RFP 25RFP18493 Addendum 1.pdf

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

AND NATURAL RESOURCES

STATE FAIR PARK DIVISION

1060 3RD St. SW Huron, SD 57350

Phone: 605.353.7340 Fax: 605.353.7348 sdstatefair.com

RFP #25RFP18493 – GRANDSTAND LIGHTING, SOUND, AND STAGE

NOTICE

ADDENDUM 1

DATE: December 29, 2025 BUYER: South Dakota State Fair

PHONE: (605) 353-7340

Addendum 1 is being issued for the following corrections to the RFP.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR GRANDSTAND LIGHTING, SOUND, AND STAGE

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 5 PM CT – JANUARY 27, 2026

RFP #:

25RFP18493

State POC: Bella Philips EMAIL: bella.philips@state.sd.us

READ CAREFULLY

FIRM NAME: AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

ADDRESS: TYPE OR PRINT NAME:

CITY/STATE: TELEPHONE NO:

ZIP (9 DIGIT): FAX NO:

E-MAIL:

PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION

CONTACT NAME: TELEPHONE NO:

FAX NO: E-MAIL:

1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The South Dakota State Fair is seeking proposals for grandstand sound, lighting, and stage equipment during the 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030 annual South Dakota State Fair.

Proposals must be based on a per year basis.

1.2 ISSUING OFFICE AND RFP REFERENCE NUMBER

The South Dakota State Fair, a division of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and

Natural Resources, is the issuing office for this document and all subsequent addenda relating to it, on behalf of the State of South Dakota, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, State Fair Division. The reference number for the transaction is RFP

#: 25RFP18493. This number must be referred to on all proposals, correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.

1.3 SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

RFP Publication December 10, 2025 Offer or Questions Due December 29, 2025 January 5, 2026 Responses to Offer or Questions January 5, 2026 January 12, 2026 Proposal Submission January 27, 2026 Anticipated Award Decision/Contract Negotiation February 2, 2026

1.4 SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL

All proposals must be completed and received at the South Dakota State Fair by the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration. An original and one identical copy of the proposal shall be submitted.

All proposals must be signed, in ink, by an officer of the responder, legally authorized to bind the responder to the proposal, and sealed in the form intended by the respondent. Proposals that are not properly signed may be rejected. The sealed envelope should be marked with the appropriate RFP Number and Title. Proposals should be addressed and labeled as follows:

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #25RFP18493

PROPOSAL DUE January 27, 2026 BUYER: SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, State Fair Division ATTENTION: Bella Philips 1060 3rd Street SW Huron, SD 57350

No proposal shall be accepted from, or no contract or purchase order shall be awarded to any person, firm or corporation that is in arrears upon any obligations to the State of South

Dakota, or that otherwise may be deemed irresponsible or unreliable by the State of South

Dakota.

1.5 CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT, SUSPENSION, INELIGIBILITY AND

VOLUNTARY EXCLUSION – LOWER TIER COVERED TRANSACTIONS

By signing and submitting this proposal, the offeror certifies that neither it nor its principals is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation, by any Federal department or agency, from transactions involving the use of Federal funds. Where the offeror is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, the bidder shall attach an explanation to their offer.

1.6 NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The State of South Dakota requires that all contractors, vendors, and suppliers doing business with any State agency, department, or institution, provide a statement of non-discrimination. By signing and submitting their proposal, the offeror certifies they do not discriminate in their employment practices with regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, ancestry, national origin or disability.

1.7 CERTIFICATION RELATING TO PROHIBITED ENTITY

For contractors, vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors who enter into a contract with the

State of South Dakota by submitting a response to this solicitation or agreeing to contract with the State, the bidder or offeror certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

The bidder or offeror, in preparing its response or offer or in considering proposals submitted from qualified, potential vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, or in the solicitation, selection, or commercial treatment of any vendor, supplier, or subcontractor, is not an entity, regardless of its principal place of business, that is ultimately owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a foreign national, a foreign parent entity, or foreign government from China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, or Venezuela, as defined by SDCL 5-18A. It is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the State to reject the bid or response submitted by the bidder or offeror on this project and terminate any contract awarded based on the bid or response. The successful bidder or offeror further agrees to provide immediate written notice to the contracting executive branch agency if during the term of the contract it no longer complies with this certification and agrees such noncompliance may be grounds for contract termination.

1.8 RESTRICTION OF BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL

For contractors, vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors with five (5) or more employees who enter into a contract with the State of South Dakota that involves the expenditure of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or more, by submitting a response to this solicitation or agreeing to contract with the State, the bidder or offeror certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

The bidder or offeror, in preparing its response or offer or in considering proposals submitted from qualified, potential vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, or in the solicitation, selection, or commercial treatment of any vendor, supplier, or subcontractor, has not refused to transact business activities, has not terminated business activities, and has not taken other similar actions intended to limit its commercial relations, related to the subject matter of the bid or offer, with a person or entity on the basis of Israeli national origin, or residence or incorporation in Israel or its territories, with the specific intent to accomplish a boycott or divestment of Israel in a discriminatory manner. It is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the State to reject the bid or response submitted by the bidder or offeror on this project and terminate any contract awarded based on the bid or response. The successful bidder or offeror further agrees to provide immediate written notice to the contracting executive branch agency if during the term of the contract it no longer complies with this certification and agrees such noncompliance may be grounds for contract termination.

1.9 MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the offeror prior to the established due date and time. No oral, telephonic, telegraphic or facsimile responses or modifications to informal, formal bids, or Request for Proposals will be considered.

1.10 OFFEROR INQUIRIES

Offerors may email inquiries concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities.

Inquiries must be emailed to Bella Philips at bella.philips@state.sd.us with the subject line

RFP #: 25RFP18493

The State will respond to offeror’s inquiries (if required) via e-mail. In addition, all inquiries and the State’s response will be posted on the state’s e-procurement system. Offerors may not rely on any other statements, either of a written or oral nature, that alter any specification or other term or condition of this RFP. Offerors will be notified in the same manner as indicated above regarding any modifications to this RFP.

1.11 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

The proposal of the successful offeror(s) becomes public information. Proprietary information can be protected under limited circumstances such as client lists and non-public financial statements. An entire proposal may not be marked as proprietary. Offerors must clearly identify in the Executive Summary and mark in the body of the proposal any specific proprietary information they are requesting to be protected. The Executive Summary must contain specific justification explaining why the information is to be protected. Proposals may be reviewed and evaluated by any person at the discretion of the State. All materials submitted become the property of the State of South Dakota and may be returned only at the

State's option.

1.12 LENGTH OF CONTRACT

This contract will be for a five (5) year period, beginning January 1, 2026, and ending

December 31, 2030.

1.13 GOVERNING LAW AND VENUE

Venue for any and all legal action regarding or arising out of the transaction covered herein shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of South

Dakota, without regard to any conflicts of law principles, decisional law, or statutory provision which would require or permit the application of another jurisdiction’s substantive law. Venue for any lawsuit pertaining to or affecting this Agreement shall be in the Circuit Court, Sixth

Judicial Circuit, Hughes County, South Dakota.

1.14 DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFERORS (ORAL PRESENTATION/NEGOTIATIONS)

An oral presentation by an offeror to clarify a proposal may be required at the sole discretion of the State. However, the State may award a contract based on the initial proposals received without discussion with the Offeror. If oral presentations are required, they will be scheduled after the submission of proposals. Oral presentations will be made at the offeror’s expense.

This process is a Request for Proposal/Competitive Negotiation process. Each Proposal shall be evaluated, and each respondent shall be available for negotiation meetings at the State’s request. The State reserves the right to negotiate on any and/or all components of every proposal submitted. From the time the proposals are submitted until the formal award of a contract, each proposal is considered a working document and as such, will be kept confidential. The negotiation discussions will also be held as confidential until such time as the award is completed.

2.0 STANDARD CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Any contract or agreement resulting from this RFP will include the State’s standard contract terms attached hereto as Appendix A, along with any additional contract terms as negotiated by the parties. As part of the negotiation process the contract terms listed in Appendix A may be altered or deleted. The Offeror should indicate in their response any issues they have with specific contract terms if the Offeror does not indicate that there are any issues with any contract terms then the DANR will assume those terms are acceptable to the Offeror.

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 South Dakota State Fair dates as follows:

3.1.1 September 2 – 7, 2026

3.1.2 September 1 –6, 2027

3.1.3 August 30 – September 4, 2028

3.1.4 August 29 – September 3, 2029

3.1.5 August 28 – September 2, 2030

3.2 Contractor will provide the following during the 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 South Dakota State Fair (numbers and times are approximate and subject to change):

3.2.1 The contractor will furnish the State Fair equipment and services for the main concerts held at the grandstand during the South Dakota State Fair. The final schedule for the equipment and services will be determined by the final dates and times of performances negotiated with entertainers.

3.2.2 Concert sound, lighting, and spotlights which must be of the finest quality and shall consist of state-of-the-art technology in good working order. A minimum specification of sound and light equipment is attached.

3.2.3 The sound and lighting equipment shall be subject to approval of the contracted artist or artists appearing at the grandstand and must meet the requirements on artist’s contract with the fair and include sound and lighting equipment as demanded by the artist. Such items will be subject to negotiation between the artist and the fair and the contractor should the services be above and beyond that are called for in the agreement and necessary for an artist or show.

3.2.4 Additional sound, lighting, or backline equipment required by an artist, and the amount will be negotiated at the time the additional equipment is required and will be added to the original contract.

3.2.5 Transportation and lodging for their own staff.

3.2.6 The South Dakota State Fair desires to contract for grandstand concert lighting, audio, mobile stage and auxiliary staging services. A small portion of the auxiliary staging services are necessary for bull riding events taking place before the concerts. These items are noted within the Grandstand Auxiliary Staging Services requirements.

3.2.6.1 Grandstand Hydraulic Mobile Stage Services

In a typical year, the mobile stage and tech are expected to be on-site by 5am Friday morning and the stage shall be parked and leveled by 6am, when the mobile stage load in will begin. Mobile stage should be ready for sound and lighting motors to be clipped in by 7am. All production load in should be complete by 12pm (Noon) Friday. The mobile stage will load out completely after the final concert on Sunday night.

3.2.6.1.1 Mobile stage roof shall be a minimum 42’ wide x 40’ deep.

3.2.6.1.2 Mobile stage roof shall have a minimum of 22’ trim height from stage deck to bottom of roof truss.

3.2.6.1.3 Mobile stage roof shall include (2) 6’ (minimum) audio rigging extensions (fly bays), outside of the roof dimensions listed above, capable of holding 4,000 lbs. (minimum) per side.

3.2.6.1.4 Mobile stage roof shall have a minimum of 26,000 pounds load capacity.

3.2.6.1.5 Mobile stage floor shall be a minimum 40’ wide x 39’ deep.

3.2.6.1.6 Mobile stage must have fire retardant wind walls and skirting on three sides.

3.2.6.1.7 Mobile stage must have guard rail on three sides.

3.2.6.1.8 Mobile stage must come with (2) stair units with handrails.

3.2.6.1.9 Mobile stage must be equipped with vertical speaker scrim supports to facilitate hanging scrims.

3.2.6.1.10 Mobile stage to have gust wind resistance of 60 mph with wind walls installed and 90 mph without wind walls.

3.2.6.1.11 Mobile stage unit must have stamped engineering report.

3.2.6.1.12 (1) Mobile Stage Tech for the duration of concerts (including load in and load out). Mobile stage tech certification should be for the stage that the technician is operating at the South Dakota State Fair.

3.2.6.2 Grandstand Auxiliary Staging Services

Items 3.2.6.2.1 through 3.2.6.2.3 must be delivered to the site and constructed for use by 2 PM on Wednesday. Vendor may set up on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning (pending approval by the fair).

3.2.6.2.1 32’ wide x 12’ deep x 30” tall ADA Riser with 28’ wide x 4’ deep x 0”: -30” tall ADA ramp & 4’ wide x 8’ deep x 30” tall landing (to connect ramp & riser). Ramp must be situated so access to the ramp is not obstructed by grandstand stairs.

(This may require a gap between the back of the riser and the grandstand). The entire structure must have ADA compliant handrail. Skirting should be provided on all sides.

3.2.6.2.2 24’ W x 16’ D x 36” H Audience Riser w/ (1) Stair Unit, Handrail & Outdoor Skirt on all sides.

3.2.6.2.3 (2) 4’x8’x3’ Camera Risers w/ Outdoor Skirt and Handrail.

The remaining auxiliary staging items included in the RFP must be delivered to the site Friday morning of fair week and ready for use by 12pm (Noon) on Friday. Load Out for all auxiliary staging items will take place after the final concert on Sunday night.

3.2.6.2.4 (2) 4’ W x 8’ D x Stage Height audio outfill platforms (placement TBD)

3.2.6.2.5 16’ W x 40’ D x 48”-60” Stage LEFT work wing w/ (1) step unit, handrail on (3) sides and outdoor skirt across front.

For mobile stages that must leave an open 4’x8’ deck space on either side of the trailer, handrail must also be supplied for the open space.

3.2.6.2.6 16’ W x 40’ D x 48”-60” Stage RIGHT work wing w/ (1) step unit, handrail on (3) sides and outdoor skirt across front.

For mobile stages that must leave an open 4’x8’ deck space on either side of the trailer, handrail must also be supplied for the open space.

3.2.6.2.7 (3) Heavy-Duty 10’x20’ tents with removeable sidewalls. (1- SR Wing, 1-SL Wing and 1-FOH. Tents should include all necessary hardware (to secure to stage or ballasting where applicable).

3.2.6.2.8 (4) 8’x8’ Rolling Risers with Skirt on 3-4 sides. Risers should come with legs and skirt to be built as all 12” or all 24” tall (or any combination of 12” or 24”). Casters must have the ability to lock.

3.2.6.2.9 50’ of Aluminum Blow-Thru Concert Barricade (i.e.

Stageright / Mojo). At least ONE section of barricade must have a ‘snake gate’ opening.

3.2.6.2.10 (1) Stage Technician for set up on Tuesday (or Wednesday), Friday (all day), Saturday (all day), Sunday (all day through load out), annually.

3.2.6.3 Grandstand Stage Lighting System Specifications:

In a typical year, lighting is able to clip in motors by 7am on Friday morning and lighting rig is complete by 12pm (noon). On final show day (Sunday), 100% lighting system load out begins.

3.2.6.3.1 (14) (minimum) intelligent WASH lighting fixtures with zoom capabilities (8-DS, 6-US). Fixtures shall be able to provide a bright, even wash of the performance area. Fixtures should be rated IP-65 (outdoor use).

3.2.6.3.2 (6) (minimum) intelligent PROFILE lighting fixtures. (6-US) Profile fixtures must include (minimum) 580W LED engine, CMY color mixing, zoom and gobo capabilities. Fixtures should be rated IP-65 (outdoor use).

3.2.6.3.3 (4) (minimum) intelligent STROBE lighting fixtures. (4-US) Fixtures shall be RGB + W, offer an intelligent ‘tilt’ function and include a rating of IP-65 (outdoor use).

3.2.6.3.4 (4) (minimum) 4-Light Warm White, LED audience blinders.

Fixtures shall have sufficient power/coverage to illuminate the depth and width of the audience and shall include a rating of IP-65 (outdoor use).

3.2.6.3.5 The main lighting console shall be (at minimum) grandMA3 Light, Full Boar Hog 4 or Chamsys MagicQ MX70.

3.2.6.3.6 A backup lighting console must also be provided. Backup does not need to be identical to the main lighting console, but must use the same software and software version and must have the capability to control the entire provided lighting system.

3.2.6.3.7 Sufficient 208v power distribution for providing lighting rig (with Cam-Lok pass-thru for artist use).

3.2.6.3.8 One (1) atmospheric hazer with sufficient fluid and fan (Base Hazer Pro, Storm Factory Touring Hazer, Master FX Mystic Mini, or equivalent). No foggers.

3.2.6.3.9 Lighting truss shall be 20.5” x 20.5” medium-duty (Thomas, Tomcat, Tyler, or equivalent) truss. The trusses shall be configured as one (1) 40’ downstage and one (1) 38’-40’ upstage truss. Engineering documents for truss shall be made available upon request. No homemade or light-duty truss will be acceptable.

3.2.6.3.10 38’ aluminum backdrop pipe on pulley system (to facilitate artist-provided, blow-thru backdrops).

3.2.6.3.11 Four (4) 1-Ton chain motors with all necessary rigging, cable, and power distribution and motor control.

3.2.6.3.12 Two (2) ¼ Ton chain motors (cable management) with all necessary rigging, cable and power distribution and motor control.

3.2.6.3.13 Feeder cable shall be either Type W or entertainment industry standard lighting cable; 4/0-gauge, minimum length 200’ to reach power + interconnect cables, tails, turnarounds, tapping & parallel T’s.

3.2.6.3.14 All necessary power and data cable for lighting system.

3.2.6.3.15 One (1) 300’ lighting snake with sufficient DMX universes (4-

5 to cover house system & artist-provided system (if applicable), and AC power for lighting system (plus backup lines).

3.2.6.3.16 Four (4) Long-Throw Follow Spots able to throw a distance of 200’ (Strong or Lycian).

3.2.6.3.17 Wired intercom system with a minimum of seven (7) stations and cabling as required.

3.2.6.3.18 Protective covers and tarps to shield equipment (from rain & dust).

3.2.6.3.19 Two (2) dedicated lighting technicians / lighting programmers for the duration of concerts (including load in & load out).

3.2.6.4 Grandstand Audio System Specifications

3.2.6.4.1 The South Dakota State Fair customarily engages no more than one (1) headlining act and one (1) opening act per evening. This arrangement is subject to change at the discretion of the Fair. In the event that a third act is added to the entertainment lineup, the Fair will issue formal notification in advance.

3.2.6.4.2 Speaker System:

3.2.6.4.2.1 The speaker system shall have independent inputs, level control, EQ, and delay for the subs and front fills. The speaker system should be a 4-way speaker system (d&b: J-, KSL- or GSL-Series, L-Acoustics K1, K2 or L-Series, JBL: VTX A12, Adamson E12 or E15, and Meyer Panther or Leo. No proprietary speakers will be accepted). The speaker system should consist of the following minimums:

3.2.6.4.2.1.1 (24) Line Array Elements, 3-way, with dual 12” low drivers (12 per side, flown).

3.2.6.4.2.1.2 (12) Out-Fill Speakers, 3-way, with dual 10” low drivers (6 per side, to cover far left & right of grandstand.)

3.2.6.4.2.1.3 (12) Dual 18” Subwoofers, ground stacked across the front of the stage (or left/right configuration).

3.2.6.4.2.1.4 (4) 2-way Front Fill Speaker Cabinets.

3.2.6.4.2.1.5 Professional quality amplifiers (that

match the speaker design specification) to power the speaker system.

3.2.6.4.2.1.6 (4) 1-Ton (or ½-ton, if applicable) Electrical Chain Motors w/ 60’ of Chain.

3.2.6.4.2.1.6.1 All Necessary Motor Control, Cable and Rigging for Chain

Motors.

3.2.6.4.3 Front of House (FOH) System:

3.2.6.4.3.1 (1) FOH Mixing Console of professional quality with a minimum configuration of 48 inputs, 16 aux sends, eight (8) groups, eight (8) VCA, main stereo left and right outputs, as well as eight (8) matrixes output.

The preferred console should be digital with a minimum of five (5) on board effects, recallable preamps, compressors and noise gates for every channel, and be able to store multiple scenes. (Avid

S6L, Yamaha Rivage PM3, PM5, PM7 or PM10K, Digico SD10, SD12, SD5, SD7, Quantum 326 or

338, Midas HD96 Series, or equivalent).

3.2.6.4.3.2 (1) Compact FOH Mixing Console (digital) to accommodate Emcees/Announcers & house music.

(Digico S21, Yamaha DM3D or equivalent).

3.2.6.4.3.3 (1) Front of House (FOH) Control Rack

3.2.6.4.3.3.1 System processors w/ tablet control.

3.2.6.4.3.3.2 SMAART RTA System.

3.2.6.4.4 Monitor System:

The monitor system shall be located and operated from the stage. All control must be independent of the house sound system and must include the following minimums:

3.2.6.4.4.1 (1) Monitor Console of professional quality with a minimum configuration of 48 inputs and 24 aux/mix outputs. The preferred console should be digital with a minimum of five (5) on board effects, recallable preamps, compressors and noise gates for every channel, graphic eq’s for mix outputs, and be able to store multiple scenes. (Avid S6L, Yamaha Rivage

PM3, PM5, PM7 or PM10k, Digico SD10, SD12, SD5, SD7, Quantum 326 or 338, Midas HD96

Series, or equivalent).

3.2.6.4.4.2 (12) Monitor Floor Wedges.

3.2.6.4.4.3 Professional quality amplifiers (that match the

monitor wedges) to power the monitor system.

3.2.6.4.4.4 (1) Drum Monitor Sub.

3.2.6.4.4.5 (1) Pair (L & R) of 3-way Side-Fill Speakers with

Subwoofers.

3.2.6.4.5 Microphones:

3.2.6.4.5.1 (40) Professional quality microphones.

3.2.6.4.5.2 (40) Professional quality mic stands w/ booms arms.

3.2.6.4.5.3 (12) Professional quality direct boxes.

3.2.6.4.5.4 (80) Microphone cables (various lengths).

3.2.6.4.5.5 (2) Professional quality wireless handheld microphones (Shure or Sennheiser) for emcee use

(1 + backup).

3.2.6.4.6 Snake System:

3.2.6.4.6.1 (1) 250’ x 52 channel audio snake.

3.2.6.4.6.2 (1) 250’ x 12 channel main drive snake.

3.2.6.4.6.3 (4) 250’ Cat6 FOH ethernet cables (2 House, 2

Guest).

3.2.6.4.6.4 (5) 12-Ch. microphone sub boxes w/ 50’ of cable.

3.2.6.4.7 Power Distribution:

3.2.6.4.7.1 (1) 200 amp / 5 wire / 3 phase power distro.

3.2.6.4.7.2 200’ of 2/0, 5-Wire / 3-Phase Feeder Cable w/

Camlock to bare wire tails and interconnect cables

(as needed).

3.2.6.4.7.3 All electrical (AC) feeds for sound equipment and artist stage AC requirements (as needed).

3.2.6.4.8 Miscellaneous:

3.2.6.4.8.1 (1) iPod Cable.

3.2.6.4.8.2 (1) Clearcom Communication system between FOH and Monitors (including all necessary cable, call lights, headsets & etc.).

3.2.6.4.9 Personnel:

3.2.6.4.9.1 (1) Dedicated FOH Engineer.

3.2.6.4.9.2 (1) Dedicated Monitor Engineer.

4.0 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS AND COMPANY QUALIFICATIONS

4.1 The offeror is cautioned that it is the offeror's sole responsibility to submit information related to the evaluation categories and that the State of South Dakota is under no obligation to solicit such information if it is not included with the proposal. The offeror's failure to submit such information may cause an adverse impact on the evaluation of the proposal.

4.2 Offeror's Contacts: Offerors and their agents (including subcontractors, employees, consultants, or anyone else acting on their behalf) must direct all of their questions or comments regarding the RFP, the evaluation, etc. to the buyer of record indicated on the first page of this RFP. Offerors and their agents may not contact any state employee other than the buyer of record regarding any of these matters during the solicitation and evaluation process. Inappropriate contacts are grounds for suspension and/or exclusion from specific procurements. Offerors and their agents who have questions regarding this matter should contact the buyer of record.

4.3 Provide the following information related to at least three previous and current service/contracts, performed by the offeror’s organization, which are similar to the requirements of this RFP.

4.3.1 Name, address and telephone number of client/contracting agency and a representative of that agency who may be contacted for verification of all information submitted;

4.3.2 Dates of the service/contract; and

4.3.3 A brief, written description of the specific prior services performed and requirements thereof.

4.4 Provide the following information:

4.4.1 Specialized expertise, capabilities, and technical competence as demonstrated by the proposed approach and methodology to meet the project requirements.

4.4.2 Resources available to perform the work, including any specialized services, within the specified time limits for the project.

4.4.3 Record of past performance, including price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control, and contract administration.

4.4.4 Availability to the project locale.

4.4.5 Familiarity with the project locale.

4.4.6 Proposed project management techniques; and

4.4.7 Ability and proven history in handling special project constraints.

5.0 PROPOSAL RESPONSE FORMAT

5.1 An original and one copy shall be submitted.

5.1.1 In addition, the offeror should provide one (1) copy of their entire proposal, including all attachments, in Microsoft Word or PDF electronic format (flash drive, USB drive, etc.)

Offerors may not send the electronically formatted copy of their proposal via email.

5.1.2 The proposal should be page numbered and should have an index and/or a table of contents referencing the appropriate page number.

5.2 All proposals must be organized and labeled for the following headings:

5.2.1 RFP Form. The State’s Request for Proposal form (1st page of RFP) completed and signed.

5.2.2 Executive Summary. The one-to-two-page executive summary is to briefly describe the offeror's proposal. This summary should highlight the major features of the proposal. It must indicate any requirements that cannot be met by the offeror. The reader should be able to determine the essence of the proposal by reading the executive summary.

Proprietary information requests should be identified in this section.

5.2.3 Detailed Response. This section should constitute the major portion of the proposal and must contain at least the following information:

5.2.3.1 A complete narrative of the offeror's assessment of the work to be performed, the offeror’s ability and approach, and the resources necessary to fulfill the requirements.

This should demonstrate the offeror's understanding of the desired overall performance expectations.

5.2.3.2 A specific point-by-point response, in the order listed, to each requirement in the RFP.

The response should identify each requirement being addressed as enumerated in the

RFP.

5.2.3.3 A clear description of any options or alternatives proposed.

5.2.4 Cost Proposal. Cost will be evaluated independently from the technical proposal.

Offerors may submit multiple cost proposals. All costs related to the provision of the required services must be included in each cost proposal offered.

See section 7.0 for more information related to the cost proposal.

6.0 PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD PROCESS

The State reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive technicalities, and make award(s) as deemed to be in the best interest of the State of South Dakota. The State may award a contract to the responsible and responsive Offeror whose proposal provides the best value for the purposes intended according to the criteria set forth in the RFP. If contract negotiations cannot be concluded successfully with the selected Offeror, the State may negotiate a contract with a responsible and responsive Offeror whose proposal provides the next best value to the State of South Dakota.

6.1 Evaluation Team: All proposals shall be evaluated by an evaluation team. Evaluation and potential selection of the Offeror shall be based on the information submitted in the proposals.

The team may review references, require oral presentations, and conduct on-site visits to Offeror accounts and use the results in evaluating the proposals.

6.2 Meeting Terms and Conditions: Proposals will be reviewed to determine if required terms and conditions are met. Failure to meet the required terms and conditions may result in the proposal being rejected. If all Offerors fail to meet one or more of the required terms and conditions, the

State reserves the right to continue the evaluation of proposals and to select the proposal that provides the best value to the State of South Dakota as determined by the evaluation team.

6.3 Qualification Criteria: Each proposal shall be evaluated on whether required qualification criteria are met. The qualification criteria that will be used to determine if the Offeror will be considered for an award is based on the information provided in response to Sections 4.0 and 7.0 of this RFP.

6.4 Evaluation Criteria: After determining that a proposal satisfies the mandatory requirements stated in the Request for Proposal, the evaluator(s) shall use subjective judgment in conducting a comparative assessment of the proposal by considering each of the following criteria, listed in the order of importance:

6.4.1 Familiarity with the project locale.

6.4.2 Specialized expertise, capabilities, and technical competence as demonstrated by the proposed approach and methodology to meet the project requirements.

6.4.3 Resources available to perform the work, including any specialized services, within the specified time limits for the project.

6.4.4 Cost.

6.4.5 Record of past performance, including price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control, and contract administration.

6.4.6 Proposed project management techniques.

6.4.7 Availability to the project locale.

6.4.8 Ability and proven history in handling special project constraints.

6.5 Information Relating to Past Performance and Success: Experience and reliability of the offeror's organization are considered subjectively in the evaluation process. Therefore, the offeror is advised to submit any information which documents successful and reliable experience in past performances, especially those performances related to the requirements of this RFP.

6.6 Qualifications of Personnel: The qualifications of the personnel proposed by the offeror to perform the requirements of this RFP, whether from the offeror's organization or from a proposed subcontractor, will be subjectively evaluated. Therefore, the offeror should submit detailed information related to the experience and qualifications, including education and training, of proposed personnel.

6.7 Offeror to Submit Information Related to Evaluation Categories: The Offeror is cautioned that it is the Offeror's sole responsibility to submit information related to the evaluation categories and that the State of South Dakota is under no obligation to solicit such information if it is not included with the proposal. The Offeror's failure to submit such information may cause an adverse impact on the evaluation of the proposal. Failure to respond to each of the requirements in the RFP may be the basis for rejecting a response.

6.8 Award: The requesting agency and the highest ranked offeror shall mutually discuss and refine the scope of services for the project and shall negotiate terms, including compensation and performance schedule.

6.8.1 If the agency and the highest ranked offeror are unable for any reason to negotiate a contract at a compensation level that is reasonable and fair to the agency, the agency shall, either orally or in writing, terminate negotiations with the contractor. The agency may then negotiate with the next highest ranked contractor.

6.8.2 The negotiation process may continue through successive offerors, according to agency ranking, until an agreement is reached or the agency terminates the contracting process.

7.0 COST PROPOSAL

At a minimum, any cost proposal must contain the following information:

Item

Estimated

Quantity Cost per Item Estimated Total Cost

ESTIMATED TOTAL ANNUAL COSTS: