Proposal Instructions - RMTS - Addendum 1.docx

Proposal Instructions Department of Technology, Management and Budget—Central Procurement Services Random Moment Time Study Request for Proposal No. 250000001016 Solicitation Manager Name: Adam Ashley Direct Phone: (517) 855-1376 Email: ashleya2@michigan.gov Main Phone: 1-855-MI-PURCH 1-855-647-8724 This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for:

Random Moment Time Study and Claims Development RFP Timeline

*A bidder’s proposal received at 3:00:01 p.m. Eastern is late and subject to disqualification.

This RFP is subject to change. Check www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS for current information.

1. PROPOSAL PREPARATION. The State recommends reading all RFP materials prior to preparing a proposal, particularly these Proposal Instructions and the Vendor Questions Worksheet. Bidders must follow these Proposal Instructions and provide a complete response to the items indicated in the RFP Structure and Documentation table below. References and links to websites or external sources may not be used in lieu of providing the information requested in the RFP within the proposal. Include the bidder’s company name in the header of all documents submitted with your proposal. Note that all documents and information submitted as part of a proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Proposals received by the State may be posted on the State’s publicly available website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

RFP Structure and Documentation

Schedule D

2. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE STATE. The sole point of contact for the State concerning this RFP is listed on the Cover Page. Contacting any other State personnel, agent, consultant, or representative about this RFP may result in bidder disqualification.

3. MODIFICATIONS. The State may modify this RFP at any time. Modifications will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. This is the only method by which the RFP may be modified.

4. QUESTIONS. Bidder questions about this RFP must be emailed to the Solicitation Manager no later than the time and date specified on the Cover Page. In the interest of transparency, only written questions are accepted. Answers to questions will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. Submit questions using the format below; a Microsoft Excel format or similar is suggested.

5. DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL.

Electronic – The bidder must submit its proposal, all attachments, and any modifications or withdrawals electronically through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. The price proposal should be saved separately from all other proposal documents. The bidder should submit all documents in a modifiable (native) format (examples include but are not limited to Microsoft Word or Excel and Google Docs or Sheets). In addition to submitting documents in a modifiable format, the bidder may also submit copies of documents in PDF. Attachment file size is limited to 6 MB per document. Bidder’s failure to submit a proposal as required may result in disqualification. The proposal and attachments must be fully uploaded and submitted prior to the proposal deadline. Do not wait until the last minute to submit a proposal, as the SIGMA VSS system requires the creation of an account and entry of certain information, in addition to uploading and submitting the materials. The SIGMA VSS system will not allow a proposal to be submitted after the proposal deadline identified in the solicitation Closing On/Closing Date fields (Summary view/Detail view), even if a portion of the proposal has been uploaded.

Questions on how to submit information or how to navigate in the SIGMA VSS system can be answered by calling (517) 284-0540 or (888) 734-9749. The Solicitation Manager will not provide assistance related to the submittal of the proposal and all attachments on the day of the proposal deadline. Responsibility for a complete submission lies with the bidder. Note that all documents and information submitted in any manner as part of a proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Proposals received may be posted by the State on the State’s publicly available website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

6. EVALUATION PROCESS.

Bidders have the ability to submit responses for any or all statement(s) of work. The State will evaluate proposals for A1, A2, and A3 based on the following factors:

A1: Random Moment Time Study and Claims Development for School Based Services

A2: PACAP Optimization

A3: No Wrong Door Time Study Administration

Proposals receiving 80 or more technical evaluation points will have pricing evaluated and considered for award.

The State may utilize all bidder information, without regard to a proposal’s technical score, to determine fair market value for goods or services sought. The State is not obligated to accept the lowest price proposal. If applicable, the State’s evaluation will include consideration of a bidder’s qualified disabled veterans/service-disabled veteran owned business(QDV/SDVOB) status under MCL 18.1261(8). Additional information on the SDVOB preference is available at: Michigan.gov/SDVOB.

The State strongly encourages strict adherence to the Contract Terms. The State reserves the right to deem a bid non-responsive for failure to accept the Contract Terms. Nevertheless, the bidder may submit proposed changes to the Contract Terms in track changes (i.e., visible edits) with an explanation of the bidder’s need for each proposed change. Failure to include track changes with an explanation of the bidder’s need for the proposed change constitutes the bidder’s acceptance of the Contract Terms. General statements, such as that the bidder reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions, may be considered non-responsive. Failure to respond timely to requests for proposed changes to Contract Terms during ongoing negotiations may be cause for disqualification.

The State may but is not required to conduct an on-site visit to tour and inspect the bidder’s facilities; require an oral presentation of the bidder's proposal; conduct interviews, research, reference checks, and background checks; and request additional price concessions at any point during the evaluation process.

7. NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY. The State reserves the right to issue a Notice of Deficiency to bidders if the State determines after the proposal deadline that a portion of the RFP was deficient, unclear, or ambiguous. Failure to respond to a Notice of Deficiency timely may be cause for disqualification.

8. CLARIFICATION REQUEST. The State reserves the right to issue a Clarification Request to a bidder to clarify its proposal if the State determines the proposal is not clear. Failure to respond to a Clarification Request timely may be cause for disqualification.

9. RESERVATIONS. The State reserves the right to:

a. Disqualify a bidder for failure to follow these instructions.

b. Discontinue the RFP process at any time for any or no reason. The issuance of an RFP, your preparation and submission of a proposal, and the State’s subsequent receipt and evaluation of your proposal does not commit the State to award a contract to you or anyone, even if all the requirements in the RFP are met.

c. Consider late proposals if: (i) no other proposals are received; (ii) no complete proposals are received; (iii) the State received complete proposals, but the proposals did not meet mandatory minimum requirements or technical criteria; or (iv) the award process fails to result in an award.

d. Consider an otherwise disqualified proposal if no other proposals are received.

e. Disqualify a proposal based on: (i) information provided by the bidder in response to this RFP; (2) the bidder’s failure to complete registration on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS ; or (3) if it is determined that a bidder purposely or willfully submitted false or misleading information in response to the RFP.

f. Consider prior performance with the State in making its award decision.

g. Consider overall economic impact to the State when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation. This includes but is not limited to: considering principal place of performance, number of Michigan citizens employed or potentially employed, dollars paid to Michigan residents, Michigan capital investments, job creation, tax revenue implications, and economically disadvantaged businesses.

h. Consider total-cost-of-ownership factors (e.g., transition and training costs) when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation.

i. Refuse to award a contract to any bidder that has failed to pay State taxes or has outstanding debt with the State.

j. Enter into negotiations with one or more bidders on price, terms, technical requirements, or other deliverables.

k. Award multiple, optional-use contracts, or award by Contract Activity.

l. Evaluate the proposal outside the scope identified in the Evaluation Process section of this document if the State receives only one proposal.

10. AWARD RECOMMENDATION. The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder who offers the best value to the State, as determined by the State. Best value will be determined by the bidder meeting the minimum point threshold and offering the best combination of the factors stated in the Evaluation Process section of this document, and price, as demonstrated by the proposal. The State will post an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS or in the manner it was originally published.

11. DEBRIEF MEETING AND BID PROTEST. The State will publish an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis which will provide instructions on how to request a debrief meeting.

If you wish to initiate a protest of the award, you must submit your written protest electronically at BidProtest-DTMB@michigan.gov no later than 3:00 PM, 5 business days after posting the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on SIGMA VSS. The State reserves the right to adjust this timing and will publish any change.

Additional information about the protest process is available at DTMB - Programs and Policies (michigan.gov) under the “Bidder Protests” link.

12. STATE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD. Contracts equal to $250,000 or greater than require approval by the State Administrative Board. The State Administrative Board’s decision is final; however, its approval does not constitute a contract. The award process is not complete until the awarded contractor receives a contract fully executed by all parties.

13. GENERAL CONDITIONS. The State will not be liable for any costs, expenses, or damages incurred by a bidder participating in this solicitation. The bidder agrees that its proposal will be considered an offer to do business with the State in accordance with its proposal, including the Contract Terms, and that its proposal will be irrevocable and binding for a period of 180 calendar days from date of submission. If a contract is awarded to the bidder, the State may, at its option, incorporate any part of the bidder’s proposal into a contract. This RFP is not an offer to enter into a contract. This RFP may not provide a complete statement of the State’s environment or contain all matters upon which agreement must be reached. The bidder understands that their proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Other than verified trade secrets, proposals submitted via www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS are the State’s property.

14. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. As a public record, all portions of the bidder’s proposal and resulting contract are subject to disclosure as required under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231, et seq. However, the State may exempt some information from disclosure as permitted by law. Under MCL 18.1261(13)(b), records containing “a trade secret as defined under section 2 of the uniform trade secrets act, 1998 PA 448, MCL 445.1902,” are exempt from disclosure under FOIA. In addition, “financial or proprietary information” submitted with a bidder’s proposal is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. A bidder’s failure to comply with this Section is grounds for rejecting a bidder’s proposal as non-responsive. As a part of its proposal, each bidder must follow the procedure below.

a. SUBMIT A COMPLETED CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM WITH YOUR BID. Completion and submission of the Confidential Treatment Form (CT Form) is required regardless of whether the bidder seeks confidential treatment of information. Failure to submit a completed CT Form may be cause for disqualification from the solicitation process. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow CT Form instructions, the proposal may be publicly disclosed in its entirety without redaction after an award recommendation.

Complete and sign Section 1 of the CT Form if the bidder does NOT request confidential treatment of information contained in its proposal; or Complete and sign Section 2 of the CT Form if the bidder requests confidential treatment of certain information. Bidder must also submit a copy of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly labeled as the “PUBLIC COPY.”

Failure to complete and sign a CT Form may result in disqualification of the bidder. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow the CT Form instructions, the proposal, in its entirety, may be publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after an award recommendation.

b. FOIA REQUESTS. If a FOIA request is made for a bidder’s proposal, the Public Copy may be distributed to the public along with the bidder’s CT Form. The CT Form is a public document and serves as an explanation for the redactions to the Public Copy. Do not put any trade secret, financial, or proprietary information in the CT Form. Do not redact the CT Form itself.

c. NO ADVICE. The State will not advise a bidder as to the nature or content of documents entitled to protection from disclosure under FOIA or other laws, as to the interpretation of such laws, or as to the definition of trade secret or financial or proprietary information. Nothing contained in this provision will modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on the State by FOIA or other applicable law. The State is not obligated to notify a bidder if a FOIA request for bidder’s proposal is received nor if bidder’s proposal is made available to the public.

d. FAILURE TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT. Failure to request material be treated as confidential as specified herein relieves the State, its agencies, and personnel from any responsibility for maintaining material in confidence.

e. Bids containing a request to maintain an entire proposal as confidential may be rejected as non-responsive. Bidders may not request confidential treatment with respect to resumes, pricing, and marketing materials. The State reserves the right to determine whether material designated as exempt by a bidder falls under MCL 18.1261 or other applicable FOIA exemptions. If a FOIA request is made for materials that the bidder has identified as trade secret, financial, or proprietary information, the State has the final authority to determine whether the materials are exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

f. Bidder forever releases the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees from all claims, rights, actions, demands, damages, liabilities, expenses and fees, which arise out of or relate to the disclosure of all or a portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP. Bidder must defend, indemnify and hold the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees harmless, without limitation, from and against all actions, claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, attorney fees, and expenses (including those required to establish the right to indemnification), arising out of or relating to any FOIA request, including potential litigation and appeals, related to the portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP that bidder has identified as a trade secret, or financial or proprietary information. The State will notify bidder in writing if indemnification is sought. The State is entitled to: (i) regular updates on proceeding status; (ii) participate in the defense of the proceeding; (iii) employ its own counsel; and to (iv) retain control of the defense, or any portion thereof, if the State deems necessary. Bidder will not, without the State’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise, or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any claim, action, or proceeding. If a State employee, official, or law is involved or challenged, the State may control the defense of that portion of the claim. Any litigation activity on behalf of the State, or any of its subdivisions under this Section, must be coordinated with the Department of Attorney General. An attorney designated to represent the State may not do so until approved by the Michigan Attorney General and appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General.

Confidential Treatment Form INSTRUCTIONS. A signed and dated Confidential Treatment Form (CT Form) must be submitted with your proposal, regardless of whether your proposal contains confidential information.

1. Complete either Section 1 or Section 2 of this form and sign where indicated. Do not complete both sections. Note: Completion of Section 2 is required to request confidential treatment.

2. This form must be signed by the individual who signed the bidder’s proposal.

Failure to submit a completed CT Form with your bid is grounds for rejecting the proposal as non-responsive.

In addition, failure to follow the instructions on this form or to properly complete and submit it may result in the entire proposal being publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after an award recommendation.

See the Confidential Treatment Form and the Freedom of Information Act section of the Proposal Instructions for additional information.

Section 1. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS NOT REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if the bidder does not request confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. If this section is completed, do not complete Section 2.

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is not requested.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company

Section 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS REQUESTED Bidders must complete, sign, and submit this section with the proposal, to request confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. If this section is completed, do not complete Section 1.

Bidders must specifically identify the information to be protected as confidential and/or proprietary and state the reasons why protection is necessary. As shown in the table below, the following details are required for each confidentiality request.

1. The proposal page number, section number, and paragraph number.

2. Whether the material referenced is Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), or Proprietary Information (PI). Bidders may not request confidential treatment of resumes, pricing, and marketing materials.

3. An explanation of the specific legal grounds that support treatment of the material as TS, FI, or PI and a complete justification as to how the material falls within the scope of an applicable FOIA exemption or relevant case law. Bidders must not simply cite an applicable exemption or case name.

4. The person at their organization authorized to respond to inquiries by the State concerning the material and their contact information.

REQUIRED: Bidders completing this section must also submit a copy of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly label this redacted copy as the PUBLIC COPY.

(1) Proposal Page #, Section #, Paragraph # (2) Material is Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), Proprietary Information (PI) (3) Applicable FOIA Exemption with Written Justification (4) Bidder Contact Information

Bidders may add rows or additional pages using the same format shown in the table.

State of Michigan FOIA Requests The State reserves the right to determine whether material designated as exempt by a bidder falls under MCL 18.1261 or other applicable FOIA exemptions.

If a FOIA request is made for materials that the bidder has identified as trade secret, financial, or proprietary information, the State has the final authority to determine whether the materials are exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

The State is not obligated to notify a bidder if a FOIA request for bidder’s proposal is received nor if bidder’s proposal is made available to the public. This form, and any additional justification letters, are not exempt from release under FOIA.

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is requested and has attached to this form a redacted “Public Copy” of the bidder’s proposal.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company

Vendor Questions Worksheet Provide a detailed response to each question. “You” and “company” refers to the bidder.

Contact Information

Bidder’s sole contact person during the RFP process. Include name, title, address, email, and phone number.

Person authorized to receive and sign a resulting contract. Include name, title, address, email, phone number and vendor customer code in SIGMA VSS.

Company Background Information

Legal business name and address. Include business entity designation, e.g., sole proprietor, Inc., LLC, or LLP.

What state was the company formed in?

Phone number.

Website address.

Number of years in business.

Number of employees.

Legal business name and address of parent company, if any.

Has there been a recent change in organizational structure (e.g., management team) or control (e.g., merger or acquisition) of your company? If the answer is yes: (a) explain why the change occurred and (b) how this change has affected your company.

Discuss your company’s history. Has growth been organic, through mergers and acquisitions, or both?

Has bidder ever been debarred, suspended, or disqualified from bidding or contracting with any entity, including the State of Michigan? If yes, provide the date, the entity, and details about the situation.

Has your company been a party to litigation against the State of Michigan? If the answer is yes, then state the date of initial filing, case name and court number, and jurisdiction.

Within the last 5 years, has your company or any of its related business entities defaulted on a contract or had a contract terminated for cause? If yes, provide the date, contracting entity, type of contract, and details about the termination or default.

State your gross annual sales for each of the last 5 years.

If receiving a contract under this RFP will increase your gross revenue by more than 25% from last year’s sales, explain how the company will scale-up to manage this increase.

Describe partnerships and strategic relationships you think will bring significant value to the State.

State the physical address of the place of business that would have primary responsibility for this account if bidder is awarded a contract under this RFP.

To demonstrate qualification as a qualified disabled veteran, you must provide:

(a) Proof of service and conditions of discharge (DD214 or equivalent);

(b) Proof of service-connected disability (DD214 if the disability was documented at discharge or Veterans Administration Rating Decision Letter or equivalent if the disability was documented after discharge); and

(c) Legal documents setting forth the ownership of the business entity.

In lieu of the documentation identified above, you may provide proof of certification by the National Veterans Business Development Council.

Enter the names of documents submitted with your proposal to demonstrate status as a qualified disabled veteran.

Participation in RFP Development or Evaluation

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

If you enter “YES,” you are not eligible for contract award. An awarded vendor may not partner or subcontract with anyone to provide goods and services required under a resulting contract if that subcontractor or partner assisted in the development of this solicitation.

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

State of Michigan Experience and Prior Experience

☐ Statement of Work A1 – Random Moment Time Study and Claims Development for School Based Services ☐ Statement of Work A2 – PACAP Optimization ☐ Statement of Work A3 – No Wrong Door Time Study Administration

Does your company have experience working with the State of Michigan? If so, please provide a list (including the contract number) of the contracts you hold or have held with the State for the last 10 years.

Describe at least 3 relevant experiences from the last 5 years supporting your ability to successfully manage a RMTS contract of similar size and scope for the work described in this RFP.

Experience 1

Company name.

Contact name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

City.

State.

Zip.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

2. What role did your company play?

3. How is this project experience relevant to the subject of this RFP?

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 2

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 3

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Standard Contract Terms

Bidder must affirm agreement with the attached Contract Terms. If not in agreement, written exceptions in accordance with the Evaluation Process section of the Proposal Instructions must be provided with Bidder’s proposal.

Number of employees currently employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Number of additional employees to be employed at locations within the State of Michigan if awarded this Contract (if any)

Minimum wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Average wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Percentage of employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan that are covered by employer-provided health insurance.

Labor, Antidiscrimination and Environmental Laws Compliance

Bidder must disclose any violations of state or federal labor, antidiscrimination and employment laws and regulations received within the past five years.

Bidder must disclose any violations of state or federal environmental laws and regulations received within the past five years.

Other

Hybrid Contract terms This HYBRID CONTRACT (“Contract”) is agreed to between the State of Michigan (the “State”) and [Insert Company Name] (“Contractor”), a [Insert State & Entity Status, e.g., a Michigan corporation or a Texas limited liability company]. This Contract is effective on October 1, 2025(“Effective Date”), and unless terminated, will expire on September 30, 2030 (the “Term”).

This Contract may be renewed for up to 2 additional 1-year period(s). Renewal is at the sole discretion of the State and will automatically extend the Term of this Contract. The State will document its exercise of renewal options via Contract Change Notice.

The parties agree as follows:

1. Duties of Contractor. Contractor must perform the services and provide the deliverables (the “Contract Activities”) described in a Statement of Work, the initial Statement of Work is attached as Schedule A – Statement of Work. An obligation to provide delivery of any commodity is considered a service and is a Contract Activity.

Contractor must furnish all labor, equipment, materials, and supplies necessary for the performance of the Contract Activities unless otherwise specified in a Statement of Work.

Contractor must: (a) perform the Contract Activities in a timely, professional, safe, and workmanlike manner consistent with standards in the trade, profession, or industry; (b) meet or exceed the performance and operational standards, and specifications of the Contract; (c) provide all Contract Activities in good quality, with no material defects; (d) not interfere with the State’s operations; (e) obtain and maintain all necessary licenses, permits or other authorizations necessary for the performance of the Contract; (f) cooperate with the State, including the State’s quality assurance personnel, and any third party to achieve the objectives of the Contract; (g) return to the State any State-furnished equipment or other resources in the same condition as when provided when no longer required for the Contract; (h) assign to the State any claims resulting from state or federal antitrust violations to the extent that those violations concern materials or services supplied by third parties toward fulfillment of the Contract; (i) comply with all State physical and IT security policies and standards which will be made available upon request; and (j) provide the State priority in performance of the Contract except as mandated by federal disaster response requirements. Any breach under this paragraph is considered a material breach.

Contractor must also be clearly identifiable while on State property by wearing identification issued by the State, and clearly identify themselves whenever making contact with the State.

2. Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted under this Contract must be in writing and will be considered given and received: (a) when verified by written receipt if sent by courier; (b) when actually received if sent by mail without verification of receipt; or (c) when verified by automated receipt or electronic logs if sent by facsimile or email.

[Street Address] [City, State, Zip] [Email] [Phone]

3. Contract Administrator. The Contract Administrator, or the individual duly authorized for each party, is the only person authorized to modify any terms of this Contract, and approve and execute any change under this Contract (each a “Contract Administrator”):

Adam Ashley 320 S Walnut St, 2 N Lansing, MI 48933 Ashleya2@michigan.gov

(517) 855-1376 [Name] [Street Address] [City, State, Zip]

4. Program Manager. The Program Manager for each party will monitor and coordinate the day-to-day activities of the Contract (each a “Program Manager”):

[Street Address] [City, State, Zip]

5. Performance Guarantee. Contractor must at all times have financial resources sufficient, in the opinion of the State, to ensure performance of the Contract and must provide proof upon request. The State may require a performance bond (as specified in a Statement of Work) if, in the opinion of the State, it will ensure performance of the Contract.

6. Insurance Requirements. See Schedule C – Insurance Requirements.

7. Reserved

8. Reserved

9. Relationship of the Parties. The relationship between the parties is that of independent contractors. Contractor, its employees, and agents will not be considered employees of the State. No partnership or joint venture relationship is created by virtue of this Contract. Contractor, and not the State, is responsible for the payment of wages, benefits and taxes of Contractor’s employees and any subcontractors. Prior performance does not modify Contractor’s status as an independent contractor. Neither party has authority to contract for nor bind the other party in any manner whatsoever.

10. Intellectual Property Rights. If a Statement of Work requires Contractor to create any Contract Activities specifically for the State (hereinafter referred to as “Work Product”), Contractor hereby acknowledges that the State is and will be the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title, and interest in the Work Product and all associated intellectual property rights, if any. Such Work Product are works made for hire as defined in Section 101 of the Copyright Act of 1976. To the extent any Work Product and related intellectual property do not qualify as works made for hire under the Copyright Act, Contractor will, and hereby does, immediately on its creation, assign, transfer and otherwise convey to the State, irrevocably and in perpetuity, throughout the universe, all right, title and interest in and to the Work Product, including all intellectual property rights therein.

11. Contract Activities including Software. If Contractor is providing Contract Activities that require the use of Contractor Software, the following terms apply:

a. License Grant by Contractor: Contractor hereby grants to the State and intended users a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable right and license during the Term and such additional periods, if any, as Contractor is required to provide Contract Activities under this Contract or any Statement of Work, to: (a) access and use the Software, including in operation with other software, hardware, systems, networks and services, for the State’s governmental purposes, including for processing State Data; (b) generate, print, copy, upload, download, store and otherwise process all GUI, audio, visual, digital and other output, displays and other content as may result from any access to or use of the Software; (c) prepare, reproduce, print, download and use a reasonable number of copies of the Documentation for any use of the Software under this Contract; and (d) the State to access and use the Software for all such non-production uses and applications as may be necessary or useful for the effective use of the Contract Activities hereunder, including for purposes of analysis, development, configuration, integration, testing, training, maintenance, support and repair, which access and use will be without charge and not included for any purpose in any calculation of the State’s use of the Software, including for purposes of assessing any Fees or other consideration payable to Contractor or determining any excess use of the Software as described below.

b. License Restrictions on the State. The State will not: (a) rent, lease, lend, sell, sublicense, assign, distribute, publish, transfer or otherwise make the Software available to any third party, except as expressly permitted by this Contract or in any Statement of Work; or (b) use or authorize the use of the Software or Documentation in any manner or for any purpose that is unlawful under applicable law.

c. Use by the State. The State will pay Contractor the corresponding Fees set forth in a Statement of Work or Pricing Schedule for all access and use of the Software as intended for the purposes of this Contract. Such Fees will be Contractor’s sole and exclusive remedy for use of the Software, including any excess use.

d. Certification by the State to the Contractor, if applicable. To the extent that a License granted to the State is not unlimited, Contractor may request written certification from the State regarding use of the Software for the sole purpose of verifying compliance with the Contract. Such written certification may occur no more than once in any twenty four (24) month period during the Term of the Contract. The State will to respond to any such request within 45 calendar days of receipt. If the State’s use is greater than contracted, Contractor may invoice the State for any unlicensed use (and related support) pursuant to the terms of this Contract at the rates set forth in Schedule B, and the unpaid license and support fees shall be payable in accordance with the terms of the Contract. Payment under this provision shall be Contractor’s sole and exclusive remedy to cure these issues.

e. Definitions.

(1) “Documentation” means all user manuals, operating manuals, technical manuals and any other instructions, specifications, documents or materials, in any form or media, that describe the functionality, installation, testing, operation, use, maintenance, support, technical or other components, features or requirements of the Software or Contract Activities.

(2) “Hosted Services” means the hosting, management and operation of the: Operating Environment, Software, other services (including support and subcontracted services), and related resources for access and use by the State as intended for the purposes of this Contract and its Authorized Users, including any services and facilities related to disaster recovery obligations.

(3) “Operating Environment” means, collectively, the platform, environment and conditions on, in or under which the Software is intended to be installed and operate, as set forth in a Statement of Work, including such structural, functional and other features, conditions and components as hardware, operating software, system architecture, configuration, computing hardware, ancillary equipment, networking, software, firmware, databases, data, and electronic systems (including database management systems).

(4) “Software” means Contractor’s software as set forth in a Statement of Work and provided to the State pursuant to this Contract, including, but not limited to, any third-party software or components, updates or new versions, online portals or other web-based systems, and the Operating Environment (if Contractor hosted).

(5) “Solution” means Contract Activities including Software and Services singularly or in any combination thereof, as applicable, set forth in a Statement of Work.

12. Accessibility Requirements

a. All Contract Activities created or provided by Contractor under this Contract in a digital format (hereinafter “Digital Deliverables”), must at all times conform to the State’s accessibility standards provided in the SOM Digital Standards, located at https://www.michigan.gov/standards (the “Digital Accessibility Standards”). Throughout the Term of the Contract, at no additional costs to the State, Contractor must:

(1) comply with plans and timelines approved in writing by the State to remediate issues and achieve conformance with the Digital Accessibility Standards in the event of any deficiencies;

(2) promptly respond to and resolve, in a manner acceptable to the State, any complaint the State receives regarding the accessibility of any Digital Deliverables;

(3) ensure that no changes to any Digital Deliverables will have any adverse effect on conformance to the Digital Accessibility Standards; and

(4) upon the State’s written request, provide the Digital Deliverables in one or more alternative formats and within timeframes specified by the State.

b. State of Michigan Digital Standards Review. Prior to Digital Deliverables being accepted, put into production, or as otherwise required by the State, the State may conduct a review to assess their accessibility and compliance with the State’s Digital Accessibility Standards. Contractor must assist the State with each such review, including submitting documentation or other information regarding accessibility and compliance with the State’s Digital Accessibility Standards, including without limitation, a completed product accessibility template, including any Information Technology Industry Council Voluntary Product Accessibility Template or VPAT® and/or a description of the evaluation methods used to support the Digital Accessibility Standards conformance claims, including, if applicable, any third-party testing. Contractor must, at its sole cost and expense, remediate all issues resulting from any such review in a manner and timeframe approved in writing by the State, which may include providing a remediation status report.

c. Contractor must, without limiting Contractor’s obligations of indemnification as further described in this Contract, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the State for any and all claims, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs, and incidental expenses, which may be suffered by, accrued against, charged to, or recoverable from the State arising out of its failure to comply with the foregoing accessibility standards.

d. Failure to comply with the requirements in this Section constitutes a material breach of this Contract.

13. Service Level Agreement for Contract Activities including Software. To the extent that Contract Activities includes the provision of services through the use of Software, as set forth the Schedule A, Statement of Work, Contractor must comply with the Service Level Agreement set forth in Schedule D of this Contract.

14. Subcontracting. Contractor must obtain prior written approval of the State, which consent may be given or withheld in the State’s sole discretion, not later than 90 days before engaging any Permitted Subcontractor to provide Contract Activities to the State under this Contract. Engagement of any subcontractor or Permitted Subcontractor by Contractor does not relieve Contractor of its representations, warranties or obligations under this Contract.

a. Without limiting the foregoing, Contractor will:

(1) be responsible and liable for the acts and omissions of each such subcontractor (including such Permitted Subcontractor and Permitted Subcontractor's employees who, will be deemed Contractor Personnel) to the same extent as if such acts or omissions were by Contractor or its employees;

(2) be responsible for all fees and expenses payable to, by or on behalf of each subcontractor and Permitted Subcontractor in connection with this Contract, including, if applicable, withholding of income taxes, and the payment and withholding of social security and other payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation insurance payments and disability benefits; and

(3) notify the State of the location of the Permitted Subcontractor and indicate if it is located within the United States.

b. Contractor, including any subcontractor (Permitted or otherwise), are expressly prohibited from Accessing or Processing State Data outside of the United States.

c. Definitions:

(1) “Access” means (1) the ability and means to enter a restricted or locked…