Attachment H FAC118 COMMBUYS Q and A Answers.xlsx

XLSX spreadsheet 19 KB Posted Sep 20, 2021

Attached to: FAC118 Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Products, Programs, Equipment and Supplies
Solicitation number: BD-22-1080-OSD03-SRC3-66742
Issued by: Massachusetts

About this file

Written by GovTribe AI · Aug 1, 2024

This document contains a Question and Answer file related to the FAC118 Environmentally Preferable Cleaning Products, Programs, Equipment and Supplies contract opportunity issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The contract will provide a range of cleaning products, equipment, and supplies to state and local government entities. Key details include:

The contract allows for updates to product pricing twice per year, and includes requirements around acceptable third-party certifications, supplier diversity, and controlled-dose dispensing systems for certain product categories. The Commonwealth plans to make a minimum of 10 awards under this contract. Bidders are not required to sign participating addendums from other states at the time of submission, but would need to engage with those states separately if awarded the Massachusetts contract.

The contract contains provisions around allowable discounts, delivery requirements, and documentation needed to verify certifications. Bidders must meet all mandatory requirements outlined in the RFR to be eligible for award. The term of the contract is not specified, but may include renewal options.

View the file

Other files

File	Type	Posted
FAC118 Apparent Successful Bidders.pdf	PDF	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment D NH P-37 Standard Contract Form.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment C FAC118 Price File~2.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Sep 20, 2021
Creating a Quote in CommBuys Job Aid~10.pdf	PDF	Sep 20, 2021
FAC118 RFR Amended 11-30-21.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment A FAC118 Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria Amended 12-15-21.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment G State of Connecticut Participating Addendum for Cooperative Contracts V3 FAC118.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
FAC118 PPD Form.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment E Applicable Maryland Statutes and Regulations Jan Supplies.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
FAC118 WTO Intent to Post and Flyer.pdf	PDF	Sep 20, 2021
CommonwealthTermsAndConditions~3.pdf	PDF	Sep 20, 2021
FAC118 RFR Bidder Response Checklist.docx	DOCX document	Sep 20, 2021
SDP_Plan_Form~2.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment B Bidder Response Form Amended 12-15-21.xlsx	XLSX spreadsheet	Sep 20, 2021
Attachment F State of New York Participating Addendum~1.pdf	PDF	Sep 20, 2021

Show all 15

On GovTribe

Work with this file

Download the original file
Contacts named in this file
Similar government files
Ask GovTribe AI about this file

Try for free Login

Text version

The file's text, extracted by GovTribe without its formatting.

Sheet1

Question #	Created Date	User Created	Question Subject	Question	Answer
1	11/29/21	courtney archambeault/Conlon Products	price increases	suggestions on how to handle	As per section 8.7.6 of the FAC118 RFR: "Awarded vendors will be allowed to update their prices twice per year."
2	12/7/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	Diversity Goal	Can we count certifications from other states in our goal? Should we list them even if they don't count?	Please refer to section 9 "Supplier Diversity Plan" in the FAC118 RFR for details on acceptable SDP partner certifications.
3	12/7/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	What is meant by EPA establishment number for applicable equipment?	What is meant by EPA establishment number	Please refer to the EPA website for more information found here: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/pesticide-registration-manual-chapter-13-devices
4	12/7/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	Pricing	What if a manufacturer does not have a published MSRP? Do we use our list price?	In the case where a Manufacturer Suggest Retail Price (MSRP) is not published, bidders should indicate a List Price.
5	12/7/21	Dermot Pelletier/Hillyard, Inc. (DBA Rovic)	Clarification for Questions Deadline	In today's webinar 2 different dates were given for questions. One was December 12, 2021, which is a Sunday, as well as December 10, 2021. Which is correct? Please advise as soon as possible. Thank you.	The deadline for the submission of questions is 12/10/2021.
6	12/7/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	Pricing	Can we charge freight where applicable?	Freight can be charged, but should indicated in any quote upfront. As per section 8 of the RFR "no additional freight and/or delivery charges can be added to invoicing Shipping FOB Destination".
7	12/7/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	Discounts	Can you explain the difference between volume discounts, tiered discounts and dock delivery discounts?	Please note that these are not mandatory. A Volume Discount refers to any discount given by a bidder when a buyer places an order over a certain dollar amount or for a certain number of products (commonly at the item level). A Tiered Discount refers to any discount a bidder offers at certain order value tiers. For example: 1% off any order over $5,000 and 2% off any order over $10,000. Please refer to question 10 in the Q&A for a definition of Dock Delivery Discount.
8	12/7/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	Diversity	Are points given if the bidder belongs to a diverse group?	Please refer to section 10.2 of the FAC118 RFR “Evaluation Components”.
9	12/8/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	SubCategories	Are microfiber mops under mops or microfiber. Are broom handles under brooms? Dispensers under the subcategory they are used for?	Microfiber mops belong under Mops and broom handles under Brooms. Both of these items are in Category 2A. Dispensers should be included in the sub category they are used for. Please also review the "Additional Info." tab found within "Attachment B Bidder Response Form".
10	12/8/21	Michael Glass/Next-Gen Supply Group, Inc. FAC85	Dock Delivery	Just confirming that dock delivery is referring to a drop shipment?	Dock Delivery refers to a delivery where a seller delivers an order to a buyer’s loading dock, allowing the buyer to unload the goods (where applicable). This is also known as a “no touch load”. A Dock Delivery Discount refers to any discount that a seller offers for these types of deliveries.
11	12/8/21	Michael Glass/Next-Gen Supply Group, Inc. FAC85	Participating Addendums	Do we sign and submit the participating addendums from the other states with the RFR? Or is this just upon an award?	Bidders do not need to sign any participating addendums or documents from other states with their quote submission. These are for reference only. Successfully awarded bidders would be able to engage with participating states upon completion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts required contract documents.
12	12/8/21	Michael Glass/Next-Gen Supply Group, Inc. FAC85	Hand Sanitizers	The spec for hand sanitizers says that you must offer at least one brand that contains the following third-party certification..." Can you have non certified hand sanitizers in addition to this?	No. All products must meet the specifications as outlined in "Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria".
13	12/8/21	Barbara Fagundes/Casey Engineered Maintenance Inc.	Column A of the Price File	Column A of the Price File is Item#. We previously left this blank as commbuys determined the item#. Is this still the case or do we do our own ?	Please enter a numeric value in ascending order for every item that you enter into your price file. For example, if entering 150 items, enter a value (in an ascending order) from one through 150.
14	12/8/21	Robert Dobmeier/Dobmeier Janitor Supply Inc	Certification Verification Link	The USDA Website does not give the bidder ability to copy a hyperlink to paste in the Certification Verification Link cell. How would you like the bidder to show verification? Would a spec sheet from the manufacture with USDA logo suffice?	In these instances, bidders can include a PDF attachment of the certificate in their quote submission and referenced in the Price File.
15	12/8/21	Jade Worthington/Milhench Inc	DFE Certification	Is DFE an approved third party cortication for this bid?	No, it is not. Please refer to section 1B of "Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria" for a list of prohibited ingredients and acceptable active ingredients.
16	12/9/21	Michael Glass/Next-Gen Supply Group, Inc. FAC85	SDP Requirement	Can you confirm that the WBENC-Certified Women?s Business Enterprise is acceptable to meet the SDP requirements?	As per section 9 of the FAC118 RFR “SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PLAN (SDP)” and under subsection “SDP Plan Form Requirements” a bidder may include a partner who is certified by the Women Business Enterprise National Council on their plan form. However, “Bidders may list such proposed SDP Partners on their SDP Plans, spending with such partners will not contribute to meeting the Contractor’s SDP Commitment unless they apply for and are granted SDO supplier diversity certification or recognition.”
17	12/9/21	Dane Poeske/HCI Cleaning Products, LLC	MA based small companies	Will there be additional points awarded to local MA based companies who are small start-ups?	Please refer to section 10.2 of the FAC118 RFR “Evaluation Components”.
18	12/9/21	Dane Poeske/HCI Cleaning Products, LLC	Pricing is not broken down into units/cases/pallets	Was there any thought to allow pricing of products at the different unit/case/pallet level versus just the unit level?	Bidders should enter a Unit of Measure in Column J to indicate the configuration (each, case, etc.) of the item being offered.
19	12/9/21	Dane Poeske/HCI Cleaning Products, LLC	Other State Forms	It appears that the other states listed as participating have supplied forms with require a bid to already be accepted by the Commonwealth of MA before they can be competed properly?	Bidders do not need to sign any participating addendums or documents from other states with their quote submission. These are for reference only. Successfully awarded bidders would be able to engage with participating states upon completion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts required contract documents.
20	12/9/21	Dane Poeske/HCI Cleaning Products, LLC	Price Changes	Product inputs and shipping costs are changing rapidly on a weekly basis. What will the process be to accept future price changes (Higher or lower)?	As per section 8.7.6 of the FAC118 RFR: "Awarded vendors will be allowed to update their prices twice per year."
21	12/9/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	Size of Container	Does this only pertain to Chemicals - does there need to be an answer for every field even if an each? For example broom 1 each?	Column K “Size of Container in Unit of Measure (UOM)” is a required field. If the item being offered is one broom, enter “1” in that field.
22	12/9/21	Carol Corr/Corr Distributors Inc.	# of products in UOM	Should we put 1 (in other words does every field need a response.	Column L “# of products in UOM” is a required field. This field should indicate how many items are included based on the entry “Unit of Measure” in Column J. For example, if a bidder indicates a “Case” as the “Unit of Measure” in Column J. They should indicate how many individual units make up that case and enter that value in Column L “# of products in UOM”.
23	12/9/21	Kim Sowers/Veritiv Operating Company	Supplier Diversity	Does each state that participates in this contract have their own Supplier Diversity goals or minimum amounts that they require to do business in the state?	Bidders should review and familiarize themselves with the documents provided by other participating states before deciding to engage upon successful contract award with the Commonwealth.
24	12/9/21	Kim Sowers/Veritiv Operating Company	Evalualte	How do you evaluate the pricing spreadsheets with no volumes noted?	The Commonwealth declines to answer this question.
25	12/9/21	Kim Sowers/Veritiv Operating Company	Award	What is the method of the award?	Awards will be issued based on the evaluation criteria outlined in section 10.2 "Evaluation Components" in the FAC118 RFR.
26	12/9/21	Kim Sowers/Veritiv Operating Company	Award weight	Supplier Diversity has a weight of 25% of the total, how are the other 3 elements weighted?	The Commonwealth declines to answer this question.
27	12/10/21	David Collard/Sanitex America	SDP Inquiry	Is there a list of interested Massachusetts based Minority, Women Owned & Service Disabled Veteran businesses that would be willing & able subcontractors/resellers and/or are there commodity codes which are excluded from being resellers of the products included in this bid?	The Supplier Diversity Office publishes a list of certified businesses on their website and can be found here: https://www.sdo.osd.state.ma.us/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectory.aspx
28	12/10/21	Gordon Leone Jr./K&S Distributors Inc.	non GSC products	Question is? Heavy duty and anti-bacterial soaps are not GS certified. Can we submit these products or will our entire bid be disqualified	This would not disqualify a bidder. However, we ask bidders to only submit products which meet the specifications outlined in “ Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria". Only products which meet these specifications will be evaluated and allowed under this contract.
29	12/10/21	Andrew Adinolfi/W.B. Mason	Approved Products List Information to be included by the Commonwealth	Refer to Section 8.7.2- COMMBUYS FAC118 Approved Products List Will the "FAC118 Master Blanket Purchase Order" be illustrated by the Commonwealth in such a way that Approved Buyers will be able to easily compare not only pricing and product details but also Volume purchase discounts, Dock Delivery Discounts, and Prompt Pay Discounts that an awarded contract may offer so that Approved Buyers can determine best overall value, not just product cost?	The Statewide Contract User Guides published by OSD will continue to list additional discounts and links to vendor purchase orders within COMMBUYS for each of our contracts.
30	12/10/21	Andrew Adinolfi/W.B. Mason		Refer to Section 9- "SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PLAN (SDP)" With regards to an SDP partner with whom a Contractor partners in which the nature of the partnership is such that SDP partner provides and/or manufactures products that are sold throughout the overall marketplace by the Contract, including the Commonwealth, do those products have to be directly related to the Contractor's contract with the Commonwealth?	No, these products do not have to be related directly to the awarded statewide contract.
31	12/10/21	Andrew Adinolfi/W.B. Mason	SDO Certification of a specific Business Enterprise	Refer to Section 9- "SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PLAN (SDP") Is anybody fielding this specific question in a position to tell us when the downloadable SDO Directory of Certified Businesses was last updated? We have a potential partner who was certified earlier in 2021, with that certification remaining in effect into 2022, that does not appear on that downloadable database. Could the appropriate contact at SDO be provided in your response in order for us to follow up on this matter?	Please contact the SDP Help Desk at sdp@mass.gov
32	12/10/21	Susanne Trotta/EBP Supply Solutions	Product List	Where do I locate the specific list of products to be quoted in addition to the catalog? During the pre-bid meeting, I believe someone referenced a specific list of products.	Please refer to "Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria" for a list of required products per category.
33	12/10/21	Susanne Trotta/EBP Supply Solutions	Category 3 Paper Products	KCP uses a blend of Recycled Content and Virgin Fiber ? does this requirement mean that these products would be excluded from the bid? - these SKUs are all EcoLogo and FSC Certified	Please refer to the 4th and 5th bullet points in Category 3 in "Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria" for more information on post consumer recylced content.
34	12/10/21	Andrew Adinolfi/W.B. Mason	Anticipated Number of Awards	Refer to Section 1.3.4- "Estimated Number of Awards" Is there a maximum number of contracts that will be awarded by state, or could ten or more awards be made in any one individual state?	The FAC118 Strategic Sourcing Team plans to make a minimum of 10 awards.
35	12/10/21	Andrew Adinolfi/W.B. Mason	Specifics of RFR Section 8.1.1 "Desirable Training & Support"	Refer to Section 8.1.1- "Desirable Training and Support" Please elaborate on what is specifically desired by the Commonwealth with regards to the last bullet "Be available as a green cleaning resource, if requested by an Authorized Purchaser" in this section.	As per section 8.1 of the FAC118 RFR "All Bidders must be capable of assisting customers with the development and implementation of a green cleaning program based on the guidelines cited in the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED – EB) and Green Seal’s GS-42 Standard for Janitorial Cleaning Services. "
36	12/10/21	Andrew Adinolfi/W.B. Mason	Pricing	Refer to Section 8.7- "COMPENSATION STRUCTURE/PRICING": We would like to get further information on the Commonwealth's definiation of "catalog". Does the Commonwealth use the term "catalog" here to refer to the items awarded to a particular vendor resulting from that vendor's Attachment A submission, or does the Commonwealth refer to "catalog" in the sense of a hardbound phsyical catalog produced by the vendor or any other source. Also, cost from manufacturers relative to list price can vary significantly from individual product to product; is the Commonwealth seeking one discount (10%, 15%, etc.) that would be applied to all items, or is the discount percentage itself variable from item to item?	"Catalog" refers to the list of items a bidder is making available for purchase under this contract.
37	12/10/21	Kristeen Jaracz/HILL & MARKES, INC.	Terms & Conditions	1. Does a bidder need to agree to all participating State Terms & Conditions or just the one?s that they intend to cover with the addition of Massachusetts?	Bidders do not need to sign any participating addendums or documents from other states with their quote submission. These are for reference only. Successfully awarded bidders would be able to engage with participating states upon completion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts required contract documents.
38	12/10/21	Kristeen Jaracz/HILL & MARKES, INC.	bidder?s response	2. May a bidder?s response consist of previously awarded Cooperative contract and utilize the products within that adhere to the minimum specifications of this bid?	Bidders may only offer items which meet the mandatory minimum specifications outlined in "Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria"
39	12/10/21	Kristeen Jaracz/HILL & MARKES, INC.	conflicting information between two of the attachments	3. There is conflicting information between two of the attachments. Given the labor shortages, is a Minimum Order Quantity acceptable in any/all participating States? a. Per Attachment B (Bidder Response Form) - Minimum Order Size: Indicate if bidder has minimum order size. Note: It is desirable that bidders do not. b. Per Attachment F (State of New York Participating Addendum) - MINIMUM ORDER. There are no minimum order quantities under this Participating Addendum.	Bidders should indicate if there is any minimum order size in the Bidder Response Form. However, bidders should also familiarize themselves with any supplemental documents provided by other states before choosing to engage with those states after a successful contract award.
40	12/10/21	Michael Glass/Next-Gen Supply Group, Inc. FAC85	SDP Requirement	When factoring the percentage we are committing for the SDP requirement, should we just consider sales in the state of MA? If awarded in MA, we are not assured of being awarded in other states and it will effect the percentage we commit to.	The SDP requirement applies to any sales made under FAC118, regardless of purchasing entity.
41	12/10/21	Michael Sonia/Lancelot Janitorial & Paper Products Inc.	Category 2 - Controlled Dose Dispensing System	In Category 2, it states ?All concentrated cleaners and floor maintenance chemicals must be available with a controlled-dose dispensing system (e.g., wall-mount or hand-held dilution equipment), in spill-resistant product packaging, or in a portion-control package or formulation (e.g., a bottle with a built-in pump that delivers an accurate dose, a tablet, or pre-measured package). Does this mean no products in this category can come in standard bulk packaging, 4x1 gallon or 5 gallon pails, without a dilution system? This seems like it would be a problem for floor maintenance chemicals like wax and stripper specifically.	A controlled-dose dispensing system is required for floor cleaners in Category 1. However, this equipment is desirable (not required) for floor maintenance chemicals.
42	12/10/21	Frederick Smith/Diversity Resource Group LLC	Years of experience	Would you consider a vendor who does not meet your qualifications in term of years in business but are capable of sourcing your eligible products?	A bidder must meet all of the mandatory requirements outlined in the FAC118 RFR in order to be eligible for an award.
43	12/10/21	Barbara Keefe/Environmental Disinfection Solutions	Category 4 items	Are Pathogen mitigation systems included in the category 4? Our product destroys pathogens in the air and on surfaces while being totally safe for humans. Developed by NASA and in use in hospitals and schools around the world. This is an electro mechanical product that once plugged in remains on 24 hours a day cleaning 99.9% of covid, SARS, MRSA, mold, flu, etc	These products are not currently included in this bid. However, awarded vendors could follow the requirements for Alternative Approval as outlined in section 1C of “Attachment A – Mandatory Specifications and Desirable Criteria”.

File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated Aug 1, 2024.