234332 RFR - Public Health Care Services Capacity Enhancement_Amended_6_27_24 (1).docx

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Address: 67 Forest Street, Marlborough, MA 01752 Contact Name: Robert Seymour Email: Robert.Seymour@mass.gov

Request for Response (RFR) Document Title: Public Health Care Services Capacity Enhancement COMMBUYS BID Number: BD-22-1031-BHCSQ-HCS08-76097 DPH RFR Document Number: 234332

Initial RFR: June 02, 2022 Amended RFR: June 27, 2024

COMMBUYS REGISTRATION

It is the responsibility of the prospective (or potential) Bidder and Awarded Contractor (or Approved Vendor) to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/Awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/Awarded Contractor’s computer, network, or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded Contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering. To register review the COMMBUYS Job Aide COMMBUYS Vendor Registration or go to www.COMMBUYS.com.

QUOTE SUBMISSION

This BID requires the submission of electronic quotes. All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission of their quotes by considering potential online impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

VENDOR ACTIVATION

To receive a contract with state a vendor must be active in The Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). MMARS is the official accounting system of the Commonwealth and once registered a vendor will be issued a Vendor Code number or a “VC” number. This VC number is used for all contracts that a vendor has with state agencies. An organization with existing state contracts or a vendor who has had state contracts with any state agency in the past has been registered in MMARS and does not need to re-submit paperwork again unless existing information in MMARS will need to be updated. As part of this RFR application a potential Bidder who is new to the state system or who will need to update existing information in MMARS must follow the instructions found in the Vendor Activation Folder (VENDACT) in the Attachments for this RFR.

1.0 General:

1.1 Procurement Scope and Description:

Please note this RFR is being amended as of June 27, 2024 to include an additional service area (Service Area C, see Section 2(C) of this RFR) for the management and coordination of healthcare, medical, and ancillary support services.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH, the Department or the Purchasing Department) seeks the following types of providers: (1) healthcare providers licensed within the Commonwealth to provide health and medical services and (2) providers with the ability to coordinate and manage providers and/or existing facility staff needed to support patient care and operations, at times when the Department determines that the existing capacity of the healthcare system, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rest homes, and long-term care facilities, is insufficient to meet patient needs.

Eligible organizations to bid in the respective service areas may include hospitals, clinics, community health centers, pharmacies, provider organizations, skilled nursing facilities and rest homes, other multi- specialty healthcare organizations that may be (but, depending upon the service area, are not required to be) licensed to provide healthcare services in Massachusetts, and other organizations that are able to coordinate engagements with clinical and non-clinical service providers and/or manage existing facility staff to support patient care and operations at these facilities. The Department reserves the right to add eligible organizations to the list beyond those listed throughout the duration of the procurement period.

DPH is procuring this as a master agreement contract, a process that creates a qualified list of vendors. Vendors who qualify, are approved (Approved Vendors), and are added to the master agreement are not guaranteed any work from the Department. As needed, bureaus, programs, and hospitals within DPH will engage vendors for specific services and negotiate and execute an engagement agreement (process described below) that describes the specific services and compensation with the selected Approved Vendor. Engagements can be executed by DPH bureaus throughout the life of the master agreement contract. References to “bureau” in this document include all Department of Public Health bureaus, offices, programs, hospitals, and laboratories.

The Department may seek quotes for individual vendor engagements from the list of qualified vendors. Request for Quotes (RFQ) may be posted in COMMBUYS against the master agreement. It is the responsibility of the Approved Vendor to make sure that their COMMBUYS account is kept up to date with the correct email and contact information.

1.2 Applicable Procurement Law

Executive Branch Goods and Services

CMR 21.00

52; 801 CMR 21.00; 808 CMR 1.00

22; and 801 CMR 21.01(2)(b)

815 CMR 2.00

1.3 Whether Single or Multiple Contractors (or Vendors) Are Required For Contract(s):

Check One (“X”):

Single Contractor

Multiple Contractors

1.4 Calendar Rule Type:

1.5 Acquisition Method:

Fee-For-Service

Outright Purchase

Rental

Term Lease

Tax Exempt Lease-Purchase

License

Other:

1.6 Use of Procurement by a Single or Multiple Departments:

Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Issuing Entity Only.

Limited User Contract – Restricted to Use by Defined Entities Only. Any Contract(s) resulting from this Bid will be open for use by the issuing Purchasing Department and the following other entities:

Additional State agencies may be added as requested.

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to add or remove additional authorized users during the contract term.

1.7 Expected Duration of Contract:

Anticipated Initial Duration up to: 5 year(s) 1 months.

Anticipated Renewal Options: 1 options to renew for 5 year(s) each option

Final End Date of this Contract: June 30, 2032

1.9 Anticipated Expenditures, Funding or Compensation For Expected Duration Estimated Value of Procurement including all potential renewals $ 60,000,0000*

*Estimated value of the procurement is subject to increase or decrease based on available funding or need.

Check One (“X”):

Contract will have a Maximum Obligation

Rate Contract: Contract will NOT have a Maximum Obligation Amount

Subject to Quotes by Pre-Qualified List of Contractors

Will Federal Funds be used to fund any part of the Contract(s)?

No

Yes*

*Where available, Federal Funds may be used to fund part of the Contract(s).

Funds Balance Forward Requirement for Capital, Trust and Federal Accounts Only: Any funds designated in the budget that are unspent in any fiscal year will not be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year.

2.0 Specifications:

A. Service Area A: Therapeutic Services Approved Vendors on this master agreement to provide this service will be expected to be able to provide health and medical services, possibly including but not limited to direct patient or client care, to ensure ongoing access to care when the Department determines that the capacity of the healthcare system is insufficient to meet patient need.

Eligible organizations include hospitals, clinics, community health centers, pharmacies, and other multi- specialty healthcare organizations licensed to provide healthcare services in Massachusetts.

Services may include but are not limited to:

(1) Therapeutic Services: Administration or dispensing of therapeutics in an outpatient setting for treatment or pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis for COVID-19 or other diseases in conformance with federal and state law and guidance, including preparation and operational support. Therapeutic services shall be provided at locations authorized by the Department in the manner specified in the scope of work for a particular engagement. Authorized locations may include but are not limited to a mobile unit, fixed site, or community deployment utilizing a team of employees or sub-contractors who are deployed to provide therapeutic services at approved locations in the community.

Unless otherwise specified at the time of engagement Approved Vendors will at a minimum be expected to:

a) Secure all necessary licenses, registrations, or other approvals necessary to perform all required services.

b) Provide all staff, equipment, supplies, and logistical support to perform therapeutic services unless otherwise specified at the time of engagement.

c) Ensure sufficient capacity to provide therapeutic services that may be administered through infusion, injection, oral medication, or other routes of administration as specified by the Department at the time of engagement.

d) Provide all necessary medical direction and clinical oversight for the administration and dispensing of therapeutics.

e) Ensure sufficient pharmacy capacity and expertise necessary to support the administration and dispensing of therapeutics as specified by the Department at the time of engagement.

f) Accept patients by self-referral or referral from a provider regardless of whether the patient is on the patient panel of the approved organization.

g) Provide culturally and linguistically competent services that are responsive and accessible to the populations served at the authorized location.

h) Ensure that clinic scheduling and clinic sites are accessible, including but not limited to the availability of translated materials and telephonic communication that has access to translation services and is accessible to individuals who are Deaf (e.g., through TTY or MassRelay).

i) Provide patient transportation to and from an authorized location when requested by the patient.

j) Submit data to the Department as requested by the Department.

(2) Regional Lead for Therapeutic Services: In addition to providing Therapeutic Services as described in Section 2.0(A)(1) above, an Approved Vendor which is engaged as a Regional Lead for Therapeutic Services will be expected at a minimum to provide services including but not limited to:

a) Coordinate therapeutic services provided by Approved Vendors engaged under this contract that are located within a geographic region designated by the Department.

b) Track patient referrals to approved locations in the region and report to the Department as required by the Department.

B. Service Area B: Deployable Medical Teams

Approved Vendors on this master agreement to provide this service will be expected to be able to provide health and medical services, including but not limited to direct patient or client care, through deployment of Deployable Medical Teams (DMT) when requested by the Department to ensure ongoing access to care when the capacity of the healthcare system is insufficient to meet patient need.

Only hospitals licensed to provide healthcare services in the Commonwealth are eligible to apply to provide this service. Further, organizations seeking to apply for DMTs must also be Approved Vendors to provide Therapeutics Service (Service Area A, see Section 2(A) of this RFR, above).

(1) Deployable Medical Teams (DMT): Approved Vendors on this master agreement will be expected to establish rapidly deployable general and specialty medical teams within their organizations to support all- hazards local, regional, and state disaster response when requested by the Department. DMTs shall provide services authorized by the Department in the manner specified in the scope of work for a particular engagement. These DMTs will be hospital-based units comprised of clinical and non-clinical personnel with capabilities specified by the Department that would be prepared to deploy upon request of the Department in standardized team configurations and operate under a pre-identified set of mission assignments, defined list of team capabilities, approved costs and resource requirements, and a common understanding of responsibilities, authorities, and liabilities. Deployment of DMTs may be requested by the Department to provide additional healthcare system capacity through activities that that may include but not be limited to mass casualty event triage, establishment and operation of alternate care sites or field hospitals, healthcare facility staffing support, and public health interventions.

C. Service Area C: Management and Coordination of Healthcare, Medical, and Ancillary Support Services The Department is looking for organizations with the ability to coordinate and manage providers and/or existing facility staff needed to support patient care and operations at healthcare facilities or systems struggling to provide clinical and non-clinical services. Upon notification from the Department, vendors awarded in this category will be expected to be able to rapidly coordinate and deploy healthcare, medical, and ancillary support services needed to support the healthcare facility. If deployed, Approved Vendors would function under a defined list of team capabilities, approved costs, and resource requirements, as well as a common understanding of responsibilities, authorities, and liabilities, in the scope and manner, as specified by the Department.

Approved Vendors will be expected to manage and coordinate healthcare, medical, and ancillary support services, including recruitment, acquisition, assignment, oversight, and management of providers to provide these services, as well as the oversight and management of existing facility staff. Specific services required for a given engagement shall be determined by the Department, and may include, but are not limited to, direct patient care, to ensure ongoing access to care. Knowledge of or familiarity with the Department would be preferred, and Approved Vendors must have the capability to coordinate services from a broad base of providers, including licensed healthcare providers, on short notice, throughout Massachusetts, and, potentially, at multiple locations and at the same time.

Eligible organizations should be able to manage multiple clinical and non-clinical service providers to support patient care and operations. Organizations eligible to bid include hospitals, clinics, community health centers, pharmacies, provider organizations, skilled nursing facilities and rest homes, other multi-specialty healthcare organizations that may be, but are not required to be, licensed to provide healthcare services in Massachusetts, and other organizations that are able to coordinate engagements with clinical and non-clinical service providers and/or manage existing facility staff to support patient care and operations at these facilities (such as, for example, organizations with experience in emergency response operations).

Services may include the management and coordination of any services required to support the patient care requirements and day-to-day operations of a facility, but are not limited to:

(1) Nursing Services: Management and coordination of providers that can provide the following nursing or nursing-related services in support of the operations of a facility, such as:

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs)

Nursing service staff would be expected to work weekdays and weekends during day, evening or night shifts. Services may also include the management and coordination of existing facility nursing or nursing-related service staff.

(2) Medical Services: Management and coordination of providers that can provide skilled and qualified professionals in other health related disciplines required to support the care obligations and operations of a facility, such as:

Other medical service staff would be expected to work weekdays and weekends during day or evening shifts. Services may also include the management and coordination of existing facility skilled and qualified professionals in other health related disciplines.

(3) Ancillary Support Services: Management and coordination of providers that can provide ancillary support services in support of the services or operations of the facility, such as:

a) Food service preparation, delivery, and sanitation:

· Food is handled, stored and prepared in a sanitary manner and served at appropriate temperature

· Food is prepared and served based on diet (i.e., regular, diabetic, renal, bariatric, etc.) and form (i.e., regular, soft, ground, pureed, thickened)

b) Environmental services including:

· Laundry

· Housekeeping

c) Plant operations including:

· Maintenance of facility and grounds

· Monitoring and assessment of work performed by outside vendors (such as, HVAC, snow removal, construction, repair, etc.)

· Fire alarms and emergency generator systems

· Maintenance of essential mechanical, electrical, and patient care equipment

· Building and safety codes

d) Recreational programs and activities including:

· Intergenerational activities

· Exercise and stretching classes

· Arts and crafts

· Holiday celebrations and musical performances

· Religious services

e) Facility administration services (such as, licensed nursing home administrator)

f) Such other services as may be required in connection to support to operations and services of the facility

g) Such other services as may be required to provide logistics, oversight, and coordination of one or more of any nursing, medical, and ancillary support services on behalf of, or in conjunction with, the Department

h) Management services for any service teams (e.g., one or more of any nursing, medical, and ancillary support teams) provided to the facility Ancillary service staff would be expected to work weekdays and weekends during day or evening shifts. Plant operations staff would be required to be on call and respond and/or report to assigned location at any time should an emergency arise. Services may also include the management and coordination of existing facility staff that provide ancillary support services in support of the services or operations of the facility.

Unless otherwise specified at the time of engagement Approved Vendors will at a minimum be expected to:

a) Acquire, manage, and coordinate the day-to-day operational activities associated with the services, including in compliance with applicable law.

b) Secure or ensure that all necessary licenses, registrations, permits, or other approvals necessary to perform the required services, as well as sufficient professional, liability, and other appropriate insurance to cover the performance of the required services are in place prior to the commencement of the services.

c) Perform or ensure that CORI and SORI checks on all personnel providing the services are performed prior to the commencement of the services.

d) Ensure all personnel have the appropriate training to provide the services, including maintaining any applicable licensure and certifications (such as, CPR).

e) Provide, or ensure the provision of, personnel salaries, as well as any fringe benefits, malpractice insurance, and professional training.

f) Ensure all personnel are up to date with COVID-19, flu, and other vaccines in accordance with applicable CDC and Department guidance.

g) Collect data elements related to the performance of the services for reporting at a frequency and manner specified by the Department.

h) Ensure compliance with the policies of the applicable facility and, upon the request of the Department, one or more of the Approved Vendor or its service provider will enter into a written agreement with the applicable facility with respect to the same.

i) Upon the request of the Department, one or more of the Approved Vendor or its service provider will enter into a written agreement with the applicable facility agreeing to be bound by the same restrictions, terms and conditions that apply to the Approved Vendor in connection with their engagement with the Department, including, without limitation, requirements to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal laws governing data privacy or security of data, such as, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Massachusetts Fair Information Practices Act (FIPA), M.G.L. c. 66A, M.G.L. c. 93H, and 42 CFR Part 2.

j) Actively pursue, including on behalf of the Department or provide support to the Department in connection with Department activities, any service fee reimbursement opportunities, such as through third-party payors, the federal government, or an applicable court of law.

2.1 All Service Area Requirements: The following requirements apply for all service areas in Section 2 above.

Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Pursuant to Executive Order 599, the Commonwealth’s Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) promotes business- to-business relationships between awarded Contractors and diverse businesses and non-profit organizations (“SDP Partners”) certified or recognized by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO). All Bidders and Contractors are strongly encouraged to create a profile on the SDO’s Supplier Diversity Hub to access the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity resources and tools.

All Bidders responding to this solicitation are required to make a meaningful financial commitment (“SDP Commitment”) to partnering with one or more SDO-certified or recognized diverse business enterprise or non- profit organization. After contract award (if any), the Total SDP Commitment shall become a contractual requirement to be met annually on a Massachusetts fiscal year basis (July 1 – June 30) for the duration of the contract. The minimum total SDP Commitment acceptable in responses to this solicitation shall be 1%. Bidders shall be awarded additional evaluation points for higher SDP Commitments. No contract shall be awarded to a Bidder without an SDP Commitment that meets the requirements. This requirement extends to all Bidders regardless of their own supplier diversity certification.

Bidders and Contractors may engage SDP Partners in the following two ways:

· Subcontracting, defined as a partnership in which the SDP partner is involved in the provision of products and/or services to the Commonwealth.

· Ancillary Products and Services, defined as a business relationship in which the SDP partner provides products or services that are not directly related to the Contractor’s contract with the Commonwealth but may be related to the Contractor’s own operational needs.

Other types of business-to-business relationships are not acceptable under this contract. All provisions of this RFR applicable to subcontracting shall apply equally to the engagement of SDP Partners as subcontractors.

All Bidders must complete the SDP Plan Form found in the Attachment section of this procurement and upload it with their bid response. In addition to proposing an SDP Commitment, each Bidder must propose one or more SDP Partner(s) to utilize in order to meet its SDP Commitment. Certified diverse Bidders may not list their own companies, or their subsidiaries or affiliates, as SDP Partners and may not meet their SDP Commitment by spending funds internally or with their own subsidiaries or affiliates.

Contractors seeking assistance in the development of their SDP Plans or identification of potential SDP Partners may visit the SDP webpage, www.mass.gov/sdp, or contact the SDP Help Desk at sdp@mass.gov. Additional SDP RFR requirements and instructions can be found in the in the attachments for this RFR.

CORI Requirements In accordance with Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) policy, an individual's background, including any CORI and other relevant information, must be carefully considered so that the vulnerable populations served by EOHHS are protected. It is also EOHHS policy that qualified rehabilitated offenders are given a fair opportunity to be employed and successfully reintegrated into the workforce. In accordance with this policy, prior to any work engagement, the Awarded Contractor shall obtain a Standard (Employer) Access Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check on any and all individual employees who are to enter public offices of the Commonwealth or provide services to any Hiring Entity of the Commonwealth. The Awarded Contractor must 1) utilize the Internet-Accessible CORI (iCORI) system maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) to request and receive CORI in accordance with 801 CMR 2.00 et seq. and 2) comply with the EOHHS CORI check regulations, 101 CMR 15.00 et seq. in reviewing CORI and in documenting its hiring determination as set forth in 101 CMR

15.09. Any associated costs are the responsibility of the Awarded Contractor.

For environmental purchasing requirements, please see the “Required Procurement Language for Executive Order 515, Establishing an Environmental Purchasing Policy” section of the RFR Standard Required Information document posted at the COMMBUYS Bid Solicitation, File attachment section.

3.0 Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring

The Department of Public Health is endeavoring to deliver the best value to facilitate our needs. However, it is important to measure the Awarded Contractor’s performance to ensure the contract is in compliance with what has been requested and what the contractor has offered in this RFR. The following performance areas will be subject to measurement:

1. Timely Delivery (Commodities, Services, Reports, Billing, etc.)

2. Responsiveness to Departmental Inquiries

3. Quality of Deliverables (Commodities, Services, Reports, etc.)

4. Performance Targets/Benchmarks (Quantities, Outcomes, etc.)

5. Attendance at scheduled meetings The Engagement Team shall negotiate with Awarded Contractors any requirements not set forth in the RFR.

4.0 Compensation Structure/Engagement Process and Contract Invoicing:

A. In order to protect the privacy and security of any data or other information that the Approved Vendor may receive from and/or create on behalf of the Department or the facility in the performance of an engagement, and to ensure that the Department and the facility complies with all applicable state or federal data protection and privacy laws, as part of any engagement entered into as a result of this procurement, the Approved Vendor will be required to execute a Confidentiality Agreement or Business Associate Agreement, as determined by the Department. A current draft of the Confidentiality Agreement posted with this RFR in COMMBUYs, which may be modified or amended at the sole discretion of the Department.

Approved Vendors shall sign a master agreement that includes the Commonwealth’s Standard Contract Form and incorporates the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions, the terms of this RFR and the approved vendor’s response to this RFR. Additionally, for each engagement, approved vendors shall be required to sign a document setting forth the scope of the engagement (the engagement agreement), including any applicable confidentiality and data privacy and protection terms. The order of precedence of documents comprising the master agreement between DPH and the approved vendor for any engagement shall be as follows: (1) the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions; (2) the Commonwealth’s Standard Contract Form; (3) this RFR; (4) the vendor’s response to this RFR; (5) the solicitation for the applicable engagement; (6) the Confidentiality

Agreement (or Business Associate Agreement, as applicable); and (7) the engagement agreement. This order of precedence is not negotiable.

Bidders may not condition their response to this RFR or the execution of a master agreement or engagement agreement with DPH upon DPH’s execution of a vendor contract form or require that other vendor terms or assumptions apply. The Commonwealth Terms and Conditions, the Commonwealth’s Standard Contract Form, and the Confidentiality Agreement (or Business Associate Agreement) are mandatory and not negotiable.

B. An Approved Vendor engaged pursuant to this master agreement to provide Therapeutic Services, Regional Lead for Therapeutic Services, or Management and Coordination of Healthcare, Medical, and Ancillary Support Services will be compensated at a rate as specified in the engagement (1) per location authorized by the Department that meets the needs of the community and, where applicable, can scale operations to treat a minimum number of patients as determined by the Department, and (2) per approved Community Administration Team deployment. The Department shall reimburse the Approved Vendor for the actual cost of approved overhead and equipment that are incurred by the Approved Vendor to operate in a location authorized by the Department, including any start-up costs, provided that all such costs are proposed to and approved by DPH in advance in writing. The Approved Vendor shall submit invoices demonstrating actual costs with no markup and inclusive of any third-party payor or other reimbursement (as further set forth below).

Unless otherwise specified in at the time of engagement, an Approved Vendor engaged pursuant to this master agreement to provide Therapeutic Services, Regional Lead for Therapeutic Services, or Management and Coordination of Healthcare, Medical, and Ancillary Support Services shall make all reasonable efforts to secure reimbursement from private and public third-party payers for services provided pursuant to the engagement. Approved Vendors will be allowed to seek reimbursement from the Department during the claims adjudication process. All funds collected from third-party payers should be noted as an offset on future invoices when billing DPH. The requirement to pursue third-party reimbursement through good-faith and reasonable efforts shall be applicable for the entire duration of the contract.

In no event shall an Approved Vendor engaged to provide Therapeutic Services, Regional Lead for Therapeutic Services, or Management and Coordination of Healthcare, Medical, and Ancillary Support Services under this master agreement bill an individual patient for any Therapeutic or Therapeutic Service, or other Management and Coordination of Healthcare, Medical, and Ancillary Support Service provided pursuant to an engagement.

C. An Approved Vendor engaged pursuant to this master agreement to activate a Deployable Medical Team (DMT) will be compensated at a daily rate to be specified in the engagement based upon the mission assignment, DMT capabilities required, size and composition of the DMT, anticipated duration of the activation, and such other factors as determined by the Department. The Department shall reimburse for the actual cost of approved overhead and equipment that are incurred by the Approved Vendor to establish and equip the members of its Deployable Medical Team, provided that such costs are proposed in advance and approved by DPH in writing.

D. The Department will negotiate individual daily rates, and start-up costs as applicable, with each vendor based on the specific scope of work for a particular engagement. The Department seeks to engage vendors that provide the best-value to the Commonwealth based on these unique circumstances. All subcontracts must be approved by DPH in advance and will be documented in the engagement agreement.

Maximum Rate: Bidders will be asked to provide their organization’s maximum rate for the highest paid professional likely to be involved with projects under this contract and will constitute the maximum staffing rate for budgets over the initial duration of the contract.

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation. If awarded a contract bidders not already enrolled will be required to sign up for EFT as a contract requirement by completing and submitting the Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Form to the Department.

5.0 Evaluation Criteria

The following components will be considered by the Evaluation Team when evaluating each quote. Organizations will be required to document

· Bidder’s ability to provide the services required by the Department as outlined in Service Areas listed above

· Agreement to reasonable rates that are within industry standards

· Complete Supplier Diversity Program Plan

6.0 Estimated Procurement Calendar

Amended RFR Deadline for Questions and Answers All Questions relating to this Amended RFR must be received in writing. Questions can be sent by email no later than the date and time indicated in the Procurement Calendar. The Purchasing Department reserves the right not to respond to questions submitted after this date, and further reserves the right not to respond to questions on matters relating to the initial RFR. All Questions with answers will be posted on the COMMBUYS Attachment section for this procurement.

Questions must be submitted by July 12, 2024 and should be directed to BOTH Rachel Hunt and Kim Schippers, email addresses:

Rachel.G.Hunt@mass.gov Kim.Schippers@mass.gov

All responses to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to active COMMBUYS account holders.

This is a rolling RFR. There is no deadline for submission.

7.0 Requirements/Instructions for Submission of Responses

7.1 Submission Requirements:

See Application for more details.

Prompt Payment Discounts (PPD): All bidders responding to this procurement are strongly encouraged to participate in the Commonwealth Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative for receiving early and/or on-time payments. 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 on the OSD Forms page and in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

7.2 Submission Instructions COMMBUYS Submission:

All responses are to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to Vendors registered in COMMBUYS. There is no charge to register in COMMBUYS. To Register go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page. COMMBUYS Vendor Registration Job Aide is also available.

All Quotes must be received by the Department of Public Health before the specified date, month, year and time of the Bid Opening Date displayed on COMMBUYS. Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as applicable.

All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission by considering potential online submission impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

Bidders are encouraged to upload attachments well in advance of the Bid Opening Date. This will help to reduce disqualified submissions that can occur if upload is not fully completed or if an attachment is missing at the deadline. Prior to the Bid Opening Date listed in the Procurement Calendar above, documents can easily be deleted and revised versions can be uploaded. If you wish to revise or delete a quote after submission, you may do so prior to the bid opening date. Please review the Withdraw, Reopen, and Resubmit a Quote in COMMBUYS Job Aide for additional instructions.

No Bid in COMMBUYS Quote If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The Department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

COMMBUYS Electronic Signatures Quotes submitted via COMMBUYS must be signed electronically by the Bidder or the Bidder’s Agent by accepting the terms and conditions of the bid on the “Terms & Conditions” tab in COMMBUYS. Bidders do this by selecting “Save & Continue” on the “Terms and Conditions” tab after accepting the terms and conditions of the bid. By agreeing to this the submitter attests that s/he is an agent of the Bidder with authority to sign on the Bidder’s behalf, and that s/he has read and assented to each document’s terms.

File Format and Naming Conventions Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 81/2” x 11” paper, unless otherwise specified. Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file.

DPH is requiring that all response attachments that are uploaded in COMMBUYS include the company name of the Bidder, the RFR number and the name of the document. (e.g. Company Name _ RFR Number _Doc Name).

File Size Limits COMMBUYS will not accept files that approach or exceed 10 MB. If a large file fails to upload, the Bidder must save the contents as multiple files.

Public Records All information, documents, and attachments submitted as a response to this RFR are considered a public document subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Please be aware that checking the “confidential” box in COMMBUYS does not bar these documents from being released as a public record pursuant to these statutes once the procurement is awarded, unless statutorily exempt from disclosure.

Amendments to BID DPH reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after the initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda, or modifications to this Bid. DPH and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

Acceptable Forms of Signature: for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e. contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2. Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3. Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.

Vendor Activation Requirements: To receive a contract with state a vendor must be active in The Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). MMARS is the official accounting system of the Commonwealth and once registered a vendor will be issued a Vendor Code number or a “VC” number. This VC number is used for all contracts that a vendor has with state agencies. An organization with existing state contracts or a vendor who has had state contracts with any state agency in the past has been registered in MMARS and does not need to re-submit paperwork again unless existing information in MMARS will need to be updated. Upon notification of a contract award to this RFR, vendors not already registered in MMARS will be sent the required paperwork to be completed before a contract will be awarded which includes a W-9 form, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing.

8.0 RFR Attachments:

The forms listed in the COMMBUYS with this RFR must be submitted with your response where indicated.

To assist Bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; the forms posted on the COMMBUYS attachment section have a prefix according to the following chart:

REQ

Required Must complete and upload document to COMMBUYS as part of quote

INFO

Informational Document is for informational purposes and will be required at the time of contract/engagement if awarded. The documents do not need to be completed and uploaded as part of quote.

9.0 COMMBUYS Support

A link to a job aid on How to Submit a Quote on COMMBUYS COMMBUYS Resource Information at www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys Email: Send inquiries to the COMMBUYS OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov Telephone: Call the COMMBUYS Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Technical assistance is available during the procurement process. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one business day.

Bidders are advised that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours of which all users will be notified.

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