General Terms and Conditions- Two Way Radio.pdf

VIII. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A. PURCHASING MANUAL: This solicitation is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and Their Vendors and any revisions thereto, which are hereby incorporated into this contract in their entirety. A copy of the manual is available for review at the purchasing office. In addition, the manual may be accessed electronically at https://www.nsu.edu/procurement or a copy can be obtained by calling Procurement Services at (757) 823-8053.

B. APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURTS: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts of the Commonwealth. The Contractor shall comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

C. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: By submitting their proposals, offerors certify to the Commonwealth that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and §10 of the Rules Governing Procurement, Chapter 2, Exhibit J, Attachment 1 (available for review at https://www.nsu.edu/procurement). If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient's religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in a religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit by the public body. (§6 of the Rules Governing Procurement).

In every contract over $10,000 the provisions in 1. and 2. below apply:

1. During the performance of this contract, the Contractor agrees as follows:

a. The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment, except where there is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the contractor. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

https://www.nsu.edu/procurement https://www.nsu.edu/procurement

b. The contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, will state that such contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

c. Notices, advertisements and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section.

2. The contractor will include the provisions of 1. above in every subcontract or purchase order over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

D. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: By submitting their proposals, Contractors certify that their proposals are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other (bidder/contractor), supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their (bid/proposal), and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

A. IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986: By entering into a written contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Contractor certifies that the Contractor does not, and shall not during the performance of the contract for goods and services in the Commonwealth, knowingly employ an unauthorized alien as defined in the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

F. DEBARMENT STATUS: By submitting their proposals, offerors certify that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting proposals on contracts for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation, nor are they an agent of any person or entity that is currently so debarred.

If a vendor is created or used for the purpose of circumventing a debarment decision against another vendor, the non-debarred vendor will be debarred for the same time period as the debarred vendor.

G. ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the Contractor conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the Commonwealth of Virginia all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia under said contract.

H. MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS

FOR IFBs AND RFPs: Failure to submit a proposal/bid on the official state form provided for that purpose may be a cause for rejection of the proposal. Modification of or additions to the General Terms and Conditions of the solicitation may be cause for rejection of the proposal; however, the Commonwealth reserves the right to decide on a case-by-case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject such a proposal.

I. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: If any prospective (bidder/contractor) has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective (bidder/contractor) should contact the buyer whose name appears on the face of the solicitation no later than five working days before the due date. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the buyer.

J. PAYMENT:

1. To Prime Contractor:

a. Invoices for items ordered, delivered and accepted shall be submitted by the Contractor directly to the payment address shown on the purchase order/contract. All invoices shall show the state contract number and/or purchase order number; social security number (for individual Contractors) or the federal employer identification number (for proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations).

b. Any payment terms requiring payment in less than 30 days will be regarded as requiring payment 30 days after invoice or delivery, whichever occurs last. This shall not affect offers of discounts for payment in less than 30 days, however.

c. All goods or services provided under this contract or purchase order, that are to be paid for with public funds, shall be billed by the Contractor at the contract price, regardless of which public agency is being billed.

d. The following shall be deemed to be the date of payment: the date of postmark in all cases where payment is made by mail, or when offset proceedings have been instituted as authorized under the Virginia Debt Collection Act.

e. Unreasonable Charges. Under certain emergency procurements and for most time and material purchases, final job costs cannot be accurately determined at the time orders are placed. In such cases, contractors should be put on notice that final payment in full is contingent on a determination of reasonableness with respect to all invoiced charges. Charges which appear to be unreasonable will be researched and challenged, and that portion of the invoice held in abeyance until a settlement can be reached. Upon determining that invoiced charges are not reasonable, the Commonwealth shall promptly notify the contractor, in writing, as to those charges which it considers unreasonable and the basis for the determination. A contractor may not institute legal action unless a settlement cannot be reached within thirty

(30) days of notification. The provisions of this section do not relieve an agency of its prompt payment obligations with respect to those charges which are not in dispute (Rules Governing Procurement, Chapter 2, Exhibit J, Attachment 1 § 53; available for review at https://www.nsu.edu/procurement)

2. To SubContractors:

a. A contractor awarded a contract under this solicitation is hereby obligated:

(1) To pay the subcontractor(s) within seven (7) days of the contractor’s receipt of payment from the Commonwealth for the proportionate share of the payment received for work performed by the subcontractor(s) under the contract; or

(2) To notify the agency and the subcontractors, in writing, of the contractor’s intention to withhold payment and the reason.

b. The Contractor is obligated to pay the subcontractor (s) interest at the rate of one percent per month (unless otherwise provided under the terms of the contract) on all amounts owed by the Contractor that remain unpaid seven

(7) days following receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, except for amounts withheld as stated in (2) above. The date of mailing of any payment by U. S. Mail is deemed to be payment to the addressee. These provisions apply to each sub-tier Contractor performing under the primary contract. A Contractor’s obligation to pay an interest charge to a subcontractor may not be construed to be an obligation of the Commonwealth.

1. Each prime Contractor who wins an award in which provision of a SWaM procurement plan is a condition to the award, shall deliver to the contracting agency or institution, on or before request for final payment, evidence and certification of compliance (subject only to insubstantial shortfalls and to shortfalls arising from subcontractor default) with the SWaM procurement plan.

Final payment under the contract in question may be withheld until such certification is delivered and, if necessary, confirmed by the agency or institution, or other appropriate penalties may be assessed in lieu of withholding such payment.

4. The Commonwealth of Virginia encourages Contractors and subcontractors to accept electronic and credit card payments.

K. PRECEDENCE OF TERMS: Paragraphs A through J of these General Terms and Conditions and the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of

Higher Education and their Vendors, shall apply in all instances. In the event there is a conflict between any of the other General Terms and Conditions and any Special Terms and Conditions in this solicitation, the Special Terms and Conditions shall apply.

L. QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTORS: The Commonwealth may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the contractor to perform the services/furnish the goods and the (bidder/contractor) shall furnish to the Commonwealth all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. The Commonwealth reserves the right to inspect Contractor’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the Contractor’s capabilities. The Commonwealth further reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such contractor fails to satisfy the Commonwealth that such contractor is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to provide the services and/or furnish the goods contemplated therein.

M. TESTING AND INSPECTION: The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct any test/inspection it may deem advisable to assure goods and services conform to the specifications.

N. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT: A contract shall not be assignable by the Contractor in whole or in part without the written consent of the Commonwealth.

O. CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT: Changes can be made to the contract in any of the following ways:

1. The parties may agree in writing to modify the terms, conditions, or scope of the contract. Any additional goods or services to be provided shall be of a sort that is ancillary to the contract goods or services, or within the same broad product or service categories as were included in the contract award. Any increase or decrease in the price of the contract resulting from such modification shall be agreed to by the parties as a part of their written agreement to modify the scope of the contract.

2. The Purchasing Agency may order changes within the general scope of the contract at any time by written notice to the Contractor. Changes within the scope of the contract include, but are not limited to, things such as services to be performed, the method of packing or shipment, and the place of delivery or installation. The Contractor shall comply with the notice upon receipt, unless the Contractor intends to claim an adjustment to compensation, schedule, or other contractual impact that would be caused by complying with such notice, in which case the Contractor shall, in writing, promptly notify the Purchasing Agency of the adjustment to be sought, and before proceeding to comply with the notice, shall await the Purchasing Agency's written decision affirming, modifying, or revoking the prior written notice. If the Purchasing Agency decides to issue a notice that requires an adjustment to compensation, the Contractor shall be compensated for any additional costs incurred as the result of such order and shall give the Purchasing Agency a credit for any savings. Said compensation shall be determined by one of the following methods:

a. By mutual agreement between the parties in writing; or

b. By agreeing upon a unit price or using a unit price set forth in the contract, if the work to be done can be expressed in units, and the Contractor accounts for the number of units of work performed, subject to the Purchasing Agency’s right to audit the Contractor ’s records and/or to determine the correct number of units independently; or

c. By ordering the Contractor to proceed with the work and keep a record of all costs incurred and savings realized. A markup for overhead and profit may be allowed if provided by the contract. The same markup shall be used for determining a decrease in price as the result of savings realized. The Contractor shall present the Purchasing Agency with all vouchers and records of expenses incurred and savings realized. The Purchasing Agency shall have the right to audit the records of the Contractor as it deems necessary to determine costs or savings. Any claim for an adjustment in price under this provision must be asserted by written notice to the Purchasing Agency within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order from the Purchasing Agency. If the parties fail to agree on an amount of adjustment, the question of an increase or decrease in the contract price or time for performance shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures for resolving disputes provided by the Disputes Clause of this contract or, if there is none, in accordance with the dispute’s provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and their Vendors. Neither the existence of a claim nor a dispute resolution process, litigation or any other provision of this contract shall excuse the contractor from promptly complying with the changes ordered by the Purchasing Agency or with the performance of the contract generally.

P. DEFAULT: In case of failure to deliver goods or services in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the Commonwealth may terminate this agreement after verbal or written notice without penalty. Upon termination the Commonwealth may procure the goods or services contracted for from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any resulting additional purchase and administrative costs.

This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies which the Commonwealth may have.

Q. INSURANCE: By signing and submitting a bid or proposal under this solicitation, the bidder or offeror certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have the following insurance coverage at the time the contract is awarded. For construction contracts, if any subcontractors are involved, the subcontractor will have workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with §§ 2.2-4332 and 65.2-800 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. The bidder or offeror further certifies that the contractor and any subcontractors will maintain these insurance coverages during the entire term of the contract and that all coverage will be provided by companies authorized to sell insurance in Virginia by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

MINIMUM INSURANCE COVERAGES AND LIMITS:

1. Workers’ Compensation - Statutory requirements and benefits. Coverage is compulsory for employers of three or more employees, to include the employer.

Contractors who fail to notify the Commonwealth of increases in the number of employees that change their workers’ compensation requirements under the Code of Virginia during the course of the contract shall be in noncompliance with the contract.

2. Employer’s Liability - $100,000.

3. Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. Commercial General Liability is to include bodily injury and property damage, personal injury and advertising injury, products and completed operations coverage. The Commonwealth of Virginia shall be added as an additional insured to the policy by an endorsement.

4. Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 combined single limit. (Required only if a motor vehicle not owned by the Commonwealth is to be used in the contract.

Contractor must assure that the required coverage is maintained by the Contractor (or third-party owner of such motor vehicle.)

R. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARD: Upon the award or the announcement of the decision to award a contract as a result of this solicitation, the purchasing agency will publicly post such notice in eVA (eva.virginia.gov) for a minimum of 10 days.

S. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: During the performance of this contract, the Contractor agrees to (i) provide a drug-free workplace for the Contractor 's employees; (ii) post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or marijuana is prohibited in the Contractor 's workplace and specifying the actions that https://eva.virginia.gov/index.html will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition; (iii) state in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the Contractor that the Contractor maintains a drug-free workplace; and (iv) include the provisions of the foregoing clauses in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subContractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, “drug-free workplace” means a site for the performance of work done in connection with a specific contract awarded to a Contractor, the employees of whom are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of any controlled substance or marijuana during the performance of the contract.

T. NONDISCRIMINATION OF CONTRACTORS: A bidder, contractor, or contractor shall not be discriminated against in the solicitation or award of this contract because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, faith-based organizational status, any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment or because the bidder or contractor employs ex-offenders unless the state agency, department or institution has made a written determination that employing ex-offenders on the specific contract is not in its best interest. If the award of this contract is made to a faith-based organization and an individual, who applies for or receives goods, services, or disbursements provided pursuant to this contract objects to the religious character of the faith-based organization from which the individual receives or would receive the goods, services, or disbursements, the public body shall offer the individual, within a reasonable period of time after the date of his objection, access to equivalent goods, services, or disbursements from an alternative provider.

U. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION, CONTRACTS, AND ORDERS: eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION, CONTRACTS, AND ORDERS: The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution, web site portal eva.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The eVA portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies.

All vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet e-procurement solution by completing the free eVA Vendor Registration. All bidders or offerors must register in eVA and pay the Vendor Transaction Fees specified below; failure to register will result in the bid/proposal being rejected.

Vendor transaction fees are determined by the date the original purchase order is issued and the current fees are as follows:

a. For orders issued July 1, 2014, and after, the Vendor Transaction Fee is:

(i) DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, capped at $500 per order.

https://eva.virginia.gov/index.html

(ii) Businesses that are not DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, capped at $1,500 per order.

b. Refer to Special Term and Condition “eVA Orders and Contracts” to identify the number of purchase orders that will be issued as a result of this solicitation/contract with the eVA transaction fee specified above assessed for each order.

For orders issued prior to July 1, 2014, the vendor transaction fees can be found at eva.virginia.gov.

The specified vendor transaction fee will be invoiced, by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of General Services, typically within 60 days of the order issue date. Any adjustments (increases/decreases) will be handled through purchase order changes.

V. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: It is understood and agreed between the parties herein that the agency shall be bound hereunder only to the extent that the legislature has appropriated funds that are legally available or may hereafter become legally available for the purpose of this agreement.

W. PRICE CURRENCY: Unless stated otherwise in the solicitation, Contractors shall state offered prices in US dollars.

X. E-VERIFY REQUIREMENT OF ANY CONTRACTOR: Any employer with more than an average of 50 employees for the previous 12 months entering into a contract in excess of $50,000 with Norfolk State University to perform work or provide services pursuant to such contract shall register and participate in the E-Verify program to verify information and work authorization of its newly hired employees performing work pursuant to any awarded contract.

Y. TAXES: Sales to the Commonwealth of Virginia are normally exempt from State sales tax. State sales and use tax certificates of exemption, Form ST-12, will be issued upon request. Deliveries against this contract shall usually be free of Federal excise and transportation taxes. The Commonwealth’s excise tax exemption registration number is 54-73-0076K.

Z. SET-ASIDES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS

ENHANCEMENT AWARD PRIORITY: This solicitation is set-aside for award priority to DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses when designated as “Micro Business Set-Aside Award Priority” or “Small Business Set-Aside Award Priority” accordingly in the solicitation. DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses also includes DSBSD-certified women-owned and minority-owned businesses when they have received the DSBSD small business certification. For purposes of award, bidders/offerors shall be deemed micro businesses or small https://dgs.virginia.gov/globalassets/business-units/dps/documents/billing/eVA-Fee-Schedule-Revised-Effective-07-01-2014.pdf businesses if and only if they are certified as such by DSBSD on the due date for receipt of bids/proposals.

SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

AWARD: The Commonwealth will make the award(s) on Grand Total basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a DSBSD-certified micro business if such a bid is received, provided that the bid is up to and including $10,000 and the agency in its sole discretion determines that the bid price is fair and reasonable. Otherwise, award of the contract shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a DSBSD-certified small business if such a bid is received, provided that the bid is not more than $100,000 and the agency in its sole discretion determines that the bid price is fair and reasonable. If, in the agency’s opinion, the criteria in the previous two sentences are not present, then award shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder of any size, provided the agency in its sole discretion determines that the price is fair and reasonable. If applicable, unit prices, extensions and grand total must be shown. In case of arithmetic errors, the unit price will govern. If cash discount for prompt payment is offered, it must be clearly shown in the space provided. Discounts for early prompt payment will not be considered in making awards. The State reserves the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part, to waive any informality, and to delete items prior to making an award.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL OR PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNTS: The contractor shall extend any special educational or promotional sale prices or discounts immediately to the Commonwealth during the term of the contract. Such notice shall also advise the duration of the specific sale or discount price.

PLASTIC MATERIALS; Bidders must identify whether their plastic materials contain recycled materials and, if so, specify the amount of recycled content in such plastic materials.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT AND WATER-EFFICIENT GOODS: When an agency or institution receives two or more bids for products that are Energy Star certified, meet the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) designated efficiency requirements, appear on FEMP’s Low Standby Power Product List; or are WaterSense certified, the agency or institution shall only select among those bids.