Amendment 1.pdf

SAP

State of South Carolina

Invitation For Bid Amendment 1

Solicitation:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

E-Mail Address:

Mailing Address:

5400025547 08/07/2023

TRAVIS SHEALY

shealytv@dhec.sc.gov

SC DHEC

Attn: Procurement Services Division 301 Gervais Street, 4th Floor Columbia SC 29201-3073

DESCRIPTION: DHEC Employee Assistance Program

USING GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: SC Dept of Health & Environmental Control

SUBMIT YOUR OFFER ON-LINE AT THE FOLLOWING URL: http://www.procurement.sc.gov

SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time): 08/15/2023 08/22/2023 @ 2:30 PM EST (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision)

QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY: SUBMISSION DEADLINE HAS PASSED (See "Questions From Offerors" provision)

NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED: 1

CONFERENCE TYPE: Not Applicable

DATE & TIME:

(As appropriate, see "Conferences - Pre-Bid/Proposal" & "Site Visit" provisions)

LOCATION: Not Applicable

AWARD &

AMENDMENTS

Award will be posted on 08/22/2023 08/29/2023 . The award, this solicitation, any amendments, and any related notices will be posted at the following web address: http://www.procurement.sc.gov

You must submit a signed copy of this form with Your Offer. By signing, You agree to be bound by the terms of the

Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days after the Opening Date. (See

"Signing Your Offer" provision.)

NAME OF OFFEROR

(full legal name of business submitting the offer)

Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE

(Person must be authorized to submit binding offer to contract on behalf of Offeror.)

DATE SIGNED

TITLE

(business title of person signing above)

STATE VENDOR NO.

(Register to Obtain S.C. Vendor No. at www.procurement.sc.gov)

PRINTED NAME

(printed name of person signing above)

STATE OF INCORPORATION

(If you are a corporation, identify the state of incorporation.)

OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY: (Check one) (See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)

___ Sole Proprietorship ___ Partnership ___ Other_____________________________

___ Corporate entity (not tax-exempt) ___ Corporation (tax-exempt) ___ Government entity (federal, state, or local)

COVER PAGE - ON-LINE ONLY (MAR. 2015)

http://www.procurement.sc.gov/ http://www.procurement.sc.gov/ https://dhec-my.sharepoint.com/personal/shealytv_dhec_sc_gov/Documents/Complex/FY23/Employee%20Assistance%20Program/Attempt%201/Pre-publication/www.procurement.sc.gov

PAGE TWO

(Return Page Two with Your Offer)

HOME OFFICE ADDRESS (Address for offeror's home office / principal place of business)

NOTICE ADDRESS (Address to which all procurement and contract related notices should be sent.) (See "Notice" clause)

_________________________________________________ Area Code -

Number - Extension Facsimile

_________________________________________________ E-mail Address

PAYMENT ADDRESS (Address to which payments will be sent.)

(See "Payment" clause)

____Payment Address same as Home Office Address ____Payment Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

ORDER ADDRESS (Address to which purchase orders will be sent)

(See "Purchase Orders and "Contract Documents" clauses)

____Order Address same as Home Office Address ____Order Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

Offerors acknowledges receipt of amendments by indicating amendment number and its date of issue. (See "Amendments to Solicitation" Provision)

Amendment No. Amendment Issue Date

Amendment No. Amendment Issue Date

Amendment No. Amendment Issue Date

Amendment No. Amendment Issue Date

DISCOUNT FOR

PROMPT PAYMENT

(See "Discount for Prompt

Payment" clause)

10 Calendar Days (%) 20 Calendar Days (%) 30 Calendar Days (%) _____Calendar Days (%)

PREFERENCES - A NOTICE TO VENDORS (SEP. 2009): On June 16, 2009, the South Carolina General Assembly rewrote the law governing preferences available to in-state vendors, vendors using in-state subcontractors, and vendors selling in-state or US end products. This law appears in Section 11-35-1524 of the South Carolina Code of Laws. A summary of the new preferences is available at www.procurement.sc.gov/preferences . ALL THE PREFERENCES

MUST BE CLAIMED AND ARE APPLIED BY LINE ITEM, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER AWARD IS MADE BY

ITEM OR LOT. VENDORS ARE CAUTIONED TO CAREFULLY REVIEW THE STATUTE BEFORE

CLAIMING ANY PREFERENCES. THE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY HAVE CHANGED. IF YOU

REQUEST A PREFERENCE, YOU ARE CERTIFYING THAT YOUR OFFER QUALIFIES FOR THE

PREFERENCE YOU'VE CLAIMED. IMPROPERLY REQUESTING A PREFERENCE CAN HAVE SERIOUS

CONSEQUENCES. [11-35-1524(E)(4)&(6)]

PREFERENCES - ADDRESS AND PHONE OF IN-STATE OFFICE: Please provide the address and phone number for your in-state office in the space provided below. An in-state office is necessary to claim either the Resident Vendor

Preference (11-35-1524(C)(1)(i)&(ii)) or the Resident Contractor Preference (11-35-1524(C)(1)(iii)). Accordingly, you must provide this information to qualify for the preference. An in-state office is not required, but can be beneficial, if you are claiming the Resident Subcontractor Preference (11-35-1524(D)).

____In-State Office Address same as Home Office Address ____In-State Office Address same as Notice Address (check only one)

PAGE TWO (SEP 2009) End of PAGE TWO https://dhec-my.sharepoint.com/personal/shealytv_dhec_sc_gov/Documents/Complex/FY23/Employee%20Assistance%20Program/Attempt%201/Pre-publication/www.procurement.sc.gov/preferences

OFFERORS ENCOUNTERING REGISTRATION OR BIDDING PROBLEMS SHOULD CONTACT:

DSIT Help Desk (803) 896-0001 Select Option 1 then Option 2

Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Offeror instructions can be found at:

https://www.procurement.sc.gov/doing-biz/submitting-offers

NOTICE

• To submit bids vendors should use either Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, which are compatible with SAP. Other browsers may not function properly and may prohibit bid submissions.

• Only offers with a status of “submitted” will be accepted by the State. (See Online Bidding Instructions clause in Section

II.B.)

• Bidders are encouraged to review the 'Simulation for Bid Creation' before trying to submit their response.

• Electronic bid submission (SRM Login) – https://vendorportal.sc.gov/irj/portal

• Submitting Confidential Data - https://www.procurement.sc.gov/legal/general-info

NUMBER OF COPIES – HARD COPY SUBMISSION

If submitting a hard copy in lieu of an online bid, the Offeror must submit the following:

1. One (1) original (hard copy) marked “ORIGINAL”

2. One (1) redacted hard copy (marked “Redacted”), if applicable. (See Section IV – “Submitting Redacted Offers”.)

For hard copies that are hand-delivered, the entirety of the submittal must be received by no later than the date and time specified on the cover page of the solicitation at the following address (which also serves as the site for all public bid openings):

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Division of Procurement Services – Travis V. Shealy

Solicitation #: 5400025547

301 Gervais Street – Columbia Mills Building – 4th Floor

Columbia, SC 29201

See Section II.A. – Public Opening Information – DHEC Clause

Hard copies -- Mailing Address

SCDHEC – Division of Procurement Services – Travis V. Shealy

Solicitation #: 5400025547

2600 Bull Street

Columbia, SC 29201

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE OBJECTED OR QUALIFIED OR OFFEROR

INCLUDES ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO BE CONSIDERED, THE OFFER WILL BE

DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND WILL BE ELIMINATED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

IF YOU QUALIFY YOUR OFFER WITH A STATEMENT SUCH AS, “THIS IS NOT AN OFFER”, THE OFFER

WILL BE DEEMED “NON-RESPONSIVE” AND REMOVED FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION.

https://www.procurement.sc.gov/doing-biz/submitting-offers https://vendorportal.sc.gov/irj/portal https://www.procurement.sc.gov/legal/general-info

Amendment Number 1

IFB 5400025547

DHEC Employee Assistance Program

AMENDMENTS TO SOLICITATION (JAN 2004)

(a) The Solicitation may be amended at any time prior to opening. All actual and prospective Offerors should monitor the following web site for the issuance of Amendments: www.procurement.sc.gov (b) Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation (1) by signing and returning the amendment, (2) by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on Page Two, (3) by letter, or (4) by submitting a bid that indicates in some way that the bidder received the amendment. (c) If this solicitation is amended, then all terms and conditions which are not modified remain unchanged.

QUESTIONS FROM OFFERORS – AMENDMENT (JUN 2017)

THE SOLICITATION IS AMENDED AS PROVIDED HEREIN. INFORMATION OR CHANGES RESULTING FROM

QUESTIONS WILL BE SHOWN IN A QUESTION -AND-ANSWER FORMAT. ALL QUESTIONS RECEIVED HAVE

BEEN REPRINTED BELOW. THE “STATE’S RESPONSE” SHOULD BE READ WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE

QUESTIONS. THE QUESTIONS ARE INCLUDED SOLELY TO PROVIDE A CROSS-REFERENCE TO THE POTENTIAL

OFFEROR THAT SUBMITTED THE QUESTION. QUESTIONS DO NOT FORM A PART OF THE CONTRACT, THE

“STATE’S RESPONSE” DOES. ANY RESTATEMENT OF PART OR ALL OF AN EXISTING PROVISION OF THE

SOLICITATION IN AN ANSWER DOES NOT MODIFY THE ORIGINAL PROVISION EXCEPT AS FOLLOWS:

UNDERLINED TEXT IS ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL PROVISION. STRICKEN TEXT IS DELETED. [02-2A097-1]

Opening date/time will Change from: 08/15/2023 @ 2:30 PM EST to 08/22/2023 @ 2:30 PM EST

Award Posting DATE CHANGE from: 08/22/2023 to 08/29/2023

Vendor Questions

1. QUESTION:

Who is current vendor and what is reason for change?

State’s Response: We do not have an EAP program.

2. QUESTION:

What is utilization history?

State’s Response: We do not have an EAP program.

3. QUESTION:

Would Service Level Agreement be sufficient vs. Performance Standard and Guarantee?

State’s Response: No.

4. QUESTION:

Will you accept our contract of should we anticipate SC DHEC to generate the contract?

State’s Response: The whole of the solicitation will form the contract.

http://www.procurement.sc.gov/

5. QUESTION:

Will SC DHEC operate on an award budget ceiling for the entire term of the contract and subject to modifications for renewal extensions versus billed/paid on actuals with renewal at set term?

State’s Response: SC DHEC will operate on the budget ceiling established by the contract resulting from this solicitation.

6. QUESTION:

How long is the “implementation phase”?

State’s Response: The RFP states the contractor will provide a detailed implementation plan within 10 days of the contract award. It is at the discretion of the contractor but must be approved by the agency prior to implementing the program.

7. QUESTION:

What is timeline of sharing implementation project plan ahead of initial kick-off call with implementation project lead?

State’s Response: Ten (10) days after award, Contractor shall create a comprehensive work plan that is logical in its sequence of events, including appropriate review time by SC DHEC and sufficient detail for OHR review. The plan must detail the specific timeframes, tasks and responsibilities and must be submitted to SC DHEC’s OHR prior to the implementation phase. The work plan shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

a. Project schedule including tasks, activities, activity duration, sequencing, and dependencies.

b. Project work plan for each deliverable, including a work breakdown structure.

c. Completion date for each task.

d. Project milestones.

e. Entrance and exit criteria for specific project milestones.

f. Project organization including a resource plan defining roles and responsibilities of all parties

8. QUESTION:

Are you open to discussion of services that are FFS, ancillary programs, add-ons outside of Essential EAP core services?

State’s Response: No.

9. QUESTION:

We would like to add “no later than 24 hours except on holidays and weekends” to this timeframe. Is this acceptable??

State’s Response: No, we believe services should be available on holidays and weekends.

10. QUESTION:

Please define “emergency situations” in requirement 27.e.

State’s Response: Emergency situations are catastrophic events that negatively affect agency employees. This could include an employee death, active shooter, or natural disaster.

11. QUESTION:

What are SLAs for response to urgent, emergent, standard?

State’s Response: Emergent – potentially life-threatening situations; urgent - case is urgent when their condition could deteriorate to the point of being at risk of harm to self or others if not evaluated and/or treated; routine/standard -condition or environment are stable and there is no risk for harm to self or others.

12. QUESTION:

Please clarify the “in-person site visit.” Is this customer visiting the vendor site, or is this referring to the ability for vendor to dispatch a counselor to the customer’s site for critical incident debriefing events?

State’s Response: Our expectation is that a contractor has a counselor available for consultation and in-person visit in emergency situations.

13. QUESTION:

Would only quarterly status reports suffice?

State’s Response: No, the RFP states that monthly, quarterly, and fiscal year end reports are expected by the contractor.

14. QUESTION:

What is an example of an ad hoc report that would be needed?

State’s Response: If the agency asks for specific data related to usage or topic related to a trend or concern seen by agency leadership.

15. QUESTION:

Would quarterly meeting be held at one campus or would vendor have to attend multiple meetings on various campuses?

State’s Response: The meeting will be at one campus or virtual.

16. QUESTION:

How often are Employee Appreciation Events, and employee activity presence activities conducted and what are locations?

State’s Response: Employee activities take place in each region quarterly. The four regions and the Central Office plan training days and employee appreciation days individually. Locations are generally Greenville, Columbia, Florence, and

Charleston but are subject to change.

End of Amendment 1