20008-RFQ2026-04-6110.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

2026-2029

GENERAL CONTRACTOR POOL FOR

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS

Solicitation No: 2026-04-6110 Qualifications Opening Date: July 27, 2026 Qualifications Opening Time: 2:00 pm CST

KEY REMINDERS TO PROSPECTIVE SUBMITTERS

• Read the solicitation in its entirety.

• Contact the designated purchasing official only.

• Take advantage of the question-and-answer period.

• Attend the mandatory preproposal conference.

• Provide complete answers and descriptions.

• Review the RFQ and your qualifications submittal before submitting.

• Submit your qualifications submittal on time, before the deadline.

• Sign (by authorized signatory) in designated place on Attachment B Qualifications Form.

• Retain a copy of your completed submittal packet for your files.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I ADMINISTRATIVE AND GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 Background……………………………………………………………………………………… 1

1.1.1 Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………………... 1

1.1.2 Goals and Objectives………………………………………………………………………….. 1

1.2 Definitions……………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

1.3 Schedule of Events…………………………………………………………………………….. 2

1.4 Qualifications Submittal………………………………………………………………………. 2

1.4.1 RFQ Announcement…………………………………………………………………………… 3

1.5 Qualifications Response Format……………………………………………………………. 4

1.5.1 Number of Response Copies………………………………………………………………… 7

1.5.2 Legibility / Clarity………………………………………………………………………………. 7

1.6 Confidential Information, Trade Secrets, and Proprietary Information………………. 7

1.7 Proposal Clarifications Prior to Submittal………………………………………………… 9

1.7.1 Proposer Inquiry Periods……………………………………………………………………... 9

1.8 Errors and Omissions in Proposal………………………………………………………….. 10

1.9 Changes, Addenda, Withdrawals……………………………………………………………. 10

1.10 Withdrawal of Proposal……………………………………………………………………….. 10

1.11 Material in the RFQ…………………………………………………………...………………... 11

1.12 Waiver of Administrative Informalities……………………………………………………... 11

1.13 Proposal Rejection…………………………………………………………………………

1.14 Ownership of Proposal………………………………………………………………………... 11

1.15 Cost of Offer Preparation……………………………………………………………………... 11

1.16 Nonnegotiable Contract Terms……………………………………………………………… 11

1.17 Taxes……………………………………………………………………………………………… 11

1.18 Proposal Validity……………………………………………………………………………….. 12

1.19 Prime Contractor Responsibilities………………………………………………………….. 12

1.19.1 Corporation Requirements…………………………………………………………………… 12

1.20 Use of Subcontractors………………………………………………………………………… 12

1.21 Written of Oral Discussions/Presentations……………………………………………….. 13

1.22 Acceptance of Proposal Content……………………………………………………………. 13

1.23 Evaluation and Selection……………………………………………………………………… 13

1.24 Contract Negotiations…………………………………………………………………………. 13

1,.25 Contract Award and Execution…………………………………………………………..….. 13

1.26 Notice of Intent to Award……………………………………………………………………… 14

1.27 Debriefings………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

1.28 Insurance Requirement……………………………………………………………………….. 14

1.29 Subcontractor Insurance……………………………………………………………………… 14

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

(continued)

1.30 Contract Provisions……………………………………………………………………….. 15

1.30.1 Indemnification…………………………………………………………………………….. 15

1.30.2 Payment for Services………………………………………………….………………….. 15

1.30.3 Termination of this Contract for Cause………………………………………………... 15

1.30.4 Termination of this Contract for Convenience……………………………………….. 16

1.30.5 Termination for Lack of Appropriated Funds………………………………………… 16

1.30.6 Assignment………………………………………………………………….……………

1.30.7 No Guarantee of Quantities……………………………………………..……………….. 17

1.30.8 Audit of Records…………………………………………………………………………… 17

1.30.9 Civil Rights Compliance………………………………………………………………….. 17

1.30.10 Record Retention…………………………………………………..…………………….… 18

1.30.11 Record Ownership…………………………………………………………………………. 18

1.30.12 Content of Contract / Order of Precedence…………………………………………… 18

1.30.13 Contract Changes……………………………………………………………………….…. 18

1.30.14 End of Contract Transition…………………………………………………………….…. 18

1.30.15 Substitution of Personnel………………………………………………………………... 19

1.31 Location……………………………………………………………………………………

1.32 Governing Law……………………………………………………………………………… 19

1.33 Claims or Controversies………………………………………………………………….. 19

1.34 Submitter’s Certification of OMB A-133 Compliance………………………………... 20

PART II EVALUATION

2.1` Threshold Evaluation……………………………………………………………………… 21

2.2 Qualifications Evaluation…………………………………………………………………. 21

2.3 Program Specific Qualifications Evaluation………………………………………….. 22

PART III CONTRACTOR FORM / SCOPE OF SERVICES

ATTACHMENT A – CONTRACTOR FORM……………………………………………………………….. 23

ATTACHMENT A – SCOPE OF SERVICES………………………………………………………………. 24

Home Renovation Program…………………………………………………………………………….. 24 Commercial Corridor Façade Improvement Program……………………………………………… 25 New Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 25

ATTACHMENT B – QUALIFICATIONS FORM……………………………………………………………. 28

PART IV OTHER DOCUMENTATION

ATTACHMENT C – INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS…………………………………………………….. 30

ATTACHMENT D – SAMPLE CONTRACT………………………………………………………………... 31

ATTACHMENT E – STANDARD FEDERAL AWARD CONTRACTOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS... 36

ATTACHMENT F – COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS……………... 43

ATTACHMENT G - FAIR CHANCE ORDINANCE………………………………………………...……… 54

ATTACHMENT H - H2B WORKFORCE REQUIREMENTS……………………………………………... 55

ATTACHMENT I - 2 CFR Requirement Small Minority and Women’s Businesses……………….. 56

ATTACHMENT J - PROPOSER’S ORGANICATION…………………………………………………….. 57

ATTACHMENT K - CORPORATE RESOLUTION………………………………………………………… 58

ATTACHMENT L – AFFFIDAVIT……………………………………………………………………………. 59

ATTACHMENT M - SEDB FORMS AND PROCEDURES……………………………………..………… 60

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

for

2026-2029 GENERAL CONTRACTOR POOL FOR

PART I. ADMINISTRATIVE AND GENERAL

1.1. Background

The intent of the 2026-2029 GENERAL CONTRACTOR POOL FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS Request for Qualifications (“RFQ”) is to pre-qualify residential and commercial contractors to bid on construction projects which are administered through the Mayor’s Office of Community Development.

These projects are funded through Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HOME, CDBG-DR, CDBG programs, the general fund, and other potential funding sources for community development purposes. All work will be performed in East Baton Rouge Parish, with an emphasis on low-to-moderate income areas (EBR LMI Map).

The purpose of this notice is to solicit qualifications from general contractors with residential and commercial licenses for home renovation, commercial façade improvement, and new development projects. EBR Parish seeks to select a minimum of 15 qualified contractors to participate in this pool;

however, based on the number of qualified responses, this number may increase or decrease.

Contractors may be assigned work based on capability, availability, reasonable costs, contractor service area, and staff expertise.

1.1.1 Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to obtain qualifications as allowed by City of Baton Rouge, Parish of East Baton Rouge governing statutes, ordinances, resolutions and policies from bona fide, qualified Submitters who are interested in providing services for the 2026-2029

GENERAL CONTRACTOR POOL FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS.

1.1.2 Goals and Objectives

The City-Parish seeks to identify qualified contractors with demonstrated experience, skills, and capacity to deliver high-quality construction services in a timely and HUD-compliant manner. The selected contractors will support the implementation of programs designed to improve housing quality, enhance neighborhood conditions, and promote safe and sustainable development within the community.

https://ebrgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?layers=af656a3026bb4472a48a10cffa2bea04

1.2. Definitions

Shall- The term “shall” denotes mandatory requirements.

Must - The terms “must” denotes mandatory requirements.

May - The term “may” denotes an advisory or permissible action.

Should - The term “should” denote desirable.

Contractor - Any person having a contract with a governmental body.

Agency - Any department, commission, council, board, office, bureau, committee, institution, agency, government, corporation, or another establishment of the City-Parish authorized to participate in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

State - The State of Louisiana.

Department – Mayor’s Office of Community Development.

Director - Director of Purchasing.

City-Parish - City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge.

Discussions - For the purposes of this RFQ presentation, a formal, structured means of conducting written or oral communications/presentations with responsible Submitters who submit qualifications in response to this RFQ.

1.3. Schedule of Events

NOTE: The City-Parish reserves the right to deviate from these dates.

NOTE: The mandatory preproposal meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2026 at 2:00 pm. at 222 St.

Louis Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 in Room 804.

The contractor pool list is expected to commence immediately from Notice of Acceptance.

Work will commence as sites are enrolled in the Commercial Corridor Façade Improvement, Home Renovation, and potential new construction.

The contractor pool will expire at the end of the 3-year term.

1.4. Qualifications Submittal

This RFQ is available in PDF format or in printed form by submitting a written request to the RFQ Contact. (See section 1.7.1 Proposer Inquiry Period).

All proposals shall be received by Purchasing no later than the date and time shown in the Schedule of Events.

Item Anticipated Schedule

1st Publishing RFQ 6/18/2026

2nd Publishing RFQ 6/25/2026

3rd Publishing RFQ 7/2/2026

Mandatory Preproposal Meeting 7/8/2026

Deadline to Receive Written Inquiries 7/14/2026

Deadline to Answer Written Inquiries 7/20/2026

Qualification Submission Deadline 7/27/2026

Notice of Acceptance to Contractor Pool 8/5/2026

Important - - Clearly mark outside of the envelope, box, or package with the following information and format:

Qualifications Submission Name: 2026-2029 GENERAL CONTRACTOR POOL FOR

Solicitation No: 2026-04-6110 Qualifications Opening Date & Time: July 27, 2026, 2pm CST

Submitters are hereby advised that the U. S. Postal Service does not make deliveries to our physical location. Submissions must be received in the physical address of Purchasing Division by deadline.

Submissions may be delivered by hand or courier service between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise provided by a federal holiday, which then may be delivered by hand on the following business day to our physical location at:

City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge Purchasing Division 222 Saint Louis Street, Room 826 Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Attention: Dexter Stewart

Submitters is solely responsible for ensuring that its courier service provider makes inside deliveries to our physical location. Purchasing is not responsible for any delays caused by the submitter’s chosen means of qualifications submittal delivery. Submitters are solely responsible for the timely delivery of their qualifications submittal. Failure to meet the RFQ’s opening date and time shall result in rejection of the submission.

Submitters will familiarize themselves with and will comply with all applicable Federal and State Laws, parish/municipal ordinances, resolutions, and the rules and regulations of all authorities having jurisdiction over the solicitation. These laws and/or ordinances will be deemed to be included in the contract, the same as though herein written in full.

RFQ SUBMISSIONS SHALL BE OPENED PUBLICLY AND ONLY SUBMITTERS SUBMITTING

QUALIFICATIONS SHALL BE IDENTIFIED ALOUD. PRICES, IF PROVIDED, SHALL NOT BE READ.

1.4.1 RFQ Announcements

The EBR Parish has elected to use LaPAC, the state’s online electronic bid posting and notification system, in addition to its standard means of advertising this requirement. LaPAC is resident on State Purchasing’s website at https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/pubmain.cfm and is available for vendor self-enrollment.

Copies of the solicitation and related information are available from the EBR Parish’s Purchasing Division and the state’s Procurement and Contract Network website, LaPAC, at https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/dspBid.cfm?search=department&term=102.

In that LaPAC provides an immediate e-mail notification to subscribing bidders that a solicitation and any subsequent addenda have been let and posted, notice and receipt thereof is considered formally given as of their respective dates of posting. Though not required if receiving solicitation and addenda notices from LaPAC, the EBR Parish will email addenda to all vendors contacting our office and requesting to be put on our office Vendor Listing for this solicitation.

1.5. Qualifications Response Format

Qualifications submitted for consideration should follow the format and order of presentation described below:

A. Cover Letter: Containing summary of submitting company’s ability to perform the services described in the RFQ and confirms that submitter is willing to perform those services and enter into a contract with the City-Parish. By signing the letter and/or the qualifications submittal, the submitter certifies compliance with the authority required in accordance with Louisiana law. The person signing the qualifications submittal must be:

• A current corporate officer, partnership member, or other individual specifically authorized to submit an RFQ response as reflected in the appropriate records on file with the secretary of state;

or

• An individual authorized to bind the company as reflected by a corporate resolution, certificate or affidavit; or

• Other documents indicating authority which are acceptable to the public entity.

The cover letter should also:

• Identify the name, title, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address of each person authorized by the submitting company to contractually obligate the Submitter;

• Identify the name, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address of the contact person for technical and contractual clarifications throughout the evaluation period.

• A statement acknowledging that the submitter has read and understands the RFQ and agrees to all the conditions, requirements, and terms stated in the RFQ.

• A declarative statement as to whether the Submitter or any member of the Submitter’s team has an open dispute with the City or Parish or is involved in any litigation associated with work in progress or completed in the private and public sector during the past five (5) years.

B. Contractor Form: See Attachment A C. Table of Contents: Organized in the order cited in the format contained herein.

D. Secretary of State documents: proof of “Active” and “In Good Standing” status.

E. Proof of Sam.gov Active Registration F. Safety Plan and waste disposal practices G. References: Provide letters of recommendation from three (3) clients for which the firm provided services like the ones described in this RFQ. Include how many projects completed with each reference.

Provide contact information (name, position, telephone number, and email) of persons that the City may contact to verify performance.

H. Veteran’s Initiative, and Hudson Initiative participation, SEDBE, MBE, WBE: Participation in these programs is encouraged but not required. Preference is given for program participants. See scoring rubric.

Veteran and Hudson Initiative Programs Participation The State of Louisiana Veteran and Hudson Initiatives are designed to provide additional opportunities for Louisiana-based small entrepreneurships (sometimes referred to as LaVet's and SE's respectively) to participate in contracting and procurement with the State. A certified Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Disabled Veteran-Owned small entrepreneurship (LaVet) and a Louisiana Initiative for Small Entrepreneurships (Hudson Initiative) small entrepreneurship are businesses that have been certified by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development.

All eligible vendors are encouraged to become certified. Qualification requirements and online certification are available online through the Department of Economic Development at:

https://smallbiz.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com.

During the term of the contract and at expiration, the Contractor will also be required to report Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Disabled Veteran-Owned and Hudson Initiative small entrepreneurship subcontractor or distributor participation and the dollar amount of each.

In RFQ’s requiring the compliance of a good faith subcontracting plan, the City-Parish may require Submitters to submit information on their business relationships and arrangements with certified LaVet or Hudson Initiative subcontractors at the time of qualification review. Agreements between a Submitter and a certified LaVet or Hudson Initiative subcontractor in which the certified LaVet or Hudson Initiative subcontractor promises not to provide subcontracting quotations to other Submitters shall be prohibited.

If performing its evaluation of qualifications, the City-Parish reserves the right to require a non-certified Submitter to provide documentation and information supporting a good faith subcontracting plan. Such proof may include contracts between Submitter and certified Veteran Initiative and/or Hudson Initiative subcontractor(s).

If a contract is awarded to a Submitter who proposed a good faith subcontracting plan, City- Parish may audit Contractor to determine whether Contractor has complied in good faith with its subcontracting plan. The Contractor must be able to provide supporting documentation (i.e., phone logs, fax transmittals, letter, emails) to demonstrate its good faith subcontracting plan was followed. If it is determined at any time by the City-Parish that the Contractor did not in fact perform in good faith its subcontracting plan, the contract award or the existing contract may be terminated. The statutes (La. R.S. 39:2171 et. seq.) concerning the Veteran Initiative may be viewed at: http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=671504 that the Contractor did not in fact perform in good faith its subcontracting plan, the contract award or the existing contract may be terminated.

The statutes (La. R.S. 39:2171 et. seq.) concerning the Veteran Initiative may be viewed at:

http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=671504.

The statutes (La. R.S. 39:2001 et. seq.) concerning the Hudson Initiative may be viewed at:

http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=96265.

http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=671504 http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=671504.

http://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=96265.

The rules for the Veteran Initiative (LAC 19:VII. Chapters 11 and 15) and for the Hudson Initiative (LAC 19:VIII Chapters 11 and 13) may be viewed at:

http://www.doa.la.gov/pages/osp/se/secv.aspx A current list of certified Veteran-Owned and Service-Connected Disabled Veteran-Owned and Hudson Initiative small entrepreneurships may be obtained from the Louisiana Economic Development Certification System at: https://smallbiz.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com

Additionally, a list of Hudson and Veteran Initiative small entrepreneurships, which have been certified by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development and who have opted to register in the State of Louisiana LaGov Supplier Portal:

https://lagoverpvendor.doa.louisiana.gov/irj/portal/anonymous?guest_user=self_reg

This may be accessed from the State of Louisiana Procurement and Contract (LaPAC) Network:

https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/OSP/LaPAC/vendor/VndPubMain.cfm

When using this site, determine the search criteria (i.e. alphabetized list of all certified vendors, by commodities, etc.) and select SmallE, VSE, or DVSE.

Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Business Enterprise – SEDBE The SEDBE Small Business program was established to assist underserved, underutilized, and disadvantaged businesses with gaining greater access to procurement opportunities and resources to build competitively viable and sustainable businesses in and for the City-Parish. The directory to certified SEDBE vendors can be accessed here: https://brla.gob2g.com/.

All eligible vendors are encouraged to become certified. Qualification requirements and online certification are available online through the Department of Economic Development at:

https://www.brla.gov/2901/Socially-and-Economically-SEDBE-Business.

I. Statement of Qualifications and Experience (maximum 15 pages): Statements of Qualifications more than 15 pages may not be reviewed or scored. EBR reserves the right to reject qualifications that do not comply with formatting requirements. Information provided in the Statement of

Qualifications should demonstrate the firm’s experience and ability as lead firm to complete quality projects within a reasonable timeframe and budget. Submitters are encouraged to review Part II

Evaluation for scoring details. The Statement of Qualifications should provide, at a minimum, the following information:

o Company size, location, available resources o Availability: State the firm’s soonest availability to start projects after acceptance into the contractor pool.

o Management and supervisory team members and relevant background information including areas of expertise, training, licenses, years of service in their respective fields, and relevant project experience o Work examples for the relevant project types for which you are submitting qualifications. For example: if you are not submitting for new construction, do not include new construction project history. Provide at least three (3) examples of each relevant project type including home renovation, façade improvements to commercial structures, and new housing construction completed within the last 10 years. Each example should include:

▪ Project total costs

▪ Start and completion dates

▪ Scope of Services

▪ Explanation of any change orders or cost overruns

▪ If the project required bonding or not http://www.doa.la.gov/pages/osp/se/secv.aspx https://smallbiz.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/ https://lagoverpvendor.doa.louisiana.gov/irj/portal/anonymous?guest_user=self_reg https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/OSP/LaPAC/vendor/VndPubMain.cfm https://www.brla.gov/2901/Socially-and-Economically-SEDBE-Business

▪ Your company’s role as prime or subcontractor

▪ The funding source of the project (HUD, federal or state funds, private funds etc.)

o Include examples of working previous projects with HUD funds, other federally funded projects, and other local government projects when possible.

o Subconsultant qualifications and relevant project history o For contractors submitting for New Construction provide a statement describing your firm’s ability to obtain performance and payment bonds for projects of similar size and scope, including any prior experience with bonded projects.

1.5.1 Number of Response Copies

Each Submitter shall submit one (1) signed Original response (clearly marked “ORIGINAL”) response. Five (5) additional copies of the qualifications submittal should be provided (clearly marked “COPY”), as well as one (1) redacted copy (clearly marked “REDACTED”), if applicable (See Section 1.6. A USB flash drive must also be provided.

1.5.2 Legibility/Clarity

Responses to the requirements of this RFQ in the formats requested is desirable with all questions answered in as much detail as practicable. The Submitter’s response shall demonstrate an understanding of the requirements. Qualifications prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Submitter’s ability to meet the requirements of the RFQ is also desired. Each Submitter is solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of its qualification.

1.6 Confidential Information, Trade Secrets, and Proprietary Information The designation of certain information as trade secrets and/or privileged or confidential proprietary information shall only apply to the technical portion of your proposal. Your cost proposal will not be considered confidential under any circumstance. Any proposal copyrighted or marked as confidential or proprietary in its entirety may be rejected without further consideration or recourse.

For the purposes of this procurement, the provisions of the Louisiana Public Records Act (La. R.S.44.1

et. seq.) will be in effect. Pursuant to this Act, all proceedings, records, contracts, and other public documents relating to this procurement shall be open to public inspection. Proposers are reminded that while trade secrets and other proprietary information they submit in conjunction with this procurement may not be subject to public disclosure, protections must be claimed by the proposer at the time of submission of its Technical Proposal. Proposers should refer to the Louisiana Public Records Act for further clarification.

The Proposer must clearly designate the part of the proposal that contains a trade secret and/or privileged or confidential proprietary information as “confidential” in order to claim protection, if any, from disclosure. The Proposer shall mark the cover sheet of the proposal with the following legend, specifying the specific section(s) of his proposal sought to be restricted in accordance with the conditions of the legend:

“The data contained in pages of the proposal have been submitted in confidence and contain trade secrets and/or privileged or confidential information and such data shall only be disclosed for evaluation purposes, provided that if a contract is awarded to this Proposer as a result of or in connection with the submission of this proposal, City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge shall have the right to use or disclose the data therein to the extent provided in the contract. This restriction does not limit City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge’s right to use or disclose data obtained from any source, including the proposer, without restrictions.”

Further, to protect such data, each page containing such data shall be specifically identified and marked “CONFIDENTIAL”.

Proposers must be prepared to defend the reasons that the material should be held confidential. If a competing proposer or other person seeks review or copies of another proposer's confidential data, the state will notify the owner of the asserted data of the request. If the owner of the asserted data does not want the information disclosed, it must agree to indemnify City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge and hold City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge harmless against all actions or court proceedings that may ensue (including attorney's fees), which seek to order City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge to disclose the information. If the owner of the asserted data refuses to indemnify and hold City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge harmless, City of Baton Rouge- Parish of East Baton Rouge may disclose the information.

City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to make any proposal, including proprietary information contained therein, available to the Purchasing Division personnel, or other City- Parish agencies or organizations for the sole purpose of assisting City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge in its evaluation of the proposal. City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge shall require said individuals to protect the confidentiality of any specifically identified proprietary information or privileged business information obtained as a result of their participation in these evaluations.

If your proposal contains confidential information, you should also submit a redacted copy along with your proposal. If you do not submit the redacted copy, you will be required to submit this copy within 48 hours of notification from Purchasing. When submitting your redacted copy, you should clearly mark the cover as such - “REDACTED COPY” - to avoid having this copy reviewed by an evaluation committee member. The redacted copy should also state which sections or information has been removed.”

1.7 Proposal Clarifications Prior to Submittal

1.7.1 Proposer Inquiry Periods

An initial inquiry period is hereby firmly set for all interested proposers to perform a detailed review of the solicitation and to submit any written questions relative thereto. Without exception, all questions MUST be in writing and received by the close of business on the Inquiry Deadline date set forth in the Calendar of Events (See Section 1.3). Initial inquiries shall not be accepted thereafter.

However, additional questions or requests for clarification may arise from City of Baton Rouge- Parish of East Baton Rouge’s addendum responses to the initial inquiries. Therefore, a final 3-day inquiry period shall be granted. Questions resulting from the answers provided in the addendum shall be submitted by the close of business three business days from the date the addendum is issued (or, posted to the LaPAC website at https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/pubmain.cfm. If necessary, another addendum will be issued to address the final questions received. Thereafter, all proposal documents, including but not limited to the specifications, terms, conditions, plans, etc., will stand as written and/or amended by any addendum issued as a result of the final inquiry period.

Any person who wishes to protest the provisions contained in this RFQ shall submit questions or concerns in writing to Director of Purchasing during the proposal period. Otherwise, silence will be construed as acceptance by all proposers that the RFQ is clear and that competitive proposals may be submitted as specified herein. Protests regarding the RFQ documents will not be considered after proposals are opened.

*Note: City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge has elected to use LaPAC, the state’s online electronic bid posting and notification system that is resident on State Purchasing’s website https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/pubMain.cfm and is available for vendor self-enrollment. In that LaPAC provides an immediate email notification to subscribing bidders that a solicitation and any subsequent addenda have been let and posted, notice and receipt thereof is considered formally given as of their respective dates of posting dates. The City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge also posts to Central Bidding (http://www.centralauctionhouse.com) however, bid submissions cannot be made through Central Bidding for RFQs.

No negotiations, decisions, or actions shall be executed by any proposer as a result of any oral discussions with any City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge employee or City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge consultant.

Inquiries shall be submitted in writing by an authorized representative of the proposer, clearly cross- referenced to the relevant solicitation section. Only those inquiries received by the established deadline shall be considered by the City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge. Answers to questions that change or substantially clarify the solicitations shall be issued by addendum and provided to all perspective proposers.

https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/pubmain.cfm https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/osp/lapac/pubMain.cfm http://www.centralauctionhouse.com/

Inquiries concerning this solicitation may be delivered by mail, express courier, email, hand to:

222 Saint Louis Street, Room 826

Email: 6110GenContPool@brla.gov

1.8 Errors and Omissions in Proposal

City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge will not be liable for any error in the proposal.

Proposer will not be allowed to alter proposal documents after the deadline for proposal submission, except under the following condition: City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to make corrections or clarifications due to administrative informalities identified in proposals by City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge or the Proposer. City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge, at its option, has the right to require clarification or additional information from the Proposer.

1.9 Changes, Addenda, Withdrawals

The City-Parish reserves the right to change the schedule of events or issue Addenda to the RFQ at any time. City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge also reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFQ.

If the proposer needs to submit changes or addenda after submission of a proposal, but before the proposal submission deadline, such shall be submitted in writing prior to the proposal opening, signed by an authorized representative of the proposer, cross-referenced clearly to the relevant proposal section, and submitted in a sealed envelope marked as stated in Section 1.4, such shall meet all requirements for the proposal.

1.10 Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposer may withdraw a proposal that has been submitted at any time up to the proposal closing date and time. To accomplish this, a written request signed by the authorized representative of the proposer must be submitted to Purchasing.

1.11 Material in the RFQ

Proposals shall be based only on the material contained in this RFQ. The RFQ includes official responses to questions, addenda, and other material, which may be provided by City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge pursuant to the RFQ.

1.12 Waiver of Administrative Informalities

City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to waive administrative informalities contained in any proposal.

1.13 Proposal Rejection

Issuance of this RFQ in no way constitutes a commitment by City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge to award a contract. City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals submitted or to cancel this RFQ if it is in the best interest of City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge to do so.

If a proposer fails to submit any non-mandatory information requested, the City-Parish may request submission of such information from the proposer or assign a lower score to a proposer.

1.14 Ownership of Proposal

All materials (paper content only) submitted timely in response to this request become the property of City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge. Selection or rejection of a response does not affect this right. All proposals submitted timely will be retained by City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge and not returned to proposers. Any copyrighted materials in the response are not transferred to City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge.

1.15 Cost of Offer Preparation

City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge is not liable for any costs incurred by prospective Proposers or Contractors prior to issuance of or entering into a Contract. Costs associated with developing the proposal, preparing for oral presentations, if any, and any other expenses incurred by the Proposer in responding to the RFQ are entirely the responsibility of the Proposer, and shall not be reimbursed in any manner by City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge.

1.16 Nonnegotiable Contract Terms

Non-negotiable contract terms include but are not limited to taxes, assignment of contract, audit of records, EEOC and ADA compliance, record retention, content of contract/order of precedence, contract changes, governing law, claims or controversies, and termination based on contingency of appropriation of funds (if applicable).

1.17 Taxes

Any taxes, other than state and local sales and use taxes, from which City of Baton Rouge- Parish of East Baton Rouge is exempt, shall be assumed to be included within the Proposer’s cost.

1.18 Proposal Validity

All proposals shall be considered valid for acceptance until such time an award is made, unless the Proposer provides for a different time period within its proposal response. However, City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to reject a proposal if the Proposer’s response is unacceptable and the Proposer is unwilling to extend the validity of its proposal.

1.19 Prime Contractor Responsibilities

The selected Proposer shall be required to assume responsibility for all items and services offered in his proposal whether or not he produces or provides them. City of Baton Rouge-Parish of East Baton Rouge shall consider the selected Proposer to be the sole point of contact with regard to contractual matters, including payment of any and all charges resulting from the contract.

1.19.1 Corporation Requirements

Upon the award of the contract, if the contractor is a corporation and not incorporated under the laws of the State of Louisiana, the contractor shall have obtained a certificate of authority pursuant to R.S. 12:301-302 from the Secretary of State of Louisiana prior to the execution of the contract.

Upon the award of the contract, if the contractor is a for-profit corporation whose stock is not publicly traded, the contractor shall ensure that a disclosure of ownership form has been properly filed with the Secretary of State of Louisiana.

If services are to be performed in East Baton Rouge, evidence of a current occupational license and/or permit issued by the City-Parish shall be supplied by the successful vendor, if applicable.

1.20 Use of Subcontractors

Each Contractor shall serve as the single prime contractor for all work performed pursuant to its contract. That prime contractor shall be responsible for all deliverables referenced in this RFQ. This general requirement notwithstanding, Proposers may enter into subcontractor arrangements. Proposers may submit a proposal in response to this RFQ, which identifies subcontract(s) with others, provided that the prime contractor acknowledges total responsibility for the entire contract.

The City-Parish is an equal opportunity employer and encourages the participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) in all of its projects. Proposers/Prospective Contractors are encouraged to make positive efforts to utilize minority subcontractors for a portion of this project. Proposers are requested to include in their proposal a description of plans for minority participation under this Contract as suppliers or subcontractors.

Information required of the prime contractor under the terms of the RFQ, is also required for each subcontractor and the subcontractors must agree to be bound by the terms of the contract. The prime contractor shall assume total responsibility for compliance.

1.21 Written or Oral Discussions/Presentations

Written or oral discussions may be conducted with Proposers who submit proposals determined to be reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. City of Baton Rouge- Parish of East Baton Rouge reserves the right to enter into an Agreement without further discussion of the proposal submitted based solely on the proposals submitted.

Any commitments or representations made by a proposer during these discussions, if conducted, may become formally recorded in the final contract.

Written or oral discussions/presentations for clarification may be conducted to enhance the City- Parish’s understanding of any or all of the proposals submitted. Neither negotiations nor changes to vendor proposals will be allowed during these discussions. Proposals may be accepted without such discussions.

1.22 Acceptance of Proposal Content

The mandatory RFQ requirements shall become contractual obligations if a contract ensues.

Failure of the successful Proposers to accept these obligations shall result in the rejection of the proposal.

1.23 Evaluation and Selection (see Part II. Evaluation)

1.24 Contract Negotiations

If for any reason the Proposer whose proposal is most responsive to the City-Parish’s needs, price and other evaluation factors set forth in the RFQ considered, does not agree to a contract, that proposal shall be rejected and the City-Parish may negotiate with the next most responsive Proposer. Negotiation may include revision of non-mandatory terms, conditions, and requirements. Negotiation shall also allow price reductions. The final contract form shall be reviewed by the Purchasing Division and approved by the Parish Attorney and Metropolitan Council.

1.25 Contract Award and Execution

The City-Parish reserves the right to enter into an Agreement without further discussion of the proposal beyond submission

The RFQ, any addendums, and the proposal of the selected Contractor will become part of any contract initiated by the City-Parish.

In no event is a proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions as a response to this RFQ. The proposer needs to address the specific language in the sample contract (Attachment D) and submit with their proposal any exceptions or exact contract deviations that their firm wishes to negotiate. The terms for both of these documents may be negotiated as part of the negotiation process with the exception of contract provisions that are non-negotiable.

If the contract negotiation period exceeds 30 days or if the selected Proposer fails to sign the contract within seven calendar days of delivery of it, the City-Parish may elect to cancel the award and award the contract to the next-highest-ranked Proposer.

Award shall be made to the Proposer whose proposal, conforming to the RFQ, will be the most advantageous to the City-Parish, price and other factors considered based on the evaluation committee’s review and recommendation. 26 Notice of Intent to Award

Upon review and approval of the evaluation committee’s recommendation for award by Purchasing and approval of the contract award by the Metropolitan Council, a Notice of Intent to Award letter to the apparent successful Proposer will be issued. A contract shall be completed and signed by all parties concerned on or before the date indicated in the Schedule of Events. If this date is not met, through no fault of the City-Parish, the City-Parish may elect to cancel the Notice of Intent to Award letter and make the award to the next most advantageous Proposer.

Purchasing shall notify all unsuccessful Proposers as to the outcome of the evaluation process. The evaluation factors, points, evaluation committee member names, and the completed evaluation summary and recommendation report shall be made available to all interested parties after the Intent to Award letter has been issued.

1.27 Debriefings

Debriefings may be scheduled by the participating Proposers after the Intent to Award letter has been issued by contacting Purchasing 72 hours in advance. Contact may be made by email to purchasinginfo@brgov.com to schedule the debriefing. Debriefings will be for the sole purpose of reviewing with the requesting vendor their own proposal scoring results.

If the requesting vendor wishes to view other file documents, a Public Records request in accordance with R.S 44.1 et. seq. must be submitted.

1.28 Insurance Requirements

Contractor shall furnish the City-Parish with certificates of insurance affecting coverage(s) required by the RFQ (see Attachment C). The certificates for each insurance policy are to be signed by a person authorized by that insurer to bind coverage on its behalf. The certificates are to be received and approved by the City-Parish before work commences. The City-Parish reserves the right to require complete certified copies of all required policies, at any time.

1.29 Subcontractor Insurance

The Contractor shall include all subcontractors as insureds under its policies or shall insure that all subcontractors satisfy the same insurance requirements stated herein for the contractor.

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1.30 Contract Provisions

If a contract results from this RFQ, the contract shall include, but not be limited to, the following terms and provisions. Submission of a proposal without noting any objections or exceptions to these provisions shall be deemed as an acceptance of these terms by the proposer.

1.30.1 Indemnification

Contractor agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the City-Parish from any and all losses, damages, expenses or other liabilities, including but not limited to connected with any claim for personal injury, death, property damage or other liability that may be asserted against the City- Parish by any party which arises or allegedly agents in performing its obligations under this Agreement.

Contractor, its agents, employees and insurer (s) hereby release City-Parish its agents and assigns from any and all liability or responsibility including anyone claiming through or under them by way or subrogation or otherwise for any loss or damage which Contractor, its agents or insurers may sustain incidental to or in any way related to Contractor’s operations under this Agreement.

1.30.2 Payment for Services

If a contract results from this RFQ, the City-Parish shall pay Contractor in accordance with the provisions of the compensation section of the Contract Payments will be made by the City- Parish within approximately thirty (30) days after receipt of a properly executed invoice, and approval by the department. Invoices shall include the contract or purchase order number, using department and product/service provided. Invoices submitted without the referenced documentation will not be approved for payment until the required information is provided.

When billing the City-Parish for services, the successful Proposer will be required to provide the portion of the total fee related to the costs of the M&A of all federal and state grants. This data is necessary for purposes of properly charging grant programs for their portion of the audit costs and allocation of our indirect cost plan.

1.30.3 Termination of this Contract for Cause

The terms of this contract shall be binding upon the parties hereto until the work has been completed and accepted by the City-Parish and all payments required to be made to the Contractor have been made; but this contract may be terminated under any or all of the following conditions:

o By mutual agreement and consent of the parties hereto.

o By City-Parish as a consequence of the failure of the Contractor to comply with the terms, progress or o Quality of work in a satisfactory manner, proper allowance being made for circumstances beyond the control of the Contractor.

o By either party upon failure of the other party to fulfill its obligations as set forth in the contract.

o By satisfactory completion of all services and obligations described herein.

o By the City-Parish by giving thirty (30) days prior written notice to the Contractor in writing and paying for all previously completed work.

o By City-Parish due to withdrawal of Federal funding for the project.

If termination is made by the City-Parish under condition 5 after work has started, the Contractor will be paid for all detailed costs incurred and for all services rendered on the basis of its certified and itemized direct payroll cost plus the applicable percentage rates to cover payroll additives and overhead.

The City-Parish may terminate the Contract for cause based upon the failure of the Contractor to comply with the terms and conditions of the Contract; provided that the City- Parish shall give the Contractor written notice specifying the Contractor’s failure. If within thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice, the Contractor shall not have either corrected such failure or, in the case of failure which cannot be corrected in thirty (30) days begun in good faith to correct said failure and thereafter proceeded diligently to complete such correction, then the City-Parish may, at its option, place the Contractor in default and the Contract shall terminate on the date specified in such notice. Failure to perform within the time agreed upon in the contract may constitute default and may cause cancellation of the contract.

Contractor may exercise any rights available to it under Louisiana law to terminate for cause upon the failure of the City-Parish to comply with the terms and conditions of this contract provided that the Contractor shall give the City-Parish written notice specifying the City Parish agency’s failure and a reasonable opportunity for City-Parish to cure the defect.

1.30.4 Termination of this Contract for Convenience

The City-Parish may terminate this Contract at any time by giving thirty (30) days written notice to the Contractor of such termination or negotiating with the Contractor an effective date.

The Contractor shall be entitled to payment for deliverables in progress, to the extent work has been performed satisfactorily.

1.30.5 Termination for Lack of Appropriated Funds

Should the RFQ result in a multi-year contract, a non-appropriation clause shall be made a part of the contract terms as required by state statutes, allowing the City-Parish to terminate the contract for lack of appropriated funds on the date of the beginning of the first fiscal year for which funds are not appropriated.

The continuation of this contract shall be contingent upon the appropriation of funds by the legislature to fulfill the requirements of the contract by the legislature.

If the legislature fails to appropriate sufficient monies to provide for the continuation of the contract, or if such appropriation is reduced by the veto of the Governor or by any means provided in the appropriations act of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 to prevent the total appropriation for the year from exceeding revenues for that year, or for any other lawful purpose, and the effect of such reduction is to provide insufficient monies for the continuation of the contract, the contract shall terminate on the date of the beginning of the first fiscal year for which funds have not been appropriated.

1.30.6 Assignment

Assignment of contract, or any payment under the contract, requires the advanced written approval of the City-Parish.

1.30.7 No Guarantee of Quantities

The quantities, if any, referenced in the RFQ are estimates. In the event a greater or lesser quantity is needed, the City-Parish reserves the right to increase or decrease the amount at the unit price stated in the proposal.

Neither City-Parish nor Department obligates itself to contract for or accept more…