Bid.pdf

REQUEST FOR BID

Presorting and Mail Metering

AD230945

Issued Date: September 23, 2022 Responses Due: October 20, 2022 1:00 PM Central Time

Page 1 AD230945

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

1.1 DEFINITIONS

1.2 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE REQUEST FOR BID

1.3 CONTRACT TERM

1.4 MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACT

1.5 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

1.6 COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SERVICES

1.7 RESPONDING TO BID REQUIREMENTS

2 MANDATORY BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

3 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS OF BID

3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3.2 REPORTING

3.3 PERFORMANCE AND SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

3.4 USPS PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS

4 SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BID

4.1 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.2 LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

4.3 AGENCY WORK RULES

4.4 PAYMENT TERMS

4.5 CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE

4.6 CANCELLATION AND TERMINATION

5 COST STRUCTURE AND COST SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

5.1 METHOD OF BID

5.2 COST SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

5.3 REQUESTING COST ADJUSTMENTS

6 BID PROCEDURE AND INSTRUCTIONS

6.1 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

6.2 CORRESPONDENCE, CLARIFICATIONS AND QUESTIONS

6.3 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

6.4 WISCONSIN eSUPPLIER PORTAL REGISTRATION

6.5 PRE-BID SITE VISIT

6.6 SUBMITTING A BID

6.6.1 WISCONSIN eSUPPLIER PORTAL SUBMITTAL (Preferred)

6.6.2 HARD COPY BID SUBMITTAL

6.7 CONTENT OF BID RESPONSE

6.8 INCURRING COSTS

7 BID ACCEPTANCE AND AWARD

7.1 BID OPENING, REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE

7.2 METHOD OF AWARD

7.3 BIDDER REFERENCES

7.4 USE OF SUBCONTRACTORS

7.5 SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

7.5.1 MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

7.5.2 DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

7.5.3 VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

Page 2 AD230945

7.5.4 WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

7.6 SERVICES PERFORMED WITHIN THE U.S

7.7 DEBARMENT

7.8 AWARD NOTIFICATION

7.9 PROTEST AND APPEALS PROCESS

7.9.1 PROTESTS AND APPEALS

8 REQUIRED FORMS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

Review this section to gain a general understanding of what the State of Wisconsin (State) intends to purchase. Reviewing this section shall help determine the Bidder's ability to meet the State's needs.

Page 3 AD230945

1.1 DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Request for Bid (RFB) and resulting Contract, the following definitions of terms shall apply, unless otherwise indicated.

Agency:

an office, department, agency, institution of higher education, association, society or other body in state government created or authorized to be created by the constitution or any law, which is entitled to expend moneys appropriated by law, including the legislature and the courts, but not including an authority.

Ancillary Service Endorsement:

allow the sender to obtain the addressee's new (forwarding) address (provided the appropriate endorsement is used and if the addressee filed a Change-of-Address Order with the Postal Service) or the reason for non-delivery.

APC: All Purpose Carrier

Authorized Users:

includes any State Agency, University of Wisconsin campus, or other state or local public body authorized to use Contracts, as established in §§ 16.70 (1b), (1e), (2), (4) and (8), 16.73 and 66.0301 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

BPAD: Bureau of Publishing and Distribution

BPAD Center: Bureau of Publishing and Distribution location at 2310 Darwin Road, Madison, WI 53704

Bid:

a cost quotation specifically given to a prospective purchaser by a prospective seller;

a Bid is an offer to sell. For the purposes of this RFB, a Bid includes all requisite forms, response completed as instructed.

Bidder: a person or firm that responds to this Request for Bid.

Bid Factor:

an element of the RFB that does not appear in the RFB document, but the Bidder must respond to. Bid Factors can be seen and responded to in the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal if submitting a bid electronically. If submitting a hard copy bid, Bid Factors can be downloaded from the Supporting Documents and included with the hard copy bid submission.

BMEU: Business Mail Entry Unit

CAPS: Consolidated Agency Purchasing Services

Page 4 AD230945

Commodity:

a tangible article of trade or item of merchandise; goods, products, materials, supplies, or finished products. A Commodity is not a Service for purposes of this RFB, but a Commodity may include incidental or related Services.

Contract:

the written agreement between the successful Bidder and the State covering the commodities and services to be performed pursuant to this RFB.

Contract Administrator:

the Agency employee responsible for oversight of the implementation, administration, and completion of the Contract.

Contract Manager:

the employee of an Agency responsible for 1) resolving contractual matters that cannot be resolved with the Contract Administrator; and

2) facilitating and/or completing all official actions under the Contract including but not limited to amendments, renewals and termination.

Contractor:

the person or entity that has been awarded the Contract as a result of this Bid, and who is required to provide equipment, materials, supplies, contractual services, or leasing real property to, the BPAD.

CT: Central Time

Contractual Services or Services:

An intangible product, including actions, recommendations, plans, research, customizations, modifications, documentation, and maintenance and support, including all related material necessary to fulfill that which the successful Bidder is obligated to accomplish or to provide under this RFB.

Do Not Forward:

letter (mail) will be returned to the sender with the new address, if one is on file, such as when you move and forward your mail, the mail will be auto forwarded to the new address on file in the forwarding window

DWD: Department of Workforce Development

Disabled Veteran Owned Business (DVB):

a business that has been certified by the Department of Administration under §16.283, Wis. Stats.

DOA: Department of Administration

Page 5 AD230945

DOT: Department of Transportation

DVR: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Mandatory:

a Requirement labeled as such shall be present in the Bid submission, exactly as stated, or the submission will not be considered by the State of Wisconsin. The terms "must" and "shall" are considered Mandatory

Minority Business Enterprise (MBE):

a business that has been certified by the Department of Administration under §16.287, Wis. Stats.

Municipality:

any Wisconsin county, city, village, town, school district, board of school directors, sewer district, drainage district, vocational, technical and adult education district, or any other public body having the authority to award public Contracts (s. 16.70(8), Wis.

Stats.).

NCOA: National Change of Address

Notice of Intent to Award:

a writing issued by the Procurement Specialist notifying all Bidders of the BPAD's intent to award a Contract

Procurement Specialist:

the individual responsible for overseeing and administering the procurement process for a Bid.

Procuring Agency: The State Agency conducting the purchasing transactions

Requirement:

a descriptive statement of the physical, functional and performance characteristics of the commodity or service required by the State

RFB: Request for Bid

State: State of Wisconsin

USPS: United States Postal Service

VB: Veteran-Owned Business

WBE: Woman-Owned Business Enterprise

Page 6 AD230945

1.2 PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE REQUEST FOR BID

The State of Wisconsin, Consolidated Agency Purchasing Services (CAPS) on behalf of the Department of Administration (DOA) Bureau of Publishing and Distribution (BPAD), requests Bids for the purchase of Presorting and Metering Services and intends to use the results of this process to award a Contract.

BPAD does not guarantee it shall purchase any specific quantity or dollar amount or pay any minimum Contract cost during the term of the Contract. As required by Wisconsin Statutes, continuance of a Contract beyond the limits of funds available shall be contingent upon appropriation of the necessary funds, and the termination of the Contract by lack of appropriations shall be without penalty.

The State reserves the right to cancel this Request for Bid (RFB) for any reason prior to the issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award.

1.2.1 The purpose of this bid is to provide presorting and metering services for BPAD and its customers. BPAD maintains a Pitney Bowes Business Manager data collection/chargeback system for the bill back of all postage and associated labor charges to its customers. BPAD sends all presort eligible mail that is inserted and metered at BPAD's facility to the presort contractor. In addition, presort eligible mail that is inserted and/or metered by BPAD's customers is sent to the BPAD Center for transfer to the presort Contractor. The average annual mail volumes can be found on Appendices 2-5. Currently, BPAD does not have any presort customers in the Fox River Valley but in the future may anticipate expanding services to potential State, Municipalities and other State agencies located in the area.

1.3 CONTRACT TERM

This Contract shall run for an initial three (3) year period. BPAD and the Contractor, upon written mutual agreement, may renew the Contract for up to an additional two (2) one-year periods. The Contract shall be effective on the date it is executed by BPAD. If no formal Contract is executed, the effective date of the Contract is the date of the purchase order.

1.4 MODIFICATIONS OF CONTRACT

The Contract shall not be used for purchasing commodities or services outside of the general scope and intent of the original RFB. Any modifications made to the Contract shall fall within the scope of the RFB, be rendered in writing and signed by both parties or they shall be void. The Contract shall be effective on the date it is executed by BPAD.

Page 7 AD230945

1.5 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

In the event of Contract award, the contents of this RFB (including all attachments), RFB addenda and revisions, the Bid response from the successful Bidder as accepted by BPAD, and any additional terms agreed to in writing by the parties shall be incorporated into the Contract.

Failure of the successful Bidder to accept these elements into the Contract will result in the cancellation of the Contract award.

In the event of conflict with the incorporated elements of the Contract, the following order of precedence will prevail:

• Final signed Contract with clarifications included

• Official purchase order

• Bid response as accepted by the State of Wisconsin

• Request for Bid

If the official purchase order serves as the final Contract, in the event of a conflict with the incorporated elements of the Contract, the following order of precedence will prevail:

• Official purchase order

• Bid response as accepted by the State of Wisconsin

• Request for Bid

1.6 COOPERATIVE PURCHASING SERVICES

Commodities and services may be made available to Municipalities and other State agencies upon agreement of the Contractor. Where requested by the State, and agreed to by the Contractor, Municipalities and other State agencies shall be able to obtain the commodities and services procured under the Contract at the same rates agreed to by BPAD and the Contractor. The Contractor shall be responsible for confirming the status of potential Municipalities and other State agencies with BPAD and providing appropriate documentation and support and reporting Contract usage by Municipalities and other State agencies.

1.7 RESPONDING TO BID REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory Bidder Requirements or qualifications in this RFB document shall be minimally met without exception; failure to meet such shall disqualify your Bid. Before the award of any Contract, DOA shall be satisfied the Bidder has sufficient qualified resources available for performing the work described in this Bid. It is the Bidder's responsibility to acquaint DOA with these Requirements and qualifications by submitting appropriate or supporting documentation.

If no single Bidder is able to meet an individual mandatory Requirement or qualification, the State reserves the right to eliminate that individual mandatory Requirement; or qualification in such case, the State shall continue the review of Bids and select the Bid that most closely meets the Requirements and qualifications in this RFB.

Page 8 AD230945

2 MANDATORY BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

All Bidder qualifications in this section are Mandatory and shall be met at no additional cost above the costs provided by the Bidder in response to the Bid.

2.1 Bidder shall be in the business of providing presorting and metering services and have provided these services for the past three (3) years. Mergers, acquisitions, and business name changes of Bidder, with proper documentation, will be taken into consideration for purposes of determining the three (3) year Requirement.

2.2 Each Bidder's driver(s) transporting mail under the Contract shall have a valid State of Wisconsin Driver's License. Bidder shall show proof at the time of award.

3 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS OF BID

All Requirements in this section are Mandatory and shall be met at no additional cost above the cost provided in the Bid.

Page 9 AD230945

3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3.1.1 Contractor must provide presort and metering services (when applicable) to BPAD customers.

3.1.2 Contractor must be able to provide presorting, metering, mail fulfillment and mail transportation Monday through Friday.

• Contractor must pick-up mail from BPAD Center, at minimum, five (5) times per day Monday through Friday.

• Contractor may pick-up more often during the week at the Contractor's discretion and cost.

• Pickup and transportation of mail from BPAD and other designated pickup sites

• See Appendix 1 - Address Pickup Locations for specific pickup times in Central

Time (CT).

3.1.3 Contractor must pick-up DOA Permit Mailings daily from BPAD Center by 3:00 PM and deliver directly to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) no later than 4:00 PM the same day.

• BPAD Center is located at 2310 Darwin Road, Madison, WI 53704

• BMEU is located at 3902 Milwaukee St, Madison, WI 53714

3.1.4 Contractor must pick-up mail at all other locations daily and drop mail off at a USPS facility. See Appendix 1 - Address Pickup Locations for specific address locations, pick up times and delivery information.

NOTE: BPAD may add additional State Agency address locations not included on Appendix 1.

3.1.5 All mail provided to the Contractor for presorting and metering services must be delivered to a USPS facility within the State of Wisconsin for same day processing

3.1.6 No mail services are required for the following days: Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day.

3.1.7 Contractor must provide a completed and signed DOA "Non-Disclosure Statement" (Appendix 17) and State of Wisconsin "Confidentiality Agreement" (Form DOA-10770B) from each of their employee(s) who will be working with this Contract prior to contract start date.

Page 10 AD230945

3.2 REPORTING

3.2.1 Contractor must provide USPS standard reports and BPAD's presort customer's custom reports to include counts and summaries.

3.2.2 Contractor must account for all State mail in monthly invoicing and include copies of the USPS Form 3600 for First-Class mail and/or 3602 for Standard-Class mail reports.

• Reports must include postage, counts and summaries for mailings using BPAD's or Contractor's permit account number.

• Report must be sent monthly electronically to BPAD staff NO later than the FIRST of each month

3.2.3 Contractor must provide custom reports to BPAD and its presort customers within seven

(7) business days of request. See Appendices 10 - 14 for which presort customers are requesting custom reports.

3.2.4 Contractor must return mail pieces damaged during processing and / or unmailable pieces to the State agency by the next business day.

3.2.5 Contractor must run all mail with Ancillary Service Endorsement of "Return Service Requested" in the "Do Not Forward" mode.

• Contractor must return address corrections or rejects from the mail run to the State on the next mail pickup.

• If this service is performed on the Contractor's last sort of the day, these mail pieces must be returned on the first mail pick up on the following business day.

3.2.6 Contractor must run a "Return Service Requested" for the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) W2 checks in the "Do Not Forward" mode as a separate monthly run the day prior to the last business day of the month.

• This service is performed immediately after the first morning pick up of mail at BPAD Center.

• Checks must be sorted immediately after pick-up and made available to DWD staff at the Contractor's location.

• Contractor must secure and hold all rejected W2 checks and W2 checks with address updates on-site until a DWD staff picks them up.

• The sorting of the checks shall occur as soon as the Contractor receives them to allow for timely pick-up by DWD.

3.2.7 Contractor must pick up postal supplies at USPS daily and deliver to BPAD Center when requested at no additional cost to BPAD. Supplies may include:

• All Purpose Carriers (APC)s

• Hampers

• Buckets

• Trays

• Sleeves

Page 11 AD230945

• Sacks

• Miscellaneous

Page 12 AD230945

3.3 PERFORMANCE AND SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

3.3.1 All Contractors' employees, while working on State property, must wear a displayed employee photo identification badge (provided by the Contractor at the Contractor's cost) showing they are an employee of the Contractor.

3.3.2 Contractor must keep all mail secure and locked inside Contractor vehicles and NOT stored in a contractor's vehicles overnight.

• BPAD will approve Contractor's procedures to ensure mail is kept secured and may require procedure changes to ensure mail is kept secure.

3.3.3 Contractor must have an internal tracking procedure in place.

• BPAD will approve Contractor's internal tracking procedure and may require procedure changes to ensure accepted tracking procedures are accepted.

3.3.4 BPAD retains the right to inspect the Contractor's operation at any time during processing hours without notification.

• Contractor must provide well-maintained vehicles to be used to deliver and pick up mail processed at BPAD.

• The number and size of vehicles should be based on the amount of mail to be processed daily. Contractor's drivers must provide services in an efficient and in a courteous manner.

3.4 USPS PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS

All Bidders shall follow the USPS presort and mail processing requirements and meter all classes of mail listed in Sections 3.4.1 through 3.4.6. The USPS processing requirements will be used when entering costs for the per piece rate on Attachment A - Cost Sheet for Tab A and Tab B.

3.4.1 First-Class Automation-Compatible Letter Mail

The State of Wisconsin will meter its First-Class automation-compatible letter mail at the current USPS five (5) digit rate and will pay an agreed upon per piece rate to the Contractor for providing the following services:

• Automation-compatible five (5) digit presort processing

• Additional postage as required up to the single-piece full price rate

• Move update using NCOALink® MPE (Appendix 15) or equivalent USPS approved software

• Delivery Point Validation

• Full Service Intelligent Mail Barcode as required to maintain postal discounts

• Copies of standard reports from USPS

• Departmental billing as needed (Appendices 7-9) with the use of State Mail

Requisition Card (Appendix 6) for billing detail when required

3.4.2 First-Class Automation Flat Mail

The State of Wisconsin will meter its First-Class Automation Flat mail at the current USPS five

Page 13 AD230945

(5) digit rate and will pay an agreed upon per piece rate to the Contractor for providing the following services:

• Automation-compatible five (5) digit presort processing

• Additional postage as required up to the single-piece full price rate

• Move update using NCOALink® MPE (Appendix 15) or equivalent USPS approved software

• Delivery Point Validation

• Full Service Intelligent Mail Barcode as required to maintain postal discounts

• Copies of standard reports from USPS

• Departmental billing as needed (Appendices 7-9) with use of State Mail Requisition card (Appendix 6) for billing detail when required

3.4.3 Standard Class Letter

The State of Wisconsin will meter its Standard Class letter mail at the current USPS three (3) digit rate and will pay an agreed upon per piece rate to the Contractor for providing the following services:

• Three (3) digit presort processing

• Additional postage as required

• Move update using NCOALink® MPE (Appendix 15) or equivalent USPS approved software to maintain postal discounts

• Delivery Point Validation

• Full Service Intelligent Mail Barcode as required to maintain postal discounts

• Copies of standard reports from USPS

• Departmental billing as needed (Appendices 7-9) with the use of State Mail

Requisition Card (Appendix 6) for billing detail when required

3.4.4 Manual Sort Flat

The State of Wisconsin will meter its Manual Sort Flat mail at the current USPS flat presort rate and will pay an agreed upon per piece rate to the Contractor for providing the following services:

• Flat presorted rate

• Additional postage as required up to the single-piece full price rate.

• Copies of standard reports from USPS

• Departmental billing as needed (Appendices 7-9) with the use of State Mail

Requisition Card (Appendix 6) for billing detail when required

• NOTE: Currently, there are no volumes of mail for Manual Presort Flats but requesting mail rates in case these services would be required

3.4.5 Department of Transportation's (DOT License Plates)

The State of Wisconsin will use the Department of Transportation's (DOT) or the Contractor's permit for DOT License Plate (Appendix 5) and will pay an agreed upon per piece rate to the Contractor for providing the following services:

• Pickup and transportation of license plates is from 4822 Madison Yards Way, Page 14 AD230945

Madison, WI 53705 or BPAD and other designated pickup sites (Appendix 1).

• Sort as First-Class Non-machinable parcel mail

• Full Service Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMPB) as required by USPS for maximum postal discounts

• Copies of standard reports from USPS

• Departmental billing as needed (Appendices 7-9) with the use of State Mail

Requisition Card (Appendix 6) for billing detail when required

3.4.6 Additional Mail Services

Contractor shall provide the additional services listed below and on Attachment A-Cost Sheet Tab B should the State of Wisconsin request the additional services.

Note: Tab B is mandatory but will not be included in the calculation for the award.

• Machine inserting of non-intelligent documents

• Machine inserting of intelligent documents

• Inkjetting of envelopes, booklets or self-mailers includes envelopes (letters and flats), booklets and self-mailers

• Tabbing

• Manual fulfillment

• Address list processing including move updates

4 SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF BID

The State reserves the right to negotiate special terms and conditions when it is in the best interest of the State to do so. The Bidder shall not submit its own contract document as a substitute for the State's Special Terms and Conditions.

Bidders shall accept all terms and conditions or submit point-by-point exceptions along with proposed alternative language for each point. The State may or may not consider any of the Bidder's suggested revisions. Any changes or amendment to any of the terms and conditions shall occur only if the change is in the best interest of the State.

Page 15 AD230945

4.1 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Due to the nature of this solicitation, DOA reserves the right to conduct background checks on the organization, its officers and employees, and subcontractors, if applicable to determine whether any conviction exists that is substantially related to the solicited commodity or service, or if such conviction may otherwise adversely affect the Bidder's ability to perform under the resulting Contract. The State is the sole determinant of whether the results of a background check(s) shall negatively impact the Contractor's ability to meet contractual obligations and Requirements.

Contractor and all employees shall pass a criminal background check to determine whether the circumstances of any conviction may be related to the job being filled. Background checks shall be conducted, at time of Contract execution, at the Contractor's expense. Contractor shall provide proof of criminal background checks, dated less than one (1) year from the request date to the State. DOA reserves the right to screen these background checks and may exclude prospective employees from working on this Contract as appropriate under Wisconsin State Statutes 111.335 (Appendix 16).

4.2 LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

The BPAD may suffer damages due to Bidder's lack of performance of certain terms and conditions of the resulting Contract. Since it is impractical and extremely difficult to fix the actual damages sustained in the event of any such non-performance, the BPAD shall impose the following liquidated damages for the performance failures.

In the event that the Contractor fails to deliver services in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Contract, DOA shall have the option to either terminate the Contract or temporarily procure the service from another contractor. If the service is procured from another contractor, the Contractor shall pay to the DOA any difference between the bid cost and the cost paid to the other contractor.

4.3 AGENCY WORK RULES

All Contractors and their subcontractors (if applicable) working on-site are subject to departmental rules. A copy of these rules may be obtained by written request to DOA.

4.4 PAYMENT TERMS

Payment will not be made until the Service is determined to meet all Requirements and deliverables and has been accepted by BPAD.

Page 16 AD230945

4.5 CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE

At the time that the Notice of Intent to Contract is issued, the winning Contractor shall be required to provide copies of applicable insurance certificates. The Agency will evaluate all insurance certificates for compliance. Should the Contractor not provide the appropriate Certificates of Insurance within seven (7) days of the State's issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award, the Contractor shall be given an additional seven (7) days to comply. Should the appropriate Certificates of Insurance not be received within that time, the State reserves the right to cancel the award or Contract and make another award.

The Certificates of Insurance listed in Section 23.0 of the Standard Terms and Conditions (DOA-3054) shall be provided as stated herein to:

The Bureau of Publishing and Distribution Attn: Finance Director 2310 Darwin Road Madison, WI 53704

Page 17 AD230945

4.6 CANCELLATION AND TERMINATION

TERMINATION FOR CAUSE

The State may terminate this Contract after providing the Contractor with thirty (30) calendar days' written notice of the Contractor's right to cure a failure of the Contractor to perform under the terms of this Contract. The Contractor may terminate this Contract after providing the State one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days' notice of the State's right to cure a failure of the State to perform under the terms of this Contract.

Upon the termination of this Contract for any reason, or upon Contract expiration, each party shall be released from all obligations to the other party arising after the date of termination or expiration, except for those that by their terms survive such termination or expiration.

TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE

Either party may terminate this Contract at any time, without cause, by providing a written notice; the State of Wisconsin by providing at least thirty (30) calendar days' notice to the Contractor, and the Contractor providing at least one hundred and twenty (120) calendar days' notice to the State in advance of the intended date of termination.

In the event of termination for convenience, the Contractor shall be entitled to receive compensation for any fees owed under the Contract. The Contractor shall also be compensated for partially completed Services. In this event, compensation for such partially completed Services shall be no more than the percentage of completion of the Services requested, at the sole discretion of the State, multiplied by the corresponding payment for completion of such Services as set forth in the Contract. Alternatively, at the sole discretion of the State, the Contractor may be compensated for the actual Service hours provided. The State shall be entitled to a refund for goods or services paid for but not received or implemented, such refund to be paid within thirty (30) days of written notice to the Contractor requesting the refund.

CONTRACT CANCELLATION

The State reserves the right to cancel this Contract in whole or in part without penalty if the Contractor:

• Fails to perform any material obligation required under the Contract

• Files a petition in bankruptcy, becomes insolvent, or otherwise takes action to dissolve as a legal entity

• Allows any final judgment not to be satisfied or a lien not to be disputed after a legally imposed, 30-day notice.

• Makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors

• Fails to follow the sales and use tax certification requirements of s. 77.66 of the

Wisconsin Statutes

• Incurs a delinquent Wisconsin tax liability

• Fails to submit a non-discrimination or affirmative action plan as required in the

Standard Terms and Conditions (DOA-3054)

• Fails to follow the non-discrimination or affirmative action requirements of subch. II, Chapter 111 of the Wisconsin Statutes (Wisconsin's Fair Employment Law)

• Becomes a federally debarred Contractor

• Is excluded from federal procurement and non-procurement contracts

• Fails to maintain and keep in force all required insurance, permits and licenses as

Page 18 AD230945 provided in this Contract

• Fails to maintain the confidentiality of the State's information that is considered to be

Confidential Information, proprietary, or containing Personally Identifiable Information

• Contractor performance threatens the health or safety of a State employee or State customer

5 COST STRUCTURE AND COST SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

5.1 METHOD OF BID

Bidder shall submit a Per Piece Rate cost for each Class of Mail per line item listed on Attachment A- Cost Sheet and, if applicable, an extended net total for each item specified.

Costs shall be in U.S. dollars and up to four (4) decimal points. In the event of errors in calculation, unit cost shall prevail. No fuel surcharges shall be allowed in this Contract. See Section 5.3 Requesting Cost Adjustments.

5.1.1 Consideration of all Inherent Costs

Per Piece Rate provided on Attachment A – Cost Sheet shall take into consideration all inherent costs of providing the services described in this RFB, including but not limited to, presort service, production costs, pickup costs, mail transportation costs or any other contributing costs for processing State's mail. Bidder is responsible for paying all travel costs including, but not limited to, round-trip travel and parking. DOA shall not pay any additional charges beyond the costs listed on Attachment A - Cost Sheet.

5.1.2 Bidder shall complete Attachment A - Cost Sheet and Tab A and Tab B. Read each Tabs' instructions located at the top of each tab.

5.1.3 Bidder shall provide a cost for all cells highlighted in green. If a green highlighted cell is left blank, line, "$0.0000", or similar, then the Bidder shall provide that service at no cost. Failure to provide a cost or mandating a minimum charge, may result in the rejection of the Bid.

5.1.4 Mail volume(s) listed are based on averages amount of mail processed from FY19, FY20 and FY21 taken from (Appendices 2-5). These averages are used for calculation purposes only.

5.2 COST SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

Bidder is to read instructions stated on Attachment A - Cost sheet Instructions for Tab A and Tab B.

See Section 3.4 USPS Processing Requirements for mandatory requirements for completing Attachment A - Cost Sheet. Bidders may not alter the Cost Sheet in any manner unless instructions on the Cost Sheet indicates otherwise.

Page 19 AD230945

5.3 REQUESTING COST ADJUSTMENTS

All costs, and conditions outlined in the Bid shall remain firm for the initial (3) years of the Contract with the exceptions noted below. Any cost increases shall be fully documented, demonstrated to be industrywide and submitted to BPAD for review and acceptance.

5.3.1 DOA and the Contractor may mutually agree upon a cost adjustment should the USPS rate discounts structure changes due to an annual USPS rate change.

5.3.2 DOA and the Contractor may mutually agree upon a limited time cost adjustment should the cost of fuel have a prolonged and substantial cost DOA and the Contractor may mutually agree upon a limited time cost adjustment should the cost of fuel have a prolonged and substantial cost increase. Any fuel cost increase shall be based on the 'Weekly Oil Pricing' posted on the State's VendorNet website:

https://vendornet.wi.gov/Download.aspx?type=contract&Id=ab7f14f4-e42b-e611-8964- 40a8f0ad9999&filename=Weekly+Terminal+Fuel+Prices.pdf

5.3.3 Contractor may request a cost increase in writing to the State no later than sixty (60) days prior to the beginning of the next Contract period and prior to the proposed effective date of the cost increase and shall be limited to fully documented cost increases to the Contractor which are demonstrated to be industrywide. Requests for a cost increase are limited to one (1) request per renewal term excluding parking and a limited fuel increase as stated in 5.3.1 and 5.3.2.

6 BID PROCEDURE AND INSTRUCTIONS

6.1 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Listed below are important dates and times by which actions related to this RFB shall be completed. In the event that DOA finds it necessary to change any of these dates and times (except estimated dates and times), it shall do so by posting an amendment to this RFB on the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal.

DATE EVENT

September 23, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT RFB Date Issued

September 28, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT Pre-Register Site-Visit Date

September 29, 2022 at 2:00 PM CT Site Visit Date

October 06, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT Questions Due

October 14, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT Responses to Questions Posted

October 20, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT Bids Due from Bidders

October 20, 2022, 2:00 PM CT

Virtual Bid Opening via Teams Dial 1-608-571-2209 Use Conference ID 211 620 572# See Section 7.1 Bid Opening, Review, and Acceptance

Page 20 AD230945

6.2 CORRESPONDENCE, CLARIFICATIONS AND QUESTIONS

Bidders are expected to raise any questions or clarifications concerning the RFB document by October 6, 2022, 1:00 PM CT. If at any time prior to the Bid due date, a Bidder discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFB, the Bidder shall immediately notify the Procurement Specialist representative named below of the issue in writing. The Wisconsin eSupplier Portal is the preferred method for submitting questions and/or clarifications.

Email is also accepted for the submission of questions and/or clarifications and shall refer to Request for Bid # AD230945 and be directed to Dawn Stelse at dawn.stelse@wisconsin.gov

Note any Bidder questions received outside of the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal shall be documented and consolidated with questions received from within the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal. All questions and answers will be posted as an Amendment on the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal. It is the Bidder's responsibility to check the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal for any questions and answers pertaining to this RFB. In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFB, amendments or addendums shall be posted on the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal.

All contact or communication with any employee or officer of the State of Wisconsin concerning this RFB, except Dawn Stelse is strictly prohibited during the period from the date this RFB is released until the date the notice of intent to Award is issued. Dawn Stelse may authorize in writing contact or communication with another State employee or officer as circumstances may dictate. Prospective Bidders who hold a current Contract with BPAD may continue to communicate with BPAD's Contract Administrator regarding the performance of that current Contract only.

6.3 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Upon request, DOA shall provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for individuals with a disability. If accommodations are needed contact Dawn Stelse at dawn.stelse@wisconsin.gov or 608-267- 2725.

6.4 WISCONSIN eSUPPLIER PORTAL REGISTRATION

Only vendors currently registered on the State of Wisconsin's eSupplier Portal (the State's electronic purchasing information system) shall receive official notices throughout the procurement process for this RFB.

Vendors that register on the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal after the posting of this RFB shall receive official notices of future procurement solicitation opportunities for the State of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin System campuses.

To register on the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal access the following website for instructions https://esupplier.wi.gov/psp/esupplier/SUPPLIER/ERP/h/?tab=WI_GUEST&wimsg=Logo

Bidders may obtain additional State of Wisconsin purchasing information at https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/DoingBusiness/BidsProposals.aspx

Bidders without internet access may request to receive a hard copy.

Page 21 AD230945

6.5 PRE-BID SITE VISIT

Bidders are encouraged to visit the BPAD Center prior to submitting a Bid to assure themselves and BPAD that they understand the requirements of the RFB. Bidders are not required to attend a site visit for their Bid to be considered for an award.

Site Visits shall be held on September 29, 2022 at 2:00 PM CT. Contact Dawn Stelse via email dawn.stelse@wisconsin.gov to Pre-registar for the optional site visit by September 28, 2022 1:

00 PM.

6.6 SUBMITTING A BID

Bidders shall respond to the RFB in either the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal or by providing a hard copy Bid. Faxed and emailed Bids shall not be accepted.

Page 22 AD230945

6.6.1 WISCONSIN eSUPPLIER PORTAL SUBMITTAL (Preferred)

Respond as directed herein and in the pages presented in the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal for this RFB. The State has developed questions that provide online guidance for an electronic response to the RFB. If responding electronically, do not submit a hard copy of any materials unless directed to do so elsewhere in the Bid document.

NOTE: Bidders must click "Submit" in the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal to have their Bid received. Only clicking "Save" does not submit the Bid response; therefore, it shall not be received or reviewed.

Certain Requirements and qualifications shall be presented as itemized questions that require an affirmative response from the Bidder that indicate these can be met (i.e., "yes/no" prompt;

drop down menu; required attachment). Other requirements may be presented in a grouped manner (e.g., "Does your company meet requirements 2.1-2.8"). For any (itemized or grouped) requirements that cannot be met, a "no" shall be checked and a supplemental document shall be provided as an attachment to explain.

Bidders submitting Bids via the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal shall follow the instructions given in the eSupplier Portal system, including any Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Bidders shall allow time for entering a Bid Response in eSupplier. Keep in mind the following if an error occurs:

• File names must be no longer than 64 characters, including the file extension (e.g., ".docx).

• File names cannot contain any special characters (e.g., commas, percent signs, hash symbol).

• The maximum file size for any attachment is 80MB.

• The eSupplier system will not allow a file with macros included and enabled.

• Bidders may only upload a single file in response to a Bid Factor. Uploading additional files will overwrite the previous upload. If a Bidder has the need to attach multiple files, the Bidder shall consolidate the documents into a single file.

Alternatively, the Bidder may upload one (1) file in response to the Bid Factor and upload the rest of the documents using the Upload File button on the Submit Online Response page

• In order to officially submit a Bid response, the Bidder must click the Submit button and receive verification that the Bidder response has been submitted.

Page 23 AD230945

6.6.2 HARD COPY BID SUBMITTAL

Bidders still have the option to mail or otherwise provide a hard copy Bid when responding to this RFB.

If submitting a hard copy Bid (instead of the electronic Bid option described above), Bidders shall submit an original signed Bid, marked as stated below of all materials required for acceptance of their Bid by the deadline to:

Dawn Stelse, Procurement Specialist Wisconsin Department of Administration Consolidated Agency Purchasing Services 101 East Wilson Street, 6th Floor Madison, WI 53703-3405

All Bids shall be received and time-stamped at the above location no later than October 20, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT. Bids not time-stamped shall be considered late and rejected. Receipt of a Bid by the State mail system does not constitute receipt of a Bid by the DOA CAPS Purchasing Office.

All Bids shall be sealed in a package, and clearly marked with the following information on the outside of the package:

BIDDER NAME

BIDDER ADDRESS

Presorting and Metering Services

RFB# AD230945

October 20, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT

Hand Delivered Bids:

All responses shall be received and time-stamped at the above location no later than October 20, 2022 at 1:00 PM CT. A Bid Box has been placed outside of 101 E. Wilson Street for the hard copy submittal of responses. This box is only opened at 1:00 pm CT on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Page 24 AD230945

6.7 CONTENT OF BID RESPONSE

Bidders responding to this RFB shall comply with the following format Requirements. DO NOT

COPY AND RETURN THE ENTIRE BID DOCUMENT.

Complete and Signed Bidder Required Form: Include a completed and signed Bidder Required Form DOA-3832, with the Bid response. All sections of the form shall be completed.

Bids submitted in response to this RFB shall be signed by the person in the Bidder's organization who is responsible for the decision as to the costs being offered in the Bid or by a person who has been authorized in writing to act as agent for the person responsible for the decision on costs.

By submitting a signed Bid, the Bidder's signatories certify that in connection with this procurement: (a) the Bidder's organization or an agent of the Bidder's organization has arrived at the costs in its Bid without consultation, communication or agreement with any other respondent or with any competitor for the purpose of restricting competition, (b) the costs quoted in the Bid have not been knowingly disclosed by the Bidder's organization or by any agent of the Bidder's organization and shall not be knowingly disclosed by same, directly or indirectly, to any other respondent or to any competitor, and (c) no attempt has been made or shall be made by the Bidder's organization or by any agent of the Bidder's organization to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a Bid for the purpose of restricting competition.

State of Wisconsin Standard Terms and Conditions (DOA-3054) and State of Wisconsin Supplemental Standard Terms and Conditions for Procurements for Services (DOA-3681) (herein after Terms and Conditions): These Terms and Conditions shall govern this Bid and subsequent award. Bidders shall accept these Standard and Supplemental Terms and Conditions or submit point-by-point exceptions along with proposed alternate or additional language for each point. Submission of any standard Bidder Contracts as a substitute for language in the Terms and Conditions is not a sufficient response to this Requirement and may result in rejection of the Bidder's Bid. The State reserves the right to negotiate contractual Terms and Conditions other than those in the State of Wisconsin Contract when it is in the best interest of the State to do so.

Cost Information: Provide cost information on the Attachment A – Cost Sheet, included in this RFB. All cost for furnishing the services included in the Bid in accordance with the terms and conditions in this RFB shall be included. No alternate cost formats shall be accepted. Alternate cost formats may eliminate consideration for this Bid.

Bid Factors: When responding to the RFB within the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal, Bidders shall respond to all questions. When responding outside the Wisconsin eSupplier Portal (via hard copy), Bidders shall complete all Bid Factors on Attachment B.

Any alteration of the Bid documents is prohibited and may result in rejection of the Bid.

6.8 INCURRING COSTS

The State of Wisconsin shall not be liable for any costs incurred by the Bidder in responding to this RFB.

Page 25 AD230945

7 BID ACCEPTANCE AND AWARD

7.1 BID OPENING, REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE

There will be no in-person Bid opening. A Teams meeting shall be held instead on October 20, 2022, at 2:00 PM CT. To join the Bid opening, please dial 1-608-571-2209 and use Conference ID 211 620 572#. The names of all Bidders may be read aloud at that time.

All Bids will be reviewed by the Procurement Specialist to ensure compliance with submittal Requirements. DOA shall be the sole judge as to Bidders' compliance with the Bid instructions.

At any time during this process, the State reserves the right to request and review additional information from Bidders.

Bids that do not comply with Mandatory Bidder Qualifications and Mandatory Requirements shall be rejected. Bids that do not comply with Special Terms and Conditions of Bid may be rejected. CAPS in its sole discretion retains the right to accept, clarify, or reject any or all Bids, or accept, clarify, or reject any part of a Bid, if deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

7.2 METHOD OF AWARD

The Bid Award shall be made based on the lowest cost, responsive, responsible Bidder. Bids that require a specific quantity or dollar amount shall be disqualified. In the event of Bidder error in calculation, unit cost shall prevail in award.

BPAD intends to award to one (1) Bidder judged to be in the best interest of the State. The State is the sole determinant of its best interests.

Award shall be based on lowest Three (3) Year Grand Total.

State of Wisconsin certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disabled Veteran Owned Business (DVB) Suppliers may receive up to a 5% preference. See Sections 7.5.1 and 7.5.2 for more information.

7.3 BIDDER REFERENCES

The Bid shall include Bidder references by completing the Bidder Required form DOA-3832, listing at least three (3) names or companies with whom the Bidder has done business similar in size and scope as required by this RFB within the last three (3) years. For each organization listed, the Bidder shall include the company name, address, contact person, email address and telephone number along with a brief description of the product or service that formed the basis of the business relationship.

DOA shall determine which references to contact to assess the quality of the product or service.

DOA may contact one or more references that have been provided by the Bidder or other sources that may not have been named by the Bidder but can assist DOA in determining performance. DOA shall be the sole determinate as to whether the reference's response is equivalent to the Requirements and qualifications in the Bid.

If the reference's response is not equivalent to the Requirements and qualifications in the Bid, the Bid may be disqualified.

Page 26 AD230945

7.4 USE OF SUBCONTRACTORS

The Contractor shall be responsible for the contract performance of its subcontractors. The Contract shall be between DOA and the awardee. The Contractor shall be responsible for its subcontractors' performance of the pertinent contract obligations including related Requirements, insurance requirements and applicable regulations. The Bidder shall identify any potential subcontractor it intends to use to provide the product or service it shall provide if awarded the Contract. All subcontractors shall be approved in writing by DOA. Any proposed substitution of an approved subcontractor shall be submitted in writing to DOA thirty (30) days prior to implementation of the substitution, and include the substitute's qualifications, the reason for the change, and the intended effective date of the substitution. Failure to notify DOA may result in cancellation of the Contract without notice and without penalty to the State.

7.5 SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

7.5.1 MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE

Minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) are certified by the Wisconsin Department of Administration. This program can be found at: https://supplierdiversity.wi.gov/Pages/Home.aspx.

The State of Wisconsin is committed to the promotion of MBEs in the State's purchasing program. Wisconsin statutes provide for a permissive 5% price preference for certified MBEs that compete for State Contracts. This means that State agencies may make an award to the MBE submitting the lowest qualified bid when that qualified Bid is not more than 5% higher than the apparent low Bid. (An MBE Bidder preference will not be considered on a printing or stationery procurement.) Policy provides that MBEs should have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of its Contracts. The Contractor is strongly urged to use due diligence to further this policy by awarding subcontracts to MBEs or by using such enterprises to provide commodities and services incidental to this agreement.

The Contractor shall furnish appropriate quarterly information about its efforts, including the identities of such businesses certified by the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program, their contract amount, and spend for each period to the DFTS. A listing of certified MBEs, as well as the services and commodities they provide, is available at: https://wisdp.wi.gov/search.aspx.

7.5.2 DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS

Disabled veteran-owned businesses (DVBs) are certified by the Wisconsin Department of Administration. This program can be found at: https://supplierdiversity.wi.gov/Pages/Home.aspx.

The State of Wisconsin is committed to the promotion of DVBs in the State's…