Addendum 7 - FAMLI Full-Service Communications and Marketing Services.pdf

FAMLI Full-Service Communications and Marketing Services

Addendum 7

LABOR-FY2024-07

eMMA BPM # BPM043000

Clarification of Earlier Responses

This addendum is to clarify answers from previous addendums.

Correction to the RFP

Please note that the closing date for this RFP – FAMLI Full-Service Communications and Marketing

Services has been changed. See the Key Information Summary Sheet below, highlighted in red:

Double strikethrough – Old closing date.

Underline – New closing date.

STATE OF MARYLAND

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (MDOL)

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Request for Proposals Services, Full-Service Communications and Marketing Services

Solicitation Number: Labor-FY2024-07

RFP Issue Date: March 15, 2024

RFP Issuing Office: Maryland Department of Labor

Procurement Officer: Raelene Glasgow

1100 N. Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 e-mail:

Office Phone:

Raelene.glasgow3@maryland.gov

410-767-7050

Proposals are to be sent to: Submit Via eMMA

Pre-Proposal Conference: April 3, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Local Time

Via Google Meet

Join by phone

2084-474-(US) +1 314 PIN: 373 382 211#

See Attachment A for directions and instructions.

Questions Due Date and Time April 15, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Local Time

Proposal Due (Closing) Date and Time:

April 24, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Local Time

May 03, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Local Time

May 10, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Local Time mailto:Raelene.glasgow3@maryland.gov tel:+1-314-474-2084

Offerors are reminded that a completed Feedback Form is requested if a no-bid decision is made (see page iv).

MBE Subcontracting Goal: 15%, with no subgoals (see Exhibit 1 MBE and VSBE Research

Factors)

VSBE Subcontracting Goal: 2% (see Exhibit 1 MBE and VSBE Research Factors)

Contract Type: Time and Materials

Contract Duration: Three (3) year base period with one (1) one-year option period

Primary Place of

Performance:

Most of the work will be done remotely.

SBR Designation: No

Federal Funding: No

Clarifications

This Addendum is issued by the procurement officer to clarify responses to questions in

Addendums 4, 5, and 6.

In Addendums 4 and 5 dated April 17 and 18, 2024, respectively, the following questions and responses were provided:

Addendum 4 Question: To confirm the prime contractor and all subcontractors must be certified as an MBE with MDOT?

Addendum 4 Response: That is correct. All prime and subcontractors must be certified via

MDOT. If a prime contractor is planning to perform any of the MBE/VSBE goals, they must be certified as an MBE in Maryland. Only certified vendors can perform MBE/VSBE subcontracting work.

Addendum 5 Question: In Addendum 4, MDOL indicated that prime contractor and all subcontractors must be certified as an MBE with MDOT. Does MD FAMLI mean to confirm that this work is restricted to only MDOT certified MBEs or SBA and/or eMMA certified VSBE Firms? Our understanding was that 15% MDOT MBE AND 2% VSBE were the requirements.

Addendum 5 Response: MBEs and VSBEs working on all state of Maryland contracts, must be certified through MDOT. A quick visit to the VSBE certification page at:

https://gomdsmallbiz.maryland.gov/Pages/VSBE-Program.aspx or the MBE page at https://www.mdot.maryland.gov/ will provide the information needed for clarity on these two socio-economic programs and what their certification entails.

The subcontracting goals are 15% MBE and 2% VSBE. Only MBEs that are certified in

Maryland may perform the MBE goals. VSBE vendors must go through the certification process and be certified in eMMA to participate on contracts with VSBE goals. In answer to your question, the work is restricted to Maryland certified firms. There are firms that are not based in Maryland but are registered in these programs, who may participate in these contracts.

Just to be clear, the vendors may reside elsewhere but must be registered/certified in both the MBE and VSBE programs here in Maryland.

CLARIFICATION: The response provided in Addendum 4 was unclear and led to the question addressed in Addendum 5. The response to the question in Addendum 5 was incomplete.

The answer to “Does MD FAMLI means to confirm that this work is restricted to only MDOT certified MBEs or SBA and/or eMMA certified VSBE Firms?” is no.

A prime contractor is not required to be a Maryland certified minority business (MBE) to propose on this procurement. However, if the prime contractor intends on performing up to 50% of the

MBE goal, then that firm must be certified by the Maryland Department of Transportation

(“MDOT”) by the time of RFP submission. Any subcontractor(s) submitted for use in fulfilling an

MBE goal must also be certified by MDOT by the time of proposal submission. A firm whose

MBE certification application is pending may not be counted.

The same holds true in regard to the VSBE requirement. The prime contractor is not required to be registered in eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) as a certified VSBE to propose on this procurement. However, if the prime contractor intends on performing up to 50% of the VSBE goal, then that prime must be certified in eMMA by the time of proposal submission. Any subcontractor(s) submitted for use in fulfilling an VSBE goal must also be certified in eMMA by the time of bid submission. A firm whose VSBE certification application is pending may not be counted.

In Addendum 6 dated April 23, 2024, the following question and response were provided:

Prime's Minimum Qualifications

Question: Can an owner or principal of a firm that is bidding as a Prime use their prior experience to cover the minimum qualifications even if that experience was gained prior to joining their current firm?

Response: Section 1.1 – Offer Minimum Qualifications states:

1.1.1 The Offeror shall have experience developing and executing advertising campaigns

(print, radio, television, outdoor, mobile, social/digital, etc.) as part of statewide or otherwise large-scale awareness initiatives.

1.1.2 The Offeror shall have experience designing websites for either the WordPress or

SharePoint web content management systems.

Requirement: As proof, the Offeror shall provide with its Proposal three (3) reference letters from the past five (5) years that attest to the Offeror’s experience. All reference letters must be on the company letterhead and include the date of services and nature of the project.

The state will be contracting with the Prime, who is expected to partner with a subcontractor that is a certified Maryland MBE/VSBE.

The minimum qualifications apply to the vendor bidding as the prime, because they will be the contract holder. The minimum qualifications are clear that the “Offeror shall have experience developing and executing advertising (print, radio, television, outdoor, mobile, social/digital, etc.) as part of statewide or otherwise large-scale awareness initiatives.

CLARIFICATION: An owner or principal of a firm that is bidding as a Prime may be able to use their prior experience to cover the minimum qualifications even if that experience was gained prior to joining their current firm. However, given the subjective nature of the question, Labor cannot conclusively say that every prior experience of a principal or owner would meet the minimum qualifications requirements. Rather, evidence, with documented confirmation, would need to be provided to establish that the work was the principal’s or owner’s, rather than, for example, performed by the previous firm generally or as part of a team at that previous firm.