7-1.1 RFP General Information-BEAD Consultant .docx

I. General Overview and Instructions

This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is intended to provide interested Offerors with sufficient basic information to submit proposals meeting minimum requirements. It is not intended to limit a proposal's content or exclude any relevant or essential data.

This solicitation is issued in accordance with the State of Utah Procurement Code, Utah Code Annotated (UCA) Chapter 63G-6a, and applicable Rules found in the Utah Administrative Code (UAC). If any provision of this solicitation conflicts with the UCA or UAC, the UCA or UAC will take precedence.

NOTICE: In this solicitation, if an item is defined through use of a trade name, brand name, or a manufacturer and/or model number, it is intended that the words, “or equivalent” apply; and invites the submission of equivalent products by the Offerors.

CANCELLATION OF PROCUREMENT

The Utah Department of Transportation (the State) reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any time and not award a contract if such action is determined in writing to be in the best interest of the State (UCA §63G-6a-709).

FUTURE PROCUREMENTS

UDOT reserves the right to reopen this solicitation or create a new solicitation if it determines there may be more need for the procurement item than when the original solicitation was issued.

QUANTITY ESTIMATES

Historical usage may not be representative of forthcoming need, and as such, UDOT does not guarantee to purchase any amount under this contract.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions MUST be submitted through the online bidding system during the designated Question and Answer period. Questions submitted through any other channel will not be answered. Answers disseminated by the State through the online bidding system may modify the specification or requirements of this solicitation and will constitute an addendum to this solicitation.

Questions or notifications to the State of any ambiguity, inconsistency, excessively restrictive requirement, or errors in this solicitation MUST be submitted as a question during the Q&A period.

Issues with the solicitation that have not been previously addressed within the Q&A period of the procurement are not allowed to be addressed within a proposal and may result in the Offeror’s proposal being considered non-responsive.

It is the responsibility of the Offeror to submit their proposal as required by this solicitation, including any requirements contained in an answered question and/or addenda.

Exceptions to the scope of work or other content of the Solicitation not previously addressed within the Q&A period of the procurement may result in the Offeror’s proposal being considered non-responsive.

ADDENDA

Any modification to this procurement will be made by addendum issued by the State. Addenda to this solicitation may be made for the purpose of making changes to: the scope of work, the schedule, the qualification requirements, the criteria, the weighting, or other requirements of this solicitation.

Authorized and properly issued addenda shall constitute the official and binding position of the State. Any response to this solicitation which has as its basis any communications or information received from sources other than this solicitation, or related addenda, may be considered non-responsive and be rejected at the sole discretion of the State.

The State accepts no responsibility for a prospective Offeror not receiving solicitation documents and/or revisions to the solicitation. It is the responsibility of the prospective Offeror to monitor the bidding system to obtain addenda or other information relating to the solicitation.

RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS

From the issue date of this solicitation until an award is published, Offerors are prohibited from communications regarding this solicitation with staff, evaluation committee members, or other associated individuals EXCEPT the UDOT procurement officers overseeing this solicitation. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

All materials submitted become the property of the State. Materials may be evaluated by anyone designated by the state as part of the proposal evaluation committee. Materials submitted may be returned only at the State's option.

Proposals must be received by the due date and time (“deadline”). Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration.

Electronic submission instructions: When submitting a proposal electronically through the online bidding system, please allow sufficient time to complete the online forms and to upload proposal documents. The solicitation will end at the deadline. If an Offeror is in the middle of uploading a proposal when the deadline arrives, the system will stop the upload process and the proposal will not be accepted by the bidding system, and the attempted submission will be considered late and ineligible for consideration.

Electronic proposals may require uploading of electronic attachments. The online bidding system will accept a wide variety of document types as attachments. However, the State is unable to view certain documents. Therefore, DO NOT submit documents that are embedded (zip files), or encrypted. All documents must be uploaded in the bidding system as separate files (system limit for file size is 50 MB).

Files submitted electronically must NOT be password protected or locked in any way.

Sample submission instructions: Offerors may be required to submit product samples to demonstrate whether a procurement item meets the specifications and other requirements set forth in the solicitation.

Samples must be received prior to the solicitation due date and time and must be furnished free of charge unless otherwise stated in the solicitation. Submitted samples will not be subject to return. Samples must be labeled or otherwise identified as specified in the solicitation.

All costs incurred by an Offeror in the preparation and submission of a proposal, including any costs incurred during interviews, oral presentations, and/or product demonstrations are the responsibility of the Offeror and will not be reimbursed.

PROTECTED INFORMATION

Portions of a proposal may be protected by submitting a Claim of Business Confidentiality Form. However, an entire proposal cannot be identified as “PROTECTED”, “CONFIDENTIAL” or “PROPRIETARY”, and if so identified, shall be considered non-responsive unless the Offeror removes the designation.

Pricing may not be classified as confidential or protected and will be considered public information after award of the contract.

Process for Requesting Non-Disclosure: Any Offeror requesting that a record be protected must provide with their proposal the following information:

1. Must provide a completed Claim of Business Confidentiality at the time the information (proposal) is provided to the state, and

2. Must include a concise statement of reasons supporting the claim of business confidentiality (UCA § 63G-2-309(1)).

3. Must submit an electronic “redacted” (excluding protected information) copy of the proposal. Copy must clearly be marked “Redacted Version.”

Redacted Copy: If an Offeror submits a proposal that contains information claimed to be business confidential or protected information, the Offeror MUST submit two separate proposals: one redacted version for public release, with all protected business confidential information either blacked-out or removed, clearly marked as "Redacted Version"; and one non-redacted version for evaluation purposes, clearly marked as "Protected Business Confidential."

Offeror acknowledges that its proposal or redacted copy will be made public upon the State’s receipt of a GRAMA request. The Offeror will not be notified of any GRAMA request made to the State for the Offeror's proposal. If the Offeror submits a redacted copy, then the State will respond to a GRAMA request for Offeror’s proposal with Offeror’s redacted copy. However, if the Offeror fails to submit a redacted copy, then the State will respond to a GRAMA request with Offeror’s proposal, which will result in Offeror’s protected/proprietary information, if any, being made public. Offeror acknowledges that notations in the header, footer or watermark of the proposal will not be considered sufficient to constitute a request for non-disclosure of protected/proprietary information.

Failure to comply with the requirements regarding Protected Information releases the State from any obligation or liability arising from the inadvertent release of Offeror information.

CORRECTION OR WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by written or electronic notice received by the procurement officer prior to the established due date.

A decision to permit the correction or withdrawal of a proposal or the cancellation of an award or a contract shall be supported in a written document, signed by the chief procurement officer or head of a procurement unit with independent procurement authority.

The State reserves the right to waive minor informalities as well as minor deviations. The State also reserves the right to seek clarification on any proposal response.

DISCUSSIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS

Discussions may be held with an Offeror to obtain a more complete understanding of whether the Offeror is responsible, or the Offeror’s submitted proposal is responsive. Following discussions, a proposal may be rejected if it is determined that the Offeror is not responsible, or the proposal is not responsive.

BEST AND FINAL OFFER

A Best and Final Offer (BAFO) may be issued if it is determined to be necessary. The Best and Final Offer process is a formal request for Offerors to amend specific portions of the technical proposal or cost proposal.

Under the Utah Procurement Code, a Best and Final Offer may be requested if:

(i) no single proposal adequately addresses all the specifications stated in the request for proposals;

(ii) all proposals are unclear or deficient in one or more respects;

(iii) all cost proposals exceed the identified budget or the procurement unit’s available funding; or

(iv) two or more proposals receive an identical evaluation score that is the highest score.

INTERVIEWS AND PRESENTATIONS

Interviews and presentations may be held at the option of the State. The State shall establish a date and time for the interviews or presentations and shall notify eligible Offerors of the procedures. Interviews or presentations shall be limited to those Offerors meeting the minimum requirements specified in the RFP. Interviews and presentations will be at each Offeror’s expense.

Representations made by an Offeror during interviews or presentations shall become an addendum to the Offeror's proposal and shall be documented. Representations must be consistent with the Offeror's original proposal and may only be used for purposes of clarifying or filling in gaps in the Offeror's proposal.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION

All responsive and responsible proposals that have not been disqualified from consideration under the provisions of Part 7 of Utah Code 63G-6a, using the criteria established in this RFP will be evaluated by an evaluation committee in accordance with the Utah Procurement Code, Administrative Rules, policies, and the evaluation criteria set forth in this solicitation.

All proposals shall remain valid for a minimum of 120 calendar days after the Proposal Due Date to allow adequate time for evaluation.

AWARD

After the evaluation and final scoring of proposals is completed, the State shall award the contract as soon as practicable, provided the solicitation is not canceled without awarding a contract.

PROTEST PROCESS

Offerors are directed to Utah Code Part 16 and Utah Administrative Code Rule R33-16 for available appeal processes.

CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS, EXCEPTIONS, AND NEGOTIATIONS

Any contract resulting from this solicitation will include, but not be limited to the following:

· Scope of Work Specifications, Requirements, and Instructions.

· Any addendums to the solicitation as issued through the bidding system.

· Attachment A- State of Utah Standard Terms and Conditions.

Exceptions and/or additions to the Standard Terms and Conditions are strongly discouraged. Any requested exceptions and/or additions to the Standard Terms and Conditions must be submitted with the proposal. Exceptions and/or additions submitted after the date and time for receipt of proposals will not be considered. Offerors may not submit requests for exceptions and/or additions by reference to a vendor's website or URL.

The State may refuse to negotiate exceptions and/or additions that are determined to be excessive; that are inconsistent with similar contracts of the procurement unit; to warranties, insurance, or indemnification provisions that are necessary to protect the procurement unit after consultation with the Attorney General's Office or other applicable legal counsel; where the solicitation specifically prohibits exceptions and/or additions; or that are not in the best interest of the procurement unit.

In a multiple award situation, the State reserves the right to negotiate exceptions and/or additions to terms and conditions in a manner resulting in expeditious resolutions. This process may include beginning negotiations with the Offeror having the least number of exceptions and/or additions and conclude with the Offeror submitting the greatest number of exceptions and/or additions. Contracts may be executed and become effective as negotiations are completed.

If negotiations are required, Offerors must provide all documents in Microsoft Word format for redline editing. Offerors must also provide the name, contact information, and access to the person(s) that will be directly involved in legal negotiations.

Any mandatorily required acceptance of an Offeror’s terms and conditions may result in the proposal being determined to be non-responsive.

An award resulting from this solicitation is subject to successful contract terms and conditions negotiation (if required). The State, at its sole discretion, will determine when contract terms and conditions negotiations become unproductive and will result in termination of award to that Offeror and the State may move to the next eligible Offeror.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

Contracts resulting from this solicitation are subject to performance evaluations. Continuous negative performance evaluations and documented feedback from end users may impact a vendor’s ability to participate in future solicitations. Performance evaluations may include end user surveys, performance audits, reports, interviews, or other reasonable methods of performance evaluation. Vendors will be notified of any negative performance evaluations or end user feedback collected.

STABILITY OF VENDOR

The State reserves the right to request financial and other information it deems relevant as necessary to evaluate a vendor’s stability and capability of completing the Scope of Work.

OWNERSHIP OF DATA

UDOT retains ownership of any UDOT data/publications that are used within this project to be able to utilize as needed.

Offeror agrees to transfer and assign, and hereby transfers and assigns, to State of Utah, without further Compensation, the entire right, title and interest throughout the world in and to:

(a) all Technical Information first produced by Offeror in the performance of this Agreement;

(b) all Intellectual Property resulting from Offeror’s activities under this Agreement;

(c) all Intellectual Property relating to any Deliverables under this Agreement; and

(d) creations and inventions that are otherwise made through the use of State of Utah or its affiliates’ equipment, supplies, facilities, materials and/or Proprietary Information. All such Technical Information and Intellectual Property that are protectable by copyright will be considered work(s) made by Contractor for hire for State of Utah (as “works made for hire” is defined in the United States Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101) and will belong exclusively to the State of Utah. If by operation of law any of such Technical Information or Intellectual Property is not owned in its entirety by the State of Utah automatically upon creation, Offeror agrees to transfer and assign, and hereby transfers and assigns, same as stated in the first sentence of this Section.

(e) All assets and source materials, including but not limited to artwork, design files, written copy, website domains, video files, and photography, WORK FOR HIRE

Contractor agrees to transfer and assign, and hereby transfers and assigns, to State of Utah, without further compensation, the entire right, title and interest throughout the world in and to:

(a) all Technical Information first produced by Contractor in the performance of this Agreement.

(b) all Intellectual Property resulting from Contractor’s activities under this Agreement.

(c) all Intellectual Property relating to any Deliverables under this Agreement; and

(d) creations and inventions that are otherwise made through the use of State of Utah or its affiliates’ equipment, supplies, facilities, materials and/or Proprietary Information. All such Technical Information and Intellectual Property that are protectable by copyright will be considered work(s) made by Contractor for hire for State of Utah (as “works made for hire” is defined in the United States Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101) and will belong exclusively to the State of Utah. If by operation of law any of such Technical Information or Intellectual Property is not owned in its entirety by the State of Utah automatically upon creation, Contractor agrees to transfer and assign, and hereby transfers and assigns, same as stated in the first sentence of this Section.

SUBCONTRACTORS

The planned use of any and all subcontractors must be clearly explained in the Executive Summary. The Offeror, if awarded the contract, shall be responsible for all costs and contract performances if subcontractors are used. The State reserves the right to review and approve all subcontractors, review services conducted by subcontractors, and refuse payment on projects where subcontractors are used without foreknowledge or approval by the State.

Subcontractors must be authorized to do business in the State of Utah. Subcontractors must include information, in the same detail as the prime contractor or Offeror, of any and all personnel and companies who are not in the direct employ of the Contractor. Freelance/contracted labor may not be billed above the prevailing labor rate in the contract and is not considered a reimbursable expense. The prime Offeror shall be responsible for all costs and contract performances by subcontractors if used.

Joint Bids: Where two or more Bidders desire to submit a single bid in response to a solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture. The State intends to contract with a single firm or multiple firms, but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

TECHNOLOGY MODIFICATIONS

The awarded contract(s) may be modified as a result of technological upgrades for the procurement item(s). Any modification for upgraded technology must be substantially within the scope of the original procurement or contract, and if both parties agree to the modification, then the contract may be modified, but not extended beyond the term of the original awarded contract except as provided in the Utah Procurement Code.

The awarded contract(s) may be modified for new technology related to the procurement item(s). Any modification for new technology shall not be exercised without: (1) the approval required under Section 63F-1-205 of the Utah Code, (2) the new technology modification has been subject to the review as described in Administrative Rule R33-6-114, and (3) the contracting parties agree to the modification.

II. Solicitation Specifics

NOTICE: The electronic bidding system’s Event Number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to this solicitation.

PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to enter into a contract between the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and a qualified partner to provide essential, expert guidance to the Utah Broadband Center (UBC) regarding the administration, compliance, and subgrantee contracting for the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

The team must possess a deep background in Federal Grant Administration (2 CFR 200) and Telecommunications/Broadband Industry regulatory issues to effectively support the UBC in its role as the Eligible Entity and Pass-Through Entity.

NOTE: Annual budget restriction - see scope

CONTRACT AWARD INTENT

It is anticipated that this solicitation will result in an award to a Single supplier.

LENGTH OF CONTRACT AND PRICING GUARANTEE

The contract(s) resulting from this solicitation will be for a period of Five (5) years with possible Five (5) 1-year extensions up to a potential maximum contract length of 10 years.

Requests for price adjustment must include sufficient documentation supporting the request (i.e. through Federal commodity indices) and demonstrating a logical mathematical link between the current price and the proposed price.

Any adjustment or amendment to the contract will not be effective unless approved by the State. The State will be given the immediate benefit of any decrease in the market, or allowable discount.

In a multiple award situation, any adjustment made by one contractor may result in the necessity of providing the same opportunity to all other contracted vendors to adjust pricing on the same item(s).

III. Scope of Work and Associated Requirements

All Scope of Work Requirements MUST be demonstrably met by an Offeror in order for their response to be considered. Any breach of requirements once the Contract has been awarded constitutes breach of Contract by the vendor and the Contract may be terminated immediately.

The Scope of Work is subject to change based on the awarded contract(s).

DETAILED SCOPE OF WORK AND ASSOCIATED REQUIREMENTS

The Scope of Work (SOW) outlines the requirements for retaining expert consultation with a preference for those who understand the regulatory framework and associated contract administration with the telecommunication industry, and will provide expertise to guide the Utah Broadband Center (UBC) on the administration, compliance, monitoring, and subgrantee contracting for the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which includes any non-deployment funds.

Preference is for a consultant that possesses a strong background in Federal Grant Administration (2 CFR 200) and professional experience dealing with the regulatory and administrative aspects for the Telecommunications/Broadband Industry to effectively support the UBC in its role as the Eligible Entity and Pass-Through Entity to administer BEAD funds administered through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to subgrantees serving Utah.

Annual budget does not exceed $1,000,000. Five years with possible Five (5) 1-year extensions up to a potential maximum contract length of 10 years.

Please review the Scope of Work on Attachment 2. SOW BEAD Compliance Consultant for Administering BEAD grants for Compliance with Applicable Regulations.

IV. Required Proposal Submission Information

PROPOSAL RESPONSE

All Offerors must submit proposals that detail their experience and qualifications in the requested areas (each area must be addressed. Do not list “not applicable”).

For ease of evaluation, the submitted proposals must provide a point-by-point response, addressing in detail each area of the evaluation criteria. The criteria are not intended to limit a proposal's content or exclude any relevant or essential data. Offerors are at liberty and are encouraged to expand upon the criteria to demonstrate the Offeror’s capability to provide the State with a solution.

Offerors bear sole responsibility for providing evidence in their response that they are capable of performing the requested Scope of Work.

PROPOSAL FORMAT and RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Proposals should be concise, straightforward, and prepared simply and economically. Expensive displays, bindings or promotional materials are neither desired nor required. However, there is no intent in these instructions to limit a proposal’s content or to exclude any relevant or essential data.

Proposals should be organized and titled using each of the following specific headings:

1. Section Title: Vendor Set Up Form.

UDOT’s Vendor Set Up Form completed and signed by the Offeror.

See document titled “Submittal Form- Vendor Setup Form.pdf”.

2. Section Title: Cover Letter.

Include a one-page cover letter that identifies the name and primary contact information of the person who will be authorized to execute an agreement with the State of Utah on behalf of the Offeror.

3. Section Title: Protected Information.

All protected/proprietary information must be included in this section of the proposal, by completing and submitting a Claim of Business Confidentiality form.

If Offeror’s proposal contains protected/proprietary information (refer to the Protected Information section of this solicitation for additional information) then Offeror must also submit a redacted copy of the proposal at the same time Offeror submits its proposal. The redacted copy of the Offeror’s proposal must be submitted in compliance with the other sections of this solicitation.

If there is no protected information, write “None” in this section.

Failure to comply with this Section releases the State from any obligation or liability arising from the inadvertent release of Offeror information.

4. Section Title: Potential Conflicts of Interest.

Offerors must identify any conflict, potential conflict, or perceived conflict of interest that might arise during the contract. If conflicts, real, potential or perceived, are identified, Offeror must provide a proposed plan of action to mitigate the conflict.

If no conflicts are identified or expected, write “None” in this section.

5. Section Title: Exceptions and/or Additions to the Standard Terms and Conditions.

Proposed exceptions and/or additions to the Standard Terms and Conditions must be submitted in this section. Offeror must provide all proposed exceptions and/or additions, including an Offeror’s terms and conditions in Microsoft Word redline format. Offerors must also provide the name, contact information, and access to the person(s) that will be directly involved in terms and conditions negotiations.

If there are no exceptions and additions to the Standard Terms and Conditions, write “None” in this section.

6. Section Title: Mandatory Minimum Requirements/Qualifications (Pass/Fail Criteria).

Offerors must provide the required evidence and/or documentation/narratives demonstrating compliance with the stated Mandatory Minimum Requirements/Qualifications. An Offeror’s failure to meet any one of the mandatory requirements will result in the proposal being classified as non-responsive and will be rejected under the provisions of the Utah Procurement Code.

Offerors must provide sufficient evidence and/or documentation demonstrating that the Offeror is compliant with the following Mandatory Minimum Requirements:

1. Respondent must have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in administrative compliance processes within the telecommunications industry,with experience supporting Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or public utility districts.

Offeror must upload resumes for key personnel demonstrating 10 or more years of experience in administrative compliance within the telecommunications industry, with experience supporting ISPs or public utility districts

Pass/Fail

2. Respondent must have consultant experience working with state broadband offices

3. Respondent must have expert understanding of 2 CFR 200 and the BEAD program

4. Respondent must have expertise in telecommunications infrastructure contracting

Offeror must provide narrative evidence of their proven ability to assist agencies in drafting, managing, negotiating, administering, and enforcing complex telecom infrastructure, construction, and supply chain agreements, including tracking deliverables and ensuring adherence to contractual requirements.

Pass/Fail

7. Section Title: Detailed Technical Proposal (Scored Criteria).

This section should constitute the major portion of the proposal and must be a concise overview of the Offeror's assessment of the work to be performed, the Offeror’s ability and approach, and the resources necessary to fulfill the requirements. This section should demonstrate the Offeror's understanding of the desired overall performance expectations, deliverables, if any, and outcomes. Clearly indicate any options or alternatives proposed. In any case wherein the Offeror cannot comply with a provision outlined in the “Detailed Scope of Work”, such inability must be stated in response to the applicable requirement. Offerors should reference the Scope of Work in their response.

For ease of evaluation, the Detailed Technical Proposal Section must be a specific point-by-point response, addressing in detail each of the Technical Response Evaluation Criteria.

Offerors must provide a detailed and concise narrative demonstrating their capability, capacity, depth of experience, and prior accomplishments, as follows:

1. Demonstrate expertise with administrative compliance within the telecommunications industry

Must provide detailed description (3-5 pages) of experience in administrative compliance within the telecommunications industry, including Federal and state statutes (i.e. understanding of engagement with FCC, NTIA, USDA ReConnect, USF, etc.)

30 Points

2. Demonstrate expertise in BEAD program conditions and compliance and to develop and provide the compliance framework for all BEAD subgrantee form

Must provide detailed description (3-5 pages) of experience with BEAD program conditions and compliance, your ability to develop and provide the compliance framework for all BEAD subgrantee form agreements, ensuring both federal enforceability and industry clarity and direct experience working with state broadband office(s) providing guidance navigating NTIA BEAD policy

25 Points

3. Demonstrate expertise in federal grant compliance, audit response, regulatory compliance, and asset and property management for federally-funded projects

Must provide detailed description (3-5 pages) of experience preparing projects for federal oversight, including audits, regulatory compliance, asset compliance, property management and grant compliance, specifically 2 CFR 200 and how it applies to the BEAD program

20 Points

Formatting Requirements

· All text in the technical proposal and appendices, including text in captions, tables, and images, should be in 10 pt. Arial font.

· All pages shall have 1” margins on all sides.

Page Limits

· Section 6--Mandatory Minimums:

· 10 page limit. Brevity is encouraged.

· Section 7–Technical Proposal:

· Maximum page limit: Forty (40) pages total.

· Forty 8-½” x 11” pages, single sided, for narrative portions of response.

· Resumes:

· Offerer may submit up to 10 team member resumes with a maximum limit of four (4) single-sided pages.

· Responses that exceed the page limit may be deemed non-responsive.

· All proposals should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Brevity is encouraged.

8. Section Title: Interview. Respondents that obtain 75 out of 100 possible Technical Proposal points and pass all the pass/fail criteria will be invited to participate in an interview with UBC. The interview should showcase Respondents’ ability to meet or exceed each of the requirements in the Scope of Work and demonstrate the Respondents’ ability to clearly communicate complex federal and state statutes and compliance requirements. The interview will be evaluated as follows:

9. Section Title: Cost Proposal. All costs are to be enumerated on the Cost Proposal Form (see Response Form- Proposal Cost Form).

NOTICE: Cost Proposals will be evaluated independently from the Technical Proposal and must be submitted as an independent and separate document (Cost Form) from the Technical Proposal. Inclusion of any cost or pricing data within the Technical Proposal will result in the proposal being judged as non-responsive.

Offerors must provide the following:

1. Cost Proposal

Offerors are to provide as per Form- Cost Proposal

5 Points

The cost proposal must address all costs associated with the services described in the RFP over the life of the project. The cost of this project should be defined according to the specific tasks or steps to be taken.

NOTICE: Offerors may not change/modify the format of the Price Response Form and must submit pricing in the exact format requested for a fair comparison of pricing among all offerors. Altering the format or conditioning the cost on acceptance of additional/conflicting terms or limitations may result in a finding that your proposal is non-responsive.

V. Evaluation Process and Contract Award

PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Stage 1: Determination of Responsiveness

In Stage One of the evaluation process, all proposals timely received will be reviewed for responsiveness to solicitation requirements. Proposals not conforming to solicitation requirements or unable to meet the Minimum and/or Mandatory Requirements will not proceed on to Stage 2 Technical Proposal Evaluation.

Stage 2: Detailed Technical Proposal Evaluation

Stage Two will consist of an evaluation committee conducting a detailed Technical Evaluation of each responsive and responsible proposal that has not been previously disqualified or rejected.

Responsive proposals will be evaluated against the Technical Evaluation Criteria.

The evaluation committee will tally the final scores for the Technical Criteria to arrive at a consensus score by an average of the individual scores.

Only those Proposals that obtain a minimum of 75 out of 100 possible Total Technical points will be eligible to proceed in the evaluation process. Proposals with a score of less than the minimum required score will be deemed non-responsive and ineligible for further consideration.

Stage 3. Interview.

The interview should showcase Respondents’ ability to meet or exceed each of the requirements in the Scope of Work and demonstrate the Respondents’ ability to clearly communicate complex statutes and compliance requirements.

Stage 4: Cost Proposal Evaluation

Stage Four will consist of the Cost Proposal Evaluation of each responsive and responsible proposal that has not been previously disqualified or rejected.

Responsive proposals will be evaluated as follows:

The offeror with the lowest Blended Hourly Labor Rate will receive the maximum available Cost points. All other offerors will receive points as determined by the ratio* of their Blended Hourly Labor Rate to the lowest Blended Hourly Labor Rate. Final cost scores will be calculated based on the following:

*Ratio Calculation: Points assigned to each offeror’s Cost Proposal will be based on the Lowest Proposed Cost. The offeror with the Lowest Proposed Cost will receive 100% of the cost points. All other offerors will receive a portion of the total cost points based on what percentage higher their proposed cost is than the Lowest Proposed Cost. An Offeror whose proposed cost is more than double (200%) the Lowest Proposed Cost will receive no points. The formula to compute the points is: Cost Points x (2- (Proposed Cost/ Lowest Proposed Cost)).

Stage 5: Determination of Contract Award

Single Award:

The Highest Total Scoring Response will be eligible for contract award.

After the evaluation and final scoring of proposals is completed, the State shall award the contract as soon as practicable, provided the RFP is not canceled in accordance with Utah Procurement Code requirements.

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