. The Contractor shall load packed drums for transport in accordance with all Federal and State rules, regulations and guidelines applicable to the type of waste shipped.

c. The Contractor shall notify the agency requesting the waste disposal services within thirty-five (35) days of shipment from the higher education facility that the waste has been received by the RTSDF, via the appropriate waste manifest or shipper paper.

d. For RCRA Subtitle C regulated waste shipments, the Contractor shall manage hazardous waste manifest in full compliance with applicable regulations, and/or, but at a minimum provide a copy of the completed hazardous waste manifest with the handwritten signature of the owner/operator of the designated RTSDF within thirty-five (35) [or sixty (60) if applicable] days of shipment from the facility, indicating that the waste was received. For all other hazardous waste and material shipments, tracking and notification will be conducted according to applicable regulations and determined on a case-by-case basis between the requesting facility and the Contractor.

e. The Contractor shall provide the agency certificate(s) of disposal within thirty (30) days of final waste recycling or disposal, showing that the material has been properly treated or disposed of, via a Certificate of Treatment, Disposal or Recycling, unless an alternate format is mutually agreed to in writing by the agency and the Contractor prior to any waste being shipped. The final treatment or disposal of the waste must occur within 180 days from the date of shipment from the agency requesting the waste disposal services. Upon request by the Virginia Tech, copies of all applicable authorizations and licenses(s) shall be submitted by the Contractor, which shall include but not limited, to:

1) EPA Authorization Numbers

2) State Facility Permit/Authorization Number(s)

3) Treatment Operating Description State Incineration/Treatment

5. Waste Reports:

Acquisition, completion, and proper submission of all required paperwork (e.g. manifests, land disposal restriction notifications, certificates of disposal etc.) shall be performed by the Contractor, including but not limited to the following:

a. The Contractor shall accurately complete the appropriate portions of the waste manifest or shipping paper as requested by the Commonwealth, and shall forward the form to the appropriate requesting state office. If so, requested by the agency or public body, the Contractor may sign Item 16, Generator/Offeror’s Certification, of a hazardous waste manifest; however, the Contractor must include the words, “On behalf of the Generator” The Contractor’s 24/7, toll-free disaster/emergency number should appear on the Contractor’s manifests. The Contractor shall subsequently transfer Virginia Tech wastes for treatment, recycling or destruction.

b. Upon request by an agency, the Contractor should complete the Biennial EPA Hazardous Waste report for any RCRA Subtitle C waste that was invoiced by the Contractor. The Biennial EPA Hazardous Waste report should be submitted to Virginia Tech at least three

(3) weeks before the report is due to DEQ. At no time will the Biennial EPA Hazardous Waste Report Certification be signed by any person other than the generator or an authorized designee of the generator. The Contractor may bill the agency for the Biennial EPA Hazardous Waste report according to the pricing schedule of the contract (See ATTACHMENT B - Pricing Schedule).

c. The Contractor should provide customized reports as required by the agency. The

Contractor may bill the agency for customized reports according to the Pricing Schedule of any resulting Contract (See Attachment B - Pricing Schedule).

6. Contractor Personnel:

a. The Contractor should be capable of supplying laborers (e.g. field supervisors/lead chemists, field chemist, field technicians, etc.) to pack drums.

b. All Contractor personnel performing services under this contract (e.g. field supervisors/lead chemists, field chemists, field technicians, etc.) shall be knowledgeable in handling of Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical waste and materials, and shall submit evidence of all required Federal, State and local training and certifications, upon request by each higher education facility.

c. The Contractor should utilize a lead individual who has experience in providing lab pack services, to review the lab pack services provided under this contract.

7. Overnight Per Diem:

If, during pick-up or delivery, the Contractor’s personnel (e.g. drivers/chemists/technicians) are required through some fault of the higher education facility to stay overnight (e.g. supplies are not readily available at the site), the higher education facility may reimburse the Contractor’s per-diem expenses (i.e. lodging and meals) in accordance with The Commonwealth of Virginia’s employee per-diem reimbursement schedule in effect at the time of the pick-up or delivery; not to exceed $157.00 per person per day. If the Contractor’s personnel are required to stay overnight due to the nature of the job (e.g. a spill during pick-up, an illness, late start from originating site, vehicle breakdown, or other such circumstances) the Contractor, not the higher education facility, shall be responsible for all of the Contractor’s personnel per-diem expenses.

8. The Contractor should advise the higher education facility of environmentally safe waste disposal options.

9. The Contractor should seek to reduce the higher education facility’s long-term liability whenever possible.

10. The Contractor should advise the higher education facility of any current and forthcoming economical alternatives for the disposal and/or recycling of Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical waste materials.

11. The Contractor should seek all legal possible avenues of disposal to reduce the need for land disposal.

12. This solicitation includes collection, transport, disposal and recycling services for wastes regulated under the RCRA Subtitle C (Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical waste materials.), under RCRA Subtitle D (asbestos containing waste materials, ACM and RACM, certain PCB contaminated wastes, tires), TSCA regulated wastes, and CSA regulated wastes (controlled substance pharmacological wastes). At minimum, the Contractor should provide disposal services for the following Hazardous & Solid Waste Management Disposal Services and/or materials identified below:

Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Management Disposal Services. (Refer to ATTACHMANT B – Pricing Schedule)

• Explosives

• Flammable gas

• Non-flammable gas

• Flammable liquids

• Flammable solids

• Oxidizers and Organic Peroxides

• Toxic Materials and Infectious Substances

• Corrosive Materials

• Miscellaneous Hazardous Materials

• Polychlorinated Biplenyls (PCB)

• DEA Controlled Substances

• Virginia Board of Pharmacy Substances

• Miscellaneous regulated materials

• Miscellaneous non-regulated materials

• Peroxide forming chemicals during non-routine waste pick-ups

• Florescent Tubes

• Pharmaceutical waste

• DOT Only Hazardous material

• Toxins

In addition, any hazardous waste that becomes newly regulated under applicable Federal and State rules and should be recognized by the Contractor as being included in any contract that may result from this RFP. The higher education facility and the Contractor may mutually agree to add waste that is not specifically designated under this RFP and attachments through a written contract modification.

13. If available, the Contractor should provide Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical waste and recycling tracking software to the higher education facility (and on-site training for the higher education facility personnel in the use of the software). If applicable, provide pricing in the attached Pricing Schedule.

14. The Contractor should provide on-site Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal

Management and recycling operations training to the higher education facility’s personnel and those working on behalf of the higher education facility, to include:

a. Emergency response

b. Bulking operations

c. Characterizing unknown substances

d. Labpacking

e. Field Service

f. Cylinder handling

If training is not included in disposal/recycling line-item pricing provided in the attached Pricing Schedule, provide training price information in the appropriate section of the attached Pricing Schedule.

15. The Contractor is not required to provide Hazardous, Solid & Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal

Management and recycling services immediately before, during, and immediately after natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. However, if an Offeror provides such services as part of their response to this RFP, the higher education facility may utilize such services as part of any resulting Contract(s) from this RFP.

IX. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION:

A. Specific Requirements

Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that each higher education facility may properly evaluate your capabilities to provide the required goods or services. Offerors are required to submit the following information/items as a complete proposal:

1. Company Profile: Background, history, and relevant experience in providing hazardous, solid, and pharmaceutical waste disposal services.

2. Technical Approach: Detailed description of the proposed waste collection, transportation, disposal, and treatment processes.

3. Compliance: Demonstrated understanding of relevant regulations (e.g., RCRA, EPA guidelines) and commitment to maintaining compliance.

4. Pricing Structure: Clear and transparent pricing, including any potential additional fees.

5. Participation of Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned Business (SWAM) Business:

If your business cannot be classified as SWaM, describe your plan for utilizing SWaM subcontractors if awarded a contract. Describe your ability to provide reporting on SWaM subcontracting spend when requested. If your firm or any business that you plan to subcontract with can be classified as SWaM, but has not been certified by the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), it is expected that the certification process will be initiated no later than the time of the award. If your firm is currently certified, you agree to maintain your certification for the life of the contract. For assistance with SWaM certification, visit the SBSD website at http://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/ http://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/

6. The return of the Submission Instruction page and addenda, if any, signed and filled out as required.

B. General Requirements

1. RFP Response: In order to be considered for selection, Offerors shall submit a complete response to this RFP to include;

a. One (1) electronic document in WORD format or searchable PDF of the entire proposal as one document, INCLUDING ALL ATTACHMENTS must be uploaded through the Virginia Tech online submission portal. Refer to page 2 for instructions.

Any proprietary information should be clearly marked in accordance with 2.d. below.

b. Should the proposal contain proprietary information, provide one (1) redacted electronic copy of the proposal and attachments with proprietary portions removed or blacked out. This redacted copy should follow the same upload procedures as described on Page 1 of this RFP. This redacted copy should be clearly marked “Redacted Copy” within the name of the document. The classification of an entire proposal document, line-item prices and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable. Virginia Tech shall not be responsible for the Contractor’s failure to exclude proprietary information from this redacted copy.

No other distribution of the proposals shall be made by the Offeror.

2. Proposal Preparation:

a. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror. All information requested should be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in Virginia Tech requiring prompt submission of missing information and/or giving a lowered evaluation of the proposal. Proposals which are substantially incomplete or lack key information may be rejected by Virginia Tech at its discretion. Mandatory requirements are those required by law or regulation or are such that they cannot be waived and are not subject to negotiation.

b. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.

c. Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in the RFP. All pages of the proposal should be numbered. Each paragraph in the proposal should reference the paragraph number of the corresponding section of the RFP. It is also helpful to cite the paragraph number, subletter, and repeat the text of the requirement as it appears in the RFP. If a response covers more than one page, the paragraph number and subletter should be repeated at the top of the next page.

The proposal should contain a table of contents which cross references the RFP requirements. Information which the offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirements of the RFP should be inserted at an appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and designated as additional material. Proposals that are not organized in this manner risk elimination from consideration if the evaluators are unable to find where the RFP requirements are specifically addressed.

d. Ownership of all data, material and documentation originated and prepared for Virginia

Tech pursuant to the RFP shall belong exclusively to Virginia Tech and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an Offeror shall not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. However, to prevent disclosure the Offeror must invoke the protections of Section 2.2-4342F of the Code of Virginia, in writing, either before or at the time the data or other materials is submitted.

The written request must specifically identify the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. The proprietary or trade secret material submitted must be identified by some distinct method such as highlighting or underlining and must indicate only the specific words, figures, or paragraphs that constitute trade secret or proprietary information. The classification of an entire proposal document, line-item prices and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable and may result in rejection of the proposal.

3. Oral Presentation: Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation of their proposal to Virginia Tech. This will provide an opportunity for the Offeror to clarify or elaborate on the proposal but will in no way change the original proposal. Virginia Tech will schedule the time and location of these presentations. Oral presentations are an option of Virginia Tech and may not be conducted.

Therefore, proposals should be complete.

X. SELECTION CRITERIA AND AWARD:

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by Virginia Tech using the following:

Maximum Point Criteria Value

1. Quality of products/services offered and suitability for 35 the intended purposes

2. Qualifications and experiences of Offeror in providing 20 the goods/services

3. Specific plans or methodology to be used to provide the 20 Services

4. Cost (or Price) 15

5. Participation of Small, Women-Owned and Minority 10 (SWAM) Business ______ Total 100

XI. Award

Selection shall be made of two or more offerors deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors included in the Request for Proposal, including price, if so stated in the Request for Proposal. Negotiations shall then be conducted with the offerors so selected. Price shall be considered, but need not be the sole determining factor. After negotiations have been conducted with each offeror so selected, Virginia Tech shall select the offeror which, in its opinion, has made the best proposal, and shall award the contract to that offeror. Virginia Tech may cancel this Request for Proposal or reject proposals at any time prior to an award. Should Virginia Tech determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror has made the best proposal, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror. The award document will be a contract incorporating by reference all the requirements, terms and conditions of this solicitation and the Contractor's proposal as negotiated.

Virginia Tech reserves the right to award multiple contracts as a result of this solicitation.

XII. OPTIONAL HYBRID PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE:

An optional hybrid pre-proposal conference will be held on November 9th at 2:00 PM at 575 Beamer Way Blacksburg, VA 24061. The purpose of this conference is to allow potential Offerors an opportunity to present questions and obtain clarification relative to any facet of this solicitation.

While attendance at this conference will not be a prerequisite to submitting a proposal, offerors who intend to submit a proposal are encouraged to attend.

PLEASE EMAIL THE BUYER AT ACALDWELL@VT.EDU FOR THE ZOOM LINK TO ATTEND

THE CONFERENCE VIRTUALLY.

XIII. INVOICES:

Invoices for goods or services provided under any contract resulting from this solicitation shall be submitted directly to the individual institutions as directed by those institutions.

For invoices for Virginia Tech, email to vtinvoices@vt.edu or by mail to:

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) Accounts Payable North End Center, Suite 3300 300 Turner Street NW Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

XIV. METHOD OF PAYMENT:

Virginia Tech will authorize payment to the contractor as negotiated in any resulting contract from the aforementioned Request for Proposal.

Payment can be expedited through the use of the Wells One AP Control Payment System. Virginia Tech strongly encourages participation in this program. For more information on this program please refer to Virginia Tech’s Procurement website:

http://www.procurement.vt.edu/vendor/wellsone.html or contact the procurement officer identified in the RFP.

XV. ADDENDUM:

Any ADDENDUM issued for this solicitation may be accessed at http://www.apps.vpfin.vt.edu/html.docs/bids.php. Since a paper copy of the addendum will not be mailed to you, we encourage you to check the web site regularly.

mailto:ACALDWELL@VT.EDU mailto:vtinvoices@vt.edu http://www.procurement.vt.edu/vendor/wellsone.html http://www.apps.vpfin.vt.edu/html.docs/bids.php

XVI. COMMUNICATIONS:

Communications regarding this solicitation shall be formal from the date of issue, until either a Contractor has been selected or the Procurement Department rejects all proposals. Formal communications will be directed to the procurement officer listed on this solicitation. Informal communications, including but not limited to request for information, comments or speculations regarding this solicitation to any University employee other than a Procurement Department representative may result in the offending Offeror’s proposal being rejected.

XVII. CONTROLLING VERSION OF SOLICITATION:

The posted version of the solicitation and any addenda issued by Virginia Tech Procurement Services is the mandatory controlling version of the document. Any modification of/or additions to the solicitation by the Offeror shall not modify the official version of the solicitation issued by Virginia Tech Procurement Services. Such modifications or additions to the solicitation by the Offeror may be cause for rejection of the proposal; however, Virginia Tech reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject such a proposal.

XVIII. TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

This solicitation and any resulting contract/purchase order shall be governed by the attached terms and conditions, see Attachment A.

XIX. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION:

A. Each institution who individually executes its own bridge agreement off the Master Agreement executed by Virginia Tech shall identified its individual Contract Administrators and shall use all powers under the Master Agreement to enforce its faithful performance.

B. The Contract Administrators at each institution shall determine the amount, quantity, acceptability, and fitness of all aspects of the services and shall decide all other questions in connection with the services. Contract Administrators, or designees, shall not have the authority to approve changes in the services which alter the Master Agreement, or which call for an extension of time for this Master Agreement. Any modifications made must be authorized by the Virginia Tech Procurement Department through a written amendment to the Master Agreement.

C. Kenny Osborne, Hazardous Materials Manager, Environmental Health & Safety, at Virginia Tech or their designee, shall be identified as the Contract Administrator and shall use all powers under the contract to enforce its faithful performance for Virginia Tech.

XX. ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment A - Terms and Conditions Attachment B – Pricing Schedule

ATTACHMENT A

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

RFP GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

See:

https://www.procurement.vt.edu/content/dam/procurement_vt_edu/docs/terms/GTC_RFP_02182022.pdf

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. ADDITIONAL GOODS AND SERVICES: The University may acquire other goods or services that the supplier provides other than those specifically solicited. The University reserves the right, subject to mutual agreement, for the Contractor to provide additional goods and/or services under the same pricing, terms and conditions and to make modifications or enhancements to the existing goods and services. Such additional goods and services may include other products, components, accessories, subsystems, or related services newly introduced during the term of the Agreement.

2. AUDIT: The Contractor hereby agrees to retain all books, records, and other documents relative to this contract for five (5) years after final payment, or until audited by the Commonwealth of Virginia, whichever is sooner. Virginia Tech, its authorized agents, and/or the State auditors shall have full access and the right to examine any of said materials during said period.

3. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: It is understood and agreed between the parties herein that Virginia Tech shall be bound hereunder only to the extent of the funds available or which may hereafter become available for the purpose of this agreement.

4. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: Virginia Tech reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon 60 days written notice to the Contractor.

In the event the initial contract period is for more than 12 months, the resulting contract may be terminated by either party, without penalty, after the initial 12 months of the contract period upon 60 days written notice to the other party. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the Contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation.

5. CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: The contract entered into by the parties shall consist of the Request for

Proposal including all modifications thereof, the proposal submitted by the Contractor, the written results of negotiations, the Commonwealth Standard Contract Form, all of which shall be referred to collectively as the Contract Documents.

6. IDENTIFICATION OF PROPOSAL: Virginia Tech will only be accepting electronic submission of proposals. All submissions must be submitted to the Virginia Tech online submission portal. Upon completion you will be directed to your Submission Receipt. Virginia Tech will not confirm receipt of proposals. It is the responsibility of the offeror to make sure their proposal is delivered on time.

Attachments must be smaller than 50MB in order to be received by the University. Proposals may NOT be hand delivered to the Procurement Office.

7. NOTICES: Any notices to be given by either party to the other pursuant to any contract resulting from this solicitation shall be in writing via email.

8. SEVERAL LIABILITY: Virginia Tech will be severally liable to the extent of its purchases made against any contract resulting from this solicitation. Applicable entities described herein will be severally liable to the extent of their purchases made against any contract resulting from this solicitation.

https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.procurement.vt.edu%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2Fprocurement_vt_edu%2Fdocs%2Fterms%2FGTC_RFP_02182022.pdf&data=04%7C01%7Ckblink%40vt.edu%7C018aeb2aaa35421c9fe708da02d3670e%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C637825404247717701%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=LamekI9%2FuUesWyipfZ0nwEyjJfuXxvX2vD%2BwBehgPiY%3D&reserved=0

9. CLOUD OR WEB HOSTED SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS: For agreements involving Cloud-based Web-hosted software/applications refer to link for additional terms and conditions:

http://www.ita.vt.edu/purchasing/VT_Cloud_Data_Protection_Addendum_final03102017.pdf

10. ADVERTISING: In the event a contract is awarded for supplies, equipment, or services resulting from this solicitation, no indication of such sales or services to Virginia Tech will be used in product literature or advertising. The contractor shall not state in any of the advertising or product literature that the Commonwealth of Virginia or any agency or institution of the Commonwealth has purchased or uses its products or services.

11. CONTRACT PERIOD: The contract shall be for a period of three (3) years.

12. CONTRACTOR/SUBCONTRACTOR LICENSE REQUIREMENT: By my signature on this solicitation, I certify that this firm/individual and/or subcontractor is properly licensed for providing the goods/services specified

Contractor Name: _______________________ Subcontractor Name: _______________________

License #: _____________________________ Type: ____________________________________

13. CRIMINAL CONVICTION CHECKS: All criminal conviction checks must be concluded before the

Contractor’s employees gaining access to the Virginia Tech Campus. Employees who have separated employment from Contractor shall undergo another background check before re-gaining access to the Virginia Tech campus. Contractor shall ensure subcontractors conduct similar background checks. All criminal conviction checks will normally include a review of the individual’s records to include Social Security Number Search, Credit Report (if related to potential job duties), Criminal Records Search (any misdemeanor convictions and/or felony convictions are reported) in all states in which the employee has lived or worked over the past seven years, and the National Sex Offender Registry. In addition, the Global Watch list (maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of The US Department of Treasury) should be reviewed. Virginia Tech reserves the right to audit a contractor’s background check process at any time. All employees must self-disclose any criminal conviction(s) occurring while assigned to the Virginia Tech campus. Such disclosure shall be made to Contractor, which in turn shall notify the designated Virginia Tech contract administrator within 5 days.