RFP_26-09_Solar_Lighting_for_BSC_Parking_Lot.pdf

CITY OF BARTOW

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP 26-09

SOLAR LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR BARTOW SPORT COMPLEX

PARKING LOT

ATTACHED ARE IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS REGARDING

RESPONSES TO THIS RFP. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS COULD

RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION.

SUBMIT SEALED RESPONSES TO:

Roxanna Vazquez, Procurement Analyst City of Bartow-Purchasing Department 450 N. Wilson Ave.

Bartow, FL 33830 Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (M-F) Phone: (863) 534-0141 Email: rvazquez@cityofbartow.net mailto:rvazquez@cityofbartow.net

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP 26-09, SOLAR LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR BARTOW SPORT COMPLEX

PARKING LOT

Physical SEALED BIDS—one (1) unbound original with one (1) electronic copy of its proposal in Adobe PDF format on a USB flash drive —shall be received by the City of Bartow, Attn: Purchasing Department, 450 N. Wilson Ave., Bartow, FL 33830, or ELECTRONIC BIDS directly through the City’s e-procurement system, OpenGov, prior to 2:00:00 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026.

“Do not submit duplicate proposals. Only one submission method is required. Please submit either a physical proposal or an electronic proposal, but not both. All submittals will be publicly opened shortly thereafter at City Hall, in a designated conference room at the address stated above.”

SCOPE: The City of Bartow, Florida is soliciting proposals from companies to provide a Solar Lighting System for Bartow Sport Complex Parking Lot located at 1105 S. County Road 555, Bartow, FL 33830 to be installed by the City of Bartow.

QUESTIONS DEADLINE: Proposers shall submit all inquiries regarding this project via the City of Bartow’s eProcurement Portal, located at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bartowfl. Please note the deadline for submitting inquiries. All answers to inquiries will be posted on the City’s eProcurement Portal. Proposers may also click “Follow” on this bid to receive an email notification when answers are posted.

It is the responsibility of the bidder to check the website for answers to inquiries.

Sincerely, Roxanna Vazquez Roxanna Vazquez City of Bartow – Procurement Department https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/bartowfl

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1.1. Purpose of Solicitation

The City of Bartow (City) owns and operates the Bartow Sports Complex Parking facility located at 1105 S. County Road 555, Bartow, FL 33830. This location serves as a key public facility supporting City employees, residents, and visitors.

The City is seeking qualified and experienced companies to provide comprehensive services for the assessment, design layout, installation planning/manual development, and furnishing of a sustainable solar lighting system solution for the parking complex.

Companies should demonstrate expertise in solar lighting systems, including site evaluation, system design, compliance with applicable codes and standards, installation methodology, and long-term maintenance considerations.

The City will be responsible for the installation of the solar lighting system solution.

1.2. Project Background Information

The City of Bartow is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to procure a high-efficiency, solar-powered lighting system for the parking lot at the Bartow Sports Complex. The project will provide enhanced illumination to improve safety and accessibility during evening hours following events, while supporting the City’s sustainability, energy-efficiency, and infrastructure modernization goals by reducing reliance on grid electricity, lowering long-term operating and maintenance costs, minimizing light pollution, and delivering reliable performance in compliance with applicable lighting standards.

The City of Bartow will not conduct a pre-proposal meeting for this project. However, all proposers are strongly encouraged to visit the project site to familiarize themselves with existing conditions and gather any additional information necessary to prepare a responsive proposal.

The Bartow Sports Complex parking area is a public facility located in Bartow and is accessible seven (7) days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Site visits shall be conducted at the proposer’s convenience during these hours.

SECTION 2: RFP INFORMATION

2.1. RFP Process

In accordance with F.S 287.057 and more fully explained in this RFP, an award, if made, shall be made to the best overall proposer(s) whose proposal is most advantageous to the City, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in this RFP. The City shall not use any other factors or criteria in the evaluation of the proposals received. The Evaluation Committee empaneled for this solicitation will review the qualifications of all submitting proposers as part of the selection process.

The City reserves the rights to: (a) determine, at its sole discretion, whether a Proposal satisfactorily meets the criteria established in this RFP; and (b) seek clarification from any company(s) submitting a statement of qualifications/Proposal.

Responses specified shall be furnished in accordance with the terms and conditions of the RFP solicitation, the specifications, addenda issued by the City of Bartow if any, and all other documents prepared for this procurement submittal. A form W-9 should be attached to each Proposer’s response when returned by the responding company.

Payment under any resulting contract will be rendered to the name of the company appearing on the Proposer’s form W-9.

The City of Bartow reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, to waive informalities, to re-advertise, and to enter into a contract or series of contracts determined to be in its best interest, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the solicitation.

2.2. Interested Parties.

All interested parties must submit the requested information within the time provided herein.

2.3. Company Qualifications

Companies shall be in the business of providing Solar Lighting Systems inclusive installation requirements and manuals as described in the Scope of Work. Each company submitting a proposal must demonstrate sufficient financial support and organizational capacity to ensure it can satisfactorily perform if awarded a contract.

Proposers must demonstrate that they, or the principals assigned to the City’s project, have successfully provided services of a similar magnitude to those specified in this RFP and the managerial and financial ability to successfully perform the work envisioned by this RFP.

Proposers must satisfy each of the following requirements cited below. Failure to do so will result in the Proposal being deemed non-responsive:

2.3.1 Before awarding the Contract, the City reserves the right to require that a

Proposer submit such evidence of qualifications as the City may deem necessary. Further, the City may consider any evidence of the financial, technical, and other qualifications and abilities of a Proposer in making the award in the best interest of the City.

2.3.2 Proposer shall have no record of judgments, pending lawsuits against the City or criminal activities involving moral turpitude and shall not have any conflicts of interest that have not been disclosed to and waived by the City.

2.3.3 Neither Proposer nor any principal, officer, or stockholder of Proposer(s) shall be in arrears or in default of any debt or contract involving the City, (as a party to a contract, or otherwise); nor have failed to perform satisfactorily on any previous contract with the City.

2.4 Licensure Requirements

a. To do business with the City of Bartow, businesses based within the City limits of the City of Bartow shall furnish a copy of the most recent City of Bartow Business/Occupational License in which can be obtained from https://www.cityofbartow.net/departments-services/city-clerk-public-records/business-tax-receipt-occupational-licenses-applications-payments.

b. For businesses based outside the City limits of the City of Bartow but are based in Polk County or those businesses based outside Polk County shall furnish a copy of the most recent Polk County Business/Occupational License in which may be obtained from https://www.polktaxes.com/services/local-business-taxes/.

c. Company should also be licensed to perform the type of work stated in this solicitation. Indicate registration, license numbers or certificate numbers for the business or professions which are the subject of this Bid. Please attach certificate of competency and/or state registration.

Proposals received from a company not holding the proper license shall be deemed non-responsible and not considered for award. The proposal will not be evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Panel.

2.5 Company Eligibility

The City desires to contract a qualified and experienced company on this project.

Responding companies must have documented experience for similar projects. The responding company shall have provided similar services to a minimum of three (3) clients within the last five (5) years, including at least one government municipality similar to the City of Bartow’s sporting complex. Project references shall be provided in their submittal as instructed. The city will be the sole determinant as to similar projects. Respondents to this RFP must hold the proper license in accordance with the defined scope of work required. Proposals received from a company not holding the proper license shall be deemed non-responsible and not considered for award. The proposal will not be evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Panel.

https://www.cityofbartow.net/departments-services/city-clerk-public-records/business-tax-receipt-occupational-licenses-applications-payments https://www.cityofbartow.net/departments-services/city-clerk-public-records/business-tax-receipt-occupational-licenses-applications-payments https://www.polktaxes.com/services/local-business-taxes/ https://www.polktaxes.com/services/local-business-taxes/

2.6 Permits (if applicable)

The company shall obtain and pay for all permits and inspection fees required for this project and shall comply with all laws, ordinances, regulations and building code requirements applicable to the work contemplated herein. Damages, penalties and/or fines imposed on the City or the company for failure to obtain required permits, inspection fees, or inspections shall be borne by the Contractor.

The City will reimburse the Contractor at cost for all permits obtained upon proper documentation provided.

2.7 Bond Requirements (if applicable)

Bonds: The Bid Bond and Public Construction or Performance Bond & Payment Bond shall be executed by a surety authorized to do business in the State of Florida and as named in the current list of “Companies Holding Certificates of Authority as Acceptable Sureties on Federal Bonds and as Acceptable Reinsuring Companies” as published in Circular 570 (amended) by the Audit Staff, Bureau of Government Financial Operations, U.S. Treasury Department and A.M. Best rated A VIII or better.

All bonds signed by an agent must be accompanied by a certified copy of authority to act and indicate that they are licensed to do business in the State of Florida.

Bid Bond: A Bid Bond is required to be submitted with all construction bids in excess of $150,000.00 in an amount not exceed five percent (5%) of the preliminary estimate of the cost of the work (amount bid). Unsuccessful bidders will be entitled to return of surety. A successful bidder may forfeit any surety required upon failure on their part to enter into a contract within the specified time after the award. See Section §337.17, of the Florida Statutes.

Performance Bond & Payment Bond: A Public Construction or Performance and Payment Bond will be required on all construction contracts when the price exceeds $250,000. A surety bond shall be required of the successful bidder in an amount equal to the awarded contract price and, if called out in the contract, the allowance amount;

and shall be submitted to Procurement along with the executed contract documents as outlined under section 11.0, Approval of Contract.

The City may choose, in its discretion and applicable only to multi-year maintenance contracts, to allow for incremental annual contract bonds that cumulatively total the full, awarded, multi-year contract price. See Section §337.18, of the Florida Statutes.

2.8 Legal Requirements

Federal, State, County, and local laws ordinances, rules and regulations that in any manner affect the item(s) covered herein apply. Lack of knowledge by the Respondent will in no way be cause for relief from responsibility.

2.9. Selection

It is the intent of the City to enter into an Agreement with the top ranked company following the negotiation of services to be render. The final Agreement will require approval by the City Commission at one of their regular meetings.

Award The City intends to award to one (1) company; however, the City reserves the right to award as the City deems in its best interest. The City of Bartow also reserves the right to reject any or all Responses or any part of any Response, to waive any informality in any Response, or to re-advertise for all or any part of the work contemplated.

2.10. Term of Agreement

All materials shall be furnished within ninety (90) days from the time of the award.

2.10.1 It is the intention of the City that the company’s personnel proposed for the contract will be available for the contract term. In the event the Contractor wishes to substitute personnel, he shall propose personnel of equal or higher qualifications, and all replacement personnel are subject to City approval. In the event substitute personnel are not satisfactory to the City and the matter cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the City, the City reserves the right to cancel the Contract for cause.

2.10.2 Company agrees and understands that the contract shall not be construed as an exclusive arrangement and further agrees that the City may, at any time, secure similar or identical services from another company at the City’s sole option.

2.10.3 Performance Period shall commence upon execution of the Agreement between the City and issuance of a Purchase Order to the successful company.

2.10.4 The City makes no guarantee or promise as to the number of available projects or that the company will perform any project for the City during the life of the basic agreement.

2.11. Insurance Requirements

2.11.1 Coverages

Successful Proposer shall, at a minimum, provide, pay for, and maintain in force at all times during the term of this Contract the following insurances:

2.11.1.1 Commercial Liability Insurance

Company shall maintain commercial general liability (CGL) insurance with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence.

If such CGL insurance contains a general aggregate limit, it shall apply separately to this location/project in the amount of $1,000,000. Products and completed operations aggregate shall be $1,000,000. CGL insurance shall be written on an occurrence form and shall include bodily injury and property damage liability for premises, operations, independent vendors, products and completed operations, contractual liability, broad form property damage and property damage resulting from explosion, collapse or underground (x,c,u) exposures, personal injury and advertising injury. Fire damage liability shall be included at $100,000.

2.11.1.2 Commercial Business Automobile Liability

Business Automobile Liability shall be provided with minimum limits of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence, combined single limit for Bodily Injury Liability and Property Damage Liability. Coverage must be afforded on a form no more restrictive than the latest edition of the Business Automobile Liability policy, without restrictive endorsements, as filed by the Insurance Services Office, and must include:

• Owned Vehicles, if applicable.

• Hired and Non-Owned Vehicles, if applicable.

• Employers' Non-Ownership, if applicable.

2.11.1.3 Workers Compensation Insurance

(a) Such insurance shall be no more restrictive than that provided by the Standard Workers’ Compensation Policy, as filed for use in Florida by the National Council of Compensation Insurance, without restrictive endorsements. In addition to coverage for the Florida Workers’ Act, where appropriate, coverage is to be included for the Federal Employer’s Liability Act and any other applicable Federal or State law.

The policy must be endorsed to provide the Owner with thirty (30) days’ notice of cancellation. The minimum amount of coverage (inclusive of any amount provided by an umbrella or excess policy) shall be:

(i) Part One: “Statutory”

(ii) Part Two: $1,000,000 Each Accident

$1,000,000 Disease-Policy Limit $1,000,000 Disease-Each Employee

2.11.2 General Provisions of Insurance

2.11.2.1 Such policy or policies shall be without any deductible amount unless otherwise noted in any ensuing Contract and shall be issued by approved companies authorized to do business in the State of Florida, and having agents upon whom service of process may be made in Polk County, Florida. Company shall pay all deductible amounts, if any. Company shall specifically protect the City and the Bartow City Commission by naming the City and the Bartow City Commission as additional insureds under the Commercial Liability Policy as well as on any Excess Liability Policy coverage.

2.11.2.2 Company shall furnish to the City a Certificate of Insurance or endorsements evidencing the insurance coverage specified herein within fifteen (15) calendar days after notification of award of any ensuing Contract. The required Certificates of Insurance shall name the types of policies provided, refer specifically to that Contract, and state that such insurance is as required by Contract. Company’s failure to provide to City the Certificates of Insurance or endorsements evidencing the insurance coverage within fifteen (15) calendar days shall provide the basis for Contract termination. The Certificates are to be signed by a person authorized by that insurer to bind coverage on its behalf and coverage shall be obtained with a carrier having an AM Best Rating of A-VII or better.

2.11.2.3 Coverage is not to cease and is to remain in force (subject to cancellation notice) until all performance required of company is complete. Where commercially feasible, all policies must be endorsed to provide the City with at least thirty (30) days’ notice of expiration, cancellation and/or restriction. If any policy of insurance coverage will expire prior to the completion of the work, a copy of the renewal policy shall be furnished at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of the policy’s expiration.

2.11.2.4 The City reserves the right to review and revise any insurance requirements at the time of renewal or amendment of any ensuing Contract, including, but not limited to, deductibles, limits, coverage, and endorsements based on insurance market conditions affecting the availability or affordability of coverage, or changes in the scope of work that affect the applicability of coverage. If company uses a subconsultant company, company shall ensure that subconsultant company names City as an additional insured.

2.13 Local Preference refer to Tab 6 for applicability

A purchasing preference shall be afforded to local companies in accordance with the following criteria:

The term BUSA company mean any business whose commercial activities have been regularly transacted from a physical location within the boundaries of the City of Bartow Utility Service Area (BUSA) for a period of at least six months, including the date of quote or bid award.

A local company preference shall not be afforded in any quote or bid award where it is precluded by law, administrative rule, policy, regulation, or related funding agreement.

2.14 Vendor Preference, refer to Tab 5 for applicability

A purchasing preference shall be afforded to Veteran Business Enterprises (VBE), and Women/Minority Business Enterprises (W/MBE) in accordance with the following criteria:

(1) The term “Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (VBE)” means any business having at least fifty-one (51%) ownership by a veteran owner who must have been honorably discharged from service and must independently control management and daily business operations. Must hold the professional license for the business, if applicable.

(2) The term “Women/Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (W/MBE)” means any business having at least fifty-one (51%) ownership by women or minority group members who independently control the management and daily business operations. Group members are Women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans. Must hold the professional license for the business, if applicable.

In order for a company to be recognized as a VBE or W/MBE by the City the following documentation must be submitted with the company’s registration through the City’s e-procurement system and/or such documentation must be submitted with their quote or bid submission:

• Valid Veteran or W/MBE Certification form from one of the following:

• U.S. Small Business Administration

• National Veteran Owned Business Association

• Florida Minority Supplier Development Council

• Women Business Enterprise National Council

• The State of Florida Office of Supplier Diversity

• Florida Department of Transportation

• Other Florida governmental agencies

A company preference shall not be afforded in any quote or bid award where it is precluded by law, administrative rule, policy, regulation or related funding agreement.

This policy in no way supersedes the Local Preference Policy.

SECTION 3: SCOPE OF WORK

3.1. Overview

The City of Bartow, Florida (“City”) is actively seeking qualified companies to provide professional assessment, design plan, and furnishing of a high-efficiency, solar-powered lighting system for the parking lot at the Bartow Sports Complex.

This solicitation is intended to modernize the City’s lighting infrastructure developing a complete solar lighting system design plan; and furnishing all required equipment, including but not limited to poles, luminaires, solar photovoltaic panels, battery storage systems, control and monitoring components, and associated hardware. The proposed system shall meet or exceed applicable industry standards, including IES RP-6-20, and provide safe, uniform, and reliable illumination.

Installation, construction, and electrical work will be performed separately by the City and are expressly excluded from this solicitation.

3.2. Minimum Required Services

Services shall include but aren’t limited to providing:

• Improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.

• Incorporate advanced controls for operational flexibility.

• Extend the life cycle of the City’s sports lighting infrastructure.

3.3. Detailed Scope of Work

A more detailed scope of work to be performed includes, but is not limited to, the following:

SOLAR LIGHTING SYSTEM REQUIREMENT

Performance:

- Multiple light levels (minimum of High, Medium, Low) for maintenance and play.

- Each circuit is to be individually switched or dimmed.

- Each pole must allow staff to make individual adjustments for maintenance, safety, and security purposes.

- Illumination levels and uniformity shall meet IES RP-6-20 maintained average illuminance standards.

Energy Efficient:

- High-efficiency LED luminaires with a minimum Light Loss Factor (LLF) or

0.95 in calculations.

- Guaranteed energy savings compared to existing fixtures.

Environmental Light Control:

- Minimize spill light and glare to adjacent properties.

CONTROL SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Compatibility and Capabilities:

- Remote operation capability.

- The successful respondent is to provide complete description or proposed control system.

- Wireless Control Features

- Secure, self-forming, self-healing mesh network.

- Local and remote control via smartphone, tablet, desktop, or laptop.

- FCC/IO certified.

- Capability for on/off switching, dimming, present scene control, and individual pole control.

- Local data storage for power data, behaviors, alarms, and critical events.

- Communication costs for fifteen (15) years must be included.

- Monitoring and Support

- Cloud-based performance database with Wi-Fi, cellular, or LAN access.

- Remote health monitoring with 24/7 staffed technical operator service.

- Manual override at each pole.

- Proactive monitoring to detect outages over a fifteen (15) year life cycle.

- All communication and monitoring costs for fifteen (15) years must be included.

CONSTRUCTION AND DURABILITY REQUIREMENTS

Manufacturing and Assembly:

- All luminaries, crossarms, wire harnesses, drivers, and enclosures to be factory assembled, aimed, wired, and tested.

- All wiring must be enclosed within poles, crossarms, or enclosures.

- No field electrical connections inside poles or crossarms.

Material Protection:

- Corrosion-resistant materials, hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating, anodizing, and stainless-steel fasteners per specifications.

- Fixtures and assemblies designed to withstand 150 mph winds (ASCE 7-10, Florida Building Code).

- Enhance corrosion protection package required.

TESTING, VERIFICATION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY

- Photometric and Light Level Testing 1. Provide a photometric summary and field verification based on actual pole locations.

- Conduct baseline light level test at commissioning.

WARRANTY AND LIFECYCLE COMMITMENT

- Eight (8) years full parts and labor warranty covering all components.

- All monitoring and communication costs must be covered under the warranty period.

SUBMITTALS REQUIRED

- Lighting layout and photometric calculations.

- Product cut sheets and specifications.

- Control system architecture and security certifications.

- Warranty certificate.

- Maintenance and testing plan.

SECTION 4: SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND CONTENTS

To be considered for award, a proposal must be received and accepted through the City’s e-procurement system; OpenGov or in the Purchasing Department no later than the due date and time established within the solicitation. Submittals shall not contain information in excess of that requested, should be concise and should specifically address the issues of this RFP.

Submittal of proposals or responses via email is not acceptable.

4.1. For Hand Delivery / Mail / Express Mail/ Ups Delivery (Economy of

Presentation):

Submit one (1), single sided original, one (1) copy in Adobe PDF format on a USB flash drive, including a cover letter, of the requested documents and information within a three (3) ring binder.

Proposers are responsible for ensuring that proposal documents are received by the City of Bartow’s Purchasing Department by the due date and time. The City of Bartow is not responsible for delays caused by any mail, package or courier service, including the United States Postal Service, or any other occurrence or condition. Proposals received after the due date and time will be returned unopened. No oral, telegraphic, electronic, facsimile, or telephonic proposal or modification will be considered.

Each Proposal package shall be submitted in a sealed envelope, sealed packet or sealed box prominently marked with the solicitation number, solicitation title bid, and proposal opening date as follows:

City of Bartow, Florida RFP #26-09, Solar Lighting System for Bartow Sport Complex Parking Lot

April 1st, 2026

Proposals shall be addressed as follows:

City of Bartow, 450 N. Wilson Ave, Bartow, FL 33830 Attn: Purchasing Department (located within Bartow’s City Hall)

4.2. For ALL Proposals Submitted to Include Electronically Through the City’s E- Procurement System; OpenGov:

The submittal should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the proposer's ability to fulfill the requirements of this Request for Proposals and should not exceed the necessary pages required in respond to information requested.

Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective submittal to this solicitation are not desired and may be construed as an indication of the proposer’s lack of cost consciousness. Elaborate artwork, expensive visual aids, and other presentation aids are neither necessary nor desired, unless specifically requested.

4.3. Format of Response

To provide a degree of consistency in review of the written proposals, companys are requested to prepare their proposals in the standard format specified in this section.

The page count for the proposals shall not exceed the necessary pages required to respond to each Tab in full (Note: Two (2) sided pages shall count as two (2) pages).

The page count shall not include the required forms listed in this RFP, section dividers, or 4.21 – 4.2.3.

4.2.1 Title Page

The proposer should identify the RFP subject, name and title of contact person, address, telephone number, fax number, email address, and date of submission.

4.2.2 Cover Letter

The Cover letter should not be more than two (2) pages long and should include, at a minimum, the following:

• A brief statement of the Proposer’s understanding of the required services.

• A positive commitment to perform the services on a consistent and timely basis.

• Names and contact information for the person(s) authorized to represent the

Proposer.

4.2.3 Table of Contents

The table of contents should include a clear and complete identification by section and page number of the materials submitted.

4.2.4 Evaluation Criteria (Each Tab Shall be Clearly Identified within the Proposal submitted)

• Tab 1 – Executive Summary

• Tab 2 – Organizational Resources

• Tab 3 – Experience and Expertise

• Tab 4 – Approach to Project

• Tab 5 – W/MBE & Veteran Business Utilization

• Tab 6 – Local Utilization

• Tab 7 – Performance Survey

• Tab 8 – Financial Viability, User Experience, Accessibility, and Payment

Mechanisms

4.4. Communications and Inquiries:

Proposers are advised that, pursuant to the terms and conditions of this RFP, from the date of release of this solicitation until award of an agreement no contact with City personnel related to this solicitation is permitted. All communications are to be directed to the Procurement Department contact.

Procurement may discuss a submission directly with the responsible proposer to get clarification and assure a full understanding of, and responsiveness to the solicitation requirements. All proposers shall be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of proposals and such revisions may be permitted after submission for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers. In conducting such discussions, there shall be no disclosure of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing proposers except as may be required by the Florida Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.

To ensure fair consideration for all prospective companies, the City prohibits communication associated with this RFP to or with any department, bureau or employee during the submission process. Additionally, the City prohibits communications initiated by a prospective company to any City official or employee evaluating or considering the submission prior to the time a decision has been made.

Except for communications with the designated point of contact, if a company initiates communication of any form regarding this solicitation with the City, that act may be grounds for disqualifying the proposer from the consideration for the RFP.

4.5. Incurred Expenses

The City is not responsible for any expenses which companies, persons, interested parties, or proposers may incur in evaluating, preparing, and submitting proposals called for in this solicitation.

4.6. Interviews

The City reserves the right to conduct personal interviews with any or all Proposers or their key team members and to require that presentations be made by any or all Proposers prior to selection. The City will not be liable for any costs incurred by a Proposer in connection with an interview or presentation (i.e., travel, accommodations, etc.).

SECTION 5: EVALUATION PROCESS

5.1. Evaluation Committee

An Evaluation Committee consisting of no fewer than five (5) members assembled by the City will review and evaluate each proposal. Proposals will be evaluated to determine those that best meet the needs of the City. The proposals will be evaluated on both qualifications and the technical merits of the company. Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the rating system listed in this RFP.

5.2. Rating System

The Evaluation Committee will rate all proposals utilizing the Weighted Rating System shown below in Section 6.1. The average of the Total Weighted Ratings assigned by the Evaluation Committee members will be used to rank proposals for short list purposes.

5.3. Evaluation Committee Process (timeline provided in section 2.12) The Evaluation Committee will evaluate proposals as follows;

1st Evaluation Committee Meeting will be held as the initial meeting with the committee members to discuss the proposal review and scoring process to ensure each member has a clear understanding of the scoring process and how points will be assigned.

2nd Evaluation Committee Meeting will be held to score & shortlist proposals received.

3rd Evaluation Committee Meeting when deemed necessary by the committee, will be held to conduct interviews at a minimum with the three (3) highest-scoring companies, when applicable, that were shortlisted. Directly following interviews each company will be ranked.

All meetings are open to the public excluding the interview portion of the 3rd committee meeting. However, after interviews have been conducted the meeting will be opened back up to the public to publicly rank each company interviewed.

5.4. Submittal Rankings and Contracting Process

The Evaluation Committee will be tasked with the review of the responses to the RFP and will rank the responses in a publicly advertised meeting. The Evaluation Committee shall reduce the number of companies to a short list. In short-listing companies, the Evaluation Committee shall use the criteria set forth in the RFP and attempt to select the best qualified companies.

Voting members of the Evaluation Committee may discuss the proposals received and the qualifications of each company further and shall score and rank the companies based upon which companies will best serve the city pursuant to the factors set forth in the RFP. The companies shall be ranked in order of preference based on scores given.

At this time the Evaluation Committee will determine if presentations/ interviews are necessary based on the final scores.

If interviews are NOT necessary, please skip to section *5.5 paragraph 3.

5.5. Presentations/ Interviews

When required by FL Statue and/ or at the sole determination of the City, a proposing company may be required to make a presentation of its Proposal. At a minimum the Selection Committee shall interview the three (3) highest-ranked Proposers, if applicable. The Selection Committee members will have an opportunity to inquire about any aspect of the solicitation and the Proposer’s submitted Proposal. This will provide an opportunity to clarify or elaborate on the Proposal, but will not, in any way, provide an opportunity to change any items in the original Proposal as submitted. If a presentation is determined to be necessary, the City’s single point of contact shall coordinate the presentation and notify the company of its presentation date and time.

After the presentations, the voting members of the Evaluation Committee may discuss the presentation, proposals received and the qualifications of each company further and shall rank the companies based upon which companies will best serve the city pursuant to the factors set forth in the RFP. The companies shall be ranked in order of preference.

*A ranking and a report on the Evaluation Committee's analysis shall be provided to the City Manager or Commission who shall make the final decision with regard to the companies that should be chosen. The City Manager or Commission may approve the rankings as set forth by the Evaluation Committee or, the City Manager or Commissioners may re-rank the applicants based upon the criteria and the report and rankings from the Evaluation Committee.

The City Manager or Commission will authorize the City Manager or designated City Procurement Officer to negotiate a contract with the highest-ranked company or companies.

If the City chooses to issue an award to more than one company, the City Manager will attempt to negotiate a contract with each selected company. If the City Manager is unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with one or more of the highest-ranked companies, the City Manager will terminate negotiations and then negotiate with one or more of the lower-ranked companies and so on in order of preference. This process will be repeated until agreements are reached and formally approved by the City Commission, or until the short-list is exhausted, in which case a new request for proposals shall be undertaken.

The City reserves the right to award multiple contracts for one or more disciplines and to instruct the City Manager to begin negotiations with multiple companies ranked on the short-list.

During the selection process, the City will choose those submissions, in its sole determination, that best meet the City’s need based upon its evaluation of all proposals.

5.6. Rejection of Proposals

The City reserves the right to reject all proposals. In the event the City does so, it shall notify Proposers of its rejection of all proposals in writing.

5.7. Modifications to Proposals

The City reserves the right to request at any time that a Proposer modify its proposal to more fully meet the needs of the City. The City also reserves the right to negotiate with Proposers any changes it deems necessary and to waive minor irregularities in the bid process.

5.8. Requests for Additional Information

A proposer shall furnish such additional information as the City may reasonably require. The City reserves the right to make investigations of the qualifications of a proposer as it deems appropriate.

SECTION 6: EVALUATION CRITERIA

6.1. Evaluation Criteria

A proposal submitted must include information documenting how the proposer meets the evaluation criteria described below. Each proposal will be evaluated based on the criteria and weighting identified below. Submittals will not be returned to the companies submitting proposals.

The City reserves the right to request additional information from Proposers subsequent to the receipt of proposals.

Tab 1 – Executive Summary: (5 points)

• The purpose of the Executive Summary is to provide an overview of the Proposer’s qualifications to perform the scope of work.

• Introduction letter describing your company, experience, number of years in business, licenses and/or applicable certifications, contact name, company address, phone number and email address of contact person who can sign on behalf of your entity and will be assigned as the main contact for the resulting agreement. (One page, single or double sided)

• Provide documentation showing proper incorporation by the Secretary of State.

• All forms listed under Section 8: Forms

Tab 2 – Organizational Resources: (5 points)

• As part of the evaluation process, the City has the responsibility of taking into account the size and complexity of the project/tasks and be assured that the firm/team has the organizational and financial resources required to successfully deliver this project/task.

Please describe your operational stability, corporate financial resources, and insurance limits.

• Describe the companies’ current and future projected workload. Describe specifically the companies’ daily ability to handle each aspect of the scope of work described herein.

(Limit response to two (2) pages maximum)

Tab 3 – Experience and Expertise (30 Points):

• Describe the company’s experience with providing similar size and scope of work as outlined in this RFP. Proposers should be detailed on their level of experience in similar work and the knowledge it has provided them. (One page, single or double sided).

• Identify a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) comparable or similar projects from within the past five (5) years with at least one (1) being provide for another municipality that demonstrate your firm’s experience with the scope of work outlined. For each project identified, provide the following:

• Description of project

• Final cost of effort

• Completion dates (if applicable)

• Name of client

• Experience with implementation, coordination and funding plans.

• Reference information, per project (one current contact name and title with telephone number and e-mail address)

• Identify the key members of the team and provide resumes, (limited to one page per employee), of the individuals who will perform required tasks under the Proposal. All discipline and area leads shall be licensed in the State of Florida. Resumes shall include professional credentials and experience of the firm’s key members who would complete required tasks. Identify the proposed Project Manager who will have primary contact with the City for all work associated with a continuing contract. For each member, provide his or her:

Title Area of Specialty Office Location assigned for previous two years. If recently reassigned, provide explanation and timing.

Total years of experience Years with firm Specific involvement/role in projects used as references or experience summary.

Include an organizational chart.

Tab 4 – Approach to Project (40 points):

• Describe the approach, project management and organization that will provide support to the project. Describe systems used for planning, scheduling, estimating and managing progress. The firm/team’s experience in qualifications submitting for should be included.

• Outline a pragmatic approach to achieving the City’s goals.

• Provide a timeline for achieving the City’s goals and objectives for this project.

• Briefly describe experience with quality control, dispute resolution, and stakeholder engagement.

• As part of your proposal, please provide photographic documentation of previous projects that are similar in scope and scale to this solicitation. These images should clearly illustrate the work performed and the quality of results achieved. Including project name, location, and a brief description of your role in each project is encouraged.

• Provide design plan, installation plans, and a manual for the proposed solar lighting system solution for the parking complex.

Tab 5 – Women/ Minority Owned Business Enterprise (W/MBE), Disabled Veteran & Veteran Owned Business Utilization (5 points):

• Any firm certified as a W/MBE and/or Veteran Owned Business will be allotted the maximum amount of points for this Tab. A copy of your company’s certification must be included in your response.

• If the firm submitting is not a certified W/MBE and/ or Veteran Owned Business, you may provide certifications and descriptions of services being rendered for any subconsultant(s)/ subcontractor(s) being utilized on this project. One (1) point will be given for each W/MBE and/ or Veteran business utilized up to the maximum points allotted for this Tab.

Tab 6 – Local Firm or Intent/capacity to affect the local economy through the use of local labor, vendors, sub-contractors and resources (5 points):

• Identify the location of the firm’s principal office and the home office location of key staff on this project. Any firm’s offices can be considered as the firm’s principal office for the purposes of this RFP so long as the designated location is the home office of key team members and is where actual work for the City will be performed. If proven to be local, your firm will be allotted the maximum points for this Tab.

• If the company submitting is not located in the Bartow Utility Services Area (BUSA), you may provide documentation and descriptions of services being rendered for any subconsultant(s)/ subcontractor(s) being utilized on this project. One (1) point will be given for each local business located within the BUSA utilized up to the maximum points allotted for this Tab.

Tab 7 – Performance Surveys (10 points)

• Surveys shall be sent to all clients for whom has identified under Tab 3 – Experience and Expertise. Surveys should correlate to all projects identified under Tab 3. Please refer to Exhibit I for detailed Instructions on how to prepare and send performance surveys.

• Completed surveys. Purchasing will take the average of all surveys, and score as follows o Average Score between 9-10 10 Points o Average Score between 7-8 8 Points o Average Score between 5-6 6 Points o Average Score between 3-4 4 Points o Average Score between 1-2 2 Points o Average Score of 0 0 Points

Tab 8 – Cost (10 Point)

• Provide a detailed cost proposal inclusive of all associated costs to complete services as described within this RFP.

Submittal Evaluation & Scoring

Proposals will be evaluated using the following factors. Contractors meeting mandatory criteria will have their proposals evaluated and scored for technical qualification and/or price, when applicable.

Criteria Maximum Points Executive Summary 5 Organizational Resources 5 Experience & Expertise 30 Approach to Project 40

W/MBE 5

Local 5 Performance Surveys 10 Cost 10

Total Possible Points: 110

Total possible maximum points for any given RFP shall = 110 and based on that logic, establish standards by which points are assigned to proposals have been provided to ensure that evaluators score each proposal with consistency. Each Selection Committee member shall determine which of the following descriptions applies to each of the evaluation criteria:

EXCELLENT (1.0): Of the highest or finest quality; exceptional; superior; superb; exquisite;

peerless. The Proposer provided information for a given criteria that satisfied the requirements and described specifically how and what will be accomplished in such a manner that exhibited an exceptional and superior degree of understanding, skill, and competency, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The facts included in the narrative (including all supporting documentation, diagrams, drawings, charts, and schedules, etc.) demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to perform and deliver far beyond expectation.

VERY GOOD (0.8): To a high degree; better than or above competent and/or skillful. The Proposer provided information for a given criteria that satisfied the requirements and described specifically how and what will be accomplished in such a manner that exhibited a very high degree of understanding, skill, and competency, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The facts included in the narrative (including all supporting documentation, diagrams, drawings, charts, and schedules, etc.) demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to perform and deliver beyond expectation.

GOOD (0.6): Having positive or desirable qualities; competent; skilled; above average. The Proposer provided information for a given criteria that satisfied the requirements and described specifically how and what will be accomplished in such a manner that exhibited a skillful and above-average degree of understanding, skill, and competency, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The facts included in the narrative (including all supporting documentation, diagrams, drawings, charts, and schedules, etc.) demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to perform and deliver at the expected level.

FAIR (0.4): Average; moderate; mediocre; adequate; sufficient; satisfactory; standard. The Proposer provided information for a given criteria that satisfied the requirements and described sufficiently how and what will be accomplished in a manner that exhibited an adequate and average degree of understanding, skill, and competency, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The facts included in the narrative (including all supporting documentation, diagrams, drawings, charts, and schedules, etc.) demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to perform and deliver at a level slightly below expectation.

POOR (0.2): Inadequate; lacking; inferior in quality; of little or less merit; substandard; marginal.

The Proposer provided information for a given criteria that did not satisfy the requirements and described in an inadequate manner how and what will be accomplished. The information provided simply reiterated a requirement, contained inaccurate statements or references, lacked adequate information, or was of inferior quality. The facts included in the narrative (including all supporting documentation, diagrams, drawings, charts, and schedules, etc.) demonstrate the Proposer’s ability to perform and deliver at a substandard and inferior level.

UNACCEPTABLE (0.0): The Proposer failed to provide any information for a given criteria, provided information that could not be understood, or did not provide the information for a given category as requested. **A zero (0) value typically constitutes no response or an inability of the company to meet the criterion. In contrast, the maximum value should constitute a high standard of meeting the criterion. Each intermediate value should be set to cover some intermediate condition.

After a Selection Committee member has determined the description applicable for each evaluation criterion, the total points available for such criterion shall be multiplied by the factor associated with the applicable description to produce the number of points allocated for that evaluation criterion.

For example, a Selection Committee member classifies the “Experience and Expertise” criterion (which shall be worth 25 points for the purpose of this example) as “Very Good” (which is a description factor multiplier of 0.8). The points that Selection Committee member allocated for that evaluation criterion would be 20, calculated as follows:

o 25 available points x 1.0 applicable description factor multiplier = 25 points (Excellent) o 25 available points x 0.8 applicable description factor multiplier = 20 points (Very Good) o 25 available points x 0.6 applicable description factor multiplier = 15 points (Good) o 25 available points x 0.4…