27-006 Executive Coaching_final.docx

Request for Proposals

RFP # 27-006

Executive Coaching Posted: October 9, 2026

RFP Summary Sheet

The information found in this summary sheet is for reference purposes only. Vendors or other interested parties are cautioned to review the solicitation, including any later amendments, in its entirety and contact the listed Point of Contact with any questions.

1. Point of Contact- Lindsey Buffy

2. Important Dates:

A. Publication Date- October 9, 2026 B. Deadline for Questions- October 19, 2026 C. Proposal Submission Deadline- November 10, 2026; 2:00 PM

3. Overview and Goals:

A. The Chancellor is seeking a contractor who will provide confidential, individualized executive coaching. The contractor’s services must be tailored to the leadership demands of a statewide, public, multicampus community-college system. See Section 1.B and C for details.

B. Budget: $60,000

4. Requested Proposal Format- Additional Information found in Section 5

5. Proposal Submission Instructions- Additional Information in Appendix A, Section 2 A. Responses must be submitted through BidNet Direct. Proposals submitted via ColoradoVSS or email will not be accepted.

B. Ensure all requested attachments are included C. Responses received after the submission deadline shall not be opened and shall be rejected as a late response, unless otherwise permitted by the procurement official in accordance with Procurement Rule R-24-103-201-10.

Vendor Response Signature Page RFP 27-006 Executive Coaching VENDORS: See the solicitation document below for the response deadline and other response submission information and requirements.

Vendors responding to this solicitation must fill out this page in its entirety, sign and return with vendor’s response. This page must bear a physical or electronic signature, as electronic signature is defined in the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act", section 24-71.3-102 (8), evincing an intent by the vendor to be bound by its response. Failure to do so may disqualify the vendor response.

The undersigned understands and agrees that misrepresentation made in this response and/or subsequent discussions or information presented to the State may be deemed sufficient cause for the refusal by the State to execute a contract as a result, and that that later discovery of any omission or misrepresentation made in the solicitation response and/or subsequent discussions or information presented to the State may be grounds for the cancellation of an existing contract.

LEGAL COMPANY NAME (OFFEROR): _____________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

SIGNER’S NAME: _____________________

TITLE: _____________________________

PHONE NUMBER: _____________________

EMAIL: _____________________________

Award notice will be posted on ColoradoVSS. Please provide your VSS ID#, if known: __________________________

CONTACT FOR CLARIFICATIONS

NAME: ___________________________

TITLE: ___________________________

PHONE: _______________________

EMAIL: ______________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Appendix A - Administrative Information Appendix B - Vendor Disclosure Statement

INTRODUCTION

General Information On behalf of the State of Colorado, Insert State Agency/IHE is issuing this Request for Proposals for Executive Coaching Services for the Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System.

Background The Colorado Community College System, which includes 13 colleges across the State of Colorado, is led by a Chancellor that reports to the State Board for Community College and Occupational Education. The Chancellor is seeking a contractor who will provide confidential, individualized executive coaching. The contractor’s services must be tailored to the leadership demands of a statewide, public, multicampus community-college system.

Overview and Goals The Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System seeks executive coaching services in the areas of leadership strategy, senior-team development, Board relationships, change management, reform implementation, and strategic communications. The selected contractor will provide confidential, individualized executive coaching to the CCCS Chancellor. The goals of the engagement include:

Strengthened personal leadership effectiveness, executive judgment, and reflective practice.

Measurable progress on at least two agreed annual leadership-development goals.

More effective partnership and communication between the Chancellor, Board Chair, and Board members.

Stronger leadership of and relationships with the 13 college presidents and the system executive team.

Improved ability to lead complex change, sequence transformation initiatives, and sustain accountability during implementation.

Clearer, more strategic communication with internal and external stakeholders.

Earlier identification and more effective navigation of leadership risks, conflicts, and sensitive organizational dynamics.

The maximum annual total value of the contract will not exceed $60,000.

Sole Point of Contact

i. The State’s sole point of contact for this solicitation is Lindsey Buffy, Purchasing Manager, who may be reached via email at lindsey.buffy@cccs.edu, or via phone at 720-858-2772.

Because phone lines may not be consistently monitored, email is the preferred method of communication. The individual listed above is the sole point of contact for this solicitation. Initiating contact with anyone other than this individual may result in Offeror disqualification.

Schedule of Activities

ii. This Schedule of Activities is for information and planning purposes only. Schedules for Activities listed as “Estimated” may be subject to change depending on the needs of the State. All times are considered in Mountain Time (MT), as adjusted for daylight savings.

The date of publication for this solicitation on Colorado VSS is October 9, 2026.

Written inquiries must be submitted via the posting in BidNet Direct no later than October 19, 2026 at 5:00. Reference the Bid Number and Title in the subject line of the email.

The estimated date for the State’s responses to vendors’ written inquiries to be published on Colorado VSS is October 23, 2026.

All proposals must be submitted in the method described in Appendix A, Section 2.I. Administrative Information no later than November 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM.

A public opening of the proposals will be held via WebEx on November 10, 2026 at 2:15 PM.. So that CCCS can plan for attendance, if an Offeror wishes to attend the public proposal opening, please send an email to the Procurement Contact to RSVP at least one day prior to the date of the public proposal opening and include the name and email for the person who will attend. CCCS will respond to the attendee with a link to the meeting.

The estimated date for demonstrations from selected proposers, if needed, is the week of November 30, 2026 The estimated date for the publication of an Intent to Award on Colorado VSS is December 15, 2026.

Start Date The desired Contract or Purchase Order start date is December 15, 2026.

Anticipated Contract Term

iii. The initial term of the awarded Contract is anticipated to begin on December 15, 2026 and end on December 15, 2027. This Contract may be renewed for up to four additional one-year periods at the sole discretion of the State. The total duration of the Contract, including all options, is not anticipated to exceed five (5) years.

The State may extend the Contract beyond the anticipated term in accordance with the Colorado Procurement Code, and in the event that the State determines an extension is necessary.

The State may, within its sole discretion, choose not to exercise any option or extension term in the Contract for any reason. If the State chooses not to exercise any option or extension term, it may re-procure the goods and/or services in its sole discretion.

OFFEROR’S EXPERIENCE AND PERSONNEL

A. Minimum Qualifications

iv. The proposed lead coach must have served as a chancellor, president, chief executive officer, or system-level executive in public higher education, with direct responsibility and authority for institution presidents or chief executives.

v. The proposed lead coach must have direct experience reporting to, advising, or being evaluated by a governing board with authority over multiple college presidents of individually accredited institutions.

vi. The proposed lead coach must have senior executive experience in a multicampus or multi-college higher-education system serving at least 75,000 students annually. Proposers must identify the system, role, dates, number of institutions, scope of authority, and enrollment measure used.

vii. The proposed lead coach must demonstrate at least three years of experience providing individualized executive coaching or formal executive mentoring to sitting community-college presidents, higher-education system chancellors, or comparable public-sector chief executives that have a direct reporting line to a governing board.

viii. The proposed lead coach must demonstrate experience supporting a chief executive through leadership transition, organizational transformation, governance complexity, or significant institutional change.

ix. The proposed lead coach must be available to provide monthly coaching, reasonable consultation between sessions, stakeholder engagement, meeting observation, and up to two onsite engagements annually.

x. The proposer must agree to CCCS confidentiality, data-security, conflict-of-interest, public-records, insurance, and contracting requirements.

REQUIREMENTS

Accessibility Requirements

xi. All work performed as a result of this solicitation must comply with all applicable provisions of §§24-85-101, et seq., C.R.S., and the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability, as established by the Office Of Information Technology pursuant to Section §24-85-103 (2.5), C.R.S. and 3) all State of Colorado technology standards related to technology accessibility and with Level AA of the most current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), incorporated in the State of Colorado technology standards.

Insurance Requirements The awarded Offeror will be required to submit a certificate(s) of insurance evidencing insurance coverage for, at minimum, the types and amounts of insurance as required by the Insurance provision in the State of Colorado Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, prior to execution of the Purchase Order.

Scope of Work Scope of Work and Deliverables This Scope of Work describes the deliverables sought through this RFP and the scope of what the awarded Offeror will be expected to offer through the contract resulting from this RFP. The Scope of Work is intended to provide interested Offeror’s with sufficient basic information to submit a proposal. It is not intended to limit a proposal’s content or exclude any relevant or essential data.

The selected contractor will provide confidential, individualized executive coaching to the CCCS Chancellor. Services must be tailored to the leadership demands of a statewide, public, multicampus community-college system and will include the following activities.

i. Within 30 days of contract start, conduct a structured engagement launch with the Chancellor and Board-designated contract sponsor to confirm objectives, confidentiality boundaries, communication protocols, measures of value, and successes indicators. These results of this engagement launch will be outlined in an engagement charter.

ii. Provide at least one individual coaching session of approximately 60–90 minutes each month, with flexibility for additional sessions during time-sensitive leadership matters. These coaching sessions will cover at least the following topics annually as agreed upon in the engagement charter: leadership strategy, executive judgment, Board governance and relationships, president and senior-team leadership, organizational culture, change leadership, strategic communications, conflict navigation, stakeholder engagement, and implementation of major projects.

iii. The coach will remain reasonably available between scheduled sessions for brief consultation by telephone or videoconference.

iv. Support the Chancellor in defining, pursuing, and assessing at least two annual leadership-development goals aligned with the Board’s expectations and the Chancellor’s professional growth.

v. 6-months after the start of the contract, participate with the Chancellor and Board-designated sponsor to assess service quality and progress on objectives outlined in the engagement charter.

vi. Review relevant documents and communications when needed to inform coaching, including Board materials, strategic plans, organizational proposals, executive communications, evaluation feedback, and other confidential materials.

vii. With the Chancellor’s authorization, conduct confidential conversations with the Board Chair or other Board members, college presidents, executive leaders, the Board liaison, or other relevant stakeholders to gather context and feedback.

viii. Observe selected Board, Presidents Council, cabinet, retreat, or similar meetings when observation will materially improve the coaching engagement.

ix. Provide up to two planned onsite engagements each contract year, with dates and activities established collaboratively.

x. Offer relevant tools, readings, frameworks, and leadership-development resources without substituting generic training for individualized coaching.

xi. Help the Chancellor reflect on progress and prepare a concise annual coaching-impact reflection suitable for inclusion in the Chancellor’s self-evaluation, while protecting the confidentiality of coaching discussions.

REQUESTED PROPOSAL FORMAT

Proposals should cover the following areas, with an emphasis on how these areas relate to the evaluation criteria listed in this Request for Proposals. Please format Proposals as a single PDF document with tab sections as outlined below and no more than 20 pages not including administrative documents. Only proposals submitted via BidNet Direct (www.bidnetdirect.com) will be accepted. See Appendix A Administrative Information, Section 2 Offeror Proposal Information for more details.

Tab A – Administrative Documents Signed Vendor Response Signature Page Completed W-9 Vendor Disclosure Statement (Appendix B) Tab B - Demonstrated Experience

xii. Offeror’s Response- Offeror shall describe how the Offeror’s experience and capabilities make it the ideal candidate to perform the work. Describe experience with similar projects.

Tab C – Team Qualifications Offeror’s Response- Offeror shall indicate key personnel who will be assigned to the project and describe their experience. Reference Section 2.A. above of this solicitation regarding the desired organizational personnel.

Tab D - Technical/Business Proposal Offeror’s Response- Offeror shall describe how they will accomplish the Scope of Work detailed in this solicitation and shall include the following:

Identify any pertinent issues and potential problems. Identify any risks and how to mitigate them.

Provide the proposed approach for meeting the scope of work and requirements, including any applicable timelines. Address the ability to meet any required technical requirements.

Tab E - Cost Proposal Offerors shall submit with their proposals the proposed pricing that supports their response to the Scope of Work. The price proposal shall include your company’s pricing models and pricing narrative. Proposers shall outline pricing models and include a detailed pricing narrative that justifies its rates. The pricing narrative should explain how your company has structured its costs and how it proposes to charge the state for the work. Pricing must include all annual and one-time expenses, fees, materials and administrative costs for each year of the contract term. Total costs shall not exceed $60,000 annually.

Tab F – References Provide a minimum of three (3) current or former clients where work has been performed within the last five years who may be contacted with respect to your firm’s reputation for high quality of work, responsibility and efficiency. Include the name, address and telephone number of the executive in each organization who can speak knowledgeably about the quality, timeliness and cost of your work.

Tab G – Confidential Information Requests for confidential Information may be included in this section. It is also acceptable to provide this Tab G as a separate folder. Note that commingling of confidential and non-confidential information is not acceptable and the proposal may not be considered confidential in its entirety. Neither price information nor any information that will be included in a resulting Contract will be considered confidential. See Appendix A, Section 2.H for details.

Tab H – Exceptions or modifications to the Purchaser Order terms The standard terms and conditions in the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions shall govern this procurement and are hereby incorporated by reference.

· The state does not agree to accept any requested changes to the state’s terms and conditions and will only consider changes proposed by potential vendors. While the state will work with a potential vendor on requested changes, none are guaranteed. Additionally, Vendors are cautioned that modifications to any of the provisions in the State Purchase Order Terms and Conditions as well as other standard state exhibits, are considered to constitute an increased risk as well as increased costs to the State. Therefore, Vendor’s noted exceptions may be considered in any evaluation. The state will not accept or consider any requests to modify the Colorado Special Provisions, and the state reserves the right to deem proposals as unresponsive if this request is made.

· Any changes requested to the State Purchase Order Terms and Conditions or Exhibits accompanying this solicitation will constitute an increased timeline to contract execution as approvals may need to be obtained by multiple CCCS departments. Therefore, any requested changes may take several weeks to review.

· If no exceptions are noted, Vendor indicates their intent to accept the State of Colorado Terms and Conditions as-is.

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

Evaluation Process A comprehensive, thorough, complete and impartial evaluation of each proposal received will be conducted in accordance with §24-103-203(7), C.R.S, which states, “The award shall be made to the responsible Offeror whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the state, taking into consideration the price and evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposal.”

Evaluation Committee

xiii. An Evaluation Committee will be established utilizing measures to ensure the integrity of the evaluation process. These measures include the following:

Selecting committee members who do not have a conflict of interest regarding this solicitation.

Facilitating the independent review of proposals.

Requiring the evaluation of the proposals to be based strictly on the content of the proposals.

Ensuring the fair and impartial treatment of all Offerors.

The objective of the Evaluation Committee is to conduct reviews of the proposals that have been submitted, to hold frank and detailed discussions among themselves, and to recommend an Offeror for award.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

xiv. The State will evaluate proposals to determine if each Offeror meets all mandatory qualification requirements; provided, however, that the State has the authority to waive non-material mandatory requirements in certain circumstances. Reference Procurement Rule R-24-103-301-03. The mandatory qualification requirements are scored on a Met/Not Met basis and only those proposals found to meet all mandatory requirements, other than non-material mandatory requirements waived by the State, can be considered for a Contract resulting from this solicitation.

Proposals will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee using the evaluation criteria listed below. The evaluators will consider whether the Scope of Work requirements in the solicitation have been addressed, and they will review the capabilities of the Offeror, as well as the quality of the approach proposed, the price, and any other aspect determined relevant to the evaluation criteria.

The evaluation criteria to be used in evaluating the proposals are as follows (and are listed in no particular order):

Experience Team Qualifications Approach and Methodology Pricing Demonstrations and Discussions

xv. The Evaluation Committee may, if it deems necessary, request clarifications, conduct discussions or oral presentations, or request best and final offers. Per R-24-103-203-03, discussions may be held with responsible offerors whose proposals are determined to be reasonably susceptible to be selected for award to:

Promote understanding of the state’s requirements and the offerors’ proposals; and Facilitate a contract that will be most advantageous to the state taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in the request for proposals.

The Evaluation Committee may adjust its scoring based on the results of such activities. However, proposals may be reviewed and determinations made without such activities. Offerors should be aware that the opportunity for further explanation might not exist; therefore, Offerors should ensure that their submission is complete, and are encouraged to submit their best possible proposal, including pricing.

Single proposal If only one bid or proposal is received in response to a solicitation, an award may be made to the single bidder or offeror if the procurement official finds that the price submitted is fair and reasonable and that other prospective bidders or offerors had reasonable opportunity to respond. Reference Procurement Rule R- 24-103-201-02(d).

Award

xvi. A Notice of Intent to Award will be published on Colorado VSS.

The award determination is ultimately a business decision that will reflect an integrated assessment of the relative merits of the proposals received, using the factors set forth in in this solicitation. The State intends to award Contract(s) to the Offeror(s) whose proposal(s), conforming to the solicitation, will be most advantageous to the State, price and other factors considered.

V02.2026 RFP 27-006 Executive Coaching Page 8 of 12

RFP APPENDIX A- ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Information Cooperative Purchasing Reserved Colorado Vendor Self Service

xvii. This solicitation is being published on Colorado Vendor Self Service (Colorado VSS), so that Offerors who have an interest may submit a proposal in accordance with the terms of this solicitation.

Vendors can self-register for this system free of charge, or may click on “Public Access” on the website to view solicitation documents and modifications without registering. Vendors are encouraged but not required to register prior to or at the time they submit their response. The State also recommends that interested vendors check Colorado VSS on a regular basis throughout this solicitation process.

CCCS will require awarded vendors to register with ColoradoVSS.

CCCS is also posting on the Rocky Mountain BidNet Direct system as a secondary posting for submissions. All proposals must be submitted via BidNet Direct.

Offeror inquiries

xviii. Offerors may submit written inquiries via the solicitation posting in BidNet Direct concerning this solicitation to obtain clarifications. The State may not accept inquiries after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Send all inquiries to the Procurement Contact identified in the Schedule of Activities within the main body of this RFP. Inquiries must be clearly marked with the RFP number and title. Where appropriate, inquiries should include references to any relevant Section/paragraph of the solicitation.

Responses to Offeror’s inquiries will be published collectively, as a modification on Colorado VSS. Offerors shall not rely on any verbal statements that alter any specification or other term or condition of the solicitation. Such changes are valid only if provided in writing by the Procurement Contact.

Modifications and/or Supplemental Information to the Solicitation

xix. Any modifications, amendments or supplemental information to the solicitation will be published on Colorado VSS. A modification notice will be published on Colorado VSS in the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation.

It is the Offeror’s sole responsibility to check Colorado VSS on a regular basis, prior to the proposal submission deadline, as this is the primary means for communicating any clarifications or changes to solicitation content, timeline and/or requirements.

Public Opening of Proposals A public proposal opening will be held virtually. Additional information regarding the public opening, including the date, time, and format of the opening, can be found in the Schedule of Activities within the main body of this RFP.

Pricing

xx. Proposed pricing must remain firm during the initial term of the Contract.

Pricing must include any fees associated with the delivery of the goods or services, including, but not limited to, shipping and installation.

Pricing should be inclusive of all services outlined in this RFP and be inclusive of travel and any other related expenses.

Documents After Award Prior to Contract execution, the awarded Offeror must provide the State with Proof of Good Standing with the Colorado Secretary of State and an insurance certificate documenting coverage according to the Model Contract found as an attachment to this solicitation. Offerors do not need to submit these documents unless they are awarded this solicitation.

Incurring Costs Offerors are solely responsible for all costs incurred as a result of responding to this solicitation, which may include, but is not limited to, meetings, presentations, or negotiations.

Confidentiality of Solicitation Process

xxi. Following the proposal submission deadline, individuals/entities may request from the Procurement Contact a list of the names of the responding Offerors. All other information related to the solicitation process will remain confidential until award.

Following the Notice of Intent to Award, all Offeror proposals will be open to public inspection with the exception of information determined by the State to be a trade secret or confidential or proprietary. Reference §24-72-200.1 et seq., C.R.S., as amended, Colorado Open Records Act.

Solicitation cancellation and/or Rejection of Offeror Proposals

xxii. In accordance with §24-103-301, C.R.S., and the related Procurement Rules, the State may cancel this solicitation, or any and all proposals may be rejected in whole or in part, without penalty, at any time before a Contract is executed, when it is in the best interest of the State. The reason and documentation supporting the decision to cancel the solicitation or reject proposal(s) shall remain confidential for the lesser of six months or until a Contract(s) is awarded by the State. Reference Procurement Rule R-24-101-401-05.

If the solicitation is cancelled after, proposals are received, the proposals that have been opened shall be retained in the procurement record, or if unopened, they will be disposed of, or returned to the Offerors upon request, at the Offerors’ expense.

News Releases and Announcements Offerors shall not issue any news releases, communications or announcements of any kind pertaining to this solicitation, without prior written approval by the State.

Protested Solicitations and Award An aggrieved party may file a protest concerning a material issue(s), at any phase of solicitation, including but not limited to, specifications, award or a disclosure of information marked confidential in the proposal. The protest shall be submitted to the Colorado Community College System Official within ten (10) business days after such aggrieved person knows, or should have known, of the facts giving rise thereto. Reference §24-109-102, C.R.S., as amended, and Procurement Rule R-24-109-102-01, et seq. Protests should be submitted in writing via email to Lindsey Buffy, Procurement Official, at lindsey.buffy@cccs.edu.

Offeror proposal information Proposal Submission Deadline See the Schedule of Activities within the main body of this RFP.

General Information for the Proposal Response

xxiii. Offerors are encouraged to review the solicitation and any related appendices and attachments in their entirety to assure understanding of and compliance with the requirements that may be included in these documents.

A proposal should be thorough, but not exhaustive, and it should address the requirements set forth in this solicitation and should provide sufficient details to allow the Evaluation Committee to determine whether the proposal demonstrates an understanding of the State’s requirements and contracting terms and conditions; the ability to meet the State’s needs, including the experience and resources necessary to carry out the work; and costs that are reasonable and consistent with the industry.

The Offeror’s proposal and all attachments shall Comply with the standards of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (29 USC § 794). The Offeror may not have an opportunity to re-draft their proposal and attachments to make them accessible to persons with vision impairments after the proposal submission deadline and in the event that the Department has evaluator(s) serving on an Evaluation Committee requiring accessibility, the Department may disqualify an Offeror’s proposal from evaluation.

Timeliness of Proposal Submission

xxiv. Proposals received after the submission deadline shall not be opened and shall be rejected as a late proposal, unless otherwise permitted by the Procurement Official in accordance with Procurement Rule R-24-103-201-10.

Responsibility for ensuring that an Offeror’s proposal is received on time rests with the Offeror. Reasonably foreseeable problems inherent in the delivery of proposal are not extraordinary circumstances permitting acceptance of late proposals.

Legally Binding Offer

xxv. An Offeror’s proposal submitted in response to this solicitation shall constitute a binding offer. The signature of the Offeror shall indicate acknowledgment of this condition. Signature shall be that of a person legally authorized to execute contractual obligations. The proposal, including pricing, shall allow for a minimum of 180 calendar days for acceptance by the State, unless otherwise specified in this solicitation. Reference Procurement Rule R- 24-103-201-11(d).

Offeror Proposal Content

xxvi. The contents of the proposal of the awarded Offeror will become contractual obligations under the awarded Contract. Failure of the awarded Offeror to accept these obligations may result in cancellation of the award to that Offeror.

Certification of independent price determination By its signature on the cover page, the Offeror certifies that the prices and other terms in the proposal have been arrived at independently without any consultation, communication, agreement with, or knowledge of the contents of the proposal by any other competing Offerors. For purposes of this paragraph, "consultation, communication, agreement with, or knowledge" does not include knowledge of prices or terms gained through availability of established price lists or catalogues made available to the public by the competing Offerors. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Offeror to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for restricting competition. Reference §6-4-101, C.R.S., et seq., (Colorado Antitrust Act of 1992) as amended.

Proposal Response Material Ownership All material submitted in response to this solicitation becomes the property of the State.

Submission of Confidential or Proprietary Information The State of Colorado is subject to the requirements of §24-72-200.1, C.R.S., et seq., Colorado Open Records Act.

An Offeror may submit, as a part of its proposal, a written request for classification of certain portions of the proposal as a trade secret or other confidential or proprietary information. Material for which the Offeror is requesting confidentiality shall be readily identifiable and separated from other portions of the proposal to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the proposal. Commingling of confidential and non-confidential information is not acceptable and the proposal may not be considered entirely confidential. Neither price information nor any information that will be included in a resulting Contract will be considered confidential.

The Offeror must include the rationale for any request to classify portions as a trade secret or confidential or proprietary, including references to the authority that allows for such treatment.

In no event shall an entire proposal be classified as confidential. The Procurement Official or his or her designee shall determine if the information identified in the Offeror’s request is exempt from disclosure in accordance with §24-72-204, C.R.S., and shall inform the Offeror in writing of his or her determination. If the Offeror does not agree with the determination, the Offeror may protest the determination in accordance with article 109 of the Colorado Procurement Code and the terms of this solicitation. Reference Procurement Rule R-24-101-401-03.

Any additional Offeror information, which may be part of the evaluation/negotiation process and for which an Offeror claims confidentiality, is subject to the same requirements and processes identified above.

Online Proposal Submission Instructions

xxvii. For this solicitation, proposals will be accepted using an online submission application. Hard copy submissions will not be accepted. To use the online submission application, access the bid posting at BidNet Direct only. DO NOT submit your proposal via ColoradoVSS. Please note the following:

CCCS will not accept an e-mail, fax or other electronic response (Dropbox, Google Docs, Box.com, etc.) to this Request for Proposal.

Offerors should use the following naming convention for files submitted electronically: vendor name_bid title.

The solicitation submission application typically uploads proposals quickly. Offerors are advised to submit proposals no later than one hour prior to the solicitation deadline to ensure the proposal has been received.

When proposals are submitted correctly, the application provides the opportunity to download submission confirmation. If you suspect there is any technical issue with the submission process, please notify the BidNet Direct technical support team immediately.

The BidNet Direct application is only for written inquiries related to clarifications of the RFP document and proposal submission. All other inquiries, questions, comments, or concerns should be submitted to the Procurement Contact via email and not through the solicitation submission application.

Modifications or Withdrawal of Proposals An Offeror may modify or withdraw its proposal by written notice to the Procurement Contact prior to the established proposal submission deadline. Withdrawal of an Offeror’s proposal following the proposal submission deadline and prior to award, may be allowed, in the State’s discretion. Withdrawal of an Offeror’s proposal after award is not allowed. Reference Procurement Rules R-24-103-201-08 and R-24-103-201-09.

Mistakes and Minor Informalities in Offeror Proposals In certain circumstances, an Offeror may correct a mistake(s) in its proposal and/or the State may waive minor informalities. Reference Procurement Rule R-24-103-201-08.

Modifications to State Contract terms xxviii. The Colorado Purchase Order Terms and Conditions are available at this link.

Offerors are instructed to review the terms and submit any proposed modifications or redlines with their proposal. The decision to reject, accept, or further negotiate any requested changes will be at State’s discretion. If an Offeror normally seeks counsel on Contract terms, they are advised to do so before submitting a proposal in response to this solicitation.

In the event an Offerors requested modifications violate State law, regulation, or policy, or would otherwise not be justifiable as being in the best interest of the State, the State may make a determination that an Offeror’s proposal is no longer responsive and therefore ineligible for award.

Conflicts of Interest and Ethics

xxix. The Offeror must disclose in its proposal any potential or actual conflict of interest in connection with a response to this solicitation. A conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to, access to any non-public information by the Offeror regarding the solicitation or its subject matter.

The Offeror acknowledges that even the appearance of a conflict of interest may be harmful to the State’s interests. The Offeror shall disclose in its proposal whether there currently is, or potentially could be, the appearance of a conflict of interest regarding this solicitation, its staff, any proposed subcontractors or partners, or any related business with the State.

Requirements set forth in this Section are continuing requirements throughout the solicitation process and, for the awarded Offeror, the Contract term, including any extensions. Reference §24-18-201, C.R.S., et seq. (Proscribed Acts Related to Contracts and Claims); §24-50-507, C.R.S.(Conflict of Interest); §18-8-301, C.R.S., et seq. (Bribery and Corrupt Influence); §18-8-401, C.R.S., et seq. (Abuse of Public Office); §6-4-101, C.R.S., et seq., (Colorado Antitrust Act of 1992); §24-109-105, C.R.S .(Debarment and Suspension); and Procurement Rule R-24-101-107-01 (Ethics).

Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB).

SDVOSB Offerors must submit documentation of certification issued through the U.S. Small Business Administration in their proposal. §24-103-905 C.R.S. sets a SDVOSB goal of at least 3% of all contracts by dollar value be awarded to SDVOSBs who must be incorporated or organized in Colorado or they must maintain a place of business or have an office in Colorado and must be officially registered and verified as a SDVOSB by the United States Small Business Administration.

Performance Outside of Colorado or the United States Awarded Offeror, per Section 24-102-206, C.R.S., prior to contracting shall disclose in a written statement whether it anticipates performing or subcontracting any services under the contract, where such subcontracted services will be performed under the contract, including any subcontracts, and whether any subcontracted services under the contract or any subcontracts are anticipated to be performed outside the United States or the state. If the prospective vendor anticipates services under the contract or any subcontracts will be performed outside the United States or the state, the vendor shall provide in its written statement a provision setting forth why it is necessary or advantageous to go outside the United States or the state to perform the contract or any subcontracts.

Vendor Assistance Any vendors needing support responding to solicitations may contact the Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator at the Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity. Services provided include assistance with responding to solicitations, interpretation of solicitation documents, technical assistance referrals, availability of resources, construction bond assistance through the Construction Statewide Bond Assistance Program, and free business directory listings and verifications through the Colorado Supplier Diversity Directory. The office can be reached during normal business hours by calling 303-866-5765 or emailing DPA_SupplierDiversityHelp@state.co.us.

image1.png