FY20 ABSTRACT RFR KP.docx

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE

Massachusetts Fishing Hunting and Trapping Guide (aka Abstracts) Publication and Delivery RFR # DFW2019-051/ COMMBUYS Bid# 40964

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE

Massachusetts Fishing Hunting and Trapping Guide (aka Abstracts) Publication and Delivery RFR # DFW2019-051/ COMMBUYS Bid# 40964

ISSUE DATE: June 14, 2019

Description or Purpose of Procurement:

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) seeks an experienced contractor to produce a magazine-like summary of the laws and regulations regarding hunting and fishing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as well as general information for sportsmen and sportswomen. In addition to the paper copy, the contractor will provide a high resolution digital version of the Guide in an Adobe PDF format. A portion of the funding necessary for the production of the Guide by the contractor shall be generated through advertisements placed in the Guide by the Contractor in accordance with the MassWildlife Advertising Policy, dated October 31, 2008 which is incorporated by reference into this Request for Response.

MassWildlife has revamped the format and content of the annual Guide to improve reader usability and to conform the Guide more closely to the presentation of the same information on MassWildlife’s recently updated website. Consistent with these objectives, the selected contractor shall not make the Guide, or portions thereof, available on its own website or elsewhere online or transfer the Guide to a third party for such purposes.

1. Applicable Procurement Law

Executive Branch Goods and Services

2. Acquisition Method:

3. Whether Single or Multiple Contractors are Required for Contract:

Check One (“X”):

a. Estimated Number of Awards The target maximum number of Contractors is one.; the Purchasing Department may award more or fewer contracts, if it is in the best interests of the Commonwealth to do so.

b. Adding Contractors after initial Contract Award If, over the life of the contract, the Purchasing Department determines that additional Contractors may be added, these may be drawn from qualified companies which responded to this Solicitation but were not awarded Contracts. If necessary to meet the requirements of the Commonwealth, the Solicitation may be reopened to obtain additional Bids.

4. Entities Eligible to Use the Resulting Contract

5. Expected Duration of Contract (Initial Duration and any Options to Renew):

Initial Duration

Total Maximum Contract Duration

6. Anticipated Expenditures, Funding or Compensation:

The maximum payment to be made by MassWildlife to the contractor for the production of the Guide shall be $21,000. Therefore, for the one (1) year duration of the Contract, the source of all other compensation to the Contractor necessary for development of the Guide by the Contractor shall be from the placement of advertising in the Guide. All advertisements to be placed into the Guide by the Contractor shall be approved by MassWildlife prior to publication of the Guide, and be in accordance with MassWildlife Advertising Policy, dated October 31, 2008.

Bids submitted in response to this RFR must identify a not-to-exceed lump bid price for the cost of providing MassWildlife with, at a minimum; the services set forth in Section 7 A-F, and agree to comply with the condition in Section G below.

7. Detailed Requirements A. Booklet Specifications

a. Quantity: A maximum of 185,000 copies

b. Size: Booklet must by 8” x 10.5”

c. Booklet to be 60 total pages (56 plus front and back covers)

i. 45 pages of copy

ii. 13 pages of advertisements

iii. 2 pages of MassWildlife advertisements – MassWildlife will not be charged for these advertisements

d. Stock for the body of Guide must be 40# coated paper or better

e. Front and Back Covers must be 70# coated paper or better

f. Ink requirements – full color

g. Binding – saddle stitch or equivalent

h. Editorial – MassWildlife will provide editorial copy in a digital format

i. Layout and Design – Contractor will compose, layout, and design the document and incorporate the previously noted material. Contractor will provide MassWildlife Publications Manager access to files for ease of making needed edits/changes. Contractor will prepare the design, layout, advertising, and editorial copy for MassWildlife approval.

j. Art – Contractor is responsible for artwork. Images from MassWildlife files will be made fully available to Contractor. All art work must be approved by MassWildlife prior to publication.

B. Recycling Requirements for Booklet (note that if a bidder can exceed any of these requirements, as part of the base bid price, indicate as part of the bid response packet on the Additional Environmentally Preferable Product Information form)

a. Paper stock must be a minimum of 10% recycled content for coated stock

b. A standard recycled logo and/or the words “Printed on Recycled Content Paper”

c. Contractor must have a paper-recycling program for paper and must recycle all waste paper generated while performing work under this contract

C. Digital Version

a. A high resolution Adobe PDF version of the Guide

b. A high resolution Adobe PDF version of the Hunting and Fishing Seasons Summary in a 8.5” x 11” format

D. Advertising

a. Contractor will be responsible for soliciting and obtaining all advertisements

b. Guide must fully comply with MassWildlife’s Board Advertising Policy and be with consistent responsible sporting conduct and practices, as determined by MassWildlife

c. MassWildlife must approve all advertising in writing exactly as it will be displayed before placement in the proof. MassWildlife must be given five (5) business days to approve the advertising

e. All advertising must be in place prior to MassWildlife’s review of the second to last proof

f. Advertising cannot be on the following pages (with the exception of MassWildlife advertising if requested by MassWildlife)

i. Cover

ii. First right hand page

iii. Centerfold

iv. Last page before inside back cover (both sides)

g. Disclaimers must appear on all all-terrain vehicle (ATV), off-road vehicle (OHV), dirt bike, electric bike, and mountain bike advertising. MassWildlife will provide the disclaimer text that must be used in the ad.

h. At least 15% of advertising (based on advertising space and not including MassWildlife advertisements) must come from Massachusetts-based businesses.

i. The Contractor must submit a full report of all advertising information on a yearly basis including, but not limited to, advertiser’s name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, size of ad, location in the Guide (page number), and amount paid.

E. Proofs/Production

a. Must provide digital copy on a Mac platform in Adobe PDF and Adobe InDesign file formats along with all required fonts and related files for the first proof and a digital copy in Adobe PDF for all remaining proofs.

b. Error rate must be 0.5% or less on first proof

c. MassWildlife staff must be allowed to perform a press check of the final document during normal business hours or a mutually agreed upon schedule or method of proof checking.

F. Delivery

a. Final delivery must be on or before the first week of November 2019

b. Inside delivery will be at the ground level to five (5) facilities without a loading dock, one (1) facility with a loading dock

c. Cartons must be labeled “ Guide 2020”

d. Cartons must weigh 35 lbs. or less

G. No Posting of the Guide on Contractor’s Website or Elsewhere Online is Allowed by MassWildlife

a. As stated in Section 1 (Project Background), MassWildlife has revamped the format and content of the 2020 Guide to improve reader usability and conform the Guide more closely to the presentation of information on MassWildlife’s recently updated website. Consistent with these objectives, the selected contractor shall not make the Guide, or portions thereof, available on its own website or elsewhere online or transfer the Guide to a third party for such purposes.

8. Copyright/Ownership A. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, acting through MassWildlife, is the sole owner of all the products and related information developed by the selected contractor pursuant to this RFR and the resulting contract with MassWildlife, including but not limited to, the original design files and all associated artwork and images. The selected contractor is, therefore, prohibited from seeking copyright protection for any such contract work.

B. In the case of Contract default, MassWildlife retains the right to all work done from the contract start date. Including, but not limited to, layout, design, digital design files, proofs, and MassWildlife images.

C. At the end of each contract year, the Contractor will provide MassWildlife with the full package of original design files and all associated artwork and images. If there are significant design and layout changes from the end of one contract year to the date specified below in paragraph 6 for the delivery of the Abstracts template, the Contractor will provide that template, in the form of the full package of original design files and all associated artwork and images, to MassWildlife thirty (30) days earlier than the date specified below.

Project Schedule

DELIVERY POINTS:

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Troy Gipps/Publications Manager Field Headquarters 1 Rabbit Hill Road Westborough, MA 01581

Additionally, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife offices in Ayer, Belchertown, Buzzards Bay, Pittsfield, West Boylston.

Publications Manager will work with vendor to specify number of copies to be delivered to each delivery point.

Liquidated Damages Contractor will be charged $1,000 per day for each day past agreed upon delivery date, unless different date is requested in writing by MassWildlife. In order to ensure that MassWildlife has ample time to review proofs, a minimum of five (5) business days must be allowed for the first and second proofs and three business days for the third proof.

Fiscal Terms: Payable upon invoice receipt

9. Small Business Purchasing Program This is a Small Procurement targeted to verified small businesses participating in the Commonwealth's Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP). The Department intends to award a contract to one or more SBPP-participating businesses verified through COMMBUYS who submits a quote that meets or exceeds the best value requirements. Subcontracting in SBPP procurements is limited to no more than 20% of the total value of the contract, unless it is with another verified SBPP participant. If it is determined that there is inadequate SBPP capacity, or no SBPP-participating vendors provide a responsive quote, the Department may award the solicitation to vendors who submitted responses and are not participating in the SBPP. To determine eligibility and to participate in the SBPP, please review the eligibility criteria and general program information at www.mass.gov/sbpp.

10. Environmentally Preferable Products Products and services purchased by state agencies must be in compliance with Executive Order 515, issued October 27, 2009. Under this Executive Order, Executive Departments are required to reduce their impact on the environment and enhance public health by procuring environmentally preferable products and services (EPPs) whenever such products and services perform to satisfactory standards and represent best value, consistent with 801 CMR 21.00. In line with this directive, all Contracts, whether departmental or statewide, must comply with the specifications and guidelines established by OSD and the EPP Program. EPPs are considered to be products and services that help to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, protect public health and the environment, and promote the use of clean technologies, recycled materials, and less toxic products.

11.Evaluation Criteria Contractors must submit responses that meet all the submission requirements of the RFR. Only responsive proposals that demonstrate they meet the submission requirements will be evaluated, scored and ranked by the evaluation team according to the evaluation criteria. Additional information may be requested for evaluation purposes.

DESCRIPTION OF EVALUATION CRITERIA: Demonstrated experience with similar preferred. Samples of past work may be mailed to: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Publications Manager, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough MA 01581.

12. Instructions for Submission of Responses:

Responses must be sent via the “Create Quote” functionality contained in COMMBUYS. For instructions concerning how to submit a Quote, please see Appendix B.

Any submission which fails to meet the submission requirements of the RFR will be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and can be corrected. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the vendor to make minor corrections to the submission.

13. Estimated Procurement Calendar

Bidders are required to monitor COMMBUYS for changes to the procurement calendar for this Bid.

a. Online Questions (Bid Q&A) Written Questions must be entered by pressing the “Bid Q&A” tab for the Bid in COMMBUYS no later than the “Online Questions Due” date and time indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above). The issuing department reserves the right not to respond to questions submitted after this date. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify receipt of questions.

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Written Responses to Questions will be released on or about the “Responses to Questions Posted Online” date indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above).

(Written questions and responses will be posted on the Bid Q&A Tab for this Bid in COMMBUYS.)

b. Bid Amendment Deadline The Purchasing Department reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid, and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

c. Quotes (Bid Responses) Deadline (Bid Opening Date/Time) See the Quotes (Bid Responses) Deadline (Bid Opening) Date and Time indicated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar (above).

d. Estimated Contract Start Date The approximate start date of the contract is July 9, 2019. The actual start date will be the Contract Effective Date which is the date the Contract is executed by the parties.

8. Required Forms Responses to this RFR must contain the following documents (please read “Notes/Instructions” as to submission requirements):

The above attachments are available as attachments as part of the Bid record on COMMBUYS (WWW.COMMBUYS.COM).

9. RFR Attachments Appendix A: Required Specifications Appendix B: Electronic Quote Submission Instructions Appendix C: Board Advertising Policy