Final_RFP_025_2500000302_1_SO_FORM.PDF

Document ID: RFP 025 2500000302 Page: 1

Commonwealth of Kentucky

SOLICITATION

Modification: No Version #:

TITLE: Audit Services

Date Issued:

04/15/2025 Record Date:

04/15/2025

Solicitation Closes Date:

05/20/2025 Time:

15:30

Solicitation No:

RFP 025 2500000302

Online Bidding Prohibited: Yes For Information Call:

Brandy Cook 502-573-2350

Bid Receiving Location:

Administrative Office of the Courts Purchasing 1001 Vandalay Drive

Frankfort KY 40601

Vendor Customer Number:

Vendor Name:

Phone Number:

Fax Number:

Email Address:

Ordering

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Contact Name:

Contact Email:

Contact Phone Number:

Payment

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Contact Name:

Contact Email:

Contact Phone Number:

Ownership Type

__ Sole Proprietorship __ Partnership __ Corporation __ Other_________________________

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED AGENT IS REQUIRED UNLESS RESPONSE

IS SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY. FAILURE TO SIGN SHALL RENDER

THE BID INVALID.

Signature X_________________________________________ FEIN#____________________ Date____________

All offers subject to all terms and conditions contained in this solicitation.

Document ID: RFP 025 2500000302 Page: 2

Line Items

Commodity Group: Default

Line CL Description Quantity UOM Unit Cost Line Total or Contract Amnt

1 Perform financial statement audit of the Judicial Branch.

Comm Code Comm Description Manufacturer Model # Manuf Part #

918 CONSULTING SERVICES

Extended Description The AOC issues this solicitation with the intent of entering into a personal services contract for external Audit Services.

Shipping Information

Billing Information

Document ID: RFP 025 2500000302 Page: 3

Submission Checklist

The following items will be required to be submitted with bid:

Item Bid Information-Completed

Table of Contents

Section 1 – Background and Scope

1.00 Background

1.01 Purpose

1.02 Minimum Requirements

1.03 Scope of Work

Section 2 – Administrative Overview

2.00 Issuing Office

2.01 Method of Award

2.02 Schedule of RFP Activities

2.03 Duty to Inquire

2.04 Offeror Responsible for Proposal Language

2.05 Instructions and Restrictions on Communications

2.06 Solicitation Addenda

2.07 Offer of Gratuities

2.08 Proposal Submittal

2.09 Modification or Withdrawal of Proposal

Section 3 – Procurement Rules and Requirements

3.00 Rules of Procurement

3.01 AOC Not Responsible for Preparation Costs

3.02 Waiver of Minor Irregularities

3.03 Best and Final Offers

3.04 Clarification of Proposals

3.05 Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension

3.06 Certificate of Authority

3.07 Offeror Response and Public Inspection

3.08 Offerors’ Exception to Specifications

3.09 Basis of Price Quotation/Revisions – Price Firm for Initial Period

Section 4 – Development of the Proposal

4.00 Proposal Submission

4.01 Format of Proposal

4.02 Tax

4.03 Offers to be Firm

4.04 Offeror’s Representations

Section 5 – RFP Evaluation

5.00 Proposal Evaluation

5.01 Responsiveness of Proposal

5.02 Responsibility of the Offeror

5.03 Proposal Scoring Criteria

Section 6 - Negotiation

6.00 Negotiation

6.01 Items to be Negotiated

6.02 Best and Final Offers

Section 7 – Ranking of Proposals and Award of Contract

7.00 Method of Award

7.01 Total Points Possible for Award

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2500000302 Final Audit Services Total Pages: 34

7.02 Collusive Bids

7.03 Rejection of All Offers

7.04 Agreement Between Parties

7.05 Protest

Section 8 – Standard Terms and Conditions

8.00 Effective Date

8.01 Contract Components and Order of Precedence

8.02 Contract Term and Renewal Option

8.03 Changes and Modifications to the Contract

8.04 Notices

8.05 Equipment/Condition

8.06 Addition or Deletion of Items or Service

8.07 Delivery, Transportation and Packaging

8.08 Inspection

8.09 Penalty for Late Delivery

8.10 Service Performance

8.11 Personnel

8.12 Substitution of Key Personnel

8.13 Permits and Licenses

8.14 Purchasing and Specifications

8.15 Confidentiality of Data

8.16 Advertising

8.17 Insurance

8.18 Invoices for Fees

8.19 Terms for Prompt Payment

8.20 Travel Expenses

8.21 Other Expenses

8.22 Cancellation

8.23 Cancellation for Default

8.24 Termination for Convenience of the AOC

8.25 Termination Notice

8.26 Termination – Contractor Responsibilities

8.27 Funding Out Provision

8.28 Force Majeure

8.29 Assignment

8.30 Indemnification

8.31 Choice of Law and Forum

8.32 Authorized to do Business in Kentucky

8.33 Conflict-of-Interest Laws and Principles

8.34 Access to Records

8.35 Equal Employment Compliance

8.36 Social Security

8.37 Violation of Tax and Employment Laws

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

and

INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

Kentucky Court of Justice Administrative Office of the Courts

Audit Services

RFP # 025 2500000302

This document constitutes a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified individuals and organizations to furnish external Audit Services as described herein and in the attachments hereto for the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC).

A contract based on this RFP may or may not be awarded. Any contract award from this RFP is invalid until properly approved and executed by the AOC.

DEFINITIONS

The term “AOC” means the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The term “KCOJ” means the Kentucky Court of Justice.

The term “solicitation” means Request for Proposals (RFP).

SECTION 1 – BACKGROUND AND SCOPE

1.00 Background

Since the founding of the Commonwealth, the Judicial Branch has been an independent branch of government, separate from the Executive and Legislative branches and from county and city governments. The Judicial Article to the Kentucky Constitution, passed in 1975 and effective in

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1976, established Kentucky’s current unified court system. The 1975 Judicial Article created the Supreme Court of Kentucky and made the Chief Justice of the Commonwealth the administrative head of the state court system, also known as the Kentucky Court of Justice.

The Kentucky Court of Justice (KCOJ) is comprised of two trial courts, Circuit Court and District Court, and two appellate courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is the administrative and operational arm of the KCOJ. The responsibilities of the AOC include administering the judicial branch budget;

building and maintaining court facilities; maintaining court statistics; providing technology services for the KCOJ; providing educational programs for judges, circuit court clerks, and support staff; providing specialty courts and other statewide programs; and administering personnel policies and payroll. The AOC issues solicitations and enters into contracts to purchase goods and services needed throughout the KCOJ.

0.01 Purpose

The AOC issues this solicitation with the intent of entering into a personal services contract for external Audit Services.

The successful offeror must provide a dedicated project manager who shall be responsible for coordinating all meetings, tracking, and maintaining all activity, and proactively updating AOC on the status of all deliverables.

Offeror must be able to provide services remotely if requested by AOC.

For FY25, the audit should be substantially completed by October 1, 2025, and presented to the Audit Oversight Committee at their quarterly meeting on or about October 7, 2025, to ensure a complete understanding of the process and any audit findings. The Final Audit Report should be delivered to AOC by October 30, 2025.

For previous audited statements see Attachment A.

The selected Offeror must provide the following services:

1. Financial Statement Audit Conduct an audit of the Kentucky Judicial Branch’s regulatory basis financial statements for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) and subsequent years, subject to contract renewal. Express an independent opinion on whether the financial statements are fairly presented, in all material respects, in accordance with the regulatory basis of accounting.

2. Internal Controls and Compliance Testing Assess internal controls over financial reporting and evaluate compliance with applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements. Identify and report any deficiencies or areas of non-compliance.

3. Audit Findings and Recommendations Prepare a comprehensive report for the Audit Oversight Committee and management outlining any identified control deficiencies, significant deficiencies, or material weaknesses. Provide recommendations to enhance accounting and administrative controls.

4. Audit Oversight Committee Presentation Present audit findings and reports at the annual October meeting of the Audit Oversight Committee.

5. Ongoing Consultation

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Provide general consultation, as requested, on financial reporting matters throughout the year.

1.02 Minimum Requirements

The selected Offeror is responsible for demonstrating and verifying that it meets all the following minimum requirements:

1. Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Licensure The selected offeror must hold and maintain all required licensure(s) as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in good standing. Offerors must provide evidence of current licensure for both the firm and any individual auditors assigned to perform the audit. A copy of the valid CPA license(s) must be included in the proposal submission.

2. Professional Liability Insurance The selected offeror must maintain professional liability insurance, either general or specific to the engagement, with coverage equal to at least the total contract value. Proof of current insurance coverage must be provided to the Administrative Office of the Courts (APA) as part of the proposal submission.

0.03Fee Schedule The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) will compensate the selected offeror at the agreed-upon hourly rate. Offerors must provide a detailed breakdown of the hourly rates for all personnel involved in delivering services under this agreement, including but not limited to partners, senior auditors, junior/staff auditors, and administrative staff. These rates must be submitted using the Cost Proposal Form (see Attachment B).

END OF SECTION 1

SECTION 2 – ADMINISTRATIVE OVERVIEW

2.00 Issuing Office

The AOC Department of Financial Services, Division of Procurement is the only entity authorized to change, modify, amend, alter or clarify the specifications and the terms and conditions of this RFP.

2.01 Method of Award

Award shall be issued on the highest-ranking proposal by a responsive, responsible offeror.

2.02 Schedule of RFP Activities

Release of RFP April 15, 2025

Written Questions Due May 6, 2025

Anticipated AOC Response to Written Questions May 13, 2025

Proposals Due May 20, 2025

Offerors Notified of Selection – Anticipated June 2, 2025

Contract Execution – Anticipated July 1, 2025

All proposals must be electronically received in the Department of Financial Services, Division of Procurement no later than the due date and time defined in this solicitation.

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NOTE: ALL TIME REFERENCES ARE EASTERN TIME ZONE.

2.03 Duty to Inquire

Offeror, by submitting a proposal, represents that it has read and understands the solicitation and that its proposal is made in compliance with the solicitation. Offerors should request an explanation of any ambiguities, discrepancies, errors, omissions, or conflicting statements in the solicitation. Failure to do so will be at the offeror’s risk. Offeror assumes responsibility for any patent ambiguity in the solicitation that offeror does not bring to the AOC’s attention.

2.04 Offeror Responsible for Proposal Language

All proposals submitted shall be deemed to have been made with the full knowledge of all of the terms, conditions, provisions, specifications and requirements contained in this solicitation and any addenda thereto.

Each offeror has the responsibility of delivering his/her proposal by the time and at the place prescribed in this solicitation. Proposals received prior to the closing for receipt of proposals will remain unopened until the time scheduled for opening offers. Any proposal received after the date and time specified in this solicitation may be rejected and returned unopened to the offeror.

The AOC shall not have any liability to an offeror due to the failure of such proposal to be properly addressed or marked, or the premature opening of such a proposal due to the improper address. Neither the proposals nor their contents will be made available for public information or inspection until a determination of a successful offeror has been made and award is final.

2.05 Instructions and Restrictions on Communications

The office listed below shall be the sole point of contact throughout the procurement process:

Administrative Office of the Courts Department of Financial Services, Division of Procurement 1001 Vandalay Drive Frankfort, KY 40601 Solicitation@kycourts.net

All communication attempts by the offeror, questions or requests for explanation concerning the meaning or interpretation of the solicitation instructions, specifications, etc., shall be submitted in writing via email to solicitation@kycourts.net on or before May 6, 2025 at 3:30 pm EST.

The AOC will respond to salient questions in writing by issuing an amendment to the solicitation. No addenda of a material nature shall be issued later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the date for receipt of proposals, except for addenda postponing the date for receipt of proposals or withdrawing the solicitation.

Offerors should clearly understand that any verbal representation made or assumed to be made during any verbal discussions held between offeror’s representatives and any KCOJ employee or official is not binding on the AOC. All communications concerning this procurement shall be addressed to the below email:

Solicitation@kycourts.net

All questions and inquiries must be submitted electronically to Solicitation@kycourts.net.

No phone calls will be accepted nor voicemails returned.

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2500000302 Final Audit Services Total Pages: 34 mailto:Solicitation@kycourts.net mailto:solicitation@kycourts.net mailto:Solicitation@kycourts.net

From the issue date of this RFP until a Contractor is selected and the selection is announced, offerors are not allowed to communicate with any KCOJ employees or officials concerning this RFP except for the AOC Department of Financial Services, Division of Procurement. The AOC reserves the right to reject the proposal response of any offeror who violates this provision.

2.06 Solicitation Addenda

This solicitation may be supplemented or amended at any time by appropriate addenda which will be posted to the eProcurement website. Addenda may also be necessary after the receipt date and will be sent to all offerors who have submitted a proposal. It shall be the offeror’s responsibility to verify all addenda prior to submittal of response by viewing at https:// eProcurement.ky.gov.

2.07 Offer of Gratuities

By submission of proposal, the offeror certifies that no elected or appointed official or employee of the Kentucky Court of Justice or AOC has or will benefit financially or materially from this procurement.

2.08 Proposal Submittal

Proposal Receipt Closing Date: May 20, 2025, by 3:30 pm EST

Offerors must submit the proposal electronically to the following email address:

Solicitation@kycourts.net

The Subject Line shall contain the following information:

Sealed Request for Proposal No: RFP # 025 2500000302

Proposals must be emailed to solicitation@kycourts.net before May 20, 2025, by 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. To be considered complete, the email must include both a proposal document containing Tabs 1-8 and a separate Cost Proposal Form. Offerors must not include the completed Cost Proposal Form in the proposal document. Only proposals submitted electronically will be accepted. The AOC reserves the right to reject the proposal of any offeror who does not abide by these provisions.

The proposal must be received before the specified closing hour and date for receipt of proposals. All proposals are time stamped showing the hour and date officially received. A proposal received after the scheduled closing time for receipt of proposals is a “late proposal” and must not be considered for award, unless all of the following apply:

1. The need of the AOC is determined to preclude the re-solicitation of bids or offers;

2. The bid or offer is evaluated and found to serve the best interest of the KCOJ.

Offeror assumes full responsibility for timely delivery of the proposal in compliance with the above-described procedures and conditions. Proposals transmitted by facsimile will not be considered.

2.09 Modification or Withdrawal of Proposal

A proposal may be modified or withdrawn by electronic or written notice received prior to the hour and date specified for receipt of proposals. A proposal may also be withdrawn in person by an offeror or authorized representative, if the representative’s identity is made known and the

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2500000302 Final Audit Services Total Pages: 34 https://eProcurement.ky.gov https://eProcurement.ky.gov mailto:solicitation@kycourts.net representative signs a receipt for the proposal, but only if the withdrawal is made prior to the hour and date set for receipt of proposals. Withdrawal of a proposal after closing is permitted only if clear and convincing evidence indicates that an offeror has made a bona fide error in the preparation of a proposal and the error will result in substantial loss to the offeror. Proof must be submitted to substantiate error and loss to the reasonable satisfaction of the Division of Procurement.

END OF SECTION 2

SECTION 3 – PROCUREMENT RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

3.00 Rules of Procurement

To facilitate this procurement, various rules have been established. These are described in the following paragraphs.

3.01 AOC Not Responsible for Preparation Costs

The AOC will not pay any cost associated with the preparation, submittal, presentation or evaluation of any proposal.

3.02 Waiver of Minor Irregularities

The AOC reserves the right to reject any offers and to waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

3.03 Best and Final Offers

The AOC reserves the right to request a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) for proposals. Offerors are cautioned to propose their best possible offers at the outset of the process, as there is no guarantee that any offeror will be allowed an opportunity to submit a BAFO.

3.04 Clarification of Proposals

The AOC reserves the right to request additional information as may be reasonably required for selection, and to reject any proposals for failure to provide additional information on a timely basis.

The AOC reserves the right to conduct discussions with any offeror who has submitted a proposal to determine the offeror’s qualifications for further consideration. Discussions shall not disclose any information derived from proposals submitted by other offerors.

Any explanation or questions desired by an offeror regarding the meaning or interpretation of the RFP shall be submitted in writing not less than nine (9) calendar days prior to the proposal closing date to solicitation@kycourts.net.

Verbal explanations, representations, or instructions shall not be binding on the AOC. Any information given to a prospective offeror concerning a solicitation shall be furnished to all prospective offerors by being posted at https://finance.ky.gov/eProcurement/Pages/default.aspx

All questions and inquiries must be submitted electronically. No phone calls will be accepted nor voicemails returned.

3.05 Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension

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The offeror shall certify, by signing the Solicitation, that to the best of its knowledge and belief, the offeror and/or its Principals is (are) not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any State or Federal agency.

“Principals”, for the purposes of this certification, means officers, directors, owners, partners, and persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager, plant manager, head of subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions).

3.06 Certificate of Authority

A domestic corporation submitting a proposal must be in good standing in accordance with the requirements of the Kentucky Secretary of State.

In comity with KRS 45A.480(1)(b), the AOC will not award a contract to a person that is a foreign entity required by KRS 14A.9-010 to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in the Commonwealth (“certificate”) from the Secretary of State under KRS 14A.9-030 unless the person produces the certificate within fourteen (14) days of the proposal opening. Foreign entities should submit a copy of their certificate with their proposal or as soon as possible thereafter, but in no case later than fourteen (14) days after the proposal opening date. If the foreign entity is not required to obtain a certificate as provided in KRS 14A.9-010, the foreign entity should identify the applicable exception in its proposal.

“Foreign entity” is defined within KRS 14A.1-070.

For all foreign entities required to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in the Commonwealth, if a copy of the certificate is not received by the AOC within the time frame identified above, the foreign entity’s proposal shall be deemed non-responsive or the awarded contract shall be cancelled. Businesses can register with the Secretary of State at https:// secure.kentucky.gov/sos/ftbr/welcome.aspx.

3.07 Offeror Response and Public Inspection

The RFP specifies the format, required information and general content of proposals to be submitted. The AOC shall not disclose any portions of the proposals prior to contract award to anyone outside of the KCOJ, except representatives of the Federal government, if required, and the members of the evaluation committee.

After a contract is awarded in whole or in part, the AOC shall have the right to duplicate, use, or publicly disclose all proposal data submitted by offerors in response to this RFP that is not designated by the offeror as proprietary. To designate information as proprietary, the offeror shall mark each and every page it wishes to so designate with the word “Proprietary”.

The AOC shall have the right to use all system ideas, or adaptations of those ideas, contained in any proposal received in response to this RFP. Selection or rejection of the proposal will not affect this right.

3.08 Offerors’ Exception to Specifications

If an offeror takes exception to any part of the specifications as set forth in this solicitation, the offeror must note and explain the exception in the Transmittal Letter included in their proposal.

If no exceptions are noted or set forth, the AOC is assured that the offeror guarantees to furnish and deliver the services as specified, at the price proposed. Unless a request for their return

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2500000302 Final Audit Services Total Pages: 34 http://www.lrc.ky.gov/KRS/014A09/010.PDF http://www.lrc.ky.gov/KRS/014A09/030.PDF http://www.lrc.ky.gov/KRS/014A09/010.PDF http://www.lrc.ky.gov/KRS/014A01/070.PDF https://secure.kentucky.gov/sos/ftbr/welcome.aspx is made within thirty (30) days of award of contract, all samples, if applicable, shall become property of the state.

3.09 Basis of Price Quotation/Revisions – Price Firm for Initial Period

Prices quoted or negotiated in response to this solicitation shall remain firm for initial period of the resulting contract. After the initial term of the contract, prices are subject to revision which may be either an increase or decrease. Such revisions may be requested by either of the contracting parties and must be requested in writing. The party to whom the request is presented must notify the requesting party of its decision within thirty (30) days after receipt of the request or satisfactory supporting documentation whichever occurs later. In the event the requested revision is refused, the requesting party shall have the right to decline to extend the contract for additional periods, without prejudice.

END OF SECTION 3

SECTION 4 – DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSAL

4.00 Proposal Submission

Each qualified offeror shall submit only one response to the solicitation. Responses submitted jointly by more than one offeror shall not be considered. All submitted proposals shall remain valid for a minimum of six (6) months after the proposal due date.

In the event of any conflict or variation between the solicitation, any addenda to the solicitation issued by the AOC, and the offeror’s proposal, the terms of any addenda shall prevail, followed by the terms of the solicitation, and lastly, the proposal.

The RFP response must include an electronic copy of the Proposal, including Tabs 1-3, and an electronic copy of the completed Cost Proposal Form, Tab 4, as a separate attachment emailed to solicitation@kycourts.net. The Cost Proposal Form must not be included in the Proposal document.

Proposals must be emailed to solicitation@kycourts.net before April 24May 20, 2025, by 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. To be considered complete, the email must include both a Proposal containing Tabs 1-8 and a separate Cost Proposal Form. Offerors must not include the completed Cost Proposal Form in the Proposal document. Only proposals submitted electronically will be accepted. The AOC reserves the right to reject the proposal of any offeror who does not abide by these provisions. Failure to timely remit one or more portions of the response may result in rejection of the proposal.

4.01 Format of Proposal

The proposal must be arranged and labeled with tabs or labeled pages separating the information provided in the manner set forth below. Failure to arrange and label the submittal in this manner may result in rejection of the proposal. Offerors shall set forth full, accurate, and complete information as required by the RFP.

Proposals that contain an offeror’s own special terms and conditions in conflict with the terms of the RFP or any applicable Kentucky law may be rejected.

A. TAB 1 - TRANSMITTAL LETTER

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Provide a letter on offeror’s letterhead and signed by an agent authorized to bind the offeror. If the Transmittal Letter is not signed, the proposal may be deemed non-responsive.

The Transmittal Letter must include the following:

1. The name, address, telephone number, fax number and email address and website address, if available, of the contact person to serve as a point of contact during the solicitation process.

2. A statement affirming that the offeror is properly authorized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to conduct business in this state and will remain in good standing with the office of the Kentucky Secretary of State for the duration of any awarded contract resulting from this Solicitation

3. Foreign entity’s organization number issued by the Kentucky Secretary of State in a certificate of authority or a statement of foreign qualification, if applicable.

4. A statement certifying that to the best of its knowledge and belief, neither the offeror nor its subcontractors nor any of their Principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any State or Federal agency.

5. A statement certifying that the prices in this proposal were arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement as to any matter relating to such prices with any other offeror or with any competitor.

6. A statement that the contents of this proposal have not been communicated by the offeror or its employees or agents to any person not an employee or agent of the offeror, and will not be communicated to any such person prior to the proposal opening.

7. A statement that the offeror is legally eligible to enter into a contract with the AOC and the award of a contract shall not create any conflict of interest.

8. A statement that, if awarded a contract as a result of this Solicitation, the offeror shall comply in full with all the requirements of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act, and shall submit all data required by the Kentucky AOC.

9. A statement explaining any deviations or exceptions the offeror has to the requirements or terms and conditions detailed in the RFP, if applicable.

10. If applicable, a statement that proprietary information is included. If the offeror intends for any of the proposal to be regarded as confidential, proprietary information, the offeror must submit a redacted version of the proposal in addition.

11. A statement affirming that the offeror has the ability to meet all requirements of the RFP upon submission of the proposal.

12. A description of offeror’s understanding of the needs of the KCOJ as described in this solicitation to conduct a financial statement audit of the Judicial Branch’s FY25 regulatory basis financial statement.

13. An overview of the offeror’s approach to the project including but not limited to the number of key personnel that twill be provided, the number of estimated hours to complete the scope of work, the number of hours that key personnel will be on on-site

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14. A statement that the offeror is licensed by the Kentucky Board of Accountancy to practice public accounting in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

15. A discussion of how the proposed solution will address the needs of the KCOJ.

16. An overview of the manner in which the offeror will deliver the solution desired, including a timeline.

The Transmittal Letter MUST NOT include any cost/pricing information. Cost information must only be provided in the Cost Proposal Form.

B. TAB 2 – COMPLETED AND SIGNED SOLICITATION AND ADDENDA

An authorized representative of the agency MUST complete and sign the Solicitation form (Page 1 of the Solicitation). Failure to sign shall render proposal invalid.

“Vendor” box and “Remit To” box must be completed.

Vendor shall indicate ownership type and “Additional Vendor Information”

Vendor shall complete “FEIN,” if applicable.

Vendor shall provide date the form is completed and signed.

Signed face of most recent Addendum, if applicable.

C. TAB 3 – CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORITY

Pursuant to KRS 14A.1-070, a "foreign entity" is any corporation, not-for-profit corporation, cooperative, association, business or statutory trust, partnership, limited partnership, or limited liability company not: (a) organized pursuant to the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky; or

(b) as to its internal affairs, governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

In this Tab, any offeror who is not a foreign entity under the definition provided in KRS 14A.1-070 shall declare that it is not a foreign entity. Any offeror meeting the definition of a foreign entity shall:

1. Provide a copy of its certificate of authority; or

2. Detail the steps taken to ensure that a certificate will be provided within the time frame below; or

3. Identify any applicable exception under KRS 14A.9-010, if the offeror believes that an exception applies.

In comity with KRS 45A.480(1)(b), the AOC will not award a contract to an offeror that is a foreign entity required by KRS 14A.9-010 to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in the Commonwealth (“certificate”) from the Secretary of State under KRS 14A.9-030 unless the offeror produces the certificate within fourteen (14) days of the proposal opening.

For all foreign entities required to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in the Commonwealth, if a copy of the certificate is not received by the AOC within the time frame identified above, the foreign entity’s solicitation response shall be deemed non-responsive or the awarded contract shall be cancelled. Businesses can register with the Secretary of State at https:// secure.kentucky.gov/sos/ftbr/welcome.aspx.

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D. TAB 4 – References

Offeror must provide three (3) professional references. References supplied should be for projects of similar size, scope and complexity to the KCOJ project.

The following information is required for each reference:

1. Client’s name

2. Client’s address

3. Contact person

4. Contact person’s title

5. Contact person’s phone number

6. Contact person’s email address

7. Summary of the project

8. Reference letter (if possible)

E. TAB 5 – Minimum Requirements

Offeror must provide the following information:

A. Provide a copy of offeror’s CPA License B. Provide a copy of Offeror’s professional liability insurance

F. Tab 6 - Approach and Timeline

Offeror must provide the following information:

A. A description of its approach for the audit.

B. A timeline for the audit, which includes planning, fieldwork, and drafting an audit report and issuance.

C. The anticipated number of hours required for each phase. The audit should be substantially completed October 1, 2025, and presented to the Audit Oversight Committee at their quarterly meeting on or about October 7, 2025, to ensure a complete understanding of the process and any audit findings. The final audit report should be delivered to AOC by October 30, 2025.

G. Tab 7 – Qualifications of Offeror and Key Personnel

A. Offeror Background and Experience

1. Provide a description of the offeror’s experience in providing financial statement audit services. If the Offeror has had specific court-related experience or experience with a state agency in Kentucky, it should be detailed here.

2. Provide an explanation of the offeror’s qualifications to provide services for a project of this scope.

3. Provide a certificate of professional liability insurance demonstrating that the offeror meets the requirements of section 1.02 (B).

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4. Provide a copy of the offeror’s most recent peer review. If the peer review is not available, provide a detailed explanation of why it is not available.

B. Specific information about the Offeror

1. Name of the Firm

2. Address of the headquarters

3. Address of department/ division providing the professional services

4. Year business started

5. Number of years the offeror has been involved in projects similar to this one

6. State of incorporation

7. Total number of full-time employees nationally

8. Total number of full-time employees in Kentucky

9. Contact person during project, including:

- Address of contact person during project

- Telephone number of contact person during project

- Email address of contact person during project

C. Offeror’s Financials

Offeror must provide financials for the last three years to show evidence of its financial stability. Any of the following forms of financial evidence will be accepted:

-Corporate Annual report

- Dun and Bradstreet report

- Income statement, balance sheet, or profit and loss statement (must be compiled, audited, or reviewed financials)

- Tax returns

- Bank Letter

D. Qualification of Key Personnel

Offeror must provide the following information at minimum:

- Identify and provide resumes of the project manager(s) and other key personnel who will be assigned to this project. The project manager and any key personnel shall be employees of the offeror. Preference will be given to individuals who have experience with Kentucky state agencies.

- For each key personnel identified, provide Kentucky CPA license number.

- Identify any experience that each key personnel has in auditing Regulatory Basis

Financial Statements.

- Identify any experience that each key personnel has in auditing Kentucky state agencies.

- In addition, provide a listing of other staff to be assigned. List the project role and the names and number of staff that will be assigned that role.

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- Identify the offeror’s protocol for performing background checks on its employees.

Include a statement that the offeror has completed a background check on all staff proposed to work on this project and that no felony convictions were found.

E. Failed Projects/ Criminal Charges/ Litigation

Offeror must provide a list of failed projects and litigation. The list should include, but not be limited to the following:

- Explanation of any instance where the company won a bid and was unsuccessful in implementation.

- Explanation of any criminal charges or convictions, civil litigation, threatened litigation or claims made relating to any of the services the offeror proposes to provide in which the offeror or any of its principles has been involved or is currently involved.

H. Tab 8 – Cost Proposal Form

Offeror must complete Attachment B, Cost Proposal Form. All blanks in the Cost Proposal Form must be completed and any required supporting data must be furnished. Cost proposal must list the hourly rates the vendor will charge for all staff providing services under this agreement. Prospective offerors should note that per the Legislative Research Commission (LRC) Government Contracts Review Committee Policy Statement 99-5, it shall be the policy of the Government Contract Review Committee of the Legislative Research Commission to consider for approval, only those personal service contracts for auditing services that conform to the following and maximum rate schedule:

LRC Maximum Rate Schedule:

Principle or Partner Not to exceed $125/ hour Senior Auditor or Manager Not to exceed $100/ hour Junior Auditor or Staff Auditor Not to exceed $75/ hour

Offerors must not include the Cost Proposal Form in the documents submitted as their proposal. Offerors must email a copy of the form as a separate attachment to solicitation@kycourts.net before 3:30 p.m. EST, Friday, May 20, 2025.

4.02 Tax

Do not include Federal Tax, Kentucky Sales Tax, or Kentucky Use Tax in price quoted in response to this solicitation. Sales of tangible personal property or services to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its constitutional agencies, including the AOC, are not subject to Kentucky sales or use tax.

4.03 Offers to Be Firm

The proposal shall be firm in offer and conform substantially to the advertised terms, plans and specifications. Any qualifications or reservation imposed by an offeror in the proposal retaining the option of accepting, modifying or rejecting an offered contract shall be cause to render the proposal not firm and ineligible for consideration of award. Any proposal in response to the RFP that includes terms contrary or in addition to those in the RFP may be considered non-responsive and may be rejected by the AOC.

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The offeror shall make no stipulations on the Cost Proposal Form nor qualify the proposal in any manner.

4.04 Offeror’s Representations

Each offeror, by submitting a proposal, represents that:

A. The proposal amount has been arrived at by the offeror independently and has been submitted without collusion with, and without any agreement, understanding or planned common course of action with any other contractor, vendor of materials, supplies, equipment or services described in the RFP, that is designed to limit independent bidding or competition.

B. The contents of the proposal have not been communicated by the offeror or its employees or agents to any person not an employee or agent of the offeror, and will not be communicated to any such person prior to the proposal opening.

C. The offeror is legally eligible to enter into a contract with the AOC and the award of a contract shall not create any conflict of interest.

D. Neither the offeror, nor its subcontractors, nor any of their principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal or state department or agency. “Principals”, for the purposes of this certification, means officers, directors, owners, partners, and persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager, plant manager, head of subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions).

E. The offeror possesses the skill, expertise, and licensing to perform the services requested.

END OF SECTION 4

SECTION 5 – RFP EVALUATION

5.00 Proposal Evaluation

The AOC shall conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of all proposals. The AOC may reject any proposal that is incomplete or in which there are significant inconsistencies or inaccuracies. The AOC reserves the right to reject all proposals.

Each offeror is responsible for submitting all relevant, factual and correct information with its offer to enable the evaluator(s) to afford each offeror the maximum score based on the available data submitted by the offeror.

Past offeror performance may be considered in the award of this Contract. Offerors with a record of poor performance may be found non-responsive and ineligible for award.

5.01 Responsiveness of Proposal

Proposals may be disqualified as nonresponsive for any of the following reasons documented by the Division of Procurement:

1. Failure of a proposal to conform to the essential requirements of an RFP.

2. Failure to conform to the scope of work contained or referenced in an RFP.

3. Failure to conform to a delivery schedule established in an RFP.

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4. Imposition of conditions which modify the terms and conditions of the RFP or limit the offeror’s liability to the KCOJ on the contract awarded.

5. Submission of an unreasonable price.

6. Failure or refusal, within a reasonable time, to give a clarification about the proposal, if requested to do so by the purchasing officer.

7. Non-responsibility of an offeror.

8. Failure to furnish a bid guarantee if required by an RFP.

9. Other cause as documented by the purchasing officer in a Determination and Finding.

5.02 Responsibility of the Offeror

The AOC may, at any time, make a supplemental investigation of the responsibility of any offeror.# This may include investigation of the offeror’s financial responsibility, capacity to produce or source of supply, performance record in the business or industry, compliance with state health rules and regulations, and any other matter related to the offeror’s probable ability to deliver in the quantity and at the time required by a contract.

If the AOC concludes on the basis of all available evidence that a particular offeror does not appear sufficiently responsible to assure adequate performance, the proposal may be rejected.

5.03 Proposal Scoring Criteria

After determining that a proposal includes all required information and data, the AOC will evaluate the proposal based on the following evaluation factors:

Proposal Evaluation Criteria Points Possible

Experience of Offeror and Capacity to Perform 100 Experience of Key Personnel Proposed 100 Approach to Project 300 Cost Proposal 500 Total Possible Points 1000

On the evaluation line for the Cost Proposal, the offer with the lowest cost receives the maximum score. The offer with the next lowest cost receives points by dividing the lowest total cost by the next lowest total cost and multiplying that percentage by the available points.

For example: Assume 40 points is allocated to the Cost Proposal. Proposal “A” bids $300 as the lowest total cost and receives the maximum 40 points ($300/$300 = 1.00 x 40 = 40). Assume Proposal “B” is the next lowest total cost at $400. Then “B” receives 30 points. ($300/$400 = .75 x 40 = 30).

END OF SECTION 5

SECTION 6 - NEGOTIATION

6.00 Negotiation

After determining the best proposal received, the AOC reserves the right to negotiate a fair and reasonable compensation based on the pricing submitted in the offeror’s proposal. If the negotiations fail to reach an agreement on a fair and reasonable compensation rate, the AOC reserves the right to proceed to the next highest rated proposal.

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6.01 Items to be Negotiated

Items that may be negotiated are at the sole discretion of the AOC. The AOC reserves the right to negotiate compensation with the selected offerors. If the negotiations fail to reach an agreement on a fair and reasonable compensation rate, the AOC reserves the right to proceed to the next highest rated proposal.

6.02 Best and Final Offers

After determining the best proposal received in accordance with the award methodology stated in the RFP, the Division of Procurement may request Best and Final Offers, if determined appropriate by the evaluation committee. After the Best and Final Offers are received and re-evaluated with criteria included in the Best and Final Offer instructions, the AOC may negotiate a fair and reasonable compensation with the selected offeror.

END OF SECTION 6

SECTION 7 – RANKING OF PROPOSALS AND AWARD OF CONTRACT

7.00 Method of Award

The AOC will rank the proposal in the manner set forth within this Solicitation. However, the AOC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals in whole or in part and to waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received based on the best interest of the AOC and KCOJ. In the event that no complete bids or offers are received, and it is determined to be in the best interest of the KCOJ, the AOC reserves the right to award based on item-by-item awards.

An evaluation committee will evaluate the information provided by the offeror(s) in response to the established measurable criteria contained in the solicitation.

The measurable criteria are added together to determine the offeror’s total score. The offeror with the highest score receives the highest ranking.

7.01 Collusive Bids

If it is determined in writing by the AOC that there are reasonable grounds to believe offerors have agreed to restrain competitive bidding by establishing a fixed price on commodities or equipment sought to be purchased by the AOC, or by any other means, the proposals of all such offerors shall be rejected, and the offerors barred from further bidding for a period of time considered appropriate.

a. If collusion is suspected among offerors, a written notice of the facts giving rise to such suspicion shall be transmitted to the Attorney General.

b. All documents involved in any procurement in which collusion is suspected shall be retained by the AOC until the Attorney General gives notice that they may be released, and shall be made available to the Attorney General or his designee upon request.

7.03 Rejection of All Offers

If it is in the best interest of the KCOJ and the AOC, as determined in writing by the Director of the AOC, a solicitation may be cancelled and reissued containing the same or revised specifications, terms and conditions, etc. If time does not permit or if an emergency exists, the

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AOC may purchase the items on a negotiated basis. The rejection of all offers and selection of the negotiated method of purchase shall be fully documented in the solicitation file.

7.04 Agreement Between Parties

By submitting a proposal, the offeror acknowledges and agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the solicitation.

The offeror agrees that a resulting contract is the complete and exclusive statement of the agreement between the parties, which supersedes all prior agreements, oral or written, and all other communications between the parties relating to the subject matter of this solicitation.

Purchase or Sales Agreements supplied by the offeror making an offer in response to the solicitation will not be accepted. The terms and conditions acceptable to the AOC are as outlined in the solicitation. Proposals not conforming may be considered as non-responsive.

The resulting contract shall constitute the entire agreement between the AOC and awarded contractor, as defined in Section 9.01, herein.

7.05 Protest

Only the Director of the AOC, or designee, has authority to determine protests and other controversies of actual or prospective offerors in connection with the RFP or selection for award of a Contract.

Only prospective offerors may file a protest to the content of solicitation documents. A prospective offeror is a vendor that has a direct economic interest that will be impacted by the award of the contract or failure to award a contract; and that demonstrates it had a substantial chance of obtaining the award. Protests to solicitations must be filed before the protestor actually submits a bid or proposal. Submission of a bid or proposal will constitute a waiver of all objections to the solicitation once the bid or offer is opened.

An offeror is presumed to have knowledge of the facts giving rise to any potential protest of a solicitation on the date the solicitation, or modification to it, was posted to the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s eProcurement website.

Only an actual offeror may file protest to the award of a procurement or proposed award.

# Actual offerors may request information about proposals received or grading thereof after the notice of award has been issued but prior to finalization of a contract by email to solicitation@kycourts.net. No proprietary information will be provided.

A protest or notice of other controversy must be filed promptly and in any event within two

(2) calendar weeks after the aggrieved party knows or should have known of the facts giving rise thereto. The two week period does not include the day on which the alleged basis for protest arises, and if the two week period ends on a weekend or legal holiday, the period will be extended to the next workday. The two-week period will not be extended if a legal holiday occurs on any other day during the applicable time period. All revisions, supplements, or additional information must be submitted with the two-week period. A protest is considered filed when received by the AOC Directors Office.

The protester of an actual or proposed award of contract is presumed to have knowledge of the award of contract and facts giving rise…