Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy Solicitation Number: 120003 O5

Egis BLN Consulting USA, LLC

Date: 1.21.2025

IMAGINE. CREATE. ACHIEVE.

a sustainable future. | Page 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary.............................................................................................................................................................................. Page 3

Contractual Agreement Form.............................................................................................................................................................Page 4

Terms & Conditions: Sections II thru IV............................................................................................................................................ Page 6

Form A.................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 22

Corporate Overview.......................................................................................................................................................................... Page 24

Bidder Identification & Information.................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 25

Financial Statements..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 25

Change of Ownership.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Page 25

Office Location................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 25

Relationships with the State.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 25

Bidder’s Employee Relations to State............................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 25

Contract Performance................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Page 25

Summary of Bidder’s Corporate Experience...............................................................................................................................................................................Page 26

Experience Narratives.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Page 26

Summary of Bidder’s Proposed Personnel/Management Approach........................................................................................................................Page 29

Subcontractors...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 29

Team Member Resumes....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 30

Technical Response............................................................................................................................................................................. Page 57

Understanding of the Project Requirements................................................................................................................................................................................Page 58

Proposed Development Approach......................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 58

Technical Requirements...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 58

Detailed Project Work Plan.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 59

A Proven, Step-by-Step Approach for IRA Rebate Program Design............................................................................................................................ Page 59

Stakeholder Engagement Deliverables .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Page 60

Collaborative Approach to Program Design.........................................................................................................................................................................................Page 63

Our Methodical & Simplified Approach to Expedite IRA Checklist................................................................................................................................. Page 68

Value-Added Plans to Operationalize Implementation............................................................................................................................................................ Page 86

Maximizing Impact Across Nebraska......................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 96

Pilot Projects to Test & Adapt Implementation..................................................................................................................................................................................Page 98

Evaluation, Measurements, & Verification Throughout the Programs’ Life Cycle.............................................................................................Page 103 iEnergy - A Simple “One-Stop-Shop” & End-to-End IT Interface to Answer to Data & Tools Requirements..................... Page 105

Deliverables & Due Dates.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Page 110 a sustainable future

8320 CRAIG STREET | INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46250

317.849.5832 | WWW.EGIS-GROUP.COM | Page 3

Nebraska State Purchasing Bureau 1526 K Street, Suite 130 Lincoln, NE 68508

RE: Solicitation No. 120003 O5

Dear Selection Committee:

The Egis Team, comprised of Egis BLN Consulting USA, LLC (Egis), Resource Innovations, and EisnerAmper, is pleased to present our qualifications and approach to the State of Nebraska for the design and implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Home Energy Rebate Programs. The Egis Team provides the following unique benefits, which best position our team to partner with the Nebraska Department of Environmental and Energy (NDEE) on these initiatives.

1. National leaders in the design and implementation of IRA Energy Rebate Programs: the Egis Team provides unparalleled leadership on these programs. We are currently providing program design services for the following states: Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, and South Carolina. This experience positions us to streamline program design and accelerate implementation.

2. Nationwide and Nebraska-specific energy efficiency program management experience: the Egis Team has designed and implemented more than 750 efficiency programs throughout the United States (U.S.), including extensive relationships with Omaha Public Power District and MidAmerican Energy within Nebraska since 2006. Our Nebraska-based team will work to design a holistic, efficient, and effective program grounded in proven best practices.

3. Exceptional experience with federal fund management: the Egis Team also provides more than $40 billion in federal funds managed in recent years. This experience best positions us to reduce federal compliance risks for the NDEE.

4. Outstanding local capacity and capabilities to meet Nebraska’s needs: the Egis Team provides extensive Nebraska resources along with national IRA program design specialists to ensure an effective and efficient program design and delivery.

5. A thoughtful and collaborative approach to program design: the Egis Program Design Team prides itself on working collaboratively with our clients to develop a unique program plan that will best serve the state constituents. Our program design methodology is grounded in collaboration, data-driven decision making, risk mitigation, and best positions the state for success.

We look forward to partnering with the State of Nebraska to deliver a statewide energy rebate portfolio.

Sincerely, Thomas C. Longest

CEO

Jay Cahill Vice President

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Contractual Agreement Form

SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT FORM

By signing this Contractual Agreement Form, the bidder guarantees compliance with the provisions stated in this solicitation and agrees to the terms and conditions unless otherwise indicated in writing and certifies that bidder is not owned by the Chinese Communist Party.

THIS FORM MUST BE SIGNED MANUALLY IN INK OR BY DOCUSIGN

COMPANY:

ADDRESS:

PHONE:

EMAIL:

BIDDER NAME & TITLE:

SIGNATURE:

DATE:

VENDOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE STATE CONTACT INFORMATION

(IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE)

NAME:

TITLE:

PHONE:

EMAIL:

BIDDER MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING

Per Nebraska’s Transparency in Government Procurement Act, Neb. Rev Stat § 73-603, DAS is required to collect statistical information regarding the number of contracts awarded to Nebraska Vendors. This information is for statistical purposes only and will not be considered for contract award purposes.

_____ NEBRASKA VENDOR AFFIDAVIT: Bidder hereby attests that bidder is a Nebraska Vendor.

“Nebraska Vendor” shall mean any bidder who has maintained a bona fide place of business and at least one employee within this state for at least the six (6) months immediately preceding the posting date of this Solicitation. All vendors who are not a Nebraska Vendor are considered Foreign Vendors under Neb. Rev Stat § 73-603 (c).

_____ I hereby certify that I am a Resident disabled veteran or business located in a designated enterprise zone in accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. § 73-107 and wish to have preference, if applicable, considered in the award of this contract.

_____ I hereby certify that I am a blind person licensed by the Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired in accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. § 71-8611 and wish to have preference considered in the award of this contract.

Egis BLN Consulting USA, LLC

8320 Craig Street, Indianapolis, IN 46250

Thomas C. Longest, CEO

317.806.2400 tom.longest@egis-group.com

Karlei Metcalf

Head of Tender Unit

812.528.1250 karlei.metcalf@egis-group.com

Docusign Envelope ID: 7FB21EAD-298C-4C76-BFA9-18A14CE9A023

1/16/2025

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Terms & Conditions:

Sections II thru IV

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

II. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Bidder should read the Terms and Conditions within this section and must initial either “Accept All Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” or “Exceptions Taken to Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” in the table below. If the bidder takes any exceptions, they must provide the following within the “Exceptions” field of the table below (Bidder may provide responses in separate attachment if multiple exceptions are taken):

1. The specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken,

2. An explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause; and

3. Provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.

By signing the solicitation, bidder agrees to be legally bound by all the accepted terms and conditions, and any proposed alternative terms and conditions submitted with the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to negotiate rejected or proposed alternative language. If the State and bidder fail to agree on the final Terms and Conditions, the State reserves the right to reject the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to reject solicitation responses that attempt to substitute the bidder’s commercial contracts and/or documents for this solicitation.

Accept All Terms and Conditions

Within Section as

Written (Initial)

Exceptions Taken to

Terms and Conditions

Within Section as

Written (Initial)

Exceptions:

(Bidder must note the specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken, an explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause, and provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.)

The bidders should submit with their solicitation response any license, user agreement, service level agreement, or similar documents that the bidder wants incorporated in the Contract. The State will not consider incorporation of any document not submitted with the solicitation response as the document will not have been included in the evaluation process. These documents shall be subject to negotiation and will be incorporated as addendums if agreed to by the Parties.

If a conflict or ambiguity arises after the Addendum to Contract Award has been negotiated and agreed to, the Addendum to Contract Award shall be interpreted as follows:

1. If only one (1) Party has a particular clause, then that clause shall control,

2. If both Parties have a similar clause, but the clauses do not conflict, the clauses shall be read together,

3. If both Parties have a similar clause, but the clauses conflict, the State’s clause shall control.

A. GENERAL

1. The contract resulting from this Solicitation shall incorporate the following documents:

a. Solicitation, including any attachments and addenda,

b. Questions and Answers,

c. Bidder’s properly submitted solicitation response, including any terms and conditions or agreements submitted by the bidder,

d. Addendum to Contract Award (if applicable), and

e. Amendments to the Contract. (if applicable)

These documents constitute the entirety of the contract.

Unless otherwise specifically stated in a future contract amendment, in case of any conflict between the incorporated documents, the documents shall govern in the following order of preference with number one (1) receiving preference over all other documents and with each lower numbered document having preference over any higher numbered document: 1) Amendment to the executed Contract with the most recent dated amendment having the highest priority,

2) Executed Contract and any attached Addenda 3) Addendums to the solicitation and any Questions and Answers,

4) the original solicitation document and any Addenda or attachments, and 5) the Vendor’s submitted solicitation response, including any terms and conditions or agreements that are accepted by the State.

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

Unless otherwise specifically agreed to in writing by the State, the State’s standard terms and conditions, as executed by the State, shall always control over any terms and conditions or agreements submitted or included by the Vendor.

Any ambiguity or conflict in the contract discovered after its execution, not otherwise addressed herein, shall be resolved in accordance with the rules of contract interpretation as established in the State of Nebraska.

B. NOTIFICATION

Bidder and State shall identify the contract manager who shall serve as the point of contact for the executed contract.

Communications regarding the executed contract shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been given if delivered personally; electronically, return receipt requested; or mailed, return receipt requested. All notices, requests, or communications shall be deemed effective upon receipt.

Either party may change its address for notification purposes by giving notice of the change and setting forth the new address and an effective date.

C. BUYER’S REPRESENTATIVE

The State reserves the right to appoint a Buyer's Representative to manage or assist the Buyer in managing the contract on behalf of the State. The Buyer's Representative will be appointed in writing, and the appointment document will specify the extent of the Buyer's Representative authority and responsibilities. If a Buyer's Representative is appointed, the bidder will be provided a copy of the appointment document and is expected to cooperate accordingly with the Buyer's Representative. The Buyer's Representative has no authority to bind the State to a contract, amendment, addendum, or other change or addition to the contract.

D. GOVERNING LAW (Nonnegotiable) Notwithstanding any other provision of this contract, or any amendment or addendum(s) entered into contemporaneously or at a later time, the parties understand and agree that, (1) the State of Nebraska is a sovereign state and its authority to contract is therefore subject to limitation by the State’s Constitution, statutes, common law, and regulation; (2) this contract will be interpreted and enforced under the laws of the State of Nebraska; (3) any action to enforce the provisions of this agreement must be brought in the State of Nebraska per state law; (4) the person signing this contract on behalf of the State of Nebraska does not have the authority to waive the State's sovereign immunity, statutes, common law, or regulations; (5) the indemnity, limitation of liability, remedy, and other similar provisions of the final contract, if any, are entered into subject to the State's Constitution, statutes, common law, regulations, and sovereign immunity; and, (6) all terms and conditions of the final contract, including but not limited to the clauses concerning third party use, licenses, warranties, limitations of liability, governing law and venue, usage verification, indemnity, liability, remedy or other similar provisions of the final contract are entered into specifically subject to the State's Constitution, statutes, common law, regulations, and sovereign immunity.

The Parties must comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, ordinances, rules, orders, and regulations.

E. BEGINNING OF WORK & SUSPENSION OF SERVICES

The bidder shall not commence any billable work until a valid contract has been fully executed by the State and the successful Vendor. The Vendor will be notified in writing when work may begin.

The State may, at any time and without advance notice, require the Vendor to suspend any or all performance or deliverables provided under this Contract. In the event of such suspension, the Contract Manager or POC, or their designee, will issue a written order to stop work. The written order will specify which activities are to be immediately suspended and the reason(s) for the suspension. Upon receipt of such order, the Vendor shall immediately comply with its terms and take all necessary steps to mitigate and eliminate the incurrence of costs allocable to the work affected by the order during the period of suspension. The suspended performance or deliverables may only resume when the State provides the Vendor with written notice that such performance or deliverables may resume, in whole or in part.

F. AMENDMENT

This Contract may be amended in writing, within scope, upon the agreement of both parties.

G. CHANGE ORDERS OR SUBSTITUTIONS

The State and the Vendor, upon the written agreement, may make changes to the contract within the general scope of the solicitation. Changes may involve specifications, the quantity of work, or such other items as the State may find necessary or desirable. Corrections of any deliverable, service, or work required pursuant to the contract shall not be deemed a change. The Vendor may not claim forfeiture of the contract by reasons of such changes.

The Vendor shall prepare a written description of the work required due to the change and an itemized cost sheet for the change. Changes in work and the amount of compensation to be paid to the Vendor shall be determined in

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024 accordance with applicable unit prices if any, a pro-rated value, or through negotiations. The State shall not incur a price increase for changes that should have been included in the Vendor’s solicitation response, were foreseeable, or result from difficulties with or failure of the Vendor’s solicitation response or performance.

No change shall be implemented by the Vendor until approved by the State, and the Contract is amended to reflect the change and associated costs, if any. If there is a dispute regarding the cost, but both parties agree that immediate implementation is necessary, the change may be implemented, and cost negotiations may continue with both Parties retaining all remedies under the contract and law.

In the event any good or service is discontinued or replaced upon mutual consent during the contract period or prior to delivery, the State reserves the right to amend the contract to include the alternate product at the same price.

***Vendor will not substitute any item that has been awarded without prior written approval of SPB***

H. RECORD OF VENDOR PERFORMANCE

The State may document the vendor’s performance, which may include, but is not limited to, the customer service provided by the vendor, the ability of the vendor, the skill of the vendor, and any instance(s) of products or services delivered or performed which fail to meet the terms of the purchase order, contract, and/or specifications. In addition to other remedies and options available to the State, the State may issue one or more notices to the vendor outlining any issues the State has regarding the vendor’s performance for a specific contract (“Contract Compliance Request”).

The State may also document the Vendor’s performance in a report, which may or may not be provided to the vendor (“Contract Non-Compliance Notice”). The Vendor shall respond to any Contract Compliance Request or Contract Non-Compliance Notice in accordance with such notice or request. At the sole discretion of the State, such Contract Compliance Requests and Contract Non-Compliance Notices may be placed in the State’s records regarding the vendor and may be considered by the State and held against the vendor in any future contract or award opportunity.

The record of vendor performance will be considered in any suspension or debarment action.

I. NOTICE OF POTENTIAL VENDOR BREACH

If Vendor breaches the contract or anticipates breaching the contract, the Vendor shall immediately give written notice to the State. The notice shall explain the breach or potential breach, a proposed cure, and may include a request for a waiver of the breach if so desired. The State may, in its discretion, temporarily or permanently waive the breach.

By granting a waiver, the State does not forfeit any rights or remedies to which the State is entitled by law or equity, or pursuant to the provisions of the contract. Failure to give immediate notice, however, may be grounds for denial of any request for a waiver of a breach.

J. BREACH

Either Party may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, if the other Party breaches its duty to perform its obligations under the contract in a timely and proper manner. Termination requires written notice of default and a thirty (30) calendar day (or longer at the non-breaching Party’s discretion considering the gravity and nature of the default) cure period. Said notice shall be delivered by email, delivery receipt requested; certified mail, return receipt requested; or in person with proof of delivery. Allowing time to cure a failure or breach of contract does not waive the right to immediately terminate the contract for the same or different contract breach which may occur at a different time.

The State’s failure to make payment shall not be a breach, and the Vendor shall retain all available statutory remedies.

(See Indemnity - Self-Insurance and Payment)

K. NON-WAIVER OF BREACH

The acceptance of late performance with or without objection or reservation by a Party shall not waive any rights of the Party nor constitute a waiver of the requirement of timely performance of any obligations remaining to be performed.

L. SEVERABILITY

If any term or condition of the contract is declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal or in conflict with any law, the validity of the remaining terms and conditions shall not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the parties shall be construed and enforced as if the contract did not contain the provision held to be invalid or illegal.

M. INDEMNIFICATION

1. GENERAL

The Vendor agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the State and its employees, volunteers, agents, and its elected and appointed officials (“the indemnified parties”) from and against any and all third party claims, liens, demands, damages, liability, actions, causes of action, losses, judgments, costs, and expenses of every nature, including investigation costs and expenses, settlement costs, and attorney fees and

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024 expenses (“the claims”), sustained or asserted against the State for personal injury, death, or property loss or damage, arising out of, resulting from, or attributable to the willful misconduct, negligence, error, or omission of the Vendor, its employees, Subcontractors, consultants, representatives, and agents, resulting from this contract, except to the extent such Vendor liability is attenuated by any action of the State which directly and proximately contributed to the claims.

2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Vendor agrees it will, at its sole cost and expense, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the indemnified parties from and against any and all claims, to the extent such claims arise out of, result from, or are attributable to, the actual or alleged infringement or misappropriation of any patent, copyright, trade secret, trademark, or confidential information of any third party by the Vendor or its employees, Subcontractors, consultants, representatives, and agents; provided, however, the State gives the Vendor prompt notice in writing of the claim. The Vendor may not settle any infringement claim that will affect the State’s use of the Licensed Software without the State’s prior written consent, which consent may be withheld for any reason.

If a judgment or settlement is obtained or reasonably anticipated against the State’s use of any intellectual property for which the Vendor has indemnified the State, the Vendor shall, at the Vendor’s sole cost and expense, promptly modify the item or items which were determined to be infringing, acquire a license or licenses on the State’s behalf to provide the necessary rights to the State to eliminate the infringement, or provide the State with a non-infringing substitute that provides the State the same functionality. At the State’s election, the actual or anticipated judgment may be treated as a breach of warranty by the Vendor, and the State may receive the remedies provided under this Solicitation.

3. PERSONNEL

The Vendor shall, at its expense, indemnify and hold harmless the indemnified parties from and against any claim with respect to withholding taxes, worker’s compensation, employee benefits, or any other claim, demand, liability, damage, or loss of any nature relating to any of the personnel, including subcontractor’s and their employees, provided by the Vendor.

4. SELF-INSURANCE

The State of Nebraska is self-insured for any loss and purchases excess insurance coverage pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,239.01. If there is a presumed loss under the provisions of this agreement, Vendor may file a claim with the Office of Risk Management pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 81-8,239.01 to 81-8,306 for review by the State Claims Board. The State retains all rights and immunities under the State Miscellaneous (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,294), Tort (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,209), and Contract Claim Acts (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-8,302), as outlined in state law and accepts liability under this agreement only to the extent provided by law.

5. ALL REMEDIES AT LAW

Nothing in this agreement shall be construed as an indemnification by one Party of the other for liabilities of a Party or third parties for property loss or damage or death or personal injury arising out of and during the performance of this contract. Any liabilities or claims for property loss or damages or for death or personal injury by a Party or its agents, employees, Vendors or assigns or by third persons, shall be determined according to applicable law.

6. The Parties acknowledge that Attorney General for the State of Nebraska is required by statute to represent the legal interests of the State, and that any provision of this indemnity clause is subject to the statutory authority of the Attorney General.

N. ATTORNEY'S FEES

In the event of any litigation, appeal, or other legal action to enforce any provision of the contract, the Parties agree to pay all expenses of such action, as permitted by law and if ordered by the court, including attorney's fees and costs, if the other Party prevails.

O. ASSIGNMENT, SALE, OR MERGER

Either Party may assign the contract upon mutual written agreement of the other Party. Such agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld.

The Vendor retains the right to enter into a sale, merger, acquisition, internal reorganization, or similar transaction involving Vendor’s business. Vendor agrees to cooperate with the State in executing amendments to the contract to allow for the transaction. If a third party or entity is involved in the transaction, the Vendor will remain responsible for performance of the contract until such time as the person or entity involved in the transaction agrees in writing to be contractually bound by this contract and perform all obligations of the contract.

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

P. CONTRACTING WITH OTHER NEBRASKA POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THE STATE OR ANOTHER STATE The Vendor may, but shall not be required to, allow agencies, as defined in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 81-145(2), to use this contract. The terms and conditions, including price, of the contract may not be amended. The State shall not be contractually obligated or liable for any contract entered into pursuant to this clause. A listing of Nebraska political subdivisions may be found at the website of the Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts.

The Vendor may, but shall not be required to, allow other states, agencies or divisions of other states, or political subdivisions of other states to use this contract. The terms and conditions, including price, of this contract shall apply to any such contract, but may be amended upon mutual consent of the Parties. The State of Nebraska shall not be contractually or otherwise obligated or liable under any contract entered into pursuant to this clause. The State shall be notified if a contract is executed based upon this contract.

Q. FORCE MAJEURE

Neither Party shall be liable for any costs or damages, or for default resulting from its inability to perform any of its obligations under the contract due to a natural or manmade event outside the control and not the fault of the affected Party (“Force Majeure Event”) that was not foreseeable at the time the Contract was executed. The Party so affected shall immediately make a written request for relief to the other Party and shall have the burden of proof to justify the request. The other Party may grant the relief requested; relief may not be unreasonably withheld. Labor disputes with the impacted Party’s own employees will not be considered a Force Majeure Event.

R. CONFIDENTIALITY

All materials and information provided by the Parties or acquired by a Party on behalf of the other Party shall be regarded as confidential information. All materials and information provided or acquired shall be handled in accordance with federal and state law, and ethical standards. Should said confidentiality be breached by a Party, the Party shall notify the other Party immediately of said breach and take immediate corrective action.

It is incumbent upon the Parties to inform their officers and employees of the penalties for improper disclosure imposed by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a. Specifically, 5 U.S.C. 552a (i)(1), which is made applicable by 5 U.S.C. 552a (m)(1), provides that any officer or employee, who by virtue of his/her employment or official position has possession of or access to agency records which contain individually identifiable information, the disclosure of which is prohibited by the Privacy Act or regulations established thereunder, and who knowing that disclosure of the specific material is prohibited, willfully discloses the material in any manner to any person or agency not entitled to receive it, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $5,000.

S. EARLY TERMINATION

The contract may be terminated as follows:

1. The State and the Vendor, by mutual written agreement, may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, at any time.

2. The State, in its sole discretion, may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, for any reason upon thirty

(30) calendar day’s written notice shall be delivered by email, delivery receipt requested; certified mail, return receipt requested; or in person with proof of delivery to the Vendor. Such termination shall not relieve the Vendor of warranty or other service obligations incurred under the terms of the contract. In the event of termination, the Vendor shall be entitled to payment, determined on a pro rata basis, for products or services satisfactorily performed or provided.

3. The State may terminate the contract, in whole or in part, immediately for the following reasons:

a. if directed to do so by statute,

b. Vendor has made an assignment for the benefit of creditors, has admitted in writing its inability to pay debts as they mature, or has ceased operating in the normal course of business,

c. a trustee or receiver of the Vendor or of any substantial part of the Vendor’s assets has been appointed by a court,

d. fraud, misappropriation, embezzlement, malfeasance, misfeasance, or illegal conduct pertaining to performance under the contract by its Vendor, its employees, officers, directors, or shareholders,

e. an involuntary proceeding has been commenced by any Party against the Vendor under any one of the chapters of Title 11 of the United States Code and (i) the proceeding has been pending for at least sixty (60) calendar days; or (ii) the Vendor has consented, either expressly or by operation of law, to the entry of an order for relief; or (iii) the Vendor has been decreed or adjudged a debtor,

f. a voluntary petition has been filed by the Vendor under any of the chapters of Title 11 of the United States Code,

g. Vendor intentionally discloses confidential information,

h. Vendor has or announces it will discontinue support of the deliverable; and,

i. In the event funding is no longer available.

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

T. CONTRACT CLOSEOUT

Upon termination of the contract for any reason the Vendor shall within thirty (30) days, unless stated otherwise herein:

1. Transfer all completed or partially completed deliverables to the State,

2. Transfer ownership and title to all completed or partially completed deliverables to the State,

3. Return to the State all information and data unless the Vendor is permitted to keep the information or data by contract or rule of law. Vendor may retain one copy of any information or data as required to comply with applicable work product documentation standards or as are automatically retained in the course of Vendor’s routine back up procedures,

4. Cooperate with any successor Contactor, person, or entity in the assumption of any or all of the obligations of this contract,

5. Cooperate with any successor Contactor, person, or entity with the transfer of information or data related to this contract,

6. Return or vacate any state owned real or personal property; and,

7. Return all data in a mutually acceptable format and manner.

Nothing in this section should be construed to require the Vendor to surrender intellectual property, real or personal property, or information or data owned by the Vendor for which the State has no legal claim.

U. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Vendor shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12131– 12134), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADA Amendments Act) (Pub.L. 110–325, 122 Stat. 3553 (2008)), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public entities.

V. CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING

The undersigned agrees that:

(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement.

(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions.

(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all sub-awards at all tiers (including sub-contracts, sub-grants, and contracts under grants, loans, and cooperative agreements) and that all sub-recipients shall certify and disclose accordingly.

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

III. VENDOR DUTIES

Bidder should read the Vendor Duties within this section and must initial either “Accept All Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” or “Exceptions Taken to Vendor Duties Within Section as Written” in the table below. If the bidder takes any exceptions, they must provide the following within the “Exceptions” field of the table below (Bidder may provide responses in separate attachment if multiple exceptions are taken):

1. The specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken,

2. An explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause; and

3. Provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.

By signing the solicitation, bidder agrees to be legally bound by all the accepted terms and conditions, and any proposed alternative terms and conditions submitted with the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to negotiate rejected or proposed alternative language. If the State and bidder fail to agree on the final Terms and Conditions, the State reserves the right to reject the solicitation response. The State reserves the right to reject solicitation responses that attempt to substitute the bidder’s commercial contracts and/or documents for this solicitation.

Accept All Vendor

Duties Within Section as

Written (Initial)

Exceptions Taken to

Vendor Duties Within

Section as Written (Initial)

Exceptions:

(Bidder must note the specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken, an explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause, and provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.)

A. INDEPENDENT VENDOR / OBLIGATIONS

It is agreed that the Vendor is an independent Vendor and that nothing contained herein is intended or should be construed as creating or establishing a relationship of employment, agency, or a partnership.

The Vendor is solely responsible for fulfilling the contract. The Vendor or the Vendor’s representative shall be the sole point of contact regarding all contractual matters.

The Vendor shall secure, at its own expense, all personnel required to perform the services under the contract. The personnel the Vendor uses to fulfill the contract shall have no contractual or other legal relationship with the State;

they shall not be considered employees of the State and shall not be entitled to any compensation, rights or benefits from the State, including but not limited to, tenure rights, medical and hospital care, sick and vacation leave, severance pay, or retirement benefits.

By-name personnel commitments made in the bidder's solicitation response shall not be changed without the prior written approval of the State. Replacement of these personnel, if approved by the State, shall be with personnel of equal or greater ability and qualifications.

All personnel assigned by the Vendor to the contract shall be employees of the Vendor or a subcontractor and shall be fully qualified to perform the work required herein. Personnel employed by the Vendor or a subcontractor to fulfill the terms of the contract shall remain under the sole direction and control of the Vendor or the subcontractor respectively.

With respect to its employees, the Vendor agrees to be solely responsible for the following:

1. Any and all pay, benefits, and employment taxes and/or other payroll withholding,

2. Any and all vehicles used by the Vendor’s employees, including all insurance required by state law,

3. Damages incurred by Vendor’s employees within the scope of their duties under the contract,

4. Maintaining Workers’ Compensation and health insurance that complies with state and federal law and submitting any reports on such insurance to the extent required by governing law,

5. Determining the hours to be worked and the duties to be performed by the Vendor’s employees; and,

6. All claims on behalf of any person arising out of employment or alleged employment (including without limit claims of discrimination alleged against the Vendor, its officers, agents, or subcontractors or subcontractor’s employees).

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If the Vendor intends to utilize any subcontractor, the subcontractor's level of effort, tasks, and time allocation should be clearly defined in the solicitation response. The Vendor shall agree that it will not utilize any subcontractors not specifically included in its solicitation response in the performance of the contract without the prior written authorization of the State. If the Vendor subcontracts any of the work, the Vendor agrees to pay any and all subcontractors in accordance with the Vendor’s agreement with the respective subcontractor(s).

The State reserves the right to require the Vendor to reassign or remove from the project any Vendor or subcontractor employee.

Vendor shall insure that the terms and conditions contained in any contract with a subcontractor does not conflict with the terms and conditions of this contract.

The Vendor shall include a similar provision, for the protection of the State, in the contract with any Subcontractor engaged to perform work on this contract.

B. FOREIGN ADVERSARY CONTRACTING PROHIBITION ACT CERTIFICATION (Nonnegotiable) The Vendor certifies that it is not a scrutinized company as defined under the Foreign Adversary Contracting Prohibition Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. Sec. § 73-903 (5); that it will not subcontract with any scrutinized company for any aspect of performance of the contemplated contract; and that any products or services to be provided do not originate with a scrutinized company.

C. EMPLOYEE WORK ELIGIBILITY STATUS

The Vendor is required and hereby agrees to use a federal immigration verification system to determine the work eligibility status of employees physically performing services within the State of Nebraska. A federal immigration verification system means the electronic verification of the work authorization program authorized by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, 8 U.S.C. 1324a, known as the E-Verify Program, or an equivalent federal program designated by the United States Department of Homeland Security or other federal agency authorized to verify the work eligibility status of an employee.

If the Vendor is an individual or sole proprietorship, the following applies:

1. The Vendor must complete the United States Citizenship Attestation Form, available on the Department of

Administrative Services website at https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/docs/pdf/Individual%20or%20Sole%20Proprietor%20United%20States% 20Attestation%20Form%20English%20and%20Spanish.pdf

2. The completed United States Attestation Form should be submitted with the Solicitation response.

3. If the Vendor indicates on such attestation form that he or she is a qualified alien, the Vendor agrees to provide the US Citizenship and Immigration Services documentation required to verify the Vendor’s lawful presence in the United States using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program.

4. The Vendor understands and agrees that lawful presence in the United States is required, and the Vendor may be disqualified or the contract terminated if such lawful presence cannot be verified as required by Neb.

Rev. Stat. § 4-108.

D. FEDERAL TAX LIABILITY

With signature on the Contract, the Contractor certifies that they: (1) are not subject to any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an Contract with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, and (2) have not been convicted (or had an officer or agent acting on its behalf convicted) of a felony criminal conviction under any Federal law within 24 months preceding the award, unless DOE has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation, or such officer or agent, based on these tax liabilities or convictions and determined that such action is not necessary to protect the Government's interests.

E. COMPLIANCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT /

NONDISCRIMINATION (Nonnegotiable) The Vendor shall comply with all applicable local, state, and federal statutes and regulations regarding civil rights laws and equal opportunity employment. The Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act prohibits Vendors of the State of Nebraska, and their Subcontractors, from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment, with respect to hire, tenure, terms, conditions, compensation, or privileges of employment because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, or national origin (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 48-1101 to 48-1125). The Vendor guarantees compliance with the Nebraska Fair Employment Practice Act, and breach of this provision shall be regarded as a material breach of contract. The Vendor shall insert a similar provision in all Subcontracts for goods and services to be covered by any contract resulting from this Solicitation.

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SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07192024

F. COOPERATION WITH OTHER VENDORS

Vendor may be required to work with or in close proximity to other Vendors or individuals that may be working on same or different projects. The Vendor shall agree to cooperate with such other Vendors or individuals and shall not commit or permit any act which may interfere with the performance of work by any other Vendor or individual. Vendor is not required to compromise Vendor’s intellectual property or proprietary information unless expressly required to do so by this contract.

G. DISCOUNTS

Prices quoted shall be inclusive of ALL trade discounts. Cash discount terms of less than thirty (30) days will not be considered as part of the solicitation response. Cash discount periods will be computed from the date of receipt of a properly executed claim voucher or the date of completion of delivery of all items in a satisfactory condition, whichever is later.

H. PRICES

Prices quoted shall be net, including transportation and delivery charges fully prepaid by the bidder, F.O.B. destination named in the Solicitation. No additional charges will be allowed for packing, packages, or partial delivery costs. When an arithmetic error has been made in the extended total, the unit price will govern.

NDEE is interested in understanding type and level of costs for the proposed program design and implementation decisions that significantly impact cost. The Bidder shall:

1. Submit a Pricing Schedule and associated budget in the format provided in Attachment - Cost Sheet.

Populate the "Deliverables/Tasks" column to include deliverables/tasks involved in achieving the milestone listed in the corresponding "Milestone"…