ITN 25-26-25 Employee Recognition System.pdf

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE

ITN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES – Acknowledgement Form

Page 1 of 97 pages

SUBMIT RESPONSE TO:

Florida Dept. of Revenue Purchasing Office, Building 2-1600 2450 Shumard Oak Boulevard Tallahassee, FL 32399-0109

AGENCY RELEASE DATE:

SOLICITATION TITLE: SOLICITATION NO:

Employee Recognition System DOR ITN 25/26-25 Replies WILL BE OPENED:

3:00 PM on March 17, 2026

And shall remain binding until execution of a Contract with successful awarded Respondent

VENDOR NAME:

If a fictitious name is used include registered entity name (i.e., XYZ., Inc. D/B/A

ABC)

VENDOR MAILING ADDRESS:

CITY – STATE – ZIP:

*AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE (MANUAL)

PHONE

NUMBER:

T. FREE

NUMBER:

FAX NUMBER: *AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE (TYPED), TITLE

EMAIL

ADDRESS:

FEID NO.: *This individual must have the authority to bind the respondent.

TYPE OF BUSINESS ENTITY (Corporation, LLC, partnership, etc.):

I certify that this Response is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a Response 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 Response and certify that I am authorized to sign this Response for the Respondent and that the Respondent is in compliance with all requirements of the Invitation to Negotiate, including but not limited to, certification requirements.

In submitting a Response to an agency for the State of Florida, the Respondent offers and agrees that if the Response is accepted, the Respondent 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 purchasing agency tenders final payment to the Respondent.

RESPONDENT CONTACTS: Please provide the name, title, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the official contact and an alternate, if available. These individuals shall be available to be contacted by telephone or attend meetings as may be appropriate regarding the solicitation schedule.

PRIMARY CONTACT: SECONDARY CONTACT:

NAME, TITLE: NAME, TITLE:

ADDRESS: ADDRESS:

PHONE

NUMBER: PHONE

NUMBER:

FAX NUMBER: FAX NUMBER:

EMAIL

ADDRESS: EMAIL

ADDRESS:

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VENDORS

1. PROCUREMENT LIBRARY

In addition to the materials and attachments contained herein, the Florida Department of Revenue (FDOR) has developed a Procurement Library on its Internet site to make larger attachments available to Respondents to assist with the preparation of Replies and provide a greater understanding of solicitation requirements. Additional materials may be added to the Procurement Library by FDOR.

There is currently no Procurement Library associated with this solicitation.

2. VENDOR INFORMATION PORTAL

FDOR utilizes the Florida Department of Management Services’ “Vendor Information Portal” (VIP) to post and update procurement documents. It is the sole responsibility of potential Respondents to monitor the VIP for any addenda or notices issued relating to this procurement. The URL for the VIP site is: https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/. The FDOR will not be liable for any addendum or other information not received by a Vendor due to the Vendor’s failure to monitor the VIP.

Solicitation related documentation will be available on the VIP, and vendors are responsible for monitoring the site for new or updated information. Information available on the VIP includes but is not limited to the Invitation to Negotiate, amendments, and questions/answers. The link to the VIP is https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/.

If unable to read or download material from the VIP, please contact the FDOR Procurement Officer identified in Section 3.2. of this ITN. For additional assistance accessing the VIP, please contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk at VendorHelp@myfloridamarketplace.com

Phone: 866-352-3776 Available: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET

3. COMMODITY CODE(S)

The commodity code(s) Vendors should register for pertaining to this procurement are:

• 49100000 – Collectibles and awards

• 49101600 – Collectibles

• 49101700 – Awards

• 80111508 – Service recognition programs

• 43231500 - Business function specific software

• 80141624 - Recognition program management service

• 80141626 - Promotional program management service

• 81162000 - Cloud-based software as a service https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/ mailto:VendorHelp@myfloridamarketplace.com

As stated in Sections 1. and 2. above, FDOR is not liable for any information or materials not received by a Vendor due to the Vendor’s failure to monitor the VIP.

Contents ITN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES – Acknowledgement Form

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO VENDORS

1. PROCUREMENT LIBRARY

2. VENDOR INFORMATION PORTAL

3. COMMODITY CODE(S)

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICES REQUESTED

1.3 SPECIFIC GOALS, QUESTIONS, AND FACTS

1.4 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

1.5 RESTRICTION ON COMMUNICATIONS

1.6 TYPE OF CONTRACT

1.7 STATE TERM CONTRACT UTILIZATION

1.8 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR STATUS

1.9 CONTRACT TERM & RENEWALS

1.10 CONTRACT FUNDING

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF WORK/SERVICES

2.1 MANDATORY SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

2.2 OPTIONAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

2.3 PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES (PAMS) AND FINANCIAL

CONSEQUENCES

2.4 SECURITY AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION

2.5 ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.6 UNKNOWN, UNANTICIPATED, UNSPECIFIED TASKS

2.7 CHANGE ORDERS

2.8 CONTRACT PERSONNEL

2.9 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 3: PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING PROCESS

3.1 PROCUREMENT APPROACH

3.2 PROCUREMENT OFFICER

3.3 DEFINITION OF REQUIREMENTS

3.4 VENDOR ADMONISHMENTS

3.5 RESERVED RIGHTS:

3.6 PROCUREMENT LIBRARY

3.7 ITN RELEASE

3.8 ERRORS IN ITN

3.9 QUESTIONS

3.10 ADDENDA

3.11 PROCUREMENT / CONTRACTING CONSTRAINTS

3.12 RIGHT TO INSPECT PLACE OF BUSINESS

3.13 REPLY OPENING

3.14 RESPONSIVENESS REQUIREMENTS REVIEW

3.15 TECHNICAL REPLY EVALUATION

3.16 COST DATA VOLUME OPENING REVIEW AND SCORING

3.17 TOTAL REPLY SCORING

3.18 NEGOTIATIONS

3.19 SELECTION CRITERIA

3.20 VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY REVIEW

3.21 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

3.22 NOTICE OF AGENCY DECISION

3.23 PROTEST AND PROTEST FILING

3.24 CONTRACT FORMATION

3.25 SUBCONTRACTS & JOINT VENTURES

3.26 CONTRACT APPROVAL

3.27 STANDARD CONTRACT PROVISIONS

SECTION 4: SUBMISSION OF REPLIES

4.1 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

4.2 COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH REPLY

4.3 DELIVERY

4.4 REPLY VERSIONS

4.5 GENERAL FORMATTING INSTRUCTIONS

4.6 FORMAT, CONTENT, QUANTITY AND MEDIA

SECTION 5: ATTACHMENTS AND SUBMITTALS

5.1 SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST

ATTACHMENT A: CERTIFICATION OF DRUG FREE WORKPLACE

ATTACHMENT B: VENDOR CERTIFICATION FORM – PUR 7801

ATTACHMENT C: NOTICE OF NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ATTACHMENT D: STATEMENT OF NO INVOLVEMENT

ATTACHMENT E: ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST CERTIFICATION

ATTACHMENT F: VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY DISCLOSURE

ATTACHMENT G: SECURITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ATTACHMENT H: RESPONDENT REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT I: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT J: SUBCONTRACTOR FORM

ATTACHMENT K: COST SHEET

EXHIBIT 1: DEFINITIONS

EXHIBIT 2: EVALUATOR’S SCORE SHEET

EXHIBIT 3: Sample Contract

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND

The FDOR has approximately 4,500 employees located throughout Florida and the United States.

Employment opportunities with the FDOR range from entry-level to senior management positions. The FDOR’s business operations support traditional in-office work, fully remote work, and hybrid work models.

The FDOR has five programs: Executive Direction and Support Services Program, Child Support Program, General Tax Administration Program, Property Tax Oversight Program, and Information Services Program.

The FDOR currently operates and manages an in-house developed employee recognition program using a .NET application (Recognition Program). The Recognition Program is managed by the Department’s Office of Workforce Management (OWM) and includes four types of employee recognition

– service milestones (based on incremental years of service), retirement, agencywide nominated awards (based on defined award categories and criteria), and local (on demand) recognition. Awards are normally branded with the Department logo, purchased through a contract and may periodically change based on vendor supply or costs.

• Service milestone and retirement awards are awarded monthly based on data generated from the State of Florida’s human resource information system (People First). Awards have included items such as, lapel pins, ink pen sets, paper weight medallions, personalized name plates, clocks, etc.

• Agencywide nominated awards are awarded quarterly following an automated nomination, validation, and approval process. Employees approved for agencywide recognition select their awards from the Department’s online “recognition store” that has an inventory of awards to choose from. Awards include items such as a trunk organizer, umbrella, coolers, Bluetooth smart bracelets, popcorn popper, etc.

• Local (on demand) recognition awards can be ordered by Department managers from the online recognition store and are used to recognize achievements that do not meet the criteria of an agencywide award. These awards include stress balls, sanitizers, first aid kits, lanyards, tote bags, etc.

OWM purchases, stores, and maintains the inventory of, and distributes all employee recognition awards. Data and reporting functions, including expenditures, distributions, and inventory management, are tabulated and processed manually by OWM staff through the .NET application.

1.2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SERVICES REQUESTED

The FDOR is seeking proposals from vendors who can provide a vendor hosted, cloud-based Software as a Service (Saas) employee recognition system. The System should incorporate modern approaches for employee recognition that include Vendor or third-party management of recognition awards that include, but is not limited to, sourcing, branding, warehousing, inventorying, order processing, shipping and tracking awards sent to award recipients. An alternative to which the FDOR is willing to entertain is fulfillment by means of a point system whereby award recipients are awarded points that can be exchanged for items in an online store.

FDOR’s annual budget for the System, inclusive of any implementation costs, is anticipated to be at or around $125,000 per year of the contract. FDOR’s annual budget for the costs of recognition awards is anticipated to be at or around $70,000 per year of the contract. Price is an essential consideration of this procurement, and vendors should present their response with the lowest possible pricing.

1.3 SPECIFIC GOALS, QUESTIONS, AND FACTS

In accordance with s. 287.057(1)(c), Florida Statutes, the Department provides the following information:

Specific Goals: The specific goal of this ITN is to identify and engage one Vendor to provide the best value to the Department based on several factors, including:

i. prior relevant experience;

ii. quality of personnel and resources used to provide the Services;

iii. proposed methods for delivering the Services, and;

iv. contractual terms and pricing for the Services.

The criteria for evaluating and selecting Vendors are more fully described in Section 3 of this ITN.

The Department places a high value on its ability to provide a recognition program that acknowledges and celebrates employee achievements. The goal of this ITN is to determine the best value provider of a modern employee recognition system.

The specific goals of the Department are as follows:

• To identify and select one or more Vendors within the competitive range, as determined solely by the Department, with which to commence negotiations.

• To award a contract to a responsible and responsive Vendor that the Department determines, in its sole discretion, will provide the best value to the State.

• To establish a contract that ensures consistent pricing throughout the entire term, including renewal years.

• To work with a Vendor that reduces or completely eliminates the need to manually process employee recognition, including the maintenance and distribution of recognition awards.

• To provide high quality, desirable recognition awards within budget constraints.

Questions Being Explored: These questions are included to give Vendors a better understanding of potential negotiation issues and factors that may impact the outcome of this ITN. Vendors are not required to reply directly to the questions below in their Reply.

A. What Services are available to the Department that best meet Department needs as outlined in this ITN?

B. How can the Department and the Vendor best provide for a smooth, timely, and cost-effective implementation and migration to the Services?

C. What pricing models can Vendors offer that support Department interests and provide maximum capacity and value?

D. What payment terms such as progress payments and/or holdback payments can Vendors offer that supports Department interests?

E. What contract terms are commercially reasonable and appropriate for the Services?

F. How can the Department maintain ownership and usability of data associated with the Services, even after contract expiration/termination?

G. What additional related value-added Services and products can Vendors offer?

H. Which Vendor ultimately provides the best value for the Department?

I. What steps is the Vendor taking to ensure Department data is kept secure?

J. How does the Vendor’s solution provide the best user experience for the Department and its employees?

K. How does the Vendor’s solution encourage or inspire users to recognize others?

L. Does the solution significantly reduce or completely eliminate manual processes?

M. Does the solution include the maintenance, distribution, and tracking of recognition awards?

N. To what extent can the solution be configured to meet the Department’s needs?

O. To what extent can the solution be customized and are there additional costs associated with customization?

P. What is the cost differential between having all recognition awards branded with the Department’s logo, having some awards branded, and having none of the awards branded?

Facts Being Sought: The facts being sought in this ITN are identified primarily in Section 4: Submission of Replies.

1.4 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

Below is the procurement schedule that represents FDOR’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. If deviations from this schedule occur, FDOR will publish an addendum on the VIP. No liability to FDOR will result from such deviations. All required Vendor actions must be completed by the date and time in the schedule. All listed times are local time in Tallahassee, FL.

Event Date Time Location/Method Vendor questions due 2/19/26 12:00

PM

Email to Procurement Officer

Responses Due Public Opening

3/17/26 3:00 PM Procurement Office

The FDOR begins providing Clarification Requests to Vendors (if necessary)

3/19/26 (on or about)

Email from Procurement Officer

Product demonstrations (if necessary)

TBD TBD

Public Opening (Cost) 3/24/26 3:00 PM Procurement Office

The above schedule is provided for informational purposes only. Dates and times for each event will be provided closer to the actual event. FDOR will publish any ITN addendum on the VIP and/or notify in writing via e-mail, all Vendors that submitted Replies, with the date and time and guidance/instructions, as applicable for each event.

1.5 RESTRICTION ON COMMUNICATIONS

Vendors inquiring about this solicitation or person acting on their behalf may not contact, between the release of this solicitation and the end of the seventy-two (72) hour period following the agency posting the notice of intended award, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays, any employee or officer of the executive or legislative branch concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except in writing to the Procurement Officer identified in Section 3.2. Violation of this provision may result in rejecting a Reply.

1.6 TYPE OF CONTRACT

The Contract is anticipated to be a fixed-rate, deliverable-based contract.

A contract similar to the one found in Exhibit 3 must be signed by the awarded Contractor. The contract should be carefully reviewed by Vendors as modifications proposed by the Vendor may not be considered.

1.7 STATE TERM CONTRACT UTILIZATION

Should any goods or services proposed by Vendor be available for purchase via a Florida State Term Contract, the FDOR reserves the right to purchase any portion of those goods or services from the State Term Contract when determined by FDOR to be in the best interest of the State.

1.8 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR STATUS

During the performance of the Contract, the Contractor and its employees will be regarded as independent contractors and not as employees or agents of the State of Florida or the FDOR. The Contractor will be responsible for all its employees’ insurance and federal, state, local, and FICA taxes.

All employees hired by the Contractor under the prospective Contract shall be notified in writing by the Contractor of this provision as a condition of employment.

1.9 CONTRACT TERM & RENEWALS

The Contract term is anticipated to include a five-year initial term followed by optional renewals of up to five years. The initial Contract and renewal terms may be negotiated during the course of this ITN.

1.10 CONTRACT FUNDING

The State of Florida’s performance and obligation to pay under the Contract resulting from this ITN is contingent upon an annual appropriation by the Legislature. If funds are not appropriated to fund the

Contract, FDOR may terminate the contract in accordance with FDOR’s Standard Contract Template (Exhibit 3).

If funding for the Contract, or the continuation of the Contract resulting from this ITN, is not approved by the State of Florida Legislature, the FDOR shall have no liability for payments to the Contractor.

The costs of services paid under any other contract or from any other source are not eligible for reimbursement under the Contract resulting from this ITN.

END OF SECTION

SECTION 2: SCOPE OF WORK/SERVICES

2.1 MANDATORY SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1. The System must a be fully vendor hosted (in the continental United States) cloud-based system, provided as a SaaS Cloud subscription service, to manage employee recognition with the ability to accommodate at least 4,500 users.

2. System must recognize service milestones for 1-year, at each 5-year increment, and at employee retirement.

3. System includes configurable nomination and approval workflows.

4. System allows for multiple recognition categories.

5. System includes standard and configurable reports.

6. System includes both standard and configurable dashboards for supervisors, business process managers, program administrators, and System administrators, which show pertinent recognition data in real time.

7. System includes data analytics capabilities.

8. The Vendor, either directly through the System or indirectly through a third-party approved by FDOR, is responsible for the fulfillment activities of recognition awards given to employees, including supplying, delivering, and tracking all recognition awards. The FDOR wishes flexibility in the selection of items to be made available to employees. Proposers shall provide a detailed narrative on how their fulfillment services are provided.

9. The Contractor or third-party allows for recognition awards to feature the FDOR’s logo, the State of Florida seal, or other FDOR-approved branding.

10. FDOR must approve the types and cost of recognition awards to ensure compliance with applicable state purchasing requirements and budgetary constraints.

11. Contractor shall bill the FDOR on a monthly, in arrears basis, for orders shipped within the previous month. Invoices must include, but not be limited to, the information as follows:

a. Itemized award orders to include:

i. Employee Name

ii. Employee Address

iii. Item cost

iv. Item description

v. Date shipped

vi. Date received

vii. Documentation supporting proof of delivery

viii. Budget spent

12. System can integrate with other applications including, at a minimum, Single Sign On (SSO) using SAML 2.0 or higher using FDOR network credentials, Microsoft Teams, Outlook and Active Directory, and SharePoint.

13. System performance and System response time will be agreed upon in an SLA with a minimum system availability of 98.5%.

14. System must adhere to Florida’s security standards found in Rule 60GG-2, Florida Administrative Code.

15. The Contractor and the System must comply with all record retention laws, policies and procedures as prescribed by Florida Law and FDOR’s policies and procedures to maintain all data, documentation, and source data. According to the law, all applications and databases must give proper regard to any format approved by the American National Standards Institute’s Accredited Standards Committee (ANSI-X12).

16. System shall comply with cyber security standards as referenced in Section 2.4 Security and Supporting Information.

17. System, including training for the System and Internet based access, must be compliant with the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 2008 and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

2.1 or higher. The Contractor will be required to implement necessary usability requirements as defined in the Florida Accessible Electronic and Information Technology Act of 2006.

2.2 OPTIONAL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

1. System has the ability to run multiple recognition programs for different business units with unique requirements and budgets.

2. If the Vendor has any other system functionality that is not described in the Mandatory System Requirements, specify the additional functionality and provide cost information in Attachment K: Cost Sheet.

2.3 PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES (PAMS) AND FINANCIAL

CONSEQUENCES

The FDOR has identified certain requirements as being mission critical. These requirements should include defined measurements that must be satisfied by the contract. Per s. 287.058(1)(h), F.S., financial consequences must be included in a contract resulting from an ITN, and FDOR must apply the financial consequences if the contractor fails to perform in accordance with the contract.

Deliverable Performance Measure Financial Consequence Recognition System Availability and Support

During the term of the Contract, the Contractor is required to adhere to their Service Level Agreement guaranteeing System availability and technical support, per Section 2.1.13.

For each day or partial day, the System is not available per the Service Level Agreement, a penalty of $100.00 will apply and be deducted from the invoice.

Recognition Awards Fulfillment

During the term of the Contract, the Contractor is required to deliver recognition awards that are free of defects to the designated

For each unacceptable award delivery (late, missing or defective product), the Contractor will bear all costs associated with replacing and reshipping the product location within thirty (30) days from order.

without an additional charge to the Department within thirty (30) days. If replacement occurs after thirty (30) days, and additional fee of 10% of the cost of the product per day, will apply and deducted from the invoice.

Financial consequences will not be applied if the Contractor’s failure to meet deliverable obligations and performance standards are due to:

• A force majeure event,

• A delay that is agreed upon by both parties (an amendment may be required), or

• An event caused by FDOR.

2.4 SECURITY AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION

A. The Contractor, its employees and agents, shall be bound by the same requirements of confidentiality as FDOR. See sections 213.053 and 213.27(6), F.S.

B. The Contractor shall ensure the confidentiality of all information released to the Contractor or obtained by the Contractor or its agents, distributors, resellers, subcontractors, or employees in the course of providing services under this Contract, including but not limited to, security procedures, business operation information, or commercial proprietary information.

C. The Contractor shall protect, and secure confidential information exempt from public disclosure pursuant to Chapter 119, F.S.; personal information enumerated in s. 501.171, F.S., and/or any data that is restricted from public disclosure based on federal or state laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those related to privacy, confidentiality, security, business or trade secret information, and exemptions from state public records laws Contractor must immediately disclose all confidentiality and security violations to the FDOR and must agree to take the corrective or disciplinary action determined appropriate by the FDOR, which may include but is not limited to, suspension, termination, or referral for criminal prosecution.

D. The Contractor agrees to adhere to the objectives of the Departments’ information security program or cyber supply chain risk management plan and agrees to routinely assess, through audits, test results, or other evaluations, the Contractor’s third-party providers to confirm they are meeting the requirements of the Department.

E. The contractor should encrypt confidential information at rest and in transit and ensure strong access controls are in place to limit access to only authorized personnel. Robust security measures should be implemented to safeguard confidential information (e.g., physical security, firewalls, IDS/IPS, and MFA).

2.5 ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. PROPOSED PAYMENT PROCEDURES

The State is required by Florida Statutes to make payments in accordance with s. 215.422, F.S., and only upon verified receipt of deliverables. Deliverables are to be reviewed, and invoices processed. The FDOR will make payments as the deliverables are received, and when the deliverable is completed and approved by the project manager.

Invoices must be submitted on company letterhead and include, at a minimum, the following information:

• Date of invoice;

• Name and address of FDOR’s Contract Manager:

• Contractor Name;

• Contract Number;

• Service Period (mm/dd/yyyy – mm/dd/yyyy);

• Project Deliverables;

• Total invoice payment amount requested;

• Date signed, and;

• Vendor’s address and information needed for payment.

B. DELIVERABLE REVIEW, ACCEPTANCE AND PAYMENT

See Sample Contract (Exhibit 3).

1. System Implementation and/or Transition (Development) For system implementation and/or transition (development), the Contractor will be paid upon successful completion of each major milestone based upon successful Vendor’s negotiated project implementation and/or transition timeline.

When it appears each major or key milestone required for system implementation and/or transition has been completed, a Deliverable Review meeting will be conducted to determine the project health status; determine whether payment for the deliverable is appropriate; and whether to authorize the Contractor to proceed with the next project milestone. FDOR may provide the Contractor with prior written approval to begin work on subsequent milestones prior to the Deliverable Review.

If the milestone is not approved, resolution of any outstanding issues will be managed through the issue management process.

2.6 UNKNOWN, UNANTICIPATED, UNSPECIFIED TASKS

During the term of the Contract, the Vendor may be required to perform additional work (unspecified tasks). That work will be within the general scope of the initial ITN/contract. When unspecified tasks are required, the Contract Manager will provide the vendor a written description of the work task order and request the vendor to submit a firm time schedule for accomplishing the work and a firm price for the work.

Cost and pricing data must be provided to justify the cost of such task orders. Pricing for unknown, unanticipated or unspecified tasks will be determined utilizing the not-to-exceed “unspecified / unknown task rate” bid on the cost sheet (Attachment K).

The Vendor will not commence additional work until the Contract Manager has secured any required approvals necessary for the task order amendment and issued a written contract amendment, approved by the FDOR’s designee.

Requests for all payments will be submitted in detail sufficient for a proper pre-audit and post-audit review. The FDOR shall submit the final request for payment for payment to DFS no more than forty-five (45) days after acceptance of the final deliverable or the end date of the contract. Any payment due under the terms of the contract resulting from this ITN may be withheld until all applicable deliverables and/or invoices and reports have been accepted and approved by the Contract Manager.

2.7 CHANGE ORDERS

Performance of additional tasks not specified in the contract will be described in a written change order.

For-cost change orders will specify the hourly rate and estimated number of hours to perform the work.

A change order must be agreed to in writing by both parties to have binding effect. Agreed upon change orders will be formalized as a contract amendment executed by both parties. The parties may develop a mutually agreed upon procedure to facilitate and document change orders.

2.8 CONTRACT PERSONNEL

Once the Contract is awarded, changes in key personnel named in the Respondent’s response are subject to prior written approval by FDOR’s designated representative. The FDOR reserves the right to terminate the Contract resulting from this ITN if prior approval is not obtained as required.

A. Subcontracting

a. Subcontractors, including leased employees are allowable under this Contract. Vendors should refer to Section 3.25: Subcontracts and Joint Ventures, for additional information regarding Contractor and subcontractor relationships.

b. Vendors are required to submit Attachment J: Subcontractor Form to either provide a list of all subcontractors who will perform services for this project, or to indicate that no subcontractors will be used.

c. FDOR reserves the right at its sole discretion to approve, reject or request substitution of subcontractor(s) initially proposed in a Vendor’s Reply. Additionally, the Contractor must receive written approval from the FDOR’s designated representative prior to substituting any subcontractors. Such approval is at the sole discretion of FDOR.

d. By signing the Contract, the awarded Contractor accepts full responsibility for all aspects of the Contract. The Contractor shall be responsible for Contract performance and coordinating work to be performed, including support to be provided by any subcontractors. The Contractor will be the sole point of contact with FDOR relative to Contract performance.

e. If the proposed solution requires the Contractor or their subcontractors to use or acquire commercially available products to perform the services outlined in this ITN, it will be the Contractor/subcontractors sole responsibility to acquire and provide a license(s) for FDOR’s use of such products. FDOR will not sign any Contractors agreement with subcontractors for equipment, services, licensing agreements or other products. For any Response that proposes equipment or services provided by subcontractors, the Vendor submitting the Response shall act as the Contractor.

2.9 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Throughout the life of the Contract (including renewals and extensions, as applicable), the Contractor shall maintain the following insurance, with the Florida Department of Revenue named as an additional insured, which will provide funds, fees, and legal costs for any damage as result of the Contractor’s services. By requiring such coverage, FDOR shall not be deemed to have waived any immunity from liability that it may otherwise have.

FDOR shall not be responsible for any deductible or self-insured retention. Throughout the life of the Contract (including renewals and extensions, as applicable), the Contractor will provide updated copies of the certificate(s) of coverage to FDOR.

A. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Employees of the Contractor must be insured according to State of Florida or other applicable regulations and must be covered to the full extent under workers’ compensation.

END OF SECTION

SECTION 3: PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING PROCESS

3.1 PROCUREMENT APPROACH

This procurement is released as a “Invitation to Negotiate” (ITN). FDOR intends to negotiate with one or more Respondents who are compliant with the Selected Mandatory Compliance Item Requirements.

The procurement process is described in Section 3: Procurement and Contracting Process.

Replies to this ITN are to be submitted to FDOR as specified in Section 4: Submission of Replies. FDOR will review and score the technical replies and score the cost replies submitted by vendors to arrive at total scores for each reply. FDOR will use Vendors’ Total Reply Scores to determine which vendors will advance to negotiations. See Section 3.18 Negotiation.

Vendors are required to carefully examine this ITN and be thoroughly informed regarding the requirements.

3.2 PROCUREMENT OFFICER

Pursuant to s. 287.057(25), F.S., the FDOR Procurement Officer is the sole point of contact for this solicitation.

The Procurement Officer assigned to this solicitation is:

Ed Valla, Procurement Officer Florida Department of Revenue Capital Circle Office Center (CCOC) 2450 Shumard Oak Blvd., Bldg. 2-1600 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0100 Work Phone: (850) 717-7567 E-mail: edwin.valla@floridarevenue.com

3.3 DEFINITION OF REQUIREMENTS

Within this ITN the use of “shall” or “must” indicates a mandatory requirement or mandatory action.

FDOR may consider failure to meet a mandatory requirement to be a material deficiency, in which case FDOR may reject the Reply and not consider it further, or FDOR may have the option to score that requirement with a zero (0).

The use of “should” or “may” indicates a desired requirement. FDOR will not reject a Response just because it fails to meet a desired requirement and may result in a lower score for that requirement.

However, FDOR may score a Reply higher if it demonstrates the Respondent’s intent and ability to meet a requirement.

A full list of terms and acronyms with their definitions are provided in Exhibit 1: Definitions.

3.4 VENDOR ADMONISHMENTS

A. To submit a responsive Reply to this ITN, the Vendor should carefully follow all directions in this

ITN.

B. Vendors are responsible for monitoring the VIP website for new or updated information related to this ITN. The link to the VIP is https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/.

C. Vendors are strongly advised to carefully read the entire ITN to fully understand the program and ITN requirements before writing and submitting a reply.

D. Vendors must follow the procurement process described in Section 3.

E. Vendors should propose to perform all of the required activities described in Section 2. Vendors may propose an alternative approach that is low risk but still meets the overall objectives of the ITN (e.g., technical, schedule, and related pricing).

F. Vendors should submit a Reply that fully complies with the required organization, format, and contents specified in Section 4. A Reply should be organized exactly as specified. All mandatory items must be addressed, if not, Respondents risk having their Reply rejected OR zero (0) points assigned.

G. Vendors must carefully review the Sample Contract (Exhibit 3). No alteration of Contract will be permitted without prior written approval from FDOR. Be advised that many of the provisions of FDOR’s Standard Contract are required pursuant to Florida Statutes, provisions of the Florida Administrative Code or other legal authority; therefore, most requested changes may be denied.

H. FDOR anticipates addressing any Contract Terms and Condition concerns during the

Negotiation process and continue post award.

I. Vendors must submit a Reply to the required location by the required date and time, as described in Section 4: Submission of Replies. Note that the Capital Circle Office Center (CCOC) buildings, where Replies are to be submitted, are secured facilities. Be sure to allow sufficient time to sign in and be escorted when submitting a Reply. Submitting a Reply at the last moment risks contending with other Vendors trying to do the same. A Reply submitted late for any reason will be rejected.

J. Vendors are required to ensure that cost-related data is presented separately from

Administrative Volume I and Technical Volume II. The Cost Data Volume III must be separately packaged and clearly labeled. Replies that include cost information in Administrative Volume I and/or Technical Volume II will be rejected.

K. Carefully review the ITN instructions to ensure that all required information is provided as specified in this ITN.

L. Confidential, proprietary, trade secret or other protected information submitted in Vendor Replies shall be properly and clearly identified and labeled as specified in Section 4.4 of this ITN.

M. Vendors shall not release any publicity relating to this procurement prior to award of a Contract, unless the Vendor receives written approval from FDOR Procurement Office. Violation of this restriction may result in Vendor disqualification. Furthermore, Vendors shall not release any publicity relating to the Contract, if awarded, without receiving written approval from FDOR Procurement Officer.

3.5 RESERVED RIGHTS:

FDOR, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to:

A. Amend this ITN;

B. Conduct a Response Qualification Process to cure deficiencies that do not:

i. Provide an advantage to one Respondent over other Respondents;

ii. Have a potentially significant effect on the quantity or quality of items bid, or on the cost to FDOR;

iii. Otherwise adversely impact the FDOR’s interest;

C. Waive minor irregularities in submitted Replies;

D. Reject any or all Replies received in response to this ITN, if FDOR determines such action is in the best interests of the State or due to unavailability of funds;

E. Request clarifications from Respondents;

F. Request additional information to assess the Respondent’s capabilities;

G. Contact any past or current customers of the Respondent for references;

H. Require any or all Respondents to address services, prices, or conditions offered by any other Respondent;

I. Use any idea proposed unless otherwise protected by Florida Statute;

J. Negotiate with one or more Respondents, either sequentially or concurrently, or not negotiate at all;

K. Schedule additional negotiating sessions with any or all Respondent(s);

L. Discontinue further negotiations with any Respondent(s);

M. Reopen negotiations with any Respondent(s);

N. Request additional / revised Best and Final Offers (BAFO) if in the State’s best interest;

O. Require any or all Respondent(s) to provide a written BAFO;

P. Pursue a Contract with one or more Respondent(s) for the services encompassed by this solicitation, any addenda thereto;

Q. Pursue the division of Contracts between Respondent(s) by type of service or geographic area, or both;

R. Arrive at an agreement with any Respondent, and finalize principal contract terms with such

Respondent, and terminate negotiations with any or all other Vendors, regardless of the status of or scheduled negotiations with such other Respondent(s);

S. Take any additional administrative steps deemed necessary in determining the final award, including additional fact-finding, evaluation, or negotiation where necessary and consistent with the terms of this ITN;

T. Exercise all, or part, or none of the contract renewal options;

3.6 PROCUREMENT LIBRARY

In addition to the material and attachments contained herein, FDOR has developed a Procurement Library on its Internet site to accommodate larger attachments that are being provided to assist in the preparation of Replies and the understanding of solicitation requirements. Procurement Library information and materials are for background and general information only.

There is currently no Procurement Library associated with this solicitation.

3.7 ITN RELEASE

This Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) is posted on the VIP web site:

https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/.

To find the ITN or other related information, enter Agency “Department of Revenue” and click on “initiate Search” at the bottom of the web page. If unable to download the document(s), contact the FDOR Procurement Officer identified in Section 3.2. For additional assistance accessing the VIP, please contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk at VendorHelp@myfloridamarketplace.com

Phone: 866-352-3776 Available: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET

Section 120.57(3)(b), F.S., requires that a notice of protest of the solicitation documents shall be made within seventy-two (72) hours after the posting of the solicitation. s.120.57(3)(a), F.S., requires the following statement to be included in the solicitation: “Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in s.120.57(3), F.S., or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings under Chapter 120, F.S.”

3.8 ERRORS IN ITN

If a Vendor discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this ITN, the Vendor shall immediately notify FDOR Procurement Officer in writing of the error. FDOR will resolve major problems with an addendum. Minor problems may be addressed differently (e.g., during the question-and-answer phase of this ITN (if applicable) or as an addendum posted on the VIP.

If the ITN contains an error known to the Vendor or an error that reasonably should have been known, the Vendor shall respond to this item at its own risk. If the Vendor fails to notify FDOR of the error prior to Reply submission and is awarded a Contract, the awarded Respondent shall not be entitled to additional compensation, time to perform, or other concession by DOR by reason of the error or its later correction.

3.9 QUESTIONS

Questions relevant to this ITN are invited and must be in writing and should be submitted in an Excel spreadsheet via email to the Procurement Officer identified in Section 3.2. The Excel spreadsheet columns should be formatted as follows:

# QUESTION SECTION

NUMBER

SECTION

TITLE

PAGE

NUMBER(S)

EXACT TEXT (IF

APPLICABLE)

FDOR

RESPONSE/ANSWER

Questions must be received by the FDOR Procurement Officer on or before the date and time identified in the Procurement Schedule (Section 1.4). FDOR recommends that Vendors confirm receipt of questions submitted.

FDOR response/answer to questions will be posted on the VIP web site in accordance with the Procurement Schedule. The written FDOR responses/answers posted on the VIP web site is the ONLY official response. Verbal responses/answers are neither official nor binding, and verbal responses that differ from the written responses will not be considered.

Public record requests submitted as part of the Question period (e.g., questions identified/marked as public record requests) will be answered as promptly as possible in the ordinary course of business but may not be answered as part of the question-and-answer process. Responses to a public record request may be furnished to the requesting party only.

Vendors are cautioned that questions submitted should not contain cost information. The inclusion of cost information with questions submitted may result in the Respondent’s disqualification. It is the responsibility of the Vendor to monitor the VIP web site, as no additional notification will be provided when responses to questions are posted.

3.10 ADDENDA

FDOR reserves the right to amend this ITN. All addenda will be in writing and will be posted electronically on the VIP web site at https://vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/. If a Respondent is unable to download an ITN addendum, contact the Procurement Officer identified in Section 3.2 for assistance. For additional assistance accessing the VIP, please contact the MFMP Customer Service Desk at VendorHelp@myfloridamarketplace.com

Phone: 866-352-3776 Available: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET

It is the responsibility of the Vendors to monitor the VIP web site as additional notification may not be provided. Addendum Acknowledgement Forms for each Addenda issued should be signed and returned with your Reply, if applicable.

3.11 PROCUREMENT / CONTRACTING CONSTRAINTS

A. Prohibition Against Contracting with Scrutinized Companies In accordance with the requirements of s. 287.135(2), F.S., a company is ineligible to, and may not, bid on, submit a reply or Response for, or enter into or renew a contract with an agency or local governmental entity for goods or services of any amount if, at the time of bidding on, submitting a reply or Response for, or entering into or renewing such contract, the company is on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, created pursuant to s. 215.4725, F.S., or is engaged in a boycott of Israel.

Also, in accordance with the requirements of s. 287.135(2), F.S., a company is ineligible to, and may not, bid on, submit a reply or Response for, or enter into or renew a contract with an agency or local governmental entity for goods or services of one million dollars or more if, at the time of bidding on, submitting a reply or Response for, or entering into or renewing such contract, the company:

1. Is on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, created pursuant to

s. 215.473, F.S., or

2. Is engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria.

In accordance with the requirements of s. 287.135(5), F.S., at the time a company submits a bid or reply or Response for a contract or before the company enters into or renews a contract with an agency or local governmental entity for goods or services of $1 million or more, the company must certify that the company is not on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List and that it does not have business operations in Cuba or Syria. At the time a company submits a bid or reply or Response for a contract or before the company enters into or renews a contract with an agency or local governmental entity for goods or services of any amount, the company must certify that the company is not participating in a boycott of Israel.

The State Board of Administration maintains the “Quarterly List of Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel” at the following website.

Vendors must certify that they are not on the Scrutinized List of Prohibited Companies (collectively) using the Vendor Certification Form (PUR7801 – Attachment B).

B. Suspended Vendor List Pursuant to s. 287.1351, F. S., a person or affiliate who has been placed on the Suspended Vendor List for contractual default may be excluded from award of a contract unless the Vendor corrects its failure within the time frame provided by the agency, pays any additional cost incurred by the agency for re-procuring the services, or is legally excused by the agency from default.

Vendors must certify that they are not on the list using the Vendor Certification Form (PUR7801

– Attachment B).

C. Convicted Vendor List Pursuant to s. 287.133, F.S., a person or affiliate who has been placed on the Convicted Vendor List following a conviction for a public entity crime may not:

1. Submit a bid, reply, or Response on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity.

2. Submit a bid, reply, or Response on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work.

3. Submit bids, replies, or replies on leases of real property to a public entity;

4. Be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity.

5. Transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in

s. 287.017, F.S., for Category Two for a period of thirty-six (36) months following the date of being placed on the convicted contractor list.

Vendors must certify that they are not on the list using the Vendor Certification Form (PUR7801

– Attachment B).

D. Discriminatory Vendor List Pursuant to s. 287.134, F.S., an entity or affiliate who has been placed on the Discriminatory Vendor List may not:

https://www.sbafla.com/governance/global-governance-mandates/

1. Submit a bid, reply, or Response on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity.

2. Submit a bid, reply, or Response on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work.

3. Submit bids, replies, or replies on leases of real property to a public entity.

4. Be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity.

5. Transact business with any public entity.

Vendors must certify that they are not on the Discriminatory Vendor List using the Vendor Certification Form (PUR7801 – Attachment B).

E. Antitrust Violator Vendor List Pursuant to s. 287.137, F.S., a person or an affiliate who has been placed on the Antitrust Violator Vendor List following a conviction or being held civilly liable for an antitrust violation may not submit a bid, reply, or reply for any new contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity; may not submit a bid, reply, or reply for a new contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work; may not submit a bid, reply, or reply on new leases of real property to a public entity; may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a new contract with a public entity; and may not transact new business with a public entity.

Vendors must certify that they are not on the Antitrust Violator Vendor List using the Vendor

F. Contracting with Entities of Foreign Countries of Concern Prohibited Pursuant to s.