3-RFP WCU0508262274 - Full-Service Print, Mail, and Distribution Service Contractor.pdf

RFP #WCU0508262274

Request for Proposals for

Full-Service Print, Mail, and Distribution Service Contractor

Issued by:

West Chester University of PA

Publication Date:

Submission Date: June 18th, 2026; 11:00 AM EASTERN

PREVAILING TIME (EPT)

Table of Contents

Page

RFP Sections

Section I General Information

Section II Post Award

Section III Work Statement

Section IV Information Required from Offerors

Section V Criteria for Selection

Appendices

Appendix A Technical Submittal Response Form

Appendix B Trade Secret / Confidential Information Notice

Appendix C Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions

RFP # WCU0508262274

Section I General Information

I.1 Purpose This Request for Proposals (RFP) provides interested offerors with sufficient information to prepare and submit proposals for consideration by Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (hereinafter State System) to provide a contactor to provide a full-service print, mail, and distribution service of the West Chester University Magazine. The magazine will have three issues a year, 60,000 copies per issue, on behalf of West Chester University of PA (hereinafter WCU, State System, or University).

I.2 Issuing Office This RFP is being issued by the Issuing Office listed below. The Issuing Office is the sole point of contact for this RFP. Please refer all inquiries to:

Christopher Harper Bill Smith Purchasing Agent Assistant Purchasing Manager West Chester University of PA West Chester University of PA 610-436-2274 610-436-2604 charper@wcupa.edu wsmith2@wcupa.edu

All questions and clarifications shall be submitted to the issuing office via the “Ask a Question” feature in PennBid only. From the Publication Date of this RFP until a determination is made regarding the selection of a proposal, all contacts concerning this RFP and only information supplied by the Issuing Office via the PennBid Portal, including responses to questions regarding the RFP, should be used in preparing proposals. All other contacts or information received regarding the subject prior to the release of this RFP should be disregarded in preparing responses. Any violation of this condition is cause for the State System to reject an offeror’s proposal. If it is later discovered that any violations have occurred, the State System may reject the proposal and terminate the awarded contract.

I.3 Calendar of Events

Description Date

Publication Date May 18th, 2026

Sample request for an issue of WCU’S magazine due date. May 22nd, 2026; 11:00 AM EPT

Deadline for Questions June 1st, 2026; 11:00 AM EPT

Amendment Issued (Questions/Answers) June 5th, 2026

Offeror Magazine Sample Due Date June 16th, 2026

Submission Date/Time June 18th, 2026; 11:00 AM EPT

Award TBD

Services Start Upon execution of contract mailto:charper@wcupa.edu mailto:wsmith2@wcupa.edu

I.4 Description of the Organization

A. The State System of Higher Education (State System) was established by statute on July 1, 1983. WCU was founded in 1871 and is the flagship University of the State System. Over the last several years, the University has experienced unprecedented growth and currently serves more than 17,500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The University offers more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degrees, including four doctoral programs, in a variety of delivery methods including in-class, online, and through a hybrid delivery model.

B. WCU students are taught in-class on main campus, at the Graduate Center (as a separate West Chester-based location), at the Philadelphia Campus, and virtually as needed.

C. In accordance with Title 62, Commonwealth Procurement Code, the State System facilitates a competitive bidding and contracting process and is responsible for identifying strategic contracting opportunities and establishing best value contracts in partnership with its suppliers.

I.5 Instructions for Proposal Preparation

A. Economy of Preparation Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the offeror’s ability to meet the requirements of this RFP.

B. Proposals Proposals must consist of a complete response to this RFP.

1. Proposals must be submitted electronically via PennBid at https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com.

2. Proposals must consist of a complete response to the requirements outlined herein and shall be submitted no later than the required proposal Submission Date/Time listed above. Late proposal submissions may not be accepted.

3. Proposal contents may become contractual obligations if and when a contract is executed.

4. The proposal, as submitted, must remain valid during the entire solicitation, award, and contract finalization process.

5. All cost data must be submitted electronically via the Pricing Section Bid Table in PennBid apart from the Technical Submittal Response Form (Appendix A).

Absolutely no pricing can appear anywhere in the Technical Proposal. Failure to meet this requirement may result in automatic disqualification of the proposal.

C. Questions

Offerors may submit questions surrounding the RFP via the “Ask A Question” feature in PennBid. Answers to all questions will be posted on Pennbid as an addendum to the RFP and will become part of this RFP.

D. Addenda If it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP, addenda will be posted at PennBid. Information contained at this website is current and accurate. It is the offeror’s https://www.passhe.edu/index.html https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/ https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities responsibility to check this website periodically to obtain any changes to the solicitation.

Offerors must acknowledge all addenda in their proposal response. Offerors who fail to submit a current copy of the solicitation may be deemed nonresponsive.

E. Best and Final Offers.

1. While not required, the Issuing Office reserves the right to conduct discussions with offerors for the purpose of obtaining Best and Final Offers (BAFOs). Negotiations may be pursued with a subset of responsible offerors whose proposals best meet financial, contractual, technical, and support requirements for the State System.

Negotiations will be opened with offerors of lower preference (one at a time, in order of preference) only if a fair and reasonable set of fees/billable rates and/or agreement of final contract terms and conditions cannot be established with the offeror of higher ranking.

2. To obtain BAFOs from offerors, the Issuing Office may do one or more of the following, in any order: (a) schedule oral presentations, (b) request revised proposals, or (c) enter into preselection negotiations.

3. The following offerors will not be invited by the Issuing Office to submit a BAFO:

(a) those offerors whom the Issuing Office has determined to be nonresponsive; (b) those offerors whose technical proposal score is less than 75 percent of the total amount of technical points allocated to the technical criterion.

F. Response Date To be considered for selection, proposals must be submitted at PennBid by the proposal Submission Date/Time listed above.

G. Rejection of Proposals. The State System reserves the right to reject any and all responses received from offerors as a result of this RFP and to cancel this solicitation at any time prior to the execution of any contract.

H. RFP Protest Procedure. The notice concerning Protest of Solicitation or Award is published at the State System’s website.

I. Incurring Costs. The State System is not liable for and will not reimburse any costs or expenses incurred by offerors in the preparation or submission of their proposals or for attendance at any conferences or meetings related to this RFP.

J. News Releases. News releases or public statements or promotions of any kind pertaining to this RFP, or any resulting contract may not be made without the State System’s prior written approval, and then only in coordination with the Issuing Office.

K. Contractor integrity Provisions. As part of any resulting contract, the successful offeror will agree to abide by the Commonwealth’s Contractor Integrity Provisions. It is essential that those who seek to contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Commonwealth) observe high standards of honesty and integrity. They must conduct themselves in a manner that fosters public confidence in the integrity of the Commonwealth contracting and procurement process.

L. Contractor Responsibility Program. Offerors must certify that they are not currently under suspension or debarment by the Commonwealth, any other state, or the federal government to the best of their knowledge. Additionally, offerors must certify, to the best of their knowledge, that they are not tax delinquent with either the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue or the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. Offerors https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities https://www.passhe.edu/shared-services/procurement/documents/Protest%20of%20Solicitation%20of%20Award.pdf https://www.passhe.edu/shared-services/procurement/documents/Contractor%20Integrity%20Provisions%202023.pdf must acknowledge that if they are currently under suspension or debarment, or if they owe delinquent taxes, their proposal may not be accepted or considered.

Section II Post Award

II.1 Contract Award

The State System reserves the right to (1) award a single contract for all services, (2) award multiple contracts, or (3) not award a contract. Negotiations will be pursued with a subset of responsible offerors whose proposals best meet the financial, contractual, technical, and support requirements for the State System.

Negotiations will be opened with offerors of lower preference (one at a time, in order of preference) only if a fair and reasonable set of fees/billable rates and/or agreement of final contract terms and conditions cannot be established with the offeror of higher ranking.

II.2 Contract Terms

A. It is proposed that, if a contract is entered into as a result of successful negotiations, the selected offeror will be required to sign a Commonwealth Standard Contract which includes the following terms:

• PASSHE-SC-1.2 Standard Contract Terms and Conditions

1. Any exceptions to the terms of the Standard Contract listed above must be submitted using Appendix C, Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions. Offerors should also submit a redlined version of the Standard Contract terms in Microsoft Word format.

2. Any proposed contract terms, including but not limited to a Master Service Agreement, Terms of Service, etc. (collectively, Proposed Offeror Terms) must be included as part of the proposal. Such terms will be reviewed by the State System only in the event the offeror is selected for award. An award decision shall not constitute acceptance of any Proposed Offeror Terms, and such terms shall have no force or effect unless expressly incorporated into a fully executed final contract.

3. The State System will not accept as a part of a final contract any Proposed Offeror Terms that supersede the State System’s standard contractual terms. If accepted by the State System, the Proposed Offeror Terms, as negotiated, may be incorporated as an attachment to the State System’s contract. The relative order of precedence in any final contract will be the State System’s standard contractual terms, followed by this RFP and its addenda, then any accepted Proposed Offeror Terms.

4. Escalation of annual costs for years three (3) through five (5) of this contract is not automatic and shall not exceed inflation guidelines as established by the nationally accepted Consumer Price Index Urban (CP) for each year for this particular commodity or service. Contractor must provide a printed copy of the Consumer Price Index-Urban (CPI) site-page indicating the increase as documentation to justify escalation. The escalation request must be in writing and submitted within 60 days of the executed anniversary date of this contract. The University has the right to accept or reject any price increases within 30 days of receiving written notice. Should escalation figures prove to be above CPI levels, the contractor must provide sufficient justification for the increase and said increase must be acceptable to the University. Newly negotiated labor agreements, federally recognized fuel inflation adjustments, statutory increases, and applicable federal and state wage laws are acceptable increases, which may exceed CPI levels.

https://www.passhe.edu/shared-services/procurement/documents/PASSHE-SC-1.2.pdf

B. The offeror will be deemed to have accepted the standard terms and conditions, except as expressly called out in its proposal. The offeror’s willingness to accept the State System’s contract terms and conditions, with minor clarifications, shall be an affirmative factor in evaluating the offeror’s proposal.

C. Although the State System will consider alternate language by an offeror, the State System will not be bound by contract language received as part of a prospective provider’s response. If the offeror requires that the State System be bound by any of the offeror’s proposed contract language, the proposal may be considered nonresponsive and may be rejected.

D. A State System may issue a purchase order against any executed contract to authorize delivery of the solution to the State System. Each purchase order will incorporate the terms and conditions of the contract.

E. The term of the contract resulting from this solicitation will be for a period of five (5) years.

F. Contract terms and conditions are negotiated upon issuance of an intent to award a contract. Certain contract terms are prohibited based on the State System’s status as an agency of the Commonwealth. Prohibited contract clauses include those related to arbitration, assignment, attorney’s fees, court costs, entry of judgment, indemnity or hold-harmless provisions, law of the contract in a jurisdiction other than Pennsylvania, payment in advance, and payment of or requirement to carry insurance.

The following contract elements are required, and the State System reserves the right to refuse all requested changes to the following: Limitation of State System Liability, Hold Harmless, Nondiscrimination, Sexual Harassment, Background Checks for Minors, Mandatory Reporting Requirements, Contractor Responsibility, Contractor Integrity, Right to Offset, Right-to-Know Law, and Applicable Law..

II.3 Proposer’s Exceptions to Terms and Conditions

A. Any exceptions, deviations, or contingencies an offeror may have to the State System’s contract terms and conditions must be documented.

B. The offeror must submit a “redlined” version of the term or condition showing all proposed modifications, including an explanation as to why the modification is required.

C. Exceptions, deviations, or contingencies stipulated in an offeror’s proposal, while possibly necessary in the view of the offeror, may result in disqualification of a proposal.

D. Should an offeror indicate exceptions to the Commonwealth’s standard contract terms and conditions or should an offeror request that additional terms and conditions be included in an awarded contract, the award will be conditioned upon negotiation of a contract that is acceptable to the State System.

E. Any exceptions to the Commonwealth’s standard terms and conditions proposed by an offer should be submitted by the offeror using the RFP Appendix, Contract Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions. Any exceptions, additions or amendments not so included with the proposal will not be accepted for inclusion in a final contract unless approved by the Contracting Officer. Any additional terms and conditions proposed by an offeror should be included as a separate attachment with the proposal. Any additional terms and conditions that conflict with the Commonwealth’s standard contract terms and conditions, or that would require protracted consideration or negotiation by the State System may be considered by the scoring committee and could negatively impact an offeror’s likelihood for award. A proposal that takes exceptions to material requirements of the solicitation where the parties cannot reach mutually satisfactory agreement in negotiations may be rejected.

F. Pursuant to Pennsylvania law, any awarded contract may require the approval of outside agencies prior to becoming effective. This review may include, but not be limited to, review for form and legality by the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Attorney General. This can take a significant amount of time after the contract has been signed by the State System and the awardee.

G. Any proposal for which any part of the offering, including the cost proposal, is time limited or expires if not accepted within a certain time frame, may be deemed non-responsive by the State System and rejected.

II.4 Prime Offeror/Subcontracting Eligible offerors will be considered prime suppliers with respect to any work they are awarded. Any use of subcontractors must be approved in writing by the State System. Prime suppliers (offerors) are encouraged to solicit quotes from small diverse businesses when requiring subcontractors.

II.5 Disclosure of Proposal Contents and Open Records

A. All materials submitted with the proposal shall be considered the property of the State System and may be returned only at the State System’s option. The State System has the right to use any or all ideas not protected by intellectual property rights that are presented in any proposal regardless of whether the proposal becomes part of a contract. Notwithstanding any offeror’s copyright designations contained in a proposal, the State System shall have the right to make copies and distribute proposals internally and to comply with public record or other disclosure requirements under the provisions of any Commonwealth or United States statute or regulation, or rule or order of any court of competent jurisdiction.

B. The proposals of successful offerors may become part of the contract award resulting from this RFP.

C. The State System does not request, and does not require, confidential proprietary information or trade secrets to be included as part of any offerors’ submissions to evaluate proposals submitted in response to this RFP. Accordingly, except as provided herein, offerors should not label proposal submissions as confidential or proprietary or trade secret protected. An offeror who determines that it must divulge such information as part of its proposal must complete and submit Appendix B, Trade Secret / Confidential Information Notice. Note: Pricing is not considered confidential information.

D. All responses to procurement opportunities and resulting contracts are subject to

Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. §67.101 et seq. (Act 3 of 2008). The Right-to-Know Law permits requestors to inspect and/or copy any record prepared, received, or retained in connection with a transaction, business, or activity of a public office or agency that is not subject to the enumerated exemptions under the law. Should the offeror’s response become the subject of a Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law request, the Issuing Office will notify the offeror to identify or confirm all trade secrets or confidential and proprietary information that is included in the offeror’s proposal. The State System will then determine whether the claimed trade secret or confidential and proprietary information is subject to disclosure under applicable law and grant or deny the request accordingly. Should the request be denied and the requestor appeal that denial, the State System will notify the offeror of the appeal and the offeror’s opportunity to request to participate in the appeal as a party of interest. The State System will not represent the interests of the offeror in any appeal, nor will the State System compensate or reimburse any expenses of the offeror in connection with a request of information under the Right-to-Know Law.

II.6 SAP Business Network (Ariba)

The State System transacts with suppliers through the SAP Ariba Business Network (“SBN”) to electronically exchange purchase orders, order confirmations, advanced shipping notices, invoices, and payment status for all purchases – direct goods, indirect goods, and services.

The State System encourages all suppliers to submit electronic invoices to the State System through the SBN. Unless otherwise provided in this RFP, or by the State System in writing, the offeror agrees to conduct business transactions with the State System using the SBN.

Offerors are required to understand how to use the SBN and are responsible for any additional costs that the offeror chooses to incur. There is no cost to transact using a SBN Standard Account. Additional fees may be incurred using a SBN Enterprise Account.

II.7 Debriefing Conference

Offerors whose proposals are not selected will be notified of the name of the selected offeror(s) and will be given the opportunity to be debriefed. The purpose of a debrief conference is not to compare proposals, but to provide information that may assist individual offerors in preparing future proposals. The Issuing Office will schedule the date, time, and location of the debrief conference.

Section III Work Statement

III.1 Objective and Scope

West Chester University is seeking a contactor to provide a full-service print, mail, and distribution service of the West Chester University Magazine. The magazine will have three issues a year, 60,000 copies per issue.

III.2 Current Environment The State System is a state agency of the Commonwealth that oversees 10 state-owned universities. Collectively, it is the largest provider of higher education in the commonwealth.

• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

• Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield)

• East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

• Indiana University of Pennsylvania

• Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

• Millersville University of Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Western University (California, Clarion, Edinboro)

• Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

• Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

• West Chester University of Pennsylvania

III.3 Organization and Resources

To be considered for an award, the following requirements must be met.

A. The offeror must demonstrate long-term viability as a company and a long-term commitment to customers through regular product enhancements, compliance updates, and ongoing support.

B. The offeror must have a minimum of five years’ experience in providing the services requested in this RFP to higher education institutions.

C. The offeror must provide a solution that delivers capabilities consistent with industry practices at a firm, fixed price, for year one (1) and two (2). Beginning year three (3) through year five (5) the contractor must provide a printed copy of the Consumer Price Index-Urban (CPI) site-page indicating the increase as documentation to justify escalation.

III.4 Technical Requirements Deliverables

A. Print and mail West Chester University magazine, three issues per year

1. Fall (drops typically 3rd week of November)

2. Spring (drops typically 3rd week of April)

3. Summer (drops typically 3rd week of July) https://www.passhe.edu/index.html

B. Overruns not to exceed 3%; underruns not acceptable C. Production Schedule

Printer to provide annual dated production schedule with specific dates, for each issue, for:

1. Establishing page count.

2. WCU delivery of distribution (mail data) files.

3. WCU delivery of press-ready page files.

4. Color (hardcopy) proofs out (to WCU).

• Must be color match (Epson or similar). Specify.

5. Proofs returned (approved and/or with AAs or PEs by WCU).

6. Office advance copies twenty-five (25) sent to WCU.

7. Mailing, and WCU warehouse copies shipment, complete.

D. Specifications of Magazine

1. Quantity: 60,000 per issue including additional Ms and AAs.

2. Page count: 3 issues at 32 pages, including self-cover (28+4).

Including additional 4- and 8-page signatures.

3. Finished size: 8.5" x 11" upright. Trim size can vary by 1/4."

4. Stock: 70lb #3 free sheet gloss, 88 brightness (or better) 92 opacity (or better) Specify.

5. Samples must be provided for evaluation. Refer to section IV for more information about submitting samples.

6. Binding: saddle stitch.

7. Page files: WCU to provide Press PDFs and Adobe InDesign sources files (complete and flight checked) in reader's spreads.

No intervention required.

8. File delivery: Printer must provide FTP service.

9. Imposition, output, press preparation: by the printer.

10. Ink: four-color process (CMYK) throughout.

11. Design techniques affecting press: full bleeds, heavy solids, reversed type, critical cross gutter alignment, and other common techniques can be expected. Ghosting, picking, mis-registration, web pull, color shift, and other press quality issues are not acceptable.

12. Substitutions: no substitutions may be made by the printer without approval by the Director of Publications and Printing.

E. Mailing

1. Mailing / lettershop services:

a. List / label preparation: de-dupe, CASS certify, NCOA. List provided by WCU in standard Excel file format. (Return results to WCU.)

b. WCU must be notified of the exact postage cost. Upon receipt of the mailing list and following the de-dupe, NCOA,, etc. the printer must provide the exact postage cost by email to the Director of Publications, Printing, and Editorial Services and the Publications Assistant within five

(5) business days.

c. Inkjet addresses and barcodes onto piece (outside back cover).

d. Sort, bundle, prepare for USPS using WCU non-profit standard mail permit.

2. Foreign mail: Preparing and mailing approximately 175 foreign mail (approximately 15 Canada, 160 "other") pieces.

a. Printer to prepare / address / bag as necessary, and separately invoice WCU for actual foreign mail costs.

F. Shipping and Distribution

1. Drop ship domestic mailing to USPS. Provide details on planned shipment methods: i.e., to Southeastern Post Office (Southeastern PA, 19399) or via third party logistics vendor. FOB (liability) destination.

2. Provide and ship (25) advance copies to WCU Office & (250) copies to the WCU Warehouse.

a. Both shipments are to zip code 19383; Warehouse has a receiving dock. Must be packed in convenient cartons, clearly labeled and numbered.

3. WCU is responsible for domestic postage to recipients by direct payment to USPS.

III.5 Cost

Provide your Cost Proposal by completing the Pricing Section Bid Table in PennBid. Pricing must cover all costs associated with the technical requirements, including those not individually itemized. Absolutely no pricing can appear anywhere in the Technical Proposal.

Ensure all costs are captured in the Pricing Section Bid Table.

Section IV Information Required from Suppliers

IV.1 Technical Submittal Response Format

A. Complete and submit Appendix A, Technical Submittal Response Form.

B. Proposals are to be straightforward, clear, concise, and specific to the information requested.

C. While offerors are encouraged to submit the most creative, cost-effective proposal possible, the inclusion of extraneous commercial and/or sales literature as a substitute for responses to questions included in the RFP is strongly discouraged. Attach any supplemental information as an appendix to the Technical Submittal Response Form.

D. It is the responsibility of all offerors to examine the entire RFP package, to seek clarification of any item or requirement that may not be clear, and to check all responses for accuracy prior to submitting a proposal.

E. Offerors are responsible for acknowledging all addenda to this RFP in the Technical

Proposal.

F. Proposals may include URLs that provide information related to the proposal or the proposing organization, however, that information must also be included in document format as an appendix to the proposal. URLs must not require a registration process to view the content.

G. All proposals must be properly marked and submitted electronically via PennBid by the

Submission Date/Time listed above.

H. All cost information must be kept separate and apart from the technical portion of the proposal. Absolutely no pricing can appear anywhere in the technical proposal, including technical appendices, Service Level Agreements, sample documents, etc.

Failure to follow this requirement may result in the submission being deemed nonresponsive.

I. As part of the RFP, magazine samples required will need to be sent to WCU. Only the magazine samples are sent in the mail, not the RFP response. The samples should be received by June 16th, 2026 at the following address:

University Communications Attn: Evaluation Committee - Samples 13/15 University Ave West Chester, PA 19383

Tracking number and sending acknowledgement must be provided in PennBid.

J. A Sample of the current WCU Magazine are available upon request. Please submit a request via email by May 22nd, 2026 by 11:00 AM, EPT, kmccoy2@wcupa.edu. When submitting a request please make sure to provide your FedEx account number and address. If using UPS provide your UPS account number and address. If your FedEx account or UPS account numbers are not provided the samples will not be sent out.

IV.2 Cost Submittal Response Format

A. Suppliers are required to complete the Pricing Section BidTable within PennBid.

B. All cost information must be kept separate and apart from the technical portion of the proposal. Absolutely no pricing can appear anywhere in the technical proposal, including technical proposal appendices, Service Level Agreements, sample documents, etc. Failure to follow this requirement may result in the submission being deemed nonresponsive.

C. Prices proposed in the offeror’s response will be valid for a minimum of one (1) year effective from the start date of the contract.

D. Offerors’ proposals must describe how future price increases will be minimized and capped and how both increases and decreases will be passed on to the State System.

IV.3 Instructions for Proposal Submissions via at PennBid.

A. Checklist

1. Review the Sourcing Event Details. Provides an overview and timing rules.

2. Review and Accept Prerequisites. Accepting the prerequisites permits you to participate in this procurement event.

3. Submit Response. Provides event (RFP) content.

B. Sourcing Event Content

1. Technical Proposal. Submit a completed Technical Submittal Response Form

(Appendix A) and any relevant information as appendices to the Technical Response Form. Click *Upload File to upload the file. Identify all documents by including the company name and document name. Ex: Wilson Roofing – Technical Proposal.

2. Cost Proposal. Submit the Pricing Section BidTable within PennBid

3. Other Documents. If applicable, submit any master agreements, merchant terms and conditions, etc., which the State System will be expected to incorporate into its contract. Submit any redline edits to the Commonwealth’s Contract Standard Terms and Conditions. Click *Upload File to upload the file. Identify all documents by including the company name and document name. Ex: Wilson Roofing – Other Documents.

Instructions for the PennBid system can be found at https://pennbid.net/vendor-training-documents.

https://pennbid.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Section V Criteria for Selection

V.1 Evaluation of Proposals All proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee of qualified State System personnel (Proposal Evaluation Committee). The Proposal Evaluation Committee will recommend for selection the proposal(s) that most closely meets the requirements of this RFP and satisfies the needs of the State System.

A. Responses will be evaluated first for responsiveness and thereafter for content. The Issuing Office will make an award to the selected offeror(s) based on the recommendation of the Proposal Evaluation Committee.

B. If a response does not reasonably and substantially conform to all the terms and conditions in this solicitation, or if it requests unreasonable exceptions, it may be considered nonresponsive.

C. Recommendation of award will be based on the proposal(s) that most closely meets the requirements of the RFP and satisfies the stated objectives. A responsive Technical Proposal must achieve a minimum of 75 percent of the available technical points to be considered for an award.

V.2 Evaluation Criteria

The following areas of consideration will be used in determining award:

A. Demonstrated Understanding of the State System’s Requirements

Refers to the offeror’s understanding of the State System’s needs that generated the RFP, of the State System’s objectives in asking for the services, and of the nature and scope of the work involved.

B. Company Qualifications/Experience Includes competence and experience of the offeror and its proposed resources. This includes the experience, expertise, and resources of the company and its personnel to meet the State System’s objectives. This also includes references where similar services have been provided, especially to other higher education institutions.

C. Technical Requirements

Responses are to be straightforward, clear, concise and specific to the information provided in Section III and the information required in Appendix A, Technical Submittal Response Form. Of equal importance is whether the approach is completely responsive to all written specifications and requirements contained in the RFP.

D. Value-Added Services Attributes

Includes but is not limited to competitive advantages, efficiencies, and optional services distinct from the main technical requirements.

E. Cost

The State System desires the best pricing offered for the services being requested.

While this area will be weighted, it will not necessarily be the deciding factor in the selection process.

V.3 Scoring Criteria

A. Technical. The Issuing Office has established the weight for the technical criterion for this RFP as 75 percent. Evaluation will be based on selection criteria as per Part V.2, Evaluation Criteria.

B. Cost. The Issuing Office has established the weight for the cost criterion for this RFP as 25 percent of the total points. The cost criterion is rated by giving the proposal with the lowest total cost the maximum number of cost points available. The remaining proposals are rated as a percentage against this maximum. Note: Cost submittals will not be opened if an offeror’s technical score does not meet or exceed 75 percent of the total available technical points.