2025 Laptop Procurement RFQ.docx

The Office of the State Auditor (OSA) Request for Quote

2025 Laptop Procurement RFQ

Issue Date: 5/9/2025 Proposal Due Date: 5/16/25

THIS RFQ AND ALL RESPONSES HERETO INCLUDING THE WINNING BID SHALL BECOME PUBLIC RECORD, AND CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE STATE AUDITOR’S OFFICE, LEGAL UNIT BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO https://www.mass.gov/forms/submit-a-public-records-request-to-the-osa . ANY PORTIONS OF A RESPONSE THAT ARE LABELED AS CONFIDENTIAL WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED PUBLIC RECORD.

1. General Procurement Information General Information

Room 1819 Boston, MA 02108

857-242-5508 Walton.Chan@massauditor.gov

857-242-5534 Shannon.Gianatassio@massauditor.gov

This Request for Quotes (“RFQ”) does not commit the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Commonwealth”) or the Massachusetts Office of the State Auditor (OSA) to approve a Statement of Work, pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a Bidder’s response to this RFQ or to procure or contract for products or services. OSA reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFQ and to contract for some, all or none of the products and services specified in this RFQ. OSA further reserves the right to negotiate with any or all qualified Bidders and to cancel in part or in its entirety this RFQ if it is in the best interest of OSA or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to do so.

OSA reserves the right to amend the RFQ and to terminate this procurement in whole or in part at any time. If OSA decides to amend or clarify any part of this RFQ, such amendment will be posted on CommBuys.

Eligible Bidders Bidding is restricted to vendors on the following Statewide Contract: ITC73, Interested bidders must submit bids through COMMBUYS.

Operational Services Division Link to ITC73: ITC73: IT Hardware and Services

The selected vendor will be subject to all the terms and conditions of Statewide Contract ITC73. Any conflicting or additional terms, conditions, or agreements included in or attached to this form by the vendor shall be superseded and void. All terms herein shall be subject to OSA’s sole interpretation.

Event Calendar The following represents the proposed timeline for this RFQ and project. All times stated are in prevailing Eastern Time. These dates represent a tentative schedule of events. The OSA reserves the right to modify these dates at any time. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Bid Q&A, on COMMBUYS for Procurement Calendar updates.

The decision to invite top-scoring vendor(s) to make a presentation of their written proposal(s) prior to selection of a vendor is at the sole discretion of the OSA.

After the deadline for response submission, OSA reserves the right to extend a Best and Final Offer Opportunity to all or a selected number of responders. Responders may be asked to submit additional information specific to project specifications and cost.

Term The term of any resulting agreement made pursuant to this RFQ may extend in accordance with the terms and conditions of ITC73. Conflicting or additional terms, conditions or agreements included in or attached to this form shall be considered to be superseded and void. The OSA anticipates that the start date for the engagement will begin upon the receipt of a fully executed Statement of Work (SOW). The product delivery should be completed by July 25, 2025. Additional related services may be performed under change orders or amendments.

Contacting OSA Upon issuance of this RFQ, prospective Bidders are prohibited from communicating with any OSA employee or any other Commonwealth employee regarding this RFQ, except as specified in this RFQ. No other individual Commonwealth employee or representatives of the agencies identified in the RFQ will answer questions or otherwise discuss the contents of this RFQ with any prospective Bidder or their representatives. Bidders may contact the contact person for this RFQ in the event this RFQ is incomplete or the Bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS. Failure to observe this restriction may result in the disqualification of any subsequent proposal. This restriction does not preclude discussions between affected parties for the purpose of conducting business unrelated to this RFQ.

Description and Purpose of Procurement The OSA is issuing this RFQ to solicit quotes from qualified vendors (hereinafter referred to as "Respondent" or "Vendor") for the procurement of new laptop computers and is seeking a single quotation for new laptops, carrying cases, and docking stations.

Scope of Work and Deliverables The OSA is seeking a single quotation for the following:

0. The purchase of up to 225 workstation class laptop computers of the same model and technical configuration, depending on final cost and delivery dates.

0. The purchase of up to 225 laptop carrying cases compatible with the proposed laptops.

0. The purchase of up to 100 docking stations compatible with the proposed laptops.

0. The anticipated procurement budget is $500,000 USD without MA sales tax.

Submission Requirements Responses must be submitted in COMMBUYS no later than the response due date and time indicated in the Event Calendar, or they will not be evaluated.

If Bidders have any issues with responding through COMMBUYS, they should contact the Operational Services Division (OSD) Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov or call during regular business hours (8 a.m. -5 p.m., Monday - Friday) at (888) 627-8283 or (617) 720-3197.

Respondents may submit questions regarding this RFQ in writing to the procurement contact listed above before the deadline for submission of questions. All questions and answers will be posted to COMMBUYS.

Bidder Responses The Bidders responses should include, at a minimum, the following:

· A signed cover letter in which the bidder states that they agree to the terms of this RFQ.

· A copy of any relevant warranty, maintenance agreement, technical support description, software license, and software maintenance agreement.

· The timeframe for completion of services as referenced in this RFQ once a Purchase Order is issued.

· A comprehensive proposal that includes the following three sections: Specifications, Cost, and Delivery. The vendor must fill out the spreadsheet as part of their response.

Section 1 - Specifications:

The bidder will respond to each item number with a YES if they can meet the specifications or a NO if they cannot meet the specifications for their proposed laptop. The bidder will include a description of their proposed component for each item with their response if required.

Laptop Description

Accessories:

· Minimum 1x HDMI

· Minimum 1x Display Port

· Minimum 2x USB C ports

· Minimum 1x USB A port

· RJ45 Ethernet Port

· Performance Compatible AC Charger

Section 2: Pricing The bidder will include pricing for each of the three components with a total grant amount.

Laptop

Carrying Case

Docking Station

Total

Additionally, the bidder should define how purchase quantities affect per-unit pricing. Please include any relevant details regarding minimum order requirements, volume discounts, or tiered pricing structures.

Section 3: Delivery The Auditor’s Office anticipates placing an order by the latest order placement date defined in the event calendar. The vendor will include a schedule for delivery of up to 225 units to the Auditor's Office or an OSA-identified vendor within the state of Massachusetts for acceptance.

Order Placement date (Estimated)

Order Ship date (from factory)

Order Receive date (acceptance in MA).

Bidder Cost Response The bidder’s response for the cost proposal must be an all-inclusive fixed-price quote. This quote should include a clear breakdown of all costs, including software licenses, implementation fees, training costs, ongoing maintenance, support, transportation, and delivery.

Bidders must submit a Cost Response as part of their bid which shall include:

· A fixed bid proposal Responses missing the fixed bid will be considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

The Commonwealth will not reimburse Bidders for any costs not included in the Cost Response.

Proposal Evaluation and Award Process The first step in the bidder response evaluation process is to determine the Bidder’s compliance with the overall RFQ solution requirements and the RFQ submission requirements.

Minimally, Bidder responses must describe and deliver the solution, services or products requested by the OSA in this RFQ. Quotations and response submissions that do not offer appropriate services or products, as described in the RFQ requirements, will be deemed non-responsive and rejected at the OSA’s discretion.

The Bidders’ quotation and response must be packaged and delivered in specific condition and meet the submission requirements as detailed in the RFQ. Quotations and response submissions that do not comply with the RFQ’s submission requirements may be deemed non-responsive and rejected at the OSA’s discretion.

Bidder responses that have been deemed non-responsive and are rejected by the OSA because they do not meet the RFQ requirements will not be further evaluated. Rejected responses will be removed from further consideration.

Evaluation Criteria The responses to this RFQ will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below. The criteria are listed in descending order of importance with the most important criteria listed first. The procurement management team reserves the right to remove from further consideration non-responsive bids and those that include attempts by the bidder to alter the Commonwealth’s standard legal terms.

This RFQ will contain some or all of the following components as part of the Supplier Diversity Program Plan submitted by bidders:

· Sub-contracting with certified M/WBE firms as defined within the scope of the RFQ,

· Ancillary use of certified M/WBE firms,

· Growth and Development activities to increase M/WBE capacity, A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), M/Non-Profit, or W/Non-Profit, is defined as such by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO). All certified businesses that are included in the bidder’s SDP proposal are required to submit an up to date copy of their SDO certification letter. The purpose for this certification is to participate in the Commonwealth’s Supplier Diversity Program for public contracting. Minority- and Women-Owned firms that are not currently certified but would like to be considered as an M/WBE for the purpose of this RFQ should submit their application at least two weeks prior to the RFQ closing date and submit proof of documentation of application for consideration with their bid proposal. For further information on SDO certification, contact their office at 1-617-502-8851 or via the Internet at mass.gov/SDO.

1. Subcontracting: If a bidder commits to Subcontracting in its SDP plan, then it must commit to subcontract a specific dollar amount, or a minimum percentage of dollars earned through an awarded contract, with a Supplier Diversity Office certified company. Although this is only one of several options to meet the requirements for participation in the Supplier Diversity Plan, the bidder’s submission of subcontracting commitments may be weighted most heavily by the PMT. Please note that all subcontracting partnerships require inclusion of the contract between the bidder and the M/WBE subcontractor in the bidder’s bid package. Prior approval of the agency is required for any subcontracted service of the contract.

1. Growth and Development: If a bidder commits to Growth and Development in its SDP plan, then it must submit a plan for education, training, mentoring, resource sharing, joint activities, and assistance that would increase industry capacity and the pool of qualified Supplier Diversity Office certified companies.

1. Ancillary Use of Certified M/WBE Firms: If a bidder commits to Ancillary Use of Certified M/WBE Firms in its SDP plan, then it must include the dollar or percentage expenditure commitments for use of these firm(s) with the use of written commitments between the bidder and the M/WBE Firms(s). A description of the ancillary uses of the Certified M/WBEs, must be included on the SDP Plan Form.

Contractors may be required to submit progress reports to confirm their SDP expenditures for the purpose of compliance and for tracking their submitted commitments. Only actual dollars expended by contractors will be counted towards the commitment. Said reports will be received within 10 business days upon request. Supplier Diversity Office M/WBE certificates must be provided with each report for the Supplier Diversity Office -certified M/WBEs named in the report. Contractors must be prepared and able to submit acceptable documentation of expenditures (receipts, account statements, subcontracting agreements, etc.) when requested to do so by the Department Contract Manager at any time during the duration of the contract.

Bidders that fail to meet their SDP commitments may be required to pay a penalty equal to the value of the unmet portion of the SDP commitment. The Department reserves the right to freeze fiscal purchases or payments until such penalty is paid in full. Payments will be made in the form of checks payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or as otherwise specified by the Department Contract Manager. Continued non-compliance may result in the contractor being suspended or removed from the contract.

All Bidders that select Growth and Development as their M/WBE SDP business relationship may be required to submit a narrative report providing further details and current progress towards meeting the SDP commitment if requested to do so by the Department Contract Manager. Non-compliance with Growth and Development SDP commitments may result in the contractor being suspended or removed from the contract.

All certified businesses that are included in the bidder’s SDP proposal are required to submit an up to date copy of their certification letter. Minority- and Women-Owned firms that are not currently SDO certified but would like to be considered as an M/WBE for a solicitation should apply for certification. An application is available, and should be filed with SDO in order to be considered as such during the evaluation process. Documentation of having applied for SDO certification must be included as part of the bidder’s response. For further information on SDO certification, contact the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance at (617) 502-8831 or via the Internet at www.mass.gov/sdo. Other resources are available to M/WBE firms that may qualify for SDO certification at www.mass.gov/osd/sdp.

Best Value Selection and Negotiation The RFQ evaluation committee will recommend the selection of the response which demonstrates the best value overall to the OSA and the Commonwealth. The OSA and the selected Vendor may negotiate a change in any element of contract performance or cost identified in the original RFQ or the selected Vendor’s response which results in lower costs or a more cost-effective or better value than was presented in the selected Vendor’s original response.

Prompt Payment Discounts (PPD). All bidders responding to this procurement must agree to offer discounts through participation in the Commonwealth Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative for receiving early and/or on-time payments, unless the bidder can provide compelling proof that it would be unduly burdensome. PPD benefits both contractors and the Commonwealth. Contractors benefit by increased, usable cash flow as a result of fast and efficient payments for commodities or services rendered. Participation in the Electronic Funds Transfer initiative further maximizes the benefits with payments directed to designated accounts, thus eliminating the impact of check clearance policies and traditional mail lead time or delays. The Commonwealth benefits because contractors reduce the cost of products and services through the applied discount. Payments that are processed electronically can be tracked and verified through the Comptroller’s Vendor Web system. The PPD form can be found under the Forms and Terms tab of this solicitation.

Bidders must submit agreeable terms for Prompt Payment Discount using the PPD form within their proposal, unless otherwise specified by the PMT. The PMT will review, negotiate or reject the offering as deemed in the best interest of the Commonwealth.

The requirement to use PPD offerings may be waived by the PMT on a case-by-case basis if participation in the program would be unduly burdensome on the bidder. If a bidder is claiming that this requirement is a hardship or unduly burdensome, the specific reason must be documented in or attached to the PPD form.

Terms and Conditions This section is informational and does not need to be returned with the vendor’s response.

If vendors have any exceptions and/or assumptions to any of the terms and conditions in this section, they MUST identify in detail their exceptions and/or assumptions in the proposal. In order for any exceptions and/or assumptions to be considered they MUST be documented and included in the response. The OSA will not accept additional exceptions and/or assumptions if submitted after the proposal submission deadline.

Procurement and Proposal Terms and Conditions

· The OSA reserves the right to alter, amend, or modify any provisions of this RFQ, or to withdraw this RFQ, at any time prior to the award of a contract. Any such amendment will be posted to the Commonwealth’s procurement website, COMMBUYS. Vendors are advised to check this site regularly, as this will be the sole method used for notification of changes.

· The OSA reserves the right to waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received.

· Proposals must include any and all proposed written warranties, maintenance/service agreements, license agreements and lease purchase agreements. The omission of these documents may render a proposal non-responsive.

· The OSA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. The OSA will make the award based on the process described in the “Proposal Evaluation and Award Process” section of this RFQ.

· The OSA shall not be obligated to accept the lowest priced proposal, but will make an award in the best interests of the OSA after all factors have been evaluated.

· Any irregularities or lack of clarity in the RFQ should be brought to the OSA designee’s attention via email. If needed, an amendment will be posted on COMMBUYS.

· Descriptions regarding all services and/or equipment that will be used to meet the requirements of this RFQ shall be given, in detail, along with any additional informational documents that are appropriately marked.

· Proposals may be withdrawn by written or facsimile notice only if received prior to the proposal closing time.

· Prices offered by vendors in their proposals are an irrevocable offer for the term of the contract and any contract extensions. The awarded vendor agrees to provide the purchased services at the costs, rates and fees as set forth in their proposal in response to this RFQ. The OSA will not pay for any costs other than those set forth in the vendor’s response to this RFQ.

· The OSA is not liable for any costs incurred by vendors prior to entering into a formal contract. Costs of developing the proposal or any other such expenses incurred by the vendor in responding to the RFQ, are entirely the responsibility of the vendor, and shall not be reimbursed in any manner by the OSA.

· Proposals submitted per proposal submission requirements become the property of the OSA; selection or rejection does not affect this right.

Contract Terms and Conditions

· The awarded Vendor will be the sole point of contract responsibility. The OSA will look solely to the awarded Vendor for the performance of all contractual obligations which may result from an award based on this RFQ, and the awarded Vendor shall not be relieved for the non-performance of any or all subcontractors.

· The OSA will not be liable for Federal or Local excise taxes.

· Binding signatures to Attachment A of this RFQ shall constitute an agreement to all terms and conditions specified in the RFQ. Exceptions and assumptions will be taken into consideration as part of the evaluation process; however, vendors must be specific. Nonspecific exceptions or assumptions may not be considered.

· The contract between the parties will consist of the following documents in the following order of precedence (1) the Commonwealth’s Standard Form Contract; (2) the Standard Terms and Conditions; (3) the Commonwealth’s RFR ITC73 (4) the successful vendor’s response thereto; (5) this Request for Quotations (“RFQ”); and (7) the vendor’s response hereto; inclusive of attachments and modifications subsequent to negotiations between the Parties.

· This RFQ and any documents a Bidder submits in response to it shall be incorporated by reference into any Contract awarded to that Bidder. The entire contents of the Bidder’s response shall be binding on the Bidder, including statements offered not in direct response to a numbered RFR requirement (e.g., introductory statement).

· The OSA may require a SOW in the form of the “Project Statement of Work”. OSA may include additional terms in the Statement of Work.

· OSA shall have the option at its sole discretion to modify, increase, reduce or terminate any activity related to any Agreement entered into under this RFQ whenever, in the judgment of OSA, the goals of the project have been modified or altered in a way that necessitates such changes.

· The OSA may procure additional products or services from the winning Bidder to provide additional related products or services under the RFQ. If additional funds become available, the OSA reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation under this RFQ subject to available funding, satisfactory contract performance, and service or product needs. OSA may determine that previously approved work products are no longer required, or that work products or Deliverables must be modified and the scope of the Agreements entered into hereunder will change accordingly.

· In connection with the performance of work under this contract, the vendor agrees not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or age, including, without limitation, with regard to employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, including, without limitation apprenticeship.

Warranty The Bidder proposal must provide a minimum warranty based on the ITC73 Contract.

Confidentiality of Proposals Bidder acknowledge that material marked as “confidential” may become public record upon contract award.

This RFQ and all responses hereto including the winning bid shall become Public Record as of the date the contract referenced herein is awarded, and can be obtained from the Office of the State Auditor, legal unit by submitting a request at https://www.mass.gov/forms/submit-a-public-records-request-to-the-osa. Please reference this specific RFQ. Any portions of a response that are labeled as confidential will still be considered Public Record once the contract is awarded.

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2025 Laptop Procurement RFQ - Bidder Response Workbook.xlsx Specs - Laptop

Vendor Response Vendor Response

Number Item Description Meets Specifications (Y/N) Enter Y if meets or exceeds. Enter N if does not meet specs. Description (i.e. manufacturer, model, size, capacity, URL, supporting information)

1 Processor Intel Core Ultra 9 or equivalent

2 Memory 32 GB Non-ECC Memory

3 Hard Drive M.2 Class 40 512 GB PCIe NVMe Solid State Drive (SSD)

4 Keyboard & Touch Pad US Keyboard with 10 Key Numeric Keypad and Touchpad

5 Screen Size 15.6-16” inch Diagonal

6 Screen Type OLED preferred, 2K to 4K resolution

7 Screen Touch No Touch Screen Enabled

8 Webcam IR Webcam Enabled

9 Graphics Card Integrated GPU (Zoom capable)

10 Wireless Current WiFi Wireless Card Standard

11 Bluetooth Bluetooth Enabled

12 USB-A Port Minimum 1 port, built in

13 USB-C Port Minimum 2 ports, built-in

14 HDMI Port 1 port, built in

15 Battery Minimum 2.5 hours

16 Biometrics Finger Printer Reader

17 Charger Compatible AC charger

18 Weight Laptop must weigh less than 4lbs 9oz

19 Warranty - Laptop 3 years, Full manufacturer warranty including accidental damage protection

20 Warranty – Hard Drive 3 years, Keep Hard Drive

21 Warranty - Battery 3 years, Battery replacement

Specs - Accessories

Vendor Response Vendor Response

Number Item Description Meets Specifications (Y/N) Enter Y if meets or exceeds. Enter N if does not meet specs. Description (i.e. manufacturer, model, size, capacity, URL, supporting information)

1 Carrying Case Laptop compatible backpack carrying case, padded and water resistant

Cost

Vendor Response Vendor Response

Item Qty Unit Cost Amount

Laptop 225

Carrying Case 225

Docking Station 100

Total

Delivery

Vendor Response Vendor Response

Description Date Comment

Latest Order Placement Date

Order Ship date (from factory)

Order Receive date (acceptance in MA) image3.emf form_prompt-pay-discount.pdf

OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER

PROMPT PAY DISCOUNT FORM

info.comptroller@mass.gov

Contractor/Bidder Name

Vendor Code (VCUST) Contract/RFR Number(s)

All contractors/vendors doing business with the Commonwealth must provide a Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) for receiving early payments unless the Contractor/vendor can provide compelling proof that providing a prompt pay discount would be unduly burdensome. Contractors benefit from PPD by increased, usable cash flow as a result of fast and efficient payments for commodities or services rendered. Contractors who agree to accept Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) increase the prompt pay benefit by ensuring that funds are paid directly to their designated bank accounts, thus eliminating the delay of check clearance policies and traditional mail lead time. Payments processed through the state accounting system (MMARS) can be tracked and verified through the Office of the Comptroller's VendorWeb system using the Vendor/Customer Code assigned to you by a Commonwealth department.

The Commonwealth benefits because contractors reduce the cost of products and services through the applied discount. While Bidders/Contractors have flexibility in determining the actual % discount(s) offered to the Commonwealth, the discount(s) must be identified for 10, 15, 20 and/or 30 days for payment issuance in the column entitled “% Discount Off Proposed Price” below.

The Commonwealth may use the prompt pay discounts submitted as a basis for selection and may negotiate discounts as deemed in the best interest of the Commonwealth. The requirement to offer PPD discounts may be waived by the Commonwealth on a case-by-case basis if participation in the program would be unduly burdensome, provided the specific reason for the hardship is outlined below.

All discounts offered will be taken in cases where the payment issue date is within the specified number of days listed below and in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Bill Paying Policy. Payment days will be measured from the date goods are received and accepted / performance was completed OR the date an invoice is received by the Commonwealth, whichever is later to the date the payment is issued as an EFT (preferred method) or mailed by the State Treasurer. The date of payment “issue” is the date a payment is considered “paid” not the date a payment is “received” by a Contractor.

If internal Bidder/Contractor systems require an alternate method of measuring payment issue dates, the Bidder/Contractor must note the issues below or on an attached page if necessary to be considered by the PMT. In cases where the Bidder/Contractor considers that offering a Prompt Payment Discount would be a hardship, the Bidder must clearly define the issues and reasons for said hardship. Providing volume discounts or other discounts on prices is not considered a hardship, since the PPD provides the additional benefit of early cash flow for the Contractor.

Enter the Prompt Payment Discount percentage (%) off the invoice payment, for each of the payment issue dates listed, if the payment is issued within the specified Payment Issue days. For example:

5% - 10 Days 4% - 15 Days 3% - 20 Days 2% - 30 Days

If no discount is offered enter 0% Prompt Payment Discount % Payment issue date within

% 10 Days % 15 Days % 20 Days % 30 Days

The Contractor is unable to provide a prompt payment discount due to the following hardship

Contractor/Bidder Authorized Signature Date

Contractor/Bidder Authorized Signatory Name Title mailto:CTR-HR@mass.gov https://massfinance.state.ma.us/VendorWeb/vendor.asp

Date:

Title:

Contractor/Bidder Name:

Vendor Code (VCUST):

Contract/RFR Numbers:

Comments:

Contractor/Bidder Authorized Signature:

Contractor/Bidder Authorized Signatory Name:

PPD 10 Days:

PPD 15 Days:

PPD 20 Days:

PPD 30 Days: