RFQQ 2024 0327_WSF Travel Wait Times.pdf

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION NO. RFQQ-2024-0327 – WSF TRAVEL WAIT TIMES ASSESSMENT PROJECT PAGE 1 (Rev 2023-12-18)

WSDOT CONTRACT COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION – NO. RFQQ-2024-0327

INTRODUCTION

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is issuing this Competitive Solicitation pursuant to RCW 39.26. Pursuant to this Competitive Solicitation, WSDOT intends to conduct a competitive procurement to award an Agency Contract for WSDOT to purchase consulting services in support of Washington State Ferries (WSF) system-wide Ferry Terminal Wait Time Traveler Information System.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Ferries Division (WSF) was awarded a funding opportunity through the Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment (ATCMTD) grant to implement a system-wide Ferry Terminal Wait Time Traveler Information System. The system will advance the four goals of WSF’s 2040 Long Range Plan (LRP), which aims to improve and manage WSF’s service reliability, customer experience, ridership growth, and system sustainability and resilience. Additionally, the ferry terminal wait times will supplement existing city and highway congestion information to provide more comprehensive travel information allowing drivers to make better decisions on how and when they will get to their destination.

This project will provide automated wait time measurements letting riders know how long wait times are to make real-time travel decisions. At highly congested sailing times, some travelers would be better served by using a different mode to access the terminal - parking at the terminal and walking aboard, selecting an alternate ferry route, or even driving rather than taking the ferry.

Additionally, the wait time information will provide WSF staff with vital information for making data-driven service decisions that could more effectively move people and goods. Accurate wait time measurement will allow WSF to leverage existing investments and integrate future solutions such as real-time parking availability and terminal wait time prediction to improve the customer experience and make travel more seamless between the WSF system and other parts of the regional transportation network including pedestrian, bike, and transit modes. WSF hopes the technology that is chosen will provide the additional benefits of vehicle occupancy detection, identification of vehicle line cutting incidents, and vehicle counts at each terminal by destination.

WSF’s initial concept of operation includes a combination of loop detectors, license plate recognition cameras, and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR). WSF will perform market research and peer studies to evaluate if there are newer technologies that should be considered that may add value to the customer experience. Of particular interest are technologies that can track vehicles from the point they first enter the vehicle queue until they board the ferry and can accurately measure vehicle lengths to better estimate how many queued vehicles will be able to board the next vessel. In addition to the roadway hardware, WSF will deploy a unified, multi-platform system that gathers terminal information, making it available for customers to make real-time decisions and provide predictive modeling for future travel needs.

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The selected consultant will perform the market research to evaluate what our peers are doing to automatically identify vehicle congestion, what technologies are available, and understanding our various terminal geographic layouts, develop a Concept of Operation for WSF to carry into the planned pilot demonstration. The Concept of Operation must be completed by November 1 so that WSF can present it to the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and legislative staff.

This Competitive Solicitation is divided into six (6) sections:

Section 1 provides a summary table of relevant deadlines for responding to the Competitive Solicitation and identifies contact information for WSDOT’s Procurement Coordinator.

Section 2 provides important information about the procurement that is designed to help interested bidders evaluate the potential opportunity, including the purpose of the procurement, the form of the resulting Contract, and potential contract sales.

Section 3 identifies how WSDOT will evaluate the bids.

Section 4 identifies how to prepare and submit a bid for this Competitive Solicitation, including detailed instructions regarding what to submit and how to submit your bid.

Section 5 details the applicable requirements to file a complaint, request a debrief conference, or file a protest regarding this Competitive Solicitation.

Section 6 provides information pertaining to doing business with the State of Washington, including WSDOT’s efforts to enable Washington’s small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements for goods/services.

In addition, this Competitive Solicitation includes the following Exhibits:

Exhibit A – Required Bidder Information: These exhibits identify information that bidders must provide to WSDOT to constitute a responsive bid. See Section 4, below.

o Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification o Exhibit A-2 – Bidder’s Profile

Exhibit B – Performance Requirements: This exhibit outlines the required specifications/qualifications for the good(s) and/or service(s) that is/are the subject of this Competitive Solicitation.

Exhibit C – Bid Price: This exhibit provides the pricing information that bidders will complete as part of their bid and the price evaluation tool that the Procurement Coordinator will use to evaluate and compare bids.

Exhibit D – Contract: This exhibit is a draft of the Contract that any successful bidder will execute with WSDOT.

Exhibit D -1 – Contract Issues List: This exhibit outlines the bidder’s issues, if any, and proposed resolution for bidders who have business concerns with the form of the Contract. Note, however, that WSDOT reserves the right not to modify the Contract and to award the Contract on the basis of a bidder’s willingness to agree to the Contract.

Exhibit E – Client Reference Form: This exhibit is a form for current or former clients of the Bidder to submit their evaluations of the work ongoing or completed by the Bidder.

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Exhibit F – Scope of Work: This exhibit outlines the required work requirement of the Competitive Solicitation. It defines project-specific activities, deliverables, and timelines for the requested provided services.

Exhibit G – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors - Required only if Bidder will be using subcontractors to perform the Contract: This exhibit outlines the inclusion plan for diverse business subcontractors pertaining to the Contract.

Exhibit H – Form FHWA 1273 - Successful Bidder shall be bound by the Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA) Contract Provisions.

SECTION 1 – DEADLINES, QUESTIONS, PROCUREMENT COORDINATOR, AND MODIFICATION

This section identifies important deadlines for this Competitive Solicitation, where to direct questions regarding the Competitive Solicitation, and the process for potential amendments or modifications to the Competitive Solicitation.

1.1. COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION DEADLINES. The following table identifies important dates for this Competitive Solicitation:

ALL TIMES ARE PACIFIC STANDARD TIME

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION DEADLINES

ITEM DATE

Competitive Solicitation Posting Date: March 27th, 2024

Pre-Bid Conference via Microsoft Teams:

April 3rd, 2024 at 12:00 PM

Attend via Video Conference Website https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting Meeting ID: 279 464 879 694 Passcode: nL5hsX

Call in (Audio Only): 206-531-0324 Phone Conference ID: 133 885 5#

Question

Answer Period:

Deadline for Submitting Questions: April 5th, 2024 at 10:00 AM

Anticipated Deadline for Answers April 10th, 2024

Deadline for Client Reference Form April 25th, 2024 at 3:00 PM

Deadline for Submitting Bids April 26th, 2024 at 10:00 AM

Anticipated Interview/Demonstration Date(s) May 8th, 2024

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COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION DEADLINES

ITEM DATE

Anticipated Announcement of Apparent Successful Bidder: May 13th, 2024

Anticipated Award of Contract: May 30th, 2024

1.2. COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION QUESTIONS. Questions or concerns regarding this Competitive Solicitation must be directed to the following Procurement Coordinator:

Procurement Coordinator

Name: Chase Johnson

Email: johnsch@wsdot.wa.gov

Questions raised at the pre-bid conference and during the Q&A period will be answered and responses posted to Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS).

1.3. COMPLAINTS, DEBRIEFS, & PROTESTS. The Competitive Solicitation (and award of any Contract) is subject to complaints, debriefs, and protests as explained in Section 5, which may impact the dates set forth above.

1.4. COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION – AMENDMENT & MODIFICATION. WSDOT reserves the right to amend and modify this Competitive Solicitation. Only bidders who have properly registered and downloaded the original Competitive Solicitation directly via the Washington Electronic Business Solution WEBS will receive notifications of amendments and other correspondence pertinent to this Competitive Solicitation. Visit WEBS to register.

SECTION 2 – INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT

This section describes the purpose of the Competitive Solicitation and provides information about this procurement, including the potential scope of the opportunity.

2.1. PURPOSE OF THE PROCUREMENT – AWARD A CONTRACT. The purpose of this Competitive Solicitation is to receive competitive bids to evaluate and, as appropriate, award a Contract for WSDOT to procure WSF Travel Wait Time Assessment Consultant Services as set forth herein. Pursuant to Washington’s Procurement Code for Goods and Services, RCW chap. 39.26, state agency purchases of goods and services must be based on a competitive solicitation process in which the Contract is awarded to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.

2.2. CONTRACT. The form of the Contract that will be awarded as a result of this Competitive Solicitation is attached as Exhibit D – Contract.

2.3. CONTRACT TERM. As set forth in the attached Contract for this Competitive Solicitation, the initial contract term will commence May 31st, 2024 and end September 31st, 2024. Bidders are to specify prices for the initial contract term. The Contract is subject to earlier termination.

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a. WSDOT, at its sole discretion, may extend the Contract for up to one (1) additional two

(2) month term but will not continue past November 31st, 2024 if mutually agreed to by all parties.

2.4. ESTIMATED CONTRACT VALUE. Total potential or estimated contract sales for this Competitive Solicitation are not known. Although WSDOT does not represent or guarantee any minimum purchase from the Contract, WSDOT anticipates purchasing $208,000.00.

a. ANY CONTRACT AWARDED BECAUSE OF THIS PROCUREMENT IS CONTINGENT UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF

FUNDING.

b. SUCCESSFUL BIDDER WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS AS

OUTLINED IN EXHIBIT H – FORM FHWA 1273.

c. NO COSTS OR CHARGED UNDER THE PROPOSED CONTRACT MAY BE INCURRED BEFORE THE CONTRACT IS

FULLY EXECUTED.

2.5. WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCES. WSDOT will apply the following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences to this Competitive Solicitation which, as set forth in Section 3.5, will impact the evaluation of bids for this Competitive Solicitation:

Executive Order 18-03: 5 points

Washington Small Business: 5 points

Certified Veteran-Owned Business: 5 points

SECTION 3 – BID EVALUATION

This section identifies how WSDOT will evaluate bids for this Competitive Solicitation.

3.1. OVERVIEW. WSDOT will evaluate bids for this Competitive Solicitation as described below.

Bidder responsiveness, performance requirements, price factors, and responsibility, will be evaluated based on the process described herein.

Any bidder whose bid is determined to be non-responsive will be rejected and will be notified of the reasons for this rejection.

WSDOT reserves the right to: (1) Request clarification regarding any bid;

(2) Waive any informality; (3) Reject any or all bids, or portions thereof; (4) Accept any portion of the bid unless the bidder stipulates all or nothing in their bid;

(5) Cancel the Competitive Solicitation and, if desired, re-solicit bids; and/or

(6) Negotiate with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder(s) to determine if such bid can be improved.

WSDOT will use the following process and evaluation criteria to determine eligibility for an award of the Contract:

STEP ITEM POINTS

1 Bid Responsiveness Pass/Fail

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STEP ITEM POINTS

Responsibility Pass/Fail

Bidder Letter of Recommendations Pass/Fail

Bid Evaluation

Performance Requirements/Experience/Qualifications Exhibit B – Performance Requirements *Some REQ IDs are Mandatory versus Mandatory Scored and will be scored as Pass/Fail that are not encompassed in the points to the right.

100 possible points composing 70% of Evaluation

Score

3 Cost Factors Exhibit C – Bid Price

43 possible points composing 30% of Evaluation

Score

Evaluation Score Total: 143

State Procurement Priorities

Certified Washington Small Business (Pass/Fail) 5

Certified Veteran-Owned Business (Pass/Fail) 5

Executive Order 18-03 (Pass/Fail) 5

Total: 15

TOP-SCORED BIDDER(S) ADVANCE TO STEP 5

Presentation Evaluation

5 Demonstration/Interview- If utilized at WSDOT’s Discretion 50

3.2. QUALITATIVE REVIEW AND SCORING

Only Responses that pass the administrative screening and Mandatory requirements review will be evaluated and scored based on responses to the scored requirements in the RFQQ. Responses receiving a “1” on any Mandatory Scored (MS) element(s) will be disqualified.

i. Each REQ ID within Exhibit B- Performance Requirements of the Response File will be given a score by each team evaluator or be a Mandatory (pass/fail) requirement. Then, the REQ ID with associated scores will be totaled and an average score for each Vendor will be calculated as set forth below. This will be used in the calculation of Vendor’s total score, as set forth in Section 3.1.

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ii. Evaluation points will be assigned based on the effectiveness of the Response to each of the requirements pertaining to the qualifications of the project coordinator and subject matter expert and technical requirements. A scale of one to five will be used for each evaluated item.

iii. CLIENT REFERENCE EVALUATION -MANDATORY- SEE SECTION 3.8 The Procurement Coordinator will receive and review the client submitted Client Reference Evaluations. A submittal of three (3) Client Reference Evaluations is Mandatory and used in conjunction with determining a Bidder’s Responsiveness and Responsibility. The following criteria will be used:

Fail Response Missing/Response Received – Does Not Meet Requirement

Pass Response Received and Meets Requirement

iv. FINANCIAL QUOTE EVALUATION – MANDATORY SCORED- SEE SECTION 3.5 The Procurement Coordinator will calculate the financial score using Bidder’s Exhibit C- Bid Price response. This financial score will be used in the calculation of Bidder’s total score, as set forth in Section 3.1.

(Lowest available bid cost/ Bidder’s Exhibit C- Bid Price) x 43 points = Bid Price Score

3.3. BID RESPONSIVENESS/RESPONSIBILITY (STEP 1) - MANDATORY. WSDOT will review bids – on a pass/fail basis – to determine whether the bid is ‘responsive’ to this Competitive Solicitation. This means that WSDOT will review each bid to determine whether the bid is complete – i.e., does the bid include each of the required bid submittals, are the submittals complete, signed, legible. WSDOT reserves the right – in its sole discretion – to determine whether a bid is responsive – i.e., to determine a bidder’s compliance with the requirements specified in this Competitive Solicitation

REQ IDs

1 Unsatisfactory The response is non-responsive or wholly inadequate.

2 Partial Compliance

The response includes some elements of the requirement but not all requirements.

3 Average The response provided demonstrates all elements of the requirement

4 Above Average Capability is better than that which is average or expected as the norm.

5 Exceptional Capability is clearly superior to that which is average or expected as the norm.

𝐵𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑠 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 = Sum of Evaluators 𝑆𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠

𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION NO. RFQQ-2024-0327 – WSF TRAVEL WAIT TIMES ASSESSMENT PROJECT PAGE 8 and to waive informalities in a bid. An informality is an immaterial variation from the exact requirements of the Competitive Solicitation, having no effect or merely a minor or negligible effect on quality, quantity, or delivery of the goods or the quality, capability, or performance of the services being procured, and the correction or waiver of which would not affect the relative standing of, or be otherwise prejudicial, to bidders. For responsive bids, WSDOT will perform a cursory review to determine Bidder’s ability to meet the minimum requirements. In determining responsibility, WSDOT will review Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification and Exhibit B – Performance Requirements on bidder’s ability to meet the minimum pass/fail requirements.

3.4. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION (STEP 2) – MANDATORY, DESIRABLE SCORED, MANDATORY SCORED. WSDOT will evaluate each bid to ensure that each bidder’s goods(s) and/or service(s) meet the specifications and/or performance requirements set forth in Exhibit B – Performance Requirements. WSDOT reserves the right to request additional information or perform tests and measurements before selecting the Apparent Successful Bidder. A bidder’s failure to provide requested information to WSDOT within ten (10) business days may result in disqualification.

3.5. BID PRICING EVALUATION (STEP 3) – MANDATORY SCORED. WSDOT will evaluate bid pricing by reviewing and comparing the submitted bid prices provided in Exhibit C-Bid Price.

3.6. WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCES (STEP 4) - DESIRABLE SCORED. WSDOT will apply the following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences, as set forth below, to this Competitive Solicitation

PROCUREMENT PREFERENCE FOR EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-03 (Firms without Mandatory Individual Arbitration for Employees). Pursuant to RCW 39.26.160(3) (best value criteria) and consistent with Executive Order 18-03 – Supporting Workers’ Rights to Effectively Address Workplace Violations (dated June 12, 2018), WSDOT will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of five (5) points to any bidder who certifies, pursuant to Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification, 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 waivers.

WASHINGTON SMALL BUSINESSES. In furtherance of Washington’s business inclusion goals WSDOT will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of five (5) points to any bidder who certifies, pursuant to Exhibit A- 1 – Bidder’s Certification, that Bidder qualifies as a ‘Washington Small Business’ as set forth in Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification.

CERTIFIED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. In furtherance of Washington’s business inclusion goals, WSDOT will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of five (5) points to any bidder who certifies, pursuant to Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification, that Bidder qualifies as a Washington Department of Veterans’ Affairs Certified Veteran-Owned Business.

3.7. PRESENTATION EVALUATION (STEP 5) - MANDATORY SCORED (IF REQUIRED). WSDOT, at it’s discretion, may invite up to the top three (3) bidder(s) with the highest-scored proposals to demonstrate/interview with the evaluation committee. All key personnel will be required to participate in the demonstration/interview process. The Procurement Coordinator will contact the bidder(s) to schedule a date and time for demonstration/interview. Bidder(s) is/are

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION NO. RFQQ-2024-0327 – WSF TRAVEL WAIT TIMES ASSESSMENT PROJECT PAGE 9 encouraged to hold the date(s) indicated in Competitive Solicitation Section 1.1. The Procurement Coordinator will provide further instruction at the time of scheduling demonstrations/interviews. Prior points are not accumulative and will be reset to zero. There will be a maximum of 50 points awarded based on bidder’s demonstration/interview.

3.8. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY ANALYSIS - MANDATORY. For responsive bids, WSDOT must determine whether the bidder is a ‘responsible bidder.’ Accordingly, WSDOT will make reasonable inquiry to determine bidder responsibility on a pass/fail basis. In determining bidder responsibility, WSDOT will consider the following statutory elements:

Bidder’s ability, capacity, and skill to perform the contract or provide the service required;

Bidder’s character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency;

Bidder’s ability to perform the contract within the time specified;

Bidder’s performance quality pertaining to previous contracts or services;

Bidder’s compliance with laws relating to the contract or services;

Whether, within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of the Competitive Solicitation, bidder has been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction to have willfully violated, as defined in RCW 49.48.082, any provision of chapter 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52 RCW; and

Such other information as may be secured having a bearing on the decision to award the Contract.

See RCW 39.26.160(2)(a)-(g). In addition, WSDOT may consider the following:

Financial Information: WSDOT may request financial statements, credit ratings, references, record of past performance, clarification of bidder’s bid, on-site inspection of bidder's or subcontractor's facilities, or other information as necessary to determine bidder’s capacity to perform and the enforceability of bidder’s contractual commitments. Failure to respond to these requests may result in a bid being rejected as non-responsive.

References: WSDOT reserves the right to use references to confirm satisfactory customer service, performance, satisfaction with service/product, knowledge of products/service/industry and timeliness. Any negative or unsatisfactory reference can be reason for rejecting a bidder as non-responsible.

a) This Procurement requires three (3) submitted professional client references. Please forward Exhibit E- Client Reference Forms to three (3) current or recent clients. When complete they can forward their reference directly to the Procurement Coordinator at acoacquisitionsubmittal@wsdot.wa.gov with a cc to johnsch@wsdot.wa.gov with the subject line: RFQQ 2024 0327 – (BIDDER

NAME) – CLIENT REFERENCE FORM.

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3.9. CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS (STEP 6). WSDOT may negotiate with the highest scored responsive, responsible bidder to finalize the Contract and to determine if the bid may be improved. If, after a reasonable period of time, WSDOT, in its sole judgement, cannot reach agreement on acceptable Contract terms with such bidder, WSDOT may suspend negotiations and undertake negotiations with the next highest scored responsive, responsible bidder as determined by the evaluations.

3.10. ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDER. WSDOT will determine the Apparent Successful Bidder (“ASB”). The ASB will be the responsive and responsible bidder(s) that best meet(s) the Competitive Solicitation requirements and presents the best total value, including price, as calculated consistent with the instructions set forth in Exhibit C – Bid Price, and other factors as set forth in this Competitive Solicitation including any applicable state procurement priority or preference.

Designation as an ASB does not imply that WSDOT will issue an award for a Contract. Rather, this designation allows WSDOT to perform further analysis and ask for additional documentation. The bidder must not construe ASB designation as an award, impending award, attempt to negotiate, etc. If a bidder acts or fails to act as a result of such notification or designation, it does so at its own risk and expense.

Upon ASB announcement, bidders may request a debrief conference as specified in Section 5.

3.11. AWARD OF CONTRACT. Subject to protests, if any, WSDOT and the ASB will enter into a Contract as set forth in Exhibit D – Contract. An award is made and a contract formed by signature of WSDOT and the awarded bidder on the Contract. Following the Contract award , all bidders registered in WEBS will receive a Notice of Award delivered to the bidder’s email address provided in the bidder’s profile in WEBS.

3.12. BID INFORMATION AVAILABILITY. Upon WSDOT’s announcement of ASB, all bid submissions and all bid evaluations are subject to public disclosure pursuant to Washington’s Public Records Act. See RCW 39.26.030(2). Upon announcement of ASBs, WSDOT will post all bid evaluations to WEBS.

SECTION 4 – HOW TO PREPARE AND SUBMIT A BID FOR THIS COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION

This section identifies how to prepare and submit your bid for this Competitive Solicitation. In addition, bidders will need to review and follow the Competitive Solicitation requirements including those set forth in the exhibits, which identifies the information that bidders must provide to the Procurement Coordinator to constitute a responsive bid. By responding to this Competitive Solicitation and submitting a bid, bidders acknowledge having read and understood the entire Competitive Solicitation and accept all information contained within this Competitive Solicitation.

4.1. PRE-BID CONFERENCE. WSDOT will host a Competitive Solicitation pre-bid conference at the time set forth in Section 1.1 of this Competitive Solicitation. Attendance is not mandatory. Bidders, however, are encouraged to attend and participate. The purpose of the pre-bid conference is to clarify the Competitive Solicitation as needed and raise any issues or concerns that bidders may have. If changes to the Competitive Solicitation are required as a result of the pre-bid conference, COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION NO. RFQQ-2024-0327 – WSF TRAVEL WAIT TIMES ASSESSMENT PROJECT PAGE 11 the Procurement Coordinator will post an amendment to this Competitive Solicitation to WEBS.

Assistance for disabled, blind, or hearing-impaired persons who wish to attend the pre-bid conference is available with prior arrangement by contacting the Procurement Coordinator.

4.2. BIDDER COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THIS COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION. During the Competitive Solicitation process, all bidder communications regarding this Competitive Solicitation must be directed to the Procurement Coordinator specified in Section 1.2 of this Competitive Solicitation.

Bidders should rely only on this Competitive Solicitation and written amendments to this Competitive Solicitation issued by the Procurement Coordinator. In no event will oral communications regarding this Competitive Solicitation be binding.

Bidders are encouraged to make any inquiry regarding the Competitive Solicitation as early in the process as possible to allow WSDOT to consider and, if warranted, respond to the inquiry. If a bidder does not notify the Procurement Coordinator of an issue, exception, addition, or omission, such matter may be considered to be waived by the bidder for protest purposes.

If bidder inquiries result in changes to the Competitive Solicitation, written amendments will be issued and posted on WEBS.

Unauthorized bidder contact regarding this Competitive Solicitation with other state employees involved with the Competitive Solicitation may result in bidder disqualification.

4.3. PRICING. Bid prices must include all cost components needed for the goods and/or services as described in this Competitive Solicitation. See Exhibit C – Bid Price. A bidder’s failure to identify all costs in a manner consistent with the instructions in this Competitive Solicitation is sufficient grounds for disqualification.

Inclusive Pricing: Bidders must identify and include all cost elements in their pricing. In the event that bidder is awarded a Contract, the total price for the goods and/or services shall be bidder’s price as submitted. Except as provided in the Contract, there shall be no additional costs of any kind.

Credit Cards (P-Cards): In the event that bidder is awarded a Contract, the total price for the goods and/or services shall be the same regardless of whether Purchasers make payment by cash, credit card, or electronic payment. Bidder shall bear, in full, any processing or surcharge fees associated with the use of credit cards or electronic payment.

4.4. BID SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST – REQUIRED BID SUBMITTALS. This section identifies the bid submittals that must be provided to the Procurement Coordinator to constitute a responsive bid. The submittals must be delivered as set forth below. Bids that do not include the submittals identified below may be rejected as nonresponsive. In addition, a bidder’s failure to complete any submittal as instructed may result in the bid being rejected. Bidders may not provide unsolicited materials.

For any supplemental materials expressly required by the Procurement Coordinator in writing, bidders must identify such supplemental materials with the bidder’s name.

LETTER OF SUBMITTAL – ELECTRONIC FILE 1 (WITH A COPY IN FILE 2)

The requirements of this document are described further in Section 4.6, Sub-section E below. No reference to price may be mentioned anywhere within this document.

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EXHIBIT A-1 – BIDDER’S CERTIFICATION – ELECTRONIC FILE 2

This document is the Bidder’s Certification.

Complete the certification, along with any exceptions or required explanations, and submit it with the bid to the Procurement Coordinator Note: The Certification must be complete. Where there are choices, bidder must check a box. The certification must be signed and submitted by a duly authorized representative for the bidder.

EXHIBIT A-2 – BIDDER’S PROFILE – ELECTRONIC FILE 2

This document is required bidder information for contract administration purposes.

Complete as instructed and submit it with the bid to the Procurement Coordinator.

EXHIBIT B – PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS – ELECTRONIC FILE 1

Bidder will need to confirm that bidder’s goods and/or services and/or bidder’s performance meets or exceeds the detailed specifications/qualifications set forth in Exhibit B – Performance Requirements and submit it with the bid to the Procurement Coordinator.

EXHIBIT C – BID PRICE – ELECTRONIC FILE 2

Bidder will need to complete the price worksheet tools as instructed in Exhibit C – Bid Price and submit it with the bid to the Procurement Coordinator.

EXHIBIT D-1 – CONTRACT ISSUES LIST – ELECTRONIC FILE 2

This document is a required submittal IF bidder has business issues with the Contract attached as Exhibit D – Contract. If so, bidder must complete and submit to the Procurement Coordinator. Note, however, that WSDOT reserves the right not to modify the Contract and to award the Contract on the basis of a bidder’s willingness to agree to the Contract.

EXHIBIT G – BIDDER’S DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN – SUBCONTRACTORS. –

ELECTRONIC FILE 2

This exhibit is required only if Bidder will be using subcontractors to perform the Contract. This exhibit outlines the inclusion plan for diverse business subcontractors pertaining to the Contract.

EXHIBIT E– CLIENT REFERENCE FORM –– DUE APRIL 25TH, 2024

Bidder will need to forward three (3) Exhibit E- Client Reference Form(s) to current or recently former (within the last three (3) years) clients to complete and the client must submit the finalized reference form directly to the Procurement Coordinator as instructed in Exhibit E- Client Reference Form.

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4.5. BID FORMAT. Bids must be complete, legible, signed, and follow all instructions stated in the Competitive Solicitation (including the exhibits). Unless otherwise specified in writing by documents included with an electronic bid must be prepared in MS Word, MS Excel, or Adobe PDF. Where required to do so, bidders may sign using either a physical or electronic signature.

4.6. SUBMITTING BIDS. Bidder’s electronic bid must be emailed to the Procurement Coordinator at the acoacquisitionsubmittal@wsdot.wa.gov with a cc to johnsch@wsdot.wa.gov. Note: This email only can accept emails (including attachments) that total less than 30MB in size. Bidders are cautioned to keep email sizes to less than 25MB to ease delivery. Zipped files cannot be accepted.

a. The Response should be submitted in two (2) separate electronic files containing what is listed below. This separation of documentation protects the integrity of the State’s evaluation process. No mention of the cost response/bid price may be made in File 1.

b. Each file shall have the subject line: (Bidder Name) –RFQQ 2024 XXXX - (File 1 or File 2).

c. WSDOT will not reimburse Bidders for any costs associated with preparing or presenting a Response to this procurement.

d. Electronic File 1:

i. A Letter of Submittal, on official company letterhead, and signed by a person authorized to bind your organization to a contract. The Letter of Submittal must include the following:

1. The names and titles of Bidder’s principal officers.

2. An organizational chart of the Bidder Company.

3. A brief description of its entity (including business locations, size, areas of specialization and expertise, client base, and any other pertinent information that would aid an evaluator in formulating a determination about the stability and strength of the entity), including the vendor organization’s experience and history with the solution being requested by WSDOT.

4. The name of the proposed Bidder’s Partner In-Charge, Audit Manager, and Auditor In-Charge.

5. The lead time needed before work can begin after the formal award is announced.

6. A statement that the Vendor received the proposed contract (Exhibit D).

7. If Vendor has no exceptions to the proposed contract (Exhibit D) include a statement that the Vendor does not have exceptions to the proposed contract. If exceptions exist Vendor shall submit them using the Contract Issues List (Exhibit D-1) in Electronic File 2.

ii. Exhibit B: Performance Requirements with compiled requested responses.

1. The Response must contain information responding to all mandatory requirements in Exhibit B- Performance Requirements and must include the signature of an authorized Vendor representative, as required, on all documents in the Exhibits.

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e. Electronic File 2:

i. A copy of the Letter of Submittal

ii. Exhibit A-1: Bidder’s Certification

iii. Exhibit A-2: Bidder’s Profile

iv. Exhibit C- Bid Price

v. Exhibit D-1 – Contract Issues List

vi. Exhibit G – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (only if using subcontractors)

4.7. Errors in Response. Vendors are liable for all errors or omissions contained in their Responses.

Vendors will not be allowed to alter Response documents after the deadline for Response submission. WSDOT is not liable for any errors in Responses.

a. In those cases where it is unclear to what extent a requirement or price has been addressed, the evaluation team(s) may, at their discretion and acting through the Procurement Coordinator, contact a Bidder to clarify specific points in the submitted Response. However, under no circumstances will the responding Bidder be allowed to make changes to the proposed items after the deadline stated for receipt of Responses.

SECTION 5 – COMPLAINT, DEBRIEF, & PROTEST REQUIREMENTS

This section details the applicable requirements for complaints, debriefs, and protests.

5.1. COMPLAINTS. This Competitive Solicitation offers a complaint period for bidders wishing to voice objections to this Competitive Solicitation. The complaint period ends five (5) business days before the bid due date. The complaint period is an opportunity to voice objections, raise concerns, or suggest changes that were not addressed during the Question & Answer Period or, if applicable, at the Pre-Bid Conference. Failure by the bidder to raise a complaint at this stage may waive its right for later consideration. WSDOT will consider all complaints but is not required to modify or cancel the Competitive Solicitation. If bidder complaints result in changes to the Competitive Solicitation, written amendments to the Competitive Solicitation will be issued and posted on WEBS.

a. CRITERIA FOR COMPLAINT. A complaint may be based only on one or more of the following grounds: (a) The Competitive Solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition; (b) The Competitive Solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed; or (c) The Competitive Solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

b. INITIATING A COMPLAINT. A complaint must: (a) Be submitted to and received by the Procurement Coordinator no less than five (5) business days prior to the deadline for bid submittal; and (b) Be in writing (see Form and Substance, and Other below). A complaint should clearly articulate the basis of the complaint and include a proposed remedy.

c. RESPONSE. When a complaint is received, the Procurement Coordinator (or designee) will consider all the facts available and respond in writing prior to the deadline for bid submittals, unless more time is needed. WSDOT is required to promptly post the response to a complaint on WEBS.

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d. RESPONSE IS FINAL. The Procurement Coordinator’s response to the complaint is final and not subject to administrative appeal. Issues raised in a complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. Furthermore, any issue, exception, addition, or omission not brought to the attention of the Procurement Coordinator prior to bid submittal may be deemed waived for protest purposes.

5.2. DEBRIEF CONFERENCES. A Debrief Conference is an opportunity for a bidder and WSDOT, through its Procurement Coordinator, to meet and discuss the bidder’s bid (and, as further explained below, is a necessary prerequisite to filing a protest). Following the bid evaluation, WSDOT will issue an ASB announcement. That the ASB announcement may be made by any means, but WSDOT likely will use email to the bidder’s email address provided in the Bidder’s Profile. Bidders will have three (3) business days to request a Debrief Conference, if desired. If a Debrief Conference is timely requested, WSDOT will offer the requesting bidder one meeting opportunity and notify the bidder of the Debrief Conference place, date, and time. Please note, because the debrief process must occur before making an award, WSDOT likely will schedule the Debrief Conference shortly after the ASB announcement and the bidder’s request for a Debrief Conference. WSDOT will not allow the debrief process to delay the Contract award. Accordingly, bidders should plan for contingencies and alternate representatives. Bidders who wish to protest must first participate in a Debrief Conference. Bidders who are unwilling or unable to attend the Debrief Conference will lose the opportunity to protest. A debrief is a required prerequisite for a bidder wishing to file a protest.

a. TIMING. A Debrief Conference may be requested by a bidder following the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) announcement.

b. PURPOSE OF DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. Any bidder who has submitted a timely bid response may request a Debrief Conference (see also Section 5.4 below). A Debrief Conference provides an opportunity for the bidder to meet with WSDOT to discuss bidder’s bid and evaluation.

It does not provide an opportunity to discuss other bids and evaluations.

c. REQUESTING A DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. The request for a Debrief Conference must be made in writing via email to the Procurement Coordinator and received within three (3) business days after the ASB announcement. Debrief conferences may be conducted either in person at the WSDOT’s offices in Olympia, Washington, or virtually (e.g., by telephone or web-based virtual meeting such as Zoom, Skype, MS Teams), as determined by WSDOT, and may be limited by WSDOT to a specified period of time. A bidder’s failure to request a Debrief Conference within the specified time and attend the Debrief Conference constitutes a waiver of the right to submit a protest. Any issue, exception, addition, or omission not brought to the attention of the procurement coordinator before or during the Debrief Conference may be deemed waived for protest purposes.

5.3. PROTESTS. Following a Debrief Conference, a bidder may protest the award of a Contract.

a. CRITERIA FOR A PROTEST. A protest may be based only on one or more of the following:

(a) Bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator; (b) Error in computing evaluation scores; or (c) Non-compliance with any procedures described in the Competitive Solicitation.

b. INITIATING A PROTEST. Any bidder may protest an award to the ASB. A protest must: (a) Be submitted to and received by the Protest Officer specified below, within five (5) business days after the protesting bidder’s Debriefing Conference (see also Section 5.4 below);

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(b) Be in writing; (c) Include a specific and complete statement of facts forming the basis of the protest; and (d) Include a description of the relief or corrective action requested.

c. PROTEST RESPONSE. After reviewing the protest and available facts, WSDOT’s Protest Officer will issue a written response within ten (10) business days from receipt of the protest, unless additional time is needed.

d. DECISION IS FINAL. The protest decision is final and not subject to administrative appeal. If the protesting bidder does not accept WSDOT’s protest response, the bidder may seek relief in Thurston County Superior Court.

5.4. COMMUNICATION DURING COMPLAINTS, DEBRIEFS, AND PROTESTS. With the exception of protests, all communications about this Competitive Solicitation, including complaints and debriefs, must be addressed to the Procurement Coordinator unless otherwise directed. Protests must be addressed to the Protest Officer.

a. FORM, SUBSTANCE, & OTHER. All complaints, debrief conference requests, and protests must:

i. Be in writing;

ii. Be signed by the complaining, requesting, or protesting bidder or an authorized agent;

iii. Be delivered within the time frame(s) outlined herein;

iv. Identify the Competitive solicitation number;

v. Conspicuously state “Complaint,” “Debrief,” or “Protest” in any subject line of any correspondence or email; and

vi. Be sent to the address identified below.

b. COMPLAINTS & PROTESTS. All complaints and protests must (a) State all facts and arguments on which the complaining or protesting bidder is relying as the basis for its action; and

(b) Include any relevant documentation or other supporting evidence.

5.5. HOW TO CONTACT WSDOT.

a. TO SUBMIT A COMPLAINT. Send an email message to the Procurement Coordinator listed in this Competitive Solicitation (see Section 1.2, above). The email message must include “Complaint” in the subject line of the email message. Alternatively, mail the complaint to the Procurement Coordinator listed in this Competitive Solicitation at the following address:

Attn: Chase Johnson – Complaint- RFQQ 2024 0XXX Contract Services Office johnsch@wsdot.wa.gov acoacquisitionsubmittal@wsdot.wa.gov

b. TO REQUEST A DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. Send an email message to the Procurement Coordinator listed in this Competitive Solicitation (see Section 1.2, above). The email message must include “Debrief” in the subject line of the email message.

c. TO SUBMIT A PROTEST. Send an email message to the Protest Officer at the following email address: modarm@wsdot.wa.gov. The email message must include “Protest” and the

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Solicitation number in the subject line of the email message. Alternatively, mail the protest to the Protest Officer at the following address:

Attn: Matthew Modarelli, Chief Information Officer Washington State Department of Information 7345 Linderson Way SW Tumwater, WA 98501-7430

SECTION 6 – DOING BUSINESS WITH THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

This section provides additional information regarding Washington’s Public Records Act and doing business with the State of Washington, including WSDOT’s efforts to enable Washington’s small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements for goods/services.

6.1. WASHINGTON’S PUBLIC RECORDS ACT – PUBLIC RECORDS DISCLOSURE REQUESTS.

All documents (written and electronic) submitted to the Procurement Coordinator and/or WSDOT as part of this procurement are public records. Unless statutorily exempt from disclosure, such records are subject to disclosure if requested. See RCW 42.56, Public Records Act. WSDOT strongly discourages bidders from unnecessarily submitting sensitive information (e.g., information that bidder might categorize as ‘confidential,’ ‘proprietary,’ ‘sensitive,’ ‘trade secret,’ etc.).

If, in bidder’s judgment, Washington’s Public Records Act provides an applicable statutory exemption from disclosure for certain portions of bidder’s bid, please mark the precise portion(s) of the relevant page(s) of the bid that bidder believes are statutorily exempt from disclosure and identify the precise statutory basis for exemption from disclosure.

In addition, if, in bidder’s judgment, certain portions of bidder’s bid are not statutorily exempt from disclosure but are sensitive because these particular portions of bidder’s bid (NOT including pricing) include highly confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information (or the equivalent) that bidder protects through the regular use of confidentiality or similar agreements and routine enforcements through court enforcement actions, please mark the precise portion(s) of the relevant page(s) of bidder’s bid that include such sensitive information.

In the event that WSDOT receives a public records disclosure request pertaining to information that bidder has submitted and marked either as (a) statutorily exempt from disclosure; or (b) sensitive, WSDOT, prior to disclosure, will do the following:

WSDOT’s Public Records Officer will review any records marked by bidder as statutorily exempt from disclosure. In those situations, where the designation comports with the stated statutory exemption from disclosure, WSDOT will redact or withhold the document(s) as appropriate.

For documents marked ‘sensitive’ or for documents where WSDOT either determines that no statutory exemption to disclosure applies or is unable to determine whether the stated statutory exemption to disclosure properly applies, WSDOT will notify bidder, at the address provided in the bid submittal, COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION NO. RFQQ-2024-0327 – WSF TRAVEL WAIT TIMES ASSESSMENT PROJECT PAGE 18 of the public records disclosure request and identify the date that WSDOT intends to release the document(s) (including documents marked ‘sensitive’ or exempt from disclosure) to the requester unless the bidder, at bidder’s sole expense, timely obtains a court order enjoining WSDOT from such disclosure. In the event bidder fails to timely file a motion for a court order enjoining such disclosure, WSDOT will release the requested document(s) on the date specified. Bidder’s failure properly to identify exempted or sensitive information and timely respond after notice of request for public disclosure has been given shall be deemed a waiver by bidder of any claim that such materials are exempt or protected from disclosure.

6.2. SMALL & DIVERSE BUSINESSES. WSDOT, in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses);

RCW 43.60A.200 (WDVA certified veteran-owned businesses); and RCW 39.26.005 (Washington small businesses). In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool, WSDOT has established the following voluntary numerical goals for WSDOT’s Competitive Solicitations:

Ten percent (10%) Minority-Owned Businesses certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises

(OMWBE);

Six percent (6%) Women-Owned Businesses certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE);

Five percent (5%) Veteran-Owned Businesses certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA); and

Twenty-Five percent (25%) Washington Small Businesses, five percent (5%) of which are microbusinesses or minibusinesses as defined in RCW 39.26.010(16) and (17).

Achievement of these goals is encouraged whether directly or through subcontractors.

OMWBE CERTIFICATION. Bidders may contact the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) regarding information on Minority-Owned and Women-Owned certified firms, state and…