Proposal No. 20-5046

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

MADISON, WISCONSIN 53715-1218

University of Wisconsin – Madison Request For Proposal

THIS IS NOT AN ORDER

OFFICIAL SEALED

Proposal Number: 20-5046

NO PUBLIC OPENING

Issued Date: 04/09/2020 Due Date: 05/12/2020 2:00 PM CDT Agent: Melissa Viken Questions regarding this proposal – see Section 2.6 For Submittal Instructions & Proposal Response Format – see Section 2.2 and 2.3 Proposal prices and terms shall be firm for sixty (60) days from the date of the proposal to the opening, unless otherwise specified in this Request for Proposal by the UW-Madison Purchasing Services.

If NO BID (check here) ☐ and return.

Laboratory Information System (LIS) for UW Veterinary Care

In signing this bid, we have read and fully understand and agree to all terms, conditions and specifications and acknowledge that the UW-Madison Purchasing Services bid document on file shall be the controlling document for any resulting contract. We certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any contract or participated in any collusion or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a bid; that this bid has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other bidder, competitor or potential competitor; that this bid has not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of bids to any other bidder or competitor; that the stated statement is accurate under penalty of perjury. I certify that the information I have provided in this bid is true and I understand that any false, misleading or missing information may disqualify the bid.

By submitting a bid, the bidder certifies that no relationship exists between the bidder and the University that interferes with fair competition or is a Conflict of Interest, and no relationship exists between such bidder and another person or firm that constitutes a Conflict of Interest. Further, bidder certifies that no employee of the University whose duties relate to this request for bid assisted the bidder in preparing the bid in any way other than in his or her official capacity and scope of employment.

The Bidder certifies by submission of the bid that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any federal department or agency.

Company Name:

Company Street Address:

Signature:

Type or Print Name:

Title:

Email address:

Table of Contents

1. General Information

1.1. Purpose:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, hereinafter referred to as the “University”, through its Purchasing Services Department, hereinafter referred to as “Purchasing”, on behalf of UW Veterinary Care, hereinafter referred to as the “Department” or “the hospital”, requests bids for the purchase of a Laboratory Information System.

Background UW Veterinary Care (UWVC), a division of the UW-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, offers quality 24/7 care for small and large animals. We provide primary and tertiary veterinary medical care to all species and we have more board-certified veterinary specialists on-site than any other veterinary medical hospital in Wisconsin. Our annual caseload is about 27,000 patient visits and we recognize $20 million in revenue. Our hospital utilizes these clinical cases to teach veterinary students, interns and residents.

UW Veterinary Care has a full-service clinical pathology laboratory, which processes over 37,000 accessions annually. Laboratory staff work with state-of-the-art equipment to perform routine and specialized laboratory tests for hospital patients. Staff includes a lab director, 3 board certified clinical pathologists, 2 residents, and 10 technicians. We currently interface 8 analyzers with our laboratory information system (LIS).

Our hospital also provides a full-service anatomic pathology laboratory, giving our pathologists and clinicians the ability to quickly study and diagnose a wide range of conditions on-site. With leading-edge laboratory facilities and equipment that support the study of tissue samples through routine and specialized staining tests, our expert team can provide diagnostic services to both UWVC and referred patients. Staff includes 6 anatomical pathologists, 4 residents and 4 technicians.

We are in the process of replacing our hospital information system, Vetstar with the StringSoft Practice Management System and we are seeking to migrate our VADDS LIS to a system that will integrate with StringSoft.

Scope The Hospital seeks to meet the following core business objectives through the procurement of a Laboratory Information System (LIS), as outlined in this RFP:

· Provide a clinical and diagnostic laboratory component that improves workflow and efficiency in receiving, tracking and managing specimens and reporting results

· Provide seamless integration with current laboratory analyzers

· Provide a system to efficiently manage anatomical pathology cases, including receiving and reporting surgical biopsies, necropsies, and body disposition

· Integrate reliably with our hospital information system to receive and process orders, transmit charge information, and make results and reports available to HIS users.

See Requirements and Specifications (Section 4) and/or Cost Proposal Form (Attachment B) for the minimum acceptable specifications for items/services desired. The estimated item quantities identified on the Cost Proposal Form are for proposal purposes only. The University does not guarantee to purchase any specific quantity or dollar amount. This contract must not be construed as mandatory upon any University campus, State agency or municipality. The University reserves the right to issue separate proposals when deemed in the best interest of the University.

The University reserves the right to negotiate with any contracted vendor(s) to establish additional discounts and/or lower prices for products determined to meet the requirements of a University-led initiative to set product standards. Contractor vendor(s) may be asked to provide new, lower prices for these standard products and configurations for a limited, fixed term, to fall within the term of the contract resulting from this Request for Bid/Request for Proposal.

All University of Wisconsin-Madison departments must be eligible to purchase from this contract.

1.2. Organization of this Solicitation Document:

This document is divided into five (5) main sections. The sections also refer to “Attachments” when such organization assists in making this document more fluid. The five (5) main sections are:

1.3. Definitions:

The following definitions are used throughout this document:

Agent means UW Madison Purchasing Agent responsible for this Request for Proposal. Full contact information can be found in Section 2.6.

Contractor means successful proposer awarded a contract.

Department and The hospital both mean UW Madison’s Veterinary Care.

DVB means Disabled Veteran-Owned Business.

HIS means Health Information System.

LIS means Laboratory Information System.

MBE means Minority Business Enterprise.

Proposer means a firm submitting a Proposal in response to this Request for Proposal.

Purchasing card means State credit card.

Purchasing means the Purchasing Services Department in the Division of Business Services responsible for the procurement of goods and services on UW-Madison campus, located at 21 N. Park St., Madison, WI 53715.

1.4. VendorNet Registration:

Registration on the State of Wisconsin’s VendorNet System (http://vendornet.state.wi.us) is available free of charge to all businesses and organizations that want to sell to the state. Refer to Bidder Response: Registration and Sign-in Process for further instructions. Registration allows a vendor to:

1.4.1. Registration for a bidders list for commodities/services that the vendor wants to sell to the state.

1.4.2. Receive an automatic e-mail notification each time a state agency, including the University of Wisconsin System campuses, posts a Request for Bid (RFB) or Request for Proposal (RFP) with an estimated value over $50,000.00 in their designated commodity/service area(s).

1.4.3. Receive an e-mail notification of addendums/amendments relative to the RFB or RFP.

1.4.4. Only vendors registered, with a valid e-mail address, at the time of the RFB or RFP is posted will receive e-mail notifications of addendums/amendments. Vendors who obtain the RFB or RFP from a third party; through the public notice website; or other means assume responsibility for checking for updates to the RFB or RFP.

1.5. Parking:

University parking is very limited. Each Contractor and/or employee(s) shall make their own arrangements for parking through UW Transportation Services (website: http://transportation.wisc.edu/parking/parking.aspx) No additional costs will be allowed for parking fees or violations. Unauthorized vehicles parking in University lots or loading docks without permits will be ticketed and or towed.

1.6. Reasonable Accommodations:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

2. Preparing and Submitting a Proposal

2.1. Applicable Dates:

2.2. Submittal Instructions:

ONLY EMAILED BID RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

All completed bids must be e-mailed to bids@bussvc.wisc.edu, with the RFB number and vendor name in the subject line. Bids must be received and date/time stamped prior to 2:00 p.m. CDT on the stated bid due date.

RETAIN A COPY OF YOUR BID RESPONSE FOR YOUR FILES

Submitting a bid to any other e-mail address than bids@bussvc.wisc.edu does not constitute receipt of a valid bid by Purchasing Services. Proof of transmission doesn't constitute proof of receipt. E-mail submissions of signature pages must be a scanned copy of the document with ACTUAL signatures and initials (not typed or electronic signatures) and should be received prior to 2:00 p.m. CDT on the stated due date.

The Maximum file size that can be accepted is 25MB, please consider sending a Zip File.

2.3. Proposal Response Format:

Proposals should be organized and presented in the following order. Each section should be clearly marked. The contents should reference the section or attachment number assigned in the RFP. Failure to submit as indicated may disqualify your proposal.

Section 1:

· Request for Proposal form signed by an authorized representative of proposing company - Cover Page.

· Vendor Information Form, Attachment A

· Client Reference List, Attachment C Section 2: Responses to specifications in Section 4. – Requirements and Specifications (Sections 4.1 – 4.19) Section 3: Cost Proposal, Attachment B Section 4: Other

RETAIN A COPY OF YOUR PROPOSAL RESPONSE FOR YOUR FILES

2.4. Incurring Costs:

The State of Wisconsin is not liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this RFP.

2.5. Oral Presentations, Product Demonstrations and Proposer Location Site Visits (Pre Award):

The University, at its sole discretion, may require oral presentations, product demonstrations and/or proposer location site visits to validate information submitted with the proposals. Failure of a proposer to conduct a presentation on the date scheduled or allow an on-site/proposer site visit may result in rejection of the proposal. These events cannot be used as an opportunity to alter proposals submitted.

2.6. Clarifications and/or Revisions through Designated Contact:

All communications and/or questions in regard to this request must be in writing and must reference the proposal number. Proposers should e-mail written questions to the Agent.

If a Proposer discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omissions or other deficiency in this RFP, they have five (5) business days after the RFP issue date and time to notify, in writing, the Agent at the address shown below of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP document.

ADMINISTRATIVE:

Melissa Viken

UW Purchasing

21 N Park St, Suite 6101

Madison, WI 53715-1218

E-mail: melissa.viken@wisc.edu

TECHNICAL:

Rebecca White

E-mail: rebecca.sandee@wisc.edu

AND

Faye Hartmann

E-mail: faye.hartmann@wisc.edu

If a Proposer fails to notify the Purchasing Office of an error in the RFP document which is known to the Proposer, or which must have reasonably been known to the Proposer, then the Proposer shall submit a response at the Proposer’s risk and if awarded a contract, shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.

In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFP, supplements or revisions will be posted on http://vendornet.state.wi.us and publicnotices.wi.gov.

Any contact with University employees concerning this RFP are prohibited, except as authorized RFP manager during the period from date of release of the RFP until the intent to award is released. Contacting anyone other than the Designated Contacts(s) above may disqualify your RFP.

2.7. Multiple Proposals:

Proposers who wish to submit more than one proposal may do so, provided that each proposal stands alone and independently complies with the instructions, conditions and specifications of the request. If multiple responses are submitted, the University reserves the right to select the most advantageous proposal to the University.

2.8. Proprietary Information:

Any information contained in the Proposer’s response that is proprietary must be detailed separately on form DOA-3027. Marking of the entire response as proprietary will neither be accepted nor honored. The University cannot guarantee that all such material noted remains confidential, particularly if it becomes a significant consideration in contract award. Information will only be kept confidential to the extent allowed by State of Wisconsin Public Disclosure Law (refer to Standard Terms and Conditions, Section 27.0). A copy of the form needed to designate portions of your submission as proprietary can be found at: http://vendornet.state.wi.us/vendornet/doaforms/doa-3027.doc

2.9. Appeals Process:

Any protest of the University's solicitation or intent to award must be based on an alleged violation of the Wisconsin State Statute or a provision of a Wisconsin Administrative Code.

No later than five working days after the date of solicitation or the notice of intent to award is issued by the University, written notice of intent to protest must be received by:

The Office of the Chancellor

The University of Wisconsin-Madison

500 Lincoln Drive

Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1218

With a copy to:

Director of Purchasing Services

University of Wisconsin-Madison

21 N Park St, Suite 6101

Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1218

The complete protest must be received by the Chancellor and the Director of Purchasing Services no later than ten working days after the date of solicitation or the intent to award is issued. The protest must be in writing. Protesters must make their protests as specific as possible and must specifically identify the Wisconsin State Statute and/or State of Wisconsin Administrative Code provision(s) allegedly violated.

The decision of the University regarding the protest may be appealed to the Secretary of the Department of Administration within five working days after denial by the University, with a copy of such appeal filed with the University.

3. Terms and Conditions of Contract

3.1. Entire Contract:

A contract will be awarded based on the criteria established in this Request for Proposal, including attachments and any amendments issued. The RFP, the proposal response, and written communications incorporated into the contract constitute the entire contract between the parties. The hierarchy of documents in descending order for resolution is as follows:

A. Contract Award Letter B. Original Request for Proposal Number 20-5046 dated, 04/09/2020 including amendments/attachments C. Proposer response to RFP D. Official Purchase Order (when applicable) Any other terms and conditions provided by the Proposer with the proposal or for future transactions against this contract, including but not limited to click on agreements accepted by the Customer; shrink wrapped agreements; or terms submitted with quotations, order acknowledgements, or invoices; will be considered null and void and will not be enforceable by the Contractor unless agreed to in a written amendment signed by the University Purchasing Department. Any exceptions to this RFP should be submitted with your response and alternative language proposed.

Deviations and exceptions from original text, terms, conditions, or specifications shall be described fully, on the bidder's/proposer's letterhead, signed, and attached to the proposal response as an attachment. Each deviation and exception must be identified by the section, page and paragraph to which it applies. In the absence of such statement, the bid/proposal shall be accepted as in strict compliance with all terms, conditions, and specifications and the bidder/proposer shall be held liable.

Submitting a standard Proposer contract or term and condition as a complete substitute or alternative for the language in this solicitation will not be accepted and may result in rejection of the proposal.

The University reserves the right to negotiate contractual terms and conditions or reject the Proposer‘s response and proceed to the next qualified proposer.

3.2. Contract Administrator

Any correspondence must include reference to Contract number 20-5046 and be sent to the Contract Administrator. The Contractor Administrator is authorized to give the approvals required under this contract on behalf of the University.

A. University The Contract Administrator for the University is:

Melissa Viken

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Purchasing Services

21 N Park St, Suite 6101

Madison, WI 53715-1218

E-mail: melissa.viken@wisc.edu

B. Day-to-day operations for the University will be handled by:

Meenu Verma

E-mail: meenu.verma@wisc.edu

3.3. Term of Contract:

It is the intent of the University to start the resulting Contract upon successful negotiations. The contract shall be effective on the contract execution date and shall run for two (2) years from that date, with an option to renew for three (3) additional one -year periods.

This contract shall automatically be extended into its third, fourth, and fifth years unless the Contract Administrator is notified in writing by the Contractor; or the Contractor is notified by the Contractor Administrator in writing 90 calendar days prior to expiration of the initial and/or succeeding contract term(s).

3.4. Contract Termination:

3.4.1. The University may terminate the Contract at any time, without cause, by providing 60 days written notice to the Contractor. If the Contract is so terminated, the University is liable only for payments for products provided or services performed, to the extent that any actual direct costs have been incurred by the Contractor pursuant to fulfilling the contract. The University will be obligated to pay such expenses up to the date of the termination.

3.4.2. Shall either party fail to perform under the terms of this Contract; the aggrieved party may notify the other party in writing of such failure and demand that the same be remedied within 30 calendar days. Should the defaulting party fail to remedy the same within said period, the other party shall then have the right to terminate this Contract immediately. Performance failure can be defined but not limited to failure to provide any of the Terms, Conditions or Specifications.

3.4.3. If at any time the Contractor performance threatens the health and/or safety of the University, its staff, students or others who may be on campus, the University has the right to cancel and terminate the Contract without notice.

3.4.4. Failure to maintain the required Certificates of Insurance, Permits and Licenses shall be cause for Contract termination. If the Contractor fails to maintain and keep in force the insurance as provided in Standard Terms and Conditions, Section 22.0, the University has the right to cancel and terminate the Contract without notice.

3.4.5. If at any time a petition in bankruptcy shall be filed against the Contractor and such petition is not dismissed within 90 calendar days, or if a receiver or trustee of Contractor's property is appointed and such appointment is not vacated within 90 calendar days, the University has the right, in addition to any other rights of whatsoever nature that it may have at law or in equity, to terminate this contract by giving 10 calendar days’ notice in writing of such termination.

3.4.6. All notices of performance failure must be submitted in writing to Purchasing, 21 N Park St, Suite 6101, Madison, WI 53715-1218. Purchasing shall be final authority for all performance failure determinations not resolved through the ordering department.

3.5. Orders:

Under this contract, Specific order(s), Contract blanket order(s), or Purchasing Card orders (defined below) may be issued to the Contractor(s).

3.5.1. Specific order(s): issued as one-time orders

3.5.2. Contract blanket order(s): issued for a specified period of time to allow departmental personnel to issue releases against the Contract blanket order(s) as needed.

3.5.3. Purchasing Card order(s): issued as one-time order(s).

3.6. Firm Prices:

Prices remain firm for the initial contract term. Prices established may be lowered due to general market conditions or negotiations between the Contractor and the University.

Prices increase requests proposed after the initial Contract term, along with an updated Price List, must be received by Purchasing in writing 60 calendar days prior to the beginning of the next contract term for acceptance or rejection. Proposed price increases are limited to fully documented cost increases submitted with the request. If Purchasing deems cost increases are not acceptable, it reserves the right to rebid the contract in whole or part.

Price increases must be labeled with the contract number and be submitted in the same format as the original Proposal. Any price increase requested that is not submitted in the proper format may be rejected.

Contractor should promptly notify Purchasing of new or discontinued items.

3.7. Payment Terms:

The University will pay the Contractor based upon a payment plan accepted by the University in accordance with milestones and achievements.

3.8. Invoicing Requirements:

Invoices for Purchase Orders:

3.8.1. Contractor must agree that all invoices and purchasing card charges shall reflect the prices and discounts established for the items on this contract for all orders placed even though the contract number and/or correct prices may not be referenced on each order.

The University must meet a statutory mandate to pay or reject invoices within 30 days of receipt by University Accounts Payable. Before payment is made, it also must verify that all invoiced charges are correct as per this Contract. Only properly submitted invoices will be officially processed for payment. Prompt payment requires that your invoices be clear and complete in conformity with the instructions below. All invoices must be itemized showing:

· Contractor name

· remit to address

· purchase order number

· release number if given

· date of order/release

· item manufacturer’s name or abbreviation (if applicable)

· complete item description including catalog, model and/or stock number(s) identical to those stated in proposal

· prices per the Contract At the discretion of Purchasing, invoices not reflecting the correct discount or net prices may be short paid or disputed.

The original invoice must be sent to University Accounts Payable, 21 N Park St, Suite 5301, Madison, WI 53715-1218.

Purchasing Card:

Order confirmation shall contain the same detail as listed in Section 3.8.1 and should be sent to the address given at the time of the order is placed.

Any fees charged for use of the University’s purchasing card program are not allowed.

3.9. On Site Service:

In carrying out the scope of this Contract, the Contractor shall be required to perform services on University property. Proposers cost must include all transportation charges.

3.10. University Imports:

Definitions:

Custom Charges/Fees: typically includes, but is not limited to, United States duties, if applicable; port of entry documentation fees; custom clearance fees; applicable tax; etc.

University Imports: When the University is the Importer of Record or has responsibilities for paying Custom Charges/Fees for products purchased directly from a foreign country.

Proposals must include costs from proposer’s door to port of destination and local delivery charges. Custom Charges/Fees should not be included in the proposal price. The University will be responsible for determining Custom Charges/Fees from a University designated customs broker and adding the cost to the proposal price. If these charges are identified in your proposal, they will be deducted from your total proposal price and the University’s estimate added instead. This adjusted total cost will serve as the basis for award.

The University will be responsible for arranging the payment of all United States Custom Charges/Fees, if applicable. The awarded Contractor must use the University's contracted customs broker, as identified on the purchase order. Customs charges will not be paid to the awarded Proposer or anyone other than the University’s designated customs broker under any circumstances, unless previously agreed to in writing by the University.

3.11. Requirements for Criminal Background Checks:

Background Checks of Contracted Individuals This contract is contingent upon, prior to the commencement of services, the independent Contractor passing a criminal background check performed by the Criminal Background Check Coordinator of the unit for which the individual will be engaging in activities or rendering services. This background check will evaluate whether the individual has any pending charges or convictions that are substantially related to the contracted-for activities or services, including but not limited to, those that would render the worker unsuitable for regular contact with children. Disqualifying convictions or charges include, but are not limited to, sexual offenses, violent offenses, and drug offenses.

If, in the course of providing services to the UW, Contractor (or its employee) observes an incident or threat of child abuse or neglect, or learns of an incident or threat of child abuse or neglect, and the Contractor (or its employee) has reasonable cause to believe that child abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur, Contractor must make a report of that abuse or neglect to law enforcement or to a county social service agency as provided in UW’s Policy on Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (“the Policy”). If the suspected child abuse or neglect involves an allegation against a UW employee or agent (e.g. student, volunteer, contractor, etc.), or the incident or threat of child abuse or neglect occurred on the UW campus or during a UW-sponsored, the Contractor shall also report to the UW Police Department or UW’s Office for Equity and Diversity.

Background Checks of Contractors This contract is contingent upon, Contractor supplying workers who have passed a criminal background check that includes a national criminal background check database demonstrating the worker has no convictions or pending criminal charges that are substantially related to the contracted-for activities or services, including but not limited to, those that would render the worker unsuitable for regular contact with children. Disqualifying convictions or charges include, but are not limited to, sexual offenses, violent offenses, and drug offenses.

If, in the course of providing services to the UW, Contractor (or its employee) observes an incident or threat of child abuse or neglect, or learns of an incident or threat of child abuse or neglect, and the Contractor (or its employee) has reasonable cause to believe that child abuse or neglect has occurred or will occur, Contractor must make a report of that abuse or neglect to law enforcement or to a county social service agency as provided in UW’s Policy on Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect (“the Policy”). If the suspected child abuse or neglect involves an allegation against a UW employee or agent (e.g. student, volunteer, Contractor, etc.), or the incident or threat of child abuse or neglect occurred on the UW campus or during a UW-sponsored activity, the Contractor shall also report to the UW Police Department or UW’s Office for Equity and Diversity.

3.12. Travel Per Diems:

All of the Contractor’s travel and per diem expenses shall be the Contractor’s sole responsibility. Payment to the Contractor by the University shall not include an additional amount for this purpose.

3.13. Campus Delivery Requirements:

3.13.1. Delivery of orders shall be made to the University departments five days per week, Monday through Friday, during normal University business hours.

3.13.2. The University of Wisconsin-Madison no longer permits access to trucks over 30 ft. in length on several designated streets on this campus. The exceptions are trucks necessary for the delivery or pick up of perishable commodities, private construction vehicles, vehicles carrying radioactive materials, and campus service vehicles. For specific policy language, a campus map and restrictions, see the University Transportation Services website at http://transportation.wisc.edu/resources/large_truck.aspx.

3.13.3. This contract requires that Contractor deliver goods to the stated delivery address in accordance with the 30’ truck policy referenced in Section 3.13.2 above. Any unique delivery arrangements must be pre-approved by contacting the ordering department or Material Distribution Services (MDS) at (608) 497-4432. MDS reserves the right to charge Contractor reasonable material handling fees for any deliveries they make for the Contractor.

3.14. Acceptance and Test (Post Award):

Acceptance testing will occur within 90 days after the item/service has been installed and fully configured Acceptance testing will be performed by the University by the University and will consist of verification of the specifications and performance requirements.

If the item/service does not meet specification or performance requirements, the Contractor will have 60 days to meet requirements. If after this time period the item/service still does not meet specifications or performance requirements, the Contractor agrees to remove the item and return any payments that may have been made.

Meenu Verma, or his/her designee, is the only authorized person who can sign an acceptance form. The warranty period will begin following the successful acceptance testing.

3.15. Insurance:

The Contractor shall maintain insurance levels as required in Standard Terms and Conditions, Section 22.0 A certificate of insurance must be provided upon award and provided on an annual basis throughout the term of the Contract.

The Contractor shall add: “The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, its officers, employees and agents as an ‘additional insured’ under the commercial general, automobile and Contractor's liability policies." The certificate holder shall be listed as the University of Wisconsin-System Administration or System campus for their respective purchases.

3.16. Activity Reports:

Contractor should be able to report on annual basis all items/services purchased against this contract during the designated report period.

3.17. Record and Audit:

The Contractor shall establish, maintain, report as needed, and submit upon request records of all transactions conducted under the contract. All records must be kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting procedures. All procedures must be in accordance with federal, State of Wisconsin and local ordinances.

The University shall have the right to audit, review, examine, copy, and transcribe any pertinent records or documents held by the Contractor related to this contract. The Contractor shall retain all applicable documents for a period of not less than five years after the final contract payment is made. The University reserves the right to inspect any facilities used to support this Contract.

3.18. Performance Meetings:

The Account Representative and/or Proposer Contract Administrator must be available to meet as required with the University's Contract Administrator to evaluate contract implementation and performance and to identify continuous improvement.

3.19. Subcontracting:

3.19.1. Any Contract resulting from this proposal shall not be, in whole or in part, subcontracted, assigned, or otherwise transferred to any Subcontractor without prior written approval by Purchasing. Upon request Contractor must provide Subcontractor’s complete contact information including EIN# (TIN#, SS#) and signed W-9 for.

3.19.2. The Contractor shall be directly responsible for any subcontractor's performance and work quality when used by the Contractor to carry out the scope of the job. University reserves the right to assess Contractor damages in excess of the contract amount for Subcontractor’s failure to perform or inability to complete required project milestones.

3.19.3. Subcontractors must abide by all terms and conditions under this Contract.

3.20. Fair Price Analysis:

Purchases made under this contract may require further fair price analysis. The awarded Proposer will be required to provide documentation (i.e. published price list, list of previous buyers, etc.) to allow the University to complete this analysis.

3.21. Severability:

If any provision of this contract shall be, or shall be adjudged to be, unlawful or contrary to public policy, then that provision shall be deemed to be null and separable from the remaining provisions, and shall in no way affect the validity of this contract.

3.22. Environmentally Friendly (“Green”) Product:

Contractors are encouraged to identify products that are made of recycled products, that use environmentally friendly production methods, or that can be recycled at the end of their service life. The UW will make every effort to purchase “Green” products wherever feasible or possible based on individual project needs and funding available.

3.23. Supplier Diversity:

3.23.1. Minority Business Enterprise Program (MBE)

The State of Wisconsin is committed to the promotion of minority business in the state's purchasing program and a goal of placing 5% of its total purchasing dollars with certified minority businesses. Authority for this program is found in ss. 15.107(2), 16.75(4), 16.75(5) and 560.036(2), Wisconsin Statutes. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is committed to the promotion of minority business in the state's purchasing program.

The State of Wisconsin policy provides that Wisconsin Certified minority-owned business enterprises should have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of its contracts. The supplier/contractor is strongly urged to use due diligence to further this policy by awarding subcontracts to minority-owned business enterprises or by using such enterprises to provide goods and services incidental to this agreement, with a goal of awarding at least 5% of the contract price to such enterprises.

The Supplier/contractor may be requested to provide information about its purchases from Wisconsin certified MBEs.

A listing of certified minority businesses, as well as the services and commodities they provide, is available from the Department of Administration, Office of the Minority Business Program, 608/267-7806. To view all MBE firms go to https://wisdp.wi.gov/search.aspx select the MBE box and click search.

3.23.2. Woman Owned Business (WBE)

The State of Wisconsin is committed to the promotion of Woman-Owned Businesses as outlined in 560.035, Wisconsin Statutes.

The State of Wisconsin policy provides that Woman-Owned Businesses certified by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce should have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of its contracts. The supplier/contractor is strongly urged to use due diligence to further this policy by awarding subcontracts to Woman-Owned Businesses or by using such businesses to provide goods and services incidental to this agreement.

3.23.3. Disabled Veteran Owned Business (DVB)

The State of Wisconsin policy provides that Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises certified by the Wisconsin Department of Administration should have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of its contracts. The supplier/contractor is strongly urged to use due diligence to further this policy by awarding subcontracts to Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses or by using such enterprises to provide goods and services incidental to this agreement, with a goal of awarding at least 1% of the contract price to such enterprises.

The supplier/contractor may be requested to provide information about its purchases from Wisconsin certified DVBs.

A listing of certified minority businesses, as well as the services and commodities they provide, is available from the Department of Administration, State Supplier Diversity Program, 608/267-9550. To view all DVB firms, go to https://wisdp.wi.gov/search.aspx, select the DVB box, and click search.

3.24. Discriminatory Boycotts of Israel:

Effective October 27, 2017, consistent with 2017 Wisconsin Executive Order 261, contractor agrees it is not engaged in a boycott of the State of Israel and further, contractor will not during the term of the contract engage in a boycott of the State of Israel. State agencies may not execute a contract and reserve the right to terminate an existing contract with a business entity that is not compliant with this provision. This provision applies to all contracts of all values.

3.25. Debarment:

Federal Executive Order (E.O.) 12549 “Debarment“ requires that all contractors receiving individual awards, using federal funds, and all subrecipients certify that the organization and its principals are not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal department or agency from doing business with the Federal Government. By signing this document, you certify that your organization and its principals are not debarred. Failure to comply or attempts to edit this language may disqualify your bid. Information on debarment is available at the following websites: www.sam.gov and https://acquisition.gov/browsefar.

3.26. Electronic Commerce/Online Ordering:

Customers of this contract may want to take advantage of electronic ordering and “E-Commerce” opportunities that may be offered by the Contractor. All electronic orders shall receive contract pricing and/or discounts.

3.27. Promotional Materials/Endorsements:

Contractor agrees that they will not use any promotional or marketing material which states expressly or implies that the University endorses either the Contractor or any party related to the Contractor or this Contract.

3.28. Additional Items/Services:

Similar items/services may be added to this Contract provided it was mutually agreeable to both Purchasing Services and the Contractor. Scope of work and pricing (including discounts) must be consistent with the current contract items/services.

4. Requirements and Specifications Requirements that include the word “must” or “shall” describe a mandatory requirement. Failure to meet a mandatory requirement may disqualify your proposal.

Proposer must: 1) indicate agreement on each mandatory requirement and, if requested, describe how the specifications will be met and/or provide additional information, 2) complete any required form(s) and 3) provide a complete and detailed response to any non-mandatory requirement that can be fulfilled. If supplemental materials will be provided, clearly mark all supplements with the corresponding section number.

Only proposals submitted by Proposers that meet all mandatory specifications will be considered for evaluation.

The Proposers response to this Section must clearly demonstrate the capacity to handle the needs stated in this RFP in addition to the Proposers current workload. The University reserves the right to request supplementary information deemed pertinent to assure Proposers competence, business organization, and financial resources are adequate to successfully perform.

4.1. Mandatory Requirements (0 Points):

1.

2.

3.

4.

4.1.

4.1.1. Purchased Services – The State of Wisconsin requires purchased contractual services to be performed in the United States. Some exceptions apply, including procurements subject to the conditions of the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement (WTOGPA) and those listed in (Wis. Stats. 16.705 (1r). Subject to these exceptions, Contractor warrants that the services provided to the University under this contract will be performed in the United States. The inability to perform required services in the United States shall be grounds for disqualifying your proposal for this contract.

4.1.2. If the solution must store passwords used to authenticate a user, passwords must be stored in a secure manner. Please describe your implementation of password security.

4.1.3. When a password is submitted to the solution over a network, the client (e.g. web browser) must authenticate the endpoint (the solution) and the channel are encrypted.

4.1.4. Solution must support encryption of sensitive and restricted data while in transmission.

4.2. System Infrastructure Requirements (100 Points):

4.2.

4.2.1. Data must be maintained in the USA. Describe how the data will be verified as maintained in the USA.

4.2.2. What architecture does your solution use? Please provide a logical architecture diagram indicating key security design features (e.g., VPCs, public/private IP filtering, network security groups, etc.).

4.2.3. Describe the typical timeframe for new releases/patches and vulnerability remediations for any part of the technology stack. Include testing and certifying your product against 3rd party security patches for components that your product relies upon. Describe from the time an update is identified through production release and verification that system performs properly. Is a different process used if an issue or vulnerability is identified by the University versus by the vendor? Include roles and responsibilities for upgrading and patching the system.

4.2.4. How are upgrades and other notices communicated? What input does the customer have in the scheduling of upgrades?

4.2.5. Are there any periodically scheduled downtimes required for end of day processes, nightly backups, etc.?

4.2.6. Can a test system, with recent customer data, be made available to allow for training of new users, testing configuration changes, and validating updates before applying to the production system? If so, please describe.

4.2.7. On what technology does your product run? (Database; Application tier; Middleware; Other) Please attach your topology (logical architecture) diagram to this section.

4.2.8. Do you support Federated single sign on (SSO) for authentication and/or authorization to resources in your hosted configuration? If so, please describe the standards & protocols supported (OAuth, SAML, LDAP, OpenLDAP, Active Directory, Shibboleth, etc.).

4.2.9. Is multifactor authentication supported? Describe how this works? Is Duo supported?

4.2.10. If the solution is delivered with default (usually high privilege) accounts (e.g. “supervisor”, “administrator”, “root”, etc.) can the account names be changed, maintaining the functionality of the default accounts?

4.2.11. Describe the product's ability to create new security rights/roles based on new workflows or enhancements.

4.2.12. Can you provide uptime statistics for other systems that you have implemented?

4.2.13. Describe what industry recognized security standard certifications your solution has or such standards with which your solution complies.

4.2.14. Describe how your product scales as the number of concurrent users or system load increases. How many concurrent users does your product support before performance degrades.

4.3. Organizational Capabilities (50 Points):

3.

4.

4.2.

4.3.

4.4.

4.3.

4.3.1. Please provide an overview of your company, including company history, experience providing similar solutions of this scope and complexity, and references from past or existing clients.

4.3.2. Please provide information indicating the financial stability and solvency of your company.

4.4. Solution Components – Hosted (100 Points):

1.1.

4.4.

4.4.1. What cloud provider(s) do you use? (i.e. AWS, Google, Microsoft, etc.)

4.4.2. Is the solution Cloud Security Alliance, FEDRAMP or industry recognized security standard certified? Are you a member of the Cloud Security Alliance? Have you registered your solution’s self-assessment in the Security Trust and Assurance Registry (STAR)?

4.4.3. Is it a shared (multi-tenant) environment by default? If so, do you offer dedicated hosting options? Please describe the added costs for dedicated hosting, if available.

4.4.4. Describe your downtime or disaster recovery plan. If we lose connection with the software, what downtime information will be available to us? Do you have hosting redundancy for high availability (HA) services? Do you have mirrored instances for DR recovery?

4.4.5. If your system is unreachable due to a data center outage, loss of internet connectivity, or any other form of outage, does the system allow for data to still be entered and then later uploaded once connectivity is re-established? If so, please describe this process.

4.4.6. Solution should offer data storage and archival functionality, including backups, sufficient per record retention policy of 10 years. Describe your data storage approach and price model.

4.4.7. Describe your service level agreement for uptime, maintenance windows, planned and unplanned outages, outage notification and procedures, cyber liability insurance, and warranties.