PRF79 Response Template.docx

RFR RESPONSE TEMPLATE

PRF79 Purchase Card (P-card) Program

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

RESPONSE SUBMITTED FOR

RFR # PRF79

TITLE: Purchase Card (P-card) Program

BIDDER NAME: [Enter Name Here]

INSTRUCTIONS:

Submission of Responses/Deadline for Submission Bids shall be submitted solely through COMMBUYS by the submission deadline date as outlined in the RFR Document, as it may be amended.

1. Responses must be submitted according to these instructions. Failure to submit a response in compliance with these instructions may result in a reduction in points, or all or a portion of the response being disqualified. Due to the number of expected responses, and the competitiveness of this procurement, a response may be disqualified solely for not being submitted in compliance with these instructions.

2. The written RFR response must be submitted using this “RFR Response Template” so that all responses appear uniform and consistent for selection purposes and to enable posting on COMMBUYS once selection is completed.

3. This WORD document must be used and may not be altered, reformatted or changed in any way or the response will be subject to rejection. This document must be saved in a WORD format and not in .pdf so that the document may be modified during negotiations if necessary. Bidders may not save this document as a .pdf format. A .pdf format will subject the response to rejection. Attachments allowable as .pdf submissions will be specifically noted, if any.

4. The bidder may open the “footer” and add the Bidder’s Name to print on each page of the response.

5. Bidders must enter, or copy and paste information into the spaces provided for each answer. The space will expand to accommodate the data entered.

6. Bidders may not refer to outside attachments for key information related to answering the questions unless the Attachment is one of the Required Attachments for the RFR Response as specified under the “Attachments” tab for this RFR on COMMBUYS, or is a vendor attachment (such as a sample contract form or sample report layout) that can not be inserted into the space provided. Bidder may not refer to separate documents containing terms and conditions that will apply to performance. The Bidder must type, copy or paste information into the RESPONSE section. PLEASE DO NOT INSERT DOCUMENTS, MARKETING MATERIALS, OR OTHER PRE-PACKAGED CONTENT INTO THIS FORM OR REFER OUT TO OTHER DOCUMENTS. CONTENT MUST BE INSERTED AS TEXT AND DIAGRAMS INTO THIS TEMPLATE. This form will expand to accommodate the addition of response information. Failure to follow these instructions may result in a reduction in points, disqualification of a section or the entire response.

7. Each item must be addressed specifically by entering information in the required ANSWER space. If an item does not apply, the response must indicate "N/A" or “Not applicable” or any other appropriate explanation.

8. The questions presented are the best estimate of what information is needed to evaluate bidders and are not exhaustive. As attachments may not be referenced, bidders should be as comprehensive in responding to each answer as possible and include all relevant information and considerations to assist in the review of a response and demonstrate the full capabilities of the bidder and why the Commonwealth should select the bidder as a Statewide Contractor. If questions do not elicit all the information a bidder believes is necessary to evaluate the bidder, the bidder should add this information where most applicable, or under the general “value-added services” section.

9. Bidders are responsible for reviewing COMMBUYS for all the listed specifications and the required forms that must be submitted with the RFR Response (in order to be considered for selection) or upon contract award and execution. Failure to submit the required forms with the RFR Response, as specified, will be considered sufficient grounds for disqualification of the bidder’s response.

RFR RESPONSE PART A

BIDDER AUTHORIZED CONTACT, INTRODUCTION AND CERTIFICATIONS

A-1. Authorized Representative and RFR Contact. Please complete the information below for the individual who is an authorized representative of the bidder, who can legally bind the bidder during the RFR interview and subsequent negotiations, and who shall serve as the RFR contact for any questions or communication necessary during the procurement. The bidder must identify its legal name as used for filing tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and its Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).

Bidder Legal Name (on file with IRS):

D/B/A (if operating under this name):

Legal Address (on file for IRS reporting):

FEIN:

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Vendor Code (if previously a vendor in Massachusetts): VC:

Authorized Representative/RFR Contact Name:

Title:

Telephone:

Cell:

TTY/TTD:

Email Address:

Fax:

CONTRACT MANAGER (who will be listed in the Statewide Contract and Lead Person to be contacted for any engagement, under any category for the Statewide Contract.)

Individual Name:

Title:

Telephone:

Mobile Phone:

Email Address:

Fax:

A-2. Introduction – Bidder Firm Profile: In the A-2 ANSWER space below please complete the following:

· Insert a brief bidder introduction – bidder firm profile not to exceed three (3) pages in length introducing the bidder:

· identifying the scope of eligible entities to be served

· a firm profile identifying:

· whether the firm is local, national, or international

· the total number of employees

· a brief firm history

· the location of the office(s) from which the work is to be managed and the location from which the work will be performed

· a description of the firm philosophy in providing the RFR services that the bidder is submitting a response, how they will meet the particular needs of the eligible entities they intend to serve

· why the particular expertise and skills of the firm sets the firm apart from competitors and why the bidder provides the best value in comparison to similarly situated bidders.

DO NOT INSERT MARKETING MATERIALS HERE. Bidder Firm Profile must address (at a minimum) the specific items listed above. Note that the quality of this Introduction will be considered in the scoring of this Response.

A-2. ANSWER:

Please identify the scope of Eligible Entities that the Bidder seeks to serve:

. Solely to state departments . Solely to municipalities and local government . Solely to state authorities and quasi-public entities . State departments, municipalities and local government . Municipalities and local government, state authorities and quasi-public entities . State departments, municipalities and local government, state authorities and quasi-public entities

ENTER/INSERT BIDDER’S INTRODUCTION – BIDDER FIRM PROFILE HERE: (Please see shaded row above for contents of introduction. Limited to 3 pages.)

A-3. Certification of Acceptance of Commonwealth Terms.

The order of precedence of this Statewide Contract is as follows:

1) Commonwealth Terms and Conditions (Incorporated into Standard Contract Form)

2) Standard Contract Form

3) Standard Contract Form Instructions and Contractor Certifications

4) Request for Response PRF79

5) This Contractor’s Response, as amended during negotiations

6) Any other non-conflicting provisions, terms or materials incorporated herein by reference by the contractor

It is expected that any legal review of the required contract forms and attachments will be done PRIOR to submission of the RFR response and that objections to any language in the RFR or attachments will not be raised after selection and during contract negotiations. This means that the bidder cannot condition execution upon the “opportunity to negotiate final terms” after selection.

Therefore, if the bidder has any questions related to the interpretation of any language in the required forms or attachments, these questions must be identified as part of the “On-line Forum” for this RFR during the question and answer period prior to submission, and questions or objections may not be raised at a later date.

Any issues or concerns with the language in the contract forms or attachments, or proposed additions or clarifications to this language MUST BE IDENTIFIED IN DETAIL BELOW as part of the response, which will be evaluated as part of the selection process, and may not be raised after selection.

Bidders are not authorized to condition execution of a contract with the Commonwealth upon the Commonwealth’s execution of a bidder contract form, or required use of bidder terms and conditions. Any additional terms and conditions that the bidder seeks to apply to this contract MUST BE SPECIFIED IN DETAIL BELOW with a full explanation for consideration as part of the selection process. The Commonwealth shall consider any reasonable “clarification” of terms that defines or outlines the parties’ responsibilities, but does not delete or materially change the Commonwealth terms. Selection for final negotiation of a contract shall not be interpreted as the Commonwealth’s acceptance of any terms, conditions or recommended clarifications identified in this section and shall be subject to the Commonwealth’s acceptance as part of negotiations. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any submitted terms.

The listing of numerous conditions, demands for negotiation of terms, conditioning performance on the Commonwealth’s acceptance of bidder terms or a demonstration of an unwillingness to operate under the Commonwealth’s boilerplates and terms shall be a significant consideration as part of qualifications for this Statewide Contract and grounds for rejection of the bidder’s response or a significant reduction in points.

A-3. ANSWER: (Bidder must affirmatively indicate acceptance with an “X”. In the event the bidder fails to indicate acceptance, the bidder will be deemed to have affirmatively accepted if a response is submitted.)

. By submitting this response the bidder certifies that the bidders understands and agrees to these conditions.

The bidder is submitting the following clarifications, concerns or recommended additional terms for consideration. These terms will be considered in evaluating the overall qualifications of the bidder and when evaluating the partnership minimum qualifications under this RFR. Bidder understands and agrees that these terms may not be accepted by the Commonwealth and this response is not conditioned upon these terms. Bidder shall include an explanation about why the clarifications are sought or are necessary. Merely stating that the firm policy or legal team requires these terms will be an inadequate explanation. Why the terms will benefit the engagement must be identified.

A-4. In the space for ANSWER A-4 below, please list the following information if applicable which would potentially affect the bidder’s ability to perform the services of this contract. Failure to identify such contingencies as part of a response will be considered sufficient cause for immediate termination from the Statewide Contract if such information is discovered during the life of the contract. Details of the particular incidents do not have to be provided unless to identify mitigation or resolution of the incident.

a) Penalties and Bankruptcy: A list of all bankruptcy and other similar proceedings within the past three (3) years relating to the bidder, any officer, director, partner or member thereof, any affiliate or any related entity.

b) Litigation: List any outstanding contingencies, such as lawsuits or other claims or charges against the bidder related to performance of the services sought under this RFR and any and all investigations, indictments or pending litigation by any federal, state or local jurisdiction relating to the bidder, any officer, director, partner or member thereof, any affiliate or any related company and all criminal convictions within the last five (5) years relating to the bidder, any officer, director, partner or member thereof, any affiliate or any related entity.

c) Civil Penalties: A list of all civil penalties, judgments, consent decrees and other sanctions within the last five (5) years, as a result of any violation of any law, rule, regulation or ordinance in connection with its business activities relating to the bidder, any officer, director, partner or member thereof, any affiliate or any related entity.

d) Suspensions of any permit or authority to do business: A list of all actions occurring within the last five (5) years which have resulted in revocation or suspension of any permit or authority to do business in any jurisdiction relating to the submitting entity, any officer, director, partner or member thereof, any affiliate or any related entity.

e) Debarment from public bidding: A list of all actions occurring within the last five (5) years that have resulted in the barring from public bidding relating to the bidder, an officer, director, partner or member thereof, any affiliate or any related entity.

f) Defaults: The bidder shall list any situation in which the bidder’s firm (either alone or as part of a joint venture), or a subsidiary of the bidder’s firm, defaulted or was deemed to be in noncompliance of any contractual obligations, explaining the situation, its outcome and all other relevant facts associated with the event described. Please also provide the name, title and telephone number of the principal manager of the contract user who asserted the event of default or noncompliance.

g) Other Adverse Situations or Potential Conflicts: The bidder shall provide a description of any present facts known to the bidder that might reasonably be expected to affect adversely its ability to perform any aspect of this contract or present a conflict of interest or ethical issue.

A-4. ANSWER:

a) Penalties and bankruptcy:

b) Litigation:

c) Civil penalties or actions:

d) Suspensions of any permit or authority to do business:

e) Debarment from public bidding:

f) Defaults:

g) Other adverse situations or potential conflicts:

A-5. Material Engagements, Outstanding Proposals, Conflicts. Provide a listing of the Bidder’s concurrent material engagements, as well as its current outstanding proposals or bids that could impact the available resources to fully manage the Commonwealth's P-Card Program or implement the Program by January 1, 2022. Describe the Bidder’s capacity to take on the management and administration of the Commonwealth's P-Card Program.

A-5. ANSWER:

A-6 Response Certification: By completion of the information in the space provided below and submission of this RFR response, the bidder through its authorized representative certifies:

1) that the response will remain in effect for a period of 90 days from the submission deadline and thereafter until either the bidder withdraws it, a contract is executed, or the procurement is canceled, whichever occurs first;

2) that the information provided in this RFR response is accurately represented;

3) that the bidder is ready, willing and able to perform the work required as specified;

4) that if selected for final contract negotiation, the bidder is willing to complete execution in a timely matter without protracted contract negotiations;

5) that this response is being submitted in good faith and without any collusion or fraud;

6) that the bidder certifies that it will comply with the Statewide Contract terms including amendments, for the duration of any contract awarded to the bidder under this RFR;

7) that the bidder certifies that this response is submitted in accordance with the order of precedence outlined in Section A.3, that any legal review of the required contract forms and attachments has been done PRIOR to submission of the RFR response, and that any recommended clarifications that do not modify or delete the standard terms have been identified and objections to any language in the RFR or attachments will not be raised after selection or during contract negotiations;

8) that this response is not conditioned upon the Commonwealth’s acceptance of any bidder standard forms or terms, and the bidder has not conditioned submission of this response based upon any stated terms in Section A-3, and the bidder has not condition submission of this response on the ability to negotiate the standard Commonwealth terms, or the response may be subject to disqualification or a significant drop in points relative to the qualifications section;

9) that the bidder certifies that if selected for a contract that the bidder must obtain a Certificate of Good Standing from the Department of Revenue as part of contract execution, see https://wfb.dor.state.ma.us/webfile/Certificate/Public/WebForms/Help/LearnMore.aspx and http://www.dor.state.ma.us/rul_reg/AdminProcedure/AP613.htm;

10) that the bidder certifies that it must be in good standing for tax compliance and any other requirement for licensing or good standing in the Commonwealth for the duration of the Statewide Contract; and

11) that the bidder certifies that if selected for a Statewide Contract, that in the event the contract is terminated for convenience or cause, or upon the end date of the contract, or if the contract is otherwise dissolved, voided, rescinded, nullified, expires or rendered unenforceable, the contractor agrees to comply with direction provided by the State to assist in the orderly transition and close out of the contract. The contractor must work with the State, or a specified third party, to develop a transition plan setting forth the specific tasks and schedule to be accomplished by the parties to effect an orderly transition. Contractor must notify all of contractor’s subcontractors of procedures to be followed during transition.

A-6. ANSWER: (Bidder must affirmatively indicate acceptance with an “X”. In the event the bidder fails to indicate acceptance, the bidder will be deemed to have affirmatively accepted if a response is submitted.)

. By submitting this response the bidder certifies that the bidder understands and agrees to these conditions.

Authorized Representative Printed Name:

Title:

Date:

RFR RESPONSE PART B - BIDDER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

In this section of the response the bidder is required to outline the bidder’s “minimum qualifications,” the experience, expertise and capabilities to provide the Statewide Contract Services. The bidder must demonstrate that it meets the minimum specifications listed or have a suitable alternative. The bidder must articulate specific projects and identify the key personnel demonstrating the bidder’s qualifications, and that the bidder has the requisite skills, experience and expertise to provide the necessary services to Commonwealth eligible entities with details of historical demonstrated performance.

In order to promote competition and ensure the most cost effective and comprehensive availability of services, the Commonwealth intends to narrow the field of qualified contractors to the most qualified and competitive firms.

Each ANSWER must be complete and detailed and provide any information that would be helpful not only for the evaluation of the bidder’s expertise and qualifications, but also for prospective buyers of the services, as this response will be the reference document posted for the bidder that prospective buyers will review to select eligible Statewide Contractors for the engagements sought. Therefore, the bidder should make every effort to provide relevant and helpful information.

Do not reference attachments or other ANSWERS. Each ANSWER must be fully completed in all sections. If the ANSWER is the same as another section, bidders may copy and paste the ANSWER.

DO NOT INSERT MARKETING MATERIALS HERE. Bidders must address each item listed. Note that the quality of this section will be considered in the scoring of this Response.

Minimum Requirements All Bidders: As listed in the RFR the following are minimum qualifications that must be met by all bidders selected for the Statewide Contract. Bidder must address each individual qualification. Answers will apply to any RFR category the bidder selected in Section A-2.

1. In-State Presence.

2. Supplier Diversity Program participation.

3. Security and Confidentiality.

4. Partnership with Commonwealth and Eligible Entities

B-1. In-State Presence. Bidder must be a United States firm able to perform on-site work in Massachusetts, with no services being provided outside the continental US. It is preferred that contractors have an in-state presence, with a local office as opposed to a registered agent location, but this is not required for selection. Travel costs will add to the overall costs for an engagement and will result in a bidder being less attractive both for initial selection or for individual engagements under the Statewide Contract. Out of state bidders will have to weigh this investment relative to engagements under the Statewide Contract as work is not guaranteed.

B-1 ANSWER:

B-2. Supplier Diversity Program participation. Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) participation accounts for no less than 25% of the total points in the evaluation. Statewide Contractors must commit to SDP participation with certified vendors.

B-2. ANSWER: (Bidder must affirmatively indicate acceptance with an “X”. In the event the bidder fails to indicate acceptance, the bidder will be deemed to have affirmatively accepted if a response is submitted.)

. By submitting this response the bidder certifies that the bidder understands and agrees to commit to SDP participation with certified vendors.

Bidder will submit a SDP Plan Attachment as part of this response.

B-3. Security, Compliance and Privacy. The Bidder will be considered a holder of Commonwealth personal data under M.G.L. c. 66A and/or personal information under MGL c. 93H and M.G.L. c. 93I . For purposes of this contract, electronic personal data and personal information includes data provided by the Commonwealth to the Bidder which may physically reside at a location owned and/or controlled by the Commonwealth or Bidder.

a) Describe in detail the measures used to protect the security and privacy of program data, records, forms, participant information, and data processing operations. Include information about the physical security measures used to control access to systems and the internal controls that are in place to reduce losses that may occur through fraud, negligence, incompetence, or system or other errors.

b) Describe the maximum feasible safeguards the Bidder will implement to keep all customer information, including account information, secured in a manner which will ensure the security, confidentiality and integrity of electronic personal data and personal information during all stages of the program, including activation, enrollment, and termination to prevent unauthorized access or interception and manipulation of data during transmission to and from any servers of electronic personal data or personal information or any other Commonwealth Data from any public or private network or from customers; will ensure that participant information including participant account information created as a result of this RFR will remain confidential and will never be sold or otherwise shared with any other entity not associated with the Contract or for any purpose other than the implementation of the Contract, unless required by law, and ensure that participant account or other information will not be used to solicit other business and will be kept confidential.

c) Describe the maximum feasible safeguards the Bidder will implement to prevent on-site unauthorized physical access to any information technology resources involved in the Bidder’s performance and how access to the data regarding customer information and customer accounts will be restricted to those individuals whose access is essential to the administration of the program and how the Bidder will document that each individual with access to customer information, including account information has been thoroughly trained regarding the unique state requirements for confidentiality and what confidentiality agreements have been executed before access to this information is permitted.

d) Describe the maximum feasible safeguards the Bidder will implement to monitor the use of the data by individuals with access to customer information, including account information to ensure that such information is being used for purposes consistent with the administration of this Program.

e) Describe the maximum feasible safeguards the Bidder will implement to notify CTR immediately if any breach of such system or of the security, confidentiality, or integrity of electronic personal data or personal information occurs and what assistance the Bidder will provide to the customer in the event that the customer’s individual account information is compromised.

f) Describe the maximum feasible safeguards the Bidder will implement for fraud detection, prevention and recapture of funds and liability issues, including procedures for preventing identity theft and responding to fraudulent activities and procedures for resolving and prosecuting fraud, including the timeframes and methods of notifications to the State Agency and information that will be provided. Describe how the program will prevent fraudulent use of cards, sale of cards on the Internet such as EBay (see http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07724t.pdf ) and what internal controls will be in place to prevent fraud, abuse or misuse.

g) Describe how the Bidder will meet all “Regulation E” requirements, including those that apply specifically to government programs if triggered by the types of services available under the Program, and how sub-contractors who are otherwise responsible for Regulation E are also responsible for Regulation E in relation to this contract.

h) Please describe how your firm and all subcontractors comply with the PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) in its entirety for all payment channels and specific to various payment channels and hosting scenarios.

i) Please confirm that your firm and each subcontractor has successfully completed timely and annual assessments and validation based on the PCI DSS, identify each SAQ level, and state the date of last compliance confirmation.

j) Please identify a list of dates and general description of any data breaches for Bidder and any subcontractors and how resolved.

k) Identify any current security breaches for the Bidder or any subcontractors that are underway and not yet resolved. Please describe currently implemented protocols and emerging protocols that the Bidder and any subcontractors have implemented or are implementing for secure data processing, transmission, and storage of confidential data.

l) Describe how Bidder and subcontractors will comply with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Enterprise Information Technology Policies (See: http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=itdtopic&L=2&L0=Home&L1=Policies%2c+Standards+%26+Guidance&sid=Aitd )

m) Describe how Bidder and subcontractors will comply with the following Commonwealth of Massachusetts statutes: Management of public records G.L. c. 66; protection of personal data G.L. c. 66A; protection of private information Chapter 82 of the Acts of 2007 (An Act Relative to Security Freezes and Notification of Data Breaches); and security breaches G.L. c. 93H.

B-3. ANSWER:

a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) k) l) m)

B-4. Partnership Commitment. Bidders must demonstrate a significant commitment to partner with the Commonwealth and eligible entities to achieve the highest level of performance, compliance and ensure that business methods prevent fraud, waste and abuse of Commonwealth funds and resources. Bidder should explain how it will demonstrate this commitment to the Statewide Contract, and why this partnership demonstrates a better value to the Commonwealth than other competitors.

B-4. ANSWER:

B-5. Qualifications – Key Personnel Assigned To Contract. Key personnel designated or assigned to the P-Card Program engagement must perform as designated in the absence of termination from the Bidder or other unavoidable circumstances. Bidders submitting a response to this RFR shall be considered to have accepted this condition. During the period of the Contract, key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract services may be removed or replaced by the Contractor only upon the prior written approval of CTR. A significant change in the key personnel listed in the Response prior to, or after, the execution of the Contract, which is unsatisfactory to CTR shall be grounds for disqualification of the Response or termination of the Contract. In the spaces provided below, list the key personnel who will be assigned to this project and identify the required information for each individual. Do not refer to resumes. All relevant information must be contained in the space provided below.

The Contract Manager will be the single point of contact and must be an authorized representative of the Bidder responsible for all contract related issues. The Contract Manager listed below shall be the same Contract Manager listed in the Standard Contract Form executed by the parties for the P-Card Program. Email notice to the Contract Manager to the e-mail listed in the contract shall be considered legal notice under the contract for all purposes. Changes to the Contract Manager must be approved in writing by CTR prior to any change, and the individual must be at an equal or greater level of qualifications or experience than the individual being replaced. CTR will have the right to reject an individual in the Contract Manager position who is not sufficiently qualified or does not have signatory authorization to manage the contract.

The Primary P-Card Program Coordinator shall be a single point of contact for all day-to-day operational issues, technical issues, reporting issues and questions from CTR and state agency Payroll Directors. The Primary P-Card Program Coordinator (and members of the account team) must respond to CTR staff within 24 hours, be available to meet for quarterly service meetings and for additional meetings, as needed. CTR must receive advance written notice of any changes to the Bidder’s key account service staff. The Contract Manager and the Primary P-Card Program Coordinator may be the same individual.

DO NOT INCLUDE SUBCONTRACTORS IN SECTIONS B-5 or B–6.

List all subcontractors in section B-7.

B-5. ANSWER:

Contract Manager Name:

Bidder/Company Title:

Telephone (Mobile or phone with greatest accessibility):

Office phone:

Email Address:

Office Fax:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this individual is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract services to be performed by this individual and include the percentage of time devoted to the Contract or the number of hours anticipated to be performed for each specific service.

Identify the person, whose primary responsibility will be to coordinate enrollment activities, including supervision and training of enrollment representatives, if applicable. Include their position, qualifications, experience, and location (local or home office). Describe how enrollment responsibilities will be coordinated between the home and local office staff, if applicable.

Alternate Contract Manager Individual Name:

Bidder/Company Title:

Telephone (Mobile or phone with greatest accessibility):

Office phone:

Email Address:

Office Fax:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this individual is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract services to be performed by this individual and include the percentage of time devoted to the Contract or the number of hours anticipated to be performed for each specific service.

Administrator IT Liaison (who will work with the Commonwealth to coordinate and support any technology or system issues and ensure the program is operational 24/7 with little or no downtime)

Bidder/Company Title:

Telephone (Mobile or phone with greatest accessibility):

Office phone:

Email Address:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this individual is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract services to be performed by this individual and include the percentage of time devoted to the Contract or the number of hours anticipated to be performed for each specific service.

Alternate Administrator IT Liaison

Bidder/Company Title:

Telephone (Mobile or phone with greatest accessibility):

Office phone:

Email Address:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this individual is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract services to be performed by this individual and include the percentage of time devoted to the Contract or the number of hours anticipated to be performed for each specific service.

B-6. Identify other specialists or individuals within the Bidder who will be assigned to this contract, and the functions they will perform.

B-6. ANSWER:

Individual Name:

Bidder/Company Title:

Telephone (Mobile or phone with greatest accessibility):

Office phone Email Address:

Office Fax:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this individual is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract services to be performed by this individual and include the percentage of time devoted to the Contract or the number of hours anticipated to be performed for each specific service.

Individual Name:

Bidder/Company Title:

Telephone (Mobile or phone with greatest accessibility):

Office phone Email Address:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this individual is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract services to be performed by this individual and include the percentage of time devoted to the Contract or the number of hours anticipated to be performed for each specific service.

B-7. Subcontractors. The selected Bidder will be responsible for and perform all the duties and requirements of the P-Card Program. In this section, the Bidder must identify any subcontractors that will or may be used to conduct any of the work described in this RFR, including the names of subcontractors, summaries of their qualifications, experience and duties and responsibilities for performance.

1. Bidders must certify that the Bidder will remain the sole point of contact and will be solely responsible for all performance under the contract and may not assign responsibility for any performance under this Contract.

2. Bidders must certify that there can be no requirements that the Commonwealth deal directly with or execute separate contracts or other agreements with any subcontractors. All contract terms contained in this contract must be also included in a subcontract with any subcontractor assigned to this contract, and the Bidder shall be responsible and liable for all performance or nonperformance by a subcontractor assigned to this contract. Bidders may be dropped from the Contract if qualified under the Contract due to subcontracted relationships and these subcontracts substantially change.

3. The Bidder must identify a back-up plan for each subcontractor in the event the subcontractor is unable or unavailable to perform the subcontracted services for any reason, to enable the Bidder to perform the Contract performance as specified without delay.

4. The Bidder must confirm that the Office of the Comptroller, or any eligible entity using this Contract, will not be required to sign a subcontract or a separate contract with any subcontractor in order to perform the services under this Contract.

B-7 ANSWER:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Subcontractor Legal Name:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this subcontractor is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract performance under the contract and why this subcontractor is necessary for performance:

Subcontractor Legal Name:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this subcontractor is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract performance under the contract and why this subcontractor is necessary for performance:

Subcontractor Legal Name:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this subcontractor is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract performance under the contract and why this subcontractor is necessary for performance:

Subcontractor Legal Name:

List the qualifications and experience that demonstrate this subcontractor is capable of performing this role. Then identify the specific contract performance under the contract and why this subcontractor is necessary for performance:

RFR RESPONSE PART C – BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

C-1. Overall Qualifications. This section should outline the overall qualifications and experience relevant to the administration of the Commonwealth P-Card Program.

a) List relevant work performed within the last five years, the scope of the work and for whom the work was performed. Discuss how the performance of prior similar projects will enhance performance of the P-Card Program for the Commonwealth. Identify those clients who are large employers with multiple payroll processing centers and all contracts to administer government P-Card programs within the last five years and a contact person and contact information for each. Describe the Bidder’s ability to provide the benefits to employees residing in other states in metropolitan areas (such as Washington D.C.).

b) It is presumed that the Bidder will operate the P-Card Program in compliance with all state and federal laws including tax laws. Describe how the Bidder will maintain and be able to verify to CTR the ongoing legal compliance of the P-Card Program.

c) Describe what legal and technical support will be available to CTR for advice and consultation as needed for program administration. Describe any other qualifications or experience relevant to demonstrate the Bidder’s ability and capacity to implement the P-Card Program by January 1, 2022 and to manage and administer the Program for the duration of the contract.

d) Describe in detail why the Bidder’s P-Card Program offers the best value to the Commonwealth in comparison to competitors.

C-1. ANSWER:

b) c) d)

C-2.A Provide a detailed plan to effectively and efficiently implement the P-Card Program and disburse P-Cards to current users by January 1, 2022. Indicate what will be done, when, and who will be responsible for each step. Provide a list and description of the data and other information that will be needed to complete the implementation. Include data and information that you expect to be provided by CTR. Include any assumptions or constraints regarding CTR resources. No CTR positions are dedicated solely to this implementation.

C-2.A ANSWER:

C-2.B. Additional considerations for implementation plan. Describe any additional information, concerns, details or considerations related to the Section C Implementation Plan.

C-2.B. ANSWER:

C-3. Business Background/Years in the Industry of the Bid. Bidders must have been in the business of providing P-Card Program services for government entities (federal, state or local) for at least the five (5) most recent consecutive years prior to the RFR submission deadline (See RFR Section 1.2, Estimated Procurement Calendar).

This condition will be waived only if a Bidder can demonstrate comparable experience in the private sector with larger clients, that the Bidder can guarantee that Contract performance will be operational by the start date of the Contract and is willing to assume the costs of implementation to ensure timely implementation (provided the Commonwealth is not responsible for any delays).

Describe in detail all qualifications and experience relevant for this category, including specific projects and contracts, government engagements, and any other information relevant to demonstrate qualifications, experience and expertise.

C-3. ANSWER:

C-4. Business Models. Bidders must demonstrate their ability to provide both a centralized and decentralized business model

a) Centralized administrative model: CTR will be responsible for coordinating, creating and issuing individual cards to card holders. Cardholders’ (users’) only contact with the bank will be extracting P-card reports for their department from the bank’s P-Card application and for lost, stolen or disputed items.

b) Decentralized Model: The system should have an option to let the Commonwealth decentralize the creation and issuance of cards at the department (user) level. If needed, the proposed option should allow the Commonwealth to implement P-card department by department or on in a group or in total.

C-4. ANSWER:

b)

C-5. Service Level Agreements. Bidder must agree to the following terms for providing technical service and business service.

Service Level Agreement (SLA) Technical Service Level Agreement

a) Bank technical support to develop the interface from the bank to the Commonwealth’s Accounting System.

b) Escalation procedures for technical assistance when problems arise.

c) ETA for any technical assistance request

d) Status reports no later than 24 hours after the initiation of a technical support request, and weekly follow-ups until the issue is resolved.

e) Early notification regarding upcoming upgrades and enhancements.

f) Timely training regarding upgrades/new releases.

g) Be able to offer progressive rebate schedule.

Service Level Agreement (SLA) Business Service Level Agreement

h) Program Support direct contact via phone

i) Program Administrator functionality must include:

i) set up new accounts online, including ordering and registering cards and establishing User ID and password.

ii) add, edit, or remove single or multiple Merchant Category Codes (MCC) from multiple card accounts at once.

iii) initiate one-time overrides per transaction.

iv) establish roles, access, and authority levels for all user types (i.e. managers, approvers, cardholders) within the Purchasing Entity.

v) unlock system access, reset User ID and reset password for any User within the Purchasing Entity.

vi) see changes made to an account profile and who made those changes.

vii) view cancelled, deactivated and suspended cards within the Entity.

viii) order and issue replacement cards (singular or multiple simultaneously) online.

j) Allow for Program Administrators and Cardholders to access statements online.

k) System will notify Program Administrators and Cardholders of statement availability via email.

l) System will have the ability to roll-up billing to managing account level or bill at department level as determined by the Commonwealth.

m) System will display transactions in US dollars.

n) System will allow for Program Administrator and Cardholder to view account information including but not limited to:

i) Balances

ii) Limits

iii) Charges

iv) Declined transactions

v) Spend history

C-5. Answer a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

vii.

viii.

j) k) l) m) n) i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

C-6 Robust Reporting Requirements, Results and Analysis Bidders must demonstrate the capability to provide detailed assessments, reports and any other information required by eligible entities. The Commonwealth needs online reports with the following fields that can be run by authorized users who may not have authorization to add cards:

a) Program Account Number

b) Program Card Name

c) Work address

d) Statement Date

e) Previous Balance

f) Payment Amount Total(s)

g) Payment Amount Details

h) Purchase date

i) Credits if applicable

j) Bank reference number

k) Merchant name and address

l) Date of Payment(s)

m) Credit Amount(s)

n) Purchases detail and Total amount

o) Billing period

p) Late Fee

q) Other Fees

r) Finance Charge

s) Total Due Amount

t) Ending Balance Additionally, Bidder must demonstrate the ability to:

u) meet interface requirements and send P-Card data electronically to be interfaced to the Comptroller’s Accounting system;

v) create or configure and run reports for authorized users (Departments) and CTR to administer statewide P-Card program;

w) set Auditors (Departments) to “View All Spend Report” (spending detail report under one group)

x) set users (Departments) to “View Only Spend Report” (individual spending detail report).

y) set Program Administrator (CTR) to “View All Spend Report” and Card Report for Groups.

Bidder shall describe any other details relating to reporting, software, websites, or types of available reporting models and any recommended reconciliation tools, reports or other quality assurance tools or recommendations.

Bidder shall describe any costs associated with reporting and tools in the costs section.

C-6. ANSWER:

b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) j) k) l) m) n) o) p) q) r) s) t) u) v) w) x) y)

C-7. Wide Acceptance of P-Card Bidder must demonstrate that their Purchase card has wide acceptance and demonstrate the ease of use of its online platform.

Bidder must provide a cost effective Purchase Card (P-Card) Program with a purchase card that has wide acceptance at business establishments (such as MasterCard and VISA) throughout Massachusetts and nationally. The Commonwealth is looking for a simple platform that would provide increased efficiency and minimum maintenance. The intent of the P-Card program is to allow the Commonwealth to make small and big purchases easier and streamline business process.

C-7. ANSWER:

C-8. Prohibit Use of ATM Bidder must confirm its ability to prohibit ATM usage under any P-card issued, and ability to provide centralized MCC management capability.

C-8. ANSWER:

C-9. P-Card Distribution

Bidder must demonstrate capability to issue a minimum of 420 cards on or about January 1, 2022 to state employees who have cards under the current statewide contract, displaying the cardholder’s name, user department, and “Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Cards shall be issued only to user Departments and cardholders that have been approved in advance by the Office of the Comptroller under the P-Card Program policies provided to the Contractor.

Cards must be clearly labeled to identify the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to show the card is to be used for official use. Each card shall display:

C.9. ANSWER:

C-10. PCI Compliance

Bidders must demonstrate PCI compliance as a condition of submitting a Response as well as the highest standards for secure processing of personal information.

C-10. ANSWER:

C-11. Purchase Card Account Discrepancies Bidder must confirm their agreement with the following conditions:

Contractor may not cancel a card or account for late or non-payment or for any other reason (unless requested by the user Department) without prior notice to the user Department AND the Office of the Comptroller. Since some cardholders travel using the purchase cards, use of the purchase cards is a business necessity. Discrepancies in payments must be resolved with the user Department, with assistance from the Office of the Comptroller if necessary. If the selected Contractor determines that a card or account needs to be terminated for late or non-payment, the Contractor shall notify the Office of the Comptroller and provide at least 5 business days from actual receipt of notice to allow the Office of the Comptroller to assist in resolving the dispute or discrepancy.

C-11. ANSWER:

C-12. Cancellation and Replacement of Purchase Cards Bidder must confirm their agreement with the following conditions:

Contractor must be able to provide for immediate cancellation and emergency issuance of replacement purchase cards if requested by the user Department or the Office of the Comptroller. The Bidder must identify the requirements and process for notification, cancellation and re-issuance of lost or stolen purchase cards. Lost/stolen cards will be reissued and forwarded to the Office of Comptroller.

C-12. ANSWER:

C-13. Customer Service

Bidder must assign a dedicated service representative for the Commonwealth Program Administrators.

The Commonwealth anticipates performing training of Department Chief Fiscal Officers and cardholders before Departmental use. Bidders must identify their training programs for their products and make recommendations of industry best practices for training users in both use and administration of the products.

C-13. ANSWER:

C-14. Liability

The Commonwealth seeks Bidder confirmation that similar provisions for liability and other purchase card usage terms and conditions that appl to consumers as outlined in Commonwealth statutes M.G.L. c. 140D and c. 167B; Commonwealth regulation 209 CMR 32.00 and Federal Regulation Z (12 CFR part 226) and the Federal Truth and Lending Act 15 USC 1643 and 1645. Any disruption in processing may subject the Contractor to liquidated damages.

C-14. ANSWER:

C-15. Purchase Card Rebate

Bidders must include a competitive rebate sheet based on volume. The rebate should be paid directly to the Commonwealth and other participating entities on an annual basis through EFT.

C-15. ANSWER:

C-16. Listing of Fees

Bidders must include a listing of all applicable fees (but excluding the relevant rates). The Commonwealth is seeking a program that does not charge an annual fee. The Commonwealth works to ensure that timely payments are made to avoid finance charges, however, those should be included in the listing along with any other applicable fees.

C-16. ANSWER:

C-17. References and reference information and/or requirements

Bidders must include a minimum of three (3) references for Purchase Card (P-Card) services. The references should be from references for which the bidder performed the most relevant, comparable work of the type requested in this RFR (a state or large local government entity). The SST reserves the right to verify references included in the response and to conduct other reference checks as appropriate.

REFERENCE #1. Reference name:

Firm/Agency Phone: # ( ) Fax:

Description and date(s) of services provided:

REFERENCE #2. Reference name:

Firm/Agency Phone: # ( ) Fax:

REFERENCE #3. Reference name:

Firm/Agency Phone: # ( ) Fax:

C-18. Specialty Value Added Services

Describe any related…