25-0077-RG_INTERNAL_AUDIT_SERVICES_RFQ.pdf

SUBMIT TO:

All Proposals must be submitted via VendorLink--www.myvendorlink.com-- at the specified date and time below.

It is the Vendor’s responsibility to ensure the submittal is uploaded to VendorLink according to bid specifications. We are not responsible for delivery systems.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

215 Manatee Avenue West Bradenton, Florida 34205

DATE ISSUED: September 27, 2024 CONTACT PERSON:

SRuth Gruett, Director Purchasing Telephone #: 941.708.8770 ext 41158 Email address:

gruettr@manateeschools.net TITLE: Internal Audit Services

NUMBER:

25-0077-RG

SUBMITTAL DEADLINE:

October 21, 2024 @ 1pm ET

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: Not applicable LOCATION: Not applicable

SUBMITTALS RECEIVED AFTER

ABOVE DATE AND TIME WILL NOT

BE ACCEPTED

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION DEADLINE: October 7, 2024 @ 1pm ET This Bid Submittal and subsequent award by District shall constitute a binding and enforceable contract. All Specifications, Terms and Conditions, Addenda, and correspondence of this Contract shall be incorporated into the final award and become an integral part of the Contract. Unless otherwise stipulated in this Contract, no other contract documents shall be issued.

LEGAL NAME, (herein referred to as “Respondent”) As described in the Section Titled “Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations Registration Requirements” within this Solicitation:

FLORIDA DIVISION OF CORPORATION DOCUMENT

NUMBER (www.sunbiz.org):

CONTRACTOR E-VERIFY NUMBER:

MAILING ADDRESS: I hereby certify that I have read and understand the requirements of this Solicitation and that, I, as the Bidder, will comply with all requirements of this offer and any contract(s) and/or other transactions required by this award.

Authorized Signature/Date

Typed Name/Title Email Address

CITY – STATE – ZIP:

TELEPHONE NO:

FAX NO:

FEI/EIN Number:

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST

The School District of Manatee County http://www.myvendorlink.com/ http://www.sunbiz.org/

Request for Qualifications on Internal Audit Services, SDMC No. 25-0077-RG

It is the sole responsibility of each Proposer to check VendorLink up to the bid opening date and time, for all addenda issued and for any information regarding this solicitation.

The following documents must be submitted electronically with your proposal:

Invitation to Proposal Form-pg 1 References-Attachment A Fee Schedule-Attachment B Notification of Public Entity Crimes Law-Attachment C Notification of Public Records Law Pertaining to Public Contracts and Requests for

Contractor Records-Attachment D Drug-free Workplace Certification-Attachment E Non-Collusion Affidavit-Attachment F Truth-in-Negotiation Certificate-Attachment G Debarment and Suspension Certification-Attachment H Scrutinized Company Certification-Attachment I Employment Eligibility Verification (“E-VERIFY”)-Attachment J Contractor Affidavit Regarding the Use of Coercion for Labor and Services-

Attachment K

ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE

The anticipated schedule for this Solicitation is as follows:

ITEM EVENT DATE/TIME

(a) Solicitation Package Issued 9/27/2024

(b) Questions/Clarifications Due 10/7/2024 @ 1pm ET

(c) Addenda Posted 10/8/2024 @ 4pm ET

(d) Proposals due @ 1pm (ET) in Purchasing 10/21/2024

(e) Initial Evaluation 10/28/2024

(f) Interviews 11/5/2024

(g) Notice of Intent to Award 11/7/2024

(h) Board Approval 11/12/2024

SECTION 1. PURPOSE

The School District of Manatee County (District) is seeking a professional accounting services firm to perform internal audit services in an outsourced model with the possibility of moving to a co-sourced model over time. Only firms having outsourcing and co-sourcing experience, technical and industry relevant knowledge and exceptional collaborative skills will be considered.

SECTION 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The District is home to approximately fifty-four thousand students, and nearly six thousand employees. The District operates forty-seven traditional public schools, three non-traditional public schools and the two campuses of Manatee Technical College.

Additionally, the District provides oversight to sixteen charter schools. Manatee County is located on the southwest coast of Florida and covers over seven hundred square miles with diverse areas and neighborhoods ranging from beaches to ranches.

The District and its governing board were created pursuant to Section 4, Article IX of the Constitution of the State of Florida. The District is an independent taxing and reporting entity managed, controlled, operated, administered, and supervised by District school officials in accordance with Chapter 230, Florida Statutes. The Board consists of five elected officials responsible for the adoption of policies, which govern the operation of District public schools. The Superintendent of Schools is responsible for the administration and management of the schools within the applicable parameters of state laws, State Board of Education Rules, and School Board policies. The Superintendent is also specifically delegated the responsibility of maintaining a uniform system of records and accounts in the District by Section 237.01, Florida Statutes as prescribed by the State Board of Education.

The annual budget for The District for FY 2023-2024 was $1.198 billion. The current budget is $1.591 billion (all funds based on current projections). A copy of The District’s Annual Financial Reports are available on our website. Go to https://www.manateeschools.net/Page/5801.

Firms are encouraged to thoroughly review the information contained therein to become familiar with the District and its operations.

The District uses PeopleSoft as its ERP system. These records include budgeting, payables, receivables, procurement, and payroll.

Internal Audit Services:

The District has outsourced its Internal Audit Services function to Carr, Riggs & Ingram since July, 2019. Prior to 2019, the district utilized Shinn and Company.

Audit Committee:

The District has an audit committee that operates under the audit committee charter revised and Board approved as of September 10, 2024. See Exhibit A.

The mission of the Audit Committee is to assist the Manatee County School Board ("School Board") in providing oversight of the internal and external audit functions. The Audit Committee will advise the School Board in the following areas: review the scope and plan of the external and internal audits; review corrective action plans and necessary improvements based on audit findings and recommendations received from internal and external auditors; and assist to maintain open communications between the selected auditors, the School Board and the District's financial management department.

The Audit Committee is not charged with any fiscal responsibilities of the District and the School Board, and the Superintendent retain the responsibility for the District's financial condition and for decision-making in all matters of policy and operation. The Audit Committee is not responsible for the outcome of internal and external audits. Additionally, the Audit Committee is not responsible for any consequences associated with fraudulent activities that may be uncovered during internal and external audits or in the course of other work completed. The Audit Committee members will not conduct "fieldwork" or other types of auditing, legal or accounting reviews or procedures.

SECTION 3. SPECIAL CONDITIONS

3.1 Eligibility and Minimum Requirements: Respondents must meet the following minimum qualifications; failure to meet the minimum qualifications may result in rejection of the Proposal:

• Respondent shall be licensed to practice public accounting within the State of Florida.

• Respondent shall currently be a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

• Respondent shall have performed continuous CPA services in the government sector for a minimum of five (5) years.

• Respondent must have delivered internal audit services in an out-sourcing and co-sourcing model.

• The firm must have a physical local office presence, with the expectation that the lead auditor will be operating out of the local office location for the duration of the audit.

For the purpose of this RFQ, “local office” is defined as a fixed office location, staffed with verifiable, on-site full-time employees and operating within a permanent structure with a verifiable street address that is located within sixty (60) miles from District offices at 215 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, Florida, 34205. The local office must have been in operation for a minimum of twelve (12) months immediately preceding the due date for proposal submission for this RFQ. A post office box shall not be sufficient to constitute a local office.

• The firm must be the sole provider of the proposed audit services. A joint venture or consortium to perform these services is prohibited and the Proposal may be deemed unresponsive and not considered. The School Board desires a firm that can perform all requested services without outsourcing certain audit services.

3.2 Term: The intent of this RFQ is to establish a Contract for a period of three (3) year(s) beginning July 1, 2025, during which time the awarded firm shall guarantee fixed pricing on items awarded, as specified in this RFQ. Upon mutual agreement, the contract may be renewed for two one-year terms.

3.3 Contract Extension: The District has the right to extend the Contract for the period necessary for the District to release, award, and implement a replacement RFQ for the contractual services provided through this Contract. Such extension shall be based upon the same prices, terms, and conditions as the existing RFQ.

3.4 Working Papers: The awarded firm will retain all working papers for a period of seven

(7) years and will provide the District and/or its assignees access, free of charge, to any or all working papers for a period of seven (7) years.

3.5 Scope of Services and Changes in Services: The services to be provided under this resulting Contract are specified in Section 4, Scope of Services. The District, without invalidating the Contract, may request additional services or make changes by altering, adding to, or deducting from the services, and the Contract will be adjusted accordingly, based on a mutually agreed upon negotiated price. Changes in the services and the Contract sum may only be changed by prior written agreement executed by the parties with proper authorization to do so.

SECTION 4. SCOPE OF SERVICES

4.1 Scope of Services: The District is seeking a professional accounting services firm to perform internal audit services. A primary objective of this proposal is to engage a professional accounting firm to ensure that the District complies with the requirements of Chapter 1001.42(12)(I), Florida Statutes, which requires an internal auditor perform ongoing financial verification of the financial records of the District, a comprehensive risk assessment of all areas of the school system every five (5) years, and other audits and reviews as the School Board directs to determine:

a. Adequacy of internal controls

b. Compliance

c. Operating efficiency

d. Safeguarding of assets

The awarded firm will develop a comprehensive auditing approach to review and evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of the School Board in these areas. The scope of the internal auditor will not be restricted and will include every functional and program area of the school system. The actual work performed will be determined by an Internal Audit Plan prepared by the Firm in consultation with the Audit Committee, and approved by the School Board. There is no Guarantee of any minimum amount of work that will be awarded to any Contractor.

4.2 Expected Outcomes/Deliverables:

The awarded Firm will report to the Board’s Audit Committee and is expected to perform the following services and provide the identified deliverables:

a. Perform and document a risk assessment and develop a proposed internal audit plan that has sufficient and continuous internal audit coverage of those areas evaluated as having a relatively high-risk profile or that otherwise require internal audit attention for various reasons.

b. In consultation with the Board’s Audit Committee, prioritize internal audit activities and develop work plans (including identifying specific services and deliverables) needed to execute the internal audit plan, including a multi-year internal audit schedule encompassing all District departments.

c. Perform internal audit activities of several departments each year according to the prioritized schedule developed above. Analyze the data obtained for evidence of deficiencies in controls, duplicative effort, wasteful or unnecessary spending, fraud, lack of compliance with federal, state, or local laws/regulations or failure to follow management policies/procedures.

d. Prepare Internal Audit reports that analyze significant risk assessment findings, recommend changes for strengthening internal controls and reducing identified risks, and specify time frames for implementation of such recommendations.

e. Routinely report to the Audit Committee. Submit audit findings/reports to the

Audit Committee and the School Board at regularly scheduled meetings.

f. Perform follow up audits to evaluate the completion and implementation of recommendations and determine if previously identified risk is adequately mitigated.

g. Conduct annual review and update of the risk assessment and the internal audit plan in consultation with the Audit Committee.

h. Communicate with the District’s external auditors about internal control issues identified in the financial audit.

i. Review other areas as deemed necessary or as requested by Audit Committee or the School Board.

4.3 Submission of Reports:

At the completion of the audits, the awarded firm will submit to the District hard copies and provide an electronic copy of the audit reports. (PDFs of audit report submissions must be ADA compliant, unlocked, unencrypted, and at least 85% text searchable. This is accomplished through creating the PDF with a software program rather than scanning a paper copy of the audits.)

4.4 Other Requirements:

a. Prior to Commencement of the Audit Work - The awarded firm shall provide an engagement letter and/or professional service contract.

b. Commencement of the Audit Work – The District will have all records for the audit(s), all appropriate management personnel, as well as the finance staff available to meet with the audit team of the awarded firm immediately upon acceptance of the RFQ by the School Board.

SECTION 5. WRITTEN SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

In response to this RFQ, Respondents should submit one (1) original electronic file on Vendorlink @ myvendorlink.com. Respondents should carefully follow the format and instructions outlined herein. All documents and information must be fully completed and signed as required. Digital signature or a scanned copy of a wet signature is acceptable. Please do not password-protect electronic documents.

The Proposal shall be written in enough detail to permit the District to conduct a meaningful evaluation of the proposed services. However, overly elaborate responses are not requested or desired.

The below sections are mandatory. The District may reject as non-responsive, at its sole discretion, any proposal or any part thereof, which is incomplete, inadequate in its response, or departs in any substantive way from the required format. Proposal responses shall be organized in the following manner with section dividers:

Tab 1 – Respondent’s Profile and Submittal Letter – (Non-Scored)

1) Table of Contents to aid in the evaluation of the qualifications.

2) Letter of Intent: A signed letter briefly stating the Respondent’s understanding of the work required by the District and the Respondent’s commitment to perform the work. Please explain why the Respondent’s Firm is the most qualified to perform the engagement.

3) A brief profile of the Respondent, including:

(a) A brief history of the business

(b) Organizational structure of business

(c) Ownership interests

(d) Active business venues (counties, states, etc.)

(e) Latest firm peer review if applicable

(f) Ability to meet applicable professional independence requirements

(g) Designation of the legal entity by which the business operates and documentation from the appropriate state’s agency confirming respondent’s legal entity type (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation, Limited Liability Corporation, etc.). For non-Florida businesses submit documentation from the state in which the business was formed and documentation from the State of Florida providing authorization to perform business in the state of Florida.

Tab 2 – Experience in Internal Audit Services – (Weighted Value 25)

1) Proportion of business engaged in providing Internal Audit Services.

2) Experience on similar engagements, including a description of the nature and extent of Internal Audit Services provided on those engagements.

o Describe the school district audit experience within the State of Florida.

o Describe the experience of the local office in performing audits of governmental entities, including preparing governmental financial statements in conformance with GASB.

o Describe experience in working in out-sourcing and co-sourcing models.

3) Describe your firm’s level of expertise and experience with the audit of information-technology-based internal controls, including description of the key control areas assessed on similar engagements.

4) Provide sample documents: sample risk assessment template, sample multi-year internal audit plan, sample internal audit report, sample report on assessment of technology controls.

5) Provide a list of comparable clients that you have worked for within the last two years. The list should include the firm name, contact name, email address, phone number, and dates of service.

Tab 3 – Experience of Personnel – (Weighted Value 20)

1) The Respondent must identify the team that will be responsible for providing the required audit services, including the partners, managers, seniors, and staff, as well as staff from other than the local office, if necessary, for this audit.

Resumes for each partner, manager, and senior to be assigned to the audit team will be submitted.

2) The proposed Internal Audit Team should demonstrate the Respondent’s knowledge and understanding of the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Audit as well as Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards and include the following information for each team member:

(a) Formal education

(b) Relevant continuing professional education

(c) Experience in private business or government

(d) Experience in public accounting in general

(e) Experience in auditing governmental units, including the position held

(i.e., partner, manager, senior, or other position in the engagement)

(f) Experience in audits of Florida School Districts, including position during engagement and dates

(g) Experience in managing School District Internal Audit programs

(h) Experience in computerized systems in conjunction with e, f, and g above

(i) Membership in various national and state governmental accounting boards, committees, or associations (past and present)

(j) Professional recognition, such as Certified Public Accounting licenses, awards, etc.

3) The ideal team will include all these preferred qualifications:

o Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) o Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and o Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

4) Identify the specific individual who would serve the District on a day-to-day basis as a primary point of contact and be responsible for the work product of the Respondent. The individual identifier shall be available within 24 hours by telephone to accomplish the following:

(a) Attend meetings

(b) Respond to telephone calls

(c) Respond to specific inquiries

Tab 4 – Audit Approach and Methodology – (Weighted Value 25)

1) The proposal should explain the methodology to be followed to perform the services required in this request for proposal. Respondents will be required to provide information on their approach for the following areas:

(a) Risk Assessment

(b) Audit Plan Design

(c) Scoping of Individual Audits

(d) Project management methodology, including a work plan, schedules, deliverables, outcomes, and performance measurement

(e) Audit Plan Execution

(f) Quality assurance processes.

2) Describe:

(a) Any unique approaches or methodologies used by Respondent as appropriate and

(b) The outcomes noted from similar projects.

Tab 5 – References – (Weighted Value 5) Provide a minimum of three (3) reference forms utilizing Attachment “A” from owner representatives for projects that your Firm has provided or is providing services that are similar in scope to this RFQ. References must be relevant, where the proposed services have been used within the past five (5) years. The reference from the owner representative must be provided on Attachment “A”, and include details regarding your Firm’s role, level of service provided, etc. The degree of demonstrated relevant experience of the Respondent with Florida School Boards and/or political subdivisions will be a primary factor.

Tab 6 – Fee Schedule – (Weighted Value 20) Respondents should propose a comprehensive hourly rate for each type of staff, using the generic guide in Attachment “B” – Fee Schedule. The District and Audit Committee will jointly determine with the awarded firm a not-to-exceed price for each project, using the contractually established rates as a guideline. This is the initial pricing. The short-listed firms may be provided the opportunity to submit a Best and Final Fee Schedule as part of the Formal Presentation or Informal Interview Evaluation Criteria, Item 4.

SECTION 6. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The evaluation shall be conducted in a multi-tiered approach.

6.1 EVALUATION STEPS

STEP 1: Responsiveness, Responsibility, Minimum Qualifications

The District’s Purchasing Director shall first review submittals for initial decisions on responsiveness and responsibility, then whether vendor meets minimum qualifications. Those found responsive, responsible and who meet the minimum qualifications listed shall move forward to committee Evaluation.

STEP 2: Proposal Evaluation

Responses that successfully pass through Step 1 will be individually evaluated by the selection committee members. The committee will evaluate responses based on the qualifications of the firm and staff, approach to the audit, references and fee schedule. Proposals will be evaluated and ranked. Those proposals that cluster within a competitive range will be recommended to continue to Step 3, Vendor Presentation, Interviews and Fact Finding providing the evaluation committee determines this is required.

Step 2 Scoring

Proposal Scoring

Total Possible Points

Experience in Internal Audit Services 25

Experience of Personnel 20

Audit Approach and Methodology 25

References 5

Fee Schedule 25

Grand Total 100

STEP 3: Firm Presentation, Interviews and Fact Finding

After an evaluation of the proposals, the evaluation committee may conduct presentations or interviews from a short list of vendors. If this is determined, the short-listed firms will be contacted for the presentation or interview, which may occur on the date listed on page 2, “Anticipated Schedule”. Again, this is an optional presentation or interview that will be determined by the evaluation committee. Any respondent selected for an interview will be expected to make an introductory presentation followed by a question-and-answer period.

The District will not reimburse any travel related or other expenses related to an interview.

SCORING: If the evaluation committee conducts presentations or interviews, each member will individually force rank the firms from #1 to #3. The individual scores will then be combined into an overall ordinal ranking. The firm with the lowest total ordinal ranking will be considered the top-ranked firm.

All presentations/interviews shall include at minimum:

1. Experience in Internal Audit Services: Demonstrate your firm’s ability to comply with the minimum qualifications and mandatory requirements of this Request for Qualifications.

2. Experience of Personnel: Demonstrate your firm’s ability, capacity, and skills to provide services by introducing the proposed project team that will be assigned.

3. Audit Approach and Methodology: Demonstrate your firm’s approach and methodology of how the services herein addressed will be provided. Include a demonstration of any applicable software, reporting tools, etc.

4. Best and Final Offer (BAFO) Fee Schedule: The best and final fee schedule proposed for the services as outlined in this RFP, clarified through addenda, evaluation committee short-list meeting discussions, and/or letters. The BAFO should be delivered to the Purchasing Director at least one (1) day prior to the presentation/interview date as instructed in writing by the Purchasing Director. List any relevant services that are within the scope of services outlined in this solicitation.

STEP 4: Board Recommendation

The evaluation committee shall rank and recommend in order of preference no fewer than three firms deemed to be the most highly qualified to perform the required services after considering the factors established in Steps 2 and 3. If fewer than three firms respond to the request for proposal, the committee shall recommend such firms as it deems to be the most highly qualified.

STEP 5: Negotiations

The School Board shall select one of the firms recommended by the evaluation committee and negotiate a contract. In negotiations with firms, the School Board may allow a designee to conduct negotiations on its behalf. If the School Board is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with any of the recommended firms the committee shall recommend additional firms, and negotiations shall continue until an agreement is reached.

STEP 6: Contract Award Any award resulting from this RFP will be posted at www.myvendorlink.com.

Notwithstanding the rights of protest listed herein. Failure to file a written protest within 72 hours of the posting prescribed in Section 120.57(3) Florida Statutes will constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes and School Board Rules.

SECTION 7. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

Completion of the following forms are mandatory:

a. Proposal Submittal Signature Page—pg 1

b. References-Attachment A

c. Fee Schedule-Attachment B

d. Notification of Public Entity Crimes Law-Attachment C

e. Notification of Public Records Law-Attachment D

f. Drug-Free Workplace-Attachment E

g. Non-Collusion Affidavit-Attachment F

h. Truth-In-Negotiation Certificate-Attachment G

i. Federal Debarment Certification-Attachment H

j. Scrutinized Company Certification-Attachment I

k. E-Verify-Attachment J

l. Contractor Affidavit Regarding the Use of Coercion for Labor and Services-

Attachment K http://www.myvendorlink.com./

SECTION 8. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

GENERAL PROPOSERS INFORMATION:

Interested vendors are advised that the District will not consider bids which contain an escalation clause for the initial contract period. It is understood that normal bid processing time will be 30 - 60 days after opening date of bid and that prices reflected by this bid will be firm through bid processing time and the delivery of items awarded.

No price escalations (increases) will be permitted during the initial term of this contract. Price de-escalation (decrease) is permissible at any time during the contract term. The District reserves the right to require a decrease based on industry pricing indicators (PPI and CPI) Contractors may request a price increase at renewal, if any. Price increase requests must be based on the Producer Price Index (PPI) Table Containing PPI-U All Items Indexes and Annual Percent Changes, http://data.bls.gov index for related commodity, final demand, seasonally adjusted, and may not exceed 4 percent.

The price increase request must be submitted 30 days before the expiration of the Contract, to the Contract Administrator, in writing and substantiated by a copy the appropriate (meaning specific to that Contractor’s commodity code) PPI index.

PURCHASE TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

This proposal, and the corresponding contract of award agreement and purchase orders will constitute the complete agreement. District will not accept proposed terms and conditions that are different than those contained in this Request for Proposal. By virtue of submitting a bid, vendor agrees to not submit to any School District of Manatee County employee, for signature, any document that contains terms and conditions that are different than those contained herein and that in the event any document containing any term or condition that differs from those contained herein is executed, said document shall not be binding on the District.

MINOR IRREGULARITIES/RIGHT TO

REJECT: The District reserves the right to accept or reject all bids, or separable portions thereof, and to waive any minor irregularity, technicality, or omission if the District determines that doing so shall serve the Districts’ best interests. The District may reject any response not submitted in the manner specified by the solicitation documents.

CLARIFICATIONS OR REVISIONS: The District reserves the right to seek clarifications or request any information deemed necessary for proper evaluation of submissions from all Selected Firms deemed eligible for Contract award.

Failure to provide requested information may result in rejection of the response.

EX PARTE COMMUNICATION: To assure proper and fair evaluation of submissions, after submissions are received the District prohibits ex parte communication initiated by the submitter to Board members and discourages ex parte communication initiated by the submitter to any District official or employee evaluating or considering the submissions prior to the time a decision has been made. Communication between a submitter and the District will be initiated by the appropriate District official, employee, or designated http://data.bls.gov/ consultant in order to obtain information or clarification needed to develop a proper and accurate evaluation of the submission. Ex parte communication may be grounds for disqualifying the offending submitter from consideration or award of the contract then in evaluation or any future contract.

PURCHASES BY OTHER PUBLIC

AGENCIES: With the consent and agreement of the successful proposer’s, purchases may be made under this bid by other governmental agencies within the State of Florida. Such purchases shall be governed by the same terms and conditions as stated herein.

AUTHORITY: The School Board of Manatee County, Florida is the sole legal entity having authority to award a bid or bind the District regarding any agreement resulting from this invitation. The Superintendent of Schools acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the District and shall have, and is hereby delegated by the School Board, authority to issue any notice, effect any cancelation, perform any inspection, or take any other action to ensure compliance with the terms of this invitation or any agreement resulting there from on the School Board’s behalf without further action by the School Board.

CLARIFICATION OF RFP: Proposers should submit via Vendorlink any questions electrotonically regarding this bid. Only questions submitted electronically will be included in an addendum. See “Anticipated Schedule” section for deadline date. Questions received after the date posted in the “Anticipated Schedule” section will not be acknowledged. Changes to the bid which have a material effect shall be communicated to bidders.

ADDENDA TO RFP: From time to time, addenda’s may be issued to this proposal.

Any such addenda will be posted on (www.myvendorlink.com). Such notices will contain clarifications to details of the solicitation and/or responses to questions submitted during the preview period. Each bidder is responsible for monitoring these sites for information concerning this solicitation.

EVALUATION COMMITTEE MEETING:

Evaluation meetings will be open to the public pursuant to Florida State Statue

286.011 and noticed on The District Web Site (www.manateeschools.net) and on the School District bulletin board located in the lobby at the School Support Center, 215 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, Florida, 34205. Any portion of a public meeting at which a negotiation with a vendor is conducted pursuant to a competitive solicitation, at which a vendor makes an oral presentation as part of a competitive solicitation, or at which a vendor answers questions as part of a competitive solicitation is exempt from Florida Statue 286.011. See Key Events and Dates page contained herein.

BUDGETARY LIMITATIONS: The District reserves the right to reject any item or items and/or increase or decrease quantities as required due to budgetary limitations.

NON-FUNDING CLAUSE: In the event sufficient budgeted funds are not available for a new fiscal period, the Purchasing Department shall notify the vendor of such an occurrence and the contract shall terminate on the last day of http://www.manateeschools.net/ the current fiscal period without penalty or expense to the District.

PUBLIC RECORDS: Any material submitted in response to this Solicitation will become a public record pursuant to Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, when The District receives the responses. Any claim of confidentiality is waived upon submission, unless addressed as set forth below. A Vendor’s response to this solicitation shall be a public record and subject to production, disclosure, inspection and copying consistent with the requirements of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. All information in a Vendor’s response (including, without limitation, technical and price information) will be a matter of public record, subject to the provisions of Florida’s Public Records Act, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, regardless of copyright status. Submission of a response to this solicitation shall constitute a waiver of any copyright protection which might otherwise apply to The District’s production, disclosure, inspection and copying of such response and contract, or any part thereof, except those parts asserted to be exempt under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The response, upon submission shall be the property of The District (except those parts asserted to be exempt in the manner set forth below), and The District, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to use, reproduce, and disseminate the response. The District reserves the right to use any and all information contained in a response received to this solicitation.

Any content submitted to The District which is asserted to be exempt under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, shall be set forth on a page or pages separate from the rest of the response, and clearly marked “exempt,” “confidential,” or

“trade secret” (as applicable), with the statutory basis for such claim of exemption, confidentiality, or trade secret specifically identified in writing on each and every such page. Failure to segregate and so identify any such content shall constitute a waiver of any claimed exemption, confidentiality, or trade secret as applied to the portion of the response or other document in which the content is set forth.

IF THE CONTRACTOR HAS

QUESTIONS REGARDING THE

APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER

119, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO

THE CONTRACTOR'S DUTY TO

PROVIDE PUBLIC RECORDS

RELATING TO THIS CONTRACT,

CONTACT THE CUSTODIAN OF

PUBLIC RECORDS:

Public Record Custodian, Communications/Public Records Associate, 215 Manatee Avenue W.

(941) 708-8770 Bradenton, Florida, 34205 publicrecords@manateeschools.ne t

NOTIFICATION OF AWARD: After award by the School Board of Manatee County, proposers are invited to visit our website www.myvendorlink.com.

VISITOR IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM: A

Visitor Identification System has been implemented by the District. A driver’s license or government issued photo id will be required for scanning into the mailto:publicrecords@manateeschools.net mailto:publicrecords@manateeschools.net system and a visitor’s pass will be issued to individuals visiting District sites.

PREVIOUS PERFORMANCE:

Documented poor performance of contractors on previous contracts with District or other governmental entity will be considered during evaluation and may be sufficient cause not to award.

VARIANCE TO BID DOCUMENTS: For the purpose of RFP evaluation, proposers must clearly stipulate any or all variances to the bid documents or specifications, no matter how slight. If variations are not stated in the vendor’s bid proposal, it shall be construed that the RFP proposal submitted fully complies in every respect with our bid documents.

PROPOSER’S ERRORS: Where unit price and total price cannot be reconciled, the quoted unit price shall govern. Where numerical price and written price cannot be reconciled, the written price shall govern. No submissions or amendments made after bid or proposal opening shall be considered.

RFP TABULATIONS: After approval by the School Board, proposal tabulations will be available for review on the e-procurement service website (www.myvendorlink.com).

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD RFP:

Once proposals are evaluated and a recommendation for award is received by the Purchasing Department, a Notice of Intent to Award will be posted on the e-procurement service website (www.myvendorlink.com). The recommendation for award is not official until this notice is posted.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND

KICKBACKS: Any proposer giving or offering to any employee and/or official of the District, either directly or indirectly, any rebate, percentage of contract, money or other things of value as an inducement or intended inducement, in the procurement of this or any other RFP/bid, shall be deemed in violation of this agreement, in addition to being in violation of any other municipal, county, state and federal laws and/or ordinances.

IDENTIFICATION: The contractor and sub-contractors shall be required to see that their personnel maintain visible personal identification on each employee.

Vendor’s employees must be appropriately attired (including shirt).

Employees shall be required to dress neatly without vulgar or otherwise offensive apparel, commensurate with the location and types of tasks being performed.

SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICY: In accordance with School Board Policy and Procedures, no contract for providing supplies, equipment or services shall be affected with any individual or business entity in which any member of the School Board or the Superintendent has any financial interest. No contract for goods or services may be made with any business entity in which the Superintendent, Board Member or their spouse or child has an employment relationship or a material interest. No School Board employee may directly or indirectly purchase or recommend for purchase of goods or services from any business organization in which his/her spouse or child has a material interest as defined in Florida Statutes 112.

NON-EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT: This RFP does NOT establish an exclusive arrangement between the District and vendor. The District reserves, but is not limited to, the following rights:

The unrestricted right to use others to perform work, provide services or deliver the same or similar products as described herein when it is to the economic benefit of the District.

The unrestricted right to separately bid any work, products or services as described herein when it is to the economic benefit of The District.

DISPUTE: Bid tabulations with recommendations will be posted on the e-procurement service website (www.myvendorlink.com). A bidder who wishes to file a protest pertaining to a bid must file such notice in accordance with procedures prescribed by Florida Statute 120.57(3), Florida Administrative Code 28-110 and School District Policy 7.15.

The notice must be filed with the Purchasing Director.

Any person who is adversely affected by The District’s decision or intended decision shall file with the Purchasing Director, a notice of protest in writing within seventy-two (72) hours after the posting of the bid tabulation or Notice of Intent to Award and shall file a formal written protest within ten (10) calendar after filing the notice of protest. With respect to a protest of the specifications contained in an Invitation for Bid or Request for Proposal, the notice of protest shall be filed in writing within seventy-two (72) hours after the receipt of notice of the project plan and specification or intended project plan and specifications in an Invitation for Bid or Request for Proposal, and the formal written protest shall be filed within 10 days after the date the notice of protest is filed. Failure to file a notice of protest or failure to file a formal written protest shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under this chapter. The formal written protest shall state with particularity the facts and law upon which the protest is based. Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays shall be excluded in the computation of the seventy-two (72) hour time periods provided in this paragraph.

Any person who files an action protesting a decision or intended decision pertaining to a bid pursuant to Florida Statute 120.57(3)(b), shall post at the time of filing the formal written protest, a bond payable to District in an amount equal to one percent (1%) of the total estimated contract value, but not less than $500 nor more than $5,000, which bond shall be conditioned upon the payment of all costs which may be adjudged against the protester in the administrative hearing in which the action is brought and in any subsequent appellate court proceeding.

In lieu of a bond, a cashier’s check, treasurer’s check, bank draft of any national or state bank payable to District will be an acceptable form of security. If, after completion of the administrative hearing process and appellate court proceedings, The District prevails, it shall recover all costs and charges which shall be included in the final order or judgment, including charges made by the Division of Administrative Hearings, but excluding attorney’s fees. Upon payment of such costs and charges by the protester, the remainder, if any, of the protest security shall be returned. If the protester prevails, protester shall recover from The District all costs and charges which are included in the final order of judgment, excluding attorney’s fees.

Failure to file a notice of intent to protest, or failure to file a formal written protest within the time prescribed in Florida Statute 120.57(3), shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

TAX EXEMPTIONS: The District is exempt from Federal Excise, State Sales and Use Taxes. Tax exemption certificates and numbers will be furnished on request.

INVOICES: The Contractor agrees that bills and invoices for fees or other compensation services or expenses shall cite the purchase order number, work order number, date of service, location of job, and name of person requesting the work. The invoice shall be submitted to the Accounts Payable Department within ten (10) working days upon completion of the job. The invoice shall be in detail sufficient for a proper pre-audit and post audit thereof. Each bill or invoice must properly identify the services, portion of services, and expenses for which compensation is sought. A copy of all applicable materials, rental, or sub-contractor invoices must be included with the invoicing to the District. The Contractor’s invoice will also reflect a breakdown of all standard hours and non-standard hours worked.

PAYMENT TERMS: The District complies with the Florida Prompt Payment Act (ss. 218.70-218.80).

Invoice payment is Net 45 days from the date of delivery or the receipt of satisfactory invoice, whichever occurs last, unless invoices specify early payment discounts. All payments, other than payments for construction services, due and not made within the time specified by this section bear interest from 30 days after the due date at the rate of 1 percent per month on the unpaid balance.