ITB_32110-13780_SWC_700_ITB_Amendment_1.pdf

STATE OF TENNESSEE

DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES, CENTRAL PROCUREMENT OFFICE

INVITATION TO BID # 32110-13780

AMENDMENT # 1

Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing, Boiler, and Chiller Systems Maintenance & Repair

DATE: December 23, 2025

ITB # 32110-13780 AS A CONTINUATION TO RFI # 32110-13686 IS AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

1. State responses to questions and comments in the table below amend and clarify this RFP.

Any restatement of RFI text in the Question/Comment column shall NOT be construed as a change in the actual wording of the RFI document.

QUESTION / COMMENT STATE RESPONSE

1. Just want to confirm that a bid bond is not needed with bid submission? It states in the specs that payment and performance bonds will be required for jobs over $50,000 and $100,000 but doesn't say anything about a bid bond so I just wanted to make sure. Thanks.

You are correct. Bonds are not required to be provided with the response. Bond requirements are applicable only to jobs performed under the contract after the new contract is executed.

2. Since we’re already a contracted vendor with the State, do we still need to submit the full set of required paperwork for the licenses, certificates of insurance, etc.?

Yes, all respondents are required to provide all requested bid information including requisite licensure and certifications.

3. If only one trip charge is allowed for each invoice, how is the travel time compensated if an additional tech is required and approved?

Additional Trip Charges may only be permissible in accordance with Specifications Section E.4.f. The contract does not allow for travel expenses to be charged to the State outside of what’s specified in Specifications E.4. Please also see Terms and Conditions Section 6.3.

Travel Compensation.

4. The contract does not clarify any payment terms. What are they and is there any recourse for late payment?

Please see Terms & Conditions Section 6.

“Payment Terms and Conditions”. Please also reference the State of Tennessee Prompt Pay Act and Section 0690-03-01.23 of the Central Procurement Office Rules and Regulations at the Link below.

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/generalse rvices/documents/cpo/library/0690-03- 01.201401201.pdf

5. Please clarify what can be charged in the following scenario:

Contractor receives a service call from Authorized User for a water leak in the ground. The contractor must obtain equipment and take several hours to excavate the area to diagnose the issue.

Per Specifications Section A., For the purposes of this contract, if a Contractor is required to visit a job site, pull tools off their truck, and troubleshoot equipment for longer than one (1) hour to provide an estimate, this would be considered as a Diagnostic.

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/generalservices/documents/cpo/library/0690-03-01.201401201.pdf https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/generalservices/documents/cpo/library/0690-03-01.201401201.pdf https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/generalservices/documents/cpo/library/0690-03-01.201401201.pdf

The Authorized User asks for an estimate for the repair. The actual repair is estimated to take (1) hour and minimal materials. The Authorized User approves the estimate. Per the contract, must the Contractor then absorb the cost of the diagnosis and only invoice the repair?

Diagnostics fees may be charged in accordance with Specifications Section D.8.

Please also see revised Specifications Section D.8.f.

6. Please clarify what can be charged in the following scenario:

Contractor receives a request for a “free estimate” for repair of an HVAC unit. The unit takes several hours to diagnose and is repaired in the process in an attempt to further diagnose. What time or materials can be invoiced at that point?

Contractors shall not make repairs without written approval by Authorized User Personnel. Please see Specifications Section D.1.f.

Please see response to Question 5.

7. How does the contractor differentiate the difference between a service call and a request for a “free estimate”?

The Authorized User shall specify the services needed in the original request.

8. Can written approval be either an email or is a PO required?

Written approval may take the form of an email or a purchase order (PO) at the discretion of the Authorized User.

9. Please clarify what can be invoiced in the following scenario:

Authorized User places and emergency call to diagnose drains backing up at a Rest Area. Contractor arrives on site and attempts to clear the blockage as diagnosis through camera means is not possible due to waste/water in the lines.

Contractor attempts to clear the line for serval hours and determines the project will require a larger sewer machine. The Contractor leaves the site to acquire the larger machine which requires the use of a second technician to operate.

The (2) technicians arrive back on site.

After some time, they are able to clear the line.

9.1. Is an emergency PO required prior to

work starting?

9.2. What time is able to be invoiced for either

technician?

9.3. Is the use of both machines billable?

9.4. If an EPO was issued, how can the

Contractor determine whether or not they are going to exceed the EPO amount while performing the task?

9.5. If the result of the blockage appears to

be a break or collapse and the Authorized user requires an estimate and awards it to the responding Contractor, is the previous time and materials able to be invoiced?

9.6. If the result of the blockage appears to

be debris in the line, what warranty is the Contractor required to provide that

9.1. No. At the request of the Authorized

User, Contractors shall proceed with work for Emergency Jobs until the job completed or until the job is no longer an “emergency” as defined by the Authorized User. Please see revised Section D.2.a.

9.2. Please see the response to Question 5

and Question 6 regarding Diagnostic Fees.

9.3. Specialized Equipment may be charged

in accordance with Specifications Section E.7.

9.4. For Emergency Jobs, work performed

by the Contractor while the job cost is not known shall be conducted using the Contract labor rates and Trip Charges. As soon as the job cost is known, Contractor shall immediately provide an Estimate or Firm Quote to the Authorized User. Please see revised Specifications Sections D.2.j and D.2.k.

9.5. Please see the response to Question 5

and Question 6 regarding Diagnostic Fees.

Please also see the response to Question

9.4.

9.6. The Contractor shall warranty

workmanship for one (1) year after work is fully completed as determined by the someone else does not insert improper material and block the line?

Authorized User in writing. In the case an Authorized User has an active warranty on a piece of equipment, the Authorized User may request approval from the Central Procurement Office Contract Administrator to utilize the Contractor that holds said warranty. Please see Specifications Section

E.9.h. and E.9.j.

10. What defines an Emergency?

Jobs are defined as an "emergency" by the

Authorized User. Please see revised Specifications Section D.2.

11. How are labor times to be invoice? (i.e.

to the minute? To the quarter hour? To half hour?)

Labor Rates are charged per hour. Please see Specifications Section E.1. Hourly Charge Schedule.

12. If an overage of the estimate/diagnosis occurs and the Authorized User does not approve, what happens? Do we just bill for the time and materials up to that point?

In the event the initially awarded Contractor has already performed some services, and a change to the date or job scope prevents said Contractor from being able to complete the job, the Authorized User shall pay the initially awarded Contractor for costs incurred. Please see Specifications Section

D.6.e.

13. Can contractor request documentation of and estimate if Authorized User deems a non-contract supplier to be cheaper?

Contractors requesting this information are required to submit a Public Records

Request.

14. Can progressive billing be negotiated during the project?

No. Per Terms and Conditions Section 6.4.b.1., Contractors shall only include charges for goods delivered or services provided as described in this Contract and in accordance with payment terms and conditions set forth in the Contract.

15. What if a job change due to scheduling or other causes the project to exceed the amount of the “firm quote”? Will all work stop until a new firm quote is accepted?

Job Changes may be permitted in accordance with Specifications Section D.6.

Job Changes. The Authorized User has the sole discretion to approve the scope change with the originally awarded Contractor or may send the new scope of work to all other Contractors qualified in the county and allow them to provide a new Estimate or Firm Quote. In the event the initially awarded Contractor has already performed some services, and a change to the date or job scope prevents said Contractor from being able to complete the job, the Authorized User shall pay the initially awarded Contractor for costs incurred for services satisfactorily performed.

16. What if an approved change causes the original estimate to be exceeded into the status of a firm quote? Will the project remain as an estimate due to any unknown changes in the future or will the project then become a firm quote project?

This is at the discretion of the Authorized User. Please see Specifications Section D.6. Job Changes. Please also see response to Question 15.

17. Will loss of time be able to be invoiced if the loss is due to on site personnel

No, please see sections E.3.c. and E.3.d.

leaving while project is being performed due to lunch or other break?

18. If more than one technician is authorized, how will technician time be billed? Can it be invoiced as off-site time due to only one trip charge being able to be invoiced.

Jobs that require a Firm Quote shall be completed at the Firm Quote price regardless of the number of technicians.

For jobs that do not require Firm Quotes, please see Specifications Section E.3. Time Verification. E.3.d. “The Authorized User shall pay the established hourly rate for actual time worked on- site only for all jobs under ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Time off-site cannot be charged to the Authorized User without prior written approval from the Authorized User Personnel. Please see Specifications Section E.3.g.

19. Will off site materials pick-up be able to be invoiced, if authorization is given prior to arrival?

The Authorized User shall pay the established hourly rate for actual time worked on-site only for all jobs under ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Time off-site cannot be charged to the Authorized User without prior written approval from the Authorized User Personnel (e.g. preparation of materials for use on the job anywhere off-site). If off-site work is required, the Contractor shall identify it on the Estimate provided for all jobs under ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Please see Specifications Section E.3.

20. Must sub-contractor be itemized or can it just be listed as materials on the pricing template?

Yes, all Contractor requirements are still applicable when a Subcontractor is utilized.

the Contractor shall utilize the State template (Attachment A “Pricing Template”) to provide a written Estimate or Diagnostic.

When applicable, a parts and materials list shall be included in an Estimate and Diagnostic (parts and materials shall be broken out per each item).

21. If Authorized User chooses to amend parts pricing on invoice, what notification is required to be given to Contractor.

No work shall commence without prior written approval by Authorized User Personnel. Please see Specifications Section D.1.f.

Estimates provided by Contractors when applicable shall include a parts and materials list broken out per item. The Contractor shall perform the services as described in the Estimate or Diagnostic, upon request from the Authorized User.

Please see Specifications Sections D.3.a.8 and D.3.a.11.

22. Can an Authorized User delay payment of an invoice due to what they deem as an over-priced part and what restrictions may be used for the comparison (i.e.

Authorized User locates a part that the contractor has already installed on line

Please see response to Question 21.

for a cheaper price, but the on-line part has a significant wait period for arrival?)

23. If Authorized User supplies parts and the Contractor is required to use them and also is required to honor the warranty, will Authorized User be required to locate and order the warranty replacement parts?

If agreed upon by the Contractor and Authorized User, the Authorized User may provide parts for use by the Contractor. The Contractor shall honor their warranty on labor per Section E.9. For equipment, parts, or materials that are under warranty of the manufacturer, and are owned by the Authorized User, said warranty shall be honored. Please see Specifications Section E.8.h. and E.9.f.

24. Does Contractor have the right to refuse the parts supplied by Authorized User if deemed to be damaged or of poor quality?

Authorized User provided parts may be utilized if agreed upon by the Contractor and Authorized User. Please see Specifications Section E.8.h.

25. Does the warranty on parts/repairs only cover the parts/repairs made? (i.e. An HVAC unit compressor is replaced. After some time the unit appears to stop working again and is claimed to be “under warranty”. The return diagnosis appears to be a different issue than the compressor, is the return trip able to be invoiced?)

If a part is replaced by a Contractor, the Contractor shall warranty workmanship for that part one (1) year after work is fully completed as determined by the Authorized User in writing. For equipment, parts, or materials that are under warranty of the manufacturer, and are owned by the Authorized User, said warranty shall be honored. Please see Specifications Section E.9.f. and E.9.h.

26. Is there any appeals process for delayed invoice payment due to Authorized User claiming warranty?

Please see response to Question 4 regarding payment terms. In the event there’s a dispute that is not able to be solved directly between the Contractor and the Authorized User, please contact the Contract Administrator for assistance.

27. Is there any appeals process for delayed payment due to Authorized User claiming “incomplete work”?

Please see response to Question 4 regarding payment terms. In the event there’s a dispute that is not able to be solved directly between the Contractor and the Authorized User, please contact the Contract Administrator for assistance.

28. I have a question in regards to the cost proposal from. Under the Electrical tab and the box Electrical Maintenance and Repair, when you divide the Estimated Annual spend for a region by the Estimated Annual Labor Hours I get a rate of $37 spend per hour in region 1, Region 2 = $60, Region 3 = $41 and Region 4 = $62. Counties like Davidson = $40, Hamilton = $66, Knox = $31, Shelby = $69. Across all regions and counties that is an average of $48.90 per hour. Should I understand these as an expected labor rate that the state is looking for and, if so, do you have reasonable cause to expect you will get these rates?

No, the amounts listed in the “Estimated Annual Spend” and “Estimated Annual Labor Hours*” columns are purely estimates based on historical spend for each Region and are for informational purposes only.

29. My only question is that as an HVAC company we do not provide service for low temp, coolers or freezers, ice

Geothermal Equipment has been removed, but Freezers, Walk-in Coolers, Walk-in machines, or water coolers. As I interpret the documents, this would prevent us from submitting pricing for the HVAC section as all items would not be covered. Is this correct?

Freezers, Ice Makers, Water Coolers are required. Please see revised Specifications Section B.2.

30. We would like to know if providing our normal on call number that is not an 800-toll free number be sufficient as there is a fee to have a toll-free number and that could be costly for a small business.

An “800” number is not a requirement.

However, the number must be toll-free and continuously answered/monitored seven (7) days a week and twenty-four (24) hours a day. Please see Specifications Section

D.1.a.

31. As per the “diagnosis”, I am aware that per the contract, if we diagnose an issue with an HVAC unit and submit an estimate for the repair, we are required to waive the diagnosis fee. What if we give and estimate for the repair, but the Authorized User wants an estimate to replace the unit? The replacement was not in the original scope, can we charge for the diagnosis?

Please see revised Specifications Section D.8.f.

32. Are there any third-party control systems (e.g., Johnson, Siemens, Trane) we're expected to interface with?

Contractors are not required to interface with all manufacturer-specific, system-specific, or trade-specific if doing so would require a manufacturer-specific, system-specific, or trade-specific certification outside of what’s required in Specifications Section E.2.c.

However, if a Contractor or Contractor personnel maintains an additional manufacturer-specific, system-specific, or trade-specific certification, they are encouraged to disclose this to the State in accordance with Specifications Section E.2.d.

33. Is the 2-hour window 24/7/365, or only during normal business hours?

The requirement is twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week. The Authorized User has the discretion to be flexible for the Contractor arrival time; however, the Contractor is required to be on-site within the agreed upon arrival time.

34. Is there a penalty or loss of contract if we were late on the 2-hour window?

If at any time during the contract period, a Contractor is found to not be in compliance with the Service Level Agreements, the Authorized Users and/or Contract Administrator may file a Formal Supplier Complaint with the Central Procurement Office. The State may take additional action if a Contractor is not found to be in compliance with Service Level Agreements three (3) times or more in a calendar year.

Please see Specifications Section D.5.d.

35. For jobs over 10k with a firm quote provided, is there a time frame for approval?

Please see revised “Firm Quote“ definition in Specifications Section A.

36. If providing different billing rates for different counties, do these rates need to be on separate pages within the quote?

Per the instructions in the Cost Proposal, Respondent pricing for Technician (Regular Time & Premium Time) and Helper (Regular

Time & Premium Time) are intended to be provided by Region, not per County, with the exceptions of Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, & Shelby counties. Trip Charges have a separate entry cell for each County.

37. Do emergency jobs require any special authorizations when repair costs are not known?

Please see revised Specifications Section D.2.j.

38. Are Preventative Maintenance agreements for any of the State Facilities part of this bid process?

Please see revised Specifications Sections D.1.i. and D.4.

39. Are work reports sent to a primary contact (email address) or to each location’s supervisor?

Authorized Users shall provide the contact information for the appropriate Authorized

User Personnel for each job.

40. Are replacement parts and equipment in another manufacturers brand acceptable in essence of time and monies?

Yes. Manufacturer parts, manufacturer-approved parts, or equal, as per the Authorized User’s equipment, shall be used to maintain the integrity of the equipment or system(s) under the Contract. For equipment, parts, or materials that are under warranty of the manufacturer, and are owned by the Authorized User, said warranty shall be honored. Please see Specifications Section E.8.c. and E.9.f.

41. Is it possible to get an official list of deliverables when submitting our bid to ensure all documentation is completed and submitted? For example: Cost Proposal, Current Contractor License, etc.

Please see the Event Details attachment which contains all bid factors specifying the required deliverables.

42. Will support for this contract be mostly emergency response? Or will there be planned work as well? Is there an idea of maybe a ratio between the two?

The Contractor shall provide all services included in their awarded category or categories to all Facilities within their awarded county or counties as requested by the State. This shall include Emergency or Non-Emergency jobs as requested by the Authorized User. The State does not guarantee that it will buy any minimum quantity of goods or services under this Contract. Please see Specifications Section

B. and Terms and Conditions Section 6.1.

43. Will P-Card be the only payment type to contractors? Credit card fees can be costly. Is ACH or Check possible as well?

Contractors are not required to accept P- Cards as a form of payment, but may do so if they choose to.

2. Delete RFI #32110-13686, in its entirety, and replace it with ITB #32110-13780 attached to this amendment. Revisions of the original ITB document are emphasized within the new release. Any sentence or paragraph containing revised or new text is highlighted.

3. ITB Amendment Effective Date. The revisions set forth herein shall be effective upon release. All other terms and conditions of this ITB not expressly amended herein shall remain in full force and effect.