The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of public health Public Health hospital System

Address: 365 East Street Tewksbury Ma 01876

Contact Name: Maria Beaudry

Email : Maria.Beaudry@Mass.Gov

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Linen and Laundry Services for the DPH Hospital System

COMMBUYS BID Number: BD-26-1031-ADMIN-ADM07-127781

DPH RFR Document Number: RFR 270131

04/8/2025

Key RFR Information All Potential Bidders 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 Department of Public Health is seeking bids from qualified vendors to provide Linen and Laundry Services for Department of Public Health Hospitals.

This RFR is to obtain bid proposals for Linen and Laundry Services in which the vendor owns and supplies all linen and equipment required to carry out the terms of this agreement. Exchange cart system and/or bulk linen may be required.

Background Information:

Tewksbury Hospital; provides comprehensive treatment, care and comfort to adults with medical and /or mental illness. Tewksbury operates a 370 bed Joint Commission accredited hospital. Approximately 220 complex chronic medical adult patients reside on seven (7) inpatient units, and 150 psychiatric clients reside on (5) inpatient units. A full range of ancillary services is available at the site, including nursing, medicine and psychiatry as well as clinical laboratory, psychology, radiology, respiratory care, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, clinical dieticians, clinical social worker and pharmacy and site dialysis clinic. Tewksbury Hospital is located at 365 East Street Tewksbury Ma 01876-1998 Services will be provided at this location, and no travel expenses will be allowed.

Lemuel Shattuck Hospital; provides acute and ambulatory care to patients referred primarily by public agencies and private health care providers. It delivers compassionate medical and psychiatric care to patients requiring multi-disciplinary treatment and support which promotes their health well-being, rehabilitation and recovery. Lemuel Shattuck Hospital is located at 170 Morton Street Jamaica Plain, Ma 02130 Services will be provided at this location, and no travel expenses will be allowed.

Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children (PRHC): provides medical, rehabilitative, educational, recreational, habilitative, transitional, and complementary alternative medical services to children and young adults (age7-22+) with multiple disabilities. PRHC assists them to achieve their optimal level of independence in all aspects of life. Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital is located at 3 Randolph Street Canton,Ma 02021 Services may be provided at this location No travel will be allowed.

Western Mass Hospital:

Western Massachusetts Hospital is an 87-bed long term acute medical and specialty care hospital owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Public Health located at 91 East Mountain Road, Westfield, Ma 01085

Section B: Procurement Information B1: Applicable Procurement Law

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)

B7: Anticipated Expenditures, Funding or Compensation For Expected Duration

Dollar Amount

Estimated annualized amount $1,150,000.00

Check One (“X”):

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

This will be an Open Enrollment solicitation. The Department of Public Health reserves the right to re-open this solicitation at any time during the life of the resulting contracts for the purpose of adding new vendors

During any point from the date of selection of a bidder through the life of the contract, including any subsequent renewals, any of the Hospitals reserve the right to re-negotiate the budget and the reimbursement methodology of the agreement.

*Additional information regarding contracts with Federal Dollars:

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: Eligibility

This procurement is being conducted as a cooperative procurement involving Tewksbury Hospital, Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, Pappas Rehab Hospital and Western Mass Hospital with Tewksbury Hospital serving as the lead organization.

The intent of this procurement is to aggregate the purchasing of all of these hospitals to obtain competitive pricing and the best value for all the hospitals involved. It is possible that other state agencies, particularly agencies within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services may choose to participate in this contract after it is awarded. If the pool of agencies using this contract increases, the department reserves the right to renegotiate the unit price, based upon anticipated increase in volume.

C2: Scope of Services

Type of Services Specifications.

A. The Department of Public Health seeks proposals from qualified vendors who can provide linen and laundry services. Vender to own and supply all linen and equipment required to carry out the terms of the agreement. Linen Management and exchange cart system to be included in processing costs.

B. Linen and Laundry services should be calculated on a per pound cost and will include the two (2) categories of items listed below (flatwork & rough dry) and the third category on a per piece cost (additional items).

FLATWORK – requirements washed, dried, ironed and folded

ROUGH DRY – requirements washed, dried, and folded

Incontinent Pads (under pad)

ADDITIONAL ITEMS – requirements washed, dried, pressed, on hangers and covered with plastic (Facility/Program Owned Items)

This list can be added to as needs arise at any time during this procurement.

EXCHANGE CART SIZE AND SPECIFICATIONS

62 inches wide 69 inches height includes casters

23.5 inches depth 18 inches between solid fixed shelves Solid cart on top, bottom and three (3) sides Front flap made out of an antibacterial vinyl Industrial type caster and all wheel move

Metal frame with solid cover and step-on foot pedal 35 inches height by 18.5 inches wide with casters

The Hospital reserves the right to add/subtract Laundry and Linen Services to Campus Programs anytime during the life of this contract.

A. Linen processing B. Weight verification and/or a joint count may be required for each receipt and release of laundry. Both a Facility and Vendor representative will sign verification tickets, furnished by the Vendor. A copy of each ticket must be retained by the Vendor for the facility/Program.

C. Provision of pre-packed unit exchange carts filled at the laundry by vendor employees D. Vendor to provide facility and/or program with monthly linen usage data reports by the 10th of the following month.

E. Vendor shall supply all exchange carts, soiled linen transport carts, laundry hampers, cloth laundry bags and plastic soiled linen liners.

F. Vendor shall ensure that all carts are clean and maintained.

G. Vendor shall submit as part of the response evidence of an Equipment Preventative Maintenance Program.

H. Delivery of clean exchange carts/bulk linen and soiled linen pick-up shall be made to the facility and/or program as outlined in Facility Requirements section.

I. Facility and/or program owned lost or damaged articles while under the Vendor’s control must be replaced at the Vendor’s expense.

J. As part of the response the Vendor must describe the procedure to be used to ensure the security of the facility and/or program owned items while under the Vendor’s jurisdiction.

K. Vendors shall participate in any complete or partial linen inventory as scheduled by the Facility and/or program.

L. Full operations must commence on July 1, 2021.

M. Vendors must ensure the availability of a labor force sufficient to meet the requirement of this RFR.

N. As part of the response the Vendor must identify, by name and address, a back-up production plant and/or contingency plans the Contractor will implement, at no additional cost, in the event of a failure at a Contractor’s primary plant. If the plant and/or plans involve another company, the vendor must include a copy of the letter of agreement with the other company.

O. Vendor must list the type and quantity of equipment, plant locations and washer/dryer capacity to be used for providing the linen and laundry services specified in this RFR as part of the response.

P. Vendor must provide evidence of linen infusion quarterly.

Q. Vendor must be in compliance with all regulations and standards set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), The Joint Commission (TJC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) at all times during the term of this contract.

R. Vendors must provide in-service education to the facility and/or program staff as relative to linen usage, loss containment and security as determined by each individual facility/program.

S. Vendor to provide facility and/or program the right to unscheduled site visits to Vendors plants of operation during the terms of this contract.

T. Vendors email weekly invoices to each individual facility/program.

SITE VISITS

Prior to any award, site visits of the bidders' plant and operations will be conducted as part of the evaluation process.

BUSINESS SPECIFICATIONS

INTRODUCTION

This part of the RFR contains Business Specifications for Linen and laundry services. Vendors must meet all Business Specifications listed in this part of the RFR.

VENDOR'S QUALIFICATIONS

The Vendor must provide evidence in the bid package supporting the following:

A. Documentation that it has been in the business of providing Linen and laundry services to health care facilities for at least five (5) years or longer preceding the Bid Due Date.

B. List the Vendors Parent name if applicable.

C. Verification of Insurance each vendor must provide evidence that it meets the Worker’s Compensation Insurance requirement of the Commonwealth of Ma Vendors must attach a Declaration Sheet or other documentation from the insurance company demonstrating compliance

VENDOR'S CLIENT REFERENCES

The Vendor must provide three (3) client references, including name, address, contact person, telephone number, months and years of service, and a description of the service that the Vendor provided to the client as part of the response. These references will be used to support the Vendor's ability to supply the services stated in the RFR. References must be for health care clients or customers to whom linen and laundry services were provided within the last five (5) years preceding Bid Due Date. See “Forms and Terms” screen for the Reference Form.

ACCOUNT MANAGER

For purposes of Contract management, the Vendor must provide an individual who will be named the Account Manager for the term of the Contract as part of the response. The role of Account Manager will be to serve as the liaison between the Vendor and Agency. The Vendor must identify the proposed Account Managers role in the Vendor's organization. The Vendor must notify the Agency of any change in the Account Manger during the term of the Contract. The Account Manager must meet with the facility liaison at least monthly.

PRIME CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITY

A. The Commonwealth requires a single point of responsibility for any Contract resulting from this RFR. Subcontractors may be used, but the Prime Contractor must accept full responsibility for any subcontractor's performance. All subcontractors must be identified and the type of contractual agreement described in the Vendor's Bid. Vendors must provide a list of all subcontractors, a description of each subcontractor's responsibilities, and signed letters of Agreement between the Vendor, as Prime Contractor, and its subcontractor(s) identifying their responsibilities and their relationship to the Prime Contractor no later than the date the Contract is executed. The Prime Contractor shall be responsible for meeting all of the terms of any Contract resulting from this RFR.

B. Once a Contract has been awarded as a result of this RFR, the Procurement Team Leader or Agency Liaison must approve any changes or additions to the subcontract(s) list.

This list can be added to as needs arise at any time during this procurement.

See Individual Facility Requirements & Linen Specifications as attachments to this bid.

C2a: 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 and Contractors are strongly encouraged to create a profile on the SDO’s Supplier Diversity Hub to access the Commonwealth’s supplier diversity resources and tools.

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.

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. Additional SDP RFR requirements and instructions can be found in the in the attachments for this RFR.

C3: Performance Requirements and Contract Monitoring

· Vendor must be capable of providing linen and laundry services to the health care industry, ie. Acute Care Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Rehabilitative Centers, etc.

· The vendor must furnish all linen, labor, supervision, equipment and plant materials including turnaround carts necessary to provide linen and laundry services as described in this RFR

· Vendor must submit a price for each of the initial three (3) years of the contract duration. Vendor is not allowed to assess fuel, environmental, insurance, or any other surcharge or fee.

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 following what has been requested and what the contractor has offered in this RFR. The following performance areas will be subject to measurement:

1. Accuracy of Soiled Laundry Weight and Invoices.

2. Conformance to contract/RFR Terms

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

4. Responsiveness to Departmental Inquiries

5. Quality of Deliverables (Commodities, Services, Reports, Etc.)

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

7. Attendance at Scheduled meeting

8. Adherence to all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

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

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

C4: Contract Invoicing Weekly Invoices are to be mailed to each Hospital and emailed to each Hospital’s mailbox as listed below:

Tewksbury Hospital 365 East Street Tewksbury Ma 01876 c/o Accounts Payable Dept.

· Monthly reports to be emailed to Joseph.Levesque@mass.Gov Rafael.galvaodelucena@Mass.Gov

· Invoices to be emailed to: General.Services@Mass.Gov

Lemuel Shattuck 170 Morton Street Jamaica Plain Ma 02130 c/o Account Payable Dept.

· Monthly reports to be emailed to Marvin.Johnson@Mass.gov, Robin.Connolly@mass.gov

· Invoices to be emailed to LSH.Accountspayable@Mass.Gov

Pappas Rehab. Hospital: Lind.Chapman@Mass.Gov 3 Randolph Street Canton Ma 02021 c/o Accounts Payable Dept.

Western Mass Hospital: 91 East Mountain Road, Western Ma 01085 Monthly reports to be emailed to : Regina.M.Gillis@mass.gov Monthly Invoices to: dph-dl-wmhaccountspayable@massmail.state.ma.us

Payment through Electronic Funds Transfer is required for any contract awarded through this solicitation. COMMBUYS Bid Solicitation for this form.

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. Additional information will be sent at the time of contract.

Section D: RFR Evaluation

D1: Evaluation Criteria

The following components will be some of the criteria considered by the Evaluation Team when evaluating each quote.

The Procurement Management Team (PMT) will only consider responses that meet all the requirements of the RFR and are consistent with project objectives

· Company History- Years in Business/ Customer Satisfaction

· Narrative Response

· Cost Response

· Equipment and Plant and Operational Efficiency

· References, Business

· Quality of Services

All proposals will be scored on the following criteria:

· Supplier Diversity Program: 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

Times are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Q&A for Procurement Calendar updates.

RFR Release Date 04/08/2026

Deadline for Submission of RFR Q&A.1

April 15, 2026

1:00 PM

Please email all questions to Maria Beaudry at Maria.Beaudry@Mass.Gov

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

Anticipated Contract Start Date

07/01/2026

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 Please note: you may respond for all four hospitals or specific locations of your choosing but ensure that on your bid you submit, it is clear the intended locations.

1. Bidder must submit a Letter of Transmittal, which shall be a standard business letter, on official letterhead, signed by an individual authorized to negotiate and execute a contract for the bidder must accompany the proposal. The Letter of Transmittal shall specify the RFR service being bid. It shall also state that the Response is effective for a period of 90 days from the Response due date; and that the Bidder accepts all the guidelines, terms and conditions set forth in this RFR in their entirety and without modification or amendment.

2. Price per soiled pound:

3. Bidder is to provide Price list with all available items for purchase/rental, e.g., curtains, microfiber mops, scrubs, robes, etc. TSH and LSH are looking for responses that provide added value. Added value is defined as value beyond the required mandatory provisions of this RFR. The Awarding Authority may negotiate with the vendor for any unforeseen costs not specifically addressed in a vendor proposal that are directly associated with the services to be provided.

4. Additional equipment, accessories, supplies, etc. that are not specifically covered in this RFR but are specifically related to the services covered under this RFR may be purchased under this procurement.

7.1 Submission Requirements

Any Vendor submitting a Bid may be required to discuss and clarify their Bid with the selection Board at any time during the procurement process. Requests for such discussion or clarification shall be made only by the Procurement Team Leader. The Selection Board is not required to seek clarification of Vendor Bids. Therefore, the vendors should be as clear and unambiguous as possible in their responses to the Performance and Business Specifications and make sure their Bids unconditionally meet all of the mandatory and procedural Specifications.

7.2 Submission Instructions

All responses 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.

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 displayed in COMMBUYS are Eastern Standard/Daylight Savings (US).

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. DPH recommends that Quotes be submitted early. Changes to your quotes can be made by withdrawing using the “Withdraw Quote” button offered under the Summary tab of a submitted quote. Quotes may be withdrawn up until the Bid Opening Date.

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.

COMMBUYS 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).

File Size Limits COMMBUYS will not accept files that approach or exceed 10 MB. If a large file fails to upload, the Bidder must save the contents as multiple files.

F4: RFR Attachments

To assist bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; some of the standard 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 “Standard Required Information” found in the in the attachments section of COMMBUYS for this RFR.

Amendments to BID MDPH 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 and any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid. MDPH 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.

Acceptable Forms of Signature: for all 1) CTR forms, including the Standard Contract Form, W-9s, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) forms, ISAs, and other CTR-issued documents and forms, or 2) documents related to state finance and within the statutory area of authority or control of CTR (i.e. contracts, payrolls, and related supporting documentation), CTR will accept signatures executed by an authorized signatory in any of the following ways: 1. Traditional “wet signature” (ink on paper); 2. Electronic signature that is either: a. Hand drawn using a mouse or finger if working from a touch screen device; or Page 2 b. An uploaded picture of the signatory’s hand drawn signature 3. Electronic signatures affixed using a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign. If using an electronic signature, the signature must be visible, include the signatory’s name and title, and must be accompanied by a signature date. Please be advised that typed text of a name not generated by a digital tool such as Adobe Sign or DocuSign, even in computer-generated cursive script, or an electronic symbol, are not acceptable forms of electronic signature.

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.

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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