RFR 252334 Environmental Diagnostic Testing Monitoring Remediation Related Services master version 5 6 24.docx

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of public health Bureau of Climate and Environmental Health Address: 250 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108-4619

Contact Name: Thomas McGuire

Email : thomas.m.mcguire@mass.gov

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Environmental and Biological Diagnostic Testing, Monitoring, Remediation & Related Services

COMMBUYS BID Number: BD-24-1031-BEH00-BEH01-99416

DPH RFR Document Number: RFR 252334

March 11, 2024

Key RFR Information All Potential Bidder’s must read

COMMBUYS REGISTRATION

It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Contractor to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the Purchasing Department, including requests for clarification. The Purchasing Department and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Contractor’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause email communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/Awarded contractor and the Purchasing Department to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering. To register review the COMMBUYS Job Aide COMMBUYS Vendor Registration or go to www.COMMBUYS.com.

QUOTE SUBMISSION

This BID requires the submission of electronic quotes. All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission of their quotes by considering potential online impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

Section A: Procurement Overview

A1: Procurement Scope and Description

The Massachusetts Department of Public (DPH) is seeking to establish a qualified list of service providers from which DPH can purchase Environmental and Biological diagnostic testing, monitoring, surveillance, remediation, or related services. Additional areas of testing may be identified in the future.

DPH intends to create a master agreement (MA) contract with qualified service providers that can provide high quality testing, surveillance, remediation services not offered by existing statewide contract(s). This solicitation will establish rate agreement contracts with all providers able to serve DPH in the various areas of services. When DPH determines the need for specific testing services it will enter into a limited-time engagement with a qualified MA contractor. Each engagement will specify the services being purchased and any other applicable terms, including but not limited to, confidentiality and security standards and obligations.

Currently there are ten (10) categories covered under this RFR. DPH reserves the right to add additional categories as needed. Bidders may bid on as many/few categories as they qualify for:

Category 1: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing Category 2: Asbestos Testing Category 3: Remediation Services Category 4: Characterization of Contaminants in Environmental, Biological or Other Media Category 5: Lead Testing Category 6: Underground Storage Tank Services Category 7: LSP Services Category 8: Environmental Multi-media Auditing Services Category 9: Above Ground Storage Tank Services Category 10: Education & Training

This is a rolling enrollment solicitation and laboratory testing providers are encouraged to submit a response to this RFR for their areas of specialty.

A2: Program Background Information

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is a governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with various responsibilities related to public health. Its mission is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth. MDPH provides programs to address specific diseases and conditions and offers services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. MDPH also develops, implements, promotes, and enforces policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families.

Section B: Procurement Information B1: Applicable Procurement Law

Executive Branch Goods and Services

B2: Whether Single or Multiple Contractors Are Required For Contract(s)

Check One (“X”):

B3: Calendar Rule Type

B4: Acquisition Method:

B5: Use of a Procurement by a Single or Multiple Departments

· Identify additional Eligible Entities by name or type.

The Purchasing Department reserves the right to add or remove additional authorized users during the contract term.

B6: Expected Duration of Contract

month(s)

Anticipated Renewal Options option(s) to renew for year(s)

B7: Anticipated Expenditures, Funding Or Compensation For Expected Duration

Dollar Amount

Estimated annualized amount $ 1,000,000.00

Check One (“X”):

Will Federal Funds be used to fund any part of Contract(s)?

** Rates submitted with the initial bid response can only be changed each July 1 throughout the procurement and must be submitted in writing to the MDPH Bureau’s Procurement Manager, no later than sixty (60) days prior to the new rates taking effect.

Sub-Recipient:

receiving federal grant funds will be considered sub-recipients for federal grant purposes and will be required to comply with applicable federal requirements, including but not limited to sub-recipient audit requirements under OMB Circular A-133.

Unique Entity Identifier: On April 4, 2022, the unique entity identifier used across the federal government changed from the DUNS Number to the Unique Entity ID also known as UEI or SAMS number. Any entity that wants to apply for federal contracts or wants to receive federal funds must register with SAM. Entities that use SAM include for profit businesses, nonprofits, government contractors or subcontractors, as well as state and local governments.

Registering with SAM.gov is free and is required for your organization to receive federal funds. Your organization can submit an application to this RFR without being registered on SAM, however if awarded your organization will need to have an active SAM account prior to contract execution.

Unspent Funds: Any funds from Capital, Trust and/or Federal Accounts designated in the budget that are unspent in any fiscal year will not be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year.

Section C: Performance and Contract Specifications

C1: Scope of Services

The services that shall be provided range from diagnostic test to surveillance and when needed remediation of hazards that are naturally occurring, manmade or of other origin in the environment or manmade structures that can have a negative impact of the health of residence of the Commonwealth. The type of sampling and related services needed will be determined by the program or facility requesting the services to identify the potential hazards.

The purpose of this procurement is to establish a qualified list of service providers from which DPH can purchase Environmental and Biological diagnostic testing, monitoring, surveillance, remediation, or related services that the department needs to meet operational and programmatic obligations.

There are ten (10) main categories of services with other supporting services needed in the identification, remediation and/or surveillance of any potential hazards.

Category 1: - Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing

Awarded contractors must offer the following professional electrical and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning engineering services:

· Perform air quality services to evaluate and monitor key indoor air quality parameters or monitor and/or evaluate background levels of fundamental indoor air quality. Mandatory testing services for this category include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and humidity. Tests for the following parameters are not mandatory but may be requested by the User Agency: particulates, biological contaminants (e.g. mold, bacteria), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), etc.

· Awarded contractors must undertake both testing methods:

· real time/direct reading/grab samples (samples taken for period of 0 seconds to 15 min.)

· time integrated monitoring (samples taken for period of 2 to 24 hours.)

· Awarded contractors must be able to evaluate the adequacy of both general supply and exhaust mechanical ventilation systems. Awarded contractors must be able to determine volumetric air flow rates at vents and diffusers.

· Awarded contractors must outline the methodology for the evaluation of the situation and outline all types of testing for determination of the problem.

· Awarded contractors will provide detailed written reports of the findings, recommend and estimate costs for corrective actions and assist the User Agency in negotiations to effect corrective action.

· Awarded contractors may be required to submit written field and progress reports for any site visit and inspection requested by the User Agency.

· Awarded contractors may be required to attend meetings as deemed necessary by the public agency.

· Awarded contractors must also follow standards and recommendations for industrial and non-industrial indoor environment as outlined by the following:

· Title 29 CFR 1910.1000 subpart Z

· American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), published 1995: Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances;

· American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE): Standard 62-1989: Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality;

· U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regulations. 29 CFR Part 1910.1000. OSHA Standards for Air Contaminants;

· National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH ), NIOSH Recommendations for Occupational Safety and Health. Compendium of Policy Documents and Statements (DHHS (NIOSH) Publications 91-109.1991;

· Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA) National Mechanical Code;

· Massachusetts Department of Labor and Work Force Development, Division of Occupational Safety: Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality.

Awarded contractors cannot perform services where design fee is > $10,000 and/or construction costs exceed $100,000.

Category 2: - Asbestos Testing Awarded contractors will provide asbestos consulting/testing services, which may include, but will not be limited to:

· Perform air monitoring and testing and bulk material sampling.

· Provide services of the following classifications of workers: Asbestos Abatement Worker, Project Monitor, Asbestos Inspector, Asbestos Management Planner and Asbestos Project Designer as outlined in 453 CMR 6.0

· Develop comprehensive or partial surveys and assessments of facilities.

· Prepare recommendations for asbestos removal and abatement (if any mechanical, etc. work is needed, Chap. 7 and Chap. 149 laws will apply)

· Provide comprehensive cost estimates for asbestos removal and abatement.

Awarded contractors will report results, make recommendations and develop cost estimates for addressing any environmental quality issues that come to light from testing and evaluations. Awarded contractors may be required to attend meetings as deemed necessary by the public agency.

Note: Firms that perform these diagnostic services under Category 2 : Asbestos Testing may not perform the recommended corrective actions, according to 453 CMR 6.00.

Category 3: - Remediation Services Awarded contractors will provide remediation services, which may include, but will not be limited to:

· Removal, disposal, repair, encapsulation and other asbestos related work

· Removal, disposal, repair, encapsulation and other lead related work

· Performance of air sampling and analysis in abated areas

· Removal, disposal, repair, encapsulation and other related work of any environmental substance discovered by testing/diagnostic firms where corrective actions are recommended

The Contractor shall supply a copy of all manifest sheets for proper disposal of any environmental substance remediated.

All remediation services must be performed in accordance with current regulatory agencies.

Note: Diagnostic firms may not perform corrective actions according to 453 CMR 6.00.

Category 4: - Characterization of Contaminants in Environmental, Biological or Other Media

Awarded contractors for characterization of contaminants in environmental, biological, or other media will be required to:

· Possess analytical capability to determine contaminants present in environmental media (e.g., soil, water, air), biological media (e.g., animal or human tissue), or other materials in which contamination may be present (e.g., foods, consumer products, packaging);

· Perform sample collection and analysis activities including transport, chain of custody, reporting of certified analytical results, and assessments;

· Perform storm water, wastewater, surface water, and drinking water sampling and analysis; and conduct discharge evaluations for water associated with public property and buildings throughout the State;

· Provide hazardous waste-related services including material, sample collection and assessments;

· Carry out a site reconnaissance to observe evidence of hazardous material;

· Prepare all necessary notices for local, state and federal agencies where appropriate and maintain liaison;

· Perform a limited number of shallow test borings and split spoon sampling to determine the extent of the contamination;

· Survey well head elevations and measure depths to ground water to evaluate ground water flow direction;

· Perform soil testing for volatile organic compounds and/or other chemical, environmental or biological contaminants;

· Collect ground water sample from monitoring wells and surface water bodies on sites and screen it for petroleum hydrocarbons and/or other chemical, environmental or biological contaminants;

· Prepare a final written report containing observations and conclusions relating to the environmental condition at the site. If appropriate, the report shall include an opinion with regard to the presence of hazardous material or other contaminants and shall define the limitation regarding this opinion;

· Attend meetings as deemed necessary by the public agency.

Category 5: - Lead Testing

Awarded contractors will test facility for lead and record all lead hazards. Awarded contractors will recommend actions that should be taken to remove or cover all lead. Awarded contractors, if qualified, may be asked to recommend the actions that should be taken and apply for temporary or interim control. All Awarded contractors in this service category must be lead inspectors licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Personnel must be American Industrial Hygiene Association-certified. Awarded contractors must also be affiliated with an American Board of Industrial Hygiene-accredited lab. It is anticipated that lead testing will incorporate XRF methods, however awarded contractors should also be able to analyze TCP of paint plus underlying substrata.

Category 6: - Underground Storage Tank Services

Awarded contractors will be responsible for tank tightness testing; emptying of leaking UST Systems; preparing plans and reports required by 310 CMR 40.00; design of facility-specific remedial measures as appropriate; oversight of immediate response actions necessary to address leaking UST Systems. Contractors must utilize a non-volumetric testing method to conduct all initial tests of USTs. Contractors must, prior to initiation of any UST tightness tests, inform and receive approval from facilities of the type of test to be utilized. To verify results of a failed non-volumetric test, contractors may be required to conduct a volumetric test method. All volumetric testing must be conducted using methods in EPA Technology Transfer Pamphlet 625/9 - 89/009. Upon completion of testing, the contractor must return all UST Systems to their previous operational condition. All testing methods must meet the following requirements:

· Must be able to detect a leak at a minimum rate of 0.05 gallons per hour throughout the entire UST system, in accordance with MA DEP regulations 310 CMR 40.0314 (1). All testing methods must be validated through independent, third-party documentation.

· All testing methods must detect leaks as low as 0.05 gallons per hour regardless of UST sizes, type of products or volume of product or water.

· Testing methods must meet all federal, state, and local codes and regulations.

· Testing methods must determine conclusively whether a UST or a particular pipe is leaking.

· Testing methods must be suitable for detecting leakage from entire UST systems containing flammable or combustible materials, or other hazardous material.

· Testing methods ability to detect leaks will be independent of groundwater conditions.

· The Contractor must certify (reference 527 CMR 9.05 (F)) that the entire UST system has passed or specify the leak rate and location of leak. If the Contractor cannot certify the results of a test, re-testing must be conducted immediately, at no additional cost to the Facility.

· Testing methods must be clearly able to differentiate between a leaking and a non-leaking UST system even if hydrocarbon vapors or petroleum products are present outside the UST system.

· Testing must include testing of Cathodic protection devices using an approved method on USTs equipped with such devices.

· Contractors must be able to offer Designated Class A/B/C Operators as needed by each facility.

Bidders must submit the following information for each proposed UST tightness method:

· Name of the testing method(s) to be used

· Name of the proposed testing Contractor or subcontractor

· List of the UST contents that are compatible with the method

· Identification of the UST sizes that are compatible with the method

· Certification from the vendor of the method that the proposed Contractor or subcontractor is qualified to administer the method.

The contractor must notify all necessary officials prior to commencing any tightness test. The contractor must prepare a written report for the facility and the local Fire Chief under the guidelines of 527 CMR 9.00.

In the event that a UST leak is detected, the Contractor must provide services as necessary to assist the Facility in complying with MGL Chapter 21E and the MA Contingency Plan (MCP). These services include:

· Notifying DEP of the release by phone and in writing within the deadlines set in the MCP and DFS regulations.

· Emptying USTs of product and sludge if required by DEP, the local fire department or DFS regulations.

· Providing Temporary Fuel Storage Tanks.

· Preparing Immediate Response Action (IRA) Plans, IRA status reports, Release Abatement Measure plans and status reports, any applicable completion reports, Phase I, II, III, IV and V reports and Response Action Outcomes, Bills of Lading and other MCP related forms

· Collecting and Analyzing Soil and water samples

· Removing and disposing of contaminated soil if required for initial risk reduction by DEP (maximum volume is approximately 100 cubic yards)

· Preparing IRA Status and Completion Reports

· Preparing Response Action Outcome (RAO) Statements

· Preparing other plans and reports required by the MCP if requested by a facility

The schedule and budget for all work to be conducted must be mutually agreed upon by the facility and Contractor prior to commencement of work. The contractor must provide a written not-to-exceed cost estimate for each project.

Awarded contractors are not allowed to perform tank removal and other “construction” services.

Category 7: - LSP Services

Awarded contractors must be a licensed site professional capable of developing and overseeing Immediate Response Action (IRA) plans. Contractor will perform various services required by state facilities.

Category 8: - Environmental Multi-media Auditing Services

Under Executive Order 350 and Executive Order 438, respectively known as the Clean State Initiative, agencies are required to maintain environmental compliance at all state facilities. Compliance maintenance may require agencies to secure the services of environmental consulting firms to perform comprehensive multi-media environmental audits of said facilities. Multi-media audits allow agencies to assess the facilities’ on-going compliance with state and federal environmental laws and regulations and reaffirm sound environmental practices at state facilities. Based on agency needs, environmental consulting firms should be capable of fielding several qualified audit teams simultaneously throughout the term of the contract.

The consultants will collect, analyze, and interpret appropriate information about at each assigned facility and its operations (also known as the Facility Profile) identify all instances of regulatory noncompliance and conduct a post audit meeting with agency personnel to discuss preliminary audit findings. The consultant will subsequently develop corrective action plans for each violation, develop estimated costs for corrective action for each violation, and work with agency personnel to develop a return to compliance implementation schedule.

Regulatory issues to be addressed include, but are not limited to: air emission control and permitting; air mobile sources; asbestos and lead paint management; wetlands protection; wastewater treatment and disposal; drinking water quality and drinking water supplies; groundwater, and sewage and septic discharges; Massachusetts Right to Know law; emergency preparedness and contingency planning; PCB management; hazardous, solid, medical and special waste management; contaminated site cleanup; above and below ground storage tank management; water pollution and storm water runoff.

Facilities to be audited include, but are not limited to: office buildings and complexes; state forests, parks, and recreational facilities; vehicle maintenance depots; highway service areas; public health hospitals, mental health and mental retardation facilities; state and community colleges and universities; police barracks; correctional facilities; National Guard armories, police and fire fighting academies; airport and public transportation facilities; commercial piers, port facilities and freight terminals; public wastewater treatment and water supply facilities.

Audit Criteria The consultant will identify all confirmed or potential noncompliance matters of state and federal environmental laws and regulations. The auditor will also identify all confirmed or potential violations of any permits or enforcement documents that have been issued to the facility under those laws and regulations. The consultant will audit all areas of a facility where there are known or suspected structures, equipment, materials, wastes, discharges, or contamination.

For the purposes of this RFR, “confirmed noncompliance,” means any situation where circumstances observed by the auditor demonstrate clear, unambiguous, on-going noncompliance with law, regulation, or permit. “Potential noncompliance” means any situation where circumstances observed by the auditor demonstrate a substantial possibility of on-going noncompliance with law, regulation, or permit.

Category 9: - Above Ground Storage Tank Services

All contractors must have an assigned Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Stage II Compliance Testing Company ID#, and follow all applicable rules and regulations as defined in Massachusetts General Law 310 CMR 7.24 (6).

Contractors must perform all equipment inspections in accordance with terms and conditions of the applicable California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Orders

Contractors must perform all required tests in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Orders.

Contractors must be able to perform the following test at minimum:

a) Pressure Decay test

b) Vapor Tie test

c) P/V Relieve Vent test

d) Dynamic Back Pressure/ Liquid Blockage test

e) Air/Liquid Volume test

f) Healy Fill neck Pressure Test

g) Healy Vapor Return Line test.

Contractors must submit completed applicable Stage II form(s) to the Responsible Official with 5 business day from the date of test, if the system fails, verbal notification of the failure must be given within 24 hours.

Contractors must be able to decommission Stage II Vapor systems and convert to a Stage I system and support the applicable regulations of the Stage I system.

Optional – Contractors may offer service contracts at a rate to be negotiated by the Responsible Official. Contracts should reference service rates and percent off list price for equipment. All service must be conducted in accordance with applicable Stage II regulations (310 CMR 7.24 (6)) and any applicable CARB executive orders.

Bidders may refer to the following website for helpful publications: http://www.state.ma.us/dep/bwp/daqc/daqcpubs.htm

Category 10: - Education & Training

Awarded vendors in this category should offer education, trainings and certifications relating to the other nine categories of this RFR.

C1a: Supplier Diversity Program (SDP)

Pursuant to Executive Order 599, the Commonwealth’s Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) promotes business-to-business relationships between awarded Contractors and diverse businesses and non-profit organizations (“SDP Partners”) certified or recognized by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO).

All Bidders responding to this solicitation are required to make a meaningful financial commitment (“SDP Commitment”) to partnering with one or more SDO-certified or recognized diverse business enterprise or non-profit organization. After contract award (if any), the Total SDP Commitment shall become a contractual requirement to be met annually on a Massachusetts fiscal year basis (July 1 – June 30) for the duration of the contract. The minimum total SDP Commitment acceptable in responses to this solicitation shall be 1%. Bidders shall be awarded additional evaluation points for higher SDP Commitments. No contract shall be awarded to a Bidder without an SDP Commitment that meets the requirements. This requirement extends to all Bidders regardless of their own supplier diversity certification.

Bidders and Contractors may engage SDP Partners in the following two ways:

· Subcontracting, defined as a partnership in which the SDP partner is involved in the provision of products and/or services to the Commonwealth.

· Ancillary Products and Services, defined as a business relationship in which the SDP partner provides products or services that are not directly related to the Contractor’s contract with the Commonwealth but may be related to the Contractor’s own operational needs.

Other types of business-to-business relationships are not acceptable under this contract. All provisions of this RFR applicable to subcontracting shall apply equally to the engagement of SDP Partners as subcontractors.

All Bidders must complete the SDP Plan Form found in the Attachment section of this procurement and upload it with their bid response. In addition to proposing an SDP Commitment, each Bidder must propose one or more SDP Partner(s) to utilize in order to meet its SDP Commitment. Certified diverse Bidders may not list their own companies, or their subsidiaries or affiliates, as SDP Partners and may not meet their SDP Commitment by spending funds internally or with their own subsidiaries or affiliates.

Additional information about the SDP policy can be found in the Supplier Diversity Program Policies for Goods and Services. Contractors seeking assistance in the development of their SDP Plans or identification of potential SDP Partners may visit the SDP webpage, www.mass.gov/sdp, or contact the SDP Help Desk at sdp@mass.gov.

C2: Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring

The Department of Public Health is endeavoring to deliver the best value to facilitate our needs. However, it is important to measure the contractor’s performance to ensure the contract is in compliance with what has been requested and what the contractor has offered in this RFR. The following performance areas will be subject to measurement:

1. Timely Delivery (Commodities, Services, Reports, Billing, etc.)

2. Responsiveness to Departmental Inquiries

3. Quality of Deliverables (Commodities, Services, Reports, etc.)

4. Performance Targets/Benchmarks (Quantities, Outcomes, etc.)

5. Attendance at scheduled meetings

The PMT shall negotiate with contractors any requirements not set forth in the RFR.

C3: Contract Invoicing

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation. If awarded a contract bidders not already enrolled will be required to sign up for EFT as a contract requirement by completing and submitting the Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Form to the Department.

An invoice must contain a brief description of what is being billed, the contract ID number issued, dates of service to be considered for payment. Additional information will be sent at the time of contract.

Section D: RFR Evaluation

D1: Evaluation Criteria

Responses will be evaluated based on bidder’s qualification to render services detailed in the RFR. All proposals will be scored on the following criteria:

· History of and expertise in providing environmental, biological diagnostic Testing, Monitoring, Remediation and Related Services in the categories indicated in application cover page.

· Bidder’s ability to render services.

· Appropriate licenses and certifications will be required to qualify for a contract.

· Price sheet for services

· Supplier Diversity Plan

· To encourage substantial Bidder supplier diversity initiatives and commitments as measures valuable to the Commonwealth, at least 25% of the total available evaluation points for this bid solicitation shall be allocated to the evaluation of the SDP Plan submissions.

Section E: Estimated Procurement Calendar

RFR Release Date

3/11/2024

Deadline for Submission of RFR Q&A.1

5/30/2024

4:00pm thomas.m.mcguire@mass.gov

Deadline for Submission of Responses Also known as the BID Opening Date in COMMBUYS

6/30/2034

5:00pm

Anticipated Contract Start Date

07/01/2024

1All Questions must be received in writing. Questions can be sent by email no later than the date and time indicated in the Procurement Calendar. All questions should be sent to the email listed in the calendar and should include the RFR title and number in the subject of the email. All Questions with answers will be posted on the COMMBUYS Attachment section for this procurement.

Section F: Instructions for Submission of Responses

F1: Bidder Response Requirements

This is a rolling enrollment RFR. This means that responses will be accepted throughout the duration of the procurement.

· The Bidder must include a history of their organization in providing environmental, biological diagnostic Testing, Monitoring, Remediation and Related Services and their ability and expertise in providing the services for each category that is checked in the application cover page.

· The Bidder must include a pricing sheet for all offered services.

· The forms listed on the COMMBUYS Bid Solicitation; File attachment section for this RFR including the Application Response Form must be submitted with your response where indicated.

· Completed Supplier Diversity Plan

· Proof of any current licenses or certifications requirements that are deemed applicable **

** Awarded vendors are expected to keep licenses and certifications up to date. Proof of current licenses or certifications may be asked for at contract renewal and with engagements.

F2: Prompt Payment Discounts (PPD) All bidders responding to this procurement are strongly encouraged to participate in the Commonwealth Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative for receiving early and/or on-time payments. PPD benefits both contractors and the Commonwealth. Contractors benefit by increased, usable cash flow as a result of fast and efficient payments for commodities or services rendered. Participation in the Electronic Funds Transfer initiative further maximizes the benefits with payments directed to designated accounts, thus eliminating the impact of check clearance policies and traditional mail lead time or delays. The Commonwealth benefits because contractors reduce the cost of products and services through the applied discount. Payments that are processed electronically can be tracked and verified through the Comptroller’s Vendor Web system. The PPD form can be found on the OSD Forms page and in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

F3: COMMBUYS Submission Instructions All responses are to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to Vendors registered in COMMBUYS. There is no charge to register in COMMBUYS. To Register go to www.COMMBUYS.com and click on the “Register” link on the front page. COMMBUYS Vendor Registration Job Aide is also available.

All Quotes must be received by the Department of Public Health before the specified date, month, year and time of the Bid Opening Date displayed on COMMBUYS. Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as applicable.

All Bidders are advised to allow adequate time for submission by considering potential online submission impediments like Internet traffic, Internet connection speed, file size, and file volume. DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission. Bids submitted via COMMBUYS are time stamped by the COMMBUYS system clock which is considered the official time of record.

Bidders are encouraged to upload attachments well in advance of the Bid Opening Date. This will help to reduce disqualified submissions that can occur if upload is not fully completed or if an attachment is missing at the deadline. Prior to the Bid Opening Date listed in the Procurement Calendar above, documents can easily be deleted and revised versions can be uploaded. If you wish to revise or delete a quote after submission, you may do so prior to the bid opening date. Please review the Withdraw, Reopen, and Resubmit a Quote in COMMBUYS Job Aide for additional instructions.

No Bid in COMMBUYS Quote If you plan to submit a quote to this RFR “No Bid” should not be checked anywhere in your quote in COMMBUYS. This includes on the General Screen and the Items tab. Checking No Bid sends your quote to a different location in COMMBUYS than the rest of the quotes for that Bid and you run the risk of the Department not receiving your response. The department will not guarantee that a bid received with a “No Bid” checked will be reviewed.

Electronic Signatures Quotes submitted via COMMBUYS must be signed electronically by the Bidder or the Bidder’s Agent by accepting the terms and conditions of the bid on the “Terms & Conditions” tab in COMMBUYS. Bidders do this by selecting “Save & Continue” on the “Terms and Conditions” tab after accepting the terms and conditions of the bid. By agreeing to this the submitter attests that s/he is an agent of the Bidder with authority to sign on the Bidder’s behalf, and that s/he has read and assented to each document’s terms.

File Format and Naming Conventions Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 81/2” x 11” paper, unless otherwise specified. Attachments must be uploaded individually and cannot be combined in a zipped file.

DPH is requiring that all response attachments that are uploaded in COMMBUYS include the company name of the Bidder, the RFR number and the name of the document. (e.g. Company Name _ RFR Number _Doc Name).

F4: RFR Attachments

To assist bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; the forms posted on the COMMBUYS attachment section have a prefix according to the following chart:

F5: COMMBUYS Support A link to a job aid on How to Submit a Quote on COMMBUYS COMMBUYS Resource Information at www.mass.gov/osd/commbuys Email: Send inquiries to the COMMBUYS OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov Telephone: Call the COMMBUYS Help Desk at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Technical assistance is available during the procurement process. Every effort is made to respond to inquiries within one business day.

Bidders are advised that COMMBUYS will be unavailable during regularly scheduled maintenance hours of which all users will be notified.

Section G: Other Requirements Pertaining to this RFR

Additional RFR requirements can be found in the document “Additional Requirements for Non POS RFRs” found in the READ folder in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

Amendments to BID DPH reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after the initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid. DPH and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

CORI Requirements:

In accordance with EOHHS policy, an individual's background, including any CORI and other relevant information, must be carefully considered so that the vulnerable populations served by EOHHS are protected. It is also EOHHS policy that qualified rehabilitated offenders are given a fair opportunity to be employed and successfully reintegrated into the workforce. In accordance with this policy, prior to any work engagement, the awarded Contractor shall obtain a Standard (Employer) Access Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check on any and all individual employees who are to enter public offices of the Commonwealth or provide services to any Hiring Entity of the Commonwealth. The awarded Contractor must 1) utilize the Internet-Accessible CORI (iCORI) system maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) to request and receive CORI in accordance with 801 CMR 2.00 et seq. and 2) comply with the EOHHS CORI check regulations, 101 CMR 15.00 et seq. in reviewing CORI and in documenting its hiring determination as set forth in 101 CMR 15.09. Any associated costs are the responsibility of the awarded Contractor.

Environmental Purchasing Requirements: See the “Required Procurement Language for Executive Order 515, Establishing an Environmental Purchasing Policy” section of the RFR in the Standard Required Information document posted in the attachments on COMMBUYS for this RFR.

Public Records All information, documents, and attachments submitted as a response to this RFR are considered a public document subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, s. 10, and to c. 4, s. 7, ss. 26. Please be aware that checking the “confidential” box in COMMBUYS does not bar these documents from being released as a public record pursuant to these statutes once the procurement is awarded, unless statutorily exempt from disclosure.

Vendor Activation Requirements: To receive a contract with state a vendor must be active in The Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). MMARS is the official accounting system of the Commonwealth and once registered a vendor will be issued a Vendor Code number or a “VC” number. This VC number is used for all contracts that a vendor has with state agencies. An organization with existing state contracts or a vendor who has had state contracts with any state agency in the past has been registered in MMARS and does not need to re-submit paperwork again unless existing information in MMARS will need to be updated. Upon notification of a contract award to this RFR, vendors not already registered in MMARS will be sent the required paperwork to be completed before a contract will be awarded which includes a W-9 form, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing.

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