S63 IFB Cadaver Transport.pdf

STATE OF ARKANSAS

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT

501 Woodlane St., Ste. 220 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1023

INVITATION FOR BID

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

Solicitation Number: S000000063 Solicitation

Issued: October 21, 2021

Description: Cadaver Transport Service

Department: Arkansas State Crime Lab

SUBMISSION DEADLINE AND DELIVERY OF RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

Bid Opening Date: October 27, 2021 Bid Opening Time: 2:00pm, Central Time

Bid responses for this Invitation for Bid must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system.

It can be accessed at https://arbuy.arkansas.gov. Bids received after the submission deadline may be rejected as untimely. See section 1.2 for information regarding Live Bid Openings.

TSS OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

TSS OSP Buyer: Jennifer Trancoso Buyer’s Direct Phone Number: 501-371-6070

Email Address: Jennifer.Trancoso@arkansas.gov TSS OSP’s Main Number: 501-324-9316

TSS OSP

Website: https://www.transform.ar.gov/procurement/ https://arbuy.arkansas.gov/

SECTION 1 – REQUIREMENTS

• Do not provide responses to items in this section unless specifically and expressly required.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

This Invitation for Bid (IFB) is issued by the TSS Office of State Procurement (TSS OSP) for the Arkansas State Crime Lab to obtain pricing and a contract for human cadaver transport service. Direct all questions, comments, or concerns you may have regarding this solicitation to the TSS Office of State Procurement, not the Arkansas Crime Lab.

1.2 LIVE BID OPENING

Use the information below to view the bid opening online.

Zoom Meeting Link:

https://arkansas-gov.zoom.us/j/89476234207?pwd=a1c5U0c0WndkSTdwd296M2cyM3BVQT09 Meeting ID: 894 7623 4207 Meeting Password: 862709 Dial-In Information: 877 853 5257 US Toll-free 888 475 4499 US Toll-free

1.3 CLARIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

A. Submit any questions requesting clarification of information contained in this Solicitation via the solicitation posting in ARBuy by midnight, Central Time on or before October 22, 2021.

1. For each question submitted, Prospective Contractor should reference the specific solicitation item number to which the question refers.

2. Prospective Contractors’ written questions will be consolidated and answered by the State as deemed appropriate. The State’s consolidated written response is anticipated to be posted to the solicitation posting in ARBuy by the close of business on October 25, 2021. If Prospective Contractor questions are unclear or non-substantive in nature, the State may request clarification of a question(s) or decline to answer.

B. The Prospective Contractor should notify the TSS OSP buyer of any term, condition, etc., that precludes the Prospective Contractor from submitting a compliant, Responsive Bid. Prospective Contractors should note that it is the responsibility of the Prospective Contractor to seek resolution of all such issues, including those relating to the terms and conditions of the contract, prior to the submission of a bid.

C. Prospective Contractors may contact the TSS OSP buyer with non-substantive questions at any time prior to the bid opening.

D. An oral statement by TSS OSP will not be part of any contract resulting from this solicitation and may not reasonably be relied on by any Prospective Contractor as an aid to interpretation unless it is reduced to writing and expressly adopted by TSS OSP.

1.4 DEFINITION OF TERMS

A. Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms defined in Arkansas Procurement Law have the same meaning herein.

B. “Prospective Contractor” means a responsible bidder who submits a Responsive Bid in response to this solicitation.

C. The terms “Invitation For Bid”, “IFB” and “Solicitation” are used synonymously in this document.

https://arkansas-gov.zoom.us/j/89476234207?pwd=a1c5U0c0WndkSTdwd296M2cyM3BVQT09

D. “Responsive Bid” means a bid submitted in response to this solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this IFB.

E. “Shall” and “Must” mean the imperative and are used to identify requirements.

F. “Requirement” means something required.

G. “Specification” means any technical or purchase description or other description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature, of a commodity or service. “Specification” may include a description of any requirement for inspecting, testing, or preparing a commodity or service for delivery.

H. “State” means the State of Arkansas. When the term “State” is used herein to reference any obligation of the State under a contract that results from this solicitation, that obligation is limited to the Department using such a contract.

1.5 SPECIFICATIONS

A. Body transport will only be initiated at the request of the Arkansas State Crime Lab. Upon request, the Contractor shall pick up the body and accompanying paperwork and deliver both to the Arkansas State Crime Lab.

B. Chain of custody documents/forms will be provided by Coroner upon body pickup.

C. Contractor shall verify that all required paperwork is present and body bag seal is intact before accepting for delivery to the Arkansas State Crime Lab. Contractor shall not accept the human body without a proper seal. Only the Coroner or his/her designee can seal the body bag. Contractor shall deliver the body to the Arkansas State Crime Lab with seal intact.

D. Contractor shall not make any diversions or stops on the trip, once the body has been picked up, except for fuel and restroom breaks, unless otherwise directed by the Arkansas State Crime Lab to pick up additional body(s).

E. Contractor shall not transport additional bodies along with Arkansas State Crime Lab bodies, unless specifically directed to transport additional bodies by the Arkansas State Crime Lab.

F. Contractor shall provide notification to the State Crime Lab Medical Examiner’s Office by phone (501) 227-5936 of time of departure and the estimated time of arrival at the Arkansas State Crime Lab.

G. Contractor must contact the crime lab at 501-227-5936 if there will be deviation from the Contractor’s stated estimated time of delivery.

H. Contractor shall not exceed a maximum of five (5) hours transport time to the State Crime Lab.

I. Contractor shall maintain a record of mileage, name of driver and assistant, mileage of transport and copies of any paperwork accompanying each body.

J. Contractor shall retain copy of all records pertaining to Arkansas State Crime Lab transport for five

(5) years past the last date of expiration or termination of the contract.

K. Contractor shall provide to the Arkansas State Crime Lab, a copy of all Contractor records pertaining to the Arkansas State Crime Lab transport upon contract termination or expiration.

L. Thirty (30) day’s cancellation notice may be given to the Contractor for any inadequate response time; unsatisfactory, under qualified or unqualified driver; or unethical conduct by anyone whom the

Contractor employs and who is involved with Arkansas State Crime Lab transport.

1.6 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

A. Prior to award, Contractor shall be currently licensed and have been licensed and existed as a company in funerary business and as a funeral transport service for a minimum of three (3) years of continuous service in the State of Arkansas.

B. Contractor should include with their bid submission but must provide prior to award a complete list of all who will be operating the body transport vehicle and/or assisting the operator.

C. Contractor and body transport vehicle operator(s) shall abide by all State driving regulations. Body transport vehicle operator shall not have more than five (5) points assessed on their vehicle operator’s license.

D. All body transport vehicle operators and/or assistants shall submit to a background check by the Arkansas State Police and DNA testing by the Arkansas State Crime Lab, prior to transporting any bodies.

E. Transport vehicle(s) must have air-conditioned cargo area, suitable for cadaver transport.

F. Contractor shall have always at least one (1) body transport vehicle and staff member available for Arkansas State Crime Lab transport which may occur any time during the hours of 6 A.M. to 12 A.M., 7 days per week, 365 days per year.

G. Body transport vehicles must be windowless or equipped with blacked out windows or curtains that keep the body hidden from view from the outside of the vehicle.

H. Prior to award and within three (3) business days of request from ASCL and/or OSP the Contractor shall provide proof of liability and uninsured/underinsured insurance coverage of not less than $500,000.00.

I. Contractor should provide three (3) references with bid submission but must provide three (3) references within three (3) business days of request from OSP prior to award.

J. Contractor’s funerary business must be licensed to operate in and be located in the State of Arkansas.

K. Contractor shall be required to attend orientation on Crime Lab Body Transportation, held at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory in Little Rock, AR. prior to beginning body transport service.

1.7 PAYMENT AND INVOICE PROVISIONS

All invoices shall be forwarded to:

Arkansas State Crime Lab Attn: Accounts Payable P.O. Box 8500 Little Rock, AR 72215

A. Payment will be made in accordance with applicable State of Arkansas accounting procedures upon acceptance by the Agency. The State may not be invoiced in advance of delivery and acceptance of any equipment or service. Payment will be made only after the contractor has successfully satisfied the Arkansas State Crime Lab with body transport service. Contractors should invoice the Arkansas State Crime Lab by an itemized list of charges. Body identification (name) and Contract Number should be referenced on each invoice. Contractor shall submit invoices to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for payment no more than twice per month.

B. Payment will be made per trip, per mile, based on original point of pickup for up to two bodies transported one way to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock, AR. If the Contractor can legally accommodate an additional body while already in route to the Arkansas State Crime Lab, the Contractor will be re-directed to the second point of origin for an additional pick up. If re-directed for an additional pickup, the Contractor will be paid a re-direct fee of $50.00, mileage from original point of pickup to the point re-direct notification was received, the additional mileage from the re-direct point to the second point of pickup and mileage from the second point of pickup to the Arkansas State Crime Lab in Little Rock, AR.

1.8 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

A. State law requires that contracts for services include Performance Standards for measuring the overall quality of services that a Contractor shall provide.

B. The State may be open to negotiations of Performance Standards prior to contract award, prior to the commencement of services, or at times throughout the contract duration. Attachment A:

Performance Standards identifies expected deliverables, performance measures, or outcomes; and defines the acceptable standards.

C. Performance Standards shall not be amended unless they are agreed to in writing and signed by the parties.

D. Failure to meet the minimum Performance Standards as specified will result in the assessment of damages.

E. In the event a Performance Standard is not met, the Contractor will have the opportunity to defend or respond to the insufficiency. The State has the right to waive damages if it determines there were extenuating factors beyond the control of the Contractor that hindered the performance of services.

In these instances, the State has final determination of the performance acceptability.

F. Should any compensation be owed to the Department due to the assessment of damages, Contractor shall follow the direction of the Department regarding the required compensation process.

ATTACHMENT A:

Criteria Standard Damages Response Requirements

100% Required Possible cancellation of contract w/ 30 days’ notice

Transport Requirements

Documentation Compliance

Valid/Current State of Arkansas Business Licensure

100% Required duration of contract

Possible cancellation of contract w/ 30 days’ notice

SECTION 2 – GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

• Do not provide responses to items in this section unless specifically and expressly required.

2.1 TYPE OF CONTRACT

A. As a result of this IFB, TSS OSP intends to award a contract to a single Contractor.

B. The anticipated starting date for any resulting contract is December 11, 2021, except that the actual contract start date may be adjusted unilaterally by the State for up to three (3) calendar months. By submitting a signed bid in response to the IFB, the Prospective Contractor represents and warrants that it will honor its bid as being held open as irrevocable for this period.

C. The initial term of a resulting contract will be for one (1) year. Upon mutual agreement by the

Contractor and Department, the contract may be renewed by TSS OSP for up to six (6) additional one-year terms or portions thereof, not to exceed a total aggregate contract term of seven (7) consecutive years.

2.2 CONTRACTOR SELECTION

A. Award will be made to the lowest-bidding, responsible Prospective Contractor on an all or none basis.

2.3 RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

A. All bid responses must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. The system can be accessed at https://arbuy.arkansas.gov.

B. Bid Response Packet

1. The following are bid submission requirements and must be submitted as part of a Prospective

Contractor’s bid response.

a. Signed Bid Signature Page. Signature may be ink or digital. (See Bid Response Packet.)

b. Completed Bid Response Packet, which must be in the English language.

c. Completed Pricing Response. ARBuy line-item pricing response on the solicitation page.

Pricing must be proposed in U.S. dollars and cents.

d. Proposed Subcontractors Form. The utilization of any proposed subcontractor is subject to approval by the Department.

e. Exceptions Form.

2. The following items, which must be submitted prior to a contract award to the Prospective

Contractor, may also be included with the Prospective Contractor’s bid response:

a. EO 98-04 Contract & Grant Disclosure Form.

b. Copy of Prospective Contractor’s Equal Opportunity Policy.

c. Copy of Certificate of Liability, minimum requirement of $500,000.00 coverage.

d. Provide three (3) professional references.

e. Copy of current State of Arkansas business licensure.

https://arbuy.arkansas.gov/

3. DO NOT include any other documents or ancillary information, such as a cover letter or promotional/marketing information.

2.4 ACCEPTANCE OF REQUIREMENTS

A. Unless a Prospective Contractor expressly and conspicuously identifies any exception or exceptions to any of the Requirements in the Requirements Section(s) of this IFB by listing them on the Exceptions Form (See Bid Response Packet), Prospective Contractor understands and agrees its submission of a bid to represent that its bid meets all such Requirements.

B. A Prospective Contractor’s bid may be rejected if the Prospective Contractor takes exception to any Requirements in the Requirements Section(s) of this IFB.

2.5 ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. This IFB incorporates all of the Solicitation Terms and Conditions located on the TSS OSP website here (Agencies – Forms and Reporting – Solicitation Templates):

https://www.transform.ar.gov/procurement/agencies/forms-and-reporting/.

B. Any special terms and conditions included in this solicitation shall override the Solicitation Terms and Conditions.

C. Unless a Prospective Contractor expressly and conspicuously identifies any exception or exceptions to any of the terms in the Services Contract (SRV-1) Fillable Form by listing them on the Exceptions Form (See Bid Response Packet), Prospective Contractor agrees and shall adhere to all terms if selected as the successful Contractor. Items identified as non-negotiable may only be modified if the legal requirement is satisfied and approved by the State. The Services Contract (SRV-1) Fillable Form can be viewed on the TSS OSP website here (Agencies – Services – Forms):

https://www.transform.ar.gov/procurement/agencies/services/.

D. A Prospective Contractor’s bid may be rejected if a Prospective Contractor takes exception to any terms or conditions in the documents listed in 2.5.A and 2.5.C.

https://www.transform.ar.gov/procurement/agencies/forms-and-reporting/ https://www.transform.ar.gov/procurement/agencies/services/

SECTION 2 – GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION