FY27_Capital_Asset_Financing.pdf

27-001

FY27 CAPITAL ASSET FINANCING

Charles County Government

200 Baltimore Street

La Plata, MD 20646

RELEASE DATE: July 16, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: August 4, 2026, 11:00 am

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/charlescountymd

FY27 Capital Asset Financing

I. INTRODUCTION

II. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

III. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

IV. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PANEL AND CRITERIA

V. AWARD AND CONTRACT FORMATION

VI. SPECIAL PROVISIONS

VII. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

VIII. RATE PROPOSAL FORM

Title: FY27 Capital Asset Financing #27-001

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Summary

The Board of Commissioners for Charles County are soliciting proposals from qualified firms for a five

(5) year equipment capital asset financing agreement. Offerors may only submit ONE response to this

Request for Proposals.

1.2. Contact Information

The Purchasing Representative identified below is the SOLE POINT OF CONTACT at Charles County Government for this procurement. All communication between the Offeror and Charles County Government shall be with the Purchasing

Representative until a fully executed contract is delivered to the Contractor. Offerors or any of their authorized representatives may not initiate contact with Charles County Government or County Consultants other than the Contact identified below, for any reason during the bidding process or prior to full contact execution. Any communication outside this process may result in disqualification.

Shanna Reese Chief of Purchasing 200 Baltimore Street N/A La Plata, MD 20646 Email: reeses@charlescountymd.gov Phone: (301) 645-0656

Department:

FAS - Purchasing

1.3. Timeline

NOTE: Times and dates are subject to change due to extenuating circumstances, including inclement weather. Offerors may obtain

County operating status by calling 301-645-0600 (meeting times cannot be verified at this number) or by referring to County operations status updates on the Charles County Government website at http://www.CharlesCountyMD.gov.

Release Project Date July 16, 2026

Question Submission Deadline July 23, 2026, 10:00am

Questions shall be submitted via the eProcurement

Portal Question & Answer feature prior to the due date and time specified. The County will not provide responses to questions received after the deadline.

Proposal Submission Deadline August 4, 2026, 11:00am mailto:reeses@charlescountymd.gov tel:(301)645-0656 http://www.charlescountymd.gov/

2. PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. Proposal Submission Conditions

Charles County Government is accepting electronic proposal submissions. Offerors shall create a FREE account with OpenGov

Procurement by signing up at https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, click on

"Draft Response" and follow the instructions to submit the electronic proposal via the County's eProcurement Portal.

Proposals shall be submitted by the date and time specified. Late proposals will not be accepted. Submission, modification, or withdrawal of proposals after the due date/time will not be considered.

It is the Offerors’ sole responsibility to ensure that proposals are delivered via County's eProcurement Portal. Offerors shall give yourself adequate time to submit a response. Any technical difficulties or uncertainty with the submittal process will not be cause for accepting a response that was not submitted timely. The County is only accepting electronic submittals. Delivery methods by courier, in-person hand delivered, United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service or Federal Express, and other methods of delivery shall not be accepted. Any proposals not received timely will not be considered.

Proposals shall be valid and irrevocable for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) days from the due date. An Offeror may submit only (1) proposal in response to this RFP. Offerors shall monitor the County's eProcurement Portal for schedule changes issued via addendum.

2.2. Solicitation Events

A. Last Day for Questions: The County will not provide responses to questions received after the deadline to submit questions specified in the Timeline section.

B. Proposal Submission Deadline: Refer to the Timeline section for the date and time proposals must be received by.

Offerors must have an account or create a FREE account with OpenGov Procurement to submit a proposal.

2.3. Offeror Certification of Acceptance

By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the Offeror certifies their acceptance of all terms and conditions set forth within this document, which will be made a part of the final contract documentation. All work, if any, shown on the contract drawings, specifications, and reports referenced in the RFP or any Appendices is made part of this solicitation package.

2.4. Incurring Costs

The County is not liable for any costs incurred by the Offeror prior to full execution of the contract.

2.5. Additions/Modifications to Solicitation Forms

Modifications of or additions to the Cost Proposal Form or any other County form may be cause for rejection of the proposal, however, the County reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether or not to reject such a proposal as nonresponsive. As a precondition to proposal acceptance, the County may, in its sole discretion, request that the Offeror withdraw or modify any such modifications or additions which do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery.

2.6. Alternate Offers

Offerors must bid only one (1) product and one (1) price per proposal item even though they feel they can offer more than one item that will meet the specifications. Offeror must determine for themselves which to offer. If an Offeror submits more than one (1) product and/or more than one (1) price for a given proposal item or items, it may be cause for the proposal items or items being bid upon to be considered non-responsive and rejected.

2.7. Offeror Investigation

Prior to submitting a proposal, each Offeror shall make all investigations and examinations necessary to ascertain all conditions and requirements affecting the full performance of the contract and to verify any representations made by the County that the

Offeror will rely upon. No pleas of ignorance of such conditions and requirements resulting from failure to make such investigations and examinations will relieve the successful Offeror from its obligation to comply in every detail with all provisions and requirements of the contract documents or will be accepted as a basis for any claim whatsoever for any monetary consideration on the part of the successful Offeror.

https://procurement.opengov.com/signup https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/280380 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/280380 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/280380/document?section=2706324

2.8. Sole Point of Contact

The Purchasing Representative identified in the Introduction section is the SOLE POINT OF CONTACT at Charles County

Government for this procurement. All communication between Offerors and Charles County Government shall be with the

Purchasing Representative until a fully executed contract is delivered to the Contractor. Offerors or any of their authorized representatives may not initiate contact with Charles County Government or County Consultants other than the Contact identified on the Introduction section, for any reason during the bidding process or prior to full contract execution. Any communication outside this process may result in disqualification.

2.9. Questions

All inquiries/questions concerning technical or bidding information shall be directed via OpenGov Procurement Question &

Answer feature prior to the due date and time specified in the Introduction section . In the event an Offeror has multiple questions, each question must be submitted individually. Please include the section number and title for each question, if applicable. All questions submitted and answers provided will be electronically distributed to offerors following this solicitation on the County's eProcurement Portal. The County will not provide responses to questions submitted after the due date and time specified in the Introduction section. The person submitting the request will be responsible for its prompt delivery. Questions and answers are provided for informational purposes only and are not part of any resulting contract from this solicitation.

2.10. Addenda and Supplements

In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation, or if additional information is necessary to enable the

Offeror to make an adequate interpretation of the provisions of this solicitation, a supplement to the solicitation will be issued. The

Offeror shall acknowledge in their proposal, the receipt of all addenda, supplements, amendments, or changes to the solicitation that were issued by the County. Oral statements made by County personnel shall not bind the County in any manner whatsoever and cannot be used to protest or otherwise challenge any aspect of this solicitation or subsequent agreement.

Any interpretation, correction, changes to the solicitation will be made only by addendum duly issued and will be posted on the County’s eProcurement Portal found at www.CharlesCountyMD.gov. Any and all addenda issued prior to the proposal due date/time shall become a part of the contract documents and shall be covered in the Offeror’s proposal prices, unless an alternate schedule is presented by addendum. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to check the County's eProcurement Portal as frequently as necessary to obtain all updates and addenda to the solicitation.

2.11. Ability to Perform

Offeror shall have the capability to perform classes of work contemplated, having sufficient capital to execute the work properly within the specified time. The County reserves the right to request any additional information, utilize references not provided by a

Offeror, and validate any information provided by an Offeror by any means deemed necessary by the County for the purpose of determining the Offeror’s ability to perform the services described herein.

2.12. Errors

Any errors in computations may be corrected during the County’s review of the proposal. The County shall not be responsible for

Offeror computation errors contained on the Cost Proposal Form. All values contained on the Cost Proposal Form remain the responsibility of the Offeror. Where the unit price and the extension price are at variance, the unit price will prevail. In the event that the unit price is not provided, the unit price shall be the extended price divided by the quantity. Errors on any forms submitted remain the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

2.13. County Rights/Disclaimers

The County exclusively reserves the right, but is not limited to the following actions:

A. Reject any or all proposal submissions;

B. Issue a new RFP;

C. Cancel, modify, or withdraw the RFP;

D. Issue addenda, supplements, and modifications to this RFP;

E. Modify the RFP process (with appropriate notice to offerors as described herein);

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F. Appoint an Evaluation Committee and evaluation teams to review proposal submissions, G. Approve or disapprove the use of particular subcontractors and/or substitutions and/or changes in proposal submissions;

H. Revise and modify, at any time before the Proposal Due to County date, the factors it will consider in evaluating proposal submissions and to otherwise revise or expand its evaluation methodology. If such revisions or modifications are made, the County will publish an addendum. The County may extend the RFP due date if such changes are deemed by the

County, in its sole discretion, to be material and substantive;

I. Seek or obtain data from any source that has the potential to improve the understanding and evaluation of the RFPs;

J. Disqualify any team that changes its Proposal Submission without County written approval;

K. Retain ownership of all materials submitted in hard-copy and/or electronic format.

2.14. Rejection of Quotes/Bids/Proposals

The County exclusively reserves the right, but is not limited to the following actions:

A. Evidence of collusion among offerors.

B. Lack of competency revealed by financial statements, experience, equipment statements, or other factors.

C. Lack of responsibility as shown by past work, judged from the standpoint of workmanship as submitted or from previous experience with the offeror.

D. Default on a previous similar contract for failure to perform.

E. Being delinquent in payments due to Charles County Government.

F. Exceptions or exclusions to the requirements of the solicitation.

G. Failure to be in “Good Standing” with the State of Maryland.

H. Previous substandard performance on a County contract.

I. Failure to perform properly or to complete, in a timely manner, contracts of a similar or comparable nature, or if investigation shows the offeror unable or unlikely to perform the requirements.

J. Failure to furnish information requested by the County.

The County reserves the right to reject any/all proposals, to waive irregularities and/or informalities in any proposal, and to make award in any manner, consistent with law, deemed in the best interest of the County.

2.15. Good Standing Requirements

In order to be eligible for award, Offerors shall meet the following conditions prior to contract award:

A. Their firm is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for participation in government procurement by the federal government, the State of Maryland, or any other state, county, or municipal government.

B. All payments to Charles County Government have been paid and are not delinquent.

C. Their firm is in “good standing” with the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.

2.16. Notifications

Legal notice given by the County to the Offeror shall be sent to the Offeror's contact information provided in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notice given by the County by any of the following:

A. A communication delivered by MAIL shall be deemed as having been received by the addressee three (3) business days after the date of mailing.

1. UPS or FedEx or other delivery service; or https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/280380 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/280380

2. USPS first class postage mail; or

3. USPS certified, or

4. USPS registered mail.

B. A communication delivered by email shall be deemed as having received by the addressee the same day the email was sent.

2.17. Negotiations

The County may negotiate contract terms, price, statement of work, or other conditions that results in the most advantageous outcome for the County. In the event an agreement satisfactory to the County cannot be negotiated, the County may terminate negotiation and move to another Offeror.

2.18. Prohibition of Discrimination in County Procurement

Charles County is committed to ensuring that Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises are provided equal opportunity to participate in the County's procurement and contracting processes. Any instances of overt or perceived discrimination should immediately be reported to the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager.

Per Resolution 2023-13, Section 8, Item 4.1, the SLMBE Programs Division is authorized to investigate such complaint. An investigation may also be initiated based solely on a finding of a significant statistical disparity from the Annual Aspirational

Goal or contract/project goal(s), as detailed herein. The details of any investigation, including findings, shall be recorded and maintained by the SLMBE Programs Division.

All Contractors must cooperate with any investigations or audits conducted by authorized entities to assess compliance with anti-discrimination laws and policies. Non-compliance may result in sanctions, including but not limited to contract termination, suspension, or debarment from future contracts.

Certification of Compliance

By submitting a response to this solicitation, the Contractor agrees not to engage in any discriminatory practices and affirms that it has implemented policies and/or procedures to prevent discrimination in its operations. The Contractor further agrees to provide evidence of such policies/procedures upon request.

Reporting Discrimination

Discrimination in any form is strictly prohibited in Charles County. Charles County staff, prime contractors, subcontractors, or any individuals otherwise engaged in the procurement process are strictly prohibited from discriminating against any business or individual based on, but not limited to the following: race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Legitimate denial of a bid or not being selected for a procurement opportunity is not considered discrimination.

If anyone is a victim of discrimination, in any form, a request must be submitted to the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager.

Anyone submitting a discrimination complaint must submit a complaint using the “MWBE Discrimination Reporting Form”.

You can request a form from the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager. Any individual or firm discriminating against another could face any of the following penalties including, but not limited to: sanctions, contract termination, suspension, and/or debarment from future contracts. If necessary, the case can also be referred to the County Attorney and/or the County Administrator for further action.

Notification of Accusation and/or Finding of Discrimination

Once a discrimination complaint is received by the Purchasing Division and the MWBE/DBE Compliance Manager, the accused will be notified in writing that they; a) have been accused of discrimination, b) will have an opportunity to provide a defense against the accusation; c) must comply with all requests from investigators; d)are prohibited from taking any adverse actions against an accuser; and e) have a right to appeal a finding of discrimination.

3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CONTENT

Any information identified as “Confidential” shall be noted by reference and appended to the Proposal Submission. Each item identified as “Confidential” shall be accompanied by an explanation. Refer to Public Information Act/Confidentiality Notice section.

A complete original proposal package shall include all information and forms identified on the County’s eProcurement Portal, including but not limited to:

3.1. Original Proposal Instructions

The original proposal shall be considered the items listed in this Section. All forms must be completed. signed, and submitted.

Indicate "NA" on the form if it is "Not Applicable" and sign and date it. Original proposals which do not include all components or use the proper format may be considered non-responsive and therefore not reviewed or considered for award.

3.2. Rate Proposal Form

Proposal pricing shall be submitted on the Rate Proposal Form. All cost columns of the table shall be fully completed to be able to submit a proposal response. All pricing shall be rounded to the nearest whole cent (e.g. $.01). There shall be no hidden costs.

Prices shall include all profit, overhead, equipment, transportation cost, etc. An Offeror may only submit one (1) Rate Proposal

Form in response to this solicitation.

3.3. Vendor Disclosure Form

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten and signed.

3.4. Reference Form

A qualified Offeror must have requisite experience for the work as described in the Special Provisions and must be actively engaged as a legal entity in this field for a period of no less than five (5) years at the due date for quote/bid/proposal.

Offeror must provide three (3) references for services of a similar nature successfully completed within five (5) years from the due date for proposals. Firm financing shall similar in nature and scope to the work required in the solicitation. “Completed” means accepted and final payment issued by the Owner. Firms which, in the sole opinion of the County, lack sufficient specific experience, may be deemed non-responsible, and will not be considered for this project. Incomplete forms or statements such as “See Attached” may be deemed non-responsive. This form may be duplicated if additional space is required. Letters of testament are desirable, but not required.

3.5. Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Program - MWBE

Compliance Plan Forms

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten and signed. Proposals submitted without a MWBE compliance form may be rejected as non-responsive by the County.

Offerors can contact the Economic Development Department by email at mwbe@meetcharlescounty.com for questions related to the County's MWBE program.

3.6. Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Program – SLBE Certification Form and SLBE

Letter of Intent

Charles County Government has established a Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) Program, which registered Charles County

SLBE firms responding to this solicitation may receive a preference in accordance with the provisions of the Program that may apply to a formal solicitation resulting in an award of less than $500,000.00. This solicitation is exempt from the SLBE Program.

3.7. Non-Collusion Affidavit Form

This form shall be completed in legible ink or typewritten, signed, and notarized.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/charlescountymd/projects/280380/document?section=2706324

3.8. Addendum Certification

Offerors shall be required to acknowledge the addenda when responding to this request for proposals.

3.9. Financing Details Form

This form shall be completed in its entirety in legible ink or typewritten.

3.10. Additional Submittals

Provide the following:

A. Amortization table shall include all payments and ending balance after each payment

B. Master Lease Agreement (Draft)

C. Escrow Agreement (Draft)

D. Any additional/supplemental documents (Draft)

4. PROPOSAL EVALUATION PANEL AND CRITERIA

All materials, conferences, proposals, and other matters related to this project shall remain confidential until the contract is executed with the selected firm. The County may use any appropriate technical resources to assist during any part of the evaluation process.

4.1. Responsiveness Review

The County will review the proposal for minimum responsiveness criteria. Proposals that do not meet the minimum responsiveness criteria may be rejected as non-responsive, at the sole option of the County. Any deficiencies will be reviewed and determined by the Chief of Purchasing.

4.2. Evaluation

Offerors’ proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee who will evaluate and score the proposals in accordance with the criteria specified above. The County reserves the right to conduct the evaluation in any manner considered in the best interest of the County. The County may utilize any information obtained as a result of reference checks, proposal clarification or additional information requests, offeror negotiations or any other means deemed necessary at the sole discretion of the County to identify the proposal that best meets the County’s needs.

5. AWARD AND CONTRACT FORMATION

The County reserves the right to award a contract by individual items, in the aggregate, or in any combination thereof, or to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality in proposals received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the County. Any contract awarded is contingent upon completion of the protest period.

5.1. Award of Contract

The County intends to award this solicitation on the basis of a combination of the evaluation of the Offerors’ experience and qualifications, as well as the proposed price. Award will not be based upon cost alone, and this solicitation does not commit the

County to award a contract or to award to that firm which has submitted the lowest fee. The evaluation criteria may include: the

Offeror’s demonstration of their understanding of the work to be performed, past experience, technical ability, other resources, qualifications of personnel, results of reference checks, and record of similar work performed satisfactorily. In addition, the County reserves the right to accept any proposal either in part or in its entirety.

At any time, the County may request an offeror to provide additional items such as: additional information, clarification, references, interviews/presentations, and any other documentation needed to assist the County in the award selection process. Failure of an offeror to furnish requested information may constitute grounds for determining an offeror as non-responsive at the sole option of the County. Any contract awarded is contingent upon completion of the protest period.

The County reserves the right to reject any/all proposals, to waive irregularities and/or informalities in any proposal, and to make award in any manner, consistent with law, deemed in the best interest of the County.

5.2. Term of Contract

5-year capital asset financing term.

5.3. Quantity Contracts Awarded

The County intends to award a contract to one firm. The contract entered into with the successful offeror shall meet all standard provisions required by the County.

The County intends to contract with a single firm and not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture. Where two or more

Offerors desire to submit a single proposal in response to this RFP, they should do so on a prime-subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

5.4. Contract Execution

The successful Offeror to whom the contract shall have been awarded shall be required to execute a mutually agreeable agreement with the County.

5.5. Default and Suspension

If an Offeror who has been selected for award and offered a contract refuses or fails to execute the contract and/or fully comply with all requirements of this solicitation within fourteen (14) consecutive calendar days after receipt of formal notice of intent to award or an alternate date specified by the Chief of Purchasing, the Offeror may be considered to have defaulted with respect to execution of the contract, and to have abandoned all rights and interests in the contract. In such instance the bid security, if any, may be declared forfeited to the County without further notice to the Offeror. In the event of such default, award may then be made to another Offeror determined to be in the best interest of the County, or the solicitation may be cancelled and/or re-advertised for proposals as deemed if deemed in the best interests of the County.

A Contractor, who has executed a contract with the County, may be considered to have defaulted in the performance of the Contract, by: failure to comply with the requirements of the contract, sub-standard performance, failing to complete the contract, and/or by other significant errors and omissions as determined by the Project Manager and the Chief of Purchasing. In such instance, the

Contractor’s performance and/or payments bonds, if any, may be exercised, and the Contract terminated and awarded to another

Offeror if determined to be in the best interest of the County.

An Offeror/Contractor, who has defaulted as discussed above, may be declared by the Chief of Purchasing to be ineligible to bid on future County solicitations for a period of up to two (2) years from the date the County determined the Offeror/Contractor to have defaulted. This determination by the Chief of Purchasing shall be final, and not subject to appeal.

5.6. Offeror/Award Protests

A. All protests made pursuant to solicitations must be in writing and delivered to the Chief of Purchasing within the timeframes specified:

1. Protests must be delivered to the Chief of Purchasing no later than seven (7) consecutive calendar days after the basis for the protest (i.e. notification of rejection of Offeror's proposal, notification of removal of Offeror from consideration, etc.) is known or should have been known, whichever is earlier.

2. If protesting contract award, the protest must be delivered to the Chief of Purchasing within seven (7) consecutive calendar days after the Purchasing Division has publicly posted the proposed contract award. This provision shall only apply to “aggrieved” Offerors.

3. If Offeror seeks as a remedy the cancellation or amendment of the solicitation, the protest must be delivered to the

Chief of Purchasing before the submission date for quotes/bids/proposals.

4. If the County is closed for business at the due date and time, for whatever reasons, protests will be accepted on the next business day of the County prior to 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Protests shall be considered timely only if received in the Purchasing Division office prior to close of business within the timeframes specified above.

B. All protests made pursuant to solicitations shall be delivered to the Chief of Purchasing:

Charles County Government ATTN: Chief of Purchasing, Purchasing Division (Room B130) 200 Baltimore Street, La Plata, Maryland 20646

C. Each protest must contain a protest filing fee in the amount of $500 (US currency); if the fee is paid by check, then the check must be made out to “Charles County Government”. The Chief of Purchasing, may, at his sole election, return the filing fee to the protesting Offeror, if the protest is sustained. Filing fees for unsustained protests shall not be returned.

The Chief of Purchasing must dismiss any protest not timely received.

D. Only an Offeror that is “aggrieved” is eligible to file a protest. Aggrieved means that the Offeror who is filing the protest is susceptible for an award of the contract if the protest is sustained (e.g., a fourth ranked Offeror is not aggrieved unless the grounds for a protest, if sustained, would disqualify the top three ranked Offerors or would require that the solicitation be reissued). Each protest must contain the following: identification of the solicitation; the name, address and telephone number of the protesting Offeror; a statement supporting that the Offeror is aggrieved; and specification of all grounds for the protest, including submission of detailed facts and all relevant documents, citation to relevant language in the solicitation, regulations, or law relied upon; and, all other matters which the Offeror contends supports the protest. The burden of production of all relevant evidence, data and documents, and the burden of persuasive argument to support the protest is on the Offeror making the protest.

E. The Chief of Purchasing shall forward to the County Attorney, all protests timely received and appropriate information addressing the circumstances of the protest. The Chief of Purchasing shall also forward for the County Attorney’s information, all protests not timely received and/or otherwise ineligible, that was dismissed by the Chief of Purchasing.

F. The Chief of Purchasing, after consultation with the County Attorney, shall determine whether to sustain or reject the protest, and shall provide written notice of his determination to the Offeror making the protest, and to the County

Attorney. In the case of a sustained protest, the Chief of Purchasing, after consultation with the County Attorney, shall determine what remedy shall be taken to redress the protest. Decisions shall be final, and not subject to appeal.

5.7. Assignment of Contract

The Contractor shall not sublet any portion of this contract or assign or transfer any interest in this contract without receiving prior written approval from the County, Chief of Purchasing.

5.8. Subcontractors

Subcontractors may not be used in the conduct of this contract without express written approval of the County. The County reserves the right to reject any subcontracted relationship if changes or additions of subcontractors are necessary during the life of the contract. Subcontracts for any portion of this contract must be clearly identified in the Offeror's proposal. Subcontracts are subject to Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MBE) Program and Small Local Business Enterprise (SLBE) requirements detailed herein. Prime contractor shall perform a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the work.

5.9. News Release

No news releases pertaining to this proposal request or the service, study, or project to which it relates will be made without County approval.

5.10. Public Information Act/Confidentiality Notice

Offeror should give specific attention and identification of those specific portions of their proposals which they deem to contain confidential and/or proprietary information. Such information must be individually noted as being confidential or proprietary, either at that location, or in a separate consolidated listing contained within the bid/proposal/quote and provide justification of why the material should not be subject to disclosure by the County upon request under the Maryland Public Information Act. Offerors may not declare their entire bid/proposal/quote package to be confidential or proprietary. Failure to provide specific identification and justification may result in the County releasing the information if requested to do so.

5.11. Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013

The Maryland Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013 dictates that vendors with single contracts of $200,000 or more shall file certain campaign finance-related disclosures with the Maryland State Board of Elections. Vendors shall certify that they have filed the requisite disclosure, and if the vendor fails to provide this certification, the County must notify the State. In the event of Contract award, the Contractor shall certify that campaign finance-related disclosures are filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections as applicable.

5.12. Holiday Schedule

The following holidays are observed by the County:

• New Year's Break (Close at 12:00pm New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Day after New Years (when applicable))

• Martin Luther Ling Jr's Birthday

• Employee Appreciation Day

• Washington's Birthday

• Eid al Fitr

• Good Friday

• Easter Monday

• Memorial Day

• Eid al Adha

• Juneteenth

• Independence Day

• Labor Day

• Indigenous People's Day

• Veterans Day

• Election Day (When Applicable)

• Thanksgiving Closure (Wed, Thur, Fri of Thanksgiving)

• Christmas Break (Close at 12:00pm Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Day after Christmas (when applicable))

6. SPECIAL PROVISIONS

6.1. Definitions

A. "Proposal", shall refer to a response submitted to this solicitation, and shall be synonymous with the terms "offer", "bid", "quote", etc.

B. "Offeror" shall mean the individual or firm submitting a response to this solicitation, and shall be synonymous with the terms, "bidder", "proposer", "quoter", "company", etc.

C. "Contract" shall mean the agreement between the County and the Offeror selected, whether issued by formal contract, award letter, purchase order, or any other means acceptable to the County.

D. "Contractor" shall mean the Offeror selected for award, based upon the proposal submitted in response to this solicitation.

E. "County" shall refer to the Government of Charles County, Maryland.

6.2. Program Specifications

A. Type of Issue: Equipment Lease/Purchase Agreement

B. Bank Qualified: No

C. Terms/Maturity: Fixed Rate/ Five Years

D. Payable/Amortization:

1. Semi-annually, in arrears

2. Interest income to the County on unspent proceeds held in escrow

E. Lessee: County Commissioners of Charles County, Maryland

F. Equipment: Equipment typically has a useful life of longer than five (5) years.

1. For new and replacement equipment. Examples of equipment include, but not limited to vehicles, pick-up trucks, dump trucks, buses, mowers, cameras, mini excavators, etc.

2. Itemized listing to be provided to awarded offeror prior to settlement. Specific manufacturers, models, and suppliers to be determined in accordance with the County purchasing regulations.

3. Some items may be purchased prior to settlement date and would cause a reimbursement payment to the County.

G. Vendors: To be determined

H. Non-Appropriation Clause: Subject to and included in Master Lease Agreement

I. Non-Substitution Clause: Twelve (12) months

J. Document Preparation: To be prepared by Lessor but shall be subject to legal review and approval of Lessee. Opinion letter by Lessee at Lessee's expense.

K. Placement Fees: None

L. Draw Down: Account is accessible to the County for twenty-four (24) months; however, the County typically withdraws the funds within eighteen (18) months.

M. Escrow Agreement and Services: To be included in Lessor's net pricing

N. Anticipated Closing Date: On or before September 30, 2026.

O. Qualified Institutions: The awarded offeror does not have to be located within the State; however, the escrow provider is required to be within the State of Maryland. Deposits shall be made only with banks located in and/or have branch offices in the State of Maryland. To be considered, a bank/branch in Maryland must accept deposits or have its principal office or another office at which it conducts a general banking business (such as making loans, etc.). All banks must meet capital adequacy requirements and provide their most recent audited financial statements and their most recent Consolidated Report of Condition ("call" report) at the request of the County. Using VERIBANC, Inc.

Rating Service a bank must have a rating of at least "Yellow".

6.3. Equipment/Vehicle List

7. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

7.1. Provide the company formation date.*

A qualified Quoter, Bidder, or Offeror must be actively engaged as a legal entity in the field of work described in Section 3.4 for a period of no less than five (5) years at the due date for quote/bid/proposal.

Month/Day/Year as ##/##/####

(e.g.: "11/08/2015")

*Response required

7.2. Certification of agreement to solicitation terms and providing legally binding response.* I certify that I have read, understood and agree to all the terms and conditions in this solicitation, and that I am authorized to submit this legally binding response on behalf of my company.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.3. Acknowledgement of addenda and supplements.*

Quoters, Bidders, Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda and supplements issued by the County in the eProcurement

Portal. If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this solicitation, a supplement to the solicitation will be issued formally via an addendum posted on the County eProcurement Portal. Oral statements made by the County personnel shall not bind the County and cannot be used to protest or otherwise challenge any aspect of this solicitation or subsequent agreement. It is the responsibility of the Quoter, Bidder, Offeror to check the County eProcurement Portal as frequently as necessary to obtain all updates and addenda to the solicitation.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.4. Certification of good standing.*

Quoter, Bidder, Offeror shall acknowledge compliance with the following:

In order to be eligible for award, Quoter, Bidder, Offeror shall meet the following conditions prior to contract award.:

A. Their firm is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for participation in government procurement by the federal government, the State of Maryland, or any other state, county, or municipal government.

B. All payments to Charles County Government have been paid and are not delinquent.

C. Their firm is in "good standing" with the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.5. Specific terms and conditions certification.*

By submitting a quote, bid, proposal in response to this RFQ, ITB, RFP, the Quoter, Bidder, Offeror certifies their acceptance of all terms and conditions set forth within this document, which will be made a part of the final contract documentation. All work, if any, shown on the contract drawings, specifications, and reports referenced in the RFQ, ITB, RFP or any Appendices is made part of this solicitation package. Specifically, the Quoter, Bidder, Offeror also acknowledges the following:

A. The contact information provided shall be used by the County to communicate with Quoter, Bidder, Offeror.

B. The Quoter, Bidder, Offeror is licensed or will be licensed to do business in the State of Maryland prior to contract award.

C. The Quoter, Bidder, Offeror complies with and takes no exceptions to all requirements of the RFQ, ITB, RFP.

D. The quote, bid, proposal is valid for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) days from the final quote, bid, proposal due date.

E. The quote, bid, proposal is submitted in accordance with the County's Notice to Quoters, Bidders, Offerors requesting quotes, bids, proposals to be received for the work outlined in the RFQ, ITB, RFP.

F. The Quoter, Bidder, Offeror certifies that their firm is not debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for participation in government procurement by the federal government, the State of Maryland, or any other state, county, or municipal government.

G. The Quoter, Bidder, Offeror agrees to furnish all services as outlined in the RFQ, ITB, RFP for the prices listed on the

Quotation, Bid, Cost Proposal Form.

H. The Quoter, Bidder, Offeror is cautioned and agrees that the dollar amount of a quote, bid, proposal is a business decision of the bidder and should take into consideration the costs of doing business, such as: resources required to perform, business risk, etc.

I. The Quoter, Bidder, Offeror agrees not to engage in any discriminatory practices and affirms that it has implemented policies and/or procedures to prevent discrimination in its operations. The Contractor further agrees to provide evidence of such policies/procedures upon request.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

7.6. Respondent Submission Package

7.6.1. Reference Forms - Three (3)*

The form is accessible when logged in to the eProcurement Portal. Download the below document, complete, and upload.

Bidder/Offeror/Quoter must provide the number of projects successfully completed in the time period specified in the Solicitation

Document(s), similar in nature and scope to the work required in the solicitation. “Completed” means accepted and final payment issued by the Owner. Firms which, in the sole opinion of the County, lack sufficient specific experience, may be deemed non-responsible, and will not be considered for this project. Incomplete forms or statements such as “See Attached” may be deemed non-responsive. This form may be duplicated if additional space is required. Letters of testament are desirable, but not required.

• Reference_Form_-_3.docx

*Response required

7.6.2. Vendor Disclosure Form*

The form is accessible when logged in to the eProcurement Portal. Download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Vendor_Disclosure_Form_-_Fi...

*Response required

7.6.3. Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Compliance Plan Forms* The form is accessible when logged in to the eProcurement Portal. Download the below document, complete, sign where applicable, and upload.

• MWBE_Compliance_Plan_Forms_...

*Response required

7.6.4. Non-Collusion Affidavit Form*

The form is accessible when logged in to the eProcurement Portal. Download the below document, complete, and upload. Download the below document, complete, sign, notarize, and upload.

https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/280380/d1b229d6-0d0a-4429-b7b5-55db2c6e5eb4_Reference_Form_-_3.docx https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/1409/17468191-2365-4390-b865-3fbd1482cf37_Vendor_Disclosure_Form_-_Final.docx?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4HMZKARHI%2F20260716%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260716T192848Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEIP%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJGMEQCIHRrTb0OhiWRQUo8oLWCLRQdRsrE%2F4WnigtKAs3Sjiu%2BAiArq3f4ylroP644voXyUrRQcteIHihi4qp8XeFIFIGSSiqMBQhMEAIaDDg5MjM2NDY4NzY3MiIMLfz9fQzd161NHsxfKukEAduncWuk1LbTlkTpSZJ1fQuQWVdTkvjUTzJQI5VGCBIlEwqO6JUV2%2BCobucJ4bFPplLcJO4mrvaf6fGwhbXblDCCePksfMFp7c%2B2X1Y685UJBnE2UU6rY2CfekcEYGw%2Fz5FTYwARGNvIGBBO6CpiF7OLv%2BUqKTGNvGFHv7HkEOJGLoO3vQ6mS80PWH8rhw2cFu%2BkS8aWJd0j2Z%2Fcsip6Ed7C0rRJ7SwGv%2BnwNAzJx9D6y4YvyeCfGXguAa0WkKLVkKh0QgBw4xCT6eLjJNEdcXesfukZqmM9nMAXOmtMlTvN1f%2BsH%2FsWdZuitmabefo%2BqhcyjFLuO9INEKmFttR0T2DkX0FdokKvCMWNKCqE7KHA9fyKBBYAYvNlnGVYLKOad8x0KkroPMIfn1ndoKsfrlZTtSoukc3sYppw40MFjqCXSrz5zrYYz%2BVJFhPtoNbvYYB6nE%2BCiOAqhP4c4BZ0giwTbAfBoX3u1CGB9nTEGPM%2BdlYAKHT7TsZK9K8Lw2uVyY6pojykSRHQwURY2mszf7WjBWbcjKTGIy%2B3L4FKbuA3r4%2BDWx27I8%2BIk6E4E0jvepyFKKFtW4xQyOeCYL0wuYjuW%2FM3OmSOIafuMmCpTXSvusOsD0AW2%2F0wIquPhKqHdiuEv65v8EkWWLr8dNuig6sT3PmNwMMCXgUDiyHkyikFpAVOMqqLvUMnRMwwaV8fv5iFxHIw8TD9WWTNKsSa7JG8C3mp7UYxOqyT8oUTyeSUxcbOTVKxsHeJQ8%2BM82uTH68NmQXYLbDO1GUmoptGR65eN175WEbFJU1Rv3kC0gg4zCNcRKt7qHUw2Nrk0gY6mgHHVTz7L0%2FkK9uafEuFEc%2FUffXahmRQkw5fI0XVA1I%2FL%2Fcousj4tAXjN5ExWYjiIKFjgbCYU1IwhsLtFwMBAodomWuCYETcEF75eTRJt7bBtMNNSSc%2FEzd8Psqu9bh6rU1DBnB2sprrgoky3UQMFOaAXJmg3YUuRYLENxjfREN0dqeAJK1b6WuZRuUO9CGSeiU8Jgrq3rH71h9%2F&X-Amz-Signature=66a8143dac744e899115b46d7431da2bf17ff72843f4b36430b7ebbc35d0903c&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22Vendor_Disclosure_Form_-_Final.docx%22&x-id=GetObject https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/1409/8805d430-172c-4f08-911f-fb5eb9054448_MWBE_Compliance_Plan_Forms_-_CCG_-_Final.docx?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4HMZKARHI%2F20260716%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260716T192848Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEIP%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJGMEQCIHRrTb0OhiWRQUo8oLWCLRQdRsrE%2F4WnigtKAs3Sjiu%2BAiArq3f4ylroP644voXyUrRQcteIHihi4qp8XeFIFIGSSiqMBQhMEAIaDDg5MjM2NDY4NzY3MiIMLfz9fQzd161NHsxfKukEAduncWuk1LbTlkTpSZJ1fQuQWVdTkvjUTzJQI5VGCBIlEwqO6JUV2%2BCobucJ4bFPplLcJO4mrvaf6fGwhbXblDCCePksfMFp7c%2B2X1Y685UJBnE2UU6rY2CfekcEYGw%2Fz5FTYwARGNvIGBBO6CpiF7OLv%2BUqKTGNvGFHv7HkEOJGLoO3vQ6mS80PWH8rhw2cFu%2BkS8aWJd0j2Z%2Fcsip6Ed7C0rRJ7SwGv%2BnwNAzJx9D6y4YvyeCfGXguAa0WkKLVkKh0QgBw4xCT6eLjJNEdcXesfukZqmM9nMAXOmtMlTvN1f%2BsH%2FsWdZuitmabefo%2BqhcyjFLuO9INEKmFttR0T2DkX0FdokKvCMWNKCqE7KHA9fyKBBYAYvNlnGVYLKOad8x0KkroPMIfn1ndoKsfrlZTtSoukc3sYppw40MFjqCXSrz5zrYYz%2BVJFhPtoNbvYYB6nE%2BCiOAqhP4c4BZ0giwTbAfBoX3u1CGB9nTEGPM%2BdlYAKHT7TsZK9K8Lw2uVyY6pojykSRHQwURY2mszf7WjBWbcjKTGIy%2B3L4FKbuA3r4%2BDWx27I8%2BIk6E4E0jvepyFKKFtW4xQyOeCYL0wuYjuW%2FM3OmSOIafuMmCpTXSvusOsD0AW2%2F0wIquPhKqHdiuEv65v8EkWWLr8dNuig6sT3PmNwMMCXgUDiyHkyikFpAVOMqqLvUMnRMwwaV8fv5iFxHIw8TD9WWTNKsSa7JG8C3mp7UYxOqyT8oUTyeSUxcbOTVKxsHeJQ8%2BM82uTH68NmQXYLbDO1GUmoptGR65eN175WEbFJU1Rv3kC0gg4zCNcRKt7qHUw2Nrk0gY6mgHHVTz7L0%2FkK9uafEuFEc%2FUffXahmRQkw5fI0XVA1I%2FL%2Fcousj4tAXjN5ExWYjiIKFjgbCYU1IwhsLtFwMBAodomWuCYETcEF75eTRJt7bBtMNNSSc%2FEzd8Psqu9bh6rU1DBnB2sprrgoky3UQMFOaAXJmg3YUuRYLENxjfREN0dqeAJK1b6WuZRuUO9CGSeiU8Jgrq3rH71h9%2F&X-Amz-Signature=63d71c267a077e6bc531c807afa4156072581e557d8a6ab00e0c469e707f1141&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment%3B%20filename%3D%22MWBE_Compliance_Plan_Forms_-_CCG_-_Final.docx%22&x-id=GetObject

• Non-Collusion_Affidavit_For...

*Response required

7.6.5. Financing Details*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• 27-001_-_Form_-_Financing_D...

*Response required

7.6.6. Additional Document Submittals*

Upload the following documents:

A. Amortization table shall include all payments and ending balance after each payment

B. Master Lease Agreement (Draft)

C. Escrow Agreement (Draft)

D. Any additional/supplemental documents (Draft)

*Response required

7.6.7. OPTIONAL: Respondent Redacted Submission Package - Maryland Public

Information Act Notice Requests for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications only. If applicable, upload your complete redacted submission package, including any and all required forms listed in the solicitation and the corresponding attachments.

Offerors should give specific attention and identification of those specific portions of their submissions which they deem to contain confidential and/or proprietary information. Such information must be individually noted as being confidential or proprietary, either at that location, or in a separate consolidated listing contained within the bid/proposal/quote and provide justification of why the material should not be subject to disclosure by the County upon request under the Maryland Public Information Act.

Offerors/ may not declare their entire bid/proposal/quote package to be confidential or proprietary. Failure to provide specific identification and justification may result in the County releasing the information if requested to do so.

https://procure-now.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/shared-sections/production/1409/5d340577-fe01-4128-a720-36ae38dc245f_Non-Collusion_Affidavit_Form.docx?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIA47RIURE4HMZKARHI%2F20260716%2Fus-west-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260716T192848Z&X-Amz-Expires=72000&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEIP%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2F%2FwEaCXVzLXdlc3QtMiJGMEQCIHRrTb0OhiWRQUo8oLWCLRQdRsrE%2F4WnigtKAs3Sjiu%2BAiArq3f4ylroP644voXyUrRQcteIHihi4qp8XeFIFIGSSiqMBQhMEAIaDDg5MjM2NDY4NzY3MiIMLfz9fQzd161NHsxfKukEAduncWuk1LbTlkTpSZJ1fQuQWVdTkvjUTzJQI5VGCBIlEwqO6JUV2%2BCobucJ4bFPplLcJO4mrvaf6fGwhbXblDCCePksfMFp7c%2B2X1Y685UJBnE2UU6rY2CfekcEYGw%2Fz5FTYwARGNvI…