Addendum__1_Questions_and_Answers.pdf

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RFP 25-005-M

Addendum #1: Questions & Answers Date of Addendum #1: 1/15/2025

1. 5.2.8 – Samples. Will requested samples be for random products (i.e. item color and imprint)? Or will samples requested by CCBC Creative Services Department be for specific colors and logos?

ANSWER: Samples may be asked by the Creative Services Department for items listed in the on-line catalog. Imprinted samples will not be requested.

2. 5.2.9 – Payment. Can you please outline purchase order process and timeframe?

ANSWER: If a purchase order is required, the requisitioning department must submit an approved requisition to purchasing. In an ideal situation, a purchase order could be issued from the purchasing department within 3 days.

3. Suitable Substitute – Financial Proposal. If similar items/substitutes are available, would you prefer to see both the requested item and substitute for comparison? (We would only include substitutes if they are better/same quality and price.)

ANSWER: Yes. If they are better/same quality and price, we will consider them.

4. Pricing – Should we list pricing as all inclusive (including shipping and any setup charges)?

ANSWER: Yes.

5. Special Program Solution Proposals – We do have several specialty technical, print and delivery solutions available and will include them for you. However, I wanted to make sure we are offering options that would be helpful to CCBC. Can you please confirm that special program solutions would refer to proposals to include such options as CCBC events, department credits and gift/packaging options?

ANSWER: Yes, something as you described can be included a special program solution.

6. Will we automatically receive any questions/answers as an addendum for additional clarification? If so, what date will that be sent out?

ANSWER: Questions and Answers will be posted on eMMA. The deadline for questions was Tuesday, January 14th at 2:00 p.m EST. Answers will be posted on eMMA the following day.

7. The various Promo items listed all contain corresponding quantities for pricing. Am I correct in understanding that when an order is placed for a given quantity, that entire quantity is shipped back to the ordering party (as opposed to it being shipped back to us to warehouse for picking & pulling of future orders)?

ANSWER: The items ordered will be shipped to the ordering party.

8. Pricing in Appendix C is requested for 1st year through 5th year. There is no way to accurately predict what market pricing fluctuations will do over a 5 year period, either up or down, so we would be unable to provide guaranteed pricing for years 2 through 5. Would pricing only the 1st Year eliminate us from potentially being awarded the RFP?

ANSWER: We will look at 1st year pricing only to evaluate pricing for this RFP. We need the remaining years to be a good faith estimate. Once the RFP is awarded and renewed yearly over the period of the RFP, and if the remaining years increase in price, we will then require

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9. In section 3.1.5, it says that "offerors may not subcontract or assign, in whole or in part, any portion of this contract without the prior written permission of the Director of Purchasing".

When it comes to Promo like this, we source almost all of it using a variety of proven and trusted providers with various specialties. This means that we would technically be sub-contracting almost all of these items, but we would be managing the process and guaranteeing the success of the end product. Is that ok or will sub-contracting items disqualify us from being considered?

ANSWER: This is something we would accept.

10. What is the primary goal of this catalog—streamlined purchasing, improved visibility of options, or cost savings?

ANSWER: Streamlining the process.

11. Do you have examples of existing catalogs you admire for functionality or design?

ANSWER: No.

12. Do you want the ability to create branded or swag pages for specific audiences or departments?

ANSWER: No. We will provide the awarded contractor with various logos that can be applied to any of the promo items to customize them.

13. Have you gathered feedback from users (staff or students) on what they’d like in the catalog?

ANSWER: Yes. The items as listed.

14. What percentage of users rely on mobile devices versus desktop for accessing the catalog?

ANSWER: Most of our users will be using a desktop computer. We do not anticipate many users using other devices. We have no data on percentages.

15. Do you already have a mechanism in place to receive feedback or handle support inquiries related to the catalog?

ANSWER: Yes

16. Do you have branding guidelines we should follow for consistency across the catalog?

ANSWER: Yes. That will be provided by the CCBC Creative Services Department to the awarded contractor.

17. Should the catalog integrate with existing procurement systems or function as a standalone solution?

ANSWER: No integration at this time. But in the near future. No procurement system selected yet. At this time this will be a standalone solution.

18. Would you like to incorporate a chatbot, knowledge base, or FAQ section to assist users?

ANSWER: No. We do not think that is necessary at this time.

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19. Are there other suggestions or innovations you’re open to for improving the catalog’s functionality and user experience?

ANSWER: We are open to any suggestions or innovations for improvement.

20. What is the desired level of user customization for the catalog (e.g., favorites, saved searches)?

ANSWER: A basic catalog is fine.

21. Do you already have a repository of product information and images, or will we need to source these?

ANSWER: You will need to source these.

22. Will you allow third-party vendors to sell their products directly on the site?

ANSWER: No. This will only be a site managed by the contractor awarded.

23. Regarding payments: What types of payments are acceptable (e.g., credit cards, purchase orders, etc.)?

ANSWER: Credit Card will be primary. Purchase Order only if over the cardholder’s credit card limit.

24. Regarding payments: Do you already have a payment processor in place, or will we need to integrate APIs for payment processing?

ANSWER: Contractor will need to integrate APIs for payment processing.

25. Will the catalog support coupons or gift cards as payment options?

ANSWER: No.

26. Will you offer alternate payment methods such as pay-later options (e.g., Afterpay), and if so, will you manage account setups for these services?

ANSWER: No.

27. Would you like analytics tracking to identify popular products or optimize the catalog experience?

ANSWER: Yes

28. Who will manage the catalog post-launch, and will they require training or documentation?

ANSWER: CCBC Creative Services Department. Yes, training and documentation would be appreciated.

29. Would you prefer interactive training (e.g., workshops) or static resources (e.g., guides, documentation)?

ANSWER: Basic training. Guides would be nice but not necessary. The online store should be very easy to use.

30. How often would you like to provide feedback during the design and development phases?

ANSWER: Intermittently.

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31. Are there any Addendas for this bid yet?

ANSWER: Yes. These Questions and Answers are the first Addenda.

32. In your spreadsheet of pricing you want me to project price increases for the next 5 years.

Has any other bidders had issues with this? Don’t know how I can forecast inflation for these products for the next 5 years. Prices can fluctuate regularly based on supply/demand.

Also hard to guestimate what a “perfect world” will look like in 5 years. For example, before 2020, we couldn’t predict that a pandemic would arise. After the pandemic, prices on everything went thru the roof on every product you can think of.

ANSWER: We will look at 1st year pricing only to evaluate pricing for this RFP. We need the remaining years to be a good faith estimate. Once the RFP is awarded and renewed yearly over the period of the RFP, and if the remaining years increase in price, we would then require documentation from the awarded contractor to substantiate the reason for the increase.