Apparel RFP- Final.docx

Auburn University Request for Proposal

Promotional Apparel Preferred Vendor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section I Request for Proposal

Section II Instructions to Proposers

Section III Form of Proposal

Section IV Evaluation Criteria

Section I. Request for Proposal A. Intent and Scope for the Auburn University Promotional Apparel Preferred Vendor Contract Auburn University is seeking sealed proposals from qualified suppliers providers to established non-exclusive preferred relationships with no more than Twenty (20) Promotional Apparel Suppliers to provide promotional apparel to university campus units using Chart A university funds.

AU currently maintains relationships with approximately 500 licensees that produce a wide range of products to help promote the University's brand. Auburn University's Office of Trademark Management & Licensing oversees the external use of Auburn's brand, including approving all products available at retail outlets or purchased for internal or external promotional purposes. While the suppliers that are ultimately selected will be considered preferred and listed as Promotional Apparel Suppliers on our website (licensing.auburn.edu), we reserve the right to refer internal campus groups to companies that hold retail licenses with Auburn in special situations. Auburn University also reserves the right to go outside of this list of preferred suppliers for large projects that require bids and specialized products.

As some products purchased through this program are non-royalty bearing, the Office of Trademark Management & Licensing will require quarterly reporting for all ICS licensees via CLC and separate Auburn reporting. The selected licensees will be awarded preferred Promotional Apparel Supplier status for a term of three years with the opportunity for two one-year rollovers. However, suppliers/licensees will be subject to an annual review and may be subject to cancellation if performance is poor. Promotional Apparel Suppliers may NOT sell to retail outlets unless separately licensed for those channels through the University’s licensing agency.

Any department or organization wishing to order an Apparel item with Auburn University (Chart A) funds will be required to obtain three (3) quotes from the preferred Promotional Apparel Suppliers unless the preferred supplier has a nationally cooperative contract that has been competitively bid. AU’s Office of Trademark Management & Licensing will provide a web-based form to streamline this process. Quotes may be requested for an entire order/project, not necessarily by individual product, and are valid for 12 months. Reorders may be placed at the same quoted price without requesting new quotes.

B. Proposal Overview and Definitions

· Proposals will be received until 10:30 AM CDT on the specified date.

· Throughout the remainder of this Request for Proposal, all entities involved will be referred to as follows:

· Auburn University will be referred to as “University” or “AU”.

· Commodity/Service Provider will be referred to as “Contractor” or “Supplier”.

· This document will be referred to as “RFP”.

C. Bid Conditions and Contract Expectations

· Term: The University proposes the initial term of the agreement for Promotional Apparel shall be three (3) years, with two (2) one-year renewal options, with the consent of both parties.

· Award: It is the intention of Auburn University to award this RFP to no more than Twenty (20) suppliers.

· Services Expected Upon Award:

· Business Review Meetings:

· In order to maintain the partnership between the University and the Contractor, the University requires a Business Review meeting. This meeting shall be held on at least an annual basis, if not more frequently. The business review meeting shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

· Review of Contractor performance.

· Review of minimum required reports.

· Review of continuous improvement plans.

· Reporting:

· Minimum required reports.

· Total dollars spent by University.

· Current and historical cost of goods with documentation.

· Supply chain shortages.

· Any information relating to any current or anticipated production or delivery delays.

· Payment:

· Purchasing Card is Auburn University preferred method of payment for all orders under $5,000. If a contractor charges a fee for credit cards purchases, it must be included in quote price.

· Minimum Qualifications:

· In order to be considered, suppliers must:

1. Understand AU trademark licensing and campus branding policies OR show a willingness to learn and strictly adhere to these University policies.

2. Carry a minimum of $1 million of general product liability insurance naming Auburn University as an additional insured. Additional insurance may be required for higher liability products such as consumables. This is a standard procedure with all AU licensees and additional information will be provided by CLC once awarded (in the event the company is not already licensed with AU).

3. Demonstrate an ability to make products available to University departments.

4. Attend ICS licensee training that will provide updates on University policy changes, special campaigns or University-wide marketing efforts.

5. Purchase a booth at the annual vendor fair hosted by AU Procurement & Payment Services which will serve as an opportunity to showcase products to campus units and leaders of student organizations. At the time of this RFP, the cost is $550 for a 10x10 space, but AU reserves the right to increase due to increasing costs of hosting the event.

6. Submit quarterly and annual review documents to maintain the license for the full three – five (3-5) year term.

· CLC Requirements:

· To be considered for this preferred relationship, a company must be licensed as an Internal Campus Supplier (ICS) through the University's licensing agent, the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), or be willing to complete the licensing requirements of Auburn University and the CLC prior to accepting orders or being included on the preferred list.

· All companies should have completed the licensing process no more than 60 days after the award. Visit CLC.com to see the application requirements and approximate costs for licensure.

· Auburn University makes no guarantee of any minimum yearly spend requirements or commitments to any of the selected contractors – some will sell more than others over the program term. However, over the previous four years (July 1, 2021-February 2025), Auburn University departments, student organizations and other groups have spent approximately $12.1 million dollars on promotional products and apparel (Promotional products RFP will be issued separately), some of which are royalty bearing while others are exempt as detailed in the following pages. Please note that this RFP is only for preferred suppliers servicing campus units spending Chart A university funds. Other suppliers may be identified and made available to student organizations, affiliate groups and campus units paying with other funds.

· Auburn University will assess a licensing rights fee of $5,000 per supplier annually. Companies also awarded promotional products rights for campus in the separate RFP will be assessed an additional licensing rights fee.

· All companies must submit artwork through CLC’s Brand Manager 360 with product details and customer information, including the correlating Trademark Reference Number.

Section II. Instructions to Proposers A. Proposal Response

· Proposals should be submitted to the Procurement & Business Services Sourcing Event Portal on or before the time and date set for closing.

· Pursuant to the provisions of the State of Alabama Competitive Bid Law rules and regulations adopted there under, sealed bids will be received on the items noted herein by Procurement and Business Services of Auburn University, until the date and time stated.

· All bids are to be "F.O.B. Destination - Freight Prepaid and Allowed."

· Alabama law (Section 41-4-116, code of Alabama 1975) provides that every bid submitted and contract executed shall contain a certification that the supplier, contractor, and all of its affiliates that make sales for delivery into Alabama or leases for use in Alabama are registered, collecting, and remitting Alabama state and local sales, use, and/or lease tax on all taxable sales and leases into Alabama. BY SUBMITTING THIS BID, THE BIDDER IS HEREBY CERTIFYING THAT THEY ARE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ACT NO. 2006-557, they are not barred from bidding or entering into a contract pursuant to 41-4-116, and acknowledges that the awarding authority may declare the contract void if the certification is false.

· Bidder certifies that neither it, nor any of its employees who will provide or perform services under this contract have been debarred, suspended or declared ineligible as defined in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR 48 C.F.R. Ch. 1 Subpart 9.4). Bidder will immediately notify the University if the Bidder or any of its employees who will provide or perform services under this contract is placed on the Consolidated List of Debarred, Suspended, and Ineligible Bidders.

· AU reserves the right to award in whole or in part, by line item, or make multiple awards, where such action serves Auburn University’s best interest.

· Proposers may withdraw proposals at any time prior to the time and date set for opening.

· The University reserves the sole and exclusive right to reject or accept any or all proposals and to waive any informality in proposal. The best interest of the University and their subsequent facilities shall be considered as the number one determining factor in selecting or not selecting a Proposer.

· No department, school, or office at the University has the authority to solicit official proposals other than Procurement and Business Services. All solicitation is performed under the direct supervision of the Chief Procurement Officer and incomplete accordance with the University policies and procedures.

· The University reserves the right to conduct discussions with proposers, and to accept revisions of proposals, and to negotiate price changes. The University will make reasonable efforts to protect proprietary information, but all records are subject to State of Alabama open records laws.

· Proposers submitting proposals which meet the selection criteria, and which are deemed to be the most advantageous to the University may be requested to give an oral presentation to a selection committee. Procurement and Business Services will schedule the presentations.

· The University is committed to the development of Small Business and Small Disadvantaged business (SB & SDB) suppliers. If subcontracting is necessary, the contractor will make every effort to use SB & SDB in the performance of this contract. Reporting will be required throughout the duration of the contract indicating the extent of SB & SDB participation.

· The Suppliers shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the University, its officers, agents, and employees from any claims, damages, and actions of any kind or nature arising from or caused by the use of any materials, goods, equipment, or services furnished by the Supplier, provided that such liability does not attribute to the sole negligence of the University.

· The successful supplier will have to attest to the following: By signing this contract, the contracting parties affirm, for the duration of the agreement, that they will not violate federal immigration law or knowingly employ, hire for employment, or continue to employ an unauthorized alien within the state of Alabama, Furthermore, a contracting party found to be in violation of this provision shall be deemed in breach of the agreement and shall be responsible for all damages resulting therefrom.”

· Read and comply with all instructions, specifications, General Terms and Conditions, and Bid Conditions.

Section III. Form of Proposal

A. Proposal Format

· Proposals should be submitted in Adobe PDF formatting only. If there is any information or required submittals, which due to size limitations cannot be incorporated following the preferred formatting, please note for the evaluator where the information can be found in the response.

B. Tabular / Paginated Format

Section 1: Executive Summary Provide an executive summary (1-2 pages) of your proposal, highlighting your company's expertise in managing and executing contracts of similar size and scope as described in the RFP. Detail your approach to meeting Auburn University's requirements, emphasizing innovative solutions and recent advancements in the industry.

Section 2: Company Details Include detailed company information, such as:

. Contact names and titles of individuals responsible for the proposal and negotiations.

. Ownership structure, company size, and number of employees.

. Sales volume and expenses for the last three years, specifically for the promotional apparel segment.

Section 3: Exceptions Exceptions to any terms and conditions listed in this Request for Proposal. Contractors should also list any exceptions to the Minimums Qualifications.

Section 4: Product Offerings Provide detailed information about your promotional apparel, including:

. A description of the range of apparel items offered.

. Top ten most ordered apparel styles and brands over the past 12 months.

. Headwear brands and styles most purchased in the past year.

. How you source blank goods (e.g., distributor, factory-direct) and criteria for selecting styles and suppliers.

. Minimum order requirements and any differences between initial orders and reorders.

. If your company accesses and decorates apparel and headwear from traditional athletics sideline providers, please detail the process of sourcing from those providers, the types of decoration you provide on those items and which styles you can offer.

6. Special consideration may be made for Auburn Athletics’ sideline provider.

. Availability of fully USA made apparel.

Section 5: Decoration/Production Capabilities and/or Strategic Partnerships Please provide:

· A description of your company-owned decoration facilities and equipment (screen printing, embroidery, direct-to-garment, heat press, etc.).

· A breakdown of the percentage of decoration that occurs in your company-owned decoration facilities in the following categories:

· If your company-owned facilities do less than 50% of any of these categories internally, please list the additional decoration companies you work with and explain the strategic nature of your company’s relationship with them (screen printing, embroidery, direct-to-garment, sublimation, heat press, etc.). Include the percentage of your Auburn business (anticipated) that each company would handle as well as their locations.

Section 6: Artwork Please provide a description of your artwork capabilities, including:

· Process for providing artwork/design graphics for customers.

· Do you house artists internally or outsource?

· Do you charge for artwork? If so, explain the fee structure.

· Do you offer stock graphics that can be name dropped, completely custom art or a combination?

· Do you provide art files to the customer for future projects if requested?

· Timeline for design creation on a typical order.

Section 7: Sales and Marketing Please provide:

· An explanation of your marketing plan for attracting business from Auburn University’s campus departments, student organizations, affiliate groups and other units, including:

. Customer service processes and local representation.

· How you will manage without a regular on-campus presence, if applicable.

· Willingness to attend annual vendor show hosted by Procurement & Business Services.

· Is your company more focused on serving campus departments, student organizations or affiliate groups (Auburn Clubs, Tip-Off Club, etc.)? Please provide a detailed explanation of your targeted customer base.

· A description of your company’s website capabilities as it pertains to the following:

· Browsing product offerings online

· Customer design capabilities

· Fundraising programs including web stores

· Pop-up stores either online or in-person

· Permanent departmental web stores

· Would items be made on-demand or decorated in advance and held in inventory? Detail any fees involved.

· A description of any regular communication you send to customers such as newsletters, etc.

· Any points of differentiation between your business and others in the space.

Section 8: Licensing Capabilities Please provide:

· A description of knowledge of the licensing process and the staff in place to ensure compliance with Auburn University and licensing agency requirements.

· A description of any systems in place to account for and report royalties as well as sales of non-royalty bearing items.

· An explanation of your process to receive orders, provide quotes and submit artwork for formal licensing approval.

· An explanation of the workflow and parties involved for orders taken by your company from marketing, to sales, to artwork, to approval, to production, to shipping, etc.

· Provide a list of higher education institutions for which you currently hold a license.

· Is your company affiliated with Greek licensing programs through Affinity Licensing or directly with any NPHC organizations?

Section 9: Financial Considerations Please provide:

· Information about any regional or national pricing cooperative you participate in or have been awarded.

· A description of any rebate or philanthropy program through which you give back to partner institutions.

· A list of all fees assessed per order and their frequency (ex. artwork fees, screen fees, digitizing fees, setup fees, rush charges, etc.)

Section 10: Logistics Please provide the following about Turnaround Time & Shipping:

· A description of typical turnaround times for various products sourced from the USA.

· A description of typical turnaround times for various products imported from international sources.

· Information about shipping processes. Do you use a particular carrier? Do you deliver? Do you drop ship from manufacturer? Do you warehouse?

· How do you handle rush orders?

· What innovations or technologies have you adopted in the past four years to enhance your services?

Section 11: Labor Code Please describe your corporate responsibility efforts, including:

· An explanation of your company’s corporate social responsibility policies/philosophies such as:

· Does your company have a labor code component in evaluating the factories you choose to source products from?

· How much consideration is given to a factory’s willingness to provide safe, fair working conditions during your vendor selection?

· How do you audit sourcing factories to ensure they are labor code compliant?

· An explanation of your sourcing practices & principles while explaining where the majority of product is produced and decorated.

· Please be aware that as an Auburn University licensee your company will be required to sign CLC’s labor code during the licensing process.

Section 12: Additional Considerations Please provide answers as to how your company would handle the following potential scenarios and questions:

· A campus client is reluctant to follow Auburn licensing or procurement processes and procedures. How would you lead them toward compliance?

· A campus client receives an order that is not what they expected due to product quality, decoration quality, etc.

· How does your company stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends in apparel, decoration and processes?

· Would you be willing to fulfill orders at an agreed-upon price for certain items?

· As an example: Auburn and its vendor partners come to an agreed-upon price (with quantity breaks) for a navy polo from a particular brand with a two-color embroidery for an agreed-upon period. Would this arrangement be of interest to your company to fulfill without providing a quote on those items?

· Would your company be willing to work with a third-party eprocurement quoting system?

Section 13: References Please provide:

· THREE (3) references with contact name, business/organization name and contact phone number. Preferably, the references should be from projects/customers similar in size and scope to the services described in the RFP.

· If applicable, please list examples of services rendered in the state of Alabama, particularly within institutions of higher learning.

Section IV. Evaluation Criteria

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