DMA-RFP-306 Communication & Marketing.docx

Request for Proposal (RFP) Communication & Marketing Services Division of the Florida State Guard Tallahassee, FL 32099

Contact Information John D. Connor, Purchasing Director John.D.Connor2.nfg@army.mil (904) 823-0241 Saint Francis Barracks 82 Marine Street St. Augustine, FL 32084 DMA-RFP-306 Communication & Marketing Services FSG

Attachment I Notice of Intent to Participate Solicitation DMA-RFP-306 Item(s)/Service being Procured Communication & Marketing Services Florida State Guard Potential proposal/proposers should notify our office by returning this Bid Registration Form as soon as possible after downloading. Complete the information below and email this sheet only to the Department of Military Affairs – Division of Florida State Guard at jennifer.pitts@floridastateguard.fl.gov or sierra.dean@floridastateguard.fl.gov or mail to the address below:

State of Florida Department of Military Affairs Division of Florida State Guard 2601 Blairstone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32099

Note: Completion/Submission of this form is for informational purposes only. No information will be provided as a result of submission. All available documentation and solicitation information will be available on the Florida Vendor Bid System unless otherwise noted. The Solicitation document is subject to change. Notice of changes (addenda) will be posted on the Florida Vendor Bid System at www.myflorida.com. It is the responsibility of all potential proposal/proposers to monitor this site for any changing information prior to submitting your proposal/bid.

Company Name

Authorized Company Representative:

Mailing Address

Telephone No. Fax No. __

Email Address _______

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

The following time schedule will be strictly adhered to in all actions relative to the RFP, unless modified by the Division by addendum to this RFP. Notices of changes (Addenda) will be posted on the Florida Vendor Information Portal at https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/ (click on “Search Advertisements”) under this RFP number. It is the responsibility of all potential proposers to monitor this site for any changing information prior to submitting your proposal.

Tuesday January 23, 2024

C.O. B

Release of Solicitation

MyFlorida.com website, Vendor Bid System

January 30, 2024

9:00 AM EST

Final date and time for written question submissions. Questions may be submitted earlier.

Send to:

Jennifer.pitts@floridastategoard.fl.gov

C.O. B

Anticipated date that questions and responses or any changes to the solicitation will be posted on the vendor bid system.

C.O. B Anticipated date that solicitation amendment may be posted as a result of questions submissions, omissions, changes or clarifications.

Tuesday February 6, 2024

*2:00 PM EST

All Proposals/Bids Due. Proposal/Bid Opening at 2:00 PM EST

*Opening will be Electronically by Contract Administrator Jennifer Pitts

Tuesday February 6, 2024

C.O. B

Post Bid Tab & Notice of Intended Award

February 9, 2024

C.O.B.

End of 72 Hr. Protest Period

C.O.B – by Close of Business

Table of Contents

1.0 Invitation & General Information

Expanded Contents

1.2 Purchasing Director

1.3 Contract Administrator

1.4 Contract Manager

4.2 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Utilization

4.3 Communications, Bid Questions & Answers

4.4 Estimated Expenditures

4.5 Qualifications

4.6 Department Reservations and Responsiveness of Bids

4.7 Vendor’s Contractual Obligations

4.8 Proposal Submission

4.9 Bid/Proposal Opening

4.10 “Drug-Free Workplace” Preference

4.11 Certified Minority Preference

4.12 Review & Evaluation Process

4.13 Technical Review Committee

4.14 Identical Evaluation (Tied Score) Responses

4.15 Criteria for Evaluation

4.16 Price Proposal

4.17 Technical Proposal

4.18 Posting of Intended Award

4.19 Award of Contract

6.2 Reply Evaluation Criteria

6.3 Price Sheet

6.4 References

6.5 Drug Free Workplace

6.6 Minimum Qualifications Statement

6.7 Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies List

6.8 Cross Reference Table

Attachments

A Scope of Work B Method of Compensation C Price Proposal D Reference Sheet E Drug-Free Workplace Program Certification F Minimum Qualifications Statement E Vendor Certifications F Cross Reference Table G Vendor Check List H Intent to Participate (page 1) Contract I Method of Compensation

1.0 Invitation and General Information:

1.1 Invitation: This solicitation is to procure Communication & Marketing Services for the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) - Division of the Florida State Guard (FSG), hereinafter referred to as the “Division”. The Division requests written proposals from qualified Proposers to provide Communications and Marketing Consulting Services for the Florida State Guard.

The Division intends to award this contract to the responsive and responsible Proposer whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the Division. After the award, said Proposer will be referred to as the “Vendor”. For the purpose of this document, the term "Proposer" means the prime Vendor acting on its own behalf and those individuals, partnerships, firms, or corporations comprising the Proposer team. The term "proposal" means the complete response of the Proposer to the Request for Proposals (RFP), including properly completed forms and supporting documentation.

It is anticipated that the term of the contract will last for one (1) year, beginning in March 2024, and be effective through March 2025.

1.2 Purchasing Director: The Purchasing Director, acting on the behalf of the Department of Military Affairs, is the sole point of contact for DMA purchasing questions.

John Connor, Purchasing Director Department of Military Affairs State Quartermaster – P&C 82 Marine Street St. Augustine, Florida 32084 Telephone No. (904) 823-0241 Email: john.d.connor2.nfg@mail.mil

Alternate Physical Address: Department of Military Affairs, State Quartermaster, 82 Marine Street, St Augustine, Florida 32084

1.3 Contract Administrator: The Division employee identified below is designated as Contract Administrator and shall act on behalf of the Division of Florida State Guard (FSG) for contractual matters and is responsible for maintaining the contract file, financial information and serves as a liaison with the Contract Managers in paragraph 1.4.

Jennifer Pitts, Purchasing Manager Division of Florida State Guard, 2601 Blairstone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32099 Telephone No. (850) 933-5745 Email: jennifer.pitts@floridastateguard.fl.gov

1.4 Contract Managers: The Division employee identified below is designated as Contract Managers and shall act on behalf of the Division of the Florida State Guard (FSG). The Contract Manager is responsible for enforcing the performance of the contract terms and conditions and serve as liaison with the vendor after the Notice of Agency Decision to Award has been completed and the Contract(s) are executed.

Sierra Dean, Division’s External Affairs Director Division of the Florida State Guard, 2601 Blairstone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32099 Telephone No. (904) 495-1108 Email: sierra.dean@floridastateguard.fl.gov

2.0 General Conditions: General Instructions to Respondents (PUR1001)

This section explains the General Instructions to Respondents (PUR 1001) of the solicitation process. This is a downloadable document. Please download and save this document to your computer for further review. There is no need to return the document to the DMA or FSG.

http://dms.myflorida.com/content/download/2934/11780

2.1 Respondents are required to submit responses electronically. For this purpose, all references herein to signatures, signing requirements, or other required acknowledgments hereby include electronic signature by means of clicking the "Submit Response" button (or other similar symbol or process) attached to or logically associated with the response created by the respondent within MyFloridaMarketPlace. The respondent agrees that the action of electronically submitting its response constitutes:

· an electronic signature on the response, generally,

· an electronic signature on any form or section specifically calling for a signature, and

· an affirmative agreement to any statement contained in the solicitation that requires a definite confirmation or acknowledgement.

2.2 RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

On or before the response due date listed above, respondents interested in being considered for this project must submit one (1) scanned copy and one (1) scanned redacted copy (if applicable) of the entire response in Adobe pdf via email to the Contract Administrator. Electronic copies must be non-restricted meaning they can be saved and shared for retention and evaluation purposes. If an electronic copy is restricted, and therefore unable to be saved, shared, or distributed to evaluators, the response shall be deemed non-responsive.

A respondent must submit all the requested information and documentation to be considered responsive. The Division will perform the initial responsiveness check. Responses found to be nonresponsive will not be evaluated.

Exception: PUR1001 Item 5 - Refer to Section 4.3 Exception: PUR1001 Item 7 – Refer to Section 4.5.3

3.0 General Conditions: General Contract Conditions (PUR 1000) This section explains the General Contract Conditions (PUR 1000) of the solicitation process. This is a downloadable document. Please download and save this document to your computer for further review. There is no need to return this document to the DMA or FSG.

http://dms.myflorida.com/content/download/2933/11777

4.0 SPECIAL CONDITIONS

4.1 Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) W-9 REQUIREMENT The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) requires all vendors that do business with the state to submit an electronic Substitute Form W-9. Vendors must submit their W-9 forms electronically at https://flvendor.myfloridacfo.com to receive payments from the state. Contact the DFS Customer Service Desk at (850) 413-5519 or FLW9@myfloridacfo.com with any questions.

4.2 MyFloridaMarketPlace

Since July 1, 2003, the Department has been using the State of Florida's web-based electronic procurement system, MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP). PROPOSERS MUST BE REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA'S MYFLORIDAMARKETPLACE SYSTEM BY DATE OF THE CONTRACT AWARD OR THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE. All prospective proposers that are not registered should go to MFMP to complete on-line registration or call 1-866-352-3776 for assisted registration.

4.2 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Utilization

The Division encourages the recruitment and utilization of certified and non-certified minority businesses. The Division, its vendors, suppliers, and consultants should take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that minority businesses have the opportunity to compete for and perform contract work for the Division in a nondiscriminatory environment.

To request certification or to locate certified MBEs, call the Office of Supplier Diversity, Department of Management Services at (850) 487-0915, or access their MBE directory on the Internet at: https://www.dms.myflorida.com/agency_administration/office_of_supplier_diversity_osd

4.3 Communications, Bid Questions and Answers

No negotiations, decisions or actions shall be initiated or executed by a vendor as a result of any discussion with any State employee. Only those communications that are in writing in MFMP from the office of Division of Florida State Guard may be considered as duly authorized expressions on behalf of this Division. Any questions arising from this RFP must be forwarded, in writing, to Contract Administrator designated in Section 1.3 above. Division’s written response to written inquiries submitted timely by proposers will be posted on the Florida Vendor Bid System at https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/ , then click on "Search Advertisements", under this RFP number. It is the responsibility of all potential proposers to monitor this site for any changing information prior to submitting their proposal.

Questions must be received no later than the time and date reflected on the Timeline. Only written inquiries from vendors/proposers, which are signed by persons authorized to contractually bind that company, will be recognized by the Division as duly authorized expressions on behalf of the vendor.

In accordance with section 287.057(25), Florida Statutes, respondents to this solicitation or persons acting on their behalf may not contact, between the release of the solicitation and the end of the 72-hour period following the agency posting the notice of intended award, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays, any employee or officer of the executive or legislative branch concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except in writing to the Contract Administrator or as provided in this solicitation document paragraph 2.1. Violation of this provision may be grounds for rejecting a response.

4.4 Estimated Expenditures

See “Attachment - Method of Compensation” Section 3.0 Compensation for the services will be approved and encumbered for this contract as per Task Order issued by the Division at time of service request. Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the Division to award a contract. The contract award is contingent upon availability of funds.

4.5 Qualifications

4.5.1 General: The Division will determine whether the Proposer is qualified to perform the services being contracted based upon their proposal demonstrating satisfactory experience and capability in the work area. The Proposer shall identify necessary experienced personnel and facilities to support the activities associated with this proposal. The Division requires that the Consultant meet certain prerequisite qualifications. The Consultant must:

· Be a communications and marketing firm with an office located within Leon County, Florida.

· Have at least five years’ experience providing communications and marketing support to professional and government services clients.

· (This shall be demonstrated through references on “Attachment B” which have been in place at least one (1) continuous year)

· Have available under their direct supervision the necessary organization, experience, equipment, and staff to properly fulfill all the conditions, requirements, and specifications required under this solicitation.

4.5.2 Vendor Qualifications: When submitting the proposal, each respondent must submit a written statement on Attachment “D”, detailing their qualifications that demonstrate they meet the minimum qualifications contained in 4.5.1. Failure by the proposer to provide the above item(s) will constitute a non-responsive determination. Proposals found to be non-responsive will not be considered.

4.5.3 Qualifications of Key Personnel: The Vendor’s Project Manager must be based in person in the vendor’s Tallahassee office. Those individuals who will be directly involved in the project should have demonstrated experience in the areas delineated in the scope of work. Individuals whose qualifications are presented will be committed to the project for its duration unless otherwise accepted by the Division’s External Affairs Director. Where State of Florida registration or certification is deemed appropriate, a copy of the registration or certificate should be included in the proposal package.

4.5.4 Convicted Vendors: A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a bid, proposal, or reply on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit bids, proposals or replies on leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract threshold amount provided in Florida Statute 287.017 for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list.

4.5.5 Authorized to do Business in the State of Florida: In accordance with sections 607.1761, 608.501, and 620.169, Florida Statutes, foreign corporations, foreign limited liability companies, and foreign limited partnerships must be authorized to do business in the State of Florida. Such authorization should be obtained by the bid due date and time, but in any case, must be obtained prior to posting of the intended award of the contract. For authorization, contact:

Florida Department of State Tallahassee, Florida 32399

(850) 245-6051

4.5.6 License to conduct services in the State of Florida: If the services being provided require that individuals be licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, such licenses should be obtained by the proposal due date and time, but in any case, must be obtained prior to posting of the intended award of the contract. For licensing, contact:

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0797

(850) 487-1395

4.5.7 Warranty/Substitutions: When performance of the services requires the supply of commodities, a warranty is required on all items provided against defective materials, workmanship, and failure to perform in accordance with required industry performance criteria, for a period of not less than ninety (90) days from the date of acceptance by the purchaser. Any deviation from this criterion must be documented in the proposal response or the above statement shall prevail. Delivery of substitute commodities requires prior written approval from the ordering location.

Replacement of all materials found defective within the warranty period shall be made without cost to the purchaser, including transportation if applicable. All fees associated with restocking cancelled orders shall be the responsibility of the vendor.

All items provided during the performance of the contract found to be poorly manufactured will not be accepted, but returned to the vendor, at their expense, for replacement. Replacement of all items found defective shall be done without cost to the Division, including transportation, if applicable. As it may be impossible for each facility to inspect all items upon arrival, a reasonable opportunity must be given to these facilities for inspection of the items and returning those that are defective.

4.6 Department Reservations and Responsiveness of Proposal

4.6.2 Valid Proposal: A responsive offer in full compliance with the Request for Proposal specifications and conditions by a responsible person or firm. The responsiveness of a proposal shall be determined based on the documents submitted with the proposal. Vendors shall submit the proposal per paragraph 2.2 above. The responsiveness of the proposal is the responsibility of the Offeror and will be determined during the evaluation process.

a. Responsive offer means a person or firm that has submitted a proposal, and that proposal conforms in all material respects to the Request for Proposal.

b. Responsible or qualified Offeror means a person or firm with the capability in all respects to perform fully the Contract requirements and the integrity and reliability to assure good faith performance. Failure to provide information to determine responsibility in response to condition of a proposal requiring information may be cause for such proposal to be rejected.

4.6.3 General Reservations: The Division reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received and reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposer should make sure that the bid package submitted is complete and accurate and ensure electronic delivery on or before the bid opening time and date specified in this solicitation. It is understood that the bid will become a part of DMA's official file, without obligation to DMA.

No conditions may be applied to any aspect of the RFP by the proposer. Any conditions placed on any aspect of the proposal documents by the proposer may result in the proposal being rejected as a conditional proposal (see “RESPONSIVENESS OF PROPOSALS”). DO NOT WRITE IN CHANGES ON ANY RFP SHEET. The only recognized changes to the RFP prior to proposal opening will be a written Addenda issued by the Division.

4.6.4 Responsiveness of Proposals: Proposals will not be considered if not received via email to the Contract Administrator on or before the date and time specified as the due date for submission. All proposals must be typed or printed in ink. Offers by facsimile or telephone are not acceptable. A responsive proposal is an offer to perform the scope of work called for in this RFP in accordance with all requirements of this RFP and receiving seventy-five (75) points or more on the Technical Proposal. Proposals found to be non-responsive will not be considered. Proposals may be rejected if found to be irregular or not in conformance with the requirements and instructions contained herein. A proposal may be found to be irregular or non-responsive by reasons that include, but are not limited to, failure to utilize or complete prescribed forms, modifying the proposal requirements, submitting conditional proposal or incomplete proposal, submitting indefinite or ambiguous proposal, or executing forms or the price sheet with improper and/or undated signatures. All proposal prices shown on the price sheets submitted are final and mistakes will be at proposer/proposer’s risk. Please refer to the last page of Attachment H for additional information regarding the review and evaluation process.

4.6.5 Other Conditions: Other conditions which may cause rejection of proposal include, evidence of collusion among proposers, obvious lack of experience or expertise to perform the required work, failure to perform or meet financial obligations on previous contracts, or in the event an individual, firm, partnership, or corporation is on the United States Comptroller General's List of Ineligible Contractors for Federally Financed or Assisted Projects.

4.7 Vendor’s Contractual Obligations

The Vendor will be required to ensure that each individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or sub-contractor that performs on this contract, will be subject to, and comply with, the contractual requirements.

4.7.2 Employment Eligibility Verification: Executive Order 11-02, signed January 4, 2011, by the Governor of Florida, requires contracts to expressly require that Vendor utilize the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system to verify the employment eligibility of:

(a) All persons employed during the Contract term by Vendor to perform employment duties within Florida; and,

(b) All persons (including sub-contractors) assigned by Vendor to perform work pursuant to this Contract, i.e., the Vendor must require its sub-contractors to utilize the E-Verify system for its employees assigned to this Contract. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows an employer, using information reported on an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to determine the eligibility of all new employees hired to work in the United States. There is no charge to employers to use E-Verify. The Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify system can be found at: http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

Compliance with the requirements of this section is required prior to commencing performance under any Contract issued as a result of this solicitation.

4.7.3 Unauthorized Aliens: The employment of unauthorized aliens by any contractor is considered a violation of Section 274A(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a). If the contractor knowingly employs unauthorized aliens, such violation shall be cause for unilateral cancellation of the contract.

4.7.4 Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies: ALL Responses, regardless of dollar value, must include a completed Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies Lists to certify the respondent is not on either of those lists. The Form should be submitted with the Price Proposal.

A Vendor is ineligible to enter into a contract with the Division for goods or services of any amount if, at the time of entering into such contract, the Vendor is on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, created pursuant to Section 215.4725, Florida Statutes, or is engaged in a boycott of Israel.

Section 287.135, Florida Statutes prohibits agencies from contracting with companies, for goods or services over $1,000,000.00 that are on either the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Section List. Both lists are created pursuant to section 215.473 Florida Statutes. The lists are updated quarterly and can be viewed at: http://www.sbafla.com/fsb/Default.aspx?tabid=751 .

If the Division determines the Vendor submitted a false certification under Section 287.135 of the Florida Statutes, the Division shall either terminate the Contract after it has given the Vendor notice and an opportunity to demonstrate the Division’s determination of false certification was in error pursuant to Section 287.135 of the Florida Statutes or maintain the Contract if the conditions of Section 287.135 of the Florida Statutes are met.

4.7.5 Liability Insurance: The Vendor shall not commence any work until they have obtained the following types of insurance, and certificates of such insurance have been received by the Department. Nor shall the Vendor allow any sub-contractor to commence work on this project until all similar insurance required of the sub-contractor has been obtained. The Vendor shall submit the required Certificates of Insurance to the Florida Department of Military Affairs, Procurement Office, Attention: Neal Newton, 82 Marine Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084 within ten (10) days after the ending date of the period for posting the intended award decision.

The Vendor must carry and keep in force during the period of this contract a general liability insurance policy or policies with a company authorized to do business in the state of Florida, affording public liability insurance with combined bodily injury limits of at least $200,000.00 minimum per person and $300,000.00 minimum each occurrence, and property damage insurance of at least $200,000.00 minimum each occurrence, for the services to be rendered in accordance with this contract.

With respect to any general liability insurance policy required pursuant to this Agreement, all such policies shall be issued by companies licensed to do business in the State of Florida. The Vendor shall provide the Division certificates showing the required coverage to be in effect with endorsements showing the Division to be an additional insured prior to commencing any work under this Contract. The certificates and policies shall provide that in the event of any material change in or cancellation of the policies reflecting the required coverage, thirty (30) days advance notice shall be given to the Division or as provided in accordance with Florida law.

The Division shall be exempt from, and in no way liable for, any sums of money which may represent a deductible in any insurance policy. The payment of such deductible shall be the sole responsibility of the Vendor or sub-contractor providing such insurance. Policies that include Self Insured Retention (SIR) will not be accepted.

4.7.6 Performance Bond

A Performance Bond is not required for this project.

4.7.7 Preferred Price: The Vendor agrees to submit to the Division at least annually an affidavit from an authorized representative attesting that the Vendor is in compliance with the preferred pricing provision of Section 4(b) of form PUR 1000.

4.7.8 Inspector General Requirements: In accordance with 20.055 (5), “It is the duty of every state officer, employee, agency, special district, board, commission, contractor, and sub-contractor to cooperate with the inspector general in any investigation, audit, inspection, review, or hearing pursuant to this section. Beginning July 1, 2015, each contract, bid, proposal, and application or solicitation for a contract shall contain a statement that the corporation, partnership, or person understands and will comply with this subsection.”

4.7.9 Public Records

The Vendor shall comply with Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Specifically, the Vendor shall:

(1) Keep and maintain public records required by the Division to perform the service.

(2) Upon request from the Division’s custodian of public records, or his designee, provide the Division with a copy of the requested records or allow the records to be inspected or copied within a reasonable time at a cost that does not exceed the cost provided in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, or as otherwise provided by law.

(3) Ensure that public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements are not disclosed except as authorized by law for the duration of the Contract term and following completion of the Contract if the Vendor does not transfer the records to the Division.

(4) Upon completion of the Agreement, transfer, at no cost, to the Division, all public records in possession of the Vendor or keep and maintain public records required by the Division to perform the service. If the Vendor transfers all public records to the Division upon completion of the contract, the Vendor shall destroy any duplicate public records that are exempt or confidential and exempt from public records disclosure requirements. If the Vendor keeps and maintains public records upon completion of the Contract, the Vendor shall meet all applicable requirements for retaining public records.

(5) All records stored electronically must be provided to the Division, upon request from the Division’s custodian of records, or his designee, in a format that is compatible with the information technology systems of the Division.

If the Vendor has questions regarding the application of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, to the Vendor’s duty to provide public records relating to this Contract, contact the Custodian of Public Records at:

Florida Department of Military Affairs Attn: John Connor 82 Marine Street Saint Augustine, FL 32144 John.D.Connor2.nfg@mail.mil (904) 823-0241

4.7.10 Copyrighted Materials

Copyrighted material will be accepted as part of a proposal/bid only if accompanied by a waiver that will allow the Division to make paper and electronic copies necessary for the use of Division staff and agents. It is noted that copyrighted material is not exempt from the Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Therefore, such material will be subject to viewing by the public, but copies of the material will not be provided to the public.

4.7.11 Attachment to RFP Submittal – Confidential Material

The Vendor must include any materials it asserts to be exempted from public disclosure under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, in a separate bound document labeled "Attachment to Request for Proposal, Number DMA-RFP-306 Confidential Material". The Vendor must identify the specific Statute that authorizes exemption from the Public Records Law. Any claim of confidentiality on materials the Vendor asserts to be exempt from public disclosure and placed elsewhere in the proposal will be considered waived by the Vendor upon submission, effective after opening.

4.7.12 Costs Incurred in Responding

This Request for Proposal does not commit the Division or any other public agency to pay any costs incurred by the proposer in the submission of a bid or to make necessary studies or designs for the preparation thereof, nor to procure or contract for any articles or services.

4.8 Proposal Submission

4.8.1 General

Proposals will be received until (2:00 PM), local time, on February 13, 2024. Proposals received after that time and date will not be considered. By submitting a proposal, the proposer represents that it understands and accepts the terms and conditions to be met and the character, quality, and scope of services to be provided. All proposals and associated forms must be signed and dated in ink by a duly authorized representative of the proposer. Each proposer must fully acquaint themselves with the conditions relating to the performance of services under the conditions of this solicitation. The Vendor shall submit the original of the proposal electronically in MFMP. The evaluation process will begin immediately following the bid opening.

4.8.2 Modifications, Re-submittal and Withdrawal

Proposers may modify submitted proposals at any time prior to the due date. Requests for modification of a submitted proposal shall be in writing and must be signed by an authorized signatory of the proposer. Upon receipt and acceptance of such a request, the entire proposal will be returned to the proposer and not considered unless resubmitted by the due date and time. Proposers may also send a change in a electronic document on MFMP to be opened at the same time as the bid.

4.9 Proposal Opening

Responses shall be opened on the date and at the location indicated on the Timeline. Respondents may, but are not required to, attend. The Division may choose not to announce prices or release other materials pursuant to s. 119.071(1)(b), Florida Statutes. Any person requiring a special accommodation because of a disability should contact the Pat least five (5) workdays prior to the solicitation opening. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Division by using the Florida Relay Service at (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

4.10 “Drug Free Workplace” Preference

Whenever two or more proposals, which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service are received, a proposal received from a business that certified that it has implemented a drug-free workplace program in accordance with Section 287.087, F.S., will be given preference in the award process. The "Attachment C Drug-Free Workplace Program Certification" must be completed for this preference.

4.11 Certified Minority Preference

Whenever two or more proposals, which are equal with respect to price, quality, and service, are received, a proposal received from a business that certified as “Florida certified minority business enterprise (MBE)” will be given preference in the award process in accordance with 287.087(11). A copy of the Department of Management Services certification must be included in the proposal package for consideration and/or preference.

4.12 Review and Evaluation Process

Division will conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial review and evaluation of all proposals received in response to this RFP in compliance with the due dates specified in the Timeline (page 3).

Any proposal identified during the Purchasing Manager’s review process as failing to meet mandatory responsiveness requirements of Section 4.5.1 and submission of the fully executed and completed mandatory forms will not be evaluated. This section provides an overview of the proposal review and evaluation process. Items 1-4 of the process listed below will begin on the date and time specified in the Timeline, the evaluation of proposals may last for several days. Selection of a successful Proposer will be based on the highest-ranking responsive proposal that is determined to be in the best interest of the State, taking into consideration the criteria set forth in the RFP.

Requirements of Proposal Submissions Purchasing Office Staff

4.13 Technical Review Committee

A Technical Review Committee (TRC) will be established by the Division to review and evaluate each proposal submitted in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP). The TRC will be composed of at least three (3) people who collectively have experience and knowledge in the program areas and service requirements for which the commodities and/or contractual services are sought.

The Purchasing Manager will distribute to each member of the TRC a copy of each technical proposal. The TRC members will independently evaluate the proposals on the criteria and point system established in the section below entitled "Criteria for Evaluation" in order to assure that proposals are uniformly rated. Due to the complexity of certain procurements, the TRC members are authorized to consult with subject matter experts for the purpose of gathering information, if needed. The independent evaluations will be sent to the Purchasing Manager and averaged for each vendor. Proposing firms must attain an average score of seventy (75) points or higher on the Technical Proposal to be considered responsive. Should a Proposer receive fewer than seventy (75) points for their average Technical Proposal score, the Price Proposal will not be considered.

During the process of evaluation, the Purchasing Manager will conduct examinations of proposals for responsiveness to requirements of the RFP. Those determined to be non-responsive will be automatically rejected.

4.14 Identical Evaluation (Tied Score) of Responses

In the event the evaluation process results in identical scores, the Division will select a respondent based on the criteria identified in Rule 60A-1.011 F.A.C. and applicable Florida Law.

4.16 Posting of Intended Award

4.16.1 General

Agency Decision will be posted by the Division on the Florida Vendor Bid System at , under this RFP number, on February , 2024, and will remain posted for a period of seventy-two (72) hours. Any proposer who is adversely affected by the Division's recommended award or intended decision must file protest in accordance with Florida Statute Section 120.57(3), with the Office of Purchasing at:

Jennifer Pitts, Purchasing Manager Division of Florida State Guard, 2601 Blairstone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32099 Telephone No. (850) 933-5745 Email: jennifer.pitts@floridastateguard.fl.gov

The proposer must file the following:

4.16.2 Inability to Post

If the Division is unable to post as defined above, the Division will notify all proposers by electronic notification on the Florida Vendor Bid System, or by email, and/or by mail.

4.16.3 Request to Withdraw Bid

Requests for withdrawal will be considered if received by Division, in writing, within seventy- two (72) hours after the bid opening time and date. Requests received in accordance with this provision will be granted by the Division upon proof of the impossibility to perform based upon obvious error on the part of the proposer. Proposers that do not withdraw as stated above will forfeit their bid bond, if applicable.

5.0 Technical Specifications

5.1 Scope of Work

See Attachment A – Scope of Services for description of tasks and requirements of contractor.

5.2 Technical Proposal (Part I) (Do not include price information in Part I)

Technical proposals will be reviewed, evaluated, and graded to provide the desired services and assure a quality product in accordance with the criteria detailed below.

The Proposer must submit the technical proposal which is to be divided into the sections described below. Under each section, the Proposer’s technical proposal must strictly adhere to the required information. Unrelated content shall not be evaluated. Go to Section 6.1 Formatting the Proposal for additional instructions. Since the Division will expect all technical proposals to be in this format, the failure of the Proposer to follow this outline may result in the rejection of the proposal.

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Proposer shall provide an Executive Summary to be written in nontechnical language to summarize the Proposer's overall capabilities and approaches for accomplishing the services specified herein. This summary should also include all office locations for all proposed staff assigned to this contract, including subconsultants. This section is limited to two (2) pages.

2. MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Proposer shall describe the proposed vendor PROJECT MANAGER’s approach to managing this contract including their approach to managing staff, managing budgets, managing communications with the Division’s External Affairs Director and their Quality Assurance and Quality Control process. This should also include detailed information about the Project Manager’s method of reporting contract status to the Division’s External Affairs Director. This section is limited to two (2) pages.

3. STAFF EXPERIENCE AND AVAILABILITY

In an organizational chart format, the proposer shall identify the proposed staff for each classification identified in the Prerequisite Section in Attachment “A” Scope of Work. For each proposed staff member, the proposer must indicate in the chart the percentage of their work schedule availability for this engagement at the time of execution of this contract. This chart does not have to meet the required format criteria.

The proposer must include resumes for each proposed staff member that details work history based on the number of years of experience, including timeframes and references. The resume shall include, for each proposed staff member, only experience relevant to their classification’s job description listed in Attachment “A” Scope of Work. Resumes cannot exceed two (2) pages per proposed staff member. This section is limited to nine (9) pages.

4. PROPOSER'S OUTREACH APPROACH

Proposer shall provide a summary of their detailed approach to providing the required services outlined in Exhibit “A” Scope of Work.

5. PRIOR RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

The proposer shall provide Attachment B Reference Sheet that includes description, date, and location of the prior relevant experience they have acquired in providing/performing this type of communications and marketing work in the past five (5) years. Ongoing work can be included in this experience. This summary shall include Contract name, short description of contract scope, staff members assigned to the contract and their role, start date and completion or anticipated completion date of contract, communications and marketing budget, client name, phone number and email address for reference. The Proposer shall include separate spreadsheets for all proposed subconsultant’s prior relevant experience. The proposer may format this summary with a maximum size of 11”x17”.

6. OVERALL TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

Technical Proposal will be graded on spelling, grammar, and overall presentation of the technical proposal.

6.0 Proposal Submittal & Point Factors for Evaluation

6.1 Formatting the Proposal

The proposal shall be limited to a page size of eight and one-half by eleven inches (8 ½” x 11”) with a 1” margin on all sides. Foldout pages may be used as needed for org chart, and the sections for staff experience and availability and prior relevant experience. Type size shall be Arial font and no less than 10-point font. The proposals should be indexed, and all pages sequentially numbered. Section shall be tabbed; tabs shall only include Section Number & Name. However, photos without captions and artwork are optional but not required. Covers will be at the Proposer’s discretion.

6.2 Price Proposal

The Proposer shall complete the Price Proposal “Attachment “C” form and submit it as part of the Proposal Package. Any proposal in which this form is not used or in which the form is improperly executed may be considered non-responsive and the proposal will be subject to rejection. The vendor's completed form shall become a part of the contract upon award of the contract. The Procurement Office will review and evaluate the price proposals and prepare a summary of its price evaluation. The Procurement Office will assign points based on price evaluation criteria identified below .

6.2.1 Price Evaluation (75 Points)

Price evaluation is the process of examining the total prospective price without evaluation of the separate cost elements. Price analysis is conducted through the comparison of price quotations submitted. The criteria for price evaluation shall be based upon the following formula:

(Lowest Price / Proposer's Price) x Price Points = Proposer’s Awarded Points

6.2.2 Technical Evaluation (100 Points)

Technical evaluation is the process of reviewing the Proposer's response to evaluate the experience, qualifications, and capabilities of the proposers to provide the desired services and assure a quality product. The following point system is established for scoring the technical proposals:

Staff Experience and Availability

6.3 Reference Sheet

Vendor shall provide three references on Attachment “D”. Vendors shall not include current or previous contracts with DMA or FSG on this form; but may describe previous experience in the body of their proposal when demonstrating qualifications and/or qualifications. FSG reserves the right to contact other known or identified sources and to consider performance or nonperformance on DMA, FSG and/or other State Agency existing or previous service experiences. (Attachment D).

6.4 Drug Free Workplace

Attachment “E” Drug-Free Workplace Compliance Form must be signed and returned.

6.5 Minimum Qualifications Statement:

Attachment “F” – Submission of the form may assist in the initial review (See 4.13) in determining that the requirements of 4.5.1 have been met.

6.4 Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Company Lists: Attachment “G” - Must be completed, signed, and returned.

6.5 Cross Reference Table: Attachment “H” - Must be completed providing page number(s) and sections/part of applicable requirements, then signed, and dated A-28 image2.jpeg image1.png