7901623374HowtoUse.pdf

(Continued) 23374_How To Use.docx

ON-LINE REVERSE AUCTION SERVICES (Statewide) Group 79016 – Award 23374

HOW TO USE

Authorized Users of these contracts are strongly encouraged to read the contract terms and conditions in its entirety to gain an understanding of requirements for both the Contractors and Authorized Users. Below contains pertinent information for the Authorized User on “How to Use” this contract in order to facilitate the use of the On-Line Reverse Auction Services.

CONTRACT MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION:

Harry Brown, Contract Management Specialist 2 Procurement Services, 38th Floor - Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12242 Phone: 518-474-7902 E-mail: Harry.Brown@ogs.ny.gov

CONTRACTOR INFORMATION:

Contractor Contact Information is located on the OGS website landing page for this award; and can be accessed through the “Contractor Information” link. Contractor Information includes but is not limited to:

Contractor Name and Address, Contract Number, Contractor Business Hours, Procurement Card specifics, and a separate “Pricing” link for pricing information.

WHAT IS AN ONLINE REVERSE AUCTION:

In a reverse auction, the buyer (Authorized User) submits a Request for Proposal (RFQ) for required goods or services utilizing the service and software of a Contractor facilitating an event. Sellers (Suppliers) then place bids for the amount they are willing to be paid for each good or service, with the winner(s) being the seller prepared to accept the lowest overall amount.

This contract acts as the vehicle for Authorized Users to select a Contractor to perform services of and related to an Online Reverse Auction Event for final selection of a supplier(s). These services include; but are not limited to, locating potential bidders, preparing documents required for the Auction Event, training authorized users in event processes, future use of the resulting Contract, and management of the auction event either on site or remote, as agreed upon during the RFQ process.

WHAT IS AN ONLINE REVERSE AUCTION EVENT:

The “Event” or “Auction Event” shall refer to an On-Line Reverse Auction managed by the Contractor, either on site or remote, as agreed upon in the RFQ.

DETERMINATION OF SCOPE:

An Authorized User (AU) must determine their ability to utilize a reverse auction event that will meet their form, function and utility. AUs must consider the availability of suppliers, the ability to standardize goods and services, and if the reverse auction has the potential for cost savings based on increased competition through the reverse auction process. The AU must create an overall written scope of work; describing their needs and determining if the Contractor will manage the Event on-site or remote. This Scope of work will be utilized for the Request for Quotes (RFQ) to solicit quotes from all Contractors on the Centralized Contract. After the RFQ is awarded by the AU, the AU will then work directly with the selected Contractor to perform the Online Reverse Auction.

Note: If the nature of the scope of work presents challenges in conducting a successful reverse auction event, a Reverse Auction Contractor(s) may respond to the RFQ with a “no bid” response.

https://ogs.ny.gov/award-23374-contractor-information

On-Line Reverse Auction Services Frequently Asked Questions Page 2 of 3 (Statewide)

CONDUCTING A REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ):

Pursuant to State Finance Law § 163(10)(c), at the time of contractor selection, Authorized Users must base their selection utilizing State Centralized Contracts for Online Reverse Auction. The Authorized User (AU) selection must be the most practical and economic alternative that is in the best interests of the State and meets the form function and utility of the Authorized User. The Authorized User shall obtain written price quotes from all Online Reverse Auction Contractors utilizing the RFQ Template – Attachment 11 of this contract and shall retain the information obtained to support the Authorized User’s selection as part of their procurement record. In the event of a “no bid” from a Contractor, AUs should survey the “no bid” Contractor for an explanation. The Authorized User shall utilize the service of the Contractor offering the best value that meets the Authorized User’s form, function, and utility requirements. Best value may be equated to lowest price.

If an Authorized User selects the option for Percentage Pricing, the AU shall ensure the percentage rates shown in the Pricing Information are consistent with the maximum not-to-exceed percentage rates at the time of the original solicitation. If an Authorized User selects the option for Flat Rate Pricing, the AU must ensure that the Quoted Flat Rate is equal to or less than if a maximum not-to-exceed percentage was used.

All Authorized Users are encouraged to negotiate lower pricing than the maximum not to exceed percentage rates for each Online Reverse Auction Event. Negotiated pricing may be either a percentage rate or a flat dollar amount provided the negotiated pricing does not exceed the applicable maximum not to exceed percentage rate. The negotiated pricing agreed upon between the Authorized User and the Contractor shall be determined prior to the Auction Event. The agreed upon pricing shall be documented in the Authorized User’s Procurement Record.

For the purposes of the RFQ and selection of a Contractor note the following Auction Management Types offered by Contractors:

Contractor Name Auction Management Type Offered On Site Remote

EASiBuy, LLC X X eBridge Business Solutions, LLC X X

Vista Auctions, LLC d/b/a Procurex X X

Upon completion of the RFQ process, and selection of a contractor, AUs will work directly with the selected Contractor to plan and implement the On-Line Reverse Auction event.

PROJECTED SPEND FOR AN EVENT:

Projected Spend of an Event is the expected awarded contract dollar amount of the commodity(ies) and/or service(s) being purchased via online reverse auction; and is to be determined by the Authorized User (AU).

Projected Spend can be based on net contract value, actual historical sales, or may be determined by factoring in the dollar amount of any projected savings resulting from the reverse auction event. The terms of the Projected Spend of an Event shall be agreed upon between the Authorized User and the Reverse Auction Contractor prior to the Auction Event. Authorized Users are reminded that the pricing shown in the award is “Not to Exceed” and may be negotiated prior to every Auction Event.

CONTRACTOR RECEIPT OF PAYMENT FROM AWARDED SUPPLIERS:

An Authorized User does not pay the agreed upon fee for providing an Online Reverse Auction Event. The agreed upon percentage rate or flat dollar amount will be the responsibility of the Awarded Supplier(s). The Reverse Auction Contractor will notify the Awarded Supplier(s) of the fee(s) owed to the Reverse Auction Contractor, based on the amounts and rates awarded for each Supplier in the method agreed upon by the parties following an Auction Event.

Note: Each Supplier participating in an Auction Event may be required to sign a Supplier Agreement with the Reverse Auction Contractor conducting the Event. For your information, each Contractor’s standard Supplier Agreement. Supplier Agreements are executed between the Awarded Supplier(s) and Reverse Auction Contractor; neither OGS nor the Authorized User are parties in the supplier agreement.

On-Line Reverse Auction Services Frequently Asked Questions Page 3 of 3 (Statewide)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT USE OF CONTRACT:

This is a Centralized Contract and therefore, it is available for use by any Authorized User as that term is defined in State Finance Law Section 163(1)(k), including, but not limited to: New York State Agencies, political subdivisions, local governments, public authorities, public school and fire districts, public and nonprofit libraries, and certain other nonpublic/nonprofit organizations. However, like any other Centralized Contract, each Authorized User is responsible for determining whether the Contract complies with any applicable local laws or rules, or any other State or federal laws or rules applicable to the Authorized User, prior to using the Contract.

TRAVEL COSTS & EXPENSES FOR IN-PERSON REVERSE AUCTION SERVICES:

Reverse Auction Contractor is responsible for all travel costs and expenses for providing this service.

M/WBE GOAL REQUIREMENTS:

No, there are no goals applied to this Contract Award.

CONTRACT TERM OF AWARD:

September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2030.