RFP PR24-08 Digital Advertising.pdf

RFP PR24-08

Request for Proposal (RFP) PR24-08

Project Title Digital Marketing Services

Proposal Due Date

1:00 p.m. Pacific Time, April 29, 2024 in Olympia, WA, USA

NOTE: If you download this RFP from the College website, you are responsible for checking the website to ensure you receive any amendments or questions and answers.

Proposers are encouraged to download solicitations using WEBS to ensure notification of amendments.

Estimated time period for contract

June 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

The College reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to extend the period of performance if needed.

Vendor eligibility This procurement is open to those organizations or individuals that satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State.

Request for Proposal PR18-02

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose and Background

1.2 Scope of Work

1.3 Vendor Requirements (Scored)

1.4 Qualifications and Quotation (Scored)

1.5 Statement of Work (not used)

1.6 Commencement of Work

1.7 Vendor Compensation

1.8 Funding

1.9 Period of Performance

1.10 Contracting with Current or Former State Employees

1.11 Definitions

1.12 ADA

2. General Information for Vendors

2.1 RFP Coordinator

2.2 Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities

2.3 Submission of Proposals

2.4 Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure

2.5 Revisions to the RFP

2.6 Minority & Women-Owned Business Participation

2.7 Complaint Procedure

2.8 Acceptance Period

2.9 Responsiveness

2.10 Most Favorable Terms

2.11 Contract and General Terms & Conditions

2.12 Costs to Propose

2.13 No Obligation to Contract

2.14 Rejection of Proposals

2.15 Commitment of Funds

2.16 Insurance Coverage

3. Proposal Contents and Scoring

3.1 Letter of Submittal (Mandatory)

3.2 Qualifications Section (Scored)

3.3 Qualification Scoring

3.4 Price Quotation (Scored)

3.5 Price Quotation Computation

4. Evaluation and Contract Award

4.1 Evaluation Procedure

4.2 Clarification of Proposal

4.3 Evaluation Weighting and Scoring

4.4 Notification to Proposers

4.5 Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

4.6 Protest Procedure

5. RFP Exhibits

Request for Proposal No. PR 24-08

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose and Background

South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) is soliciting proposals from firms with experience in digital media marketing. The firm must be familiar with online marketing strategies and changing technology to develop and execute digital campaigns that maximize the SPSCC’s marketing impact with our key target audiences. The firm will work closely with the Director of Marketing & Communications and the Communications team in the planning and execution of the digital marketing.

1.2 Scope of Work

1. 2.1 Work with SPSCC to build, manage, and report on digital marketing campaigns in alignment with the college’s Integrated Media & Marketing Plan.

• Conduct regular keyword research for Google AdWords to support defined campaign goals

• Provide digital guidance and recommendations by platform to support campaign goals.

• Write ad copy based on regularly updated key messages.

• Build various ads across digital and social platforms.

• Regular monitoring of campaigns to identify errors early and often (i.e. credit card payment failures; campaigns not performing well; webpage outages).

• Deliver monthly report of metrics against campaign goals and conduct monthly review meeting, including ongoing recommendations to reach campaign goals.

• Provide annual review of account and plan for upcoming year.

• Leverage CONTRACTOR scale and buying power to provide cutting-edge technologies to reach target audiences in new ways across many devices.

• Knowledge of platforms including, but not limited to:

o Facebook / Instagram o YouTube / Google o OTT / Programmatic Marketing o Geofencing / Location Targeting o Snapchat o LinkedIn

• Monitor and adjust online marketing and/or search engine marketing in order to maximize reach and impressions, or defined campaign goal.

• Provide a report of metrics that illustrate the results of the campaigns with comparison to national trends and standards.

• Monthly walk-through of reporting via video conference or in person and one or more in-person meetings annually.

1.2.2 Prepare campaigns and fit within provided budgetary limitations

• All campaigns must be approved prior to launch by Director of Marketing & Communications.

• Cost of campaigns must have documented approval prior to launch.

• Annual total spend for ad campaigns shall not exceed a total amount of $175,000.

• Annual administrative costs for ad campaigns shall not exceed a total amount of $25,000.

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1.2.3 The successful bidder will provide monthly reports and analysis to Director of Marketing & Communications.

1.2.4 SPSCC will grant the successful bidder temporary access to the SPSCC’s digital and social websites for the purpose of this marketing.

1.3 Vendor Requirements

Vendors who do not meet the following mandatory requirements will be considered non-responsive and will not receive further consideration. Any proposal that is rejected as non-responsive will not be evaluated or scored. Vendors must acknowledge that they “meet” all of the following mandatory requirements in order to be considered responsive.

1. Vendor must be licensed to do business in the state of Washington, or agree to become licensed, and have the ability to obtain liability insurance.

2. Vendor must have 5 years of experience in digital media and marketing.

3. Vendor must have demonstrated successful experience with digital marketing as they relate to the Scope of Work.

4. Vendor must be able to provide feedback within 1 business day and reporting within 10 days of agreed schedule (or next business day), should SPSCC elect to contract with successful Vendor for such services.

1.4 Qualifications and Quotation (Scored)

Vendors must submit qualifications in the areas listed below. For responses to numbers 1 and 2 of this paragraph, please keep responses concise.

1. Experience and Qualifications

Provide a description of your firm’s overall experience and qualifications with connecting digital marketing campaigns for clients and what experience your firm has working with colleges. Include an explanation on your firm’s ability to provide competitive pricing.

2. Provide a sample reports and method of benchmarking.

3. References

Provide at least three (3) client references where your firm has provided similar applications and services. Include business name, contact name, phone number, and dates when services were performed.

4. Price Quotation

The successful Vendor of this solicitation will be engaged to provide marketing services. To establish consistent scoring, proposing Vendors are to provide a rate commiserate with reporting and marketing.

1.5 Statement of Work

See paragraph 1.2 for Scope of Work.

1.6 Commencement of Work

No work shall be performed by Vendor until a signed contract is executed by Vendor and the College.

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1.7 Vendor Compensation

Vendor will be compensated according to the specific payment terms of contract.

1.8 Funding

The overall budget for this procurement is up to 20% of total ad campaign ($175,000) for administrative fees or not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of College funding.

1.9 Period of Performance

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about June 1, 2024 and to ending June 30, 2025, unless otherwise extended by mutual agreement by both parties.

1.10 Contracting with Current or Former State Employees

Under chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington, specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees. Proposers should familiarize themselves with the requirements before submitting a proposal that includes current or former state employees.

1.11 Definitions

Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:

College – South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) is the College of the state of Washington that is issuing this RFP.

Vendor – Individual, company, or firm submitting a proposal in order to attain a contract with the College.

Also referred to in this solicitation as Consultant.

Proposal – A formal offer submitted in response to this solicitation.

Apparent Successful Vendor – The individual or company selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

Request for Proposal (RFP) – Formal procurement document in which services needed are identified and firms are invited to provide their proposal to provide the services and their hourly rates.

Voluntary Product Accessibility Template – an informational tool that describes exactly how the product or services does or does not meet Section 508 standards.

Section 508 – An amendment to the United States Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal law mandating that all electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by the federal government be accessible to people with disabilities. Technology is deemed to be accessible if it can be used effectively by all persons.

Accessibility – Refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both direct access (unassisted) and indirect access meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technologies (for example, computer screen readers).

1.12 ADA

The College complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Vendors may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposal in Braille or on tape.

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2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR VENDORS

2.1 RFP Coordinator

All communications concerning this RFP must be directed to (with RFP number in subject line):

Vida Sherrard-Hannon Contract Specialist South Puget Sound Community College 2011 Mottman Road SW Olympia, WA 98512 360.596.5249 purchasing@spscc.edu

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the College. Vendors are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP, may result in disqualification of the Vendor.

2.2 Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities

Issue Request for Proposals 4/4/2024

Emailed Questions due 4/17/2024

Response to Questions 4/23/2024

Proposals due 4/29/2024

Evaluate proposals 4/30/2024

Announce ‘Apparent Successful Vendor’ 5/3/2024

Hold debriefing conferences (if requested) 5/6 – 5/8/2024

Begin contract work 6/1/2024 or upon execution of contract

The College reserves the right to revise the above schedule to accommodate needed changes to the procurement schedule.

2.3 Submission of Proposals

The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 4:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time on 4/29/2024.

Proposals must be submitted electronically as an attachment to the email to Vida Sherrard-Hannon, RFP Coordinator, at the e-mail address listed in Section 2.1. The RFP number and title must be in the Subject line of the email. Attachments to email must be in Microsoft Word format or PDF. The cover submittal letter and the Certifications and Assurances form must have the signature (or electronic signature) of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Vendor to the offer. This document can be scanned. The College does not assume responsibility for problems with Vendor’s email. If the College’s email is not working, appropriate allowances will be made.

Proposals must not be transmitted using facsimile transmission.

Vendors must allow enough time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the RFP Coordinator. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless mailto:purchasing@spscc.edu

Digital Marketing Services Page 6 of 14 the College’s e-mail is found to be at fault. All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the College and will not be returned.

2.4 Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure

Proposals submitted in response to this competitive procurement will become the property of the College. All proposals received will remain confidential until the contract, if any, resulting from this RFP is signed by the Vice President for Finance & Operations of the College, or their Designee, and the apparent successful Contractor; thereafter. After the contract is signed, the proposals will be deemed public records as defined in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

The Proposer must clearly designate any information in the proposal that it wishes to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW. The information must be clearly identified and the Proposer must cite each particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. The College will not honor claims that mark the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information.

If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," the College will notify the Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, the College will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure under Chapter 42.56 RCW, the College will maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer's information per the court order.

A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in chapter 42.56 RCW. No fee will be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information must be directed to the RFP Coordinator.

2.5 Revisions to the RFP

If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be posted on WEBS. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information will be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the website and in WEBS.

Proposers are encouraged to download solicitations using WEBS to ensure notification of amendments.

The College reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, before execution of a contract.

2.6 Minority & Women-Owned Business Participation

In accordance with chapter 39.19 RCW, the state of Washington encourages participation by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) in all of its contracts.

Participation must be on a direct basis in response to this solicitation. The College will not give preference in the evaluation of proposals or require a minimum level of MWBE participation as a condition for receiving an award, and proposals will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis.

Bidders may contact OMWBE at 360.664.9750 to obtain information on certified firms.

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2.7 Complaint Procedure

This purpose of this procedure is to provide an avenue to submit issues or concerns that are not resolved during the Q&A process. This procedure is available to Vendors who submitted a question during the Question & Answer period. Complaints must be submitted no later than five (5) business days before the bid response deadline.

Vendors submitting a complaint about this procurement must follow the procedures described below.

Complaints that do not follow these procedures will not be considered.

All complaints must be in writing and signed by the protesting party or an authorized Agent. The complaint must clearly state the grounds for the complaint with specific facts and include a proposed remedy. All protests must be addressed to the RFP Coordinator.

Only complaints concerning the following subjects will be considered:

1. The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

2. The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed; or

3. The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

Complaints not based on the above subjects will not be considered and will be returned unanswered.

Upon receipt of a complaint, a review will be held by the College. The College procurement coordinator or a delegate will consider the record and all available facts and issue a decision within three (3) business days of receipt of the complaint. If additional time is required, the complaining party will be notified of the delay. This process does not include an appeal process.

Responses to considered complaints will be in writing. Additionally, considered complaints, responses and remedies must be posted in WEBS.

Complaints may not be raised again during the protest period.

2.8 Acceptance Period

Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by the College from the due date for receipt of proposals.

2.9 Responsiveness

All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. Failure to comply with any part of the RFP may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive.

The College also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

2.10 Most Favorable Terms

The College reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted.

Therefore, the first proposal should be submitted on the most favorable terms that the Vendor can propose. The College does reserve the right to contact a Vendor for clarification of its proposal.

The Vendor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Vendor’s proposal. The proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the College.

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2.11 Contract and General Terms & Conditions

The apparent successful Vendor is expected to enter into a contract, which is substantially the same as the sample contract and its general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit B. A Vendor may not submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. The Vendor may submit exceptions as allowed in the Certifications and Assurances section, Exhibit A to this solicitation.

The College will review requested exceptions and accept or reject them at its sole discretion.

2.12 Costs to Propose

The College will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Vendor in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

2.13 No Obligation to Contract

This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or the College to contract for services specified herein.

2.14 Rejection of Proposals

The College reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

2.15 Commitment of Funds

The College President or their delegate is the only individuals who may legally commit the College to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.

2.16 Insurance Coverage

The Contractor must furnish the College with a certificate of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth below.

The Contractor must, at Contractor’s own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage during the term of the contract. The Contractor must furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance coverage is provided, and a copy must be forwarded to the College within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date.

Liability Insurance

1. Commercial General Liability Insurance: Contractor must maintain commercial general liability (CGL) insurance and, if necessary, commercial umbrella insurance, with a limit of at least $1,000,000 per each occurrence. If CGL insurance contains aggregate limits, the general aggregate limit must be at least twice the “each occurrence” limit. CGL insurance must have products-completed operations aggregate limit of at least two times the “each occurrence” limit.

CGL insurance must be written on ISO occurrence from CG 00 01 (or a substitute form providing equivalent coverage). All insurance must cover liability assumed under an insured contract (including the tort liability of another assumed in a business contract), and contain separation of insureds (cross liability) condition.

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Additionally, the Contractor is responsible for ensuring that any subcontractors provide adequate insurance coverage for the activities arising out of subcontracts.

2. Business Auto Policy: As applicable, the Contractor must maintain business auto liability and, if necessary, commercial umbrella liability insurance with a limit not less than $1,000,000 per accident. Such insurance must cover liability arising out of “Any Auto.” Business auto coverage must be written on ISO form CA 00 01, 1990 or later edition, or substitute liability form providing equivalent coverage.

Employers Liability (“Stop Gap”) Insurance

The Contractor must buy employers liability insurance and, if necessary, commercial umbrella liability insurance with limits of at least $1,000,000 each accident for bodily injury by accident or $1,000,000 each employee for bodily injury by disease.

Additional Provisions

Above insurance policy must include the following provisions:

1. Additional Insured. The College, its elected and appointed officials, agents and employees must be named as an additional insured on all general liability, excess and umbrella insurance policies.

All insurance provided in compliance with this contract must be primary as to any other insurance or self-insurance programs afforded to or maintained by the state.

2. Cancellation. The College must be provided written notice before cancellation or non-renewal of any insurance required by this RFP in accordance with these specifications. Insurers subject to

48.18 RCW: The insurer must give the state 45 days advance notice of cancellation or non-renewal. If cancellation is due to non-payment of premium, the state must be given 10 days advance notice of cancellation. Insurers subject to 48.15 RCW (Surplus lines): The state must be given 20 days advance notice of cancellation. If cancellation is due to non-payment of premium, the state must be given 10 days advance notice of cancellation.

3. Identification. The insurance policy must reference the state’s contract number and the College name.

4. Insurance Carrier Rating. All insurance and bonds should be issued by companies admitted to do business within the state of Washington and have a rating of A-, Class VII or better in the most recently published edition of Best’s Reports. Any exception must be reviewed and approved by the College or the risk manager for the state of Washington before the contract is accepted or work may begin. If an insurer is not admitted, all insurance policies and procedures for issuing the insurance policies must comply with chapters 48.15 RCW and 284-15 WAC.

5. Excess Coverage. By requiring insurance, the state does not represent that coverage and limits will be adequate to protect Contractor, and the insurance coverage and limits do not limit Contractor’s liability under the indemnities and reimbursements granted to the state in this contract.

Workers’ Compensation Coverage

The Contractor must at all times comply with all applicable workers’ compensation, occupational disease, and occupational health and safety laws, statutes, and regulations to the full extent applicable. The state will not be held responsive in any way for claims filed by the Contractor or their employees for services performed under the terms of this contract.

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3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND SCORING

Proposals must be written in English and submitted electronically to the RFP coordinator in the order noted below:

1. Letter of Submittal, including:

a) Acknowledgement that the vendor “meets” all Vendor Mandatory Pass/Fail Requirements as outlined in section 1.3

b) Signed Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP)

2. Qualifications and Quotation as outlined in section 1.4 Items in the section marked “Mandatory” must be included as part of the proposal for the proposal to be considered responsive; however, these items are not scored. Items marked “Scored” are those that are awarded points as part of the evaluation conducted by the evaluation team.

3.1 Letter of Submittal (Mandatory)

The Letter of Submittal and the attached Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit A to this RFP) must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Vendor to a contractual relationship, e.g., the president or executive director of a corporation, the managing partner of a partnership, or the proprietor of a sole proprietorship. Attach the Certifications and Assurances form to the Letter of Submittal.

3.2 Qualifications Section (Scored)

The services to be provided are described in Section 1.2, Scope of Work; minimum qualifications are detailed in section 1.3.

The qualifications section of the proposal must contain information that will demonstrate to the evaluation committee the Vendor’s understanding of the types of services proposed and the firm’s ability to accomplish them.

The qualifications response must include responses that address the three following sections:

1. Experience and Qualifications

Provide a description of your firm’s overall experience and qualifications with developing mapping applications that will meet the requirements in the Scope of work.

2. Post-implementation and System Support

Provide a description detailing your firm’s capability and/or service offering in supporting clients after system implementation. Post-implementation support includes, software updates, training, troubleshooting and resolving interface issues, etc.

3. References

Provide at least three (3) client references where your firm has provided similar products and/or services. Include business name, contact name, phone number, and dates when services were performed.

3.3 Qualification Scoring

Responses that pass all Mandatory requirements will be further evaluated and scored. Each member of the evaluation team will individually evaluate and assign a numeric score to each of the three Qualification sections based on how well the Vendor’s response fulfills the requirement.

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3.4 Price Quotation (Scored)

The Quotations section must list all hourly rates for services anticipated under the proposed contract.

The hourly rates are to represent fully weighted costs. This includes the hourly rates of staff that would be assigned to the project, administrative costs, local travel costs, or any other applicable fees that would be charged under this contract.

Costs for subcontractors are to be broken out separately. Please note if any subcontractors are certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises.

Consultants are required to collect and pay Washington State taxes as applicable.

The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Consultant of least cost, but rather to the Consultant whose proposal best meets the requirements of this RFP. Consultants are encouraged, however, to submit proposals which are consistent with state government efforts to conserve state resources

3.5 Price Quotation Computation

The score for the cost proposal will be computed by dividing the lowest average hourly rate received by the Consultant’s average hourly rate. Then the resultant number will be multiplied by the maximum possible points for the cost section.

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

4.1 Evaluation Procedure

Responsive proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation and any addenda issued. The evaluation of proposals shall be accomplished by an evaluation team to be designated by the College, which will determine the ranking of the proposals.

The College, at its sole discretion, will select the top-scoring firms as finalists for an oral presentation.

4.2 Clarification of Proposal

The RFP Coordinator may contact the Vendor for clarification of any portion of the Vendor’s proposal.

4.3 Evaluation Weighting and Scoring

The following table outlines the scoring weights and sections of the Vendor’s proposal that will be scored during the evaluation of the written proposals.

Section Score Weight Assigned

Mandatory Requirements Pass/Fail

Vendor Qualifications 60%

Price Quotation 40%

4.4 Notification to Proposers

Firms whose proposals have not been selected for further negotiation or award will be notified by e-mail.

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4.5 Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

Upon request, a debriefing conference will be scheduled with an unsuccessful Proposer. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP Coordinator within three (3) business days after the Notification of Unsuccessful Vendor letter is e-mailed to the Vendor. The debriefing must be held within three (3) business days of the request.

Discussion will be limited to a critique of the requesting Vendor’s proposal. Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or on the telephone and will be scheduled for a maximum of one hour.

4.6 Protest Procedure

This procedure is available to Proposers who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed three (3) business days to file a protest of the acquisition with the RFP Coordinator. Protests may be submitted by email.

Proposers protesting this procurement must follow the procedures described below. Protests that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this procurement.

All protests must be in writing and signed by the protesting party or an authorized Agent. The protest must state the grounds for the protest with specific facts and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included. All protests must be addressed to the RFP Coordinator.

Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects will be considered:

1. A matter of bias, discrimination or conflict of interest on the part of the evaluator;

2. Errors in computing the score;

3. Non-compliance with procedures described in the procurement document or College policy.

Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit if they address issues such as:

1. An evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or

2. College’s assessment of its own and/or other agencies’ needs or requirements.

Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by the College. The College Vice President of Finance & Operations or an employee delegated by the Vice President Finance & Operations who was not involved in the procurement, will consider the record and all available facts and issue a decision within five business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay.

In the event a protest may affect the interest of another Vendor that submitted a proposal, such Vendor will be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the RFP Coordinator.

The final determination of the protest must:

1. Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold the College’s action.

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2. Find only technical or harmless errors in the College’s acquisition process and determine the College to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest.

3. Find merit in the protest and provide the College options which may include:

a. Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals

b. Reissue the solicitation document and begin a new process; and

c. Make other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.

If the College determines that the protest is without merit, the College will enter into a contract with the apparently successful contractor. If the protest is determined to have merit, one of the alternatives noted in the preceding paragraph will be taken.

5. RFP EXHIBITS

Exhibit A Certifications and Assurances Page 13

Exhibit B Contract Format

General Terms and Conditions (GT&Cs)

Exhibit A - Request for Proposal No. PR 24-08

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CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES

I/we make the following certifications and assurances as a required element of the proposal to which it is attached, understanding that the truthfulness of the facts affirmed here and the continuing compliance with these requirements are conditions precedent to the award or continuation of the related contract(s):

I/we certify we do not have any financial, contractual, organizational or other interests which relates to the work under this contract. We agree to report to the insurance commissioner any such conflicts, if they arise, within fifteen (15) days of identification of the conflict.

I/we declare that all answers and statements made in the proposal are true and correct.

The prices and/or cost data have been determined independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement with others for the purpose of restricting competition. However, I/we may freely join with other persons or organizations for the purpose of presenting a single proposal.

The attached proposal is a firm offer for a period of 60 days following receipt, and it may be accepted by the College without further negotiation (except where obviously required by lack of certainty in key terms) at any time within the 60-day period.

In preparing this proposal, I/we have not been assisted by any current or former employee of the state of Washington whose duties relate (or did relate) to this proposal or prospective contract, and who was assisting in other than his or her official, public capacity. (Any exceptions to these assurances are described in full detail on a separate page and attached to this document.)

I/we understand that the College will not reimburse me/us for any costs incurred in the preparation of this proposal. All proposals become the property of the College, and I/we claim no proprietary right to the ideas, writings, items, or samples, unless so stated in this proposal.

Unless otherwise required by law, the prices and/or cost data that have been submitted have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by him/her prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other Proposer or to any competitor.

I/we agree that submission of the attached proposal constitutes acceptance of the solicitation contents and the attached sample contract and general terms and conditions. If there are any exceptions to these terms, I/we have described those exceptions in detail on a page attached to this document.

No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

I/we grant the College the right to contact references and others, who may have pertinent information regarding the Proposer’s prior experience and ability to perform the services contemplated in this procurement.

Signature of Proposer

Title Date