Postage_Meter_Lease.pdf

2023-RFP-023

POSTAGE METER LEASE

Town of Mooresville, NC

413 North Main Street

Mooresville, NC 28115

RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2023

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: November 2, 2023

RESPONSE DEADLINE: November 14, 2023, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/mooresvillenc

Town of Mooresville, NC

Postage Meter Lease

I. Introduction

II. Purpose of Solicitation

III. Procurement Process

IV. Selection Process

V. Evaluation Phases

VI. Scope of Work

VII. Additional Town Requirements

VIII. Vendor Questionnaire

Attachments:

C - Vendor Signatory Form

D - Agreement re State Contract w Proposer

#2023-RFP-023

Title: Postage Meter Lease

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

Proposals will be received by the Town of Mooresville for: Postage Meter Lease for three Town locations, until 2:00 pm on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. Bidders will be required to comply with all applicable statutes and regulations. Bids must be submitted via the Town's eProcurement

Portal at: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/mooresvillenc . It is the responsibility of each bidder to ensure that their bid is received on time.

Failure to register and follow the project will preclude your firm from being able to submit a response. Failure to acknowledge addenda issued will be sufficient grounds for rejection of the bid by the Town.

The Town reserves the right to reject any and all bids submitted, or to select the bid or any part of the bid which, in our opinion, is in the best overall interest of the Town.

1.2. Contact Information

David Whitaker Purchasing Manager PO Box 878 Mooresville, NC 28115 Email: dwhitaker@mooresvillenc.gov Phone: (704) 662-8534

Department:

Purchasing

Department Head:

David Whitaker Purchasing Manager

1.3. Timeline

Distribution of RFPs October 24, 2023

Deadline for Vendor Quetions November 2, 2023, 11:00am

Answers to Vendors Questions November 7, 2023, 2:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline November 14, 2023, 2:00pm https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/mooresvillenc mailto:dwhitaker@mooresvillenc.gov tel:(704)662-8534

Anticipated Award Date November 20, 2023

Proposed Contract Start Date December 1, 2023

2. Purpose of Solicitation

2.1. Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to obtain pricing for and selection of a vendor to provide: Postage Machines for three Departments with the Town of Mooresville. The vendor shall provide the Town with the required services meeting all of the requirements in this solicitation.

The Town is requesting a lease for 60 months term of service. The awarded vendor shall provide: Postage meter with a scale, online postage rates, label printer, maintenance and installation/training.

RFP Response: In order to be considered for selection, Offerors must submit a complete response to the RFP. All proposals shall be sent electronically through the Town's eProcuremenet Portal. Proposals shall not be hand delivered to Town Hall or other Town locations.

The contract will be awarded to the vendor deemed to have submitted the best overall proposal on the basis of the factors included in the RFP. The Town may cancel the RFP or reject proposals at any time prior to an award and is not required to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous. The award document will be incorporated in the final contract referencing all the requirements, items and conditions of this RFP.

As applicable The selected vendor will work with Town of Mooresville staff to create a plan to transition from current vendor service or equipment

The Town of Mooresville invites any qualified firms to submit a proposal. Firms responding to this request must be a responsible bidder, regularly and practically engaged in supplying, maintaining and providing the services required in this RFP. Firms must possess ample resources to perform the work. The Town encourages participation in this procurement process by minority-owned businesses and businesses owned by disabled persons.

The vendor that is chosen shall provide the Town with the highest quality, most flexible, most efficient and most up to date technology at the lowest cost. The Town reserves the right to contact respondents at its discretion for further clarification or questions concerning the bid proposals. The award of the contract will be based on the company offering the most appropriate services for the lowest aggregate cost.

2.2. Proposal Preparation

A. An authorized representative of the Offeror shall the sign proposal. All information requested should be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in a lowered evaluation of the proposal. Proposals which are substantially incomplete or lacking key information may be rejected. Mandatory requirements are those required by law or regulation or are such that they cannot be waived and are not subject to negotiation.

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

C. Ownership of all data, materials and documentation originated and prepared for the Owner pursuant to the RFP will belong exclusively to the Owner and be subject to public inspection.

Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an Offeror shall be identified with the data or other material is submitted. Offerors must specifically identify the data or materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. See the fourth bullet point under section 3.3 regarding public records requests. The Owner reserves the right to ask for additional clarification prior to establishing protection.

3. Procurement Process

3.1. Timeline

The timeline in the Introduction section above is provided for information purposes. Please note that dates are approximate and are subject to change. As applicable addenda may be issued if and when critical dates are changed.

Proposals will be received until exactly 2:00 pm, Tuesday, November 14, 2023 and not later. Responses shall be submitted via the Town's eProcurement Portal in response to RFP

2023-RFP-023. Proposals are to be submitted via the eProcurement Portal and shall be received by: Purchasing Manager, Town of Mooresville.

Proposals submitted in any other fashion shall not be accepted.

3.2. Interpretations and Clarifications

Questions or clarification of this RFP must be made in writing to the Purchasing Manager via the

Town's eProcurement Portal Q&A Feature. Questions must be submitted by 11:00 am on

Thursday, November 2, 2023.

3.3. Submission of RFP

The proposal shall be submitted no later than 2:00 pm, Tuesday, November 14, 2023, via the Town's eProcurement Portal.

• When received, all proposals and supporting materials, as well as correspondence relating to the

RFP, shall become the property of the Town. As allowed under NCGS 143B.129.8, proposals will not be made available to inspect or copy until the contract has been awarded.

• In submitting a proposal, it is understood by the vendor that the Town of Mooresville reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities in proposals when to do so is in the best interest of the Town of Mooresville.

• Any proposal may be withdrawn or modified by the vendor via the Town's eProcurement Portal, provided such withdrawal occurs before 2:00 pm on Tuesday, November 14, 2023.

• If a proposal includes any propriety data or information, such data or information must be specifically identified as such on every page on which it is found. Data or information so identified will remain confidential to the extent allowed by North Carolina law pursuant to GS

132-1.2 and will be used by Town of Mooresville personnel solely for the purposes of evaluating proposals and conducting contract negotiations.

• All prices quoted must be firm for a period of 60 days following the proposal deadline.

• The cost of preparing a response to the RFP will not be reimbursed by the Town.

• As applicable, proposals should include all necessary brochures or literature of proposed equipment or service.

• No agreements with any selected vendor shall be binding until a contract is signed and executed by the Town Manager or Mayor and authorized representatives of the vendor.

• The Town of Mooresville is obligated to pay only such contract amounts that can lawfully be made from funds budgeted and appropriated for that purpose during the Town's then current fiscal year, subject to annual approval by the Town of Mooresville Board of

Commissioners. Should the Town fail to budget, appropriate, or otherwise make available funds to make payments under this contract, such contract shall be deemed terminated at the end of the then current term. The Town of Mooresville agrees to deliver prompt notification after any decision to non-appropriation is made, but failure to give such notice will not extend the term beyond such Original or Renewal Term.

3.4. Proposal Content

Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that the Evaluation Committee may properly evaluate the Offeror's capabilities to provide the required services. Proposals should contain the following information:

• Offeror’s Proposal and required attachments. Note addenda (if any) must be acknowledged via the Town's eProcurement Portal.

• A summary of the costs in the lease to provide the services requested in this RFP. It should be signed by an individual authorized to execute binding legal documents on behalf of the vendor and include the name, address and telephone number of the vendor along with the name, title, address, and telephone of the executive that has the authority to contract and the company point of contact with the Town.

• The vendor shall submit a lease, summarizing the proposed equipment and services. The summary should highlight aspects of the proposal which make it superior or unique in addressing the needs of the Town.

• Describe how changes to the contract (lease), including additions and deletions, would be handled administratively and operationally.

• The vendor shall state in their proposal if a North Carolina state contract or other cooperative contract is used for pricing.

• The vendor shall state in their proposal what the average response time would be for a service call.

• Please note, the Town would prefer three individual leases, one for each location. The

Town would also prefer that all leases would be coterminous.

4. Selection Process

4.1. Award of Contract

• Upon review of proposals, the Town will select a single vendor to provide the services sought within the content of this RFP. Pursuant to G.S. 143-129.8, the Town will award a contract to the vendor that submits the best overall proposal, as determined by the Town.

Negotiations may be undertaken with the vendor whose proposal is the best overall and whose understanding, qualifications, experience, technical approach, and financial terms show them to be qualified, responsible and capable of providing the services.

• The contract awarded as a result of this RFP will be selected based on the most advantageous to the Town and that best meets the needs of the Town of Mooresville. The contract will not necessarily be awarded to the respondent with the lowest overall cost proposal or lowest overall cost per copy.

4.2. Selection Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated and scored by a committee consisting of various departmental personnel on the basis of the following criteria, which will be accorded equal weight:

• Overall cost to the Town.

• Vendor record or performance and integrity. Preference will be given to respondents demonstrating strong capabilities, experience and reputation in undertakings similar to those described in this RFP.

• Vendor’s service record. Preference will be given to respondents demonstrating the ability to respond to maintenance and service tasks and responsibilities outlined in the proposal in a prompt and efficient manner. Proposals should outline the respondent’s specific responsibilities for installation, operation, maintenance and repair of equipment and systems following installation and should demonstrate the ability of the respondent to provide service on both a routine and an emergency basis.

• Overall response to the proposal.

• Proximity to the Town of Mooresville. How close is the vendor in relation to the Town when service and maintenance is needed.

The evaluation committee may conduct interviews with the finalists to clarify information provided in the proposals. Vendors will be notified if an interview is needed with them.

Following the criteria listed in G.S. 143-129.8 and 143-135.9, the Town will make a final selection based on the evaluation committee’s recommendation and other factors the Town deems to be in its best interest, which factors shall be recorded.

5. Evaluation Phases

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Overall Cost to the Town Points Based 25 (33.3% of Total)

2. Vendor record or performance and integrity.

Preference will be given to respondents demonstrating strong capabilities, experience and reputation in undertakings similar to those described in this RFP.

Points Based 15 (20% of Total)

3. Vendor’s service record.

Preference will be given to respondents demonstrating the ability to respond to maintenance and service tasks and responsibilities outlined in the proposal in a prompt and efficient manner. Proposals should outline the respondent’s specific responsibilities for installation, operation, maintenance and repair of equipment and systems following installation and should demonstrate the ability of the respondent to provide service on both a routine and an emergency basis.

Points Based 15 (20% of Total)

4. Overall response to the proposal. Points Based 10 (13.3% of Total)

5. Proximity to the Town of Mooresville

How close is the vendor in relation to the Town when service and maintenance is needed.

Points Based 10 (13.3% of Total)

6. Scope of Work

6.1. Specifications

Interested vendors are invited to submit proposals for a postage meter lease for several Town departments and locations. These departments and locations will be referred to as:

Town Hall

One Mooresville Center (OMC)

Mooresville Public Library

Postage meter requirements vary for each department.

Please provide complete pricing to supply, install, maintain, and support postage meters for each of the aforementioned departments and locations based on the specifications below, for a period of five (5) years beginning December 2023. Delivery and installation MUST be completed by this date.

The following are specifications by department with the current equipment. Current equipment is meeting the needs with the volume of mailing. The requirements for this RFP are equipment with at least the same specifications as current. Brand names and models are used as a guide only. Do not contact or solicit information from individual departments. Please feel free to quote additional add-on equipment.

Town Hall - This location currently has a Quadient IS-330AI-5M postage meter with weighing platform.

The past 12 month period (9/1/22 - 9/29/23) 19,008 pieces of mail was sent from this Town Hall.

Mooresville Public Library - This location currently has a Pitney Bowes SendPro C Series 4 with weighing platform. The Library's current lease expires in April 2024.

One Mooresville Center (OMC) - This location will require the same equipment and services as the

Mooresville Public Library. OMC does not have a postage meter presently.

7. Additional Town Requirements

7.1. Addtional Town Requirements

Please note, the awarded vendor will be required to sign the Town’s standard services contract. A copy of the contract can be viewed at:

https://cms5.revize.com/revize/mooresvillenc/Site%20Documents/Purchasing/StandardVendorContract.p df

If a State contract is referenced for pricing, an agreement stating the Town is party to that contract will required to be signed. An example of the agreement can be found in the attachments of this RFP.

7.2. Account Manager and Invoicing

Vendor must provide a single designated account manager to work with the Town as a point of contact who will have full authority over the contract, equipment and personnel who will be assigned to the

Town.

• The vendor must provide one invoice for each location in a pdf format or other agreed upon format emailed to acctspayable@mooresvillenc.gov monthly or quarterly. The invoice terms will be Net 30. The invoice shall, at minimum, include:

• Invoice number

• Bill/Invoice date

• The Town’s Purchase Order Number

• Department name and location

The Town will require the awarded vendor to be registered with the NC Secretary of State.

https://cms5.revize.com/revize/mooresvillenc/Site%20Documents/Purchasing/StandardVendorContract.pdf https://cms5.revize.com/revize/mooresvillenc/Site%20Documents/Purchasing/StandardVendorContract.pdf

8. Vendor Questionnaire

8.1. Equpment Confirmation *

It is essential that the vendor understand the needs of Town departments will change over the contract period. The successful vendor must reflect a plan for adding and changing equipment to meet these changing needs as they occur. The Town must have the ability to add or delete machines from the contract and modify machine requirements as our internal needs change over time. All additions must be new and meet all requirements.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

8.2. Do you accept all terms and conditions of this RFP?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

8.3. Additional equipment confirmation *

If your solution requires any additional computer hardware, and/or software it must be included in your proposal and pricing structure and should be clearly identified as additional equipment required for your solution.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

8.4. Do you understand that the vendor is solely responsible for maintaining and servicing all equipment?* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

8.5. Do you accept that the awarded vendor shall be responsible for replacing the present equipment with minimal disruption to Town operations.* ☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

8.6. Complete Proposal*

Upload your complete proposal including Technical and Cost considerations.

*Response required

8.7. Additional Information*

Please add any additional information that may be required.

*Response required

8.8. Firm Information *

Please provide:

Name of Firm

Address of Firm:

Tax ID#

Name of Point of Contact

Email of Main Contact

Telephone Number of Main Contact

*Response required

8.9. Provide names of personnel and their responsibilities who will be dedicated to the Town of Mooresville’s account:* Name, Title and Responsibility of each individual

*Response required

8.10. References*

Provide three (3) reference for whom you have done business within the last three (3) years (preferred consideration for City/Town entities)

Inlcude

Name of Contact

Company or Entity

Phone Number email

*Response required