2-RFP 2025-28 Classification and Compensation Study.pdf

TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND

Proposal Transmittal Page

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Date Advertised: September 18, 2025

Offerors shall complete all information requested on this page and submit it with their proposal

REQUEST FOR

PROPOSAL

(RFP)

Proposal Submission:

Proposals will ONLY be accepted electronically via the Town’s Procurement Portal which can be accessed using the link below:

hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com

Solicitation Number:

RFP 2025-28

Description/Title:

Classification and Compensation Study

*Proposal Submittal Deadline:

5:00 pm Eastern Time on October 16, 2025

*Proposals will not be accepted after the stated time and date.

Proposals will be publicly opened via virtual conference at 9:30 am Eastern Time on October 17, 2025. The link to participate in the virtual opening is provided in Section I of this RFP.

Pre-Proposal Conference Information:

Town Contact:

Jessica Cummings, Contracts Administrator jessicac@hiltonheadislandsc.gov

(843) 384-5104

Deadline For Questions:

5:00 pm Eastern Time on September 30, 2025

Questions should be submitted through the Town’s Procurement Portal using the “Ask a question” button.

Offeror Name: Offeror Contact Name:

Offeror Mailing Address:

Offeror Contact Phone:

City-State-Zip-Code: Offeror Contact Email Address:

By signature below, I certify that this proposal is made and submitted without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm or any corporation, firm, or person submitting a proposal for the same materials, supplies, equipment or services, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I agree that this proposal shall be good and held open for a period of at least sixty (60) days from the Submittal Deadline. I agree to abide by all conditions of this solicitation and certify that I am authorized to sign this proposal on behalf of the proposer.

Offeror Authorized Signature:

Signature Date

Name and Title of Signatory:

Name:______________________________________________

Title:_______________________________________________ https://hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

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CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY

Table of Contents

PROPOSAL TRANSMITTAL PAGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: RFP 2025-28

I. GENERAL INFORMATION & SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

III. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS & FORMATTING

IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACT AWARD

V. STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

EXHIBIT A: CHECKLIST OF SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

EXHIBIT B: SAMPLE TOWN AGREEMENT

EXHIBIT C: SC ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ACT AFFIDAVIT

ATTACHMENT A: SCOPE OF SERVICES

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Classification and Compensation Study

I. GENERAL INFORMATION AND SUBMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

The Town of Hilton Head Island (“Town”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified providers (“Offeror” or “Contractor”) to perform a Classification and Compensation Study in accordance with the specifications provided herein.

Proposals must be submitted by the Proposal Submittal Deadline shown on the Transmittal Page. Proposals will ONLY be accepted electronically via the Town’s Procurement Portal which can be accessed using the following link hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com. If electronic submittal poses a hardship, please notify the Town Contact person identified on the Transmittal Page.

Proposals will be publicly opened via virtual conference at the date and time indicated on the Transmittal Page. Only the names of Offerors will be provided at the opening. No pricing information will be shared at that time. To participate, please use the following meeting link and information.

Virtual Proposal Opening Link and Information 9:30 am Eastern Time on October 17, 2025

Microsoft Teams Need help?

Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 284 148 269 805 6 Passcode: 2f4EQ74s

All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing via the Town’s Procurement Portal using the “Ask a question” button. Questions will be publicly answered via the Procurement Portal. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the “Public Q&A” tab under the “Messages” section on the procurement portal to access and review all vendor Q&A. Addendums may be issued for additional information and would also be posted via the Procurement Portal. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the Procurement Portal for any addendums issued.

The Town reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids received in response to this solicitation, or to cancel in part or in its entirety this invitation for bids, if it is in the best interests of the Town. The Town reserves the right to refuse any and all bids and to waive any technicalities and formalities. The Town reserves the right to waive any mandatory requirements in this solicitation if such requirement is unmet by the majority of Bidders, and such a waiver is determined to be in the best interest of the Town.

https://hiltonheadislandsc.bonfirehub.com/portal https://aka.ms/JoinTeamsMeeting?omkt=en-US https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MWFhM2YyYzQtMTAzMi00ODA1LTk5YzQtYWE1NTgyNzQwYjdm%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%220532dcac-ed77-486e-9810-63efa5ac7c95%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22beedccd4-39ef-4a07-99dc-b2b276b52c4d%22%7d

This solicitation does not commit the Town to award a contract or issue a purchase order to procure for any articles of goods or services. The Town shall not incur or pay for any costs associated with the preparation of Offeror proposals.

Proposals must be signed by an official of Offeror authorized to bind Offeror. Electronic signature using secure signature software is acceptable. By submitting a proposal, the Offeror agrees that its proposal shall be good and held open for a period of at least sixty (60) days from the Proposal Submittal Deadline.

The Town does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex [including pregnancy and childbirth (or related medical conditions)], religion, age or disability in employment or in the provision of goods and services.

The Town recognizes that small businesses enterprises as well as businesses enterprises owned and operated by women and/or minority persons (collectively “disadvantaged business”) have historically faced challenges resulting in less than full participation in the free enterprise system to a degree disproportionate to other businesses. Therefore, the Town is committed to ensuring that such disadvantaged business enterprises are afforded every opportunity to fully and fairly participate in the Town’s procurement process for goods and services. In the event of a tie after the scoring of proposals involving a certified disadvantaged Offeror and a non-disadvantaged Offeror, the Town will award a contract or issue a purchase order to the certified disadvantaged Offeror. Tied proposals involving two certified disadvantaged Offerors will be settled by selecting the proposal having the lowest total cost to the Town. It is the obligation of the disadvantaged Offeror to submit proof of current certification from a governmental entity in the United States at the time they submit their proposal in order for the certification to be considered by the Town in determining an award as described above. Tied proposals involving two non-disadvantaged Offerors will be settled by selecting the proposal having the lowest total cost to the Town.

The Town offers a Local Vendor Certification whereby such certified vendors will be granted a preference by having their proposed price reduced by five percent (5%), up to a maximum reduction of ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The reduction in price is only for evaluation purposes, and if such a vendor is awarded a contract or purchase order, the final price will reflect the original proposed amount before the local vendor preference was applied. To receive the local vendor preference, Offeror must be certified by the Town prior to the submittal deadline and submit a copy of their certification with their proposal. Offerors submitting a local vendor form with their proposal which has not been certified by the Town, will not be eligible to have the local vendor preference applied to their proposal. A copy of the Local Vendor Certification Form is provided as a separate document available for download on the Town’s Procurement Portal.

The Town is required under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, to upon request, make public and disclose all documents of, and documents incidental to, executed contractual arrangements. Therefore, Offerors, by submitting a bid in response to this solicitation, are acknowledging that all materials submitted in their response may be subject to such disclosure, regardless of any labeling of materials as “confidential” or “proprietary” or other similar notations.

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The scope of work is provided in Attachment A of this RFP.

III. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND FORMATTING

Offerors are REQUIRED to submit all requested information and/or documentation outlined in this section of the solicitation. Any Offeror failing to do so may have their proposal rejected as being non-responsive and making them ineligible for contract award. Offeror must complete and return with their proposal the “Checklist of Proposal Submittal Requirements”, a copy of which is included in this solicitation as Exhibit A. Offeror shall submit the following information in their proposal:

For the Scope of Services requested in Attachment A, please provide in your proposal the following information and format your proposal into sections as noted below:

Section A: Proposed approach and work plan for providing the required services as described in the Scope of Services. The work plan should include a proposed timeline with milestones identified.

Section B: Provide details on the firm’s experience in providing the requested services. Describe firm’s experience on similar projects.

Section C: For key personnel or principals that will be assigned to the project, provide resumes and a summary of their experience on similar projects.

Section D: Please provide a minimum of three (3) client references. Please take note of the following as it pertains to references:

• References for clients where the work performed was similar in size and scope are preferred and will be given more weight than those not of similar size and scope. The Town shall be sole determiner on whether a project is of “similar size and scope”.

• The Town will only be evaluating three (3) references. If more than the number requested are provided, Town will start at the beginning of the list and work down until the desired number of responses have been obtained. Town is not obligated to make more than a single attempt to contact a listed reference.

• If less than the requested number of references are provided, OR the

Town is unable to obtain the desired number of responses, this will be reflected in the scoring of your proposal.

• The Town is not responsible for incorrect reference contact information.

• The Town reserves the right to only check references on those Offerors deemed to be “finalists” after initial scoring of proposals.

Section E: Please provide the total cost of your proposal in this section. Costs must be in a lump sum “not-to-exceed” format and shall be all-inclusive, including any anticipated travel costs.

IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACT AWARD

If a contract is awarded as result of this solicitation, such award shall be made to the Offeror with the highest rated proposal based on the stated evaluation criteria. Contract award, as well as contract continuation in subsequent fiscal periods, is subject to the availability of Town funds. If contract negotiations with the highest rated offeror are unsuccessful, the Town reserves the right to begin contract negotiations with the next highest rated Offeror.

A. CRITERIA

The proposal will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Overall Proposal: Demonstrated understanding of the scope of work as reflected by proposal - to include project design, methodology and approach and proposed schedule. (35%)

2. Quality of Work and Experience: Demonstrated quality of work on projects of similar size and complexity performed for referenced clients, includes qualifications and experience of personnel to be assigned to the project. (30%)

3. Fees: Total cost and fees to be charged (25%)

4. References: Level of satisfaction expressed regarding the quality and timeliness of the work performed and with the demonstrated technical skills, responsiveness, attention to detail and overall performance of assigned personnel. (The Town reserves the right to only check references on those Offerors deemed to be "finalists" after initial scoring of proposals.) (10%)

A selection committee comprised of Town staff will review and score responses based on the above selection criteria.

Those responses deemed susceptible for award may be required to meet with the selection committee to review their response in person, which will factor into the scoring for making contract award.

V. STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Offeror acknowledges it has read and understands the terms and conditions provided in the Town’s standard contract clauses attached hereto as Exhibit B, and Offeror also agrees that such clauses shall substantially form the basis for a contract between Offeror and Town.

Offeror also acknowledges that terms and conditions provided in this RFP, either in their entirety or relevant portions thereof, may be included and become part of any resulting contract.

The anticipated term of the resulting contract shall be one (1) year, and expiring upon both parties completing the full obligations as provided herein.

EXHIBIT A

Classification and Compensation Study

Checklist of Proposal Submittal Requirements

The following checklist is intended to advise the Offeror of all items or information that must be submitted with their proposal. Offerors shall provide:

1. Completed and signed Proposal Transmittal Page (page 1 of RFP)

2. Main Proposal – Must include all information required in Attachment A and Section

III of this RFP.

3. Fee Proposal-submitted separately from Main Proposal

4. Signed Offeror Acknowledgement (on this Exhibit A below)

5. Completed Illegal Immigration Reform Act Affidavit (Exhibit C)

6. (Optional with Proposal Submission) Certificate(s) of Insurance as evidence that

Contractor meets the insurance requirements specified in the standard contract terms and conditions (see Exhibit B). Upon contract award Contractor shall provide a certificate of insurance with the Town of Hilton Head Island as an Additional Insured.

7. Optional: Offeror shall include current Town business license with their proposal if they have one. If not, the Offeror will be required to obtain one prior to commencing any work if awarded the contract.

8. Optional: Local Vendor Certification (if applicable)

Offeror Acknowledgements:

In the space provided, the Offeror shall acknowledge receipt and review of the following addendums issued for this solicitation.

Addendum #’s: _______________________________________

I have read the above checklist of submittal requirements as well as this solicitation in its entirety, and understand that failure to submit any item, document, form or information identified as being required in either document, may result in the rejection of our proposal and eliminate our company from consideration.

Company: ________________________________________

Signature: ________________________________________

Name: ___________________________________________

Title: ____________________________________________

EXHIBIT B

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA )

) AGREEMENT

COUNTY OF BEAUFORT )

THIS AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is made this <<Date>> between <<Company Name>> (hereinafter called “Contractor") and the Town of Hilton Head Island (hereinafter called "Town"), a municipal corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of South Carolina.

WHEREAS, the Town has a need for<<list service or supply>>; and

WHEREAS, the Town and Contractor desire to enter into an Agreement wherein the

Contractor shall provide such services as set forth herein below.

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the mutual promises, undertakings and covenants set forth herein, the receipt and sufficiency of which is acknowledged and affirmed by the Town and the Contractor, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. The Contractor shall provide <<list task or services to be provided>>. in accordance with the scope of services provided in Exhibit ___, which is attached hereto and made part of this Agreement.

2. The total cost of this Agreement shall not exceed <<List total cost>>.

3. The term of this Agreement shall be for a period of one (1) year, commencing on the date of execution. This Agreement may be renewed for up to one (1) additional year as necessary to complete the contracted scope of work..

4. The Contractor is required to maintain appropriate levels of insurance for workers compensation coverage. The Contractor is required to maintain one million dollars ($1,000,000) each of general liability and medical malpractice insurance. The Contractor must provide the Town with a Certificate of Insurance evidencing that they have the required insurance coverages. The Contractor is required to immediately contact the Town should any change to these policies occur during the course of the performance of this contract. Failure to maintain these policies is grounds for termination.

5. Termination.

5.1 The Town may terminate this Agreement in whole or in part at any time for convenience for their respective services and obligations, by delivery of a written notice to the Contractor. If this Agreement is terminated for the convenience by the Town, the Town will pay the Contractor only for those respective services rendered by the Contractor up to the date of termination, based on the existing rates in this Agreement, and prorated to the date of termination.

5.2 The Town may also terminate this Agreement for their respective services and obligations if funds are not appropriated or otherwise made available to support continuation of this Agreement in subsequent fiscal years. In such event, the terminating party shall deliver a written notice to the Contractor that this Agreement is terminated for their respective services and obligations effective the last day of the then current fiscal year due to the lack of appropriated funds, and the terminating party will pay the Contractor only through the end of the then current fiscal year at the existing rates in this Agreement.

5.3 Either party may terminate this Agreement upon thirty (30) days prior written notice, if the other party materially fails to comply with any provision of this Agreement and such failure is not cured by the end of such thirty (30) day period. A prorated refund of fees shall be paid to Town in the event of such termination.

6. Should any part of this Agreement be rendered void, invalid, or unenforceable by any court of law, such a determination shall not render void, invalid, or unenforceable any other part of this Agreement.

7. This Agreement has been made and entered into in the State of South Carolina, and the laws of South Carolina shall govern the validity and interpretation of this Agreement in the performance due hereunder.

8. This Agreement may not be modified unless such modification is in writing and signed by both parties.

9. The Contractor may not assign this Agreement without the prior written approval of the Town.

10. The Contractor shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Town, their officers, directors, agents, and employees from and against any and all actions, costs, claims, losses, expenses, and/or damages, including attorney’s fees, whether incurred prior to the institution of litigation, during litigation, or on appeal arising out of or resulting from the conduct of any activity hereby authorized or the performance of any requirement imposed pursuant by this Agreement, however caused or occasioned, unless caused by the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Town.

11. The parties hereto intend that no master/servant, employer/employee, or principal/agent relationship will be created by this Agreement. Nothing contained herein creates any relationship between the Town and the Contractor other than that which is expressly stated herein. The Town is interested only in the results to be achieved under this Agreement, and the conduct and control of the agents and employees of the Contractor and the methods utilized by the Contractor in fulfilling its obligations hereunder shall lie solely and exclusively with the Contractor and its agents and employees shall not be considered agents or employees of the Town for any purpose. No person employed by the Contractor shall have any benefits, status, or right of employment with the Town.

12. The Contractor, by signing this Agreement, hereby certifies that Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act, S.C. Code Ann. §41-8-10 (2007) et seq., (the "Act"), and that Contractor covenants and agrees as follows:

12.1. Contractor shall not knowingly or intentionally employ any unauthorized alien and, unless excluded from coverage of the "Act", shall verify the work authorization of newly hired employees performing work under the Agreement by registering and participating in the Federal Work Authorization Program (E-verify) and verifying the work authorization of every new hired employee within three (3) business days after employing employee.

12.2. Contractor agrees to provide to the Town all documentation requested by it to establish either:

(a) the applicability of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act to Contractor; or

(b) compliance with the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act by Contractor.

12.3. Contractor agrees to include in any contracts with its sub-contractors language requiring its sub-contractors to:

(a) comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14 of the South Carolina Code of Laws; and

(b) include in their contracts with the sub-subcontractors language requiring the sub-subcontractors to comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.

12.4. Contractor acknowledges and agrees that it shall comply with requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 including the non-discrimination provisions thereof, and shall complete all required I-9 documentation for all workers employed by it.

12.5. Contractor certifies it shall comply with all state, federal, and local laws, rules, regulations and orders applicable to it in performance of work under the contract.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have affixed their signatures hereto the date first written hereinabove. The parties agree that an electronic copy, including facsimile copy, email, or scanned copy of the executed Agreement, shall be deemed, and shall have the same legal force and effect as, an original document.

<< CONTRACTOR’S FULL NAME>>

By:

Its:

By:

Marc Orlando, ICMA-CM Its: Town Manager

EXHIBIT C

CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT

SOUTH CAROLINA ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT

In accordance with the requirements of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act, ______________________________ ("Contractor") hereby certifies that it is currently in compliance with the requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14 of the South Carolina Code Annotated and will remain in compliance with such requirements throughout the term of its contract with the Town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The Contractor hereby acknowledges that in order to comply with requirements of S. C. Code Annotated Section 8-14-20(B), it will register and participate in the federal work authorization program (E-verify) to verify the employment authorization of all new employees; and require agreement from its subcontractors, and through the subcontractors, the sub-subcontractors, to register and participate in the federal verification employment authorization of all new employees.

The Contractor agrees to provide to the Town of Hilton Head Island upon request any documentation required to establish the applicability of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act to the contractor, subcontractor or sub-subcontractor. The Contractor further agrees that it will, upon request, provide the Town of Hilton Head Island with any documentation required to establish that the contractor and any subcontractors or sub-subcontractors are in compliance with the requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14 of the S. C. Code Annotated.

Date: _______________________ By: ____________________________________

Name: _____________________________________

Title: _____________________________________

EXHIBIT C

Construction

By signing its bid or proposal, Contractor certifies that it will comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and agrees to provide to the Town of Hilton Head Island upon request any documentation required to establish either: (a) that Title 8, Chapter 14 is inapplicable both to Contractor and its subcontractors or sub-subcontractors; or (b) that Contractor and its subcontractors or sub-subcontractors are in compliance with Title 8, Chapter 14.

Pursuant to Section 8-14-60, "A person who knowingly makes or files any false, fictitious, or fraudulent document, statement, or report pursuant to this chapter is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, must be fined within the discretion of the court or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both." Contractor agrees to include in any contracts with its subcontractors language requiring its subcontractors to (a) comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14, and (b) include in their contracts with the sub-subcontractors language requiring the sub-subcontractors to comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14.

Non-Construction

By signing your offer, you certify that you will comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and agree to provide to the Town of Hilton Head Island upon request any documentation required to establish either: (a) that Title 8, Chapter 14 is inapplicable to you and your subcontractors or sub-subcontractors; or (b) that you and your subcontractors or sub-subcontractors are in compliance with Title 8, Chapter 14. Pursuant to Section 8-14-60, "A person who knowingly makes or files any false, fictitious, or fraudulent document, statement, or report pursuant to this chapter is guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction, must be fined within the discretion of the court or imprisoned for not more than five years, or both." You agree to include in any contracts with your subcontractors language requiring your subcontractors to (a) comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14, and (b) include in their contracts with the sub-subcontractors language requiring the sub-subcontractors to comply with the applicable requirements of Title 8, Chapter 14.