STATE OF MAINE

Department of Environmental Protection Maine Clean Water State Revolving Fund

RFP# 202603029

Maine Clean Water State Revolving Fund Wastewater Software

RFP Coordinator

Submitted Questions Due Date

April 24, 2026, no later than 4:00 p.m., local time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

A. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

B. GENERAL PROVISIONS

C. ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT BIDS

D. CONTRACT TERM

E. NUMBER OF AWARDS

A. VENDOR SELF SERVICE SYSTEM (VSS)

B. QUESTIONS

C. AMENDMENTS

D. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

A. EVALUATION PROCESS – GENERAL INFORMATION

B. SCORING WEIGHTS AND PROCESS

C. NEGOTIATIONS

D. SELECTION AND AWARD

E. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARDS

A. CONTRACT DOCUMENT

B. STANDARD STATE CONTRACT PROVISIONS

APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL COVER PAGE

APPENDIX B – RESPONSIBLE BIDDER CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX C – QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE FORM

APPENDIX D – SUBCONTRACTORS FORM

APPENDIX E – GENERAL AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

APPENDIX F – TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT FORM

APPENDIX G – PROPOSED SERVICES FORM

APPENDIX H – COST PROPOSAL FORM

PUBLIC NOTICE

State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection

RFP# 202603029

Clean Water State Revolving Fund Wastewater Software

The State of Maine is seeking proposals for wastewater infrastructure administration, financial, and project tracking software.

A copy of the RFP and all related documents can be obtained through Vendor Self Service (VSS): https://mevss.hostams.com/PRDVSS1X1/AltSelfService

Proposals must be submitted to the Office of State Procurement Services, via Vendor Self Service (VSS). Proposal submissions must be received no later than 4:00 p.m., local time, on May 8, 2026. Proposals will be opened the following business day.

RFP TERMS/ACRONYMS with DEFINITIONS

The following terms and acronyms, as referenced in the RFP, have the meanings indicated below:

State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection Clean Water State Revolving Fund

RFP# 202603029

Clean Water State Revolving Fund Wastewater Project Tracking Program

PART I INTRODUCTION

A. Purpose and Background

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in partnership with the Maine Municipal Bond Bank (MMBB), administers the Maine Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. The CWSRF provides below-market interest rate loans and principal forgiveness options to municipalities and other eligible entities for the planning, design, and construction of wastewater treatment facilities, sewer system upgrades, stormwater improvements, and other projects that protect water quality.

Currently, the program relies on a combination of legacy Microsoft Access databases, spreadsheets, and manual processes to manage applications, track loans, store project documentation, and report to EPA and state oversight bodies. This fragmented approach creates challenges in data integrity, efficiency, reporting accuracy, and long-term maintainability. It also requires duplicate data entry and increases administrative burden for DEP staff, MMBB staff, and external engineering consultants.

Through this Request for Proposal (RFP), the State of Maine seeks to acquire and implement a modern solution to support the full lifecycle of the CWSRF program, including the financial, programmatic, and wastewater infrastructure project management aspects. This document provides instructions for submitting proposals, the procedure and criteria by which the awarded Bidder will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State of Maine (State) and the awarded Bidder.

B. General Provisions

1. From the time the RFP is issued until award notification is made, all contact with the State regarding the RFP must be made through the RFP Coordinator. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding the RFP. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.

2. Issuance of the RFP does not commit the Department to issue an award or to pay expenses incurred by a Bidder in the preparation of a response to the RFP. This includes attendance at personal interviews or other meetings and software or system demonstrations, where applicable.

3. All proposals must adhere to the instructions and format requirements outlined in the RFP and all written supplements and amendments (such as the Summary of Questions and Answers), issued by the Department. Proposals must follow the format and respond to all questions and instructions specified below in the “Proposal Submission Requirements” section of the RFP.

4. Bidders will take careful note that in evaluating a proposal submitted in response to the RFP, the Department will consider materials provided in the proposal, information obtained through interviews/presentations (if any), and internal Departmental information of previous contract history with the Bidder (if any). The Department also reserves the right to consider other reliable references and publicly available information in evaluating a Bidder’s experience and capabilities.

5. The proposal must be signed by a person authorized to legally bind the Bidder and must contain a statement that the proposal and the pricing contained therein will remain valid and binding for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.

6. The RFP and the awarded Bidder’s proposal, including all appendices or attachments, will be the basis for the final contract, as determined by the Department.

7. Following announcement of an award decision, all submissions in response to this RFP will be public records, available for public inspection pursuant to the State of Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. § 401 et seq.). State contracts and information related to contracts, including bid submissions, are generally public records per FOAA.

8. In the event that a Bidder believes any information that it submits in response to this RFP is confidential, it must mark that information accordingly, and include citation to legal authority in support of the Bidder’s claim of confidentiality. In the event that the Department receives a FOAA request that includes submissions marked as confidential, the Department shall evaluate the information and any legal authority from the Bidder to determine whether the information is an exception to FOAA’s definition of public record. If the Department determines to release information that a Bidder has marked confidential, it shall provide advance notice to the Bidder to allow for them to seek legal relief.

9. The Department, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to recognize and waive minor informalities and irregularities found in proposals received in response to the RFP.

10. If awarded a contract resulting from this RFP, vendors shall be required to disclose, in writing and in accordance with applicable Maine law, any actual or potential conflicts of interest. Such disclosure must include any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could give rise to a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Failure to disclose a known conflict or appearance of conflict may result in disqualification, contract termination, or other remedies as provided by law.

11. All applicable laws, whether or not herein contained, are included by this reference. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to determine the applicability and requirements of any such laws and to abide by them.

C. Eligibility to Submit Bids

1. Bidder must have at least ten (10) continuous years of experience in implementing and managing solutions for SRF programs similar to the one requested in this RFP.

2. Bidder must have implemented, and continue to support, ten state (10) SRF programs in the last ten years. All implementation must have been fully operational for at least six months. References will be requested.

3. Bidder must not have been ever suspended/debarred from doing business with the Federal Government or any other governmental entity.

D. Contract Term

The Department is seeking cost-efficient proposals to provide services, as defined in this RFP, for the anticipated contract period defined in the table below. The dates below are estimated and may be adjusted, as necessary, in order to comply with all procedural requirements associated with the RFP and the contracting process. The actual contract start date will be established by a completed and approved contract.

Contract Renewal: Following the initial term of the contract, the Department may opt to renew the contract for two (2) renewal periods, as shown in the table below, and subject to continued availability of funding and satisfactory performance.

The term of the anticipated contract, resulting from the RFP, is defined as follows:

E. Number of Awards

The Department anticipates making one (1) award as a result of this RFP process.

PART II SCOPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED

A. Introduction The State Revolving Funds (SRF) are federally capitalized (through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA) revolving loan funds that provide below-market interest rate loans for construction of wastewater facilities, distribution systems, and stormwater quality improvement projects. The Maine DEP is responsible for grant application, project selection, compliance with federal procedures, project requirements, and management of the technical and environmental permitting aspects of the Clean Water SRF program. The Maine Municipal Bond Bank (MMBB) is responsible for issuing loans, disbursements, and collecting repayments.

The SRF Program’s goal is to implement a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), web-based, vendor-hosted SaaS solution to manage the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program. The solution must automate program workflows, provide online data entry and retrieval, store supporting documents, and generate reports for both current and historical projects. The selected system must replace legacy applications and allow retirement of the Access-based system.

The scope of services includes, but is not limited to, the following components:

B. Functional Requirements The System must support the operational needs of the Department through the following core functionalities:

1. CWSRF Project and Loan Lifecycle Management

a. Manage complete loan lifecycle: application, review, approval, loan closing, disbursement, compliance monitoring, and closeout.

b. Manage complete project lifecycle with multiple contracting vehicles (design-bid-build, CMAR, etc.). Must include plan/spec review, compliance tracking, environmental review, construction monitoring.

c. Provide ability for tracking application completions and automatic scoring of applications based on CWSRF criteria with scoring parameters configurable by authorized users.

d. Track and monitor construction activities by project completion percentage milestone tracking, and progress summary reports.

e. Store and organize project documentation (plans, specs, permits, invoices) and allow comments to be made on files and documentation.

f. Automate approval workflows with multi-step reviews (DEP Engineer, DEP Program Administrator, MMBB).

g. Generate electronic notifications to MMBB when DEP approvals are complete.

h. Maintain audit logs of all approvals and data changes.

2. Financial Management

a. Enable tracking of EPA grant awards, including award dates, draw amounts, set-aside allocations, and payment schedule dates.

b. Track loan amortizations with flexible structures (equal principal, level debt service, deferred repayment, principal forgiveness).

c. Support Actual/365 day-count convention.

d. Default monthly billing cycle, with flexibility to adjust.

e. Loan repayments must accommodate semiannual billing cycles by default, with flexibility to adjust for other repayment frequencies if needed.

f. Pay requisition and disbursement processes must support monthly or ad hoc cycles, as determined by project activity.

g. Apply rounding to two decimal places in all calculations.

h. Track repayments (principal & interest) and repayment history.

i. Generate repayment schedules and loan histories.

j. Track loan cashflows and program-level balances.

k. Capability to track and report reserve amounts, principal forgiveness, green project reserve, loan amounts, number of loans, interest accrued and repayment by funding source, including external funding sources.

l. Track project attributes including equivalency requirements, funding types, fiscal sustainability planning.

m. Enforce segregation of duties: Entity engineer, SRF Engineer, SRF Program Administrator (PRA1), SRF Supervisor Engineer, MMBB staff.

n. Support reconciliation reports against MMBB data.

o. Provide exports in CSV, Excel and PDF formats.

p. System will not execute payments. ACH disbursements are performed by MMBB; system only issues notifications.

3. Reporting Capabilities

a. Provide standard and ad hoc reporting.

b. Allow parameterized filters and flexible data queries.

c. Generate Intended Use Plan (IUP) project lists for internal program use (not public publishing).

d. Export reports in CSV, Excel and PDF.

e. Support compliance with the Single Audit Act, enabling staff to mark and track borrowers and subrecipients subject to federal reporting requirements..

4. Administration and Configuration

a. Allow configuration of workflows, forms, notifications, and security roles.

b. Support role-based dashboards for DEP, MMBB, and external consultants. This would include milestone dates for projects such as loan closing date, contract award approval, project substantial completion, and payment dates.

c. Provide user management tools (add, deactivate, reset passwords).

d. Support configuration without vendor intervention when possible.

e. Support creation and management of customizable checklists for application, review, disbursement, or compliance workflows, allowing staff to track item completion status and attach documentation.

C. Technical Assessment of the proposed System The State of Maine requires Bidders to demonstrate they have the appropriate security controls in place to protect the State’s sensitive and/or confidential information. Bidders are required to explain their compliance with the security requirements listed in the Technical Assessment Form attached in Appendix F.

D. General/Technical Requirements In addition to the Technical Assessment, Bidders are required to explain their compliance with the General and Technical Requirements listed in Appendix E.

E. Project Management and Work Plan

Utilize a formalized approach to project management which, at a minimum, will be compliant with the Project Management Institute (PMI) A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide).

1. Project Methodology: Structure and follow a project management approach for planning, organizing, and managing the staff and activities throughout the life of the project. The Bidder's project management approach must facilitate open and timely communication with the Department and a strong working relationship to achieve the overall goal of completed system design performance that meets or exceeds user needs on time and within budget.

2. Project Manager: Assign an experienced project manager to the project. The Project Manager must be knowledgeable with the Bidder’s proposed solution. It is preferred that the Project Manager be Project Management Professional (PMP) certified. The Project Manager will be responsible for the successful completion of all work tasks as defined within the project work plan and will work under the direction of the Department’s Project Manager. The Department reserves the right to require the awarded Bidder to replace their Project Manager at any time during the project.

3. Change Management: Formally document and track all changes to the functional design, technical design, and/or to approved deliverables. For each potential change, the Project Manager will work closely with the Department’s Project Manager to define and document the change, its benefits, and if necessary, its impact to the project schedule and budget. No work associated with a documented change will begin without first receiving written authorization from the Department’s Project Manager.

4. Workplan: The Project Manager will be required to maintain a detailed project work plan, with content to be approved by the Department’s Project Manager, through the full term of the contract. The Project Manager will be required to submit an updated work plan to the Department’s Project Manager on a date and time that will be determined during contract negotiations. The work plan will be incorporated into the resulting contract.

The work plan will be created and maintained with an automated project management tool (e.g. Microsoft Project) and will include appropriate detail to provide project status, dependencies, and risk/mitigation. The project work plan will be updated and submitted to the Department’s Project Manager on a bi-weekly basis or at an alternative period of time that is formally specified and agreed to in writing by the Department’s Project Manager.

F. Quality Assurance and Acceptance

1. Provide Project Quality Management, to ensure that the project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken.

2. Develop a plan for the overall system and user acceptance testing, to include but not be limited to:

a. Testing: Prior to moving the proposed system to the production environment, test all aspects of the solution.

b. Test Plan: In cooperation with the Department, create a test plan including all tests required in accordance with providing and operating a fully certified system. The Test Plan must:

i. Describe the strategy for ensuring that new systems and all interfaces function properly when releasing new versions of any software application;

ii. Indicates at what point in a new release the Department will receive access to new versions of software or applications; and

iii. Ensure all components of the application are tested in a non-production environment, to ensure that the application test responses represent the exact behavior that will be expected of the application in the production environment.

c. Test Execution:

i. Schedule and coordinate all testing activities to ensure that each of the tests are prepared for and performed in accordance with the test plan.

ii. Train Department personnel as appropriate to participate in the testing effort. Unless specified otherwise within the test plan, provide all tools, testing materials, and resources necessary to effectively perform the required tests.

iii. Certify that the System is fully secure for all work provided under this procurement.

d. Acceptance: System acceptance of the solution will occur following:

i. System implementation;

ii. Demonstration that the System successfully provides all the functionality required by the Department; and

iii. The System meets or exceeds the performance standards in the contract.

G. Configuration and Development

Once data has been inputted, the project team will complete the configuration of the CWSRF Software and develop all approved customizations.

1. Configure and Develop Solution – Bidder will implement all final user configurations to the software and develop all agreed upon customizations. Each customization will be tracked by the system to preserve unique processing functionality for future version upgrades of the software.

2. Unit and System Test Solution – All configurations, customizations, and conversions will be tested by the Bidder’s team to ensure the solution meets the agreed upon system requirements and functions to the specifications defined in the Configuration Workbook.

3. Change Management – At this point the system is considered complete and configured to meet CWSRF’s needs. Any changes requested after this point will be considered under the approved change management process.

H. User Training and Documentation

1. Provide training for State of Maine staff and external users.

a. Offer training to support the needs of both the Department and its user base.

b. Training can be a combination of written, web-based, and instructor-led, (live and/or pre-recorded). Some live training will be required in order to answer questions while viewing the system.

2. Provide a training plan.

a. The strategy is to develop, implement, and deliver training to Department-identified individuals.

b. Identifies any role-based Modules.

c. Tailored materials.

d. Learning-on-demand opportunities; and

e. Refresher training courses to meet the needs of each stakeholder group.

3. Provide tooltips and online help functionality to quickly and effectively help users troubleshoot various aspects of the system.

4. Detail a delivery method for required training content (e.g., webinar, virtual training and virtual learning offerings, and instructor-led classroom-based training) based on a training needs analysis.

5. Update the training plan after each Module/phase.

6. Develop all necessary training materials, user manuals, and training sessions for users and technical staff, both for training prior to go-live, as well as for training after go-live.

7. Provide formal documentation of all training materials, user manuals, and training sessions to the Department.

I. Implementation

1. Implement the solution within the Production Environment and work with the Department to help transition users to the new System. The Department will consider accepting the solution in major stages, as successfully tested. However, the final acceptance of the System will be based on overall end-to-end testing of the entire System.

2. Provide all documentation related to the scope of work described in this RFP.

a. Planning:

i. Create an Implementation Plan, that identifies the approach that will be taken and the critical tasks that will be involved with implementing the solution.

ii. Schedule and coordinate all implementation activities to ensure that the work is performed in accordance with the Implementation Plan.

b. System Design and Analysis:

i. Ensure the System design and analysis activities accomplish and meet all requirements listed in this RFP.

ii. Utilize methodologies that allow for multiple opportunities to validate and approve requirements and design.

c. Resources: Provide all tools, equipment, materials, and resources necessary to effectively perform the required work tasks.

d. Technical Documentation: Create and provide the Department with all technical documents and related manuals, which will be reviewed and accepted prior to implementation.

J. Support and Maintenance

1. Provide post-implementation software maintenance and technology support for the system for both Agency and external end users.

2. Produce and deliver an enhancements, operations, and maintenance plan that:

a. Describes the steps and procedures in operating the system; and

b. Includes standard service-level agreements for system performance and issue resolution.

i. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) includes provisions related to required levels of support. The Department will also consider options for additional levels of technical support.

ii. The Awarded Bidder must be open to negotiation to ensure the SLAs meet the Department’s need and change management process.

3. Maintain, manage, and repair the system using a structured approach which ensures:

a. Consistency, supportability, and stability of the system and is flexible enough to allow for rapid problems and issue resolution where required.

b. Coordination with the Department and OIT on all computer operating system upgrades, security patches, product licensing changes, as well as product releases containing Department approved enhancements and fixes; and

c. Security patching is performed monthly.

K. Go Live

1. Prepare Production Environment – A distinct production environment will be established within the technology platform and configured with all appropriate back-up and security provisions. This task will be performed during the acceptance testing phase so the environment is ready for Go Live.

2. Final Production Refresh – Upon completion of acceptance testing, the production environment will be refreshed with the updated code, inclusive of all acceptance test corrections. At the same time a final data migration (including the last round of converted data) will occur and all business processes will be tested.

3. Support Conversion to Live Operations – Typically, the first several days after Go Live require a special level of support to handle any training or operational issues that may surface. Bidder will provide immediate support during this period, up to ten working days, to ensure a smooth conversion to live operations.

4. Support Stabilization Period – Bidder will provide a 180-day stabilization period following Go Live.

PART III KEY RFP EVENTS

A. Vendor Self Service System (VSS)

The Office of State Procurement Services Vendor Self Service System website is found at the link below: https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system A copy of the RFP and all associated documents will be published in VSS.

Only documents published in VSS will be considered binding.

Any interested party may view open solicitations in VSS using the Public Access feature.

Vendors must have an active User ID and password in VSS to submit questions and respond to solicitations, including this RFP.

Vendor registration instructions and User Guide may be found at the link above, which include steps for searching for an existing account/User ID, or registering for a new account/User ID.

Vendors interested in responding to a solicitation are encouraged to obtain a User ID and password for VSS as soon as possible.

Vendors must have an active Vendor Code (VC or VS) to contract with the department.

B. Questions

1. General Instructions: It is the responsibility of all Bidders and other interested parties to examine the entire RFP and to seek clarification, in writing, if they do not understand any information or instructions.

a. Questions must be submitted in VSS as soon as possible but no later than the date and time published in VSS.

b. Questions should be clearly stated and reference the applicable section and/or page number of the RFP.

c. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete/on time transmission and receipt.

2. Question & Answer Summary: Responses to all questions will be compiled in writing and published in VSS no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline. It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to VSS to obtain a copy of the Question & Answer Summary. Only those answers issued in writing in VSS will be considered binding.

C. Amendments

All amendments released in regard to the RFP will be published in VSS. It is the responsibility of all interested parties to go to VSS to obtain amendments. Only those amendments published in VSS are considered binding.

D. Proposal Submission

1. Proposals Due

a. Proposal submissions must be received no later than the Proposal Submission Deadline (closing date) published in VSS.

b. Any proposal submissions or any additional or revised proposal files received after the Proposal Submission Deadline will be rejected without exception.

2. Delivery Instructions

a. Proposal submissions must be submitted to the Office of State Procurement Services via VSS.

b. Only proposal submissions received via VSS will be considered. The Department assumes no liability for assuring accurate/complete receipt.

c. Submissions containing links to file sharing sites or online file repositories will not be accepted as submissions. Only proposal submissions that have the actual requested files attached will be accepted.

d. Encrypted submissions received which require opening attachments and logging into a proprietary system will not be accepted. Bidders should work with their Information Technology team to ensure that the proposal submission will not be encrypted due to any security settings.

e. File size limits are 15MB per file. Bidders may separate their submissions into multiple files, as necessary, due to file size concerns.

3. Submission Format:

a. Bidders must submit multiple files, with each file named and containing the required information as defined below.

File 1 [Bidder’s Name] – Preliminary Information PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix A (Proposal Cover Page)

· Appendix B (Responsible Bidder Certification)

· And all required eligibility documentation stated in PART IV, Section I.

File 2 [Bidder’s Name] – Organization Qualifications and Experience PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix C (Organization Qualifications and Experience Form)

· Appendix D (Subcontractors Form)

· And all required information and attachments stated in PART IV, Section II.

File 3 [Bidder’s Name] – Proposed Services PDF format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix E (General and Technical Requirements)

· Appendix F (Technical Assessment Form)

· Appendix G (Proposed Services Form)

· And all required information and attachments stated in PART IV, Section III.

File 4 [Bidder’s Name] – Cost Proposal Excel format preferred, and must include:

· Appendix H (Cost Proposal Form)

PART IV PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

This section contains instructions for Bidders to use in preparing their proposals. The Department seeks detailed yet succinct responses that demonstrate the Bidder’s qualifications, experience, and ability to perform the requirements specified throughout the RFP.

Bidders’ proposals must follow the outline used below, including the numbering, section, and sub-section headings. Failure to use the outline specified in PART IV, or failure to respond to all questions and instructions throughout the RFP, may result in the proposal being disqualified as non-responsive or receiving a reduced score. The Department, and its evaluation team, has sole discretion to determine whether a variance from the RFP specifications will result either in disqualification or reduction in scoring of a proposal. Rephrasing of the content provided in the RFP will, at best, be considered minimally responsive.

Bidders are not to provide additional attachments beyond those specified in the RFP for the purpose of extending their response. Additional materials not requested will not be considered part of the proposal and will not be evaluated. Bidders must include any forms provided in the submission package or reproduce those forms as closely as possible. All information must be presented in the same order and format as described in the RFP.

Proposal Format and Contents

Section I Preliminary Information (File #1)

1. Proposal Cover Page Bidders must complete Appendix A (Proposal Cover Page). It is critical that the cover page show the specific information requested, including Bidder address(es) and other details listed. The Proposal Cover Page must be dated and signed by a person authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the Bidder.

2. Responsible Bidder Certification Bidders must complete Appendix B (Responsible Bidder Certification). The Responsible Bidder Certification must be dated and signed by a person authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the Bidder.

3. Eligibility Requirements Bidders must provide documentation to demonstrate meeting eligibility requirements stated in PART I, C. of the RFP. An explanation of the bidders ability to meet the eligibility requirements is required. This must include a list of ten SRF projects over a period of at least ten years.

Section II Organization Qualifications and Experience (File #2)

1. Overview of the Organization Bidders must complete Appendix C (Qualifications and Experience Form) describing their qualifications and skills to provide the requested services in the RFP. Bidders must include three (3) examples of projects which demonstrate their experience and expertise in performing these services, as well as highlighting the Bidder’s stated qualifications and skills.

2. Subcontractors Bidders must complete Appendix D (Subcontractors Form) to provide a list that specifies the name, address, phone number, contact person, and a brief description of organizational capacity and qualifications for any subcontractors to be used. If no subcontractors will be used, indicate as such on the form.

3. Organizational Chart Bidders must provide an organizational chart. The organizational chart must include the project being proposed. Each position must be identified by position title and corresponding to the personnel job descriptions.

4. Litigation Bidders must attach a list of all current litigation in which the Bidder is named and a list of all closed cases that have closed within the past five (5) years in which the Bidder paid the claimant either as part of a settlement or by decree. For each, list the entity bringing suit, the complaint, the accusation, amount, and outcome.

5. Financial Viability Bidders must provide the following information for each of the past three (3) tax years:

a. Balance Sheets

b. Income (Profit/Loss) Statements

6. Licensure/Certification Bidders may provide documentation of any applicable licensure/certification or specific credentials that are related to providing the proposed services of the RFP.

7. Certificate of Insurance Bidders must provide a certificate of insurance on a standard ACORD form (or the equivalent) evidencing the Bidder’s general liability, professional liability and any other relevant liability insurance policies that might be associated with the proposed services.

Section III Proposed Services (File #3)

1. Technical Assessment Bidders must complete Appendix F (Technical Assessment Form) to describe the Bidder’s capability to meet the stated requirements and policies identified in this RFP.

2. Services to be Provided Bidders must complete Appendix F (Proposed Services Form) to discuss the Scope of Services referenced above in Part II of the RFP and what the Bidder will offer, including a description of the methods and resources the Bidder will use and how each task involved will be accomplished. Bidders must also describe how the expectations and/or desired outcomes as a result of these services will be achieved. If subcontractors are involved, Bidders must clearly identify the work each will perform.

3. Implementation - Work Plan Bidders must provide a realistic work plan for the implementation of the program through the first contract period. The work plan must be displayed in a timeline chart, and concisely describe each program development and implementation task, the month it will be carried out, and the person or position responsible for each task. If applicable, Bidders must identify all tasks to be delegated to subcontractors.

Section IV Cost Proposal (File #4)

1. Cost Proposal Form Bidders must complete Appendix G (Cost Proposal Form).

2. General Instructions

a. The cost proposal must include the costs necessary for the Bidder to fully comply with the contract terms, conditions, and RFP requirements.

b. No costs related to the preparation of the proposal for the RFP, or to the negotiation of the contract with the Department, may be included in the proposal. Only costs to be incurred after the contract effective date that are specifically related to the implementation or operation of contracted services may be included.

PART V PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND SELECTION

Evaluation of the submitted proposals will be accomplished as follows:

A. Evaluation Process – General Information

1. An evaluation team, composed of qualified reviewers, will judge the merits of the proposals received in accordance with the criteria defined in the RFP.

2. Officials responsible for making decisions on the award selection will ensure that the selection process accords equal opportunity and appropriate consideration to all who are capable of meeting the specifications. The goals of the evaluation process are to ensure fairness and objectivity in review of the proposals and to ensure that the contract is awarded to the Bidder whose proposal provides the best value to the State of Maine.

3. The Department reserves the right to communicate and/or schedule interviews/presentations with Bidders, if needed, to obtain clarification of information contained in the proposals received. The Department may revise the scores assigned in the initial evaluation to reflect those communications and/or interviews/presentations.

4. Changes to proposals, including updating or adding information, will not be permitted during any portion of the evaluation process. Therefore, Bidders must submit proposals that present their rates and other requested information as clearly and completely as possible.

B. Scoring Weights and Process

1. Scoring Weights: Proposal scores will be based on a 100-point scale and will measure the degree to which each proposal meets the following criteria. The proposal materials that will be evaluated under each section below are identified in Part IV of the RFP.

2. Scoring Process: For proposals that demonstrate meeting the eligibility requirements in Section I, if applicable, the evaluation team will use a consensus approach to evaluate and score Sections II & III above. Members of the evaluation team will not score those sections individually but, instead, will arrive at a consensus as to assignment of points for each of those sections. Section IV, the Cost Proposal, will be scored as described below.

3. Scoring the Cost Proposal: The total cost proposed for conducting all the functions specified in the RFP will be assigned a score according to a mathematical formula. The lowest bid will be awarded 30 points. Proposals with higher bid values will be awarded proportionately fewer points calculated in comparison with the lowest bid.

The scoring formula is:

(Lowest submitted cost proposal / Cost of proposal being scored) x (30) = pro-rated score

No Best and Final Offers: The State of Maine will not seek or accept a best and final offer (BAFO) from any Bidder in this procurement process. All Bidders are expected to provide their best value pricing with the submission of their proposal.

C. Negotiations

1. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with the awarded Bidder(s) to finalize a contract. Such negotiations may not significantly vary the content, nature, or requirements of the proposal or the Department’s Request for Proposal to an extent that may affect the price of goods or services requested.

2. The Department reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with an awarded Bidder who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the proposal they submitted in response to the advertised RFP.

3. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, the Department may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized. Alternatively, the Department may cancel the RFP, at its sole discretion.

D. Selection and Award

1. The final decision regarding the award of the contract will be made by representatives of the Department subject to approval by the State Procurement Review Committee.

2. Notification of conditional award selection or non-selection will be made in writing by the Department.

3. Issuance of the RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of Maine to award a contract, to pay costs incurred in the preparation of a response to the RFP, or to pay costs incurred in procuring or contracting for services, supplies, physical space, personnel or any other costs incurred by the Bidder.

4. The Department reserves the right to reject any and all proposals or to make multiple awards.

E. Appeal of Contract Awards

Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from the RFP may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 M.R.S.A. § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules Chapter 120. The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within fifteen (15) calendar days of receipt of notification of conditional contract award.

PART VI CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS

A. Contract Document

1. The awarded Bidder will be required to execute an IT Service Contract (IT-SC) with Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) including appropriate riders as determined by the issuing department. Bidders shall carefully review the IT-SC.

All exceptions will be negotiated between the awarded Bidder(s) and the State. The State will not accept any proposed exceptions as part of this RFP process. The State is not obligated to accept, negotiate, or compromise of any proposed exceptions.

The complete set of standard State of Maine Service Contract documents, along with other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State, may be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following link: Office of .

2. Allocation of funds is final upon successful negotiation and execution of the contract, subject to the review and approval of the State Procurement Review Committee. Contracts are not considered fully executed and valid until approved by the State Procurement Review Committee and funds are encumbered. No contract will be approved based on an RFP which has an effective date less than fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification to Bidders. (Referenced in the regulations of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Chapter 110, § 3(B)(i).)

This provision means that a contract cannot be effective until at least fourteen (14) calendar days after award notification.

3. The State recognizes that the actual contract effective date depends upon completion of the RFP process, date of formal award notification, length of contract negotiation, and preparation and approval by the State Procurement Review Committee. Any appeals to the Department’s award decision(s) may further postpone the actual contract effective date, depending upon the outcome. The contract effective date listed in the RFP may need to be adjusted, if necessary, to comply with mandated requirements.

4. In providing services and performing under the contract, the awarded Bidder must act as an independent contractor and not as an agent of the State of Maine.

B. Standard State Contract Provisions

1. Contract Administration Following the award, a Contract Administrator from the Department will be appointed to assist with the development and administration of the contract and to act as administrator during the entire contract period. Department staff will be available after the award to consult with the awarded Bidder in the finalization of the contract.

2. Payments and Other Provisions The State anticipates paying the awarded Bidder on the basis of net 30 payment terms, upon the receipt of an accurate and acceptable invoice. An invoice will be considered accurate and acceptable if it contains a reference to the State of Maine contract number, contains correct pricing information relative to the contract, and provides any required supporting documents, as applicable, and any other specific and agreed-upon requirements listed within the contract that results from the RFP.

PART VII LIST OF RFP APPENDICES AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

Appendix A – Proposal Cover Page

Appendix B – Responsible Bidder Certification

Appendix C – Qualifications and Experience Form

Appendix D – Subcontractors Form

Appendix E – General and Technical Requirements

Appendix F – Technical Assessment Form

Appendix G – Proposed Services Form

Appendix H – Cost Proposal Form

APPENDIX A

Department of Environmental Protection

PROPOSAL COVER PAGE

RFP# 202603029

Bidder Name:

Chief Executive - Name/Title:

Tel:

E-mail:

Headquarters Street Address:

Headquarters City/State/Zip:

(Provide information requested below if different from above)

Lead Point of Contact for Proposal - Name/Title:

Tel:

E-mail:

Headquarters Street Address:

Headquarters City/State/Zip:

· This proposal and the pricing structure contained herein will remain firm for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.

· No personnel currently employed by the Department participated, either directly or indirectly, in any activities relating to the preparation of the Bidder’s proposal.

· No attempt has been made, or will be made, by the Bidder to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal.

· The above-named organization is the legal entity entering into the resulting contract with the Department if they are awarded the contract.

· The undersigned is authorized to enter contractual obligations on behalf of the above-named organization.

To the best of my knowledge, all information provided in the enclosed proposal, both programmatic and financial, is complete and accurate at the time of submission.

Name (Print):

Title:

Authorized Signature:

Date:

APPENDIX B

Department of Environmental Protection

RESPONSIBLE BIDDER CERTIFICATION

RFP# 202603029

Bidder Name:

By signing this document, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the aforementioned organization, its principals and any subcontractors named in this proposal:

a. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, and declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from bidding or working on contracts issued by any governmental agency.

b. Have not within three years of submitting the proposal for this contract been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for:

i. Fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a federal, state, or local government transaction or contract.

ii. Violating Federal or State antitrust statutes or committing embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property.

c. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or Local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (b) of this certification.

d. Have not within a three (3) year period preceding this proposal had one or more federal, state, or local government transactions terminated for cause or default.

e. Have not entered into a prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a response for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and this proposal is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud.