Magazine RFP Template FINAL Draft.docx

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES

7870 VILLA PARK DRIVE, # 400 HENRICO, VA 23228

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) RFx: 82834 for

VIRGINIA WILDLIFE MAGAZINE FULFILLMENT SERVICES

Ph. No: 804-525-8881 E-mail Address: stephanie.adams@dwr.virginia.gov

Contract(s) resulting from this solicitation are available to the Department of Wildlife Resources (hereinafter referred to as “Agency”, “DWR”, and the “Department”) as defined by §2.2-4302.2 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (“VPPA”), as set forth in the Code of Virginia (“Code”).

Note: Agency does not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance with Code §2.2-4343.1 of the VPPA, or against a bidder or offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, or status as a service-disabled veteran or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment. Agency is committed to increasing procurement opportunities for small and micro businesses, including small or micro businesses that are owned by minorities, women, or disabled veterans, and strengthening the Commonwealth’s overall economic growth through the development of its IT suppliers.

Table of Contents

Attachments to RFP:

Administrative Appendices:

Appendix A - State Corporation Commission Form Appendix B - Supplier Proprietary Information Form Appendix C - Supplier Profile Appendix D- COVRamp Security Assessment Form Appendix E – Supplier Exceptions to Agency's Standard Contract

Exhibits:

Exhibit A - Requirements Exhibit B - Pricing Exhibit C - RESERVED Exhibit D - RESERVIED Exhibits E - RESERVED Exhibit F- RESERVED Exhibit G - Certification Regarding Lobbying Exhibit H - Small Business (SWaM) Subcontracting Plan Exhibit I - Service Level Agreements Exhibit J- IRS Publication 1075 Exhibit K - SPDA - Summary of Qualified Depositories

INTRODUCTION

RFP Objective and Overview

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (“RFP”), issued by the Department of Wildlife Resources is to solicit proposals to provide Magazine Fulfillment Services for the Virgnia Wildlife Magazine.

For the purposes of this RFP, the following definitions shall apply:

“Supplier” or “Offeror” means any entity that submits a proposal in response to this RFP.

“Administrative Appendix” means an attachment to the RFP that serves an administrative purpose relating to the RFP process; specifically, a document that will assist in the review of the proposal but not become an Exhibit to the resulting contract

“Exhibit” means an attachment to the RFP that will become an exhibit to the resulting contract only upon award. Certain of these Exhibits are to be populated by Supplier as part of its response to this RFP; see Table 2 in Section 5 of this RFP for instructions.

Agency’s expectation is that this RFP will result in the establishment of a contract, or contracts, that will provide the means to satisfy the majority of the Commonwealth’s immediate and future Virgina Wildlife Magazine Fulfillment needs.

Alliances among Suppliers are acceptable to meet the requirements of this procurement. However, Agency is interested in simplifying processes by having a single point of interface wherever possible.

The Commonwealth encourages all Suppliers to bring innovative ideas and/or solutions to government—ideas that result in cost and operational efficiencies or improvements while enhancing the services that governments provide its citizens.

Section 3 of this RFP sets forth the service/solution detailed requirements. Agency reserves the right to adjust the requirements or scope of this RFP. In the event that any modifications to this RFP become necessary, an amendment to this RFP (“Addendum”) will be posted on the Commonwealth’s procurement portal, eVA, as defined in Subsection 1.G below and located at: http://www.eva.virginia.gov.

Agency Overview

The Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) is the primary state agency charged with the management of wildlife (aquatic and terrestrial), inland fish, and recreational boating. The Department is required to employ scientific principles and procedures in the management of the Commonwealth's wildlife and natural resources, as developed, researched, recognized and accepted within the bounds of comprehensive professional wildlife resource management. The agency employs approximately 490 people full-time, including conservation police officers, wildlife and fisheries biologists, conservation educators, engineers, as well as information and administrative professionals.

The Department is classified as a “special funded” Agency because it does not receive funding from state general fund tax revenues. Revenues are generated through five primary sources:

· License and permit sales required for hunting, fishing and trapping activities

· Federal grants and programs including Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration, State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program, Recreational Boating Safety Grant Program and special competitive grant awards

· Boat registration and titling for all watercraft powered by mechanical means

· Transfer of state revenue collected through watercraft sales and use taxes and from sales taxes collected on outdoor‐related goods and equipment purchased by anglers, boaters, hunters, and wildlife enthusiasts

· Other revenue sources such as Virginia Wildlife magazine subscriptions, conservation license plates, merchandise sales, donations and other sources

DWR also partners with more than 600 outdoor retail establishments to sell hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses; while connecting with and providing online access to more than 500,000 customers to purchase licenses, boat registrations, and department merchandise, including the Virginia Wildlife magazine and annual calendar, at www.gooutdoorsvirginia.com.

Virginia Wildlife is a bi-monthly four-color, 48-page magazine that has been published by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) for 78 years. Current circulation is 28,000 per issue. The contents of the magazine follow the mission statement of DWR, which promotes the Department's efforts: to manage Virginia's wildlife and inland fish to maintain optimum populations of all species to serve the needs of the Commonwealth; to provide opportunity for all to enjoy inland fish, boating, and related outdoor recreation; and to promote safety for persons and property in connection with boating, hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching.

Single Point of Contact (“SPOC”)

Submit all inquiries concerning this RFP in writing by email, subject: “Questions on RFP #: 82834 to:

SPOC: Stephanie Adams Email: stephanie.adams@dwr.virginia.gov Suppliers are to limit all contact, whether verbal or written, pertaining to this RFP to the designated SPOC for the duration of this procurement process. Failure to do so may jeopardize further consideration of a Supplier’s proposal.

Pre-Proposal Conference

There will be an optional, virtual pre-proposal conference held on the date specified in Table 1 in Subsection 1.F below. The pre-proposal conference is open to all interested Offerors, and attendance is encouraged. There will be no opportunity for a private or individual conference. Offerors are encouraged to submit questions in writing at least 72 hours prior to the pre-proposal conference.

To participate in the pre-proposal conference, register with the SPOC by sending an email stating your firm’s name and your participating representative(s) no later than 4:00pm local time on the business day prior to the conference. Suppliers will be emailed the information to virtually attend the conference. Agency cannot guarantee a response to registration requests sent after 4:00pm local time on the business day prior to the conference.

Supplier Questions and Answers

All questions and requests for clarification of the RFP should be submitted to the SPOC in writing via email. Agency cannot guarantee a response to questions received less than five (5) days prior to the proposal due date. Questions and answers shall be publicly posted in eVA, as defined in Subsection 1.G below.

Timetable

Table 1 – Timetable

Register for pre-proposal conference

2/7/2025

Supplier Interviews (should Agency elect)

TBD

The timetable above is provided for planning purposes only.

eVA Procurement Website and Registration

The Commonwealth’s procurement portal, eVA, located at http://www.eva.virginia.gov, provides information about Commonwealth solicitations and awards. Suppliers must be registered in eVA in order submit a proposal to this RFP. To register with eVA, select the “Register Now” option from the eVA homepage, also located at Register Now (virginia.gov).

For assistance with eVA, please contact eVA Customer Care, Get Help eVA Customer Care (virginia.gov)

Suppliers are encouraged to check this site on a regular basis and, in particular, prior to submission of proposals to identify any amendments to the RFP that may have been issued.

CURRENT STATE

The information provided in this Section 2 is not intended to set forth requirements, but rather is intended to assist Suppliers in gaining a general understanding of the present situation, business context, and RFP scope.

A. Historical Spend

FY2021

$5,147.89

FY2022

$78,835.44

FY2023

$65,484.18

FY2024

$50,925.88

B. Scope of Current Services

1. New subscriptions (1-year, 2-year, 3-year) via phone orders - 123

2. Renewals via phone orders - 110

3. New subscriptions (1-year, 2-year, 3-year) via mailed in - 23

4. Renewals via mailed in – 5778 (including 408 agency orders)

5. New subscriptions (1-year, 2-year, 3-year) via PSA website – 2327

6. Renewals via PSA website – 1577

C. Current Challenges

1. Subscriber retention continues to decline.

2. Improved customer facing website from Magazine Fulfillment Provider

3. Improved marketing consultation from Magazine Fulfillment Provider

D. Number of Subscribers/Records

Go Outdoors Virginia Sales 7/1/2023 – 6/30/2024

Virginia Wildlife Magazine - Virginia Shooting Sports

- 18 Issues (Three Year Subscription

Virginia Wildlife Magazine - Virginia Shooting Sports

- 6 Issues (One Year Subscription)

*DWR Central Sales indicates an over the phone transaction or mailed in request (sent to DWR HQ) entered in to Go Outdoors by DWR Staff.

**Internet Sales indicates the subscriber requested the subscription themselves on Go Outdoors E. Current Processes

1. Customers purchase Magazine subscription through DWR’s Go Outdoors Licensing platform or through the Magazine Fulfillment Provider currently Darwin. Purchases can be made through Darwin by website, mail, and phone.

2. For subscribers who purchase subscriptions through the Go Outdoors Licensing platform, an API callout is completed to Magazine Fulfillment provider.

3. The Magazine Fulfillment provider then adds those subscriptions/customers purchased via the fulfillment provider website, mail, phone, and the Go Outdoors Licensing platform to the subscriber database (main file).

4. On a bi-monthly basis the Magazine Fulfillment provider sends a main file and a supplemental subscriber label file to Magazine printer on designated deadline (six main files and six supplemental files are processed in one 12-month period).

5. Magazine Fulfillment Provider keeps the subscriber database up to date with new subscriptions, renewals, cancellations, and expires.

6. Magazine Fulfillment Provider provides customer service to existing and new customers as needed.

7. Magazine Fulfillment Provider sends invoice and renewal notifications to subscribers via mail and email.

8. Magazine Fulfillment Provider manages and processes all subscriber payments that are handled by phone, mail, or Fulfillment Provider website/platform.

REQUIREMENTS

Supplier shall indicate its capability to fulfill each specific requirement identified in Exhibit A: Requirements, in accordance with the Instructions set forth on the first tab of Exhibit A. Supplier’s responses will be reviewed in accordance with stated requirements within each section in order to determine the best solution for the Commonwealth. Detailed requirements are presented in table format to facilitate direct responses and establish accountability regarding delivery of the service/solution by Supplier.

Note the following information regarding certain requirements set forth in Exhibit A, Agency Requirements:

January 2024 Executive Order 30 (EO 30), Artificial Intelligence (AI), implements AI standards and guidelines setting the technological requirements for the use of AI within government agencies and the approval process for AI initiatives and procurement of AI applications. Agencies that wish to use AI will be required to submit a request and obtain approval for use of AI prior to purchase. However, this process does not provide agencies with approval of purchase. The EO also provides Education guidelines that are to be applied at all education levels as well as the need for the development of standards for the use of AI by law enforcement personnel. At this time, this information is provided for informational and situational awareness as any requirements that an agency may be required to go through for AI use and/or any contract obligations that may be required by the supplier may change dependent on any future legislation.

COV Grade indicates the highest level of modernization, security, and environmental readiness available for Virginia customers. COV Grade will simplify the process for state agencies to make IT decisions and purchases, and enable IT customers to utilize safe, compliant, and consistent resources. COV Ramp, formally Enterprise Cloud Oversight Service (ECOS), is part of COV Grade and provides oversight and support services for agencies undertaking the decision to move to cloud-based services. Numerous solutions are offered as cloud platforms/services or have cloud options. Executive branch agency procurement of cloud requires that the agency seek VITA cloud approval before procurement, including potential COV Ramp assessment, agreement on Cloud Terms and ongoing security oversight.

Before submitting its proposal, Supplier should ensure that it has provided sufficient and complete responses to reduce the need for Agency to request additional information. Supplier’s detailed response should not be an affirmative reiteration of the requirement but should explain how the requirement will be met.

See the Instructions tab in Exhibit A for further information.

PROPOSAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Overview

This RFP was developed to provide all potential Suppliers with the information required to prepare proposals. This section outlines the administrative procedures and guidelines to be used and complied with when preparing a proposal. Nothing in this RFP constitutes an offer or an invitation to contract.

By submitting a proposal in response to the RFP, a Supplier grants Agency a worldwide, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-exclusive, irrevocable license to retain, reproduce, and use the proposal (including any exhibits or other documents or materials the proposal incorporates) in any format for governmental purposes required or provided for by Virginia law. The foregoing includes, but is not limited to, the right for Agency to use information submitted in response to this document in any manner Agency may deem appropriate in evaluating the fitness of the services or solution(s) proposed.

B. Proposal Administration

1) Virginia Public Procurement Act This RFP is governed by the VPPA, Code § 2.2-4300 et seq., and other applicable laws.

2) Anti-Discrimination - Code § 2.2-4310 and § 2.2-4311, and § 2.2-4343.1(E) By submitting its proposal, a Supplier certifies to the Commonwealth that it 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; and, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and Code § 2.2-4311 of the VPPA.

3) Ethics in Public Contracting – Code § 2.2-4367 et seq.

By submitting its proposal, a Supplier certifies that its proposal is made without collusion or fraud; that the Supplier has not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other bidder, supplier, manufacturer, or subcontractor in connection with its proposal; and that the Supplier has 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. In addition, a Supplier will disclose any actual or perceived conflicts of interest in its proposal and will notify Agency if it becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest in the future.

4) Authorization to Transact Business in the Commonwealth – Code § 2.2-4311.2 All Suppliers organized as a stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability Supplier, business trust, or limited partnership, or registered as a registered limited liability partnership must be authorized to transact business as a domestic or foreign business entity if so required by Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code, or as otherwise required by law. In its proposal, Supplier must include either (i) Supplier’s identification number issued to it by the State Corporation Commission; or (ii) a statement explaining why Supplier is not required to be registered. No award can be made to any Supplier without this information unless this requirement is waived. Administrative Appendix A: State Corporation Commission Form to this RFP includes a space for Supplier to provide the information required in (i) or (ii) of this subsection. If Supplier anticipates the use of additional resources through a partnership or subcontracting relationship with other entities, the requirement to be authorized to transact business will also apply to any entities that are engaged as partners or subcontractors of Supplier providing services directly to the Commonwealth upon award of a contract.

5) Prohibited Products and Services – Code § 2.2-5514 No Supplier may include as part of its proposal, whether directly or indirectly through subcontractors, any hardware, software, or services that have been prohibited for use on federal systems by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

6) Prohibited Contributions and Gifts – Code § 2.2-4376.1 No Supplier that submits a proposal in response to this solicitation, and no individual who is an officer or director of the Supplier shall knowingly provide a contribution, gift, or other item with a value greater than $50 or make an express or implied promise to make such a contribution or gift to the Governor, his political action committee, or the Secretary of Administration during the period between the submission of the proposal and the award of any resulting contract award with an expected value of $5 million or more dollars.

0. Proposal Submission Instructions

1) Supplier Proposal Compliance

Before submitting its proposal, Supplier should verify that: (i) its proposal is accurate and complete; (ii) its proposal is prepared in accordance with the solicitation requirements, including providing all information, content, responses, appendices and exhibits requested and, (iii) all required communication, format and submission instructions are followed. Proposals that are not complete, accurate, or properly formatted may be removed from consideration at Agency’s sole discretion. All proposal materials shall be provided in either Microsoft Word, PDF, or Excel, as specified in Table 2 of Section 5 Proposal Format, with no passwords utilized for any document access.

2) Liability

The issuance of this RFP and the receipt of information in response to this RFP will not cause Agency to incur any liability or obligation, financial or otherwise, to any Supplier. Agency assumes no obligation to reimburse or in any way compensate a Supplier for expenses incurred in connection with its proposal.

3) Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information

Agency reserves the right to use information submitted in response to this document in evaluating the fitness of the solution(s) proposed. Ownership of all data, materials, and documentation originated and prepared for Agency pursuant to the RFP shall rest exclusively with Agency and shall be subject to public inspection in accordance with Code §2.2-4342 of the VPPA.

Procurement and contract records are generally public records open to inspection in accordance with The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (see Code § 2.2-4342(A)), and transparency in procurement, contracting, and other governmental functions serves important public policy objectives. See Code §§ 2.2-4300(C) & 2.2-3700(B).

Conversely, pursuant to Code § 2.2-4342(F) of the VPPA, trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a Supplier in connection with a procurement transaction shall not be subject to public inspection under the VA FOIA if the Supplier:

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN ALL PROPOSAL MATERIALS BEING SUBJECT TO RELEASE TO OTHER OFFERORS AND THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VPPA AND THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

In order to comply with Code § 2.2-4342(F) of the VPPA, Supplier shall submit a completed Administrative Appendix B Supplier Proprietary Information Form with its proposal listing its proprietary information and the reason it deems such information proprietary. If there is no proprietary information contained in the proposal, Supplier shall clearly state that in Administrative Appendix B.

In addition to Administrative Appendix B, Supplier shall also submit a redacted copy of each document in its proposal that is consistent with the requirements of this RFP and Administrative Appendix B. Agency assumes no responsibility for release of proprietary information contained in redacted proposal documents.

4) Protocol for Proposal Submission In order to be considered for evaluation, Suppliers must submit a complete response to this RFP as described herein, utilizing eVA, no later than the date and time specified in Table 1-Timetable set forth in Subsection 1.F of this RFP. Note that there is a maximum file size per attachment in eVA (Suppliers should confirm the current allowable file size by contacting eVA Customer Care as set forth in Section 1.G above); however, there is no limit on the number of files you may attach. If the size of the file is greater than the size allowed by eVA, the file should be broken down into smaller files and labeled in sequential order (Ex: Part 1, Part 2 or Tab 1, Tab 2).

ONLY ELECTRONIC RESPONSES SUBMITTED THROUGH eVA WILL BE ACCEPTED. Proposals submitted via hand-delivery, mail, email, or fax will not be accepted. Suppliers must be registered in eVA to submit a response to this RFP.

Please submit the following:

a. One (1) electronic copy of each file titled as specified in Table 2 - Supplier’s Proposal Format of Section 5 Proposal Format of this RFP

b. One (1) electronic copy of each file titled “Redacted” as specified in Table 2 - Supplier’s Proposal Format of Section 5 Proposal Format of this RFP, with all redactions, if necessary, consistent with the requirements specified in Subsection 4.C(3), “Trade Secrets and Proprietary Information”.

It is the responsibility of the Supplier to ensure its proposal and all required documentation are properly completed, readable, and uploaded to eVA by the date and time noted in Subsection 1.F. Suppliers should allow sufficient time to account for any technical difficulties they may encounter during online submission or uploading of the documents. Late proposals will not be considered. Suppliers shall make no other distribution of their proposals.

In the event of any technical difficulties encountered while using eVA, Suppliers must contact the eVA Customer Care Center, Get Help eVA Customer Care (virginia.gov).

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Suppliers shall adhere to the specific format for the documents submitted in their proposals as set forth in Table 2 below. Agency may reject any proposal that is not in the required format or does not address all the requirements of this RFP.

Proposals should be written specifically to answer this RFP. General “sales” material should not be used within the body of the proposal and any additional terms or conditions on the “sales” material will be considered invalid. If desired, Supplier may attach “sales” material in a separate appendix to its proposal response.

It is essential that the proposal be thorough and concise. Supplier should avoid broad, unenforceable, or immeasurable responses and should include all requested information in each section as indicated below.

The required contents of the proposal and how the proposal must be organized are detailed in Table 2. All documents that must be included in the proposal have been provided by Agency except documents noted as “Supplier to Provide.” Unless specifically noted, no other documents or information should be included in the proposal.

Proposal document formats are as follows:

· Template: Structured documents prepared by Agency that must be populated and submitted by the Supplier. Each template includes instructions describing how to complete that template.

· Supplier to Provide: Documents to be provided by and included in Supplier’s response in accordance with Agency’s instructions.

Table 2 – Format of Supplier's Proposal

1a [Supplier Name] Cover Letter

Appendix A: State Corporation Commission Form

Supplier should not submit the completed Assessment Form with its proposal response. If required during the evaluation process, the SPOC will request that Supplier submit the completed Assessment Form (and it will be due immediately upon request).

DO NOT SUBMIT WITH YOUR PROPOSAL. THE SPOC WILL REQUEST APPENDIX D: COVRAMP Security Assessment Form IF YOUR PROPOSAL IS SELECTED TO MOVE FORWARD

In accordance with 2.2-4302, exceptions shall not be used as a basis for scoring or evaluating which offerors are selected for negotiations.

· Administrative Appendix E- Supplier Exceptions to Agency Standard Contract

· Agency Standard Contract (Word)

6 [Supplier Name] Administrative Appendix E – Supplier Exceptions to Agency Standard Contract accompanied by redline of Agency Standard Contract with the specific exceptions shown therein

Do not include pricing data in any other section of the proposal.

· Exhibit B. Pricing Template (Excel)

8 [Supplier Name] Exhibit B. Pricing

Supplier must submit proposed exceptions and comments in the form of redline mark-up to the content and language contained in the SLAs to this RFP directly in the Word template at time of proposal submission.

Suppliers are strongly encouraged to accept the SLAs as presented.

· Exhibit I Template (Word)

11 [Supplier Name] Exhibit I. Service Level Agreement

(Word or PDF)

12 REDACTED [Supplier Name] [Document Title]

EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCESS

C. Evaluation Process

Each proposal received by the due date and time in response to this RFP will be evaluated to determine whether it meets the Initial Qualification(s) of this RFP listed in Table 4 below. All Initial Qualification(s) are evaluated on a met-or-not-met basis. Any proposal that does not meet all of the Initial Qualification(s)will be set aside and receive no further consideration.

Proposal(s) that meet all the Initial Qualification(s)) will be distributed to the evaluation team, which will assess and score each Supplier’s response in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria set forth in Table 5 Evaluation Criteria in Subsection 6.C below. Agency may elect to continue the evaluation of the most qualified proposal(s) and may request that Supplier(s) clarify or explain certain aspects of their proposals or present its proposal at a Supplier interview. A numerical scoring system will be used in evaluation of proposals. The point values assigned to each of the evaluation criteria shall be posted in eVA prior to the due date and time for receiving proposals.

At any point in the evaluation process Agency may employ various means of evaluation to determine the best value for the Commonwealth, including but not limited to:

· Reviewing industry research

· Supplier presentation/interview

· Site visits

· Supplier’s status as a small business or micro business, including small or micro businesses that are owned by minorities, women, or disabled veterans, and certified by the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (“DSBSD”)

· Supplier’s planned spend with certified SWaM or micro business (as defined in Section 8) subcontractors, and Non-SWaM businesses.

· Supplier’s employment of persons with disabilities to perform the specifications of the contract.

· Contacting Supplier's references

· Review of Supplier’s ability and willingness to comply with the Commonwealth’s security and data privacy policies, standards, guidelines as specified in the RFP

· Product demonstrations/pilot tests/detailed demonstrations

· Review of pricing

· Agency’s experience with Supplier, including Supplier’s past performance and Supplier’s history of utilizing SWaM subcontractors as previously committed in a SWaM subcontracting plan

· Interviewing key personnel

· Requesting Suppliers elaborate on or clarify specific portions of their proposal, including, as applicable, any responses to the RFP’s security requirements

Agency may limit any or all of the above to the most qualified proposals. Supplier is not guaranteed and should not assume that it will have the opportunity to explain, supplement or amend its initial proposal. Each Supplier is encouraged to ensure that its initial proposal contains and represents its best offering.

Each Supplier should be prepared to conduct product demonstrations, pilot tests, presentations or site visits at the time, date and location of Agency’s choice, as applicable, should Agency so request.

Agency will select for negotiation the Supplier(s) whose proposal(s) and additional means of evaluation (if so conducted) are deemed to be fully qualified and best suited based on the factors as stated in the RFP. Negotiations will be conducted with these Supplier(s). After negotiations, Agency may select the proposal(s) that, in its opinion, is the proposal(s) representing best value and may award a contract to that Supplier(s). For purposes of this RFP, Agency will determine best value based on the value relative to the cost of the Service/Solution, giving consideration to the project's budget objectives.

If this is a cloud-based procurement (i.e., off-premise hosting), following Agency’s selection of the proposal(s) representing best value to the Commonwealth, Supplier’s failure to successfully answer, negotiate, and/or comply with any resulting security exceptions that may arise in order to approve Supplier’s cloud application, may result in removal from further consideration. Refer to Administrative Appendix D COVRamp Security Assessment of the RFP.

If any Supplier fails to provide the necessary information for negotiations in a timely manner, or fails to negotiate in good faith, Agency may terminate negotiations with that Supplier at any time.

Agency reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any proposal or cancel and re-issue the RFP. In addition, Agency reserves the right to accept or reject in whole or in part any proposal submitted, and to waive minor technicalities when in the best interest of the Commonwealth.

Agency may, at its sole discretion, make one award, multiple awards, or none at all. Agency SHALL NOT BE CONTRACTUALLY BOUND TO ANY SUPPLIER PRIOR TO THE EXECUTION OF A DEFINITIVE WRITTEN CONTRACT.

D. Initial Qualifications

Table 4 - Initial Qualifications Does the proposal address magazine fulfillment services?

Does the proposal address how provider will manage subscribers?

Does the proposal address marketing strategies for magazine fulfillment services?

E. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria contained in the table below. Point values associated with the below evaluation criteria will be posted approximately one week prior to the solicitation close date as required by the VPPA.

Table 5 – Evaluation Criteria Evaluation Criteria

Requirements set forth in Exhibit A Requirements

Supplier Profile, Experience and Approach to Account Management as set forth in Administrative Appendix C Supplier Profile

Pricing

Supplier Procurement and Subcontracting Plan as set forth in Exhibit H

References

F. Excluded Parties List

A Supplier will not be awarded a contract if it, or any of its affiliates or subcontractors, is an excluded entity on the federal government’s System for Award Management (“SAM”) at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/, or the Commonwealth’s Debarment List as provided by Code § 2.2-4321 at the time of award.

G. Announcement of Award – Code § 2.2-4300 et seq.

If a contract is awarded or announced as a result of this RFP, Agency will post notice of the award decision on the eVA web site (http://www.eva.virginia.gov) for a minimum of 10 days. No award decision will be provided verbally. Any final contract, including pricing, awarded as a result of this RFP will be made available for public inspection.

SUPPLIER PROFILE

Supplier shall submit a completed Administrative Appendix C Supplier Profile with its proposal, including an overview of Supplier, Supplier references, resumes, and financial documentation. See Administrative Appendix C for further information.

8. SMALL BUSINESS (SWAM) SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

It is the policy of the Commonwealth to contribute to the establishment, preservation, and strengthening of small businesses and micro businesses, including those small or micro businesses owned by women, minorities, or service-disabled veterans; and to encourage their participation in Commonwealth procurement activities. Further, Agency is committed to enabling a minimum of three percent (3%) participation by small businesses that are service disabled veteran-owned businesses, as defined in Code §§ 2.2-2000.1 and 2.2-4310, when contracting for information technology goods and services. The Commonwealth encourages all Suppliers to provide for the participation of these small businesses through partnerships, joint ventures, subcontracts, and other contractual opportunities.

Any business that is a small business, a small woman-owned business, a small minority-owned business, or a small service disabled veteran-owned business, as defined in Code § 2.2-4310 or § 2.2-1604, or a certified micro business as defined in Executive Order Number 35 (2019), is a “SWaM” business. For purposes of this RFP, no Supplier will be considered a SWaM business unless certified as a small business or as a micro business by the State of Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (“DSBSD”) by this RFP’s proposal due date and time. For information, go to: http://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/.

If Supplier is a DSBSD-certified small or micro SWaM business, Supplier shall complete Section A of Exhibit H Small Business (SWaM) Contracting Plan, stating its certification number and date of certification.

If Supplier is not a DSBSD-certified small or micro SWaM business, Supplier shall provide a Small Business Subcontracting Plan as set forth in Exhibit H Small Business (SWaM) Contracting Plan, stating the amount of the overall commitment percentage that will be directly spent with SWaM subcontractors in performing the Requirements of the contract.

Note: If Supplier is not a DSBSD-certified small or micro SWaM business and does not plan to utilize DSBSD-certified small or micro business subcontractor(s) in performing the Requirements of the contract, then Supplier shall state as such on Exhibit H where indicated.

1. PRICING INFORMATION

Supplier shall provide detailed pricing for each of the pricing methods set forth in the Excel Pricing Schedule workbook attached to this RFP as Exhibit B: Pricing, in accordance with the Instructions set forth on the first tab of the Exhibit. Pricing must be comprehensive. Additional information and backup detail may be attached as appropriate. Altered formats or blank data will be considered incomplete and may be eliminated from further consideration.

See the Instructions tab in Exhibit B for further information.

Agency STANDARD CONTRACT

Any agreement resulting from this RFP will be defined by a written contract, which shall be binding only when fully executed by both parties. A copy of Agency’s standard contract is provided as part of this RFP as a separate MS Word document titled, Virginia Wildlife Magazine Fulfillment Services DWR Cloud Solution. Depending on the type of solution proposed, the agreement may need to address licensing or hosting issues.

Supplier must submit any proposed exceptions and comments in the form of redline markup to the terms and conditions contained in the document “Agency’s Standard Contract” with its response to this RFP along with a completed table in the format provided in Administrative Appendix E – Supplier Exceptions to the Agency Standard Contract, setting forth Supplier’s rationale and reasons for each of the proposed exceptions. Only exceptions or recommended language revisions submitted with the proposal will be considered during negotiations. Suppliers are strongly encouraged to accept the Contract as presented. Any provisions of the Contract that are NOT addressed by the Supplier via redlines to the Contract template submitted as part of their proposal will be assumed to be acceptable.

In accordance with 2.2-4302, exceptions shall not be used as a basis for scoring or evaluating which offerors are selected for negotiations.

In the event that Supplier is a software reseller, Agency will consider the software publisher’s license agreement language if the software publisher requires an End User License Agreement (“EULA”). In such case, Suppliers are advised that Agency will require Supplier to obtain Agency’s License Agreement Addendum to the EULA to address terms and conditions in that EULA that Agency, as a government entity, by law or by policy, cannot agree. If a Supplier’s proposed Service/Solution requires Agency to execute a EULA, Supplier shall contact the SPOC, who will provide Supplier with Agency's “License Agreement Addendum” terms.

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