RFP PUR27-004 Parliamentarian Services.pdf

13300 Old Marlboro Pike | Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 | 301-952 6560

RFP PUR27-004

PARLIAMENTARIAN SERVICES

ISSUED BY:

Department of Purchasing and Supply Services

RFP NUMBER:

RFP PUR27-004

RELEASE DATE:

July 6, 2026

PRE-PROPOSAL DATE:

QUESTIONS DUE DATE:

Not Applicable

NLT July 20, 2026 @ 11:00 am

PROPOSAL DUE DATE:

August 5, 2026 @ 11:00 am

DIRECT INQUIRIES TO PROCUREMENT: Donna.Parks@pgcps.org Michelle.Tucker@pgcps.org

To All Prospective Vendors:

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is soliciting proposals from qualified Vendors to provide a comprehensive Parliamentarian Services. A virtual pre-proposal conference will not be held

Solicitation Documents may be obtained by:

● Download the solicitation by accessing the Prince George’s County Public School Board’s website at the following link: https://www.pgcps.org/offices/purchasing/procurement-opportunities

● Download the solicitation by accessing eMaryland Marketplace link: https://procurement.maryland.gov/

Please respond according to the instructions provided in the RFP. Vendors are cautioned not to make changes to any of the terms and conditions or specifications in this solicitation, doing so may render a Vendor’s Proposal unacceptable and subject to rejection.

The Department of Purchasing & Supply Services is not responsible for information obtained from sources outside the Prince George’s County Purchasing Office, including downloads from the County website. Vendors are directly responsible for obtaining updates, changes or addenda either from the updated webpage or by contacting the

Purchasing Office for instructions. If the Vendor has questions, they must be in writing and directed to the procurement contacts specified. Failure to adhere to this requirement may subject the Vendor to immediate disqualification.

mailto:Donna.Parks@pgcps.org mailto:Michelle.Tucker@pgcps.org https://www.pgcps.org/offices/purchasing/procurement-opportunities https://procurement.maryland.gov/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1. PURPOSE

3. SUMMARY OF SERVICES

4. NON-EXCLUSIVE

5. OFFERORS IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS WITH PGCPS

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

7. OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICE

8. CONTRACT TYPE

9. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

10. BONDING

11. POINT OF CONTACTS

PART II: INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. OFFEROR KNOWLEDGE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2. PROPOSAL SCHEDULE

3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

4. PROPOSAL MARKINGS

5. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION LAYOUT

6. BIDDER DELIVERY AND ENVELOPE PACKAGING

PART III: SCOPE OF WORK

1. INTRODUCTION

2. BACKGROUND

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

4. ORGANIZATION OF THE VENDOR’S TECHNICAL RESPONSE

5. MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATON ACT REQUESTS

PART IV: EVALUATION AND AWARD

1. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

2. EVALUATION PROCESS

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

4. PROPOSAL AWARD

PART V: GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. PARTNERSHIPS

2. CORPORATIONS

3. SAMPLES

4. PROPOSAL PREPARATION FEES

5. RIGHT TO PROTEST

6. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARD DECISION:

7. COMMENCEMENT OF SERVICES

8. ADDENDA

9. STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

10. TERM OF AGREEMENT

11. MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS

12. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING (See the RFP for specific dates and times)

13. PAYMENT TERMS

14. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

15. LOCAL MBE INITIATIVE

16. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROHIBITIONS

17. E- COMMERCE

18. CYBER LIABILITY INSURANCE

19. LIQUIDATED DAMAGES

20. FINGERPRINT CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECKS, CHILD PROTECTIVE

SERVICE CLEARANCES, AND SAFE SCHOOLS TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

21. EDUCATIONAL/MEDICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL RECORDS

22. PROTECTION OF STUDENT RECORDS

23. LEGAL COMPLIANCE

24. EPA COMPLIANCE

25. STATE OF MARYLAND CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING

26. PERSONAL IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII)

27. VENDOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

PART VI: SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

2. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

3. PRICES

4. ITEM DELIVERY

5. GUARANTEE AND WARRANTIES

6. ANNULMENTS AND RESERVATIONS

7. TERMINATION OF CONTRACT

8. GOVERNING LAW & VENUE

9. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

10. CHANGES IN TERMS OR DELIVERY

PART VII: FINANCIALS/COST PROPOSAL & PRICING .................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

APPENDIX A – PROPOSAL AND ADDENDA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

APPENDIX B – PAST PERFORMANCE AND REFERENCES

APPENDIX C - NON-COLLUSION CERTIFICATE

APPENDIX D - DEBARMENT AFFIDAVIT

APPENDIX E - ANTI-BRIBERY AFFIDAVIT

APPENDIX F - CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE COVERAGE

APPENDIX G - FINANCIAL PROPOSAL TERMS

APPENDIX H - MBE FORM

APPENDIX I – STATE OF MARYLAND TAX CERTIFICATION

APPENDIX J – CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

APPENDIX K – VENDOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE FORM

ATTACHMENT A – COST PROPOSAL FORM

ATTACHMENT B – LETTER OF INTEREST FOR PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE (RESERVED)

ATTACHMENT C – LETTER OF INTEREST TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (The Board) serves the needs of public education in

Prince George’s County, covering approximately 1,789 square miles, with a residential population of more than 904,430. Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS), one of the nation's 20th largest school districts, has 208 schools and centers, has approximately 133,854 students and nearly 22,000 employees and an annual operating budget of $2.3 billion.

The school system serves a diverse student population from urban, suburban and rural communities located in the Washington, DC suburbs. PGCPS is nationally recognized for college and career-readiness programs that provide students with unique learning opportunities, including dual enrollment and language immersion. The Central administration headquarters is located at 14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

1. PURPOSE

The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (hereafter referred to as “The Board,” “PGCPS,”, “The District,” “School System” or “The School District”) is seeking proposals from a qualified and experienced Parliamentarian on behalf of the Board of Education for Prince George’s County.

2. DETAILS PROPOSAL APPROACH

The Board seeks the services of an experienced Parliamentarian to provide independent procedural guidance to ensure that meetings of the Board of Education are conducted in an orderly, fair, and efficient manner in accordance with applicable law, Board bylaws, policies, and Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition or adopted parliamentary authority).independent procedural guidance to ensure that meetings of the Board of Education are conducted in an orderly, fair, and efficient.

3. SUMMARY OF SERVICES

Through this RFP, the Board of Education for Prince George’s County desires to partner with an experienced Parliamentarian to provide procedural guidance during meeting conducted by the Board of Education for Prince George’s County.

4. NON-EXCLUSIVE

The intent of this contract is to provide the Board with an expedited means of procuring supplies and/or services at the lowest cost. This contract is for the convenience of the Board and is a "Non-Exclusive" use contract. The Board does not guarantee any usage. The Board will not be held to purchase any

Brand, in any groups, prices or discount ranges, but reserves the right to purchase any item/service listed in the price schedule submitted under Attachment A, Cost Proposal.

5. OFFERORS IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS WITH PGCPS

PGCPS recognizes the significant costs and imposition on the time of personnel associated with legal proceedings. Accordingly, PGCPS has adopted a process stating that:

“One factor, among others, that is to be considered when awarding a contract or purchase order is the existence of a pending legal dispute – whether in court or an alternative dispute forum – with any Vendor or Offeror which has submitted a Proposal. Before including consideration of the legal dispute as a factor, the Procurement Officer shall seek the advice of the Office of General

Counsel regarding the legal dispute and shall obtain the concurrence of the CEO or his designee.”

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The term of this Contract begins on the date the Notice of Award is signed by both the Offeror and The

BOARD (the “Effective Date”) and shall continue for a period of three (3) years (Initial/Base Term). In its sole discretion, The Board shall have the unilateral right to renew the Contract for an additional two (2) years at the prices established at contract award. “Term” means the Initial Term and any Renewal

Term(s).

7. OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICE

The Board may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. The option to extend provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 12 months.

8. CONTRACT TYPE

The contract resulting from this solicitation shall be a Fixed Rate requirement. Offerors are encouraged to partner with local Vendors or firms if they don’t meet all the required expertise or MBE requirements.

Subcontractor and/or teaming partner information shall be included in the response.

9. CONTINUITY OF SERVICES

The Offeror recognizes that the services under this contract are vital to PGCPS and must be continued without interruption and that, upon contract expiration, a successor, either the PGCPS or another vendor, may continue them. The Offeror agrees to exercise its best efforts and cooperation to affect an orderly and efficient transition to a successor.

10. BONDING

The Offeror may be required to submit a Bid and or a Performance Bond as indicated below.

A. BID BOND (Not Required) If applicable, the bid bond will be in the amount of five percent (5%) as determined by the BOARD and specified in the RFP, to ensure the satisfactory completion of the work for which a contract or purchase order is awarded that may exceed $100K. (COMAR 21.06.07.10). The bond must be made in favor of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, UPPER

MARLBORO, MARYLAND 20772-9983.

B. PERFORMANCE AND LABOR BOND (Not Required)

The awarded vendor(s) will be required to submit a performance and/or labor bond, Cashier’s or Certified Check in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the project cost as determined by the BOARD and specified herein to ensure all phases of the project are satisfactory complete for which a contract or purchase order is awarded that exceeds 100K. (COMAR 21.06.07.10).

When applicable, the Board reserves the right to request performance and labor bonds for amounts over or under $100K. The bond, cashier or certified check must be made in favor of the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY and mailed to 13300 Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772-9983 prior to the start of performance.

11. POINT OF CONTACTS

The Offeror’s performance will be under the direction of the Procurement Department, ensuring the

Offeror's compliance with the requirements of this contract to include managing the daily activities of the contract, providing guidance to the contract, and coordination. The Offeror shall be accountable to the end users on all matters relating to the scope of work.

PROCUREMENT CONTACTS

Vendors shall submit questions to all Purchasing contacts listed below:

Donna.Parks@pgcps.org Michelle2.Tucker@pgcps.org

PGCPS Purchasing and Supply Services and the Designated Procurement Contact is the Issuing Office and the sole PGCPS Point of Contact responsible for the solicitation prior to contract award.

Correspondence and communication throughout the solicitation, evaluation and contract award shall be limited to the PGCP Issuing Office, the sole point of contact for purposes related to the services included within this solicitation and/or preparing a proposal in response to the solicitation.

All inquiries related to this procurement must be handled by PGCPS Purchasing and Supply Services officials. Failure to comply with this directive may, at the sole discretion of the Board, result in the disqualification of an offeror from the procurement process.

Performance under an awarded contract will be in the direction of PGCPS Purchasing and Supply

Services for all matters related to an awarded contract and contract compliance. The Technical Point of Contact(s) department and information will be provided upon contract award. Offer shall be accountable to the PGCPS Technical Representatives within the end user department for management of daily activities of the contract, contract scope, and project coordination.

mailto:Donna.Parks@pgcps.org

PART II: INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

1. OFFEROR KNOWLEDGE OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Before submitting Proposals, Offerors are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting a Proposal. The offeror shall acquaint themselves with all State and Federal governing laws, ordinances, etc. and otherwise familiarize themselves with all matters which may affect the Proposal. The act of submitting a

Proposal shall be considered as meaning that the Offeror has so familiarize themselves;

therefore, there shall be no misunderstanding or lack of information. Offerors, or their authorized representatives, are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting Proposals. Failure to do so will be at the Offeror's own risk and

Offeror cannot secure relief on the plea of error. Neither law nor regulations make allowance for errors of omission or commission on the part of Offerors.

By submitting an offer in response to this RFP, an Offeror shall be deemed to have accepted all the terms, conditions, and requirements set forth in this RFP. The RFP including all addenda in total shall be incorporated into the contract by reference.

All correspondence concerning the Proposal and contract, including Notice of Award, copy of

Contract, and Purchase Order, will be provided electronically.

2. PROPOSAL SCHEDULE

Due to the urgent need for this Solicitation, milestones are listed with target dates. Please adhere to the schedule unless notified by way of an Addendum.

Solicitation Milestones

Milestone Date

Issue RFP Solicitation

July 6, 2026

Questions Due Date and Time

NLT July 20, 2026 @ 11:00 am

Addendum Posting Responding to Questions

July 25, 2026 (approximate date)

Proposal Due Date and Time

August 5, 2026 @ 11:00 am

Evaluation Period

August 2026

Board Approval August-September 2026

Contract Award August-September 2026

3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible, Proposals must be received via eMaryland MarketPlace Advantage (eMMA) no later than August 5, 2026, by 11:00 am. The Proposal shall consist of the required documentation for each volume as identified. Offerors shall retain one (1) original copy of the

Proposal for their files. PGCPS may request the original notarized documents that were posted electronically before final award execution.

The electronic proposal shall show the full business address, telephone number, email and fax number of the Offeror and be signed by the person or persons legally authorized to sign contracts and commit the company.

4. PROPOSAL MARKINGS

All Proposals shall be submitted without redactions. All sections of the Proposal that are considered Confidential or Proprietary shall be clearly marked within the Proposal. The Offerors shall provide justification for all confidential or proprietary information. Justification must be on a separate piece of paper and submitted with the Technical Proposal.

5. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION LAYOUT

The completed bid documents(s) should be without interlineations, alterations, or erasures. The bid should present all information in a concise manner, neatly arranged, legible, and in terms understandable for evaluation. All information requested is to be addressed directly and completely. It is more desirable to give additional information than less when the answer could be misinterpreted. The submission layout will include four (4) parts:

GENERAL FORMAT- FOUR-PART SUBMISSION

● Volume I - Technical Proposal

● Volume II - Minority Business Enterprise (MBE)

● Volume III - Cost Proposal

● Volume IV - Appendices

6. BIDDER DELIVERY AND ENVELOPE PACKAGING

The bidder shall deliver their Proposal electronically through eMMA and package their bid in two separate eMMA envelopes as noted below.

A. VOLUME I – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (Envelope One)

The Technical Proposal shall be submitted in PDF format. Offerors must not include any pricing. Offeror shall include a table of contents and all pages in the technical proposal must be numbered, consecutively from beginning to end and separated by tabs as described below:

1. TAB A – TRANSMITTAL LETTER

Offeror shall include a brief transmittal letter prepared on the Offerors’ letterhead and signed by an individual who is authorized to commit the Offeror to the services and requirements in the RFP and Proposal. This transmittal letter shall include:

a) The name, title, address, telephone number, and electronic mail address of the person authorized to bind the Offeror to the contract and the person who will receive all official notices concerning this RFP.

b) The Offerors’ Federal Tax Identification Number or Social Security Number.

c) The Offerors’ PGCPS iSupplier ID Number must be listed. To obtain an iSupplier

ID number, you must register with PGCPS at https://www.pgcps.org/offices/purchasing/isupplier

d) A brief statement of the Offerors’ understanding of the work to be done, their commitment to perform the work, and a statement of why the firm believes it is best qualified to perform the work specified in RFP.

e) A statement that the Proposal is a firm and irrevocable offer for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days following the closing date for receipt of initial Proposals or the closing date for receipt of a best and final offer, if applicable.

f) The vendor’s proposal shall identify and describe: technical requirements, any hardware, software, processing or other requirements that will be necessary in order for PGCPS and its uses to fully interface with the vendors curriculum, recordkeeping and data management, the recommended technology configuration necessary to efficiently access and perform all online functions and the capacity to support automotive data exchange between the program and PGCPS student information system as appropriate.

2. TAB B – LEGAL CLAIMS

The offer shall identify any claims during the past three (3) years and provide information on any pending litigation, lawsuits etc. The failure to provide accurate information may be determined to be a material breach of any future agreement or contract with The Board. If applicable, the Offeror must state no claims exist.

3. TAB C – EXPERIENCE AND CAPABILITIES

Offeror shall prepare and present a Technical Proposal in such a way as to provide a straightforward description of responses to experience and qualifications, product quality, demonstrated capacity to perform, past performance and references to satisfy the requirements of the RFP.

PGCPS may conduct any necessary investigation to determine the ability of the Vendor to perform the work. The Vendor shall furnish to PGCPS all such information and data requested. PGCPS reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by the Offeror or investigation of such Vendor fails to satisfy PGCPS that such Offeror is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to complete all requirements contemplated therein.

PGCPS expressly reserves the right to reject the proposal of any Vendors if the investigation discloses that this proposal, in the opinion of PGCPS, has not properly performed such contracts or has habitually and without just cause neglected the payment of bills or has otherwise disregarded their obligations to subcontractors, material suppliers or employees

B. VOLUME II - MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (MBE) (Envelope One) Offerors shall submit MBE information electronically in eMMA under the Technical Proposal folder in a separate file, titled as such. An MBE goal of 30% has been established for the contract representing a percentage of the total Contract dollar value, including all renewal https://www.pgcps.org/offices/purchasing/isupplier option terms. Minority Businesses included in the Proposal package at the time of opening cannot be changed without prior approval of the Director of Purchasing and Supply

Services.

By submitting a response to this RFP, the Offeror acknowledges the overall MBE participation goal and commits to achieving the overall goal by utilizing certified minority business enterprises or will include a full or partial waiver of the overall goal with the

Proposal.

1. Offerors shall describe how they intend to meet the MBE goals or justify why the goal cannot be met.

C. VOLUME III – COST PROPOSAL (Envelope Two)

The Offeror cost proposal shall include all labor, delivery, materials, tools, and equipment to perform work.

All pricing shall remain fixed for the full contract term, including renewals thereto unless an escalation or adjustment is included herein. Offerors should not include any portion of their Technical Proposal in its Cost Proposal.

1. Offerors shall provide the Cost Proposal in Excel format (Attachment A). Do not amend, alter, or leave blank any items on the Proposal Form or include additional clarifying or contingent language on or attached to the Proposal Form. Items or costs required to provide the services and deliverables as proposed, but not identified will be the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

2. The Offeror shall demonstrate its financial stability. The Offeror shall include a fiscal integrity / financial statement for the last two calendar years. If the Offeror has not had its financial statements audited by an independent accounting firm, the Offeror must submit such un-audited financial statements.

See Part VII, FINANCIAL/COST PROPOSAL & PRICING for DETAILS and additional information**.

D. VOLUME IV - Appendices (Envelope Two)

Offerors shall submit the Appendices electronically in eMMA under the Technical

Proposal folder in a separate file, titled as such. The Offeror shall sign, date, and notarize where applicable all appendices identified. Appendices shall be packaged together as one PDF file and delivered under Volume IV.

o Appendix A – Proposal and Addendum Acknowledgement o Appendix B – Past Performance and References o Appendix C – Non-Collusion Certificate o Appendix D – Debarment Affidavit o Appendix E – Anti-Bribery Affidavit o Appendix F – Certificate of Insurance Coverage o Appendix G – Financial Proposal Form o Appendix H – MBE Form o Appendix I – Certificate State of Maryland Tax Certification o Appendix J – Certification of Compliance o Appendix K – Vendor Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form

Failure to provide any of the requested information or documents in this solicitation may render the proposal non-responsive.

PART III: SCOPE OF WORK

1. INTRODUCTION

The Board of Education for Prince George’s County is seeking the services of a Parliamentarian.

The Parliamentarian will provide independent procedural guidance to ensure that meetings of the Board of Education are conducted in an orderly, fair, and efficient manner in accordance with applicable law, Board bylaws, policies, and Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition or adopted parliamentary authority).

2. BACKGROUND

The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (The Board) serves the needs of public education in Prince George’s County, covering approximately 500 square miles, with a residential population of more than 904,430. The Board of Education of Prince George’s County (The Board) is the second largest public school system in the State of Maryland. The Board operates 240 facilities over a ten-mile radius, which includes Pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools as well as special education centers and alternative schools. The Central administration headquarters is located at 14201 School Lane, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

PGCPS is nationally recognized for a plethora of programs designed to meet the varied needs of students in preparation for graduation, postsecondary success and economic stability. These include non-traditional programs, Online Campus, career and technology education programs and career-readiness programs. All the programs are designed to provide students with unique and differentiated learning opportunities on their pathway to graduation, and to decrease the number of students who disengage from the district prior to school completion. The Board of Education works to advance student achievement through community engagement, sound policy governance, accountability and fiscal responsibility. The school system's highest priority is to prepare students to meet the demands of college and careers.

Our vision paints the image of a premier educational environment that values the rich uniqueness of who we are as we develop and equip life-long learners, leaders, empowered proponents of justice and prosperous communities to thrive in the global society.

A culturally responsive district developing distinguished learners, leaders, voices of social justice and advocates for humanity for the world of today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our mission defines our purpose and the scope of our work. It communicates why we exist and what we hope to contribute to society.

Provide a transformative educational experience anchored by excellence in equity – developing 21st century competencies and enabling each student’s unique brilliance to flourish to build empowered communities and a more inclusive and just world.

3. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Parliamentarian shall provide the following services:

3.1 General Responsibilities

3.1.1 Advise the Board President/Chair and members on parliamentary procedure during meetings and related official proceedings.

3.1.2 Ensure adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order (or other adopted parliamentary authority), Board bylaws, and applicable State education laws.

3.1.3 Provide real-time procedural guidance during Board meetings when requested by the Chair.

3.1.4 Assist in maintaining the orderly conduct of meetings and support the Chair in managing motions, debate, amendments, voting procedures, and points of order.

3.1.5 Clarify procedural questions raised by Board members during meetings in a neutral and non-partisan manner.

3.2 Meeting Support

3.2.1 Attend all regular Board meetings, special meetings, and other meetings as requested by the Board or Chair.

3.2.2 Provide pre-meeting consultation to the Board Chair and/or Superintendent’s designee regarding agenda structure, procedural concerns, or anticipated complex items.

3.2.3 Assist in ensuring motions are properly stated, seconded, debated, and voted upon in accordance with established rules.

3.2.4 Advise on procedural remedies in cases of dispute, disruption, or ambiguity during meetings.

3.2.5 Serve in a strictly advisory capacity and shall not participate in policy decisions or vote on any matter before the Board.

3.2.6 Provide written or verbal guidance on parliamentary procedure when requested outside of meetings.

3.2.7 Support Board leadership in interpreting procedural provisions of Board governance documents.

3.3 Deliverables

The Parliamentarian may be required to provide:

3.3.1 Procedural summaries or advisories upon request

3.3.2 Recommendations for improving meeting efficiency and compliance

3.3.3 Training or orientation sessions for Board members on parliamentary procedure (as requested)

3.3.4 Review of Board meeting procedures and recommendations for best practices.

4. ORGANIZATION OF THE VENDOR’S TECHNICAL RESPONSE

Offerors shall provide a point-by-point Technical Response. The Offeror’s Technical Response to this RFP shall be organized in the format indicated in the RFP. Further, the Vendor’s Technical

Response shall be provided in the same order as the information as presented in this RFP, Part

III. Adhering to the requested format as detailed in this RFP is important as it is a strong indication of the Respondent’s willingness to comply with PGCPS requests and its ability to follow the client’s direction.

Offeror shall prepare and present proposal in such a way as to provide a straightforward description of Offeror’s response that addresses, technical approach, capabilities, experience, qualifications, past performance and references to satisfy the requirements of this RFP.

Emphasis should be concentrated on conformance with the RFP instructions, quality responsiveness to the RFP requirements, and completeness and clarity of content.

The completed documents(s) should be without interlineations, alterations, or erasures. The

Proposal should present all information in a concise manner, neatly arranged, legible, and in terms understandable for evaluation. All information requested is to be addressed directly and completely. It is more desirable to give additional information than less when the answer could be misinterpreted.

**Do Not Submit Pricing in the Technical Proposal. Vendors who submit pricing in their

Technical Proposal may be declared ineligible to participate in this procurement.**

5. MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATON ACT REQUESTS

This solicitation is subject to Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) requests. In anticipation of MPIA requests, PGCPS requests vendors to submit with their original proposal a copy of a redacted Technical, MBE, and Pricing Proposals. The redacted copies of the proposal shall be uploaded in the respective Technical and Pricing envelopes in eMMA.

PGCPS respectfully requests in addition to the proposal submission that each Vendor provide PGCPS with a sanitized/redacted copy of their Technical, Cost, MBE proposals, and all attachments. However, please do not redact confidential information to the degree where the information redacted is unreadable. Therefore, we request Vendors to adhere to the following:

5.1 Highlight the confidential information or strikethrough the data that you consider to be confidential. Do not redact the data to the degree where the “redacted” information is not discernible or unreadable. As such, please do not “black out” confidential information.

5.2 Provide a written justification as to why each "redaction" is considered by your organization to be confidential or proprietary.

Vendors cannot declare the entire proposal confidential or proprietary nor may they declare proposed pricing to be proprietary.

PGCPS will not release a vendor’s proposal without first notifying the entity of the initial request for release of proposal information via MPIA. When MPIAs are received, the PGCPS General Counsel's Office will review the “redacted/sanitized” documents provided by the participating vendors for this solicitation for compliance with MPIA law. If the General Counsel's Office determines any portion of the "redacted" data to not be confidential, the General Counsel’s Office will contact your organization to discuss its review in an effort to reach an agreement on the release of this data.

Note: If PGCPS does not receive a sanitized/redacted copy of the vendor’s proposal submission with its proposal response via eMMA, PGCPS will assume that the vendor’s entire Technical, MBE, and Pricing Proposals are eligible for release to the public.

Therefore, it is imperative that vendors adhere to this requirement and provide a sanitized/redacted copy of their entire proposal response when the proposals are submitted.

PART IV: EVALUATION AND AWARD

1. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

Only proposals that are submitted via eMMA will be utilized during the evaluation process.

Proposals that are not submitted via this portal will be ruled non-responsive.

Evaluation of the proposals will be performed by a committee established for that purpose and will be based on the criteria set forth below. The contract resulting from this RFP will be awarded to the Vendor(s) whose proposal is the most advantageous to The Board, considering price and technical factors set forth herein. During its evaluation, the Board will consider the Vendor's record of performance or financial stability from reputable sources, inclusive of but not limited to:

any prior contracts with The Board, federal departments or agencies, public bodies, financial reporting companies, news circulars, etc.

The Vendor, including any of their representatives, subcontractors, affiliates and interested parties shall not contact any member of the Committee or any person involved in the evaluation of the proposals. All inquiries related to this procurement must be handled by the RFP officials identified on the cover page. Failure to comply with this directive may, at the sole discretion of the Board, result in the disqualification of a Vendor from the procurement process. The Evaluation Committee will make the final determination about acceptability of proposals.

2. EVALUATION PROCESS

The committee will evaluate each technical proposal using the evaluation criteria set forth below.

As part of this evaluation, the Committee may hold discussions with all qualified Vendors.

Discussions may be conducted via teleconference or may take the form of questions to be answered by the Vendors and conducted by mail, E-mail, or facsimile transmission at the discretion of The Board. During the evaluation process, the committee may request technical assistance from any source.

a. Following the completion of the technical evaluation of all Vendors’ technical proposals, including any discussions, the committee will rank each qualified Vendors’ technical proposal.

b. The cost proposal for each qualified proposal will be distributed to the Evaluation Committee following the completion of the technical evaluation. The cost proposals will not be distributed to the committee until the technical evaluation is completed. The Committee will determine the total costs of the proposals to establish a financial ranking of the proposals from lowest to highest.

c. The Evaluation Committee may reject in whole or in part all proposals, waive minor irregularities, and conduct discussions with all responsible Vendors in any manner deemed necessary to serve the best interests of the Board.

d. Based on the results of the evaluation, the highest rated Vendor(s) may be invited by the Director of Procurement to make oral presentations/demonstrations to the Committee. The Committee will then conduct a final evaluation of the proposals.

e. If it is determined to be in the best interest of The Board, the Board may invite Vendors to make final revisions to their technical and/or financial proposals through submission of a Best and Final Offer.

f. Should the Committee determine in writing and at its sole discretion that only one Vendor is fully qualified, or that one Vendor is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that Vendor. The Committee will make appropriate recommendations to the Board, if appropriate, prior to the actual award of the contract. The Committee will recommend the Vendor whose overall proposal provides the most advantageous offer to the Board considering both price and technical factors set forth in this RFP.

3. EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation criteria include proposal responsiveness, demonstration of capability to perform, price factors, and responsibility. The Board reserves the right to: (1) reject in whole or in part any and all proposals and waive minor irregularities; (2) Reject any or all proposals, or portions thereof; (3) Cancel a RFP and re-solicit.

The Evaluation committee will evaluate the technical proposals using the following criteria below.

The committee shall determine which proposals have the basic requirements of the RFP and shall have the authority to determine whether any deviation from the requirements of the RFP is substantial in nature.

Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria

Relative Weight

Technical Approach 40

Experience, Company Qualifications and Staff

Qualifications

Past Performance and References 20

Capacity 10

Fiscal Responsibility 5

MBE 5 Bonus Points

Total Points Available 105 Points

Vendors shall provide a response that addresses all areas as identified in PART III, Scope of

Work.

4. PROPOSAL AWARD

PGCPS reserves the right to negotiate price and contract terms and conditions with the most qualified firm(s) to provide the requested service. If a mutually beneficial agreement with the highest ranked firm is not reached, The District reserves the right to enter into contract negotiations with the next highest ranked firm and continue this process until agreement is reached.

The Award of this contract will not be final and complete until after: (1) Vendor has an active iSupplier, (2) the Vendor submits complete and satisfactory documentation required under the

Contract and/or documentation required by the Procurement Officer; and (2) the Contract is signed by the Department following any required approvals of the Contract, including approval by the Board, if such approval is required.

PGCPS reserves the right to issue a multiple award contract as a result of this solicitation.

PART V: GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. PARTNERSHIPS

Proposals by partnerships shall be signed with the partnership name by one of the members of the partnership or by an authorized representative, followed by the signature and designation of the person signing, who shall also state the names of the individuals composing the partnership.

2. CORPORATIONS

Proposals by corporations shall be signed with the name of the corporation, followed by the signature and designation of the officer having authority to sign. When requested, satisfactory evidence of authority of the officer signing on behalf of the corporation shall be furnished. Anyone signing the proposal as agent shall file satisfactory evidence of authorization to do so.

3. SAMPLES

Vendors may be required to submit samples of each product awarded with an affidavit stating that the chemical composition of the sample submitted is identical with the composition tested prior to the proposal and all remain unchanged during the period of the contract. This requirement shall be part of the specifications of the product, or products requested if applicable.

If Samples are required, a properly tagged sample and descriptive data shall be submitted to the address specified no later than the date specified. The tag on the sample shall indicate the item number, the name of the company submitting the sample, and the IFB number. The Board will not be responsible for any samples not picked up within 30 days of the notification of Vendors to do so. Samples may be retained by The Board until Vendors are notified to remove them.

Vendors agree that The Board will incur no liability for samples that are damaged, destroyed, lost, or consumed in testing processes. Failure to submit the above information when requested is sufficient grounds for rejection of the proposal.

4. PROPOSAL PREPARATION FEES

The Board will not be responsible for any costs incurred by a Vendor in preparing and submitting a proposal in response to a proposal.

5. RIGHT TO PROTEST

The Director of Purchasing and Supply Services shall attempt to resolve informally all protests of proposal award recommendations. Vendors are encouraged to present their concerns promptly to the Buyer and/or Purchasing Supervisor for consideration and resolution. The Director of

Purchasing shall inform the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) upon receipt of the protest. Open dialogue is helpful for all parties and disputes are often only a misunderstanding of the evaluation and recommendation process. A vendor who does not file a timely protest before the contract is executed by the Board is deemed to have waived any objection.

a. An interested party (bidding of standing or Vendor) must file a protest with the Purchasing Office within five (5) calendar days of the recommendation of award or notification to the Vendor or bidder that their proposal or bidder will be rejected.

b. A Vendor of standing is a Vendor who would be directly next in line for an award should the protest be supported.

c. The protest shall be in writing addressed to the Purchasing Supervisor with a copy to the Director and shall include the following:

i. The name address and telephone number(s) of the protester.

ii. Identification of the solicitation

iii. Statement of reasons for the protest

iv. Supporting documentation to substantiate the claim

v. Proposed remedy to resolve

A protest based upon alleged improprieties in this solicitation that are apparent before bid opening or the closing date for receipt of initial proposals shall be filed before bid opening or the closing date for receipt of initial proposals. For procurement by competitive sealed proposals, alleged improprieties that did not exist in the initial solicitation, but which are subsequently incorporated in the solicitation via an addendum shall be filed not later than the next closing date for receipt of proposals following the incorporation.

6. APPEAL OF CONTRACT AWARD DECISION:

The Director of Purchasing shall confer with the general counsel prior to issuance of a decision regarding disputes of contracts or awards.

a. The Director of Purchasing shall issue a decision in writing. Any decision of a proposal award protest may be appealed to the CFO within two (2) days of issuance of the decision by the Director of Purchasing.

b. Any decision of a proposal award protest may be appealed to the Board of Education within thirty (30) days of issuance of the decision by the CFO.

c. A vendor who remains unsatisfied after following the procedures may contest a contract awarded by the Board by filing an appeal to the Maryland State Board of

Education as provided by Maryland’s public-school law.

d. The Board reserves the right to award during protest and or during an appeal, if a determination that execution of the contract without delay is necessary to protect substantial State and Board interest.

e. The Vendor shall refer to the General Terms and Conditions attached to the proposal for details regarding the Term of Contract for this proposal.

7. COMMENCEMENT OF SERVICES

The Board shall have no obligation to pay for services performed before the Notice of Award is executed; the Board approves the contract or after the contract ends. The Board shall have no obligation to pay for services more than the monetary amount of the award. The Board shall have no obligation to pay for services before a purchase order is issued.

8. ADDENDA

a. No interpretation of the meaning of the specification or other documents will be made to any

Supplier orally. To be given consideration, inquiries must be received in writing via email to the Procurement Department points of contacts identified on the cover page. The subject field of the e-mail must include "INQUIRY” and the RFP name and number.

b. Any changes to the specifications will be made through the appropriate addenda. Failure of any Vendor to receive such addenda or interpretation shall not relieve any Vendor from any obligations under this RFP as amended by all addenda. All addenda so issued shall become part of the award.

c. Failure of any Vendor to receive or acknowledge receipt of such addenda or interpretation shall not relieve any Vendor from any obligations under this IFB as amended by all addenda.

All addenda so issued shall become part of the award.

9. STATEMENT OF CONFIDENTIALITY

It is understood and agreed that all information pertinent to this solicitation may contain trade secrets, which are confidential and proprietary. The selected vendor agrees not to disclose or knowingly use any confidential or proprietary information of The Board of Education of Prince

George’s County and/or third-party participants.

Proposal submissions are subject to the Maryland Public Information Act (Education Article, Maryland Annotated Code, §10-611, et seq.). In accordance with the Act, certain information is subject to public disclosure. Please be advised that should you deem any portion of your proposal as confidential or proprietary, it must be conspicuously indicated on those portions so deemed.

However, and in accordance with the Act, you are hereby notified that every portion may still be subject to disclosure under the Act.

10. TERM OF AGREEMENT

The anticipated initial term of this contract shall be as specified in Part I, Section 5 of the RFP.

a. The Vendor warrants that prices for the proposal under this RFP are not higher than prices currently extended to any other governmental agency for the same product or service.

b. Upon satisfactory service and by mutual agreement the BOARD OF EDUCATION OF

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY reserves the right to extend the contract for no more than

12 months.

c. The Board expects all vendors to provide cost reductions recommendations.

d. Price decreases are acceptable at any time, need not be verifiable, and are required should the Vendor/producer/processor/manufacturer experience a decrease in costs associated with the execution of the contract.

e. Price adjustments from the Vendor/producer/processor/manufacturer for any/all items may be considered at renewal. The request is subject to approval by the Contracting

Officer. The request must be submitted in writing at least ninety (90) days prior to the renewal term and shall be accompanied by supporting documentation.

f. Should the awarded vendor, at any time during the life of the contract, sell materials of similar quality to another customer, or advertise special discounts or sales, at a price below those quoted within the contract, the lowest discounted prices shall be offered to

Prince George’s County Public Schools.

11. MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS

This solicitation is subject to Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) requests. In anticipation of MPIA requests, PGCPS requests vendors to submit with their original proposal a copy of a redacted Technical, MBE, and Pricing Proposals. The redacted copies of the proposal shall be uploaded in the respective Technical and Pricing envelopes in eMMA.

PGCPS respectfully requests in addition to the proposal submission that each Vendor provide PGCPS with a sanitized/redacted copy of their Technical, Cost, MBE proposals, and all attachments. However, please do not redact confidential information to the degree where the information redacted is unreadable. Therefore, we request Vendors to adhere to the following:

a. Highlight the confidential information or strikethrough the data that you consider to be confidential. Do not redact the data to the degree where the “redacted” information is not discernible or unreadable. As such, please do not “black out” confidential information.

b. Provide a written justification as to why each "redaction" is considered by your organization to be confidential or proprietary.

Vendors cannot declare the entire proposal confidential or proprietary nor may they declare proposed pricing to be proprietary.

PGCPS will not release a vendor’s proposal without first notifying the entity of the initial request for release of proposal information via MPIA. When MPIAs are received, the PGCPS General Counsel's Office will review the “redacted/sanitized” documents provided by the participating vendors for this solicitation for compliance with MPIA law. If the General Counsel's Office determines any portion of the "redacted" data to not be confidential, the General Counsel’s Office will contact your organization to discuss its review in an effort to reach an agreement on the release of this data.

Note: If PGCPS does not receive a sanitized/redacted copy of the vendor’s proposal submission with its proposal response via eMMA, PGCPS will assume that the vendor’s entire Technical, MBE, and Pricing Proposals are eligible for release to the public.

Therefore, it is imperative that vendors adhere to this requirement and provide a sanitized/redacted copy of their entire proposal response when the proposals are submitted.

12. PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING (See the RFP for specific dates and times)

A pre-proposal meeting is scheduled in accordance with the information contained in the RFP.

13. PAYMENT TERMS

The Vendor shall submit an invoice detailing the services provided and the actual costs incurred.

Payment shall be in accordance with the line-item price on the Purchase Order and within 30 days after the date of the invoice or upon invoice acceptance, whichever occurs last.

The Board reserves the right to reduce or withhold contract payment in the event the Vendor does not provide the Department with all required deliverables within the timeframe specified in the contract or if the Vendor otherwise materially breaches the terms and conditions of the contract.

14. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROGRAM

The Board of Education of Prince George’s County Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Administrative Procedure No. 3325 requires bids for materials, supplies, equipment, and services, other than materials of instruction, be listed as deliverables. Information about this program and forms can also be downloaded. See MBE Administrative Procedures (AP) 3325.

https://www.pgcps.org/offices/general-counsel/administrative-procedures/3000---business--non-instructional-operations/ap-3325---minority-business-enterprise-procurement-procedures

a. Only those businesses registered in the Oracle database and listed in the Minority

Business Enterprise Office directory for the Board of Education of Prince George’s County as a certified minority vendor at the time of any respective proposal opening, shall be recognized as a “Certified Minority Business”. If not listed, evidence of acceptable certification from the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), Prince George’s

County Government and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) must be provided to the Board’s Purchasing Office prior to any respective proposal opening.

15. LOCAL MBE INITIATIVE

In accordance with Prince George’s County School goals promoting minority and locally based purchases, if all other factors are equal, priority shall be given to a locally based firm. "Locally based firm" in this instance refers to a company or firm with a primary business address located within the geographical boundaries of Prince George’s County.

16. MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PROHIBITIONS

State Law HB 389 and SB 611, Prime Vendors are prohibited by law from including a certified

MBE in a bid or proposal without…