RFQ 17A 260709-007 - Reflective Adhesive Sheeting for Signs, 3M or Equivalent.pdf

State of Maine RFQ# 17A 260709-007 Rev. 3/30/2026

STATE OF MAINE

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT SERVICES

RFQ # 17A 260709-007

Reflective Adhesive Sheeting for Signs, 3M or Equivalent

Quotations/Responses Due: 09/09/2026 not later than 4:00 p.m. local time

Note: All questions and responses must be provided via the State of Maine’s e-Procurement system: AdvantageME / Vendor Self Service (VSS). Questions can be submitted up to 48 hours prior to closure date and time. Not all questions will be answered.

General Instructions on Bidder Questions

It is the responsibility of each Bidder to examine the entire RFQ and to seek clarification by submitting questions through the Q & A List tab on the Solicitation page in the CGI Vendor Self Service (VSS). Any answers to questions will appear there as well. It is the vendor's responsibility to log in to view all questions and answers posted. Additional information obtained any other way will not be valid.

In the event that you must contact us for any other reasons than the Q & A previously mentioned, only the Buyer listed on the Solicitation page may be contacted from the time this RFQ is issued until award notification is made. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding this RFQ. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.

Summary

For this competitive Request for Quotations (RFQ) process, the State of Maine Office of State Procurement Services (“OSPS”) is acting on behalf of the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) (“Requesting Department”). OSPS and the Requesting Department seek quotations (also referred to as “bids” or “responses” herein) to provide the goods/services listed above. This document provides instructions and descriptions of requirements for this competitive process.

RFQ REQUIREMENTS

Purpose

The purpose of this RFQ is to establish a Master Agreement that will permit State of Maine Departments and Agencies to purchase reflective adhesive sheeting and related sign-making materials, 3M or approved equivalent, on an as-needed basis.

1. Essential Bid Documents

All bids should include the following documentation. The State reserves the right to request supplementary documentation to verify compliance with all bid specifications and requirements. The State may request proof of compliance at any time, which must be provided within forty-eight (48) hours. Failure to do so may result in the rejection of a bid.

• RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet. Bid price sheet must be submitted as an EXCEL document without links to other spreadsheets, bidder-added formulas or other alterations.

• Manufacturer Literature: Bidders must attach manufacturer literature for the items being bid. Bidders can include product specifications in their quote to be used in conjunction with or in place of manufacture literature.

• Equivalency Documentation: Bidders proposing any product other than the specified 3M product must submit the line-by-line comparison and supporting technical documentation required by Appendix B. Equivalency will be determined by

MDOT.

• Warranty Information

• Appendix A: Bid Cover Page and Responsible Bidder Form

• Appendix D: Municipality, Political Subdivision Participation Certification

• Appendix E: Master Agreement Vendor Contact and Contract Signer Information

2. Contract Term

In addition to any mutually agreed upon delivery dates for purchases of goods, the contract resulting from this RFQ will have a term, or “Period of Performance”, during which the contract is considered to be in effect. The anticipated contract term is defined in the table below. Please note that the dates below are estimated and may be adjusted as necessary in order to comply with all procedural requirements associated with this RFQ and the contracting process. The actual contract start and end dates will be established by the completed and approved contract.

Contract Renewal: Following the initial term of the contract, OSPS, at its discretion, may opt to renew the contract for four (4) extension periods as defined below.

The term of the anticipated contract, resulting from this RFQ, is defined as follows:

Period Start Date End Date

Initial Period of Performance 10/01/2026 09/30/2027 Optional Extension Period #1 10/01/2027 09/30/2028 Optional Extension Period #2 10/01/2028 09/30/2029 Optional Extension Period #3 10/01/2029 09/30/2030 Optional Extension Period #4 10/01/2030 09/30/2031

3. Submitting a Quotation

a. Quotations Due: Quotations must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern

Time (ET), on the date listed in VSS. Quotations received after the 4:00 p.m.

deadline will not be accepted.

b. Submission Instructions: Bidders must submit their bids in the State of Maine’s electronic procurement system: Advantage “Vendor Self Service” (VSS). More information on this system can be found at the following internet link:

https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system

c. Multiple Quotations: Unless specifically prohibited in Section 1 of this RFQ, Bidders are permitted to submit multiple quotations for this RFQ, offering alternative items or pricing for the State of Maine to consider in its best value determination.

d. Withdrawal of a Quotation: Bidders are permitted to withdraw their own quotations up until the due date and time for receipt of quotations. To do so, a Bidder must enter the VSS system (as referenced above), identify and open their submitted quotation located in the Solicitation Responses tab, and click the “Withdraw” button found at the bottom of the screen. Quotations cannot be withdrawn after the due date and time for receipt of quotations.

e. Attachments: Any attachments provided with the Advantage VSS bid submission must be in MS Word, MS Excel, or Adobe (.pdf) format, unless otherwise specified in Section 1 of this RFQ. Vendors are encouraged to submit supporting documentation that aid the requesting department in understanding how the bid conforms to the requirements. The VSS attachment file size limit is 15Mb. Please contact the buyer for this RFQ if you must submit attachment files larger than this.

f. Vendor specifications: Unless otherwise stated in this RFQ document, limited specification information will be required upon submission of a bid in response to this https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/vendors/vendor-self-service-system

RFQ. However, a Bidder’s response should include an affirmative statement that their bid complies with all requirements of this RFQ, unless the Bidder specifically addresses how its bid differs from the specifications, and why the differences should be deemed acceptable by the State.

4. General Instructions

a. The Bidder must submit a cost quotation response that covers the goods and term of the contract, including any optional renewal.

b. The cost quotation shall include the costs necessary for the Bidder to fully comply with the contract terms and conditions and RFQ requirements.

c. Failure to provide the requested information may result in the exclusion of the quotation from consideration, at the discretion of OSPS.

d. No costs related to the preparation of the quotation for this RFQ or to the negotiation of the contract with the Department may be included in the quotation.

e. The State is exempt from the payment of Federal, State and local Taxes on articles not for resale. Please provide quotations that do not include these taxes. Upon application, an exemption certificate can be furnished by the State at the point of contract finalization.

5. Quotation Evaluation and Selection

Evaluation of the submitted quotations shall be accomplished as detailed below:

a. State of Maine RFQs are evaluated on a Best Value basis. “Best Value” means that bids are assessed for compliance with all specifications, required purposes, delivery timelines, and the overall interests of the State. Once OSPS determines that a bid meets all specifications and requirements, the RFQ award will be made to the lowest-priced qualified Bidder.

b. By submitting a quote, bidders affirm compliance with both specifications and requirements. The State may request proof of compliance at any time, which must be provided within forty-eight (48) hours. Failure to do so may result in the rejection of a bid.

c. The State reserves the right to not make an award to the lowest price bidder when that bidder has had documented poor performance, and/or a contract terminated or not renewed within the last five years.

d. At the discretion of OSPS, if a Bidder’s submission is deemed to not conform to the specifications listed in the RFQ, or otherwise not conform to the requirements of the RFQ, then that Bidder’s submission may not be considered for contract award.

e. In the event that no Bidder submission conforms to the specifications of this RFQ, then OSPS may choose not to make any award. Alternatively, OSPS may make an award to the Best Value Bidder whose specifications most closely meet the specifications of this RFQ. For example, if there are five specification requirements, and two responses are received with one Bidder meeting four requirements, and one bidder meeting three requirements, then OSPS, at its discretion, may make a contract award to the Bidder meeting four requirements.

f. If the specifications provided with this RFQ are of a technical nature, then OSPS’s RFQ Coordinator, at his or her discretion, may seek to use an evaluation team comprised of subject matter experts, end-users from the Requesting Department, or other State Department representatives. In such a case, the evaluation team will judge the merits of the quotations received in accordance with the best value criteria defined in the RFQ.

6. Negotiations

a. No Best and Final Offers: The State of Maine will not seek a best and final offer (BAFO) from any Bidder in this procurement process. All Bidders are expected to provide their Best Value pricing with the submission of their quotation.

b. OSPS reserves the right to negotiate with the successful Bidder to finalize a contract at the same rate or cost of goods and services as presented in the selected quotation. Such negotiations may not significantly vary the content, nature or requirements of the quotation or the RFQ to an extent that may affect the price of goods or services requested. OSPS reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with a selected Bidder who submits a proposed contract significantly different from the quotation submitted in response to the RFQ.

c. In the event that an acceptable contract cannot be negotiated with the highest ranked Bidder, OSPS may withdraw its award and negotiate with the next-highest ranked Bidder, and so on, until an acceptable contract has been finalized.

Alternatively, OSPS may cancel the RFQ, at its sole discretion.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RFQ AND CONTRACT

PART I GENERAL INFORMATION ON RFQs

A. Purpose and Background

The State of Maine (“State”) Department of Administrative and Financial Services (“Department”), Office of State Procurement Services (“OSPS”) acts as the purchasing agent on behalf of all Executive Departments and other agencies within State Government. For this competitive Request for Quotations (RFQ) process, OSPS is acting on behalf of the Requesting Department listed on the cover page. OSPS and the Requesting Department seek quotations (also referred to as “bids” or “responses” herein) to provide the goods/services as defined above in Section 1 of this document. This document provides instructions for submitting quotations, the procedure and criteria by which the Bidder(s) will be selected, and the contractual terms which will govern the relationship between the State and the awarded Bidder(s). Following Bidder selection and upon reaching a mutual agreement, the State and the selected Bidder will enter into a contract – taking the form of a State of Maine Master Agreement or Buyer Purchase Order (all generally referred to as “contract” herein), as applicable.

B. General Provisions

1. From the time the RFQ is issued until award notification is made, all contact with the State regarding the RFQ must be made through the RFQ Coordinator. No other person/State employee is empowered to make binding statements regarding the RFQ. Violation of this provision may lead to disqualification from the bidding process, at the State’s discretion.

2. Issuance of the RFQ does not commit the Department to issue an award or to pay expenses incurred by a Bidder in the preparation of a response to the RFQ. This includes attendance at personal interviews or other meetings and software or system demonstrations, where applicable.

3. All proposals must adhere to the instructions and format requirements outlined in the RFQ and all written supplements and amendments (such as the Posted Questions and Answers in the Vendor Self Service), issued by the Department. Bidders must include the required documents with their bid submission to enable the Department to evaluate whether the bid conforms with all posted specifications in Appendix B.

4. Bidders will take careful note that in evaluating a proposal submitted in response to the RFQ, the Department will consider materials provided in the proposal, information obtained through interviews/presentations (if any), and internal Departmental information of previous contract history with the Bidder (if any). The Department also reserves the right to consider other reliable references and publicly available information in evaluating a Bidder’s experience and capabilities.

5. The proposal must be signed by a person authorized to legally bind the Bidder and must contain a statement that the proposal and the pricing contained therein will remain valid and binding for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening.

6. The RFQ and the awarded Bidder’s proposal, including all appendices or attachments, will be the basis for the final contract, as determined by the Department.

7. Following announcement of an award decision, all submissions in response to this RFQ will be public records pursuant to 5 MRSA §1825-B sub-§15, and available for public inspection pursuant to the State of Maine Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) (1 M.R.S. § 401 et seq.). State contracts and information related to contracts, including bid submissions, are generally public records per FOAA.

8. In the event that a Bidder believes any information that it submits in response to this RFQ is confidential, it must mark that information accordingly, and include citation to legal authority in support of the Bidder’s claim of confidentiality. In the event that the https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mainelegislature.org%2Flegis%2Fstatutes%2F5%2Ftitle5sec1825-B.html&data=05%7C02%7CWJE.Allen%40maine.gov%7C1390e78d4c524861dbbd08de8e59b141%7C413fa8ab207d4b629bcdea1a8f2f864e%7C0%7C0%7C639104713422342809%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pUbJI%2FrYOR8S9cAFRcQ8jGG5CZuIo5wYmftv5KBsH8I%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mainelegislature.org%2Flegis%2Fstatutes%2F1%2Ftitle1sec401.html&data=05%7C02%7CWJE.Allen%40maine.gov%7C1390e78d4c524861dbbd08de8e59b141%7C413fa8ab207d4b629bcdea1a8f2f864e%7C0%7C0%7C639104713422369389%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oPZ4VFQCfEyMMNCUeEAQdTU4KwQw2T00PBmqtXGmunk%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mainelegislature.org%2Flegis%2Fstatutes%2F1%2Ftitle1sec401.html&data=05%7C02%7CWJE.Allen%40maine.gov%7C1390e78d4c524861dbbd08de8e59b141%7C413fa8ab207d4b629bcdea1a8f2f864e%7C0%7C0%7C639104713422369389%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oPZ4VFQCfEyMMNCUeEAQdTU4KwQw2T00PBmqtXGmunk%3D&reserved=0

Department receives a FOAA request that includes submissions marked as confidential, the Department shall evaluate the information and any legal authority from the Bidder to determine whether the information is an exception to FOAA’s definition of public record. If the Department determines to release information that a Bidder has marked confidential, it shall provide advance notice to the Bidder to allow for them to seek legal relief.

9. The Department, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to recognize and waive minor informalities and irregularities found in proposals received in response to the RFQ.

10. If awarded a contract resulting from this RFQ, vendors shall be required to disclose, in writing and in accordance with applicable Maine law, any actual or potential conflicts of interest. Such disclosure must include any financial, professional, or personal relationships that could give rise to a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. Failure to disclose a known conflict or appearance of conflict may result in disqualification, contract termination, or other remedies as provided by law.

11. All applicable laws, whether or not herein contained, are included by this reference. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to determine the applicability and requirements of any such laws and to abide by them.

C. Eligibility to Submit Bids

Public agencies, private for-profit companies, and non-profit companies and institutions are invited to submit bids in response to State of Maine Requests for Quotations.

D. Delivery Terms

For the purchase of goods, OSPS and selected Bidder will decide upon a delivery date in accordance with the State’s requirements and the terms offered in the Bidder’s quotation.

Unless stated otherwise in Section 1 of this RFQ, all deliveries are expected with shipping terms of “Free on Board (FOB) – Destination”. The State intends for this to mean that all goods shall be priced in the bid response to include shipping charges, if any, to the State’s desired location. The “FOB – Destination” shipping term is also intended to mean that the State shall not bear any responsibility for the goods in question until the State takes possession of them at the destination point of delivery.

E. Alternate Bids and Approved Equals When, in bid forms and specifications, an article or material is identified by using a trade name and catalog number of a manufacturer or vendor, the term “or approved equal,” if not inserted with the identification, is implied. Any Bidder that seeks to propose an alternate item from what is specified in this RFQ should refer to State of Maine Statute 5 MRSA §1825-B, for “Bids, awards and contracts”, found here:

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/5/title5sec1825-B.html http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/5/title5sec1825-B.html

F. Appeal of Contract Awards

Any person aggrieved by the award decision that results from this RFQ may appeal the decision to the Director of the Bureau of General Services in the manner prescribed in 5 MRSA § 1825-E and 18-554 Code of Maine Rules, Chapter 120 (found here: Chapter 120). The appeal must be in writing and filed with the Director of the Bureau of General Services, 9 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0009 within 15 calendar days of receipt of notification of contract award.

If this RFQ results in the creation of a pre-qualified or pre-approved list of vendors, then the appeal procedures mentioned above are available upon the original determination of that vendor list, but not during subsequent competitive procedures involving only the pre-qualified or pre-approved list participants.

PART II CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONDITIONS

A. Contract Document

The successful Bidder will be required to execute a contract in the form of a State of Maine Buyer Purchase Order, Contract Agreement to Purchase Services or State of Maine Master Agreement.

The Terms and Conditions used with the aforementioned contract types may be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following links:

BPO and MA Terms and Conditions Service Contract Terms and Conditions IT Service Contract Terms and Conditions

In the event that the State of Maine’s Standard Terms and Conditions or RFQ provisions do not otherwise cover contractual scenarios that are specific to the goods or services being purchased under this RFQ, then the State is willing to consider a Bidder’s standard terms and conditions. Consideration or use of a Bidder’s standard terms and conditions shall only occur under the general agreement that in the event of a conflict, the State of Maine’s Standard Terms and Conditions and RFQ provisions shall take precedence.

Other forms and contract documents commonly used by the State can be found on the Office of State Procurement Services’ website at the following link:

https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/forms

B. Independent Capacity https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/policies-procedures/chapter-120 https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/policies-procedures/chapter-120 https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/forms https://www.maine.gov/dafs/bbm/procurementservices/forms

In providing services and performing under the contract, the successful Bidder shall act independently and not as an agent of the State of Maine.

C. Payments and Other Provisions

The State anticipates paying the selected Bidder for goods and services received, on the basis of net 30 payment terms, upon the receipt of an accurate and acceptable invoice. An invoice will be considered accurate and acceptable if it contains a reference to the State of Maine contract number, contains correct pricing information relative to the contract, and provides any required supporting documents, as applicable, and any other specific and agreed-upon requirements listed within the contract that results from this RFQ.

The State of Maine reserves the right to pay for goods purchased through this solicitation by any of several available means, which include but may not be limited to check, EFT, and/or procurement card. Bidders are advised that state statute precludes sellers from imposing a surcharge on credit or debit card purchases (text follows):

“9-A MRSA §8-509 (1): A seller in a sales transaction may not impose a surcharge on a cardholder who elects to use a credit card or debit card in lieu of payment by cash, check or similar means.”

Appendix A

STATE OF MAINE

BID COVER PAGE

Bidder’s Organization Name:

Chief Executive - Name/Title:

Tel: Cell: E-mail:

Headquarters Street Address:

Headquarters City/State/Zip:

(provide information requested below if different from above) Lead Point of Contact for Bid - Name/Title:

Tel: Cell: E-mail:

Street Address:

City/State/Zip:

By signing below Bidder affirms:

• This bid is in compliance with both specifications and requirements. The State may request proof of compliance at any time, which must be provided within forty-eight (48) hours. Failure to do so may result in the rejection of a bid;

• This bid and the pricing structure contained herein will remain firm for a period of 180 days from the date and time of the bid opening;

• That no personnel currently employed by the Department or any other State agency participated, either directly or indirectly, in any activities relating to the preparation of the Bidder’s proposal;

• That no attempt has been made or will be made by the Bidder to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal; and,

• The undersigned is authorized to enter into contractual obligations on behalf of the above-named organization.

Name: Title:

Authorized Signature: Date:

Responsible Bidder Form

By signing this document, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the aforementioned organization, its principals, and any subcontractors named in this proposal:

a. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, and declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from bidding or working on contracts issued by any governmental agency.

b. Have not within three years of submitting the proposal for this contract been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for:

i. fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a federal, state or local government transaction or contract.

ii. violating Federal or State antitrust statutes or committing embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

iii. are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or Local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (b) of this certification; and

iv. have not within a three (3) year period preceding this proposal had one or more federal, state or local government transactions terminated for cause or default.

c. Have not entered into a prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a response for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and this proposal is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. The above-mentioned entities understand and agree that collusive bidding is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards.

• Failure to provide this certification may result in the disqualification of the

Bidder’s proposal, at the discretion of the Department.

To the best of my knowledge all information provided in the enclosed proposal, both programmatic and financial, is complete and accurate at the time of submission.

Name: Title:

Authorized Signature: Date:

Appendix B

DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS

3M or Approved Equivalent

The products identified in the RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet are specified as 3M or approved equivalent because MDOT maintains an existing inventory of 3M products and uses sign-making equipment and production processes designed for those materials.

Products proposed as equivalent must:

1. Meet or exceed the applicable physical, optical, dimensional, adhesive, durability, color, retroreflectivity, and performance requirements of the specified product;

2. Be fully compatible with MDOT’s existing 3M inventory;

3. Be compatible with MDOT’s current sign-making equipment, production processes, inks, overlays, films, laminates, and related materials, as applicable;

4. Be capable of being used with existing 3M products without voiding any applicable manufacturer warranty; and

5. Be suitable for the same intended use and service conditions as the specified product.

Approval of an equivalent product applies only to the product specifically reviewed and does not constitute general approval of the manufacturer’s entire product line.

Required Equivalency Documentation

If the Bidder proposes an equivalent product, the Bidder must submit a line-by-line comparison identifying:

• The applicable RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet line;

• The specified 3M product or product series;

• The proposed manufacturer and equivalent product;

• The corresponding specification or performance characteristic;

• The supporting technical document and page number; and

• An explanation demonstrating equivalency and compatibility.

General statements that a product is “equal,” “comparable,” or “meets industry standards” are insufficient.

The Bidder must submit documentation demonstrating that the proposed equivalent may be used with MDOT’s existing 3M products and current sign-making equipment without voiding any applicable warranties covering MDOT’s existing 3M products or equipment.

Equivalency will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. The final determination of equivalency will be made by MDOT. Failure to submit sufficient equivalency documentation may result in rejection of the proposed equivalent product or the bid, as applicable.

Samples: Samples may be requested during bid evaluation for any product proposed as an equivalent.

If requested, the Bidder must provide the samples at no cost to the State within fourteen (14) calendar days after receiving the request. Samples may be retained by the State and may not be returned.

Failure to provide a requested sample within the required timeframe may result in rejection of the proposed equivalent product or the bid.

Samples may be evaluated for compatibility with MDOT’s existing inventory, sign-making equipment, production processes, inks, overlays, films, laminates, and other related materials.

Master Agreement: The results of this bid process will be the creation of a Master Agreement Contract (MA) that will allow all State of Maine Departments and Agencies to purchase the listed items as needed. The State reserves the right to add other similar items or commodities to the MA if it’s in the State’s best interest but does not obligate the State to purchase similar noncontracted items or commodities from the selected bidder.

Prices: Bid Price must be with shipping terms of “Free on Board (FOB) – Destination”. The State intends for this to mean that all goods shall be priced in the bid response to include shipping charges, if any, to the State’s desired location. The “FOB – Destination” shipping term is also intended to mean that the State shall not bear any responsibility for the goods in question until the State takes possession of them at the destination point of delivery.

Price and Rate Guarantee Period: All quoted prices and rates must be guaranteed for and must remain firm for minimally one year of the initial contract period. Any approved price or rate adjustments must be held firm for minimally one year or the remainder of the contract period. Price adjustment requests must be made by the vendor at least sixty (60) days prior to the effective date. Requests for price adjustments must include sufficient documentation from the manufacturer supporting the request. The price adjustment will not go into effect until the contract amendment has been fully approved by the State of Maine.

Evaluation Quantities: The EVALUATION QUANTITY shown for each item in Catalog Column L of the RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet is used solely for bid evaluation.

Evaluation quantities are weighting figures and do not constitute forecasts, guaranteed purchase quantities, or minimum purchase commitments. Actual purchases will be based on agency needs during the contract term and may be greater or less than the evaluation quantities shown.

Minimum Order: There is no minimum order quantity or minimum dollar value. All orders must be delivered FOB Destination without additional freight, fuel, handling, or small-order charges.

Delivery Locations: The resulting Master Agreement will be available for use by authorized State of Maine Departments and Agencies. Orders may require delivery to State-owned or State-operated facilities throughout Maine.

The specific delivery address and receiving instructions will be provided with each order.

Award: The State anticipates making one award. The State reserves the right to make multiple awards or no award.

To be considered for award, the Bidder must provide an actual offered unit price and delivery days for every item identified in the RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet. Partial bids will not be accepted. A bid containing blank pricing cells, “No Bid,” “N/A,” zero-dollar placeholder pricing, or other entries that do not represent an actual offered price may be rejected as incomplete.

Award will be made to the lowest-priced qualified Bidder whose bid meets the posted specifications and requirements.

The Total Evaluated Bid Price will be calculated by multiplying each offered unit price in Catalog Column J by the applicable Evaluation Quantity in Catalog Column L and adding all Total Extended Prices calculated in Catalog Column M. Evaluation quantities are used solely to establish a common bid-evaluation methodology and do not represent guaranteed usage.

Equivalent products must receive a passing equivalency determination before their pricing will be considered for award.

Delivery and Inspection: Products will be inspected after delivery. Products that do not conform to the RFQ, the accepted bid, the approved manufacturer documentation, an approved equivalent, or the applicable order may be rejected.

Rejected products must be removed and replaced by the Vendor at no additional cost to the State. All costs and risks associated with the return and replacement of nonconforming products are the responsibility of the Vendor.

Delivery Requirement: All ordered products must be delivered within thirty calendar days after the Vendor receives the order.

If the Vendor anticipates that an order cannot be delivered within thirty calendar days, the Vendor must notify the ordering agency promptly and provide the reason for the delay and the anticipated delivery date.

An extended delivery date will not be effective unless accepted by the ordering agency.

Repeated failure to comply with the required delivery period may be considered unsatisfactory contract performance.

List of Items: The attached RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet contains 428 catalog items. The product number, product series, size, color, unit of measure, item description, Extended Description, and other information provided for each Catalog line establish the applicable item-specific requirements.

Product descriptions containing a manufacturer name, series, product number, or trade name establish the required level of quality, compatibility, and performance. Equivalent products may be offered only in accordance with the equivalency requirements of this RFQ.

Appendix C

COST RESPONSE

All responses to this RFQ will require a cost quotation response, in a format selected by the State of Maine. That format is described below.

All bids must be entered in the Vendor Self Service (VSS).

VSS AND RFQ 17A 260709-007 BID PRICE SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

1. Required Bid Submissions

Each Bidder must:

Enter a bid response in Advantage Vendor Self Service (VSS); and Complete and attach the State-provided RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet in Microsoft Excel format.

Both submissions are required.

2. VSS Unit Price

The State provides an Evaluation Quantity for each Catalog item in Column L. Evaluation quantities are used solely for bid evaluation and do not represent estimated or guaranteed usage.

The workbook calculates each Total Extended Price in Catalog Column M by multiplying the Bidder’s unit price in Column J by the applicable Evaluation Quantity in Column L. The Total Evaluated Bid Price is the sum of all Total Extended Prices in Column M.

The Bidder must enter the Total Evaluated Bid Price displayed on the Bid Instructions worksheet as the VSS Unit Price for the single VSS commodity line, Quantity 1, Unit LOT.

The Excel Total Evaluated Bid Price and the VSS Unit Price must match exactly.

Example: If the Total Evaluated Bid Price shown on the Excel RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet is $123,456.78, enter 123456.78 as the VSS Unit Price.

3. RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet

The Bidder must enter an actual offered unit price for every item in Catalog Column J, LIST PRICE. For purposes of this RFQ, the amount entered in LIST PRICE is the Bidder’s unit price for the applicable Catalog item.

Each unit price must:

• Be FOB Destination;

• Include packaging, handling, freight, shipping, fuel surcharges, and all other delivery-related costs; and

• Represent the complete price charged to an authorized user.

The Evaluation Quantity provided in Catalog Column L for each item is used solely for bid evaluation. It is not an estimate or guarantee of actual usage. Bidders must not alter the State-provided Evaluation Quantities.

The Total Evaluated Bid Price will be calculated by adding the extended evaluation price for every item.

4. Complete Pricing Required

The Bidder must provide an actual offered unit price and delivery-days entry for all 428 Catalog items.

Blank pricing cells, “No Bid,” “N/A,” zero-dollar placeholder pricing, or other entries that do not represent an actual offered price may result in rejection of the bid as incomplete.

Blank delivery-days cells or entries outside the permitted range of 1 through 30 calendar days may result in rejection of the bid.

The Bidder must enter information only in the unlocked bidder-information fields and the unlocked Catalog cells in Columns J and K. The Bidder must not add or alter formulas, external links, worksheets, columns, rows, Catalog data, protection settings, or the structure of the State-provided workbook.

Equivalent-Product Information: The Catalog worksheet identifies the State’s specified 3M reference products. Bidders must not replace or alter this reference information in the Catalog worksheet. If proposing an equivalent product, the Bidder must submit a separate line-by-line equivalency comparison and supporting technical documentation that clearly identifies:

• The applicable Catalog row or Bid Price Sheet line;

• The specified 3M product;

• The proposed manufacturer and equivalent product number; and

• The supporting technical documentation required by Appendix B.

Equivalent-product information must be submitted as a separate bid attachment and must not be entered by altering protected Catalog fields.

5. Pricing Discrepancies

The Total Evaluated Bid Price shown in the Excel RFQ 17A 260709-007 Bid Price Sheet must equal the VSS Unit Price.

A discrepancy between the Excel Total Evaluated Bid Price and the VSS Unit Price may result in rejection of the bid. The State will not reconstruct or recalculate a Bidder’s intended total price.

6. Delivery Days

The Bidder must enter the estimated number of calendar days from receipt of order to delivery for every item in Catalog Column K, DELIVERY DAYS.

Entries must be whole numbers from 1 through 30. Every item must be deliverable within thirty calendar days after receipt of order.

The Bidder must also enter delivery days in the VSS Delivery Days field. The VSS Delivery Days entry must equal the longest delivery period offered for any item in Catalog Column K.

Example: If most Catalog items will be delivered within 14 calendar days but one item requires 21 calendar days, enter 21 in the VSS Delivery Days field.

A blank Catalog delivery-days cell, a Catalog entry greater than 30, or a VSS Delivery Days entry greater than 30 does not meet the mandatory delivery requirement and may result in rejection of the bid.

7. VSS Comments

The Bidder may use the VSS Comments field to provide relevant pricing or delivery clarification.

Exceptions, substitutions, assumptions, or proposed equivalent products must not be provided only in the VSS Comments field or by altering the Catalog worksheet. All required supporting documentation must be attached to the bid as directed by this RFQ.

Appendix D

MUNICIPALITY POLITICAL SUBDIVISION and SCHOOL DISTRICT PARTICIPATION

CERTIFICATION

The Office of State Procurement Services is committed to providing purchasing opportunities for municipalities, political subdivisions and school districts in Maine by allowing them access, through our vendors, to our contract pricing.

Orders from Municipality, Political Subdivisions and School Districts (Appendix D): If the bidder elects to permit Municipality, Political Subdivisions and School Districts to utilize the resulting Master Agreement Contract, The State of Maine will not be responsible for any order placed by these groups. All orders will originate from these groups and they will be liable for all payments.

Will you accept orders from political subdivisions and school districts in Maine at the prices quoted?

_____ Yes

_____ Yes, with conditions as follows:

______ No

Name of Company: __________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Signature: __________________________________________________________________

Printed Name: ______________________________________________________________

Date: ___________________________

Appendix E

MASTER AGREEMENT VENDOR CONTACT and

CONTRACT SIGNER INFORMATION

This bid process will result in the creation of a Master Agreement Contract (MA) which will permit users to order contracted items as needed.

Ordering Procedures: Orders valued over $10,000 must be placed through a Delivery Order (DO) in AdvantageME. If a DO is used, the DO will be emailed as a PDF to the email address identified on the resulting Master Agreement. Orders valued at $10,000 or less may be placed using a State of Maine-issued P-Card, up to the cardholder’s authorized spending limit, or through a DO in AdvantageME.

Please provide the following information for the primary person authorized users may contact to place orders not submitted through a DO, follow up on orders, and address invoice or delivery questions:

Contact Person Name: _________________________________________________

Telephone: ______________________________________________

Email Address: ___________________________________________

The MA Documents will be emailed via DocuSign to be reviewed and signed, please provide the following information for the person who will sign the MA contract documents:

Contract Signer Name: ___________________________________________________

Title: _____________________________________________________

Email Address: _____________________________________________