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Appomattox County

Request for proposals

RFP Number: 26-005

Architectural Services

Issue Date: June 25, 2026 Deadline: July 10, 2026 @ 2:00pm

Respond electronically to:

Appomattox County Purchasing Office Attn: John Spencer, Purchasing Agent

P.O. Box 863 / 153A Morton Lane, #863 Appomattox, VA 24522

(434) 352-2637 / www.AppomattoxCountyVA.gov John.Spencer@AppomattoxCountyVA.gov http://www.appomattoxcountyva.gov/ mailto:John.Spencer@AppomattoxCountyVA.gov

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents _____________________________________________________________________ 2

1. PURPOSE ________________________________________________________________________ 3

2. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE/DELIVERABLES ____________________________________________ 3

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES _______________________________________________________________ 3

4. ANTICIPATED TIMELINE ____________________________________________________________ 4

5. INSTRUCTIONS ___________________________________________________________________ 4

A. Submission and Receipt of Proposals ______________________________________________________ 4

B. Submittal Format ______________________________________________________________________ 5

C. Required Forms _______________________________________________________________________ 6

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA _____________________________________________________________ 7

7. AWARD PROCEEDURE _____________________________________________________________ 8

8. SPECIAL PROVISIONS ______________________________________________________________ 8

9. Cooperative Procurement – “Rider Clause” ____________________________________________ 9

10. Acceptance ____________________________________________________________________ 9

THIS AREA INTENTIONALLY BLANK

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1. PURPOSE

Appomattox County is soliciting proposals from qualified professional Architectural firms, licensed to do business in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with the intent to enter into a contract for the firm’s professional services, on an as-needed basis, for various County projects. The County periodically requires professional services for projects such as studies, reports, design, analyses, and related services.

The County anticipates awarding a contract to one or more providers, and plans to select one or more qualified firms to provide, in a timely manner, services, as described in Section 3, Scope of Services.

2. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE/DELIVERABLES

The term of the contract will be for one (1) year effective upon execution of the contract, with the ability to renew on the same or similar terms and conditions for three (3) additional one-year periods.

Contract terms will be limited to one year with three additional one-year renewal options. The total of all projects performed during each one-year contract terms shall not exceed $10,000,000. The project fee shall not exceed $2,500,000 for any single project. Appomattox County reserve the right to award the contract to multiple Successful Offerors.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

Appomattox County is seeking sealed proposals from qualified Offerors that have demonstrated professional competence and possess the experience to design and provide bid documents and drawings, detailed scope of works, special inspections, complete contract documents for project designs, assist in bid evaluation, and contract administration regarding various projects, on an as-needed basis.

The County anticipates awarding a contract to one or more firms. If more than one contract is awarded, the order that Offerors are ranked on the basis of the criteria listed in Section 6, Evaluation Criteria will remain the same ranking order for any awarded contracts. The top-ranked contracted firm will get the first choice of any projects unless there is a specific reason to defer down the line. Specific reasons include but are not limited to project timelines, project scopes, and qualifications and experience for the individual project.

The services being requested under any resulting contract(s) may include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

• Architectural Design

• Preparation of Bid Documents, including Detailed Drawings

• Bidding & Contractor Selection

• Construction Administration

• Construction Inspection

• Project Closeout, including Record Drawings

• Warranty Phase Inspection/Consultation

• Cost Estimation

• Studies, Assessment, and Evaluations

• Stakeholder Meetings

• Presentations to the Board of Supervisors

No services should be considered as standard fare for any given project as the County reserves the right to limit project services based on the needs associated with the given project.

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Projects to be covered by this contract may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Conversion/adaptive reuse of existing warehouse building for new office space

2. Renovation/repurposing of existing office building

3. Addition to existing Animal Shelter

Work assignments shall be on an “As Needed” basis. Appomattox County reserves the right at all times to perform work in-house or to award projects based on a separate Request for Proposals.

4. ANTICIPATED TIMELINE

As a guideline, Appomattox County anticipates the following tentative timetable for the selection of a Contractor and implementation of a contract:

• RFP Issued Thursday, June 25, 2026

• Deadline for Questions Monday, July 6, 2026 @ 5pm ET

• Addendum (if necessary) By Wednesday, July 8, 2026

• Proposal Submission Deadline Friday, July 10, 2026 @ 2pm ET

• Evaluation of Proposals July 13-14, 2026

• Interviews & Negotiations w/Top-Ranked Proposers (if deemed necessary) July 16-17, 2026

• Anticipated Notice of Award June 20, 2025

5. INSTRUCTIONS

A. Submission and Receipt of Proposals

1. Proposals should be submitted electronically via e-mail or via eVA by the date and time indicated on the cover of this RFP. Hard copies are not required nor encouraged. All proposals received after the due date/time will not be considered and shall be returned to the bidder, unopened. Failure to complete forms as required may result in the bidder being determined “non – responsive.”

2. If submitting via email, please send to the attention of John Spencer, Purchasing Agent, at john.spencer@appomattoxcountyva.gov, and include Architectural Services RFP#26-005 in the subject line.

Please note that John Spencer will be out of the office until Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

3. Proposals received after the announced time and date of receipt, will not be considered. However, nothing in this RFP precludes the County from

a. requesting additional information at any time during the procurement process, or

b. giving an Offeror an opportunity to correct a deficiency in their proposals, within an appropriate period of time

4. Nothing herein is intended to exclude any responsible firm or in any way restrain or restrict competition.

On the contrary, all responsible firms are encouraged to submit proposals. Any requirements listed herein are intended to describe qualifications, certifications, and/or experience considered to be vital and should be used as guidelines for proposal submission. Firms not meeting specific requirements listed herein are encouraged to list and/or demonstrate alternate qualifications, certifications, and/or experience for consideration.

5. Any proposal submitted MUST include all the forms required to be returned with proposal submission.

mailto:john.spencer@appomattoxcountyva.gov

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B. Submittal Format

1. The County will follow the evaluation process and selection criteria described in this solicitation. In order to provide each Offeror an equal opportunity for consideration, adherence to a standardized proposal format is required. The County is not responsible for any failure to locate, consider, and evaluate qualification factors presented outside of this format.

2. Interested parties shall submit a Proposal which demonstrates and provides evidence that the proposer has the capabilities, professional expertise, and experience to perform the work services described herein.

3. Appomattox County encourages proposals that provide innovative alternatives to addressing its existing needs as described in the solicitation. Information which the Offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirements of the RFP should be inserted at an appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and designated as additional material.

4. Proposals will be subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), therefore any information considered by your company to be proprietary should be clearly grouped and labeled as “Proprietary”.

Redacted digital copies should be included and clearly labeled as “Redacted Version for FOIA Purposes”.

5. In order to facilitate the analysis of responses to this RFP, Offerors should prepare the proposal with the instructions outlined in this section and should structure the proposal so that it contains individual tabs/sections detailing proposed services.

6. Written Proposals shall be as concise as possible and include the following in this order:

o Cover Letter containing the following:

▪ Name of firm

▪ Name, title, and full contact information for person authorized to represent the firm, along with statement certifying that he/she is authorized to sign on behalf of the firm.

o Executive summary – Provide a narrative, prepared in non-technical terms, summarizing the Offeror’s proposal. The executive summary should identify the primary contact for the Offeror including name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

o Detailed description of the services to be provided which addresses each of the topics listed in Section 3, Scope of Services. Clearly state your ability to meet or exceed the requested services.

o Statement of Qualifications and Capacity of the firm to provide services required. The Offeror should include a description of the organizational and staff experience as it relates to meeting the County’s needs to include experience administering similar contracts for government entities. The response should address the firm's size, structure, and the number of years in business.

o Key Individuals: The Offeror should provide a list of key individuals to be assigned to this contract, specify their role in administering the contract, and provide a current biography/resume for each individual.

o DPOR License: Full-size copies of Commonwealth of Virginia DPOR registration certificate for the Key Personnel o References: All Offerors should include a list of a minimum of five (5) references, from similar projects/contracts and settings, who could attest to the firm’s knowledge, quality of work, timeliness, diligence, flexibility, and ability to meet budget constraints. Include names and addresses, contact persons, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of all references. Appomattox

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County reserves the right to contact references other than, and/or in addition to those furnished by an Offeror. References may or may not be reviewed or contacted at the discretion of the County.

o Required Forms: (See Below)

C. Required Forms

To simplify the review process and to obtain the maximum degree of comparability, the proposal submitted by each interested vendor shall include the following forms, each of which can be found at the back of this RFP packet. Each form shall be wholly completed and the group shall be organized in the manner specified below:

• Vendor Profile & References (Form A) o Provide general information regarding the vendor, including three (3) references for whom similar work has been performed. Preference will be given to vendors with referenced projects most like the scope of work being requested by Appomattox County. References will be contacted, so please verify information before submitting.

• Offeror Certification Statement (Form B) o Provide an authorized signature certifying the firm’s response to the RFP.

• State Corporation Commission Form (Form C) o Provide information on type of business entity.

• Insurance Checklist (Form D) o Provide assurance that required insurance minimums can be met. Note that actual Certificate of

Insurance is not required at this point but will be required of chosen firm prior to contract signing.

• Non-Collusion Statement (Form E) o Provide certification that your proposal has been submitted in good faith and without collusion.

Also that your firm is not barred from doing business with Appomattox County or the Commonwealth of Virginia.

• Acknowledgement of Addenda (Form F) o Provide the number and dates of any/all addendums to the original RFP.

• Subcontractor Form (Form G) o Provide information on subcontractors to be used. If none are to be used, circle NO at the top.

• General Terms and Conditions (Form H)

• These are the legal terms and conditions of the County and shall become part of the expected contract.

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6. EVALUATION CRITERIA

These criteria are to be utilized in the evaluation of qualifications for development of the shortlist of those Offerors to be considered for negotiations. Individual criteria have been assigned a weight to reflect relative importance.

Criteria (Weight) == 100%

• Approach and Methodology (25%) – Does the proposal include a general discussion of understanding an “overall” project process and a summary of the services being proposed? Does it explain in detail the firm’s approach and proposed methodology for achieving objectives, including how the firm will meet the needs of the County?

• Company background, qualifications, and past experience (20%) – Does the proposal include size of the firm including office, location, organizational charts, etc. to demonstrate the capacity of the firm? Does it Include all services being offered? Does it contain qualified references will be counted in this grading criteria?

• Qualifications and Experiences of Key Personnel (30%) – Does the proposal include a list of authorized principals and resumes of key personnel? Does it include the key person to be in charge of the contract?

Does it include resumes names with titles, years with the firm, total years in the profession, education, certifications, and any other credentials?

• Project Management, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control (20%) – Does the proposal include process, procedures on how your firm will ensure that schedules are met, budgets are adhered to, procedures are followed, and contractors are held accountable. Does it include key personnel who will be in charge of construction management and adherence to published specifications?

• Teamwork and collaboration with unaffiliated firms, agencies, and organizations (5%) – Does the proposal include a general discussion of how you have worked with other firms, agencies, and organizations when tasks were awarded to different entities by the owner?

In addition to evaluating the Offeror’s proposal as submitted, the County may make such reasonable investigations and evaluations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability/capability of the Offeror to perform the services/furnish the goods.

If, in the County’s opinion, clarifications or presentations of the Offeror’s proposed services and/or goods’ features and capabilities are warranted for the purpose of obtaining additional information or clarification, the County will notify the appropriate Offerors. This will provide an opportunity for the Offeror to clarify or elaborate on the proposal. This is a fact finding and explanation session and may or may not include the opportunity for initial negotiations should the County so determine. Oral presentations are strictly at the option of the County and may or may not be conducted. Therefore, proposals should be comprehensive, competitive, and complete.

The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informalities or regularities. The Offeror’s submission of a proposal is recognition of this right.

The County reserves the right to choose one or more Offerors to provide the services listed in the RFP. The County further reserves the right to accept proposals in whole or in part, therefore having the flexibility to select equipment and services that best meet the needs of the County. Offerors may respond to all or part of the RFP. Proposals should list each item separately.

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7. AWARD PROCEEDURE

Appomattox County shall engage in individual discussions with two or more offerors deemed fully qualified, responsible and suitable on the basis of initial responses and with emphasis on professional competence, to provide the required services. At the conclusion of discussion, on the basis of evaluation factors published in the Request for Proposal and all information developed in the selection process to this point, the public body shall select in the order of preference two or more offerors whose professional qualifications and proposed services are deemed most meritorious. Negotiations shall then be conducted, beginning with the offeror ranked first.

If a contract satisfactory and advantageous to the public body can be negotiated at a price considered fair and reasonable and pursuant to contractual terms and conditions acceptable to the public body, the award shall be made to that offeror. Otherwise, negotiations with the offeror ranked first shall be formally terminated and negotiations conducted with the offeror ranked second, and so on until such a contract can be negotiated at a fair and reasonable price. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the terms and conditions for multiple awards are included in the Request for Proposal, a public body may award contracts to more than one offeror. Should the public body determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified and suitable than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror.

8. SPECIAL PROVISIONS

1. An authorized representative of the Offeror shall sign the proposal. All information requested in this solicitation should be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive. Proposals which are deemed non-responsive, incomplete, or lack key information may be rejected in full by the Owner.

2. The County will assume no responsibility for oral instruction or interpretation. All questions must be in writing by the deadline specified elsewhere in this RFP. Answers will be delivered via an addendum so that all interested parties may know and understand the information.

3. Contact with any County representative, other than the Purchasing Agent, concerning this RFP is prohibited.

Such unauthorized contact may disqualify an Offeror from this procurement.

4. Each Offeror shall be prepared to present evidence of their experience, qualifications and financial ability to carry out the terms of the contract.

5. Failure to provide additional language or noting specific exceptions to any requirements of the solicitation or the terms and conditions, with the proposal submission shall be considered as an acceptance of all terms and conditions of any resulting contract from this solicitation.

6. Offerors are not to submit estimated man-hours or cost for services with their proposals.

7. The County provides no guarantee of the amount of work to be assigned to the selected firm(s) and may utilize other engineering firms for consulting work if deemed necessary or advantageous.

8. If the County exercises its option to renew, the next Contract Term shall begin one (1) year from the date of the execution of this Contract, or previous renewal. Any unused amounts from the first Contract Term are forfeited and shall not carry forward to the next Contract Term. Subsequent renewals up to a maximum of three (3) one-year renewals shall follow the same procedures.

9. The selected Offeror(s) shall provide the County with original bound documents suitable for distribution for all contracted projects. In addition, all electronic copies of documents shall be provided in a format compatible

9 | P a g e with the County’s word processing and AutoCAD hardware and software. All documents and digital files shall become the property of Appomattox County upon final payment of all fees to the Consultant as forth for in the contract. The County reserves the right to alter the documents and/or specifications for its purposes, but will provide a properly initialed revision block showing County responsibility for such changes.

10. Appomattox County will not discriminate against any Offeror due to race, religion, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia relating to discrimination in employment or contracting.

9. Cooperative Procurement – “Rider Clause”

This solicitation is being conducted on behalf of other public bodies pursuant to Section 2.2-4304 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (Va. Code § 2.2-4300 et seq.). The resultant contract(s) may be extended by a contracting firm(s) to other public bodies at the stated contract prices, in accordance with the contract terms. It is each contracting firm’s responsibility to notify other jurisdictions of the availability of contract(s).

Any jurisdiction “riding” the resultant contract(s) may enter into its own contract with the successful firm(s).

Contracts entered into with a participating jurisdiction may contain general terms and conditions unique to that jurisdiction. Appomattox County will not be held liable for any contract between a contracting firm and another jurisdiction.

10. Acceptance

The County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and waive formalities or irregularities in the process. A proposal, once submitted, shall be deemed final and binding on the Vendor, and shall constitute an option with Appomattox County to enter into contract upon the terms set forth in the proposal. All proposals must be valid for a minimum of 60 days from proposal due date.

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FORM A -- VENDOR PROFILE & REFERENCES

The following information is required as part of your response to this solicitation. Failure to complete and provide this sheet may result in a determination that your bid/proposal/quote is not acceptable.

1. Bidder’s Primary Contact:

Name: __________________________________________________ Phone: ______________________

Email: ________________________________________________________________________________

2. Years in Business: Indicate the length of time you have been in business providing this type of goods and service: _________ Years

3. SCC #____________________________________

4. Have you or any representative within your organization ever been debarred from submitting bids or proposals on contracts by Appomattox County? _________

5. Have you or any representative within your organization ever been debarred from submitting bids or proposals on contracts by an agency, public entity/locality or authority of the Commonwealth of Virginia? _________

6. Indicate three (3) current or recent accounts, either commercial or governmental, that your company is servicing, has serviced, or has provided similar services:

A. Company: __________________________________________________________________________

Contact: ________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________ Email: ________________________________________________

Project: ________________________________________________________________________________

Dates of Service: ________________________________ $Value: ______________________________

B. Company: ______________________________________________________________________________

C. Company: ______________________________________________________________________________

7. Qualification: By signing below, vendor certifies that the above information is true and accurate to his/her knowledge and that his/her company has the capability and capacity to satisfy all the contractual requirements.

Signature Date

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM WITH YOUR PROPOSAL OR BID PACKAGE

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FORM B -- OFFEROR CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

Undersigned Bidder hereby certifies that he/she has carefully examined all conditions and specifications of this procurement and hereby submits this bid, proposal or quote pursuant to the instructions found within.

Printed Name of Authorized Person Submitting Bid/Proposal/Quote

Printed Title of Authorized Person Submitting Bid/Proposal/Quote

Signature of Authorized Person Submitting Bid/Proposal/Quote

Date

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me by the above named _________________________________________ on the ____________day of_____________________, 20____

(Notary Signature)

Notary Public in and for the State of _______________________________

My commission expires: _________________________________________

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FORM C -- STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION (SCC) FORM

The Bidder/Offeror/Contractor:

___ is a corporation or other business entity with the following SCC identification number:

OR

___ is not a corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, registered limited liability partnership, or business trust

___ is an out-of-state business entity that does not regularly and continuously maintain as part of its ordinary and customary business any employees, agents, offices, facilities, or inventories in Virginia (not counting ay employees or agents who merely solicit orders that require acceptance outside Virginia before they become contracts, and not counting any incidental presence of the Offeror in Virginia that is needed in order to assemble, maintain, and repair goods in accordance with the contract by which such goods were sold and shipped into Virginia from Offeror’s out-of-state location)

___ is an out-of-state business entity that is including with this proposal an opinion of legal counsel which accurately and completely discloses the undersigned Offeror’s contracts with Virginia and describes why those contacts do not constitute the transaction of business in Virginia within the meaning of §13.1-757 or other similar provisions in Titles 13.1 or 50 of the Code of Virginia

___has not completed any of the foregoing options but currently has pending before the SCC an application for authority to transact businesses in the Commonwealth of Virginia and wish to be considered for a waiver to allow you to submit the SCC identification number once issued (Appomattox County reserves the right to determine in its sole discretion whether to allow such waiver)

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FORM D -- INSURANCE CHECKLIST

Items marked “X” are required to be provided if award is made to your firm

Required

Coverage Required

Limits of Liability (Denotes minimums)

X

Worker’s Compensation and Employers’ Liability;

Admitted in Virginia Employers’ Liability All States Endorsement Voluntary Compensation Endorsement Best’s Guide Ration-A-VIII or better, or its equivalent

Statutory Limits of the Commonwealth of VA Yes $100,000/$500,000/$100,000 Statutory

Commercial General Liability General Aggregate Products/Completed Operations Personal and Advertising Injury Fire Legal Liability Best’s Guide Rating-A-VIII or better, or its equivalent

$1,000,000 Each Occurrence $2,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000 $50,000 Per Occurrence

Automobile Liability Owned, Hired, Borrowed & Non-owned Motor Carrier Act End Best’s Guide Rating-A-VIII or better, or its equivalent

$1,000,000 Combined Single Limit Bodily Injury and Property Damage Each Occurrence

Prof. Errors and Omissions Best’s Guide Rating-A-VIII or better, or its equivalent

$1,000,000 Limit Ea. Occurrence

Garage Liability $1,000,000 CSL Ea. Occurrence

Garage Keeper’s Legal Liability Best’s Guide Rating-A-VIII or better, or its equivalent

Maximum Value of One Vehicle Maximum Value of All Vehicles Held by Contractor

X Umbrella Liability Best’s Guide Rating-A-VIII or better, or its equivalent.

$1,000,000

Other Insurance:

“Appomattox County Board of Supervisors 153-A Morton Lane, P.O. Box 863 Appomattox, VA 24522“named as an additional insured on Auto and General Liability Policies. (This coverage is primary to all other coverage the County may possess and must be shown on the certificate.)

30-day written cancellation notice required, 15-day cancellation notice required for non-payment to Appomattox, owner– Ref. Code of Virginia Section 38.2-231. Also, the words “endeavor to” and “failure to mail such notice” clause shall be removed from the cancellation notice.

X The Certificate must state Bid/RFP No. and Bid/RFP Title.

X Contractor shall submit Certificate of Insurance within five business days from notification of award.

We understand the Insurance Requirements of these specifications and will comply in full if awarded this contract.

Name & Title

Signature

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FORM E -- NON-COLLUSION STATEMENT

The party making the foregoing quote hereby certifies that such quote is genuine and not collusive or sham; that said bidders has not colluded, conspired, connived or agreed, directly or indirectly, with any bidder or person, to put in a sham bid or to refrain from bidding, and has not in any manner, directly or indirectly, sought by agreement or collusion, or communication or conference, with any person to fix the bid price or affiant or of any bidder, or to fix any overhead, profit or cost element of said bid price, or of that of any other bidder, or to secure any advantage against the Owner or any person interested in the proposed contract; and that all statements in said bid, proposal or quote are true.

By signing this form, the undersigned certifies that this person/firm/corporation is not currently barred from bidding on contracts by any agent of Appomattox County or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Offeror also certifies by signing this quote that no conflict of interest exists between Contractor and the Owner that interferes with fair competition and no conflict of interest exists between Contractor and another person or organization that constitutes a conflict of interest with respect to the contract with the Owner. Undersigned bidder hereby certifies that he/she has carefully examined all conditions and specifications of this Invitation to Bid and hereby submits this bid pursuant to such instructions and specifications, without exception.

Name & Title

Signature

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FORM F -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ADDENDA

The Bidder/Offeror/Contractor acknowledges that (number)______________ addenda were issued to the original procurement.

The dates of the addenda are listed below. If no addenda where issued, please leave blank but sign and date at the bottom.

Addenda #1: (Date) _____________________

Addenda #2: (Date) _____________________

Addenda #3: (Date) _____________________

Addenda #4: (Date) _____________________

Addenda #5: (Date) _____________________

Print Name of Authorized Person Submitting Proposal

Print Title of Authorized Person Submitting Proposal

Signature of Authorized Person Submitting Proposal

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FORM G -- SUBCONTRACTOR FORM

Do you plan on using subcontractors to perform the work required of this contract? Circle Yes or No

If yes, please list each subcontractor below. Use additional sheets as necessary.

Company Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________________________

VA Contractor #:_______________________________ Expiration Date:________________

Contact Person:_________________________________ Contact Phone:_________________

Contact Email:___________________________________________________________________

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FORM H – GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

These general rules and conditions shall apply to all purchases and be a part of each solicitation and every contract awarded by the

Appomattox County Purchasing Agent unless otherwise specified. The Appomattox County Purchasing Agent is responsible for the purchasing activity of Appomattox County. The term “Owner” as used herein refers to the contracting entity which is the signatory on the contracts for Appomattox County, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Bidder/Offeror or their authorized representatives are expected to inform themselves fully as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting bids/proposals/quotes: failure to do so will be at the Bidder’s/Offeror’s own risk and except as provided by law, relief cannot be secured on the plea of error. Subject to all Federal, State and local laws, policies, resolutions, regulations, rules, limitations and legislation, bids/proposals/quotes on all solicitations issued by the Purchasing Agent will bind Bidders/Offerors to applicable conditions and requirements herein set forth unless otherwise specified in the solicitation. The contract is subject to appropriations by the County.

1. AUTHORITY: According to the Procurement Procedures Manual, the Appomattox County purchasing system shall operate under the direction of the Purchasing Agent. Unless specifically delegated by the Purchasing Agent, no other Owner officer or employee is authorized to order supplies or services, enter into purchase negotiations or contracts, or in any way obligate the

Owner for indebtedness. Any purchase order or contract made which is contrary to these provisions and authorities shall be of no effect and void and the Owner shall not be bound thereby.

The Purchasing Agent responsible for this solicitation is John K. Spencer, Jr., Appomattox County Purchasing Agent.

Email: john.spencer@appomattoxcountyva.gov

2. COMPETITION INTENDED: It is the Owner’s intent that this solicitation permit competition. It shall be the

Bidder’s/Offeror’s responsibility to advise the Purchasing Agent in writing if any language, requirement, specification, etc., or any combination thereof, stifles competition or inadvertently restricts or limits the requirements stated in this solicitation to a single source. The Purchasing Agent must receive such notification not later than five (5) business days prior to the deadline set for acceptance of the bids/proposals/quotes.

CONDITIONS OF BIDDING

3. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: - If any Bidder/Offeror has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective Bidder/Offeror should contact the Purchasing Agent whose name appears on the face of the solicitation no later than seven (7) business days prior to the date set for the opening of bids or receipt of proposals. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the Purchasing Office. Notifications regarding specifications may not be considered if received in less than seven (7) business days of the date set for opening of bids/quotes/receipt of proposals.

4. MANDATORY USE OF OWNER FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Failure to submit a bid/proposal/quote on the official Owner form provided for that purpose shall be a cause for rejection of the bid/proposal/quote. Unauthorized modification of, or additions to, any portion of the Invitation to Bid, Request for Proposal, or Request for Quote may be cause for rejection of the bid/proposal/quote. However, the Owner reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject any bid/proposal/quote which has been modified.

5. LATE BIDS, PROPOSALS OR QUOTES & MODIFICATION OF BIDS, PROPOSALS OR QUOTES: Any bid/proposal/quote/modification received at the office designated in the solicitation after the exact time specified for receipt of the bid/proposal/quote/modification is considered a late bid/proposal/quote/modification. The Owner is not responsible for delays in the delivery of the mail by the U.S. Postal Service, private carriers or the inter-office mail system. It is the sole responsibility of the Bidder/Offeror to ensure their bid/proposal/quote/modification reaches the Purchasing Office by the designated date and hour.

mailto:john.spencer@appomattoxcountyva.gov

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a. Understanding that most cell phones clocks are within 15 seconds of one another, the official timepiece for the receipt of bids/proposals/quotes is the clock on the Purchasing Agent’s phone.

b. Late bids/proposals/quotes/modifications will be returned to the Bidder/Offeror UNOPENED, if solicitation number, acceptance date and Bidder/Offeror’s return address is shown on the container.

c. If the Owner closes its offices due to inclement weather, scheduled bid openings or receipt of proposals will be extended to the next business day, same time.

6. IDENTIFICATION OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted in a proposal shall not be subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. However, for this information to be protected from disclosure, the Offeror must specifically invoke the protections of Sec. 2.2-4342, Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, or other applicable statute, prior to or upon submission of the trade secrets or proprietary information. The Offeror must clearly identify any part of its proposal considered to be protected as trade secret or as proprietary information and must state the reasons why protection is necessary.

a. Any Offeror shall identify a trade secret or proprietary information by clearly stating “Trade Secret” or

“Proprietary Information” adjacent to the particular information, and by clearly identifying the information to be subject to the protection, such as by encircling, highlighting, underlining or other similar means. The

Offeror shall state the reasons why protection is necessary on a separate page of the proposal.

b. Any Offeror shall not identify as a trade secret or proprietary information those sections of the proposal that are material to Appomattox County’s ultimate award of the contract.

c. The County reserves the right to contact an Offeror and to request that the Offeror explain or clarify why the

Offeror identified certain information as a trade secret or as proprietary information.

d. Any Offeror shall not identify as trade secret or proprietary information their complete proposal.

7. WITHDRAWAL OF BIDS, PROPOSALS OR QUOTES:

a. Bidder/Offeror for a contract other than for public construction may request withdrawal of his or her bid/proposal/quote under the following circumstances:

1. Bids/proposals/quotes may be withdrawn on written request from the Bidder/Offeror received at the address shown in the solicitation prior to the time of acceptance.

b. Requests for withdrawal of bids/proposals after opening of such bids/proposals/quotes but prior to award shall be transmitted to the Purchasing Agent, in writing, accompanied by full documentation supporting the request.

If the request is based on a claim of error, documentation must show the basis of the error. Such documentation may take the form of supplier quotations, vendor work sheets, etc. If bid bonds were tendered with the bid, the Owner may exercise its right of collection.

c. No bid/proposal/quote may be withdrawn under this paragraph when the result would be the awarding of the contract on another bid/proposal/quote of the same Bidder/Offeror or of another Bidder/Offeror in which the ownership of the withdrawing Bidder/Offeror is more than five percent. In the case of Invitation for Bid’s, if a bid is withdrawn under the authority of this paragraph, the lowest remaining bid shall be deemed to be the low bid. No Bidder/Offeror who, is permitted to withdraw a bid/proposal/quote shall, for compensation, supply any material or labor to or perform any subcontract or other work agreement for the person or firm to whom the contract is awarded or otherwise benefit, directly or indirectly, from the performance of the project for which the withdrawn bid/proposal was submitted.

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8. ERRORS IN BIDS, PROPOSALS OR QUOTES: When an error is made in extending total prices, the unit bid price will govern. Erasures in bids/proposals/quotes must be initialed by the Bidder/Offeror. Carelessness in quoting prices, or in preparation of a bid or proposal otherwise, will not relieve the Bidder/Offeror. Bidders/Offerors are cautioned to recheck their bids/proposals for possible error. Errors discovered after public opening cannot be corrected and the bidder will be required to perform if his or her bid is accepted.

9. IDENTIFICATION OF BID, PROPOSAL OR QUOTE IN ENVELOPE: The signed bid, proposal response or quote and any requested copies should be returned in an envelope or package, sealed and identified with the following information:

Appomattox County Purchasing Office

Attn: John Spencer

153-A Morton Lane, #863

Appomattox, VA 24522

Solicitation Number in lower left corner

Project Name or Title in lower left corner

Bid/proposal/quote due date and time in lower left corner

(If using United States Postal Service, please mail to PO Box 863, Appomattox, VA)

If a bid/proposal/quote is not addressed with the information as shown above, the Bidder/Offeror takes the risk that the envelope may be inadvertently opened and the information compromised, which may cause the bid/proposal/quotes to be disqualified.

No other correspondence or other proposals should be placed in the envelope. Bids/proposals/quotes may be delivered by hand, by US Mail or by a common carrier. No faxes, emails or other electronic submissions will be accepted unless specified in the original procurement.

10. ACCEPTANCE OF BIDS, PROPOSALS OR QUOTES: Unless otherwise specified, all formal bids/proposals/quotes submitted shall be valid for a minimum period of one hundred twenty (120) calendar days following the date established for acceptance. At the end of the one hundred twenty (120) calendar days the bid/proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the Bidder/Offeror. If the proposal is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is canceled.

11. CONDITIONAL BIDS OR QUOTES: Conditional bids or quotes are subject to rejection in whole or in part.

12. BIDDERS PRESENT: At the time fixed for the opening of responses to a bid, bid contents will be made public for the information of bidders and other interested parties who may be present either in person or by representative. All bids will be opened at the time and place specified and read publicly. Bid tabulations are posted on www.Appomattoxcountyva.gov and www.eva.virginia.gov for a minimum of 10 days from award date.

13. RESPONSE TO SOLICITATIONS: In the event a vendor cannot submit a bid on a solicitation, the vendor is requested to return the solicitation cover sheet with an explanation as to why the vendor is unable to bid on these requirements. Because of the large number of firms listed on the Owner’s Bidders List, it may be necessary to delete from this list the names of those persons, firms or corporations who fail to respond after having been invited to bid for three (3) successive solicitations. Such deletion will be made only after formal notification of the intent to remove the firm from the Owner’s Bidder’s List.

14. BIDDER INTERESTED IN MORE THAN ONE BID: If more than one bid or quote is offered by any one party, either directly or by or in the name of his or her clerk, partner, or other persons, all such bids may be rejected. A party who has quoted prices on work, materials, or supplies to a bidder is not thereby disqualified from quoting prices to other bidders or firms submitting a bid or quote directly for the work, materials or supplies.

15. TAX EXEMPTION: The Owner is exempt from the payment of any federal excise or any Virginia sales tax. The price bid must be net, exclusive of taxes. Tax exemption certificates will be furnished if requested by the Bidder/Offeror.

http://www.orangecountyva.gov/ http://www.eva.virginia.gov/

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16. DEBARMENT STATUS: By submitting their bids or proposals, Bidders/Offerors certify that they are not currently debarred from submitting bids/proposals on contracts by Appomattox County, nor are they an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting bids or proposals on contracts by Appomattox County or any agency, public entity, locality or authority of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

17. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: The provisions contained in the Virginia Public Procurement Act as set forth in the

1950 Code of Virginia, as amended, shall be applicable to all contracts solicited or entered into by the Owner. By submitting their bids/proposals/quotes, all Bidders/Offerors certify that their bids/proposals/quotes are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other Bidder, Offeror, supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their bid or proposal, and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

18. NO CONTACT POLICY: No Bidder/Offeror shall initiate or otherwise have contact related to the solicitation with any Owner representative or employee, other than the Purchasing Agent, after the date and time established for receipt of bids or proposals.

Any contact initiated by a Bidder/Offeror with any Owner representative, other than the Purchasing Agent, concerning this solicitation is prohibited and may cause the disqualification of the Bidder/Offeror from this procurement process.

SPECIFICATIONS

19. BRAND NAME OR EQUAL ITEMS: Unless otherwise provided in the solicitation, the name of a certain brand, make or manufacturer does not restrict bidders to the specific brand, make or manufacturer named; it conveys the general style, type, character, and quality of the article desired, and any article which the Owner in its sole discretion determines to be the equal of that specified, considering quality, workmanship, economy of operation, and suitability for the purpose intended, shall be accepted. The Bidder is responsible to clearly and specifically indicate the product being offered and to provide sufficient descriptive literature, catalog cuts and technical detail to enable the Owner to determine if the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation. This is required even if offering the exact brand, make or manufacturer specified. Normally in competitive sealed bidding, only the information furnished with the bid will be considered in the evaluation. Failure to furnish adequate data for evaluation purposes may result in declaring a bid non-responsive. Unless the Bidder clearly indicates in its bid or proposal that the product offered is "equal" product, such bid/proposal will be considered to offer the brand name product referenced in the solicitation.

20. FORMAL SPECIFICATIONS: When a solicitation contains a specification which states no substitutes, no deviation therefrom will be permitted and the bidder will be required to furnish articles in conformity with that specification.

21. OMISSIONS & DISCREPANCIES: Any items or parts of any equipment listed in this solicitation which are not fully described or are omitted from such specification, and which are clearly necessary for the completion of such equipment and its appurtenances, shall be considered a part of such equipment although not directly specified or called for in the specifications.

a. The Bidder/Offeror shall abide by and comply with the true intent of the specifications and not take advantage of any unintentional error or omission, but shall fully complete every part as the true intent and meaning of the specifications and drawings. Whenever the mention is made of any articles, material or workmanship to be in accordance with laws, ordinances, building codes, underwriter’s codes, A.S.T.M. regulations or similar expressions, the requirements of these laws, ordinances, etc., shall be construed as to the minimum requirements of these specifications.

22. CONDITION OF ITEMS: Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, all items shall be new, in first class condition.

AWARD

23. AWARD OR REJECTION OF BIDS, PROPOSAL OR QUOTES: The Purchasing Agent shall award the contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder complying with all provisions of the IFB or RFQ, provided the bid price is reasonable

21 | P a g e and it is in the best interest of the Owner to accept it. Awards made in response to a RFP will be made to the highest qualified

Offeror whose proposal is determined, in writing, to be the most advantageous to the Owner taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP. The Purchasing Agent reserves the right to award a contract by individual items, in the aggregate, or in combination thereof, or to reject any or all bids/proposals/quotes and to waive any informality in bids/proposals/quotes received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the Owner. Award may be made to as many Bidders/Offerors as deemed necessary to fulfill the anticipated requirements of the Owner. The Purchasing Agent also reserves the right to reject the bid if a bidder is deemed to be a non-responsible bidder.

24. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARD: Upon the award or announcement of the decision to award a contract as a result of this solicitation, the Purchasing Agent will publicly post such notice on the bulletin board located at, 153-A Morton Lane, Appomattox, Virginia. Award results may be viewed at the Appomattox County Website at www.Appomattoxcountyva.gov.

25. QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDERS OR OFFERORS: The Owner may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the Bidder/Offeror to perform the work/furnish the item(s) and the

Bidder/Offeror shall furnish to the Owner all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. The Owner reserves the right to inspect Bidder's/Offeror’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the

Bidder's/Offeror’s capabilities. The Owner further reserves the right to reject any bid or proposal if…