RFQQ 2023HCA17.pdf

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND QUOTATIONS (RFQQ)

RFQQ NO. 2023HCA17

NOTE: If you download this RFQQ from any source other than the Washington Electronic Business

Solution (WEBS), you are responsible for registering in WEBS for your organization to receive any

RFQQ amendments, including Bidder questions/agency answers. HCA is not responsible for any failure of your organization to register in WEBS or any other repercussions that may result to your organization because of this failure.

PROJECT TITLE: Meeting Scheduling Polling Tool

BID DUE DATE: April 19 by 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Olympia, Washington, USA.

Only e-mailed bids will be accepted.

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: June 10, 2024, to June 10, 2025

The Health Care Authority reserves the right to extend the contract for up to five (5) additional one-year (1) periods at its sole discretion, dependent on mutual agreement of the contract terms by the parties.

BIDDER ELIGIBILITY: This solicitation is open to those Bidders that satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITIONS

1.2 ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES

1.3 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

1.4 BACKGROUND

1.5 SCOPE OF WORK

1.6 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1.7 FUNDING

1.8 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

1.9 ADA

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

2.1 RFQQ COORDINATOR

2.2 INTERESTED SUBCONTRACTOR LIST

2.3 BIDDER QUESTIONS PERIOD

2.4 SUBMISSION OF BIDS

2.5 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION / PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

2.6 REVISIONS TO THE RFQQ

2.7 COMPLAINT PROCESS

2.8 RESPONSIVENESS

2.9 MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

2.10 RECEIPT OF INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF BIDS

2.11 NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

2.12 REJECTION OF BIDS

2.13 SUBCONTRACTOR PARTICIPATION MONITORING AND REPORTING

3. BID CONTENTS AND REQUIREMENTS

3.1 BID CONTENTS OVERVIEW

3.2 BID REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES

3.3 BIDDER PROFILE & SUBMITTAL FORM (MANDATORY)

3.4 DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN (MANDATORY)

3.5 EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-03 (MANDATORY/SCORED)

3.6 REFERENCES (MANDATORY)

3.7 DRAFT CONTRACT (MANDATORY)

3.8 QUALIFICATIONS (MANDATORY/SCORED)

3.9 QUOTATION (MANDATORY/SCORED)

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

4.1 EVALUATION PROCEDURE

4.2 EVALUATION WEIGHTING AND SCORING

4.3 BEST AND FINAL OFFER (BAFO)

4.4 SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT SCORES

4.5 NOTIFICATION TO BIDDERS

4.6 DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL BIDDERS

4.7 PROTEST PROCEDURE

5. RFQQ EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A – BIDDER FORMS AND CERTIFICATIONS

EXHIBIT B – DRAFT CONTRACT

EXHIBIT C – QUALIFICATIONS

EXHIBIT D – QUOTATION

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EXHIBIT E – OCIO SECURITY STANDARD NO. 141.10

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1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFQQ include:

Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) – The Bidder selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services under this RFQQ, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

Bid – A formal offer submitted in response to this solicitation. To be responsive, a Bid must include all items outlined in Section 3 (BID CONTENTS AND REQUIREMENTS). Two such items that may be referred to throughout this document are:

1) Quotation – Bidder’s cost as described in Section 3.9 and Exhibit D.

2) Qualifications – Bidder’s qualifications as described in Section 3.8 and Exhibit C.

Bidder – Individual or company interested in the RFQQ that submits a Bid to attain a contract with the Health Care Authority.

Business Day – Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, except for holidays observed by the state of Washington, unless otherwise specified within the RFQQ.

Health Care Authority or HCA – An executive agency of the state of Washington that is issuing this

RFQQ.

Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) – Formal solicitation document in which a service or need is identified, and firms are invited to provide their qualifications and quotation to provide the services.

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) – The laws of the state of Washington, as enacted by the Legislature. Any references to specific titles, chapters, or sections of the RCW include any substitute, successor, or replacement title, chapter, or section. Pertinent RCW chapters can be accessed at:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/.

Subcontractor – A person, partnership, or entity not in the employment of or owned by the Bidder, who would be performing all or part of the services under this RFQQ under a separate contract with or on behalf of the Bidder. The term “Subcontractor” means Subcontractors in any tier.

Washington’s Electronic Business Solution or WEBS – An internet-based bid notification system

HCA uses to post competitive solicitations. Individuals and firms interested in state contracting opportunities with the Department of Enterprise Services or any state agency should register for competitive solicitation notices on WEBS. Note: There is no cost to register on WEBS.

1.2 ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES

Issue Request for Qualifications and Quotations March 18, 2024

Bidder Questions Due April 5, 2024 – 2 p.m. Pacific

Time

HCA Answers Posted* April 9, 2024

Interested Subcontractor Responses Due April 11, 2024 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/ https://www.des.wa.gov/services/contracting-purchasing/doing-business-state/webs-registration-search-tips

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Interested Subcontractor List Posted* April 12, 2024

Complaints Due (if applicable) April 12, 2024

Bids Due April 19, 2024 – 2 p.m. Pacific Time

Evaluate Bids* April 23-May 2, 2024

Conduct Product Demonstrations with Finalists, if required May 6-10, 2024

Announce “Apparent Successful Bidder” via WEBS* May 15, 2024

Debrief Request Deadline (3 Business Days after the ASB announcement)

May 20, 2024

Negotiate Contract May 21-June 3, 2024

Begin Contract Work June 10, 2024

*Dates are anticipated and subject to change without an official amendment.

HCA reserves the right in its sole discretion to revise the above schedule at any time.

1.3 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVE

The Washington State Health Care Authority, hereafter called “HCA,” is initiating this Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) to solicit Bids from firms interested in providing a configurable and Meeting Scheduling Polling Tool (Software). The Software solution must allow for delegation.

Delegation allows HCA’s Administrative group (Administrators) to respond on behalf of their leadership.

HCA intends to award one (1) contract to provide the services described in this RFQQ.

1.4 BACKGROUND

Functioning as both the state's largest health care purchaser and its behavioral health authority, HCA is a leader in ensuring Washington residents have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. There are three pillars of our work: Apple Health (Medicaid), the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) programs, and behavioral health and recovery. Under these pillars, HCA purchases health care, including behavioral health treatment for more than 2.7 million Washington residents and provides behavioral health prevention, crisis, and recovery supports to all Washington residents.

HCA and its Administrative group, consisting of administrative assistants, work group organizers, and group meeting coordinators, previously used third-party Meeting Scheduling Polling Tools which either did not allow for delegation or whose contract with HCA is set to expire June 23, 2024.

Therefore, HCA is releasing this competitive solicitation to seek Bidders interested in delivering a configurable Software solution for a Meeting Scheduling Polling Tool with delegation capabilities.

The Software solution must allow Administrators to send meeting polls to meeting attendees and delegates (Recipients). A single delegate must be able to respond on behalf of one or more attendees. Based on the polling results, which must be received within a specified timeframe, the

Software will suggest the best dates and times.

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Meeting attendees and delegates will consist of both internal HCA staff and external invitees.

HCA anticipates approximately 55 Administrators will need access to the Software.

1.5 SCOPE OF WORK

The awarded Contractor will be required to offer a configurable Software solution that meets the following functionality requirements:

1. Creating Meetings and Polls - Administrators

a. A user-friendly interface that allows Administrators to configure meetings including polling Recipients for available dates and times.

b. Software must allow Administrators to:

i. Configure large meetings up to and including 1,300 meeting attendees.

ii. Create meeting polls, supporting up to 60 Recipients. Meeting polls must allow Recipients to vote for their preferred meeting dates/times.

iii. Configure polls, allowing for at least 24 options (date/time combinations) – at a minimum- over a three (3)-month range.

c. Optional:

i. Software allows Administrators to create a polling time limit that varies for each poll.

ii. Software automatically closes polls when their pre-configured close time is reached.

2. Poll Recipient Functionality – Recipients

a. Meeting poll requests shall be sent via email notifications to poll Recipients and must contain the following information:

i. Meeting Name

ii. Meeting Description

iii. A link to vote in the poll.

b. The web-based polling functionality must display the list of potential dates and times and allow Recipients to vote on the options.

c. Software must support delegation and allow delegates to respond on behalf of

Recipients.

d. Software must allow Recipients to view other Recipients’ polling responses.

3. Viewing Polling Responses and Creating Meetings – Administrators

a. The Software Solution must:

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i. Summarize polling results, clearly delineating the highest-ranked options.

ii. Allow Administrators to access polling responses both during active polling and after polls have closed.

iii. Show poll status, i.e., Open, Pending, Closed, etc.

iv. Allow Administrators to view and modify other Administrators’ polls and meetings.

b. Optional:

i. The Software Solution allows Administrators to configure periodic automatic reminders to Recipients regarding upcoming meetings.

ii. When Administrators select and set meeting dates/times from polling lists, the Software creates and sends email notifications to all Recipients. Email notifications include key details such as the meeting name, date/time, and description in the body of the email. Email Notifications sent to Office

365/Outlook accounts should have an “Add to Calendar” option.

1. Software should NOT create and/or send meetings in Microsoft

Office 365/Outlook. Instead, the Software should send an email to the Administrator summarizing the polling results, possibly including an option to locally create the meeting in Microsoft Office

365/Outlook.

iii. Software provides a means to allow/restrict polling Recipients from seeing each other’s responses.

4. Notification Requirements - Recipients

a. When new polls are created, the Software must generate email notifications with links to the poll and allow Administrators to send polls from their native Microsoft

Office 365/Outlook accounts.

b. Once a poll has been closed, the Software must not accept any more polling responses.

c. Optional: The Software solution:

i. Provides some means to show Recipients the time limit for responding to polls.

ii. Sends notifications to Recipients after a meeting date/time are set, according to pre-configured settings.

5. Notification Requirements - Administrators

a. Optional: The Software solution:

i. Notifies Administrators when all Recipients have responded to a poll.

ii. Notifies Administrators when polls are closed.

6. Security

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a. Software must:

i. Be a web-based product functioning outside HCA’s firewall.

ii. Have the following security divisions:

1. Administrators: create polls, view polling results, and close polls.

2. Recipients: respond to polls.

3. Attendees: meeting invitees.

iii. Support purging (deleting) HCA data within three (3) to six (6) months after the meeting date.

b. Bidder must have implemented practices that are consistent with national and statewide data security and confidentiality guidelines.

7. License/Subscription Payment Structure

a. Licenses/Subscriptions must be transferrable to ensure Administrators can re-assign subscriptions/licenses.

b. Payment for Licenses/Subscriptions will be issued annually.

c. Licenses/Subscriptions will not be renewed automatically without prior written notice issued by HCA.

1.6 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The following are the minimum qualifications for Bidders:

A. Licensed to do business in the state of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within 30 calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful

Bidder.

B. Three (3) years of experience with developing software solutions related to Meeting Scheduling

Polling Tool with delegation capabilities.

C. Must comply with all state and federal laws, statutes, and regulations, and Washington State

Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Security Standard No. 141.10 (Exhibit E).

1.7 FUNDING

HCA has budgeted an amount not to exceed Twenty-Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) for this project.

Bids in excess of $20,000.00 will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

Any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation is contingent upon the availability of funding.

1.8 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFQQ is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about June 10, 2024, and to end on June 10, 2025. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, will be at the sole discretion of HCA.

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HCA reserves the right to extend the contract for five (5) additional one-year (1) periods.

1.9 ADA

HCA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bidders may contact the RFQQ Coordinator to receive written information in another format (e.g., large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, and other formats).

2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

2.1 RFQQ COORDINATOR

The RFQQ Coordinator is the sole point of contact in HCA for this solicitation. All communication between the Bidder and HCA upon release of this RFQQ must be with the RFQQ Coordinator, as follows:

Name Kavya Pendakur

E-Mail Address HCAProcurements@hca.wa.gov

Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on HCA. Bidders are to rely on written statements issued by the RFQQ Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFQQ Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Bidder.

2.2 INTERESTED SUBCONTRACTOR LIST

HCA supports and encourages contracts and subcontracts with small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses. To support participation in this process, the RFQQ Coordinator will add a list of

Interested Subcontractors to the RFQQ. The RFQQ Coordinator will prepare the List based on the timely and complete submission of specific information requested in this section. The purpose of the

List is to communicate to prime bidders the capabilities of interested subcontractors who can perform components of this RFQQ’s Scope of Work.

A. Interested Subcontractor Instructions

i. Failure to follow the instructions in this Section may prevent your information from being included in the List.

ii. An interested party must complete the below table to submit their firm name, contact information, and the summary of their capabilities as they relate to this RFQQ’s

Scope of Work. Submissions are limited to what is requested in the table below and capability summaries must be two paragraphs or less.

iii. The RFQQ Coordinator will only include the information requested below. Do not submit marketing materials.

iv. Submissions must be emailed to the RFQQ Coordinator, with the subject line “RFP #

Interested Subcontractor List – [Interested Subcontractor Name]” by the date specified in Section 1.2 (ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES).

v. All material submitted for the Interested Subcontractor List becomes a public record.

mailto:HCAProcurements@hca.wa.gov

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B. Posting Date

Complete and timely submissions will be compiled and posted in alphabetical order by interested subcontractor name. HCA anticipates the List will be posted as an RFP amendment on the Interested Subcontractor List Posted date identified in Section 1.2

(ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES). Late submissions will not be posted.

C. Information Provided As-Is

The Interested Subcontractor List is provided as an opportunity to support participation in this

RFQQ. HCA provides this information as a courtesy with no warranties or representations as to any party and no guarantee of a subcontract. The Interested Subcontractor List shall not be construed as an endorsement by the state of Washington or HCA. The interested party is responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their submission.

2.3 BIDDER QUESTIONS PERIOD

Bidders are provided an opportunity to ask questions during the bidder question period which starts on the date of the RFQQ posting and concludes on the Questions Due date specified in Section 1.2

(ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES).

A. Questions regarding the RFQQ will only be accepted in writing, sent by email to the RFQQ

Coordinator. The Bidder must use the following email subject line when submitting questions:

“RFQQ # Question(s) – [Bidder Name]” to ensure timely receipt.

B. HCA anticipates it will post answers to the questions in WEBS as an RFQQ amendment on the

Answers Posted date specified in Section 1.2 (ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION

ACTIVITIES).

C. HCA is under no obligation to respond to any questions received after the Questions Due date but may do so at its discretion.

2.4 SUBMISSION OF BIDS

Bids must be received by the RFQQ Coordinator no later than the Bid Due deadline in Section 1.2

(ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES). Bids must be submitted electronically as an attachment to an e-mail to the RFQQ Coordinator at the e-mail address listed in Section 2.1, and meet the following requirements:

A. Attachments to e-mail must be in Microsoft Word format or PDF, except for the Quotation, which must be in excel.

Interested Subcontractor

Name

Contact Name Contact Address, Phone Number, and Email

Address

Summary of your capabilities as it relates to the Scope of Work

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B. The Quotation must be submitted as a separate attachment.

C. Zipped files cannot be received by HCA and cannot be used for submission of Bids.

D. The forms and certifications that require authorized signature (as designated in section 3.1, BID

CONTENTS OVERVIEW) must have a signature of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Bidder to the offer.

E. Copies of the Bidder’s terms and conditions, along with User License Agreements, Service Level

Agreements, End User License Agreements, etc. must be submitted along with Bids. *

F. HCA does not assume responsibility for problems with Bidder’s e-mail. If HCA e-mail is not working, appropriate allowances will be made.

Bidders should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the bid by the RFQQ Coordinator. Late bids will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless HCA e-mail is found to be at fault or HCA deems a grace period is in the best interest of the State. All bids and any accompanying documentation become the property of HCA and will not be returned.

* In the event of any conflicting terms with Bidder’s supplemental agreements, HCA’s contract will govern.

2.5 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION / PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

Bids submitted in response to this RFQQ will become the property of HCA. All bids received will remain confidential until the Apparent Successful Bidder is announced; thereafter, the bids will be deemed public records as defined in chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).

Any information in the bid that the Bidder desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of a document, must be clearly designated. Each page claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified and must reference either: (1) the specific basis claimed under 42.56 RCW, or (2) a statement of why the information is designated propriety. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right-hand corner of the page. Marking the entire bid exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored.

If a public records request is made for the information that the Bidder has marked as “Proprietary

Information,” HCA will notify the Bidder of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Bidder obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Bidder fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, HCA will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Bidder obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure pursuant to chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for nondisclosure, HCA will maintain the confidentiality of the Bidder’s information per the court order.

A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.56. No fee will be charged for inspection of contract files, but 24 hours’ notice to the RFQQ Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFQQ Coordinator.

The submission of any public records request to HCA pertaining in any way to this RFQQ will not affect the solicitation schedule, as outlined in Section 1.2, unless HCA, in its sole discretion, determines that altering the schedule would be in HCA’s best interests.

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2.6 REVISIONS TO THE RFQQ

If HCA determines in its sole discretion that it is necessary to revise any part of this RFQQ, then HCA will publish addenda on WEBS. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information will be provided as an addendum to the RFQQ and will be published on WEBS.

HCA also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFQQ in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract.

2.7 COMPLAINT PROCESS

The complaint process allows potential Bidders to focus on the solicitation requirements and evaluation process and raise issues early enough in the process to allow HCA to correct a problem before bids are submitted. The complaint period starts on the date of the RFQQ posting and concludes on the Complaints Due date identified in Section 1.2 (ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF

SOLICITATION ACTIVITIES).

A. Potential Bidders may submit a complaint to HCA based on any of the following:

i. The RFQQ unnecessarily restricts competition;

ii. The RFQQ evaluation or scoring process is unfair or unclear; or

iii. The RFQQ requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

B. For a complaint to be considered, it must be received by HCA by 5:00 pm PT on the Complaints

Due date identified in Section 1.2. The complaint must:

i. Be in writing;

ii. Be sent to the RFQQ Coordinator, or designee;

iii. Clearly articulate the basis for the complaint; and

iv. Include a proposed remedy.

C. HCA will address any complaint as follows:

i. The RFQQ Coordinator, or designee will respond to the complaint in writing.

ii. The response to the complaint and any changes to the RFQQ will be posted on

WEBS.

iii. The Director of HCA will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of

HCA’s response.

Complaints may not be raised again during a protest and HCA’s action or inaction in response to a complaint will be final. There is no appeal process.

2.8 RESPONSIVENESS

The RFQQ Coordinator will review all bids to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFQQ. A Bidder’s failure to comply with any part of the RFQQ may result in rejection of the bid as non-responsive.

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HCA also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities.

2.9 MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

HCA reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the bid submitted. Therefore, the bid should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Bidder can propose. HCA reserves the right to contact a Bidder for clarification of its bid.

The ASB should be prepared to accept this RFQQ for incorporation into a contract resulting from this

RFQQ. The contract resulting from this RFQQ will incorporate some, or all, of the Bidder’s bid. The bid will become a part of the official solicitation file on this matter without obligation to HCA.

2.10 RECEIPT OF INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF BIDS

If HCA receives only one responsive bid as a result of this RFQQ, HCA reserves the right to either: 1) directly negotiate and contract with the Bidder; or 2) not award any contract at all. HCA may continue to have the Bidder complete the entire RFQQ. HCA is under no obligation to tell the Bidder if it is the only Bidder.

2.11 NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT

This RFQQ does not obligate HCA to enter into any contract for services specified herein.

2.12 REJECTION OF BIDS

HCA reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all bids received without penalty and not to issue any contract as a result of this RFQQ.

2.13 SUBCONTRACTOR PARTICIPATION MONITORING AND REPORTING

Pursuant to Executive Order 22-01, Equity in Public Contracting (dated 01/07/2022), Bidders using

Subcontractors for any part of this work will be subject to the requirements of this section if awarded a contract as a result of this solicitation.

Once a contract is awarded through the solicitation process, the awarded Contractor is obligated to complete a new vendor registration in Access Equity. Access Equity (B2Gnow) is a secure business diversity management system available online at https://omwbe.diversitycompliance.com/.

Confidential Information (e.g., Tax ID, etc.) will not be published in Access Equity. Contractors that have previously registered with B2Gnow for any public entity, HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 13 of 25

3. BID CONTENTS AND REQUIREMENTS

3.1 BID CONTENTS OVERVIEW

Bids must be submitted per the instructions in Sections 2.4 (SUBMISSION OF BIDS) and 3.2 (BID

REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES) in the order noted below.

A. Bidder Forms and Certifications (Exhibit A)

All the following are included in Exhibit A:

i. Bidder Profile & Submittal Form* (Section 3.3 and Exhibit A, Section A)

ii. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (Section 3.4 and Exhibit A, Section B)

iii. Executive Order 18-03 Worker’s Rights* (Section 3.5 and Exhibit A, Section E)

iv. References (Section 3.6 and Exhibit A, Section D)

B. Draft Contract (Section 3.7 and Exhibit B)

C. Qualifications (Section 3.8 and Exhibit C)

D. Quotation (Section 3.9 and Exhibit D)

*Authorized signature required

3.2 BID REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES

Bids must comply with the requirements or restrictions listed below. Failure to do so may result in the disqualification of the Bidder’s Bid:

A. State the Bidder’s full legal name on the first or cover page of the Bid.

B. Bids must provide information in the same order as presented in this RFQQ and with the same headings.

Title and number each item in the same way it appears in the RFQQ. Each question must be restated prior to the Bidder’s response.

C. All items listed in Section 3.1 (BID CONTENTS OVERVIEW) must be included as part of the Bid for the Bid to be considered responsive; however, only the following items will be scored during the evaluation process: Executive Order 18-03 Worker’s Rights, Qualifications, and Quotation.

D. Page limits stated in this RFQQ are determined by counting single sides of the response. HCA has no obligation to read, consider, or score any material exceeding the stated page limits. There will be no grounds for protest if critical information is on the pages exceeding the specified page limit that is not reviewed.

E. Bidders are liable for all errors or omissions contained in their Bids. Bidders will not be allowed to alter Bid documents after the deadline for Bid submission. HCA is not liable for any errors in Bids.

HCA is under no obligation to consider any supplemental materials submitted that were not requested.

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3.3 BIDDER PROFILE & SUBMITTAL FORM (MANDATORY)

Exhibit A, Bidder Forms and Certifications, Section A, Bidder Profile & Submittal Form must be completed in its entirety and signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Bidder to a contractual relationship (e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship).

3.4 DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN (MANDATORY)

Exhibit A, Bidder Forms and Certifications, Section B, Diverse Business Inclusion Plan must be completed in its entirety. In accordance with legislative findings and policies set forth in RCW 39.19 the state of Washington encourages participation in all contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), set forth in RCW 43.60A.200 for firms certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, and set forth in RCW 39.26.005 for firms that are Washington Small Businesses.

Participation may be either on a direct basis or on a Subcontractor basis. However, no preference on the basis of participation is included in the evaluation of Diverse Business Inclusion Plans submitted, and no minimum level of minority- and women-owned business enterprise, Washington Small Business, or

Washington State certified Veteran Business participation is required as a condition for receiving an award.

Any affirmative action requirements set forth in any federal governmental regulations included or referenced in the contract documents will apply.

3.5 EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-03 (MANDATORY/SCORED)

Bidder must review Exhibit A, Bidder Forms and Certifications, Section C and respond as to whether the Bidder requires its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses and class or collective action waivers.

3.6 REFERENCES (MANDATORY)

Provide three (3) business references for the Bidder using the reference form provided in Exhibit A, Bidder

Forms and Certifications, Section D, References. References must be independent of the Bidder’s and Subcontractor’s company corporation (e.g., non-Bidder owned, in whole or in part, or managed, in whole or in part) and be for work similar to the scope of work contained herein. Complete all boxes of the reference form for each reference. By submitting a bid in response to this solicitation, the Bidder grants permission to HCA to contact these references and others, who from HCA’s perspective, may have pertinent information. At HCA’s sole discretion, HCA may or may not, choose to contact references.

3.7 DRAFT CONTRACT (MANDATORY)

The ASB will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the sample contract and its general terms and conditions attached as Exhibit B. HCA will not accept any draft contracts prepared by any Bidder. The Bidder must be prepared to agree to all terms of the attached Exhibit B, Draft Contract, as presented or the Bid may be rejected. If Bidder has exceptions to the terms and conditions, they must include with their Bid a copy of the Draft Contract with redline edits/comments documenting the changes they propose to be made if selected as ASB. If the Bidder fails to identify an objection to any particular term or condition, the term or condition will be deemed agreed to by the Bidder. HCA will review requested exceptions and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.

If, after the announcement of the ASB, and after a reasonable period of time, the ASB and HCA cannot reach agreement on acceptable terms for the Contract, the HCA may cancel the selection and Award the Contract to the next most qualified Bidder.

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 15 of 25

3.8 QUALIFICATIONS (MANDATORY/SCORED)

Exhibit C, Qualifications must be completed in its entirety in accordance with the page limits identified within the Exhibit (See Section 3.2(E)). Bidder should respond using Exhibit C as its template, to ensure compliance with the formatting requirements outlined in Section 3.2(B).

3.9 QUOTATION (MANDATORY/SCORED)

See separate attachment, Exhibit D.

4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD

4.1 EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Responsive Bids will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this RFQQ and any addenda issued. The evaluation of bids will be accomplished by an evaluation team, to be designated by

HCA, which will determine the ranking of the bids. Evaluation teams could be comprised of internal (HCA) and external individuals. Evaluations will only be based upon information provided in the Bidder’s Bid.

A. All bids received by the stated deadline in Section 1.2 (ESTIMATED SCHEDULE OF SOLICITATION

ACTIVITIES) will be reviewed by the RFQQ Coordinator to ensure that they contain all of the required information requested in the RFQQ. Only responsive bids that meet the requirements will be evaluated by the evaluation team. Any Bidder who does not meet the stated qualifications or any bid that does not contain all the required information will be rejected as non-responsive.

B. HCA may, at its sole discretion, waive minor administrative irregularities.

C. The RFQQ Coordinator may, at their sole discretion, contact the Bidder for clarification of any portion of the Bidder’s Bid. Bidders should take every precaution to ensure that all answers are clear, complete, and directly address the specific requirement.

D. Responsive Qualifications will be reviewed and scored by an evaluation team using the weighted scoring system described in Section 4.2 (EVALUATION WEIGHTING AND SCORING). Qualifications will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements set forth in this RFQQ and any addenda issued.

E. The evaluation of the Quotation and Executive Order 18-03 will be completed by the RFQQ Coordinator.

F. HCA, at its sole discretion, may elect to select finalists for Product Demonstrations.

G. HCA reserves the right to award the contract to the Bidder whose bid is deemed to be in the best interest of HCA and the state of Washington.

4.2 EVALUATION WEIGHTING AND SCORING

Bidders’ final scores will be based on the following scored items: Executive Order 18-03, Qualifications, Quotations, References and Product Demonstrations, if applicable.

A. Executive Order 18-03

Pursuant to RCW 39.26.160(3) and consistent with Executive Order 18-03 – Supporting Workers’

Rights to Effectively Address Workplace Violations (dated June 12, 2018), HCA will evaluate bids for best value and provide a preference in the amount of 50 points to any Bidder who certifies, pursuant

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 16 of 25 to the certification included in Exhibit A, Bidder Forms and Certifications, Section C, that their firm does NOT require its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waiver. Bidders that do require their employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waiver will not be disqualified from evaluation of this RFQQ, however they will receive 0 out of 50 points for this section.

B. Scoring of Qualifications

Each question in Exhibit C, Qualifications has been assigned a weight. Points will be assigned to each question based upon the average of all evaluation team members scores for the question (0 -10) multiplied by the weight indicated below. Individual question scores will then be combined to result in the Bidder’s total weighted score. Any point calculations that result in decimal points will be rounded to the nearest whole number. The weight and maximum points for each question are as outlined in the following Evaluation Table:

Evaluation Table

Scored Items Weight Maximum Points

Executive Order 18-03 50

Qualifications 650

Capability 20 200

Administrative 15 150

Data Storage, Backup, and Security 10 100

Confidential Information 10 100

System Downtime and Upgrades 5 50

Experience 5 50

Quotation 300

Total Maximum Points 1,000

C. Scoring Rubric

Evaluators will score the sections outlined in the Evaluation Table above using the following (0-10) scoring rubric:

Scoring Rubric

Score Description Scoring Criteria

10 Far Exceeds Requirements The Bidder has provided an innovative, detailed, and thorough response to the requirement, and clearly demonstrates a high level of experience with, or understanding of the requirement.

7 Exceeds Requirements The Bidder has demonstrated an above-average capability, approach, or solution and has provided a complete description of the capability, approach, or solution.

5 Meets Requirements The Bidder has an acceptable capability of solution to meet this criterion and has described its approach in sufficient detail to be considered “as substantially meeting the requirements”.

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3 Below Requirements The Bidder has established some capability to perform the requirement but descriptions regarding their approach are not sufficient to demonstrate the

Bidder will be fully able to meet the requirements.

1 Substantially Below

Requirements

The Bidder has not established the capability to perform the requirement, has marginally described its approach, or has simply restated the requirement.

0 No Value The Bidder does not address any component of the requirement, or no information was provided.

D. Scoring of Quotation

Exhibit D, Quotation will be scored based on the lowest proposed total cost. Points will be computed according to the formula below. The maximum number of points possible is 300. Any point calculations that result in decimal points will be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Lowest Quotation x

Quotation

Maximum Points

= Bidder’s Quotation Points Bidder’s Quotation

E. Product Demonstrations (if applicable)

HCA may, after evaluating the Qualifications, elect to schedule Product Demonstrations for the

Bidders who scored highest on the Qualifications (finalists). Should Product Demonstrations become necessary, HCA will contact the finalists to provide further details and schedule the Demonstrations.

Commitments made by the Bidder at the Product Demonstration, if any, will be considered binding.

The evaluation and ranking of Product Demonstrations will be accomplished by an evaluation team, to be designated by HCA. Internal and external participants/evaluators may be present at Product

Demonstrations.

The product demonstration will determine the Apparent Successful Bidder.

4.3 BEST AND FINAL OFFER (BAFO)

HCA reserves the right to use a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) before awarding any contract to further assist in determining the ASB(s).

4.4 SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT SCORES

Substantially Equivalent Scores are scores separated by two percent or less in total points. If multiple bids receive a Substantially Equivalent Score, HCA may leave the matter as scored, or select as the ASB the one bid that is deemed by HCA, in its sole discretion, to be in HCA’s best interest relative to the overall purpose and objective as stated in Section 1.3 of this RFQQ.

If applicable, HCA’s best interest will be determined by HCA staff, who have sole discretion over this determination. The basis for such determination will be communicated in writing to all Bidders with

Substantially Equivalent Scores.

4.5 NOTIFICATION TO BIDDERS

HCA will announce the ASB to all Bidders via the WEBS notification system.

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 18 of 25

4.6 DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL BIDDERS

Any Bidder who has submitted a bid and been notified it was not selected for contract award may request a debriefing conference. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFQQ Coordinator no later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time, within three (3) Business Days after the Unsuccessful Bidder

Notification is e-mailed to the Bidder. The debriefing will be held within three (3) Business Days of the request, or as schedules allow.

Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following:

A. Evaluation and scoring of the Bidder’s Bid;

B. Critique of the Bid based on the evaluation; and

C. Review of the Bidder’s final score in comparison with other final scores without identifying the other

Bidders.

Topics a Bidder could have raised as part of the COMPLAINT PROCESS (Section 2.7) cannot be discussed as part of the debriefing conference, even if the Bidder did not submit a complaint.

Comparisons between bids, or evaluations of the other bids will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or on the telephone and will be scheduled for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes.

4.7 PROTEST PROCEDURE

A protest may be made only by Bidders who submitted a bid in response to this RFQQ and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Bidder is allowed five

(5) Business Days to file a protest. Protests must be received by the Contracts Administrator no later than 4:30 p.m., Pacific Time, on the fifth Business Day following the Bidder’s debriefing. Protests must be submitted by e-mail to ensure timely receipt.

Consistent with RCW 39.26.030, bid submissions and bid evaluations will be available for public inspection following the announcement of ASB(s). If requested by a Bidder who received a debriefing pursuant to

Section 4.6, the protest period will not conclude before the requestor has been provided with the applicable bid submissions and bid evaluations and provided five (5) Business Days to review the same. Bidder is responsible for notifying the RFQQ Coordinator of any such public disclosure requests so the timeline can be adjusted accordingly.

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

A. All protests must be in writing, addressed to the Contracts Administrator, and signed by the protesting party or an authorized agent. The protest must state (1) the RFQQ number, (2) the grounds for the protest with specific facts, (3) complete statements of the action(s) being protested, and (4) the relief or corrective action being requested. Protests must be emailed to contracts@hca.wa.gov with the following subject line: “RFQQ # Protest – [Bidder Name]”

B. Only protests alleging an issue of fact concerning the following subjects will be considered:

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

ii. Errors in computing the score; or mailto:contracts@hca.wa.gov

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 19 of 25

iii. Non-compliance with procedures described in the RFQQ, HCA’s protest process, or

Department of Enterprise Services (DES) policy requirements (POL-DES-170-00).

Protests based on anything other than those items listed above will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit to the extent they address issues such as: 1) an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a bid; or 2) HCA’s assessment of its own needs or requirements.

C. Upon receipt of a protest, HCA will undertake a protest review. The HCA Director, or an HCA employee delegated by the HCA Director who is a neutral party with no involvement in the evaluation and award process (Protest Officer), will review and respond to the protest. If the HCA Director delegates the protest review to an HCA employee, the Director nonetheless reserves the right to make the final agency decision on the protest. The Protest Officer will have the right to seek additional information regarding the solicitation from sources they deem appropriate in order to fully consider the protest.

D. If HCA determines in its sole discretion that a protest from one Bidder may affect the interests of another

Bidder, then HCA may invite such Bidder to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the Protest Officer. In such a situation, the protest materials submitted by each Bidder will be made available to all other Bidders upon request.

E. The Protest Officer will issue a written protest response no more than ten (10) Business Days after receipt of the protest, unless additional time is needed, in which case HCA will notify the protesting Bidder in writing. The Protest Officer’s decision is final unless the HCA Director exercises their right to make the final agency decision on the protest. There will be no appeal process.

F. The final determination of the protest will:

i. Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold HCA’s action; or

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

iii. Find merit in the protest and provide options to the HCA Director, which may include:

Correct the errors and re-evaluate all bids; or

Issue a new solicitation document and begin a new process; or

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

If the protest is not successful, HCA will enter into a contract with the ASB(s), assuming the parties reach agreement on the contract’s terms.

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 20 of 25

5. RFQQ EXHIBITS

Exhibit A Bidder Forms and Certifications (included as a separate attachment)

Exhibit B Draft Contract (included as a separate attachment)

Exhibit C Qualifications

Exhibit D Quotation (included as a separate attachment)

Exhibit E OCIO Security Standard No. 141.10 (included as a separate attachment)

HCA RFQQ No. Page 21 of 25

EXHIBIT A – BIDDER FORMS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Exhibit A is included as a separate document.

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 22 of 25

EXHIBIT B – DRAFT CONTRACT

Exhibit B is included as a separate document.

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 23 of 25

EXHIBIT C – QUALIFICATIONS

Maximum Points for Qualifications: 650

1. Capability (Maximum available points: 200)

Provide a capability summary outlining Bidder’s ability to offer a Meeting Scheduling Polling Tool that meets the functionality requirements described in Section 1.5, Scope of Work.

2. Administrative (Maximum available points: 150)

2.1 Describe the extent to which Bidder’s customer service team will be available to

Administrators and Recipients. (Maximum available points: 100)

2.2 Are there costumer service or administrative support service fees? (Maximum available points: 50)

3. Data Storage, Backup, and Security (Maximum available points: 100)

3.1 Describe the Bidder’s data storage practices and policies. (Maximum available points: 25)

3.2 Describe how the Bidder will backup HCA data. (Maximum available points: 25)

3.3 Describe the Bidder’s data security processes. (Maximum available points: 25)

3.4 Describe the Bidder’s data retention practices and policies. (Maximum available points: 25)

4. Confidential Information (Maximum available points: 100)

4.1 Describe how Administrator and Recipient information will be protected. (Maximum available points: 50)

4.2 Describe if Administrator and Recipient information will be shared with outside entities.

(Maximum available points: 20)

4.3 If information is shared with outside entities, describe the types of data that will be shared and their frequency. (Maximum available points: 30)

5. System Downtime and Upgrades (Maximum available points: 50)

Describe Bidder’s scheduled downtime frequency, duration, and restoration, and how Administrators and Recipients would receive communications alerts.

6. Experience (Maximum available points: 50)

6.1 Describe services provided by the Bidder that indicate the firms’ ability to provide the services described in this RFQQ. (Maximum available points: 25)

6.2 Describe Bidder’s recent experience with delivering configurable Software solutions as related to the services described in this RFQQ. (Maximum available points: 25)

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 24 of 25

EXHIBIT D – QUOTATION

Exhibit D is included as a separate document.

HCA RFQQ No. 2023HCA17 Page 25 of 25

EXHIBIT E – OCIO Security Standard No. 141.10

Exhibit E is included as a separate document.