LVA-SER-26-011 - Serials and subscriptions.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Issue Date: March 10, 2026 RFP: LVA-SER-26-011

Title: Library Serials/Subscriptions

Commodity Code: 71500, 71510

Issuing Agency: Library of Virginia, on behalf of

Mid-Atlantic Library Alliance, Inc. (MALiA)

Purchasing Department

800 East Broad Street

Richmond, VA 23219

Period of Contract: July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029 with two one-year optional renewals

Submission Of Electronic Proposals Via The eVA Website Will Be Received Until April 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST

For Furnishing The Goods/Services Described Herein.

All Inquiries For Information Should Be Directed To: Nancy Sconzo nancy.sconzo@lva.virginia.gov . No questions will be answered by phone or verbally. No questions will be accepted after 5:00 p.m. on March 23, 2026.

In compliance with this Request For Proposals (RFP) and all conditions imposed in this RFP, the undersigned firm hereby offers and agrees to furnish all goods and services in accordance with the attached signed proposal or as mutually agreed upon by subsequent negotiation, and the undersigned firm hereby certifies that all information provided below and in any schedule attached hereto is true, correct, and complete.

* Virginia Contractor License No. __________________ * DSBSD-certified Small Business No. ________________

Class: __________ Specialty Codes: _______________

Name And Address Of Firm:

_____________________________________________ Date: ________________________________________

_____________________________________________ By: ________________________________________

_____________________________________________ ( Signature In Ink)

__________________________Zip Code:___________ Name: ________________________________________ eVA Vendor ID or DUNS #:______________________ (Please Print)

Fax Number: (___) ____________________________ Title: _________________________________________

E-mail Address: _______________________________ Telephone Number: (___)_________________________

Note: This public body does not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance with the Code of Virginia, §

2.2-4343.1 or against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, veteran status, status as a military family, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment. Faith-based organizations may request that the issuing agency not include subparagraph 1.f in General Terms and Condition C. Such a request shall be in writing and explain why an exception should be made in that invitation to request for proposal.

MUST BE RETURNED WITH PROPOSAL

mailto:nancy.sconzo@lva.virginia.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR RFP: LVA-SER-26-011

I. PURPOSE

II. BACKGROUND

III. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

IV. STATEMENT OF NEEDS

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

VI. EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA

VII. REPORTS

VIII. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

IX. SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

X. ATTACHMENTS

I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is for the Library of Virginia on behalf of Mid-Atlantic Library

Alliance (MALiA) to solicit sealed proposals from qualified sources and to establish contract(s) through competitive negotiations with one or more contractors to provide library serials/subscriptions to member libraries of the Mid-Atlantic

Library Alliance, Inc. (MALiA).

This RFP outlines the terms, conditions, and all applicable information required for submitting a proposal. Proposal respondents should pay strict attention to the proposal submission date and time and follow the format and instructions in Section IV (Proposal Preparation and Submission) of this RFP.

II. BACKGROUND: MALiA is an organization of public library systems, academic, school systems, institutional, and special libraries established to provide cooperative information services and programs. Full membership shall be conveyed to applicant libraries upon payment of applicable fees to the corporation.

The Mid-Atlantic Library Alliance (MALiA) consortium represents 230 libraries throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio, and Florida. Membership includes

189 public, 28 academic, 8 school, and 5 special libraries. See Attachment D: MALiA Member Libraries as of November

9, 2025 for a list of participating institutions or consult the MALiA Web site (http://www.malialibrary.org/) for a current list of members.

The purpose of MALiA is to encourage the development and improvement of all types of library service and to promote the efficient use of finances, personnel, materials and properties by enabling governing authorities having library responsibilities to join together in a nonprofit library consortium.

Participation by MALiA members in this Contract is optional and is at the discretion of each participating member. It is understood and agreed between the parties to any agreement resulting from this RFP that any library that becomes a member of MALiA after the award of this Contract will be accepted at any time under the terms of this Contract.

The approximate, combined library serials/subscriptions budget per year is estimated at over $3,000,000.00. The approximate stated dollar amount is not to be construed to represent any amount MALiA is obligated to purchase under the resulting contract or relieve the contractor of any obligation to provide service. Dollar amounts may change during the course of the contract and

MALiA reserves the right to increase or decrease the amount as actual needs and funding determine.

III. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: No pre-proposal conference will be held.

IV. STATEMENT OF NEEDS: The Contractor must be able to provide services necessary to fill orders for library serials/subscriptions placed by any MALiA member library on a consistent basis during the term of the contract.

Library serials/subscriptions are defined for the purpose of this RFP as:

Serials are defined the purpose of this RFP as stated in the 1983 edition of the Glossary of Library and Information Science edited by Heartsil Young:

"A publication in any medium issued in successive parts bearing numerical or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials include periodicals; newspapers; annuals (reports, yearbooks, etc.); the journals, proceedings, transactions etc. of societies; and numbered monographic series. (AACR2)."

A number of MALiA member libraries have varying subscription dates. Consideration must be given to pick up subscriptions at varied times during the contract. Consideration must also be given to provide common expiration dates when requested.

Participating MALiA member libraries that become dissatisfied with the service received during the course of this contract may withdraw at any time with no penalty.

The vendor must be capable of supplying serials subscriptions from various types of publishers and must be able to provide geographical coverage for serials published worldwide.

The vendor must provide continuous, uninterrupted service of serials subscriptions currently being received by MALiA member libraries.

V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

A. ESTIMATED TIMELINE

RFP Issue Date March 10, 2026

Submit Questions by March 23, 2026

Response to questions posted by March 26, 2026

RFP Due Date April 15, 2026

Award of RFP To Be Determined

All questions pertaining to this Request for Proposal shall be submitted via email to nancy.sconzo@lva.virginia.gov. No questions will be accepted after 5:00 p.m. on March 23, 2026.

1. RFP RESPONSE: In order to be considered for selection, Offerors must submit a complete response contained in one single PDF to this RFP via the Commonwealth of Virginia’s e-procurement website, eVa. Offerors that submit a proposal which contains Proprietary and/or Confidential information must also submit one additional electronic copy in which Proprietary and/or Confidential information is REDACTED. Redacted proposals shall be labeled as such.

The redacted version of the proposal must have all proprietary information deleted that has been marked as proprietary.

Section numbers which are redacted should be identified as follows: Example: Section 3, paragraph B: “Redacted”.

The redacted version of the proposal must be carefully edited, altered, and refined by the Offeror in order to protect and maintain complete confidentiality of protected information. LVA/MALiA will not accept responsibility for any public disclosure of proprietary information that is a result of improper redaction by the Offeror.

ONLY ELECTRONIC RESPONSES WILL BE ACCEPTED and shall be submitted through the eVA Procurement

Portal. Proposals received via email and fax will not be accepted. If an Offeror requires assistance submitting an electronic response, the Offeror must contact eVA Customer Care at 866-289-7367 or email eVACustomerCare@dgs.virginia.gov. No other distribution of the proposal shall be made by the Offeror.

2. PROPOSAL PREPARATION:

a. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the offeror. All information requested should be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in the purchasing agency requiring prompt submission of missing information and/or giving a lowered evaluation of the proposal. Proposals that are substantially incomplete or lack key information may be rejected by the purchasing agency. Mandatory requirements are those required by law or regulation or are such that they cannot be waived and are not subject to negotiation.

b. Proposals should be prepared simply, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be placed on completeness and clarity of content.

c. Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in the RFP. All pages of the proposal should be numbered. Each paragraph in the proposal should reference the paragraph number of the corresponding section of the RFP. It is also helpful to cite the paragraph number, sub letter, and repeat the text of the requirement as it appears in the RFP. If a response covers more than one page, the paragraph number and sub letter should be repeated at the top of the next page. The proposal should contain a table of content which cross-references the RFP requirements. Information which the offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirements of the RFP should be inserted at an appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and designated as additional material. Proposals that are not organized in this manner risk elimination from consideration if the evaluators are unable to find where the RFP requirements are specifically addressed.

d. As used in this RFP, the terms "must", "shall", "should" and “may” identify the criticality of requirements. "Must" and "shall" identify requirements whose absence will have a major negative impact on the suitability of the proposed solution. Items labeled as "should" or “may” are highly desirable, although their absence will not have a large impact and would be useful, but are not necessary. Depending on the overall response to the RFP, some individual "must" and "shall" items may not be fully satisfied, but it is the intent to satisfy most, if not all, "must" and "shall" requirements. The inability of an Offeror to satisfy a "must" or "shall" requirement does not automatically remove that Offeror from consideration; however, it may seriously affect the overall rating of the

Offerors’ proposal.

e. Ownership of all data, materials, and documentation originated and prepared for the State pursuant to the RFP shall belong exclusively to the State and be subject to public inspection in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an offeror shall not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; however, the offeror must invoke the protections of §

2.2-4342F of the Code of Virginia, in writing, either before or at the time the data or other material is submitted.

The written notice must specifically identify the data or materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. The proprietary or trade secret material submitted must be identified by some distinct method such as highlighting or underlining and must indicate only the specific words, figures, or paragraphs that constitute trade secret or proprietary information. The classification of an entire proposal document, line item prices, and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable and will result in rejection of the proposal. If, after being given reasonable time the offeror refuses to withdraw an entire classification designation, the proposal will be rejected. (Attachment G)

B. ORAL PRESENTATION:

Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation of their proposal to the agency. This provides an opportunity for the offeror to clarify or elaborate on the proposal. This is a fact finding and explanation session only and does not include negotiation. The issuing agency will schedule the time and location of these presentations. Oral presentations are an option of the purchasing agency and may or may not be conducted.

C. SPECIFIC PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that LVA may properly evaluate your capabilities to provide the required goods/services. Offerors shall submit the following items as a complete proposal:

1. Return the RFP cover sheet and all addenda acknowledgments, if any, signed and filled out as required.

2. Completed Offeror Data Sheet (Attachment A)

3. Fill out Service Requirements Deemed Important in Consideration of Contractor Selection (Attachment B)

4. Offeror Discount Pricing Sheet (Attachment C)

5. Small Business Subcontracting Plan (Attachment E)

6. Fill out Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) Registration information (Attachment F)

7. Fill out Proprietary/Confidential Information Identification (Attachment G)

8. In order to be considered an eVA vendor and SWAM certified, offeror must be registered prior to closing date.

VI. EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA:

Evaluation Criteria: Proposals shall be evaluated using the following criteria.

RFP Reference Evaluation Criteria Max Possible

Score

Attachment A

Offeror Data Sheet, Attachment B

Service Requirements, I

Company Data 10

Attachment B

Service Requirements, II Orders and Cancellations 10

Attachment B

Service Requirements, III Claims 10

Attachment B

Service Requirements, IV Title Changes 10

Attachment B

Service Requirements, V Invoicing 10

Attachment B

Service Requirements, VI Overall Cost Considerations 15

Attachment B

Service Requirements, VII Customer Service 15

Attachment E

Small Business Subcontracting Plan SWaM 20

TOTAL 100

B. AWARD OF CONTRACT - see Award Term in Special Terms and Conditions Section IX –A

VII. REPORTS:

A. Annual report on total usage, as described in Attachment B, VII. Customer Service, #9.

B. Monthly summary of claims and status to member libraries as described in Attachment B, III. Claims, #5.

C. Use of Subcontractors

If the Offeror intends to use subcontractors to perform any portion of the work described in the RFP, the Offeror must clearly state so. LVA/MALiA is placing increased emphasis on its SWaM (Small, Women and Minority Owned) business program and is interested in identifying any potential opportunities that may be available to engage vendors to be certified by the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD) through new or existing contracts. Identify and list any such opportunities that your firm would commit to if awarded this contract in Attachment E Participation in

State Procurement Transactions Small Businesses and Businesses Owned by Women and Minority. The Offeror’s response must include a description of which portion(s) of the work will be sub-contracted out and the names and addresses of potential subcontractor under the Contract.

By submitting a proposal, Offerors certify that all information provided in response to the Request for Proposals is true and accurate. Failure to provide information required by this Request for Proposal will ultimately result in rejection of the

Proposal.

D. Report on the Participation of Small Businesses and Businesses Owned by Women and Minorities

Unless the Contractor is a DSBSD certified small business, the Contractor shall submit annual reports on the direct involvement of DSBSD certified SWaM Businesses in the performance of the contract. The report shall specify the actual dollars spent to date with Small Businesses based on the Contractor’s commitment for utilization of SDBSD SWaM business.

The Contractor shall provide this information electronically to:

Nancy Sconzo

Office of Finance

Nancy.Sconzo@lva.virginia.gov

Failure to submit the required information will be considered a contract compliance issue and will be addressed accordingly.

VIII. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A. VENDORS MANUAL: This solicitation is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Vendors Manual and any changes or revisions thereto, which are hereby incorporated into this contract in their entirety. The process for filing a complaint about this solicitation is in section 7.13 of the Vendors Manual. (Note section 7.13 does not apply to protests of awards or formal contractual claims.) The procedure for filing contractual claims is in section 7.19 of the

Vendors Manual. A copy of the manual is normally available for review at the purchasing office and is accessible on the

Internet at eva.virginia.gov under “I Sell To Virginia”.

B. APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURTS: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its choice of law provisions, and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the circuit courts of the Commonwealth. The agency and the contractor are encouraged to resolve any issues in controversy arising from the award of the contract or any contractual dispute using Alternative

Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4366). ADR procedures are described in Chapter 9 of the

Vendors Manual. The contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.

C. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: By submitting their proposals, offerors certify to the Commonwealth that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment

Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With

Disabilities Act and § 2.2-4311 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA). If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient's religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in a religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit by the public body. (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1E).

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

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

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

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

mailto:Nancy.Sconzo@lva.virginia.gov https://eva.virginia.gov/index.html

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

d. If the contractor employs more than five employees, the contractor shall (i) provide annual training on the contractor's sexual harassment policy to all supervisors and employees providing services in the

Commonwealth, except such supervisors or employees that are required to complete sexual harassment training provided by the Department of Human Resource Management, and (ii) post the contractor's sexual harassment policy in (a) a conspicuous public place in each building located in the Commonwealth that the contractor owns or leases for business purposes and (b) the contractor's employee handbook.

e. The requirements of these provisions 1. and 2. are a material part of the contract. If the Contractor violates one of these provisions, the Commonwealth may terminate the affected part of this contract for breach, or at its option, the whole contract. Violation of one of these provisions may also result in debarment from State contracting regardless of whether the specific contract is terminated.

f. In accordance with Executive Order 61 (2017), a prohibition on discrimination by the contractor, in its employment practices, subcontracting practices, and delivery of goods or services, on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, or veteran status, is hereby incorporated in this contract.

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

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

E. IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986: Applicable for all contracts over $10,000:

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

F. DEBARMENT STATUS: By participating in this procurement, the vendor certifies that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting a response for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation. Vendor further certifies that they are not debarred from filling any order or accepting any resulting order, or that they are an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

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

G. ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the contractor conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the Commonwealth of

Virginia all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia under said contract.

H. MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RFPs

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

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

J. PAYMENT:

1. To Prime Contractor:

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

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

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

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

Collection Act.

e. Unreasonable Charges. Under certain emergency procurements and for most time and material purchases, final job costs cannot be accurately determined at the time orders are placed. In such cases, contractors should be put on notice that final payment in full is contingent on a determination of reasonableness with respect to all invoiced charges. Charges which appear to be unreasonable will be resolved in accordance with Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4363 and -4364. Upon determining that invoiced charges are not reasonable, the Commonwealth shall notify the contractor of defects or improprieties in invoices within fifteen (15) days as required in Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4351.,. The provisions of this section do not relieve an agency of its prompt payment obligations with respect to those charges which are not in dispute (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-

4363).

2. To Subcontractors:

a. Within seven (7) days of the contractor’s receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, a contractor awarded a contract under this solicitation is hereby obligated:

(1) To pay the subcontractor(s) for the proportionate share of the payment received for work performed by the subcontractor(s) under the contract; or

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

b. The contractor is obligated to pay the subcontractor(s) interest at the rate of one percent per month (unless otherwise provided under the terms of the contract) on all amounts owed by the contractor that remain unpaid seven (7) days following receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, except for amounts withheld as stated in (2) above. The date of mailing of any payment by U. S. Mail is deemed to be payment to the addressee. These provisions apply to each sub-tier contractor performing under the primary contract. A contractor’s obligation to pay an interest charge to a subcontractor may not be construed to be an obligation of the Commonwealth.

3. Each prime contractor who wins an award in which provision of a SWaM procurement plan is a condition to the award, shall deliver to the contracting agency or institution, on or before request for final payment, evidence and certification of compliance (subject only to insubstantial shortfalls and to shortfalls arising from subcontractor default) with the SWaM procurement plan. Final payment under the contract in question may be withheld until such certification is delivered and, if necessary, confirmed by the agency or institution, or other appropriate penalties may be assessed in lieu of withholding such payment.

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

K. PRECEDENCE OF TERMS: The following General Terms and Conditions VENDORS MANUAL, APPLICABLE

LAWS AND COURTS, ANTI-DISCRIMINATION, ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING, IMMIGRATION

REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986, DEBARMENT STATUS, ANTITRUST, MANDATORY USE OF STATE

FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS, CLARIFICATION OF TERMS, PAYMENT shall apply in all instances. In the event there is a conflict between any of the other General Terms and Conditions and any Special Terms and Conditions in this solicitation, the Special Terms and Conditions shall apply.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Agency a credit for any savings. Said compensation shall be determined by one of the following methods:

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

b. By agreeing upon a unit price or using a unit price set forth in the contract, if the work to be done can be expressed in units, and the contractor accounts for the number of units of work performed, subject to the

Purchasing Agency’s right to audit the contractor’s records and/or to determine the correct number of units independently; or

c. By ordering the contractor to proceed with the work and keep a record of all costs incurred and savings realized. A markup for overhead and profit may be allowed if provided by the contract. The same markup shall be used for determining a decrease in price as the result of savings realized. The contractor shall present the Purchasing Agency with all vouchers and records of expenses incurred and savings realized. The

Purchasing Agency shall have the right to audit the records of the contractor as it deems necessary to determine costs or savings. Any claim for an adjustment in price under this provision must be asserted by written notice to the Purchasing Agency within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order from the

Purchasing Agency. If the parties fail to agree on an amount of adjustment, the question of an increase or decrease in the contract price or time for performance shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures for resolving disputes provided by the Disputes Clause of this contract or, if there is none, in accordance with the disputes provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Vendors Manual. Neither the existence of a claim nor a dispute resolution process, litigation or any other provision of this contract shall excuse the contractor from promptly complying with the changes ordered by the Purchasing Agency or with the performance of the contract generally.

P. DEFAULT: In case of failure to deliver goods or services in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the

Commonwealth may terminate this agreement after verbal or written notice without penalty. Upon termination the

Commonwealth may procure the goods or services contracted for from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any resulting additional purchase and administrative costs. This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies which the Commonwealth may have.

Q. Left blank intentionally

R. Left blank intentionally

S. TRANSPORTATION AND PACKAGING: By submitting their proposals, all offerors certify and warrant that the price offered for FOB destination includes only the actual freight rate costs at the lowest and best rate and is based upon the actual weight of the goods to be shipped. Except as otherwise specified herein, standard commercial packaging, packing and shipping containers shall be used. All shipping containers shall be legibly marked or labeled on the outside with purchase order number, commodity description, and quantity.

T. INSURANCE: By signing and submitting a bid or proposal under this solicitation, the bidder or offeror certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have the following insurance coverage at the time the contract is awarded. For construction contracts, if any subcontractors are involved, the subcontractor will have workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with §§ 2.2-4332 and 65.2-800 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. The bidder or offeror further certifies that the contractor and any subcontractors will maintain these insurance coverages during the entire term of the contract and that all coverage will be provided by companies authorized to sell insurance in Virginia by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

MINIMUM INSURANCE COVERAGES AND LIMITS:

1. Workers’ Compensation - Statutory requirements and benefits. Coverage is compulsory for employers of three or more employees, to include the employer. Contractors who fail to notify the Commonwealth of increases in the number of employees that change their workers’ compensation requirements under the Code of Virginia during the course of the contract shall be in noncompliance with the contract.

2. Employer’s Liability - $100,000.

3. Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate. Commercial General

Liability is to include bodily injury and property damage, personal injury and advertising injury, products and completed operations coverage. The Commonwealth of Virginia shall be added as an additional insured to the policy by an endorsement.

4. Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 combined single limit. (Required only if a motor vehicle not owned by the

Commonwealth is to be used in the contract. Contractor must assure that the required coverage is maintained by the Contractor (or third party owner of such motor vehicle.)

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

V. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: Applicable for all contracts over $10,000:

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

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

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

X. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION, CONTRACTS, AND ORDERS: The eVA

Internet electronic procurement solution, web site portal eva.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The eVA portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies. All vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet e-procurement solution by completing the free eVA Vendor Registration. All bidders or offerors must register in eVA and pay the Vendor Transaction Fees specified below; failure to register will result in the bid/proposal being rejected.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The specified vendor transaction fee will be invoiced, by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of General

Services, typically within 60 days of the order issue date. Any adjustments (increases/decreases) will be handled through purchase order changes.

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

Z. Left blank intentionally

AA. BID PRICE CURRENCY: Unless stated otherwise in the solicitation, bidders/offerors shall state bid/offer prices in US dollars.

BB. AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN THE COMMONWEALTH: A contractor organized as a stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company, business trust, or limited partnership or registered as a registered limited liability partnership shall be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a domestic or foreign business entity if so required by Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code of Virginia or as otherwise required by law. Any business entity described above that enters into a contract with a public body pursuant to the Virginia Public Procurement

Act shall not allow its existence to lapse or its certificate of authority or registration to transact business in the

Commonwealth, if so required under Title 13.1 or Title 50, to be revoked or cancelled at any time during the term of the contract. A public body may void any contract with a business entity if the business entity fails to remain in compliance with the provisions of this section.

CC. CIVILITY IN STATE WORKPLACES: The contractor shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that no individual, while performing work on behalf of the contractor or any subcontractor in connection with this agreement (each, a

“Contract Worker”), shall engage in 1) harassment (including sexual harassment), bullying, cyber-bullying, or threatening or violent conduct, or 2) discriminatory behavior on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, veteran status, or disability.

The contractor shall provide each Contract Worker with a copy of this Section and will require Contract Workers to participate in agency training on civility in the State workplace if contractor’s (and any subcontractor’s) regular mandatory https://dgs.virginia.gov/globalassets/business-units/dps/documents/billing/eVA-Fee-Schedule-Revised-Effective-07-01-2014.pdf training programs do not already encompass equivalent or greater expectations. Upon request, the contractor shall provide documentation that each Contract Worker has received such training.

For purposes of this Section, “State workplace” includes any location, permanent or temporary, where a Commonwealth employee performs any work-related duty or is representing his or her agency, as well as surrounding perimeters, parking lots, outside meeting locations, and means of travel to and from these locations. Communications are deemed to occur in a State workplace if the Contract Worker reasonably should know that the phone number, email, or other method of communication is associated with a State workplace or is associated with a person who is a State employee.

The Commonwealth of Virginia may require, at its sole discretion, the removal and replacement of any Contract Worker who the Commonwealth reasonably believes to have violated this Section.

This Section creates obligations solely on the part of the contractor. Employees or other third parties may benefit incidentally from this Section and from training materials or other communications distributed on this topic, but the

Parties to this agreement intend this Section to be enforceable solely by the Commonwealth and not by employees or other third parties.

DD. CONTRACT EXTENSIONS: In the event that the original term and all renewals of this contract expire prior to the award for a new contract for similar goods and/or services, the Commonwealth of Virginia may, with written consent of the Contractor, extend this contract for such a period as may be necessary to afford the Commonwealth of Virginia a continuous supply of the identified goods and/or services.

EE. FORCED OR INDENTURED CHILD LABOR: Applicable in all solicitations and contracts over $10,000:

During the performance of this contract the use of forced or indentured child labor is prohibited. Any Prime Contractor shall include such prohibition in every subcontract that exceeds $10,000 and shall be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, “ forced or indentured child labor” means all work or service exacted from any person younger that 18 years of age under the menace of any penalty for the nonperformance of such work or service and for which such person does not offer himself voluntarily or performed by any person younger than 18 years of age pursuant to a contract the enforcement of which can be accomplished by process or penalties.

IX. SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A. AWARD: Selection shall be made of two or more offerors deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the evaluation factors included in the Request for Proposals, including price, if so stated in the Request for Proposals. Negotiations shall be conducted with the offerors so selected. Price shall be considered, but need not be the sole determining factor. After negotiations have been conducted with each offeror so selected, the agency shall select the offeror which, in its opinion, has made the best proposal, and shall award the contract to that offeror. The Commonwealth reserves the right to make multiple awards as a result of this solicitation. The

Commonwealth may cancel this Request for Proposals or reject proposals at any time prior to an award, and is not required to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous (Code of

Virginia, § 2.2-4359D). Should the Commonwealth determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror is fully qualified, or that one offeror is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror. The award document will be a contract incorporating by reference all the requirements, terms and conditions of the solicitation and the contractor’s proposal as negotiated.

B. AUDIT: The contractor shall retain all books, records, and other documents relative to this contract for five (5) years after final payment, or until audited by the Commonwealth of Virginia, whichever is sooner. The agency, its authorized agents, and/or state auditors shall have full access to and the right to examine any of said materials during said period.

C. ADDITIONAL USERS: This procurement is being conducted on behalf of state agencies, institutions and other public bodies who may be added or deleted at any time during the period of the contract. The addition or deletion of authorized users not specifically named in the solicitation shall be made only by written contract modification issued by this agency or institution and upon mutual agreement of the contractor. Such modification shall name the specific agency added or deleted and the effective date. The contractor shall not honor an order citing the resulting contract unless the ordering entity has been added by written contract modification.

D. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: The purchasing agency reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon 60 days written notice to the contractor. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation.

E. RENEWAL OF CONTRACT: This contract may be renewed by the Commonwealth upon written agreement of both parties for two (2) successive one year periods, under the terms of the current contract, and at a reasonable time

(approximately 90 days) prior to the expiration.

F. EXTRA CHARGES NOT ALLOWED: The bid price shall be for complete installation ready for the

Commonwealth’s use, and shall include all applicable freight and installation charges; extra charges will not be allowed.

G. eVA ORDERS AND CONTRACTS: The solicitation/contract will result in multiple purchase order(s) with the applicable eVA transaction fee assessed for each…