Strategic Comms Adendum 1.pdf

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N O T IC E T O O F F E R O R S

A D D E N D U M N O . 1

The following changes and/or additions shall be made to the original Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Strategic Communications and Graphic Design Consultation Services (WD-23-057). Please acknowledge receipt of this addendum by signing and returning with your proposal.

As of Friday, March 3, 2023, the Long Beach Utilities Department has made the following revisions for the RFQ for Communications and Graphic Design Consultation Services (WD-23-057).

The following questions have been raised. Answers are in red.

Q1: Can companies from outside USA can apply for this?

A1: Companies outside the U.S. can apply if they are able to fulfill the contract requirements.

Q2: Do proposers need to come in person for the meetings?

A2: No, interviews and meetings may be held via video call.

Q3: Can we perform the tasks related to the RFQ outside USA?

A3: If this would cause additional charges or delays, LB Utilities would not approve tasks being performed outside the U.S.

Q4: Can we submit the proposals via email?

A4: No, proposals must be submitted via the Long Beach Buys platform.

Q5: How would you like the quote for the fee schedule? Hourly rates for projects or Project based? Please Specify.

A5: Either is acceptable. Include both if relevant.

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Q6: What is the budget for each category Individually for the next year?

A6: Budget will depend on as-needed projects as well as the number of firms that are selected.

Q7: If we are submitting for more than one category is the portfolio still capped at 5 pages?

A7: Brevity is encouraged but yes you may expand the portfolio if applying for more than one category. Total pages in your portfolio cannot exceed 10.

Q8: Can you please clarify if the limit for total proposal length including the portfolio is 15 pages or 20 pages?

A8: The portfolio is not included in the 15-page RFQ page limit.

Q9: Do we need to submit for all services listed within a category?

A9: No. You can submit for the services you can provide and indicate the services you do not provide.

Q10: On page 10, the RFQ states that the SOQ is limited to 15 pages and that the SOQ portfolio shall not exceed an “additional” 5 pages. The section closes by stating that the total proposal length should not exceed 15 pages. Can you please clarify if the portfolio is included in the 15-page count or if the page count is a total of 20 pages including the 15-page SOQ and the 5-page portfolio.?

A10: The portfolio is not included in the 15 page limit.

Q11: Should firms complete separate 15-page proposals for each category they would like to respond to, or should they provide one 15 page proposal that responds to all categories of interest?

A11: Proposers should submit one 15-page proposal that responds to all categories of interest.

Q12: Do staff resumes contribute towards the page count?

A12: Yes.

Q13: Does the subconsultant signed statement mentioned in section 10.17 on page 17 contribute towards the page count?

A13: No.

Q14: Does the title page contribute towards the page count?

A14: No.

Q15: Do proposal and fee cover sheets contribute towards the page count?

A15: No.

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Q16: Do subcontractors need to complete the attachments/forms?

A16: An official of each proposed subcontractor shall sign, and include as part of the SOQ submitted in response to this RFQ, a statement to the effect that the subcontractor has read and will agree to abide by the awarded Consultant’s obligations.

Q17: Page 11 of the RFQ mentions that the “SOQ should be organized with headings in the order presented below”. The order includes Title Page, Scope, Experience, References, Subcontractors, Portfolio, Fee Schedule, Certificate of Insurance, etc….

Page 9 mentions that SOQs should be organized in two distinct parts, the narrative/technical section, and the cost section. Should the Fee Schedule be included in the order outlined on page 11, or should it have its own section, per page?

A17: The fee schedule should be placed after the portfolio.

Q18: Do subcontractors need to sign the Title Page?

A18: No. An official of each proposed subcontractor shall sign, and include as part of the SOQ submitted in response to this RFQ, a statement to the effect that the subcontractor has read and will agree to abide by the awarded Consultant’s obligations.

Q19: Would the cover, cover letter, table of contents, blank pages to facilitate double-sided printing, required forms, exceptions to the contract (if any), or resumes included in an Appendix count toward the page limit?

A19: Resumes, cover letter and table of contents do count toward the page limit.

Q20: Are we able to use font sizes smaller than 11pt for headers, footers, charts, graphics, and other elements apart from the main body text of the proposal as long as the text is legible?

A20: Yes.

Q21: Can the page numbers be clearly and consecutively numbered at the top of each page instead of the bottom?

A21: Yes.