T0704 Bid Amendment 1~4.docx

PHILIP D. MURPHY

Governor State of New Jersey

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

DIVISION OF PURCHASE AND PROPERTY

PROCUREMENT BUREAU

33 WEST STATE STREET

P. O. BOX 230

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08625-0230

ELIZABETH MAHER MUOIO

State Treasurer

SHEILA Y. OLIVER

Lt. Governor

MAURICE A. GRIFFIN

Acting Director https://www.njstart.gov

March 19, 2021

To: All Interested Vendors {Bidders}

Re: Bid Solicitation #20DPP00539 T0704 – Vehicle Collision Repairs for Department of the Treasury and State Police

Quote Submission Due Date: March 30, 2021 (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

Bid Amendment #1

The following constitutes Bid Amendment #1 to the above referenced Bid Solicitation and includes:

· This Bid Amendment includes answers to questions;

· There has been a change to the State-Supplied Price Sheet. Please refer to the T0704 Revised State-Supplied Price Sheet which has been made part of this Bid Amendment #1. The Vendor {Bidder} should submit this Revised State-Supplied Price Sheet with its Quote.

· The reference to yellow highlighted cells in the State-Supplied Price Sheet instructions has been removed.

· Please note that all additions, deletions, clarifications and modifications of the Bid Solicitation as a result of this eQ&A are noted in the T0704 REVISED Bid Solicitation;

· An Optional Pre-Quote Conference was held on February 23, 2021, in accordance with Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.5, Optional Pre-Quote Conference. The following firms were identified as attendees for the optional teleconference:

· Auto Body Connection, LLC.;

· Washington Collision Center, LLP.; and

· Bergen Brookside Auto Body, Inc..

· Please note that the Division’s website has been updated. If you are unable to access a web address link directly from the Bid Solicitation, please refer to the following web address links:

· NJSTART Vendor Support Page/QRGs: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/vendor.shtml

· Division of Purchase and Property Main Page: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/

· Division of Purchase and Property Forms Page: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/forms.shtml

· New Jersey Business Ethics Guide: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/ethics.shtml.

It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor {Bidder} to be knowledgeable of all of the additions, deletions, clarifications, and modifications to the Bid Solicitation and/or the New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions relative to this Bid Solicitation as set forth in all Bid Amendments.

All other instructions, terms, and conditions of the Bid Solicitation shall remain the same.

Bid Solicitation #20DPP00539 Bid Solicitation T0704 Vehicle Collision Repairs for Department of the Treasury and State Police

Answers to Questions

Where applicable, each question references the appropriate Bid Solicitation section.

Section Reference Question (Bolded) and Answer

General When trying to open a Portable Document Format (PDF) document I am receiving an error message and unable to access the PDF document. How should I proceed?

It is recommended that users utilize Internet Explorer to view PDF documents. Certain PDF forms cannot be opened in the Chrome or Firefox built in PDF viewers that are enabled by default. If using Chrome or Firefox it is recommended that the file is downloaded instead by clicking the download button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser after an error message is received. An alternative option is to disable the built in PDF viewers in Chrome or Firefox.

Should I check that I have properly completed and attached all of the required documents with my submitted Quote?

Yes. Prior to the Quote Opening Deadline, a Vendor {Bidder} should review the documents comprising of the submitted Quote to ensure that all of the required documents have been completed and attached. Oftentimes a Quote is deemed nonresponsive because a Vendor {Bidder} fails to attach a required form or attaches a blank form. To review a submitted Quote, a Vendor {Bidder} should log into NJSTART and review each document attached to the Quote submission. Instructions on how to review a submitted Quote can be found in the Divisions Quick Reference Guide entitled, How to Review a Submitted Quote- which is available in the NJSTART Vendor Support Page under Vendor Reference Guides.

Will the State allow Vendors to take exception to any of the Standard Terms and Conditions?

As stated in Bid Solicitation, Section 1.3.1.1, " Questions regarding the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTC) and exceptions to mandatory requirements must be posed during this Electronic Question and Answer period and shall contain the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} suggested changes and the reason(s) for the suggested changes." Additionally, as stated in Section 4.1, General: "Quotes including Vendor {Bidder} proposed terms and conditions may be accepted, but Vendor {Bidder} proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the Bid Solicitation, as defined in Section 2.0 of this Bid Solicitation, or that diminish the State's rights under any Blanket P.O. resulting from the Bid Solicitation, may render a Quote non-responsive."

Do we mail in the bid?

All Quotes shall be submitted electronically through NJSTART. Vendors {Bidders} may refer to the “Vendor Registration” and “Submit a Quote” QRGs for additional instructions detailing how to enroll in NJSTART and submit a NJSTART electronic Quote. QRGs are located on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page.

If further assistance is needed, please email NJSTART Vendor email support: njstart@treas.nj.gov.

In the past we mailed in the bid, is that the same process this time?

Please see refer to the answer for Question #4.

What is the definition of a subcontractor?

As per Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21, Section 2.2, the definition of a Subcontractor is, “An entity having an arrangement with a Vendor {Contractor}, whereby the Vendor {Contractor} uses the products and/or services of that entity to fulfill some of its obligations under its State Blanket P.O., while retaining full responsibility for the performance of all [the Vendor’s {Contractor's}] obligations under the Blanket P.O., including payment to the Subcontractor. The Subcontractor has no legal relationship with the State, only with the Vendor {Contractor}.”

If this contract gets extended, will the third year pricing be used?

Yes, should the current contract be extended, third year pricing shall be used.

How is this going to be evaluated?

A two (2) step process will be used to evaluate Quotes.

First, Vendors {Bidders} will be evaluated on their ability to complete the Scope of Work outlined in Section 3.0 of the Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21. Refer to Section 4.4.3 and subsequent subsections of the Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21, for requested information. Failure to provide sufficient information demonstrating the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} ability to completing the Scope of Work with its Quote could negatively impact this part of the evaluation.

Second, the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} submitted hourly rates for repairs and discount percentages for repair parts will be evaluated for reasonableness. Refer to Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21, Section 6.7.1

What if you don’t have enough Vendors for a specific area? Would you reach out to us? What would happen?

It is the intent of the State to make multiple Blanket P.O. awards for each Region award grouping, with two (2) awards set-aside for qualifying Small Businesses in each Region. Refer to Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21, Sections 1.1, 6.7.1 and 7.2.

In the event there are not enough Vendors {Contractors} to service a Region, the State reserves the right to review all available options to provide additional coverage for any underserviced Regions. Among the options, the State may advertise and award a supplemental Bid Solicitation in conjunction with the current Bid Solicitation. Any subsequent action to provide additional coverage for underserviced Regions, if required, will be determined by the State.

In the past we had the Offer & Acceptance Page and we had to check the Coop Form. Do we have to fill this out?

No. The Vendor {Bidder} does not have to check ‘Open to Cooperative Purchasing Participants’ on the Offer and Acceptance Page. As this Bid solicitation is not open to Cooperative Purchasing Participants, the Vendor {Bidder} does not have to submit a Cooperative Purchasing Form.

However, please be advised that the State may extend the awarded Blanket P.O.s to Cooperative Purchasing Participants in the future. As per Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21, Section 1.1, “The State of New Jersey (State) may extend the Blanket P.O.(s) awarded to the Division's Cooperative Purchasing Program participants after Blanket P.O.(s) award. In that circumstance, the State will request that the Vendor(s) {Contractor(s)} complete the Cooperative Purchasing Form indicating willingness or unwillingness to extend State Blanket P.O. pricing and terms to Cooperative Purchasing Program participants. The Cooperative Purchasing Form is located on the Division’s website. These participants include quasi-State entities, counties, municipalities, school districts, volunteer fire departments, first aid squads, independent institutions of higher learning, County colleges and State colleges. Although the State, with the consent of the Vendor(s) {Contractor(s)}, may make use of any Blanket P.O. resulting from this Bid Solicitation available to non-State Agencies, the State makes no representation as to the acceptability of any State Bid Solicitation terms and conditions under the Local Public Contracts Law or any other enabling statute or regulation.”

When will this be awarded?

As per Revised Bid Solicitation, dated 3/19/21, 7.2, “Blanket P.O. award(s) will be made with reasonable promptness by written notice to those responsible Vendors {Bidders}, whose Quotes, conforming to this Bid Solicitation, are most advantageous to the State, price, and other factors considered. Any or all Quotes may be rejected when the State Treasurer or the Director determines that it is in the public interest to do so.”

Offer & Acceptance Page Not sure if it should be bid security, performance, payment security, retainage?

Bid Security, Performance Security, Payment Security, and Retainage do not apply to this Bid Solicitation. Therefore, this information is not required on the Offer and Acceptance Page.

Additionally, this section of the Offer and Acceptance Page (Bid Security Amount/Performance Security Amount/Payment Security Amount/Retainage Percentage) is for State Use Only and is not to be filled out by the Vendor {Bidder}.

Offer & Acceptance Page Hello, I'm having a hard time understanding offer and acceptance page, I'm not sure which selection to choose, bid security, performance, or retainage?

Please see refer to the answer for Question #12.

State-Supplied Price Sheet A. I want to bid on vehicles under 14,000 lbs. Instructions direct me to include pricing for all yellow highlighted items, yellow highlighted items are over 14,000 lbs. Can I simply just submit pricing for the blue highlighted areas under 14,000 lbs pricing?

B. Do I have to input data ($0 or NA) for locations that I do not want to bid on?

A. The reference to yellow highlighted cells in the State-Supplied Price Sheet instructions has been removed. The Vendor {Bidder} shall complete the Price Sheet in accordance to Bid Solicitation, Section 4.4.5. Please see the REVISED State-Supplied Price Sheet.

B. The State’s preference is for a firm to put “No Bid” in accordance with Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.5.3, Use of “No Bid” versus “No Charge” on the State-Supplied Price Sheet. However, Vendors {Bidders} are not required to fill out price lines that the Vendor {Bidder} is not submitting a bid for.

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