RFP 92-26 MBTA Network Assessment.pdf

7.1.1

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP#: 92-26

COMMBUYS # BD- 27-1206-40000-40000-131434

MBTA NETWORK ASSESSMENT

Date Issued: July 22, 2026

RFP: 92-26 - 1 - COMMBUYS #: BD- 27-1206-40000-40000-131434

Project Name: MBTA Network Assessment Revision: 9/9/2025

Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SCOPE OF WORK

3. BIDDERS INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCUREMENT PROCESS

3.1 Bidders’ Conference

3.2 Procurement Method

3.3 RFP Calendar and Delivery Instructions

3.4 Pre-Bid Conference

3.5 Dissemination of Confidential Information

3.6 Examination of RFP

3.7 Rules of Contact

3.8 Clarifications of Specifications, Questions and Answers

3.9 RFP Addendum

3.10 MBTA Standard Contract and Terms & Conditions

3.11 Confidentiality / Public Information Act Disclosure Requests

3.12 Business Conduct

3.13 Collusion

3.14 Prices

3.15 Acceptance Period

3.16 Eligible Entities

3.17 Pre-Contractual Expenses

3.18 Tax Exemption

3.19 Insurance

4. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSE

4.1 Response Submissions

4.2 Power of Attorney

4.3 Acceptance of Response

4.4 Incomplete Response

5. MBTA POLICIES

5.1 Small, Minority, Women, and Other Disadvantaged Businesses

6. SELECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION

6.1 Response Opening and Confidentiality

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6.2 Responsiveness Review and Basis of Award

6.3 Evaluation and Notification

6.4 Pass/Fail Evaluation

6.5 Technical Response and Supplier Diversity Evaluation Criteria

6.6 Price Response Evaluation

6.7 Basis of Award: Best – Value Proposal

6.8 Successful Bidder

6.9 MBTA Reserved

6.10 Appeal / Protest Procedures

7. CONTRACT STRUCTURE

Enclosure 1 – Bid Cover Letter

Form A: Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form

Form B: Technical Response

Form C: Small Business Program Attestation Form

Form D: Pricing Response

7.1 MBTA Standard Contract Instructions (Section 8.0)

7.2 MBTA Standard Terms & Conditions Instructions (Section 8.1)

8. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Standard Contract

8.1 Standard Terms and Conditions

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Attn: Bidder/s

Request for Proposals (RFP) # 92-26

RFP Description: MBTA Network Assessment

Dear Prospective Bidder:

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA” or “Authority”), a corporate and a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, existing pursuit to Mass. Gen. Laws, ch 161A (as amended) invites Bidders to participate in the competitive bid 92-26. The Scope of Work is outlined below in Section 2. The MBTA may at its own discretion award contract(s) to one or multiple Bidders.

All formal communication with the MBTA during the bidding period shall be only through the MBTA’s designated point of contact.

The MBTA’s designated point of contact for this solicitation will be:

Katie Kroeger

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

10 Park Plaza, Room 2810

Boston, MA 02116

Email: kkroeger@mbta.com

The RFP shall be launched through COMMBUYS, and proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 8/19/2026 2:00 PM, in full compliance with this RFP including but not limited to Section 3, Bidders

Instructions and Procurement Process. This RFP shall remain in force until the execution of the Contract, or until modified or cancelled by the MBTA.

Respectfully, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

RFP # 92-26

COMMBUYS Bid # BD- 27-1206-40000-40000-131434

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA” or “Authority”) seeks the assessment of routing protocol performance, stability, scalability, redundancy, and security across the enterprise network environment.

The RFP is comprised of the following documents:

• RFP 92-26, and Form Enclosures including:

o Enclosure 1 – Bid Cover Letter o Form A – Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form o Form B – Technical Response o Form C – Small Business Attestation

• Attachments o Exhibit A – MBTA Minimum Insurance Requirements o Form D – Bidder Price Response

2. SCOPE OF WORK

The Scope of Work is an attachment in COMMBUYS.

3. BIDDERS INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCUREMENT PROCESS

3.1 Bidders’ Conference

The MBTA reserves the right to hold one or more Bidders’ conferences with all Bidders at any time prior to the Response Date. Bidders’ conferences may be held either in person or by telephonic or electronic means. If held telephonically or electronically, the Bidders’ conference will permit interactive communication between all Bidders and the MBTA. The MBTA will provide notice of any Bidders’ conference via COMMBUYS. If a Bidders’ conference is conducted by telephonic or electronic means, the notice will inform Bidders of the manner of the meeting.

Each Bidder, by submittal of its Response, acknowledges the opportunity to attend any Bidders’ conference, if held, was offered to all Bidders, and waives any right to challenge this procurement based on its attendance at, or failure to attend, a Bidders’ conference.

Each Bidder is encouraged to attend Bidders’ conferences, if held, with appropriate members of its proposed staff, and if requested by the MBTA, senior representatives of proposed team members identified by the

MBTA. Nothing stated at any Bidders’ conference or included in a written record or summary of a Bidders conference will modify this RFP or any other part of the RFP unless it is incorporated in an addendum issued.

3.2 Procurement Method

This RFP is issued pursuant to the following laws and regulations: Mass. Gen Laws, Ch. 161A; 801

CMR 21.00.

Bidder shall be responsible for making itself fully aware of, complying with, and in its Response addressing the impact of and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

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This RFP will be launched and managed via COMMBUYS. Instructions for log-in and use of

COMMBUYS are described in http://www.mass.gov/anf/docs/osd/forms/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids.docx

Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the

COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Monday through Friday (Eastern Time), except on federal, state, and Suffolk County holidays.

It is the responsibility of Bidders to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s Designated Representative and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the MBTA, including responses to Bidder questions. The MBTA and the

Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a Bidder’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with Bidder’s computer, network, or internet service provider (“ISP”) cause email communications sent to or from Bidder and the MBTA to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Bidder shall review and study all documents thoroughly and report any discrepancies, omissions, technical queries, or other clarifications via COMMBUYS.

Questions and clarification requests submitted by Bidder will, together with MBTA’s responses, be made available to all Bidders via COMMBUYS.

3.2.1 MBTA DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE

Unless specifically stated otherwise in this RFP, Bidder must submit changes to Bidder’s designated representative and any other communications in to the MBTA’s Point of Contact via COMMBUYS. The

MBTA’s Point of Contact is Katie Kroeger, kkroeger@mbta.com.

3.2.2 IDENTIFICATION OF BIDDER DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE

When submitting a Bid, the Bidder must identify to the MBTA’s Point of Contact its own Designated

Representative to act on behalf of the Bidder relating to this procurement.

3.3 RFP Calendar and Delivery Instructions

Bidder is required to prepare and submit all required documents to MBTA electronically via COMMBUYS.

The MBTA anticipates carrying out the procurement process in accordance with the schedule noted in the table below. All times are local Boston, Massachusetts, USA, times unless otherwise indicated. The schedule is subject to modification at the sole discretion of the MBTA. Bidders will be notified of any change by an addendum to this RFP.

http://www.mass.gov/anf/docs/osd/forms/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids.docx http://www.mass.gov/anf/docs/osd/forms/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids.docx mailto:COMMBUYS@state.ma.us mailto:rfpresponse@mbta.com

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TABLE: RFP CALENDAR

Procurement Activity Date Time

RFP issued 7/22/2026 4:00 p.m.

Pre-bid conference 7/28/2026 10:00 a.m.

Site Visit – Upon Request

Deadline for submission of Bidder questions via

COMMBUYS Q&A

8/5/2026

2:00 p.m.

Official Answers for Bid Q&A published by MBTA on

COMMBUYS

8/11/2026

2:00 p.m.

Response Due Date 8/19/2026 2:00 p.m.

Virtual presentations (week of) 9/14/2026

Contract Execution (estimated) 11/2/2026

Service Start Date (estimated) 11/2/2026

3.4 Pre-Bid Conference

A Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled at the date and time above. It will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams at the link below:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/218703807745610?p=hLWkJA0xpr9YElCi88

Meeting ID: 218 703 807 745 610

Passcode: jd2Uc2GZ

Each Bidder, by submittal of its Response, acknowledges the opportunity to attend any Pre-Bid Conference, if held, was offered to all Bidders, and waives any right to challenge this procurement based on its attendance at, or failure to attend, a Bidders’ conference.

Each Bidder is encouraged to attend Pre-Bid Conferences, if held, with appropriate members of its proposed staff, and if requested by the MBTA, senior representatives of proposed team members identified by the

MBTA. Nothing stated at any Pre-Bid Conference or included in a written record or summary of a Pre-Bid

Conference will modify this RFP or any other part of the RFP unless it is incorporated in an addendum issued.

3.5 Dissemination of Confidential Information

Pursuant to this RFP, the MBTA will provide to Bidders certain information, which the MBTA deems

Confidential (“Confidential information"). In order to obtain the Confidential Information necessary to the development of Responses, Bidders are required to obtain and execute a Confidentiality and Non-

Disclosures Agreement. Bidders can obtain the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement via

COMMBUYS. Please execute and return the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement by Click here to enter a date. to the MBTA's Designated Representative by submitting it to kkroeger@mbta.com, so that the MBTA can provide Bidders with the Confidential Information in a timely manner.

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/218703807745610?p=hLWkJA0xpr9YElCi88 mailto:kkroeger@mbta.com

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3.6 Examination of RFP

Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for examining, with appropriate care and diligence, the RFP and any addenda and material made available to Bidders by the MBTA, and for informing itself with respect to any and all conditions that may in any way affect the amount or nature of its Response, or the performance of the Contractor’s obligations under the Contract with the MBTA. Failure of the Bidder to so examine and inform itself shall be at its sole risk, and the MBTA will provide no relief for any error or omission.

The submission of a Response shall be considered prima facie evidence that the Bidder has made the above-described examination and is satisfied as to the conditions to be encountered in performing the Work and as to the requirements of the Contract.

3.7 Rules of Contact

Starting on the date the RFP is issued and ending on the earliest of (a) the award and execution of the

Contract, (b) rejection of all Responses by the MBTA, or (c) cancellation of the procurement, the following rules of contact shall apply. These rules are designed to promote a fair and unbiased procurement process.

Contact includes face-to-face, telephone, email, or formal written communication.

The specific rules of contact are as follows:

i. No Bidder, or any of its team members, may communicate with another Bidder or its team members with regard to this RFP or either team’s Response, except that subcontractors that are shared between two or more Bidder teams may communicate with their respective team members so long as those Bidders establish a protocol to ensure that the subcontractor will not act as a conduit of information between the teams. This prohibition does not apply to public discussions regarding the RFP at any MBTA sponsored Bidders’ conferences.

ii. No Bidder or representative thereof shall have any ex parte communications regarding the RFP, the Contract, or the procurement described herein with any member of the MBTA’s Board of

Directors, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (“MassDOT”) Board of Directors, or with any MassDOT or MBTA staff, advisors, contractors, or consultants involved with the procurement, except for communications expressly permitted by the RFP or except as approved in advance at the MBTA’s Point of Contact’s sole discretion. The foregoing restriction shall not, however, preclude or restrict communications with regard to matters unrelated to the RFP, Contract, or procurement or from participation in public meetings of the MBTA or MassDOT

Boards of Directors or any public or Bidder workshop related to this RFP.

iii. Any communications determined by the MBTA, in its sole discretion, to be improper may result in disqualification.

iv. Any official information regarding this RFP will be disseminated from the MBTA’s Point of

Contact via COMMBUYS.

v. The MBTA will not be responsible for or bound by any oral exchange or any other information or exchange that occurs outside the official process specified herein.

vi. The MBTA will not be bound by, and Bidders should not rely on, any oral communications regarding the RFP. Use of any information gathered or received from other agencies or entities shall be at the Bidder’s own risk.

3.8 Clarifications of Specifications, Questions and Answers

Bidders shall review the RFP and any addenda issued by the MBTA prior to the Response Date and request written clarification or interpretation of any perceived discrepancy, deficiency, ambiguity, error, or

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omission contained therein, or of any provision which the Bidder fails to understand or to which the Bidder is suggesting a change. Failure of the Bidder to so examine and inform itself shall be at its sole risk, and no relief for error or omission will be provided by the MBTA. Bidders shall submit, and the MBTA will respond to, questions and requests for written clarification in accordance with this Section 3.7.

Questions and clarification requests shall be minimized or aggregated to the extent possible. All questions and clarification requests shall be made by Bidder through the “Bid Q&A” tab in COMMBUYS. Such comments and questions may be submitted at any time prior to the applicable date specified in Section 3.3 or such later date as may be specified in any addendum and shall: (i) identify the document; (ii) identify the relevant section number and page number) or, if it is a general question, indicate so; and (iii) not identify the Bidder in the body of the question or contain proprietary or confidential information. Questions submitted in any other format or method than that described above will not be considered.

Responses to requests for clarification or questions will be provided in writing and issued by the MBTA’s

Point of Contact via COMMBUYS. In addition, the MBTA reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, not answer all questions submitted by Bidders.

It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify the MBTA’s receipt of questions and clarification requests.

3.9 RFP Addendum

The MBTA reserves the right to issue addenda to the RFP after initial publication.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to monitor COMMBUYS for any addenda and any Bid Q&A records related to this RFP. The MBTA and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit their Response based on an out-of-date RFP or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

3.10 MBTA Standard Contract and Terms & Conditions

The MBTA does not encourage attempts to negotiate the Section 8.0 Massachusetts Bay

Transportation Authority Standard Contract Terms & Conditions. Many of these provisions are required by law; others are longstanding MBTA policy / practice. Accordingly, Bidders / proposers should only redline or object to provisions that they find absolutely unacceptable. Any rejection or modification of these provisions may disqualify a Bid / proposal as being non-responsive or non-compliant.

3.11 Confidentiality / Public Information Act Disclosure Requests

3.11.1 Disclosure Waiver

Each Bidder, by submitting a Response to the MBTA in response to the RFP, consents to the disclosures described in this RFP, including this Section and all other disclosures required by law, and expressly waives any right to contest, impede, prevent, or delay such disclosure, or to initiate any proceeding that may have the effect of impeding, preventing, or delaying such disclosure, under Mass. Gen. Laws, ch. 66 (the Massachusetts Public

Records Law or “Public Records Law”) or any other law relating to the confidentiality or disclosure of information. Under no circumstances will the MBTA be responsible or liable to a Bidder or any other party as a result of disclosing any such materials. Each

Bidder hereby further agrees to assist the MBTA in complying with these disclosure requirements.

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3.11.2 Public Disclosure of Response Documents

Subject to applicable law, after execution of the Contract, or in the event that the procurement is cancelled by the MBTA, the MBTA shall have the right to publicly disclose any and all portions of all Responses. The MBTA will not disclose material deemed confidential by the MBTA in accordance with Section 3.11.3, unless otherwise required by law.

3.11.3 Disclosure Process for Requests Under the Public Records Law

All written correspondence, exhibits, reports, printed material, photographs, tapes, electronic disks, and other graphic and visual aids submitted to the MBTA during this procurement process, including as part of the response to this RFP, become the property of the MBTA upon their receipt by the MBTA and will not be returned to the submitting parties. Except as provided by applicable law, all materials submitted to the MBTA are subject to release as public records. Bidders shall familiarize themselves with the provisions of applicable law (including the Public Records Law) pertaining to disclosure of information in the MBTA’s possession. In no event shall the MBTA, or any of its agents, representatives, consultants, directors, officers, or employees, be liable to a Bidder or Bidder team member for the disclosure of all or a portion of a Response or related information submitted during this procurement.

If a Bidder has special concerns about information which it desires to make available to the MBTA but which it believes constitutes a trade secret, proprietary information, or other information excepted from disclosure, such responding Bidder shall specifically and conspicuously designate that information by placing “TRADE SECRET -

PROPRIETARY” in the header or footer of each such page affected and by identifying such trade secret, proprietary information in the Technical Proposal Cover Letter (see

Enclosure 1). Nothing contained in this provision shall modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on the MBTA by the Public Records Law or other applicable law. The provisions applicable law, including the Public Records Law, shall control in the event of a conflict between the procedures described above and the applicable law.

If the MBTA receives a request for public disclosure of all or any portion of a Response or its related information that is designated as ”Trade Secret - Proprietary,” the MBTA will endeavor to use reasonable efforts to notify the applicable Bidder of the request. The

Bidder can assert, in writing and at its sole expense, a claimed exception under the Public

Records Law or other applicable law, within the time period specified in the notice issued by the MBTA and allowed under the Public Records Law. The Bidder can choose to defend any action seeking release of the records it believes to be confidential information.

The Bidder shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the MBTA and its agents and employees in connection with the Bidder’s opposition to a public records request, and such indemnification shall include all damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) the MBTA incurs because of or arising out of the Bidder’s opposition to any public records request. This indemnification survives the MBTA’s cancellation or termination of this procurement or award and subsequent execution of a Contract. In submitting a Response, the Bidder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as any information submitted by the Bidder is in the possession of the MBTA.

The MBTA shall not under any circumstance be responsible for securing a protective order or other relief enjoining the release of information marked “Trade Secret –

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Proprietary” in any Response, nor shall the MBTA be in any way financially responsible for any costs associated with securing any such order or for any loss associated with the release of information marked “Trade Secret – Proprietary” or otherwise.

3.12 Business Conduct

All Responses submitted by a Bidder to the MBTA shall be made without collusion with any other

Bidder(s) submitting a Response to this RFP.

Bidder shall not directly or indirectly, in relation to this RFP, give, promise, attempt to give, or approve or authorize the giving of anything of value, including by transferring all or part of the remuneration payable under any Contract, to:

a) any person employed or representing the MBTA;

b) any other person, including any public official;

c) a political party or a labor union controlled by any governmental authority or political party; or

d) a charitable or other organization, or an officer, director, or employee thereof, or any person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of the same for the purpose of (i) securing any improper advantage for either Bidder or the MBTA; (ii) inducing or influencing a public official improperly to take any action or refrain from taking any action in order for either Bidder or the MBTA to obtain or retain business, or to secure the direction of business to either

Bidder or the MBTA, or (iii) inducing or influencing a public official to use his or her influence with any governmental authority or public international organization for any such purpose.

3.13 Collusion

By the submission of a Bid in response to the RFP, the Bidder represents and certifies that its Bid is made without collusion with any other Bidder submitting a Bid on the same commodity / service and is in all respects fair and without fraud.

3.14 Prices

Each Bid must contain the unit price(s) / rate(s) or lump sum price, extended price(s), and the grand total of the Bid. Bidders shall submit their pricing using Form D: Requested RFP Pricing Form. The unit price

/ rate shall prevail in case of an error in price extension. Prices submitted shall be valid throughout the

Acceptance Period.

3.15 Acceptance Period

From and after the Response Due Date identified in Section 3.3 (as amended) the MBTA shall have one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days to award a Contract based on this RFP. Such 180-day period is the

“Acceptance Period.” The Bidder’s Bid is irrevocable and shall remain open and available for acceptance by the MBTA during the entirety of the Acceptance Period. The MBTA reserves the right to extend the

Acceptance Period with respect to any or all Bidders upon obtaining the applicable Bidder’s written consent to such extension.

3.16 Eligible Entities

Any contract resulting from this Bid will be available for use by all MassDOT divisions and departments.

3.17 Pre-Contractual Expenses

The MBTA shall not be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by the Bidder in connection with this RFP. The Bidder shall not include any such expenses as part of its proposal. Pre-contractual expenses

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include all expenses the Bidder incurs prior to the date the MBTA enters into a Contract with any Bidder

(or prior to the MBTA’s withdrawal or cancellation of the RFP, as the case may be), such as, but not limited to, expenses the Bidder incurs in preparing its Bid, submitting its Bid to the MBTA, negotiating with the

MBTA any matter related to this RFP, and inspection, testing, shipping, and return shipping of proposed goods or samples.

3.18 Tax Exemption

The MBTA is exempt from Federal Excise Tax, including Transportation Tax, and will furnish properly executed tax exemption certificates upon request. The MBTA is also exempt from Massachusetts State

Sales Tax — Exemption Number E-042-323-989. Such taxes should not be included in Bid prices.

The Bidder alone shall be responsible for payment of all federal, state and local taxes of all types and kinds applicable to any Agreement it enters into with the MBTA and/or to the compensation it receives from the

MBTA or any other party in connection with such Agreement.

3.19 Insurance

The insurance policies that the successful bidder shall carry are outlined in the attached Minimum

Insurance Requirements document with this solicitation. The successful bidder shall submit proof of insurance for the requirements detailed at the time of submitting their bid. If proof of insurance is not available at the time the Bidder submits its Bid, the successful bidder certifies that it will carry such insurance policies and all costs associated with the insurance requirements are included in its Bid pricing.

The successful bidder shall provide proof of all required insurance within three business days of conditional notice of award.

4. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSE

4.1 Response Submissions

Responses shall be submitted via COMMBUYS.

Each Response shall be submitted in the following two parts:

a) Technical Response including:

• Bid Cover Letter

• Power of Attorney (as described in Section 4.2 of this RFP)

• Form A: Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form

• Form B: Technical Response

• Form C: Small Business Program Attestation Form

• Proof of Insurance

• Other items as applicable

b) Price Response as a separate document, including:

• Form D: Price Response.

The specific requirements for submission of the Technical Response are set forth in Form B.

The specific requirements for submission of the Price Response are set forth in Form D.

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If a Bidder is a team, whether or not legally formed, the Bid Cover Letter shall be signed by all parties to the Bidder so that the Response is legally binding upon each member of the Bidder.

Any interlineations, erasures or overwriting in the Response will only be valid if they are initialed by the

Authorized Signatories.

Bidders shall submit Responses including all forms and schedules and shall not remove pages from the provided forms. The Technical Response and Price Response shall be completely separate documents.

Bidder Financials shall be included in Technical Proposal only.

Any Response which materially fails to meet the Response requirements of the RFP will be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and can be corrected. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the Bidder to make minor corrections to the Response.

4.2 Power of Attorney

Bidder shall enclose a power of attorney in its own form, duly signed by a legally authorized officer of the

Bidder authorizing the Authorized Signatories to sign the Response and bind the Bidder to the Response.

4.3 Acceptance of Response

The Response constitutes a binding offer by the Bidder to enter into the Contract, and the MBTA shall have the right to accept or reject such offer and/or any conditions proposed in full or in part. If the Response is accepted, the Bidder shall conclude the Contract with the MBTA based on the RFP, any addenda, the

Response and any agreed amendments or modifications thereto. Until the formal Contract is signed, Bidder has no authority to proceed with the Scope of Work or to incur any costs for which MBTA may be held liable. The MBTA shall have no obligations to Bidder until a formal contract has been entered into.

4.4 Incomplete Response

If Bidder does not fully comply with this RFP, or if the Response is incomplete or vague, the Response may not be considered, unless the MBTA in its absolute discretion decides otherwise.

5. MBTA POLICIES

5.1 Small, Minority, Women, and Other Disadvantaged Businesses

It is the policy of the Commonwealth and the MBTA to ensure non-discrimination in the Procurement of goods and services by continually modernizing systems and processes to include diversity criteria within state-funded RFPs greater than $250k. All awarded prime vendors that commit to partnerships with diverse subcontractors will be responsible for using B2Gnow, an online contract compliance system, to confirm payments and report payments to subcontractors. An account will be created for all first-time users.

Vendors who are new to B2Gnow are required to complete mandatory “Contract Compliance Reporting” training, available in the B2Gnow system through the vendor profile. Any vendors who have difficulty accessing the B2Gnow system can contact B2Gnow directly with the “Contact Support” button located on the login page. Direct spend with subcontractors will be prioritized over indirect spend.

The MBTA is dedicated to promoting more equitable opportunities in state contracting, and to that end, encourages full participation of the Commonwealth’s Supplier Diversity Office’s recognized certifications, which include small business, Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises

(WBEs), Veterans Business Enterprises (VBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises

(SDVOBEs), Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and

Transgender Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). The

MBTA also acknowledges certifications by third-party certifying organizations including the Greater New

England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC), Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) https://massdot.gob2g.com/

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(New England - WBENC), City of Boston, VetBiz/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NGLCC -

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Disability: IN (formerly The US Business Leadership Network-

USBLN). More on how to certify through the Supplier Diversity Office can be found here:

https://www.mass.gov/certification-program-for-sdo.

6. SELECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION

6.1 Response Opening and Confidentiality

Subject to applicable law, prior to Contract execution, the MBTA intends to treat all information received from each Bidder as confidential information to be used for the purpose of evaluating the Response.

6.2 Responsiveness Review and Basis of Award

The MBTA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine if a Bid is responsive and the Bidder is responsible. In determining whether a Bidder has the ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed procurement, the MBTA will consider such matters as the Bidder’s integrity, compliance with public policy (e.g., EEO record, attainment of DBE goal, debarment status, etc.), record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. Bidder is required to complete Form A: Pre-

Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form.

Upon receipt, the Technical Responses will be reviewed for responsiveness to the RFP requirements. The

Technical Responses will be reviewed for (i) deficiencies and minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes which are unrelated to the substantive content of the Response; (ii) conformance to the RFP instructions regarding organization and format; and (iii) the responsiveness of the Bidder to the requirements set forth in this RFP. The MBTA may request Bidder clarification of any minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes, after which the MBTA may evaluate the Response, at the

MBTA’s sole discretion.

Those Technical Responses not responsive to this RFP may at the MBTA’s sole discretion be excluded from further consideration and the Bidder will be so advised.

After completion of the evaluation of the remaining Technical Responses, the remaining Price Responses will be reviewed for responsiveness to the RFP requirements. The Price Responses will be reviewed for (i) deficiencies and minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes which are unrelated to the substantive content of the Response; (ii) conformance to the RFP instructions regarding organization and format; and (iii) the responsiveness of the Bidder to the requirements set forth in this RFP. The MBTA may request Bidder clarification of any minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes after which the MBTA may evaluate the Response, at the MBTA’s sole discretion.

Those Price Responses not responsive to this RFP may at the MBTA’s sole discretion be excluded from further consideration and the Bidder will be so advised.

The MBTA may also exclude from consideration any Bidder whose Response contains a material misrepresentation.

6.3 Evaluation and Notification

The MBTA will evaluate each Response and seek clarifications as necessary through requests for clarification or in meetings to be arranged at MBTA discretion. The MBTA will evaluate Responses based on a combination of Pass/Fail Criteria, Technical Evaluation Criteria, and Price Responses.

The process may, at the MBTA’s sole discretion, include (i) requests for additional written information or clarification from any Bidder; (ii) requests for oral interviews; (iii) requests for best and final offers https://www.mass.gov/certification-program-for-sdo

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(”BAFOs”); and/or (iv) a negotiations phase.

6.4 Pass/Fail Evaluation

The Proposal will be evaluated based on the Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria identified below. Each Bidder must obtain a “pass” on all Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria in order for its Response to be eligible for selection. The MBTA may request Bidder clarification on a Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria, after which

MBTA may re-evaluate the Response, at MBTA’s sole discretion.

Criteria Evaluation

Methodology Evaluation Basis

Legal Pass/Fail Form A response

Financial Stability Pass/Fail Form A response

6.5 Technical Response and Supplier Diversity Evaluation Criteria

Each criterion will be evaluated considering all of the information included in the Technical Proposal related to the criterion, as well as other information gathered from references, presentations, and on-site visits.

In addition to the Technical Response and Evaluation Criteria below, responses will also be evaluated based on the Supplier Diversity Criteria which will account for 25% of the overall technical scoring. The

MBTA seeks Proposals that incorporate participation by M/WBE’s, minority individuals, and women in as many aspects of the services as possible. MBTA’s goal is to select a Contractor who uses creativity to incorporate participation in this contract and is committed to an exceptional and comprehensive program for achieving the diversity and inclusion goals of this RFP as further described.

The MBTA may at its own expense and upon reasonable notice, visit and inspect current operations of the

Bidder and/or any proposed subcontractors, including the premises, facilities, equipment, personnel and other resources, and carry out related appraisals as part of the Response evaluation prior to entering into any Contract.

The Technical Evaluation Criteria are identified and detailed below.

Technical Response Evaluation Criteria

Project Understanding and Proposal Summary

Bidders Experience and Performance

Project Management Approach

Qualifications and Experience of Proposed Resources

Supplier Diversity (25% of overall Technical Response scoring)

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The Technical Evaluation Criteria and the Supplier Diversity Criteria will be rated using a numerical rating approach. This will be based on the following scoring scale.

a) Excellent (5 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that is considered to significantly exceed stated criteria in a way that is beneficial to the

MBTA. This rating indicates a consistently outstanding level of quality, with very little or no risk that this Bidder would fail to meet the requirements of the solicitation. There are no weaknesses.

b) Good (4 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that is considered to meet the stated criteria. This rating indicates a generally better than acceptable quality, with little risk that this Bidder would fail to meet the requirements of the solicitation. Weaknesses, if any, are very minor and not material to the Response.

Correction of the weaknesses would not be necessary before the Response would be considered further.

c) Satisfactory (3 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that is considered to possibly meet the stated criteria. This rating indicates a level of risk to the MBTA. Weaknesses exist but may be corrected through requests for clarification.

d) Fair (2 Point Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that fails to meet stated criteria and would pose a clear risk to the MBTA. The issues may be susceptible to correction through major and lengthy discussions. Such a response is considered marginal in terms of the basic content or amount of information provided for evaluation.

e) Poor (1 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that indicates significant weaknesses or unacceptable quality or fails to include evidence that it can provide the services requested. The Response fails to meet the stated criteria or lacks essential information. There is no reasonable likelihood of success; weaknesses are so major or extensive that a major revision to the Response would be necessary.

Bidders must obtain a minimum average score of 2 from the Selection Committee on each Technical

Evaluation Criterion and rank among the top three highest Technical Proposal Scores in order to qualify for a virtual presentation.

6.6 Price Response Evaluation

Price will be evaluated in combination with the Technical Evaluation Criteria and the Supplier Diversity

Criteria listed above. While the MBTA seeks to minimize costs, the selection of a winning Proposal will be made on a best-value basis.

6.7 Basis of Award: Best – Value Proposal

Bidder is advised that the MBTA shall not be bound to accept the lowest priced Response or the Response with the highest Technical Response Score. The selection will be made on a best-value basis, evaluating

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price along with other factors. For purposes of this procurement, all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, may be more important than the lowest price. Therefore, the MBTA may decline to select the lowest-priced, technically acceptable Proposal, if the MBTA determines that another, higher-priced

Proposal demonstrates sufficient additional technical merit to justify the additional cost. Similarly, price will be an important factor in differentiating between Proposals of comparable technical merit.

In order to make a selection, the MBTA will determine whether the Responses are responsive and evaluate the Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria, Technical Evaluation Criteria and the Supplier Diversity Criteria, and assign an overall Technical Proposal Score. After the determination of the Technical Proposal Score, the

MBTA will evaluate the Price Responses of the remaining Bidders. If applicable, the MBTA will determine the best value by analyzing whether the perceived benefits of the higher priced Response merit the additional cost.

The MBTA will not select any Bidder that receives a rating of fail on any Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria or less than an average of 2 on any Technical Evaluation Criteria. The MBTA will not select any Bidder that the MBTA determines has submitted a non-responsive Technical or Price Response or to have submitted any pricing information that is not reasonable. The MBTA reserves the right to accept or reject, at its sole discretion, any or all Responses in full or in part.

6.8 Successful Bidder

The successful Bidder will be posted in COMMBUYS. If applicable, all unsuccessful Bidders shall immediately return all confidential information to the MBTA.

6.9 MBTA Reserved

In connection with this RFP, the MBTA reserves to itself all rights (which rights shall be exercisable by the MBTA in its sole discretion) available to it under applicable laws, including without limitation, with or without cause and with or without notice, the right to:

a) Modify the RFP process in its sole discretion to address applicable law and/or the best interests of the MBTA.

b) Develop the work to be performed under the Contract in any manner that it, in its sole discretion, deems necessary. If the MBTA is unable to negotiate a Contract to its satisfaction with a Bidder, it may negotiate with the Bidder with the next highest ranked proposal, terminate this RFP and pursue other developments or solicitations relating to the work to be performed under the Contract, or exercise such other rights under the provisions of Massachusetts law as it deems appropriate.

c) Cancel this RFP in whole or in part at any time prior to the execution by the MBTA of a Contract, without incurring any cost, obligations, or liabilities.

d) Issue a new Request for Proposals after withdrawal of this RFP.

e) Not select any Bidder or cancel this procurement.

f) Reject any and all submittals and Responses received at any time.

g) Modify all dates set or projected in this RFP.

h) Terminate evaluations of Responses received at any time.

i) Exclude any potential Bidder from submitting any response to the RFP based on failure to comply with any requirements of those documents.

j) Suspend and terminate Contract negotiations at any time, elect not to commence Contract negotiations with any responding Bidder, and engage in negotiations with the Bidder with the next highest ranked proposal if negotiations are unsuccessful with the apparent successful Bidder.

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k) Issue addenda, supplements, and modifications to this RFP.

l) Appoint an Evaluation Team to evaluate Responses, make recommendations to the MBTA and

MassDOT Boards of Directors, and seek the assistance of MBTA, MassDOT, and consultant technical experts in Response evaluations.

m) Require confirmation or clarification of information furnished by a Bidder, require revised or additional information from a Bidder concerning its Response, and require additional information to clarify a Response.

n) Conduct presentations with Bidders, identify a short-list of Bidders, and conduct on-site visits at

Bidder facilities.

o) Declare a competitive range, conduct discussions, and request Response revisions and best and final offers.

p) Seek or obtain data from any source that has the potential to improve the understanding and evaluation of the responses to this RFP.

q) Add or delete Bidder responsibilities from the information contained in this RFP.

r) Waive deficiencies in a Response, accept and review a non-conforming Response, or permit clarifications, revisions, or supplements to a Response.

s) Negotiate with a Bidder without being bound by any provision in its Response or choose to award and/or execute the Contract without negotiations.

t) Disqualify any Bidder that changes its submittal without MBTA approval.

u) Disqualify any Bidder under this RFP for violating any rules or requirements of the procurement set forth in this RFP or in any other communication from MBTA.

v) Delay issuance of notice to proceed after execution of the Contract.

w) Conduct all or any portion of the Scope of Work itself.

x) Exercise any other right reserved or afforded to the MBTA under this RFP or available pursuant to applicable law.

This RFP does not commit the MBTA to enter into a Contract or proceed with the procurement described herein. The MBTA assumes no obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities, fiscal or otherwise, to reimburse all or part of the costs incurred or alleged to have been incurred by parties considering a response to and/or responding to this RFP. All of such costs shall be borne solely by each Bidder.

In no event shall the MBTA be bound by, or liable for, any obligations with respect to the work to be performed under the Contract until such time (if at all) as the Contract, in form and substance satisfactory to the MBTA, has been executed and authorized by the MBTA and, then, only to the extent set forth therein.

In submitting a response to the RFP, each Bidder is specifically acknowledging these disclaimers.

6.10 Appeal / Protest Procedures

Bid appeals / protests relative to this procurement will be reviewed and adjudicated in accordance with the

MBTA's Appeals / Protest Procedure - Goods & Services. A copy of this procedure is available online at www.mbta.com.

http://www.mbta.com/

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7. CONTRACT STRUCTURE

The contract (“Contract”) between the MBTA and the winning Bidder shall be formed by the following sections (“Sections”) of COMMBUYS # BD- 27-1206-40000-40000-131434 and 92-26 in order of precedence.

1. Any change orders or amendments, the most recent having precedence

2. Memorandum of Contract

3. Standard Contract and Terms & Conditions

4. Scope of Work

5. Insurance Requirements

6. Contractor Proposal

7. Contractor Fee for Service; Pricing & Invoicing

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Enclosure 1 – Bid Cover Letter

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Attention: Procurement and Logistics Department

10 Park Plaza, Suite 2810

Boston, MA 02116

Instructions: Bidders shall complete the Bid Cover Letter below with their company name and completed check boxes to indicate the bid documents that constitute their bid. The Bid Cover Letter should be first in the order of documents of a Bidder submitted Technical Response.

RFP #: 92-26

COMMBUYS Bid # BD- 27-1206-40000-40000-131434

Project Name: MBTA Network Assessment

Bidder (Company Name):

The undersigned Bidder having carefully examined and understood the documents included in the Request for Proposals (“RFP”), hereby offers to MBTA the “Bid” as contained in the following responses enclosed with this letter:

Forms

Check to

Indicate

Submitted Bid

Documents

Power of Attorney (as described in Section 4.2) ☐

Form A: Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Form ☐

Form B: Technical Response ☐

Form C: Small Business Program Attestation Form ☐

Form D: Pricing Response (as a separate document) ☐

Signed Section 8.1 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Standard Terms and Conditions

Note: Section 8 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Standard Contract is NOT to be submitted; i t is not completed unti l award

Proof of Insurance ☐

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We confirm that our Bid is in exact accordance with the solicitation with no exceptions to, or comments upon, the solicitation documents. We confirm that the submission of our Bid with the signature below makes all certifications as outlined in the solicitation documents. This Bid shall constitute a binding offer open for acceptance by the MBTA.

We confirm that this Bid has been prepared and is compliant with the solicitation instructions and agree to conduct ourselves in accordance with the solicitation. We confirm receipt of all addenda related to this solicitation. We confirm the 180 days Acceptance Period of this Proposal.

The undersigned are authorized to sign on behalf of and to bind __________________________ (include

Bidder’s name) to the provisions of this Bid.

Bidder (company name):

Authorized Representative Name:

(BLOCK LETTERS)

Authorized Representative’s Signature:

Tit le:

Date:

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Form A: Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form

Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data

Name of Firm:

Federal Identification Number:

Legal Address:

Contact Name:

Telephone Number:

Email:

Please select one:

☐ Individual ☐ Partnership ☐ Corporation ☐ Joint Venture

Date Organized: State Incorporated:

Names of Officers or Partners:

Please provide details of any litigation, suits, or court action taken or pending against Bidder below:

Please provide the following information that demonstrates that the Bidder together with its selected Affiliates and or Subcontractors has the required capabilities to successfully execute the Work. Please submit as attachments the following requested documents:

Check

Attachment

Audited financial statements for the last 3 financial years ☐

Attach, if applicable, a list of similar current contracts that demonstrates your technical proficiency, each with contract value amount, name of contracting party, type of work completed, and percentage of work complete to date.

Attach, if applicable, a list of all principal subcontractors and the percentage and nature and value of work each will perform on this project. Principal items of work shall include, but not be limited to, those listed in the solicitation.

Please provide answers to the following questions: Check

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Answer

Do you have any outstanding indebtedness or unsecured loans or debts or trading losses not reported within the financial reports?

Ye…