DQ1 QAAA 2027000019 Quality Improvement System (QIS) Refresh Project Support.docx

Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC)

Documented Quote (DQ) Request Quality Improvement System (QIS) Refresh Project Support

DQ1 QAAA 2027000019

Publication Date: July 24, 2026

Signature Page VENDORS: Reference the solicitation document below for the response deadline and other response submission information and requirements.

Vendors responding to this solicitation are required to complete this page in its entirety, sign it, and submit it along with their quote. This page must include either a physical or electronic signature, as defined by the "Uniform Electronic Transactions Act," section 24-71.3-102 (8), to indicate the vendor's intent to be bound by their submission. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of the vendor's response.

The undersigned acknowledges and agrees that any misrepresentation made in their response or in subsequent discussions or information provided to the State may be considered sufficient grounds for the State to decline to enter into a contract or purchase order. Furthermore, any later discovery of omissions or misrepresentations in the solicitation response or in subsequent discussions may lead to the cancellation of any existing contract or purchase order.

Legal Vendor Name:

Vendor Address:

Vendor Primary Contact Name:

Vendor Primary Contact Email:

Vendor Primary Contact Phone:

Name and email address of individual submitting this quote (if different from the primary contact):

Is the Vendor a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) pursuant to C.R.S. §24- 103-905?

Is the Vendor currently on any debarred list?

Are you receiving funding from multiple sources for this project? (Yes/No)

· If yes, please provide details on how this quote is a separate project from the others and how funding will be monitored.

· A duplication occurs when a person, household, business, or other entity receives federal assistance from multiple grant sources for the same purpose, and the total assistance received for that purpose is more than the total need. The amount of the Duplication of Benefit (DOB) is the amount received in excess of the total need for the same purpose. Any persons, business concerns, or other entities that are the recipient of duplicative assistance are liable to the United States for the amount of duplicated aid and the agency that provided the duplicative assistance is responsible for debt collection.

· Grant funds cannot be used to supplant current funding or existing activities. “Supplant” is defined as replacing funding of a recipient's existing program with funds from a state, federal, or local funding.

Individual authorized to bind the Vendor to the quote submission for this DQ:

Signature of individual authorized to bind the Vendor to the quote submission for this DQ:

*If applicable, I confirm that my printed name acts as my signature.

Schedule of Activities

Single Point of Contact: Raven Lopez, raven.lopez@state.co.us Please note that phone lines may not be consistently monitored, email is the preferred method of communication. The individual listed above is the sole point of contact for this solicitation. Please note that reaching out to anyone other than this individual may lead to disqualification of an offer, with the exception of the Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator at the Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity for the sole purpose of assisting with submission of the solicitation.

Solicitation Purpose: This solicitation is for CDEC’s redesign of Colorado Shines into a single, efficient quality improvement system that includes Colorado Universal Preschool providers. The selected vendor will provide core project support, stakeholder engagement, and recommendations for a phased five‑year quality plan.

Eligibility Requirements: Any organization that can provide the services as outlined in this solicitation.

Service Location/Delivery Area: Statewide - Colorado Anticipated Contract Start Date: Upon execution of a purchase order (PO) or contract.

Anticipated Contract Term: The anticipated term of the resulting purchase order (PO) will be Upon execution of a purchase order (PO) or contract, through June 30, 2027. The resulting PO or contract may be renewed additional terms not to exceed a maximum term of five years or maximum DQ funding is utilized, at the sole discretion of the State, contingent upon funds being appropriated, budgeted, and otherwise made available, and other contractual requirements, if applicable, being satisfied.

Submission Method: Electronic. Reference the “Quote Submission Instructions” Section below.

Pre-Bid Conference: Not Applicable *There will not be a Pre-Quote Conference.

Inquiry Due Date and Time: July 29, 2026, at 1pm

* Please send any questions via email to the Single Point of Contact prior to the inquiry deadline. Reference Section 2.0 - Quote Submission Instructions, for more information.

Answers to Inquiries: July 31, 2026

* Reference Section 2.0 - Quote Submission Instructions, for more information.

Quote Due Date and Time: Augus 7, 2026, at 2pm

* Reference Section 2.0 - Quote Submission Instructions, for more information Note: All dates and times are subject to change and are in Mountain Time.

Page 1 of 2 DQ12-2025A

1.0 Exhibit List

· Exhibit A - Statement of Work (SOW) Template (Complete and Return)

· Exhibit B – Budget Template (Complete and Return)

· Exhibit C - Additional Provisions (For Review Only)

· Exhibit D - Vendor Contact Information Sheet (For Review Only)

· Exhibit E - State of Colorado Purchase Order Terms and Conditions (For Review Only)

2.0 Abbreviations

· CDEC - Colorado Department of Early Childhood

· DECW - Division of Early Childhood Workforce

· DOB - Duplication of Benefit

· DPA - Department of Personnel and Administration

· DQ - Documented Quote

· EFT - Electronic Funds Transfers

· OIT - Governor’s Office Of Information Technology

· PO - purchase order

· Q&A - Questions and Answers

· SAM - System for Award Management

· SDVOSB - Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

· SOS - Secretary of State

· SOW - Statement of Work

· QIS - Quality Improvement System

· QRIS - Quality Rating and Improvement System

· Early Childhood Education - ECE

· Classroom Assessment Scoring System - CLASS

· Environmental Rating Scale - ERS

· Key performance indicators - KPIs

3.0 Quote Submission Instructions

i. Electronic Procurement Systems. Solicitations published by the CDEC will be posted on both BidNet Direct and the Vendor Self-Service (VSS) site, however all bid submissions will only be officially accepted on BidNet Direct at the deadline listed in the Schedule of Activities.

ii. Electronic Bid Submission. This solicitation is published via Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing, BidNet Direct. Vendors must be registered with BidNet Direct in order to download solicitation documents (including any amendments or modifications) and to be considered responsive at the time of submission of the response. Bidders who have not registered on the BidNet Direct website, must register promptly to ensure they are able to submit a timely bid response. Information may be accessed through the BidNet Direct website at: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register. Bidnet Direct’s Help Desk can be reached at 800-835-4603 or by email at: support@bidnet.com

iii. File Names. The file name should start with the solicitation type, solicitation number, and vendor name (e.g., “DQ1 2027000019 Vendor Name…”).

iv. Confirmation. Vendors will receive an email confirmation that the file was uploaded correctly. If not, please contact the BidNet Direct Help Desk.

i. Pre-Bid Conference. There will not be an optional pre-bid conference offered.

ii. Questions. Vendors may submit questions by email to the Single Point of Contact prior to the inquiry deadline identified in the Schedule of Activities above. The Department may answer some, all, or none of the questions asked by posting them publicly via an amendment to this solicitation on both the BidNet and VSS sites.

iii. Deadline Adherence. Time is of the essence. Failure of a vendor to respond to any requests by established deadlines, may result in the quote being rejected.

iv. Multiple or Alternate Quotes. Unless otherwise stated in this solicitation, vendors shall be limited in providing multiple or alternate quotes. In the event a vendor can provide multiple or alternate quotes, each quote must be submitted separately and distinctly to permit independent review based on the individual quote. Further, any vendor submitting multiple or alternate quotes must expressly identify their preferred or primary quote.

v. Additional Resources

· Vendor Assistance. Any vendors needing support responding to solicitations may contact the Colorado Supplier Diversity Navigator at the Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity. Services provided include assistance with responding to solicitations, interpretation of solicitation documents, technical assistance referrals, availability of resources. The office can be reached during normal business hours by calling 303-866-5765 or emailing DPA_SupplierDiversityHelp@state.co.us.

· Statewide Equity Office of Supplier Diversity: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__dhr.colorado.gov_statewide-2Dequity-2Doffice_supplier-2Ddiversity&d=DwMFaQ&c=sdnEM9SRGFuMt5z5w3AhsPNahmNicq64TgF1JwNR0cs&r=2K9kkYDPzg9W7wrnb9URPPzWuzXzmzc6oQUqmP_d9mA&m=UsSCoCc_Nnj_It7iTj2w9Xh-U0kW8zKwh7sIdTrgvW_OXQDDQG8CMBmOZsCmKo6l&s=AHk9LQL8xQKwtYW6AlMhIpKhc64M4gHnBm1wvGiKqhU&e=

· BidNet Direct: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/

· Vendor Self-Service (VSS) Site: www.colorado.gov/VSS

4.0 Quote Format

i. In General. Quotes must clearly demonstrate the organization’s ability to perform the services described in this DQ.

i. Maximum Length. Quotes should not exceed 10 pages (excluding any required attachments). The Department may evaluate quotes negatively if this page limit is not followed. Quotes must include all required attachments that do not count towards the page limit:

· Exhibit A - Statement of Work Template

· Exhibit B - Budget Template

· Resumes and/or Job Descriptions

ii. Please respond to the items below in the same sequence as outlined in this section. Quotes that do not follow the sequence outline and response format of this Documented Quote (DQ) may be deemed non-responsive and disqualified from further consideration.

iii. Please define all abbreviations and identify other areas or considerations that would be useful and that the organization deems relevant to this project.

iv. Mandatory Requirements. Failure to address all mandatory requirements outlined in Section 6.0 Quote Content will result in disqualification.

5.0 Introduction and Background

Colorado Shines is the quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for all of Colorado’s licensed early care and learning programs serving children from birth to 5. Colorado Shines exists to:

· Maintain health and safety standards in child care programs.

· Help early childhood professionals and child care programs improve the quality of services they provide.

· Show families that a child care program is committed to quality.

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) is embarking upon a redesign of the Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System. About every five years, CDEC takes the opportunity to reflect and evaluate the purpose and impact of the QRIS. A refresh allows for a comprehensive look at the quality system to ensure it supports early childhood programs in providing promising early care and learning opportunities to young children and in helping families identify the best early childhood program for their child. The present QRIS refresh has an additional focus on creating a single, efficient, and aligned quality improvement system, inclusive of Colorado Universal Preschool providers.

Leading up to this redesign, CDEC is conducting interest holder feedback sessions and a landscape analysis to provide additional context. Interest holders are reflecting on the previous Colorado Shines QRIS and sharing ideas for the future of quality improvement. The landscape analysis will provide background analysis on how other states have approached developing a quality improvement system, including professional qualifications systems, analyzing the use of observation tools, integration of state preschool programs, and more. These resources will be shared with the chosen vendor partner to support the next phase of this work.

Through this engagement, CDEC seeks a vendor partner to provide backbone support for the Quality Improvement System (QIS) Redesign. This will include supporting the CDEC Division of Early Childhood Workforce (DECW) with project management, additional outreach support, analysis of other statewide and national programs that will impact the redesigned system, facilitation of feedback sessions for the redesigned system, and recommendations for a CDEC five-year quality plan, to include any potential phased approaches to the new system.

6.0 Quote Content

Quote Substance. Responses to the following components should be included in the quote. Each component will be evaluated for completeness. Please address the following:

i. Provide a brief overview of your organization’s services and experience with project management, facilitation, and state and national early childhood systems. A preference will be applied to organizations that include an emphasis on experience related to Quality Improvement Systems and Workforce Qualifications.

ii. Provide one example of your facilitation work for the early childhood field and how you used strategies to honor all voices to complete this work.

iii. Provide two professional references from organizations you have provided project management, analysis and/or facilitation services to in the last five years.

iv. Provide resumes and/or job descriptions demonstrating staff expertise and qualifications that are relevant to the proposed services.

v. Provide an example of a project where you managed multiple workstreams (analysis, facilitation, and design) simultaneously. How did you ensure quality control across all workstreams?

vi. How will you ensure that feedback sessions include voices from all populations, such as rural providers, home-based educators, teachers, families, and children?

vii. How do you translate qualitative feedback from community sessions into actionable policy or design recommendations for a state system?

viii. What is your expertise regarding early childhood education (ECE) observation tools (e.g., CLASS, ERS) and professional preparation? How would you evaluate their efficacy within a redesigned QIS?

ix. What is your expertise regarding workforce qualification frameworks? How would you evaluate their efficacy within a redesigned QIS?

x. A redesign can be stressful for providers currently enrolled in Colorado Shines. What recommendations would you have for a pilot design to mitigate “change fatigue” and encourage provider participation?

xi. The early childhood landscape in Colorado is complex, juggling local, state, and national requirements. Describe what you see as the top priorities for CDEC to consider as they plan to design and implement a new quality improvement system?

xii. Please provide resume(s) or job descriptions of key personnel assigned to the project

xiii. When designing a pilot for a redesigned QIS, what key performance indicators (KPIs) would you recommend to determine if the pilot is successful enough for a full-scale state rollout? Preference will be given to responses that include a detailed description of their knowledge and experience with redesigning a QIS.

xiv. Describe your experience with CDEC’s quality and workforce training and technical assistance systems. Preference will be given to responses that include detailed descriptions of their experience with Colorado’s technical assistance and statewide support programs, such as; early childhood coaching, the Expanding Quality Initiative, peer mentoring, and working directly with early childhood councils to implement and support these programs.

xv. Describe your background integrating state requirements with federal early childhood programs and requirements, including Head Start and the Child Care Development Fund. Preference will be given to responses that include detailed descriptions of their experience working directly with state and federal programs.

xvi. Mandatory. Exhibit A Statement of Work (SOW) Template. The provided SOW template must be completed, with measurable deliverables that address how this project will be accomplished. Please refer to the instructions within the exhibit. This exhibit should be submitted in its original Word format.

a. Please include detailed information surrounding the project’s intended goals and anticipated outcomes in the Workplan section of Exhibit A.

xvii. Mandatory. Exhibit B - Budget Template. Submit cost information via Exhibit B - Budget Template. Please refer to the instructions within the exhibit and the guidelines listed below for assistance with completing the budget. This exhibit should be submitted in its original Excel format.

a. Provide a one-paragraph budget narrative explaining the costs outlined in the budget template.

Guidelines. Please refer to the items listed below as guidance to complete your budget.

· Do not edit formulas in the template. Revision of formulas in template may result in a Quote being considered non-responsive.

· Review the instructions within the template.

· Please note that the de minimis indirect cost rate is 15%.

· Justify expenses for personnel, operating and other categories using the “description” column.

· Align expenses with the Statement of Work (Exhibit A).

· Vendors may expect a cost-reimbursement purchase order or contract.

7.0 How Quotes are Evaluated

i. In General. The Department may determine whether a quote is acceptable and may compare the relative value of competing quotes, not solely the price. “Acceptable,” means that the goods or services will meet the Department's needs and that the price is fair and reasonable. The choice of vendor will be based on which quote is most advantageous to the state, cost being the primary consideration.

ii. Mandatory Criteria. The Department may identify mandatory criteria. However, the Department reserves the right to waive mandatory requirements pursuant to Rule 24-103- 301-03.

iii. Evaluation of Factors. CDEC will evaluate quotes against all evaluation factors set forth in the DQ. The evaluation, including the results of any discussions, will result in determination by the committee of the competitive range of vendors reasonably susceptible of receiving an award. Factors that would allow for success in meeting the responsibilities outlined in this DQ:

· Completeness and accuracy of the quote in addressing stated needs and requirements as outlined in Section 5.0 - Quote Content, above.

· Cost-Effectiveness: Reasonableness of the proposed budget in relation to the scope of work. The State will consider price as its primary determining factor.

· The State reserves the right to determine a vendor's responsibility based on factors such as financial, material, personnel resources and expertise; satisfactory record of performance; satisfactory record of integrity; and status of debarment. Reference §24-103-401 C.R.S.

· Note: It is the vendor’s responsibility to assure all required materials are included with the quote. Failure of a vendor to provide required information and/or failure to follow the response format for this DQ may result in reduced scoring and/or exclusion from the competitive range of vendor quotes reasonably susceptible of receiving an award.

iv. References. The Department may contact references, whether provided or not, and consider them as part of the evaluation. Past performance and feedback from references and the success of previous projects may be evaluated.

v. Demonstrations and Discussions. The Evaluation Committee’s initial evaluation will be based on the written quotes. Vendors should confirm that their quote adequately conveys the soundness of their approach and their understanding of the solicitation requirements. The Evaluation Committee may, if it deems necessary, request clarifications, conduct discussions or oral presentations, or request best and final offers. Per R-24-103-203-03, discussions may be held with responsible vendors whose quotes are determined to be reasonably susceptible to be selected for award to:

· Promote understanding of the state’s requirements and the vendors’ quotes.

· Facilitate a contract that will be most advantageous to the state taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in the request for quotes.

· CDEC may request that clarifications resulting from discussions be submitted in writing by the vendor(s) to the State. Vendors will be given a reasonable timeframe in which to submit written clarifications and to provide any related revisions to their initial quote. Such revisions will be limited to the guidelines included within the State’s requested clarifications. As discussions are at the State’s discretion, vendors should not rely on the opportunity for discussions to clarify their quote.

vi. Best and Final Offer. The State reserves the right to give vendor(s) in the competitive range an opportunity to submit a best and final offer (BAFO) at any point during the negotiations process.

vii. Exceptions to State of Colorado Terms and Conditions. The standard terms and conditions in the Model CDEC Personal Services Contract shall govern this procurement and are hereby incorporated by reference. Vendors must submit any requested changes to the state’s contract template in redline format with their quote. Please note that the section of the Contract identified as the Colorado Special Provisions are considered non-negotiable.

· The state does not agree to accept any requested changes to the state’s contract template and will only consider changes proposed by potential vendors. While the state will work with a potential vendor on requested changes, none are guaranteed. Additionally, Vendors are cautioned that modifications to any of the provisions in the CDEC Personal Services Contract Template as well as other standard state exhibits, are considered to constitute an increased risk as well as increased costs to the State. Therefore, Vendor’s noted exceptions may be considered in any evaluation.

· Any changes requested to the Model CDEC Personal Services Contract or Exhibits accompanying this solicitation will constitute an increased timeline to contract execution as approvals may need to be obtained by multiple State Agencies (e.g., Department of Personnel and Administration, Attorney General, Colorado Department of Early Childhood, etc.). Therefore, any requested changes will take several weeks to review.

· If no exceptions are noted, by submission of a quote, Vendor indicates their intent to accept the State of Colorado Terms and Conditions as-is.

8.0 Professional Ethics and Fair Business Practices

i. Any person involved in the purchasing process for the State, any end users of such goods and services, any vendor or contractor that does business with the state, and any other interested third parties to the procurement process shall enhance the proficiency and stature of the purchasing process by adhering to the highest standards of ethical behavior.

ii. The State of Colorado believes that an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace is one where all employees and community partners, whatever their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, feel valued and respected. We are committed to nondiscriminatory practices and providing equitable opportunities for employment and advancement in all our departments, programs, services, and worksites. We respect and value diverse life experiences and work to ensure that all voices are heard so that a person’s future success is not determined by their identity.

iii. Vendors must disclose in its Quote, any potential or actual conflict of interest in connection with a response to this solicitation. A conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to, access to any non-public information by the Vendor regarding the solicitation or its subject matter.

iv. Vendors acknowledge that even the appearance of a conflict of interest may be harmful to the State’s interests. Vendors shall disclose in their Quotes whether there currently is, or potentially could be, the appearance of a conflict of interest regarding this solicitation, its staff, any proposed subcontractors or partners, or any related business with the State. Reference §24-18-201, C.R.S., et seq. (Proscribed Acts Related to Contracts and Claims); §24-50-507, C.R.S. (Conflict of Interest); §18-8-301, C.R.S., et seq. (Bribery and Corrupt Influence); §18-8-401, C.R.S., et seq. (Abuse of Public Office); §6-4-101, C.R.S., et seq., (Colorado Antitrust Act of 1992); §24-109-105, C.R.S. (Debarment and Suspension); and Procurement Rule R-24-101-107-01 (Ethics).

v. Vendors must disclose in their Quote any potential or actual conflict of interest in connection with a response to this solicitation. A conflict of interest may include, but is not limited to, access to any non-public information by the Vendor regarding the solicitation or its subject matter. Quote submission and signature constitute the vendor's acknowledgment and binding acceptance of all solicitation requirements, terms, and conditions.

9.0 Administrative Information

i. Acceptance of Solicitation Terms. A quote submitted in response to this solicitation shall constitute a binding offer and acknowledgment that all terms and conditions of this solicitation are accepted. Vendors must identify any variations between its quote and the solicitation. Failure to do so shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance.

ii. Accessibility Requirements. All work performed as a result of this solicitation must comply with all applicable provisions of §24-85-101, of the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.), et seq., and the Accessibility Standards for Individuals with a Disability, as established by the Office Of Information Technology (OIT) pursuant to §24-85-103 (2.5), C.R.S. and all State of Colorado technology standards related to technology accessibility and with Level AA of the most current version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), incorporated in the State of Colorado technology standards.

· https://oit.colorado.gov/standards-policies-guides/technical-standards-policies

iii. Award. The Department will notify all vendors who submitted a quote when it issues a Notice of Intent to Award via BidNet and VSS sites. The State reserves the right to award to multiple Vendors if it is determined to be in the best interest of the State. The awarded vendor(s) must act in good faith to execute an agreement on or before the identified Anticipated Start Date. If this date is not met, through no fault of the State, the State, at its sole discretion, may cancel the Notice of Award.

· The State may negotiate with any Vendor to clarify the Vendor’s Quote or to effect modifications that will make the Quote acceptable or more advantageous to the State in alignment with the requirements as identified in this solicitation; however, any requirements identified in this solicitation may not be negotiated.

· All awarded vendors are hereby notified that they must return the attached Vendor Customer Information Sheet (incorporated into this DQ as an exhibit) to the Single Point of Contact listed in the Schedule of Activities section no more than three business days after notification of award. Failure to provide this required documentation may result in cancellation of award. Alternatively, proposers may submit this exhibit as a component of their quote.

iv. Background Checks. Pursuant to C.R.S. §27-90-111 and Department policy, any vendor, and its agent(s), who has direct contact with vulnerable persons in a state-operated facility, or who provides state-funded services that involve direct contact with vulnerable persons in the vulnerable person’s home or residence, shall:

i. submit to and successfully pass a criminal background check, and

ii. report any arrests, charges, or summonses for any disqualifying offense as specified by C.R.S. §27-90-111 to the Department.

v. Cancellation. A solicitation may be canceled only when there are cogent and compelling reasons to believe that the cancellation of the solicitation is in the state's best interest. An award of a contract under a solicitation may be canceled, in whole or in part, when the procurement official determines in writing that such action is in the state's best interest. The reason and documentation supporting the decision to cancel the solicitation or reject Quote(s) shall remain confidential for the lesser of six months or until a purchase order is awarded by the State.

vi. Communication. All communication regarding this solicitation must be done through the Single Point of Contact identified above. Unauthorized contact with any Department personnel other than the Single Point of Contact regarding this solicitation is prohibited and may result in disqualification.

vii. Confidentiality. Anything submitted by a vendor is likely to become public information. Vendors may submit, as a part of its solicitation response, a written request for classification of certain portions of the response as confidential information. This information will help us ensure that all submitted materials are handled appropriately and in accordance with our confidentiality standards. The Procurement Official or his or her designee shall determine if the information identified in the Vendor's request is exempt from disclosure in accordance with §24-72-204, C.R.S., and shall inform the Vendor in writing of the final determination.

· When submitting a confidentiality request, materials for which confidentiality has been requested shall be readily identifiable and separable from other portions of the solicitation to facilitate public inspection of the non-confidential portion of the solicitation response. Please include a complete redacted Quote response along with an unredacted Quote and confidentiality justifications. Commingling of confidential and non-confidential information is not acceptable.

· Please provide a crosswalk of information related to the material you wish to be confidential and the reasons why the information should be considered as confidential. Vendors must include the rationale for any request to classify portions as a trade secret or confidential or proprietary, including references to the authority that allows for such treatment.

· In no event shall price information, an entire solicitation response, nor any information that will be included in a resulting Contract or Purchase Order, be classified as confidential.

viii. CORE Registration. Unless otherwise noted, before the Department can award to any vendor, that vendor must be registered in CORE, which can be completed through Vendor Self Service at www.colorado.gov/vss.

ix. Debarment and Suspension. The vendor shall disclose in its quote, to the best of its knowledge and belief whether it, its principals and any proposed subcontractors:

· Are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for disbarment, or declared ineligible.

· Any convictions or civil judgments rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements or receiving stolen property.

· Are presently under investigation for, indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in the previous bulleted item; and

· Within a three-year period preceding this quote, had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

Failure of a vendor to disclose any information in this section may result in the State’s determination that the vendor is not reasonably susceptible of award.

x. DQ Quote Material Ownership. All material submitted in quote to this DQ becomes the property of the State.

xi. Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT). Awarded Vendors are encouraged to sign up for EFT.

xii. Incurred Costs. The Department is not liable for any cost incurred by vendors prior to any formal contract, purchase order, or other agreement. No property interest, of any nature shall occur until a contract is awarded and signed by all concerned parties.

xiii. Insurance Requirements. The awarded Vendor will be required to submit a certificate(s) of insurance evidencing insurance coverage for the types and amounts of insurance as required by the Insurance provision in the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions, included in this solicitation as an exhibit, prior to execution of a Purchase Order.

xiv. Modifications of Quotes. Quotes may be modified or withdrawn by the vendor prior to the established due date and time. Vendors may be asked by the Department to modify or clarify their quotes after the due date.

xv. News Releases. Vendors may not issue any news releases pertaining to this solicitation without prior written approval by the State.

xvi. Notice to Nonresident Bidders. If a nonresident bidder is from a state that provides a bidding preference to bidders from that state, then a comparable percentage disadvantage will be applied to the bid of that nonresident bidder pursuant to C.R.S. 24-103-908. The bidder may obtain additional information from the department of personnel's website.

xvii. Notices. The Department will post any changes to this solicitation via the BidNet Direct website at: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/register and the Colorado VSS website at: www.colorado.gov/vss. All communications will be posted on both the BidNet Direct site and the VSS site and/or through a direct email from the Single Point of Contact.

· Any modifications, amendments or supplemental information to the solicitation will be published on BidNet and VSS sites. A modification may be published in the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation.

· It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to check BidNet or VSS on a regular basis, prior to the Quote submission deadline, as this is the primary means for communicating any clarifications or changes to solicitation content, timeline and/or requirements.

xviii. Purchase Order. Vendors must agree to the State’s purchase order terms and conditions, which are attached as an Exhibit to this DQ and can also be found here:

https://osc.colorado.gov/spco/central-contracts-unit/purchase-order-terms-conditions Please note that on any referenced or attached model purchase order, it lists the State’s standard required legal provisions but may not include the specific scope of work and other specific terms or requirements for this solicitation. Vendors must review any attached purchase order terms and note any exceptions. Modifications to the State’s purchase order terms constitute increased risk and costs to the State. Therefore, Vendor’s noted exceptions may be considered in any evaluation. If no exceptions are noted, Vendor is indicating an intent to accept the terms as-is.

xix. Protests. Any actual or prospective vendor who are aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may protest to the Single Point of Contact listed in the Schedule of Activities section and Shayne Cumine (email to shayne.cumine@state.co.us) , CDEC Contracts and Procurement Director. The protest shall be submitted in writing within three business days after such an aggrieved person knows, or should have known, of the facts giving rise thereto.

xx. Quantity. The Department may request future increases or decreases to the quantity of the goods or services, or request that goods or services be delivered to other areas within the Department.

xxi. Quote Prices. Estimated prices are not acceptable. Best and final offers may be considered in determining the apparent successful Vendor. Quotes shall be firm for a period of not less than 180 calendar days from the date of award.

xxii. Quote Rejection. The Department may reject a quote, waive informalities, and minor irregularities, or accept any portion.

xxiii. Secretary of State (SOS) Registration. Before Contract execution, the awarded vendor must be registered to do business in the State of Colorado. If a vendor is a foreign corporation (formed under a statute or common law in a jurisdiction other than Colorado) or other foreign entity transacting business in the State of Colorado, it shall warrant that it currently has obtained and shall maintain any applicable certificate of authority to transact business in the State of Colorado and has designated a registered agent in Colorado to accept service of process.

xxiv. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB). Reference §24-103-905, C.R.S., et. seq. SDVOSB Vendors must submit documentation of certification issued through the U.S. Department of Veterans affairs in their Quote. §24-103-905 C.R.S. sets a SDVOSB goal of at least 3% of all contracts by dollar value be awarded to SDVOSBs who must be incorporated or organized in Colorado, or they must maintain a place of business or have an office in Colorado and must be officially registered and verified as a SDVOSB by the Center for Verification and Evaluation within the United States department of veteran’s affairs. Note that SDVOSB’s will be provided an additional 3% towards their overall final score.

xxv. Services Outside of Colorado. Vendors must disclose services performed outside of Colorado as required by C.R.S. 24-102-206.

xxvi. System for Award Management (SAM). Before Contract execution, the awarded vendor(s) must have a Unique Entity ID Number (UEI) from SAM.gov.

xxvii. Taxes. The Department is exempt from all federal excise taxes under Chapter 32 of the Internal Revenue Code (Registration No. 84-730123K) and from all state and local government use taxes C.R.S. 39-26-114(a). The Colorado State and Local Sales Tax Exemption Number is 98-02565. Vendor is hereby notified that when materials are purchased in certain political sub-divisions (for example - City of Denver), the vendor may be required to pay sales tax even though the ultimate product or service is provided to the State of Colorado. This sales tax will not be reimbursed by the Department.

xxviii. Vendor Capability and Financial Information. Vendor(s), if requested, must be prepared to present evidence of experience, ability, staffing, service facilities, and financial standing necessary to meet the requirements set forth or implied in its DQ quote and/or as proposed in clarifications/negotiations. The State reserves the right to request that vendor(s) provide a copy of its most recent certified and audited financial statements as a method of determining vendor financial responsibility. The State reserves the right to review such information and financial documentation for all vendors, for vendors in the competitive range, or only for an awarded vendor.

xxix. Vendor Disclosure Requirements. Disclose whether the vendor, any general partner or joint venture of the vendor, or any proposed subcontractor has failed to complete a similar project within the past five (5) years. If so, list the date of commencement of the project and the entity for which the project was to be performed, and explain why the project was not completed.

[The rest of this page is intentionally left blank]

Page 5 of 6 DQ12-2025A