T1775 Bid Solicitation~1.docx

Bid Solicitation #

23DPP00838

T1775 – State Disbursement Unit Child Support Payment/Receipt Processing

Due Date For Electronic Questions Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 2.1 for more information.

Optional Pre-Quote Submission Conference Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 2.5 for more information.

Mandatory/Optional Site Visit Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 2.4 for more information.

NOT APPLICABLE

Quote Opening Date Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 3 for more information.

Dates are subject to change. All times contained in the Bid Solicitation refer to Eastern Time.

All changes will be reflected in Bid Amendments to the Bid Solicitation posted on www.njstart.gov.

SET-ASIDES

Small Business Set-Aside For Goods and Services:

☒ I ☒ II ☒ III

For Construction:

☐ IV ☐ V ☐ VI

☐ Not Applicable ☐ Entire Contract ☐ Partial Contract ☒ Subcontracting Only ☐ Preference

☐ Entire Contract ☐ Partial Contract ☒ Subcontracting Only ☐ Preference

Bid Solicitation Issued By:

State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury Division of Purchase and Property Trenton, New Jersey 086250230 On Behalf of:

State of New Jersey Department of Human Services Division of Family Development

Date: October 11, 2023

Table of Contents

ATTACHMENT 1 – State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions (6/21/2023) ATTACHMENT 2 – Standard Procurement Forms Packet ATTACHMENT 3 – State-Supplied Price Sheet ATTACHMENT 4 – State of New Jersey Third-Party Information Security Questionnaire

EXHIBIT 5 – File Transfer Guide EXHIBIT 6 – Technical Environment

EXHIBIT 7 – BATCH_FIN_EXT_NJSDU

EXHIBIT 8 – BATCH_FIN_EFT_SVC_PNOTE_DISB

EXHIBIT 9 – BATCH_FIN_CLEARED_CHECKS

EXHIBIT 10 – BATCH_FIN_EFT_SVC_PNOTE_REJECT

EXHIBIT 11 – BATCH_FIN_EXT_CHECK

EXHIBIT 12 – BATCH_FIN_EXT_BILLING

EXHIBIT 13 – BATCH_FIN_NSF

EXHIBIT 14 – BATCH_FIN_COLLECTIONS

EXHIBIT 15 – BATCH_FIN_EXT_PLOG

EXHIBIT 16 – BATCH_FIN_EFT_SVC_ACCT_SETUP

EXHIBIT 17 – Transaction Data for Paper, EFT, Cash

EXHIBIT 18 – BATCH_FIN_EXT_SVC_ENROLLMENT

EXHIBIT 19 – Debit Card IVR Calls

EXHIBIT 20 – BATCH_CUS_EXT_TO_IVR

iv

INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF THE BID SOLICITATION

This Bid Solicitation is issued by the Department of the Treasury, Division of Purchase and Property (Division), Procurement Bureau, on behalf of the State of New Jersey, Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Family Development (DFD), Office of Child Support Services (OCSS). Quotes submitted in response to this Bid Solicitation shall be through the State of New Jersey’s eProcurement system, NJSTART. Bidders are advised to thoroughly read all sections of this Bid Solicitation and follow all instructions.

Bidders are strongly encouraged to visit the NJSTART Vendor Support Page, which contains Quick Reference Guides (QRGs), supporting videos, a glossary of NJSTART terms, and helpdesk contact information. Bidders should utilize the QRGs before attempting to submit a Quote through NJSTART. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to ensure that the Quote and attachments have been properly submitted. Inquiries concerning the use of NJSTART may be directed to njstart@treas.nj.gov. The Division will not respond to substantive questions related to the Bid Solicitation or any other Contract via this email address.

PURPOSE AND INTENT

The purpose of this Bid Solicitation is to solicit Quotes for an experienced Contractor to develop, implement, and maintain a fully privatized State Disbursement Unit (SDU) that includes payment processing, referred to as the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center (NJFSPC), and a comprehensive customer service component, referred to as the New Jersey Family Support Services Center (NJFSSC), to be maintained and operated by the Contractor, in order to comport with the State’s business model and maximize business efficiencies alongside the State’s web-based automated Child Support enforcement system, New Jersey Kids Deserve Support (NJKiDS). NJKiDS’ advanced technology provides a centralized and streamlined process that minimizes financial risks to the State and Contractor, improves payment-processing timeframes, increases quality control, reduces data entry at the local level, increases reporting and accountability, enhances customer services, and contributes significantly to the reduction in the program’s overall operating costs. Together, the SDU and NJKiDS are two major system components used to operate the Child Support Program.

It is the intent of the State to award a Contract to that responsible Bidder whose Quote, conforming to this Bid Solicitation is most advantageous to the State of New Jersey (State), price and other factors considered. The State may award any or all price lines. The State, however, reserves the right to separately procure individual requirements that are the subject of the Contract during the Contract term, when deemed by the Director of the Division (Director) to be in the State’s best interest.

The State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTCs) included with this Bid Solicitation will apply to all Contracts made with the State. These terms are in addition to the terms and conditions set forth in this Bid Solicitation and should be read in conjunction with them unless the Bid Solicitation specifically indicates otherwise.

BACKGROUND

This is a reprocurement of T1775 State Disbursement Unit Child Support Payment/Receipt Processing. Bidders interested in reviewing the current Contract/Master Blanket Purchase Order specifications and pricing information may do so by following the instruction below. Bidders should not rely upon or use data or information from the contract when preparing a response to this Bid Solicitation as this Bid Solicitation addresses the State’s current requirements.

· Go to: www.njstart.gov

· Select “Active Blankets”

· In the search bar, select “Blankets” from the drop down menu

· Enter T1775 and click “” The current Contract list will appear under “Results”

NEW JERSEY’S STATE DISBURSEMENT UNIT BACKGROUND

The federal government, through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and the Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, require that each State operate a single central location for the receipt and disbursement of Child Support.

N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.63 requires that the Division of Family Development (DFD), Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) establish an SDU in accordance with the requirements of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act and come into an agreement to perform the functions of the SDU.

The SDU services are receipt, payment processing, debit card maintenance, banking, and operating an Interactive Voice Response system (IVR) that provides automated communication to address customer service issues including general case-specific information. The IVR is the main gateway to transfer customer service calls to the SDU staff to assist with customer service inquiries and take appropriate actions to resolve the customer’s concerns. The SDU’s services also include the following:

· manual paper check and electronic disbursements (including international disbursements);

· full banking disbursement operations, reconciliation, receipt adjustments and check voids/re-issues; and

· other customer services.

NJ CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION OVERVIEW

Structurally, the Child Support Program is supervised by the State and administered by both the State and the counties. The OCSS is in the executive branch and serves as the State IV-D Agency. It is responsible to the federal government for the overall administration and regulatory oversight, performance management and reporting, system management, and program compliance of the Child Support Program. This program is multi-systemic because it is county administered through both the local County Welfare Agencies and local court systems through its respective Judiciary Family, Probation, and Finance Divisions. There are 21 counties and 15 court vicinages in New Jersey.

STATE SUPERVISED

The OCSS, consistent with federal requirements found in 45 CFR Parts 302 through 308 and 42 U.S.C. 671(a)(17)[footnoteRef:1], centrally manages multiple Child Support operational services. These services include, but are not limited to, the certified statewide automated Child Support case management system, paternity acknowledgment and genetic testing, location of noncustodial parents, administrative enforcement, collection and disbursements, and customer services. In addition, the OCSS has a Cooperative Agreement with the New Jersey Judiciary that is executed through the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). The AOC is the central office responsible for coordination and oversight of Judiciary activities at the local level, including the location of Non-Custodial Parents, the establishment and enforcement of child, spousal support, and health care coverage orders. [1: 42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(17) “provides that, where appropriate, all steps will be taken, including cooperative efforts with the State agencies administering the program funded under Part A [of this subchapter] and plan approved under part D [of this subchapter], to secure an assignment to the State of any rights to support on behalf of each child receiving foster care maintenance payments under this part.”]

COUNTY ADMINISTERED

Locally, both the County Welfare Agencies (CWAs) and local court systems, through their respective Family, Probation, and Finance Divisions, deliver program services. All entities work together to secure financial support and health care provisions for children and families. CWAs are responsible for assisting all eligible applicants in the location of parents and in the establishment of paternity for customers receiving Temporary Aid to Need Families (TANF), Medicaid, and Title IV-E foster care benefits. CWAs are also responsible for obtaining court orders. The local Judiciary Family Divisions are responsible for processing Title IV-D Application for non-dissolution and matrimonial cases, establishing child and medical support, scheduling court hearings, and providing notice of all hearings. The Judiciary Finance Divisions are responsible for account adjustments, receipts received by the counties, and account audits. Judiciary Probation Divisions are responsible for local enforcement of Child Support orders. These three (3) judiciary divisions have offices located within each county.

CURRENT OVERVIEW

The NJFSPC:

A. Receives Payments from Non-Custodial Parents, employers, governmental entities, insurance companies, banks, and the legal community through the mail (paper check), electronically through banking channels, and by use of credit cards, and submits a daily payment file to NJKiDS;

B. Generates disbursements for Child Support and Spousal Support, refunds to NCPs, and the return of funds to third parties. Disbursements are sent as electronic deposits to bank accounts, deposits onto a Stored Value Card (e.g., a debit card) and, for a small number of recipients, as checks;

C. Is responsible for maintaining bank accounts that house Child Support funds and for completing all bank account duties including reconciliation of all accounts;

D. Performs scanning and validation of certain form types using the Electronic Content Management (ECM) platform;

E. Processes certain types of correspondence, such as, but not limited to, call center functions (e.g., answering incoming telephone calls, returning calls, answering inquiring questions) and electronic messaging, such as e-mail;

F. Performs all financial adjustments in NJKiDS that are initiated by the State or by local offices and is also responsible for funding these financial adjustments;

G. Is financially responsible for all returned deposit items (e.g., all checks returned, unpaid from the bank due to insufficient funds, stop payment or for various additional reasons);

H. Addresses all unidentified items (items received without sufficient posting information), housed in NJKiDS, to find identifying information in order to post payments;

I. Manages the stored value (debit) card program, which is one of the methods used for disbursing funds.

NJKiDS PROCESS MAP: HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF CURRENT FINANCIAL PROCESS

The pictorial above, titled “NJKiDS Process Map: High-Level Overview of Current Financial Process”, represents a high level overview of the daily fiscal activities that pertain to the current Child Support financial process, from receipt to disbursement, and the different agencies responsible for particular fiscal activities. The pictorial is read from left to right. The dotted lines represent the flow of monetary transactions between agencies and accounts, and the solid lines represent the flow of agency business and system processes. The boxes are grouped according to a particular activity, or step, in the process and the agency(ies) responsible for that activity. The current process is complex; multiple agencies are responsible for daily fiscal activities.

CURRENT CHILD SUPPORT CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATIONS

The New Jersey State Disbursement Unit maintains a full service, Contractor-operated call center, also known as the NJFSSC, which includes an IVR. The IVR’s phone number (1- 877-NJKiDS1) is the primary point of contact for constituents, customers, employers, and the general public with questions related to Child Support in New Jersey. The goal of the IVR system is to facilitate as much self-service as possible by addressing the most commonly asked questions without the need for referral to another party for resolution. A live NJFSSC representative answers questions that are not answered through the IVR’s automated responses. Any question that cannot be answered by the representative will result in a system referral to the local caseworker for resolution. Additional customer service completed by the NJFSSC will be processing outbound call campaigns, which alert Non-Custodial Parents (NCPs) and Custodial Parents (CPs) by text or phone about case-related activities.

In addition, the following services in regards to payment are available, each with its own customer service telephone support phone number:

· Debit Card: handles Custodial Parent phone calls related to stored valued cards issued by the State through the SDU;

· Credit Card: handles phone call inquiries and accepts payments from payers’ credit cards;

· Electronic Funds Transfer (ETF): handles phone calls related to EFT payment transfers from payers and employers.

Other communication channels offered by the State to those individuals seeking services and information include:

A. DFD OCSS Customer Service Unit: Customer Service Correspondence Section (CSCS). CSCS responds to calls and customer correspondence. Most of the communications referred to CSCS are initially received by/from elected and appointed officials. These services also include web chat and escalated call handling;

B. AOC Customer Services: Responds to a range of customer inquiries;

C. Local county/vicinage Child Support entities: Local CWA/BSS and the Family, Probation, and Finance divisions may have dedicated customer service units that directly handle or route the range of potential customer inquiries; and D. New Jersey Child Support Website: State-owned and Contractor-operated, the website provides up-to-date information about New Jersey’s Child Support Program payment information, including:

1. A tool to estimate Child Support payments, links to Child Support payment processors and commonly used forms, and county office information;

2. Direct links for customers to the online Title IV-D Application for Child Support and the Case Information Portal where customers can track all aspects of their case(s) and access the integrated payment system;

3. The Staff Portal, which is a platform that allows Child Support professionals to collaborate on projects and access training courses; and

4. An Agency Portal, which gives stakeholders such as the Division of Housing and Community Resources, Division of Gaming Enforcement and Casino industry officials, access to the appropriate information about Child Support cases.

Together, these multiple channels offer a seamless, collaborative way in which constituents, customers, employers, and the general public can self-serve or access services and obtain assistance.

CONTRACT AMOUNT

The estimated amount of the Contract, if stated, shall not be construed as either the maximum or minimum amount which the State shall be obliged to order.

ORDER OF PRECEDENCE OF CONTRACTUAL TERMS

The Contract awarded, and the entire agreement between the parties, as a result of this Bid Solicitation shall consist of: (1) the final Bid Solicitation, (2) the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions, Attachment 1(3) the Quote, and if applicable (4) any Bidder responses to clarifications; (5) a Bidder’s Best and Final Offer, (6) other negotiated document, and/or (7) third party document. In the event of a conflict in the terms and conditions among the documents comprising this Contract, the order of precedence, for purposes of interpretation thereof, listed from highest ranking to lowest ranking as noted above.

Any other terms or conditions, not included with the Bidder’s Quote and accepted by the State, shall not be incorporated into the Contract awarded. Any references to external documentation, including those documents referenced by a URL, including without limitation, technical reference manuals, technical support policies, copyright notices, additional license terms, etc., are subject to the terms and conditions of the Bid Solicitation and the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions. In the event of any conflict between the terms of a document incorporated by reference, the terms and conditions of the Bid Solicitation and the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions shall prevail.

INTRASTATE COOPERATIVE PURCHASING

NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS PROCUREMENT.

PRE-QUOTE SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The Bidder assumes sole responsibility for the complete effort required in submitting a Quote and for reviewing the Quote submission requirements and the Scope of Work requirements.

ELECTRONIC QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

The Division will electronically accept questions and inquiries from all potential Bidders via the “Q&A” Tab of the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART. Questions should be directly tied to a Bid Solicitation Section, the State-Supplied Price Sheet, Form or Attachment; and should reference the specific Bid Solicitation Section or document to which it relates.

The cut-off date for electronic questions and inquiries relating to this Bid Solicitation is indicated on the Bid Solicitation cover page. In the event that questions are posed by Bidders, answers to such questions will be issued by Bid Amendment.

A Bidder shall not contact the Using Agency and/or the Procurement Specialist directly, in person, by telephone or by e-mail, concerning this Bid Solicitation, prior to Contract award.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE STATE OF NJ STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS (SSTC)

Questions regarding the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions and exceptions to mandatory requirements MUST be posed during the Electronic Question and Answer period and shall contain the Bidder’s suggested changes and the reason(s) for the suggested change(s).

BID AMENDMENTS

In the event that it becomes necessary to clarify or revise this Bid Solicitation, such clarification or revision will be by Bid Amendment. Any Bid Amendment will become part of this Bid Solicitation and part of any Contract awarded. Bid Amendments will be posted as a file attachment on the “Summary” page of the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART after the cut-off date.

There are no designated dates for release of Bid Amendments. Those Bidders who are on the bid holder list either through commodity code registration in NJSTART or by acknowledging the bid in NJSTART should receive notification of any Bid Amendment(s). If a Bidder is not on the bid holder list, Bid Amendments are still viewable on the “Summary” page of the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART.

It is the sole responsibility of the Bidder to be knowledgeable of all Bid Amendments related to this procurement. An interested Bidder should check the NJSTART “Open Bids” Tab on a daily basis to ensure review of the most updated information.

MANDATORY/OPTIONAL SITE VISIT

NOT APPLICALBE TO THIS PROCUREMENT.

OPTIONAL PRE-QUOTE CONFERENCE

The date and time of the Optional Pre-Quote Conference is indicated on the Bid Solicitation cover sheet. Attendees may attend the Optional Pre-Quote Conference with the following call-in details:

Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer, mobile app or room device Click here to join the meeting Meeting ID: 295 121 328 357 Passcode: Vid6UF Download Teams | Join on the web Or call in (audio only) +1 856-338-7074,,272597812# United States, Camden Phone Conference ID: 272 597 812# Find a local number | Reset PIN Learn More | Meeting options

The Optional Pre-Quote Conference may be recorded.

The purpose of the Optional Pre-Quote Conference is to address procedural questions regarding the Bid Solicitation and Bidder Quote Submission Requirements only. No substantive questions regarding the Bid Solicitation Scope of Work will be accepted or answered during the pre-Quote conference. All questions are to be submitted during the Electronic Question and Answer Period.

PRE-QUOTE DOCUMENT REVIEW

The Contractor must participate in the New Jersey Office of Information Technology’s System Architecture Review along with State Agency Staff:

https://nj.gov/it/whatwedo/sar/

The Contractor shall develop a system that complies with the guidance of the NJ Statewide Information Security Manual:

https://www.nj.gov/it/docs/ps/NJ_Statewide_Information_Security_Manual.pdf

The Contractor shall follow NJ Web Presence Guidelines:

https://www.tech.nj.gov/it/docs/NJ_Web_Presence_Guidelines.pdf

QUOTE SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

QUOTE SUBMISSION

In order to be considered for award, the Quote must be received electronically by the Division’s Proposal Review Unit, through NJSTART, by the required date and time.

The date and time of the Quote opening are indicated on the Bid Solicitation cover sheet and on the “Summary” Tab of the Bid Solicitation webpage within NJSTART. If the Quote opening deadline has been revised, the new Quote opening deadline will be shown on the posted Bid Amendment and on the “Summary” Tab of the Bid Solicitation webpage within NJSTART. Quotes not received prior to the Quote opening deadline shall be rejected.

Quotes will be publicly opened and announced by telephone conference on the date and time of the quote opening.

(Dial-in phone number: 888-204-5984 / Access code: 2602305)

When submitting a Quote through NJSTART, do not use any symbols (i.e., #, @, $, &, *) in the filename as this may prevent the Quote from being properly uploaded. Uploaded files must be compatible with Microsoft Office and/or Adobe software applications. DO NOT UPLOAD files with extensions such as .zip, .numbers, or .pages.

When uploading the documents to NJSTART, the Bidder should select the “Confidential” option in NJSTART for attachments on the “Attachments” Tab to request that the documents not be displayed publicly through NJSTART. Marking an attachment as "Confidential" in NJSTART shall not constitute the Bidder's designation of the attachment as exempt from public disclosure under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., or the common law right to know.

BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY

The Bidder assumes sole responsibility for the complete effort required in submitting a Quote in response to this Bid Solicitation. No special consideration will be given after Quotes are opened because of a Bidder’s failure to be knowledgeable as to all of the requirements of this Bid Solicitation. The State assumes no responsibility and bears no liability for costs incurred by a Bidder in the preparation and submittal of a Quote in response to this Bid Solicitation or any pre-Contract award costs incurred.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUOTE INFORMATION

On the date and time Quotes are due under the Bid Solicitation, all information concerning the Quotes submitted may be publicly announced and shall be available for inspection and copying except otherwise noted:

A. Information appropriately designated as proprietary and/or confidential in a Bidder’s Quote shall not be available for inspection and copying; and B. Where negotiation is contemplated, only the names and addresses of the Bidders submitting Quotes will be announced, and the contents of the Quotes shall not be available for inspection and copying until the Notice of Intent to Award is issued by the Director.

QUOTE ERRORS

In accordance with N.J.A.C. 17:12-2.11 “Proposal errors,” a Bidder may withdraw its Quote as described below.

QUOTE WITHDRAWAL PRIOR TO QUOTE OPENING

A Bidder may withdraw its Quote submission in NJSTART prior to the Quote opening; however, Bidders should note that while withdrawn NJSTART Quotes remain viewable by the Bidder on its Vendor Profile Homepage, they are removed from the Division’s view and cannot be considered for Contract award. The Bidder may submit a revised Quote as long as the Quote is received prior to the announced date and time for Quote submission. Bidders may refer to the QRG “Submit a Quote” for additional instructions.

QUOTE WITHDRAWAL AFTER QUOTE OPENING, BUT PRIOR TO CONTRACT AWARD

If, after the Quote opening, but before Contract award, a Bidder discovers an error in its Quote, the Bidder may make a written request to the Procurement Bureau to withdraw its Quote, from consideration for award. If the Bidder’s request to withdraw is made in good faith, and the State will not be significantly prejudiced by granting the withdrawal of the Quote beyond the loss of the benefit of the bargain to the State of the withdrawing Bidder’s offer, the request shall be granted. Evidence of the Bidder’s good faith in making this request can be demonstrated by one (1) or more of the following factors: A mistake is so significant that to enforce the Contract resulting from the Quote would be unconscionable; that the mistake relates to a material feature or term of the Contract; and that the mistake occurred notwithstanding the Bidder’s exercise of reasonable care. After Quote opening, while pursuant to the provisions of this section a Bidder may request to withdraw its Quote and the Director may in his/her discretion allow said Bidder to withdraw it, the Division also may take notice of repeated or unusual requests to withdraw by a Bidder and take those prior requests to withdraw into consideration when evaluating the Bidder’s future Quotes.

The Quote withdrawal request must include the Bid Solicitation Number, Bid Solicitation Title, and the Quote submission date and should be sent to Procurement.Bureau@treas.nj.gov.

If, during a Quote evaluation process, an obvious pricing error made by a potential Contract awardee is found, the Director or his/her designee shall issue written notice to the Bidder. The Bidder will have up to five (5) business days after receipt of the notice to confirm its pricing. If the Bidder fails to respond, its Quote shall be considered withdrawn, and no further consideration shall be given to it.

JOINT VENTURE

If a Joint Venture is submitting a Quote, the agreement between the parties relating to such Joint Venture should be submitted with the Joint Venture’s Quote. Authorized signatories from each party comprising the Joint Venture must sign the Offer and Acceptance Page. Each party to the Joint Venture must individually complete and comply with all the forms and certification requirements in Bid Solicitation Section 3 – Quote Submission Requirements.

SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS

NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS PROCUREMENT.

DISABLED VETERANS’ BUSINESS SET-ASIDE CONTRACT

NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS PROCUREMENT.

BID SECURITY

NOT APPLICABLE TO THIS PROCUREMENT.

BIDDER ADDITIONAL TERMS SUBMITTED WITH THE QUOTE

A Bidder may submit additional terms as part of its Quote. Additional terms are Bidder-proposed terms or conditions that do not conflict with the scope of work required in this Bid Solicitation, the terms and conditions of this Bid Solicitation, or the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions. Bidder proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions will render a Quote non-responsive. It is incumbent upon the Bidder to identify and remove its conflicting proposed terms and conditions prior to Quote submission.

Quotes including Bidder proposed additional terms may be accepted, rejected, or negotiated, in whole or in part, at the State’s sole discretion.

If Bidder intends to propose terms and conditions that conflict with the State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions, those Bidder proposed terms and conditions shall only be considered if submitted and agreed to pursuant to the electronic question and answer procedure. Bidders shall not submit exceptions or modifications as part of the Quote or on the “Terms and Conditions” Tab through NJSTART.

QUOTE CONTENT

The Quote should be submitted with the attachments organized in following manner:

· Forms

· Technical Quote

· State-Supplied Price Sheet

· State of New Jersey Security Due Diligence Third Party Information Security Questionnaire

A Bidder should not password protect any submitted documents. Use of URLs in a Quote should be kept to a minimum and shall not be used to satisfy any material term of a Bid Solicitation. If a preprinted or other document included as part of the Quote contains a URL, a printed copy of the information should be provided and will be considered as part of the Quote.

FORMS, REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS TO BE SUBMITTED WITH QUOTE

A Bidder is required to complete and submit the following forms. As an alternative to uploading certain forms with the submitted Quote, a Bidder may complete several certifications electronically in NJSTART on the “Terms and Categories” Tab within the Vendor Profile. Those forms that may be completed on the NJSTART “Terms and Categories” Tab are noted below. Additionally, a Bidder may attach completed forms to the Vendor Profile. Refer to QRGs “Vendor Forms” and “Attaching Files” for additional instructions. VENDOR QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES

OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE PAGE

The Bidder should complete and submit the Offer and Acceptance Page with the Quote. The Offer and Acceptance Page must be signed by an authorized representative of the Bidder. If a Bidder does not submit the form with the Quote, the Bidder must comply within seven (7) business days of the State’s request or the State may deem the Quote non-responsive.

OWNERSHIP DISCLOSURE FORM

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2, in the event the Bidder is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company, the Bidder must disclose all 10% or greater owners by (a) completing and submitting the Ownership Disclosure Form with the Quote; (b) if the Bidder has submitted a signed and accurate Ownership Disclosure Form dated and received no more than six (6) months prior to the Quote submission deadline for this procurement, the Division may rely upon that form; however, if there has been a change in ownership within the last six (6) months, a new Ownership Disclosure Form must be completed, signed and submitted with the Quote; or, (c) a Bidder with any direct or indirect parent entity which is publicly traded may submit the name and address of each publicly traded entity and the name and address of each person that holds a 10 percent or greater beneficial interest in the publicly traded entity as of the last annual filing with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission or the foreign equivalent, and, if there is any person that holds a 10 percent or greater beneficial interest, also shall submit links to the websites containing the last annual filings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission or the foreign equivalent and the relevant page numbers of the filings that contain the information on each person that holds a 10 percent or greater beneficial interest. N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2.

NOTE: In lieu of completing and submitting the paper-based form, the Bidder has the option to complete this form online in NJSTART on the “Terms and Categories” Tab.

A Bidder’s failure to submit the information required by N.J.S.A. 52:25-24.2 will result in the rejection of the Quote as non-responsive and preclude the award of a Contract to said Bidder.

DISCLOSURE OF INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES IN IRAN FORM

The Bidder should submit the Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran form to certify that, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:32-58, neither the Bidder, nor one (1) of its parents, subsidiaries, and/or affiliates (as defined in N.J.S.A. 52:32-56(e)(3)), is listed on the Department of the Treasury’s List of Persons or Entities Engaging in Prohibited Investment Activities in Iran and that neither the Bidder, nor one (1) of its parents, subsidiaries, and/or affiliates, is involved in any of the investment activities set forth in N.J.S.A. 52:32-56(f). If the Bidder is unable to so certify, the Bidder shall provide a detailed and precise description of such activities as directed on the form. If a Bidder does not submit the form with the Quote, the Bidder must comply within seven (7) business days of the State’s request or the State may deem the Quote non-responsive.

NOTE: In lieu of completing and submitting the paper-based form, the Bidder has the option to complete this certification online in NJSTART on the “Terms and Categories” Tab.

DISCLOSURE OF INVESTIGATIONS AND OTHER ACTIONS INVOLVING BIDDER FORM

The Bidder should submit the Disclosure of Investigations and Other Actions Involving Bidder Form, with its Quote, to provide a detailed description of any investigation, litigation, including administrative complaints or other administrative proceedings, involving any public sector clients during the past five (5) years, including the nature and status of the investigation, and, for any litigation, the caption of the action, a brief description of the action, the date of inception, current status, and, if applicable, disposition. If a Bidder does not submit the form with the Quote, the Bidder must comply within seven (7) business days of the State’s request or the State may deem the Quote non-responsive.

NOTE: In lieu of completing and submitting the paper-based form, the Bidder has the option to complete this certification online in NJSTART on the “Terms and Categories” Tab.

MACBRIDE PRINCIPLES FORM

The Bidder should submit the MacBride Principles Form with its Quote. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:34-12.2, a Bidder is required to certify that it either has no ongoing business activities in Northern Ireland and does not maintain a physical presence therein or that it will take lawful steps in good faith to conduct any business operations it has in Northern Ireland in accordance with the MacBride principles of nondiscrimination in employment as set forth in N.J.S.A. 52:18A-89.5 and in conformance with the United Kingdom’s Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act of 1989, and permit independent monitoring of their compliance with those principles. If a Bidder does not submit the form with the Quote, the Bidder must comply within seven (7) business days of the State’s request or the State may deem the Quote non-responsive.

NOTE: In lieu of completing and submitting the paper-based form, the Bidder has the option to complete this certification online in NJSTART on the “Terms and Categories” Tab.

SERVICE PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

The Bidder should submit a completed Source Disclosure Form with its Quote. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:34-13.2, all Contracts primarily for services shall be performed within the United States. If a Bidder does not submit the form with the Quote, the Bidder must comply within seven (7) business days of the State’s request or the State may deem the Quote non-responsive.

CONFIDENTIALITY/COMMITMENT TO DEFEND

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., or the common law right to know, Quotes can be released to the public in accordance with N.J.A.C. 17:12-1.2(b) and (c).

The Bidder should submit a completed and signed Confidentiality/Commitment to Defend Form with the Quote. In the event that the Bidder does not submit the Confidentiality form with the Quote, the State reserves the right to request that the Bidder submit the form after Quote submission.

After the opening of sealed Quotes, all information submitted by a Bidder in response to a Bid Solicitation is considered public information notwithstanding any disclaimers to the contrary submitted by a Bidder. Proprietary, financial, security and confidential information may be exempt from public disclosure by OPRA and/or the common law when the Bidder has a good faith, legal/factual basis for such assertion.

When the Bid Solicitation contains a negotiation component, the Quote will not be subject to public disclosure until a notice of intent to award a Contract is announced.

As part of its Quote, a Bidder may request that portions of the Quote be exempt from public disclosure under OPRA and/or the common law. The Bidder must provide a detailed statement clearly identifying those sections of the Quote that it claims are exempt from production, and the legal and factual basis that supports said exemption(s) as a matter of law. The State will not honor any attempts by a Bidder to designate its price sheet, price list/catalog, and/or the entire Quote as proprietary and/or confidential, and/or to claim copyright protection for its entire Quote. If the State does not agree with a Bidder’s designation of proprietary and/or confidential information, the State will use commercially reasonable efforts to advise the Bidder. Copyright law does not prohibit access to a record which is otherwise available under OPRA.

The State reserves the right to make the determination as to what to disclose in response to an OPRA request. Any information that the State determines to be exempt from disclosure under OPRA will be redacted.

In the event of any challenge to the Bidder’s assertion of confidentiality that is contrary to the State’s determination of confidentiality, the Bidder shall be solely responsible for defending its designation, but in doing so, all costs and expenses associated therewith shall be the responsibility of the Bidder. The State assumes no such responsibility or liability.

In order not to delay consideration of the Quote or the State’s response to a request for documents, the State requires that Bidder respond to any request regarding confidentiality markings within the timeframe designated in the State’s correspondence regarding confidentiality. If no response is received by the designated date and time, the State will be permitted to release a copy of the Quote with the State making the determination regarding what may be proprietary or confidential.

SUBCONTRACTOR UTILIZATION PLAN

Bidders intending to use Subcontractor(s) shall list all subcontractors on the Subcontractor Utilization Plan form or may list the Subcontractor(s) on the “Subcontractor” Tab in NJSTART.

For a Quote that does NOT include the use of any Subcontractors, the Bidder is automatically certifying that, if selected for an award, the Bidder will be performing all work required by the Contract.

If it becomes necessary for the Contractor to substitute a Subcontractor, add a Subcontractor, or substitute its own staff for a Subcontractor, the Contractor will identify the proposed new Subcontractor or staff member(s) and the work to be performed. The Contractor shall forward a written request to substitute or add a Subcontractor or to substitute its own staff for a Subcontractor to the State Contract Manager for consideration. The Contractor must provide a completed Subcontractor Utilization Plan, a detailed justification documenting the necessity for the substitution or addition, and resumes of its proposed replacement staff or of the proposed Subcontractor’s management, supervisory, and other key personnel that demonstrate knowledge, ability and experience relevant to that part of the work which the Subcontractor is to undertake. The qualifications and experience of the replacement(s) must equal or exceed those of similar personnel proposed by the Contractor in its Quote. The State Contract Manager will forward the request to the Director for approval.

NOTE: No substituted or additional Subcontractors are authorized to begin work until the Contractor has received written approval from the Director.

SMALL BUSINESS AND/OR DISABLED VETERANS’ BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING SET-ASIDE CONTRACT This is a Contract with set-aside subcontracting for New Jersey Small Business Enterprises and/or Disabled Veterans’ Business.

If the Bidder intends to subcontract, it must submit a Subcontractor Utilization Plan and shall take the following actions to make a good faith effort to solicit and hire eligible New Jersey Small Business Enterprises and/or Disabled Veterans’ Business:

A. The Bidder shall attempt to locate qualified potential New Jersey Small Business Enterprises and/or Disabled Veterans’ Business subcontractors;

B. The Bidder shall request a listing of New Jersey Small Business Enterprises and/or Disabled Veterans’ Business from the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Small Business Registration and M/WBE Certification Services Unit if none are known to the Bidder;

C. The Bidder shall keep a record of its efforts, including the names of businesses contacted and the means and results of such contacts;

D. The Bidder shall provide all potential subcontractors with detailed information regarding the specifications; and E. The Bidder shall attempt, wherever possible, to negotiate prices with potential subcontractors submitting higher than acceptable price quotes.

A Bidder’s failure to satisfy New Jersey Small Business Enterprises and/or Disabled Veterans’ Business set aside subcontracting or to provide sufficient documentation of its good faith efforts within seven (7) business days upon of a request may preclude award of a Contract to the Bidder.

Each Bidder awarded a Contract that contains the set-aside subcontracting requirement shall fully cooperate in any studies or surveys which may be conducted by the State to determine the…