SMALL PROCUREMENT - Palo Alto VM Firewall Renewals

Section 1 –General Information

Small Procurement Number:

(HQOTTS)

HQOTTS2587 (SR#2032229 – MDOT USE ONLY)

Small Procurement Type:

This is a Small Business Reserve (SBR) Procurement for which the award will be limited to Certified Small Business (CSB) vendors. Only businesses that meet the statutory requirements set forth in State Finance and Procurement Article, §§14-501—14-505, Annotated Code of Maryland, and that are certified by GOSBA Small Business Reserve Program are eligible for the award of a contract.

Information on eligibility for the SBR program is available on the following website:

https://gomdsmallbiz.maryland.gov/Pages/sbr-program.aspx

Information on the CSB Vendor Registration processes is available on the following website: https://mdprocurement.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/70000592969-sbr-certification-and-recertification-vendors-

at 4:00 PM EST

Special Instructions:

OPEN TO ALL CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS VENDORS

A Vendor must submit an LOA with their bid to be considered for the award.

BID SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

Small Procurement responses must be submitted electronically in accordance with the instructions below.

Vendors are encouraged to submit responses via the State's eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) e-Procurement system. Instructions for submitting proposals electronically can be found:

· Responding to Solicitations (IFB – Vendor): https://mdprocurement.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/70000592965-responding-to-solicitations-ifb-vendor-

· Submitting a Bid to an Amended Solicitation (Vendor):

https://mdprocurement.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/70000592966-submit-a-bid-to-an-amended-solicitation-vendor-

Responses will also be accepted via email and must be submitted to the Agency Point of Contact listed in Section 2, subject to the following requirements:

1. All bids must be password-protected by the bidder prior to submission.

2. The password-protected bid must be emailed to the Agency Point of Contact listed in Section 2 by the bid due date and time.

3. Do not include the password in the bid submission email.

4. The password must be emailed separately from the bid after the bid due date.

Questions Due (Closing) Date and Time:

03/03/2026 at 12:00 PM EST Questions must be submitted in writing with the subject line, “Question for Small Procurement #HQOTTS2587,” and be submitted in writing via e-mail to the Procurement Officer no later than the date and time specified.

REQUIREMENTS

1. The Department reserves the right to purchase more or less than the specified quantity to the extent limited by funding. Charges that are multiple years shall be provided at a per-year price.

2. Purchase new and unused equipment.

3. The Vendor shall not impose a restocking fee if an item is returned due to damage or incorrect product shipped.

4. The Vendor must provide the estimated ship date/lead time for each item listed in the Small Procurement.

5. Pricing provided in response to this Small Procurement shall be valid for at least 120 days after the set due date above.

6. The Vendor must be an authorized reseller for the Manufacturer named in Section 1 and must submit a Letter of Authorization (LOA) from the Manufacturer or Distributor with the bid.

7. The Vendor must include a screenshot of the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) with the bid.

8. Bids must be received by the due date and time listed in the solicitation. Bids that are not received by the due date and time will not be accepted.

9. If applicable, the Vendor must provide a Mercury Affidavit: https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2018/04/Attachment-K-MercuryAffidavit.pdf

10. A "No Bid" form must be completed and submitted by the bid due date and time if your firm elects not to bid.

11. This is a Small Business Reserve Procurement for which the award will be limited to Certified Small Business (CSB) vendors. Only businesses that are registered in eMMA as CSBs are eligible for award of a contract.

12. Vendor must be registered to do business in the State of Maryland through the Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT).

1. EPEAT-Registered Silver or Gold or TCO Certified products are mandatory for the following categories: Computers and Displays, Imaging Equipment, Headsets, Mobile Phones, and TVs. Products in these categories must be rated EPEAT Silver or Gold or must be TCO certified, at the time of bid submission and at the time of award.

a. The EPEAT Registry can be accessed at: https://epeat.net/.

b. The TCO certified product finder can be accessed at: https://tcocertified.com/product-finder/.

2. At the time of bid submission and at the time of award, servers must be EPEAT-Registered Bronze or higher or TCO certified.

a. The EPEAT Registry can be accessed at: https://epeat.net/.

b. The TCO certified product finder can be accessed at: https://tcocertified.com/product-finder/.

3. If a product category is not covered by the EPEAT Registry or the TCO Registry, pursuant to Executive Order 01.01.2001.02, then a product that is ENERGY STAR-certified both at the time of bid/proposal submission and at the time of award must be provided.

a. The ENERGY STAR® Program certification list can be accessed at: https://www.energystar.gov/products?s=mega.

B. PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Contractors are encouraged to provide products registered as EPEAT Climate+ for the following categories: Computers & Displays, Imaging Equipment, Mobile Phones, Servers, and Televisions.

C. PRODUCTS COVERED UNDER THIS SPECIFICATION

1. Audio/Video Electronics

a. Home-Theater-in-a-Box Systems

b. Soundbars

c. MP3 Speaker Docks

d. Audio Amplifiers

e. AV Receivers

f. Shelf Systems

g. Blu-Ray Disc Players

h. DVD Players

i. Headsets

j. Projectors

2. Digital Media Players

3. Imaging Equipment

a. Copiers

b. Digital Duplicator

c. Multi-Function Devices

d. Printers

e. Professional Imaging Products

f. Scanners

4. Signage Displays

5. Servers

6. Set-Top Boxes

7. Televisions

D. PROHIBITED PRODUCTS

1. Based, in part, on Md. Code Ann., State Fin. & Proc.("SF&P") §14-414 and Executive Order 01.01.2001.02, electronic and IT products as defined in this specification (excluding servers) that are not EPEAT-Registered Silver or Gold or are not ENERGY STAR-certified are prohibited. TCO Certified products are exempted from this prohibition.

2. Pursuant to COMAR 21.11.07.07, products that contain mercury are prohibited, unless there are no commercially available mercury-free products for a specific application. In such cases, products containing the least amount of mercury necessary to meet performance requirements must be proposed. All products that contain mercury must be clearly labeled in bids/proposals.

Invoicing Instructions:

SEND INVOICE TO: tsoapinvoices@mdot.maryland.gov

An invoice not satisfying the requirements of a Proper Invoice (as defined at COMAR 21.06.09.01 and .02) cannot be processed for payment. To be considered a Proper Invoice, invoices must include the following information without error:

1. Contractor name and address;

2. Remittance address;

3. Federal taxpayer identification (FEIN) number, social security number, as appropriate;

4. Invoice period (i.e., the time period during which services covered by invoice were performed);

5. Invoice date;

6. Invoice number;

7. State-assigned Contract number;

8. State-assigned (Blanket) Purchase Order number(s);

9. Goods or services provided;

10. Amount due; and

11. Any additional documentation required by regulation or the Contract.

For items of work for which there is one-time pricing, those items shall be billed within 30 days of acceptance.

For items of work for which there is annual pricing, items shall be billed annually. The first year's invoice shall be billed within 30 days of the contract’s start. Each additional year shall be billed on the anniversary of the first year's invoice.

Section 2 – Agency Point of Contact (POC) Information

Section 3 – Delivery Address / Work Site POC Information

Section 4 – Scope of Work

Software: Licenses, Subscriptions

PALO ALTO VM FIREWALLS (SEE SPECIFICATIONS ATTACHED)

Section 5 – Evaluation Criteria – Technical Proposal

Evaluation Criteria

1. The award will be made to a responsible and responsive vendor whose bid is determined to be the most favorable bid price or evaluated bid price to the State.

2. Adherence to the Specifications

3. Special Instruction #1-12

4. Green Purchasing Requirements

Basis for Award Recommendation Evaluation criteria for award will be established at the Small Procurement level. Small procurements will be awarded in accordance with the competitive Sealed Bidding process under COMAR 21.05.02. The agency POC will recommend an award to the Vendor whose bid is determined to be the most favorable bid price or evaluated bid price, whichever is applicable, considering price and the evaluation factors set forth in the Small Procurement. The agency POC will initiate and deliver a PO to the selected Contractor.

NO BID NOTICE/VENDOR FEEDBACK FORM

To help us improve the quality of State solicitations and to make our procurement process more responsive and business-friendly, please provide comments and suggestions regarding this solicitation. Please return your comments with your response. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please e-mail this completed form to the attention of the Agency Point of Contact listed in Section 2.

Title: Hardware – Palo Alto VM Firewall Renewals Small Procurement #: HQOTTS2587

1. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please indicate the reason(s) below:

2. If you have submitted a response to this solicitation, but wish to offer suggestions or express concerns, please use the REMARKS section below.

REMARKS: _________________________________________________________________

Offeror Name: ________________________________ Date: _______________________

Contact Person: _________________________________ Phone (____) _____ - ________

Address: _________________________________________________________________

E-mail Address:____________________________________________________________