MRCHCAP RFR Posted~1.doc

MRCHCAP 10-18

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Executive Office of Health & Human Services

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission 600 Washington street boston, ma 02111

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Home Care Assistants ASK "RFR Number/Document Number" \* MERGEFORMAT COMMBUYS Bid#: BD-19-1071-AO-CON01-31976

Agency Document Number: MRCHCAP 10-18

Help Desk No. 1-888-627-8283

1. ACQUISITION METHOD:

This is a Master Service Agreement, Unit Rate contract for individual providers who were selected by an eligible MRC Home Care Assistance Program consumer(s) to provide homemaker services in accordance with the consumer service plan and will be reimbursed for at the MRC-determined unit rate for services provided.

2. SINGLE OR MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS:

Single Contractor

Multiple Contractors

Single or Multiple Contractors in order to provide best value in achieving this solicitation’s objectives

3. SINGLE OR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATION:

Only Procuring Department May Contract Under RFR

4. ANTICIPATED DURATION OF CONTRACT AND ANY RENEWAL OPTIONS:

5. ANTICIPATED EXPENDITURES, FUNDING OR COMPENSATION FOR EXPECTED DURATION:

Total anticipated annual award: $279,000. Contract amounts during the period of this contract may increase or decrease based upon numbers of referrals and state appropriation.

6. PROCUREMENT TIMETABLE:

Action date

Post RFR on COMMBUYS

10/9/18

Written Questions Posted on COMMBUYS by 10/19/18

Answers to Questions Posted on COMMBUYS 10/26/18

RFR Responses submitted by

11/19/18*

RFR Responses review completed by

12/20/18

Applicants informed of Selection

1/15/18

Contract Start Date

2/1/19

*For an anticipated 2/1/19 Start. Responses received after 11/19/18 will be reviewed as they are received.

DESCRIPTION OR PURPOSE OF PROCUREMENT:

The Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) Home Care Assistance Program allows eligible individuals the option to select and direct their own service provider, known as a Home Care Assistant. This RFR is the mechanism by which individuals identified by consumers to be Home Care Assistants are determined qualified to enter into contract with the Commonwealth. Home Care Assistants are considered independent contractors who work under the direction of the eligible consumer.

This contract procurement is subject to Commonwealth of Massachusetts funding.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Home Care Assistance Program (HCAP): the department within the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission which administers homemaking services to eligible individuals with disabilities.

Homemaking Services: hands on assistance with the following tasks: grocery shopping, medication pick-up, meal preparation, laundry, light housecleaning and taking out trash.

Home Care Assistant (HCA): an individual, selected by the consumer, who is determined qualified to assist the consumer with the homemaking tasks for which they are authorized to receive assistance. An HCA cannot be an immediate family member of the consumer.

Consumer (or “HCAP Consumer”): a person with a disability who has been determined eligible to receive services through the Home Care Assistance Program.

CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS, AND CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS:

Contract Specifications:

Background Information: The MRC Home Care Assistance Program (HCAP) provides homemaking assistance to eligible individuals whose disability prevents them from performing one or more homemaking tasks and who require such assistance to prevent hospitalization or institutionalization. Homemaking tasks are limited to: grocery shopping, picking up medications, preparing meals or assisting with meal preparation (e.g., chopping, peeling, opening containers), laundry, light housecleaning and taking out trash.

A guiding principle of MRC HCAP is that individuals with disabilities have a right to choose the level of control and direction they wish to have over their services. Allowing an individual to identify and select their own HCA, through this RFR process represents one option on the self-direction continuum; consumers select an individual, review their qualifications, direct the individual to complete the RFR, and, once a contract is set, take responsibility for scheduling, training, and directing their HCA to ensure that their needs are met.

Consumers are first determined eligible through an eligibility determination process that looks at functional abilities and limitations, financial resources of the consumers, living situation and other available supports. Once eligible, a service plan is developed through a collaborative process with the consumer and the HCAP Case Manager. The consumer is then sent an eligibility letter outlining the amount of time authorized to complete the specific tasks for which the consumer needs assistance. The consumer then has the option of receiving those services through a Home Care Provider Agency, or by selecting their own Home Care Assistant.

Process: A consumer who chooses the HCA option identifies the potential HCA, reviews his/her qualifications and ability to meet the consumer’s specific requirements and, if selected, instructs the individual to complete the RFR forms. (NOTE that a Criminal Offenders Records Information, “CORI”, check is required. The CORI Request Form must be signed in the presence of an MRC employee. Before completing and submitting the RFR response, the individual must first contact the HCAP Case Manager to make arrangements for this form to be completed.)

The consumer must sign off on the qualifications as well, acknowledging that they have reviewed the qualifications with the potential HCA. All qualifications must be met for a response to be approved.

When the RFR forms are received at HCAP the Case Manager checks to Department of Public Health Nurse Aide Registry to ensure that there is no record of substantiated patient abuse.

A CORI check is then completed and reviewed in accordance with agency policy.

If the HCA candidate is found to meet the qualifications, a contract is generated and sent to the HCA for signature.

Once a contract is executed, MRC-HCAP staff will notify the consumer that they can begin services with the HCA. Payment Vouchers, timesheets, billing instructions, and an authorization letter are sent to the HCA.

Paid service cannot begin until the contract is fully executed and HCAP Case Manager has notified the consumer that services with the HCA may begin.

Billing must done on a monthly basis by completing a payment voucher and a timesheet, which must be signed by the HCA and the consumer, reflecting the hours worked within the month. Hours are authorized based upon a calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) and billing cannot exceed the authorized hours in any week.

As this is an independent contractor arrangement, health insurance and workers compensation are not provided. Taxes are not taken out, but the individual is responsible for reporting this income. Individuals who earn more than $600.00 a year through this contract will receive a 1099 Form.

Service Delivery: Some important aspects of service delivery include:

· HCAs work under the direct supervision of the HCAP consumer, performing the homemaking tasks identified in the consumer’s service plan.

· The HCA will be paid for the time spent performing the tasks identified in the consumer’s service plan. MRC will not pay for more than the authorized hours. If there are concerns about the adequacy of the authorization, the Case Manager can be notified and a review of the authorization can be conducted.

· MRC-HCAP requires that the consumer be present when services are delivered in their home. No service may be provided on behalf of the consumer when s/he is hospitalized or otherwise away from the home.

· Discussion and planning regarding the use of Universal Precautions to minimize exposure to contagions is recommended. In general, HCAs should wear gloves when performing laundry and light housecleaning tasks. Gloves should be changed between tasks. Frequent hand-washing, particularly before and after handling food, is also recommended.

Communication: HCAs should maintain confidentiality by refraining from communicating personal information about the consumer, except when relevant to service delivery issues, or when mandated reporting laws apply.

MRC-HCAP Case Managers do not take on the role of supervision of HCAs, though they may be called upon to assist in problem-solving around service delivery issues.

HCAs must report an interruption in service (e.g., hospitalization) immediately to the HCAP Case Manager so that the service authorization can be adjusted accordingly.

MRC-HCAP periodically reviews the eligibility and service plan of each consumer. The HCA is expected to provide the HCAP Case Manager with information regarding service delivery relevant to this review process.

The HCA must notify the HCAP Case Manager of any change in address, phone number, legal name or bank account (if reimbursed through direct deposit), as new forms will be required to maintain a valid contract.

Mandated Reporting: HCAs are mandated reporters, and as such must report any suspicions of abuse or neglect by a caretaker of an individual with a disability. Reports are made to the Disabled Persons Protection Commission at 1-800-426-9009.

Termination: MRC-HCAP does not play a role in decisions regarding termination of an HCA except in cases where the consumer is no longer eligible to receive HCAP services, funding for such services is no longer available, or in instances where allegations of abuse, neglect, fraud or criminal activity on the part of the HCA have been substantiated.

Contractor Qualifications: The first step in determining if a potential HCA is qualified is that the consumer determines that they could work well together. Each consumer has very individualized requirements, in terms of communication style, ability to meet specific needs such as familiarity with particular cultural, cooking or grocery shopping requirements, and scheduling requirements. If a consumer determines that a potential HCA may be qualified, the following criteria are then reviewed:

· Sufficient health and physical ability to perform the authorized tasks (consumer may ask for letter from health care provider stating HCA is free from communicable disease)

· Ability to communicate effectively with the consumer (in consumer’s language and/or with communication tools required by the consumer)

· Access to transportation sufficient to perform tasks outside of the home (such as grocery shopping) if applicable and to reach consumer’s home in inclement weather (consumer may request to see valid driver’s license)

· Ability to meet consumer’s individual scheduling requirements

· Sufficient math and reading skills to perform applicable tasks such as handling money, checks and change as needed for grocery shopping or laundry, reading lists, reading/following recipes, completing timesheets and payment vouchers

· Understanding of and willingness to practice Universal Precautions as described above and in Attachment 1

· Willingness to communicate directly with the consumer, and as needed with the HCAP Case Manager

· Understanding of, and ability to comply with the requirements set forth in this RFR

RESPONSE SPECIFICATIONS:

Individuals interested in responding to this RFR must first review the qualifications with the consumer for whom they wish to work. Both the potential HCA and the consumer must sign off on the qualifications page in Attachment 3.

The CORI Request Form must be signed in the presence of an MRC employee, and a valid government-issued photo identification must be presented at that time. A completed response will include the following:

1. Complete Cover Page (Attachment 2)

2. Completed Qualifications Page, signed by the HCA applicant and consumer (Attachment 3)

3. Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (W-9)

4. Completed CORI Request Form, signed in the presence of an MRC employee, and signed by that employee

5. Copy of valid photo identification

6. Commonwealth Terms and Conditions Form, completed and signed

7. Electronic Funds Transfer Form and copy of a voided check (to be used for direct deposit payments) OR a letter of explanation as to why direct deposit may not be feasible

8. Manual Submission Justification form, if applicable (Attachment 4) Responses must be submitted electronically via COMMBUYS unless extenuating circumstances justify a manual submission. If manual submission, the submission must include a completed Manual Submission Justification form (Attachment 4) outlining the reasons for not complying with the electronic COMMBUYS submissions requirement. For more information and to obtain needed documents and forms, please contact:

Betty Maher

Director, Home Care Assistance Program

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

600 Washington Street

Boston, MA 02111

Phone: 617-204-3631

E-mail: betty.maher@massmail.state.ma.us Manual submissions must include one (1) original with wet signature, and two (2) copies, and must be mailed to:

Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission

Contracts Department

600 Washington St. 1st floor Boston, MA 02111

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

MRC is committed to awarding contracts to providers that demonstrate cultural competency. Programs shall ensure equal access to services. The following strategies are recommended:

Agency Commitment: Agency Board of Directors and administrators make a commitment to creating an environment that clearly supports services for cultural and linguistic minority populations through the mission and goals of the agency.

Consumer Services: Program policies include language that contributes to enhancing equal access to services for all individuals residing in the Commonwealth. Program design, content, and materials are culturally and linguistically appropriate. Planning, implementation, and evaluation efforts include members of the target population. Where possible, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies are participatory in nature in order to provide opportunities for skill building and to facilitate self-empowerment. All consumers receive information on accessing health and human services including education on potential barriers and assistance in overcoming them. The program location and outreach activities are in settings that are most effective in reaching the target population.

Staff: All staff and volunteers, especially those who have direct contact with consumers, reflect the diversity of the culture and language of the community/target population. Services to non-English speaking clients are provided by bilingual/bicultural staff. Policies on recruitment, screening, and interviewing encourage hiring of individuals whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds are appropriate. If the program does not have bilingual/bicultural staff, there is extensive training to ensure sensitive and appropriate prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services.

AUDIT

During the term of this Agreement and for a period of six years thereafter, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, its auditors, the Operational Services Division, the Office of the Inspector General or other authorized representatives shall be afforded access at reasonable times to Contractor's accounting records, including sales information on any system, reports or files, in order to audit all records relating to goods sold or services performed pursuant to this Agreement. If such an audit indicates that Contractor has materially overcharged the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, then the Contractor shall remit the overcharged amount and be responsible for payment of any costs associated with the audit.

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM (SDP)

The Supplier Diversity Program (formerly known as Affirmative Market Program) was established in September, 2010 via Executive Order 524 to promote equality in the state contracting market by ensuring full participation of minority and women owned business enterprises (M/WBEs) in all areas of state contracting including construction, design, goods and services. The Executive Order consolidates the State Office of Minority and Women Assistance (SOMWBA) and Affirmative Market Program (AMP) into a new Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) that is part of the Operational Services Division. Similarly, Executive Order 546 established the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOBE) Program to encourage the participation of businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans in all areas of state procurement and contracting, thereby including them in the SDP.

The essence of both Executive Orders is to provide policies to promote the award of state contracts in a manner that develops and strengthens certified M/WBEs and SDVOBEs, because a diverse business community strengthens the economy and is beneficial to all of the citizens of the state.

In support of both Executive Orders, the state tracks SDP spending through POS contracts. As a result, providers that are issued a contract from this procurement will be required to submit a “Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Plan Form for Purchase of Service (POS)” on a yearly basis with their Uniform Financial Report (UFR) through the Operational Services Division (OSD) eFiling site. Providers that file a UFR exemption request are required to submit the SDP Plan Form for POS with their exemption request. The plan will be evaluated yearly by the Commonwealth Department with the most Purchase of Service funding to a provider during the previous fiscal year. This Department is commonly referred to as the Principal Purchasing Agency (PPA).

Bidders are to submit a copy of their most recently submitted “SDP Plan Form for POS” with their proposal to signify to the Procurement Management Team that a form has been submitted. Bidders that do not currently hold POS contracts with Commonwealth Departments are required to complete the Form and include it with their proposal. The “SDP Plan for POS” can be found in the File Attachments Section of the respective Bid Solicitation on www.COMMBUYS.com

The evaluation criteria for this POS solicitation do not dedicate a specific percentage of the total evaluation points to the SDP Plan. However the Strategic Sourcing/Procurement Management Team (SST/PMT) has developed strong evaluation benchmarks in order to identify robust plans. While the Plan is not assigned any points in the evaluation process, the Department is unable to issue a contract to an organization that has not submitted a Plan that demonstrates a strong commitment to working with M/WBEs and SDVOBEs.

Resources available to assist providers in identifying SDP Certified Partners include:

Potential Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Women Business Enterprises (WBE) partners can be found on the Supplier Diversity Program webpage (www.mass.gov/sdp ). For a complete list of certified vendors, refer to: https://www.sdo.osd.state.ma.us/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectory.aspx

Resources available to assist providers in finding potential Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (SDVOBE) partners can be found on the Supplier Diversity Office Webpage (www.mass.gov/sdo ).

The Operational Services Division offers SDP trainings for providers. The dates of upcoming SDP trainings can be found on the OSD Training & Outreach Webpage. In addition, the SDP Webinar can be located on the Supplier Diversity Program webpage (www.mass.gov/sdp)

DEBRIEFINGS AND APPEALS

Debriefing

Any Bidder that has filed an Eligible Response, but that is not selected may request a debriefing to understand the basis for the decision, and review all materials relevant to the review and the qualification and selection process. The request must be in writing and received within 14 calendar days of notification of such being sent to the Bidder. A Bidder aggrieved by the decision must participate in a debriefing as a prerequisite to filing a request for an administrative appeal. All requests for a debriefing must be sent by certified mail and addressed to:

Attn: Director of Contracts

Contracts Department

600 Washington St., 1st Floor

If a debriefing is properly requested, one will be scheduled within 14 calendar days of the date the request was received. If necessary, a brief extension shall be allowed by mutual agreement of the Bidder and MRC. At the debriefing, a Bidder shall be allowed to review public records directly related to the selection decision.

Administrative Appeals

A Bidder that is not selected and who attends a debriefing may appeal the decision to the Commissioner of MRC. Requests for appeal must be sent by certified mail and addressed to:

Commissioner

600 Washington St., 2nd Floor

The appeal must be filed within 14 calendar days of the debriefing meeting. The appeal must be in writing specifying the basis for the appeal and it must be based on one or more of the following grounds:

a. The procurement failed to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines. These are limited to the requirements of 801 CMR 21.00 or any successor regulations, the policies in the Operational Services Division (OSD) Procurement Information Center, subsequent policies and procedures issued by OSD and the specifications of the RFR; or

b. There was a fundamental unfairness in the procurement process.

The burden of proof rests with the Bidder to provide sufficient and specific evidence in support of its claim.

Requests for an appeal must specify in sufficient detail the basis for the appeal. Sufficient detail requires the identification of an applicable regulation or guideline that was not complied with or the specific facts that demonstrate that the procurement was unfair. MRC reserves the right to reject appeal requests based on grounds other than those stated above, or those submitted without sufficient detail on the basis for the appeal.

Administrative appeals are not subject to the formal procedures specified in M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 10 & 11.

A pending appeal will not prohibit MRC from proceeding with the selected Bidder, awarding a contract or making referrals to the selected Bidder.

Acceptance/Denial of the Appeal

Within 21 calendar days of the receipt of request for an appeal, MRC will schedule a hearing date or notify the Bidder that the appeal has been deemed without merit and that it will not be heard. The Bidder and the MRC may mutually agree to extend the date for the hearing. The Commissioner’s decision on the appeal will be put in writing and sent to the Bidder within 60 calendar days of the date of the hearing on the Bidder’s appeal.

Appeals to the Operational Services Division

Non-successful Bidders who participate in the appeal process described in this Section and remain aggrieved by the decision of the Agency may appeal the decision to the Operational Services Division (OSD). The basis for an appeal to OSD is limited to the following grounds:

a.

The competitive procurement conducted by MRC failed to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines. These would be limited to the requirements of 801 CMR 21.00 or any successor regulations, the policies in the OSD Procurement Information Center, subsequent policies and procedures issued by OSD and the specifications of the RFR; or b.

There was a fundamental unfairness in the procurement process. The allegation of unfairness or bias is one that is easier to allege than prove; consequently, the burden of proof rests with the Bidder to provide sufficient and specific evidence in support of its claim. OSD will presume that MRC conducted a fair procurement absent documentation to the contrary.

Requests for an appeal must be sent to OSD to the attention of the State Purchasing Agent at Room 1017, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108 and be received within 14 calendar days of the postmark of the notice of the Agency’s decision on the appeal. Appeal requests must specify in sufficient detail the basis for the appeal. Sufficient detail requires a description of the published policy or procedure which was applied and forms the basis for the appeal and presentation of all information that supports the claim under paragraphs a or b above. OSD reserves the right to reject appeal requests based on grounds other than those stated above or those submitted without sufficient detail on the basis for the appeal.

The decision of the State Purchasing Agent shall be rendered, in writing, setting forth the grounds for the decision within 60 calendar days of receipt of the appeal request. Pending appeals to the State Purchasing Agent shall not prohibit MRC from proceeding with executing contracts.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

a) The Bidder(s) is responsible for any and all costs associated with the preparation of the RFR response.

b) All response submissions, regardless of whether a contract is ultimately awarded to a particular Bidder, become the property of MRC.

c) The Agency may, during response review or at any time prior to selection, cancel a Request for Response or reject any or all responses if the Agency determines that such action is in the best interest of the Commonwealth.

d) The MRC and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts make no guarantee that any commodities or services will be purchased from any contract resulting from this RFR.

e) MRC reserves the right to renegotiate and adjust rates, performance terms and/or performance measures at any time during the life of the contract.

f) All materials developed by the selected Contractor(s) under this contract will remain the property of MRC.

g) All bidders must comply with CORI (Criminal Offender Records Information) requirements identified with any contract awarded as a result of this procurement.

h) Any contract resulting from this solicitation may be terminated at any time if the Contractor is unable to meet performance standards after given a reasonable opportunity to improve performance.

i) This Request for Response is developed in good faith based on needs known at the time of document preparation. Should additional information become available during the term of this contract suggesting the advisability of a different strategy and/or additional contract goals or performance benchmarks, MRC reserves the right to modify the contract accordingly, including adjusting the contract term, dates of performance, and/or contract rate structure or contract maximum obligation.

j) A Bidder unable to offer the exact commodity or service described in this RFR but believing a comparable one can be provided, is encouraged to respond and should fully explain why the substitute commodity or service meets the specifications set forth in this RFR.

k) The qualified provider must maintain an e-mail account capable of handling e-mails and attachments of appropriate size and of accessible formatting type.

l) Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of MRC regarding this RFR, except as specified in this RFR; and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFR. Bidders may contact the Contact Person(s) for this RFR if this RFR is incomplete or the Bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS.

SUBMISSION COMPONENTS AND ATTACHMENTS

COMMBUYS is the official source of information for this Bid and is publicly accessible at no charge at www.COMMBUYS.com. Information contained in this document and in COMMBUYS, including file attachments, and information contained in the related Bid Questions and Answers (Q&A), are all components of the Bid, as referenced in COMMBUYS, and are incorporated into the Bid and any resulting contract.

Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this Bid via COMMBUYS. Additionally, bidders are responsible for posting their response (called “quote”) on the system. Bidders should review the “COMMBUYS Market Center” and “COMMBUYS Registration” sections in Appendix 2 of the Appendix document for an overview of electronic submission. Additional detail is provided in the “Instructions for Vendors Responding to Bids Electronically through COMMBUYS” section, found in Appendix 5.

COMMBUYS Registration. Bidders may elect to obtain a free COMMBUYS Seller registration which provides value-added features, including automated email notification associated with postings and modifications to COMMBUYS records. However, in order to respond to a Bid, Bidders must register and maintain an active COMMBUYS Seller account. If a Bidder requires assistance with the registration process, they may contact the COMMBUYS Help desk by email at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or by phone at 1-888-627-8283.

Quote Submission Method. Online Quote Submission via COMMBUYS is required. All Bidders must submit Quotes online using tools available only to Sellers registered in COMMBUYS. COMMBUYS provides Seller registration functionality at no charge. To register, go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page. All Bidders who are awarded a contract resulting from this Bid, if any, will be required to maintain an active account during the duration of the Contract, by reviewing their registration information regularly and maintaining its accuracy.

Electronic Signatures

Quotes submitted via COMMBUYS must be signed electronically by the Bidder or the Bidder’s Agent by accepting the terms and conditions of the bid on the “Terms & Conditions” tab of the Bid in COMMBUYS. By selecting “Save & Continue” on the “Terms and Conditions” tab after accepting the terms and conditions of the bid, the submitter attests that s/he is an agent of the Bidder with authority to sign on the Bidder’s behalf, and that s/he has read and assented to each document’s terms.

Responses must be submitted to COMMBUYS (https://www.commbuys.com/bso/) by 11/19/18, by 4:00 PM. The deadline time is based on the time according to the COMMBUYS system.

The electronic response must include the following:

1. Complete Cover Page (Attachment 2)

2. Completed Qualifications Page, signed by the HCA applicant and consumer (Attachment 3)

3. Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (W-9)

4. Completed CORI Request Form, signed in the presence of an MRC employee, and signed by that employee

5. Copy of valid photo identification

6. Commonwealth Terms and Conditions Form, completed and signed

7. Electronic Funds Transfer Form and copy of a voided check (to be used for direct deposit payments) OR a letter of explanation as to why direct deposit may not be feasible

8. Manual Submission Justification form, if applicable (Attachment 4)

9. Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) Certification (if applicable)

10. Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Form

11. Prompt Payment Discount Form

12. Massachusetts Department of Revenue Certificate of Good Standing

(https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/04/13/COGS.pdf?_ga=2.55425195.1670178883.1538660194-1516648188.1538500789)

Whenever possible, the forms listed above should be submitted as Microsoft Word documents.

Contact Help Desk with submission difficulties COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or 888-627-8283.

Ink Signatures

Original ink signatures are required only after contracts have been awarded. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires Contractors to submit original ink-signature versions of the following forms:

· Standard Contract Form

· Commonwealth Terms and Conditions for Human and Social Services

· Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing

· Request for Taxpayer Identification and Verification (Mass. Substitute W9 Form)

· Electronic Funds Transfer Sign Up Form

Successful Bidders who agreed to the terms and conditions of these forms electronically via COMMBUYS online Quote submission tool must still submit the above forms with ink signatures within seven (7) calendar days of award notification or their contract may not be executed by the Commonwealth. Bidders who have previous contract(s) with the Commonwealth and have up-to-date, ink-signature versions of the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions and Request for Taxpayer Identification and Verification (Mass. Substitute W9 Form) on file with the Office of the State Comptroller may submit copies of the signed forms. However, a new Standard Contract Form and Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing with original ink signatures must be submitted for each new contract with the Commonwealth.

Upon selection, bidders will receive a Standard Contract packet for signature. No services should be rendered until the bidder is notified that the contract process is complete.

ADDITIONAL SPECIFICATIONS

This RFR includes additional specifications, as described in the Appendix document. The document includes the sections below:

Appendix 1 Required Terms for all RFRs

Appendix 2 RFR - Required Specifications for Purchase of Service (POS)

Appendix 3 Purchase of Service (POS) Additional Required Specifications: October 2015 Appendix 4 Instructions for Execution and Submission of Commonwealth Standard Forms

Appendix 5 Instructions for Vendors Responding to Bids Electronically through

COMMBUYS

Appendix 6 Glossary Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as a Solicitation) that can be found on COMMBUYS (www.CommBUYS.com). All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements for the entire Bid, which are incorporated into the Bid. Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at � HYPERLINK "mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us" �COMMBUYS@state.ma.us� or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk county holidays.