2025+Williston+Sign+Truck+Final+RFP.pdf

STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota Department of Transportation

Maintenance, Fleet & Financial Management Divisions 608 E Boulevard Ave

Bismarck, ND 58505-0700

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

RFP Title: Sign Truck Package - Williston

RFP Number: 065-10-25-050

Issued: September 26, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.1 PURPOSE OF RFP

1.2 PROCUREMENT OFFICER CONTACT INFORMATION

1.3 DEFINITIONS

1.4 RFP SCHEDULE

1.5 ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY

1.6 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

1.7 BIDDERS LIST REGISTRATION

1.8 STATE PROCUREMENT WEBSITE (SPO ONLINE)

1.9 AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

1.10 DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIONS

1.11 PREPROPOSAL CONFERENCE OR SITE INSPECTION

1.12 OFFER HELD FIRM

1.13 OFFEROR RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS

1.14 TAXES

1.15 F.O.B. POINT AND FREIGHT

1.16 PROPOSAL RECEIPT DEADLINE – LATE PROPOSALS REJECTED

1.17 PROPOSAL OPENING

1.18 AMENDMENT AND WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

1.19 NEWS RELEASES

1.20 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

1.21 ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE PROHIBITED

1.22 COLLUSION PROHIBITED

1.23 PROTEST AND APPEAL

1.24 SPECIFICATIONS PREPARED BY NON-STATE PERSONNEL

1.25 SUPPLIER REGISTRATION (PAYEE)

SECTION TWO – BACKGROUND

2.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

2.2 BUDGET

SECTION THREE – SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 SCOPE OF WORK

3.2 APPLICABLE DIRECTIVES

3.3 REQUIREMENTS

DELIVERABLES

LOCATION OF WORK/TRAVEL

STATE-FURNISHED PROPERTY/SERVICES

RISK MANAGEMENT

TECHNICAL EXHIBITS

• PARTS, SERVICE, WARRANTY, AND TRAINING

• PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

CONTRACT TERM, SCHEDULE, AND DELIVERABLES

3.4 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications Experience

SECTION FOUR – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

4.1 PROPOSAL PREPARATION

4.2 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

4.3 PROPOSAL FORMAT

4.4 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

4.5 COST PROPOSAL

SECTION FIVE – AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION

5.1 AWARD

5.2 RESPONSIVENESS

5.3 RESPONSIBILITY – SUPPLEMENTARY INVESTIGATION

5.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

5.5 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION

5.6 CLARIFICATIONS OF PROPOSALS – DISCUSSIONS

5.7 RIGHT OF REJECTION

5.8 PRESENTATIONS, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND SITE VISITS

5.9 BEST AND FINAL OFFERS

5.10 TIE PROPOSALS

5.11 NEGOTIATIONS

5.12 NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

5.13 CONTRACT APPROVAL

5.14 EVALUATION DEBRIEFING

SECTION SIX – CONTRACT INFORMATION

6.1 NORTH DAKOTA CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENTS – BACKGROUND

6.2 STATE CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS – OFFEROR’S PROPOSED CHANGES

6.3 CONTRACT PROVISIONS

Contract Type Payment Procedures Inspection & Modification Contract Changes – Unanticipated Amendments Purchasing Card

6.4 CONTRACTUAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS – NO MATERIAL CHANGES

6.5 SCOPE OF WORK

6.6 CONTRACT TERM

6.7 RIGHT TO INSPECT PLACE OF BUSINESS

ATTACHMENTS

1 - Cost Proposal

2 – Technical Proposal Evaluation Worksheet

3 – Risk Management Appendix

4 – Contract for Procurement

5 – Specification - SSP-95-5100-8

6 – Blueprints – SSP-95-5100-8

SECTION ONE – INSTRUCTIONS

1.1 PURPOSE OF RFP

The State of North Dakota, acting through its North Dakota Department of Transportation’s (NDDOT’S) Maintenance, Fleet, and Financial Management Divisions (the STATE) is soliciting proposals for one

(1) sign truck package consisting of a sign body, crane refurbish, hydraulic components, catwalk, power inverter, and other accessories.

1.2 PROCUREMENT OFFICER CONTACT INFORMATION

The Procurement Officer is the point of contact for this RFP. Offerors shall direct all communications regarding this RFP to the Procurement Officer. Do not add the Procurement Officer to any marketing distribution lists.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER: Craig M. Rebhahn EMAIL: crebhahn@nd.gov

PHONE: 701-328-2571

TTY Users call: 7-1-1

A person or firm interested in submitting a proposal should ensure all communications related to the procurement are only with the designated point of contact. This section does not restrict communication with state officials or any member of the legislative assembly unless the state official or member of the legislative assembly is involved directly with the procurement for which the person is interested or has submitted a bid or proposal (N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-01.1).

Engaging in unauthorized communication or seeking to obtain information about an open solicitation with any state employee or official other than the responsible Procurement Officer or designee is sufficient grounds for suspension or debarment. (N.D.A.C. § 4-12-05-04(7))

1.3 DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this RFP, the acronyms and defined terms are as follows:

Acronym or Term Name or Definitions Contractor Entity that has an approved contract with the State of North Dakota CT Central Time Zone OMB Office of Management and Budget RFP Request for Proposal Solicitation Closing Deadline for receipt of proposals listed in the RFP Schedule SPO Office of Management and Budget, State Procurement Office SPO Online State Procurement Office Online system

1.4 RFP SCHEDULE

EVENT DATE and TIME

RFP issued September 26, 2025 Deadline for submission of Questions and Objections October 6, 2025, by 2:00 PM, CT Solicitation Amendment with responses to Questions issued approximately (if required) October 13,2025

Deadline for Bidders List and Secretary of State Registration. 30 Days Post Contract Award

Deadline for receipt of proposals (Solicitation Closing) October 21, 2025, 2:00 PM, CT Demonstrations or presentations October 28,2025 Proposal evaluation completed by approximately October 30, 2025 Contract Negotiations (See Section 5.10). October 31, 2025 https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-05.pdf?20130319105642

EVENT DATE and TIME Notice of intent to award issued approximately November 4,2025 Contract start approximately November 11, 2025

1.5 ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A DISABILITY

Contact the Procurement Officer, as soon as possible, if an individual with a disability needs assistance with the RFP, including any events in the RFP schedule, so reasonable accommodations can be made.

1.6 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

The North Dakota Secretary of State has registration requirements for individuals and businesses transacting business in North Dakota. If the successful Offeror is determined to have a registration requirement with the North Dakota Secretary of State, they must be registered before the contract award and registration must remain active for the duration of the contract period (N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4- 09.1)

• See the OMB Guidelines to Vendor Registry for more information.

Visit the Secretary of State's Vendor Registration webpage for information on registration requirements and fees. Visit FirstStop, the Secretary of State's business and licensing software, for online form options.

• Check the Business Records database to see if a business is registered.

• Contact Secretary of State's office by email or call 701-328-2900 (choose menu item 2, then option 1).

• If you need to register, fees apply.

• Vendors may need to obtain businesses licenses. See the list of licenses required of businesses in the State of North Dakota. The link includes information on who to contact, application fees, renewal dates, and the legal reference.

1.7 BIDDERS LIST REGISTRATION

Individuals or business entities desiring to be notified of bidding opportunities may apply to be placed on the Bidders List. (N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-09) Bidders Lists are used to notify vendors when solicitations are issued on the State Procurement Office Online system (SPO Online). Placement on the Bidders List does not guarantee a vendor will receive notice of every solicitation (N.D.A.C. § 4-12-05-01). There are no fees to register as a bidder. The online application form requests contact information for the receipt of solicitation notices. The Bidders List application and SPO Online system use commodity codes to identify categories of goods, services, and information technology.

The commodity codes used for this solicitation are: 065 – 05, 10, 30, 35, 65, 69, 80, 85, 86, and 94; 072

– 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 30; 928 - 86, 87. commodity codes.

Visit the OMB website for instructions and the online Bidders List Application:

Bidders List Registration Website

For assistance with Bidders List Registration, contact State Procurement Help Desk at 701-328-1728 or infospo@nd.gov.

1.8 STATE PROCUREMENT WEBSITE (SPO ONLINE)

This RFP and any related amendments and notices will be posted on the North Dakota OMB website using SPO Online. Offerors are responsible for checking this website to obtain all information and documents related to this RFP: https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm Select “Recent Solicitations”. Recent Solicitations are listed by close date.

https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf https://www.omb.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/doing-business-with-the-state/procurement/vendor-reg-guidelines.pdf https://sos.nd.gov/business/vendors.html https://sos.nd.gov/firststop.html https://firststop.sos.nd.gov/search/business mailto:sos@nd.gov https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/extension-topics/leadership-and-civic-engagement/business-leadership-and-resources-2 https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/extension-topics/leadership-and-civic-engagement/business-leadership-and-resources-2 https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf https://www.ndlegis.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-05.pdf https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/searchCommodity.htm https://www.omb.nd.gov/doing-business-state mailto:infospo@nd.gov https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm

Notices related to this RFP will be sent to the Bidders List for the needed commodity or service and other known potential Offerors.

Offerors not having completed the Bidders List registration may request to receive notices related to this RFP by contacting the Procurement Officer in writing with the following information: RFP title, business name, contact person, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

1.9 AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

If an amendment to this RFP is issued, it will be provided to all Offerors on the Bidders List for the solicitation and to those prospective Offerors who have contacted the Procurement Officer to receive notices related to the RFP. An Offeror shall include in their proposal any required acknowledgements of amendments to the RFP.

1.10 DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIONS

Offerors should carefully review the RFP including all Attachments. Offerors may ask questions to obtain clarification and request additional information, or object to material in the RFP. Questions and objections must be submitted to the Procurement Officer in writing by the deadline identified in the RFP Schedule. If no deadline is specified, questions or objections must be received at least seven days prior to the Solicitation Closing deadline. The Procurement Officer may elect to respond to questions received after the deadline.

Questions and objections should include a reference to the applicable RFP section or subsection. Email is the preferred method of submission with the RFP number and title cited in the email subject line.

Responses to questions will be distributed as a solicitation amendment unless the question can be answered by referring the Offeror to a specific section of the RFP.

1.11 PREPROPOSAL CONFERENCE OR SITE INSPECTION

The STATE will not hold a preproposal conference or site inspection for this RFP.

1.12 OFFER HELD FIRM

Offerors must hold proposals firm for at least 60 days from the deadline for receipt of proposals (Solicitation Closing). The STATE may send a written request to all Offerors to hold their offer firm for a longer period of time.

1.13 OFFEROR RESPONSIBLE FOR COSTS

Offeror is responsible for all costs associated with the preparation, submittal, and evaluation of any proposal including any travel and per diem associated with demonstrations and presentations.

1.14 TAXES

The STATE is not responsible for and will not pay itemized local, state, or federal taxes. Purchases of tangible personal property made by a state government agency is exempt from sales tax. The state sales tax exemption number is E-2001, and certificates will be furnished upon request by the purchasing agency. The contractor must provide a valid Vendor Tax Identification Number as a provision of the contract.

The purchasing agency will determine if services provided under this contract are Form 1099 reportable. The purchasing agency may require the contractor to submit an IRS Form W-9.

The state tax exemption number should not be used by contractors in the performance of a contract.

A contractor or service provider performing any contract, including service contracts, for the United States Government, State of North Dakota, counties, cities, school districts, park board or any other political subdivisions within North Dakota is not exempt from payment of sales or use tax on materials, tangible personal property, and supplies used or consumed in carrying out contracts. In these cases, the contractor is required to file returns and pay sales and use tax just as required for contracts with private parties. Contact the North Dakota Tax Department at 701-328-1246 or visit their website at https://www.nd.gov/tax/tax-resources/ for more information.

https://www.nd.gov/tax/tax-resources/

A contractor performing any contract, including a service contract, within North Dakota is also subject to the corporation income tax, individual income tax, and withholding tax reporting requirements, whether the contract is performed by a corporation, partnership, or other business entity, or as an employee of the contractor. In the case of employees performing the services in the state, the contractor is required to withhold state income tax from the employees’ compensation and remit to the state as required by law. Contact the North Dakota Tax Department at 701-328-1248 or visit their website for more information.

1.15 F.O.B. POINT AND FREIGHT

All commodities purchased through this contract will be Free on Board (“F.O.B.”) final destination, freight prepaid. Unless specifically stated otherwise, all prices offered must include the delivery cost.

1.16 PROPOSAL RECEIPT DEADLINE – LATE PROPOSALS REJECTED

An Offeror is solely responsible for ensuring their proposal is received by the STATE prior to the Solicitation Closing deadline identified in the RFP schedule regardless of the method of submission. A solicitation amendment will be issued if this deadline is changed. An Offeror may contact the Procurement Officer to inquire whether their proposal has been received. Proposals delivered late will be rejected pursuant to N.D.A.C. § 4-12-08-13.

1.17 PROPOSAL OPENING

A public opening will not be held.

This is a formal sealed Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Proposals will be secured and held unopened until the Solicitation Closing deadline. Per N.D.A.C § 4-12-08-04, the openings may be made public at the discretion of the purchasing agency. If a public opening is held, only the names of Offerors that submitted proposals can be revealed at the opening, and each proposal will be opened in a manner to avoid disclosure of the contents to the competing Offerors.

1.18 AMENDMENT AND WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

Offeror may amend, supplement, or withdraw proposal prior to the Solicitation closing deadline. No changes will be accepted after the Solicitation closing deadline. After the Solicitation closing deadline, Offeror may make a written request to withdraw their proposal and shall provide evidence that a substantial mistake has been made, at which point the STATE may permit withdrawal.

1.19 NEWS RELEASES

Offerors shall not make any news releases related to this RFP without prior approval of the STATE.

1.20 CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Under state laws and rules, a state employee or official shall not participate directly or indirectly in a procurement when the state employee or official knows of a conflict of interest. Potential conflicts of interest include state employees or their immediate family members employed by the firm, seeking employment with the firm, or with a financial interest in the firm. Potential conflicts of interest will be addressed in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-04. (N.D.C.C. § 12.1-13-03)

Persons employed by the State of North Dakota, or within one year thereafter, may be prohibited from acquiring a pecuniary interest in a public contract or transaction. Offerors should review N.D.C.C. § 12.1-13-02 to ensure compliance and avoid such conflict(s) of interest.

1.21 ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE PROHIBITED

Offerors must not give or offer to give anything to a state employee or official that might influence or appear to influence procurement decisions. Suspected attempts to influence will be handled in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-05.

1.22 COLLUSION PROHIBITED

Offerors must prepare proposals independently, without collusion. Suspected collusion will be handled in accordance with N.D.A.C § 4-12-04-06.

http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-08.pdf?20130424100739 https://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/html/4-12.html http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf?20140130144222 https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t12-1c13.pdf https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t12-1c13.html https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t12-1c13.html http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf?20140130144222 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-04.pdf?20140130144222

1.23 PROTEST AND APPEAL

An interested party may protest a solicitation pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12- 14-01. When a solicitation contains a deadline for submission of questions and objections, protests of the solicitation will not be allowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Procurement Officer before the specified deadline. If no deadline for questions is specified, protests based upon defects in the solicitation must be made at least seven calendar days before the deadline for receipt of proposals.

An Offeror that has submitted a response to a solicitation and is aggrieved may protest an award or notice of intent to award pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-02. The protest must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Officer during the protest period, which is seven calendar days beginning the day after the notice of intent to award is issued.

The protestor may appeal the decision of the Procurement Officer to the Director of OMB or designee in writing within seven calendar days after receiving notice of the decision pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4- 12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-03.

1.24 SPECIFICATIONS PREPARED BY NON-STATE PERSONNEL

When a purchasing agency has specifications prepared by someone other than a state employee or official on behalf of the STATE, that person or business entity must be excluded from submitting bids or proposals in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-06-06.

1.25 SUPPLIER REGISTRATION (PAYEE)

The successful Offeror will be required to complete Supplier Registration, if not already registered as a Supplier. Any individual or business who will be receiving payment from a state agency or higher education institution must complete a registration process to collect important financial and taxpayer information. Payments are generally made by check or automatic clearing house (ACH), and taxpayer information must be collected in compliance with IRS requirements. The State and North Dakota University System (NDUS) have separate financial systems and vendor registration processes.

http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20130417132347 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf?20130417132435 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf?20130417132435 http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20130417132347 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf?20130417132435 http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20130417132347 http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20130417132347 https://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-14.pdf https://www.ndlegis.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-06.pdf?20140130144222

SECTION TWO – BACKGROUND

2.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The state of North Dakota, acting through its North Dakota Department of Transportation’s (NDDOT’s) Maintenance, Fleet and Financial Management Divisions (the STATE) is soliciting proposals for one (1) sign truck package consisting of a sign body, crane, hydraulic components, catwalk, power inverter, and other accessories. The crane components will be removed from the existing sign truck chassis for reuse on the requested sign truck package described in this RFP.

2.2 BUDGET

The funds for payment of this contract are already appropriated and identified.

SECTION THREE – SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 SCOPE OF WORK

The state of North Dakota, acting through its North Dakota of Transportation’s (NDDOT’s) Maintenance, Fleet, and Financial Management Divisions (the STATE) is soliciting proposals for one

(1) sign truck package consisting of a sign body, crane, hydraulic components, catwalk, power inverter, and other accessories. The STATE intends to have one (1) complete unit built. Prior to the contractor starting any work on the sign truck package, the STATE will review all drawings and plans for approval.

The STATE will deliver the existing truck chassis to the contractor. The contractor will remove the crane components for the repair and reinstallation (as requested in Section 3 “Crane” of Attachment 5 “specifications SSP-95-5100-8”) on the new body, provided by the contractor. The body and components requested in Attachment 5 “Specification SSP-95-5100-8” will be installed by the contractor on a new chassis, delivered by the STATE to the contractor. The awarded contractor will be responsible for delivery to the district location once the building of the unit is completed and passes inspection.

3.2 APPLICABLE DIRECTIVES

The contractor is responsible for identifying and complying with all state and federal requirements that apply to the contract.

3.3 REQUIREMENTS

DELIVERABLES

The contractor will be required to provide the following to achieve the objective of this project:

1. Detailed project plan with estimated timeframes, meeting the deadlines set forth in this RFP, for completion of this project. Included in plan shall be descriptions and details regarding the following steps and information/literature about the requested components to be installed listed in Attachment 5 “Specification SSP-95-5100-8”:

a. Receipt of the existing sign truck chassis by no later than December 8, 2025,

b. Removal of the crane components from the existing sign truck chassis and refurbishment (as requested in Section 3 “Crane” of Attachment 5 “Specification SSP-95-5100-8”) and preparation of existing sign truck package for pickup by the STATE no later than January 8, 2026,

c. Receipt of the new sign truck chassis, delivered by the STATE, and installation/completion of the components requested in Sections 1 through 14 of Attachment 5 “Specification SSP-95-5100-8,”

d. Plans for delivery to the specified F.O.B. Destination location listed in Deliverable 2 below. In addition, contractor shall provide details in their plan about parts provision, servicing, warranties, and training as detailed in Section F of 3.3 “Requirements.”

2. One (1) sign truck package meeting the specifications listed in Attachment 5 “Specification SSP-95-5100-8”, consisting of a sign body, crane, hydraulic components, catwalk, power inverter, and other accessories.

Delivery F.O.B Destination to:

Williston District Office 605 Dakota Parkway West Williston, ND 58802-0698 The sign truck package shall be delivered as a complete unit mounted on the truck chassis ready for immediate use without having to make any major modifications. The sign truck shall be delivered free of any defects due to shipping or workmanship. If deficient items are found, they shall be remedied immediately and at no cost to the STATE.

LOCATION OF WORK/TRAVEL

No on-site work is required.

STATE-FURNISHED PROPERTY/SERVICES

The STATE will make the existing truck chassis available to be delivered by the STATE to the contractor no later than December 8, 2025. All crane components shall be removed from the existing sign truck chassis to be reused on the new sign truck chassis at that time. The existing sign truck chassis shall be made available to be picked up by the STATE after removing the crane components no later than January 8, 2025.

The STATE will provide the following personnel to support the project:

Shawn Weltikol, NDDOT Maintenance Division Phone:701-328-2565 Email: slweltikol@nd.gov

RISK MANAGEMENT

The contractor will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of their employees, state employees, the public, and property. The contractor must identify any potential risks, issues and problems associated with the project and identify ways to mitigate those potential risks.

TECHNICAL EXHIBITS

1. Attachment 5 – Specification SSP-95-5100-8 – To be filled out to its entirety and returned with the offeror’s proposal including product literature on the proposed components to be installed.

2. Attachment 6 – Blueprints – SSP-95-5100-8 – To be used by the offeror when preparing their proposal response for the specified location of the proposed components to be installed.

PARTS, SERVICE, WARRANTY, AND TRAINING

The contractor must identify the nearest parts and service provider to the F.O.B. delivery location:

Williston District Office 605 Dakota Parkway West Williston, ND 58802-0698

The contractor shall include the following information for the parts and service representative listed:

business name, telephone, address, contact person, and contact email.

In addition, the contractor must provide details regarding:

1. A means for prompt delivery of parts, repair service, and support.

2. Information addressing any after-market product quality and whether or not all parts meet U.S. standards.

3. Manufacturer’s one (1) year full warranty. If the manufacturer’s standard warranty for any part of the sign truck package is for a longer period, it shall apply.

4. Familiarization training at the delivery location.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN

The contractor will be expected to use appropriate project management to ensure the work is accomplished on time, within budget, and meets quantity and quality standards.

1. The contractor will be required to collaborate with the STATE to agree upon the contract schedule, including a work breakdown, schedule of tasks and activities, and progress milestones.

2. The contractor will be required to coordinate with the STATE to develop a communication plan. Any problems or unforeseen events must be communicated timely to the STATE project manager and any changes must be agreed upon between the parties and set forth in a written amendment to the contract. If the STATE requires corrective action, the contractor will be notified in writing.

CONTRACT TERM, SCHEDULE, AND DELIVERABLES

1. Contract Term

The length of this contract will be from the date of the award, approximately November 11, 2025, for approximately ten (10) months until completion, approximately September 11, 2026. STATE reserves the right to extend this Contract for an additional period of time, not to exceed six (6) months, beyond the current termination date of this Contract.

2. Schedule and Deliverables The STATE has identified the following deliverables which are significant work products or milestones in the project. The STATE requires these deliverables to be addressed in the Contract Schedule, at a minimum. The contractor shall develop a schedule for accomplishing the Scope of Work, including these specific deliverables. The final schedule shall be agreed upon between the STATE and the successful Offeror and incorporated into the contract. The approximate schedule for this contract is as follows:

a. Contract start: November 11, 2025

b. “Kick off” meeting/conference call: November 12, 2025

c. Contractor to begin build of sign truck package: November 13, 2025

d. First contractor work period: November 13 ,2025 – January 8, 2026

e. Existing sign truck delivered to contractor: November 25, 2025

f. Existing sign truck available and ready for pickup by STATE: December 26, 2025

g. Second contractor work period: December 26, 2025 – September 11, 2026

h. Review of sign truck package by STATE: August 10, 2026

i. STATE provides contractor with comments for revision as needed: August 11, 2026

j. Review of completed sign truck package by STATE: September 10, 2026

k. Contractor delivers completed sign truck package to the STATE: September 11, 2026

3.4 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

Offerors must have the following minimum qualifications in order to be considered for contract award:

Offerors must be a reputable custom truck body builder/upfitter with a minimum of five (5) years of experience building/upfitting custom truck bodies for a variety of industry applications.

The Offeror must have and keep current any professional licenses and permits required by federal, state, and local laws for performance of this contract. Offerors that do not possess required licenses at the time proposals are due will be determined non-responsive to the RFP and will be rejected.

Experience The Offeror must meet the following experience requirements to be considered for contract award. A proposal from the Offeror that does not meet minimum experience requirements will be rejected. The Offeror must have a minimum of at least three (3) prior similar truck packages.

The offeror shall identify their delivery experiences and identify any casual factors which could affect on-time delivery. If the Offeror has experienced delays on previous orders, Offeror shall indicate how the casual factors have been addressed to avoid future problems.

SECTION FOUR – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

4.1 PROPOSAL PREPARATION

The STATE discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. An Offeror must prepare their proposal using the prescribed proposal format and provide all the requested information; this will enable the proposal to be evaluated fairly and completely. If an Offeror submits more than one proposal, each proposal must be prepared in accordance with these instructions.

Each proposal will include a Technical Proposal and a Cost Proposal prepared in accordance with these instructions. The Technical Proposal and the Cost Proposal must be submitted as separate documents, clearly labeled with the name of the Offeror, and marked “Technical Proposal” and “Cost Proposal.” Costs must not be revealed in the Technical Proposal. Options may be discussed in the technical proposal, but all cost information must be in the Cost Proposal only. DO NOT submit documents that are embedded into proposal documents or that contain links to documents on an external website.

4.2 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Sealed proposals are required; therefore, proposals cannot be submitted by email to the Procurement Officer.

SUBMIT IN PERSON, BY MAIL, OR DELIVERY SERVICE

Offerors may submit proposals in person, by mail, or delivery service. Offerors may email proposals to a third party to place in a sealed envelope and deliver by the Solicitation Closing deadline.

Clearly address all envelopes or packages as follows:

RFP #: 065-10-25-050

RFP Title: Sign Truck Package - Williston ATTN: Craig M. Rebhahn North Dakota Department of Transportation Financial Management Division 608 E Boulevard Ave Bismarck, ND 58505-0700

The STATE assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Postmarking by the Solicitation Closing deadline shall not substitute for actual proposal receipt by the STATE. The STATE’s time of receipt will be used to determine timely receipt.

COPIES OF TECHNICAL AND COST PROPOSAL

Offeror shall submit one (1) copies of their Technical Proposal.

Offeror shall submit one (1) copy of the Cost Proposal in a separate, sealed envelope, clearly labeled “Cost Proposal.”

Offeror shall also submit their proposal in an electronic version (examples: Microsoft Word, Excel, or .pdf format) on a USB flash drive with the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal saved as separate files.

OR offerors may electronically submit proposals:

UPLOAD RESPONSE THROUGH THE STATE PROCUREMENT ONLINE SYSTEM (SPO ONLINE):

Offeror may electronically submit proposals through the State Procurement Office Online system (SPO Online) by the Solicitation Closing deadline.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE “LAST MINUTE” TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE. We recommend uploading your response 24 hours prior to the Solicitation Closing deadline.

Offeror must begin the electronic submission process well in advance of the Solicitation Closing deadline to allow for transmission and resolution of any technical difficulties. Be advised that the STATE is not responsible for an Offeror’s failure to timely submit a proposal due to any technical difficulties. If you experience any technical difficulties, contact the Procurement Officer or the State Procurement Office at infospo@nd.gov or 701-328-2740.

If documents are in the process of being uploaded when the Solicitation Closing deadline occurs, the upload process will stop. The attempted submission will not be uploaded successfully and is ineligible for consideration. The STATE takes no responsibility for electronic submissions that are captured, blocked, filtered, quarantined, or otherwise prevented from uploading by any anti-virus or other security software.

1. This solicitation is posted on SPO Online at: https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm

2. Select “Recent Solicitations” and find the solicitation. Solicitations are listed by close date.

3. Use “Upload Response” to upload a maximum of five (5) clearly labeled documents before the Solicitation Closing deadline provided in the RFP Schedule.

4. Offeror must upload their Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal in separate files.

5. The maximum file size allowed is 50 MB per file.

6. There is a 50 character file name limitation for the document being uploaded.

7. There is 75 character limit in the TITLE field within SPO Online.

8. All SPO Online field entries must be alphanumeric. Dashes and underscores are allowed; however, the system DOES NOT accept other special characters such as apostrophe, & symbol, quotation marks, etc.

9. DO NOT submit documents that are embedded (zip files), movies, wmp, encrypted, or mp3 files.

10. Offeror will receive an email confirmation from infospo@nd.gov that the upload response was received including the “File Description” for the uploaded files. Review this email to ensure all files were successfully uploaded. If Offeror DOES NOT receive an email confirmation, the upload was NOT successful, and the files will need to be uploaded again. If Offeror does not receive an email confirmation after the reattempt, contact the Procurement Officer or the State Procurement Office at infospo@nd.gov or 701-328-2740.

Visit https://www.omb.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/doing-business-with-the-state/procurement/spo-electronic-response-external-job-aid.pdf for the SPO Electronic Response Job Aid which describes how to submit an electronic response.

https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm mailto:infospo@nd.gov mailto:infospo@nd.gov https://www.omb.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/doing-business-with-the-state/procurement/spo-electronic-response-external-job-aid.pdf https://www.omb.nd.gov/sites/www/files/documents/doing-business-with-the-state/procurement/spo-electronic-response-external-job-aid.pdf

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Prepare the Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal in accordance with these instructions.

Technical Proposal – Format the proposal with the following labeled sections:

Section 1 – Cover Letter Section 2 – RFP Amendments Section 3 – Scope of Work Strategy Section 4 – Experience and Qualifications Section 5 – Contract Provisions Section 6 – Open Records and Confidentiality

Cost Proposal – The Cost Proposal must be a separate document. Format the Cost Proposal following the RFP instructions.

4.3 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

SECTION 1 – COVER LETTER

Proposals shall include a cover letter that includes the following:

1. The name of the Offeror, name of the person to contact regarding the proposal, email address, telephone number, and mailing address.

2. Offerors are instructed to review the “Conflict of Interest” provisions in RFP Section 1

“Instructions.” If the firm, its employees, or subcontractors working on the contract have an apparent or actual conflict of interest, provide a statement disclosing the circumstances of the apparent or actual conflict of interest. Otherwise, provide a statement that your firm, employees, and subcontractors do not have a conflict of interest.

3. The cover letter must be signed by an individual with authority to bind the Offeror. By signing the cover letter, an Offeror certifies that it complies with:

a. All the requirements, terms, and conditions as set forth in this RFP.

b. The requirement that the Offeror’s proposal accurately describes the goods and services being offered to the STATE, and the proposal will be held firm for the period specified.

c. All local, state, and federal laws, rules, code laws, rules, code, regulation, and policies, including those relating to nondiscrimination, accessibility, civil rights, and equal employment.

d. The requirement that this proposal was prepared independently without collusion.

SECTION 2 – RFP AMENDMENTS

Provide signed copies of all Solicitation Amendments issued by the STATE that were required to be acknowledged by Offerors.

SECTION 3 –SCOPE OF WORK STRATEGY

Offeror must review the requirements and deliverables provided in RFP Section 3, Scope of Work.

1. Applicable Directives. The Offeror must identify any state and federal requirements that apply to the contract.

2. Strategy for Scope of Work Requirements. The Offeror must provide narrative statements to demonstrate their understanding of the scope of work requirements. Explain the proposed strategy to accomplish the scope of work, meet all requirements, and provide the deliverables described in the scope of work within the STATE’s project schedule.

3. Value-Added Options. Offerors may include any optional services or goods that are not required by the STATE but are within the scope of work (e.g., an option for a higher level of service, equipment accessories, extended warranty options, etc.). Describe any value-added options being offered.

4. Location of Work. The proposal must respond to the STATE’s Location of Work instructions within the RFP Scope of Work. Describe where the work will be performed and any proposed travel.

5. State Furnished Property and Services. Provide a detailed breakdown of the Offeror’s expectations for STATE resources that will be needed for the project, including number of staff, qualifications, roles and responsibilities, and time requirements for the various phases of the project.

6. Risk Management. Offerors must describe measures to be taken to ensure the safety of its employees, state employees, the public, and property. Offerors must also identify any pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project and describe how those potential issues and problems could be mitigated.

7. Project Management Plan. The proposal must describe how the contractor intends to manage the project to ensure the work is accomplished on time, within budget, and meet quantity and quality standards. Offerors may provide a narrative or organizational chart to illustrate the lines of authority and accountability.

8. Proposed Schedule and Deliverables. The proposal must provide a timeline for accomplishing the work, in consideration of the STATE’s Contract Schedule within the RFP Scope of Work.

SECTION 4 –EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Mandatory Requirements. An Offeror must provide information to demonstrate meeting the Offeror Experience and Qualifications Requirement in RFP Section 3, Scope of Work, Experience and Qualifications.

Experience and Qualifications of the Firm Provide a brief history and describe the organization of the firm. Describe the number of years the Offeror has provided the type of work requested in this RFP. Describe specific experience of their firm in completing three (3) similar projects. Provide a description of the project, approximate time frame of the project, and contact information for the customer. Offerors may provide letters of reference from customers.

Experience and Qualifications of the Project Team Provide a narrative or organizational chart that describes the organization of the proposed project team. Provide information for key project team members, including:

1. Description of anticipated work they will perform and approximate estimated hours;

2. Resume or description of the relevant education, training, experience, skills, and qualifications;

3. Offeror must provide a designated executive level contact that will act as a point of contact for any issues that need escalation or to discuss the needs of the STATE. This point of contact will be required to participate in any requested demonstration or presentation requested during the RFP process. They will discuss how the contract will be supported and how the Offeror and STATE will work together to ensure a successful outcome;

4. If the Offeror has vacant positions, identify the job description and minimum qualifications for staff members to be recruited;

5. Subcontractors. If an Offeror intends to use subcontractors, the Offeror must identify in the proposal the names of the subcontractors and the portions of the work the subcontractors will perform. Provide a statement that the Offeror will ensure that the subcontractor has or will obtain any required licenses and registrations, including registration with the North Dakota Secretary of State; and

6. Joint Venture. If submitting a proposal as a joint venture, provide narrative statements that describe the roles and responsibilities of each party to the joint vendor. If available, submit a copy of the joint venture agreement that identifies the parties involved and their rights and responsibilities.

References Provide three (3) references for similar projects the Offeror has completed. Offerors must include the name of a contact person, address, email, and telephone number. Offerors are responsible for providing accurate reference contact information and are instructed to notify the reference that the STATE may be contacting them. Reference checks may begin within one (1) business day of the Solicitation Closing deadline. Evaluation may be impacted if the STATE is unable to contact the reference or the reference does not provide the requested information in a timely fashion.

SECTION 5 – CONTRACT PROVISIONS

Offeror shall review the RFP Section 6 and the STATE’s Contract – Attachment 4.

The proposal must indicate whether the Offeror accepts the terms and conditions in the STATE’s Contract.

An Offeror may state that they accept the STATE’s Contract as written.

An Offeror may state any objections or propose changes or additions to the STATE’s Contract.

Describe the changes to the Contract being proposed or provide a red-line of the STATE’s Contract. Offeror is not to submit their own contract or standard terms and conditions with their proposals. Offeror should address the specific language in the attached contract and submit any proposed changes.

North Dakota procurement statutes, rules, and policies allow some negotiation of the terms and conditions. No changes to the terms and conditions will be permitted without prior written approval from the STATE.

SECTION 6 – OPEN RECORDS AND CONFIDENTIALITY

All proposals and other material submitted become the property of the STATE and may be returned only at the STATE’s discretion. The State of North Dakota has broad open records laws. Proposals received are exempt from open record requirements until an award is made, in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-10(2). After award, proposals are subject to the North Dakota open records laws. Proposals or portions of proposals may be confidential only if specifically stated in law.

Offerors are instructed not to mark their entire proposal as “confidential”.

Offeror must provide one of the following in their proposal:

• Provide a statement indicating that their proposal does not contain any confidential information, OR

• Make a written request to hold confidential any trade secrets and other proprietary data contained in their proposal. Offeror must clearly identify the material considered confidential and explain why the material is confidential. See the North Dakota Office of the Attorney General website for additional information at https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t44c04.pdf and https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/open-records-meetings http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c44-4.pdf?20131002103938 https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t44c04.pdf https://attorneygeneral.nd.gov/open-records-meetings

If the STATE receives a request for public information, the Procurement Officer, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, shall determine whether the information is an exception to the North Dakota open records laws, and the information shall be processed accordingly.

4.4 COST PROPOSAL

Cost Proposal Format. Cost proposals must be prepared as a separate document from the technical proposal, clearly labeled, “Cost Proposal”.

Offeror must complete the Cost Proposal Format - Attachment 1 or prepare a Cost Proposal following the same format.

Value-Added Options. Offeror may include pricing for any value-added options that are described in the Offeror’s proposal as options, but not included in the total cost. Any options must be within the scope of work. (e.g., an option for a higher level of service, equipment accessories, extended warranty options, etc.). Provide details related to initial cost, reoccurring costs, and options. The STATE shall not consider these costs as part of cost evaluation scoring.

All costs must be stated in U.S. currency. Any commodities being imported must be identified, and the price must include any applicable shipping and handling, customs, brokerage agency fees, and duties.

Offeror should describe any discount terms for prompt payment. Discounts for prompt payment will not be considered in evaluating costs.

SECTION FIVE – AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION

5.1 AWARD

The STATE intends to award a contract to the responsible Offeror whose proposal is determined to be responsive to the requirements of the solicitation and is determined to be the most advantageous in consideration of the RFP evaluation criteria.

5.2 RESPONSIVENESS

All proposals will be evaluated to determine if they are responsive to the requirements of the solicitation. The STATE reserves the right to waive minor informalities in accordance with N.D.A.C.

chapter 4-12-10. Minor informalities are insignificant omissions or nonjudgmental mistakes that are matters of form rather than substance, evident from RFP document, with a negligible effect on price, quantity, quality, delivery, or contractual conditions that can be waived or corrected without prejudice to other Offerors. Responsive proposals will be evaluated by the Procurement Officer or evaluation committee using the evaluation criteria stated within the RFP.

5.3 RESPONSIBILITY – SUPPLEMENTARY INVESTIGATION

The STATE reserves the right to contact references, other customers, including state and local government agencies, regarding past experience with the Offeror. Prior experience of the state agency or institution with any prospective Offeror may also be taken into consideration during evaluation.

The STATE may, at any time, make a supplementary investigation as to the responsibility of any Offeror in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-11-04. This investigation may include, but is not limited to, financial responsibility, capacity to produce, sources of supply, performance record, or other matters related to the Offeror’s probable ability to deliver if a contract is awarded to the Offeror. If it is determined that an Offeror appears not to be sufficiently responsible, the proposal will be rejected.

5.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated using a 100 point scale. The evaluation committee will award points based on the questions in the Technical Proposal Evaluation Worksheet – 2. The Technical Proposal evaluation score and Cost Proposal evaluation score will be added together to determine the total evaluation score. After the initial evaluation, the evaluation committee may determine which proposals are reasonably susceptible for award and continue the evaluation process with only those Offerors. Offerors whose proposals are not selected for further evaluation may request a debrief from the Procurement Officer after an award notice is issued. The final evaluation score will consider information received by the STATE, including but not limited to, discussions with Offerors, demonstrations, presentations, site visits, reference checks, and best and final offers.

The evaluation criteria and relative weight is as follows:

Technical Proposal Evaluation: 80 Points A. Scope of Work Strategy (Body) – 50 Points B. Experience and Qualifications – 30 Points

Cost Proposal Evaluation:20 Points

5.5 COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION

The STATE will calculate evaluation points awarded to Cost Proposals. Any prompt payment discount terms proposed by the Offeror will not be considered in evaluating cost.

The reciprocal preference law, N.D.C.C. § 44-08-01, was repealed effective August 1, 2023.

The cost amount used for evaluation may be affected by the application of other costs required to implement the proposed solution to determine the total cost of the solution (i.e. cost for ITD to host a STATE hosted solution).

http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-10.pdf?20130430132759 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-10.pdf?20130430132759 http://www.legis.nd.gov/information/acdata/pdf/4-12-11.pdf?20140130152917 https://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t44c08.pdf

The lowest Cost Proposal will receive the maximum number of points allocated to cost. Cost proposals will be evaluated using the following formula.

Price of Lowest Cost Proposal Price of Proposal Being Rated X Total Points for Cost Available = Awarded Points

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