Request for Proposals ERP Accounting System R.pdf

COASTAL REGIONAL COMMISSION

DARIEN, GEORGIA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP # 2026-001

FOR

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOFTWARE & SERVICES

For all questions about this RFP contact:

Lena Geiger, Finance & Compliance Director lgeiger@crc.ga.gov

Deadline:

October 16, 2025, by 3:00 pm, EST mailto:afmeeks@cityofgriffin.com

Table of Contents

1. SECTION I – REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL INFORMATION -Pages 1-3 o Purpose o Business Goals o Schedule & Summary o Procurement Coordinator o Packaging/Submission Requirements o Evaluation Criteria

2. SECTION II – COMPANY AND ERP SYSTEM BACKGROUND -Pages 4-8 o Company Background o Current System Background o System Goals o Scope of Work

3. SECTION III – GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS -Pages 9-14 o Restrictions on Communications with Staff o Questions and Addendum o Key Dates o Proposal Submissions o Responses o Supporting Documentation o Presentation and Demonstrations o Pricing Eligibility and Proposal Retraction o Exception to the RFP o Disqualification of Vendors o Disposition of Proposals o Rejection/Cancelation/Award of Bids o Award and Resulting Contract o Protests o Filing a Protest o Hold Harmless and Indemnification o Special Conditions o Federal Terms and Provisions Required in Contracts o Insurance Requirements

4. SECTION IV – DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS -Pages 15-21 o Vendor Proposal o System and Hardware Requirements o System Solutions o Software Licensing / Maintenance o Operations and Users Documentation o Implementation Plan o Project Management o Training o Maintenance and Support o References o Proposal Format o Statement of Work Requirements o Suppliers Checklist

5. EXHIBITS -Pages 22-52 o Exhibit A – Cover Sheet o Exhibit B – Company Background o Exhibit C – System Specification o Exhibit D – References o Exhibit E – Price Summary o Exhibit F – Federal Terms and Provisions o Exhibit G – Insurance Requirements

Section I – Request for Proposal Information

SECTION I – REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL INFORMATION

PURPOSE

The Coastal Regional Commission (CRC) is seeking to obtain proposals from qualified and experienced vendors to provide a comprehensive, fully integrated, public-sector Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solution to serve the current and projected needs of the CRC.

The CRC desires to contract with a single vendor for all software, software maintenance, installation, implementation, conversion and support. A vendor may propose a single ERP solution that meets all the requirements, or a solution combined with partner applications in order to meet the required modules and requested functionality.

A description of the products and services required are contained in Section II Scope of Work. The CRC does not guarantee a minimum value for this contract.

BUSINESS GOALS

Through the implementation of a new, expanded ERP financial system, the CRC desires to achieve the following goals:

• A centralized single service platform that is easily used by and meets the needs of all Departments

• Enhance both internal and external access to data

• Improve levels of efficiency by eliminating duplicative or redundant and manual processes where possible

• Implementation of efficient business tools such as workflow automation

• Improve processes based on leading business practices, becoming more formal, standard and consistent to enhance controls and reduce risk

• Improve grant/project management with real-time spend analysis via a management dashboard for internal and external purposes

SCHEDULE & SUMMARY

This Request for Proposal will be governed by the following schedule and criteria:

Proposals will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. EST at CRC office located at 1181 Coastal DR SW, Darien, Georgia 31305, according to the schedule below. Proposals cannot be accepted at any other location or by any other means.

Milestone Timeframe

RFP Issuance September 12, 2025 Deadline for Questions Received from Vendors September 25, 2025 Questions Responded by 5:00 p.m. EST October 2, 2025 Vendor Proposals Due - Proposal Opening October 16, 2025, by 3:00 p.m. EST Notify Selected Vendors of Demonstrations November 6, 2025 Demonstration of Software Dates November 17th-20th, 2025 & Dec 8th -11th, 2025 Successful Supplier Notified of Contract Award December 18, 2025 Anticipated Contract Start Date January 1, 2026

PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR

All questions, including questions regarding specifications/technical issues related to the RFP and administrative issues, must be in submitted writing to the Procurement Coordinator for this RFP, prior to the deadline. See Section III for specific guidelines on communication with staff and submitting questions.

The Procurement Coordinator’s contact information is as follows:

Lena Geiger Finance & Compliance Director Coastal Regional Commission 1181 Coastal DR SW Darien, GA 31305 Email: lgeiger@crc.ga.gov

No questions other than written will be accepted. No response other than written will be binding upon the CRC.

Questions will be combined into one list of questions and responses and will be posted as an addendum on the CRC’s website (www.coastalrc.ga.gov/contracts) and the Georgia Procurement Registry (https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/).

PACKAGING/SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Any proposal which does not include all the required statements and affirmations called for in this RFP will be automatically rejected as not being non-responsive.

The following information and/or documents MUST be included with the supplier’s response and in the order listed below:

1) Cover Sheet

2) Company Background & Software Description

3) System Specifications

4) Project Management & Implementation Plan

5) Maintenance & Support Services

6) Technology Overview

7) References

8) RFP Exceptions

9) Price Summary

10) Required Certifications

11) Sample Contract & Supporting Documentation

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The CRC reserves the right to offer an award based on any combination of factors it determines to be in the best interests of the CRC. Price will be a factor, but it will not be the sole determining factor in awarding the bid. The CRC may award the proposal to the Firm demonstrating the most complete response and demonstrating full compliance with the specifications in accordance with procurement requirements set forth by the State of Georgia and the Federal Government.

The basis of selection will be the most responsive and responsible bid, as determined based on the Evaluation Committee’s evaluation of the Proposals, including but not limited to the following evaluation criteria:

- Responsiveness of the proposal in clearly stating an understanding of the work to be performed, including making all required statements and affirmations.

- Firm qualifications, experience with similar organizations and references

- Proposed modules offered as requested in the RFP System Specifications

- A single, all inclusive, ERP solution offered

- Implementation, project management and support services mailto:lgeiger@crc.ga.gov http://www.coastalrc.ga.gov/contracts https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/

- Reasonableness of time estimates

- Technical infrastructure, system technology and future strategic plans

- Support services and service level guarantees

- Vendor demonstrations and presentation of application functionality

- Price proposal/Fee schedule (Using Pricing Sheet Provided)

If determined to be in the CRC’s best interests, a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) may be requested. A BAFO may be requested when:

- The prices for all responsive and responsible submittals exceed budget;

- No single responsive and responsible submittal meets all requirements;

- When all responses are unclear or deficient in one or more areas;

- When the grading scores of two or more submittals require additional evaluation;

- At the discretion of the evaluation team to clarify submittals or to negotiate costs or other deliverables.

The CRC reserves the right to accept the BEST-EVALUATED RESPONSE as deemed by the Evaluation Committee, which may or may not be the lowest monetary response.

The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank

Section II – Company and ERP System Background

SECTION II – COMPANY AND ERP SYSTEM BACKGROUND

COMPANY BACKGROUND

The CRC is a regional governmental entity established through the enactment of the Georgia State Planning Act of 1989. We work for and on behalf of our local governments by providing an array of programs and services carefully tailored to fit the needs of the region. The CRC serves 10 counties and 35 cities providing local and regional comprehensive planning, economic development and geographical information services, as well as serving as the Area Agency on Aging administering aging and disability programs and resources for the region. The CRC operates a regional rural coordinated transportation system, offering transportation services to the public and clients of human service providers. The territorial boundaries for the CRC are as follows: Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Screven counties in the state of Georgia.

CURRENT SYSTEM BACKGROUND

The CRC finance department consist of six (6) full-time staff that provides a full range of accounting services in-house for its departments. The current financial system is used for various financial functions, including general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, cash management and centralized cost allocations. Financial processes are not highly formalized but standardized and are partially documented at this time. The various finance processes also involve a great deal of redundant entry with mostly manual, but some automated workflow across all departments.

The department reviews and processes manual requisitions, creates purchase orders, processes accounts payable and accounts receivable transactions, processes payroll and related federal and state tax reporting, manages/oversight of procurement functions, and prepares the Annual Comprehensive Financial Statements for audit.

The CRC revenues are derived from a combination of federal, state and local funds approximating $16 million annually. CRC finances include Governmental Funds; Special Revenue Funds; Agency Funds; Business Type Activities which include Enterprise Funds for: Telecommunications charges, Facility Maintenance charges;

and Internal Service Funds for Central Support Costs and Fringe Benefit Costs.

The CRC’s main ERP accounting system is the Grants Management Systems (GMS) applications, and the CRC has used GMS as their financial system for over 25 years. The system runs from a Microsoft (MS) Access database and is hosted on-site on a secure dedicated server. Remote access is capable but often causes the system to run slow with frequent system crashes requiring a compact and repair of the MS Access database. In its current state, the financial system no longer supports the business or integrated data needs of the CRC Management, the employees and finance department system users.

The CRC uses the TeamKeeper software system for time clock management services. Employees can log in via a computer, phone or tablet, with the system tracking IP addresses for log-in. It offers limited employee management by class code and departments and has the ability to allocate time charged to various projects manually or on a percentage basis and to accrue paid time off. Employees can retrieve their pay stubs and W2’s electronically. The system can import timesheets, but no other data, so employee management causes duplicated entry with the GMS accounting system. The CRC is interested in exploring a different timekeeping solution that has a scheduling module.

Many departments maintain their own off-line and on-line methods to track budgets, expenditures, projects, revenue, and other business data. The current financial system lacks sufficiently consolidated or corroborated data sets for use in management decision making and analysis and considerable human effort is expended for data extraction, validation and reconciliation.

Below is a summary of the current primary system environment within GMS.

CURRENT SYSTEMS

General Ledger *General Journal (GL) *Cost Allocation Process for Indirect (Overhead) Cost & Fringe Benefits *Financial Reports:

-Batch Analysis -Balance Sheet -Agency Wide Revenue & Expense (R&E) Report -R&E Reports by Projects or Element Code -Detailed GL and R&E Reports -Trial Balance -Accounts Receivable Analysis *Budget Entry by Project or Element with prior history for multi-year projects *Automated Year End Close Process Accounts Payable (AP) *Vendor Management *Purchase Orders (PO) *AP Processing:

-AP Analysis Report -Invoice Voucher Entry-works in coordination with PO’s for quick data entry -Invoice number tracking by vendor -Voucher Import -Batch Entry by posting periods -Unpaid Items Listing -Payment via paper check or ACH with check register reports -Manual Check Process with check register reports -Void Check Process with check register reports -Electronic 1099s creation -Various related AP reports Accounts Receivable (AR) *Customer Management *Invoice Creation *Cash Receipts *AR Analysis Reports *AR History by Customer Reports Payroll Processing (PR) *Basic Employee Management *Deduction Set-up for garnishments, bankruptcy, pre or post tax items *Timesheet Entry -Entry by Batch -Timesheet Entry via manual or import

*PR Processing -Overtime calculations -Bonus or Hazard Pay -Paid Time Off-accruals and deductions -Payroll Adjustments -Payment via paper check or ACH with check register reports -Manual Check Process with check register reports -Void Check Process with check register reports *PR Reporting -Bi-weekly payroll-required bi-weekly tax depositor -Various related AP reports -Quarterly PR Register for IRS Tax Reporting -W2s and W3 file creation for paper form printing -Electronic W2s & W3 File Creation -1094/1095 Forms -Affordable Care Act Electronic Submission File Creation

SYSTEM GOALS

The CRC desires for the future ERP system to meet the following high-level goals:

• The system is desired to replace the current financial system and reduce manual processes.

• The system should be a long-term, stable, and scalable solution that will integrate, interface or potentially replace other processes and/or systems currently in use, as well as be able to interface with potential future processes or systems that might be required.

• The system should be on a single platform, distributed and accessible throughout the entire CRC from any location or remote site, with a common look and feel across modules and departments. The internal & external customer interface and functionality should be user-friendly.

• The system will have central, inter-relational databases that feed data throughout the system based on a single point of entry (thereby eliminating duplicate entry of the same piece of information).

• The system will have the ability to capture significantly more information than previously available in an improved, easily accessible and customizable format.

• The system will enable easy reporting of data in both standard out-of-the-box reports and custom developed reports.

• The system will be flexible and simple to adapt, expand, or change to meet specific department’s information needs.

• The system should provide easy access to information across modules with a self-service, searchable format.

• The system will employ standard, formal business processes based on leading practices that are uniform throughout the system.

• The system will maximize the efficiency of business operations through automated workflows, notifications and document availability.

• The system will be able to support current resource levels and be easily expandable to accommodate a growing customer base.

SCOPE OF WORK

The vendor will provide the following services: ERP Software, Project Management, Software Installation, Implementation, Data Conversion, Integration & Interface Development, Training, and Ongoing Support & Maintenance Services.

The CRC desires a comprehensive solution, and the proposal should provide a breakdown of each module separately. The CRC prefers a solution that includes seamless integration between as few systems as possible.

The ERP system should provide data processing and reporting for the following financial/administrative functions: General Ledger, Budgeting, Contract Management, Project & Grant Accounting, Procurement/Requisitioning/Purchase Orders, Payroll and Human Resource Management, Accounts Payable, Billing/Accounts Receivable/Cash Receipts Management, Bank Reconciliation, Central Service Cost Allocation, reports and data for preparing an Annual Comprehensive Financial Report. The solution must incorporate security, accountability, and data flow integration into existing CRC systems, as needed.

Requirements

The CRC is seeking solutions for the following critical business processes. The chosen vendor must demonstrate proficiency in each of the categories below:

FINANCIAL E-GOVERNMENT

General Ledger External and Internal Uniform Chart of Accounts Management Dashboards Budgeting Procurement HUMAN RESOURCES Requisitioning Payroll & Benefits Purchase Orders Position Control Accounts Payable Time & Attendance Billing/Invoice Creation Accounts Receivable Cash Receipts FINANCIAL REPORTING & WRITING Bank Reconciliations Balance Sheet Central Service Cost Allocation Income Statement Trial Balance AP/AR Analysis Cost Allocations Report Writing

GRANT MANAGEMENT

Project / Contract Management Reporting by Task/Deliverables

Anticipated Number of Users

The CRC may employ up to one hundred twenty-five (125) employees at any one time. The following table estimates the number of users, based on the modules that may be accessed by the staff. The respondent must provide information on their licensing scheme for number of users.

See the following table:

The majority of usage occurs between 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Weekend and evening access is required for a small amount of users regularly. The vendor should specifically indicate if there are times when the system cannot be accessed including but not limited to upgrades, maintenance cycles, and/or any other type of down-time.

Modules Number of Potential Users

Human Resource/Payroll Up to 125 Requisitioning/Purchasing Up to 50

Contract/Grant Management 10-15 Budgeting 10-15

Other Financial Modules Up to 10 Dashboard 10-15

Section III – General Instructions to Vendors

SECTION III – GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

Any updates or changes to this RFP and related documents will be posted on the CRC’s web page (www.coastalrc.ga.gov/contracts) and the Georgia Procurement Registry (https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/).

It is the Vendor’s responsibility to refer to the websites for any addenda or other pertinent information before responding to this Request for Proposal.

RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF

From the date of issue of this request until an award has either been made or deemed closed for other reasons, institutions or individuals providing submissions are not permitted to communicate with members of the commission, the evaluation team or CRC employees, other than Procurement, regarding the purpose or intent of this Request for Proposal. The exception to this is communications unrelated to this Request for Proposal which occur in the ordinary course of CRC business. The CRC reserves the right to reject the submission of the offending supplier if this provision is violated.

QUESTIONS AND ADDENDUM

The CRC’s Finance Director will act as the Procurement Coordinator offering this proposal. All parties submitting proposals shall carefully examine this proposal and any addenda issued by the Procurement Coordinator.

Proposers shall seek clarification of any ambiguity, conflict, omission, or other error in this proposal in writing submitted via email to the Procurement Coordinator.

All questions about this bid must be submitted in the following format:

- Company Name

- Question

- Citation to relevant section of the bid

The deadline for questions is noted in the Schedule & Summary section on page 1, and as shown under the KEY DATES below.

The Procurement Coordinator’s contact information is as follows:

Lena Geiger Finance & Compliance Director Coastal Regional Commission 1181 Coastal DR SW Darien, GA 31305 Email: lgeiger@crc.ga.gov

No questions other than written will be accepted. Questions will be combined into one list of questions and responses and will be posted as an addendum on the CRC’s website (www.coastalrc.ga.gov/contracts) and the Georgia Procurement Registry (https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/).

KEY DATES

This Request for Proposal will be governed by the following schedule and criteria:

Proposals will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. on EST at CRC office located at 1181 Coastal DR SW, Darien, Georgia 31305. Proposals cannot be accepted at any other location or by any other means.

http://www.coastalrc.ga.gov/contracts https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/ mailto:lgeiger@crc.ga.gov

Milestone Timeframe RFP Issuance September 12, 2025 Deadline for Questions Received from Vendors September 25, 2025 Questions Responded by 5:00 p.m. EST October 2, 2025 Vendor Proposals Due - Proposal Opening October 16, 2025, by 3:00 p.m. EST Notify Selected Vendors of Demonstrations November 6, 2025 Demonstration of Software Dates November 17th-20th, 2025 & Dec 8th -11th, 2025 Successful Supplier Notified of Contract Award December 18, 2025 Anticipated Contract Start Date January 1, 2026

PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

Proposers must submit their proposal in an envelope clearly marked “Enterprise Resource Planning Software & Services, Coastal Regional Commission.”

Vendors submitting proposals will be required to submit five (5) hardcopies and one (1) electronic copy in a PDF format to the CRC for review.

RESPONSES

In responding to a bid, Suppliers must complete any and all required forms. ALL item numbers with appropriate formatting must show some type of acknowledgment in order for the response to be properly evaluated. Failure to respond to all specification criteria items may be deemed as sufficient reason to reject a submission.

See Section IV – Detailed Instruction to Vendors, for detailed instructions.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

Proposers are encouraged to submit with their proposal any literature, warranty information, and other documentation to support the Proposer’s compliance with the specifications contained in this proposal package.

PRESENTATION AND DEMONSTRATIONS

Demonstrations will be required of proposal finalists as part of the evaluation process. The CRC will notify one or more of the responsive proposers to make arrangements for the date, time, and place for such a presentation or demonstration. Demonstrations are being planned to occur during the weeks of November 17th and December 8th, 2025 (See “KEY DATES” listed above). Demonstrations shall include in-depth navigation of all proposed modules and allow adequate time to address staff questions. Vendors may also be required to provide written clarifications of their responses at the request of the CRC.

PRICING, ELIGIBILITY AND PROPOSAL RETRACTION

All Vendor proposals are required to be offered for a term not less than 180 calendar days in duration. A proposal may not be modified, withdrawn or cancelled by vendor during the 180 day time period following the time and date designated for the receipt of proposals. In the event of a calculation error on the proposal form, unit price shall prevail. The CRC is a tax-exempt governmental entity. Taxes should not be included in the proposal quotations for any software.

Proposers are advised that any proposal submitted as part of this proposal offering may not be withdrawn for a minimum of 180 days following the proposal opening unless circumstances justify consideration by the Procurement Coordinator of a release from this provision. Requests to withdraw a proposal must be in writing and received by the CRC within twenty-four hours of the proposal’s opening.

EXCEPTION TO THE RFP

All deviations and exceptions to this RFP must be expressly stated in writing and attached as an Exception page and included as Section 8 of your response. The Vendor must itemize all exceptions to the specifications included in this RFP, referencing the section number to which the exception is taken. Any RFP sections to which the Vendor does not take exception will be considered as being agreed upon by the Vendor. The absence of any exceptions assures the CRC of their full agreement and compliance with all specifications, terms and conditions, requirements and obligations of this RFP.

DISQUALIFICATION OF VENDORS

More than one proposal from an individual, a firm or partnership, a corporation, or an association under the same names shall not be considered. Any or all proposals shall be rejected if there is reason for believing that collusion exists among the Vendors, and all participants in such collusion shall not be considered in future proposals for the same work. No contract shall be awarded except to competent vendors capable of performing the class of work contemplated.

DISPOSITION OF PROPOSLS

All materials submitted in response to this proposal offering will become the property of the CRC and will not be returned. One (1) copy of each proposal shall be retained for the official files and will become a public record after an award is made by the CRC and thus open for public inspection. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official files of the CRC.

If a proposer feels that any information is confidential or proprietary in nature, the proposer must prominently mark and initial such information as “PROPRIETARY INFORMATION”. The CRC will not release or divulge such information to third parties without the consent of the Proposer unless required to do so by applicable law or order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

REJECTION/CANCELATION/AWARD OF BIDS

The CRC reserves the right to:

a) reject any and all submittals received outside the time/place stated in the notice;

b) reject any submittals which show omissions, irregularities, alteration of forms or unsolicited responses;

c) waive any minor technicalities of form, or formalities of the responses without prejudice to other responses;

d) reject any or all bids or any part thereof;

e) obtain clarification on any point in a respondent submittal or obtain additional information;

f) accept the bid that receives the best evaluation from the Evaluation Committee regardless of whether or not it is the lowest bid;

g) award the bids received on the basis of individual items or on the entire list of items.

The CRC also reserves the right to cancel this bid at any time and will not be liable for any cost/losses incurred by the Supplier throughout this process.

Where applicable, the CRC reserves the right to make multiple awards or to award a contract by individual line items or alternatives, by group of line items or alternatives, or to make an aggregate award, whichever is deemed most advantageous to the CRC. If the CRC determines that an aggregate award to one supplier is not in the CRC best interest, “all or none” offers will be rejected.

AWARD AND RESULTING CONTRACT

Award will be made to the Supplier whose response/proposal is the best evaluated by the Evaluation Committee and which is in compliance with terms of this bid request. The quality of the articles to be supplied, their conformity with the specifications, their suitability to the requirements of the CRC, the delivery terms and other criteria, as well as price, will be taken into consideration in making the award.

Any resulting contract shall not be binding upon the CRC nor should any action be started until it has been executed by both parties and a copy of the fully executed contract has been delivered to the successful Supplier.

Specifications noted in this bid request shall be incorporated into the resulting contract. The CRC reserves the option to prepare and negotiate its own contract, giving due consideration to the stipulations of the supplier’s proposed contract and associated legal documents.

PROTESTS

Pre-Proposal Protests

All protests concerning solicitation specifications, criteria and/or procedures shall be submitted in writing (defined as being sent or received via letter or facsimile on official firm/agency letterhead or by electronic mail) to the Procurement Coordinator as specified below not later than ten (10) business days prior to the deadline for submission of bids/proposals.

The Procurement Coordinator may, within her discretion, postpone the deadline for submission of bids/proposals, but in any case, shall provide a written response to all protests not later than five (5) business days prior to the deadline for submission of bids/proposals. If the deadline for submission of bids/proposals is postponed by the Procurement Coordinator as the result of a protest the postponement will be announced through an addendum to the solicitation on the CRC’s website (www.coastalrc.ga.gov/contracts) and the Georgia Procurement Registry (https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/).

The decision by the Procurement Coordinator shall be the final agency decision on the matter.

Pre-Award Protests

With respect to protests made after the deadline for submission of bids/proposals but before contract award by the CRC, protests shall be limited to those protests alleging a violation of Federal or State law, a challenge to the bids/proposals evaluation and award process, CRC's failure to have or follow its protest procedures or its failure to review a complaint or protest. Such protests shall be submitted in writing (defined as being sent or received via letter or facsimile on official firm/agency letterhead or by electronic mail) to the Procurement Coordinator as specified below not later than five (5) business days prior to the Successful Supplier Notified of Contract Award date by CRC.

The Procurement Coordinator may, within her discretion, postpone the award of the contract, but in any case, shall provide a written response to all protests not later than three (3) business days prior to the date that CRC shall announce the contract award.

The decision by the Procurement Manager shall be the final agency decision on the matter.

FILING A PROTEST

Only suppliers intending to submit a response may protest a solicitation and only suppliers that respond to a solicitation may protest the evaluation /award.

All Protests must be directed to the Procurement Coordinator, in writing, (defined as being sent or received via letter or facsimile on official firm/agency letterhead or by electronic mail), with sufficient documentation, evidence and legal authority to demonstrate that the Protestor is entitled to the relief requested. The protest must be certified as being true and correct to the best knowledge and information of the Protestor and be signed by the Protestor. The protest must also include a mailing address to which a response should be sent.

Protests received after the deadlines for receipt of protests specified above are subject to denial without any requirement for review or action by CRC.

Protest Response

The Procurement Coordinator shall issue written responses to all protests received by the required protest response dates. All protest responses shall be transmitted by first-class U.S. Postal Service to the address indicated in the protest letter.

For convenience, CRC will also send a copy of the response to a protest to the Protester by facsimile and/or electronic mail if a facsimile number and/or electronic mail address are indicated in the protest letter. The protest response transmitted by U.S. Postal Service shall be the official CRC response to the protest and CRC will not be responsible for the failure of the Protester to receive the protest response by either facsimile or electronic mail.

HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFICATION

If the Supplier is awarded the contract, then the supplier agrees, insofar as it legally may, to indemnify and hold harmless the CRC, its officers, employees and agents from and against all loss, costs, and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, claims, suits and judgments in connection with injury to or death of any person or persons or loss of or damage to property resulting from any and all operations performed by supplier, its officers, employees, and agents under any of the terms of the contract.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

By submitting a bid response, Suppliers certify that their proposals are made without collusion or fraud, and they have not offered or received any inducements in connection with their proposals. They further agree that this solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Georgia, and they shall comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

Any contracts or leases/subscriptions resulting from the award of a proposal are to be for a period of not more than one year, with four renewal options for a total period not to exceed five years. Any exceptions to this policy must be noted in the suppliers response and agreed to by both parties in writing, prior to the issuance of the Notice of Award. Pricing must remain firm for the duration of the initial term of the resulting contract; failure to hold firm pricing for the initial contract will be considered as sufficient cause for termination.

Proposal submissions must remain valid for a minimum period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after the submission due date and proposal opening, unless otherwise stipulated.

The CRC reserves the right to reduce or increase the scope of the project if the lowest responsible and responsive supplier’s submittal is not in line with the budgeted amount for the project. The CRC, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to increase or decrease the scope of work to facilitate an award. This scope reduction will be enacted only if it is in the best interest of the CRC and constitutes no guarantee of scope.

The CRC also reserves the right to add to the contract any future work or purchased goods, with the agreement of the supplier, at prices offered in this bid document. This option will be enacted during the contract or within six months subsequent to the end of the contract, if in the best interest of the CRC and with the agreement of both parties.

FEDERAL TERMS AND PROVISIONS REQUIRED IN CONTRACTS

The CRC receives funds from several different federal and state agencies. To be in compliance with the terms of our funding sources, the terms and conditions listed in Exhibit F must appear in any contract entered into with the Successful Bidder related to the services set forth in this RFP.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Prior to entering into a contract with the CRC, the successful proposer(s) must provide a Certificate of Insurance showing proof of insurance, which meets or exceeds requirements set forth in Exhibit G.

Section IV – Detailed Instructions to Vendors

SECTION IV – DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

VENDOR PROPOSAL

Any proposal which does not include all the required statements and affirmations called for in this RFP will be automatically rejected as being non-responsive.

Proposers must submit their proposal in an envelope clearly marked “Enterprise Resource Planning Software & Services, Coastal Regional Commission.”

Vendors submitting proposals will be required to submit five (5) hardcopies and one (1) electronic copy in a PDF format to the CRC for review.

Proposals will be accepted until 3:00 p.m. on EST at CRC office located at 1181 Coastal DR SW, Darien, Georgia 31305 on the date listed in Section I – Schedule and Summary, as well as Section III-Key Dates. Proposals cannot be accepted at any other location or by any other means.

Submission of a proposal shall constitute acknowledgment and acceptance of all terms and conditions contained in this RFP and all exhibits and attachments hereto. The vendors proposal will address the following:

System and Hardware Requirements A proposer must outline within its proposal the system and hardware requirements of each software solution being proposed. The CRC would prefer a cloud-based system, but will consider all system delivery methods, including hosted systems or managed services. Proposals must include a description of the optimal systems configuration for the proposed solution. If the proposer’s solution requires new or additional hardware or equipment, the CRC intends to purchase this separately from this proposal.

System Solutions Proposed application software should be capable of meeting the specifications indicated within this RFP.

The CRC will, however, entertain proposals that will improve our processes based on vendor expertise and recommendations. Proposals must include a description of each software module including licensing options, description of integration with other proposed applications, and a summary of features. If the system is cloud based, describe the system SaaS infrastructure and where it is located, preferably within the United States. Items not included in a vendor’s proposal must be clearly indicated.

Software Licensing / Maintenance The vendor must agree to license the software for continuous use at a fixed fee without additional royalties or services fees. Software enhancements or upgrades for the base system, as well as any additional modules purchased by CRC will be provided at no extra charges beyond the annual software maintenance fee for as long as the CRC has a valid software agreement with the vendor. The vendor shall take full responsibility for software maintenance including upgrades, improvements, additions, enhancements, and changes in every respect.

Operations and Users Documentation The vendor must furnish a complete description of the user manuals that will be provided for the operation and use of the proposed system. A description of the format in which the documentation will be provided is requested. For example: on-line, compact disk, hard copy, or a combination.

Implementation Plan A sample of a detailed implementation plan must be included in the vendor’s proposal. The CRC will favor a realistic implementation plan. All software or hardware must be loaded and configured on-site at the CRC office located in Darien, Georgia.

Vendor will provide on-site support, as needed, during the implementation of the project. Remote setup may be used on occasion when appropriate and does not negatively impact the ability to complete the implementation successfully and efficiently. If the CRC is to pay for travel, lodging, etc., during the implementation or maintenance periods, it must be included in the proposal price list. The CRC shall not be responsible for additional charges or costs not included in this proposal.

Project Management The selected Vendor(s) is (are) expected to assign a project manager. In the proposal, explain the company’s policy regarding project management and provide the qualifications of the proposed project manager. Any additional costs associated with project management services must be itemized and included in the proposal.

Training The Vendor shall provide sufficient services to ensure that the CRC has necessary assistance to complete a timely implementation. The CRC expects that the Vendor will provide on-site resources to assist with implementation activities. Remote instruction may be used on occasion when appropriate and does not negatively impact the ability to complete the implementation successfully and efficiently at the discretion of the CRC. Furthermore, the Vendor shall provide ongoing support to the CRC with regards to the software and its implementation. All training plans should be agreed to by both the Vendor and the CRC and include detailed employee training schedule with measurable training goals.

Maintenance and Support The CRC places a high degree of importance on the maintenance and support a vendor provides for its application software packages. The quality and cost of maintenance and support offered by a vendor will be an evaluation criterion. The maintenance agreements for each application software package will begin immediately upon the expiration of the warranties for that package; otherwise, these agreements will begin immediately upon acceptance of the package.

The selected Vendor must be willing to bear responsibility for any defects in the software that prevent the software from performing as designed, including any consequential damage to data including erroneous, inaccurate, and unreliable data that is created by the software defect at no additional cost to the CRC.

Technical support must be available during the business hours of 7:00 am to 5:30 pm Eastern Standard Time on all weekdays, excluding federal holidays.

The Vendor must describe the company’s policy on maintenance and support, including costs, specifically addressing the following:

• how regular support is provided

• how after-hours support is provided

• how software glitches are handled

• how and when software upgrades, minor and major, are provided

• modifications required as a result of mandated state/federal requirements

• custom modifications desired

• communication methods of outages/maintenance cycles for online portal users (i.e., residents)

References The CRC prefers vendors whose expertise, experience, and knowledge are based on government practices and procedures and who specialize in governmental ERP systems. Therefore, one of our core requirements is the Vendor’s proposed software must be currently operating in a production environment for governmental entities. The vendor must supply a list of a minimum of three (3) governmental entities which are currently using the proposed systems, including the length of time the system has been operational. In addition, the vendor should provide a minimum of 2 prior customer references that is no longer using the vendor’s software. References within the State of Georgia are desirable, but references from other states are acceptable.

Contact information should include contact name, telephone number and email. Please indicate if any of these entities are/were supported by third party vendors. The CRC personnel reserve the right to contact any individuals listed as references.

Please submit your RFP response in the following format:

In order to assist in the fair and equitable evaluation of all responses, Vendors are being asked to adhere to the specific response format set forth below. Responses that deviate from the requested format may be classified as “non-responsive” at the discretion of the CRC and may be subject to disqualification. Marketing information may be included with the proposal but will not be accepted in lieu of a direct response to all requirements and questions.

Proposals should be organized and include the following clearly labeled sections and content name:

Section # Description

1. Response Submittal Cover Sheet

Complete the Cover Sheet using Exhibit A of the RFP and provide it as Section 1 of your response. This section must be signed by a person legally authorized to bind the company.

2. Company Background & Software Description

Complete the Company Background section using the form and instructions provided in Exhibit B of the RFP and provide it as Section 2 of your response. Include a written narrative describing the software solution and hardware requirements. If cloud based, describe the system SaaS infrastructure and where it is located, preferably within the United States.

3. System Specifications

Complete the System Specifications document provided in Exhibit C following the directions provided and include this as Section 3 of your response. Each line item must have a rating and a comment relative to how the function is supported by the software. Use the Word template provided and do not make any changes to formatting of this document, e.g. by adding logos, changing fonts, inserting page breaks, layout, etc.

4. Project Management & Implementation Plan

Submit a Project Management & Implementation Plan, which will become Section 4 of your response to provide an overview of Vendor’s implementation methodology using the Statement of Work Requirements below this table as a guide, including but not limited to the following:

• Sample project plan including phases, tasks and timeline

• Recommendation for phased approach or go-live

• CRC resources: Roles, responsibilities, average estimated hours per month

• Vendor resources: Roles, responsibilities, average estimated hours per month

• Process improvement: Approach to process improvement through implementation

• Integration and interface development

• Data conversion: Recommendations and tools or methodology used for data to be converted from legacy systems; data type, number of years, etc.

• Testing: Methodology and tools used

• Training: Methodology and approach including available Implementation and post-go live training options

• Work collaboration tools used

• Custom Reports: Estimated hours for development of custom reports and hourly rate

• Integration: Approach, tools, and experience with applications listed in this RFP

• Post go-live support services.

5. Maintenance & Support

In Section 5 of your response, provide an overview of maintenance and support services offered and recommended including but not limited to:

• User support – hours of service, 24x7 support, average/guaranteed response time, ticketing system used, resources available, escalation process

• System enhancements – approach to user enhancement requests

• Support for 3rd Party Partner applications if proposed

• User groups and conferences; local and national

• Software maintenance and updates

6.Technology Overview

In Section 6 of your response, provide an overview of the system technology and future strategic direction including:

• Options for technical cloud deployment, e.g., hosted or multitenant SaaS

• Support for two- or multi-factor authentication

• Escrow agreements

• Timing and frequency of software updates

• Environments (e.g. testing “sandbox” – number and types provided)

• System back up, redundancy, disaster recovery services, etc.

7. References In Section 7 of your response, use the forms provided in Exhibit D to provide 3 public sector existing customer references and 2 prior customer references that are similar in size and project scope to the CRC.

8. RFP

Exceptions

In Section 8 of your response, identify any exceptions to this RFP or its content or indicate that the vendor has no exception to the RFP. The absence of any listed exceptions assures the CRC of their full agreement and compliance with all specifications, terms and conditions, requirements and obligations of this RFP.

9. Price Summary

Complete Pricing Summary using the form provided in Exhibit E of this RFP and include this as Section 9 of your response. Pricing must be fully comprehensive and complete and list any available discounts. Pricing must be valid for at least 180 days from proposal submission and opening date. All one-time and recurring costs must be fully provided. The CRC shall not be responsible for additional charges or costs not included in this proposal.

10. Certifications In Section 10 of your response, include Pages 47-49, provided in Exhibit F to complete and sign the required certifications. The Supplier must also furnish a Certificate of Insurance with endorsements affecting coverage required by Exhibit G.

11. Contract Samples

In Section 11 of your response, provide sample contract documents that may include the following:

• Statement of Work

• Perpetual Software License or SaaS License Agreement

• Maintenance or Support Agreements

• Service Level Agreements

• 3rd Party Agreements

Provide any other supporting documentation.

STATEMENT OF WORK REQUIREMENTS

This section includes instructions for completing the Project Management & Implementation Plan Document which should be Section 4 of the proposal.

Prepare a Statement of Work (SOW) that outlines the services to be provided during implementation including but not limited to the following:

a. A description of the services provided during implementation

b. A description of major processes used for planning, communication, risk management, project management, business process improvement and quality assurance

c. Clear explanation of major tasks including the role of the CRC staff and vendor staff

d. Identify scope including data conversions, interfaces, and development items and define the deliverables.

e. A schedule to identify phase start and go-live months with resource expectations.

f. Provide a quality assurance plan that details methods to be used and testing roles.

g. Detail training to be provided with responsibilities focused on vendor-created, business process-oriented end-user training documentation.

h. Specify milestone payments with clear acceptance criteria.

Use the table below as guidance in developing the Statement of Work.

Category Requirement Milestone Payments

• Each milestone payment has clear acceptance criteria

• Milestone for final acceptance is greater than 10% of phase costs

• Cumulative cost for milestone does not exceed schedule progress (for example, if 10% complete with schedule, costs should not exceed 10%)

Deliverables • Each deliverable is defined by “Deliverable Expectation Definition” (DED)

• DED’s define purpose, scope, format, CRC role, vendor role, and acceptance criteria

• Deliverables are numbered and included in milestone acceptance process

Scope • Scope of data conversions, interfaces, reports, and any development items is clear

• Requirements are identified as driver of scope

• Any assumptions or conditions that can conflict with the scope to fully leverage software product as recommended to meet full needs of the CRC need to be listed as “scope constraints”

Schedule • Phase schedule identifies start and go-live months

• Phased go-live identifies requirements for acceptance criteria

• CRC and vendor resource expectations are defined by phase (and month if applicable)

Quality Assurance

• Define expectations for requirements traceability for design, testing, and acceptance

• Identify clear roles for testing and include vendor role in developing test scenarios…