SCOPE OF WORK / SPECIFICATIONS

PROJECT: FY26 Pre-Commercial Thinning Services

PROJECT #: BPM092536

1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The ARNG-MTC Fort Pickett Forestry Section (hereafter referred to as BUYER) is soliciting the services of responsible contractors to provide crews, equipment and supplies for pre-commercial thinning of 5-year-old immature Southern Pine stands at MTC-Fort Pickett. Total acres within this contract is 56.5 acres.

Pre-commercial thinning is best suited to young, very dense stands where a larger growing space is required. Deliberate control of stand density by thinning can improve vigor, growth rate, and quality of the remaining "crop" trees. Reducing stand density can also minimize the risk of wildfire, and insect infestations. Three sites have been identified at MTC-Fort Pickett that will require this treatment. Active management of these sites is needed to improve the quality of these stands.

2. WORK AREA

All Pre-commercial thinning sites will be located within the boundaries of MTC Fort Pickett located in south central Virginia near Blackstone. The locations and acreages for this project are shown on Exhibit A.

Mechanical thinning methods will not be used for this contract. Hand release methods are the only approved for thinning. Crews may utilize, long handle shears, chainsaws, and brush saws for this scope of work. The successful bidder will be required to thin all trees located within the site boundaries located on the map.

3. SCOPE OF WORK / SPECIFICATIONS

The winning bidder (hereafter referred to as CONTRACTOR) shall reduce stand density to approximately (436 trees per acre, 10’x10’ spacing) and improve site quality on designated sites. Pre-commercial thinning must be done in a manner that will not adversely impact any threatened or endangered species near or adjacent to the thinning sites including those which inhabit the Nottoway River and its tributaries.

Residual trees should exhibit the following characteristics:

· be of preferred species (Southern Pine P.taeda, P.echinata, or Oak Q. alba or Q. rubra or yellow poplar L.Tulipifera)

· expressing a dominant or co-dominant position in the original stand

· free of injury or disease

· exhibit a full crown and straight stem

· free of forks or multiple tops

· producing terminal shoot growth which reflects the site potential

· exhibiting good foliage color

The following actions will not be accepted:

· cut trees leaning against crop tree

· live limbs on stumps

· stumps > 2 inches

· incompletely cut (hinged) trees

· crop tree damage (e.g., saw nicks, broken tops)

· felled trees in streams, roads or areas designated for slash removal

· stumps that are not cut horizontally

4. EXISTING CONDITIONS

The area is made up of gently rolling terrain (generally 3 to 6%) with some areas exceeding 8% along drainage ways. Some areas are rutted, rocky, and rough. The work area has mostly well-defined drainage patterns. A good, all-weather gravel road network connects all thinning areas.

5. PERIOD OF WORK

Work must commence within 30 days of award of contract. All work must be completed no later than June 15, 2027. Weather clause has been accounted for in the above work schedule.

6. BIDS

Bids shall be made on a per acre basis with a grand total amount. Bids shall consist of all equipment and labor costs to successfully and fully accomplish specified work. Bids shall be submitted by response to the Quick-Quote solicitation.

In order to be considered, bids must be received in eVA no later than Thursday August 6th at 3:00pm. Failure to submit bid in the appropriate format, or to provide all required information may result in the bid being deemed non-responsive and ineligible for consideration. Failure of a bidder to provide proof, upon inquiry by Buyer, of having the appropriate equipment for this project may result in the bid being deemed non-responsive and ineligible for consideration.

8. AWARD

Award to be made on a grand total basis to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.

9. PAYMENT

Payment will be made when all work is completed, approved by the Fort Pickett Forester or Contract Administrator, and properly invoiced. Payment will be made only for areas satisfactorily completed. All work must meet criteria as delineated by the Scope of Work / Specifications unless written approval authorizes changes. No remittance will be forthcoming for areas that do not have work performed to the satisfaction of the Contract Administrator. If there are deviations for areas not completed satisfactorily, such areas will be measured by the Fort Pickett Forester and payment made for the number of acres satisfactorily completed, as determined by the Contract Administrator.

Exhibit A

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

K. PRECEDENCE OF TERMS

A. VENDORS MANUAL: This solicitation is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Vendors Manual and any changes or revisions thereto, which are hereby incorporated into this contract in their entirety. The process for filing a complaint about this solicitation is in section 7.13 of the Vendors Manual. (Note section 7.13 does not apply to protests of awards or formal contractual claims.) The procedure for filing contractual claims is in section 7.19 of the Vendors Manual. A copy of the manual is normally available for review at the purchasing office and is accessible on the Internet at eva.virginia.gov under “I Sell To Virginia”.

B. APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURTS: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to its choice of law provisions, and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the circuit courts of the Commonwealth. The agency and the contractor are encouraged to resolve any issues in controversy arising from the award of the contract or any contractual dispute using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) procedures (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4366). ADR procedures are described in Chapter 9 of the Vendors Manual. The contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.

C. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: By submitting their (bids/proposals), (bidders/offerors) certify to the Commonwealth that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and § 2.2-4311 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA). If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient's religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in a religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit by the public body. (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4343.1E).

In every contract over $10,000 the provisions in 1. and 2. below apply:

1. During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees as follows:

a. The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, status as military family, or any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment, except where there is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the contractor. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

b. The contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, will state that such contractor is an equal opportunity employer.

c. Notices, advertisements and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this section.

d. If the contractor employs more than five employees, the contractor shall (i) provide annual training on the contractor's sexual harassment policy to all supervisors and employees providing services in the Commonwealth, except such supervisors or employees that are required to complete sexual harassment training provided by the Department of Human Resource Management, and (ii) post the contractor's sexual harassment policy in (a) a conspicuous public place in each building located in the Commonwealth that the contractor owns or leases for business purposes and (b) the contractor's employee handbook.

e. The requirements of these provisions 1. and 2. are a material part of the contract. If the Contractor violates one of these provisions, the Commonwealth may terminate the affected part of this contract for breach, or at its option, the whole contract. Violation of one of these provisions may also result in debarment from State contracting regardless of whether the specific contract is terminated.

f. In accordance with Executive Order 61 (2017), a prohibition on discrimination by the contractor, in its employment practices, subcontracting practices, and delivery of goods or services, on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, or veteran status, is hereby incorporated in this contract.

2. The contractor will include the provisions of 1. above in every subcontract or purchase order over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

D. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: By submitting their (bids/proposals), (bidders/offerors) certify that their (bids/proposals) are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other (bidder/offeror), supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their (bid/proposal), and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

F. DEBARMENT STATUS: By participating in this procurement, the vendor certifies that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting a response for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation. Vendor further certifies that they are not debarred from filling any order or accepting any resulting order, or that they are an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

If a vendor is created or used for the purpose of circumventing a debarment decision against another vendor, the non-debarred vendor will be debarred for the same time period as the debarred vendor.

G. ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the contractor conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the Commonwealth of Virginia all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia under said contract.

H. OMITTED

I. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: If any prospective bidder has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective bidder should contact the buyer whose name appears on the face of the solicitation no later than five working days before the due date. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the buyer.

J. PAYMENT:

1. To Prime Contractor:

b. Any payment terms requiring payment in less than 30 days will be regarded as requiring payment 30 days after invoice or delivery, whichever occurs last. This shall not affect offers of discounts for payment in less than 30 days, however.

c. All goods or services provided under this contract or purchase order, that are to be paid for with public funds, shall be billed by the contractor at the contract price, regardless of which public agency is being billed.

d. The following shall be deemed to be the date of payment: the date of postmark in all cases where payment is made by mail, or when offset proceedings have been instituted as authorized under the Virginia Debt Collection Act.

e. Unreasonable Charges. Under certain emergency procurements and for most time and material purchases, final job costs cannot be accurately determined at the time orders are placed. In such cases, contractors should be put on notice that final payment in full is contingent on a determination of reasonableness with respect to all invoiced charges. Charges which appear to be unreasonable will be resolved in accordance with Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4363 and -4364. Upon determining that invoiced charges are not reasonable, the Commonwealth shall notify the contractor of defects or improprieties in invoices within fifteen (15) days as required in Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4351.,. The provisions of this section do not relieve an agency of its prompt payment obligations with respect to those charges which are not in dispute (Code of Virginia, § 2.2-4363).

2. To Subcontractors:

a. Within seven (7) days of the contractor’s receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, a contractor awarded a contract under this solicitation is hereby obligated:

(1) To pay the subcontractor(s) for the proportionate share of the payment received for work performed by the subcontractor(s) under the contract; or

(2) To notify the agency and the subcontractor(s), in writing, of the contractor’s intention to withhold payment and the reason.

b. The contractor is obligated to pay the subcontractor(s) interest at the rate of one percent per month (unless otherwise provided under the terms of the contract) on all amounts owed by the contractor that remain unpaid seven (7) days following receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, except for amounts withheld as stated in (2) above. The date of mailing of any payment by U. S. Mail is deemed to be payment to the addressee. These provisions apply to each sub-tier contractor performing under the primary contract. A contractor’s obligation to pay an interest charge to a subcontractor may not be construed to be an obligation of the Commonwealth.

3. Each prime contractor who wins an award in which provision of a SWaM procurement plan is a condition to the award, shall deliver to the contracting agency or institution, on or before request for final payment, evidence and certification of compliance (subject only to insubstantial shortfalls and to shortfalls arising from subcontractor default) with the SWaM procurement plan. Final payment under the contract in question may be withheld until such certification is delivered and, if necessary, confirmed by the agency or institution, or other appropriate penalties may be assessed in lieu of withholding such payment.

4. The Commonwealth of Virginia encourages contractors and subcontractors to accept electronic and credit card payments.

K. PRECEDENCE OF TERMS: The following General Terms and Conditions VENDORS MANUAL, APPLICABLE LAWS AND COURTS, ANTI-DISCRIMINATION, ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING, IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986, DEBARMENT STATUS, ANTITRUST, MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS, CLARIFICATION OF TERMS, PAYMENT shall apply in all instances. In the event there is a conflict between any of the other General Terms and Conditions and any Special Terms and Conditions in this solicitation, the Special Terms and Conditions shall apply.

L. QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDERS: The Commonwealth may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the bidder to perform the services/furnish the goods and the bidder shall furnish to the Commonwealth all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. The Commonwealth reserves the right to inspect bidder’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the bidder’s capabilities. The Commonwealth further reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such bidder fails to satisfy the Commonwealth that such bidder is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to provide the services and/or furnish the goods contemplated therein.

M. TESTING AND INSPECTION: The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct any test/inspection it may deem advisable to assure goods and services conform to the specifications.

N. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT: A contract shall not be assignable by the contractor in whole or in part without the written consent of the Commonwealth.

O. CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT: Changes can be made to the contract in any of the following ways:

1. The parties may agree in writing to modify the terms, conditions, or scope of the contract. Any additional goods or services to be provided shall be of a sort that is ancillary to the contract goods or services, or within the same broad product or service categories as were included in the contract award. Any increase or decrease in the price of the contract resulting from such modification shall be agreed to by the parties as a part of their written agreement to modify the scope of the contract.

2. The Purchasing Agency may order changes within the general scope of the contract at any time by written notice to the contractor. Changes within the scope of the contract include, but are not limited to, things such as services to be performed, the method of packing or shipment, and the place of delivery or installation. The contractor shall comply with the notice upon receipt, unless the contractor intends to claim an adjustment to compensation, schedule, or other contractual impact that would be caused by complying with such notice, in which case the contractor shall, in writing, promptly notify the Purchasing Agency of the adjustment to be sought, and before proceeding to comply with the notice, shall await the Purchasing Agency's written decision affirming, modifying, or revoking the prior written notice. If the Purchasing Agency decides to issue a notice that requires an adjustment to compensation, the contractor shall be compensated for any additional costs incurred as the result of such order and shall give the Purchasing Agency a credit for any savings. Said compensation shall be determined by one of the following methods:

a. By mutual agreement between the parties in writing; or

b. By agreeing upon a unit price or using a unit price set forth in the contract, if the work to be done can be expressed in units, and the contractor accounts for the number of units of work performed, subject to the Purchasing Agency’s right to audit the contractor’s records and/or to determine the correct number of units independently; or

c. By ordering the contractor to proceed with the work and keep a record of all costs incurred and savings realized. A markup for overhead and profit may be allowed if provided by the contract. The same markup shall be used for determining a decrease in price as the result of savings realized. The contractor shall present the Purchasing Agency with all vouchers and records of expenses incurred and savings realized. The Purchasing Agency shall have the right to audit the records of the contractor as it deems necessary to determine costs or savings. Any claim for an adjustment in price under this provision must be asserted by written notice to the Purchasing Agency within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order from the Purchasing Agency. If the parties fail to agree on an amount of adjustment, the question of an increase or decrease in the contract price or time for performance shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures for resolving disputes provided by the Disputes Clause of this contract or, if there is none, in accordance with the disputes provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Vendors Manual. Neither the existence of a claim nor a dispute resolution process, litigation or any other provision of this contract shall excuse the contractor from promptly complying with the changes ordered by the Purchasing Agency or with the performance of the contract generally.

P. DEFAULT: In case of failure to deliver goods or services in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the Commonwealth may terminate this agreement after verbal or written notice without penalty. Upon termination the Commonwealth may procure the goods or services contracted for from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any resulting additional purchase and administrative costs. This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies which the Commonwealth may have.

Q. OMITTED

R. USE OF BRAND NAMES: Unless otherwise provided in this solicitation, the name of a certain brand, make or manufacturer does not restrict bidders to the specific brand, make or manufacturer named, but conveys the general style, type, character, and quality of the article desired. Any article which the public body, in its sole discretion, determines to be the equivalent of that specified, considering quality, workmanship, economy of operation, and suitability for the purpose intended, shall be accepted. The bidder is responsible to clearly and specifically identify the product being offered and to provide sufficient descriptive literature, catalog cuts and technical detail to enable the Commonwealth to determine if the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation. This is required even if offering the exact brand, make or manufacturer specified. Normally in competitive sealed bidding only the information furnished with the bid will be considered in the evaluation. Failure to furnish adequate data for evaluation purposes may result in declaring a bid nonresponsive. Unless the bidder clearly indicates in its bid that the product offered is an equivalent product, such bid will be considered to offer the brand name product referenced in the solicitation.

S. OMITTED

T. OMITTED

U. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARD: Upon the award or the announcement of the decision to award a contract as a result of this solicitation, the purchasing agency will publicly post such notice in eVA (eva.virginia.gov) for a minimum of 10 days.

V. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: Applicable for all contracts over $10,000:

During the performance of this contract, the contractor agrees to (i) provide a drug-free workplace for the contractor's employees; (ii) post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or marijuana is prohibited in the contractor's workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition; (iii) state in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor that the contractor maintains a drug-free workplace; and (iv) include the provisions of the foregoing clauses in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, “drug-free workplace” means a site for the performance of work done in connection with a specific contract awarded to a contractor, the employees of whom are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of any controlled substance or marijuana during the performance of the contract.

W. NONDISCRIMINATION OF CONTRACTORS: A bidder, offeror, or contractor shall not be discriminated against in the solicitation or award of this contract because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, faith-based organizational status, any other basis prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment or because the bidder or offeror employs ex-offenders unless the state agency, department or institution has made a written determination that employing ex-offenders on the specific contract is not in its best interest. If the award of this contract is made to a faith-based organization and an individual, who applies for or receives goods, services, or disbursements provided pursuant to this contract objects to the religious character of the faith-based organization from which the individual receives or would receive the goods, services, or disbursements, the public body shall offer the individual, within a reasonable period of time after the date of his objection, access to equivalent goods, services, or disbursements from an alternative provider.

X. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION, CONTRACTS, AND ORDERS: The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution, web site portal eva.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The eVA portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies. All vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet e-procurement solution by completing the free eVA Vendor Registration. All bidders or offerors must register in eVA and pay the Vendor Transaction Fees specified below; failure to register will result in the bid/proposal being rejected.

Vendor transaction fees are determined by the date the original purchase order is issued and the current fees are as follows:

a. For orders issued July 1, 2014, and after, the Vendor Transaction Fee is:

(i) DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, capped at $500 per order.

(ii) Businesses that are not DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, capped at $1,500 per order.

b. Refer to Special Term and Condition “eVA Orders and Contracts” to identify the number of purchase orders that will be issued as a result of this solicitation/contract with the eVA transaction fee specified above assessed for each order.

For orders issued prior to July 1, 2014, the vendor transaction fees can be found at eva.virginia.gov.

The specified vendor transaction fee will be invoiced, by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of General Services, typically within 60 days of the order issue date. Any adjustments (increases/decreases) will be handled through purchase order changes.

Y. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: It is understood and agreed between the parties herein that the agency shall be bound hereunder only to the extent that the legislature has appropriated funds that are legally available or may hereafter become legally available for the purpose of this agreement.

Z. SET-ASIDES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ENHANCEMENT AWARD PRIORITY: This solicitation is set-aside for award priority to DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses when designated as “Micro Business Set-Aside Award Priority” or “Small Business Set-Aside Award Priority” accordingly in the solicitation. DSBSD-certified micro businesses or small businesses also includes DSBSD-certified women-owned and minority-owned businesses when they have received the DSBSD small business certification. For purposes of award, bidders/offerors shall be deemed micro businesses or small businesses if and only if they are certified as such by DSBSD on the due date for receipt of bids/proposals.

AA. BID PRICE CURRENCY: Unless stated otherwise in the solicitation, bidders/offerors shall state bid/offer prices in US dollars.

BB. AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN THE COMMONWEALTH: A contractor organized as a stock or nonstock corporation, limited liability company, business trust, or limited partnership or registered as a registered limited liability partnership shall be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a domestic or foreign business entity if so required by Title 13.1 or Title 50 of the Code of Virginia or as otherwise required by law. Any business entity described above that enters into a contract with a public body pursuant to the Virginia Public Procurement Act shall not allow its existence to lapse or its certificate of authority or registration to transact business in the Commonwealth, if so required under Title 13.1 or Title 50, to be revoked or cancelled at any time during the term of the contract. A public body may void any contract with a business entity if the business entity fails to remain in compliance with the provisions of this section.

CC. CIVILITY IN STATE WORKPLACES: The contractor shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that no individual, while performing work on behalf of the contractor or any subcontractor in connection with this agreement (each, a “Contract Worker”), shall engage in 1) harassment (including sexual harassment), bullying, cyber-bullying, or threatening or violent conduct, or 2) discriminatory behavior on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religious belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, political affiliation, veteran status, or disability.

The contractor shall provide each Contract Worker with a copy of this Section and will require Contract Workers to participate in agency training on civility in the State workplace if contractor’s (and any subcontractor’s) regular mandatory training programs do not already encompass equivalent or greater expectations. Upon request, the contractor shall provide documentation that each Contract Worker has received such training.

For purposes of this Section, “State workplace” includes any location, permanent or temporary, where a Commonwealth employee performs any work-related duty or is representing his or her agency, as well as surrounding perimeters, parking lots, outside meeting locations, and means of travel to and from these locations. Communications are deemed to occur in a State workplace if the Contract Worker reasonably should know that the phone number, email, or other method of communication is associated with a State workplace or is associated with a person who is a State employee.

The Commonwealth of Virginia may require, at its sole discretion, the removal and replacement of any Contract Worker who the Commonwealth reasonably believes to have violated this Section.

This Section creates obligations solely on the part of the contractor. Employees or other third parties may benefit incidentally from this Section and from training materials or other communications distributed on this topic, but the Parties to this agreement intend this Section to be enforceable solely by the Commonwealth and not by employees or other third parties.

DD. CONTRACT EXTENSIONS: In the event that the original term and all renewals of this contract expire prior to the award for a new contract for similar goods and/or services, the Commonwealth of Virginia may, with written consent of the Contractor, extend this contract for such a period as may be necessary to afford the Commonwealth of Virginia a continuous supply of the identified goods and/or services.

EE. FORCED OR INDENTURED CHILD LABOR: Applicable in all solicitations and contracts over $10,000:

During the performance of this contract the use of forced or indentured child labor is prohibited. Any Prime Contractor shall include such prohibition in every subcontract that exceeds $10,000 and shall be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

For the purposes of this section, “ forced or indentured child labor” means all work or service exacted from any person younger that 18 years of age under the menace of any penalty for the nonperformance of such work or service and for which such person does not offer himself voluntarily or performed by any person younger than 18 years of age pursuant to a contract the enforcement of which can be accomplished by process or penalties.

SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

GOODS AND NONPROFESSIONAL SERVICES

MANDATORY FOR MOST CONTRACTS

4. eVA ORDERS AND CONTRACTS

5. RENEWAL OF CONTRACT

AS INDIVIDUAL PROCUREMENTS MAY DICTATE

MANDATORY FOR MOST CONTRACTS

A. AWARD: The Commonwealth will make the award(s) on Grand Total basis to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a DSBSD-certified micro business if such a bid is received, provided that the bid is up to and including $10,000 and the agency in its sole discretion determines that the bid price is fair and reasonable. Otherwise, award of the contract shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder that is a DSBSD-certified small business if such a bid is received, provided that the bid is not more than $100,000 and the agency in its sole discretion determines that the bid price is fair and reasonable. If, in the agency’s opinion, the criteria in the previous two sentences are not present, then award shall be made to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder of any size, provided the agency in its sole discretion determines that the price is fair and reasonable. If applicable, unit prices, extensions and grand total must be shown. In case of arithmetic errors, the unit price will govern. If cash discount for prompt payment is offered, it must be clearly shown in the space provided. Discounts for early prompt payment will not be considered in making awards. The State reserves the right to reject any and all bids in whole or in part, to waive any informality, and to delete items prior to making an award.

3. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: The purchasing agency reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon 60 days written notice to the contractor. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation.

4. eVA ORDERS AND CONTRACTS: The solicitation/contract will result in one (1) purchase order(s) with the applicable eVA transaction fee assessed for each order.

Vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA eProcurement Program and agree to comply with the following: If this solicitation is for a term contract, failure to provide an electronic catalog (price list) or Punch-Out Catalog for items awarded will be just cause for the Commonwealth to reject your bid/offer or terminate this contract for default. The format of this electronic catalog shall conform to the eVA Catalog and/or Punch-Out Catalog Specification. For further information and details please email eVA-catalog-manager@dgs.virginia.gov.

AS INDIVIDUAL PROCUREMENTS MAY DICTATE

5. BID ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: Any bid in response to this solicitation shall be valid for 60 days. At the end of the days the bid may be withdrawn at the written request of the bidder. If the bid is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is canceled.

6. BID PRICES: Bid shall be in the form of a firm unit price for each item during the contract period.

7. CONTRACTOR/SUBCONTRACTOR LICENSE REQUIREMENT: By my signature on this solicitation, I certify that this firm/individual and subcontractor is properly licensed for providing the goods/services specified. Furthermore, the contractor and subcontractors shall maintain the required license throughout the term of the contract. The contractor or their subcontractor shall immediately notify the contracting agency in writing in the event the license has been revoked.

Contractor Name:_________________

License # _________________ Type ________________

Subcontractor Name:_________________________

License # _________________ Type ________________

8. INSPECTION OF JOB SITE: My signature on this solicitation constitutes certification that I have inspected the job site and am aware of the conditions under which the work must be accomplished. Claims, as a result of failure to inspect the job site, will not be considered by the Commonwealth.

9. LABELING OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES: If the items or products requested by this solicitation are “Hazardous Substances” as defined by § 1261 of Title 15 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) or “Pesticides” as defined in § 136 of Title 7 of the United States Code, then the bidder/offeror, by submitting his bid/proposal, certifies and warrants that the items or products to be delivered under this contract shall be properly labeled as required by the foregoing sections and that by delivering the items or products the bidder/offeror does not violate any of the prohibitions of Title 15 U.S.C. § 1263 or Title 7 U.S.C. § 136.

10. SAFETY DATA SHEETS: Safety Data Sheets and descriptive literature shall be provided with the bid/proposal for each chemical and/or compound offered. Failure on the part of the bidder/offeror to submit such data sheets may be cause for declaring the bid/proposal as nonresponsive/eliminated from further consideration.

11. NEGOTIATION WITH THE LOWEST BIDDER: Unless all bids are cancelled or rejected, the Commonwealth reserves the right granted by § 2.2-4318 of the Code of Virginia to negotiate with the lowest responsive, responsible bidder to obtain a contract price within the funds available to the agency whenever such low bid exceeds the agency’s available funds. For the purpose of determining when such negotiations may take place, the term “available funds” shall mean those funds which were budgeted by the agency for this contract prior to the issuance of the written Invitation for Bids. Negotiations with the low bidder may include both modifications of the bid price and the Scope of Work/Specifications to be performed. The agency shall initiate such negotiations by written notice to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder that its bid exceeds the available funds and that the agency wishes to negotiate a lower contract price. The times, places, and manner of negotiating shall be agreed to by the agency and the lowest responsive, responsible bidder.

12. WORK SITE DAMAGES: Any damage to existing utilities, equipment or finished surfaces resulting from the performance of this contract shall be repaired to the Commonwealth’s satisfaction at the contractor’s expense.

13. PRODUCT AVAILABILITY/SUBSTITUTION: Substitution of a product, brand or manufacturer after the award of contract is expressly prohibited unless approved in writing by the Contact Officer. The Agency may, at its discretion, require the contractor to provide a substitute item of equivalent or better quality subject to the approval of the Contract Officer, for a price no greater than the contract price, if the product for which the contract was awarded becomes unavailable to the contractor.

14. STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: Pursuant to Code of Virginia, §2.2-4311.2 subsection B, a bidder or offeror organized or authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth pursuant to Title 13.1 or Title 50 is required to include in its bid or proposal the identification number issued to it by the State Corporation Commission (SCC). Any bidder or offeror that is not required to be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth as a foreign business entity under Title 13.1 or Title 50 or as otherwise required by law is required to include in its bid or proposal a statement describing why the bidder or offeror is not required to be so authorized. Indicate the above information on the SCC Form provided. Contractor agrees that the process by which compliance with Titles 13.1 and 50 is checked during the solicitation stage (including without limitation the SCC Form provided) is streamlined and not definitive, and the Commonwealth’s use and acceptance of such form, or its acceptance of Contractor’s statement describing why the bidder or offeror was not legally required to be authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth, shall not be conclusive of the issue and shall not be relied upon by the Contractor as demonstrating compliance.

15. FEDERALLY IMPOSED TARIFFS: In the event that the President of the United States, the United States Congress, Customs and Border Protection, or any other federal entity authorized by law, imposes an import duty or tariff (a “tariff”), on an imported good that results in an increase in contractor’s costs to a level that renders performance under the Agreement impracticable, the Commonwealth may agree to an increase to the purchase price for the affected good. No increase in purchase price may exceed 25% of the additional tariff imposed on the goods imported or purchased by the contractor that are provided to the Commonwealth under this Agreement.

Prior to the Commonwealth agreeing to a price increase pursuant to this Section, the contractor must provide to the Commonwealth, the following documentation, all of which must be satisfactory to the Commonwealth:

- evidence demonstrating: (i) the unit price paid by contractor as of the date of award for the good or raw material used to furnish the goods to the Commonwealth under this Agreement, (ii) the applicability of the tariff to the specific good or raw material, and (iii) contractor’s payment of the increased import duty or tariff (either directly or through an increase to the cost paid for the good or raw material). The evidence submitted shall be sufficient in detail and content to allow the Commonwealth to verify that the tariff is the cause of the price change.

- a certification signed by contractor that it has made all reasonable efforts to obtain the good or the raw materials comprising the good procured by the Commonwealth at a lower cost from a different source located outside of the country against which the tariff has been imposed.

- a certification signed by contractor that the documentation, statements, and any other evidence it submits in support of its request for a price increase under this Section are true and correct, and that the contractor would otherwise be unable to perform under this Agreement without such price increase.

- as requested by the Commonwealth, written instructions authorizing the Commonwealth to request additional documentation from individuals or entities that provide the good or the raw materials to verify the information submitted by contractor.

If the Commonwealth agrees to a price increase pursuant to this Section, the parties further agree to add the following terms to this Agreement:

- During the Term and for five (5) years after the termination of this Agreement, contractor shall retain, and the Commonwealth and its authorized representatives shall have the right to audit, examine, and make copies of, all of contractors books, accounts, and other records related to this Agreement and contractor’s costs for providing goods to the Commonwealth, including, but not limited to those kept by the contractor’s agents, assigns, successors, and subcontractors.

- Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the Commonwealth shall have the right to terminate this Agreement for the Commonwealth’s convenience upon 15 days’ written notice to contractor.

In the event the import duty or tariff is repealed or reduced prior to termination of this Agreement, the increase in the Commonwealth’s contract price shall be reduced by the same amount and adjusted accordingly.

- Any material misrepresentation of fact by contractor relating in any way to the Commonwealth’s payment of additional sums due to tariffs shall be fraud against the taxpayer’s of the Commonwealth and subject contractor to treble damages pursuant to the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act.

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