Poetry Out Loud RFP 2027.pdf

RELEASE DATE: September 4, 2026

The State of Hawaii

State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Request for Proposals

Solicitation #RFP-27001002

Poetry Out Loud Coordinator

OFFERS ARE DUE AT 2P.M, HAWAII STANDARD TIME (HST) ON OCTOBER 4, 2026.

(or such later date as may be established by the State of Hawaii by an Addendum to this RFP)

BY SUBMISSION TO THE STATE FOUNDATION ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS

DIRECT ALL QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS RFP, QUESTIONS OR ISSUES RELATING TO

THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THIS RFP (INCLUDING THE ATTACHMENTS AND EXHIBITS AND

ANY OTHER DOCUMENT RELATED TO THIS RFP) AND REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS

FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN CONNECTION WITH THIS RFP, TO:

STATE FOUNDATION ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS, TELEPHONE

(808) 586-0768 OR EMAIL ADDRESS danica.rosengren@hawaii.gov.

Karen Ewald

Procurement Officer mailto:danica.rosengren@hawaii.gov

Table of Contents RFP Administrative Information

Offer Checklist

Section 1 General Information

1.1 Purpose

1.2 Background

1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates

1.4 Contract Type

1.5 Period of Performance (or Term of Contract)

1.6 Point of Contact

1.7 Definitions

Section 2 Solicitation Information

2.1 Governing Laws and Regulations

2.2 Electronic Procurement

2.3 RFP Addenda

2.4 Questions Regarding RFP Contents

2.5 Electronic Submission of Questions

2.6 Proposal Due Date

2.7 Cancellation of Procurement and Proposal Rejection

2.8 Firm Offers

2.9 Right to Accept All or Portion of Proposal

2.10 Ownership or Disposition of Proposals and other Materials Submitted

2.11 Additional Information

2.12 Multiple or Alternative Offers

Section 3 Requirements

3.1 Mandatory Minimum Administrative Proposal Requirements

3.2 Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

3.3 Additional Contractor Requirements

3.4 Payment

3.5 Payment to Hawai’i Information Consortium, LLC dba NIC Hawaii

Section 4 Instructions to Offerors – Proposal Submission

4.1 Proposal Objectives

4.2 Proposal Structure and Labeling

4.3 Proposal Submission Instructions

4.4 Electronic Submission of Proposals

4.5 Required Format and Content

4.6 Each Offeror to Bear its Own Costs

Section 5 Evaluation and Award

5.1 Evaluation of Proposals

5.2 Right to Waive Minor Irregularities

5.3 Initial Review and Award without Discussions

5.4 Discussion with Priority Listed Offerors

5.5 Best and Final Offers (BAFO)

5.6 Award of Contract

5.7 Responsibility of Offeror

5.8 Evaluation Criteria

5.9 Scoring Process

5.10 Notice of Award

5.11 Debriefing

Section 6 Evaluation Criteria

6.1 Management Approach Submittal

6.2 Past Performance Submittal

6.3 Subfactor 1 – Total Price Evaluation

6.4 Subfactor 2- Price Reasonableness and Realism

Section 7 Contract Management

7.1 Contract Administrator

7.2 Contractor/State Meetings

7.3 Dispute Process and Escalation

7.4 Quality Control

7.5 Post Award Deliverables

Section 8 Special Provisions

8.1 Scope

8.2 Intellectual Property Rights

8.3 Certification of Offeror Concerning Wages, Hours and Working Condition of

Employees Supplying Services

8.4 Responsibility of Offerors

8.5 Proposal Preparation

8.6 Confidentiality

8.7 Redaction by the State

8.8 Protest Procedures

8.9 Notice to Proceed

8.10 Contract Execution

8.11 Liability Insurance

8.12 Contract Invalidation

8.13 Mistakes in Proposals

8.14 Modification Prior to Submittal Deadline or Withdrawal of Offers

8.15 Contract Changes – Unanticipated Amendments

8.16 Re-execution of Work

8.17 Past Performance Database

Attachments

• Offer Form OF-1

• Statement of Work

• References

RFP Administrative Information

RFP Title: Poetry Out Loud Coordinator

RFP Project Description:

(See Section 1.1 Purpose)

The State of Hawaii in conjunction is seeking

Contractor(s) to manage and implement the

Poetry Out Loud Competition in Hawai’i.

RFP Point of Contact:

(See Section 7.1 State Contract

Administrator)

Buyer Name – Danica Rosengren

Agency Name – State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

Agency Address – 250 S Hotel Street, 2nd Floor, Honolulu HI 96813

Buyer email – danica.rosengren@hawaii.gov

Buyer Phone – (808) 586-0768

Submit proposals electronically via Hawaii

Electronic Procurement System

(HIePRO):

(See Section 4.4 Electronic Submission of

Proposals)

Electronic Submission hiepro.ehawaii.gov

RFP Closing Date: (See Section 1.3

Schedule and Significant Dates)

October 4, 2026

RFP Closing Time: (See Section 1.3

Schedule and Significant Dates)

2 P.M. Hawaii Standard Time (HST)

Initial Term of Contract and Renewals:

(See Section X.X Period of Performance)

This is a contract beginning on October 15, 2026 and ending on June 30, 2027. Upon mutual agreement, the contract may be extended or amended.

TAKE NOTE THE MANDATORY .75% (.0075) TRANSACTION FEE TO HAWAII INFORMATION

CONSORTIUM, LLC DBA NIC HAWAII IS BASED ON SALES FOR AWARDS MADE IN

HIEPRO. (DETAILED IN SECTION 2.2 ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT AND SECTION X.X

PAYMENT TO HAWAII INFORMATION CONSORTIUM, LLC DBA NIC HAWAII.)

Offer Checklist

Offeror must address ALL sections and attachments and provide the information and documentation as required in the table below.

No. Description Reference in RFP Completed mailto:danica.rosengren@hawaii.gov

1 Offer Checklist – submittal of checklist with all items checked

“completed.”

Offer Checklist

2 Offer Form OF-1 - Completed and signed

NOTE: Ensure the company name submitted in HIePRO matches the company name on OF-1.

Attachment 1 Offer Form OF-

1, Offer Form OF-2, Offer

Form OF-3; Section 8.6

Proposal Preparation

3 Executive Summary Section 4.5 Required Format and Content

4 Management Approach

Name, position, role for the project, and qualifications of each key project individual, technical approach

(timeline, methodologies/workflow, etc)

Section 6.1 Management

Approach Submittal

5 Relevant Work samples/past performance

Section 6.3 Past Performance

Submittal

6 Price Section 6.4 Price

7 Should include a confidential section Section 8.6

Authorized Offeror Signature

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Poetry Out Loud Coordinator

Solicitation # RFP-27001002

Section 1: General Information

1.1 Purpose

The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts seeks to work with a contractor to manage and implement the Poetry Out Loud Competition in Hawai’i. As shared on the

Poetry Out Loud webpage: “National Endowment for the Arts research shows that students who participate in Poetry Out Loud showed improved writing and analytical skills. Research also found that participating students showed increase in self-confidence and reported that reading and listening to poetry helped them think about situations from multiple perspectives.

These skills extend far beyond their application to a poetry competition, helping students in other school subjects and as they enter the workforce.

Poetry Out Loud can also have a positive impact on schools, helping to build community, forging stronger bonds between teachers and students, and bringing together students who may not have otherwise formed connections.”

Tasks:

It will be the contractor’s duty to coordinate all aspects of the Poetry Out Loud

Celebration and Competition, including:

• Distributing information and material to all public and private high schools to ensure awareness about the program

• Connecting with teachers to support and ensure school competitions

• Implementing the state-wide Poetry competition (including overseeing all travel for finalists)

• Coordinating logistics for the Hawai’i Finalist to go to the National Competition in

Washington DC.

• As the state contact, the contractor will attend all national meetings about the competition and seek assistance from the national coordinator when needed.

1.2 Background

As shared on the Poetry Out Loud website, “Poetry Out Loud® lifts poetry off the page, creating community and connection. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.5 million high school students have participated in this dynamic poetry recitation https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.arts.gov/impact/research/publications/line-line-transforming-student-lives-and-learning-art-poetry__;!!LIYSdFfckKA!yxkBzDuYXspjde2r1_RAwyL3nLRM95lloEkpGges3fB2CEcDDPKkzAdrifHy8JDOu7YWkzzdVJcTG-mGEXNhzWsriPPH3f4$ https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.aep-arts.org/arts-education-durable-skills-and-workforce-success/__;!!LIYSdFfckKA!yxkBzDuYXspjde2r1_RAwyL3nLRM95lloEkpGges3fB2CEcDDPKkzAdrifHy8JDOu7YWkzzdVJcTG-mGEXNhzWsrM3iqfAs$ competition. Poetry Out Loud can help students improve public speaking skills, build confidence, and grow their appreciation for poetry.

The program starts at the local level in a classroom, school, or an area organization.

Participating students select, memorize, and recite poems from the Poetry Out Loud anthology. Winners may then advance to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals, where $50,000 in prizes and stipends are awarded annually to competitors and their home communities—including a $20,000 prize for the

National Champion. The 2027 Poetry Out Loud National Finals will take place April 27-

28, 2027, in Washington, DC.

Poetry Out Loud is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with participating state and jurisdictional arts agencies and managed by Mid Atlantic

Arts. Mid Atlantic Arts administers the Poetry Out Loud National Finals and all aspects of the monetary prizes.”

1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates

The table below contains the State’s current estimate of the schedule and significant dates. All times are Hawaii Standard Time (HST). If a component of this schedule, such as "Proposals Due Date and Time" is delayed, the rest of the schedule may likely be shifted by the same number of days. Any change to the RFP Schedule and

Significant Dates prior to the proposal due date shall be issued by addendum.

Solicitation Release: September 4, 2026

Proposal Due Date and Time: October 4, 2026, 2 P.M.

Evaluations October 6-10, 2026

Anticipated Award Date: October 15, 2026

1.4 Contract Type

The resulting contract will be a Firm-Fixed-Price contract with NO price adjustment for the entire contract period.

1.5 Period of Performance (or Term of Contract)

This contract shall be for a period of 8 months beginning on the date specified on the

Notice to Proceed. Unless terminated, the contract may be extended without re-solicitation, upon mutual agreement in writing between the State and the Contractor, prior to the expiration date, for not more than 6 additional 12-month periods, or parts thereof. The contract may be extended if the price remains the same or lower.

1.6 Point of Contact

The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it. The reference number for the transaction is Solicitation # RFP- 27-001002 This number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.

The person identified below is the single point of contact (POC) during this procurement process. Offerors and interested persons shall direct to the POC all questions concerning the procurement process, technical requirements of this RFP, contractual requirements, changes, clarifications, and protests, the award process, and any other questions that may arise related to this solicitation and the resulting contract.

The POC designated by the State of Hawaii, State Foundation on Culture and the Arts is:

Karen Ewald Executive Director State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Arts Specialist 250 S Hotel Street, 2nd Floor Honolulu, HI 96813 Karen.a.ewald@hawaii.gov Phone: (808) 586-0768

1.7 Definitions

The following definitions apply to this solicitation.

Contract Administrator means the person designated to manage the various facets of the contract(s) to ensure the Contractor’s total performance is in accordance with the contractual commitments and obligations are fulfilled.

Contractor means the person having a contract with a governmental body.

Fixed-price basis means an established price agreed upon by the Contractor and

Purchasing Entity, by agreement or by authority, as the price to be charged for a specified amount of services.

Goods mean all property, including but not limited to equipment, equipment leases, materials, supplies, printing, insurance, and processes, including computer systems and software, excluding land or a permanent interest in land, leases of real property, and office rentals.

mailto:Karen.a.ewald@hawaii.gov

Governmental body means any department, commission, council, board, bureau, authority, committee, institution, legislative body, agency, Government Corporation, or other establishment or office of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch, city or county of any U.S. State, (including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for the State of Hawaii).

Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) means the adopted operating procedures for state agencies authorized by the laws of the State of Hawaii.

Hawaii eProcurement System (HIePRO) is the State eProcurement system, a system for issuing solicitations, receiving responses, and issuing notices of award.

Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) means the laws that govern the State of Hawaii.

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) means how a quantifiable measure is utilized to assess the success of a Contractor in meeting strategic goals and objectives for performance.

Offeror means the company or firm that submits a proposal in response to this Request for Proposal.

Proposal means the official written response submitted by an Offeror in response to this Request for Proposals.

Proposer has the same meaning as Offeror.

Request for Proposals or "RFP" means the entire solicitation document, including all parts, sections, exhibits, attachments, and Addenda.

Services means the furnishing of labor, time, or effort by a contractor or Contractor, which involves the delivery or supply of products.

Statement of Work defines the services to be delivered by the Contractor. Note: For the purposes of this RFP, statement of work describes the services within a Task Order when requesting quotes from awarded Contractor(s).

Subcontractor means a Contractor contracted for work by the Prime Contractor.

Section 2: Solicitation Information

2.1 Governing Laws and Regulations

This procurement is conducted by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, in accordance with the State of Hawaii Procurement Code, 103D-303, HRS. Information about the State of Hawaii and its governing laws are available at http://spo.hawaii.gov/.

This procurement shall be governed by the regulations and laws of the State of Hawaii.

http://spo.hawaii.gov/

Venue for any administrative or judicial action relating to this procurement, evaluation, and award shall be in the State of Hawaii.

2.2 Electronic Procurement

2.2.1 The State has established the Hawaii State eProcurement (HIePRO)

System to promote an open and transparent system for vendors to compete for state contracts electronically. Offerors interested in responding to this solicitation must be registered on HIePRO. Registration information is available at the State Procurement Office (SPO) website: 44T https://hiepro.ehawaii.gov/welcome.html, select HIePRO Vendor

Registration and then Vendor Registration Guide.

2.2.2 The State will use HIePRO to issue the RFP, receive Offers, and issue

Addenda to the RFP. Addenda and the other information and materials shall be provided by the State through HIePRO, including additions or changes with respect to the dates in Section 1.3 Schedule and Significant

Dates. The State shall not be responsible for any person’s or entity’s failure to do so for any reason. The State is not responsible for any delay or failure of any Offeror to receive any materials updated through the RFP

Process on a timely basis.

2.2.3 As part of this procurement process, Offerors are informed that awards made for this solicitation, if any, shall be done through the HIePRO and shall, therefore, be subject to a mandatory .75% (.0075) transaction fee, not to exceed $5,000 for the total contract term.

2.2.4 HIePRO Special Instructions. Offeror shall review all special instructions located in HIePRO. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that all necessary files are attached to their offer prior to the proposal deadline.

Offerors are advised that they should not wait until the last minute to submit their proposal on HIePRO. Offerors should allow ample time to review their submitted proposal, including attachments, prior to the proposal deadline.

2.3 RFP Addenda

Changes to this RFP including but not limited to contractual terms and procurement requirements shall only be changed via formal written addenda issued by the State

Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

The State accepts no responsibility for a prospective Offeror not receiving solicitation documents and/or revisions to the solicitation. It is the responsibility of the prospective https://vendors.ehawaii.gov/

Offeror to monitor HIePRO to obtain RFP addenda or other information relating to the

RFP.

2.4 Questions Regarding RFP Contents

If a Prospective Offeror believes that any provision of the RFP is unclear, potentially defective, or would prevent from providing a meaningful Offer, the Offeror shall submit questions to the State POC requesting clarification on or before the deadline for doing so in Section 1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates. Each question shall identify the page, section number, paragraph, and line or sentence of such provision(s) of the RFP to which the question applies. The State POC will respond by the date for the same in

Section 1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates. The State may issue Addenda in response to written questions received regarding the RFP.

2.5 Electronic Submission of Questions

All questions must be submitted through the HIePRO. Questions must be submitted by the question deadline date and time shown in Section 1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates. Answers will be given via the HIePRO site as noted in Section 1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates.

Offerors are cautioned about including context in questions that may reveal the source of questions. The identity of potential Offerors will not be published with the answers, but the text of questions will be restated, to the extent possible, to exclude information identifying potential Offerors.

2.6 Proposal Due Date

Proposals must be received by the posted closing date and time as described in Section

1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates of this RFP.

2.7 Cancellation of Procurement and Proposal Rejection

The State reserves the right to cancel this RFP and to reject any and all proposals in whole or in part, and waive any defects when it is determined to be in the best interest of the State, pursuant to HAR §3-122-96 thru HAR §3-122-97.

2.8 Firm Offers

Responses to this RFP, including proposed costs and/or fees will be considered firm for

120 days after the proposal due date.

2.9 Right to Accept All or Portion of Proposal

Unless otherwise specified in the solicitation, the State may accept any item or combination of items as specified in the solicitation or of any proposal unless the Offeror expressly restricts an item or combination of items in its Proposal and conditions its response on receiving all items for which it provided a proposal. If the Offeror so restricts its Proposal, the State may consider the Offeror’s restriction and evaluate whether the award on such basis will result in the best value to the State. The State may otherwise determine at its sole discretion that such restriction is non-responsive and renders the Offeror ineligible for further evaluation.

2.10 Ownership or Disposition of Proposals and other Materials Submitted

All costs incurred by the Offeror in preparing or submitting a proposal shall be the

Offeror’s sole responsibility whether any award results from this RFP. The State shall not reimburse such costs. All proposals become the property of the State of Hawaii.

2.11 Additional Information

The Offeror shall provide additional information regarding aspects of an Offeror’s

Proposal within 10 business days of the State’s request unless the State specifies another period. As noted, each Offeror shall submit only one Proposal. If an Offeror submits more than one Proposal, then the State reserves the right to reject and or dismiss the Offeror from the RFP Process.

2.12 Multiple or Alternative Offers

Unless specifically provided for in this solicitation, multiple or alternative offers shall not be accepted and all such offers shall be rejected.

Section 3: Requirements

3.1 Mandatory Minimum Administrative Proposal Requirements

This section contains the minimum requirements that must be met to be considered for the evaluation phase. All items described in this section are non-negotiable. All

Offerors must state willingness and demonstrate the ability to satisfy these requirements in the proposal submitted for consideration. Contractors shall be considered non-responsive if unable to cover the minimum requirements which they may not be considered for award.

3.2 Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Applicats or applications that are not eligible at the time of application will not be accepted. Eligibility of Organization Aplicants – at the time of application.

Requirements:

It will be the contractor’s duty to coordinate all aspects of the Poetry Out Loud

Celebration and Competition, including:

• Distribute information and material to all public and private high schools to ensure awareness about the program

• Connect with teachers to support and ensure school competitions

• Implement the state-wide Poetry competition, including:

o Oversee all travel and logistics for finalists o Hire judges and accuracy judge o Secure an ADA accessible space for the state competition o Any other requirements from the National partner

• Coordinate logistics for the Hawai’i Finalist to go to the National Competition in

Washington DC.

• As the state contact, the contractor will attend all national meetings about the competition and seek assistance from the national coordinator when needed.

• Work in a timely manner, ensuring all participating schools and students have all information necessary

• Submit a final report

Contractor will work with SFCA’s Arts Education Speicliast.

Qualifications:

• Must be based and incorporated in the State of Hawaiʻi

• Must have extensive background and experience in coordinating state-wide youth competitions

• Must be a state-wide arts/literacy organization that has connections with schools across the islands

• Must be compliant with HRS103D-310© and may use Hawaii Compliance express to prove compliancy. https://vendors.ehawaii.gov/hce/

• Must have knowledge in the Poetry Out Loud Competition and the needs of the program http://tax.hawaii.gov/geninfo/countysurcharge

3.3 Additional Contractor Requirements

Each Contractor shall:

• Adhere to its Contract with the State;

• Provide all labor, materials, and equipment necessary to meet the RFP

Requirements;

• Communicate contract requirements to its Subcontractors’ personnel and direct and coordinate project activities to ensure that the services progress efficiently and are completed on schedule;

• Ensure that all its and its Subcontractors’ employees can communicate effectively with State employees;

• Ensure that it is current with all payments and registration fees and similar financial obligations owed to the State during the term of its Contract with the

State;

• Fully cooperate and maintain effective communication with the State and cooperate in the resolution of problems, suspected problems, or potential problems;

3.3.1 Contractor Responsibility for Subcontractors

The Subcontractors providing services shall meet the same service requirements and provide the same quality of service required of the Contractor and in a timely manner. No subcontract shall relieve the Contractor of its responsibilities for the

Services it provides. The Contractor shall manage the quality and performance, project management and schedules, and timely start and completion of services performed by each of its Subcontractors. The Contractor shall be solely responsible and accountable for the completion of all Services it has subcontracted.

3.3.2 Removal of Subcontractors

In addition to any rights the State has under Law, the State shall have the right to require the removal of a Subcontractor or any of its personnel providing or supporting services for a good cause. In such a case, the State shall specify the deadline for such removal after consultation with the applicable Contractor. A Subcontractor proposed by the Contractor to replace the removed Subcontractor shall be subject to the approval of the State.

3.3.3 Right to Retain Subcontractors

The State shall have the right to directly retain any Subcontractor after the expiration, termination, or suspension of the Contract under which it is retained, including any

Subcontractor providing services subject to any part of a Contract that is terminated or suspended.

3.4 Payment

Pursuant to HRS §103-10, the State shall have thirty (30) calendar days after receipt of invoice or satisfactory completion of projects to make payment. For this reason, the

State will reject any offer submitted with a condition requiring payment within a shorter period. Further, the State will reject any offer submitted with a condition requiring interest payments greater than that allowed by HRS §103-10, as amended.

The State will not recognize any requirement established by the Contractor and communicated to the State after the award of the contract, which requires payment within a shorter period or interest payment not in conformance with the statute.

3.5 Payment to Hawaii Information Consortium, LLC dba NIC Hawaii

HlePRO is administered by Hawaii Information Consortium, LLC dba Tyler Hawaii.

Tyler Hawaii shall invoice the Contractor(s) directly for payment of transaction fees.

Payment must be made to NIC Hawaii within thirty (30) days from receipt of invoice.

HIC is an intended third-party beneficiary of transaction fees, which are used to fund the operation, maintenance, and future enhancements of the HlePRO system.

Section 4: Instructions to Offerors – Proposal Submission

4.1 Proposal Objectives

One of the objectives of this RFP is to make proposal preparation easy and efficient while giving Offerors ample opportunity to highlight their proposals. The evaluation process must also be manageable and effective.

Proposals shall be prepared straightforwardly and concisely, in a format that is reasonably considered and appropriate for the purpose. Emphasis will be on completeness and clarity and content.

When an Offeror submits a proposal, it shall be considered a complete plan for accomplishing the tasks described in this RFP and any supplemental tasks the Offeror has identified as necessary to successfully complete the obligations outlined in this

RFP.

The proposal shall describe in detail the Offeror’s ability and availability of services to meet the goals and objectives of this RFP.

4.2 Proposal Structure and Labeling

Proposals must be detailed and concise. Each Proposal must be labeled and organized in a manner that is congruent with the requirements and terminology used in this RFP and must include a point-by-point response, structured in form and reference to the

RFP, addressing all requirements and the Statement of work elements.

4.3 Proposal Submission Instructions

Proposals must be received by October 4, 2026; 2 P.M., HST through the Hawaii

Electronic Procurement System (HIePRO). Proposals received after the deadline and/or through any sources other than HIePRO will be rejected.

4.4 Electronic Submission of Proposals

Proposals shall be submitted and received electronically through HIePRO by the date and time listed in Section 1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates. This electronically submitted offer shall be considered the original. Any offers received outside of the

HIePRO, including faxed or e-mailed bids, shall not be accepted, or considered for award. Any offer received after the due date and time shall be rejected. (See Section

2.2 Electronic Procurement for further information.) The maximum file size that

HIePRO can accept is 100MB. Files larger than 100MB must be reduced into two or more files.

Submission of a proposal shall constitute an incontrovertible representation by the

Offeror that the Offeror agrees to comply with every requirement of this RFP, and that the RFP documents are sufficient in scope and detail to indicate and convey a reasonable understanding of all terms and conditions of performance of the work.

4.5 Required Format and Content

All Proposals must be submitted in the following format. Detailed information on submitting each of these sections is contained in later sections of this RFP. Proposal shall be submitted in size 12 Arial font or equivalent.

Table of Contents. A Table of Contents must be included with each proposal. All major parts of the proposal shall be identified by referencing page numbers.

1. Offer Checklist. Complete and submit all items noted on the Offer Checklist.

a. Offer Form, OF-1. Offeror shall complete and sign OF-1 Offer Form.

See Special Provisions, 8.9 Proposal Preparation.

b. OF Form, OF-2

c. OF Form, OF-3

d. Past Performance

2. Executive Summary The executive summary [not to exceed one (1) page] is to briefly describe the Offeror's Proposal. This summary should highlight the major features of the Proposal. The response should demonstrate the Offeror’s understanding of and ability to meet the Administrative and Technical

Requirements of the RFP. The State should be able to determine the essence of the Proposal by reading the executive summary. This summary will not be evaluated for points, but rather is a high-level explanation of the entire proposal.

3. Evaluation Criteria Submittals (Refer to Section 5 Evaluation and Award).

This section shall be sub-divided by the evaluation criteria and include:

a. Management Approach Offeror shall submit a narrative of a maximum of 2 pages showing how they would conduct the services requested

b. Staff Experience/Personnel Breakdown: Offeror shall share the name, position, role for the project, and qualifications of each key project individual.

c. Relevant work samples/past performance should not exceed five (5) pages, and should highlight any work that the offeror has done in the past aligning with the goals of the Analysis and Planning.

d. Total Price Offeror shall complete the attached OF-2 Pricing Form in which

Offeror shall submit all price line items excluding all applicable taxes and including the amount that will be matched for this program.

4. Confidential, Protected, or Proprietary Information. All confidential, protected, or proprietary information must be included in this section of the proposal response. Do not incorporate protected information throughout the

Proposal. Rather, provide a reference in the proposal response directing the

State to the specific area of this protected Information section. If Offeror believes that any portion of its proposal, offer, specification, protest, or correspondence contains information that should be withheld as confidential, then the Procurement Officer should be so advised in writing and shall be furnished with justification for confidential status. Price is not considered confidential and shall not be withheld.

Information included in the Confidential, Protected or Proprietary Information section of an Offeror’s proposal is not automatically accepted as protected. All information identified in the section will be subject to review by the State in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the State’s open records statute, freedom of information act, or similar law.

4.6 Each Offeror to Bear its Own Costs

Each Offeror shall be responsible for all costs incurred by it prior to the Notice of Award, including, without limitation, its costs of preparing and submitting its Offer, responding to notices or requests, making Priority-Listed Offeror presentations, demonstrations, and discussions, and otherwise participating in the RFP Process.

Section 5: Evaluation and Award

5.1 Evaluation of Proposals

The Procurement Officer of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts or an evaluation committee of at least three State employees selected by the State

Foundation on Culture and the Arts Procurement Officer, shall evaluate proposals for the contract. The evaluation will be based solely on Section 5.8 Evaluation Criteria and the process described in this section.

5.2 Right to Waive Minor Irregularities

The State in its sole discretion reserves the right to waive minor irregularities in the

Proposal, which include but are not limited to corrections of deficiencies or clarification of ambiguities that in the judgment of the State do not require a comprehensive proposal rewrite. The State also reserves the right in its sole discretion to waive certain minimum requirements provided that all of the otherwise responsive proposals fail to meet the same minimum requirements and the failure to do so does not materially affect the procurement

5.3 Initial Review and Award without Discussions

In the initial phase of the evaluation process, the State will review all proposals timely received. Unacceptable proposals (non-responsive proposals not conforming to RFP requirements) will be eliminated from further consideration.

The State reserves the right to award on receipt of initial proposals without an opportunity for discussion or proposal revision, so Offerors are encouraged to submit their most favorable proposal at the time established for receipt of proposals. Offerors shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and/or written revisions of proposals.

5.4 Discussion with Priority Listed Offerors

Prior to holding any discussions, a priority list shall be generated consisting of proposals determined to be acceptable or potentially acceptable.

If numerous acceptable and potentially acceptable proposals are submitted, the evaluation committee may limit the priority list to three (3) highest ranked, responsible

Offerors.

The State may invite priority listed Offerors to discuss their proposals to ensure thorough, mutual understanding. The State in its sole discretion shall schedule the time and location for these discussions, generally within the timeframe indicated in Section

1.3 Schedule and Significant Dates. The State may also conduct discussions with priority listed Offerors to clarify issues regarding the proposals before requesting Best and Final Offers, if necessary.

In conducting discussions, there shall be no disclosure of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing Offerors.

5.5 Best and Final Offers (BAFO)

If deemed appropriate by the State in its sole discretion, the State may request each

Offeror to submit its BAFO. The request shall be issued via an Addendum, which will provide guidance and additional instructions. Offeror’s BAFOs shall be submitted to the

State through HIePRO on or before the deadline called for. If an Offeror fails to do so, its last submitted Offer shall be deemed its BAFO.

The BAFOs will be evaluated by the Evaluation Committee taking into consideration the

Evaluation Criteria set forth in Section X.X Evaluation Criteria.

5.6 Award of Contract

Award shall be made to the responsible Offeror whose proposal is determined the most advantageous to the State of Hawaii, taking into consideration price and the other evaluation factors set forth in this request for proposals.

5.7 Responsibility of Offeror

Pursuant to HRS §103D-310(c), the selected offeror shall at the time of award be compliant with all laws governing entities doing business in the State of Hawaii. See

Special Provisions 8.4 Responsibility of Offerors.

5.8 Evaluation Criteria

The following criteria shall be used in evaluating the Offerors:

Table 1 - Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation

Category

Evaluation Subcategory Point

Breakdown

Points

Possible

Evaluation Criteria 1:

Management

Management Approach

Staff Experience – Key

Personnel

Evaluation Criteria 2:

Experience/Past

Performance

Past Experience

Examples

30 30

Evaluation Criteria 3:

Price

Subfactor 1- Total Price

Calculation

Subfactor 2- Price

Reasonableness and

Realism

Total Possible Points 100

5.9 Scoring Process

The evaluation committee shall score proposals by reviewing the application for each of the evaluation criteria above.

Evaluators shall use a rating of 0 to 5 for each evaluation criteria. Rating is defined as follows:

0- The Proposal fails to address the criterion or cannot be assessed due to missing or incomplete information. Offeror has not demonstrated sufficient knowledge of the subject matter or has grossly failed to explain how the requirement(s) is met.

1- Poor. The criterion is inadequately addressed, Offeror demonstrates only a slight ability to comply, or there are serious inherent weaknesses.

2- Fair. The Proposal broadly addresses the criterion, but there are significant weaknesses. May have one or more deficiencies, or Offeror has not adequately explained how its services fit the requirement.

3- Good. The Proposal addresses the criterion well; meets the requirement.

Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the subject matter, with no deficiencies noted regarding technical approach.

4- Very Good. The Proposal addresses the criterion very well, highly comprehensive. No deficiencies noted.

5- Excellent. The Proposal successfully addresses all relevant aspects of the criterion. Excellent reply that goes beyond the requirements listed in the RFP to provide added value. In addition, the response may cover areas not originally addressed within the RFP and/or include additional information and recommendations that would prove both valuable and beneficial to the agency.

The response includes a full, clear, detailed explanation of how the requirement(s) are met. No errors in technical writing.

The average of each evaluators’ rating for each evaluation criteria shown in Table 1, shall be converted based on the following formula:

Rate Achieved X

Points Possible For that

Criteria = Points Total Rating Achievable

Example:

4 Very Good X 10 = 40

1 Poor X 10 = 10

5.10 Notice of Award

After a final selection is made, the State will issue a notice of award on its electronic procurement system (HIePRO).

5.11 Debriefing

Pursuant to HAR §3-122-60, a non-selected Offeror may request a debriefing to understand the source selection decision and contract award.

A written request for debriefing shall be made within three (3) working days after the posting of the award of the contract. The Procurement Officer or designee shall hold the debriefing within seven (7) working days to the extent practicable from the receipt date of the written request.

A protest by the requestor following a debriefing shall be filed within five (5) working days, as specified in HAR §103D-303(h). See Special Provisions Section X.X Protest

Procedures for submitting a protest.

Section 6: Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria 1: Management Approach

6.1 Management Approach Submittal

This section contains requirements pertaining to the offeror’s management approach relating to this RFP. Offeror shall submit a narrative of a maximum of two (2) pages showing how they met or exceeded requirements of previous work, project examples, etc. To be submitted in size 12 font.

Management Approach can include sub-factors such as:

Sub-factor 1: Organization and Approach

The State will assess the degree to which the Offeror’s proposed organization and approach for managing the program meet the requirements identified in the SOW (e.g., achieve schedule milestones, submit timely and accurate deliverables, and address risk).

This may include:

• Organizational Experience - demonstrating the following: Organizational capability, resources, and experience, maintenance, and operation. The Offeror shall explain its prior experience providing the types of services requested by this

RFP.

• Program management

• Staffing plan

• Subcontractor management

• Configuration management

• Data management to include cybersecurity considerations

• Quality assurance - Implementation of quality and cost controls, with effective project and financial tracking and reporting

• System implementation and transition(s) management

The State will assess the degree to which the Offeror’s proposed performance management approach will meet the requirement to ensure high-quality services that meet the performance requirements for the contract including meaningful program metrics that depict, at a minimum, program cost, schedule, and performance attainment and describe plans for implementation and monitoring of those metrics.

Sub-factor 2: Key Personnel

The State will assess the degree to which the Offeror’s proposed Key Personnel resumes meet defined labor category requirements with required or equivalent certifications aligned to their proposal and, the degree to which the approach for retaining Key Personnel will support successful and efficient execution of requirements.

Evaluation Criteria 2: Past Performance Examples

6.2 Past Performance Submittal

Offeror shall submit a maximum of five (5) pages describing and sharing examples of work in the past relating to this kind of coordination. Describe at least 2 major projects or contracts you worked on during the past five (5) years, on the same or similar projects. Explain the statement of work, duration, number of employees assigned to the project, and significant tasks that were completed.

Offeror shall complete Offer Form OF-3 Client References, Attachment 3 with the names and contact information of references for at least two (2) clients that received services that are similar to those in the statement of work.

The State reserves the right to conduct reference checks beyond what was provided by references.

6.2.1 Past Performance Relevancy and Recency Ratings

The State will evaluate the Offeror’s demonstrated record of contract performance in supplying services that meet users’ needs, including price and schedule. The recency and relevancy of the information, the source of the information, the context of the data, and general trends in the Contractor’s performance will be considered. More recent and more relevant performance usually has a greater impact on the confidence assessment than less recent and less relevant performance. The State will perform an independent determination of the relevancy of the data provided or obtained. A relevancy determination will be made in addition to the reference responses received. The State is not bound by the Offeror’s opinion of relevancy. The following relevancy criteria apply and will be assigned to each effort identified in the Offeror’s proposal on past performance.

PAST PERFORMANCE RELEVANCY RATING

Rating Definition

Very Relevant Present/past performance effort involved essentially the same scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

Relevant Present/past performance effort involved similar scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires

Somewhat Relevant Present/past performance effort involved some of the scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

Not Relevant Present/past performance effort involved little or none of the scope and magnitude of effort and complexities this solicitation requires.

For purposes of this evaluation, recency is defined as active or completed efforts performed within the past five (5) years from the closing date of this solicitation. The more recent the effort the higher recency score it will receive, as follows:

PAST PERFORMANCE RECENCY RATING

Rating Definition

Very Recent Completion of a service project within the last one (1)

Recent Completion of a service project within the last two (2) to five (5) years

Not Recent Completion of a service project more than five years ago.

6.2.2 Final Performance Rating

Once the evaluation has considered recency and relevancy, it is time to take those considerations and determine an overall rating for past performance in respect of whether the information reviewed will allow for successful performance of the current solicited requirements.

Rating Description

6- High Confidence Based on the offeror's performance record, the government has high confidence the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

5- Significant

Confidence

Based on the offeror's performance record, the government has significant confidence the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

4- Satisfactory

Confidence

Based on the offeror's performance record, the government has confidence the offeror will successfully perform the required effort. Normal contractor emphasis should preclude any problems.

*3- Unknown

Confidence

No performance record is identifiable.

2- Little Confidence Based on the offeror's performance record, substantial doubt exists that the offeror will successfully perform the required effort.

1- No Confidence

* Given the number of mergers and acquisitions in today's American business environment, potential offerors may not have existed under their current name for very long. If the key management personnel, subcontractors, or other resources, have experience on contracts similar to the pending requirement for another contractor; state and local government contracts; private contracts; or was a major subcontractor; then the source selection team can perform the appropriate evaluation and risk assessment. This reduces the chance of needing to "neither reward nor penalize" an offeror with no other relevant past performance information.

If the contractor is truly a new entity and none of the company principals ever performed relevant work for others, the company is considered to have no past performance. In the case of an offeror with respect to which there is no information on past contract performance or with respect to which information on past contract performance is not available, the offeror may not be evaluated favorably or unfavorably on the factor of past contract performance." Thus, the evaluator would, at the minimum, rate this offeror as unknown confidence, allowing for a pass rate of 50% (3/6).

Evaluation Criteria 4: Price

There are two subfactors to Price evaluation:

6.3 Subfactor 1 – Total Price Evaluation

The Offeror’s price proposal is worth 20% of the total points, which is 20 points.

Offerors shall enter the total sum price for one (1) year of services as the Unit Price in

US Dollars and Cents when submitting their offer in HIePRO

6.3.1 Cost Points Conversion

In converting cost to points, the Lowest Total Cost will automatically receive the maximum number of points allocated to cost shown in Table 1 in Section 5.8. The point allocations for cost on the other Offers for each service category will be determined through the method set out in the following formula: [Lowest Total Cost multiplied by maximum points divided by [Offeror’s Proposed Cost] = Cost Points

Awarded.

For example, if the maximum points for the price are 30 of the total points and

Offeror A submitted a price for $200,000; Offeror B submitted a price of $250,000;

Offeror C submitted a price of $300,000.

Offeror A would receive the maximum points based on the lowest offer of $200,000.

Offeror B would not receive the maximum points based on the lowest offer of

$200,000 x 30 points / $250,000 = 24 points.

Offeror C would not receive the maximum points based on the lowest offer of

$200,000 x 30 points / $300,000 = 20 points.

6.4 Subfactor 2 – Price Reasonableness and Realism

6.4.1 Price Reasonableness

Prices shall be evaluated for competitiveness and reasonableness of price. The

State may use any or all price analysis techniques and procedures to determine price reasonableness.

6.4.2 Cost Realism

The State may use any or all cost realism techniques and procedures to determine whether the estimated proposed cost elements are realistic for the work to be performed, reflect a clear understanding of the requirements, and are consistent with the unique methods of performance and materials described in the offeror’s proposal.

Section 7: Contract Management

Contract management refers to post-award type activities, such as contract implementation, contract administration, measurement of work completion, and payment computation based on deliverables. Moreover, it involves the monitoring of a contract, making important changes and modifications to the contract, and dealing with related problems. Focused attention to contract management considerations facilitates a positive working relationship between the government customer, procurement staff, and the contractor for the successful implementation of the contract award.

7.1 Post-Award Communications: Contract Administrator

The Contract Administrator identified below is the single point of contact (POC) post-award. The contractor shall direct to the Contract Administrator all questions concerning the post-award process and any other questions that may arise related to the resulting contract. The Contract Administrator designated by the State of Hawaii, State

Foundation on Culture and the Arts s:

Danica Rosengren

Arts Education Specialist

State Foundation on Culture and the Arts

250 S Hotel Street, 2nd Floor Honolulu, HI 96813

Danica.rosengren@hawaii.gov

Phone: (808) 586-0768 mailto:Danica.rosengren@hawaii.gov

7.2 Contractor/State Meetings

The contractor shall participate in initial meetings with the State to discuss the contract, including but not limited to; an estimated timeline for transition and implementation, status reports of the transition and implementation, the expectation of deliverables, training sessions, and follow-up meetings.

7.3 Dispute Process and Escalation

The following steps address any issues or concerns that may occur during the transition/implementation stage or at any time throughout the contract period:

• Direct communication with Contractor to share concerns and issues

• Plan development on how to move forward/steps to be taken to resolve concerns

• If Contractor does not address concerns, possible cancellation of contract

7.4 Quality Control

The Contractor shall provide quality services/products and management oversight of all processes. The Contractor shall use key performance indicators that are acceptable within the specific market industry to manage and monitor quality performance.