RFQQ 4891 Endomechanic Tocar Suture_Final.docx

December 13, 2024 RFQQ No. 4891

REQUEST

FOR

QUALIFICATIONS & QUOTATIONS

PROJECT TITLE

Endomechanical, Trocar and Suture (ETS)

ISSUED BY:

UW Medicine Supply Chain Seattle, WA.

ON BEHALF OF:

Harborview Medical Center (“HMC”), the University of Washington Medical Center (“UWMC”) and Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center (“VMC”)

PROPOSAL DUE DATE:

Friday, January 10, 2025, by 12:00 PM (Pacific Time)

LATE OR INCOMPLETE PROPOSALS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED

Proposals can be submitted on or before the due date.

Zip Files or password protected documents will not be accepted.

See Section 2.7 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION for full details.

RFP COORDINATOR

Rita Sanger risanger@uw.edu (Section 2.1)

ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT:

May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2028

UW Medicine reserves the right to extend this contract for three (3) two-year (2 year) terms for a total Contract term of nine (9) years at its sole discretion.

BIDDER ELIGIBILITY:

This procurement is open to those Bidders who satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available to work in Washington State.

CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND QUOTATIONS:

Section 1. INTRODUCTION Section 2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS Section 3. INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING RESPONSES Section 4. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Section 5. PROCUREMENT PROCESS Section 6. UW MEDICINE SAMPLE CONTRACT TEMPLATE Section 7. UW MEDICINE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS Section 8. UW MEDICINE BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT (if applicable)

BIDDER MUST SIGN THE FOLLOWING ATTACHMENTS AND RETURN WITH PROPOSAL:

Attachment A. MINORITY AND WOMEN’S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (“MWBE”) RESPONSE FORM Bidder sign and return with proposal.

Attachment B. PROPOSAL RESPONSE CERTIFICATION Bidder sign and return with proposal.

Attachment C. EXCEL TEMPLATE FOR SUBMITTING PRICING PROPOSAL Bidder to complete Attachment C formatted in excel, and return as a standalone document., and formatted for printing.

BIDDER MUST FOLLOW THE DUE DATE AS STATED IN THIS RFP DOCUMENT, NOT THE WEBS CLOSING DATE.

LATE OR INCOMPLETE PROPOSALS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED.

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF UW MEDICINE

The University of Washington (“UW”) is an institution of higher education and an agency of the State of Washington. UW Medicine is a comprehensive healthcare organization that includes three hospitals, primary and specialty clinics, the UW School of Medicine, a large physician practice plan and a critical care air transport service as follows: Harborview Medical Center and its associated clinics (“HMC”); Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center and its associated clinics (“VMC”); the University of Washington Medical Center, operating at two campuses, Montlake and Northwest, and its associated clinics (“UWMC”); UW Physicians Network dba UW Medicine Primary Care (“UWMPC”); The Association of University Physicians dba UW Physicians (“UWP”); the University of Washington School of Medicine (“UW SoM”); and Airlift Northwest (“ALNW”).

UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding primary and specialty care to the people of the region, and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, scientists and other health professionals. For further information on UW Medicine, please see www.uwmedicine.org.

UW Medicine Hospitals participating in this RFQQ # 4891 Endomechanical, Trocar and Suture (ETS) shall be as follows:

Harborview Medical Center (“HMC”), the University of Washington Medical Center (“UWMC”) and Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center (“VMC”)

Bidder shall agree that any other member of UW Medicine, as listed in the first paragraph above, may be eligible to join any Contract during the initial term or any extension term, resulting from this Request for Qualifications and Quotations upon that UW Medicine Component Unit’s agreement to each and every term of the resulting Contract by signed, written amendment.

1.2 INFORMATION ABOUT UW MEDICINE’S HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION

University of Washington Medical Center has two campuses since Jan. 1, 2020, when Northwest Hospital & Medical Center became part of University of Washington Medical Center as a single hospital.

· UW Medical Center – Montlake Campus (formerly University of Washington Medical Center) is a 529-bed comprehensive medical care facility. It is ranked as the top hospital in the state by U.S. News & World Report. Areas of specialization include cardiology, high-risk pregnancy and neonatal intensive care, oncology, orthopedics and organ transplantation. UW Medical Center – Montlake is one of the two major teaching hospitals for the UW School of Medicine and a site for significant clinical research.

· UW Medical Center – Northwest Campus (formerly Northwest Hospital & Medical Center) is a 281-bed community hospital and Level I Stroke Center located in North Seattle. It provides inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. Areas of specialization include neurosciences, childbirth and women’s health, cardiac care, geropsychiatry, cancer care, orthopedics and sports medicine, palliative and supportive care, multiple sclerosis and hernia specialty centers.

· Harborview Medical Center is a 413-bed safety-net hospital owned by King County and managed by UW Medicine. Harborview is the only Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center for Washington, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. Other areas of specialization include burn care, eye disease, HIV/AIDS, limb viability and re-implantation, neurosciences, orthopedic rehabilitation and reconstruction, stroke care, and vascular conditions. Harborview is one of the two major teaching hospitals for the UW School of Medicine and a site for significant clinical research.

· Valley Medical Center is a 321-bed acute care hospital and clinic network. It provides emergency, inpatient and outpatient care to more than 600,000 residents in Southeast King County. Areas of specialization include cancer treatment, childbirth and neonatal care, heart disease, joint replacement and orthopedics, neurosciences, sleep medicine, and stroke and spine care. Valley Medical Center operates a network of more than two dozen primary care, urgent care and specialty clinics and serves some of the most vulnerable members of the community through its extensive outreach programs.

· UW Physicians Network dba UW Medicine Primary Care is a network of freestanding, community based, ambulatory clinics serving neighborhoods around the greater Puget Sound area of Washington State.

1.3 PURPOSE

UW Medicine is seeking to establish a contract with a qualified and experienced Bidder(s) to collaborate, standardize and provide high quality Endomechanical, Trocar, and Suture (ETS) products and related accessories for the surgical treatments of UW Medicine patients.

1.3.1 UW Medicine may, at its sole discretion, review and assess the need to refresh the Vendor Pools periodically.

1.3.2 Purchase orders will be placed on an as needed basis.

1.3.3 No contract volume is guaranteed

1.3.4 Contract(s) resulting from this solicitation will be designated as “optional”

1.4 DEFINITIONS

Definitions for the purposes of this RFQQ include:

Apparent Successful Bidder (“ASB”) – The Bidder(s) chosen to provide the selected products or to perform the anticipated services subject to the completion of Contract negotiations and execution of a written Contract.

Contract – The Contract document awarded pursuant to this RFQQ, together with all incorporated schedules and exhibits, including the RFQQ, and the Response, and all amendments.

Contractor – Individual(s) or company(ies) whose Proposal has been accepted by the specific UW Medicine Hospitals participating in this RFQQ and is awarded a fully executed Contract.

Proposal – All material prepared and assembled by a Bidder which the Bidder submits in response to this RFP.

Revised Code of Washington (“RCW”) – All references to RCW chapters or sections shall include any successor, amended, or replacement statute.

RFQQ Response (“Response”) – Written response submitted to UW Medicine in accordance with the requirements of this RFQQ. The response shall include all written material submitted by Bidder(s) as of the date set forth in the RFQQ schedule or as further requested by UW Medicine.

RFQQ Coordinator – The person named in this RFQQ as the RFQQ Coordinator, or the RFQQ Coordinator’s designee within UW Medicine Supply Chain (“UWMSC”). The RFQQ Coordinator shall be the sole point of contact within UW Medicine regarding this RFQQ for potential Bidders and other interested parties.

Statement of Work (“SOW”) – The response from the Bidder(s) outlining very specifically how Bidder(s) propose to complete the work or provide the product as outlined in Section 1.4 OBJECTIVES AND STATEMENT OF WORK. It will define what will be done or purchased, from whom, by whom and cost factors.

Washington UBI No. -- A Unified Business Identifier (“UBI”) number is a 9-digit number that registers Bidder with several state agencies and allows Bidder to do business in Washington State. A UBI number is sometimes called a tax registration number, a business registration number, or a business license number. For additional information and how to apply for a Washington UBI number, visit the following website: http://bls.dor.wa.gov/faqlicense.aspx

Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (“WEBS”) – Washington State’s vendor self-registration and solicitation notification system. UW Medicine encourages all Bidders to register with WEBS at https://des.wa.gov/services/contracting-purchasing/doing-business-state/webs-registration-search-tips.

SECTION 2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR VENDORS

2.2 PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE – TENTATIVE

The Procurement Schedule outlines the tentative schedule for important action dates and times. UW Medicine reserves the right to change the Procurement Schedule or Amend the RFQQ at any time. It is the Bidder’s sole responsibility to periodically check WEBS at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/ for Amendments to this document.

The contents of this RFQQ and any amendments/addenda and written answers to questions are only available at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/.

2.3 VENDOR REGISTRATION

The Apparent Successful Bidder will be required to register and to be in good standing with UW Medicine’s vendor management system prior to providing products or services and will be responsible for annual credentialing fees. UW Medicine’s vendor management system can be accessed at https://www.greensecurityllc.com/vendors/register/step1.

For additional questions regarding the Bidder credentialing process, please contact Green Security at 866-750-3373, or email them at support@greensecurityllc.com. The Green Security customer service team will be happy to guide you through the transition. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8am – 5pm EST. For an overview of the process, here is also a video link to help you get started. https://youtu.be/1GyFnWPkWOw”.

How to register as a Bidder with Green Security and target UW Medicine facilities - YouTube A video from Green Videos on YouTube provided by: https://www.youtube.com/

2.4 BIDDER ELIGIBILITY

Hospitals will check the eligibility of all the potential Bidders against the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) List of Excluded Individuals (“LEIE”) and the U.S. General Services Administration (“GSA”) System for Award Management (“SAM”) as part of the Contract evaluation process.

2.6 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Bidders may e-mail questions to the RFQQ Coordinator, listed in Section 2.1.

Questions must cite the particular RFQQ No. and Section No. Early submission of questions is encouraged. Questions and answers will be posted by amendment on WEBS.

If Bidder did not receive this RFQQ through WEBS, it is available on the Department of Enterprise Services (“DES”), WEBS for Vendors Website at https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. All interested Bidders must be registered with WEBS under one or more of the following commodity codes in order to receive further notifications:

465-93 Surgical Instruments, Operating Room Grade 475-78 Sutures and Suturing Needles, Disposable (Including Skin Staplers, Skin Closures and Supplies)

Amendment(s) to this RFQQ may be issued to address questions raised during the inquiry period; Bidder(s) will be notified via email through the WEBS system that there is an amendment available for download once UW Medicine makes such document available.

The RFQQ Coordinator or designee is the only point of contact on all matters related to this RFQQ and submitted only via email. No phone calls are allowed. If Bidder requires additional information from any source, the RFQQ Coordinator will work with the Bidder and the specific UW Medicine Hospitals participating in this RFQQ to provide that information.

Unauthorized contact by Bidder, potential Bidder or Bidder’s representatives regarding this RFQQ with any other UW Medicine or University of Washington employee may result in Bidder’s disqualification.

2.7 RESPONSE SUBMISSION

The following shall apply to all RFQQ Responses:

2.7.1 The RFQQ Response must be sent via e-mail to the RFQQ Coordinator listed in Section 2.1 as a PDF format attachment. Documents submitted as ZIP files will not be accepted. This PDF document must include all documents that require original signatures. This e-mail response must be submitted on or before the Response due date of this RFQQ as stated in Section 2.2 above, using the following format on the e-mail subject line.

Name of RFP Endomechanic, Tocar and Suture (ETS)

RFP #

Due Date Friday, January 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM PT

NOTE: Submit two (2) documents:

2.7.1.1 Bidder’s supplemental proposal including UW Medicine Attachments A & B, redlines to UWM General Terms and Conditions. cover letter, exhibits, appendices and any marketing documents into one (1) document and no more than fifty (50) pages; and

2.7.1.2 Attachment C Bid Pricing Proposal in excel format and standalone.

2.7.2 If the Bidder does not follow the submission instructions stated in this section, UWMSC shall not be responsible for non-delivery of Bidder’s e-mail.

2.7.3 To be considered responsive, Bidder must include all information requested in this RFQQ in their Response. RFQQ Responses not meeting the requirements as stated in this section and in other sections of this RFQQ may be deemed non-responsive and shall not receive any further consideration

2.7.4 Late or incomplete Proposals may not be accepted. All Proposals and any accompanying documentation will become the property of UWMSC and will not be returned.

2.7.5 In support of the University of Washington Policy on Environmental Stewardship, UWMSC is committed to promoting environmental and socially responsible actions. To assure compliance with these policies, all RFQQ Responses are to be presented simply and economically as follows:

2.7.5.1 Electronic Mail (“E-mail”) submission of PDF documents for any forms requiring Bidder signatures. Documents submitted as ZIP files or password protected message will not be accepted;

2.7.5.2 E-mail submission of any data and pricing submissions shall be via Microsoft Excel spreadsheets;

2.7.5.3 E-mail submissions of any Contract revision shall be submitted via Microsoft Word documents, set up for “Track Changes”. These documents may be password protected for “Track Changes” but cannot be “Read Only” documents. Contract revisions may also be submitted in PDF format as long as the desired revisions are clearly indicated on the PDF document;

2.7.5.4 Final contracts and negotiations of same with ASB shall be conducted using Microsoft Word documents set up for “Track Changes”, to facilitate a clear redline process.

2.7.6 The Response must be signed by such individual(s) who have full authority from the Vendor to enter into a binding Contract on behalf of the Vendor.

2.8 INTERPRETATION, CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES IN RFQQ

Should a Bidder find any discrepancies in, or omission from, the specifications, or have doubt as to their meaning, the Bidder shall notify the RFQQ Coordinator in writing at once, and in any case no later than the last day to submit written questions.

Any interpretation, correction or change in the RFQQ will be made by formal amendment by the RFQQ Coordinator and posted on WEBS. All amendment(s) will be incorporated into this RFQQ and the resulting Contract. Interpretations, corrections, or changes to this RFQQ allegedly made in any other manner, including but not limited to oral interpretations, will not be binding, and no Bidder may rely upon any such interpretation, correction or change.

2.9 MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSES

A Bidder may withdraw a Response or modify same at any time prior to the specified time and date set for the RFQQ closing, Such a request for modification or withdrawal must be in writing executed by a person with authority as set forth under paragraph 2.7.6 above, or by electronic notice subsequently confirmed in writing.

No oral, telephone, or facsimile “FAX” to the Responses will be accepted. Responses marked “CONFIDENTIAL” will be rejected in their entirety.

2.10 ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS OF RFQQ

Receipt of all amendments to this RFQQ must be acknowledged by the Bidder on the Response Certification, Attachment B.

2.11 OFFER ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

Bidder acknowledges that the submission of a Response which includes a signed Response Certification, Attachment B, shall remain in effect for a minimum period of ninety (90) calendar days from the Response closing date unless otherwise indicated and is irrevocable.

2.12 REJECTION OF QUOTATIONS

All Responses will be reviewed by the RFQQ Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFQQ. Bidder is specifically notified that UWMSC may reject a Response at any time as non-responsive for any of the following reasons:

2.12.1 Incomplete Response;

2.12.2 Submission of a Response that proposes products or services that deviate from the technical requirements set forth in this document;

2.12.3 Failure to comply with any part of this RFQQ or any exhibit to this RFQQ;

2.12.4 Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information.

UWMSC expressly reserves the right to reject any or all Responses or reissue an RFQQ. UWMSC may waive irregularities in a Response, provided that, in the judgment of UWMSC, such action will not negate fair competition and will permit proper comparative evaluation of the Responses submitted. UWMSC’s waiver of an immaterial deviation or defect shall in no way modify the RFQQ documents or excuse the Bidder from full compliance with the RFQQ specifications in the event the Contract is awarded to that Bidder.

2.13 PREPARATION COST

UWMSC will not be liable for any costs associated with preparation and presentation of a Response submitted in response to this RFQQ.

2.14 QUOTATION PRICE

The prices submitted in the Response shall include everything necessary for the prosecution and completion of the Contract including, but not limited to, furnishing all materials and all management, supervision, labor and service, except as may be provided otherwise in the Response. In the event of a discrepancy between the unit prices and their extensions, the extended price will be adjusted accordingly. In the event of discrepancy between the sum of the extended prices, the total Response price will be adjusted accordingly. The Response price shall not include any allowance for Washington State sales/use tax.

UW Medicine will evaluate the total price for the basic requirements with any option(s) exercised at the time of award. Evaluation of option(s) will not obligate UW Medicine to exercise the option(s).

UW Medicine may reject a Response if it is materially unbalanced as to process for the basic requirements and the option quantities. A Response is unbalanced when it is based on prices significantly less than cost for some products or services and prices that are significantly overstated for other products or services.

2.14.1 Price Escalation

The prices shall not be increased during the initial term of the Contract. After the expiration of the initial term, rates may be increased by an amount negotiated and accepted in writing by both parties, not less than thirty (30) days prior to the proposed effective date of the price increase.

2.14.2 Price De-escalation

The Vendor agrees to reduce the contract purchase price at any time during the life of the Contract if the price declines at the market level, or the Vendor provides the same service to any State of Washington public agency or political subdivision at prices less than those set forth in the Contract. Such reductions will become effective at the time of the reduction and Vendor shall notify participating UW Medicine Hospitals in writing of such adjustment.

2.15 MOST FAVORABLE TERMS

Bidders shall provide their complete Response with the best and most favorable terms upon initial submission. UWMSC reserves the right to make an award without further discussions. Evaluation of Responses will be made by full and fair consideration of all Bidders. During the evaluation process, personnel involved in the selection process, facilitated by the RFP Coordinator, may contact Bidders for clarification of technical points or interpretation of Response information.

The negotiated Contract may incorporate some or all of the Bidder’s entire Response. The ASB should be prepared to accept that its Response may be incorporated in its entirety into the Contract. It is also understood that the Response will become part of the official UWMSC file on this matter without obligation to UW Medicine.

2.16 AWARD OF CONTRACT

UWMSC may award a Contract on the basis of initial Responses received, without discussion; therefore, each initial Response should contain the Bidder’s best terms from a cost and technical standpoint.

Bidder agrees that any other UW Medicine Component Unit, as listed in Section 1.1 of this document, may join in this RFQQ by developing a Contract that follows the Terms and Conditions of this RFQQ or by written amendment to the resulting Contract signed by all parties to the Contract.

2.17 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The submission of a Response herein constitutes the agreement of any Bidder that any Contract to be drawn as the result of an award herein shall be prepared by UWMSC. The submission of a Response shall further constitute the agreement of each Bidder that it will not insist on the use of standard contract agreements, documents, or forms, and that it waives any demand for the use of its standard agreements. A UWMSC Contract shall generally follow this RFQQ.

The submission of a Response certifies that Bidder understands and accepts the Terms and Conditions of this RFQQ as well as UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions as stated in Section 7 of this RFQQ.

Any exceptions to the UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions in this RFQQ may be submitted with the Proposal. All exceptions must be submitted as “Track Changes” to Section 6-10, citing each clause with which Bidder has an issue and suggesting alternative language.

Additionally, any Contract and/or purchase order issued as a result of this RFQQ may be subject to the Federal Flowdown Terms and Conditions for Federal Grant Funded and/or Federal Contract Funded Purchases.

In the event of any inconsistencies or conflicting terms and conditions in this RFQQ, such inconsistency or conflict shall be resolved by giving precedence in the following order:

2.17.1 Federal, state, or local laws or regulations;

2.17.2 The terms of this RFQQ;

2.17.3 The UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions.

In the event that a Contract and/or purchase order is issued as a result of this RFP, any inconsistency or conflict shall be governed by the Order of Precedence specified in such Contract or purchase order, or, if none is specified, by the UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions Section 31. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE.

Bidder may submit additional terms and conditions relevant to the business in response to this RFQQ. UWMSC will evaluate requested exemptions or additional terms and conditions proposed by Bidder and may accept or reject the same at its sole discretion. UWMSC reserves the right to exclude the Response from further consideration in the event of excessive exceptions or additional terms in the Response.

In the event Bidder does not submit exceptions to any of the terms and conditions contained in the RFQQ, including the UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions, it shall be construed by UWMSC as the Bidder fully accepting and agreeing to the RFQQ language as is. Further changes to the same will not be allowed during the negotiation of the Contract.

2.18 CONTRACT PERIOD

Unless otherwise stated, the initial term of the agreement shall be for three (3) years with fixed and firm pricing, commencing on the effective date of the Contract.

At the Hospital’s sole discretion, the Contract term may be extended by three (3) additional two-year (2 year) extension options not to exceed a total Contract term of nine (9) years. All extension options shall be mutually agreed upon by both parties by written amendment.

If applicable, UW Medicine reserves the right to extend the Contract on a month-to- month basis beyond the extension of the current Contract Term at the then current rate to facilitate establishment of a new Contract.

2.19 STATE AND FEDERAL CERTIFICATIONS

In accordance with the legislative findings and policies set forth in Chapter 39.19 RCW, the State of Washington encourages participation in all of its contracts by Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (“MWBE”) firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (“OMWBE”) http://www.omwbe.wa.gov. Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this RFQQ or as a Subcontractor to a Bidder.

However, unless required by federal statutes, regulations, grants or contract terms referenced in the Contract documents, no preference to MWBE firms will be included in the evaluation of Responses. No minimum level of MWBE participation shall be required as a condition for receiving an award and Responses will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis. Any affirmative action requirements set forth in federal regulations or statutes included or referenced in the Contract documents will apply.

2.20 RESPONSE CONFIDENTIALITY

It is the intent to receive Responses in response to this RFQQ, at the time and place designated in Section 2.2 and 2.7. At that time, only the names of the Bidders submitting Responses will be released.

Bidder, as an express condition for UW Medicine’s consideration of its Response, agrees that all Responses received, with the exception of items therein which are public information shall remain confidential until the ASB has been announced. After announcement of the ASB, all documents submitted, as part of the RFQQ process are considered part of the public record as defined in Chapter 42.56 RCW and shall be available for any party upon request.

Any information in the Response that the Bidder desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the non-disclosure of the Bidder’s document must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Bidder is making the claim must be cited. 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 of the entire Response as “PROPRIETARY” will be neither accepted nor honored.

Washington State Law RCW 42.56.270 (1) allows an exemption from public disclosure for materials that contain “valuable formulae, designs, drawings, and research data when disclosure would produce private gain and public loss.” This is the only exemption granted by law that might apply to this acquisition; however, please be advised that Bidders will need to demonstrate that disclosure of their materials would produce both private gain and public loss.

If a request is made to view a Bidder’s Response, UWMSC will release the requested information. Prior to release, the University of Washington (“UW”) Office of Public Records will provide notice to Bidder(s) of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless Bidder obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If Bidder fails to obtain a court order enjoining disclosure, UW Office of Public Records will release the information on the date specified.

2.21 COMPLAINT PROCEDURE

The complaint process allows Bidder to focus on the solicitation requirements and evaluation process and raises issues with these processes early enough in the RFQQ process to allow UWMSC to correct a problem before Responses are submitted and time is expended on evaluations.

The complaint process shall meet the following minimum requirements:

2.21.1 Bidders will be given an opportunity to submit a complaint to UWMSC based on any of the following:

2.21.1.1 Solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;

2.21.1.2 Solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed; or

2.21.1.3 Solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a Response.

2.21.2 Bidders will be allowed to submit complaints up to five (5) business days prior to the bid response deadline. Complaints must meet the following requirements:

2.21.2.1 Must be in writing;

2.21.2.2 Must be sent to the RFQQ Coordinator or designee;

2.21.2.3 Must clearly articulate the basis for the complaint;

2.21.2.4 Must include a proposed remedy.

2.21.3 RFQQ Coordinator or designee will respond to the complaint in writing;

2.21.4 Response to all complaints including any changes to the RFQQ will be posted as an amendment on WEBS;

2.21.5 RFQQ Coordinator will notify the UWMSC Manager of Contracting of all complaints and provide a copy of the complaint response to the UWMSC Manager of Contracting and the System Director, UWM Strategic Sourcing;

2.21.6 Documented complaint may not be raised again during the protest period;

2.21.7 Complaint process does not include an appeal process.

2.22 PROTEST PROCEDURE

The protest process occurs after Responses are submitted and evaluated. This allows the Bidders to focus on the evaluation process to ensure its integrity and fairness. Protests can raise issues related to the evaluation process as set out in the RFQQ or how the process was executed.

The protest process will meet the following requirements:

2.22.1 After the announcement of the ASB, Bidders may request a debrief in writing;

2.22.2 Bidders must request a debrief within three business (3) days after the ASB is announced;

2.22.3 Bidders are required to participate in a debriefing as a pre-requisite for submitting a protest;

2.22.4 Bidders will be given five (5) business days after the debriefing to file a written protest

2.22.5 The grounds on which a protest may be based are as follows:

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

2.22.5.2 Errors in computing the scores;

2.22.5.3 Non-compliance with procedures described in the solicitation document or the UWMSC protest process.

2.22.6 Protests must be submitted to the RFQQ Coordinator, the UWMSC Manager of Contracting and the System Director, UWM Strategic Sourcing;

2.22.7 The UWMSC Manager of Contracting will issue a response within ten (10) business days from the receipt of the protest, unless additional time is needed and submit a copy of the protest response to the System Director, UWM Strategic Sourcing. The protesting Bidder shall be notified in writing if additional time is required;

2.22.8 The UWMSC Manager of Contracting’s decision is final. If the protesting Bidder does not accept the UWMSC Manager of Contracting’s response, a Bidder may try to seek relief from Superior Court.

SECTION 3 - INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING RESPONSES

3.1 GENERAL

To aid in the evaluation process, it is required that all Responses comply with the items and sequence as presented in paragraph 3.2 RFQQ RESPONSE OUTLINE. Paragraph 3.2 outlines the minimum requirements and packaging for the preparation and presentation of a Response. Failure to comply may result in rejection of the Response. The Response should be specific and complete in every detail, prepared in a simple and straightforward manner.

Bidders are expected to examine the entire RFQQ, including all specifications, standard provisions, and instructions. Failure to do so will be at the Bidder’s risk. Each Bidder shall furnish the information required by the RFQQ. It is required that Response entries be typewritten. Periods of time, stated in number of days, in this request or in the Bidder’s Response, shall be in calendar days.

Bidder must indicate acceptance and compliance with the information and instruction of this RFQQ by signing either in longhand or electronic signature and dating the MWBE and Small Business participation, Attachment A and Response Certification, Attachment B The name and title must be typed or printed below each signature.

3.2.2 Background and History: Describe the company, organization, officers or partners, number of employees and operating policies which would affect this Contract. State the number of years the organization has been continuously engaged in business.

3.2.3 Financial Stability: Describe the financial status of the company. Attach a copy of the most recent annual financial statement or other similar document.

3.2.4 Technical Approach and Methodology: Describe Bidder’s technical approach and methodology for accomplishing the described Scope of Work in Section 4.2. The proposed approach and methodology should include details on how Bidder will support the account, breadth of assortment and account service plans.

3.2.5 Clinical Acceptability: All products must be validated by the Medical Staff for clinical acceptability based on the specifications listed in section 4.2.

All information to be provided by UW Medicine as part of this plan needs to be specified including content, format and frequency.

3.2.6 Proposed Cost/Fees: Provide a cost proposal to accomplish the Scope of Work or provide the requested product in Attachment C.

3.2.9 Bidder Exceptions: Describe any exceptions to the terms and conditions contained within this document. All such exceptions must be submitted using “Track Changes” to Section 7. UW MEDICINE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Add comments about the project or product that are of concern to the Bidder.

UWMSC reserves the right to exclude the Proposal from further consideration in the event of excessive exceptions or additional terms in the Proposal.

3.2.10 Contract Management Information: Provide primary Contract Manager Contact name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

SECTION 4 - TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

4.1 GENERAL

UW Medicine is seeking a single primary Vendor(s) for Endomechanical, Trocar, Suture (ETS) products and related accessories. This includes any necessary clinical expertise to use such systems.

This RFQQ:

a. Will be limited to ETS products.

b. No non-suture wound closure products, hemostat products, systems or accessories are included.

c. If Bidders wish to include a value-added benefit to the submission that includes wound closure products (skin staplers, glues) or passive hemostat products, it will be considered.

4.2 SCOPE OF WORK

A. Clinical Requirement Products must meet the following Clinical Requirements:

Suture Products

Adequate size and selection assortment

Endomechanical Ergonomic: Adequately fits in hand (fit options for smaller hands)

Weight in hand (heavy, light)

Ease of firing, (one-handed, power options)

Sturdiness of instrument

Ability to clean

Adequate clip closure

Reloads: Ease of arming reloads; consistency of reload firing

Adequate size and selection assortment

Trocar Products and Related Accessories

Ease of instrument introduction through check valve and/or seal (instrument drag)

Ease of introduction through trocar valve and sleeve

B. Expectations

1. Complete Attachment C (Pricing Proposal) with full catalog of Suture, Endomechanical and Trocar instruments, disposables, and accessories with pricing and cross reference information for all options.

2. Identify material composition and imaging compatibility.

3. Provide information on how much interference the material may or may not cause during MRI/CT scanning.

4. Provide information on how 24/7 case support will be supported and managed.

5. Provide information on how new products (FDA Approved) fit into the proposed price schedule as it is UW Medicine’s intent to access and purchase “state of the art” products.

6. Provide information on current methods used for replacement of recalled, wasted, unusable, broken or otherwise defective or surgeon-rejected implants.

7. Provide information on supply continuity for manufacturing redundancy strategy and capability to achieve acceptable line-item fill rates of 97%.

8. Provide information on the ability to provide consigned sets (by sets with quantities), by facility, to maximize ease of product use for cases and eliminate the need for flash sterilization.

9. Provide a plan for replacement of broken or stressed instruments for sets, including owned and/or consigned sets.

10. Provide information on how products and product packaging are identified as sterilizable and sterile status.

11. Provide information on how you manage out dates and what is the shortest expiration date you would ship out to customers and distributors.

12. Provide plans for training and education.

13. In support of Hospitals’ green initiatives, use of third party reprocessed items will not be impeded or have an adverse impact on any resulting contract.

C. Shipping and Delivery

1. Shall provide Overnight shipping on any orders, as required by each UW Medicine hospitals. Bidder will absorb all standard, Second Day and Overnight freight charges.

2. Other than specific overnight orders, deliveries shall be sent via Second Day delivery and will be expected two (2) days after receipt of order.

3. Freight charges for weekend deliveries and/or evaluation products are the responsibility of the Bidder.

4. Delivery lead-time for elective case support shall be forty-eight 48 hours (for Central Sterile Processing Department (CSPD)) processing and other case preparation).

5. Provide details of Bidders direct ordering and shipping program for suture; including the lowest unit of measure that items can be purchased by.

4.3 COST PROPOSAL

Bidders are requested to provide their full catalog of ETS instruments, disposables, and accessories with pricing in Attachment C for the following scenarios:

a. Primary Sole Source Supplier with 80% market share commitment This scenario awards one primary Supplier with preferred status in return for 80% of annual spend.

b. Access price - Not to Exceed For the Suppliers who do not get selected as the primary preferred Supplier status, this gives them a pricing threshold and contract opportunity to do business with UW Medicine.

4.4 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Apparent Successful Bidder is required to obtain insurance to protect UW Medicine should there be any claims, suits, actions, costs, or damages or expenses arising from any negligent or intentional act or omission of the Bidder or its Subcontractor(s), or their agents, while performing work under the terms of any Contract resulting from this solicitation.

Bidders will find a complete description of the specific insurance requirements in RFQQ Section 7. UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions #28.

SECTION 5 - PROCUREMENT PROCESS

5.1 BIDDER LIST AND QUALIFICATION EVALUATION

After the established date for receipt of Responses, a listing of Bidders submitting Responses will be prepared and will be available for public inspection. Qualifications and Responses submitted by interested Bidders will be reviewed and evaluated based on the evaluation factors set forth in the RFQQ.

5.2 RESPONSE CLASSIFICATION

For the purpose of conducting discussions with individual Bidders, if required, Responses will initially be classified as:

Discussions may be conducted, if required, with any or all of the Bidders whose Responses are found acceptable or potentially acceptable. Bidders whose Responses are unacceptable will be notified promptly. UWMSC will establish procedures and schedules for conducting oral and/or written discussions.

5.3 BIDDER INVESTIGATION

UW Medicine will make such investigations as it considers necessary to obtain full information on the Bidders selected for evaluations.

5.4 EVALUATION PROCESS

A committee that consists of members from the participating UW Medicine Hospitals’ requesting departments and other areas of the participating hospital(s) will evaluate all acceptable Responses based on the criteria identified. Responses will be rated using a weighted point structure, and then ranked. The Response(s) receiving the highest rankings will be declared the ASB(s).

5.5 EVALUATION CRITERIA

The evaluation criteria are listed below:

5.5.1 Technical Approach and Methodology

Approach and methodology for accomplishing the scope of work as described in Section 3.2.4, 4.1 and 4.2. This should include detailed information addressing the scope of work, technical specifications, breadth of assortment and account support.

5.5.2 Clinical Acceptability

All products must be validated by the Medical Staff for clinical acceptability based on the specifications as described in Section 3.2.5 and 4.2 Scope of Work.

5.5.3 Proposal Cost

The pricing proposal for the listed products in Attachment C as described in Section 3.2.6 and 4.3.

5.6 FINAL OFFERS AND AWARD OF CONTRACT

In addition to the specifications stated in this RFQQ, the following award considerations shall apply:

5.6.1 The ability, capacity, and skills of the Bidder to perform the Contract or provide the service required;

5.6.2 The character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the Bidder;

5.6.3 The quality of performance of pervious Contracts or service;

5.6.4 The previous and existing compliance by the Bidder with the laws relating to Contract and services;

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

The UW Medicine evaluation committee will rank the final Bidders for the project, giving due consideration to the established evaluation criteria. The evaluation committee will recommend award to the Response(s) that is found to be most advantageous to the participating UW Medicine Hospitals on the factors set forth in the RFQQ.

If UW Medicine opts for a “Best and Final” evaluation (oral or written), previous scores will then be set aside and final evaluations will be based on the “Best and Final” Response. The UW Medicine evaluation committee, facilitated by the RFQQ Coordinator, shall make the final determination as to which Bidder(s), initially designated as a finalist, shall be officially selected and notified as the ASB(s).

SECTION 6 – UW MEDICINE SAMPLE CONTRACT TEMPLATE

CONTRACT NO. XXXXX

CONTRACT FOR PURCHASED GOODS OR PURCHASED SERVICES

BETWEEN

SPECIFIC UW MEDICINE HOSPITALS

AND

CONTRACTOR NAME

This Contract for (insert type of equipment, good or service) is between specific UW Medicine Hospitals, namely, Harborview Medical Center and its associated clinics (“HMC”) and the University of Washington Medical Center and its associated clinics (“UWMC”), and [Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center and its associated clinics (“VMC”) (collectively “Hospital(s)”) and (“Contractor”).

Contractor Company Name Address City, State Contractor Contract Administrator Contact Name Phone number email Washington State UBI No.

Federal ID No.

The University of Washington is an institution of higher education and an agency of the State of Washington. UW Medicine is a comprehensive healthcare organization that includes three hospitals, primary and specialty clinics, the UW School of Medicine, a large physician practice plan and a critical care air transport service as follows: Harborview Medical Center and its associated clinics (“HMC”); Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center and its associated clinics (“VMC”); the University of Washington Medical Center, operating at two separate campuses, Montlake and Northwest, and its associated clinics (“UWMC”); UW Physicians Network dba UW Medicine Primary Care (“UWMPC”); The Association of University Physicians dba UW Physicians (“UWP”), the University of Washington School of Medicine (“UW SoM”), and Airlift Northwest (“ALNW”) (each a “UW Medicine Component Unit” and collectively “UW Medicine Component Units”).

Contractor agrees that any other member of the UW Medicine Component Units, as listed in the paragraph above, may join this (insert type of equipment, good or service) Contract upon that UW Medicine Component Unit’s agreement to each and every term of this Contract by signed, written amendment.

In consideration of the mutual promises contained herein, the parties agree that this Contract will be performed in accordance with the following terms and conditions:

Public Hospital District No. 1 dba Valley Medical Center shall have the right to terminate this Contract for convenience without dispute should the Strategic Alliance between Valley Medical Center and UW Medicine, currently expiring as of June 30, 2026, is not renewed.

A. PURPOSE OF CONTRACT

The purpose of this Contract is .

B. STATEMENT OF WORK

The Contractor will provide goods, and otherwise do all things necessary for or incidental to the performance of work, as set forth below:

Identify all tasks, work elements and objectives of the Contract, and timetables by which major parts of the work are to be completed.

Exhibit A contains the general terms and conditions (“UW Medicine General Terms and Conditions”) governing this Contract.

IDENTIFY TASKS, WORK ELEMENTS AND OBJECTIVES, IF APPROPRIATE

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT (“QAPI”)

In accordance with The Joint Commission (T.J.C.) Leadership (LD.)04.03.09, Contractor agrees to work in collaboration with Hospital(s) in the review and development of relevant quality assurance plans as opportunities for performance improvement are identified. This may include participation in quality assurance activities including event reviews, studies, plans of corrective action for deficiencies identified by either signatory to this Contract or third-party regulatory agencies. Contractor agrees to provide periodic reporting on the outcome of process changes and corrective actions to Hospital(s) Business Manager/ Department Manager named in the CONTRACT MANAGEMENT Section below.

C. TERM OF CONTRACT

1. The initial Term of this Contract shall be for three (3) years with fixed and firm pricing, commencing on MM/DD/YYYY and expiring on MM/DD/YYYY;

2. At the Hospital’s sole discretion, the Contract term may be extended by three (3) additional two-year (2-year) extension options not to exceed a total Contract term of nine (9) years. This shall be affected by Hospital(s) giving written notice of the intent to extend the Contract to Contractor at least thirty (30) days prior to the then current expiration date of the initial term or the then current extension term of this Contract;

3. The term of any Price List as included in Exhibit B shall not exceed the term of this Contract, including any mutually agreed upon extension;

4. At the Hospital’s sole discretion, the Contract term may be extended on a month-to-month basis for up to an additional three (3) months after the final expiration date with the current Exhibit B pricing, terms and conditions.

D. PRICE LISTS

1. The prices set forth in the Price List, and attached hereto as Exhibit B, shall be fixed and firm for the duration of the Contract. Any changes to the pricing in Exhibit B should be sent to scmhelp@uw.edu with 90 days’ notice and must be by written amendment to this Contract signed by all parties;

2. Hospitals may purchase…