July 26, 2023

INVITATION TO BID

BL118-23

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is soliciting competitive sealed bids from qualified suppliers for the Purchase of Liquid Cationic Polymer on an Annual Contract with four (4) options for renewal for the Department of Water Resources.

Bid Submittal Date and Location:

Bids should be typed or submitted in ink and returned in a sealed container marked on the outside with the BL# and Company Name. Bids will be received until 2:50 P.M. local time on August 31, 2023 at the Gwinnett County Financial Services - Purchasing Division – 2nd Floor, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046. Any bid received after this date and time will not be accepted.

Bids will be publicly opened and read at 3:00 P.M. Apparent bid results will be available the following business day on our website www.gwinnettcounty.com.

Pre-Qualification Process If you submitted a product for testing under BL085-18 you do not need to submit product for this bid letting. The only pre-qualified polymer is Polydyne Inc. Clarifloc C-308P.

Pilot Testing Begins ....................................................................... August 3 Pilot Testing Complete .................................................................. August 17 Addendum with Pilot Testing Results ........................................... August 21

Instruction on Submitting Questions:

Questions regarding bids should be directed to Brittany Bryant, Purchasing Associate II, at Brittany.Bryant@GwinnettCounty.com or by calling 770-822-7759, no later than 3:00PM on August 17, 2023. Bids are legal and binding upon the vendor when submitted.

All bids should be submitted in duplicate.

Successful suppliers will be required to meet insurance requirements. The Insurance Company should be authorized to do business in Georgia by the Georgia Insurance Department and must have an A.M. Best rating of A-5 or higher.

Gwinnett County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to its programs or activities. Any requests for reasonable accommodations required by individuals to fully participate in any open meeting, program or activity of Gwinnett County Government should be directed to the ADA Coordinator at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center, 770-822-8165.

The written bid documents supersede any verbal or written prior communications between the parties.

Award will be made to the supplier(s) submitting the lowest responsive and responsible bid. Gwinnett County reserves the right to reject any or all bids to waive technicalities and to make an award deemed in its best interest. Bids may be split or awarded in entirety. Gwinnett County reserves the option to negotiate terms, conditions and pricing with the lowest responsive, responsible vendor(s) at its discretion.

Award notification will be posted after award on the County website, www.gwinnettcounty.com and companies submitting a bid will be notified via email.

We look forward to your bid and appreciate your interest in Gwinnett County.

Brittany Bryant Purchasing Associate II

The following pages should be returned in duplicate as your bid: Requirement Confirmation, Page 5 Bid Schedule, Pages 6-7 References, Page 8 Code of Ethics, Page 9 http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/ mailto:Brittany.Bryant@GwinnettCounty.com

BL118-22 PAGE 2

I. SCOPE

The intent of this contract is to obtain pricing for Polymer for a 12-month period with four (4) renewal options. The County will make an award deemed in its best interest.

II. SPECIFICATIONS

A. The successful bidder(s) shall supply Liquid Cationic Polymer to be delivered in full truckload quantities and shall be within three (3) working days ARO.

Delivery will be F.O.B. Destination to:

Lanier Filter Plant Shoal Creek Filter Plant 2590 South Waterworks Road 1755 Buford Dam Road Buford, Georgia 30518 Buford, GA 30518

B. Product must be delivered by the manufacturer’s tanker or a certified food grade carrier in bulk quantities. A third-party Certificate of Analysis must accompany all bulk shipments. Delivered product and a bid sample must conform to pH, Density or Specific Gravity, and Viscosity specifications. Failure to comply with Certificate of Analysis is basis for rejection.

C. Gwinnett County reserves the right to request a one (1) liter sample, accompanied by a Certificate of

Analysis samples for evaluation purposes. Samples must be provided within one (1) week of notification by Gwinnett County. Samples must be provided at no cost to the County. Failure to provide samples for evaluation purposes within the time specified may result in rejection of bid. Each sample must be labeled with supplier’s name. All products must be identified by brand and code number.

D. During the contract period, samples may be collected and analyzed by Gwinnett County upon delivery to determine specification compliance. Shipments that do not meet specifications will be rejected, and all cost for shipment, analysis, and removal/clean out will be the responsibility of the vendor.

E. Each bidder should submit a list of at least three (3) references where purchase of similar size and scope has been completed, listing company name, address, brief description of project and contact person with phone number.

F. All bids submitted for a water treatment chemical should be accompanied by adequate documentation to assure compliance with ANSI/NSF Standard Number 60 and NSF listing – drinking water treatment chemicals. If such documentation is not provided at the time of bid opening, your bid may be deemed non-responsive and rejected. NSF-60 listing shall be required before any product delivery is accepted.

G. Gwinnett County reserves the right to conduct plant visits for the purpose of verification.

H. Chemical Security Requirements shall be initiated as follow:

Water Treatment Chemicals

1. After receipt of order from the Department of Water Resources, the vendor should FAX security information to the appropriate delivery destination. Lanier Filter Plant FAX is 678-376-6888 and Shoal Creek Filter Plant is 678-376-7198. FAX should be received NLT 24 hours prior to delivery.

2. Security information includes:

▪ Delivery date and expected time of arrival.

▪ Driver’s name and Driver’s License Number.

▪ Truck and tanker registration numbers and tag numbers.

▪ Seal numbers for all connections on the tanker. Note: All connections on the tanker must be sealed and tagged at the point of origin with numbered seals.

BL118-22 PAGE 3

▪ A legible copy of the driver’s commercial driver’s license with photo ID.

▪ A copy of the Bill of Lading.

3. The Bill of Lading, the Certificate of Analysis (Specification C), and other paperwork (weight tickets, SDS, etc) must be presented to operations staff at Lanier Filter Plant or Shoal Creek Filter Plant upon arrival. The truck will be weighed upon arrival.

4. The truck driver must present his driver’s license for ID verification.

5. Lanier Filter Plant or Shoal Creek Filter Plant staff will verify driver’s ID, truck and tanker registration numbers, tag numbers, and seal tag numbers prior to off-loading.

6. All shipments will be tested by the Lanier Filter Plant or Shoal Creek Filter Plant for verification.

7. Shipments not conforming to these requirements will be refused.

8. The truck will be weighed on departure.

I. Product deliveries will be weighed in/weighed out using Gwinnett County’s certified Fairbanks Scales.

Weigh tickets will indicate NET WEIGHT in pounds. Delivered volume will be determined by dividing NET WEIGHT by the density in pounds per gallon of polymer product. Payment will be made based on cost per 100 gallons.

J. Product should be bid as $/100 gallons, rounded to 2 decimal places. Unit prices listed on Bid Schedule should not exceed 2 decimal points. If unit prices exceed 2 decimal points, only the first 2 digits following the decimal point will be used to determine unit price.

K. Any vendor interested in qualifying their product(s) for future bids should contact Brittany Bryant, Purchasing Associate II, Gwinnett County Purchasing Division at (770) 822-7759 for additional information.

III. PRODUCT PERFORMANCE

A. Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources is setting a benchmark requiring that the product selected must meet a Turbidity level of less than or equal to 0.10 NTU, at dosages of 1.5-ppm polymer or less, as determined by plant process control analyses by plant staff.

Pilot testing of all polymers to be bid is mandatory. Polymers to be pilot tested will be selected by vendors based on optional bench testing at the Shoal Creek Filter Plant Process Lab, or based on the vendor’s experience and expertise. Up to 3 polymers per vendor may be selected for pilot testing. The actual number of polymers per vendor to be pilot tested may be limited by pilot plant availability but will be equivalent for each vendor. Priority of pilot testing for each selected polymer will be made by the vendor.”

Pilot testing will establish the dose required to meet the turbidity standard of 0.10 NTU or less. Pilot testing will also establish a baseline for the effect of the polymers on filter run times. Coagulant dose will be held at one baseline level during all pilot testing.

Gwinnett County will calculate the life cycle cost (LCC) of use for each polymer using the formula below.

This formula considers the dose required to meet turbidity standards and also the costs associated with effects on filter run times. The contract will be awarded based on lowest LCC.

BL118-22 PAGE 4

Life Cycle Cost = (Base Cost/Year based on 52,000 gallons) + (incremental cost due to dosing above baseline) + (incremental cost due to reduced filter run times below baseline hours).

See Appendix A for how the formula will be calculated.

B. If, after award of bid, the selected product fails to meet this criterion, Gwinnett County reserves the right to terminate this contract and may place the vendor on the County’s ineligible source list, prohibiting future bids for this product for a specified period of time. Vendor agrees that failure to meet this stated performance benchmark is grounds for cancellation of this contract.

IV. MANUFACTURING/PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

A. Products offered under this bid must be low molecular weight polymers suitable for use as primary coagulants or as coagulant aid in the treatment of potable water. Product will be fed as a neat solution.

Product must be approved for use in potable water under ANSI/NSF 60 Standards, at dosages not to exceed 50 ppm.

B. The liquid cationic polymer offered should conform to the basic requirements listed below. These requirements establish minimum performance levels and describe features deemed necessary to accomplish specific functions. Bidders are to indicate exactly the liquid cationic polymer they are offering in the blank lines in the “Bidder’s Response” column. If the product meets a specification item exactly as written, the response “COMPLY” may be used. Any deviation that either exceeds or does not meet the specification item must be noted as an exception and the exact offering described in the blank lines to the right of the specification. Gwinnett County determines which alternates are approved during the bid evaluation process. Vendors should submit two (2) copies of descriptive literature with their bid packages.

BL118-22 PAGE 5

FAILURE TO RETURN THIS PAGE AS PART OF YOUR BID DOCUMENT MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF BID.

Requirement

REQUIREMENTS BIDDERS RESPONSE

a Form: clear liquid b Color:

clear to pale amber c Odor: Slight d Viscosity: 25-200 cps e Specific Gravity: 1.05 +/- 0.005 f Density: 8.67 lbs/gallon g pH: 5.0 - 8.0 h Charge: Cationic i Freezing Point: 20-32 F j ANSI/NSF 60 compliant:

k Certified Food Grade Tanker:

CERTIFICATION

I, (print name), UNDERSTAND THAT FAILURE OF OFFERED PRODUCT TO COMPLY WITH THE STATED BENCHMARK PERFORMANCE CONTAINED IN THIS SPECIFICATION IS GROUNDS FOR CANCELLATION OF THIS CONTRACT. GWINNETT COUNTY WILL BEAR COST OF SAMPLING

AND ANALYSIS FOR DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE DURING THE TERM OF THIS CONTRACT.

NOTE: Individuals, firms and businesses seeking an award of a Gwinnett County contract may not initiate or continue any verbal or written communications regarding a solicitation with any County officer, elected official, employee or other County representative without permission of the Purchasing Associate named in the solicitation between the date of the issuance of the solicitation and the date of the final contract award by the Board of Commissioners. Violations will be reviewed by the Purchasing Director. If determined that such communication has compromised the competitive process, the offer submitted by the individual, firm or business may be disqualified from consideration for award.

Supplier Name

BL118-22 PAGE 6

BID SCHEDULE

DESCRIPTION

APPROX.

ANNUAL

USAGE

MANUFACTURER

& NO.

DELIVERY

A.R.O

UNIT PRICE*

(PER 100 GAL)

TOTAL PRICE

Liquid Cationic Polymer 52,000 GAL $ $

*Unit and Total prices should not exceed 2 decimal points and must include freight.

Gwinnett County will calculate the life cycle cost (LCC) of use for each polymer using the formula below.

This formula considers the dose required to meet turbidity standards and also the costs associated with effects on filter run times. The contract will be awarded based on lowest LCC.

Life Cycle Cost = (Base Cost/Year based on 52,000 gallons) + (incremental cost due to dosing above baseline) + (incremental cost due to reduced filter run times below baseline hours).

See Appendix A for how the formula will be calculated.

Gwinnett County requires pricing to remain firm for the duration of the initial term of the contract. Failure to hold firm pricing for the initial term of the contract will be sufficient cause for Gwinnett County to declare bid non-responsive. Contract to begin November 28, 2023, or upon award thereafter.

Unless otherwise noted, quoted prices will remain firm for four (4) additional 12-month periods. If a percentage increase/decrease is a part of the renewal options, please note this in the space provided together with an explanation.

Renewal Option 1: ________% Increase ________% Decrease Explanation________________________

Renewal Option 2: ________% Increase ________% Decrease Explanation________________________

Renewal Option 3: ________% Increase ________% Decrease Explanation________________________

Renewal Option 4: ________% Increase ________% Decrease Explanation________________________

The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the following addenda, listed by number and date as issued appearing on each:

Addendum No. Date Addendum No. Date

SUPPLIER NAME ___________________________________________________________________________________

BL118-22 PAGE 7

BID SCHEDULE CONTINUED

Certification Of Non-Collusion in Bid Preparation _______________________________________________________ Signature Date

The County requires that all who enter into a contract for the physical performance of services with the County must satisfy OCGA § 13-10-91 and Rule 300-10-1-02, in all manner, and such are conditions of the contract.

In compliance with the attached specifications, the undersigned acknowledges all requirements outlined in the "Instructions to Bidders" and all documents referred to therein, if this bid is accepted by the Board of Commissioners within sixty (60) days of the date of proposal opening, to furnish any or all of the items upon which prices are quoted, at the price set opposite each item, delivered to the designated point(s) within the time specified in the fee schedule. By submission of this proposal, I understand that Gwinnett County uses Electronic Payments for remittance of goods and services. Vendors should select their preferred method of electronic payment upon notice of award. For more information on electronic payments, please refer to the Electronic Payment information in the instructions to bidders.

TERMINATION FOR CAUSE: The County may terminate this agreement for cause upon ten days prior written notice to the contractor of the contractor’s default in the performance of any term of this agreement. Such termination shall be without prejudice to any of the County’s rights or remedies by law.

TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE: The County may terminate this agreement for its convenience at any time upon 30 days written notice to the contractor. In the event of the County’s termination of this agreement for convenience, the contractor will be paid for those services actually performed. Partially completed performance of the agreement will be compensated based upon a signed statement of completion to be submitted by the contractor, which shall itemize each element of performance.

Legal Business Name _____________________________________________________________________________ (If your company is an LLC, you must identify all principals include addresses and phone numbers in your submittal)

Address __________________________________________________________________________________________ Does your company currently have a location within Gwinnett County? Yes No

Telephone Number __________________________ Gwinnett County Vendor Number _______________

Representative Signature __________________________________________________________________________

Printed Name _____________________________________________________________________________________

E-mail address ____________________________________________________________________________________

BL118-22 PAGE 8

REFERENCES

Gwinnett County requests a minimum of three (3) references where work of a similar size and scope has been completed.

Note: References should be customized for each project, rather than submitting the same set of references for every project bid. The references listed should be of similar size and scope of the project being bid on. Do not submit a project list in lieu of this form.

1. Company Name

Brief Description of Project

Completion Date

Contract Amount $ Start Dates

Contact Person Telephone

E-Mail Address

2. Company Name

Contract Amount $ Start Date

3. Company Name

Contract Amount $ Start Date

SUPPLIER NAME

BL118-22 PAGE 9

Bid # & Description BL118-23, Purchase of Liquid Cationic Polymer on an Annual Contract

CODE OF ETHICS AFFIDAVIT

PLEASE RETURN THIS FORM COMPLETED WITH YOUR SUBMITTAL. SUBMITTED FORMS ARE REQUIRED

PRIOR TO EVALUATION.

In accordance with Section 54-33 of the Gwinnett County Code of Ordinances the undersigned bidder/proposer makes the following full and complete disclosure under oath, to the best of their knowledge, of the name(s) of all elected officials whom it employs or who have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in or with the bidder/proposer, its affiliates or its subcontractors:

1. __________________________________________________________________________________________

Company Submitting Bid/Proposal

2. Please select one of the following:

No information to disclose (complete only section 4 below) Disclosed information below (complete section 3 & section 4 below)

3. If additional space is required, please attach list:

Gwinnett County Elected Official Name Gwinnett County Elected Official Name

Gwinnett County Elected Official Name Gwinnett County Elected Official Name

4. BY:

Authorized Officer or Agent Signature

Printed Name of Authorized Officer or Agent

Title of Authorized Officer or Agent of Contractor

Sworn to and subscribed before me this day of , 20

Notary Public

(seal)

Note: See Gwinnett County Code of Ethics Ordinance EO2011, Sec. 54-33. The ordinance will be available to view in its’ entirety at GwinnettCounty.com

BL118-22 PAGE 10

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

1. Statutory Workers' Compensation Insurance

(a) Employers Liability:

✓ Bodily Injury by Accident - $100,000 each accident

✓ Bodily Injury by Disease - $500,000 policy limit

✓ Bodily Injury by Disease - $100,000 each employee

2. Commercial General Liability Insurance

(a) $500,000 limit of liability per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage

(b) The following additional coverage must apply:

✓ 1986 (or later) ISO Commercial General Liability Form

✓ Dedicated Limits per Project Site or Location (CG 25 03 or CG 25 04)

✓ Additional Insured Endorsement (Form B CG 20 10 with a modification for completed operations or a separate endorsement covering Completed Operations)

✓ Blanket Contractual Liability

✓ Broad Form Property Damage

✓ Severability of Interest

✓ Underground, explosion, and collapse coverage

✓ Personal Injury (deleting both contractual and employee exclusions)

✓ Incidental Medical Malpractice

✓ Hostile Fire Pollution Wording

3. Auto Liability Insurance

(a) $500,000 limit of liability per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage

(b) Comprehensive form covering all owned, non-owned, leased, hired, and borrowed vehicles

(c) Additional Insured Endorsement

(d) Contractual Liability

4. Umbrella Liability Insurance - $1,000,000 limit of liability

(a) The following additional coverage must apply

✓ Additional Insured Endorsement

✓ Concurrency of Effective Dates with Primary

✓ Blanket Contractual Liability

✓ Drop Down Feature

✓ Care, Custody, and Control - Follow Form Primary

✓ Aggregates: Apply Where Applicable in Primary

✓ Umbrella Policy must be as broad as the primary policy

5. Environmental Liability Insurance- $1,000,000

6. Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners should be shown as an additional insured on General Liability, Auto

Liability and Umbrella Liability policies.

7. The cancellation should provide 10 days notice for nonpayment and 30 days notice of cancellation.

BL118-22 PAGE 11

8. Certificate Holder should read:

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners 75 Langley Drive Lawrenceville, GA 30046-6935

9. Insurance Company, except Worker' Compensation carrier, must have an A.M. Best Rating of A-5 or higher. Certain

Workers' Comp funds may be acceptable by the approval of the Insurance Unit. European markets including those based in London and domestic surplus lines markets that operate on a non-admitted basis are exempt from this requirement provided that the contractor’s broker/agent can provide financial data to establish that a market is equal to or exceeds the financial strengths associated with the A.M. Best’s rating of A-5 or better.

10. Insurance Company should be licensed to do business by the Georgia Department of Insurance.

11. Certificates of Insurance, and any subsequent renewals, must reference specific bid/contract by project name and project/bid number.

12. The Contractor shall agree to provide complete certified copies of current insurance policy (ies) or a certified letter from the insurance company (ies) if requested by the County to verify the compliance with these insurance requirements.

13 All insurance coverages required to be provided by the Contractor will be primary over any insurance program carried by the County.

14. Contractor shall incorporate a copy of the insurance requirements as herein provided in each and every subcontract with each and every Subcontractor in any tier, and shall require each and every Subcontractor of any tier to comply with all such requirements. Contractor agrees that if for any reason Subcontractor fails to procure and maintain insurance as required, all such required Insurance shall be procured and maintained by Contractor at Contractor's expense.

15. No Contractor or Subcontractor shall commence any work of any kind under this Contract until all insurance requirements contained in this Contract have been complied with and until evidence of such compliance satisfactory to Gwinnett County as to form and content has been filed with Gwinnett County. The Acord Certificate of Insurance or a preapproved substitute is the required form in all cases where reference is made to a Certificate of Insurance or an approved substitute.

16. The Contractor shall agree to waive all rights of subrogation against the County, the Board of Commissioners, its officers, officials, employees, and volunteers from losses arising from work performed by the contractor for the County.

17. Special Form Contractors’ Equipment and Contents Insurance covering owned, used, and leased equipment, tools, supplies, and contents required to perform the services called for in the Contract. The coverage must be on a replacement cost basis. The County will be included as a Loss Payee in this coverage for County owned equipment, tools, supplies, and contents.

18. The Contractor shall make available to the County, through its records or records of their insurer, information regarding a specific claim related to any County project. Any loss run information available from the contractor or their insurer relating to a County project will be made available to the County upon their request.

19. Compliance by the Contractor and all subcontractors with the foregoing requirements as to carrying insurance shall not relieve the Contractor and all Subcontractors of their liability provisions of the Contract.

20. The Contractor and all Subcontractors are to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Public

Law 91-956, and any other laws that may apply to this Contract.

21. The Contractor shall at a minimum apply risk management practices accepted by the contractors’ industry.

BL118-22 PAGE 12

FAILURE TO RETURN THIS PAGE MAY RESULT IN REMOVAL OF YOUR COMPANY FROM COMMODITY

LISTING.

BL118-23

Buyer Initials: BB

IF YOU DESIRE TO SUBMIT A "NO BID" IN RESPONSE TO THIS PACKAGE, PLEASE INDICATE BY CHECKING

ONE OR MORE OF THE REASONS LISTED BELOW AND EXPLAIN.

Do not offer this product or service; remove us from your bidder's list for this item only.

Specifications too "tight"; geared toward one brand or manufacturer only.

Specifications are unclear.

Unable to meet specifications

Unable to meet bond requirements

Unable to meet insurance requirements

Our schedule would not permit us to perform.

Insufficient time to respond.

Other

COMPANY NAME

AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE

SIGNATURE

BL118-22 PAGE 13

GWINNETT COUNTY

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES – PURCHASING DIVISION

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR VENDORS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

***ATTENTION***

FAILURE TO RETURN THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS MAY RESULT IN SUBMITTAL BEING DEEMED NON-

RESPONSIVE AND AUTOMATIC REJECTION. THE COUNTY SHALL BE THE SOLE DETERMINANT OF

TECHNICALITY VS. NON-RESPONSIVE SUBMITTAL:

1. FAILURE TO USE COUNTY QUOTE/BID/FEE SCHEDULE.

2. FAILURE TO RETURN OR ACKNOWLEDGE APPLICABLE COMPLIANCE/SPECIFICATION

SHEETS.

3. FAILURE TO RETURN OR ACKNOWLEDGE APPLICABLE ADDENDA.

4. FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON ALTERNATES OR EQUIVALENTS.

5. FAILURE TO PROVIDE BID BOND, WHEN REQUIRED, WILL RESULT IN SUBMITTAL BEING

DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND AUTOMATIC REJECTION. BID BONDS ARE NOT REQUIRED ON

ALL SOLICITATIONS. BOND REQUIREMENTS ARE CLEARLY STATED ON THE INVITATION

PAGE. IF CLARIFICATION IS NEEDED, CONTACT THE PURCHASING ASSOCIATE LISTED IN THE

INVITATION. IF BONDS ARE REQUIRED, FORMS WILL BE PROVIDED IN THIS SOLICITATION

DOCUMENT.

6. FAILURE TO PROVIDE CONTRACTOR AFFIDAVIT AND AGREEMENT, WHEN REQUIRED, MAY

RESULT IN SUBMITTAL BEING DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND REJECTED. THE CONTRACTOR

AFFIDAVIT AND AGREEMENT IS NOT REQUIRED ON ALL SOLICITATIONS. IF CLARIFICATION IS

NEEDED, CONTACT THE PURCHASING ASSOCIATE LISTED IN THE INVITATION.

7. FAILURE TO PROVIDE AN ETHICS AFFIDAVIT WHEN REQUIRED, MAY RESULT IN SUBMITTAL

BEING DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND REJECTED. THE ETHICS AFFIDAVIT IS REQUIRED ON

ALL FORMAL SOLICITATIONS OVER $100,000.00. IF CLARIFICATION IS NEEDED, CONTACT THE

PURCHASING ASSOCIATE LISTED IN THE INVITATION.

BL118-22 PAGE 14

I. PREPARATION OF SUBMITTAL

A. Each vendor shall examine the drawings, specifications, schedule, and all instructions. Failure to do so will be at the vendor’s risk, as the vendor will be held accountable for their submittal.

B. Each vendor shall furnish all information required by the solicitation form or document. Each vendor shall sign the submittal and print or type his or her name on the quote/bid/fee schedule.

The person signing the submittal should initial erasures or other changes. An authorized agent of the vendor must sign the submittal.

C. Fee schedule pricing should have only two decimal places unless otherwise stated. In the event of a calculation error in total price, the unit pricing prevails.

D. Except for solicitations for the sale of real property, individuals, firms, and businesses seeking an award of a Gwinnett County contract may not initiate or continue any verbal or written communications regarding a solicitation with any County officer, elected official, employee, or other County representative other than the Purchasing Associate named in the solicitation between the date of the issuance of the solicitation and the date of the final award. The Purchasing Director will review violations. If determined that such communication has compromised the competitive process, the offer submitted by the individual, firm or business may be disqualified from consideration for award. Solicitations for the sale of real property may allow for verbal or written communications with the appropriate Gwinnett County representative.

E. Sample contracts (if pertinent) are attached. These do NOT have to be filled out with the submittal but are contained for informational purposes only. If awarded, the successful vendor(s) will be required to execute these documents prior to County execution.

F. Effective July 1, 2013 and in accordance with the Georgia Illegal Immigration Reform

Enhancements for 2013, an original signed, notarized and fully completed Contractor Affidavit and Agreement should be included with vendor’s submittal, if the solicitation is for the physical performance of services for all labor or service contract(s) that exceed $2,499.99 (except for services performed by an individual who is licensed pursuant to Title 26, Title 43, or the State Bar of Georgia). Failure to provide the Contractor Affidavit and Agreement with your submittal may result in being deemed non-responsive and automatic rejection.

II. DELIVERY

A. Each vendor should state time of proposed delivery of goods or services.

B. Words such as “immediate,” “as soon as possible,” etc. should not be used. The known earliest date or the minimum number of calendar days required after receipt of order (delivery A.R.O.) should be stated. If calendar days are used, include Saturday, Sunday, and holidays in the number.

III. EXPLANATION TO VENDORS

Any explanation desired by a vendor regarding the meaning or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc. must be requested by the question cutoff deadline stated in the solicitation for a reply to reach all vendors before the deadline of the solicitation. Any information given to a prospective vendor concerning a solicitation will be furnished to all prospective vendors as an addendum to the solicitation if such information is necessary or if the lack of such information would be prejudicial to uninformed vendors. The written solicitation documents supersede any verbal or written communications between the parties. Receipt of addenda should be acknowledged in the submittal. It is the vendor’s responsibility to ensure they have all applicable addenda prior to their

BL118-22 PAGE 15

submittal. This may be accomplished by contacting the assigned Purchasing Associate prior to the submittal or visiting the Gwinnett County website.

IV. SUBMISSION OF FORMAL OFFERS/SUBMITTALS

A. Formal bid and proposal submittals shall be enclosed in a sealed package or envelope, addressed to the Gwinnett County Purchasing Division with the name of the vendor, the date and hour of opening and the solicitation number on the face of the package or envelope.

Facsimile or emailed submittals will not be considered. Any addenda should be enclosed in the sealed envelopes as well.

B. ADD/DEDUCT: Add or deduct amounts indicated on the outside of the envelope are allowed and will be applied to the lump sum amount. Amount shall be clearly stated and should be initialed by an authorized representative.

C. Samples of items, when required, must be submitted within the time specified and, unless otherwise specified by the County, at no expense to the County. Unless otherwise specified, samples will be returned at the vendor’s request and expense, if items are not destroyed by testing.

D. Items offered must meet required specifications and must be of a quality that will adequately serve the use and purpose for which intended.

E. Full identification of each item submitted, including brand name, model, catalog number, etc.

must be furnished to identify exactly what the vendor is offering. Manufacturer’s literature may be furnished but vendor should not submit excessive marketing material.

F. The vendor must certify that items to be furnished are new and that the quality has not deteriorated to impair its usefulness.

G. Unsigned submittals will not be considered except in cases where it is enclosed with other documents that have been signed. The County will determine acceptability in these cases.

H. Gwinnett County is exempt from federal excise tax and Georgia sales tax regarding goods and services purchased directly by Gwinnett County. Vendors are responsible for federal excise tax and sales tax, including taxes for materials incorporated in county construction projects.

Vendors should contact the State of Georgia Sales Tax Division for additional information.

Agreements were there is a cost-plus mark-up, mark-up will not be paid on taxes.

I. Information submitted by a vendor in the solicitation process shall be subject to disclosure after the public opening in accordance with the Georgia Open Records Act.

V. WITHDRAWAL DUE TO ERRORS

Vendors must give Gwinnett County Purchasing Division written notice within two (2) business days of completion of the opening stating that they wish to withdraw their submittal without penalty for an obvious clerical or calculation error. Submittal may be withdrawn from consideration if the price was substantially lower than the other submittals due solely to a mistake therein, provided pricing was submitted in good faith, and the mistake was a clerical mistake as opposed to a judgment mistake and was due to an unintentional arithmetic error or an unintentional omission of a quantity of work, labor or material made directly in the compilation of the submittal. The unintentional arithmetic error or omission can be clearly proven through inspection of the original work papers, documents, and materials used in preparing the submittal sought to be withdrawn. The vendor’s original work papers shall be the sole acceptable evidence of error and mistake if a vendor elects to withdraw their submittal. If a quote or bid

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submittal is withdrawn under the authority of this provision, the lowest remaining responsive offer shall be deemed to be low bid.

No vendor who is permitted to withdraw their submittal shall, for compensation, supply any material or labor or perform any subcontract or other work agreement for the person or firm to whom the contract is awarded or otherwise benefit, directly or indirectly, from the performance of the project for which the withdrawn bid or proposal was submitted.

Vendors who fail to request withdrawal by the required forty-eight (48) hours may automatically forfeit bid bond if a bond was required. Bid may not be withdrawn otherwise.

Withdrawal is not automatically granted and will be allowed solely at Gwinnett County’s discretion.

VI. TESTING AND INSPECTION

Since tests may require several days for completion, the County reserves the right to use a portion of any supplies before the results of the tests are determined. Cost of inspections and tests of any item that fails to meet the specifications, shall be borne by the vendor.

VII. F.O.B. POINT

Unless otherwise stated in the request for invitation and any resulting contract, or unless qualified by the vendor, items shall be shipped F.O.B. Destination, Freight Prepaid and Allowed. The seller shall retain title for the risk of transportation, including the filing for loss or damages. The invoice covering the items is not payable until items are delivered and the contract of carriage has been completed. Unless the F.O.B. clause states otherwise, the seller assumes transportation and related charges either by payment or allowance.

VIII. PATENT INDEMNITY

The vendor guarantees to hold the County, its agents, officers, or employees harmless from liability of any nature or kind for use of any copyrighted or uncopyrighted composition, secret process, patented or unpatented invention, articles or appliances furnished or used in the performance of the contract, for which the vendor is not the patentee, assignee, or licensee.

IX. BID BONDS AND PAYMENT AND PERFORMANCE BONDS (IF REQUIRED, FORMS WILL BE PROVIDED IN

THIS DOCUMENT)

A five percent (5%) bid bond, a one hundred percent (100%) performance bond, and a one hundred percent (100%) payment bond must be furnished to Gwinnett County for any solicitation as required in the solicitation package or document. Failure to submit a bid bond with the proper rating will result in submittal being deemed non-responsive. Bonding company must be authorized to do business in Georgia by the Georgia Insurance Commission, listed in the Department of the Treasury’s publication of companies holding certificates of authority as acceptable surety on Federal bonds and as acceptable reinsuring companies, and have an A.M. Best rating as stated in the insurance requirement of the solicitation. The bid bond, payment bond, and performance bond must have the proper A.M. Best rating as stated in the solicitation document.

X. DISCOUNTS

A. Time payment discounts may be considered in arriving at net prices and in award of solicitations. Offers of discounts for payment within ten (10) days following the end of the month are preferred.

B. In connection with any discount offered, time will be computed from the date of delivery and acceptance at destination, or from the date correct invoice or voucher is received, whichever is

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the later date. Payment is deemed to be made for the purpose of earning the discount on the date of the County check.

XI. AWARD

A. Award will be made to either the highest scoring firm (for proposals) or the lowest responsive and responsible vendor (for quotes/bids). The quality of the articles to be supplied, their conformity with the specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the County, and the delivery terms will be taken into consideration in making the award. The County may make such investigations as it deems necessary to determine the ability of the vendor to perform, and the vendor shall furnish to the County all such information and data for this purpose as the County may request. The County reserves the right to reject any submittal if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of such vendor fails to satisfy the County that such vendor is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract.

B. The County reserves the right to reject or accept any or all offers and to waive technicalities, informalities and minor irregularities in the submittals received.

C. The County reserves the right to make an award as deemed in its best interest, which may include awarding to a single vendor or multiple vendors; or to award the whole solicitation agreement, only part of the agreement, or none of the agreement, based on its sole discretion of its best interest.

D. In the event of proposal scores rounded to the nearest whole number result in a tie score, the award will be based on lowest cost.

E. If proposal negotiations with the highest ranked firm are unsuccessful, the County may then negotiate with the second ranked firm and so on until a satisfactory agreement has been reached.

XII. DELIVERY FAILURES

Failure of a vendor to deliver within the time specified or within reasonable time as interpreted by the Purchasing Director, or failure to make replacement of rejected articles/services when so requested, immediately or as directed by the Purchasing Director, shall constitute authority for the Purchasing Director to purchase in the open market articles/services of comparable grade to replace the articles/services rejected or not delivered. On all such purchases, the vendor shall reimburse the County within a reasonable time specified by the Purchasing Director for any expense incurred in excess of the contract prices, or the County shall have the right to deduct such amount from monies owed the defaulting vendor. Alternatively, the County may penalize the vendor one percent (1%) per day for a period of up to ten (10) days for each day that delivery or replacement is late. Should public necessity demand it, the County reserves the right to use or consume articles/services delivered which are substandard in quality, subject to an adjustment in price to be determined by the Purchasing Director.

XIII. COUNTY FURNISHED PROPERTY

No material, labor or facilities will be furnished by the County unless so provided in the solicitation package.

XIV. REJECTION OF SUBMITTALS

Failure to observe any of the instructions or conditions in this solicitation package may constitute grounds for rejection.

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XV. CONTRACT

Each submittal is received with the understanding that the acceptance in writing by the County of the offer to furnish any or all the commodities or services described therein shall constitute a contract between the vendor and the County which shall bind the vendor on his part to furnish and deliver the articles quoted at the prices stated in accordance with the conditions of said accepted submittal. The County, on its part, may order from such vendor, except for cause beyond reasonable control, and to pay for, at the agreed prices, all articles specified and delivered.

Upon receipt of a solicitation package containing a Gwinnett County “Sample Contract” as part of the requirements, it is understood that the vendor has reviewed the documents with the understanding that Gwinnett County requires that all agreements between the parties must be entered into via this document. If any exceptions are taken to any part, each must be stated in detail and submitted as part of the vendor’s submittal. If no exceptions are stated, it is assumed that the vendor fully agrees to the provisions contained in the “Sample Contract” in its entirety.

Any Consultant as defined in O.C.G.A. §36-80-28 that is engaged to develop or draft specifications/requirements or serve in a consultative role during the procurement process for any County procurement method, by entering into such an arrangement or executing a contract, the consultant agrees to abide by the current state law and: 1) Avoid any appearance of impropriety and shall follow all policies and procedures of the County, 2) Disclose to the County any material transaction or relationship pursuant to §36-80-28, that is considered a conflict of interest, any involvement in litigation or other dispute, relationship, or financial interest not disclosed in the ethics affidavit, and 3) Acknowledge that any violation or threatened violation of the agreement may cause irreparable injury to the County, entitling the County to seek injunctive relief in addition to all other legal remedies.

When the vendor has performed in accordance with the provisions of this agreement, Gwinnett County shall pay to the vendor, within thirty (30) days of receipt of any department approved payment request and based upon work completed or service provided pursuant to the contract, the sum so requested, less the retainage stated in this agreement, if any. If Gwinnett County fails to pay the vendor within sixty

(60) days of receipt of a pay request based upon work completed or service provided pursuant to the contract, the County shall pay the vendor interest at the rate of ½% per month or pro rata fraction thereof, beginning the sixty-first (61st) day following receipt of pay requests. The vendor’s acceptance of progress payments or final payment shall release all claims for interest on said payment.

The parties agree that this Contract shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the

State of Georgia.

XVI. NON-COLLUSION

Vendor declares that the submittal is not made in connection with any other vendor’s submittal for the same commodity or commodities, and that the submittal is bona fide and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. An affidavit of non-collusion shall be executed by each vendor. Collusion and fraud in submittal preparation shall be reported to the State of Georgia Attorney General and the United States Justice Department.

XVII. DEFAULT

The contract may be canceled or annulled by the Purchasing Director in whole or in part by written notice of default to the vendor upon non-performance or violation of contract terms. An award may be made to the next low responsive and responsible vendor, or the next highest scoring responsive and responsible proposer, or articles specified may be purchased on the open market similar to those so terminated. In either event, the defaulting vendor (or their surety) shall be liable to the County for costs to the County in excess of the defaulted contract prices; provided, however, that the vendor shall continue the performance of this contract to the extent not terminated under the provisions of this

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clause. Failure of the vendor to deliver materials or services within the time stipulated on their offer, unless extended in writing by the Purchasing Director, shall constitute contract default.

XVIII. TERMINATION FOR CAUSE

The County may terminate this agreement for cause upon ten days prior written notice to the vendor of the vendor’s default in the performance of any term of this agreement. Such termination shall be without prejudice to any of the County’s rights or remedies by law.

XIX. TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE

The County may terminate this agreement for its convenience at any time upon 30 days written notice to the vendor. In the event of the County’s termination of this agreement for convenience, the vendor will be paid for those services actually performed. Partially completed performance of the agreement will be compensated based upon a signed statement of completion to be submitted by the vendor, which shall itemize each element of performance.

XX. SUBSTITUTIONS

Vendors offering substitutions or who are deviating from the attached specifications shall list such deviations on a separate sheet to be submitted with their offer. The absence of such a substitution list shall indicate that the vendor has taken no exception to the specifications contained herein.

XXI. INELIGIBLE VENDORS

The County may choose not to accept the offer by an individual, firm, or business who is in default on the payment of taxes, licenses, or other monies owed to the County. Additionally, vendors or persons placed on an Ineligible Source List for reasons listed in Part 6, Section II of the Gwinnett County Purchasing Ordinance shall not be eligible to provide any commodities or services to the County during the period such person remains on the Ineligible Source List.

XXII. PENDING LITIGATION

An individual, firm, or business that has litigation pending against the County, or anyone representing a firm or business in litigation against the County, not arising out of the procurement process, will be disqualified.

XXIII. OCCUPATION TAX CERTIFICATE

Each successful vendor must have a valid Gwinnett County occupation tax certificate if the vendor maintains an office within the unincorporated area of Gwinnett County. Incorporated, out of County, and out of State vendors are required to have any and all certificates necessary to do business in any town, County or municipality in the State of Georgia, or as otherwise required by County ordinance or resolution. Vendors may be required to provide evidence of valid certificates. Out of State vendors are required to have a certificate in the Georgia jurisdiction where they receive the most revenue.

XXIV. PURCHASING POLICY AND REVIEW COMMITTEE

The Purchasing Policy & Review Committee has been established to review purchasing procedures and make recommendations for changes; resolve problems regarding the purchasing process; make recommendations for standardization of commodities, schedule buying, qualified products list, annual contracts, supplier performance (Ineligible Source List), and other problems or requirements related to purchasing. The Purchasing Policy & Review Committee has authority to place vendors on the Ineligible Source List for reasons listed in Part 6, Section II of the Gwinnett County Purchasing Ordinance, for a period not to exceed three (3) years.

XXV. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

All vendors for Gwinnett County are required to comply with all applicable sections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with the Americans with

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Disabilities Act (ADA), Gwinnett County provides reasonable accommodations to permit a qualified applicant with a disability to enjoy the privileges of employment equal to those employees without disabilities. Disabled individuals must satisfy job requirements for education background, employment experience, and must be able to perform those tasks that are essential to the job with or without reasonable accommodations. Any requests for the reasonable accommodations required by individuals to fully participate in any open meeting, program or activity of Gwinnett County should be directed to the ADA Coordinator, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046, 770-822-8165.

XXVI. ALTERATIONS OF SOLICITATION AND ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

Alterations of County documents are strictly prohibited and will result in automatic disqualification of the vendor’s solicitation response. If there are “exceptions” or comments to any of the solicitation requirements or other language, then the firm may make notes to those areas, but may not materially alter any document language.

XXVII. TAX LIABILITY

Local and state governmental entities must notify vendors of their use tax liability on public works projects.