T1829 Bid Solicitation (North Region) 10.11.24.docx

Bid Solicitation #

25DPP01094

T1829 - Removal, Handling, and Transport of Human Remains – Chief State Medical Examiner’s Office – Northern Region - REBID

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.

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

N/A

9AM-3:30PM

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 Health/Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner

Date: 10/9/2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ATTACHMENT 1 – State of New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions (2/8/2024) ATTACHMENT 2 – Standard Procurement Forms Packet ATTACHMENT 3 – Bidder Quote Overview Form ATTACHMENT 4 – Bidder Data Sheet/Form ii

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 Department of Health, Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner. 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 the removal, handling, and transport of human remains throughout the Northern Region for the State of New Jersey.

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.

There are five (5) price lines, which are itemized as follow:

The State intends to make one award for all Price Lines (1 - 5) in accordance with Section 8.16 of this Bid Solicitation.

Bidders must bid on all Price Lines (Price Lines 1 - 5) in order for its Quote to be considered for an award. If a Bidder does not bid on all Price Lines its Quote will be considered non-responsive.

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 the services under T1829 - Removal, Handling and Transport of Human Remains for the State of NJ Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner. Bidders interested in reviewing the expiring Contract’s specifications and pricing information may do so by following the instruction below. Bidders should not rely upon or use data or information from the expiring 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 the T1829 and click “”

· The expiring Contract list will appear under “Results”

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, (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, shall be as 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.

OPTIONAL SITE VISIT

Not applicable 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:

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 210 064 354 868 Passcode: 7m8VJT

To call in, audio only, to the optional Pre-Quote Conference:

United States: +1 856-338-7074 Phone Conference ID: 596 802 389#

The Optional Pre-Quote Conference may be recorded.

PRE-QUOTE DOCUMENT REVIEW

The following are publicly available documents that a Bidder needs to review in order to prepare and submit accurate and comprehensive Quotes:

· OSHA 10-Hour Training Courses | OSHA Education Center - https://www.oshaeducationcenter.com/osha-10-hour-training/

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, or a portion thereof, 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 the following manner:

· Forms

· Technical Quote

· State-Supplied Price Sheet

· Emergency/Contingency Plan of Action

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 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. 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. 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 State-Supplied 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 Not applicable to this procurement.

RESERVED

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

The intended Contractor and its named Subcontractor(s) must submit a copy of a New Jersey Certificate of Employee Information Report, or a copy of Federal Letter of Approval verifying it is operating under a federally approved or sanctioned Affirmative Action program. If the Contractor and/or its named Subcontractor(s) are not in possession of either a New Jersey Certificate of Employee Information Report or a Federal Letter of Approval, it/they must complete and submit the Affirmative Action Employee Information Report (AA-302). Information, instruction and the application are available at https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/contract_compliance/index.shtml.

RESERVEd

STATE OF NEW JERSEY SECURITY DUE DILIGENCE THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION SECURITY QUESTIONNAIRE Not applicable to this procurement.

BUSINESS REGISTRATION

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:32-44(b), a Bidder and its named Subcontractors must have a valid Business Registration Certificate (“BRC”) issued by the Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services prior to the award of a Contract. A Bidder should verify its Business Registration Certification Active status on the “Maintain Terms and Categories” Tab within its profile in NJSTART. In the event of an issue with a Bidder’s Business Registration Certification Active status, NJSTART provides a link to take corrective action.

3.13.14 Certification of Non-Involvement in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus Pursuant to P.L.2022, c3 The Bidder should submit the Certification of Non-Involvement in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus Form. Pursuant to P.L.2022, c.3, a person or entity seeking to enter into or renew a Contract for the provision of goods or services shall certify that it is not Engaging in Prohibited Activities in Russia or Belarus as defined by P.L.2002, c.3, sec. 1(e). 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.

TECHNICAL QUOTE

The Bidder shall describe its approach and plans for accomplishing the work outlined in the Scope of Work. The Bidder must set forth its understanding of the requirements of this Bid Solicitation and its approach to successfully complete the Contract. The Bidder should include the level of detail it determines necessary to assist the Evaluation Committee in its review of the Bidder’s Quote.

BIDDER QUOTE OVERVIEW FORM

The Bidder should submit the Bidder Quote Overview Form with its Quote. The Bidder should complete all of the information requested on the form, so that the State is able to evaluate the Bidder’s ability to complete the Scope of Work. The Bidder’s responses to the questions on the form should demonstrate to the State that the Bidder’s plans and approach to complete the Scope of Work are realistic, attainable, appropriate, and that the Bidder’s Quote will lead to the successful completion of the tasks required.

BIDDER DATA SHEET/FORM

The Bidder should submit the Bidder Data Sheet with its Quote. The Bidder Data Sheet will be used to evaluate the Bidder’s ability to complete the Scope of Work.

The Bidder should provide in its response to Part I of the Bidder Data Sheet all relevant information regarding its experience in successfully completing Contracts of a similar size and scope to the work required by this Bid Solicitation.

The Bidder must provide, in Part II of the Bidder Data Sheet, details of any negative actions taken by other contracting entities against it in the course of performing these projects including, but not limited to, receipt of letters of potential default, default, cure notices, termination of services for cause, or other similar notifications/processes. Additionally, the Bidder should provide details, including any negative audits, reports, or findings by any governmental agency for which the Bidder is/was the contractor on any Contracts of similar scope. In the event a Bidder neglects to include this information in its Quote, the Bidder’s omission of necessary disclosure information may be cause for rejection of the Bidder’s Quote by the State.

If proposing to use a Subcontractor, the Bidder should provide as an attachment to the Bidder Data Sheet documented experience to demonstrate that each Subcontractor has successfully performed work on Contracts of a similar size and scope to the work that the Subcontractor is designated to perform in the Bidder’s Quote. The Bidder must provide a detailed description of services to be provided by each Subcontractor.

EMERGENCY/CONTIGENCY PLAN

The Bidder should provide an emergency/contingency plan to the State (OCSME) explaining procedures to be used in adverse conditions. This plan should include, but not be limited to, the following:

A. The Bidder should describe their plan to meet the needs of ensuring that personnel are on site at the Regional Office(s) and/ or Staging Location in a county or counties during a surge of fatalities.

B. The Bidder should describe their plan to provide, vehicles suitable for transport during adverse weather events. The Bidder should include how many vehicles will be available for transportation during adverse weather events.

During times of adverse conditions, OCSME management may request that Removal Personnel remain on site at each office or be designated to a staging Location in a county or counties depending on the severity of the adverse conditions. OCSME will make all efforts to secure a Staging Location either within their own facilities or other areas as needed.

FINANCIAL CAPABILITY OF THE BIDDER

The Bidder should provide sufficient financial information to enable the State to assess the financial strength and creditworthiness of the Bidder and its ability to undertake and successfully complete the Contract. In order to provide the State with the ability to evaluate the Bidder’s financial capacity and capability to undertake and successfully complete the Contract, the Bidder should submit the following:

A. For publicly traded companies the Bidder should provide copies or the electronic location of the annual reports filed for the two most recent years; or B. For privately held companies the Bidder should provide the certified financial statement (audited or reviewed) in accordance with applicable standards by an independent Certified Public Accountant, including a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow, and all applicable notes for the most recent calendar year or the Bidder’s most recent fiscal year.

If the information is not supplied with the Quote, the State may still require the Bidder to submit it. If the Bidder fails to comply with the request within seven (7) Business Days, the State may deem the Quote non-responsive.

A Bidder may designate specific financial information as not subject to disclosure when the Bidder has a good faith legal/factual basis for such assertion. The State reserves the right to make the determination to accept the assertion and will so advise the Bidder.

STATE-SUPPLIED PRICE SHEET INSTRUCTIONS

The Bidder must submit its pricing using the State-Supplied Price Sheet accompanying this Bid Solicitation and located on the “Attachments” Tab. Each Bidder is required to hold its pricing firm through the issuance of the Contract.

There are five (5) price lines, which are itemized and grouped as follow:

Bidders must bid on all Price Lines (1 - 5) in order for its Quote to be considered for an award. If a Bidder does not bid on all price lines its Quote will be considered non-responsive.

· Step 1 - The Bidder should enter the Bidder name in the field titled “Bidder Name:” located at the top of the State-Supplied Price Sheet.

· Step 2 – For Price Lines 1 – 5, the Bidder shall insert a firm, a fixed price in US dollars for Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 in the corresponding columns titled “Unit Pricing –Year 1”, “Unit Pricing –Year 2”, and “Unit Pricing –Year 3” on the State-Supplied. If a Bidder leaves the Unit Price column blank, it shall be considered that the Bidder provided no Quote for that price line item.

Any price changes including hand written revisions or "white-outs" must be initialed. Failure to initial price changes shall preclude a Contract award from being made to the Bidder pursuant to N.J.A.C. 17:12-2.2(a)(8).

Where the State-Supplied Price Sheet includes an estimated quantity column, Bidders are advised that estimated quantities may vary throughout the Contract term resulting from this Bid Solicitation. There is no guaranteed minimum or maximum volume for these price lines.

USE OF “NO BID” VERSUS “NO CHARGE” ON THE STATE-SUPPLIED PRICE SHEET

All price lines must be filled out in accordance with the instructions above. If the Bidder is not submitting a price for an item on a price line, the Bidder must indicate “No Bid” on the State-Supplied Price Sheet accompanying this Bid Solicitation. Bidders are cautioned that submitting “No Bid” for a required price line or group will result in the Quote being deemed non-responsive for the required price line or group. If the Bidder will supply an item on a price line free of charge, the Bidder must indicate “No Charge” on the State-Supplied Price Sheet accompanying this Bid Solicitation. The use of any other identifier may result in the Bidder’s Quote being deemed non-responsive.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

1 SCOPE OF WORK

1.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The scope of work identified within this Bid Solicitation requires the Contractor to provide transport services for human remains to designated locations as instructed by the Department of Health/Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner.

PERSONNEL

The following requirements apply to all Contractors personnel who perform work under this Contract.

1.1.1 PERSONNEL/ADMINISTRATIVE

The Contractor and its personnel shall have a minimum of one (1) year experience in medical examiner removals or three (3) years’ experience in the removal and/or transport of human remains and shall pass the New Jersey Department of Health’s Criminal Investigation Unit background investigation. New employees must submit a background check before having access to the deceased, their possessions, or their information. The Contractor and its livery personnel involved in decedent transport, including body handlers and call takers must pass all background checks of the Department of Health’s Criminal Investigation Unit prior to the start of the Contract and before beginning work under this Contract. The Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with obtaining a background check for all personnel.

The Contractor’s personnel must be neatly and professionally dressed and be identifiable by the OCSME at all times. This is to include, but not limited to: no visible business or silk screen logos; no torn or ripped clothing; no jeans; no shorts; and no open toe shoes. The Contractor’s personnel must carry a visible ID badge indicating their name and company. The personnel must be professional at all times, speak in a professional manner, and at no time use profanity.

The Contractor shall supply sufficient qualified personnel to handle any ordinary instance without the use, tasking or employment of Regional Medical Examiner Office staff; Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner (OCSME) staff; Fire; EMS; Police; or any entity other than an approved Subcontractor except under unusual circumstances and with prior approval of the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner. Upon request by the SCM or authorized personnel, the Contractor shall submit the names, social security numbers, current valid driver's license number and resume of all personnel who will perform removals.

The Contractor shall be deemed an independent contractor, and nothing shall be construed as establishing any other relationship.

The Contractor and its employees are subject to the control of the State, however, under no circumstances shall the Contractor or his personnel represent themselves as employees of the State.

The Contractor shall report any incident or problems encountered on a case verbally to the Medico-Legal Death Investigator (MDI) and document it on the Livery Service form and in the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office case management system within 24 hours.

The State reserves the right when deemed necessary by the OCSME to use county and or emergency agencies.

1.1.2 ORIENTATION/TRAINING

The Contractor and its employees shall attend a three (3) hour Orientation Workshop, developed by the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner (OCSME) and training on the Case Management System (CMS). This Orientation Workshop shall outline the proper procedures for the forensic removal and transport of cases that fall under the jurisdiction of the OCSME. This orientation shall be provided at the beginning of the Contract and periodically during the Contract period for new hires or remedial training for current staff, at no charge to the State. The Contractor and its personnel shall be trained and shall utilize the OCSME Case Management System of logging in all remains transported to the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office and associated items (i.e. hospital charts, blood, and x-rays). All information will be entered at the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. The CMS training will be organized with the Orientation Workshops.

The Contractor shall provide and be responsible for all costs in order for personnel to complete 10 hour online training of OSHA, within 60 days for each new hire start date; and the Contractor shall provide its personnel proper personal protection equipment and abide by OSHA/PEOSHA requirements. OSHA 10-Hour Training Courses | OSHA Education Center.

The Contractor and its personnel shall be in compliance with all OSHA/PEOSHA training requirements. The Contractor shall maintain records of employee compliance with all trainings during the term of the Contract and for six (6) months after Contract expiration; the records shall be made available upon request by the State Contract Manager (SCM) or authorized personnel to the OCSME for inspection.

The Contractor and its personnel must have a valid driver’s license and be physically able to do their assigned work free of drug and/or alcohol abuse. The State reserves the right to drug and/or alcohol test personnel who drive for the purpose of this Contract at any time and Contractor shall ensure employee’s timely and complete compliance with any such testing requested by the State.

SITE VISIT

Within 14 Business Days of Contract award, the Contractor shall be required to schedule a Site Visit at each medical examiner’s office with the SCM. The Contractor shall be required to visit as many medical examiner’s offices as requested by the SCM.

AVAILABILITY/COMMUNICATION

The Contractor shall be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, and fifty-two (52) weeks of the year regardless of any adverse conditions.

The Contractor shall provide the following: at least one (1) main primary telephone number and at least one (1) backup telephone number that shall be answered by an operator or staff member 24 hours a day. The Contractor shall be able to handle multiple concurrent service calls, must respond/call back within 15 minutes, either directly or by another approved removal service (Subcontractor).

The Contractor shall be able to communicate through electronic means (i.e. internet, email, smart phones devices, and SMS text messages).

REPORTS AND MEETINGS

The Contractor shall maintain an electronic log of all removals, operations, and communications for the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office. The Contractor shall track notification times and response times. The tracking log must be electronic and shall be made available to the Regional Medical Examiner’s management for monthly statistical review.

The Contractor shall meet quarterly, via in person or remotely, (at no additional cost to the State) or upon request with the…