CPA Updated RFP_LED Lighting Solar and Energy.docx

Request for Proposal

LED Lighting and Energy Efficiency Solutions Proposals Due: March 14th, 2025 No later than 4:00 p.m. EDT

RFP #025-01

Timeline:

Bid Release February 6th, 2025 Questions Deadline March 3rd, 2025 Submission Deadline March 14th, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Table of Contents

Section 1- Background and Project Overview Section 2. Definition of Terms Section 3- Terms and Conditions Section 4- Vendor Profile and Experience Requirements Section 5- Scope/Statement of Work Section 6- Specifications Section 7- General Conditions Section 8- Additional Terms and Conditions Section 9- Warranty Section 10- Pricing Section 11- Agreement to Participate in Program Section 12- Method of Evaluation and Selection Section 13- Rights to Withdraw Section 14- Additional Information Section 15- Proposal Format Section 16- Cancellation for Non-Performance or Contractor Deficiency/Standard Cancellation Section 17- Timetable for Response

Attachments to Include with Response

Attachment 1- Quality Requirement Form Attachment 2- Reference Sheet Attachment 3- CPA Membership Acknowledgement Form Attachment 4- Pricing Sheet Attachment 5- Questionnaire Attachment 6- Evaluation Matrix Attachment 7-Affidavit of Non-Collusion

Section 1 – Background and Project Overview

A. Cooperative Purchasing Agency (CPA) was founded in 1971 working with 35 school districts. And in 2019 CPA became the lead agency of the Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA) in Georgia and now serves the whole state of Georgia.

B. We believe in the power of community and the importance of working together to achieve our goals. We enable members to explore and solve their present and future purchasing needs by using our multi-state volume contracts with benefits that are measurable, cost-effective and more.

C. Contracts offered through CPA are solicited within the state of Georgia and follow all state guidelines and provides the most competitive pricing available.

D. States Served – Both Georgia & Tennessee

E. Eligible Members – Public, Private and Charter Schools, Private Colleges, Cities, Counties, Municipalities, Non-Profits, and Public Libraries and non-profit organizations.

F. In 2021, the Georgia Legislature updated the Georgia Procurement Manual and CPA follows all policies as specified in regards to Cooperative Purchasing within the state of Georgia. Click here for the full Georgia Procurement process.

G. The program is seeking to receive proposals to establish a contract for a catalog of commercial LED lighting components, services, other equipment, including, but not limited to solar energy solutions and other renewable and environmentally friendly products and services that may be unknown to CPA. Sought in this Request for Proposals are items suitable for schools as well as other government and non-profit facilities. The overarching goal is to identify and award contracts that provide energy efficiencies to reduce the overall ownership and operations cost associated with lighting, climate control, and other facility energy consumables.

H. The objective is to achieve cost savings through a single competitive solicitation process for use by all eligible entities that eliminates the need for multiple proposals while combining the purchasing power of multiple sources and reducing the administrative costs to both vendor partners and eligible buyers.

I. The solicitation and subsequent award/s represent unique opportunities for significant market growth for awardees given the desire for schools and other eligible entities to expeditiously make purchases at discounted prices through a competitively awarded contract and managed through a Georgia based, state authorized cooperative purchasing program with a core mission to provide shared services to schools and other eligible entities.

Section 2- Definition of Terms

A. The Procurement Purchasing Program - The program managed by CPA to secure cooperative purchasing agreements on behalf of Georgia schools and other eligible entities.

B. Offeror/Respondent/Contractor: The entity responding to this solicitation and placed under contract with an eligible entity electing to utilize the contract.

C. RFP- Request for Proposal - Formal procurement where a service or need is planned but no specific service or method has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the bidders to suggest various approaches to meet the need at a given price.

D. Buyer- The eligible entity choosing to utilize the contract and agreement with the Offeror.

E. Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement- an agreement entered into by CPA and other eligible purchasing cooperatives or state purchasing agencies to expand the use of the awarded contract to other regions nationally and within the States of Georgia and Tennessee.

F. MSRP- Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price

G. Smart School - A school designed or modified to take advantage of new and emerging technologies that reduce the cost of energy consumption in an environmentally sound manner.

Section 3 – Terms and Conditions

A. Delivery Date: Written responses must be hand delivered no later than 4:00 p.m. EDT on March 14, 2025. The respondent/s will provide one original, one digital and three hard copies to:

Cooperative Purchasing Agency Attn: Elizabeth Dorman 1041 S Main Street Cleveland GA 30523

B. Mailing of Proposals: All bids and proposals submitted in response to the solicitation must be clearly identified as listed below with the solicitation number, title, name, and address of the company responding. All packages must be clearly identified as listed below, sealed, and delivered to the above listed address no later than the submittal deadline assigned for this solicitation. Proposals received after this date will be rejected.

From Company Address City, State, Zip Solicitation Name and Number

C. Questions about this RFP will be submitted in writing to Elizabeth Dorman at edorman@cpa4schools.com. Request for information is due no later than March 3, 2025 @ 4:00 pm EDT. The questions along with responses will be compiled and kept in a folder under this announcement on the CPA AEPA website at aepaga.godaddysites.com.

D. Duration: The term of the agreement will be for 3 years with the possibility to renew for two more 12-month terms. After the first 12 months, the contract may be terminated by either party upon receipt of a 30-day notice provided all client obligations created under the contract have been satisfied.

E. The Offeror has provided evidence that his/her company has the financial resources and ability to affectively perform the Scope of Work and provide the services outlined in this RFP.

F. CPA does not guarantee usage of this contract. Usage will depend on the actual needs of eligible users of the contract and the value offered by the proposer.

G. Performance and Payment Bond: Upon the request of the Buyer and as required by state or local law, the Offeror shall, at the receipt of a Buyer purchase order, furnish the Buyer on whose behalf the purchase order is issued, a corporate surety bond in the full amount of the purchase order for the faithful performance of the contract, as conditioned below. The surety must be authorized to do business in the States of Georgia and Tennessee and be satisfactory to Buyer. Each bond shall be in the form required by the States of Georgia and Tennessee.

H. CPA reserves the right to extend multiple awards under this solicitation.

Section 4 – Vendor Profile and Experience Requirements

A. Provide a cover letter outlining the specific experience and qualifications listed below:

1. Experience providing related services to schools, governmental entities, and non-profit organizations.

2. Experience in evaluating, consulting, and providing proper product recommendations to meet customer needs and expectations.

3. Experienced staff with proper licensing and credentials to perform all work associated with the RFP.

4. Experience in management of large-scale projects.

5. Quality requirements, or basic business requirements, are the minimum set of standards that an entity must meet and certify to be considered responsible and responsive. Please complete the Quality Requirements in Attachment 1 and submit it with your completed bid. The CPA program will disqualify any response that does not meet the minimum quality requirements. A "No Response" to items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or failure to respond to the Quality Requirements in Attachment 1 will disqualify the respondent from the RFP and the entry will be deemed unresponsive.

6. Provide a copy of all current licenses, registrations and certifications issued by federal, state, and local agencies, and any other licenses, registrations, or certifications from any other governmental entity with authority, allowing respondent to perform the covered services including, but not limited to, licenses, registrations, or certification.

B. The vendor will provide a minimum of three references from schools, school districts, colleges, universities, or other eligible entities that have utilized services provided by the Respondent. Please use Attachment 2 provided with this solicitation.

C. Include a cover letter to your response that includes a statement that you have read and understood the RFP and are able to provide the services proposed. Your letter should note any exceptions and must be signed by the individual who will have overall responsibility and accountability for all services and products to be provided. Provide a brief description of your company and its capabilities. Complete the questionnaire in attachment 5.

Section 5- Scope-Statement of Work

A. CPA is seeking proposals to reduce energy consumption such as turn-key LED Lighting, related products, including solar energy products and solutions to reduce facility energy consumption, methods of processes, design, and proper licensing required to provide labor, material and equipment to perform as required all relevant installation and maintenance services. The goal of the RFP is to identify and establish a purchasing agreement for the reduction in energy consumption that will result in a cost savings to the eligible entity purchasing under this agreement.

B. Respondent must be able to accommodate large scale projects such as those required by cities, counties, school districts, and other non-profit or governmental entities. Examples include school sites, municipal buildings, parks, large and small recreation complexes, as required by eligible entities.

C. Respondent must provide design drawings of requested project for review and approval from the agency seeking services and make recommendations on equipment and installation services.

D. The proposal must cover a catalog of devices and services that’s suitable for a variety of settings such as all interior areas i.e., classrooms, offices, gymnasiums, cafeterias, hallways, and exterior locations such as parking lots, and all other exterior areas outside of a building. Additionally, other products services such as consulting, energy management controls, solar energy solutions, and other cost saving products and services in the proposer’s catalog.

E. CPA is seeking to achieve an average 20% reduction in energy costs by implementing the solutions offered in this proposal by the Contractor. Evidence and examples of savings must be provided.

Section 6- Specifications

A. The following are conditions and specifications to LED Lighting, Energy Management Solutions, and Energy Efficiencies

1. The Contractor shall provide all labor, transportation, and supervision necessary to perform the work described herein.

2. Designs, if requested, will be created, and approved by the buyer before the commencement of work.

3. Services may vary based on the needs and desires of the buyer.

4. Any damage caused by the contractor personnel shall be repaired promptly at no cost to the Buyer.

5. The following is a list of product specifications designated for the proposal.

a. LED Lighting -. All lighting devices must comply with the standards developed by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES). https://www.ies.org/standards/ies-lighting-library/

All products listed in the lighting catalog must be approved by the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as “Energy Star” products

The proposal must contain research-based evidence that the products offered under this proposal can provide clearly defined cost reductions of energy, maintenance, reduced environmental impacts, heat reduction, and improved light quality.

b. Solar Energy – The Proposer should offer, when requested, suitable options for the placement of solar energy panels compliant with industry standards and provide Buyer with research-based evidence of cost savings and Return on Investment (ROI).

· Vendor will submit a proposal that outlines turnkey solar solutions for CPA Georgia members.

· a minimum of 30 successfully contracted solar/microgrid projects with K-12 school districts in 2024.

· All upfront development, and engineering for agencies will be at the expense of the vendor.

· Vendor on behalf of member will provide financing options as a pass thru to member for up to a 30-year term.

· Vendor will bond power production guarantee, performance guarantee, guaranteed maximum price (GMP).

· Members will own the solar and microgrid system and receive all benefits from utility cost avoidance, tax incentives, and any available grants and rebates.

c. Energy Consumption Tracking – The Proposer should offer, when requested, a method for tracking energy consumption to identify potential areas of opportunity for cost savings. Such offerings should have the ability to provide relevant data to allow managers to make sound decisions regarding cost reductions.

d. Other- The RFP provides the flexibility for Proposers to provide products and services that may be unknown to CPA but has the proven capacity to provide energy efficiencies and cost reductions to eligible facilities.

B. Installation

1. Installation shall be performed by certified installers and in compliance with state and local codes.

2. The times and dates of installation shall be at the sole discretion of the purchaser.

3. Installation and material costs shall be submitted in advance of work.

4. The Installer must be knowledgeable of, and able to, secure all bonds, permits, licenses and approvals needed for installation of the energy saving solutions as proposed in the Purchase Order.

5. The Offeror will provide comprehensive training on the operation, use and testing of purchased equipment to all personnel selected by the member.

6. All deliveries must be coordinated with the member before delivery. Delivery must be “on the ground” unless otherwise specified.

C. Respondents are requested to submit their total line of available products and services, including those not mentioned in the RFP. The solicitation specifically covers LED Lighting, Energy Management and Energy Efficiency and Related Services, respondents are encouraged to submit an offering on any, or all products and services available that they currently perform in their normal course of business.

D. CPA recognizes that any one Respondent may not be able to provide every item or product line requested in this solicitation, but all products and services offered in the Suppliers catalog should be included.

Section 7- General Conditions

A. The following conditions shall be adhered to:

1. The Contractor shall endeavor to provide a safe, healthful, and productive work environment for its employees by supporting maintenance of a Drug-Free Workplace as defined by Georgia Law (O.C.G.A. 34-9-410).

2. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) standards must be complying.

3. The Contractor shall assure that its employees have received the necessary safety equipment required for the work described by the Contract Document. Personnel must be trained in the hazards associated with installation products.

4. The Contractor shall always maintain a copy of all current Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) documentation and safety certifications at the site, as well as comply with all other site documentation requirements of the OSHA programs and this specification.

5. The Contractor shall protect the client's property and shall be responsible for the cost arising out of any damage or injury due to neglect.

7. Unless otherwise agreed to by the purchaser, the contractor will carry insurance with responsible carriers acceptable to the purchaser for Worker’s compensation and Employer’s Liability, Automobile Liability for owned, non-owned and hired vehicles, commercial General Liability, and Professional Liability.

8. The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion ancestry, sex, national origin, affection preference, disability, age, marital status, or status regarding public assistance or as a disabled veteran.

9. The Contractor must describe in the response all responsibilities that the Contractor anticipates assigning or subcontracting, identify all the subcontractors and, also describe how the bidder will manage the subcontractors. The Contractor will be held solely responsible and liable for the actions of all its subcontractors and the actions of the subcontractor’s employees.

Section 8- Additional Terms and Conditions

A. All terms and conditions may be modified and revised by the Contractor with the written consent of both CPA and the Awardee.

B. CPA, at its discretion, may offer the use of the awarded agreement to governmental entities such as state agency purchasing programs, to extend the use of the contract to eligible users. This option will be referred to as an Interlocal Agreement. Under such conditions, the participating agency may, with written consent from the Awardee, modify and revise the terms and conditions of the primary agreement.

C. No right or interest in the Contract shall be assigned or transferred by the Contractor without the prior written consent of the purchasing program. No delegation of any duty of the Contractor shall be assigned without prior written permission of CPA . If the original Vendor/Contractor sells or transfers all assets or the entire portion of the assets used to perform this Contract, a successor in interest must guarantee to perform all obligations under this Contract.

D. CPA reserves the right to reject the acquiring person or entity as a Vendor/Contractor. A change of name agreement will not change the contractual obligations of the Vendor/Contractor.

E. The Awardee, may, upon entering negotiations with qualified buyers, amend their prices to offer volume discounts below the lowest unit rates established in the pricing portion of this agreement.

F. The vendor will, on behalf of the member, utilize formal procurement methods that meet current bid law requirements for all project specific equipment/supplies/services to relieve the administrative burden of preparing solicitation documents for members.

Section 9- Warranty

A. All products and services should carry a minimum industry standard warranty that includes materials and labor. The Proposer must submit product specific warranty information as required and accepted by industry standards. Dealer/Distributors agree to assist the purchaser in reaching a solution in a dispute over warranty’s terms with the manufacturer.

B. Additional Warrants: The Proposer warrants that all products/equipment and related services furnished hereunder will be free from liens and encumbrances; defects in design, materials, and workmanship; and will conform in all respects to the terms of this RFP including any specifications or standards. In addition, Proposer/Vendor warrants the products/equipment and related services are suitable for and will perform in accordance with the ordinary use for which they are intended.

Section 10- Pricing

A. A separate pricing sheet is attached and shall be completed by the respondent. The respondent must submit a percentage discount from catalog pricing. Pricing is a vital component of this RFP and will be heavily weighted (up to 30 points out of a possible 100) during the evaluation process. Attachment 4 must be completed.

B. It is expected and understood that the pricing offered under this award is compatible with the lowest unit rates available under any other cooperative agreement utilized by the awardee.

C. Please list any other contracts and the pricing formulas for any other contracts you possess with other purchasing cooperatives or agencies. (See Attachment 5, number 22.)

D. Pricing will be based on a percentage discount from a published Manufacturer’s Retail Price (MSRP) or standard list pricing and cover the cost of both materials, installation, maintenance, and cleanup. Respondent must provide verifiable evidence to support the discount compared to list pricing.

E. Shipping and Labor may be priced separate but should be at cost with no mark up.

Section 11- Agreement to Participate in the Consortium’s Cooperative Purchasing Program.

A. The Awardee/Contractor agrees to sign an Affiliation Agreement with the Purchasing Cooperative and pay an administrative rebate for sales and services generated from this contract. This rebate is not to be added to the invoice of any entity choosing to use this agreement and will be equal to 2% of the invoice and be paid to CPA on a quarterly basis. The contractor will be provided a template for reporting sales, and it will include the entity using the contract, the date of service, and the savings to the school district and other eligible users.

CPA extends the authority for the contractor to use the contract for eligible entities outside of Georgia provided CPA is paid the 2% administrative rebate.

B. The Purchasing Cooperative will promote the products and services consistent with all other entities enrolled and contracted through the program and provide information on which will contain general information about the services performed along with contact information of the awardee.

C. The Awardee/Contractor will provide any state, county, special district, local government, school district, private K-12 school, charter school, technical or vocational school, higher education institution, (including community colleges and universities, both public and private), other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and other eligible entities under contract to perform services on behalf of an eligible entity that is required contractually to follow state procurement regulations, with the option to purchase at the same terms, conditions, and pricing submitted with this proposal. It is further understood that CPA, as the awardee, hereby grants the utilization of this agreement, as permitted by applicable law, to any of the aforementioned entities.

D. The Awardee/Contractor shall sign an acknowledgement form (Attachment 3) stating full understanding of the relationship between the respondent and the Purchasing program.

Section 12- Method of Evaluation and Selection

A. Responses will be weighed on the experience and references provided.

B. Pricing will be heavily weighted with a possible score of 30 points out of 100.

C. The Contractor will be evaluated on the capacity in which the scope of work and specifications can be performed as well as the quality and quantity of the workers who perform the work.

D. The Contractor will be evaluated based on warranty information.

E. The Contractor will be evaluated based on certifications and compliance with national standards.

F. The Contractor will be evaluated based on the variety of products/services offered.

G. The Contractor will be evaluated by the lowest prices offered based on the standards established in the scope of work and the greatest discounts offered.

H. The Contractor will be evaluated based on the verifiable evidence provided indicating an average energy cost savings of a minimum of 20% on projects implemented by the Contractor.

I. The RFP will be opened as soon as possible following the deadline, organized, and distributed to four evaluators consisting of at least one member of the purchasing staff and at least two reviewers from other departments or school districts. The reviews will be conducted independently and not in conjunction with other reviewers. The award will be based on the average number of points that are submitted by each independent evaluator.

J. The contract shall be awarded by written notice to the responsible and responsive vendor whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the eligible entities utilizing the contract, taking into consideration the price, ability to affect facility energy savings, and other criteria set forth in the Request for Proposals.

Section 13- CPA Rights to Withdraw

A. CPA reserves the right to withdraw this RFP notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary; to find that any or all of the Respondents are qualified to provide the services; to reject any or all Responses, in whole or in part; to refrain from awarding any contract for services; and/or to exclude any or all Respondents from inclusion in any Request for Proposals, or any other form of solicitation for the provision of the services.

B. CPA reserves the right to request clarification on any response to the RFP.

C. CPA reserves the right to award multiple vendors.

Section 14-Additional Information

A. CPA reserves the right to accept modification and clarifications of the responses when CPA determines such action would be in the best interest of the participants. CPA further reserves the right to waive any non-conformity in a response.

B. Questions regarding the RFP should be address to Elizabeth Dorman at edorman@cpa4schools.com. The last day for questions will be March 3, 2025. In the subject line, please write: Questions regarding RFP #025-01. Responses will be posted along with the questions on our website at aepaga.godaddysites.com.

C. CPA prohibits harassment and discrimination on a basis of race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, or veteran status, national origin, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, or past or present physical or mental disability in accordance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, and all applicable state laws.

D. Small and minority businesses and women’s business enterprises are encouraged to participate in this solicitation.

E. The Buyer will be required to maintain oversight to ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms and condition of the contracts and purchase orders associated with this solicitation.

F. Sign the Contract Offer and Award Letter (attachment 6) and include it with your response.

G. The Offeror must sign and have notarized the Affidavit of No collusion found in Attachment 9.

H. Certification regarding debarment, suspension, ineligibility, and voluntary exclusion. Federal money may potentially be used to pay for all or part of the work under the Contract, therefore the Offeror certifies that it is following Federal requirements on debarment, suspension, ineligibility, and voluntary exclusion specified in the solicitation document implementing Executive Order 12549. The Offeror’s certification is a material representation upon which the Contract award will be based.

Section 15- Proposal Format A. Responses must be provided in a three-ring binder or report cover using 8.5 x 11 paper clearly identified with the name of the Respondent’s company and the solicitation name and number on both the outside front cover and vertical spine. Type set should be Times New Roman 12pt. All responses should be delivered using standard carriers or hand delivered. No electronic submissions (e-mail) will be accepted.

B. Include a copy of the entire RFP document that you are responding to, prior to your tabulated response. Tabs should be used to separate the proposal into sections. Must include an electronic version of your response on a flash drive.

Section 16- Cancellation for Non-Performance or Contractor Deficiency/Standard Cancellation

A. CPA may terminate the agreement with the awarded respondent/s if awardee/s have not used the contract, or if purchase volume is determined to be low volume in any 12-month period. Furthermore, CPA reserves the right to cancel the whole or any part of this contract due to failure by contractor to fulfill any obligation, term, or condition of the contract.

B. Either party may cancel this contract in whole or in part by providing written notice. The cancellation will take effect 30 business days after the other party receives the notice of cancellation. After the 30th business day all work will cease following completion of final purchase order.

Section 17- Timetable for Response

A. CPA anticipates proceeding in a manner consistent with the following timetable. The timetable is subject to change at CPA’s sole discretion.

1. RFP advertised and released February 6th, 2025

2. Last day for questions: March 3rd, 2025

3. Response deadline: March 14th, 2025

B. Award information will be made available to school districts and municipalities on March 21st, 2025, via the CPA AEPA Cooperative Purchasing web page at aepaga.godaddysites.com.

Attachments for

CPA Cooperative Purchasing Agency RFP #025-01 LED Lighting and Energy Efficiency Solutions

Attachment 1

QUALITY REQUIREMENT FORM

Quality Requirements, or basic business requirements, are the minimum set of standards that an entity must meet and certify to be considered responsible and responsive. Please complete the Quality Requirement form and submit it with your response. This form MUST be submitted with your response.

Quality

Yes

No

Requirements

perform large scale projects.

entity in Georgia and other states where procurement laws allow.

including certification in any installation codes as well as those necessary to conduct business in the State of Georgia.

Warranty for the products and services sold under the contract.

incentives, and any available grants and rebates.

Attachment 2 Reference Form

Respondent:

Provide references from no less than three (3) schools, school districts, or other eligible entities.

Email:

Description and date(s) of services provided:

Reference Contact

Address: Phone

Attachment 3 CPA Georgia Membership Acknowledgement Form I fully understand and agree that an award of the RFP requires enrollment in the CPA Purchasing Cooperative and a 2% Administrative Rebate for sales generated from this contract. The rebates will be paid quarterly to CPA, along with a sales report (a template of which will be provided by CPA) for contract management, marketing, and facilitation of this agreement. The rebates will be based off the actual amount invoiced to the entity utilizing the contract and the 2% rebate is not to be added to the invoice or otherwise passed to any entity choosing to use this agreement.

I fully understand that the award and contract are approved by a single governmental entity, the on County, School District as CPA fiscal agent (and lead agency), and are only available for use and benefit of all entities complying with state procurement laws and regulations (public and private schools, colleges and universities, cities, counties, non-profits, all other governmental entities and other entities contractually performing work on behalf of an eligible entity provided all state and local public procurement regulations are followed).

I also understand that the contract/agreement may be utilized for eligible entities outside of the State of South Carolina provided it is allowed under such state’s procurement laws and under the same terms and conditions of this agreement.

CPA or its fiscal agent/lead Agency is not responsible for or liable for agreements between the Purchaser or Offeror for any services and products purchased through the attached RFP.

Print Name: Signature: Date:

Attachment 4 Pricing Sheet General Comparison Worksheet

Please create an Excel Spreadsheet using this worksheet sample to list pricing proposals. It may be expanded to add other options/products, the format should remain the same. This is for comparative analysis only.

Company Name:

Attachment 5 Questionnaire

Instructions. Please complete the questionnaire below by placing your company’s answers in the correlating response column.

Responding Company’s Name:

Instructions: For those responding to the RFP, please respond to the questions below.

1. As you envision it, what is your company’s role in this partnership? Please include sales and marketing strategies.

2. Does your company have the capability to provide training seminars?

3. What is the number of qualified staff members that will be dedicated to customer service?

4. Describe your company’s ordering process and what methods can be used by members to place or create orders?

5. Does your company offer online ordering?

6. Does your company have regional sites around Georgia and is it equipped for rapid response if desired by a customer?

7. Please explain the process of responding to a work order.

8. What are your payment terms?

9. Does your company accept payment by procurement/credit card? If so, is the member assessed a fee for purchasing with a procurement/credit card?

10. Does your company offer any prompt payment discounts? If so, please describe.

11. Does your company require a minimum order? If so, what are your minimum order requirements? If the minimum is not met, what surcharge would you assess?

12. Briefly explain your policy and the lead time required from a member placing an order to receipt of products/services.

13. Does your company assess fuel surcharges for responses? If so, what is the charge?

14. At times there are issues with service. Please describe your process for addressing these issues.

15. State your company’s process for handling dissatisfied customers.

16. State your company’s process for introducing new products to the list of services you offer.

17. If needed, would your company consider a dedicated inside sales representative that would be familiar with the purchasing program and our membership, be empowered to manage situations as a regular sales account representative would, and be available for quick responses to member inquiries and questions?

18. Would your company be willing to work with each of the Georgia regions on sending/mailing out printed material to members?

19. Please describe what your company envisions as a 30-day roll-out and marketing plan. Do you believe your company has enough staff that will be dedicated to this program to ensure a successful roll-out in a timely, well communicated, responsive fashion?

20. Please list the Cooperative Purchasing contracts your company currently holds that may compete directly with this program and describe how you will position this purchasing program versus other contracts.

If other contracts are available, is the pricing the same or lower than pricing offered under your existing contracts?

If other contracts are available, please describe the process CPA would need to take to transition a current purchaser, who requests to utilize our program/contract, instead of the proposed current contract.

21. How would you educate your sales representatives on the strengths of this contract?

Would sales representatives be willing to conduct on-site visits with CPA staff members to explain the benefits of this purchasing program?

22. Please describe your marketing plan to reach and connect with our members in Georgia. Please note what touch points and connection those members have with sales representatives.

23. List any additional stipulations and/or requirements your company requests that are not covered in the RFP.

Attachment 6 RFP #25-01 LED Lighting and Energy Efficiency Solutions

Evaluation Matrix (Informational Only to be filled out by evaluators)

Evaluation Criteria

Points

Vendor A

Vendor B

Vendor C

Vendor D

Completeness of Response to RFP (Pass/Fail)

The respondent has all the required license and certifications required to do business in Georgia.

0-2

products and services offered.

The Respondent has provided verifiable evidence of overall average savings of 20% or more in energy dollars to former or current clients that resulted from the installation and/or implementation of energy efficient products and services.

0-15

Respondent has provided evidence of experience in working with public entities.

0-2.5

The relative ranking of this contractor's pricing and warranty proposal compared to other RFP submissions based on information provided on Attachment 4 and Section 7.

0-30

provide products and services to eligible customers in Georgia.

willingness to execute it.

Applicant Insert Completed 2025 Affidavit of Non-Collusion image2.png image1.png