5ECE6A3B-2FEE-4645-A097-27FF0A90018B.pdf

RFQ033245

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BIDDER UPDATE

Per Ordinance 2052-2023, Columbus City Code is updated effective January 1, 2024, as follows:

https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances

Please read before submitting a bid. Failure to comply shall result in the bid being deemed non-responsive.

329.18 – Competitive Sealed Bidding

(b) The procurement of all service contracts except construction shall be conducted under this section as follows:

(8) In determining the responsibility of a bidder, for purposes of this section only, to be considered responsible, a bidder must demonstrate that the bidder will pay a responsible wage and provide a health insurance benefit, as defined in Section 329.01, to all employees proposed to directly perform the work specified in the city bid solicitation response. Additionally, consideration shall be given to the following:

(a) Bidder's record of unsatisfactory judgments, as defined in Section 329.01, with any applicable federal, state or local laws or regulations;

affirmative action or diversity and inclusion programs which the city is required by law to enforce in connection with funds to be spent under the procurement contract; whether the bidder is a local bidder; and the bidder's compliance with any minority business enterprise program, women business enterprise program or good faith efforts to comply with such programs adopted by the city; and

(b) Whether the bidder employs a local workforce, as defined in Section 329.01.

329.01 – Definitions

(x) Health Insurance. An adequate and affordable health insurance benefit provided by an employer to an employee. The employer must provide the benefit as part of an overall compensation plan and the benefit cannot be limited to a specific project.

A health insurance benefit is "adequate and affordable" if it meets both the minimum value and affordability requirements established in rules promulgated pursuant to Public Law 111-148, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or a successor to that law. The benefit must otherwise meet the requirements of a "bona fide" fringe benefit, as defined in 29 CFR 4.171 or a successor to that section. An employer may provide a health insurance benefit through the Small Business Health Options Program, pursuant to Public Law 111-148, so long as it otherwise meets the criteria of this definition. For the purposes of construction prequalification, the foregoing shall apply only to those persons performing construction service work, as defined by rule of the director of finance and management or designee.

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(bb) Local Bidder. A bidder or offeror who meets the definition of a local business, as determined by the director of finance and management or his/her designee.

(dd) Local Workforce. A workforce whereby at least fifteen (15) percent of the business entity's full-time equivalent employees in Ohio reside in the city of Columbus, as determined by the finance and management director or designee.

(rr) Responsible Wage. The wage paid to a bidder's employees for services, cleaning and recycling services rendered to any city agency, which shall be equal to or better than the wage actually paid to the lowest paid city full-time employee per the city's effective contracts with its bargaining units.

Contractor shall pay a responsible wage to all employees directly performing the work specified in this contract. The responsible wage for 2025-2026 is $21.33 per hour.

(yy) Unsatisfactory Judgment. A final decision, order, or verdict in a judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative proceeding, after all available appeals have either been exhausted or waived, in which a determination of civil liability, criminal conviction, or administrative penalty was imposed upon the individual or entity for violating any applicable federal, state, or local laws, rules, or regulations.

Below is a FAQ to address most questions. If you have additional questions, see the section in the ITB about how to submit questions for this solicitation.

What does responsible wage mean?

It is the wage that must be paid by a City contractor on any service contract awarded pursuant to the competitive bidding section of the Columbus City Codes.

Who determines what that wage is?

The Director of the Department of Finance and Management will annually set the responsible wage for each calendar year. This decision will be made by July 31 of the previous year.

How is it calculated?

The responsible wage must be equal to or greater than the amount paid to the lowest paid full-time City employee as of July 1.

Do contractors have to pay this on every contract?

Contractors must pay this wage only on service contracts that are awarded under the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Codes 329.18.

Is there an exemption for small companies?

There is no longer an exemption for smaller companies. All contractors must pay at least the responsible wage on City service contracts.

Can a contractor pay its employees more than the responsible wage?

Yes. The responsible wage is a minimum.

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Does this apply to professional service and construction contracts?

No.

Must the contractor pay the responsible wage to all of its employees?

No. The responsible wage only applies to the employees directly performing the work specified in the bid solicitation.

How do I apply the responsible wage for contract renewals?

The contractor must pay its employees the responsible wage in effect at the time the contract or renewal is established and for the duration of the contract/renewal, even if the contract/renewal extends into another calendar year. This example might help.

A city department established a contract to clean office space. It is a one-year contract, with three one-year renewal options. The contract starts on March 1, 2026. The responsible wage for the first year of the contract is $21.33. The department is happy with the work and exercises the option to renew it for one more year, to start on March 1, 2027.

From January 1, 2027, to February 28, 2027, the 2025-2026 wage is paid. When the contract is renewed for 2027, the contractor must pay its employees the 2027 responsible wage.

Bidders shall submit firm and fixed prices for the duration of the contract. The duration of the contract is listed in the solicitation and will be included in the contract. If a contract is renewed, and the responsible wage will increase the price for the renewal year, the Contractor may request a price increase by following the procedures included in the solicitation (which will be included in the contract).

Must a service contractor provide a health insurance benefit?

Yes, a contractor must provide a health insurance benefit to its employees. It must meet the minimum requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

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INVITATION TO BID

City of Columbus

Department of Building and Zoning Services Building and Zoning Division

Mailing Services

RFQ033245

This solicitation is being advertised under the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Code 329.18.

The City of Columbus’ Department of Building and Zoning Services (hereinafter “City”) is seeking an Indefinite Quantity Agreement with a mailing services contractor (hereinafter “Contractor”) that will pick up, prepare, apply postage, and drop off mailers to the United States Postal Service so the City can efficiently provide important correspondence to the owners and tenants who will be affected by an upcoming zoning code update.

The Contractor shall provide all necessary labor, material, and equipment and comply with all applicable codes, standards, regulations, and worker safety rules that federal, state, and local agencies administer.

The City seeks to hire one contractor to perform mail services for two (2) batches of white, 5 ½“ x 8 ½“, 100lb stock, pre-printed postcards. The contract will run from the date the purchase order is confirmed until December 31, 2026.

Interested bidders shall respond to this solicitation by submitting a bid through the City of Columbus’ Vendor Services Portal. If you should need assistance with this process, please contact Vendor Services at (614) 645-8315 or VendorServices@columbus.gov.

The bid will be awarded to the lowest, responsive, responsible, and best bidder per the provisions of Chapter 329 of Columbus City Code and the provisions listed in this solicitation.

Section 1: Scope of Services

1. Contract Manager

A. References to the Contract Manager will mean Eric Voorhees of the Department of Building and Zoning Services. (EAVoorhees@Columbus.gov or 614-645- 3262), unless otherwise designated.

B. The City will participate in this project to ensure smooth and successful proceedings.

2. Mail Services

A. Transportation – Pickup includes:

i. Collecting postcards upon request from the City’s Print Shop at 98 N Front St, Columbus, OH 43215 and transport them to its facility.

a. Pickup must take place during regular business hours (7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.).

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ii. Picking up no more than three business days after the City’s request has been submitted, however, the City will strive to provide more notice, if possible.

B. Mail Preparation includes, but is not limited to:

i. Data Processing for preparing postcards:

a. Using software such as CASS or NCOA to confirm mailing addresses.

1. Contractor will inform the City of any address changes prior to the printing of addresses.

b. File Merging.

ii. Printing addresses, including Intelligent Mail Barcodes, on postcards to obtain the best available discounted rates.

iii. Preparing the mail according to the current USPS Presort Guidelines.

iv. Commingling the City’s mail with other metered mail to obtain maximum discounts.

C. Applying postage includes, but is not limited to:

i. Reading addresses on all postcards and affixing postage at the lowest cost available via Contractor’s permit.

ii. The City will determine whether to utilize the Bulk or First Class postage quoted based upon the time constraints of the project.

D. Transportation – Delivery includes:

i. Delivering postcards to U.S. Post Office.

3. Schedule

A. Anticipated project timeframe:

i. Awarded vendor pickup: September 4, 2026

ii. Postcard delivery by USPS to residents: September 30, 2026

4. Postcards

A. Quantity: Approximately 157,000 postcards in two batches, both to be serviced simultaneously.

i. One mailing batch of approximately 10,400 for properties located within the Downtown District.

ii. A second mailing batch of approximately 146,857 for the remainder of the City.

iii. Please note: The quantities listed above reflect the anticipated quantity for pricing purposes. The City reserves the right to adjust quantities within +/- 1,000 postcards based on final mailing lists.

B. Size: 5.5 x 8.5

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C. Stock: 100lb

D. Each batch of postcards will be pre-printed with its designated artwork and will be ready for pickup.

Section 2: Compensation and Payment

1. Pricing

A. Bidders are to bid firm, fixed prices for the duration of the contract as follows:

i. Pickup from City Print Shop (flat rate)

ii. Mail preparation (per piece)

iii. Bulk postage (per piece)

iv. First Class postage (per piece)

v. Other expenses (Flat rate total)

vi. Delivery to USPS (flat rate)

2. Invoicing

A. Invoices must be on company letterhead including the “Remit To” address, the purchase order number, the service period, the services provided (delineated), and pricing corresponding to the awarded quote.

i. The Contractor shall invoice the City for the actual number of pick-ups/drop-offs, documents prepared, and postage applied.

B. The Contractor shall submit invoices via email to Eric Voorhees at EAVoorhees@columbus.gov.

3. Audits and Inspections

At any time during normal business hours with at least ten (10) days prior written notice, and as often as City may deem necessary, and in such a manner as not to interfere with the normal business operations, the Contractor shall make available to City and to appropriate federal or state agencies or officials, and at no cost to the City or appropriate federal or state agencies or officials, all of its records with respect to matters covered by this Contract including without limitation, records of personnel and conditions of employment. Contractor shall permit City or such federal or state agencies to audit, examine, and make excerpts or transcripts from such records.

Any deficiencies noted in audit reports shall be fully cleared by Contractor within thirty (30) days after receipt thereof of such reports by Contractor from the City or appropriate federal or state agencies or officials. Failure to comply with this provision shall be deemed a material breach of this Contract, for which City may withhold future payments, terminate this Agreement, or pursue such legal or equitable remedies to which it may be entitled.

Section 3: Minimum Requirements

1. At the time of contract, the Contractor must possess insurance and workers compensation insurance as described below. Do not submit this with the bid.

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Worker’s Compensation:

The Contractor shall comply with all Workers’ Compensation laws of the State of Ohio.

Insurance:

Contractor shall carry at least the minimum amounts listed below of Commercial Liability Insurance (Bodily Injury and Property Damage) naming the City as an additional insured.

Bodily Injury Liability: Property Damage Liability:

Each Person $500,000 Each Accident $500,000

Each Accident $1,000,000 All Accidents $1,000,000

At the time of contract, Contractors shall have a valid City of Columbus contract compliance number. If you have not completed the application process to obtain certification in your Vendor Services account, please do so or contact the City of Columbus, Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 614-645-4764, 1111 East Broad St. Suite 203 Columbus, OH 43205.

2. Responsible Wage

A. Per Columbus City Code 329.18, the Contractor must pay a responsible wage and provide a health insurance benefit, as defined in Section 329.01, to all employees who directly perform the work specified in the Contract.

B. The responsible wage for this Contract is: $21.33/hour.

C. No price adjustment for responsible wage shall be granted for the term of the Contract.

D. The responsible wage will be determined by the City by July 31 of each year and is effective January 1 of the following calendar year.

E. The responsible wage in effect on the date of the start of the Contract term shall remain in effect for the duration of the original Contract period. If a contract modification or renewal is executed, the responsible wage for that modification or renewal is the wage in effect at the time the Purchase Order for the modification or renewal is approved by the City.

F. It is the Contractor’s responsibility for requesting a price adjustment to compensate for an increase in responsible wage for a Contract modification or renewal. If there is not an increase in the responsible wage, a price adjustment shall not be granted for responsible wage for a Contract modification or renewal.

G. The request for a price adjustment for a Contract modification or renewal due to responsible wage increase shall be in writing and emailed to:

eavoorhees@columbus.gov. Submission for this price increase shall be submitted to the City no later than 60 calendar days before the end of the Contract term. Submittals after this date may not be reviewed.

H. Documentation for a price adjustment due to an increase in responsible wage

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i. Names and hourly rate of all employees as of the start date of the Contract term who are directly performing the work specified in the Contract. If a new employee was hired, or an existing employee begins performing work specified in the Contract, provide the employee’s staring hourly rate or rate in effect at the time they started working on the contract, respectively.

ii. Attach a copy of the certified payroll in effect the start date of the Contract Term (and/or start date of working on the contract) and the most recent certified payroll at the time of the request for all employees on the list.

iii. Of the employees on the list that are to be paid the responsible wage under the renewal/modification, approximate the percentage of work they perform of this Contract.

iv. The City will only allow a price increase for responsible wage for those who are paid the responsible wage at the time of renewal/modification.

v. Proof that the Contractor provides a health insurance benefit, as defined in Columbus City Code Section 329.01, to all employees who directly perform the work specified in the Contract.

I. Within 30 calendar days of receipt of a complete responsible wage price adjustment request, the City shall notify the Contractor in writing of the status of the request. The City may approve the increase as requested, approve a portion of the increase requested, or not approve the request. If the request is not approved as submitted, the City shall provide a written explanation to the Contractor. The Contractor shall have the ability to appeal the City’s decision one time. After one appeal, the City’s decision is final.

J. The Contractor is responsible for following the requirements of the responsible wage for the term of the Contract and for any contract modifications or renewals to the Contract. Failure to do so may result in Contract termination.

3. Bidders must provide no fewer than three references showing experience in providing similar mailing services over the past two years in the name of the company submitting the proposal. This shall be submitted with the bid.

A. Bidder must also provide complete contact information for these references.

4. The bidder and Contractor shall not subcontract any part of the contract without the written approval of the City.

5. The bidder shall maintain payroll records, documents, and other evidence directly pertinent to employment and/or payment to workers carrying out the services contracted with the City. The City, or its duly authorized representative, shall have access to such payroll records, documents, and other evidence for the purpose of verification, audit, inspection, and copying within seven (7) days of receiving written request from the City to view such documentation, at no cost to the City.

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Section 4: Qualification to Bid – By submitting a bid, the bidder is attesting all the following are true:

1. Bidder affirmatively acknowledges that they are in compliance with the Responsible Wage Provisions of Columbus City Code, as described herein.

2. Bidder possesses the previous experience, current capability, staff, and equipment necessary to perform the Scope of Services in a timely manner and to invoice for the services performed with the required supporting documentation.

3. Bidder possesses all licenses, permits, and credentials necessary to perform the services listed in the Scope of Services.

4. Bidder meets all Minimum Requirements as identified in the Scope of Services.

5. Bidder has not submitted more than one (1) bid for the same work from an individual or entity under the same or different name, or corporation under the same name, or corporations with one (1) or more of the same persons as officers or directors of such corporations, or corporations which are holding companies, parent companies or holding companies that are subsidiaries of such corporations. The City may request a list of company officers or any other information to make this determination and failure to provide such information may result in disqualification.

6. Bidder has not previously breached a City contract or had inferior or substandard performance on City projects.

7. Bidder must not have open or active violations of Columbus City Code at the time of the bid.

Section 5: Evaluation Criteria – Bidders are to quote firm, fixed prices for the duration of the contract which may result from this solicitation. Bids shall be awarded to the lowest, responsive, responsible, and best bidder per Columbus City Code Chapter 329.

The factors used to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible, and best bidder are as follows:

1. Lowest Price

A. The lowest price will be determined by the summation of all line items.

2. Responsive

A. A bidder who has submitted a bid which conforms in all material respects to the requirements set forth in an invitation for bids. The City reserves the right to seek clarification of a bid and still deem it responsive.

3. Responsible

Per Columbus City Code Section 329.18(b)(8), the City shall consider the responsibility of a bidder as follows:

In determining the responsibility of a bidder, for purposes of this section only, to be considered responsible, a bidder must demonstrate that the bidder will pay a responsible wage and provide a health insurance benefit, as defined in Section 329.01, to all employees proposed to directly perform the work specified in the

10 | P a g e city bid solicitation response. Additionally, consideration shall be given to the following:

Bidder's record of unsatisfactory judgments, as defined in Section 329.01, with any applicable federal, state or local laws or regulations; affirmative action programs which the city is required by law to enforce in connection with funds to be spent under the procurement contract; whether the bidder is a local bidder; and the bidder's compliance with any minority business enterprise, female business enterprise or equal business opportunity programs or good faith efforts to comply with such programs adopted by the city.

The 2025-2026 responsible wage is $21.33 per hour. Contractor shall pay at least the responsible wage to all employees directly performing the work specified in this Contract.

Contractor shall provide an adequate and affordable health insurance benefit to its employees. The benefit must be provided as part of an overall compensation plan and the benefit cannot be limited to a specific project. The health insurance benefit is "adequate and affordable" if it meets both the minimum value and affordability requirements established in rules promulgated pursuant to Public Law 111-148, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or a successor to that law. The benefit must otherwise meet the requirements of a "bona fide" fringe benefit, as defined in 29 CFR 4.171 or a successor to that section. An employer may provide a health insurance benefit through the Small Business Health Options Program, pursuant to Public Law 111-148, so long as it otherwise meets the criteria of this definition.

A. For more information about Columbus City Code, go to:

https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances

4. Best

A. Contractor has the capacity, equipment, and personnel needed to fully perform the contract requirements.

B. Contractor is experienced and reliable to perform the work.

Section 6: Pre-bid Meeting

1. A pre-bid meeting will not be held for this RFQ.

Section 7: Documents to be Submitted With the Bid

1. “References Form” (see below)

Section 8: Bidding Instructions

Interested Contractors shall respond to this solicitation by submitting a bid through the City of Columbus’ Vendor Services Portal. Bids submitted outside of Vendor Services shall not be accepted. If you have questions about the solicitation, please see page 48 of the Vendor Portal User Guide for detailed instructions on how to add a vendor question to this solicitation. If you should need assistance with the submittal process in

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Register or Re-register with Vendor Services

Login to Vendor Services

Vendor Services Overview

Register Additional Contacts with Vendor Services

The City’s Purchasing Office Help Desk is available to speak with any vendors to provide technical assistance. Please contact Vendor Services at (614) 645-8315 if you need any help with the online bidding process, including how to submit questions during the bidding process.

Questions regarding this bid must be submitted on the Vendor Services portal by 10:00 a.m. (local time) on Friday, July 24, 2026. Phone calls will not be accepted and no contact shall be made with the City about this solicitation outside of the Vendor Services Portal. Responses and any necessary addenda will be posted as an amendment to this solicitation on the City’s Vendor Services portal no later than 10:00 a.m. (local time) on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Bids are due on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. (local time). Bidders are to quote firm and fixed prices on the bid.

Line 10 - Pickup from City Print Shop (flat rate)

Line 20 - Mail preparation – Batch 1 – Downtown Version (per piece)

Line 30 - Mail preparation – Batch 2 – Citywide Version (per piece)

Line 40 - Bulk postage (per piece)

Line 50 - First Class postage (per piece)

Line 60 - Other expenses (Flat rate total)

Line 70 – Delivery to USPS (flat rate)

SECTION 9: Contract

Upon evaluation of the bids, the City shall notify the Contractors of the status of the bid.

The vendor awarded the contract will be asked to submit a current copy of their Workers’ Compensation certificate and insurance certificate, as required in the terms and conditions on the Vendor Services Portal. The City shall prepare a contract for the Contractor’s signature, email the contract to the Contractor for signature, and the Contractor shall return the Workers’ Compensation and insurance certificates with the signed contract.

References Form

Offeror Name _______________________________

Provide contact information for similar contract the company has had in the past three years.

The City may verify contacts and use information obtained in our decision to award a contract.

Reference #1

Business Name:________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________

Contact:______________________________________________________________

Telephone:____________________________________________________________

Email:_______________________________________________________________

Contract Dates:_______________________________________________________

Description of Work Performed:____________________________________________

Reference #2

Business Name:________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________

Contact:______________________________________________________________

Telephone:____________________________________________________________

Email:_______________________________________________________________

Contract Dates:_______________________________________________________

Description of Work Performed:____________________________________________

Reference #3

Business Name:________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________

Contact:______________________________________________________________

Telephone:____________________________________________________________

Email:_______________________________________________________________

Contract Dates:_______________________________________________________

Description of Work Performed:____________________________________________