Attachment A, IFB - Microscopes & Accessories Revised Copy.pdf

IFB #123913, Attachment A

IFB# 123913

MICROSCOPES & ACCESSORIES

I. PURPOSE:

The purpose of this Invitation for Bids (IFB) is to solicit sealed bids to establish a contract with one or more qualified suppliers to provide Microscopes and Accessories for use by all

Commonwealth of Virginia agencies, institutions of higher education, or other public bodies

(collectively “Authorized Users”) as defined in the Code of Virginia §2.2-1110, 2.2-1120, and

2.2-4301.

Any contract that may result from this solicitation will be an mandatory-use term contract for use by Commonwealth of Virginia executive branch agencies and optional-use for other public bodies and authorized users. Any contract that may result from this solicitation will be established and managed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of General Services

(DGS), Division of Purchases and Supplies (DPS).

All Authorized Users shall place orders through eVA for any contract that may result from this solicitation.

II. PERIOD OF CONTRACT:

The initial period of the contract will be for one (1) year from the Award Date, with four (4) optional one-year renewal periods.

III. BACKGROUND AND/OR HISTORICAL SALES DATA:

• The Commonwealth has, historically, maintained a microscope and accessories contract for use by state agencies, local governments and other authorized users that allowed for the purchase of new microscopes, repair services and any parts/accessories needed with a range of available brands.

• The previous contract consisted of seven vendors and there was a total collective spend over the 5 year period of approximately $3,000,000.

IV. SCOPE OF WORK:

A. Standard Equipment: The equipment offered in response to this solicitation must be the newest product models of the equipment available from the manufacturer. Microscopes and all microscope parts and accessories advertised as standard equipment must be furnished as standard equipment, meaning no prototypes, demo products or rebuilt products. These products will not be accepted and will be cause for your bid response to be considered non-responsive.

B. Repair Services and Additional Warranty Services: Bidders shall provide information related to the maintenance and repair of the microscopes. This shall include repair services, additional warranty services, post warranty services, and any other services offered to the Commonwealth in order to maintain the microscopes in proper working order.

C. Discounts: The discount percentages shall be the minimum discount offered. Bidders may offer steeper discounts on any product, product line, parts, accessories, or other goods or services related to the microscopes, but may not provide less than the minimum discount bid. Bidder must provide a percentage off discount for each brand that it is an authorized distributor of in it’s bid response. Bidders shall provide a list of equipment initially being offered along with the published list price for each manufacturer line item.

D. Bidders Letter of Authorization: Bidders shall attach to their submitted bid, a Letter of

Authorization from the manufacturer stating that their company is an authorized distributor and service representative established to sell, distribute, warranty, service and repair the entire product line to all areas of the Commonwealth for which you are offering in your bid response. Failure to provide the manufacturers authorization letters may disqualify your bid.

E. Bidder Qualifications:

• Bidder shall have a full time operation with sales, consultative and service staff.

• Bidder shall be actively merchandising the products offered in Virginia (to be evidenced by sales and inventory records upon request.

• Bidder shall have facilities and inventory for field adjustments and repairs.

• Bidder shall have available warehouse facilities to accommodate service statewide distribution when required.

V. PRE-BID CONFERENCE:

OPTIONAL VIRTUAL PRE-BID CONFERENCE: An optional pre-bid conference will be held via Microsoft Teams on Monday, July 20, 2026 at 10:00 am EST . The purpose of this conference is to allow potential Bidders an opportunity to present questions and obtain clarification relative to any facet of this solicitation.

While attendance at this conference will not be a prerequisite to submitting a bid, Bidders who intend to submit a bid are encouraged to attend. No vendors will be admitted after July

20, 2026 at 10:10 am EST.

Copies of the solicitation will not be distributed so bring a copy with you. Any changes resulting from this conference will be issued in a written addendum to the solicitation.

Teleconference participants must use the instructions provided below and are advised to start dialing-in no later than 9:55 am EST to ensure a telephone connection at the start of the teleconference. There will be no technical assistance available if a connection cannot be made. Bidder should notify the DPS Contracting Officer noted in the solicitation by email no later than Friday, July 16, 2026 if intending to participate by teleconference. If Bidder dials in late, information may not be repeated and Bidder may have to wait for the addendum to be issued.

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VI. SOLICITATION CLARIFICATIONS:

Questions regarding the solicitation must be submitted in writing only to Tonya Tucker via e-mail at tonya.tucker@dgs.virginia.gov no later than 4:00 pm EST on Friday, July 24, 2026. Bidder should identify the email by noting the solicitation number “IFB #123913” in the subject line. Responses to clarifications may be posted in eVA’s Virginia Business

Opportunities (VBO). The identity of Bidder’s will not be published with the response.

Formal changes to the solicitation, including but not limited to, contractual terms and procurement requirements will only be changed by formal written addendum to the solicitation.

There shall be no communication of any type on any aspect of this solicitation, written or otherwise, by any prospective Bidder, including any sub-bidder, Bidder’s agent or other type of Bidder representative, with any employee or agency of the Commonwealth of

Virginia, with the exception of the DPS Contracting Officer noted in the solicitation, unless a

Bidder is instructed otherwise by the DPS Contracting Officer. Failure to comply with this requirement may disqualify a Bidder from participation in this opportunity.

As used in this IFB, the terms “must”, “shall”, “should” and “may” identify the criticality of requirements. “Must” and “shall” identify requirements whose absence will have a major negative impact on the suitability of the bid. Items labeled as “should” or “may” are highly desirable, although their absence will not have a large impact and would be useful, but are not necessary.

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VII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:

A. CONTRACTOR'S QUARTERLY REPORT OF SALES:

Contractor shall provide electronic reports in Microsoft Excel format on a quarterly basis showing total invoiced sales data, which means all invoices issued within the reporting period. Reports shall be provided no later the 15th of the next month following the end of the calendar quarter, reporting total invoiced sales and return transactions that took place in the immediately preceding quarter. Reports shall be sent to the DPS Contracting Officer. Failure to submit required information in a timely manner may result in cancellation of the Contract.

B. SURCHARGE ADJUSTMENT FEE:

Contractor shall pay the Department of General Services (DGS), a Surcharge

Adjustment (SCA) fee under this Contract. DGS will not issue invoices or statements. The Contractor must remit the SCA fee by the last day of the month following the end of the calendar quarter. The SCA fee equals two percent (2%) of the quarterly reported total invoiced sales. The SCA fee amount due must be paid by check with identification of “Contract Number,” “Report Amounts,” and “Report Period” on either the check stub or other remittance material. DGS may, at its discretion, agree to an electronic funds transfer, in lieu of a check, however in the absence of an express written agreement from DGS that validates the agreement, then the payment shall be made by check as described herein.

Checks shall be payable to: Treasurer, Commonwealth of Virginia.

Checks shall be mailed to:

DGS/Division of Purchases and Supply

ATTN: VSSI Coordinator

PO Box 1199

Richmond, VA 23218-1199

If the full amount of the SCA fee is not paid within 30 calendar days of due date, it shall constitute a debt that the Contractor is obligated contractually to pay to the

Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Commonwealth may exercise all rights and remedies available under law. Reports shall be sent to the DPS Contracting Officer and to the following email address: vssireport@dgs.virginia.gov. Failure to submit sales reports, falsification of sales reports, and or failure to pay the SCA fee in a timely manner may result in cancellation of the Contract.

C. REPORTING AND PAYMENT SCHEDULES:

Quarterly Report Period Sales Months Report Due

1st Quarter Jan, Feb, Mar April 15th

2nd Quarter Apr, May, June July 15th mailto:vssireport@dgs.virginia.gov

3rd Quarter July, Aug, Sept October 15th

4th Quarter Oct, Nov, Dec January 15th

SCA Fee Period Sales Months Payment Due

1st Quarter Jan, Feb, Mar April 30th

2nd Quarter Apr, May, June July 31st

3rd Quarter July, Aug, Sept October 31st

4th Quarter Oct, Nov, Dec January 31st

D. Contractor shall:

1. Meet or conference call at least quarterly with the DPS Contracting Officer to review performance, usage under the Contract, and discuss opportunities for improvements.

2. Provide any documentation or reports as requested by the DPS Contracting Officer.

3. Notify the DPS Contracting Officer, in writing, of any unresolved disputes or problems that have been outstanding for more than thirty (30) days.

VIII. INVOICES AND PAYMENT:

A. INVOICES:

Contractor shall submit the invoice(s) to the address designated on the purchase order following acceptance by the Authorized User of goods and services rendered. No invoice may include any cost other than those identified in the purchase order referencing the Contract. Invoice(s) shall provide at a minimum:

1. Name of Authorized User (the ordering entity)

2. Authorized User point of contact and phone/email

3. Description of the goods and/or services provided

4. Contract number

5. Purchase order number

6. Invoice number

7. Invoice date

8. Invoice amount

B. PAYMENT:

Payment will be made in accordance with the Virginia Prompt Payment Act. State

Agencies will pay per §2.2-4350 of the Virginia Prompt Payment Act. Localities will pay per §2.2-4352 of the Virginia Prompt Payment Act. Payments will only be remitted after the receipt of valid invoice and verification of satisfactory goods received and/or completion of work. Payment may be made via a small purchase charge card (SPCC)

(refer to the Mandatory Acceptance of Small Purchase Charge Card (SPCC) term and condition), check or EDI depending on how the Contractor is registered with the

Department of Accounts. Utilization of the SPCC for payment shall not result in any additional fees (transaction fee, service charge etc.).

IX. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A. VENDORS MANUAL: This solicitation is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Vendors Manual and any changes or revisions thereto, which are hereby incorporated into this contract in their entirety. The process for filing a complaint about this solicitation is in section 7.13 of the Vendors Manual. (Note section 7.13 does not apply to protests of awards or formal contractual claims.) The procedure for filing contractual claims is in section 7.19 of the Vendors Manual. A copy of the manual is normally available for review at the purchasing office and is accessible on the Internet at eva.virginia.gov under “I Sell To Virginia”.

B. APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURTS: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its choice of law provisions, and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the circuit courts of the Commonwealth. The agency and the contractor are encouraged to resolve any issues in controversy arising from the award of the contract or any contractual dispute using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures (Code of Virginia, § 2.2- 4366). ADR procedures are described in Chapter 9 of the Vendors Manual. The contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.

C. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: By submitting their bids, bidders certify to the Commonwealth that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and § 2.2-4311 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA). If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient's religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in a religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit by the public body. (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1E).

In every contract over $10,000 the provisions in 1. and 2. below apply:

1. During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees as follows:

a. The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, status as military family, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment, except where there is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the contractor. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

http://eva.virginia.gov/

b. The contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, will state that such contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

c. Notices, advertisements and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section.

d. If the contractor employs more than five employees, the contractor shall (i) provide annual training on the contractor's sexual harassment policy to all supervisors and employees providing services in the Commonwealth, except such supervisors or employees that are required to complete sexual harassment training provided by the Department of Human Resource Management, and (ii) post the contractor's sexual harassment policy in (a) a conspicuous public place in each building located in the Commonwealth that the contractor owns or leases for business purposes and (b) the contractor's employee handbook.

e. The requirements of these provisions 1. and 2. are a material part of the contract.

If the Contractor violates one of these provisions, the Commonwealth may terminate the affected part of this contract for breach, or at its option, the whole contract. Violation of one of these provisions may also result in debarment from State contracting regardless of whether the specific contract is terminated.

f. In accordance with Executive Order 61 (2017), a prohibition on discrimination by the contractor, in its employment practices, subcontracting practices, and delivery of goods or services, on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, or veteran status, is hereby incorporated in this contract.

2. The contractor will include the provisions of 1. above in every subcontract or purchase order over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

D. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: By submitting their bids, bidders certify that their bids are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other bidder, supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their bid, and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

E. IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986: Applicable for all contracts over $10,000:

By entering into a written contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Contractor certifies that the Contractor does not, and shall not during the performance of the contract for goods and services in the Commonwealth, knowingly employ an unauthorized alien as defined in the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

F. DEBARMENT STATUS: By participating in this procurement, the vendor certifies that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting a response for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation. Vendor further certifies that they are not debarred from filling any order or accepting any resulting order, or that they are an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

If a vendor is created or used for the purpose of circumventing a debarment decision against another vendor, the non-debarred vendor will be debarred for the same time period as the debarred vendor.

G. ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the contractor conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the Commonwealth of Virginia all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia under said contract.

H. MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR IFBs:

Failure to submit a bid on the official state form provided for that purpose shall be a cause for rejection of the bid. Modification of or additions to any portion of the Invitation for Bids may be cause for rejection of the bid; however, the Commonwealth reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject such a bid as nonresponsive. As a precondition to its acceptance, the Commonwealth may, in its sole discretion, request that the bidder withdraw or modify nonresponsive portions of a bid which do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery. No modification of or addition to the provisions of the contract shall be effective unless reduced to writing and signed by the parties.

I. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: If any prospective bidder has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective bidder should contact the buyer whose name appears on the face of the solicitation no later than five working days before the due date. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the buyer.

J. PAYMENT:

1. To Prime Contractor:

a. Invoices for items ordered, delivered and accepted shall be submitted by the contractor directly to the payment address shown on the purchase order/contract.

All invoices shall show the state contract number and/or purchase order number;

social security number (for individual contractors) or the federal employer identification number (for proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations).

b. Any payment terms requiring payment in less than 30 days will be regarded as requiring payment 30 days after invoice or delivery, whichever occurs last. This shall not affect offers of discounts for payment in less than 30 days, however.

c. All goods or services provided under this contract or purchase order, that are to be paid for with public funds, shall be billed by the contractor at the contract price, regardless of which public agency is being billed.

d. The following shall be deemed to be the date of payment: the date of postmark in all cases where payment is made by mail, or when offset proceedings have been instituted as authorized under the Virginia Debt Collection Act.

e. Unreasonable Charges. Under certain emergency procurements and for most time and material purchases, final job costs cannot be accurately determined at the time orders are placed. In such cases, contractors should be put on notice that final payment in full is contingent on a determination of reasonableness with respect to all invoiced charges. Charges which appear to be unreasonable will be resolved in accordance with Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4363 and -4364. Upon determining that invoiced charges are not reasonable, the Commonwealth shall notify the contractor of defects or improprieties in invoices within fifteen (15) days as required in Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4351.,. The provisions of this section do not relieve an agency of its prompt payment obligations with respect to those charges which are not in dispute (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4363).

2. To Subcontractors:

a. Within seven (7) days of the contractor’s receipt of payment from the

Commonwealth, a contractor awarded a contract under this solicitation is hereby obligated:

(1) To pay the subcontractor(s) for the proportionate share of the payment received for work performed by the subcontractor(s) under the contract; or

(2) To notify the agency and the subcontractor(s), in writing, of the contractor’s intention to withhold payment and the reason.

b. The contractor is obligated to pay the subcontractor(s) interest at the rate of one percent per month (unless otherwise provided under the terms of the contract) on all amounts owed by the contractor that remain unpaid seven (7) days following receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, except for amounts withheld as stated in (2) above. The date of mailing of any payment by U. S. Mail is deemed to be payment to the addressee. These provisions apply to each sub-tier contractor performing under the primary contract. A contractor’s obligation to pay an interest charge to a subcontractor may not be construed to be an obligation of the Commonwealth.

3. Each prime contractor who wins an award in which provision of a SWaM procurement plan is a condition to the award, shall deliver to the contracting agency or institution, on or before request for final payment, evidence and certification of compliance (subject only to insubstantial shortfalls and to shortfalls arising from subcontractor default) with the SWaM procurement plan. Final payment under the contract in question may be withheld until such certification is delivered and, if necessary, confirmed by the agency or institution, or other appropriate penalties may be assessed in lieu of withholding such payment.

4. The Commonwealth of Virginia encourages contractors and subcontractors to accept electronic and credit card payments.

K. PRECEDENCE OF TERMS: The following General Terms and Conditions VENDORS

MANUAL, APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURTS, ANTI-DISCRIMINATION, ETHICS IN

PUBLIC CONTRACTING, IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986,

DEBARMENT STATUS, ANTITRUST, MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND

TERMS AND CONDITIONS, CLARIFICATION OF TERMS, PAYMENT shall apply in all instances. In the event there is a conflict between any of the other General Terms and Conditions and any Special Terms and Conditions in this solicitation, the Special Terms and Conditions shall apply.

L. QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDERS: The Commonwealth may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the bidder to perform the services/furnish the goods and the bidder shall furnish to the Commonwealth all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested.

The Commonwealth reserves the right to inspect bidder’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the bidder’s capabilities. The Commonwealth further reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such bidder fails to satisfy the Commonwealth that such bidder is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to provide the services and/or furnish the goods contemplated therein.

M. TESTING AND INSPECTION: The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct any test/inspection it may deem advisable to assure goods and services conform to the specifications.

N. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT: A contract shall not be assignable by the contractor in whole or in part without the written consent of the Commonwealth.

O. CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT: Changes can be made to the contract in any of the following ways:

1. The parties may agree in writing to modify the terms, conditions, or scope of the contract. Any additional goods or services to be provided shall be of a sort that is ancillary to the contract goods or services, or within the same broad product or service categories as were included in the contract award. Any increase or decrease in the price of the contract resulting from such modification shall be agreed to by the parties as a part of their written agreement to modify the scope of the contract.

2. The Purchasing Agency may order changes within the general scope of the contract at any time by written notice to the contractor. Changes within the scope of the contract include, but are not limited to, things such as services to be performed, the method of packing or shipment, and the place of delivery or installation. The contractor shall comply with the notice upon receipt, unless the contractor intends to claim an adjustment to compensation, schedule, or other contractual impact that would be caused by complying with such notice, in which case the contractor shall, in writing, promptly notify the Purchasing Agency of the adjustment to be sought, and before proceeding to comply with the notice, shall await the Purchasing Agency's written decision affirming, modifying, or revoking the prior written notice. If the Purchasing Agency decides to issue a notice that requires an adjustment to compensation, the contractor shall be compensated for any additional costs incurred as the result of such order and shall give the Purchasing Agency a credit for any savings. Said compensation shall be determined by one of the following methods:

a. By mutual agreement between the parties in writing; or

b. By agreeing upon a unit price or using a unit price set forth in the contract, if the work to be done can be expressed in units, and the contractor accounts for the number of units of work performed, subject to the Purchasing Agency’s right to audit the contractor’s records and/or to determine the correct number of units independently; or

c. By ordering the contractor to proceed with the work and keep a record of all costs incurred and savings realized. A markup for overhead and profit may be allowed if provided by the contract. The same markup shall be used for determining a decrease in price as the result of savings realized. The contractor shall present the Purchasing Agency with all vouchers and records of expenses incurred and savings realized. The Purchasing Agency shall have the right to audit the records of the contractor as it deems necessary to determine costs or savings. Any claim for an adjustment in price under this provision must be asserted by written notice to the Purchasing Agency within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order from the Purchasing Agency. If the parties fail to agree on an amount of adjustment, the question of an increase or decrease in the contract price or time for performance shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures for resolving disputes provided by the Disputes Clause of this contract or, if there is none, in accordance with the disputes provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Vendors Manual. Neither the existence of a claim nor a dispute resolution process, litigation or any other provision of this contract shall excuse the contractor from promptly complying with the changes ordered by the Purchasing Agency or with the performance of the contract generally.

P. DEFAULT: In case of failure to deliver goods or services in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the Commonwealth may terminate this agreement after verbal or written notice without penalty. Upon termination the Commonwealth may procure the goods or services contracted for from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any resulting additional purchase and administrative costs. This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies which the Commonwealth may have.

Q. TAXES: Sales to the Commonwealth of Virginia are normally exempt from State sales tax.

State sales and use tax certificates of exemption, Form ST-12, will be issued upon request.

Deliveries against this contract shall usually be free of Federal excise and transportation taxes. The Commonwealth’s excise tax exemption registration number is 54-73-0076K.

If sales or deliveries against the contract are not exempt, the contractor shall be responsible for the payment of such taxes unless the tax law specifically imposes the tax upon the buying entity and prohibits the contractor from offering a tax-included price.

R. TRANSPORTATION AND PACKAGING: By submitting their bids, all bidders certify and warrant that the price offered for FOB destination includes only the actual freight rate costs at the lowest and best rate and is based upon the actual weight of the goods to be shipped.

Except as otherwise specified herein, standard commercial packaging, packing and shipping containers shall be used. All shipping containers shall be legibly marked or labeled on the outside with purchase order number, commodity description, and quantity.

S. INSURANCE: By signing and submitting a bid or proposal under this solicitation, the bidder or offeror certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have the following insurance coverage at the time the contract is awarded. For construction contracts, if any subcontractors are involved, the subcontractor will have workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with §§ 2.2-4332 and 65.2-800 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. The bidder or offeror further certifies that the contractor and any subcontractors will maintain these insurance coverages during the entire term of the contract and that all coverage will be provided by companies authorized to sell insurance in Virginia by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

MINIMUM INSURANCE COVERAGES AND LIMITS:

1. Workers’ Compensation - Statutory requirements and benefits. Coverage is compulsory for employers of three or more employees, to include the employer.

Contractors who fail to notify the Commonwealth of increases in the number of employees that change their workers’ compensation requirements under the Code of Virginia during the course of the contract shall be in noncompliance with the contract.

2. Employer’s Liability - $100,000.

3. Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. Commercial General Liability is to include bodily injury and property damage, personal injury and advertising injury, products and completed operations coverage. The Commonwealth of Virginia shall be added as an additional insured to the policy by an endorsement.

4. Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 combined single limit. (Required only if a motor vehicle not owned by the Commonwealth is to be used in the contract. Contractor must assure that the required coverage is maintained by the Contractor (or third party owner of such motor vehicle.)

T. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARD: Upon the award or the announcement of the decision to award a contract as a result of this solicitation, the purchasing agency will publicly post such notice in eVA (eva.virginia.gov) for a minimum of 10 days.

U. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: Applicable for all contracts over $10,000:

During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees to (i) provide a drug-free workplace for the contractor's employees; (ii) post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or marijuana is prohibited in the contractor's workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition; (iii) state in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor that the contractor maintains a drug-free workplace; and (iv) include the provisions of the foregoing clauses in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, “drug-free workplace” means a site for the performance of work done in connection with a specific contract awarded to a contractor, the employees of whom are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, http://eva.virginia.gov/ dispensation, possession or use of any controlled substance or marijuana during the performance of the contract.

V. NONDISCRIMINATION OF CONTRACTORS: A bidder, offeror, or contractor shall not be discriminated against in the solicitation or award of this contract because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, faith-based organizational status, any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment or because the bidder or offeror employs ex-offenders unless the state agency, department or institution has made a written determination that employing ex-offenders on the specific contract is not in its best interest. If the award of this contract is made to a faith-based organization and an individual, who applies for or receives goods, services, or disbursements provided pursuant to this contract objects to the religious character of the faith-based organization from which the individual receives or would receive the goods, services, or disbursements, the public body shall offer the individual, within a reasonable period of time after the date of his objection, access to equivalent goods, services, or disbursements from an alternative provider.

W. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION, CONTRACTS, AND

ORDERS: The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution, web site portal eVA.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The eVA portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies. All vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet e-procurement solution by completing the free eVA Vendor Registration. All bidders must register in eVA and pay the Vendor Transaction Fees specified below; failure to register will result in the bid being rejected.

Vendor transaction fees are determined by the date the original purchase order is issued and the current fees are as follows:

a. For orders issued July 1, 2014, and after, the Vendor Transaction Fee is:

(i) DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, capped at $500 per order.

(ii) Businesses that are not DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, capped at $1,500 per order.

b. Refer to Special Term and Condition “eVA Orders and Contracts” to identify the number of purchase orders that will be issued as a result of this solicitation/contract with the eVA transaction fee specified above assessed for each order.

For orders issued prior to July 1, 2014, the vendor transaction fees can be found at www.eVA.virginia.gov.

The specified vendor transaction fee will be invoiced, by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of General Services, typically within 60 days of the order issue date. Any adjustments (increases/decreases) will be handled through purchase order changes.

X. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: It is understood and agreed between the parties herein that the agency shall be bound hereunder only to the extent that the legislature has appropriated funds that are legally available or may hereafter become legally available for the purpose of this agreement.

http://www.eva.virginia.gov/

Y. SET-ASIDES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT

AWARD PRIORITY: This solicitation is set-aside for award priority to DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses when designated as “Micro Business Set-Aside Award Priority” or “Small Business Set-Aside Award Priority” accordingly in the solicitation.

DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses also includes DSBSD-certified women-owned and minority-owned businesses when they have received the DSBSD small business certification. For purposes of award, bidders shall be deemed micro businesses or small businesses if and only if they are certified as such by DSBSD on the due date for receipt of bids.

Z. BID PRICE CURRENCY: Unless stated otherwise in the solicitation, bidders shall state bid prices in US dollars.

AA. AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN THE COMMONWEALTH: A contractor organized as a stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company, business trust, or limited partnership or registered as a registered limited liability partnership shall be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a domestic or foreign business entity if so required by Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code of Virginia or as otherwise required by law. Any business entity described above that enters into a contract with a public body pursuant to the Virginia Public Procurement Act shall not allow its existence to lapse or its certificate of authority or registration to transact business in the Commonwealth, if so required under Title 13.1 or Title 50, to be revoked or cancelled at any time during the term of the contract. A public body may void any contract with a business entity if the business entity fails to remain in compliance with the provisions of this section.

BB. CIVILITY IN STATE WORKPLACES: The contractor shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that no individual, while performing work on behalf of the contractor or any subcontractor in connection with this agreement (each, a “Contract Worker”), shall engage in 1) harassment (including sexual harassment), bullying, cyber-bullying, or threatening or violent conduct, or 2) discriminatory behavior on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, veteran status, or disability.

The contractor shall provide each Contract Worker with a copy of this Section and will require Contract Workers to participate in agency training on civility in the State workplace if contractor’s (and any subcontractor’s) regular mandatory training programs do not already encompass equivalent or greater expectations. Upon request, the contractor shall provide documentation that each Contract Worker has received such training.

For purposes of this Section, “State workplace” includes any location, permanent or temporary, where a Commonwealth employee performs any work-related duty or is representing his or her agency, as well as surrounding perimeters, parking lots, outside meeting locations, and means of travel to and from these locations. Communications are deemed to occur in a State workplace if the Contract Worker reasonably should know that the phone number, email, or other method of communication is associated with a State workplace or is associated with a person who is a State employee.

The Commonwealth of Virginia may require, at its sole discretion, the removal and replacement of any Contract Worker who the Commonwealth reasonably believes to have violated this Section.

This Section creates obligations solely on the part of the contractor. Employees or other third parties may benefit incidentally from this Section and from training materials or other communications distributed on this topic , but the Parties to this agreement intend this Section to be enforceable solely by the Commonwealth and not by employees or other third parties.

CC. CONTRACT EXTENSIONS: In the event that the original term and all renewals of this contract expire prior to the award for a new contract for similar goods and/or services, the Commonwealth of Virginia may, with written consent of the Contractor, extend this contract for such a period as may be necessary to afford the Commonwealth of Virginia a continuous supply of the identified goods and/or services.

DD. FORCED OR INDENTURED CHILD LABOR: Applicable in all solicitations and contracts over $10,000:

During the performance of this contract the use of forced or indentured child labor is prohibited. Any Prime Contractor shall include such prohibition in every subcontract that exceeds $10,000 and shall be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, “ forced or indentured child labor” means all work or service exacted from any person younger than 18 years of age under the menace of any penalty for the nonperformance of such work or service and for which such person does not offer himself voluntarily or performed by any person younger than 18 years of age pursuant to a contract the enforcement of which can be accomplished by process or penalties.

X. SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A. AUDIT: The contractor shall retain all books, records, and other documents relative to this contract for five (5) years after final payment, or until audited by the Commonwealth of Virginia, whichever is sooner. The agency, its authorized agents, and/or state auditors shall have full access to and the right to examine any of said materials during said period.

B. AWARD TO MULTIPLE BIDDERS: The Commonwealth will award each product line to the responsive and responsible bidder offering the highest percentage discount from the Manufacturer’s Published Price List. The percentage discount must be a single percentage discount applicable to ALL microscopes and accessories. The percentage discounts shall remain firm for the duration of the contract term. The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct any tests it may deem advisable and to make all evaluations.

The Commonwealth also reserves the right to reject any or all bids, in whole or in part, to waive informalities and to delete items prior to making the award, whenever it is deemed in the sole opinion of the procuring public body to be in its best interest.

C. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: The purchasing agency reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon 60 days written notice to the contractor. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation.

D. RENEWAL OF CONTRACT: This contract may be renewed by the Commonwealth upon written agreement of both parties for four (4) successive one year periods, under the terms of the current contract, and at a reasonable time (approximately 90 days) prior to the expiration.

E. EXTRA CHARGES NOT ALLOWED: The bid price shall be for complete installation ready for the Commonwealth’s use, and shall include all applicable freight and installation charges; extra charges will not be allowed.

F. eVA ORDERS AND CONTRACTS: The solicitation/contract will result in multiple purchase orders with the applicable eVA transaction fee assessed for each order.

Vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA eProcurement Program and agree to comply with the following: If this solicitation is for a term contract, failure to provide an electronic catalog (price list) or Punch-Out Catalog for items awarded will be just cause for the Commonwealth to reject your bid/offer or terminate this contract for default. The format of this electronic catalog shall conform to the eVA Catalog and/or Punch-Out Catalog Specification. For further information and details please email eVA-catalog-manager@dgs.virginia.gov.

G. ORDERS: Authorized Users must order goods and/or services available from the Contract by issuing an eVA purchase order through the Commonwealth’s electronic procurement website portal http://www.eva.virginia.gov.

H. PERIOD FOR PERFORMANCE OF PURCHASE ORDERS: To be valid, a purchase order issued under this Contract must be issued during the term of the Contract. The period specified for performance of the purchase order may extend past the term of the Contract. If a notice terminating this Contract is issued; the notice shall be construed as applying only to the Contract and not to any existing purchase order, unless the notice expressly states the intent to terminate the purchase order.

I . QUANTITIES: Quantities set forth in this solicitation are estimates only, and the contractor shall supply at bid prices actual quantities as ordered, regardless of whether such total quantities are more or less than those shown.

J. MANUFACTURER’S PUBLISHED PRICE LIST AND CATALOGS: When the basis of the award is a percentage discount, the Contractor shall furnish current catalogs and published price lists with their response for each Manufacturer’s product line that they are authorized to distribute. These price lists shall become part of the contract. The Contractor’s name and address shall appear on all catalogs and price lists. Where a price lists shows more than one column of prices, the Contractor shall clearly identify the column which represents the gross prices charged to the Commonwealth. Each Bidder shall quote a firm percentage discount from their Current List Price submitted and shall furnish a copy with their bid submission. Upon request, the Contractor shall furnish catalogs and price lists for items awarded directly to the using agencies.

The Manufacturer’s Published Price List shall be the currently published National Standard Manufacturer’s Price List. All third party products that may be listed on the Manufacturer’s or Bidder’s Published Price List shall be excluded from the discount schedule.

mailto:eVA-catalog-manager@dgs.virginia.gov

K. BID ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: Any bid in response to this solicitation shall be valid for ninety (90) days. At the end of the days the bid may be withdrawn at the written request of the bidder. If the bid is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is canceled.

L. BID PRICES: Bid price shall be in the form of a fixed percentage discount for each manufacturer during the contract period. The published price list may be in the form of an Internet Web Site or hard document, but the Commonwealth will not accept, nor shall the Contractor prepare and publish, a list exclusive to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Manufacturer’s published price lists are subject to change at any time, however;

price escalations are only permitted at the end of each 365-day period effective annually at the time of renewal, and only where verified to the satisfaction of the purchasing officer. Agencies purchase orders placed before price increase is authorized shall be delivered at the purchase order price. The percentage discount will remain the same throughout the term of the contract, to include all renewals, and shall apply to any new product(s) (microscopes and accessories), which may be introduced and added to the Manufacturer’s product line. Public bodies will apply the fixed discount to the Manufacturer’s approved published list price in effect that has been incorporated as part of the contract by the Purchasing Officer at the time the order is placed. However, should the price decrease between receipt of order and shipment of the product, the Contractor shall invoice with the new lowest discounted price. Price increases after placement of order will not be accepted.

M. PRICE ESCALATION/DE-ESCALATION: Price adjustments may be permitted at renewal or the introduction of new/updated models for changes in the Contractor’s cost of materials or for changes based on other market…