STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Request for Proposal Project: 11262025-01

Date of Issue: 11/26/2025

Proposal Opening Date: 01/06/2026

At

2:00pm

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Jeremy Thompson

Asst. Director Operations & Facilities

Email: thompsonj@carteret.edu

Phone: 252-222-6040

RFP Number: 11262025-01 Vendor: _______________________________

Ver: 5/13/16 Page 2 of 2

Request for Proposal # 11262025-01

For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals in the Interactive Purchasing System (IPS), please provide your company’s Federal Employer Identification Number or alternate identification number (e.g., Social Security Number). Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page is to be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.

Federal ID Number or Social Security Number

BIDDER/Vendor Name

NC Contractor License Number

Attach this page to bid as Cover Letter

RFP Number: 11262025-01 Vendor: _______________________________

Ver: 5/13/16 Page 2 of 2

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals, and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein. By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor certifies that this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S.

143-54), that none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and that it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1. False certification is a Class I felony. Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency. As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system. G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public Contract; or awarding or administering public Contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public Contract of any gift from anyone with a Contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for your entire organization and its employees or agents, that you are not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal shall render proposal invalid and it WILL BE REJECTED. Late proposals cannot be accepted.

BIDDER/VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE.

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:

CARTERET COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Operations & FACILITIES DEPARTMENT

Attn: Jeremy Thompson

106 Banks Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

252-222-6040 thompsonj@carteret.edu

Request for Proposal # 11262025-01

Bid date: 01/06/2026

LOCATION/TIME OF BID OPENING:

Carteret Community College 2:00pm

Rhue Building Room 123

106 Banks St. Morehead City NC, 28557

Proposal Number: 11262025-01 Vendor: __________________________________________

Ver: 02/10/2021

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this ____ day of _______________, 20____, as indicated on the attached certification, by _____________________________________________________________________________

BIDDER/VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: EMAIL:

Offer valid for at least 60 days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise stated here: ______ days. After this time, any withdrawal of offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If any or all parts of this proposal are accepted by the State of North Carolina, an authorized representative of the RCC shall affix his/her signature hereto and this document and all provisions of this Request for Proposal along with the Vendor proposal response and the written results of any negotiations shall then constitute the written agreement between the parties. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the successful Vendor(s).

Table of Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND Background

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 NOTICE TO BIDDERS/VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.2 RFP SCHEDULE

2.3 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

2.4 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

2.5 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

2.6 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 CONTRACT TERM

4.2 PRICING

4.3 INVOICES

4.4 PAYMENT TERMS

4.5 FINANCIAL STABILITY

4.6 REFERENCES

4.7 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.8 PERSONNEL

4.9 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

5.0 SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

5.2 OBJECTIVES

5.3 TASKS

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

5.5 TECHNICAL APPROACH

5.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

5.7 LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

5.8 WARRANTIES

5.8 CERTIFICATION AND SAFETY LABELS

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

6.2 POST AWARD MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETINGS

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.4 PERIODIC MONTHLY STATUS REPORTS

6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.6 CONTRACT CHANGES

ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT C: PRICING

ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

Identification of HUB Certified/ Minority Business Participation

State of North Carolina AFFIDAVIT A - Listing of Good Faith Efforts

State of North Carolina AFFIDAVIT B - Intent to Perform Contract with Own Workforce

1.0 PURPOSE AND Background

Carteret Community College is seeking to replace the existing sewer lift station well, controls, and pumps that is located inside of the McGee building mechanical room and place the new lift station outside of the mechanical room while the building is still being occupied.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

The RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award.

All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference.

2.1 NOTICE TO BIDDERS/VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions, the State’s terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP, and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with in the instructions in Section 2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS.

If the State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The State may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation and amendment of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period. Other than through this process, the State rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded. Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

If a vendor desires modification of the terms and conditions of this solicitation, it is urged and cautioned to inquire during the question period, in accordance with the instructions in this RFP, about whether specific language proposed as a modification is acceptable to or will be considered by the State. Identification of objections or exceptions to the State’s terms and conditions in the proposal itself shall not be allowed and shall be disregarded or the proposal rejected.

Contact with anyone working for or with the State regarding this RFP other than the named contact on the face page of this RFP in the manner specified by this RFP shall constitute grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer, at the State’s election.

2.2 RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

Event Responsibility Date and Time

Issue RFP Owner 11/26/2025

Hold Pre-Proposal Meeting/Site Visit Owner 12/11/2025

Submit Written Questions Bidder 12/18/2025

Provide Response to Questions Owner 12/22/2025

Submit Proposals Bidder 01/06/2026

Contract Award Owner 01/13/2026

Contract Effective Date Owner 01/15/2025

2.2 Mandatory Site Visit:

Mandatory SITE VISIT:

Date: 12/11/2025 Location: McGee building (Front Entrance)

Time: 10:00am Address: 3505 Arendell St. Morehead City NC, 28557

Contact #: 252-222-6040

Instructions: Vendor representatives are REQUIRED to visit the site and apprise themselves of the conditions and requirements which will affect the performance of the work called for by this Request for Proposal. Submission of a proposal shall constitute sufficient evidence of this compliance and no allowance will be made for unreported conditions which a prudent Vendor would recognize as affecting the performance of the work called for in this proposal.

Vendor is cautioned that any information released to attendees during the site visit, other than that involving the physical aspects of the facility referenced above, and which conflicts with, supersedes, or adds to requirements in this Request for Proposal, must be confirmed by written addendum before it can be considered to be a part of this proposal.

2.3 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the above due date.

Written questions shall be emailed to thompsonj@carteret.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP 11262025-01: Questions” as the subject for the email.

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State will be emailed to prospective bidders and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any State personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP.

2.4 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

Sealed proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof and the receipt requirements described below, shall be received at the address indicated in the table below, for furnishing and delivering those items or services as described herein.

Mailing address for delivery of proposal via US Postal Service/UPS/FEDEX/HAND

DELIVERY

ATTN: Jeremy Thompson

106 Banks Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

PROPOSAL NUMBER: 11262025-01

IMPORTANT NOTE: All proposals shall be physically delivered to the office address listed above on or before the proposal deadline in order to be considered timely, regardless of the method of delivery. This is an absolute requirement. All risk of late arrival due to unanticipated delay—whether delivered by hand, U.S. Postal Service, courier or other delivery service is entirely on the Vendor. It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor to have the proposal physically in this Office by the specified time and date of opening. The time of delivery will be marked on each proposal when received, and any proposal received after the proposal submission deadline will be rejected. Sealed proposals, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received at the address indicated in the table in this Section, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein.

Note that the U.S. Postal Service generally does not deliver mail to specified street address but to the State’s Mail Service Center. Vendors are cautioned that proposals sent via U.S. Mail, including Express Mail, may not be delivered by the Mail Service Center to the agency’s purchasing office on the due date in time to meet the proposal deadline. All Vendors are urged to take the possibility of delay into account when submitting a proposal. Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone or electronic means, including but not limited to email, in response to this RFP shall NOT be accepted.

a) Submit two (2) signed, original executed proposal responses,

b) Submit your proposal in a sealed package. Clearly mark each package with: (1) Vendor name; (2) the RFP number;

and (3) the due date. Address the package(s) for delivery as shown in the table above. If Vendor is submitting more than one (1) proposal, each proposal shall be submitted in separate sealed envelopes and marked accordingly. For delivery purposes, separate sealed envelopes from a single Vendor may be included in the same outer package.

Proposals are subject to rejection unless submitted with the information above included on the outside of the sealed proposal package.

2.5 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and those attachments should be arranged in the following order:

a) Cover Letter

b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number.

c) Completed and signed version of EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP (pages 2-20)1, and signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP (if required to be returned).

d) ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

e) ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT C: PRICING

g) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

h) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

i) Completed and signed version of Hub certification documents, affidavit A or B

2.6 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Vendor may submit alternate proposals for various methods or levels of service(s) or that propose different options.

Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend:

“Alternate Proposal”. Each proposal must be for a specific set of services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various service offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered.

2.7 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

a) BAFO: Best and Final Offer, submitted by a Vendor to alter its initial offer, made in response to a request by the issuing agency.

b) BUYER: The employee of the State or Other Eligible Entity that places an order with the Vendor.

c) COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Any of the fifty-eight (58) public North Carolina Community Colleges.

d) CONTRACT LEAD: Representative of the Carteret Community College who corresponds with potential Vendors in order to identify and contract with that Vendor providing the greatest benefit to the State and who will administer this contract for the State.

e) E-PROCUREMENT SERVICES: The program, system, and associated services through which the State conducts electronic procurement.

f) FOB-DESTINATION: Title changes hand from Vendor to purchaser at the destination point of the shipment; Vendor owns commodity in transit and files any claims, and Vendor pays all freight and any related transportation charges. A solicitation may request Vendors to separately identify freight charges in their proposal, but no amount or charge not included as part of the total proposal price will be paid.

g) LOT: A grouping of similar products within this RFP.

h) ON-TIME DELIVERY: The delivery of all items within a single order to the receiving point designated by the ordering entity within the delivery time required.

i) QUALIFIED PROPOSAL: A responsive proposal submitted by a responsible Vendor.

j) RFP: Request for Proposal

k) STATE: The State of North Carolina, including any of its sub-units recognized under North Carolina law.

l) STATE AGENCY: Any of the more than 400 sub-units within the executive branch of the State, including its departments, boards, commissions, institutions of higher education and other institutions.

m) VENDOR: Supplier, bidder, proposer, company, firm, corporation, partnership, individual or other entity submitting a response to a Request for Proposal.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

All qualified proposals will be evaluated and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP requirements and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below.

While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to single Vendor, the State reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the State to do so.

The status of a Vendor’s E-Procurement Services account(s) shall be considered a relevant factor in determining whether to approve the award of a contract under this RFP. Any Vendor with an E-Procurement Services account that is in arrears by 91 days or more at the time of proposal opening may, at the State’s discretion, be disqualified from further evaluation or consideration.

The State reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

During the evaluation period—from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is awarded—each Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives, sub-contractors and/or suppliers) is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency, issuing agency, other government agency office, or body (including the purchaser named above, department secretary, agency head, members of the general assembly and/or governor’s office), or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the contents of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform the contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals and/or the award of the contract. A Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from contract award, unless it is determined in the State’s discretion that the communication was harmless, that it was made without intent to influence and that the best interest of the State would not be served by the disqualification. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its sub-contractor and supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement to the date of contract award). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or general inquiries directed to the purchaser regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the contract award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the State reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the State.

At the date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids are authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. If negotiation is anticipated, cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

BEST VALUE: "Best Value" procurement methods are authorized by N.C.G.S. §§143-135.9 and 143B-1350(h). The award decision is made based on multiple factors, including: total cost of ownership, meaning the cost of acquiring, operating, maintaining, and supporting a product or service over its projected lifetime; the evaluated technical merit of the Vendor's offer; the Vendor's past performance; and the evaluated probability of performing the specifications stated in the solicitation on time, with high quality, and in a manner that accomplishes the stated business objectives and maintains industry standards compliance. The intent of "Best Value" procurement is to enable Vendors to offer and the Agency to select the most appropriate solution to meet the business objectives defined in the solicitation and to keep all parties focused on the desired outcome of a procurement.

A ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement using evaluation criteria listed in order of importance in the Evaluation Criteria section below to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor(s) providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with, or traded-off against, other non-price factors.

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT D: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

Total cost to the State

Level of quality provided by the Vendor

Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

Protection of the State’s information and intellectual property

Availability of pertinent skills

Ability to understand the State’s business requirements and internal operational culture

Particular risk factors such as the security of the State’s information technology

Relations with citizens and employees

Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This Request for Proposal serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the Department; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. As such, all terms in the Request for Proposal shall be enforceable as contract terms in accordance with the General Contract Terms and Conditions. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, the Department will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the Department’s needs as described in the Request for Proposal. Except as specifically stated in the Request for Proposal, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in the Department exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the State to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged and cautioned to submit these items in the form of a question during the question-and-answer period in accordance with Section 2.4.

4.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within 30 business days of the Effective Date. Work shall be completed within 90 days.

4.2 PRICING

Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to Buyer for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges handling, administrative and other similar fees. Vendor shall not invoice for any amounts not specifically allowed for in this RFP. Complete ATTACHMENT C: PRICING FORM and include in Proposal.

4.3 INVOICES

a) The Vendor must submit one monthly invoice within fifteen (15) calendar days following the end of each month in which work was performed.

b) Invoices must be submitted to the following address: Carteret Community College/Facilities Dept.

3505 Arendell St. Morehead City NC, 28557

c) Invoices must be submitted in hard copy on the Contractor’s official letterhead stationery and must be identified by a unique invoice number. All invoice backup reports and spreadsheets must be provided in electronic format.

d) Invoices must bear the correct contract number and purchase order number to ensure prompt payment. The

Vendor’s failure to include the correct purchase order number may cause delay in payment.

e) Invoices must include an accurate description of the work for which the invoice is being submitted, the invoice date, the period of time covered, the amount of fees due to the Vendor and the original signature of the Vendor’s project manager.

f) Invoices must include Appendix E – listing all HUB subcontractors, certification and amounts.

4.4 PAYMENT TERMS

a) The Vendor will be paid net thirty (30) calendar days after the Vendor’s invoice is approved by the State.

4.5 FINANCIAL STABILITY

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing the ATTACHMENT E: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The State is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from Contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable. From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the State within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this

VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.6 REFERENCES

Vendors shall provide at least three (3) references for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope to that proposed herein. The State MAY contact these users to determine the services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained MAY be considered in the evaluation of the proposal.

COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE NUMBER

4.7 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of the Vendor performing services under any contract arising from this RFP may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so, requested by the State.

4.8 PERSONNEL

Vendor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of this Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. The State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the services of any person providing services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract services provided by such personnel.

4.9 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

a) Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide services under this Contract in a professional manner.

“Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under this Contract. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by the State. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

b) If any services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this Contract are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under this Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and Deliverables.

c) Vendor warrants that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue perform its obligations under the contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

5.0 SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

Provide labor, materials, and equipment necessary to start, finish, and closeout the McGee sewer lift station replacement project. All contractors and subs must be licensed with the state of North Carolina. All permits needed for the work (electrical & plumbing), will need to be obtained by the awarded vendor from the Town of Morehead City.

5.2 OBJECTIVES

All work to be scheduled and performed to best avoid college interruption. Classes and events may be going on during normal working hours from 7:00am to 6:00pm. NOT ALL WORK WILL BE OFF HOURS. The current lift station will need to be operational while construction is going on. Testing of the new system will need to be done prior to final tie in of the force main from the building to the new system at the termination of the old wet well.

5.3 TASKS

Construction plans are provided by Stroud Engineering for this project and will be as followed.

All components such as grinder pumps, electrical panels, floats, alarms, and cellular dialer will need to be installed outside for the new lift station.

Refer to the construction plans for dimensions of the wet well.

The old lift station will need to be filled in with concrete after the new lift station has been inspected and is operational.

The force mains will need to be trenched in per Stroud Engineering’s plan. And when completed, all concrete will need to be poured back and finished.

All locates for private utilities will need to be located in the construction area prior to digging.

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Vendor shall describe the organizational and operational structure it proposes to utilize for the work described in this RFP, and identify the responsibilities to be assigned to each person Vendor proposes to staff the work.

5.5 TECHNICAL APPROACH

Vendor’s proposal shall include, in narrative, outline, and/or graph form the Vendor's approach to accomplishing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. A description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included.

5.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

In the event acceptance criteria for any work or deliverables is not described in contract documents or work orders hereunder, the State shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of such work or deliverable described in the Contract that it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) it is unacceptable. Acceptance by the State shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for reasonable review, evaluation, installation or testing, as applicable of the work or deliverable.

Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable assessment procedures. Should the work or deliverables fail to meet any requirements, acceptance criteria or otherwise fail to conform to the contract, the State may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code as adopted in North Carolina.

5.7 LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

The parties agree that calculation of actual damages resulting from failure to meet the following performance standards is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to calculate accurately, and the parties also agree that the compensation identified for such failures are a reasonable estimate of damages resulting from a failure to meet the performance standard described. Therefore, the parties agree that the Vendor shall be subject to amounts due as liquidated damages but not as a penalty, for each such failure, as follows:

$150 per day for substantial work not completed after May 30th, 2026.

5.8 WARRANTIES

Vendor warrants to the State that all items furnished will be new (unless otherwise specifically requested in this RFP), of good material and workmanship, and Vendor agrees to replace any items which fail to comply with the specifications by reason of defective material or workmanship under normal use, free of State’s negligence or accident for a minimum of 90 days from date of acceptance. Such replacement shall include transportation costs free of any charge to the State.

This statement is not intended to limit any additional coverage, which may normally be associated with a product. Vendor shall assign to the State all third-party warranties applicable to such deliverables. Vendor warrants that the State has all rights necessary to utilize all deliverables for their intended purpose free from all third-party claims.

5.8 CERTIFICATION AND SAFETY LABELS

PRODUCT SAFETY LISTING: All manufactured items and/or fabricated assemblies subject to operation under pressure, operation by connection to an electric source, or operation involving a connection to a manufactured, natural, or LP gas source shall be constructed and approved in a manner acceptable to the appropriate state inspector which customarily requires the label or re-examination listing or identification marking of the appropriate safety standard organization; such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for pressure vessels; the Underwriters Laboratories and /or National Electrical Manufacturers’ Association for electrically operated assemblies; or the American Gas Association for gas operated assemblies, where such approvals of listings have been established for the type of device offered and furnished. A list of acceptable marks is available on the Division of Purchase and Contract website at:

http://ncadmin.nc.gov/about-doa/divisions/purchase-contract. The CE label is not acceptable. Further, all items furnished shall meet all requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and state and federal requirements relating to clean air and water pollution. Having the appropriate certification or safety label affixed to any device delivered pursuant to this solicitation, under the conditions described above, is a material condition of any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation. All costs for product and industry certifications and listings required to supply conforming products to the State as described in this RFP are the sole responsibility of the Vendor. The certification or safety label shall be affixed and be visible on the OUTSIDE of the all products that require a certification or safety label in order to pass the State Quality Acceptance Inspection.

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Vendor shall designate and make available to the State a project manager. The project manager shall be the State’s point of contact for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling and service.

6.2 POST AWARD MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETINGS

The Vendor, at the request of the State, shall meet periodically with the State for Project Review meetings. The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, discuss Vendor and State performance, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics.

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The State encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost the State. A continuous improvement effort consisting of various ideas to enhance business efficiencies will be discussed at the periodic Business Review Meetings.

6.4 PERIODIC MONTHLY STATUS REPORTS

The Vendor shall provide monthly Management Reports to the designated Contract Lead. (If requested) This report shall include, at a minimum, information concerning [the work accomplished during the reporting period; work to be accomplished during the subsequent reporting period; problems, real or anticipated, and notification of any significant deviation from previously agreed upon work plans and schedules]. These reports shall be well organized and easy to read. The Vendor shall submit these reports electronically using Microsoft Excel and, as needed, either Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft Word. The Vendor shall submit the reports in a timely manner and on a regular schedule as agreed by the parties.

Within 15 business days of the award of the Contract the Vendor shall submit a final work plan and a sample report, both to the designated Contract Lead for approval. A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT SCHEDULE IS MANDATORY WITH 15 DAYS OF AWARD. CONSTRUCTION WILL IMPACT CAMPUS TRAFFIC AND CLASSES. SCHEDULING IS

CRITICAL.

http://ncadmin.nc.gov/about-doa/divisions/purchase-contract

6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. A claim by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the State’s Contract Lead for resolution. A claim by the State shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s). During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within thirty (30) days after delivery of notice, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under this Contract, or at law. This term shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute.

6.6 CONTRACT CHANGES

Contract changes, if any, over the life of the contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the State and Vendor.

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Attachments to this RFP begin on the next page.

ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

1. READ, REVIEW AND COMPLY: It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and any addenda thereto, and comply with all requirements specified herein, regardless of whether appearing in these Instructions to Vendors or elsewhere in this RFP document.

2. LATE PROPOSALS: Late proposals, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will automatically be disqualified from further consideration. It shall be the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure delivery at the designated office by the designated time.

3. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION: The State reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive any informality in proposals and, unless otherwise specified by the Vendor, to accept any item in the proposal. If either a unit price or an extended price is obviously in error and the other is obviously correct, the incorrect price will be disregarded.

4. BASIS FOR REJECTION: Pursuant to 01 NCAC 05B .0501, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part, by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered, non-compliance with the requirements or intent of this solicitation, lack of competitiveness, error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State, cancellation or other changes in the intended project or any other determination that the proposed requirement is no longer needed, limitation or lack of available funds, circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer, or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State.

5. EXECUTION: Failure to sign EXECUTION PAGE in the indicated space will render proposal non-responsive, and it shall be rejected.

6. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: In cases of conflict between specific provisions in this solicitation or those in any resulting contract, the order of precedence shall be (high to low) (1) any special terms and conditions specific to this RFP, including any negotiated terms; (2) requirements and specifications in Sections 4, 5 and 6 of this RFP; (3) North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions in ATTACHMENT B: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS; (4) Instructions in ATTACHMENT A: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS;

and (5) Vendor’s Proposal.

7. INFORMATION AND DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Vendor shall furnish all information requested and, in the spaces, provided in this document. Further, if required elsewhere in this proposal, each Vendor must submit with their proposal sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products offered.

Reference to literature submitted with a previous proposal or available elsewhere will not satisfy this provision.

Proposals that do not comply with these requirements shall be subject to rejection without further consideration.

8. SUSTAINABILITY: To support the sustainability efforts of the State of North Carolina we solicit your cooperation in this effort. Pursuant to Executive Order 156 (1999), it is desirable that all responses meet the following:

• All copies of the proposal are printed double sided.

• All submittals and copies are printed on recycled paper with a minimum post-consumer content of 30%.

• Unless absolutely necessary, all proposals and copies should minimize or eliminate use of non-recyclable or non-reusable materials such as plastic report covers, plastic dividers, vinyl sleeves, and GBC binding. Three-ringed binders, glued materials, paper clips, and staples are acceptable.

• Materials should be submitted in a format which allows for easy removal, filing and/or recycling of paper and binder materials. Use of oversized paper is strongly discouraged unless necessary for clarity or legibility.

9. HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES: Pursuant to General Statute 143-48 and Executive Order #143

(2021), the State invites and encourages participation in this procurement process by businesses owned by minorities, women, disabled, disabled business enterprises and non-profit work centers for the blind and severely disabled. HUB documentation required with Bid.

10. RECIPROCAL PREFERENCE: G.S. 143-59 establishes a reciprocal preference requirement to discourage other states from favoring their own resident Vendors by applying a percentage increase to the price of any proposal from a North Carolina resident Vendor. The “Principal Place of Business” is defined as that principal place from which the trade or business of the Vendor is directed or managed.

11. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: To the extent permitted by applicable statutes and rules, the State will maintain confidential trade secrets that the Vendor does not wish disclosed. As a condition to confidential treatment, each page containing trade secret information shall be identified in boldface at the top and bottom as “CONFIDENTIAL” by the Vendor, with specific trade secret information enclosed in boxes or similar indication. Cost information shall not be deemed confidential under any circumstances. Regardless of what a Vendor may label as a trade secret, the determination whether it is or is not entitled to protection will be determined in accordance with G.S. 132-1.2. Any material labeled as confidential constitutes a representation by the Vendor that it has made a reasonable effort in good faith to determine that such material is, in fact, a trade secret under G.S. 132-1.2. Vendors are urged and cautioned to limit the marking of information as a trade secret or as confidential so far as is possible.

12. PROTEST PROCEDURES: When a Vendor wishes to protest a Contract resulting from this solicitation that is awarded by the Division of Purchase and Contract, or awarded by an agency in an awarded amount of at least $25,000, a Vendor shall submit a written request addressed to the State Purchasing Officer at Purchase and Contract, 1305 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1305. A protest request related to an award amount of less than $25,000 shall be sent to the purchasing officer of the agency that issued the award. The protest request must be received in the proper office within thirty (30) consecutive calendar days from the date of the Contract award.

Protest letters shall contain specific grounds and reasons for the protest, how the protesting party was harmed by the award made and any documentation providing support for the protesting party’s claims. Note: Contract award notices are sent only to the Vendor actually awarded the Contract, and not to every person or firm responding to a solicitation. Proposal status and Award notices are posted on the Internet at https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/. All protests will be handled pursuant to the North Carolina Administrative Code, 01 NCAC 05B .1519.

13. MISCELLANEOUS: Masculine pronouns shall be read to include feminine pronouns, and the singular of any word or phrase shall be read to include the plural and vice versa.

14. COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS: In submitting its proposal, the Vendor agrees not to discuss or otherwise reveal the contents of its proposal to any source,…