3-Part E - RFP 2022 Instructions to Offerors Final.pdf

City of Alexandria Request for Proposals

Temporary Staffing Services RFP No. 2022

Part E – Instructions to Offerors

1. General This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is issued by the City of Alexandria, Virginia (the “City”) to solicit proposals from qualified and responsible Offerors in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act (“VPPA”), using the competitive negotiation method of source selection.

Offerors are responsible for reviewing all parts of this Solicitation and submitting a complete and responsive Proposal in accordance with these Instructions.

2. Issuing Office and Point of Contact This RFP is issued by the City through the Issuing Office identified in Part A – Solicitation General Information.

All communications concerning this RFP shall be directed solely to the Point of Contact identified in Part A – Solicitation General Information.

Offerors shall not contact any other City employee regarding this RFP. Unauthorized contact may result in disqualification.

3. Questions and Clarifications Offerors must submit any questions regarding this RFP in accordance with the schedule set forth in Part A – Solicitation General Information.

Responses to questions and clarifications or Modifications to the RFP will be issued by a written Addendum. Only information provided by the Addendum is considered binding.

4. Addenda The City may issue Addenda to modify or clarify this RFP at any time prior to the Proposal Due Date. Addenda will be issued in accordance with the procedures specified in Part A

– Solicitation General Information.

Offerors are responsible for monitoring the Solicitation and acknowledging receipt of all Addenda in their Proposal.

5. Award The award will be made as provided in Part F. 1- Evaluation and Method of Award.

6. Contract Formation Submission of a Proposal does not create a binding contract. A contract shall not be formed until a written contract is fully executed by the City and the successful Offeror in accordance with applicable law.

7. Disqualification of Offerors The City reserves the right, in accordance with the VPPA, to reject or disqualify any Proposal that:

7.1.1. Fails to substantially comply with the requirements of this RFP;

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7.2.1. Contains materially false or misleading information;

7.3.1. Results from prohibited communications; or

7.4.1. Is submitted by an Offeror determined to be non-responsible

8. Evaluation and Negotiation Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in Part F – RFP Evaluation and Method of Award.

The City may conduct discussions and negotiations with Offerors determined to be fully qualified and reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. The City may request additional information, presentations, interviews, or best-and-final offers as part of the evaluation process.

9. Format for Proposal Response Proposals submitted pursuant to the RFP shall include each of the following items in the order in which they appear below.

Each item shall be clearly labeled, with pages numbered and separated by tabs. A Proposer’s failure to include all listed items may result in the rejection of its Proposal by the City. Cost Proposal must be submitted separately from the Technical Proposal.

Proposers must demonstrate an understanding of each task as well as explain the approach to each task. Restatements of the tasks presented in the RFP are not acceptable and will not be considered responsive.

The format and tabs below serve as a guide for formatting the technical proposal to the RFP. In addition to complying with the response format requirements of this section, a Proposer shall consider and address all requirements set forth in the RFP when submitting the technical proposal in response to the RFP. The technical proposal shall not exceed 60 pages.

The Table of Contents shall indicate the material included in the Proposal by Tab and page number. The Table of Contents shall mirror the format set forth in this paragraph and shall include all the items set forth below.

9.1. Tab I, Signed Offer and Award Form and Signed Attachment

1. The Proposer shall complete and sign the Offer and Award Form provided in on Page 1 of this solicitation and signed attachments J-1 through J-7.

2. The signatory must be an individual who is authorized to legally bind the Proposer.

9.2. Tab II, Letter of Transmittal

The Proposer shall provide a signed cover letter that includes the following information:

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An executive summary of the Proposer’s understanding of the goods and/or services sought through the RFP, and description of the underlying philosophy of the Proposer in providing the goods and/or services;

The name, position, address, telephone number, and email address of the individuals who are authorized to make representations on behalf of the Proposer; and

A statement that the signatory to the transmittal letter and the Offer and Award Form is authorized to bind the Proposer to contract with the City.

9.3. Tab III, Corporate Experience and Capacity

The Proposer shall include information and documentation describing the extent of its experience and expertise in providing the services sought by the City pursuant to the RFP. The information and documentation shall include, but is not limited to, information that documents the Proposer’s qualifications to meet the RFP requirements and to produce the required outcomes, including its ability, capacity, skill, and number of years of experience in providing the required goods and/or services.

In addition to the information required above, a Proposer may be requested to submit within five (5) calendar days after a request by the City, additional information, including proof of licensing, present commitments, and other information necessary to demonstrate the Proposer's capacity and qualifications to perform the Work.

9.4. Tab IV, Client References for Similar Work Performed

The Proposer shall provide the following information for each contract or project of similar size and scope to the Work requested in the RFP that the Proposer performed within the past three years:

Contract/project name;

Name of the organization for which the contract or job was performed;

Dollar value of the contract or project;

Dates of the contract or project; and

The name, title, telephone number, address, and email address of the contract representative for the organization for which the contract or project was performed.

A Proposer’s failure to provide in its Proposal the contract representative’s contact information may result in the Proposer being deemed non-responsive and it’s Proposal being disqualified from consideration.

A uniform sample of references may be checked for each Proposer. If references are checked, Proposers will be scored on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest possible score. The scores will then be used in evaluation of the Proposal pursuant to M-2. Client reference scores may be used by the City to determine the responsibility of a Proposer.

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The City may ask a client reference any or all of the following questions, and any other question it deems appropriate:

• How cooperative and easy to work with was the Proposer during the procurement process?

• How satisfied were you with the Proposer’s point of contact?

• How promptly and effectively did the Proposer address your questions or concerns?

• How promptly, effectively, and efficiently did the Proposer mitigate or resolve performance or contractual issues that arose during the project?

• How would you rate the Proposer’s operational and administrative practices (e.g., the timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of its invoices)?

• How would you rate the number and validity of Proposer-generated change order and contract modification requests, claims, disputes, and lawsuits, if any?

• How would you rate the timeliness, quality, responsiveness, and usefulness of the

Proposer’s delivery of goods and services in relation to your requirements?

• How would you rate the timeliness, quality, responsiveness, and usefulness of the

Proposer’s delivery of goods and services in relation to the amount you paid the Proposer and how much time your organization contributed in time and effort to the project?

• How well did the Proposer minimize the effect of its activities on the operations of your organization?

• Would you do business with the Proposer again in the future?

9.5. Tab V, Staff Experience

The Proposer shall provide the following information as part of this tab:

A list of key personnel proposed to be assigned to perform Work under the Contract, including direct supervisors and key technical personnel, account manager(s), and accounting manager(s) and staff;

A narrative that describes the work responsibilities of the individuals identified including the following information for each individual: the individual’s qualifications, education, certifications, and special competencies that will be valuable in performing the Work under the Contract; the individual’s experience on similar contracts; the individual’s title and percentage of time available to perform the Work; the individual’s role to ensure the personnel under his or her supervision have a full understanding of the Work to be performed, as well as his or her role to ensure a high level of quality performance of the Work from personnel;

Copies of relevant certifications or other professional credentials for individuals identified;

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The name of the proposed Contract administrator and a description of his or her experience with similar contracts, including public sector organizations;

The name of the individual who will be responsible for customer service and problem resolution for the Proposer and a description of his or her relevant experience; and

Resumes of all the individuals identified.

The key personnel named in a Proposer’s Proposal shall remain responsible throughout the term of the Contract. No diversion or replacement may be made without approval by the Purchasing Agent.

9.6. Tab VI, Key Personnel Form

The Proposer shall provide a completed Key Personnel Form identifying the primary contacts who will manage the account and/or contract.

9.7. Tab XIII, Acceptance of Conditions

The Proposer shall indicate its acceptance of the requirements, terms and conditions, and insurance, as set forth in the RFP, including all addenda issued pursuant to the RFP.

9.8 XIV, Appendices

The content of this tab is left to the Proposer’s discretion. However, the Proposer should limit materials included here to those that will be helpful to the City in understanding the services proposed.

9.9 In A Separate Upload – Cost Proposal

The Proposer shall provide the hourly cost to the City for all temporary staff positions they can fulfill for the RFP. The excel file Part G – Attachment H- Cost Proposal, shall be uploaded with the requested information for job classifications the proposer is able to fill.

Hourly costs, and overtime costs provided in the Proposer’s proposal shall be fully burdened (e.g., including all payroll taxes, benefits, overhead, etc.). The Proposer shall include overtime costs in its cost proposal, which shall be fully burdened.

10. Governing Terms The Contract resulting from this RFP shall include the City’s Part C – Special Terms and Conditions and Part D – General Terms and Conditions, which govern contract performance, administration, acceptance, payment, and remedies.

Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this RFP shall have the meanings set forth in Part H – Definitions.

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11. Late Proposals

Responses arriving after the specified time and date in Part A – Solicitation General Information will not be accepted. Please allow sufficient time for the preparation and delivery of your response.

12. Mistakes in Offers The City may permit clarification of Proposals in accordance with the Virginia Public Procurement Act. The City may also permit withdrawal of a Proposal due to a documented error as allowed by law.

13. Offer Submission Information and Instructions

13.1. All offers must be submitted electronically. Submit them through City’s

Procurement Portal through Euna at:

https://alexandriava.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities. Proposals sent by mail or by hand will not be accepted. All documents submitted must be in PDF format, unless otherwise specified. If a document is not in correct format, the City may determine that the Offeror’s submission is non-responsive.

13.2. Offerors are required to complete, including signatures, and return all Attachments included in the Solicitation Documents. Solicitation and Addenda that are not signed may be considered non-responsive and not accepted.

13.3. Offerors must review and comply with the requirements of the Solicitation and ensure that all required information is provided and required forms are executed and returned with its Solicitation response, including, but not limited to:

13.1.1. Attachments

13.2.1. Any applicable certifications and licenses.

14. Proposal Signature Solicitation Responses must contain the original signature of an individual who is authorized to bind the Offeror. The original signature must be provided on all Solicitation Documents where a signature is required. Facsimile signatures, photographic reproductions of signatures, rubber stamps, etc., are not acceptable, except in cases where the Offeror submits its Solicitation Response through the City’s ERP system.

15. Proposal Submission Proposals shall be submitted in the form, manner, and by the deadline specified in Part A

– Solicitation General Information.

16. Proposal Submission and Presentation Costs The City must not be liable in any way for any costs incurred by any Offeror in the preparation or submission of its Proposal or its participation in any discussion, presentation, negotiation, or meeting regarding its Proposal or the Solicitation.

17. Proposal Validity Period https://alexandriava.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

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Proposals shall remain valid for a period of not less than 180 Calendar Days from the Solicitation Due Date specified in Part A – Solicitation General Information, unless withdrawn by the Offeror prior to Award in accordance with these Instructions.

18. Public Inspection and Confidentiality Proposals submitted in response to this RFP are subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”). Offerors shall clearly identify any proprietary or confidential information contained in their Proposals.

The City will use reasonable efforts to protect properly designated proprietary information to the extent permitted by law; however, the City makes no representation or warranty that such information will be exempt from disclosure.

19. Vendor Self Service Registration (For Awardees) The Offeror, if selected for award, must complete the following registration to submit an Offeror electronically and to receive grant funding (if applicable).

19.1. Registered with City as an active vendor by completing the Vendor Self Service

(VSS) registration on the City’s ERP system located at https://service.alexandriava.gov/MSS/Vendors/default.aspx.

19.2. If the Vendor is a Small-, Women-, or Minority-owned (SWaM) business and is registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia, provide the Vendor’s Virginia SWaM certification documentation with the registration on the City’s VSS. To register as a SWaM business with the Commonwealth of Virginia, go to the website for the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, located at https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/.

20. Withdrawal or Modification of Proposals An Offeror may withdraw or modify its Proposal at any time prior to the Solicitation Due Date by submitting written notice to the Issuing Office in accordance with Part A – Solicitation General Information.

No Proposal may be withdrawn after the Proposal Due Date except as permitted by applicable law.

https://service.alexandriava.gov/MSS/Vendors/default.aspx https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/

20. Withdrawal or Modification of Proposals