T2187 24DPP00960 Bid Amendment 3 3.1.24.pdf

New Jersey Is an Equal Opportunity Employer • Printed on Recycled and Recyclable Paper

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

TAHESHA L. WAY

Lt. Governor

AMY F. DAVIS, ESQ.

Acting Director https://www.njstart.gov

March 1, 2024

To: All Interested Bidders

Re: Bid Solicitation # 24DPP00960

T2187 - OEM and Non-OEM Parts and Repairs for Lawn and Grounds Maintenance Equipment

Quote Submission Due Date: February 29, 2024 (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time) March 28, 2024 (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time)

Bid Amendment #3

The following constitutes Bid Amendment #3 to the above referenced Bid Solicitation:

• This Bid Amendment includes answers to questions; and

• Revisions to the Bid Solicitation o Please note that for all additions, deletions, clarifications and modifications to the Bid

Solicitation, please refer to the Revised Bid Solicitation titled “T2187 24DPP00960 Revised Bid Solicitation 3.1.24”.

It is the sole responsibility of the 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 # 24DPP00960 T2187 - OEM and Non-OEM Parts and Repairs for Lawn and Grounds Maintenance Equipment

Answers to Questions

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

# Bid Solicitation Section Reference Question (Bolded) and Answer

1 PDF Documents Question: When trying to open a Portable Document Format (PDF), I am receiving an error message and am unable to access the PDF. How should I proceed?

Answer: It is recommended that users utilize Microsoft Edge to view PDFs.

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.

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

Answer: Yes. Prior to the Quote Opening Deadline, a Bidder should review the documents comprising the submitted Quote to ensure that all of the required documents have been completed and attached. Oftentimes a Quote is deemed non-responsive because a Bidder fails to attach a required form or attaches a blank form. To review a submitted a Quote, a 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 Quick Reference Guide entitled How to Review a Submitted Quote, which is available on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page under Vendor Reference Guides.

3 Quote Submission Question: Please confirm a Bidder may deliver a hardcopy quote instead of submitting a response electronically.

Answer: Please be advised that all Quotes shall be submitted electronically through NJSTART.

4 Bid Solicitation Sections 2.2

(Exceptions to the State of NJ Standard

Terms and Conditions (SSTC) )

Question: Will the State allow Bidders to take exceptions to any of the Standard Terms and Conditions?

Answer: As stated in Bid Solicitation Section 2.2: “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).”

Moreover, Bid Solicitation Section 3.11 states, in pertinent part: “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 the Quote submission.”

Bid Solicitation Section 3.11 further states: “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.

5 Bid Solicitation Section 3.21 (Specification

Conformance Form)

Question: Is a Bidder required to provide the signed Specification Conformance Certification with the Quote?

Answer: Yes. Bidders are required to provide, with its Quote, the signed Specification Conformance Certification as indicated in Bid Solicitation Section 3.21.

Bid Solicitation Section 3.21 states: “The Bidder shall submit with its Quote the Specification Conformance Form. By submitting this form, the Bidders certifies that all products and services offered in response to this Bid Solicitation conform to the requirements set forth in the Bid Solicitation.

By submitting this form, the Bidder also certifies that, when providing a Quote for non-OEM repairs, the Bidder is capable of servicing all systems and components of the brand/category of equipment bid. .”

6 Bid Solicitation Sections 3.12 and

3.13

Question: Most of the required forms are included in the bid Solicitation Checklist. When I submit my quote how do I submit each individual form?

Note: This same question was asked twice during the Q&A process. As such, the question has been consolidated into one question and one answer.

Answer: Bidders may provide the entire Bid Solicitation checklist, with all forms completed, as one document uploaded to the Attachments tab of the Quote or may submit each file individually as part of the Attachments tab of the Quote.

In this instance, and for any other questions relating strictly to the submission of a Quote in NJSTART, please reach out to the NJSTART Vendor Support Team at the following:

NJSTART Vendor email support: njstart@treas.nj.gov NJSTART Vendor phone support: 609-341-3500

If no one is available to take your call and you would like to receive a callback, please email us at njstart@treas.nj.gov and provide a contact name and phone number in your email. A representative from the NJSTART Vendor Administration Team will contact you as soon as possible.

Important Note: Please be sure to advise the NJSTART Team that the inquiry is time-sensitive because it is based on the submission of a Quote that is scheduled to open on March 28, 2024.

Section 1 of the Bid Solicitation also states, in pertinent part: “Inquiries concerning the use of NJSTART may be directed to njstart@treas.nj.gov. The mailto:njstart@treas.nj.gov

Division will not respond to substantive questions related to the Bid Solicitation or any other Contract via this email address.”

Bidders may also refer to the instructions in the Quick Reference Guides on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page, specifically:

• Submit a Quote

• Submit a Quote Video

• How to Review a Submitted Quote

7 Bid Solicitation Section 3.24 (Price List and/or Catalog)

Question: Do we need to send a PDF of the complete parts list?

Answer: No. Bidders are not required to provide price lists and/or catalogs with its Quote submission. Please refer to Bid Solicitation Section 3.24.

Bid Solicitation Section 3.24 states, in pertinent part: “Due to the dynamic nature of parts pricing, Bidders are not required to provide a parts price list for the brand(s) bid with their Quote.”

8 Bid Solicitation Section 3.36 (State- Supplied Price Sheet

Instructions)

Question: Can we choose which counties per brand we can supply parts, or is it all counties?

Note: This question was e-mailed and did not come in through the NJSTART Q&A portal.

Answer: A Bidder can choose which specific counties within the region served that it can service for the brand(s) bid. Please refer to the instructions in Bid Solicitation Section 3.36, Step 5.

If a Bidder is not bidding on all counties within the region, they must check the box for the region(s) the specific counties are located in and insert an asterisk* next to the ‘X’ mark (example: X*). The asterisk will indicate to the State that there is a separate attachment that contains the specific counties being serviced within the region for the brand(s) bid.

The Bid Solicitation has been updated to reflect this information. Please refer to the revised Bid Solicitation titled ‘T2187 24DPP00960 Revised Bid Solicitation 3.1.24’.

Bid Solicitation Section 3.36, Step 5, states (emphasis added in bold): “The Bidder shall enter an “X” in the “Region Served” field under the subheadings ‘North”, ‘Central’ or ‘South’, to indicate which region(s) will be serviced. If a Bidder is bidding for all three regions, North, Central and South, the Bidder shall insert an “X” in the North, Central and South fields on the State-Supplied Price Sheet. If the Bidder does not insert an “X” in any of the North, Central or South fields, the Quote may be deemed non-responsive for that price line item, and, if applicable, any group that price line item is part of.

If a brand manufacturer's list of areas covered under each region does not agree with the list in Section 4.4 of the Bid Solicitation, the Bidder shall provide the manufacturer's list of areas covered under each region on a separate sheet. If requested, the Bidder shall provide manufacturer's https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/vendor.shtml https://www.nj.gov/treasury/purchase/njstart/pdf/SubmitaQuote.pdf https://youtu.be/T7fYosYeGZc https://www.nj.gov/treasury/purchase/njstart/pdf/HowtoReviewaSubmittedQuote.pdf certification listing all areas covered under each region. If deemed in the best interest of the State, the manufacturer’s list of areas covered under each region may be adopted, for the brand bid, superseding the list of areas specified in Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.”