RFP - Special Event Permitting System.pdf

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Request For Proposal Special Event Permitting System

Submit Proposals to:

City of Knoxville Purchasing Division

City/County Building Room 667-674

400 Main Street Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

Timetable

Availability of RFP August 22, 2025

Question Deadline September 9, 2025

Submission Deadline September 16, 2025

This timetable is for informational purposes only and these dates are subject to change. The issuance of written addenda by the City of Knoxville Purchasing Division is the only official method whereby a deadline extension for proposal submissions or additional information can be given.

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RFP - Special Event Permitting System Table of Contents

Item Page Number

Statement of Intent 3

Background 3

Scope of Service 3

Evaluation Criteria 5

General Conditions 6

Contact Requirements 7

Instructions to Submitting Entities 13

Submission Forms 17

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City of Knoxville Request for Proposal

I. Statement of Intent The City of Knoxville is requesting proposals from responsible firms or teams to provide a comprehensive e-permitting software system for the Office of Special Events. The contract is anticipated to be for three year (3) with two (2) optional one-year renewals.

II. Background The Office of Special Events is responsible for coordinating City sponsored events such as Christmas in the City and Concerts on the Square, as well as working with community organizations to coordinate City participation in such events as Mardi Growl, Rossini Italian Street Fair, Dogwood Arts Festival, and many more. Special Events maintains a calendar listing of various events in Knoxville, and they are also responsible for scheduling activities on Market Square and other public properties throughout the City. Please visit the link below for additional information.

https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=109562&pageId=190021

III. Scope of Service This RFP seeks permit management solutions to best enable and facilitate the issuance of special event permits in the City of Knoxville. The City of Knoxville Purchasing Department will use the results of this RFP to determine a vendor to provide a comprehensive special event permitting management solution for the Office of Special Events.

The City is seeking a firm that can provide an efficient e-permitting experience for all users. Any software being proposed must address these specific needs:

• Facilitate self-service information and process through an online portal to reduce walk-in traffic, phone calls, and emails.

• Facilitate self-service functionality through an online portal that is mobile-friendly, ADA compliant, and includes language translation options with the goal of expanding access for customers.

• Allow customers to apply for permits, track status of permits, make payments, and schedule inspections all from an online portal.

• Allow food vendors to apply and submit a participation application for specified City sponsored events.

• Must facilitate and mitigate the various City challenges associated with the current permitting system. The following issues must be addressed:

a. Reduce City staff time spent on administrative tasks through efficient use of automated reports, emails, and communication with customers;

b. Reduce plan review time;

c. Reduce permit issuance time;

d. Enable concurrent reviews, approvals, and permit issuance from multiple departments;

e. Streamline project management;

f. Allow City staff to track and extract data from the proposed system using simple ad-hoc reporting tools;

g. Allow applications, required documents, and plans to be submitted through the online portal, in person, or other methods that promote a paperless process and increases overall productivity;

h. Ability to integrate with existing City permitting processes and systems. (Example Traffic Engineering, Parks and Recreation and the Knoxville Film Office)

The City would like to have the ability for:

• Calendar (internal staff and public)

• Permit Generator

• Invoice and Payments

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• Schedule E-Mails

• Two-Phase Application

• Custom and Aggregate Report

• Surveys

• Communication Logs

• Email Logs

• Document Logs

• Activity Log

• Interfaces Single Sign on

Responses to this RFP must include a thorough description of all management functions. The successful proposer shall provide the following services:

General Requirements

• Onsite training for all components and, optional, web-based training for all components.

• Address technical support options and implementation of future software/upgrades.

• Assistance with deployment of software to ensure the system is properly implemented.

Event Scheduling

• Ability to create and maintain:

a. Database of master locations

b. Multiple rental rate schedules

c. Multiple rate schedules for various authority locations

• Ability to book new events and re-book events from existing events.

• Ability to assign a booking commitment level to each event.

• Ability to search for the best fit for an event by date, days of the week, square footage, etc.

• Ability to record a variety of event-related statistics.

• Ability to generate a report detailing which locations are in use by date range.

• Ability to store electronic documents (e.g., emails, client specifications, PDF documents, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets) as a permanent part of the event record.

• Ability to audit changes to an event.

• Explain the process and permission level required to make changes to the sales and marketing parameters/database values.

Event Management

• Ability to assign events to event services staff and keep a master calendar of assignments.

• Ability to generate event outlines which detail event-specific location activity for a given date and time and detail department-specific instructions.

• Ability to generate reports detailing department instructions for a given time period, location schedule, special notes.

• Ability to generate a two-week schedule of any and all event-related activity for specific locations.

• Ability to generate an event-specific report detailing the activity within each location for each date/time entry in the event outline.

• Ability to create and store narratives of event history for future use.

• Ability to create and maintain an equipment master for items used by event organizers.

• Ability to create and maintain multiple equipment rate schedules.

• Ability to create an event settlement document detailing all event-related client charges (e.g., rent, utility charges, equipment rental charges).

• Ability to store electronic documents (e.g., emails, client specifications, PDF documents, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets)

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Contract Administration

• Ability to create and modify contracts based on locations booked and event- specific rate schedule.

• Ability to track status of all outstanding contracts based on a facility-defined contract status.

• Ability to send contracts to clients via email.

• Ability to create, modify, and send addendums to clients via email.

• Ability to create event-specific payment plans and auto-generate an invoice in accounts receivable when payment dates become due.

• Ability to audit changes/revisions to contracts and contract status.

• Ability to store electronic contracts and other electronic files (e.g., emails, PDF documents, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets) as a permanent part of the event/client record.

Reporting

• Reports to identify and display events and/or calendar data in various formats.

• Ability to generate a chart or spreadsheet may of all booked locations over a particular period of time.

• Ability to generate a location availability report.

• Event status change reports may be generated to produce a list of events within a specified period of time that are published and have had an event schedule or department instruction change in the last 24 hours.

• Reports to identify and display events and/or calendar data in various formats.

• Event bulletin report may be generated to view the overall scope of events selected for a given time period.

• Calendar of events may be a comprehensive report to be generated to get a dashboard view of the booked rooms and event times on any given actual event day.

• Event services schedule may be a report to generate listing of all staff assigned for upcoming events.

IV. Evaluation Criteria An evaluation team, composed of representatives of the City, will evaluate proposals on a variety of quantitative and qualitative criteria. Upon receipt of proposals, the City will review to determine whether the proposal is acceptable or non-acceptable based on the criteria outlined below.

The criteria and the associated weights upon which the evaluation of the proposals will be based include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Project/Technical Approach – 35 points: Proposals shall describe how the scope of service requirements in this RFP will be accomplished. At a minimum, this should include a description of the software, technical requirements, training options, importation of past permitting data, support and maintenance. Proposal shall provide a detailed plan demonstrating the firm’s ability to meet the required specifications, meet the City’s timeline, and detail the collaboration process with various City Departments.

• Pricing/Cost – 25 points: All quoted pricing must be inclusive of the product, implementation, training, and ongoing support. Proposer should propose a Not-to-Exceed Fee. The fee should be broken down by phases, tasks, or deliverables. Recurring annual maintenance costs should also be provided.

• Qualifications/Experience of Firm – 20 points: Proposals shall include information regarding projects, from the past 24 months, of a similar size and scope where the proposer provided a similar type of system, as specified, especially those that are local governments. Proposal shall include professional experience and qualifications of the key personnel who will be assigned to the project. Proposer shall provide a minimum of five (5) references with contact information (Name, company name, email address, and phone number), with a minimum of three (3) coming from local governments.

• Customer Service Support – 20 points: Describe the service support your organization will provide with regard to initial implementation and the support you will provide after implementation has occurred. This includes, but is not limited to, the response time to fix problems, potential update schedules to software, maintenance of software, days and time support is available, etc.

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V. General Conditions

5.1 The following data is intended to form the basis for submission of proposals to provide an e-permitting system for the City of Knoxville Special Events Department. This material contains general conditions for the procurement process, the scope of service requested, contract requirements, instructions for submissions of proposals, and submission forms that must be included in the proposal. The RFP should be read in its entirety before preparing the proposal.

• Note: All materials submitted pursuant to this RFP become the property of the City of Knoxville.

5.2 To the extent permitted by law, all documents pertaining to this Request for Proposals shall be kept confidential until the proposal evaluation is complete and a recommendation submitted to City Council for review. No information about any submission of proposals shall be released until the process is complete, except to the members of the Evaluation Committee and other appropriate City staff. All information provided shall be considered by the Evaluation Committee in making a recommendation to enter into an agreement with the selected firm.

5.3 The City of Knoxville reserves the right to (a) accept or reject any and/or all submissions of proposals; (b) to waive irregularities, informalities, and technicalities; and (c) to accept any alternative submission of proposals presented which, in its opinion, would best serve the interests of the City. The City shall be the sole judge of the proposals, and the resulting negotiated agreement that is in its best interest, and its decision shall be final. The City also reserves the right to make such investigation as it deems necessary to determine the ability of any submitting entity to perform the work or service requested. Information the City deems necessary to make this determination shall be provided by the submitting entity. Such information may include, but is not limited to, current financial statements by an independent CPA, verification of availability of equipment and personnel, and past performance records.

5.4 Declarative Statements: Any statement or words (e.g.: must, shall, will) are declarative statements and the vendor must comply with the condition. Failure to comply with any such condition may result in their bid being non-responsive and disqualified.

5.5 Order of Precedence: In the event of inconsistent or conflicting provisions of this Contract and referenced documents, the following descending order of precedence shall prevail: (1) Contract, (2) Solicitation, (3) Bid/Proposal, (4) Specifications.

5.6 No interpretation of the meaning of the plans, scope of work, specifications, or other pre-bid documents will be made to any proposer orally. Any inquiries, suggestions or requests concerning interpretation, clarification or additional information pertaining to the RFP shall be made in writing and be in the hands of the Suzanne Daws, Procurement Specialist by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on September 9, 2025. Questions can be submitted by letter, fax (865-215-2277), emailed to sdaws@knoxvilletn.gov, or submitted directly on the solicitation page via www.knoxvilletn.gov/bids. The City of Knoxville is not responsible for oral interpretations given by any City employee, representative, or others. The issuance of written addenda is the only official method whereby interpretation, clarification, or additional information can be given. If any addenda are issued to this Request for Proposals, the Purchasing Division will post them to the City's website at www.knoxvilletn.gov/bids. Submitting organizations are strongly encouraged to view this website often to see if addenda are posted. Failure of any proposer to receive such addendum or interpretation shall not relieve such proposer from any obligation under his proposal as submitted. All addenda issued become part of the Contract Documents.

5.7 Subsequent to the Evaluation Committee’s review and the Mayor’s recommendation of a firm(s), Knoxville City Council approval may be required before the final contract may be executed.

5.8 All expenses for making a submission of proposal shall be borne by the submitting entity.

5.9 Any submission of proposals may be withdrawn up until the date and time for opening of the submissions. Any submission not so withdrawn shall, upon opening, constitute an irrevocable offer for a period of 120 days to the City of Knoxville for the services set forth in the Request for Proposals until one or more of the submissions have been duly accepted by the City.

5.10 Prior to submitting their proposals, proposers are to be registered with the Purchasing Division through the City of Knoxville’s online Vendor Registration system. Instructions for registering on-line are available at www.knoxvilletn.gov/purchasing. Submissions from un-registered proposers may be rejected.

5.11 Included in the Contract Documents is an affidavit that the undersigned has not entered into any collusion with any person in respect to this proposal. The qualifier is required to submit this affidavit with the submission. Also included is the Diversity Business Enterprise Subcontractor/Consultant Statement form. Submissions must indicate on the enclosed form whether or not the proposer intends to use subcontractors and/or suppliers from one of the defined http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/bids

7 | P a g e groups. Proposers are advised that the City tracks use of such use, but it does not influence or affect evaluation or award.

5.12 NO CONTACT POLICY: After the posting of this solicitation to the Purchasing Division's website, any contact initiated by any proposer with any City of Knoxville representative concerning this proposal is strictly prohibited, unless such contact is made with the Purchasing Division representative listed herein or with said representative's authorization.

Any unauthorized contact may cause the disqualification of the proposer from this procurement transaction.

Proposals must include a notarized copy of the No Contact/No Advocacy Affidavit (found in the “Submission Forms” section of this document).

5.13 In compliance with Tennessee state law, submissions must be accompanied by a certification attesting that, to the best of the bidder's knowledge, the bidder does not engage in investment activities in Iran. The Iran Divestment Act of 2014 Certification of Noninclusion form may be found in this solicitation document.Special Events

5.14 Inclement Weather: During periods of inclement weather, the Purchasing Division will enact the following procedures with regard to solicitations and weather delays:

• If City offices are closed due to inclement weather on the date that bids/proposals/qualifications/letters of interest are due into the Purchasing Office, all solicitations due that same day will be moved to the next operational business day.

• The City of Knoxville shall not be liable for any commercial carrier’s decision regarding deliveries during inclement weather.

VI. Contract Requirements Submitting entities, if selected, must be willing to sign a contract with the City which will include certain provisions, among which are the following:

6.1 Contract Documents: The contract shall consist of (1) the RFP; (2) the proposal submitted by the contractor to this

RFP; and (3) the contract. In the event of a discrepancy between the contract, the RFP and the submitted proposal, the terms that provide the greater benefit to the City and/or impose the greater obligation to the contractor will prevail.

6.2 Administration: The contract will be administered by the City of Knoxville’s Special Events Department/Office.

6.3 Invoices: Invoices for services will be submitted to the City in accordance with the contract terms.

6.4 Independent Contractor: The relationship of contractor to the City will be that of independent contractor. The contractor will be solely and entirely responsible for its acts and for the acts of its agents, employees, servants and subcontractors done during the performance of the contract. All services performed by the contractor shall be provided in an independent contractor capacity and not in the capacity of officers, agents, or employees of the City.

6.5 Assignment: The contractor shall not assign or transfer any interest in this contract without prior written consent of the City of Knoxville.

6.6 Licenses: Before a contract is signed by the City, the submitting entity, if selected, must provide the City Purchasing Division with a copy of its valid business license or with an affidavit explaining why it is exempt from the business licensure requirements of the city or county in which it is headquartered. If a contract is signed, the contractor’s business license shall be kept current throughout the duration of the contract, and the contractor shall inform the City of changes in its business name or location. The contractor must be a licensed professional as required by the state of Tennessee, see T.C.A. Sections 62-2-101 et. seq., for any services in this contract requiring such licensure.

6.7 Insurance: When applicable and prior to the commencement of the contract, contractor must, at its sole expense, obtain and maintain in full force and effect for the duration of the Agreement and any extension hereof at least the following types and amounts of insurance for claims which may arise from or in connection with this Agreement.

Contractor shall furnish the City of Knoxville with properly executed certificates of insurance which shall clearly evidence all insurance required by the City. All insurance must be underwritten by insurers with an A.M. Best rating of A-VIII or better. Such insurance shall be at a minimum the following:

A. Commercial General Liability Insurance: occurrence version commercial general liability insurance, and if necessary, umbrella liability insurance, with a limit of not less than $2,000,000 each occurrence for bodily injury, personal injury, property damage, and products and completed operations. If such insurance contains a general aggregate limit, it shall apply separately to the work/location in this Agreement or be no less than $3,000,000.

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Such insurance shall:

(a) Contain or be endorsed to contain a provision that includes the City, its officials, officers, employees, and volunteers as additional insureds with respect to liability arising out of work or operations performed by or on behalf of the Contractor including materials, parts, or equipment furnished in connection with such work or operations. The coverage shall contain no special limitations on the scope of its protection afforded to the above-listed insureds. Proof of additional insured status up to and including copies of endorsements and/or policy wording will be required.

(b) For any claims related to this project, Contractor's insurance coverage shall be primary insurance as respects the City, its officers, officials, officers, employees, and volunteers. Any insurance or self-insurance programs covering the City, its officials, officers, employees, and volunteers shall be excess of Contractor's insurance and shall not contribute with it.

(c) At the sole discretion of the City, dedicated limits of liability for this specific project may be required.

B. Automobile Liability Insurance: including vehicles owned, hired, and non-owned, with a combined single limit of not less than $1,000,000 each accident. Such insurance shall include coverage for loading and unloading hazards.

Insurance shall contain or be endorsed to contain a provision that includes the City, its officials, officers, employees, and volunteers as additional insureds with respect to liability arising out of automobiles owned, leased, hired, or borrowed by or on behalf of Contractor.

C. Workers' Compensation Insurance: Contractor shall maintain workers' compensation insurance with statutory limits as required by the State of Tennessee or other applicable laws and employers' liability insurance with limits of not less than $500,000. Contractor shall require each of its subcontractors to provide Workers' Compensation for all of the latter's employees to be engaged in such work unless such employees are covered by Contractor's workers' compensation insurance coverage.

D. Other Insurance Requirements:

Contractor shall:

• Prior to commencement of services, furnish the City with original certificates and amendatory endorsements effecting coverage required by this section and provide that such insurance shall not be cancelled, allowed to expire, or be materially reduced in coverage except on 30 days' prior written notice to the City Attorney of Knoxville; P.O. Box 1631; Knoxville, Tennessee 37901. Proof of policy provisions regarding notice of cancellation will be required.

• Upon the City's request, provide certified copies of endorsements and policies if requested by the City in lieu of or in addition to certificates of insurance. Copies of policies will only be requested when contracts are deemed to be extremely or uniquely hazardous, include a dollar amount that is significant to the overall budget of the City or a City Department, or the coverage(s) may not follow standard insurance forms. A policy will only be requested after the City's Risk Manager has reviewed the contract and proof of coverage has been provided. Should the certificate of insurance refer to specific coverage wording or endorsements(s), proof of such policy wording or endorsement(s) will be required.

• Replace certificates, policies, and endorsements for any such insurance expiring prior to completion of services.

• Maintain such insurance from the time services commence until services are completed. Failure to maintain or renew coverage or to provide evidence of renewal may be treated by the City as a material breach of contract.

• If Contractor cannot procure insurance through an insurer having an A.M. Best rating of A-VIII, Contractor may, in the alternative, place such insurance with insurer licensed to do business in Tennessee and having A.M. Best Company ratings of no less than A. Modification of this standard may be considered upon appeal to the City Law Director.

• Require all subcontractors to maintain during the term of the Agreement Commercial General Liability insurance, Business Automobile Liability insurance, and Workers' Compensation/Employer's Liability insurance (unless subcontractor's employees are covered by Contractor's insurance) in the same manner as specified for Contractor. Contractor shall furnish subcontractors' certificates of insurance to the City without expense immediately upon request.

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• Large Deductibles/Self-Insured Retentions: Any deductibles and/or self-insured retentions greater than $50,000 must be disclosed to and approved by the City of Knoxville prior to the commencement of services. Use of large deductibles and/or self-insured retentions may require proof of financial ability as determined by the City.

• Waiver of Subrogation Required: The insurer shall agree to waive all rights of subrogation against the City, its officers, officials, and employees for losses arising from work performed by Contractor for the City. Proof of waiver of subrogation up to and including copies of endorsements and/or policy wording will be required.

• Occurrence Basis Requirement: All general liability policies must be written on an occurrence basis, unless the Risk Manager determines that a claims made basis is reasonable in the specific circumstance.

Use of policies written on a claims made basis must be approved by the City Risk Manager and retroactive dates and/or continuation dates must be provided to the City prior to commencement of any work performed. Professional Liability and Environmental Liability (Pollution Coverage) are most commonly written on a claims made basis and are generally acceptable in that form.

6.8 Ethical Standards: Attention of all firms is directed to the following provisions contained in the Code of the City of Knoxville: Chapter 24, Article II, Section 24-33 entitled “Debts owed by persons receiving payments other than Salary;” Chapter 2, Article VIII, Division 11, the Contractor hereby takes notice of and affirms that it is not in violation of, or has not participated, and will not participate, in the violation of any of the following ethical standards prescribed by the Knoxville City Code:

A. Section 2-1048 - Conflict of Interest:

It shall be unlawful for any employee of the city to participate, directly or indirectly, through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation of any part of a purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or purchase standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing or otherwise, in any proceeding or application, request for ruling or other determination, claim or controversy or other matter pertaining to any contract or subcontract and any solicitation or proposal therefore, where to the employee’s knowledge there is a financial interest possessed by:

(1) The employee or the employee’s immediate family;

(2) A business other than a public agency in which the employee or member of the employee’s immediate family serves as an officer, director, trustee, partner or employee; or

(3) Any person or business with whom the employee or a member of the employee’s immediate family is negotiating or has an arrangement concerning prospective employment.

B. Section 2-1049 - Receipt of Benefits from City Contracts by Council Members, Employees and Officers of the City:

It shall be unlawful for any member of council, member of the board of education, officer or employee of the city to have or hold any interest in the profits or emoluments of any contract, job, work or service, either by himself or by another, directly or indirectly. Any such contract for a job, work or service for the city in which any member of council, member of the board of education, officer or employee has or holds any such interest is void.

C. Section 2-1050 - Gratuities and Kickbacks Prohibited:

It is unlawful for any person to offer, give or agree to give to any person, while a city employee, or for any person, while a city employee, to solicit, demand, accept or agree to accept from another person, anything of a pecuniary value for or because of:

(1) An official action taken, or to be taken, or which could be taken;

(2) A legal duty performed, or to be performed, or which could be performed; or

(3) A legal duty violated, or to be violated, or which could be violated by such person while a city employee.

Anything of nominal value shall be presumed not to constitute a gratuity under this section.

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Kickbacks: It is unlawful for any payment, gratuity, or benefit to be made by or on behalf of a subcontractor or any person associated therewith as an inducement for the award of a subcontract or order.

D. Section 2-1051 - Covenant Relating to Contingent Fees:

(a) Representation of Contractor: Every person, before being awarded a contract in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) with the city, shall represent that no other person has been retained to solicit or secure the contract with the city upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage or contingent fee, except for bona fide employees or bona fide established commercial, selling agencies maintained by the person so representing for the purpose of securing business.

(b) Intentional Violation Unlawful: The intentional violation of the representation specified in subsection

(a) of this section is unlawful.

E. Section 2-1052 - Restrictions on Employment of Present and Former City Employees:

Contemporaneous employment prohibited. It shall be unlawful for any city employee to become or be, while such employee, an employee of any party contracting with the particular department or agency in which the person is employed.

For violations of the ethical standards outlined in the Knoxville City Code, the City has the following remedies:

(1) Oral or written warnings or reprimands;

(2) Cancellation of transactions; and

(3) Suspension or debarment from being a Contractor or subcontractor under city or city-funded contracts.

The value of anything transferred in violation of these ethical standards shall be recoverable by the City from such person. All procedures under this section shall be in accord with due process requirements, included but not limited to a right to notice and hearing prior to imposition of any cancellation, suspension or debarment from being a Contractor or subcontractor under a city contract.

6.9 Cooperative Procurement with Other Jurisdictions: Other federal, state, county, and local government entities may utilize the terms and conditions established by the Contract if agreeable to all parties. The City does not accept any responsibility or involvement in the purchase orders or contracts issued by other public agencies.

6.10 Governing Law and Venue: This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of Tennessee and its conflict of laws provisions. The venue for any action arising between the City and the Contractor from the Agreement shall lie in Knox County, Tennessee.

6.11 Federal, State, and Local Requirements: Each submitting entity is responsible for full compliance with all laws, rules and regulations which may be applicable.

6.12 Safety and Protection: The Contractor(s) shall be solely and completely responsible for initiating, maintaining and supervising all safety precautions and programs in connection with the work to be performed. Furthermore, the Contractor is solely responsible for the training of all of their employees on all safety issues and for assuring compliance as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and any other Regulatory Agency for the service.

The Contractor(s) shall take all necessary precautions for the safety of, and shall provide the necessary protection to prevent injury to, all employees on the work site and other persons, including but not limited to, the general public who may be affected thereby. All work is to be done as required as by TOSHA, OSHA, EPA, and AHERA.

Contractor(s) shall be required to furnish their employees with the proper personal protective clothing and equipment. Contractor(s) shall also be required to dispose of this clothing and equipment in compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Vendor will ensure that its employees observe and exercise all necessary caution and discretion so as to avoid injury to person or damage to property of any and all kinds. All buildings, appurtenances and furnishings shall be protected

11 | P a g e by the vendor from damage, which might be done or caused by works performed under this contract. Such damages to the foregoing shall be repaired and/or replaced by approved methods so as to restore the damaged areas to their original condition at the expense of the vendor.

6.13 EEO/AA: The City of Knoxville is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Section 504/ADA/ADEA Employer.

A. Bidders must comply with the President's Executive Orders No.11246 and 11375 which prohibit discrimination in employment regarding race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Bidders must not maintain or provide for their employees any facilities that are segregated on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin. Bidders must also comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Copeland Anti-Kick Back Act, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standard Act, Section 402 of the Vietnam Veterans Adjustment Act of 1974 and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all of which are herein incorporated by reference.

B. All bidders must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as codified in 42 U.S.C. 2000d. The successful bidder must follow Title VI guidelines in all areas including hiring practices, open facilities, insurance, and wages. The City of Knoxville reserves the right to review all compliance records by a contract compliance officer designated by the City.

C. With regard to the services performed under this Agreement, the Contractor will comply with all applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq. ("ADA"). The Contractor agrees that it will defend, indemnify and hold the City harmless against any and all claims, demands, suits or causes of action which arise out of any negligent and/or intentional act or omission by the Contractor, its employees, agents or representatives that violates the ADA. The Contractor agrees that the City will not be responsible for any cost or expenses arising from the Contractor’s failure to comply with the ADA.

6.14 Firms shall give consideration to:

A. The inclusion of minority firms or individuals in this project, and shall advise the city in this proposal of their efforts to do so.

B. The use of environmentally sustainable best practices, and shall advise the city in this submittal of qualifications of their efforts to do so.

6.15 Subcontracts to the Agreement: Contractor shall not enter into a subcontract for any of the services performed under this Agreement without obtaining the prior written approval of the City.

6.16 Amendments: This Agreement may be modified only by a written amendment or addendum that has been executed and approved by the appropriate officials shown on the signature page of the Agreement.

6.17 Captions: The captions appearing in the Agreement are for convenience only and are not a part of the Agreement;

they do not in any way limit or amplify the provisions of the Agreement.

6.18 Severability: If any provision of the Agreement is determined to be unenforceable or invalid, such determination shall not affect the validity of the other provisions contained in the Agreement. Failure to enforce any provision of the Agreement does not affect the rights of the parties to enforce such provision in another circumstance, nor does it affect the rights of the parties to enforce any other provision of this Agreement at any time.

6.19 No Benefit for Third Parties: The services to be performed by the Contractor pursuant to the Agreement with the City are intended solely for the benefit of the City, and no benefit is conferred hereby, nor is any contractual relationship established herewith, upon or with any person or entity not a party to the Agreement. No such person or entity shall be entitled to rely on the Contractor's performance of its services hereunder, and no right to assert a claim against the City or the Contractor, its officers, employees, agents, or contractors shall accrue to the Contractor or to any subcontractors, independently retained professional consultant, supplier, fabricator, manufacturer, lender, tenant, insurer, surety, or any other third party as a result of this Agreement or the performance or non-performance of the Contractor's services hereunder.

6.20 Non-Reliance of Parties: Parties explicitly agree that they have not relied upon any earlier or outside representations other than what has been included in the Agreement. Furthermore, neither party has been induced to enter into this Agreement by anything other than the specific written terms set forth herein.

6.21 Force Majeure: Neither party shall be liable to the other for any delay or failure to perform any of the services or obligations set forth in this Agreement due to causes beyond its reasonable control, and performance times shall be considered extended for a period of time equivalent to the time lost because of such delay plus a reasonable period of time to allow the parties to recommence performance of their respective obligations hereunder. Should a circumstance of force majeure last more than ninety (90) days, either party may by written notice to the other terminate this Agreement. The term "force majeure" as used herein shall means the following: acts of God; strikes, 12 | P a g e lockouts or other industrial disturbances; acts of public enemies; orders or restraints of any kind of the government of the United States or of the State or any of their departments, agencies or officials, or any civil or military authority;

insurrections, riots, landslides, earthquakes, fires, storms, tornadoes, droughts, floods, explosions, breakage or accident to machinery, transmission pipes or canals; or any other cause or event not reasonably within the control of either party.

6.22 Funding: The City's performance and obligation to pay under this contract is subject to funding contingent upon an annual appropriation.

The City reserves the right to negotiate the annual cap for future rewards based on extreme market conditions.

6.23 Indemnification and Hold Harmless: The successful proposer will be required to sign a contract with the City which contains the following indemnification clause. This indemnification clause will not be altered in any way. Failure to agree with this indemnification clause in the contract may result in the City moving to the next responsible responsive proposer.

Contractor shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City, its officers, employees and agents from any and all liabilities which may accrue against the City, its officers, employees and agents or any third party for any and all lawsuits, claims, demands, losses or damages alleged to have arisen from an act or omission of Contractor in performance of this Agreement or from Contractor's failure to perform this Agreement using ordinary care and skill, except where such injury, damage, or loss was caused by the sole negligence of the City, its agents or employees. The amount and type of insurance coverage requirements set forth in this Agreement will in no way be construed as limiting the scope of the indemnity in this section.

Contractor shall save, indemnify and hold the City harmless from the cost of the defense of any claim, demand, suit or cause of action made or brought against the City alleging liability referenced above, including, but not limited to, costs, fees, attorney fees, and other expenses of any kind whatsoever arising in connection with the defense of the City; and Contractor shall assume and take over the defense of the City in any such claim, demand, suit, or cause of action upon written notice and demand for same by the City. Contractor will have the right to defend the City with counsel of its choice that is satisfactory to the City, and the City will provide reasonable cooperation in the defense as Contractor may request. Contractor will not consent to the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement with respect to an indemnified claim without the prior written consent of the City, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed. The City shall have the right to participate in the defense against the indemnified claims with counsel of its choice at its own expense.

Contractor shall save, indemnify and hold City harmless and pay judgments that shall be rendered in any such actions, suits, claims or demands against City alleging liability referenced above.

The indemnification and hold harmless provisions of this Agreement shall survive termination of the Agreement.

6.24 Termination: The City may terminate this Agreement at any time, with or without cause, by written notice of termination to the Contractor.

If the City terminates this Agreement, and such termination is not a result of a default by the Contractor, the Contractor shall be entitled to receive as its sole and exclusive remedy the following amounts from the City, and the City shall have no further or other obligations to the Contractor: the amount due to the Contractor for work executed through the date of termination, not including any future fees, profits, or other compensation or payments which the Contractor would have been entitled to receive if this Agreement had not been terminated.

The City may, by written notice of default to the Contractor, terminate the whole or any part of this Agreement if the Contractor fails to perform any provisions of this Agreement and does not cure such failure within a period of ten

(10) days (or such longer period as the Purchasing Agent may authorize in writing) after receipt of said notice from the Purchasing Agent specifying such failure. If this Agreement is terminated in whole or in part for default, the City may procure, upon such terms and in such manner as the Purchasing Agent may deem appropriate, supplies or services similar to those terminated.

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6.25 By submitting a response to this solicitation, the submitting entity agrees to all terms and conditions established in this RFP, including its contract requirements. Additionally, the submitting entity certifies receipt of, and compliance with, all submission affidavits and certifications.

VII. Instructions to Submitting Entities All submissions of proposals shall comply with the following instructions. These instructions ensure that (1) submissions contain the information and documents required by the City’s RFP and (2) the submissions have a degree of uniformity to facilitate evaluation.

7.1 General

Submission forms and RFQ documentation may be obtained, at no charge, from the City of Knoxville Purchasing Division located within the City/County Building at 400 Main Street, Room 667, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902. Documents will be available on or after August 22, 2025 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday or by calling 865-215-2070. RFQ information and forms are also available on the City web site at www.knoxvilletn.gov/purchasing where it can be read or printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader software.

7.2 Submission Information

Proposals may be submitted electronically through the City’s Procurement website, or by hard copy, delivered to the Purchasing Division. Only one submission is required.

Option 1 - Electronic Submission Procedures:

Electronic submissions must be submitted online through the City’s Procurement website. DO NOT EMAIL YOUR

SUBMISSION.

All proposers/bidders must register as a vendor in order to submit an electronic file.

Step One: Register as a City of Knoxville vendor (Vendors are encouraged to complete this step now to ensure seamless submission process prior to deadline.)

To register as a vendor:

• Visit the website at www.knoxvilletn.gov/purchasing

• Click the “Vendor Registration” link

• Click the link titled “Click here to register as a City of Knoxville Vendor”

• Follow the prompts to complete online registration. There is no cost to register as a vendor with the City of

Knoxville.

o Note: An account activation email will be emailed to you and may be sent to your spam or junk folder.

DO NOT WAIT UNTIL SUBMISSION DEADLINE TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR. The electronic submission link will be disabled at 11:00:00 a.m. Eastern time. Vendors will not have the ability to submit any electronic files once the deadline has passed and the City will accept no late submissions.

Step Two: Submit all materials electronically as one (1) file to City’s Procurement website PRIOR to 11:00:00 a.m.

(Eastern Time) on the submission due date.

To submit electronic file:

• Visit the City’s solicitation website at https://www.bidnetdirect.com/tennessee/cityofknoxville

• Select “RFP - Special Event Permitting System”

• Click “Place Bid” (located in the blue bar at top of screen)

• Follow the prompts to upload and submit electronic file o The City prefers only one (1) bid file per submission. Files MUST use the following naming convention, listing the firm’s name followed by the title of the project. Example: “ABC Company – RFP - Special Event Permitting System.pdf.” Should you need to merge multiple documents into one PDF please utilize Google to download a free software intended for merging pdf documents.

http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/purchasing https://www.bidnetdirect.com/tennessee/cityofknoxville

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Option 2 - Hard Copy Submission Procedures:

If submitting online through the City’s Procurement website, a hard copy is not required.

Proposals shall include one original and one electronic copy of the proposal (.pdf format on CD or USB drive only - mark the storage device with the company name); the electronic version shall be an exact duplicate of the original, and the electronic version will be the official document exhibited in the contract. Electronic submissions must be included with the sealed submissions; do not email your submission.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The original hard copy submitted proposal must bear an original signature, signed in ink (duplicated signatures substituted for original ink signatures may result in rejection of the proposals). The signature must be entered above the typed or printed name and title of the signer. All proposals must be signed by an officer of the company authorized to bind the firm to a contract.

Proposals will be received until 11:00:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on the submission date. Each proposal must be submitted in a sealed envelope addressed to:

City of Knoxville Purchasing Division

City/County Building 400 Main Street, Room 667 Knoxville, Tennessee 37902

IMPORTANT NOTE: Each mailing envelope or carton containing a hardcopy proposal must be sealed and plainly marked on the outside “RFP - Special Event Permitting System.” The Purchasing Division receives many bids and proposals for any number of solicitations; unlabeled submissions are extremely difficult to match to their appropriate solicitations and therefore may be rejected.

Any proposals received after the time and date on the cover sheet will not be considered. It shall be the sole responsibility of the submitting entity to have the proposal delivered to the City of Knoxville Purchasing Division on or before that date.

Late proposals will not be considered. Proposals that arrive late due to the fault of United States Postal Service, United Parcel Service, DHL, FEDEX, any delivery/courier service, or any other carrier of any sort are still considered late and shall not be accepted by the City. Such proposals shall remain unopened and will be returned to the submitting entity upon request.

7.3 Format

Proposals shall be structured as follows:

1. Title Page

2. Table of Contents

3. Submission Forms:

A. Submission Affidavits and Certifications B. Form S-1 C. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions

4. Body of Proposal: Information which submitting entity wishes to include addressing the Scope of Service and Evaluation Criteria

NOTE: All required submission forms may be found in this solicitation document.

7.4 Evaluation of Proposals

All qualified submissions received by the deadline will be analyzed by the Evaluation Committee according to the criteria outlined in these specifications. Failure to comply with the provisions of the RFP may cause any proposal to be ineligible for evaluation. Each submittal of proposals will be initially analyzed and judged according to the Evaluation Criteria above. The maximum score is 100 points.

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The City reserves full discretion to determine the capability of proposing entities. Proposers, if asked, will provide, in a timely manner, any and all information that the City deems necessary to make such a decision. In addition to materials provided in the written responses to this RFP, the Committee may request additional material, information, references, a site visit, or a live test demonstration from the submitting entity or others.

The Evaluation Committee may or may not decide to interview any or all proposing entities at a time and date determined by the City in order to address questions and more fully ascertain how the solution…