RFQ 1725 AQP Wavelength Monitor .docx

State of Washington, Department of Ecology Solicitation Number RFQ 1725 AQP , 10-WAVELENGTH BLACK CARBON MONITOR

REQUEST FOR QUOTE (RFQ)

at 5:00 P.M. (Lacey, WA Time)

Procurement Coordinator: Nicki Christoffer Phone: (360) 407-7021 Fax: (360) 407-7153 E-Mail: nchr461@ecy.wa.gov

Instructions To Bidders:

· Contact the Procurement Coordinator identified above with any questions about this solicitation.

· Quotes must be received on or before the Quote Due Date and Time by Ecology to be considered responsive.

· Bidder is responsible for actual delivery of their bid to the address shown below before the Quote Due Date and Time.

· Quote must contain a signature of a duly authorized officer or agent of the Bidder’s company empowered with the right to bind the Bidder. For Electronic submissions by email, attach a scanned PDF of the signature page to your Quote.

How To Respond On This Bidding Opportunity:

· Electronic and Faxed bids will be accepted.

· Submit responses directly to the Procurement Coordinator identified above.

· Identify the Procurement Coordinator, Solicitation Number, and Solicitation Title in the subject line of the email or fax cover page.

· If faxing, submit your bid early and request an acknowledgement of receipt. If an acknowledgement is not timely received assume a problem, contact the Procurement Coordinator and/or resubmit.

· For hand delivered responses, please coordinate with the Procurement Coordinator for receiving.

Quotes Must Be Received On Or Before The Due Date & Time At This Location:

· Physical delivery address: Department of Ecology, Fiscal Office, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98503

· USPS mailing address: Department of Ecology, Fiscal Office, PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600

· Faxed: (360) 407-7153 or Emailed to nchr461@ecy.wa.gov.

· Ecology Headquarter’s Driving Directions: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/directory_hq.html.

ANNOUNCEMENT AND SPECIAL INFORMATION:

Bidders are required to read, understand, and accept all information contained within this entire quotation package. By responding to this quote the bidder agrees to read, understand, and accept these documents, and the terms and conditions. The terms and conditions documents are available at http://www.des.wa.gov/services/ContractingPurchasing/Business/BidOpportunities/Pages/Competitive-Procurement-Standards.aspx.

If awarded, the issuance of a purchase order reflects acceptance of your quotation. Purchase Orders will be transmitted in electronic form with no wet signature; this will be acceptable to and accepted by the awarded vendor.

In support of the State’s economic and environmental goals, we encourage you to consider the following elements in responding to our solicitations. These are not a factor of award (unless otherwise specified in this document):

· Using environmentally preferable products and products that exceed EPA guidelines.

· Supporting a diverse supplier pool, including small, minority, veteran, and women-owned firms.

· Featuring products made or grown in Washington.

SCOPE:

The purpose of this RFQ is to purchase one 10-wavelength black carbon monitor for the Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program in accordance with RCW 39.26.

BACKGROUND:

The Air Quality Program is conducting a study in a diesel-impacted community of ambient concentrations of diesel exhaust markers, including black carbon. Measurement of black carbon requires a monitor that can collect aerosol particles on a filter medium and measure optical absorption of collected particles at the 880 nm wavelength at a minimum. The Air Quality Program is looking to purchase a monitor that can measure optical absorption at 10 different wavelengths (370, 430, 470, 525, 565, 590, 660, 700, 880, and 950 nm) in order to compare absorption rates across a broader spectrum. This comparison will yield valuable information about particle sources and composition.

DELIVERY TIME:

Delivery time is of essence and may be a factor in making an award:

· The units must be received by 4/17/2017 to the below address.

· Bidder is to identify the delivery lead-time (ARO) with quote.

PURCHASER SHIP TO LOCATION:

Washington State Department of Ecology, Air Quality Program 300 Desmond Drive SE Lacey, WA 98503

SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

a. Bid Pricing: The bid price will remain firm and fixed for 60 days from the due date of this solicitation, and may be accepted at any time within this time period. With the exception of sales tax, all pricing, including but not limited to shipping, MUST be rolled into the Unit Price of the items identified herein. No other separate pricing will be allowed or honored. Quote prices must include all cost components needed for the delivery of the goods and/or services as described in this solicitation document. Failure to identify all costs in a manner consistent with the instructions in this Solicitation is sufficient grounds for disqualification.

b. Freight Cost: All quoted pricing is to be FOB Destination, freight prepaid and included, to the destination specified herein. Each bid line item is to include freight cost; there is no separate freight line.

c. Request for Samples: The Purchaser reserves the right to ask for samples, competitive demonstrations, and/or descriptive literature at Bidder’s expense. Samples or literature may be requested at any time after bid opening and prior to bid award. Failure to provide requested samples or literature within fifteen (15) calendar days after request, unless an extension is granted, will result in bid rejection.

d. Dealer Authorization: The Bidder, if other than the manufacturer, shall provide upon request a current, dated, and signed authorization from the manufacturer that the Bidder is an authorized distributor, dealer or service representative and is authorized to sell the manufacturer’s products. Failure to provide manufacturer’s authorization upon request may result in Bid rejection

e. Warranty: Bidder is to send a copy of the warranty with items delivered. Warranty shall be for full parts and labor, and the warranty period shall be for a minimum period of one (1) year after receipt of materials or equipment by the Purchaser. In the event of conflict between contract terms and conditions and the warranty submitted, to afford the state maximum benefits, the contract terms and conditions shall prevail.

f. Warranty Repair: Bidder is to identify the manufacturer warranty repair facility. Contractor shall be liable for all costs associated with warranty repair(s), including, but not limited to, materials, parts, labor, and shipping due to the failure of the equipment during the warranty period.

g. Materials and Workmanship: Contractor shall be required to furnish all materials, equipment and/or services necessary to perform contractual requirements. All materials or equipment provided shall be new, unused, of the latest model or design and of recent manufacture. Materials and workmanship in the construction of equipment for this contract shall conform to all codes, regulations and requirements for such equipment, specifications contained herein, and the normal uses for which intended. Materials shall be manufactured in accordance with the best commercial practices and standards for this type of equipment.

h. Specifications: Bidder is to complete the specification sheet and return with bid, failure to complete may be cause to find your quote non-responsive. All products and services delivered against resulting order shall meet bid specifications identified herein. By submission of this bid, the Bidder certifies that all goods and services delivered against this contract will be in compliance with the specifications identified herein. Any noted specification exceptions may be considered non-responsive at the sole discretion of Ecology.

i. Standard of Quality: Bidder is to identify if bidding the standard of quality or not. Bidder offering a product other than the manufacturer/brand and part number identified herein as the standard of quality shall submit descriptive literature with their Quote. Descriptive literature shall clearly describe how the product bid is equal in quality, function, and performance to the product specified/described herein. Ecology at its sole discretion will evaluate any product marked equal by the bidder and it must be approved by Ecology. Bids without sufficient documentation to fully support equality, may be considered non-responsive. The state reserves the right to request additional information for bid evaluation purposes. Failure to provide descriptive literature within fifteen (15) calendar days after requested, unless an extension is granted, will result in bid rejection. Ecology may accept or not accept exceptions to the standard of quality at its sole discretion.

j. Bidder Questions: Bidders are responsible for communicating to the Procurement Coordinator any issues, exceptions, additions, or omissions before the quote due date and time. Specific questions must be submitted via e-mail. The answer to any question given orally or via email is considered tentative, unofficial, and non-binding on Ecology. If any changes result, written amendments will be made and provided to Vendors by posting them on WEBS.

k. Exceptions: Any exceptions are to be communicated and accompanied with a proposed alternative said to meet or exceed minimum mandatory specification requirements and include supporting documentation. The Purchasing Coordinator will review any exceptions and supporting documentation in determining whether or not the proposed alternative will be acceptable. The decision as to whether or not the proposed alternative will be acceptable will be at the sole discretion of Ecology. If the proposed alternative is determined to be acceptable then it will be communicated via an amendment. Otherwise, any bid that does not conform to the minimum mandatory specification will be deemed non-responsive thus be ineligible for award. Only those bidders who propose a solution that meets or exceed the minimum mandatory specifications will receive further consideration.

l. Changes: Any modifications or contingencies submitted by the Bidder will not be accepted. Under no circumstances is a Bidder to submit their own standard contract terms and conditions as a Response to this solicitation. The terms and conditions of any other contract shall have no force or effect. Any additions, changes, or corrections to this solicitation will only be by a written amendment, dated, attached to or incorporated in and made a part of this solicitation document.

m. Amendments: Will be posted on WEBS, https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/bidcalendar.aspx, Department of Enterprise Services’ website for vendors. All changes must be authorized and issued in writing by the Procurement Coordinator.

n. Clarification of Bid: Ecology may contact individual Bidders for the purpose of clarifying whether both parties have a full and complete understanding of the nature of the contractual requirements. In no matter shall such action be construed as negotiations or an indication of Ecology’s intentions to award.

o. Minimum Requirements: Ecology reserves the right to determine at its sole discretion whether a Bidder’s response to a RFQ requirement is sufficient to pass. However, if all Bidders fail to meet any single RFQ requirement, Ecology may reject all quotes and cancel the RFQ or waive the requirement from the RFQ’s requirements for responsiveness.

p. Indefinite Delivery – Indefinite Quantity Purchases: There is no guarantee to the contractor of any orders under the awarded RFQ. However, for one year (365 days) from the original contract award date; the contract will allow the placement of future purchase orders on an as needed basis (also referred to indefinite delivery – indefinite quantity orders) under the same terms and conditions as those established for the initial purchase quantity throughout the term of the contract.

SUBMITTALS:

Bidder is to return the Specification Sheets, Quote Price Sheet, Bidder Information and Signature page, and any descriptive literature as required.

COMPLAINT AND PROTEST REQUIREMENTS:

For Complaints and Protests concerning this solicitation, see Appendix A, Complaints and Protests Procedures regarding the grounds for, filing, and resolution of complaints and protests.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA):

ECOLOGY complies with the ADA and related federal and state laws and regulations. To request ADA reasonable accommodations for public access and mobility for attending meetings, printed materials in a format for the hearing or visually impaired, or ADA parking please contact the Procurement Coordinator. Persons with impaired hearing may call Washington Relay Service at 711 and those with speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341. Vendors may contact the Procurement Coordinator to receive this solicitation in Braille or on tape.

AWARD:

Award will be made based on the lowest responsive and responsible bidder in accordance with RCW 39.26. Ecology reserves the right to award on an All or Nothing consolidated basis taking into consideration reduction in administrative costs as well as unit bid prices.

Ecology reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the Response submitted; i.e., there will be no best and final offer request. Therefore, the Quote should be submitted on the most favorable terms that Bidder intends to offer.

MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS:

Bidder is to complete below form and return with quote:

Standard of Quality(SOQ): Met One BC-1054 or approved equal Mfg: MetOne Instruments, Inc.

Web page: http://www.metone.com/?wpfb_dl=518

|_|SOQ

|_|EQUAL

Performance Requirements

TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICE:

Company Name: ________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________ City: ________________________ State: _________ Zip: ________________ Contact Person: _________________________________________________ Phone: _______________ FAX: _____________ E-mail: ________________

QUOTE PRICE SHEET:

Bidder is to complete and return (Bidder is to bid all items and include all shipping and freight cost per line item to be responsive). Quantities are for cost evaluation purposes only and may not reflect actual quantities purchased under this RFQ.

Bidder Name:

Refer to Minimum Specifications.

Identify Product Bid:

Mfg.:

Part/Model:

Subtotal *(Unit bid pricing includes all freight cost; palletizing, packaging, shipping charges, etc.)

Prompt Payment Discount:

(Identify if Prompt Payment Discount is available. Offers for 30 days or greater will be included in price evaluation)

_____Days

Total Bid Cost (Minus any prompt payment discount)

WARRANTY REPAIR FACILITY:

Company Name: ________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________ City: ________________________ State: ____________________ Zip: ________________ Contact Person: _________________________________ Phone: ____________________ FAX: _________________ E-mail: ___________________

BIDDER INFORMATION AND OFFER SIGNATURE:

Bidder further offers to furnish materials, equipment or services in compliance with all terms, conditions, and specifications herein, including all amendments.

Submitting this document constitutes complete understanding and compliance with the terms and conditions and certifies that all-necessary facilities and personnel are available and established at the time of bid submittal.

Bidder has read and agreed to all terms and conditions identified herein. This offer is executed by the person signing below, who warrant they have authority to execute the offer.

DO NOT FORGET A SIGNATURE

(Company Name)

(Signature) (Date)

(Address)

(Typed Name)

(City) (State) (Zip)

(Title)

(Federal Tax Identification Number) (Do not provide SSN)

(Phone and Fax Numbers)

WA State UBI no. (if available)

(Email)

Ecology Authorized Signature Agency Name: Department of Ecology Program:

Signature: Date:

Name:

APPENDIX A

Complaints and Protest Procedures

This Complaint and Protest Procedures are in compliance with RCW 39.26.170 and Department of Enterprise Services Policy # DES-170-00. Complaints and Protests that do not follow these below procedures will not be considered.

These procedures provide the following information:

1) Minimum requirements for a complaint process and a protest process.

2) The criteria for filing a complaint or protest.

3) Agency response requirements and timelines.

Complaint Process Before Bid Due Deadline:

The purpose of a complaint process is to settle unresolved vendor issues or concerns that have not been resolved before the bid is due. The complaint process allows vendors to focus on the solicitation requirements and evaluation process, and raise issues with these processes so to allow an agency time to correct a problem before bids are submitted. Any vendor may submit a Complaint.

1. Complaints shall meet the following requirements:

a) Must be in writing, can be sent via Email.

b) Must be sent to the Procurement Coordinator, or designee.

c) Must be submitted at least five (5) business days before the bid submissions deadline.

d) Should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint.

e) Should include a proposed remedy.

2. Complaints shall meet any of the following reasons:

a) The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition.

b) The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed.

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

3. Complaints will be handled as follows:

a) The bid procurement coordinator or designee will respond to complaints in writing.

b) Agency’s response to complaints including any changes to the solicitation will be posted on WEBS.

c) Agency head will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of the agency's response.

d) All communications relative to a complaint must be coordinated through the person conducting the review.

e) Vendor’s complaint may not be raised again during the protest period.

f) Agency complaint process does not include an appeal process.

Protest Process Before Final Award:

The purpose of a protest process is to allow Bidders after the announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder to raise issues related to the evaluation process as set out in the solicitation or how the process was executed. The protest procedure allows the agency to correct evaluation process errors and problems before a contract is executed.

1. Debriefing Opportunity:

a) Bidders may request a debriefing conference after the announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB).

b) Bidders have three (3) business days after the announcement of the ASB to request a debriefing conference.

c) Debriefing conference may be held in person at the agency or by phone.

d) Bidders must participate in a debriefing conference before submitting a protest.

2. Protest Period:

a) Bidders have five (5) business days after their debriefing conference to file a protest.

b) Only Bidders that had a Debriefing conference are allowed to file a protest.

c) Bidder must submit a protest in writing to the Procurement Coordinator.

d) Protests may submit via email, but must be followed by an original signed document.

e) A protest must be received within five (5) calendar days of written notice to file a protest.

f) If a protest is not received within these above time frames it will be untimely and the Procurement Coordinator may proceed with the award without further obligation.

3. Protest Reason, a protest must be based on any of the following reasons:

a) A matter of bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator.

b) Errors in computing the scores.

c) Non-compliance with procedures described in the procurement document or agency protest process or Department of Enterprise Services’ requirements.

4. A protest must include the following:

a) Must reference the bid title and number.

b) A clear and orderly presentation of the protested reason(s) with supportive facts.

c) Description of the relief or corrective action being requested.

5. Agency Review Actions:

a) Agency will assign a neutral party that had no involvement in the evaluation and award process to investigate and respond to the protest.

b) Agency will communicate to the Protester who is the official contact for the protest. All communications relative to a solicitation that is being protested must be coordinated through that person conducting the official review for the Agency.

c) Agency will notify the Apparent Successful Bidder that a protest has been filed and may provide the Apparent Successful Bidder an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest.

d) Agency will issue a written protest response no more than ten (10) business days from receipt of the protest, unless additional time is needed by the agency. The agency will notify the protesting bidder if additional time is needed.

e) Agency protest decision is final and no appeal process is allowed. If a protesting bidder does not accept the agency’s protest response, the bidder may try to seek relief from superior court.

f) Agency may sign a contract before the protest process is completed when the Department of Enterprise Services’ Director grants the agency the authority to do so.

g) Once the agency protest response is issued, the agency head and the Department of Enterprise Services’ Director will be provided a copy of the original protest and the agency's response.

6. Protest final determination shall take one of the following actions:

a) Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold Ecology’s action, and reject the protest.

b) Find only insignificant technical, immaterial or harmless errors in Ecology’s procurement process and determine Ecology to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest.

c) If Ecology determines that the protest is without merit, then Ecology will enter into a contract with the apparent successful bidder.

d) If the protest is determined to have merit, then one of the alternatives noted below will occur:

1. Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals.

2. Reissue the solicitation document and begin a new process.

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

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