EOG-ITN-24-01.pdf

ITN No.: EOG-ITN-24-01 Page 1 of 32

INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE

FOR

GRANTS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PLATFORM,

DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION SERVICES

ITN NO: #EOG-ITN-24-01

THE STATE OF FLORIDA

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Katie Wagner, Procurement Agent Katie.wagner@eog.myflorida.com Phone: 850-717-9210 400 S. Monroe Street, Suite LL05 Tallahassee, FL 32399

Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in section 120.57(3), Florida Statutes, or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, Florida Statutes.

Any protest concerning this agency decision or intended decision must be timely filed with the Agency Clerk. Protests may be filed by courier, hand delivery, or regular mail at: Executive Office of the Governor, Administration Office, Attention: Dawn Hanson, 400 South Monroe Street, Suite LL05, Tallahassee, Florida 32399. Protests may also be filed by email at dawn.hanson@eog.myflorida.com. It is the filing party's responsibility to meet all filing deadlines.

NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 287.057(23), 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 procurement officer or as provided in the solicitation documents. Violation of this provision may be grounds for rejecting a response.

mailto:dawn.hanson@eog.myflorida.com

ITN No.: EOG-ITN-24-01

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Solicitation Objective

1.2. Term

1.3. Goals of the ITN

1.4. Special Accommodations

1.5. Procurement Officer

1.6. Timeline of Events

SECTION 2. SOLICITATION PROCESS

2.1 General Overview

2.2 Questions and Answers

2.3 Addenda to the Solicitation

2.4 Respondent Firm Offer

SECTION 3. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

3.1 Introduction

3.2 MFMP Registration

3.3 Florida Substitute Form W-9 Process

3.4 Website References

3.5 How to Submit a Response

3.6 Receipt of Replies

3.6.1 Response Deadline

3.6.2 Clarifications to Replies

3.7 Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements

3.8 Contents of Response

3.9 Public Records, Respondent’s Confidential Information, and Redacted Replies

3.10 Additional Information

3.11 Vendor’s Pricing

3.12 Subcontracting

3.13 Solution Structure Ownership

SECTION 4. SELECTION METHODOLOGY

4.1 Determination of Replies’ Responsiveness for Evaluation

4.2 Evaluation Process – General Overview

4.3 Evaluation of the Response

4.3.1 Scoring

4.3.2 Other Department Rights for Evaluation

4.4 Evaluation Criteria for Respondent’s Technical Response

4.5 Negotiations

4.5.1 Negotiations Process – General Overview

4.5.2 Respondent Attendance at Negotiations

4.5.3 Revised Replies and Best and Final Offers

4.5.4 Other Department Rights During Negotiations

4.5.5 Negotiation Meetings Not Open to Public

4.6 Final Selection and Notice of Intent to Award Contract

4.6.1 Award Selection

4.6.2 Selection Criteria

4.6.3 Department’s Negotiation Team Recommendation

SECTION 5. AWARD

5.1 Rights for Award

5.2 Agency Decision

5.3 Other Reserved Rights

5.4 No Contract Until Execution

5.5 Draft Contract

Attachments:

Attachment A – Scope of Work Attachment B – Draft Contract Attachment C – Minimum Requirements Response Attachment D – Price Proposal Template Attachment E – Evaluation Scorecard

Forms:

FORM 1 – CONTACT INFORMATION

FORM 2 – DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

FORM 3 – SUBCONTRACTING

FORM 4 – MANDATORY RESPONSIVENESS REQUIREMENTS

FORM 5 – REFERENCE FORM

Exhibits:

Exhibit 1 – Grants Management System Needs Assessment Report Exhibit 2 – Federal Grant Tracking System Data Elements

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Solicitation Objective

The Executive Office of the Governor (The Department) seeks to leverage technology to support a unified statewide process for federal grants management reporting and transparency that provides robust monitoring and analysis across the grant life cycle, promotes accessibility and awareness of the grant opportunities and successes, maximizes the award of federal funding, and functions as a one-stop shop for state and federal grants. The technology solution must be highly configurable with minimal vendor or IT support.

1.2. Term

It is anticipated that the term of the Contract will be four 4 years with up to 2 optional two (2) year renewals. The Contract may only be renewed in accordance with section 287.057(14), Florida Statutes.

1.3. Goals of the ITN

The goals of this ITN are to establish one or more multiyear agreements to develop, configure, and implement a Grant Management Solution (GMS) that includes the following:

1.3.1. Contractor Services: validation, configuration, development, integration, implementation, and operations maintenance services for the GMS:

1.3.2. Public Portal: A publicly available, web-accessible portal that allows non-credentialed users to access public reports and grant opportunity announcements, and allows credentialed users to access;

1.3.3. Grants Management System: A software platform and business system that will support a statewide process for grants management;

1.3.4. Reporting & Data Analytics Tool: A software solution that will compile and analyze data and output specified reports and data to support Public Portal capabilities, and;

1.3.5. Data Warehouse: A data management solution capable of integration with the GMS components above and other state enterprise systems.

1.4. Special Accommodations

Any person with a qualified disability requiring special accommodations at a public meeting, pre-proposal meeting or opening shall contact the contact person at the phone number, e-mail address on the title page at least five (5) working days prior to the event. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact this office by using the Florida Relay Services which can be reached at 1 (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

1.5. Procurement Officer

The Procurement Officer is the sole point of contact for this procurement. Direct all contact with the Department to the Procurement Officer in writing by email.

Katie Wagner, Procurement Agent Katie.wagner@eog.myflorida.com Phone: 850-717-9210 400 S. Monroe Street, Suite LL05 Tallahassee, FL 32399

***PLACE THE SOLICITATION NUMBER IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF ALL EMAILS TO THE

PROCUREMENT OFFICER***

If a Respondent claims that any portion of an email is trade secret under section 812.081, Florida Statutes, or otherwise confidential under Florida or Federal Law, the Respondent is to place the word “Confidential” in the subject line. (See also subsection 3.9.4 of this ITN for more information on confidential information.)

Any such contact by an affiliate, a person with a relevant business relationship with a Respondent, or an existing or prospective subcontractor to a Respondent is assumed to be on behalf of a Respondent unless shown otherwise.

1.6. Timeline of Events

The table below contains the anticipated Timeline of Events for this solicitation. The dates and times within the Timeline of Events are subject to change. It is the Respondent’s responsibility to check the Vendor Information Portal (VIP) for any changes. The Respondent is responsible for ensuring the Department receives all required documentation by the dates and times (Eastern Time) specified below (or as revised by addenda).

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Events Event Time Event Date

ITN posted on the VIP. 12/21/2023

Pre-Response Meeting (Non-Mandatory):

Knott Building 601 S Duval St Room 115

Tallahassee, FL 32399

1/9/2024

Deadline to submit questions to the Procurement Officer. 1/12/2024

Anticipated posting of answers to Respondents’ questions on the VIP.

1/22/2024

Deadline to submit Response and all required documents to the Procurement Officer.

3:00 pm EST 02/15/2024

Public Opening (Non- Mandatory):

Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84639352324?pwd=r58ag1eMhIHF

DhvJDde47OCBrjr8gP.1

Meeting ID: 846 3935 2324 Passcode: 612873

4:00 pm EST 02/15/2024

Evaluation Phase 02/16/2024 – 3/5/2024

2:00 pm EST

5:00 pm EST https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84639352324?pwd=r58ag1eMhIHFDhvJDde47OCBrjr8gP.1 https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84639352324?pwd=r58ag1eMhIHFDhvJDde47OCBrjr8gP.1

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

Events Event Time

Event Date

Negotiation Phase 03/05/2024 – 03/26/2024

Negotiation Team Public Meeting 03/26/2024

Anticipated date to post Notice of Intent to Award on the VIP. 03/29/2024

Anticipated Contract Execution. 04/01/2024

SECTION 2. SOLICITATION PROCESS

2.1 General Overview

The ITN is a method of competitively soliciting contractual services under Chapter 287, Florida Statutes. This solicitation will be administered through the Vendor Information Portal (VIP).

Vendors interested in submitting a Response are to comply with all terms and conditions described in this solicitation. The Department will hold a public opening of the Replies at the date, time, and location provided in the Timeline of Events.

The ITN process is divided into two (2) phases: the evaluation phase and the negotiation phase.

The evaluation phase involves the Department’s evaluation of Replies in accordance with this ITN. During this phase, the Department will evaluate all Responsive Replies using the assessment scale against all evaluation criteria to establish a competitive range of Replies reasonably susceptible to award. The Department will then select one (1) or more Respondents within the competitive range with which to commence negotiations. Replies or Responses shall be used interchangeably in this ITN.

The negotiation phase involves negotiations by the Department with the Respondent or Respondents whose evaluated Replies were determined to be within the competitive range, in accordance with this ITN. During this phase, the Department may request revised Replies and best and final offers (BAFOs) based on the negotiations.

Once negotiations have concluded and BAFO(s) have been received and reviewed, the Department will hold a Negotiation Team public meeting to recommend Contract award(s). The Department intends to post a notice of Intent to Award Contract(s), identifying the Responsive and Responsible vendor(s) that provide the best value to the State based on the selection criteria set forth in subsection 4.6 of the ITN.

Any reservation or listing of reservations of the Department’s rights provided in this ITN is not intended to be exhaustive and shall not be construed to limit the rights of the Department in conducting this procurement.

2.2 Questions and Answers

Respondents will submit all questions during the Question-and-Answer period in writing to the Procurement Officer via email. The deadline for submission of questions is reflected in the Timeline of Events, subsection 1.6.

TBD

The Department requests that all questions have the solicitation number in the subject line of the email. Questions are requested to be submitted in the following format:

Question # Respondent Name

Section Page # Question

Respondents shall not contact any other employee of the EOG or the State of Florida for information with respect to this solicitation. The EOG shall not be bound by any verbal or written information not contained within the solicitation document(s) or formally noticed and issued by the Procurement Officer through the Vendor Information Portal. Questions will not constitute a formal protest of the specifications of the solicitation. Department answers to written questions will be issued by addendum via the VIP.

2.3 Addenda to the Solicitation

The Department reserves the right to modify this solicitation by issuing an addendum posted on the VIP. It is the responsibility of the Respondent to check the VIP for information and updates.

2.4 Respondent Firm Offer

The Department may enter into a Contract within three hundred and sixty-five (365) calendar days after the date the Notice of Intent to Award is posted, during which period Replies shall remain firm and shall not be withdrawn. If a Contract is not executed within three hundred and sixty-five (365) days, the Replies shall remain firm until either the Contract is executed, or the Department receives from a Respondent written notice that the Response is withdrawn.

SECTION 3. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

3.1 Introduction

In accordance with Rule 60A-1.002(5), F.A.C., Form PUR 1000, the General Contract Conditions, are incorporated by reference into the Contract. Form PUR 1001, the General Instructions to Respondents, is also incorporated by reference into this solicitation, but is superseded to the extent set forth herein. Both forms can be accessed at:

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/documents_forms_referen ces_resources/purchasing_forms.

Sections 3, 5, 9, and 14 of the PUR 1001 (General Instructions to Respondents) are inapplicable and are replaced with the following Special Instructions:

Section 3. Electronic Submission of Offers Replies shall be submitted in accordance with section 3.5, How to Submit a Response, of this solicitation.

Section 5. Questions

• Questions shall be submitted in accordance with section 2.2, Questions and Answers, of this solicitation.

Section 9. Respondent’s Representation and Authorization.

In submitting a Response, each Respondent understands, represents, and acknowledges the following:

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/documents_forms_references_resources/purchasing_forms http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/documents_forms_references_resources/purchasing_forms

• The Respondent is not currently under suspension or debarment by the State or any other governmental authority.

• The Respondent, its affiliates, subsidiaries, directors, officers, and employees are not currently under investigation by any governmental authority and have not in the last ten (10) years been convicted or found liable for any act prohibited by law in any jurisdiction, involving conspiracy or collusion concerning bidding on any public contract.

• Respondent currently has no delinquent obligations to the State, including a claim by the State for liquidated damages under any other contract.

• The submission is made in good faith and not pursuant to any agreement or discussion with, or inducement from, any firm or person to submit a complementary or other noncompetitive Proposal.

• The prices and amounts submitted by the Respondent at any time during the ITN process have been arrived at independently and without consultation, communication, or agreement with any other Respondent or potential Respondent; neither the prices nor amounts, actual or approximate, have been disclosed to any Respondent or potential Respondent, and they will not be disclosed before the solicitation opening.

• The Respondent has fully informed the Department in writing of all convictions of the firm, its affiliates (as defined in section 287.133(1)(a), Florida Statutes), and all directors, officers, and employees of the firm and its affiliates for violation of state or federal antitrust laws with respect to a public contract for violation of any state or federal law involving fraud, bribery, collusion, conspiracy or material misrepresentation with respect to a public contract. This includes disclosure of the names of current employees who were convicted of contract crimes while in the employ of another company.

• Neither the Respondent nor any person associated with it in the capacity of owner, partner, director, officer, principal, investigator, project director, manager, auditor, or position involving the administration of federal funds:

o Has within the preceding three (3) years been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them or is presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a federal, state, or local government transaction or public contract; 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; or o Has within a three-year period preceding this certification had one or more federal, state, or local government contracts terminated for cause or reason of default that would impair the Respondent’s ability to deliver the commodities or contractual services of the resultant contract.

• The commodities or contractual services offered by the Respondent will conform to the requirements of Attachment A – Scope of Work.

• The Respondent has read and understands the Contract terms and conditions, and the submission is made in conformance with those terms and conditions.

• If an award is made to the Respondent, the Respondent agrees that it intends to be legally bound to the Contract that is formed with the State.

• The Respondent has made a diligent inquiry of its employees and agents responsible for preparing, approving, or submitting the Response, and has been advised by each of them that he or she has not participated in any communication, consultation, discussion, agreement, collusion, act, or other conduct inconsistent with any of the statements and representations made in the Proposal.

• The Respondent shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Department and its employees against any cost, damage, or expense that may be incurred or be caused by any error in the Respondent’s preparation of its Proposal.

• All information provided by, and representations made by, the Respondent are material and important and will be relied upon by the Department in awarding a Contract. Any misrepresentation may be treated as fraudulent concealment from the Department of the true facts relating to the submission of the Response. A misrepresentation may be punishable under law, including, but not limited to, Chapter 817, Florida Statutes.

• If at any point during the course of the procurement, circumstances change so that any of the above acknowledgments are no longer true, Respondent will notify the procurement officer as soon as practicable.

Section 14. Firm Response The Department may make an award within one hundred eighty (180) Calendar Days after the date the Replies are due. By submitting a Response, Respondents acknowledge and agree that their Replies shall remain firm (and shall not be withdrawn) for at least one hundred eighty (180) Calendar Days after the Replies have been submitted. If an award is not made within the one hundred eighty (180) day period, the Response shall remain firm until either the Department awards the Contract or the Department receives from the Respondent written notice that the Response is withdrawn.

3.2 MFMP Registration

The awarded Respondent(s), if any, must register in MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) prior to Contract execution. For additional information, please visit:

https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/myfloridamarketplace/mf mp_vendors/requirements_for_vendor_registration.

The awarded Respondent(s) will be required to pay the required MFMP transaction fee(s) as specified in subsection 3.5 of Attachment B - Draft Contract, unless an exemption has been requested and approved pursuant to Rule 60A-1.031, Florida Administrative Code.

3.3 Florida Substitute Form W-9 Process

A State contractor must have registered and completed an electronic Florida Substitute Form W-9. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) receives and validates the information Respondents provide on Form W-9.

For instructions on how to complete the Florida Substitute Form W-9, please visit:

State of Florida Vendor Portal Page (myfloridacfo.com)

The awarded Respondent(s), if any, must have completed this process prior to Contract execution.

3.4 Website References

Do not incorporate or reference dynamic links that are external to the Response documents.

Provide screenshots in lieu of references to websites. References to dynamic links (Universal Resource Locators) will not be considered as part of the Respondent’s Response.

https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/myfloridamarketplace/mfmp_vendors/requirements_for_vendor_registration https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/myfloridamarketplace/mfmp_vendors/requirements_for_vendor_registration https://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/myfloridamarketplace/mfmp_vendors/requirements_for_vendor_registration https://flvendor.myfloridacfo.com/

3.5 How to Submit a Response

Respondents are responsible for submitting their Replies by the date and time specified in the Timeline of Events of this solicitation. Respondents are to submit the Response in a sealed box(es) containing the following:

Each item below can be sent in the same box. Please clearly label each item.

3.5.1 One (1) original (paper) sealed Response with fourteen (14) paper copies keeping the

Technical and Price Proposals clearly identified and separate.

3.5.2 One (1) electronic copy of the entire Response in Adobe (.pdf) on a USB flash drive (CD/DVD format is also acceptable). Large files should be scanned as separate files, and;

3.5.3 One (1) electronic copy of Attachment C – Minimum Requirements Response table in

.xlsx format on a USB flash drive (CD/DVD format is also acceptable).

3.5.4 If applicable, one (1) electronic redacted copy of the entire Reply on a USB flash drive

(CD/DVD format is also acceptable), as described in subsection 3.8 of this ITN. Large files should be scanned as separate files.

All electronic documents are to be searchable to the fullest extent practicable. Paper and electronic copies of Replies are to consist of identical information. In the event of a conflict between the copies, the original paper Response controls.

Clearly mark on the outside of the sealed package the solicitation number, company name, and Procurement Officer Name.

Submit Replies to the Procurement Officer at the address listed in subsection 1.5, Procurement Officer.

Prepare Replies simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of the Respondent’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this solicitation. The emphasis of each Response should be on completeness and clarity of content.

Replies that are not timely submitted with all required information may be deemed nonresponsive.

3.6 Receipt of Replies

3.6.1 Response Deadline

The Respondent is responsible for ensuring the Department receives the Response no later than the date and time provided in subsection 1.6 of this ITN (or as revised by addenda). Address the Response to the Procurement Officer at:

Katie Wagner, Procurement Agent Katie.wagner@eog.myflorida.com Phone: 850-717-9210 400 S. Monroe Street, Suite LL05 Tallahassee, FL 32399

All methods of delivery or transmittal to the Procurement Officer are exclusively the responsibility of the Respondents, and the risk of non-receipt or delayed receipt shall be borne exclusively by the Respondents.

3.6.2 Clarifications to Replies

No changes, modifications, or additions to the Replies will be allowed after the Replies have been opened, except as negotiated during the negotiation phase. However, the Department reserves the right to seek clarifications from any Respondent at any time.

3.7 Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements

The Department will not evaluate Replies that do not meet the minimum mandatory requirements listed below. Respondents must certify that they are in compliance with the minimum requirements listed below. In addition, each proposal must include a response to the requirements provided in Attachment A – Scope of Work, Attachment C – Minimum Requirements Response, and Attachment D – Price Proposal. Responses to Attachment A, Attachment C, and Attachment D will be scored at the evaluation phase. Responses to Attachment A - Scope of Work and evaluator scores will not be used to determine the responsiveness of the Replies.

The Department reserves the right to waive any minor irregularity, technicality, or omission if the Department determines that doing so will serve the best interest of the State.

The certifications required in subsections 3.7.1 through 3.7.9 are to be accomplished through the execution of Form 4 – Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements, below. A Response will be deemed nonresponsive if it fails to contain a signed Form 4.

3.7.1 The Respondent must certify that it is in compliance with the requirements of this ITN, including subsection 3.9.

3.7.2 The Respondent must certify that neither it, nor its affiliates, is a convicted vendor or a discriminatory vendor as described in section 287.133 and section 287.134, Florida Statutes, respectively.

3.7.3 The Respondent must certify that the Respondent is not on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, or the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, and is not participating in a boycott of Israel.

3.7.4 The Respondent must certify that, if awarded a Contract, it will provide the Department with a PDF file of its current and active registration with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (www.sunbiz.org), prior to execution of a Contract or, if exempt from registration, a statement to that effect noting the basis for the exemption.

Respondents should note that foreign entities are required to obtain a Florida Certificate of Authorization pursuant to applicable Florida Statutes, from the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (www.sunbiz.org), to transact business in the State of Florida.

3.7.5 The Respondent must certify that it will provide all required services contemplated within this ITN.

3.7.6 The Respondent certifies that it has completed at least three (3) prior projects of similar size and scope within the previous five (5) year period. Note: The Department reserves the right at any time during the ITN process to require the Respondent to submit documentation to verify that the Respondent meets this minimum mandatory requirement. If the Department determines that the Respondent does not meet the minimum mandatory requirements, the Respondent will be deemed non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration.

3.7.7 The Respondent must certify that it has provided a response addressing the service requirements as listed in Attachment A – Scope of Work.

The Respondent must certify that it has provided a response addressing the technical requirements as listed in Attachment C – Minimum Requirements Response.

3.7.8 The Respondent must certify that it has provided a response for the cost for each element as listed in Attachment D – Price Proposal.

3.7.9 The Respondent shall provide any cancelled contracts in the past five (5) years along with a detailed explanation for the reason for the contract cancellation.

3.8 Contents of Response

All Replies are to be organized in sections as directed below. Submit the following sections of the Response in one (1) sealed package with a total of 15 hard copies (1 original and 14 sealed hard copies) and one (1) electronic copy on a USB drive to the Procurement Officer.

Organize the Response as follows:

Tab 1 A cover letter on the Respondent’s letterhead with the following information:

a. Company name and physical address;

b. Primary location from where the work will be performed;

c. Contact information for primary point of contact, including phone number and email address; and

d. Federal Employer Identification (FEID) Number.

Tab 2 Completed FORMS:

FORM 1 – CONTACT INFORMATION

FORM 2 – CERTIFICATION OF A DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

FORM 3 – SUBCONTRACTING

FORM 4 – MANDATORY RESPONSIVENESS REQUIREMENTS

FORM 5 – CONTACT INFORMATION FOR REFERENCES

Note: All forms may be signed by the Respondent using either electronic or wet-ink signature.

Tab 3 Technical Proposal The Respondent will provide a narrative response to the evaluation criteria in section 4.4, Evaluation Criteria for Respondent’s Technical Response, of the ITN. The evaluation criteria in section 4.4 will correspond with the applicable sections of Attachment A - Scope of Work (SOW) and Attachment C – Minimum Requirements Response.

Note: It is the Respondent’s responsibility to ensure that Tab 3 is organized in accordance with the structure of section 4.4. The Department will not be responsible for evaluating portions of responses that are improperly aligned with the structure of section 4.4 and the referenced SOW subsections.

Tab 4 Price Proposal The Respondent will complete Attachment D - Price Proposal. Instructions for completing the Price Proposal Template are provided in Attachment D - Price Proposal Template.

Tab 5 Letter of Bondability A letter signed on or after December 21, 2023, from a surety company or bonding agent authorized to do business in the State and written on company letterhead indicating the Respondent’s ability to obtain a performance bond in the amount of at least 100% of the final contract value.

3.9 Public Records, Respondent’s Confidential Information, and Redacted Replies The following subsections supplement section 19 of the PUR 1001 Form, General Instructions to Respondents. By submitting a Response, the Respondent agrees to protect, defend, and indemnify the Department for any and all claims arising from or relating to the Respondent’s determination that the redacted portions of its Response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure. If the Respondent fails to mark material exempt or fails to submit a redacted copy of information it claims is confidential, the Department is authorized to produce, in their entirety, all documents, data, or records submitted to the Department in answer to a public records request for these records.

3.9.1 Public Records

All electronic and written communications pertaining to this ITN, whether sent from or received by the Department, are subject to Florida’s public records law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Subsection 3.9.4 below addresses the submission of trade secrets and other information exempted from public inspection.

3.9.2 Replies are Public Records

All materials submitted as part of a Response to this ITN will be a public record subject to the provisions of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Selection or rejection of a Response does not affect the public record status of the materials.

3.9.3 Replies will be Subject to Public Inspection

Unless exempted by law, all public records are subject to public inspection and copying under Florida’s public records law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. A time-limited exemption from public inspection is provided for the contents of replies pursuant to subsection 119.071(1)(b), Florida Statutes. Once that exemption expires, all contents of replies become subject to public inspection, unless another exemption applies. Any claim of trade secret exemption for any information contained in Respondent’s Response will be waived upon submission of the Response to the Department, unless the claimed trade secret information is submitted in accordance with subsection 3.9.4. This waiver includes any information included in the Respondent’s Response outside of the separately bound document described below.

3.9.4 How to Claim Trade Secret or Other Exemptions

If a Respondent considers any portion of materials made or submitted in the course of Response to this ITN to be trade secret under section 812.081, Florida Statutes, or otherwise confidential under Florida or federal law, in order to preserve the confidentiality of the material, the Respondent must clearly designate that portion of the materials as “confidential” when submitted to the Department. The Respondent must submit all such information as a separately bound, unredacted document clearly labeled “Confidential, Unredacted Response” together with a brief written description of the grounds for claiming exemption from the public records law, including the specific statutory citation for such exemption.

The Respondent is to also simultaneously provide the Department with a separate, electronic redacted copy of its Response. The file name of the electronic redacted copy is to contain the name of the Respondent, the ITN number, and the redacted copy (e.g., Respondent Name EOG-ITN-24-01_redacted copy.pdf). Prominently display the phrase “Redacted Copy” on the first page of the electronic redacted copy and each page on which information is redacted.

The redacted copy is to be submitted no later than the Response submittal deadline.

Where such information is part of material already required to be submitted as a separately bound or enclosed portion of the Response, further segregate it and separately bind or enclose and clearly label it as set forth above in addition to any other labeling required for the material.

If the Respondent is invited into negotiations, it will be incumbent upon the Respondent to identify, in real-time, portions of the Respondent’s negotiation sessions which include references to materials and/or information the Respondent claims are confidential, proprietary, trade secret, or otherwise not subject to disclosure. The Respondent is responsible for defending its determination that the portions of the negotiation sessions are exempt and not subject to disclosure.

3.9.5 Public Records Request

If a Respondent fails to mark any materials submitted to the Department as exempt, or fails to submit a redacted copy as provided in this section, or fails to claim, in real-time, portions of the negotiations sessions as exempt, the Respondent waives the exemption, and the Department may produce all of the Respondent’s documents, data, or records or Department’s recordings of negotiation sessions to any person requesting a copy under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The Respondent exclusively bears the burden of complying with subsection 3.9 to ensure its exempt information is appropriately marked and protected. If a requestor asserts a right to confidential information, the Department will notify the Respondent that such an assertion has been made. It is the Respondent’s responsibility to assert that the information in question is exempt from disclosure under Chapter 119 or other applicable law. If the Department becomes subject to a demand for discovery or disclosure of the confidential information of the Respondent in a legal proceeding, the Department will give the Respondent prompt notice of the demand prior to releasing the information (unless otherwise prohibited by applicable law). The

Respondent is responsible for defending its determination that the redacted portions of its Response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret, or otherwise not subject to disclosure.

3.9.6 Department Not Obligated to Defend Respondent’s Claims

The Department is not obligated to agree with a Respondent’s claim of exemption and, by submitting a Response, the Respondent agrees to defend its claim that every portion of the redactions is exempt from inspection and copying under Florida’s Public Records Law. Further, by submitting a Response, the Respondent agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Department for any and all claims and litigation (including litigation initiated by the Department), including attorney’s fees and costs, arising from or in any way relating to Respondent’s assertion that the redacted portions of its Response or portions of the negotiation sessions are trade secrets or otherwise exempt from public disclosure under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The Department may use counsel of its choosing to defend any such claims, and the Respondent shall promptly pay the Department’s invoices for legal services on a monthly basis for all costs and expenses, including legal fees, incurred in defending such claims.

3.10 Additional Information

By submitting a Response, the Respondent certifies that it agrees to all criteria specified in this solicitation. The Department may request, and the Respondent shall provide, clarifying information or documentation. Failure to supply the information or documentation as requested may result in the Response being deemed non-responsive.

3.11 Vendor’s Pricing

The Respondent is required to submit pricing with its initial Response. However, the Department reserves the right to request for the Respondent to submit revised pricing during negotiations and with its Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At that time, pricing should be submitted as if the terms and conditions of Attachment B – Draft Contract are final. There is no guaranteed minimum spend from the Department. Respondents are instructed to only submit pricing for services that are within the contemplated scope of this procurement, including additional options or features proposed by the Respondent that are in accordance with Attachment A – Scope of Work.

3.12 Subcontracting

The Contractor will be fully responsible for all work performed under the Contract, including any services performed by its subcontractors. If the Respondent intends to use subcontractors to perform any services under the Contract, the Respondent will submit Form 3 – Subcontracting with its Response. If the Respondent does not intend to use subcontractors, the Respondent will submit Form 3 with its Response and indicate that it does not intend to use subcontractors to fulfill the requirements of the Contract. Note: The use of any subcontractor under a resulting Contract must be approved in writing by the Department before any services are performed by the subcontractor.

3.13 Solution Structure Ownership

Use of any third-party platforms, software, or other technology must be organized and arranged in a manner to ensure the Department has full ownership of the data associated with the Grants Management System, Data Warehouse, Reporting Tool, the source code and/or custom configurations, and any accounts, subscriptions, or licensing required for the solution.

SECTION 4. SELECTION METHODOLOGY

4.1 Determination of Replies’ Responsiveness for Evaluation

The Department will determine which Respondents are Responsive and Responsible, and which have submitted a Responsive Proposal that meets the requirements of this solicitation. The Department will perform the initial responsiveness check. Replies found to be nonresponsive will not be evaluated.

The Department reserves the right to act upon information discovered after the initial responsiveness check impacting the responsibility or responsiveness of the Respondent.

4.2 Evaluation Process – General Overview

The Department will appoint an Evaluation Team for the evaluation and scoring of the Responsive Replies for the evaluation phase (phase one). Each evaluator will be provided a copy of each Respondent’s Proposal that is deemed Responsive.

The evaluators will evaluate all Responsive Replies using the assessment scale in section 4.3 against all evaluation criteria in the ITN. The Department will use the evaluators’ scores to establish a competitive range of Replies reasonably susceptible to award. The Evaluation Summary Score Sheet Table in section 4.3.1, which will be used by the Department to calculate evaluation scores, provides the Scope of Work and Technical Requirements sections that will be evaluated and scored, and the relative weights given to the scored sections.

See subsection 4.5 for information on the negotiation phase of the ITN. All Replies that meet the Mandatory Responsiveness Requirements will be evaluated as described in section 4.

4.3 Evaluation of the Response

The evaluators will independently review and evaluate Tab 3 – Technical Reply of the Responsive Replies. Using the assessment scale below, the evaluators will assign scores of zero (0) to three (3) for each criterion, based on the quality and completeness of each section of the Response to the Scope of Work and the Minimum Requirements Response. In determining the quality of a Response, the evaluators will use the following guiding questions:

• How well does the Response demonstrate an understanding of the services requested?

• How well does the Response address the requested services?

Assessment Criteria Score

UNSATISFACTORY The response did not address the requirement 0

POOR

Response was adequate, showed a modest understanding of the state's need and requirements, and/or the proposed solution is only minimally acceptable.

SATISFACTORY

Response was adequate, showed a good understanding of the state's need and requirements, and/or the proposed solution is acceptable.

VERY GOOD

Response was professional and convincing, showed a sound understanding of the state's need and requirements, and/or the proposed solution is acceptable with some value-added features.

4.3.1 Scoring

Scoring, for purposes of determining the competitive range, will be a total of the evaluator’s weighted scores for each Respondent for all sections scored in the Attachment E, Scorecard. Respondents may provide a response for each Solution Preference. Solution Preference responses are scored at a lower value than Solution Minimum Requirements.

The Raw Points scored for each section, by each evaluator, will be averaged together and then multiplied by the Weight Factor in Attachment E, Scorecard. This calculation will render the Respondent’s Weighted Scores for each section. The Respondent’s Weighted Scores for each section will be added together to determine the Respondent’s Final Weighted Score.

4.3.2 Other Department Rights for Evaluation

The Department reserves the right at any time during the Evaluation Process to:

1. Conceal pricing information from evaluators or provide instructions to evaluators to disregard pricing information in their evaluation of a Responsive Response.

2. Redact, omit, or provide instruction to evaluators to disregard any portions of a proposed offering that the Department determines are outside of the scope of this procurement.

4.4 Evaluation Criteria for Respondent’s Technical Response

Respondents should address each of the criteria of this section in Tab 3 Technical Response, of its Response. Tab 3 should be structured as follows:

Table of Contents The Respondent should include a Table of Contents in its Technical Response in the order listed below. The Table of Contents should contain section headings and subheadings along with corresponding page numbers. (No points will be awarded for the Table of Contents.)

A. Executive Summary

The Respondent shall provide a maximum ten (10) page document that summarizes the Respondent’s capabilities, experience, unique or relevant qualifications, and the appropriateness of the proposed solution to meet the state’s needs.

B. Prior Relevant Experience and References

The Respondent shall provide at least three (3) references from prior projects of similar scope completed within the previous five (5) year period. Each reference should be no longer than three (3) pages, including a summary of the work completed and a narrative of the project’s accomplishments and relevance. A completed FORM 5 must be submitted for each reference included in the proposal.

To be deemed “of similar scope”, each reference must include at least one of the following elements, and each of the following elements must be included in at least one of the provided references.

• At least one (1) project that includes implementation of a system with 200 or more (licensed/provisioned) end users.

• At least one (1) project that includes configuration and or development of a grants management system or similar business system.

• At least one (1) project that includes implementation of a business system for a government client.

• At least one (1) project that includes integration of systems and/or data sources across multiple organizations.

• At least one (1) project that includes setup of separate entities within the same solution with different security and configuration for each entity’s data.

The summary should detail any factors that increased the total project cost or any delays that prolonged the completion of deliverables or the overall project. Identify any subcontractors used to complete each project and detail how the subcontractor was used to complete the project.

The Respondent shall provide any cancelled contracts in the past five (5) years along with a detailed explanation for the reason for the contract cancellation.

Note: At any time during the ITN process, the Department reserves the right to contact the organizations identified in the Respondent’s Response to verify the information and representations provided by the Respondent.

The Respondent should provide a synopsis of corporate qualifications, indicating the Respondent’s abilities to implement and manage this project as described in Attachment A, Scope of Work, an organizational chart, and a detailed description of the Respondent’s organizational structure, legal structure, ownership, affiliations, and location(s). Each vendor must also provide summaries of their current engagements and the capacity of the firm and of the proposed staff to provide services to the project.

C. Project Staffing Each Respondent will be required to provide a maximum ten (10) page Project Staffing summary that must include a proposed Project Account Team that meets the minimum position requirements as described in Attachment A - Scope of Work and identifies each proposed member’s role. Each proposal must also contain a list of any subcontractors who will perform services for the project. The Project Team proposed should include individuals with sufficient experience in their fields of expertise and relevant experience for the GMS project. The proposal must include team members and their qualifications and experience for consideration. Additionally, the proposal must include a staffing plan and organizational structure for all staff to be involved in the project. Resumes must be provided for all Key Project Positions and submitted as part of Section G of the Technical Response. Resumes will not count against the page limit.

D. Proposed Solution Each Respondent will be required to provide a maximum thirty (30) page narrative description of the software solution. The narrative should summarize the platform(s) proposed, how the technical solution shall meet the state’s needs, and the benefits of the platform to the state. Solution narrative need not include screenshots or other elaborate graphics. Specific responses to technical requirements should be provided in Section F.

below.

E. Project Approach Each Respondent will be required to provide a maximum thirty (30) page narrative describing how the tasks and deliverables as defined in the scope of work shall be planned, managed, and performed. A thorough response for each subject area as listed in Attachment A – Scope of Work should be provided. The response must include a comprehensive description of the Respondent’s approach to implementing the solution. The approach should encompass various elements, including process analysis/validation, testing, data migration, implementation, training, and ongoing support processes. The proposal should effectively address the specific requirements set by the state, as well as align with the state’s overarching goals and methods. The project initiation approach and project delivery approach should be detailed in this section. A response for each section of the scope of work should be provided, including:

• Project Management

• Staffing

• Requirements Validation and Baseline Requirements Matrix

• Solution Design Documentation

• Delivery and Installation

• Testing

• Integration and Implementation

• Training

• Organizational Change Management

• Operations and Maintenance

• Additional Services

F. Minimum Requirements Response Respondent shall provide a concise but complete response for each requirement by completing Attachment C – Minimum Requirements Response. The Response should demonstrate understanding of the requirement and describe how the proposed solution or service addresses the requirement. Each response shall not exceed three ( 3) paragraphs.

G. Resumes – Key Staff

Respondent shall provide a resume for each member of the proposed Project Account Team as described in Attachment A – Scope of Work.

4.5 Negotiations

4.5.1 Negotiations Process – General Overview

After the evaluation of Replies based on the ITN criteria, the Department will establish a competitive range of Replies reasonably susceptible to award and will select one or more Respondents within the competitive range to commence negotiations.

The evaluator scoring does not carry forward into the negotiations.

The Department will establish a Negotiation Team to conduct the negotiations. The Negotiation Team will make a recommendation of (an) award(s) to the Respondent(s) that will provide the best value based on the selection criteria in the ITN. The Negotiation

Team will not be bound by evaluator scoring but may be utilized by negotiators as a resource.

During the negotiation phase, all Scope of Work pricing submitted may be reduced during negotiations but cannot be raised unless the increase is reflected in the BAFO and is directly related to changes in offered services in the BAFO and as negotiated in accordance with this ITN.

The format and content of any pricing submissions, including but not limited to Best and Final Offers, may be amended during negotiations at the discretion of the Negotiation Team.

The Department reserves the right to negotiate different terms, additional terms, and related price adjustments if the Department determines that such changes would provide the best value to the State. Additional operational requirements may be defined, and clarifications required.

The Department may require additional technical details, diagrams, demonstrations, and documentation. The Negotiation Team may request proposed alternative terms or deliverables during negotiations, but it is under no obligation to accept proposed alternative terms or deliverables.

The Department reserves the right to negotiate concurrently or sequentially with competing Respondent(s).