Company Name - ___________________

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE

BID #6115

Painting Services for the Hartford Public Schools

City of Hartford Procurement Services Unit

550 Main Street Hartford, CT 06103

DEADLINE: 2:00 PM, Thursday, November 5, 2026

Maureen Goulet Deputy Purchasing Agent 860-757-9788

INVITATION TO RESPOND

Dear Sir/Madam:

The City of Hartford (the City) invites responses for:

RFR #: 6115 SOLICITATION DATE: October 15, 2025

SOLICITATION TITLE: Painting Services for the Hartford Public Schools

SOLICITATION DESCRIPTION:

The City of Hartford (the City) invites responses for Painting Services for the Hartford Public Schools.

SITE LOCATION (if applicable):

RESPONSE DATE: Thursday, November 5, 2026 RESPONSE TIME: 2:00 p.m.

DEPT. ASSIGNED CONTRACT #: EST. COST OF CONSTRUCTION:

This solicitation contains the following sections:

Invitation to Respond Standard Instructions Project Site Location – (for construction projects only) Table of Contents – (for construction projects only) Section 1 – Response Forms

1.1 Response Information & Signature Form

Contract Compliance

Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity Requirements – See Section 3.6 Surety Bond Requirements Bid Bond Performance & Payment Bonds Insurance Requirements – see exhibits below Set Aside – Ord. Section 2-660 MWBE Small Contractor City-Based Small Business Bid Preference – Ord. Section 2-661 15% Minority Utilization (City of Hartford Certified MWBE) – Ord. Section 2-682 State of Connecticut DAS Prequalification (Public Construction Project > $500,000) OSHA Compliance (Public Works Project > $100,000) Wage Requirements – Complete & attach Wage Certification Form Living Wage

1.2 Response Pricing – submit pricing electronically at www.hartfordct.gov/procurement/purchasing (click on current solicitations and then bid opportunities)

1.3 Statement of Qualifications

1.4 Subcontractor Information

Section 2 – Specifications/Scope of Services Special Instructions / Conditions included

Section 3 – General Information for Preparation and Delivery of a Response Section 4 – Terms and Conditions / Labor Compliance Exhibits

Exhibit A- Insurance Requirements_ Exhibit B – N/A

Sincerely, Maureen Goulet Deputy Purchasing Agent GoulM001@hartford.gov

STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS:

Questions & Addenda Questions related to this project must be submitted electronically within seventy-two (72) hours in advance of the response submittal deadline. Responses to such questions will be posted online bidding website (www.hartfordct.gov/procurement/purchasing) within twenty-four (24) hours of the response submittal deadline. Respondents are responsible for obtaining all addenda related to this RFR and thus advised to check for any addenda a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the response deadline.

Taxpayer’s Identification Number o Respondents must provide their Taxpayer Identification number on the response form (Tax ID#). Award recipients, whether an individual, proprietor, partnership or a non-profit corporation or organization must file the Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification with the City.

Responsible Candidate o Respondent must not have any delinquent taxes or financial obligations due o Respondent must execute an affidavit to comply with all federal and state requirements o Respondent must be certified as an Equal Opportunity Employer

Calendar days allowed for contract work / Substantial completion date:

Liquidated damages for late completion:

Bid Bond / Performance & Payment bonds (required if checked on invitation to respond) o 10% bid bond, cashiers or certified check with your response. The City of Hartford provides contractors with the option of submitting an electronic Bid Bond through the Surety2000 website. Surety 2000 is an Internet-based surety processing, verification and security system, developed in cooperation with the surety industry. You may contact Surety 2000 at 1-800-660-3263 or www.surety2000.com, for more information.

o Performance and payment bonds for 100% of the project upon award if the contract value exceeds $50,000.00.

DAS prequalification program (construction / infrastructure projects only) o The DAS Contractor Prequalification Program, Connecticut General Statues Section 4a-100, requires all contractors to prequalify “before they can bid on any construction, alteration, remodeling, repair or demolition of any public building (does not apply to road construction), for work by the state or a municipality, estimated to cost more than $500,000 and which is funded in whole or in part with state funds. “

In addition to your electronic response, submit # hard-copies to:

o Hartford City Hall, Procurement Services, 550 Main Street, Room 100, Hartford, CT 06103

Request for Response (RFR)

AFFIDAVIT

STATE OF CONNECTICUT )

) ss. __________________, 20___

COUNTY OF ________________ )

I, ___________________________________, being duly sworn, depose and say:

(insert name of authorized agent)

1. I am the ___________________________ of ______________________________ (the

(insert title) (insert name of company) “Respondent”) and am authorized on behalf of the Proposer to make this Affidavit.

2. I am over 18 years of age and understand the obligations of an oath.

3. There are no delinquent real and personal property taxes due the City of Hartford from the

Respondent.

4. The Respondent is current on all monetary obligations due the City of Hartford.

5. The Respondent is currently in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and ordinances of the

United States, State of Connecticut and the City of Hartford.

(insert name of company)

By: _______________________________ Name:

Title:

Subscribed and sworn to before me, ___________________________, the undersigned officer this

_________ day of ___________, 20___.

Notary Public My Commission Expires:

CITY OF HARTFORD

WAGE CERTIFICATION FORM

I, of Officer, Owner, Authorized Rep. Company Name do hereby certify that the Company Name

Street

City and all of its subcontractors will pay all workers on the

Project Name and Number

Street and City the following wages as required for such project (a copy of the rates which is attached hereto):

State of Connecticut Prevailing wage rates

Federal Prevailing wage rates

City of Hartford Living wage rates

Signature

Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of___________, 20______

Notary Public

Section 1

RESPONSE FORMS

1.1 RESPONSE INFORMATION & SIGNATURE FORM

Vendor Name -

Trade Name -

Address -

Phone # - Fax # - Email Address -

Contact Person - Tax ID# -

Delivery / Service Start Date: # Calendar days after receipt of executed contract:

Bid Surety - 10% For electronic bonds enter bond number, otherwise check the appropriate box

Electronic Bond # Bond (hard copy)

Cashiers / Certified

Check

Cost of Performance Bond included in base bid (if applicable) $ Per thousand

EEO Certification Status (check one) See General Information for Preparing a Response paragraph 3.6.3

Current & on file EEO form attached

DAS Prequalified Contractor? (non highway construction projects >$500,000) http://das.ct.gov/cr1.aspx?page=10

Certificate attached

Update Statement attached

Insurance Agent Name Phone #

Insurance Agent Address

Vendor acknowledges receipt of all addenda issued during the bidding period (if applicable) and understands that they are a part of the bidding documents.

The undersigned hereby declares that he/she or they are thoroughly familiar with the specifications, the various sites, the City’s requirements, and the objectives for each element of the project item or service and understands that in signing this proposal all right to plead any misunderstanding regarding the same is waived.

The undersigned further understands and agrees that he will furnish and provide all the necessary material, machinery, implements, tools, labor, services, and other items of whatever nature, and to do and perform all the work necessary under the aforesaid conditions, to carry out the contract and to accept in full compensation therefore the amount of the contract as agreed to by the Contractor and the City.

The undersigned hereby declares that no reason or persons other than those named herein are interested in this proposal, which is made without any connection with any other person or persons making any proposal for the same work and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud; that no person acting for or employed by the City of Hartford is directly or indirectly interested therein, or in the supplies or works to which it relates, or will receive any part of the profit or any commission there from in any manner which is unethical or contrary to the best interest of said City of Hartford.

The undersigned additionally declares that they are not debarred or suspended, or otherwise excluded from, or ineligible for, participation in City of Hartford, State of Connecticut or federally funded projects (Executive Order 12549).

The undersigned certifies under penalty of false statement that the information provided in this response is true.

Submitted by (Signature)

Printed name and title Date (Authorized Agent of Company)

1.2 RESPONSE PRICING

A. UNIT PRICES

Instructions: Pricing shall be submitted electronically at www.hartfordct.gov/procurement/purchasing (click on current solicitations and then bid opportunities)

1.3 STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

Please complete the following information. Failure to respond to all items may result in the rejection of your response.

1. Number of years in business - D-U-N-S Number:

2. Number of personnel employed Part time - , Full time - ,

3. List six past contracts of this type/size your firm has completed within the last three (3) years:

Project Date Contact Person Phone No.

4. DAS CONTRACTOR

PREQUALIFICATION

(required for construction / infrastructure projects only)

DAS prequalified?

Yes No

You certify that there has been no substantial change in your financial position or corporate structure since your most recent prequalification certificate was issued or renewed, other than those changes noted in the update statement (attached).

YES

NO

5. ORGANIZATIONAL

STRUCTURE OF BUSINESS

ENTITY (select one)

General partnership (GP)

Limited partnership (LP)

Limited liability corporation (LLC)

Limited liability partnership (LLP)

Corporation

Individual doing business under a trade name (sole proprietor) other (specify)

6. CITY OF HARTFORD TAX

STATUS / OTHER FINANCIAL

OBLIGATIONS

Hartford Businesses – All City of Hartford taxes & financial obligations (real, motor & personal property) are current and paid in full or subject to a current and approved payment plan. Please attach RFR Affidavit.

Yes

No

Non-Hartford Businesses - All City of Hartford financial obligations are current and paid in full or subject to a current and approved payment plan. Please attach RFR Affidavit.

7. STATUS OF THE BUSINESS

AND ITS CURRENT STANDING

WITH THE SECRETARY OF

STATE'S OFFICE

Connecticut businesses - Are all required filings current with the Secretary of State and will the Secretary of State be able to issue a Certificate of Legal Existence?

Out-of –State (foreign) businesses – Have you filed a Certificate of Authority / Application of Registration with the Connecticut Secretary of State? If so, submit a copy of your filing with your response. If not, submit a copy of your Certificate of Good Standing from your state of incorporation.

8. Is your local organization an affiliate of a Parent company? If so, Indicate the principal place of business of the parent company and the name of agent for service.

Business Name .

Address .

City . State . Zip .

Name of Agent .

9. List all Affiliated Businesses (attach additional sheets as necessary):

Business Name Address Ownership Interest %

10. Based on the organizational structure of your business, provide a current listing of all corporate officers, principals, general or managing partners, limited partners, managers and members. If sole proprietorship or general partnership, attach trade name certificate filed with the town clerks office.

11. Submit copies of all required business (trade & occupational) licenses with your response.

12. Your company may be asked to submit information relative to your company's financial statements and/or a Dun & Bradstreet report may be obtained prior to receiving an award. This information will be protected to the fullest extent required by law.

13. Additional information/documentation may be requested subsequent to your responding to this solicitation.

Additional information may be requested subsequent to your responding to this bid request.

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE

#6115 –PAINTING SERVICES FOR THE HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS SECTION

2 – SCOPE OF SERVICES

2.1 PURPOSE

The intent and purpose of this Request for Response (RFR) is to establish a term contract with a qualified firm to furnish Painting Services for the City of Hartford Public Schools on an as needed basis. The award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder meeting the requirements of the solicitation.

2.2 SCOPE OF WORK/DESCRIPTION OF ITEMS (SPECIFICATIONS)

The contractor shall furnish all labor, supervision, materials, equipment and tools to provide interior and exterior painting services for future, yet-to-be determined painting projects.

2.3 REQUIREMENTS

2.3.1 The contractor shall provide high quality painting services. This includes, but is not limited to; prompt response to request for quotations and completion of projects in a timely fashion once guidelines and time tables are established by the City. Work in progress may be inspected periodically by the City’s designated representative to ensure that services provided meet the City’s quality standards. The City may, at any time, assign a designated representative to oversee a painting project. The City representative will serve as the contract administrator of the contract.

2.3.2 The contractor shall plan its work with the understanding that the City’s normal working hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The City may require services beyond established normal working hours, including nights, weekends, and some holidays, except for those established holidays observed by the City.

2.3.3 The contractor shall take proper safety and health precautions to protect, at a minimum, all work, the contractors employees, the public and City property.

2.3.4 The work site shall be kept in such an orderly fashion as to not unduly interfere with the progress of the work or the work of any other contractor. Trash/debris shall be collected daily and removed by the contractor.

2.3.5 The contractor shall not operate to disturb the setting of any valves, switches or electrical equipment on the service lines to any City building, except by proper previous arrangement with and in the presence of an authorized representative of the City. The contractor shall give ample advance notice of the need for cutoffs or adjustments, which will be scheduled at the convenience of the City.

2.3.6 The contractor may use existing sanitary facilities; electricity and water as described and approved by the City to the extent of available services. The issue of available utilities will be clarified and understood prior to the submission of the contractor’s price quotation on each paint project.

2.3.7 The City, its agents, any public authority and their representative will at all times have access to the work, whether It is in preparation or progress stage, and the contractor will provide safe facilities for such access and for inspection. All work and material will be subject to a final inspection by an authorized representative of the City.

2.3 PROCEDURES

2.3.1 Within five (5) business days of receipt of a telephone call or written request from the City, the contractor must visit the designated work site and carefully examine the site of the proposed work to acquire a full understanding of the nature and scope of the project to be accomplished.

2.3.2 Within five (5) business days of the work site visit, the contractor shall deliver to the City’s designated representative a written quotation to complete to the project. The quotation shall be based upon the established prices resulting from the award from this Request for Response. At a minimum quotations shall include: the types and quantities of labor required to complete the painting project, established labor rates, a list and description of the proposed work, a list and description of the major items of materials needed (with associated cost when submitting a Cost of Work quotation), and total price. If requested by the City, the quotations shall also include a target date for starting work and an estimated completion date. The start and completion dates shall be agreed upon by the City and the contractor and shall be reflected in the written Notification to Proceed or Purchase Order.

2.3.3 When an award is made to the contractor on a particular paint project, the City will inform the contractor of such an award by issuing a Notification to Proceed or Purchase Order.

2.3.4 The contractor shall perform no work which would result in exceeding the dollar limitation of the agreed upon price without first obtaining written approval from the City.

2.4 PAINTING SPECIFICATIONS

2.4.1 SURFACE PREPARTION

2.4.1 Upon receipt of the Notification to Proceed or Purchase Order, the contractor shall examine each area scheduled for painting and notify the City, in writing, of any adverse conditions present that would prove unsatisfactory for proper application and complete coverage of paint to existing painted surfaces.

2.4.2 The contractor shall remove all hardware, hardware accessories, machined surfaces and similar items in place and not to be painted, or provide surface-applied protection prior to surface preparation and painting operations. The contractor shall reinstall the removed items by workmen skilled in the trades involved following work completion.

2.4.3 The contractor shall perform preparation and cleaning procedures in strict accordance with the paint manufacturer’s instructions and, as herein specified, for each particular surface condition.

2.4.4 The contactor shall not paint over dirt, rust, scale, grease, moisture, scuffed surfaces or conditions otherwise detrimental to the formation of durable paint film. The contractor shall clean surfaces to be painted before applying paint. The contractor shall remove oil and grease prior to mechanical cleaning and shall plan the cleaning and painting so that contaminants from the cleaning process will not fall onto wet, newly painted surfaces.

2.4.5 The contractor shall ensure that all existing and new surfaces and base coats to receive paint shall be clean, smooth, dry and free from dust or grit at time any coating is applied. Existing base coats shall be made in good condition and the surfaces well covered by touching up any bare or abraded spots. New or existing base coats shall be rubbed smooth as necessary to allow for proper application of paint.

2.4.6 The contactor shall fill all cracks and joints on new and existing surfaces with caulk/sealant according specifications of the work. Filled surfaces shall be flush with adjoining surfaces.

2.4.7 The contractor shall remove loose and peeling paint from all existing surfaces to receive new paint. When specified by the City, the contractor shall sand edges of paint scales left after removing peeling paint to create a smooth surface.

2.5 PAINT

2.5.1 Contractor shall mix and prepare painting materials in accordance with manufacturer’s printer instructions.

2.5.2 Contractor shall store paint, not in use, in tightly covered containers. Storage containers shall be maintained in a clean condition, free of foreign materials and residue.

2.5.3 Contractor shall stir paint before application to produce a mixture of uniform density and stir as required during application of paint. Contractor shall not stir surface film into paint. Contractor shall remove the film and, if necessary, strain the paint before using.

2.5.4 Contractor shall keep all stored paints, liquids and rags in covered metal containers.

Contractor shall store materials, tools and equipment in areas designated by the City. Contractor shall maintain storage area in a neat, clean condition. Contractor shall be responsible for stored items. In some cases, contractor may be required to furnish their own storage area(s).

2.5.5 The contractor shall use paint manufactured by one of the following approved brands of pain:

(a) Devoe

(b) Glidden

(c) Sherwin-Williams

(d) Douglas

(e) Benjamin Moore or paint type as specified in the Request for Quotation.

(f) Pittsburgh

(g) Ace

2.5.6 Contractor shall use Silicone based caulking manufactured by:

(a) Dow Corning

(b) Red Devil

(c) Dap products or caulking as specified in the Request for Quotation.

2.6 APPLICATION

2.6.1 The contactor shall apply paint in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Contractor shall use applicator and techniques best suited for the substrate and type of material being used or as specified by the City.

2.6.2 The contractor shall ensure that the finished surface is free of runs, drops, ridges, waves, laps and brush marks and each coat shall be applied so as to produce a film of uniform thickness. Special attention shall be given to ensure that all surfaces, including edges, corners, crevices, welds and fasteners receive a film thickness equal to that of adjacent painted surfaces.

2.6.3 The contractor shall ensure that, during application, paint will show no sign of hard setting, excessive skinning or other deterioration. The paint shall be thoroughly stirred and strained and kept at a uniform consistency during application.

2.6.4 Where necessary to suitable conditions of surface, temperature, weather and method of application, paint shall be thinned immediately before application in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions, but not is excess of one (1) pint of suitable thinner per gallon, unless otherwise approved by the City. The use of thinner, for any reason, shall not relieve the contactor from obtaining complete coverage of paint.

2.6.5 On some occasions, the contractor must obtain the City’s approval of each coat before applying succeeding coats; otherwise an additional coat may be required and provided by the contractor at no additional cost to the City.

2.6.6 The contactor shall paint all piping, electrical and telephone conduits when and if specified.

2.6.7 Paint shall be applied by brush unless otherwise specified. Airless spray gun paint application and chemical/open flame paint removal may be permitted on specific areas ONLY as approved in advance by the City.

2.6.8 The contractor shall apply paint on exterior surfaces only when the temperature of surfaces to be painted and the surrounding temperature are between 50 degrees Fahrenheit and 90 degree Fahrenheit, unless otherwise permitted by the paint manufacturer’s printed instructions or as approved by the City.

2.6.9 The contract shall not apply paint in snow, rain, fog or mist; when the relative humidity exceeds 85%; or to damp or wet surfaces, unless otherwise permitted by the paint manufacturer’s printed instructions or as approved by the City.

2.7 SCAFFOLDING

The contractor shall provide, erect and maintain all scaffolding required for proper execution and completion of all work and inspection of the work by the City’s designated representative. All scaffolding shall meet all OSHA requirements.

2.8 CLEAN-UP

2.8.1 During the process of the work, the contractor shall remove from the site all discarded paint materials, rubbish, cans, trash, rags or similar items at the end of each workday. This includes, but is not limited to, raking and removal of paint chips, sweeping up dust, etc.

2.8.2 Upon completion of painting work, the contractor shall clean paint-spattered surfaces. The contractor shall remove spattered paint by proper methods of washing and scarping, using care not to scratch or otherwise damage finished surfaces.

2.9 PROTECTION

2.9.1 The contractor shall provide wet paint signs, drop cloths, barriers and other covering for proper protection of metal, previous painted surfaces, office furnishings, personal belongings of City students and personnel, automobiles, pedestrian traffic, etc. The contractor shall correct any damage by cleaning repairing or replacing and repainting, as acceptable to the City.

2.9.2 The contractor shall provide personal safety equipment to avoid skin and eye contact with cleaning products.

2.9.3 The contractor shall provide “Wet Paint” signs as required to protect newly painted finishes and shall remove temporary protective wrappings after completion of painting operations.

2.9.4 The contractor shall touch-up and restore all damaged or defaced painted surfaces after job completion.

Exhibit A – Insurance Requirements

SECTION 3

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR PREPARATION AND DELIVERY OF A RESPONSE

Rev. 06/04/12

Definitions:

Request for Response (RFR) refers to any form of solicitation the City may use, such as a Request for Bids (RFB), Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Information (RFI) or Request for Quotation (RFQ).

Candidate or Respondent refers to an individual or company who is considering or has submitted a response to a solicitation. This is also commonly referred to as “bidder.”

City refers to the City of Hartford, the Hartford Public Schools and any other governmental entity participating in the RFR process and/or resulting award(s).

Provider refers to the Candidate or Candidates who receive an award and who enter into a contract with the City.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3.1 How to Respond

3.2 Questions & Addenda

3.3 Qualifications of Candidates Offering a Response

3.4 Obligations of the Candidate

3.5 Non-Discrimination

3.6 Affirmative Action Requirements

3.7 Response Development

3.8 Time Provisions

3.9 Correction or Withdrawal of Responses, Cancellation of Awards

3.10 Quantities and/or Usages

3.11 Acceptable Brands

3.12 Samples

3.13 Site Inspection

3.14 Contracting

3.15 Contract Documents

3.16 Retainage (Construction/Infrastructure projects only)

3.17 Insurance

3.18 Bid Bonds

3.19 Performance and Payment Bonds

3.20 Prevailing Wages (Construction/Infrastructure projects only)

3.21 Subcontractors

3.22 Minority Business Utilization Commitment (Construction/Infrastructure projects only)

3.23 Set-Aside Program

3.24 City-Based Small Contractor Preference

3.25 Criteria for Award

3.26 Notice of Award

3.27 Performance Evaluation

3.1 HOW TO RESPOND: Supply the required information on and along with the response forms. An officer or explicit agent of your organization must sign the response form and any supplementary proposal document.

If this request has a "Specification Offered" column opposite the specifications, complete as follows and return these pages with your pricing sheet(s):

In the "specification offered" column type in:

a) "As specified"

b) "Exceeds specifications" - Identify what exceeds the specification and why

c) "Exception to specifications" - Identify the substitute and define its effect

Failure to follow these guidelines may be just cause for rejection of the response.

3.2 QUESTIONS & ADDENDA: Questions related to this project must be received electronically at www.hartfordct.gov/procurement/purchasing (click on current solicitations and then bid opportunities) 72 hours in advance of the response submittal deadline. Candidates are responsible for obtaining all addenda related to this RFR and thus advised to check for any addenda a minimum of twenty-four hours in advance of the response deadline.

The bids submitted for the work must be based upon the text of this document including the Standard instructions, Special Instructions, Specifications, all Addenda, and any referenced plans, and no oral or informal statement or representation by any representative or employee of the City of Hartford or the Architect shall be considered an amendment to or waiver of any statements in or requirement of such bidding or proposed contract documents and no claim or right of action shall accrue in favor of any respondent as a result of or founded on such oral or informal statements or representations. The City or its agents shall not be responsible for any oral instructions or interpretations given to a Candidate.

Note: All communications related to this project are to be directed to buyer noted on the invitation to respond.

Candidates found to be communicating with City or School staff outside of the Procurement Services Unit will have their response rejected.

3.3 QUALIFICATIONS OF CANDIDATES OFFERING A RESPONSE: The City may make such investigations as deemed necessary to determine the ability of the Candidate to perform the work and the degree to which any Candidate meets the criteria for award listed herein. Each Candidate agrees to furnish the City any additional information requested.

3.4 OBLIGATIONS OF THE CANDIDATE: At the time of the opening of proposals, each Candidate will be presumed to be thoroughly familiar with the City's requirements, and the objectives for each element of the project, item or service. A plea of mistake in the accepted response shall not be available to the Candidate for the recovery of the bid surety or as a defense to any action based upon an accepted response.

3.5 NON-DISCRIMINATION: The candidate agrees and warrants that in the performance of the contract such candidate will not discriminate or permit discrimination against any person or group of persons on the grounds of race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, mental retardation, mental or physical disability, in any manner prohibited by the laws of the United States or of the State of Connecticut.

3.6 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION REQUIREMENTS:

3.6.1 No Contract or Purchase Order, regardless of how procured, shall be awarded to any Person or Candidate that is not an equal opportunity employer. The successful respondent, as a condition of being awarded this contract shall agree to comply with all contractual Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action performance requirements as outlined herein.

3.6.2 The successful respondent, as a requirement of final contract execution will additionally agree to comply with the following provisions:

a. Submit a report of current company employment statistics on the EEO Certification Form and a copy of the company Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement, properly signed by Company official on company letterhead, in accordance with paragraph 3.6.3 below.

b. Sign and submit the document entitled “Hartford Affirmative Action Plan / Equal Employment Opportunity Agreement and Affidavit”. (Construction/Infrastructure projects only)

3.6.3 Candidate’s EEO Report: As a condition of doing business with the City the selected respondent must be certified by the City as an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Certifications must be renewed annually. Submit completed EEO Certification forms and EEO Policy Statement with your response. To check the current status of your EEO certification contact Augusta Joseph at 860.757.9784, fax 860.722.6607 or email: Augusta.Joseph@hartford.gov.

3.6.4 The candidate agrees to take affirmative action to insure that applicants with job-related qualifications are employed and that employees are treated, when employed, without regard to race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, mental retardation, mental or physical disability. The advertisement of employment opportunities shall be carried out in such manner as not to restrict such employment.

3.6.5 The successful respondent shall agree that neither he/she nor any subcontractors will discharge, expel or otherwise discriminate against any person because he/she has opposed any unfair employment practice or because he/she has filed a complaint or testified or assisted in any proceeding under Section 31-127 of the Connecticut General State Statutes.

3.6.6 (Construction/Infrastructure projects only) During the Performance of this contract, the contractor agrees to permit authorized City of Hartford staff to perform on-site project monitoring related to the contractual equal employment opportunity/affirmative action performance requirements. The prime contractor additionally agrees on behalf of his/her company and all subcontractors to submit the following compliance reports, available at http://purchasing.hartford.gov, while performing under this contract:

a. Payroll Certification Form within 10 working days of end of reporting month

b. Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Monthly Payment Status Reports

c. Minority/Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) Final Payment Status Reports

d. Monthly Employment Utilization Report

1. Minimum of 15% of the total project hours by trade shall be allocated to minority workers.

2. Hartford resident employment goal of 30% by trade.

e. Status reports as to special training and/or employment residency requirements

3.6.7 The successful respondent further agrees that the requirements as noted in paragraphs 3.5 and 3.6 shall likewise apply to all construction sub-contractors.

3.7 RESPONSE DEVELOPMENT: Candidates are responsible for all costs and expenses incurred in the preparation of a response and for any subsequent work on the response that is required by the City of Hartford. Any submittal is the property of the City of Hartford and will not be returned.

3.8 TIME PROVISIONS: The content of any response submitted is to remain valid and available to the City for ninety (90) days from the day proposals are due.

3.9 CORRECTION OR WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSES, CANCELLATION OF AWARDS. Correction or withdrawal of inadvertently erroneous bids, including corrections to pricing must be submitted to the Procurement Agent prior to the bid response deadline. Corrections before or after award, or cancellation of awards of Contracts or Purchase Orders based on such mistakes, may also be permitted with the approval, in writing, of the Procurement Agent, otherwise withdrawal of bid by respondent shall be cause for forfeiture of bid surety to the City.

3.10 QUANTITIES AND/OR USAGES: Quantities and/or usages are estimates only and in no way represent a commitment and/or intent to purchase the estimated amount. Actual quantities and delivery locations may vary. The City reserves the right to order all quantities that may be needed, at the contract price, during the contract term regardless of the estimates provided in this RFR.

3.11 ACCEPTABLE BRANDS: The RFR specifications are not intended to limit consideration to the particular service organization or manufacturer from which they were developed. References to brand names or numbers are to be interpreted as establishing a standard of quality, unless specifically limited by the term “no substitute”, otherwise brand names used within these specifications shall be presumed to be followed by the words "or approved equal". Burden of proving a product and/or material as equal to a specific product and/or material by brand name is the responsibility of the Provider. Final determination as to what is an "or equal" product will be made by the Procurement Agent in conjunction with other City staff. The City will award on the basis of the criteria stated herein, and reserves the right to waive or require compliance with any element of the specifications.

3.12 SAMPLES: Samples are furnished free of charge and may be held for comparison with deliveries. Candidate must arrange for their return if desired. Samples are assumed to meet, at a minimum, City specifications for quality. All deliveries shall have at least the same quality as the accepted proposal sample. Latent deficiencies will be remedied by the contractor at no additional cost, or loss of service, to the City.

3.13 SITE INSPECTION: Information contained in these documents is provided in good faith only that all Candidates may have access to the same information utilized by the City, and is not intended as a substitute for personal investigations, interpretations and judgment of the Candidate. As information may be approximated or incomplete, Candidates should conduct a thorough inspection, review of existing conditions/equipment, examination of the site and compare it to the specifications and drawings. Any discrepancies or needs for clarifications must be brought to the attention of the department managing the RFR prior to the bid opening.

Pre-bid / Response conferences are noted on the invitation to respond. Submission of a bid shall be evidence that respondent has examined the site, compared it with the drawings and specifications and satisfied itself of the conditions existing at the site, the storage and handling of materials, and all other matters incidental to the work under this contract. No additional compensation will be allowed for difficulties which the respondent could have discovered or reasonably anticipated prior to bidding.

3.14 CONTRACTING: The City reserves the right to require the successful Candidate to execute a contract in a format supplied by the City. The terms and conditions of the contract to be signed upon the award of the RFR will supersede any inconsistent provision of the RFR documents.

The award of any contract is subject to the following conditions and contingencies:

(1) The approval of such governmental agencies as may be required by law.

(2) The appropriation of adequate funds by the proper agencies.

(3) Compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, ordinances and codes of the United States, the State of

Connecticut and the City of Hartford.

(4) The selected Candidate must be current in all tax or any other monetary obligation owed to the City of

Hartford.

(5) The selected Candidate must have a current EEO certification on file with the City.

Unless otherwise indicated the duration of the Contract will be one (1) year. Further, Contract terms may be negotiated on award anniversaries. City Ordinance Sec 2-588 (C) allows for a maximum of three Contract extensions provided that the funds are available, approved by the City for this purpose and that the Provider has established a satisfactory performance record.

Notwithstanding the failure of City to exercise any option to renew this contract for an additional year, the Managing Authority reserves the right to unilaterally extend this contract on a month to month basis for a period not to exceed three (3) months under the same terms and conditions applicable to the preceding contract period.

3.15 CONTRACT DOCUMENTS: The Contract documents consist of the Agreement between Owner and Contractor (hereinafter the Agreement), this Request for Response (RFR) and its referenced documents, General and Supplementary Conditions, drawings, any Addenda issued, the Contractor’s response to the RFR, other documents listed in the Agreement and Modifications issued after execution of the Contract. A Modification is (1) a written amendment to the Contract signed by parties, (2) a Change Order, (3) a Construction Change Directive or (4) a written order for a Minor change in the Work issued by the Design Professional on behalf of the City; the Contract Documents do include other documents such as bidding requirements.

3.16 RETAINAGE (Construction/Infrastructure projects only): When progress payments are being made for items being built or designed, the City may withhold at least 5% of the total project cost, or as otherwise specified in the contract for this project.

3.17 INSURANCE: Refer to the exhibit noted on the Invitation to Respond for specific insurance requirements. List the name and address of the respondent’s insurance agent on the response form. The successful candidate shall be required to furnish a Certificate of Insurance (Accord Form), acceptable to the City, within ten (10) days from notice of award and must name the City as an additional insured on the face of the document. The insurance certificate and coverage requested must be updated and kept current throughout the life of the contract, including any extensions. If at any time during the term of the contract or any extension thereof, any required policies of insurance should renew, expire, or be cancelled, it will be the responsibility of the Provider to furnish to the City a Certificate of Insurance indicating renewal or an acceptable replacement of the expiring policy prior to the expiration or cancellation, so that there will be no lapse in any coverage. The candidate shall obtain and maintain such required insurance at its own cost and expense.

3.18 BID BONDS: A Bid bond, cashiers or certified check may be required with your response. The City of Hartford provides contractors with the option of submitting an electronic Bid Bond through the Surety2000 website. Surety 2000 is an Internet-based surety processing, verification and security system, developed in cooperation with the surety industry. You may contact Surety 2000 at 1-800-660-3263 or www.surety2000.com, for more information.

Certified checks will be returned to all unsuccessful Candidates upon the awarding of the contract. If your response is not accompanied by a bond, certified check or proof that a valid bond has been obtained at the RFR opening it may be rejected.

If you manage a small business and have difficulty obtaining bonds help is available from the Small Business Administration (SBA) through “The Surety Bond Guarantee Program. For more information go to www.sba.gov, choose “Services.” Then select “Financial Assistance” and click on “Surety Bond.”

3.19 PERFORMANCE BOND AND PAYMENT BOND: If requested, the successful contractor will be required to submit a Performance Bond and Payment (Labor & Material) Bond in the amount of 100% of contract award within 10 days of award if the contract value exceeds $50,000. Said bonds shall be issued by an insurance company and said surety companies must be listed on the current Federal Register, licensed in the State of Connecticut with an underwriting limitation exceeding the value of the project with no more than 5% of capital in surplus tied to any one risk. Banks must have a branch office in Connecticut with insurance provided by the FDIC. The bonds must be signed by an officer of the company and of the surety company above their official titles and their corporate seals must be affixed over the signatures.

Indicate the cost for these bonds, to be added to the contract sum, on the response form.

3.20 PREVAILING WAGES (Construction/Infrastructure projects only): Pursuant to Section 2-559 (B), Required Provisions. Each Agreement for the construction, remodeling or repair of any Infrastructure Facilities shall contain both of the following provisions:

(1) "The wages paid to any mechanic, laborer or workman employed upon the work herein contracted to be done shall be at a rate equal to the prevailing wage rate in the State of Connecticut and or federal government, whichever is applicable, for the same work in the same trade or occupation."

(2) "Each contractor and subcontractor, or an authorized officer or employee, responsible for supervision of the payment of wages shall submit, on a weekly basis within seven (7) days after the regular payment date of the payroll period, to the Procurement Services Unit, a "Weekly Certified Statement of Compliance." Due and timely compliance with this provision shall be a condition precedent to the approval and transmittal of the next and succeeding payments by the city or its authorized officers or agents to the contractor under the terms of this agreement."

3.21 SUBCONTRACTORS: The respondent shall not subcontract any portion of the project to be performed unless the prior consent of the City is given for both the work to be subcontracted and the subcontractor to perform the same. The terms and conditions of the underlying contract between the City and Contractor will become part and parcel of the terms and conditions of each subcontract. Respondents are required to provide subcontractor information in the space provided in 1.4 “Subcontractor Utilization” of the response forms. Complete a separate form for the Base Bid and each Alternate.

MWBE’s must certified with the City of Hartford at the time of response submission.

3.22 MINORITY BUSINESS UTILIZATION (Construction/Infrastructure projects only): Respondents are required to set-aside for Minority Businesses 15% of the construction work. Respondents are encouraged to exceed the set-aside requirement specified. The City's Minority Business listing as further described in paragraph 3.23.3 shall be used by respondents in selecting minority business contractors.

The sum of all minority business subcontracts shall be equal to or greater than 15% regardless of how the bid is awarded (base only or base plus one or more alternates). Failure to comply with the required percentage of minority business utilization will be cause for rejection of bid.

3.22.1 City Certification Required

Respondents shall utilize Minority subcontractors who hold a current MWBE certificate with the City of Hartford at the time of response submission. Certifications by any other government entity shall not be sufficient to qualify the subcontractor to participate in the City of Hartford's minority business utilization preference program. In selecting its minority subcontractors, respondent is cautioned to seek documented proof that its subcontractors hold valid certification by the City. Failure to identify City certified Minority Business subcontractors will be cause for rejection of bid.

3.22.2 Percentage of Work to be Performed

Designated MWBE’s shall perform at least 70% of the work with their own forces and as part of their own operations excluding the manufacture or purchase of proprietary products.

3.22.3 Minority Business Listing

A listing of Minority Businesses holding certification by the City of Hartford is available at https://www.hartfordct.gov/Government/Departments/Finance/Procurement or in the Procurement Services Unit, Room 100, 550 Main Street, Hartford, CT 06103. The City’s listing of minority businesses is comprised of companies whereby at least 51% of the company is owned and operated by one or more of the following group persons: Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Women, Asian Pacific Americans, Pacific Islanders, American Indians and descendants from the Iberian Peninsula. It should be understood that such listings are made available to assist respondents in satisfying bid requirements; however, respondent's selection of a subcontractor is its sole responsibility and all work performed under the contract shall be respondent's sole responsibility. The City does not sponsor or recommend the selection of any one vendor. Certification by the City of Hartford as a minority business does not imply that the business is qualified to perform the work specified in this bid. The City reserves the right to request alternate minority subcontractors for whatever reason.

3.22.4 Proof of Minority Business Utilization Required

Prior to execution of contract, the successful respondent shall be required to file with the City Engineer the actual form of subcontract with subcontractor(s) named in at least the minimum dollar value as stated in the "Subcontractor Utilization" form. The subcontract shall state the percentage of work which will be performed by the MWBE with its own forces and as part of its operation. Failure to comply with proof of subcontract within 10 days of notification may result in the rejection of bid and may be cause for forfeiture of respondents' bid surety. Further, the City reserves the right to monitor the performance and payment of such subcontracts; therefore, upon request by the City, the successful respondent shall be required to furnish proof of payment to its subcontractors. Failure to comply with such monitoring requirements within ten days of written request will result in withholding of payment to respondent.

3.22.5 Changes in Subcontractors after Award

The successful respondent may not change subcontractor(s) after the contract has been let unless and until it has received written approval from the City of Hartford. Any such approval shall be based upon a written request by the Contractor or City, which details performance and/or other issues related to the subcontractor(s).

3.23 SET-ASIDE PROGRAM: If this RFR is set-aside for award to a small, minority or women owned business enterprise you must receive a City of Hartford SC/MWBE certification prior to submission of bid response. This program is described in Sec. 2-660 of the Hartford Municipal Code.

3.24 CITY-BASED SMALL CONTRACTOR PREFERENCE: Any City-based SC/MWBE Certified Small Business which has submitted a bid not more than fifteen (15) percent higher than the low bid, provided such respondent agrees to accept the award at the amount of the low bid, shall be selected as the lowest responsible candidate. If more than one City-based SC/MWBE Certified Small Business has submitted bids not more than fifteen (15) percent higher than the low bid, the City shall select the lowest Responsible candidate among such respondents which submitted the lowest bid.

3.25 CRITERIA FOR AWARD: This Request for Response does not necessarily contemplate an award based solely on price. Rather, the City reserves its rights to accept or reject any or all responses or any portion thereof that it may determine to be in its own best interests, for whatever reason.

3.26 NOTICE OF AWARD: The selected vendor will be provided with a written Notice of Award which shall be contingent upon the submission by the respondent of all documents required of the successful candidate, including, but not limited to, proper insurance certificates, performance and payment bonds, verification of MWBE percentage contribution to the work and execution of contract within 10 days of the notice of award.

3.27 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: The Contractor understands that during the course of and at the conclusion of the project that the City will evaluate his/her overall performance.