ITN 2024-03OCSA Internship Management System.pdf

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SUBMIT OFFER TO:

Via Bonfire Web Portal

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

Phone: (407) 823-2661 www.procurement.ucf.edu https://ucfprocurement.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/156628

Your submission should be uploaded, submitted, and finalized prior to the closing time on 12/10/2024 at 3:00 p.m.

We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before the closing time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission. See Appendix 4 for submittal instructions.

University of Central Florida

INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE

Contractual Services

Acknowledgement Form

Page 1 of 57 Pages OFFERS WILL BE OPENED December 10, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. EST and may not be withdrawn within 120 days after such date and time.

ITN NO. 2024-03OCSA

UNIVERSITY ADVERTISING DATE:

October 30, 2024

ITN TITLE: Internship Management System

FEDERAL EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

SUPPLIER NAME REASON FOR NO OFFER:

SUPPLIER MAILING ADDRESS

CITY - STATE - ZIP CODE

P O S T I N G O F P R O P O S A L T A B U L A T I O N S

AREA CODE TELEPHONE NUMBER

FAX:

EMAIL:

Proposal tabulations with intended award(s) will be posted for review by interested parties on the Procurement Services solicitation webpage and will remain posted for a period of 72 hours. Failure to file a protest in accordance with BOG regulation 18.002 or failure to post the bond or other security in accordance with BOG regulation 18.003 shall constitute a waiver of protest proceedings.

Government Classifications Check all that apply

□ African American □ American Woman

□ Asian-Hawaiian □ Government Agency

□ Hispanic □ MBE Federal

□ Native American □ Non-Minority

□ Non-Profit Organization □ PRIDE

□ Small Business Federal □ Small Business State

I certify that this offer is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm or person submitting an offer for the same materials, supplies, or equipment and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I agree to abide by all conditions of this offer and certify that I am authorized to sign this offer for the Supplier and that the Supplier is in compliance with all requirements of the Invitation To Negotiate, including but not limited to, certification requirements. In submitting an offer to an agency for the State of Florida, the Supplier offers and agrees that if the offer is accepted, the Supplier will convey, sell, assign or transfer to the State of Florida all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of action it may now or hereafter acquire under the Anti-trust laws of the United States and the State of Florida for price fixing relating to the particular commodities or services purchased or acquired by the state of Florida. At the State’s discretion, such assignment shall be made and become effective at the time the procurement agency tenders final payment to the Supplier.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. SEALED OFFERS: All offer sheets and this form should be executed and submitted as specified in Section 2.6. Offer prices not submitted on any attached price sheets when required shall be rejected. All offers are subject to the terms and conditions specified herein. Those which do not comply with these terms and conditions are either automatically rejected with respect to non-compliance with non-negotiable terms and conditions or may be rejected, at UCF’s sole discretion, with respect to any other terms and conditions.

2. EXECUTION OF OFFERS: Offers should contain a manual signature of the representative authorized to legally bind the Respondent to the provisions herein. Offers should be typed or printed in ink. Use of erasable ink is not permitted. All corrections to prices made by the Supplier are to be initialed.

3. NO OFFER SUBMITTED: If not submitting an offer, respond by returning only this offer acknowledgment form, marking it "NO OFFER," and explaining the reason in the space provided above. Failure to respond without justification may be cause for removal of the company’s name from the solicitation mailing list. NOTE: To qualify as a respondent, the Supplier should submit a "NO OFFER," and it should be received no later than the stated offer opening date and hour.

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE (MANUAL)

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE (TYPED), TITLE

http://www.procurement.ucf.edu/ https://ucfprocurement.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/156628

4. PRICES, TERMS AND PAYMENT: Firm prices shall be negotiated and include all services rendered to the purchaser.

(a) TAXES: The State of Florida is a tax-immune sovereign and exempt from the payment of all sales, use and excise taxes

(b) DISCOUNTS: Cash discount for prompt payment shall not be considered in determining the lowest net cost for offer evaluation purposes.

(c) MISTAKES: Proposers are expected to examine the conditions, scope of work, offer prices, extensions, and all instructions pertaining to the services involved. Failure to do so will be at the Proposer’s risk.

(d) INVOICING AND PAYMENT: All Suppliers should have on file a properly executed W-9 form with their Federal Employer Identification Number prior to payment processing.

Suppliers shall submit properly certified original invoices to:

Division of Finance 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 300 Orlando, Florida 32826-3249

Invoices for payment shall be submitted in sufficient detail for a proper pre-audit and post audit. Prices on the invoices shall be in accordance with the price stipulated in the contract at the time the order is placed. Invoices shall reference the applicable contract and/or purchase order numbers. Invoices for any travel expenses shall be submitted in accordance with the State of Florida travel rates at or below those specified in Section 112.061, Florida Statutes and applicable UCF policies.

Final payment shall not be made until after the contract is complete unless the University has agreed otherwise.

Interest Penalties: Supplier interest penalty payment requests will be reviewed by the UCF vendor ombudsman whose decision will be final.

Vendor Ombudsman: A vendor ombudsman position has been established within the UCF Division of Finance. It is the duty of this individual to act as an advocate for Suppliers who may be experiencing problems in obtaining timely payments(s) from the University of Central Florida. The vendor ombudsman can be contacted at (407) 882-1082 or by mail at the address in paragraph 4(d) above.

The ombudsman shall review the circumstances surrounding non-payment to determine if an interest payment is due, the amount of the payment; and shall ensure timely processing and submission of the payment request in accordance with University policy.

5. The Board of Trustees may not request documentation of or consider a vendor’s social, political, or ideological interests when determining if the vendor is a responsible vendor. Additionally, the Board of Trustees may not give preference to a vendor based on vendor’s social, political, or ideological interests.

Invitation to Negotiate Acknowledgment Form (revised 04/22/24)

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE (ITN) 2024-03OCSA

FOR

INTERNSHIP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Statement of Objective………………………………………………

1.2 Contract Award……………………………………………………...

1.3 UCF Environment…………………………………………………...

2.0 GENERAL CONDITIONS

2.1 Authorized UCF Representative/Public Notices/UCF Discretion….

2.2 Approximate Calendar of Events……………………………………

2.3 Respondent Communications and/or Inquiries……………………..

2.4 Respondent Conference and Site Visit…………………………….

2.5 Written Addenda…………………………………………………….

2.6 Offer Due/Proposal Opening Date…………………………………

2.7 Section Not Used……………………………………………………

2.8 Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process………………………….

2.9 Posting of Recommended Selection………………………………...

2.10 Offer Validity Period………………………………………………..

2.11 Disposition of Offers/Florida Public Records Law Compliance…….

2.12 Economy of Presentation……………………………………………

2.13 Restricted Discussions/Submissions………………………………...

2.14 Verbal Instructions Procedure………………………………………

2.15 State Licensing Requirements………………………………………

2.16 Parking………………………………………………………………

2.17 Definitions…………………………………………………………...

2.18 Procurement Rules…………………………………………………..

2.19 Force Majeure……………………………………………………….

2.20 Limitation of Remedies, Indemnification, and Insurance………….

2.21 Term of Contract……………………………………………………

2.22 Cancellation/Termination of Contract………

2.23 Assignment and Amendment of Contract…………………………..

2.24 Independent Parties………………………………………………….

2.25 Performance Investigations…………………………………………

2.26 Records……………………………………………………………...

2.27 Public Records………………………………………………………

2.28 Public Records, Service Contracts, Compliance 119.0701, FS

2.29 Severability………………………………………………………….

2.30 Notices………………………………………………………………

2.31 Governing Law and Venue………………………………………….

2.32 Liaison………………………………………………………………

2.33 Subcontracts…………………………………………………………

2.34 Employment of UCF Personnel……………………………………..

2.35 Conflict of Interest…………………………………………………..

2.36 Equal Opportunity Statement……………………………………….

2.37 Waiver of Rights and Breaches……………………………………..

2.38 Headings Not Controlling…………………………………………...

2.39 Employee Involvement/Covenant Against Contingent Fees……….

2.40 Employment of Aliens………………………………………………

2.41 Site Rules and Regulations………………………………………….

2.42 Travel Expenses……………………………………………………..

2.43 Annual Appropriations………………………………………………

2.44 Taxes………………………………………………………………...

2.45 Contractual Precedence……………………………………………..

2.46 Use of Contract by Other Government Agencies…………………...

2.47 Public Entity Crimes………………………………………………...

2.48 Work for Hire……………………………………………………….

2.49 Export Control………………………………………………………

2.50 Nonnegotiable Conditions and Requirements………………………

2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56

Revised Quantities…………………………………………………..

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ………………………..

Smoke Free Policy…………………………………………………..

Contact with Minor Children……………………………………… .

Reporting of Child Abuse…………………………………………..

Secure Handling of UCF Data………………………………………

2.57 Employee Background Checks……………………………………..

2.58 E-Verify…………………………………………………………….

3.0 REQUIRED OFFER FORMAT

3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………….

3.2 Respondent/Offer Sections…………………………………………..

4.0 OTHER REQUIREMENTS ………………………………………

4.1 Technical Requirements…………………………………………….

4.2 Functional Requirements……………………………………………

4.3 Appendix A: Logbook and Internship Hour Tracking Requirements

4.4 Appendix B: Internship and Employment Job Board Requirements

4.5 Appendix C: Partner Onboarding Requirements

APPENDIX I TERMS AND CONDITIONS

APPENDIX II CERTIFICATE OF NON-SEGREGATED FACILITIES

APPENDIX III COMPLIANCE AND CERTIFICATION OF GOOD STANDINGS

APPENDIX IV BONFIRE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUPPLIERS

APPENDIX V SECURE HANDLING OF UCF DATA QUESTIONNAIRE

APPENDIX VI PREFERRED CONDITIONS CHECKLIST

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Statement of Objective

The objective of this Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) is to enable the University of Central Florida (UCF) to enter into an agreement with a Supplier to provide an Internship Management System based on Salesforce Educational Cloud.

The University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Global Health Management and Informatics is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to develop, implement, and support an Internship Management System based on Salesforce Educational Cloud. This system will serve as a comprehensive platform for managing all aspects of the internship process, including student placements, evaluations, job board functionality, logbook tracking, and reporting. The purpose of this ITN is to identify a supplier with the expertise and experience to deliver a robust, scalable solution that meets our current and future needs.

The long-term vision for the Internship Management System is to create an integrated, user-friendly platform that supports the educational goals of UCF and enhances the internship experience for students, faculty, and partners. This system aligns with UCF's commitment to providing high-quality education and preparing students for successful careers.

The system will also serve as a Job Board, where students can view, search, and apply for both internships and jobs posted by UCF internship coordinators and UCF partners. The Job Board will function as a marketplace where employers and students can find each other. UCF SGHMI will manage the listings and activities on the Job Board, while providing partners with the ability to manage their own listings.

The system will also include logbook tracking functionality to comply with accrediting body requirements. Students are required to log a minimum number of internship service hours, which vary by program. The system should support:

• Program-specific Default Hours: Each program has a default number of hours, but the system should be flexible to accommodate individual students who may require more or fewer hours.

• Logbook Entries: Students will log their daily internship activities, detailing the start time, break times, finish time, and a description of the tasks completed.

• Competency Mapping: Each task recorded by the student will be mapped to program-specific competencies. Competencies are organized hierarchically, and the system should support at least four levels (Domain, Subdomain Level 1, Subdomain Level 2, Competency). The logbook should facilitate the mapping process through an intelligent dropdown selection, starting at the domain level and narrowing down to the specific competency.

• Preceptor Review: Once submitted, logbooks will enter a queue for preceptor review and approval. Preceptors can approve or reject logbooks, providing comments for revision if needed.

• Automated Reminders: Preceptors will receive automated weekly reminders if there are pending logbooks to review.

• Dashboards: Faculty and staff will have access to dashboards to monitor logbook progress, including the number of submitted and approved logbooks, and to track overall student completion of required internship hours.

Additionally, the system should facilitate the creation, storage, collection, and processing of internship evaluations. At the conclusion of the internship experience:

• Students will complete an evaluation of their internship site and preceptor.

• Preceptors will complete an evaluation of the student's performance and work product

These evaluations should take place securely within the Salesforce Cloud platform—not through any third-party system. All data should be stored in Salesforce and accessible for advanced reporting. The reporting system should accommodate various question types, including:

• Likert scales

• Open-ended questions

• Drop-down selections

The evaluation forms should allow some design customization, including headers, section divisions, and text formatting, to ensure the user experience is smooth, intuitive, and aligned with UCF’s branding.

The UCF SGHMI partners with various facilities for student internships. Each partner may have different onboarding requirements that students should complete before beginning their internship. These requirements often include paperwork, confidentiality agreements, health screenings, drug tests, and other documentation. Currently, managing these requirements for each partner manually is challenging and inefficient. Therefore, UCF requires an internship management system that can manage, track, and streamline the partner-specific onboarding process. The system should serve as a repository for documents, automate onboarding checklists, and facilitate the submission and approval of required forms.

The Successful Respondent, if any, will enter into a contract with UCF that provides for the performance of all terms and conditions set forth in this ITN, unless UCF has agreed to accept or negotiate certain terms and conditions, as described in Section 2.3. Non-negotiable terms and conditions (as indicated in Appendix I) should always be performed by the Respondent.

1.2 Contract Award

UCF intends to award a contract or contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Respondent(s) whose offer(s) represent the best interest to UCF, after evaluation in accordance with the criteria in this solicitation. The Contract will include this solicitation document and the Successful Respondent’s proposal and all the terms and conditions found in any resulting contract. A sample of UCF’s standard terms and conditions can be viewed at https://procurement.ucf.edu. The Contract will also incorporate any clarifications and, if negotiations are conducted, any additional terms and conditions that are negotiated.

A. UCF may reject any or all offers if such action is in UCF’s best interest.

B. UCF reserves the right and sole discretion to reject any offer at any time on grounds that include, but are not limited to, the Respondent’s offer being found to be nonresponsive, incomplete, or irregular in any way, or when the Respondent’s offer is not in UCF’s best interest.

C. UCF may waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

D. UCF reserves the right to award a contract without negotiations. Therefore, the Respondent’s initial offer should contain the best terms from a cost or price and technical standpoint.

E. UCF reserves the right to conduct negotiations with the proposer(s) whose offer may be deemed in the best interest of the university.

F. UCF reserves the right to make an award on any item for a quantity less than the quantity offered, at the unit cost or prices offered, unless the respondent specifies otherwise in the offer.

G. UCF reserves the right to make multiple awards if, after considering the additional administrative costs, it is in UCF’s best interest to do so.

H. UCF is not obligated to make an award under or as a result of this solicitation.

1.3 UCF Environment

https://procurement.ucf.edu/

The UCF School of Global Health Management and Informatics (“SGHMI”) manages a diverse range of internship programs that are integral to our students' education. Currently, these programs are administered through a combination of manual processes, disconnected systems, and various files (such as Excel, Word, and PDF). The primary platform used for managing internship placements and partner details is InPlaceSoftware, which is complemented by these manual processes.

To address the inefficiencies, data inconsistencies, and reporting challenges posed by this fragmented approach, UCF is seeking to consolidate all these functions into a cohesive platform.

The new Internship Management System will be built on Salesforce Educational Cloud, allowing for seamless interactions, efficient management, and data integrity. Additionally, the solution should ensure a smooth migration of data from InPlaceSoftware to the new system.

Additional information available at http://www.ucf.edu/about_ucf

2.0 GENERAL CONDITIONS

2.1 Authorized UCF Representative/Public Notices/UCF Discretion

The Respondent’s response to this ITN and any communications and/or inquiries by the Respondent during this ITN process shall be submitted in writing to the individual and address stated below. Inquiries are preferred via email. UCF will consider only those communications and/or inquiries submitted in writing to the individual below on or before the date and time specified in Section 2.2, “Calendar of Events.” To the extent UCF determines, in its sole discretion, to respond to any communications and/or inquiries, such response will be made in writing in the form of an addendum. UCF shall not accept or consider any written or other communications and/or inquiries (except an offer) made between the date of this deadline and the posting of an award, if any, under this ITN.

Brandon Orofino Procurement Services Department 12424 Research Parkway, Suite 300 Orlando, FL 32816-0975 Brandon.Orofino@ucf.edu

Advance notice of public meetings regarding this ITN, if UCF determines at its sole discretion whether any such meetings will be held, will be in writing and posted on the UCF Procurement Services website. Additionally, any portion of a meeting at which a negotiation with a Supplier is conducted pursuant to a competitive solicitation at which a Supplier makes an oral presentation or at which a Supplier answers questions is exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution. This also includes any portion of a team meeting at which negotiation strategies are discussed. All such meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 286 of the Florida Statutes. UCF also reserves the right and sole discretion to REJECT any offer at any time on grounds that include, without limitation, either that an offer is nonresponsive to the ITN or is incomplete or irregular in any way, or that a responsive offer is not in UCF’s best interest.

2.2 Approximate Calendar of Events

http://www.ucf.edu/about_ucf

Listed below are the dates and times by which stated actions should be taken or completed. If UCF determines, in its sole discretion, that it is necessary to change any of these dates and times, it may issue an Addendum to this ITN. All listed times are local time in Orlando, Florida.

Date/Time Action 10/30/2024 Invitation To Negotiate advertised 11/8/2024; @ 5:00 p.m. Last day to submit communications and/or inquiries in writing only;

preferably by email to Brandon.Orofino@ucf.edu 11/18/2024 (approximate) Responses to inquiries and Addenda 12/10/2024; @ 3:00 p.m. Deadline for Offer submission at 3:00 p.m. (ITN opening)

2.3 Respondent Communications and/or Inquiries

A. UCF is not liable for interpretations/misinterpretations or other errors or omissions made by the Respondent in responding to this ITN. The Respondent shall examine this ITN to determine if UCF’s conditions and requirements are clearly stated. If, after examination of the various conditions and requirements of this ITN, the Respondent believes there are any conditions or requirements which remain unclear or which restrict competition, the Respondent may request, in writing, that UCF clarify or change condition(s) or requirement(s) specified by the Respondent. The Respondent is to provide the Section(s), Subsection(s), and Paragraph(s) that identify the conditions or requirements questioned by the Respondent.

The Respondent also is to provide detailed justification for a change and should recommend specific written changes to the specified condition(s) or requirement(s). Requests for changes to this ITN should be received by UCF not later than the date shown in Section 2.2., entitled “Calendar of Events,” for the submittal of written communications and/or inquiries.

UCF shall not make any changes to any of the non-negotiable terms and conditions. The non-negotiable terms and conditions are indicated on Appendix I. Requests for changes to the non-negotiable provisions of this ITN shall automatically be rejected. Requests for changes to anything other than the non-negotiable provisions of this ITN may or may not be accepted by UCF and may or may not be negotiated by UCF, all at UCF’s sole discretion.

B. Any Respondent disagreeing with any negotiable terms and conditions set forth in this ITN is to indicate in Appendix I, Terms and Conditions Supplemental Offer Sheet, the specific ITN section(s) the Respondent disagrees with and is to provide a clear and detailed reason for the disagreement and a solution to the disagreement in his/her offer. UCF may or may not accept or agree to negotiate any of the terms and conditions that Respondents indicated they disagreed with, all at UCF’s sole discretion. The indication of disagreement with any non-negotiable terms and conditions may be automatically rejected.

C. Failure to submit Appendix I and clearly indicate which terms and conditions the Respondent agrees and disagrees with (i.e., failure to initial the designated sections set forth in Appendix I, indicating that the Respondent has either understood and agreed to or disagreed with each particular section listed on Appendix I) and/or clear and detailed reasons for the disagreement, with the offer, may be grounds for rejection of that offer, at UCF’s sole discretion. UCF may or may not accept and/or negotiate any such terms and conditions that the Respondent disagreed with. If UCF decides not to accept any of the terms and conditions the Respondent disagreed with, UCF shall have the right, at UCF’s sole discretion, to exercise its right to reject the tentative awardee’s offer and proceed to the next highest ranked respondent. As noted above, the disagreement with any non-negotiable terms and conditions by the Respondent may be automatically rejected.

D. UCF shall at its sole discretion determine what requested changes to this ITN and the resulting agreement are acceptable. Non-negotiable terms and conditions, as indicated in Appendix I, will always stay as they are, and any requested changes to such clauses may automatically be rejected. UCF shall issue an Addendum reflecting the acceptable changes to this ITN, if any, which shall be sent to all known Respondents as specified in Section 2.1.

E. Any communications, questions and/or inquiries from the Respondent concerning this ITN in any way are to be submitted in writing to the individual identified in Section 2.1 not later than 11/8/24 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time as set forth in the Calendar of Events. Written inquiries are to be legible and concise and are to clearly identify the Respondent who is submitting the inquiry. Questions directed to or any responses received from any other department, person, agent, or representative of the university will not be considered valid or binding.

2.4 Respondent Conference and Site Visit

N/A

2.5 Written Addenda

Written Addenda to this ITN along with an Addenda Acknowledgment Form will be posted on the Procurement Services website. The Addenda Acknowledgment Form is to be signed by an authorized representative of the Respondent, dated and returned with the offer. All Respondents, including known interested Respondents, are solely responsible for checking the Procurement Services website periodically to verify whether any such Addenda and forms were issued.

2.6 Offer Due/Proposal Opening Date

Proposals will be received and opened on 12/10/2024 at 3:00 p.m. EST via UCF’s Bonfire Web Portal. For additional information, please refer to Appendix IV: Submission Instructions for Suppliers. UCF shall in no way be responsible for or accept any proposals not uploaded prior to the closing date and time. The Respondent’s response to this ITN shall be prepared in accordance with Section 3.0 “Required Offer Format.” Telephone, facsimile, telegraphic, and electronic mail offers, negotiations, and/or amendments to original offers shall not be accepted.

2.7 Section Not Used

2.8 Evaluation Criteria and Selection Process

A. UCF reserves the right to conduct negotiations if the decision maker (UCF Board of Trustees, Vice President/Dean or his/her written designee(s)) with the advice and consent of Procurement Services determines negotiations to be in the best interest of the university.

Any portion of a meeting at which a negotiation with a Supplier is conducted pursuant to a competitive solicitation is exempt from s. 286.011 and s. 24(b), Art. I of the State Constitution.

Discussions with Suppliers after receipt of an offer do not constitute a rejection, counteroffer or acceptance by UCF.

B. UCF reserves the right to conduct negotiations with the proposer(s) whose offer(s) may represent the best interest of the university. The following is a short overview of some of the decision maker’s responsibilities during the solicitation and award process:

1. Establish a group of evaluators tailored for the particular acquisition that includes appropriate expertise to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of offers. The evaluators will review all responsive offers;

2. Develop the acquisition plan (strategy to award with or without negotiations) after review of offers;

3. Ensure consistency among the solicitation requirements, notices to proposers, offer preparation instructions, evaluation criteria, solicitation provisions or contract clauses, and data requirements;

4. Ensure that offers are evaluated based solely on the evaluation criteria contained in the solicitation;

5. Consider the recommendations of the evaluators or other boards (if any);

6. Select the proposer(s) whose offer(s) are the best value to the university;

7. Select a negotiation team (only if award is not made outright). This can be the evaluators or any other individual(s) the decision maker deems necessary for the acquisition. The negotiation team will negotiate with those proposer(s) determined by the decision maker to have submitted a proposal that may be beneficial to the university.

C. All offers shall be initially evaluated based on weighted criteria set forth in the table below by the group of evaluators. The group of evaluators shall consist of three (3) or more individuals who have expertise regarding, or some experience with, the subject matter of the ITN or, if none, then individuals who could be characterized as recipients, beneficiaries, or users of the ITN’s subject matter. The Vice President/Dean or his/her written designee(s) will appoint the evaluators. Evaluators, at the discretion of the Vice President/Dean or his/her written designee(s), shall have the option to meet as a group any time during formulation of the specifications and solicitation stage to discuss and correct any concerns and ambiguities of the solicitation and specifications. After offer opening, each evaluator shall function independently of all other persons including, without limitations, the other evaluators, and, throughout the entire evaluation process, each evaluator is strictly prohibited from meeting with or otherwise discussing this ITN and any aspect thereof including, without limitation, the offers and their content with any other individual whatsoever. Each evaluator shall conduct an independent evaluation of the offers in accordance with the weighted evaluation criteria set forth in the following Table A:

Table A – Evaluation of Responses

Evaluation Criteria Max Points

1. EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS OF PROPOSER 15

2. PROJECT APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY 15

3. OVERALL RESPONSIVENESS OF PROPOSAL TO

SATISFY SCOPE/ PROJECT APPROACH 30

4. OVERALL PRICING 30

5. CONFORMANCE TO ITN’S PREFERRED CONDITIONS

AND REQUIREMENTS (FAILURE TO CONFORM TO ITN’S

MANDATORY CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

MAY RESULT IN REJECTION OF PROPOSAL)

Evaluation of Responses Point Total 100

Each evaluator should independently score each offer in UCF’s Bonfire Web Portal in accordance with the criteria herein. Each evaluator is to enter comments, if any, regarding the offer and submit his/her evaluation via Bonfire. The assigned Procurement Services Professional identified in section 2.1 will forward a summary to the Decision Maker or his/her designee. At the time of such delivery to the Procurement Services Professional, the evaluator shall cease to participate further in this ITN process unless expressly requested otherwise by Decision Maker.

The Decision Maker shall review, in the manner and to the extent he/she deems reasonable under the circumstances, the ITN, the offers, and evaluators’ scoring forms. While not bound to them, the Decision Maker may give deference to the scoring forms. Based on what the Decision Maker determines is in the best interest of UCF, the Decision Maker will then make the final decision whether or not to recommend the award of a contract to a Respondent to this ITN, negotiate with the respondent(s) whose offer(s) may be beneficial to the university, or cancel the ITN.

The Decision Maker may, at any time during this ITN process, assign one (1) or more individuals to assist and advise the Decision Maker during his/her decision-making process.

UCF is not obligated to make an award under or as a result of this ITN or to award such contract, if any, on the basis of lowest cost or highest commission offered. UCF reserves the right to award such contract, if any, to the Respondent(s) submitting an offer that UCF, at its sole discretion, determines is in UCF’s best interest.

D. Decision Maker shall obtain approval from the University Board of Trustees to award a contract exceeding the President’s Delegation of Authority, per Policy BOT-4.

2.9 Posting of Recommended Selection

An intent to award will be posted within a reasonable time after the Procurement Services Department receives the decision maker’s recommended award decision. The recommendation to award a contract, if any, to a Respondent(s) to this ITN will be posted for review by interested parties on the Procurement Services solicitations webpage and will remain posted for a period of seventy-two (72) hours.

A. If the Respondent desires to protest the recommendation to award a contract, if any, the Respondent should file with UCF:

1. A written notice of intent to protest within seventy-two (72) hours of the posting of the recommended award. UCF shall not extend or waive this time requirement for any reason whatsoever.

2. A formal written protest by petition within ten (10) calendar days of the date on which the notice of intent to protest is filed. UCF shall not extend or waive this time requirement for any reason whatsoever.

B. Failure to timely file a protest or failure to timely deliver the required bond or other security in accordance with the Board of Governors’ Regulations 18.002 and 18.003 shall constitute a waiver of protest proceedings.

1. A formal written protest by petition should be accompanied by a Protest Bond payable to UCF in the amount equal to 10% of the estimated value of the protestor’s bid or proposal;

10% of the estimated expenditure during the contract term; $10,000; or whichever is less.

The form of the Protest Bond shall be a cashier’s check, bank official check, or money order made payable to UCF.

2. In addition to all other conditions and requirements of this ITN, UCF shall not be obligated to pay for information obtained from or through the Respondent.

2.10 Offer Validity Period

Any submitted offer shall in its entirety remain a valid offer for 120 days after the offer submission date.

2.11 Disposition of Offers; Florida Public Records Law Compliance

All offers become the property of the State of Florida, and the State of Florida shall have the right to use all ideas, and/or adaptations of those ideas, contained in any offer received in response to this solicitation. Any parts of the offer or any other material(s) submitted to UCF with the offer that are copyrighted or expressly marked as “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret” will only be exempted from the “open records” disclosure requirements of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes if Florida law specifically recognizes these materials as exempt from disclosure.

Thus, the mere designation as “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret” by a Supplier does not ensure that such materials will be exempt from disclosure. Respondents should identify specifically any information contained in their bid which they consider confidential and/or proprietary and which they believe to be exempt from disclosure, citing specifically the applicable exemption law. A generic notation that information is “confidential” is not sufficient. Failure to provide a detailed explanation and justification including statutory citations and specific reference to your bid detailing what provisions, if any, the Respondent believes are exempt from disclosure, may result in the entire bid being subject to disclosure in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. In the absence of a specific Florida statute exempting material from the public records law, UCF is legally obligated to produce any and all public records produced or received in the course of conducting university business, irrespective of any designation by the Supplier of those same records as “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret.” The ultimate determination of whether a Supplier’s claim of “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret” will support an exemption from disclosure will be made by UCF or, potentially, a court. UCF’s selection or rejection of an offer will not affect this provision.

2.12 Economy of Presentation

Each offer shall be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the Respondent’s capabilities to satisfy the conditions and requirements of this ITN. Fancy bindings, colorful displays, and promotional material are not desired. Emphasis in each offer should be on completeness and clarity of content. To expedite the evaluation of offers, it is desired and beneficial to evaluators that Respondents follow the format and instructions contained herein. UCF is not liable for any costs incurred by any Respondent in responding to this ITN including, without limitation, costs for oral presentations requested by UCF, if any.

2.13 Restricted Discussions/Submissions

From the date of issuance of the ITN until UCF takes final agency action, the Respondent shall not discuss the offer or communicate with any UCF employees, agents, representatives, evaluators or representatives of UCF except as expressly requested by UCF in writing.

Violation of this restriction may result in REJECTION of the Respondent’s offer.

2.14 Verbal Instructions Procedure

No negotiations, decisions, or actions shall be initiated or executed by the Respondent as a result of any discussions with any UCF employee. Only those communications that are in writing from the authorized UCF representative identified in Section 2.1 of this ITN that have been approved in writing by UCF’s President or the President’s designee shall be considered as a duly authorized expression on behalf of UCF. Only communications/inquiries from the Respondent that are signed and received on a timely basis, i.e., not later than 5:00 p.m. on 11/8/24, will be recognized by UCF as duly authorized expressions on behalf of the Respondent.

2.15 State Licensing Requirements

To the extent applicable, the Respondent shall have all appropriate licenses to conduct business in the State of Florida and Orange County at or prior to award of a contract resulting from this competitive solicitation. The Respondent is to provide proof of such to UCF as a condition of award of a contract. If the Respondent contemplates the use of subcontractors, the Respondent is responsible for ensuring that all subcontractors are registered with the State of Florida in accordance with Chapter 607 or 620, Florida Statutes. For additional information, the Respondent should contact the Florida Secretary of State’s Office.

2.16 Parking

The Respondent/Supplier(s) shall ensure that all vehicles parked on campus for purposes relating to work resulting from an agreement shall have proper parking permits. This applies to all personal vehicles and all marked and unmarked company vehicles that will be on any University campus for one (1) day or more or on a recurring basis. All such vehicles should be registered with University’s Parking Services Department, and parking permits should be purchased by the Respondent/Supplier. The Respondent’s/Supplier’s vehicle(s) shall observe all parking rules and regulations. Failure to obtain parking permits, properly display them, and otherwise comply with all of the University’s parking rules and regulations could result in the issuance of a parking ticket and/or towing at the expense of the Respondent/Supplier or Respondent’s/Supplier’s employees. For additional parking information or information regarding parking fees/rates, contact the UCF Parking Services Department at (407) 823-5812 or online at https://parking.ucf.edu.

2.17 Definitions

Addendum – Written or graphic instruments issued prior to the date for opening of proposals, which modify or interpret the proposal documents by additions, deletions, corrections or clarifications.

https://parking.ucf.edu/

And/Or – The word “and” shall also mean “or,” and the word “or” shall also mean “and” whenever the contents or purpose so require.

Contract/Agreement – The formal bilateral agreement signed by a representative of the University and the Supplier which incorporates the requirements and conditions listed in this ITN and the Supplier’s offer.

Invitation to Negotiate – A written solicitation for goods or services where factors other than price are to be considered in the award determination. These factors may include such items as Supplier experience, project plan, design features of the product(s) offered, etc. An ITN is used when the specifications cannot be identified; the end result is explained, but we want qualified companies to offer their solutions for consideration.

May, Should – Indicates something that is not mandatory, but permissible, recommended, or desirable.

Minor Irregularities – Irregularities that have no adverse effect on UCF’s interest will not affect the amount of the ITN and will not give a Respondent an advantage or benefit not enjoyed by another Respondent.

Should, Shall, Will – The words “should,” “shall,” or “will” are equivalent and indicate mandatory requirements or conditions.

Project Manager – After contract award, a liaison from the user department will oversee the Contractor’s performance and report as needed to the contract administrator. The Project Manager is Steven Ton.

Proposal – An executed offer submitted by a Respondent in response to an ITN and intended to be used as a basis for negotiations for a contract.

Purchase Order/Contract – The Purchase Order (PO) or other form or format provided to the awarded Respondent(s) that UCF uses to make a purchase under the contract term, which includes a formal written PO, electronic PO, Procurement Card (PCard), or any other means authorized by Procurement Services and that incorporates the requirements and conditions listed in the ITN.

Renewal – Contracting with the same contractor for an additional period of time after the initial contract term, provided the original terms of the agreement specify an option to renew or the renewal is determined by UCF General Counsel to be in the best interest of the university.

Respondent/Proposer/Vendor/Supplier/Contractor – Anyone who submits a timely offer in response to this ITN or their duly authorized representative. These may be used interchangeably within the ITN.

Response – The entirety of the Respondent’s submitted proposal response to the ITN, including any and all supplemental information submitted.

Responsible Respondent – Respondent who has the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements, and the experience, integrity, perseverance, reliability, capacity, facilities, equipment, and credit which will assure good faith performance.

Responsive Respondent – Respondent who has submitted an offer that conforms in all material respects to the solicitation.

Sole Point of Contact – The Procurement Services representative or designee to whom Respondents shall address any questions regarding the solicitation or award process. The sole point of contact shall be the arbitrator of any dispute concerning performance of the Contract.

Successful Respondent/Proposer/Supplier/Contractor – The firm or individual who is the recommended recipient of the award of a contract under this ITN (also synonymous with “Proposer” and “Supplier”). If a Respondent is a manufacturer, its certified dealers and resellers may also furnish products under the Contract; in choosing to do so, the dealers and resellers agree to honor the Contract, and the term “contractor” shall be deemed to refer to them. Unless awarded the Contract as a direct Respondent, however, dealers and resellers are not parties to the Contract, and the Respondent that certifies them shall be responsible for their actions and omissions.

UCF or University – University of Central Florida

UCF’s Contract Administrator – The University’s designated liaison with the Respondent. In this matter, UCF’s Contract Administrator will be Steven Ton.

2.18 Procurement Rules

A. UCF has established for purposes of this ITN that the words “shall,” “should,” or “will” are equivalent in this ITN and indicate a mandatory requirement or condition, the material deviation from which could be waived by UCF. UCF will, at UCF’s sole discretion, determine whether a deviation is material. Any deviation found by UCF to be material shall result in the rejection of the offer.

B. The words “should” or “may” are equivalent in this ITN and indicate very desirable conditions or requirements but are permissive in nature. Deviation from, or omission of, such a desirable condition or requirement will not in and of itself cause automatic rejection of an offer but may result in the offer being considered as not in the best interest of UCF. UCF will, at UCF’s sole discretion, determine whether an offer is considered as not in the best interest of UCF and may or may not reject the offer, all at UCF’s sole discretion.

C. The Respondent should comply with the instructions cited in Section 2.3. Also, the Respondent should initial the designated sections set forth on Appendix I, indicating that the Respondent has either understood and agreed to or disagreed with each particular section listed in Appendix I. Failure to submit Appendix I with each area marked as set forth above and initialed by the Respondent shall constitute grounds for rejection of the offer by UCF and shall give UCF the right to reject the offer, at UCF’s sole discretion.

D. The Respondent is solely responsible for the accuracy and completeness of its offer. The Respondent’s errors or omissions, if any, are solely at the risk of the Respondent and may be grounds for rejection of the offer and shall give UCF the right to reject the offer, at UCF’s sole discretion.

2.19 Force Majeure

No default, delay or failure to perform on the part of UCF or the Respondent shall be considered a default, delay or failure to perform otherwise chargeable, hereunder, if such default, delay or failure to perform is due to causes beyond UCF’s reasonable control including, but not limited to, strikes, lockouts, actions or inactions of governmental authorities, epidemics, pandemics, wars, embargoes, fires, earthquakes, acts of God, or default of common carriers. In the event of such default, delay or failure to perform due to causes beyond UCF’s or the Respondent’s reasonable control, any date or times by which UCF or the Respondent is otherwise scheduled to perform shall be extended automatically for a period of time equal in duration to the time lost by reason of the cause beyond the reasonable control of UCF or the Respondent.

2.20 Limitation of Remedies, Indemnification, and Insurance

A. The Attorney General of the State of Florida has rendered an opinion that agencies of the State of Florida cannot contractually limit the State's right to redress. Consequently, any offer by the Respondent to limit the Respondent’s liabilities to the State or to limit the State’s remedies against the Respondent is unacceptable and will result in the REJECTION of the Respondent’s offer.

B. As an agency of the State of Florida, UCF’s liability is regulated by Florida law. Except for its employees acting within the course and scope of their employment, UCF shall not indemnify any entity or person. The State of Florida is self-insured to the extent of its liability under law, and any liability in excess of that specified in statute may be awarded only through special legislative action. Accordingly, UCF’s liability and indemnification obligations under this ITN and the resulting contract, if any, shall be effective only to the extent required by Florida law; and any provision requiring UCF to provide insurance coverage other than the State of Florida self-insurance shall not be effective.

C. The Respondent(s)/Supplier(s)/ /Proposer(s) shall hold the University and the UCF Board of Trustees and the University’s officers, employees, agents and/or servants harmless and indemnify each of them against any and all liabilities, actions, damages, suits, proceedings, and judgments from claims arising or resulting from the acts or omissions of the Respondent(s)/Supplier(s)/ /Proposer(s), its employees, its agents or of others under the Respondent’s/Supplier’s/ Proposer’s control and supervision. If any part of a delivery to the University pursuant to a contract resulting from this ITN is protected by any patent, copyright, trademark, other intellectual property right or other right, the Respondent/Supplier/ Proposer also shall indemnify and hold harmless the University of Central Florida Board of Trustees and the University’s officers, employees, agents and/or servants from and against any and all liabilities, actions, damages, suits, proceedings and judgments from claims instituted or recovered against the University by any person or persons whomsoever on account of the University’s use or sale of such article in violation of rights under such patent, copyright, trademark, other intellectual property right or other right.

All insurance shall be procured from companies authorized to do business in the State of Florida with a minimum A.M. Best rating of A, or equivalent. Proof of coverage shall be provided by submitting to the University’s Risk Management Office a certificate or certificates evidencing the existence thereof or binders and shall be delivered within fifteen (15) days of the tentative award date of the Contract. In the event a binder is delivered, it shall be replaced within thirty (30) days by a certificate in lieu thereto. A renewal certificate shall be delivered to the University at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration date of each expiring policy.

1. General Liability: Supplier shall provide a Certificate of Insurance evidencing Commercial General Liability insurance coverage in force with minimum limits of $1,000,000 (ONE MILLION DOLLARS) per Occurrence and $2,000,000 (TWO MILLION DOLLARS) Aggregate.