26-968-04 Network Cabling Projects.pdf

Invitation to Bid

No. 25-968-04

Network Cabling Projects

Due Date: July 24, 2025 – 2:00 PM ET

Purchasing Department

8050 Mobley Road

Brooksville, FL 34601

(352) 797-7060

*** ATTENTION ALL VENDORS ***

Please return ALL pages of the solicitation (45) with your submittal.

The document must contain all required signatures and initials on individual pages as indicated. Signatures/initials are to be physical

“wet” signatures or a digitally “locked” signature. Once awarded, this completed and signed document will serve as a contract between the

District and the vendor.

HERNANDO COUNTY SCHOOLS’ PURCHASING DEPARTMENT WILL ONLY BE

ACCEPTING BID SUBMITTALS ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH THE BIDNET

DIRECT ONLINE SOLICITATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/florida/hernandoschools

NO PAPER RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THE REGISTRATION PROCESS, UPLOADING YOUR

SUBMITTAL, OR NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM, PLEASE CALL BIDNET DIRECT’S

VENDOR SUPPORT TEAM AT 1-800-835-4603, OPTION 2

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

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Purchasing & Warehousing Department 8050 Mobley Road

(352) 797-7060

INVITATION TO BID

Solicitation Number and Title: Posting Date: June 19, 2025

26-968-04 Network Cabling Projects

ELECTRONIC SUBMITTALS ONLY – NO PAPER RESPONSES

Sign or Initial (physical or digital signature) as Indicated and Return all pages (46) of this document with your submittal.

Electronic Submittal Due Date and Time:

July 24, 2025 – no later than 2:00 PM ET – All documents must be in PDF format and uploaded to Bidnet Direct’s platform. Note: All paper responses received by our office will be rejected and returned. Electronic submittals will not be allowed past the due date and time. https://www.bidnetdirect.com/florida/hernandoschools

The Hernando County School District, Florida (herein referred to as District) is seeking bids for the above-mentioned goods or services.

All terms, conditions, specifications, and special conditions set forth in this document are incorporated by this reference into your response. A signed submittal to the School Board obligates the bidder to all terms, conditions, specifications, and special conditions stated within this document. By signing this document, the vendor/contractor certifies that they are in compliance with, and/or will comply with, all terms, conditions, specifications and special conditions specifically mentioned, as well as all applicable municipal, county, state and federal laws, ordinances, rules and regulations.

THE FOLLOWING SECTION MUST BE COMPLETED, SIGNED AND RETURN AS PART OF YOUR SUBMITTAL. SUBMITTALS RECEIVED WITHOUT THIS PAGE OR SIGNATURE BY AN AUTHORIZED AGENT OF THE COMPANY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Legal Company Name (as registered in Sunbiz.org): ___________________________________________________________

FEIN Number: ______________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ___________________________________________________________

Phone Number: ____________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________________________

I certify that this submittal is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any other bidder/proposer submitting a bid/proposal for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services, and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud (refer to paragraph 7 of the General Terms & Conditions). I agree to abide to all conditions of this solicitation and certify that I am authorized to sign this document for the bidder/proposer.

Authorized Signature: ______________________________________ Printed Name: ________________________________________

Title: ___________________________________________________ Date Submitted: ______________________________________

Email: __________________________________________________ Phone: _____________________________________________

VALID EMAIL ADDRESS FOR CONTRACT RENEWAL DOCUMENTS: ________________________________________________

NO BID: I hereby submit this a s a “no bid” for the reason(s) checked below:

Insufficient time to respond Could not meet insurance/bond requirements

Addenda were received too late to respond Could not meet bonding requirements

Could not meet specifications We do not offer the product/service requested

Specification are unclear or restrictive Our schedule will not permit us to respond

Terms & Conditions were unclear or restrictive We do not bid directly

Our Company will consider future bid opportunities Remove our company from this list for future bids

Purchasing Contacts:

Christopher Reckner, Director of Purchasing & Warehousing Julie Cirrincione, Manager of Purchasing

GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

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1. PREPARATION OF BIDS:

A. Bidder’s Liability: Bidders are expected to examine the specifications and all special and general conditions, requirements, and instructions. Omission on the part of the bidder to make the necessary examinations and investigations, visit appropriate site locations and become familiar with ALL locations/services covered under this bid, or failure to fulfill in every detail the requirements of the contract document, will not be accepted as a basis for varying the requirements of the School Board or compensation to the contractor. Failure to do so is at the contractor’s risk. Failure to follow the instructions in the bid is cause for rejection.

B. Submittal of Bids: ALL BIDS SHALL BE

SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY THROUGH

THE DISTRICT’S ONLINE SOLICITATION

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. PAPER BIDS

DELIVERED TO OUR OFFICES WILL NO

LONGER BE ACCEPTED.

C. Receipt of Bids: The Hernando County School Board is not responsible for timely electronic delivery of the

PDF submittal document. The bidder is responsible for allowing adequate time for document upload and for any possible unforeseen technical issues that may arise.

The online solicitation management system will not allow uploads past established deadline and will be rejected.

D. Minimum Required Documents: The following documents must be returned with your bid proposal to be considered responsive:

i. Completed and signed Invitation to Bid Form

ii. Completed Bid Proposal Form(s)

iii. Items verified on Submittals Checklist form.

E. Forms: All bids must be submitted on and comply with the bid forms provided in order for your bid to be considered. If additional space is required, the bidder may submit a signed, dated attachment, which will become part of the bid response. The Invitation to Bid

Form must be signed by the owner or authorized officer/agent of the company submitting a bid or the bid will be rejected.

F. Quoted Prices: Prices are to be submitted in accordance with the quantities required, which appear on the Bid Proposal Forms. Unit prices will prevail over extended totals whenever the extended amount is in conflict with the estimated quantity (x) the unit price. When a total lot price of two or more distinct items is requested, the Purchasing Department reserves the right to verify mathematical extensions and totals, correct totals if necessary and recommend an award based upon the overall group total.

G. Freight Terms: All items are to be bid FOB destination with all transportation charges prepaid and title transferring to the district at the time of delivery, unless otherwise stated in bid invitation.

Any exceptions to these freight terms taken by the bidder must be clearly stated in the bidder’s proposal.

The Purchasing Department will evaluate any such exceptions and determine if the exception constitutes grounds for rejection of the bidder’s proposal.

H. Item Specifications: When the bid invitation specifies a certain manufacturer, brand, make or catalog number, denoting the quality, type or standard of article desired, the bidder may offer an equal or superior alternate, unless the term “No Substitutes” or

“Only” is used in the bid invitation. The term “No

Substitutes” or “Only” may be used when compatibility with other articles or materials is required or if standardization is desired.

i. Any item bid as an alternate which lacks sufficient descriptive literature or information to enable a comparative analysis, may prevent its consideration.

ii. If the bidder does not indicate that an item proposed to be furnished is other than specified, the specified item requested must be supplied by the bidder upon receipt of a purchase order.

iii. Anything listed, herein, of a proprietary nature is done so without express knowledge or intent to exclude other manufacturers’ products from consideration.

I. Bid, Performance & Payment Security: When bid performance and payment securities are required, the requirement will be included with the bid.

J. Product Certification: When product certification is requested, the bidder will submit as part of the bid, a signed affidavit, properly notarized, indicating that the item meets all specifications required.

2. INQUIRIES/INFORMATION:

Any questions by prospective bidders concerning the requirements of this bid should be addressed through the

Purchasing Department’s online bidding system, where the original bid was downloaded. The Purchasing Department will assist vendors and answer questions to the best of its ability directly online or by posting an addendum.

Questions of a technical nature may be referred to other individuals as deemed necessary by Purchasing for an appropriate response. All questions pertaining to this solicitation shall be submitted through the Purchasing

Department’s online bidding system prior to the deadline as indicated within this bid document.

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3. JESSICA LUNSFORD ACT – EFFECTIVE 09/01/2005

The State of Florida enacted FS 1012 commonly known as the

Jessica Lunsford Act into law effective September 1, 2005.

Senate Bill 988 effective July 1, 2007 amended this law. The law requires any vendor, individual, or entity providing services to a school or school board who are permitted on school grounds when students are present, or who have access to or control of school funds must meet Level 2 fingerprint screening.

If you, your employees, or subcontractors meet the above criteria, you will need to complete the Level 2 fingerprint screening, approval process and be issued a Hernando County

Schools Approved Vendor Badge before being permitted on school grounds. Fingerprinting will be through The UPS Store, 4142 Mariner Blvd. Spring Hill, FL 34609. Vendors will incur any applicable fees. Vendors will need to contact the Office of

Safe Schools for specific instructions and proper forms to complete this process.

The amendment to the law required the Florida Department of

Law Enforcement (FDLE) to develop the Florida Shared

School Results (FSSR) database allowing all school districts to share fingerprint results for those vendors working in multiple counties. If you, your employees or subcontractors have been fingerprinted in another School District and are currently included in the FSSR database you now have a unique TCN

(FLXXXX2Z) number, good for a five (5) year period from the original fingerprint date. The verification of background checks is required before you enter any Hernando County School. This check of the shared prints database is done by the school district at no charge to the vendor.

Once the vendor has been cleared to work in the school district, they will be issued a Hernando County Schools and a statewide vendor badge at a cost of $10.00 each. District badges expire on the 31st of December each year and all vendors must renew their badges to continue working in the District. Statewide badges can be used in any school district in Florida and are valid for 5 years from the date of the fingerprints. All costs associated with the original fingerprinting are the responsibility of the vendor.

There are no costs associated with shared fingerprinting.

Violations of the previsions of this law are a third-degree felony. Employees violating this law will result in the contractor’s employee being trespassed off school grounds for a minimum of one year and the company involved being suspended as a vendor for one year from the date of occurrence.

Please direct all background checks, fingerprinting and vendor badge fee questions to:

Attn: Office of Safe Schools, 801 North Broad Street, Brooksville, FL 34601

Telephone Number (352) 797-7233, *****BADGE PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE*******

We look forward to continuing our working relationship with your company in the future and compliance with Florida

Statute.

4. INSURANCE CERTIFICATE:

Insurance is required of all vendors who perform work on

School Board premises. If this bid requires that you work on our premises, a current Insurance Certificate, including

Workers’ Compensation Insurance for all the awarded vendors’ employees connected with the work, and if sublet, the vendor(s) shall require the subcontractor to provide Workers’

Compensation Insurance for such employees, unless previously covered by the vendor’s insurance. All such insurance shall list all coverage’s, limitations, etc., as required by Florida Statutes and comply fully with the Florida Workers’ Compensation law.

Insurance Certificates must be furnished to the district prior to the commencement of any/all work and shall list The Hernando

County School Board both as an “Additional Insured” and as

“Certificate Holder” on all insurance policies by the vendor(s) as the result of being awarded a contract, unless expressly prohibited by the insurance company. When and if this occurs, a written explanation of that insurance company’s position must be submitted to the Purchasing Department, along with the

Insurance Certificate, which will be attached to the document and kept on file. When an insurance certificate is requested, detailed requirements will be included with the bid and found under “Insurance Requirements” section.

5. ACCEPTANCE AND WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS:

A bid, or amendment thereto, will not be considered by the

Purchasing Department after the time and date specified for the bid opening.

6. QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDER:

Bids will be considered only from contractors, vendors, manufacturers, authorized distributors of dealers who are normally engaged in the manufacture, sale or distribution of the materials or services requested herein. The bidder must have adequate organization, facilities, equipment and personnel to ensure prompt and efficient service to the district. The

Purchasing Department expressly reserves the right to declare any bid proposal non-responsive or non-responsible, if it determines that the business and technical organization, equipment, financial, personnel and other resources, or experience of the bidder, compared to work proposed, justifies such a recommendation.

7. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE, DIVISION

OF CORPORATIONS REGISTRATION

REQUIREMENTS

Bidders who are required to be registered with the Florida

Department of State, Division of Corporations or who are incorporated within the State of Florida must furnish their

Florida document number, and a screen shot of their “active” status. All registered Bidders must have an active status in order to be eligible to do business with the School Board. Bidders doing business under a fictitious name, on page 1, must submit their bid using the company’s complete registered legal name;

example: ABC, Inc. d/b/a XYZ Company. To register with the

State of Florida, visit: www.Sunbiz.org.

Per Florida Statute F.S. 607, Foreign (out of state) corporations and limited partnerships must provide proof of authorization to http://www.sunbiz.org/

(26-968-04) do business in the state of Florida. Domestic corporations must be active and in good standing in the state of Florida. Proposer must provide proof of registration on www.sunbiz.org unless vendor is solely providing commodities via mail.

https://form.sunbiz.org/pdf/cr2e007.pdf

8. NONCOLLUSION:

The bidder, by affixing its signature to this proposal, certifies that its bid is made without previous understanding, agreement, or connection with any person, firm or corporation making a bid for the same items(s), and in no way has ownership, is an officer, has partnership or authority in another firm, which would materially/monetarily gain from this award, and is in all respects fair, without outside control, collusion, fraud, or otherwise illegal action. All such associations shall be divulged prior to an award being made. Failure to divulge such information, vendor shall lose eligibility to transact business with the district for a period of not less than one (1) year.

Thereafter, the bidder may request to be reinstated to the active bidders list(s).

9. CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION

SUBMITTED:

The district reserves the right to retain all copies of bidders’ solicitations and associated documentation submitted. Under

Florida’s public records laws, sealed bids or proposals received by the district pursuant to invitations to bid and request for proposals may only be kept confidential until such time as the district provides notice of a decision or intended decision or within 10 days after the bid or proposal opening, whichever is earlier. Vendor requests to hold certain submitted materials or information in confidence cannot generally be honored. If a vendor feels that documents could be detrimental to its business, the vendor should notify the district and site the governing statute which exempts such material from public scrutiny. All such requests will be reviewed by the General

Counsel for the school district for rendering a legal opinion.

Any confidentiality provisions in the Agreement shall be read in accordance with Florida’s Public Records Act, Chapter

119, Florida Statutes. No provisions in the Agreement can be exercised to circumvent the requirements of the law for the release of records.

The vendor/contractor recognizes that the School Board is a governmental entity, subject to Florida law regarding public access to records under Florida Statute, Chapter 119. As such, the vendor/contractor agrees that only such information as is exempt and confidential under the provisions of law shall be considered confidential under the Term of this agreement. To the extent Contractor provides School Board any information which it believes is confidential or exempt, Contractor shall notify School Board of the specific information that it believes is confidential, as well as the basis for the exemption.

Additionally, to the extent that the Contractor has any obligation to act in agency for the School Board, it shall maintain its records subject to section 119.0701, Fla. Stat.

10. STUDENT INFORMATION

(a.) If the Contractor receives any student information / records as a result of this agreement, it will maintain any such information / records as confidential and will not release same to any third parties without the express written approval of the School Board, except third parties who are essential to

Contractor’s delivery of its services to the School Board and who are bound to maintain the confidentiality of student information/records. Furthermore, Contractor agrees to maintain and utilize all such student information/records in accordance with the FERPA regulations and only as provided for in the Agreement and this Addendum. If student information/records are requested by way of subpoena or court order, Contractor shall notify the School Board of such request in writing including a copy of the subpoena or order and shall otherwise comply with the FERPA regulations.

(b.) Student Online Personal Information Protection Act restricts the operator of a website, online services, or online application that is used for K-12 school purposes from collecting, disclosing, or selling student data, or from using student data to engage in targeting advertising.

11. PUBLIC ENTITY CRIME/CONVICTED VENDOR LIST

Per the provisions of Florida Statute 287.133 (2)(a), “A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Florida

Statute 287.017 for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor

List.”

12. VARIANCE TO BID DOCUMENTS:

For purpose of bid evaluation, bidders must indicate any or all variances to the bid documents and/or specifications as stated, no matter how slight. If variations are not stated in the bid, it shall be construed that the bid submitted fully complies in every respect with our bid documents. Submission of alternate documents, other than as included and/or requested in the current solicitation will cause your submittal to be non-responsive.

13. ADDENDA TO CURRENT BIDS:

Interpretations of the bid, clarification of bid specifications and requirements or changes to the bid which have a material effect shall be communicated to bidders only by written addenda.

Verbal responses to bidders’ questions do not constitute an official position unless documented in the form of written addenda and shall be considered inadmissible in bid protest proceedings. All such written addenda should be acknowledged on the addenda form included in this solicitation or by returning the signed document along with your solicitation as proof of receipt. Failure to acknowledge such addenda may constitute cause for rejection. Telegraph, facsimile or email acknowledgements of addenda will not be accepted.

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14. FLORIDA STATE CONTRACTS, SPA

AGREEMENTS & FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION CONTRACTS:

If a company currently holds a contract with the State of

Florida, Department of Management Services, Division of

Purchasing or the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), to supply the products or services requested in this bid, the bidder shall quote not more than the prices listed in these approved contracts. Failure to comply with this request may result in disqualification. The district reserves the right to reject bids and purchase from State contracts, SPA Agreements or FDOE contracts if to do so represents the best interests of the district.

15. SAFETY DATA SHEETS:

The district requires that two (2) copies of all applicable Safety

Data Sheets be furnished upon the initial purchase of any chemical or toxic substance or equipment which uses same.

One (1) copy shall accompany the product shipment and the other copy must be sent to Hernando County Schools, Security

& Safety Department, 8008 Mobley Road, Brooksville, FL

34601.

16. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS:

All bids must be in compliance with ALL applicable safety requirements as determined by Federal, State and local regulations, OSHA guidelines and any/all laws and regulations that govern the item(s)/commodity(s) and/or services requested in this bid. Unless otherwise stipulated, all electrically operated equipment shall be UL rated or approved.

17. MANUFACTURER’S CERTIFICATION:

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to request from bidders a separate letter from the manufacturer of the products bid certifying that all statements and claims made in the bid proposal are true and that all products bid meet or exceed the specifications stated in the bid documents.

18. MANUFACTURER AND MODEL NUMBERS

If Manufacturer and Model Number is not designated, vendors must specify the make and model bid for each item. If a model shown is incorrect, incomplete, or has been revised, it is the responsibility of the bidder to correct and complete the number utilizing the most current information available. Failure to comply on both or either of these two (2) areas of the bid for an item may result in the being disqualified for award of the item.

19. BID QUANTITIES:

Quantities when given, are approximations, and provided for bidder information purposes only. No guarantee is given or implied as to the exact amount or number, which shall be required under the terms and conditions of this bid. The School

Board reserves the right to increase or decrease all estimated quantities during the term of this contract.

20. DELIVERY LEAD TIME:

Each bidder shall state the number of consecutive calendar days they require after receipt of order (A.R.O.) to either complete delivery or provide the requested services in the space provided on the Bid Proposal form. The length of time to complete a project and/or deliver all of the items ordered could be a factor in awarding this bid. If a finite number of days has been specified for delivery or project completion, this deadline must be met. If a finite number of days has not been specified in the bid and the has not stipulated a specific lead time for delivery in their proposal, orders will be considered delinquent after 30 days from the issue date of the purchase order.

21. TAXES:

Purchases are exempt from ALL Federal excise and State sales tax. If, and to the extent the agreement provides for the payment of any applicable sales taxes, the vendor/contractor acknowledges that the School Board is an entity which is exempt from the same as provided by Florida Statute.

22. PAYMENT OBLIGATION:

The payment obligation of the School Board created by the

Agreement is conditioned upon the availability of funds that are appropriated or allocated for the payment of services or products. If such funds are not allocated and available, the Agreement may be terminated by the School Board at the end of the period for which funds are available. The School

Board shall notify the Contractor at the earliest possible time before such termination. No penalty shall accrue to the

School Board in the event this provision is exercised, and the

School Board shall not be obligated or liable for any future payments due or for any damages as a result of such termination.

If the Agreement requires the expenditure of funds for more than one fiscal year, the Agreement shall be subject to termination by the School Board without cause upon a thirty

(30) day notice.

23. BID SAMPLES:

The bidder shall provide product samples, without charge, when requested. If the sample is not destroyed through testing, it may be returned to the bidder when said request is submitted with the bid. Unused samples can be returned at the bidder’s expense. The successful bidders’ samples may be retained until all the terms of the purchase order or contract have been fulfilled. All samples are to be submitted at the place indicated in the Special Conditions section of the bid in accordance with the instructions outlined therein. All samples shall be identified with the bidder’s name, bid title and number, product name or as otherwise indicated in the Special Conditions section of the bid.

24. PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNTS:

Only prompt discounts offered for thirty (30) days or longer will be taken into consideration when determining low bid.

25. TIE BIDS:

Prompt payment discounts offered by bidders will be considered to break tie bids. If all other factors are equal and no prompt payment discounts are offered, preference will be given to a Florida vendor over an out-of-state vendor. If multiple Florida vendors are tied consideration may be given to the following: if the vendor has his/her principal place of business in Hernando County; if the vendor has a place of business in Hernando County; if the vendor has provided satisfactory service to the Hernando District School Board in

(26-968-04) the past; if the vendor certifies that it has implemented a drug-free workplace program in accordance with section 287.087, Florida Statutes. In order to receive preference, a signed certification of compliance must be submitted with the bid response. If all bids or no bids include a certificate of compliance, the tie will be broken by a coin flip in the presence of witnesses.

26. ERRORS AND OMISSIONS:

In the event an error or obvious omission is discovered in a bidder’s proposal, either by the Purchasing Department or the bidder, the bidder may have the opportunity of withdrawing their bid, provided they can produce sufficient evidence to document that the error or omission was unintentional. Actual original copies of working papers, calculations, etc., may be requested at the Purchasing Department’s discretion, to support the validity of such a request. This privilege shall not extend to allowing a bidder to change any information contained in their bid proposal; however, in the event of a minor omission or oversight on the part of the bidder, the Purchasing Department

(or designee) may request written clarification from a bidder in order to confirm the evaluator’s interpretation of the bidder’s response and to preclude the rejection of their bid, either in part or in whole. The Purchasing Department will have the authority to weigh the severity of the infraction and determine its acceptability.

27. BASIS OF AWARD OR REJECTION OF BIDS:

The Superintendent will recommend the bid meeting specifications from the most responsible and responsive bidder(s) to the Board. Slight variations or irregularities may be accepted by the Board if either is found to be in its best interest. The Superintendent (or designee) shall be solely responsible for determining the acceptability of a bid. The

Board reserves the right to award or reject any or all bids, either in part or in whole, item by item, with rights being maintained to make multiple awards if in the best interest of the district. In addition to the unrestricted right to separately bid any work, products, or services as described herein when it is to the economic benefit and best interests of the district to do so.

28. NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD BIDS:

Once bids are evaluated and a recommendation for award made, a Notice of Intent to Award will be posted electronically on the

Purchasing Department’s Website: www.hernandoschools.org.

Bidders are invited to visit the Hernando County School

District’s website at to obtain this information. Due to excessive mailing costs, the Purchasing Department will not mail out notices of intent to award to bidders.

29. BID PROTEST:

If a bidder wishes to protest a bid, they must do so in strict accordance with the procedures outlined in Florida Statutes

Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed shall constitute a waiver of proceedings. Bids will be posted electronically using an online bidding website with a link available on the Purchasing Department’s website at www.hernandoschools.org.

30. BID AWARD NOTIFICATION:

After the Board awards a contract, the Purchasing Department will issue an official award letter to the vendor(s) along with a contract tabulation sheet outlining the contract dates, renewal options and awarded pricing. After the award, purchase orders may be issued to the vendor, and the vendor is authorized to commence delivering the materials and/or services. Unless otherwise specified, the purchase order issued by the Hernando

County School Board will serve as the contract document, with applicable bid terms, conditions and specifications as outlined in the document, no other terms and conditions shall apply. All award letters, tabulation sheets and purchase orders will only be sent to the vendor electronically using the email address provided in their submittal. The Purchasing Department will also post the award letter and tabulation sheet to the online bidding site.

31. AUTHORIZATION TO DELIVER MATERIALS OR

SERVICES:

All purchases must be properly authorized in advance. Vendors must first obtain an official Purchase Order or a Purchasing

Visa Card number prior to shipping any merchandise or providing any services. The district will be under no obligation to pay for merchandise delivered or services provided without this prior authorization. Verbal orders are prohibited.

32. PRICE QUOTATION: If requested by a school or department within the District, the Vendor must provide a quotation that will include all associated costs for producing the item(s) being requested. All prices in the quotation shall be equal to or less then the prices given in the awarded proposal.

It is at the discretion of the school or department to request samples before authorizing work.

33. VISA® CREDIT CARDS:

Some orders will be placed by individual schools or departments utilizing a district issued VISA® credit card as form of payment. These orders will be made via phone, fax, pick-up and/or for direct delivery and billing to the requesting site. Please note that credit card purchases will benefit all vendors by providing immediate payment (i.e.: within 48-72 hours) and eliminate the need to submit an invoice. Only actual items shipped/delivered can be charged to the credit card account (i.e.: no backorders). All purchase deliveries, regardless of method, must include a packing slip or receipt/invoice listing the items and prices of goods delivered.

For security reasons, the credit card number must not appear on any/all packing slips/delivery tickets.

VISA® Transactions should always be treated like any other transaction; that is you may not impose any surcharge on a

VISA® transaction. For merchants who offer an alternate payment channel for customers to pay for goods or services, a convenience fee may be added to the transaction amount. If a convenience fee is assessed, merchants must adhere to the following rules:

A. The fee is being charged for a bona fide convenience of using an alternative payment channel outside of the merchant’s normal business practice;

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B. The fee:

i. Must be disclosed as a charge for the convenience of using the alternate method to pay;

ii. Is applied only to non-face-to-face transactions;

iii. Must be a flat or fixed amount, regardless of the amount of the payment due;

iv. Is applied to all forms of payment products accepted in the alternative payment channel;

v. Is included as part of the total transaction amount;

vi. Cannot be added to a recurring transaction;

vii. Is assessed by the merchant that provides the goods or services to the cardholder and not a third party;

C. Customer must be given the opportunity to cancel prior to the completion of the transaction.

34. BACKORDERS:

Items backordered should be clearly indicated on the packing slip/delivery ticket. Sites reserve the right to cancel backorders at any time and purchase from another vendor. It is the responsibility of the vendor to contact the originating location to verify/confirm if they still want the backordered items.

NO BACKORDERS ALLOWED ON CREDIT CARD

PURCHASES.

35. ORDERING

ITEMS/SERVICES/RECEIVING/BACKORDERS:

Whenever time constraints are involved in ordering and receiving of an item, or backorders are not being received in a timely manner, thus causing the district to experience costly delays or causing emergency situations to develop unnecessarily, the School Board reserves the right to go to the next lowest bidder and/or buy off contract, if the original bidder awarded a contract, does not stock the item or is temporarily out of stock of the required item and cannot furnish the parts or items in a timely manner.

36. POINT OF CONTACT:

The district will consider the selected bidder(s) to be the sole point of contact with regard to all contractual matters, including payment of any and all charges.

37. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT:

The final contract to be awarded and any resulting amounts to be paid shall not be transferred, pledged, or assigned without the prior written approval of the district.

38. LICENSES AND PERMITS:

The vendor shall obtain any pay for all necessary licenses, permits, and related documents required to comply with the bid specifications. The vendor shall save and hold harmless the district as a result of any infraction of the aforementioned.

39. CONDITION OF ITEMS:

Unless otherwise specified in the special bid terms and conditions, all items requested must be new the latest model manufactured, first quality, carry the manufacturer’s standard warranty and be equal to or exceed the specifications listed in the bid... Bids on “used, remanufactured or reconditioned equipment or “blems or seconds” will not be considered unless specifically requested and authorized in the bid documents.

40. ALTERNATE/USED OR EQUAL EQUIPMENT:

Vendors should be prepared to furnish illustrations, specifications and catalogs when submitting bids on alternate/used brands or on “Or Equal” equipment. Such submittals shall include all requested accessories and complete specifications for the item being bid. When such information is required, it must be submitted no later than the closing date of the bid, unless otherwise stated. Only one alternate per item number will be allowed. If more than one (1) alternate is submitted, the bids for that entire item number will not be considered, unless otherwise stated. Alternates must be explicitly and clearly identified as an “alternate bid(s).”

Alternates may be evaluated and may be accepted, if deemed to be in the District’s best interest to do so. Any decision to review and evaluate alternate submittals is solely at the discretion of the District.

41. WARRANTY

All equipment and/or services rendered/purchased from this bid shall carry, at a minimum, the manufacturers or vendor’s standard warranty, unless otherwise specified

42. INSPECTION:

The Board reserves the right to have inspectors on the premises of the bidders or manufacturers at any time during the manufacturing or assembly process in order to verify compliance with the bid documents.

43. PACKAGING:

The bidder shall adequately package the products or items which have been purchased by the Board. All products require adequate packaging to protect them from damage in transit.

Packaging must fully cover and protect merchandise. Bidders are requested to provide products with environmentally safe packaging if at all possible. Vendors must fully comply with all special packaging requirements, if and when specified in the bid document. When corrugated carton packaging is specified, polywrap or blanket wrap will not be acceptable.

The Board assumes no responsibility for damage of any kind incurred while the items are in transit. Bidders may adjust unit packaging up or down only when attempting to reach the next standard unit pack. Otherwise, only exact quantities requested will be accepted and no overages will be allowed.

44. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:

The School Board does not indemnify or hold harmless any vendor/bidder. The vendor/bidder agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the School Board harmless from and against any and all damages of any nature whatsoever which are caused or materially contributed to by the negligent, reckless or intentional acts of the Indemnifying Party and guarantees to save the School Board of Hernando County, its agents and employees harmless from liability of any nature or kind.

45. FEES

The parties agree to each pay their own attorneys’ fees and costs relating to the negotiation of the Agreement/contract and any Addendums and in relation to any action to enforce the terms of either document.

(26-968-04)

46. PRICE ESCALATION CLAUSE:

A. No price escalations (increases) will be permitted during the initial (first year) term of this contract.

Price de-escalation (decrease) is permissible at any time during the contract term. The School district will not consider bids which contain an escalation clause for the initial (first year) contract period.

B. The School Board may consider pricing increases of the bid item(s), at the end of the first year and at time of renewals(s), if the following conditions occur: a)

There is a verifiable price increase to the provider of the bid items(s); b) The vendor submits in writing, notification of price increases(s); c) The price increase shall be comparable to documented manufacturers’ or distributors’ price changes or changes in industry related indices; d) price increases due to seasonal and/or unforeseen market conditions during the term of the initial contract period, and any/all subsequent renewal periods; e) The vendor shall submit the above information to the Purchasing Department no less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the effective date of the requested price increase.

C. When the awarded vendor(s) complies with the above mentioned conditions, Purchasing will review the information to determine if it is in the best interest of the School District to adjust the pricing on the product(s) bid, in conjunction with the vendor’s effective date of price increase.

D. The awarded vendor(s) must receive written notice from Purchasing that the School District is in acceptance of the new price(s) before processing any orders at the new cost.

Vendors are also expected to pass along any/all decreases on products/services OR to keep product pricing constant

(remain the same) when market conditions warrant no such increases.

47. SUBSTITUTIONS, ADDITIONAL OR

NEW/UPGRADED MODELS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES

AND SUPPLIES AFTER AWARD:

Additional new/upgraded models, products, services, and supplies may be added to this contract after award if deemed to be in the district’s best interest. Any new models, products, items or services added to this contract shall become part of and comply with ALL terms, conditions, requirements, specifications, of the original bid document. Vendor requests to substitute any products originally awarded on this bid, shall be submitted in writing to the Purchasing Department along with complete descriptions and corresponding pricing in order to have the substitute approved and added to the contract.

Any new models, which as a result of revisions, alternations, additions, or technical improvements, meet or exceed the requirements of this bid, must be offered for the district’s consideration for replacement of the discontinued models/products. These models/products must not exceed the price of those being replaced.

48. ITEM SUBSTITUTIONS & DISCONTINUATIONS:

Under no circumstances may a vendor substitute a different product for any item they were awarded from this bid, without prior written approval from the Purchasing Department. In the event an awarded item is discontinued by the manufacturer or the vendor no longer offers the item in their product line during the term of this bid, the vendor must provide an acceptable substitute item at a mutually acceptable negotiated price, or risk being found in default. The vendor must file a written request with the Purchasing Department and be granted approval to substitute, in writing, before any substitution may be made.

Requests to substitute should be accompanied by complete detailed, technical specifications for the proposed substitute item, and a sample, if requested. The district reserves the right to purchase on the open market while negotiations are being conducted.

49. DEFAULT:

Failure to perform in accordance with the terms and conditions and/or specifications contained herein shall constitute cause for termination for default. If the bidder defaults after the Board awards a bid and bid performance security was required with the bid, the District will execute the performance security as liquidated damages. If the bidder defaults after the Board awards a bid and bid performance security was not required, the bidder shall pay to the District, as liquidated damages, an amount equal to 25% of the unit prices bid times the quantity for each item in question, or $50., whichever amount is larger.

If the bid pricing was expressed as a lump sum amount, then the amount due will be 25% of the remaining value of the contract.

A vendor found to be in default of their contract shall lose eligibility to transact business with the District for a period of not less than two (2) years. Thereafter, the bidder may request to be reinstated to the active bidder list(s) after they demonstrate their ability to perform responsibly to the satisfaction of the

District. In case of default by the bidder, the District may procure the articles or services from the next lowest bidder(s).

The next lowest bidder’s prices must remain the same as originally bid and must remain firm for the duration of the contract. The default bidder shall be liable to the School Board for the difference between awarded bid price and the price the

School Board pays to secure the merchandise from another source, in addition to attorney’s fees and costs of collection.

50. RECEIPT OF MERCHANDISE & DELIVERY

NOTIFICATION: The purchaser reserves the right to reject any and all materials or products delivered which, in its opinion do not comply with the bid specifications. All materials or products rejected by the purchaser and/or shipped in error by the successful vendor shall be promptly removed and replaced by the bidder at no cost within seven (7) calendar days of receipt. All materials or products rejected by the purchaser shall be promptly removed and replaced by the vendor at no charge. All shipments are to be offloaded from the delivery vehicle to the loading dock or brought inside the building if the facility has no loading dock. Vendors are to call prior to scheduling deliveries to verify loading dock availability or not.

The exception will be for materials obviously intended for outdoor use. All shipments must be made by door-to-door rail

(26-968-04) freight or motor truck line. There are no rail sidings at any locations. Normal delivery hours are between 8:00 AM and

2:30 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. All materials or products left unclaimed or picked up by the vendor past thirty (30) days shall be deemed “abandoned” and become the sole property of the school district.

Exceptions to this schedule will be stated in the Special

Conditions or on the purchase order. For shipments which may require assistance of district personnel to assist off-loading or when the purchase order specifies installation, the contact person whose name is printed in the body of the purchase order should be notified a minimum of forty-eight (48) hours prior to delivery to allow sufficient time to prepare the location.

Telephone numbers are also included on all purchase orders for the contact person.

51. EQUIPMENT DEAD ON ARRIVAL (D.O.A.):

Any product shipped which arrives inoperable or ceases to function within seven (7) business days of the initial installation shall be considered DOA and shall be replaced by the vendor with a new product identical to the one ordered within thirty

(30) days of notification.

52. RETURNED MERCHANDISE:

All merchandise returned for any reason other than vendor error, vendor misrepresentation of product capabilities, or product defects may be subject to no more than a 15% restocking fee and return freight charges, negotiable between the district and the vendor. It is understood that the merchandise should be returned in the original factory sealed carton whenever possible. It is also understood that this may not always be possible. The vendor shall provide a return merchandise authorization (RMA) without requiring a purchase order or credit card. The vendor shall ship replacement merchandise prior to receipt of returned merchandise, if applicable.

53. SALES PROMOTIONS:

It is understood that sales promotions may occur during the period of the contract that will lower the prices of some products for the period of the sales promotion. Advance notice of such promotions should be directed through the Purchasing

Department prior to offering to the district’s schools and departments. In addition, any such reduction must appear on the vendor’s invoices.

54. MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS:

Bidders may be requested to submit maintenance contract pricing on specific item(s). Such maintenance contracts would be purchased in lieu of performing in-house equipment repairs after the expiration of the standard manufacturers’ warranties.

If pricing is desired, space will be provided on the Bid Proposal

Form for bidders to enter their cost figures. A copy of the maintenance agreement should be included for review of the terms and conditions of the contract. All maintenance contracts shall be on-site with all necessary parts and labor included.

Award of maintenance contracts for specified items shall be at the discretion of the Board.

55. INVOICES AND PAYMENT TERMS:

All invoices, packing lists, and correspondence should reference our ten (10) digit purchase order, unless paying with a district purchasing credit card or otherwise stated in the

Special Conditions, payment will only be made after the merchandise or services have been:

A. Received complete or substantially complete;

B. Inspected and found to comply with all specifications and be free of damage or defect;

C. Properly invoiced;

D. Itemized and submitted in DUPLICATE.

To ensure timely payment, all original invoices should be submitted to the SHIP TO location indicated on the purchase order. Failure to follow this procedure may result in payment delays. Occasionally a school may issue its own internal purchase order. The same process above applies for mailing invoices. A minimum of thirty (30) days may be required for payments. The Finance Department currently processes checks twice a month.

Notwithstanding any provision requirements to the contrary in the agreement, all payments due from the School Board for non-construction services along with resolving disputes, hereunder shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter

218, Florida Statutes.

56. TRAVEL

If, and to the extent that the agreement provides for reimbursement of travel and related expenses, the contractor/vendor agree that such reimbursements shall be subject to the reimbursement schedules contained in Florida

Statutes.

57. TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION FORM W-9

A completed and signed Request For Taxpayer Identification

Number and Certification Form should be submitted with your submittal.