AGO461700 BCI Service Consumables Shimadzu Insturments RFQ vfinal Ohio Buys.pdf

Bureau of Criminal Investigations 1560 St. Rt. 56 London, OH 43140 www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov AGO RFQ Template – Condensed v1.3

Request for Quotations (RFQ)

RFQ # AGO-BCI-LAB-0525-26

Service and Consumables for Shimadzu LC-UV-MS Instruments

1.0. Overview and Purpose

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office (“AGO”) is seeking quote submissions in response to this Request for Quotations (“RFQ”) to secure the goods and services as defined below.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is an elected official who is the Chief Law Officer for the State of Ohio and its agencies, boards, and commissions. The office consists of about 1600 employees in nearly 40 distinct sections that advocate for consumers and victims of crime, assist the criminal justice community, provide legal counsel for state offices and agencies, and enforce certain state laws.

The AGO, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (“BCI”) Laboratory Division is soliciting quotes for the selection of a vendor to provide preventive maintenance and service to Shimadzu liquid chromatography-UV-mass spectrometry (LC-UV-MS) instruments.

Responders to this RFQ are referred to herein as “bidders,” “offerors,” “supplier,” or “vendors” and these references may be used interchangeably throughout this RFQ and have the same meaning.

2.0. Scope of Work

The scope of this request includes the following:

2.1. Maintenance and Services

BCI currently receives extended warranty plus maintenance services on six (6) workstations in three (3) BCI Laboratory locations. BCI is seeking the same level of service in the specifications below to keep laboratory instruments operable. The scope of this request includes planned preventive maintenance, proactive instrument monitoring, and on-demand repair service for Shimadzu LC-UV-MS instruments.

• All necessary parts, labor, shipping, and travel for the maintenance and repair services must be included. Replacement parts used in the maintenance and repair services must be manufacturer authorized and certified as detailed in applicable instrument user guides.

• The services needed will be on demand with a general response time of no more than forty-eight (48) hours after receipt of a service call or work order request from BCI.

• Software must be updated remotely to the current version upon the request of BCI.

2.1.1. Maintenance Expectations

During the term of the contract, the AGO will assign a main point of contact with the authority to authorize and prioritize requested maintenance and repair services. Services may be requested verbally, via email to the vendor, or through other means which ensure requests will be received in a timely manner. Verbal requests for services will be documented in writing.

The goal of the AGO through this engagement is the receipt of high-quality service that is mutually acceptable and agreed upon. The performance of the selected vendor will be closely monitored. For the services requested, the attributes of quality service expected by the AGO include vendor availability, timely execution of the service, resulting performance of the service conducted, accuracy of the work done, and reliability of the results of the services conducted by the vendor.

Shimadzu Certified Field Service Engineers shall directly perform maintenance and repair services, without using a subcontractor. The equipment listed in Section 2.1.2. Instrument Information and Location shall receive maintenance at levels that meet or exceed the following:

1. One annual planned preventative maintenance visit. The planned preventative maintenance will ensure the instruments are functioning to the manufacturer’s specifications.

The annual planned preventative maintenance visit will include, at a minimum, the following tasks:

2. Certified Performance Evaluation to include a visual inspection, system check and preventative maintenance parts.

3. Necessary cleaning, adjustments, verification, lubrication and parts replacement.

4. On-site repair of instruments is required for instrument failures and shall include Shimazdu parts, travel costs, labor, and a service report.

5. Inspection and replacement of plungers, plunger seal, diaphragms, check valves, HPV/LPV rotor/stator, needle, sample loop, injection seal, and D2 lamp.

6. Replacement of capillary, desolvation line, standard frit filter, and peek tubing.

7. If requested by BCI, all software must be updated to the Shimadzu current version for instruments at the time of preventative maintenance.

2.1.2. Instrument Information and Service Location

Shimadzu liquid chromatography-UV-mass spectrometry (LC-UV-MS) instruments:

Model Serial Number Location LC-2040C 3D Plus L21515850158 Bowling Green Lab LCMS-2020 Main body, w/o Rotary Pump, ROHS Compliant O10155750206 Bowling Green Lab LC-2040C 3D Plus L21515750139 Bowling Green Lab

Model Serial Number Location LCMS-2020 Main Body, w/o Rotary Pump, ROHS Compliant O10155750180 Bowling Green Lab

LC-2040C 3D Plus L21515750142 London Lab LCMS-2020 Main body, w/o Rotary Pump, ROHS Compliant O10155755153 London Lab LC-2040C 3D Plus L21515750099 London Lab LCMS-2020 Main Body, w/o Rotary Pump, ROHS Compliant O10155655132 London Lab

LC-2040C 3D Plus L21515850159 Richfield Lab LCMS-2020 Main Body, w/o Rotary Pump, ROHS Compliant O10155750207 Richfield Lab LC-2040C 3D Plus L22986150415 Richfield Lab LCMS-2020 Main Body, w/o Rotary Pump, ROHS Compliant O10156150474 Richfield Lab

2.1.3. Service Locations

The selected vendor shall provide all applicable on-site services at the following BCI Laboratory locations:

• BCI London – 1560 State Route 56 SW; London, OH 43140

• BCI Bowling Green – 750 North College Drive; Bowling Green, OH 43402

• BCI Richfield – 4055 Highlander Parkway, Suite A; Richfield, OH 44286

2.3. Laboratory Parts and Consumable Supplies

The selected vendor must provide consumable and replacement parts for the equipment listed in Section

2.1.2. Instrument Information and Service Location. Orders for consumable and replacement parts resulting from this RFQ shall be delivered to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations laboratory locations in Richfield, London, or Bowling Green, Ohio.

2.4. Responsibilities of the Vendor

It will be the responsibility of the vendor to provide maintenance and repair services, as described for the Shimadzu equipment as requested by the AGO’s office. Additionally, the vendor will be responsible for the following work management activities:

• Provide an adequate number of resources with the required skillsets necessary to support the requested work.

• Submit summary updates of all work performed.

• Submit a monthly detailed report of all billable services provided listing the specific work ticket and resources involved.

• Manage resources assigned and scheduling of support services.

• Be the initial escalation contact for any issues or concerns raised by the AGO.

2.5. Work Location

All work performed under a contract awarded pursuant to this RFQ will be conducted at the AGO Service Locations listed. If onsite work is requested, the vendor shall not be reimbursed for travel, lodging or any other expenses incurred in the performance of the work under the contract.

All work performed under the resulting contract must be performed within the territory of the United States.

All services provided by the selected contractor must not be performed outside of the United States without AGO’s written permission provided in advance. AGO data must not be stored, accessed from or transmitted to outside of the United States without AGO’s written permission provided in advance.

2.6. Term

The initial term for services provided will begin July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027.

The AGO will have the option to renew the services for two (2) additional two (2) year terms from:

• July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2029

• July 1, 2029, through June 30, 2031

3.0. Vendor Quote Content and Submission

Vendors must provide information and responses as directed within the Ohio Buys Questionnaire and Item Grid Solicitation Links. All responses to this RFQ must include the information listed below to ensure the quote submission is considered for this opportunity. Any material deviation from the format or information below or within Ohio Buys may result in rejection of a response.

The vendor’s responses to the information requested will allow for a well-defined comparison of bids received. The AGO will use the information provided to evaluate the capability and expertise of vendors.

References will be checked, and vendors may also be contacted to ensure they have the proper skill sets, and an understanding of the work needed. Quotes must be valid for no less than 90 days from the quote due date.

1. Item Grid. The vendor must complete the Item Grid, by entering its unit price for each line.

2. References. Vendors must provide two (2) client references for work of a similar scope. References must include Name, Title, Address, Phone Number, and E-mail Address.

3. Capability Statement. Vendors must demonstrate their ability to meet the requirements of this RFQ, by referencing examples of successful prior activities, the entities for which the services were provided, and how the services relate to the AGO’s needs. Within the capability statement, vendors must provide information detailing a minimum of five (5) years of experience in providing Shimadzu LC-UV-MS Instrument maintenance and support services.

4. Terms and Conditions. Vendors must review the RFQ and within the Questionnaire must identify and attach any vendor assumptions or exceptions to the AGO Terms and Conditions in vendor’s response. In the alternative to the AGO Terms and Conditions, vendors may indicate if they are currently on an Ohio Department of Administrative Services (“DAS”) State Term Schedule (“STS”) that is inclusive of the scope and deliverables by including the STS number in the vendor’s Item Grid response.

All responses must be submitted online via Ohio Buys no later than the date listed in the Calendar of Events.

When submitting bid files, vendors should note the following:

• All attachments should be in a searchable PDF format, unless directed differently by this document.

o When directed, other file types may be attached but only the following file extensions will be allowed: .docx, .xlsx, .zip.

The AGO has the discretion to select a vendor and to reject responses that are not in the best interest of the AGO, or to cancel this solicitation. The AGO may waive minor defects and/or request clarifications in the responses if doing so does not materially deviate from the specifications or otherwise create an unfair competitive advantage. Any response, revision, improper marking, or amendment to a response or submission may be disqualified

The AGO will not be liable for any costs incurred by a vendor in responding to this solicitation, regardless of whether the AGO awards any contract(s) through this process, decides to cancel this solicitation for any reason, or issues another solicitation if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the AGO to do so.

The AGO reserves the right to negotiate all terms associated with this solicitation. It is entirely within the discretion of the AGO to permit negotiations. A vendor must not submit a response assuming that there will be an opportunity to negotiate any aspect of the response. The AGO is free to limit the negotiations to particular aspects of any response. Vendors should not base their pricing on the assumption of long-term financing by the AGO that extends beyond the upcoming biennium, which ends June 30, 2027.

The award will be made to the vendor that offers the lowest priced responsible and responsive submission.

4.0. Calendar of Events

• RFQ issued date: May 15, 2025

• Inquiry Period Begins May 15, 2025

• Inquiry Deadline May 22, 2025; 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time

• Quote due date: June 9, 2025; 11:00 A.M. Eastern Time

5.0. Communication and Inquiries

Unless the AGO advises differently, all contact is to be in writing using the Ohio Buys website. Ohio Buys provides the primary platform for Supplier partners to engage in procurement activities with the State of Ohio. For additional information on using Ohio Buys follow the link provided below:

• Ohio Buys for Suppliers

All inquiries and responses will be posted to the Ohio Buys website. The due date for any inquiry within the intent and scope of this solicitation must be received by the date listed in the Calendar of Events.

Vendors may make inquiries regarding this solicitation any time during the inquiry period listed in the Calendar of Events and Deadlines. To make an inquiry, vendors must login to Ohio Buys, navigate to the solicitation, open the inquiry tab, and submit their inquiry. Vendors will not receive a personalized e-mail response to their question, nor will they receive notification when the question has been answered.

Vendors may view inquiries and responses on the Ohio Buys Public Solicitations page by opening the Solicitation Overview and navigating to the inquiries section of that page.

If Vendors experience technical difficulties accessing the Ohio Buys website where the solicitation and its related documents are published, they may contact the Ohio Shared Services Help Desk through one of the options listed here:

• Email OBM.ContactCenter@obm.ohio.gov and put "Ohio Buys" in the subject line.

• Phone 614-338-4781 or 1-877-644-6771.

Any reference materials related to this solicitation will be available on the Ohio Buys website. The website address is also linked from www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Business/Services-for-Business/RFQ.

6.0. Terms and Conditions

The selected vendor may not ship any items to the AGO, and no work may commence until the selected vendor receives an AGO purchase order and, if determined by the AGO, an AGO contract as well as all other applicable agreements are executed.

The AGO Attachment – Sample Contract is included with this RFQ. The RFQ and the Attachment (unless the vendor is on a STS applicable to the scope and deliverables as described in Section 3.0) constitute the terms and conditions for this AGO purchase. Vendors must review the RFQ and Attachment and must identify any exceptions to the Terms and Conditions in the vendor’s response. If exceptions are not noted in the response, the vendor stipulates the vendor’s acceptance of the Goods Terms and Conditions and RFQ requirements.

Additionally, the selected vendor(s) may be required to sign various AGO forms and/or agree to comply with certain requirements prior to commencement of work.

https://procure.ohio.gov/bidders-and-suppliers/resources/01_selling+to+the+state mailto:OBM.ContactCenter@obm.ohio.gov http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Business/Services-for-Business/RFQ

All BCI lab visitors will be required to review and sign BCI Visitor DNA Collection Form. DNA lab policy and procedures are designed to minimize the potential for contamination. The signed BCI Visitor DNA Collection form gives appropriate consent to have a DNA sample collected and analyzed using forensic identity DNA markers.

Once the selected vendor reports to the AGO, all work will be conducted in accordance with AGO policies, procedures, coding standards, and best practices as instructed by the AGO.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office is subject to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 149, known as the Ohio Public Records Act. Consequently, the Offeror understands that all documents submitted in response to this RFQ are considered public records and will be released when a public records request is made by anyone, including news media, competitors, or other interested parties, in accordance with the law. If you contend that certain clearly marked portions of your response constitute an exception to Ohio's public records law, you must submit your legal basis in support of that assertion with your response. The legal basis must include the Ohio statute that applies to exempt that specific information and a description of why that specific information is covered by the cited statute.

If a public records request is made for any portion of the documents that you have submitted and you have not clearly marked such documents as information constituting an exception to Ohio's public records law, your information will be released immediately. If a public records request is made for such information and you have clearly marked portions of your response as information constituting an exception to Ohio's public records law, and you have submitted the legal basis supporting such claim, the AGO will release a redacted version of your information to the requester and notify you that a request was made and that a redacted version of your response was released. Should the requester indicate that the redacted version is not sufficient for their purposes, you then will be immediately responsible for obtaining an order from a Franklin County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas enjoining release of your clearly marked information constituting an exception to Ohio's public records law.

If a public records request is made for such information and you have clearly marked portions of your response as information constituting an exception to Ohio's public records law, but you have not submitted the legal basis supporting such claim, the AGO will release your information to the requester and notify you that a request was made and that your response was released. Do not mark your entire response/submittal as information constituting an exception to Ohio's public records law. If your entire response/submittal is so marked, the AGO will not consider your offer.

The terms and conditions of this solicitation are subject to Ohio Revised Code Section 9.27 - State Contracts

- Invalid Terms and Conditions. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 9.27, the AGO is prohibited, among other things, from including provisions by which the AGO agrees to indemnify and hold harmless a vendor. These provisions, if added to an agreement, are immediately unenforceable. Vendors must not include prohibited terms subject to Ohio Revised Code Section 9.27 in their standard terms and conditions, manufacturer warranties, and applicable warranty services.

The selected shall be engaged by the AGO solely on an independent contractor basis, and the vendor shall therefore be responsible for all the vendor’s business expenses, including, but not limited to, employees’ wages and salaries, insurance of every type and description, and all business and personal taxes, including income and Social Security taxes and contributions for Workers’ Compensation and Unemployment Compensation coverage, if any.