RFI_BPM006334_Monitoring_Benchmarking_AZ_Tax.pdf

Request For Information

BPM006334

Arizona Department of Administration State Procurement Office

1802 W. Jackson, #100 Phoenix, AZ 85007

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BY: ADOA/SPO ATTENTION: Interested Parties

INQUIRIES:

Electronically through APP.az.gov

Arthur Garcia, Procurement Officer

Arthur.Garcia@azdoa.gov

SUBMIT RESPONSE TO:

Electronically: APP.az.gov ADOA/SPO

ISSUED: June 11, 2024 RESPONSES DUE: June 26, 2024

TITLE: Monitoring and Benchmarking Arizona Tax and Regulatory Competitiveness

GENERAL INFORMATION:

In accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 41-2555, the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA); on behalf of the Office of Economic Opportunities (OEO), hereby gives notice via this Request for Information (RFI), that it is seeking responses, feedback, suggestions and comments regarding the items set forth herein.

In accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-7-G301, responses to an RFI are not Offers (as defined in A.A.C. R2-7-101(34)) and cannot be accepted to form a binding contract. To the extent allowed by law, information contained in a response to an RFI shall remain confidential until the procurement process is concluded or two (2) years from the RFI’s due date have lapsed, whichever occurs first.

If information in the RFI submission is considered proprietary, trade secret, or otherwise confidential, please follow the instructions regarding confidential information below to maintain the confidentiality beyond the conclusion of the RFI process.

Respondents are solely responsible for expenses associated with responding to the RFI. The State of Arizona is under no obligation to the respondents with respect to the outcome of this RFI; there is no guarantee that this RFI will lead to a solicitation.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Inquiries mailto:Arthur.Garcia@azdoa.gov

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All questions related to this RFI must be submitted through the State’s eProcurement System, Arizona Procurement Portal (APP) (https://app.az.gov/) using the Discussion Forum tab. All inquiries must be marked as Q&A and addressed to the Procurement Officer identified as the solicitation’s owner. Any other contact shall be directed to the Procurement Officer listed in APP. Questions should reference the applicable page and paragraph number.

Deadline for Q&A is June 20, 2024.

2. Pre-Solicitation Meeting(s)

No Pre-Solicitation meeting will be held.

3. Submission of RFI Response

a. Any submission contents considered by the respondent to be proprietary or confidential shall be clearly marked as such. In response to such requests, the State will make reasonable efforts to maintain the confidentiality of these materials to the extent permissible by law. However, should the State be required to release these materials, the State will provide the respondent reasonable notice in advance of doing so in order to allow the respondent time to take any action to prevent these materials from being released.

b. Respondents should, at a minimum, address those items listed in the “Requested

Items” section of the RFI. Information should be provided in the same relative order as requested in the RFI for consistency and continuity. Responses should be as detailed as possible. Respondents may provide supplemental information in addition to those items requested.

c. RFI Responses must be submitted electronically through the State’s eProcurement system before the due date and time identified in APP.

https://app.az.gov/

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d. The State may request respondents to provide a presentation as it relates to their response.

e. APP Support: To assist in the submission of a response, additional resources offered by the State Procurement Office and Quick Reference Guides available. This information can be found at https://spo.az.gov/app/supplier/training. Additional assistance is available through the APP Help Desk. The Help Desk can be contacted via email at app@azdoa.gov or via telephone support at (602) 542-7600.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit information from qualified vendors to explore their capabilities and approaches for monitoring and benchmarking Arizona's tax and regulatory competitiveness. This includes the systematic collection and analysis of data to evaluate tax and regulatory costs imposed on businesses by Arizona and its municipalities in relation to those imposed by other states and municipalities. Additionally, the RFI aims to gather information on developing data-informed policy and regulatory reform recommendations, including an analysis of regulatory needs for emerging industries.

OVERVIEW:

This RFI is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or offer to procure services. The state may issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) based on the responses received from this RFI.

REQUESTED ITEMS:

1. Company Overview:

Provide a brief description of your company, including relevant experience and expertise in tax and regulatory analysis.

Highlight any past projects or services similar to the scope outlined in this RFI.

2. Capabilities and Methodologies:

Describe your company's approach to benchmarking tax and regulatory competitiveness.

https://spo.az.gov/app/supplier/training mailto:app@azdoa.gov

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Detail the methodologies used for data collection, analysis, and benchmarking.

Discuss the tools and technologies employed in the analysis and reporting process.

3. Experience and Expertise:

Share examples of previous work related to tax and regulatory competitiveness analysis.

Provide case studies or success stories that demonstrate your expertise in this area.

4. Data Collection and Analysis:

Explain your process for collecting and analyzing data on tax and regulatory costs.

Outline how you ensure data accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.

5. Policy and Regulatory Recommendations:

Describe your approach to developing data-informed policy and regulatory reform recommendations.

Discuss how you assist with the development and analysis of proposed rules and regulations.

6. Deliverables and Reporting:

Provide examples of typical deliverables (e.g., reports, dashboards, presentations) you have produced in similar projects.

Your samples shall include:

Comprehensive Tax and Regulatory Benchmarking Report (report that benchmarks States’ tax and regulatory environment against other states and municipalities)

Interactive Competitiveness Dashboard (dashboard shall demonstrate monitoring and comparison tax and regulatory competitiveness in real time)

Cost of Compliance Study (assessment of cost of regulatory compliance for businesses in Arizona compared to other states)

Emerging Industry Regulatory Analysis (provide a regulatory framework that addresses the unique needs of emerging industries such as autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI). This may include:

Identifying and engaging key stakeholders from these industries, RFI Template Written Submissions | Revision No. 0 | Revised 04-24 | Page 5 of 5

Conducting workshops and interviews to understand regulatory needs and challenges, Analyzing existing regulatory frameworks in other states and countries, Developing specific policy proposals and drafting regulatory language tailored to these industries, Proposing a phased implementation strategy and regulatory sandbox for testing innovative products and services.

Small Business Regulatory Climate Survey (demonstrate an understanding of the regulatory challenges faced by small businesses in Arizona compared to other states)

Explain how you present findings and recommendations to stakeholders.

7. Ongoing Support:

Detail the types of ongoing support and monitoring services you offer to clients.

Explain how you provide expert advice and support on tax and regulatory matters.

Questions (General):

1. Please indicate whether you have any additional recommendations or suggestions for OEO to consider regarding the Scope of Work and objectives in an effort to provide OEO with the best possible goals, results, and outcomes.

2. Please indicate any specific qualifications and staff categories that you believe would be required of the hired professionals to provide the service.

Project Timeline:

1. Please provide an estimated timeline to meet the stated objectives.

2. Identify key benchmarks and a proposed reporting schedule.

Budget:

1. Please provide an estimate of the overall costs of the service(s) with sufficient detail, as necessary, to fully illustrate the projected implementation, itemized by the time frame for each proposed benchmarks.