Aspose IFB.pdf

Aspose 2026 Solicitation #: OIT-OFB-2025-006 IFB Document

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STATE OF MARYLAND

STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

(SHA)

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)

ASPOSE 2026

IFB NUMBER: OIT-IFB-2025 – 006

ISSUE DATE: 01/07/2026

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KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET (KISS)

Invitation for Bids IT – Aspose 2026

Solicitation Number:

OIT-IFB-2025 - 006

IFB Issue Date: 01/06/2026

IFB Issuing Office:

State Highway Administration (SHA)

Procurement Officer:

Corteze Haley-Grimes 707 N. Calvert St Baltimore, MD. 21202

Email:

Phone Number:

CHaleyGrimes@mdot.maryland.gov 410-545-0651

Bids are to be sent to:

Submit on emma.maryland.gov under Solicitation Number OIT-IFB-2025

– 006

To submit a bid, bidders must first register on emma.maryland.gov. We recommend registering in advance to become acquainted with the site.

No Bid Notice Feedback Form

If you are not submitting a bid for this solicitation, submit Attachment 1 with your reasons why.

Pre-Bid Conference:

N/A

Scheduled Site Visit

N/A

Questions Due Date and Time:

None

Bid Due (Closing) Date and Time:

01/12/2026 @ 09:00 Local Time Bidders are reminded that a completed Feedback Form is requested if a no-bid decision is made (see Attachment 1 - No Bid Notice/Vendor Feedback Form).

mailto:CHaleyGrimes@mdot.maryland.gov

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Public Bid Opening Date, Time, and Location eMMA

MBE [[OR]] DBE

Subcontracting Goal:

N/A

VSBE

Subcontracting Goal:

N/A

Procurement Method:

A Contract will be awarded in accordance with the Competitive Sealed Bidding method under COMAR 21.05.02.

Multiple or Alternate Bids:

Multiple or alternate Bids will not be accepted.

Contract Type: Insert contract Type firm fixed price

Contract Duration:

1 Year

Primary Place of Performance:

State Highway

707 N. Calvert St

Baltimore, MD. 21202

SBR Designation: No

Federal Funding: No

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Table of Contents - IFB

1 Minimum Qualifications

1.1 Bidder Minimum Qualifications

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.2 Background and Purpose

2.4 Supplemental Category of Work Requirements and Responsibilities

3 Standard Terms and Conditions

3.1 Contract Initiation Requirements

3.2 End of Contract Transition

3.3 Invoicing

3.4 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer

4 Bid Submission Information and Instructions

4.1 eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)

4.2 Electronic Means

4.3 Bid Due (Closing) Date and Time

4.4 Receipt, Opening and Recording of Bids

4.5 Duration of Bids

4.6 Revisions to the IFB

4.7 Cancellations

4.8 Incurred Expenses

4.9 Protest/Disputes

4.10 Bidder Responsibilities

4.11 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

4.12 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages

4.13 Verification of Registration and Tax Payment

4.14 False Statements

4.15 Confidentiality of Bids / Public Information Act Notice

4.16 Use of Bidder’s Form Not Binding on State

4.17 Attachments and Documents Required with the Bid (Table A)

4.28 Bid Delivery Instructions

4.19 Bid Evaluation Criteria and Award Basis

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4.20 Tie Bids

4.21 Reciprocal Preference

4.22 Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award (Table B)

5 IFB Appendices and Exhibits

5.1 Appendices (Table C)

5.2 Exhibits (Table D)

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1 Minimum Qualifications

1.1 Bidder Minimum Qualifications

No Minimum qualifications

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

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2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.1.1 This Invitation for Bids (IFB) is issued to procure the goods or services, as specified in this Section 2, from a contract between the successful bidder(s) and the State of Maryland (“State”): Aspose enables MDOT SHA to automate the assembly of approximately 1,200 Invitation for Bid books annually each averaging 175 pages and 45 documents avoiding an estimated 2,500 manual labor hours per week that would otherwise be required to produce these documents without the tool..

It is the State’s intention to obtain goods and services, as specified in this IFB, from a contract between the selected Bidder and the State.

2.1.2 This is a single award IFB Tailor according to the IFB. See IFB Section 4.21 Bid Evaluation Criteria and Award Basis for more Contract award information.

A Contract award does not ensure a Contractor will receive all or any State business under the Contract.

2.2 Background and Purpose

Aspose provides MDOT SHA with software programming tools (.NET APIs) that enable the automated processing, manipulation, and merging of Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF documents. These tools support the assembly of approximately 1,200 Invitation for Bid (IFB) books annually, with each book consisting of roughly 45 documents totaling approximately 175 pages.

Without Aspose, this work would require extensive manual effort, currently estimated at five teams of 25 staff each working approximately 20 hours per week—representing roughly 2,500 labor hours per week. By leveraging Aspose, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) can implement automation that reduces this workload by approximately 75%, resulting in an estimated savings of 1,875 hours per week, or 97,500 hours annually.

Aspose has been in use at MDOT SHA since 2021 and is critical to managing the increasing volume of procurement activity, reducing unnecessary labor costs, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring the timely, accurate, and consistent production of procurement documents.

2.3 Supplemental Category of Work Requirements and Responsibilities See the attached IT Supplemental associated with this solicitation.

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3 Standard Terms and Conditions

3.1 Contract Initiation Requirements

Once all approvals have been obtained and the Contract is fully executed, the Procurement Officer may schedule a kickoff meeting to be held prior to commencement of Contract performance.

3.2 End of Contract Transition

The Contractor shall cooperate in the orderly transition of services from it to a subsequent contractor at the end of the contract term or upon receipt of a Notice of Termination from the State. Transition shall be provided in a prompt and timely manner and shall proceed in accordance with the schedule provided to the Contractor by the State in the Notice of Transition. Additional instructions regarding transition services may be provided in the event of a Notice of Termination issued by the State.

3.3 Invoicing

Submission of an invoice constitutes the Contractor’s verification that the information in the invoice is accurate as of the time of submission.

An invoice not satisfying the requirements of a Proper Invoice (as defined in COMAR 21.06.09) will not be processed for payment. To be considered a Proper Invoice, invoices must include the following information, without error:

A. Contractor name and address;

B. Remittance address;

C. Federal taxpayer identification (FEIN) number, social security number, as appropriate;

D. Invoice period (i.e. time period during which services covered by invoice were performed);

E. Invoice date;

F. Invoice number;

G. State assigned Contract number;

H. State assigned (Blanket) Purchase Order number(s);

I. Goods or services provided;

J. Amount due; and

K. Any additional documentation required by regulation or the Contract.

Invoices that contain both fixed price and labor hour or time and material items shall clearly identify each item as either fixed price, and labor hour, or time and material billing.

The State reserves the right to reduce or withhold Contract payment in the event the Contractor does not provide all required deliverables within the time frame specified in the Contract or otherwise breaches the terms and conditions of the Contract until such time as the Contractor brings itself into full compliance with the Contract.

The State is generally exempt from federal excise taxes, Maryland sales and use taxes, District of Columbia sales taxes and transportation taxes. The Contractor, however, is not exempt from such sales and use taxes and may be liable for the same.

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Invoices for final payment shall be clearly marked as “FINAL” and submitted when all work requirements have been completed and no further charges are to be incurred under the Contract. In no event shall any invoice be submitted later than 60 calendar days from the Contract termination date.

3.4 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer

By submitting a Bid in response to this solicitation, the Bidder, if selected for award:

Agrees to accept payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT) unless the State Comptroller’s Office grants an exemption. Payment by EFT is mandatory for contracts exceeding $200,000. The successful Bidder shall register using the COT/GAD X-10 Vendor Electronic Funds (EFT) Registration Request Form.

Any request for exemption must be submitted to the State Comptroller’s Office for approval at the address specified on the COT/GAD X-10 form, must include the business identification information as stated on the form, and must include the reason for the exemption. The COT/GAD X-10 form may be downloaded from the Comptroller’s website at:

http://comptroller.marylandtaxes.com/Vendor_Services/Accounting_Information/Static_Files/GA DX10Form20150615.pdf.

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4 Bid Submission Information and Instructions

4.1 eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) eMMA is the electronic commerce system for the State of Maryland. The IFB, Pre-Bid Conference (Conference)summary and attendance sheet, Bidders’ questions and the Procurement Officer’s responses, addenda, and other solicitation-related information will be made available via eMMA.

To receive a contract award, a vendor must be registered on eMMA. Registration is free. Go to emma.maryland.gov, click on “New Vendor? Register Now” to begin the process, and then follow the prompts.

4.2 Electronic Means

The following transactions related to this procurement and any Contract awarded pursuant to it are not authorized to be conducted by electronic means:

A. Submission of Bond documents determined by the State to require original signatures; or

B. Any transaction, submission, or communication where the Procurement Officer has specifically directed that a response from the Contractor or Offeror be provided in writing or hard copy.

Any e-mail transmission is only authorized to the email addresses for the identified person as provided in the solicitation, the Contract, or in the direction from the Procurement Officer or Contract Monitor.

“Electronic means” refers to exchanges or communications using electronic, digital, magnetic, wireless, optical, electromagnetic, or other means of electronically conducting transactions.

Electronic means includes e-mail, internet-based communications, electronic funds transfer, specific electronic bidding platforms (e.g., https://procurement.maryland.gov), and electronic data interchange.

4.3 Bid Due (Closing) Date and Time

Bids must be received by the Procurement Officer no later than the Bid due date and time indicated on the Key Information Summary Sheet to be considered. Except as provided in COMAR

21.05.02.10. Bids received after that date will not be considered. Requests for an extension of this date or time shall not be granted.

For Bids accepted via email, the time stamp to indicate receipt of the Bid by the State, is the posted date and time in the Procurement Officer’s email inbox.

Bids may be modified or withdrawn by written notice received by the Procurement Officer before the time and date set forth in the Key Information Summary Sheet for receipt of Bids.

Potential Bidders not responding to this solicitation are requested to submit the “No Bid/Proposal Notice/Vendor Feedback” form Attachment 1, which includes company information and the reason for not responding (e.g., too busy, cannot meet mandatory requirements).

4.4 Receipt, Opening and Recording of Bids

Upon receipt, each Bid and any timely modification(s) to a Bid shall be stored in a secure place until the time and date set for Bid opening. Before Bid opening, the State may not disclose the identity of any Bidder.

https://emma.maryland.gov/page.aspx/en/usr/login?ReturnUrl=%2fpage.aspx%2fen%2fbuy%2fhomepage https://procurement.maryland.gov/

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Bids shall be opened publicly at the time, date and place designated in the Key Information Summary Sheet.

The name of each Bidder, the Total Bid Price, and such other information as is deemed appropriate shall be read aloud or otherwise made available and recorded at the time of Bid opening.

4.5 Duration of Bids

Bids submitted in response to this IFB are irrevocable for the latest of the following: 60 days following the Bid due date and time or the date any protest concerning this IFB is finally resolved.

This period may be extended at the Procurement Officer’s request only with the Bidder’s written agreement.

4.6 Revisions to the IFB

4.6.1 All revisions to the IFB before the due date for Bids will be published in an addendum to the IFB and posted on eMMA and reasonable effort will be made to provide such addenda to all prospective Bidders that were sent this IFB or are otherwise known by the Procurement Officer to have obtained this IFB. It is the responsibility of all prospective Bidders to check eMMA for any addenda issued prior to the submission of Bids.

4.6.2 Bidders shall acknowledge in the Bid the receipt of all addenda to this IFB issued before the Bid due date.

4.6.3 Failure to acknowledge receipt of an addendum does not relieve the Bidder from complying with the terms, additions, deletions, or corrections set forth in the addendum, and may cause the Bid to be deemed not responsive.

4.7 Cancellations

4.7.1 This IFB may be cancelled as provided in COMAR 21.06.02.02

4.7.2 The State reserves the right to cancel this IFB, accept or reject any and all Bids, in whole or in part, received in response to this IFB and to waive or permit the cure of minor irregularities.

4.7.3 In the event a government entity proposes and receives the recommendation for award, this procurement may be canceled, and the award processed in accordance with COMAR 21.01.03.01.A(4).

4.7.4 If the services that are the subject of the IFB are currently being provided under an interagency agreement with a public institution of higher education and the State determines that the services can be provided more cost-effectively by the public institution of higher education, then the IFB may be canceled in accordance with Md.

Code Ann., State Finance and Procurement Art., § 3-207(b)(2).

4.8 Incurred Expenses

The State will not be responsible for any costs incurred by any Bidder in preparing and submitting a Bid or performing any other activities related to submitting a Bid in response to this solicitation.

4.9 Protest/Disputes

Any protest or claim related to this IFB or the Contract award hereunder shall be subject to the provisions of COMAR 21.10 (Administrative and Civil Remedies).

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4.10 Bidder Responsibilities

4.10.1 A Bidder, either directly or through its subcontractor(s), must be able to provide all goods and services and meet all of the requirements requested in this solicitation and the successful Bidder (the Contractor) shall remain responsible for Contract performance regardless of subcontractor participation in the work.

4.10.2 If the Bidder is the subsidiary of another entity, all information submitted by the Bidder, including but not limited to references, financial reports, or experience and documentation (e.g., insurance policies, bonds, letters of credit) used to meet minimum qualifications, if any, shall pertain exclusively to the Bidder, unless the parent organization will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary. If applicable, the Bidder’s Bid shall contain an explicit statement, signed by an authorized representative of the parent organization, stating that the parent organization will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary.

4.10.3 A parental guarantee of the performance of the Bidder under this section will not automatically result in crediting the Bidder with the experience or qualifications of the parent under any evaluation criteria pertaining to the actual Bidder’s experience and qualifications. Instead, the Bidder’s responsibility will be assessed to the extent to which the State determines that the experience and qualifications of the parent are applicable to and shared with the Bidder, any stated intent by the parent to be directly involved in the performance of the Contract, and the value of the parent’s participation as determined by the State.

4.11 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

By submitting a Bid in response to this IFB, the Bidder, if selected for award, is deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions of this IFB and the Contract, attached hereto as Exhibit 2 – Sample Contract. Any questions or exceptions to this IFB or the Contract must be submitted by the “Questions Due Date and Time” prior to Bid submission. Changes to the solicitation, including the Bid Form or Contract, made by the Bidder may result in Bid rejection.

4.12 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages

By submitting a Bid in response to this IFB, the Bidder, if selected for award, agrees that it will comply with all federal, State, and local laws applicable to its activities and obligations under the Contract.

By submitting a response to this solicitation, each Bidder represents that it is not in arrears in the payment of any obligations due and owing the State, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits, and shall not become so in arrears during the term of the Contract if selected for Contract award.

4.13 Verification of Registration and Tax Payment

Before a business entity can do business in the State, it must be registered with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT). SDAT is located at State Office Building, Room 803, 301 West Preston Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. For registration information, visit https://egov.maryland.gov/BusinessExpress/.

https://egov.maryland.gov/BusinessExpress/

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It is strongly recommended that any potential Bidder complete registration prior to the Bid due date and time. The Bidder’s failure to complete registration with SDAT may disqualify an otherwise responsive successful Bidder from final consideration and recommendation for Contract award.

4.14 False Statements

Bidders are advised that Md. Code Ann., State Finance and Procurement Article, § 11-205.1 provides as follows:

In connection with a procurement contract a person may not willfully:

A. Falsify, conceal, or suppress a material fact by any scheme or device;

B. Make a false or fraudulent statement or representation of a material fact;or C. Use a false writing or document that contains a false or fraudulent statement or entry of a material fact.

A person may not aid or conspire with another person to commit an act under this section.

A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or imprisonment not exceeding five (5) years or both.

4.15 Confidentiality of Bids / Public Information Act Notice

The Bidder should give specific attention to the clear identification of those portions of its Bid that it considers to contain confidential and/or proprietary commercial information or trade secrets, and provide justification why such materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the State under the Public Information Act, Md. Code Ann., General Provisions Article, Title 4. This information should be identified by page number and placed in the Transmittal Letter with the Bid.

The Bids shall be tabulated or a Bid abstract made. The opened Bids shall be available for public inspection at a reasonable time after Bid opening, but in any case before contract award, except to the extent the Bidder designates trade secrets or other proprietary data to be confidential as set forth in this solicitation. Material so designated as confidential shall accompany the Bid and shall be readily separable from the Bid to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the Bid, including the Total Bid Price.

For requests for information made under the PIA, the Procurement Officer shall examine the Bids to determine the validity of any requests for nondisclosure. Nondisclosure is permissible only if approved by the Office of the Attorney General.

4.16 Use of Bidder’s Form Not Binding on State

The Bidder may not substitute, modify, or provide any other document in lieu of the documents provided with this Bid. Only those forms and documents provided with this solicitation and by the Procurement Officer will be considered acceptable as bid submission.

4.17 Attachments and Documents Required with the Bid (Table A) A Bidder shall include the following Attachments with its Bid as a single Bid Package:

Attachments A through C= Bid will be rejected if the required Attachment is not submitted or is incomplete.

Attachments D through R = Bid may be rejected if the required Attachment is not submitted or is incomplete.

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<<*Procurement Officer should delete the Attachment Name and replace it with “Not Applicable” if the Attachment is not required for this solicitation.>>

TABLE A - Attachments and Documents Required with the Bid

Attachment Attachment Name

A

Bid/Proposal Affidavit A Bid submitted by the Bidder must be accompanied by a completed Bid/Proposal

Affidavit.

https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-A.-Bid-Proposal-Affidavit.pdf

B

The Price Form (as specified within eMMA) Do not alter this Price Form or the Bid may be determined to be not responsive.

The Price Form must be signed and dated, where requested, by an individual who is authorized to bind the Bidder to the prices entered on the Bid Form.

(See Appendix 2 for specific Price Form Instructions.)

4.18 Bid Delivery Instructions

Each Bidder shall submit its Bid Package as specified below.

Bids shall only be accepted via the State’s internet-based electronic procurement system, eMMA.

Bidders shall provide their Bids in one submission through eMMA following the Quick Reference Guides (QRG) labeled “4 - eMMA QRG Responding to Solicitations (IFB)” for single envelope submissions.

4.19 Bid Evaluation Criteria and Award Basis

The Bids will be evaluated based on the Total Bid Price, as per COMAR 21.05.02.13. All Bids will be ranked from the lowest (most favorable) to the highest (least favorable) price based on the Total Bid Price as submitted in its Bid.

A Contract shall be awarded to the responsible Bidder(s) submitting a responsive Bid with the most favorable Bid Price or most favorable evaluated Bid Price for providing the goods and services as specified in this IFB.

The award for this solicitation will be made insert by line to the responsive and responsible Vendor with the lowest price, as determined by the Procurement Officer to be in the best interests of the State of Maryland.

A. BY LOT is defined as all items or none. The bidder must bid ALL line items.

https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-A.-Bid-Proposal-Affidavit.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-A.-Bid-Proposal-Affidavit.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/emma-qrgs/ https://procurement.maryland.gov/emma-qrgs/

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Award of this contract will not be final and complete until after: (1) the Contractor submits complete and satisfactory documentation required under the Contract and/or documentation required by the Procurement Officer; and (2) the Contract is signed by the Department following any approvals of the Contract required by law or regulation.

4.20 Tie Bids

Tie Bids will be decided pursuant to COMAR 21.05.02.14.

4.21 Reciprocal Preference

Although Maryland law does not authorize procuring agencies to favor resident Bidders in awarding procurement contracts, many other states do grant their resident businesses preferences over Maryland contractors. COMAR 21.05.01.04 permits procuring agencies to apply a reciprocal preference under the following conditions:

A. The Maryland resident business is a responsible Bidder;

B. The lowest responsive Bid is from a responsible Bidder whose principal office, or principal base of operations is in another state;

C. The other state gives a preference to its resident businesses through law, policy, or practice; and

D. The preference does not conflict with a federal law or grant affecting the procurement Contract.

The preference given shall be identical to the preference that the other state, through law, policy, or practice gives to its resident businesses.

4.22 Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award (Table B)

Upon receipt of a notification of recommendation for contract award, along with submitting the signed Contract (see Exhibit 2 - Sample Contract), the following documents shall be completed and submitted by the recommended awardee within ten (10) business days, unless otherwise directed by the Procurement Officer.

Click the link to download each required Attachment in the Table B below:

TABLE B - Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award

Attachment Attachment Name

U

Contract Affidavit https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-U.-Contract- Affidavit.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-U.-Contract-Affidavit.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-U.-Contract-Affidavit.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2024/07/Attachment-U.-Contract-Affidavit.pdf

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Y

Data Use Agreement

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

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5 IFB Appendices and Exhibits The Appendices and Exhibits listed below in Tables C and D are reference documents as needed to assist the bidders in preparing their bids in response to this solicitation. If a specific Appendix or Exhibit is not required for this solicitation, it is listed in the tables as “Not applicable” or “N/A”.

5.1 Appendices (Table C)

TABLE C - APPENDICES

Appendix # Appendix Name

1 Abbreviations and Definitions

2 Price Form Instructions

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5.2 Exhibits (Table D)

TABLE D - Exhibits

Exhibit # Exhibit Name

1 Sample Contract

5.2 Exhibits (Table D)