T3118 Bid Solicitation.docx

Vendor’s {Bidder’s} Electronic Question Due Date (Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.1 for more information.)

Optional Pre-Quote Submission Conference (Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.5 for more information.)

Mandatory/Optional Site Visit (Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.4 for more information.)

N/A

N/A

Quote Submission Date (Refer to Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.2 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.

☐ Small Business Set-Aside Category For Goods and Services:

☐ I ☐ II ☐ III

For Construction:

☐ IV ☐ V ☐ VI

Status

☒ Not Applicable

☐ Entire Blanket P.O.

☐ Partial Blanket P.O.

☐ Subcontracting Only

☐ Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Set-Aside

Bid Solicitation Issued By:

State of New Jersey Department of the Treasury Division of Purchase and Property Trenton, New Jersey 086250230 Using Agency/Agencies:

State of New Jersey New Jersey Department of Transportation

Date: 12/22/20

Table of Contents

Bid-Specific Documents/Attachments/Appendices:

• State-Supplied Price Sheet

• Bid Solicitation Checklist;

• Offer & Acceptance Page;

• Ownership Disclosure Form;

• Disclosure of Investment Activities in Iran Form;

• Subcontractor Utilization Form;

• Disclosure of Investigations and Other Actions Involving the Vendor Form;

• Source Disclosure Form;

• Attachment #1 – Experience of Vendor {Bidder}; and

• Optional Pre-Quote Conference PowerPoint Presentation.

INFORMATION FOR VENDORS {BIDDERS}

NOTICE: This Bid Solicitation is part of the NJSTART Procurement Program. The Vendor {Bidder} is advised to thoroughly read all sections, as many have been revised, and follow all instructions contained in this Bid Solicitation, including the instructions on the Bid Solicitation’s Offer and Acceptance Page and read through all Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) located on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page , before preparing and submitting its Quote.

PURPOSE AND INTENT

This Bid Solicitation is issued by the Procurement Bureau, Division of Purchase and Property (Division), Department of the Treasury on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT). The purpose of this Bid Solicitation is to solicit Quotes for emergency towing and roadside services at all locations identified on the State-Supplied Price Sheet during the Winter Season, from October 1st through April 30th. This Bid Solicitation consists of 38 Deploy to Sites, Snow Incline Task Forces, and Roving Operations with specified milepost coverage areas.

The Vendor {Contractor} shall be responsible for all services relating to the requirements of this Bid Solicitation. These services shall be on an as needed basis, and there is no guaranteed minimum or maximum work provided under this Bid Solicitation.

The intent of this Bid Solicitation is to award Master Blanket Purchase Orders (Blanket P.O.s) to those responsible Vendors {Bidders} whose Quotes, conforming to this Bid Solicitation are most advantageous to the State, price and other factors considered. The State may award any and all price lines. The State, however, reserves the right to separately procure individual requirements that are the subject of the Blanket P.O. during the Blanket P.O. term, when deemed by the Director of the Division of Purchase and Property (Director) to be in the State’s best interest.

Quotes will be evaluated in accordance with Bid Solicitation Section 6.7, Evaluation Criteria. Each price line will be awarded to one (1) responsive Vendor {Bidder}.

The services provided by the Blanket P.O.s resulting from this Bid Solicitation will take effect for the 2021-2022 Winter Season. Vendors {Bidders} shall note that all pricing submitted must be held firm, regardless of the effective date of the Blanket P.O. awards.

The State of NJ Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTCs) accompanying this Bid Solicitation will apply to all Blanket P.O.s made with the State of New Jersey. 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.

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

BACKGROUND

This Bid Solicitation shall provide the NJDOT and the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) the necessary support to have vehicles blocking NJDOT roadways relocated to a safe location, by being towed off State maintained highways and roads. New Jersey State law (N.J.S.A. App.A:9-37) allows the Governor to declare a State of Emergency during significant weather events and natural disasters, which allows State agencies to quickly respond to the needs of citizens by reassigning personnel, and deploying vehicles, trucks, and equipment to adequately respond to the incident. A State of Emergency allows the government to act more quickly than it can during non-emergency times.

KEY EVENTS

ELECTRONIC QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD

The Division will electronically accept questions and inquiries from all potential Vendors {Bidders} via the “Q&A” Tab of the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART.

A. Questions should be directly tied to the Bid Solicitation and asked in consecutive order, from beginning to end, following the organization of the Bid Solicitation; and

B. Each question should begin by referencing the Bid Solicitation page number and section number to which it relates.

Vendors {Bidders} may refer to the QRG “Submit a Quote” for additional instruction. QRGs are located on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page.

A Vendor {Bidder} shall not contact the Using Agency and/or the Procurement Specialist directly, in person, by telephone or by email, concerning this Bid Solicitation, prior to the final award of the Blanket P.O.

The cut-off date for electronic questions and inquiries relating to this Bid Solicitation is indicated on the Bid Solicitation cover sheet. In the event that questions are posed by Vendors {Bidders}, answers to such questions will be issued by Bid Amendment. Any Bid Amendment to this Bid Solicitation will become part of this Bid Solicitation and part of any Blanket P.O. awarded as a result of this Bid Solicitation. Bid Amendments {Addenda} to this Bid Solicitation, if any, will be posted as a File Attachment on the “Summary” page of the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART after the cut-off date. (See Bid Solicitation Section 1.4.1 for further information.)

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

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

SUBMISSION OF QUOTES

In order to be considered for award, the Quote must be received by the Procurement Bureau of the Division at the appropriate location by the required time. Vendors {Bidders} shall submit a Quote electronically through NJSTART.

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.

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).

IF THE QUOTE OPENING DEADLINE HAS BEEN REVISED, THE NEW QUOTE OPENING DEADLINE SHALL BE SHOWN ON THE POSTED BID AMENDMENT AND ON THE “SUMMARY” TAB OF THE BID SOLICITATION WEBPAGE WITHIN NJSTART.

QUOTES NOT RECEIVED BY THE QUOTE OPENING DEADLINE SHALL BE REJECTED.

VENDOR {BIDDER} SUPPORT

Vendors {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.

The Vendor {Bidder} should utilize the QRGs before attempting to submit its Quote using the NJSTART process. It is the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} responsibility to ensure that the NJSTART 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 Blanket P.O. via this email address. For inquiries related to substantive questions refer to Section 1.3.1 (Electronic Question and Answer Period).

MANDATORY/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. The Optional Pre-Quote Conference will be conducted via telephone conference.

Attendees may attend the Optional Pre-Quote Conference with the following call-in details:

Dial-in Number: 888-204-5984 Access code: 2602305

An attendee may represent only one (1) potential bidding entity.

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 Vendor {Bidder} Quote Submission Requirements. No substantive questions regarding the Bid Solicitation Scope of work will be accepted or ansered during the pre-Quote conference. All questions are to be submitted through the Questions and Answer period.

PRE-QUOTE DOCUMENT REVIEW

Not applicable to this procurement.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

BID AMENDMENTS: Revisions to this BID SOLICITATION

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 to this Bid Solicitation will become part of this Bid Solicitation and part of any Blanket P.O. awarded as a result of this Bid Solicitation.

There are no designated dates for release of Bid Amendments. Those Vendors {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 Vendor {Bidder} is not on the bid holder list to receive notifications related to a Bid Solicitation, Bid Amendments are still viewable on the “Summary” page of the Bid Solicitation in NJSTART.

BID AMENDMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS FILE ATTACHMENTS, AND ARE VIEWABLE ON THE “SUMMARY” PAGE OF THE BID SOLICITATION IN NJSTART. Vendors {Bidders} may refer to the QRG “Submit a Quote” for additional instructions. QRGs are located on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page.

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

VENDOR {BIDDER} Responsibility

The Vendor {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 Vendor’s {Bidder’s} failure to be knowledgeable as to all of the requirements of this Bid Solicitation.

COST LIABILITY

The State assumes no responsibility and bears no liability for costs incurred by a Vendor {Bidder} in the preparation and submittal of a Quote in response to this Bid Solicitation.

CONTENTS OF QUOTE

Quotes can be released to the public pursuant to N.J.A.C. 17:12-1.2(b) and (c), or 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.

After the opening of sealed Quotes, all information submitted by a Vendor {Bidder} in response to a Bid Solicitation is considered public information notwithstanding any disclaimers to the contrary submitted by a Vendor {Bidder}. Proprietary, financial, security and confidential information may be exempt from public disclosure by OPRA and/or the common law when the Vendor {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 Blanket P.O. is announced.

As part of its Quote, a Vendor {Bidder} may designate any data or materials it asserts are exempt from public disclosure under OPRA and/or the common law, explaining the basis for such assertion. Vendor {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 Vendor {Bidder} to designate its entire Quote as proprietary, confidential and/or to claim copyright protection for its entire Quote.

The State reserves the right to make the determination as to what is proprietary or confidential, and will advise the Vendor {Bidder} accordingly. Any proprietary and/or confidential information in a Quote will be redacted by the State. Copyright law does not prohibit access to a record which is otherwise available under OPRA.

In the event of any challenge to the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} assertion of confidentiality with which the State does not concur, the Vendor {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 Vendor {Bidder}. The State assumes no such responsibility or liability.

A Vendor {Bidder} shall not designate any price lists and/or catalogs submitted as exempt from public disclosure as the same must be accessible to State Using Agencies and Cooperative Purchasing Program participants (if the Bid Solicitation has been extended to these participants) and thus must be made public to allow all eligible purchasing entities access to the pricing information.

In order not to delay consideration of the Quote or the State’s response to a request for documents, the State requires that Vendor {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.

See Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.2.4 Confidentiality/Commitment to Defend for additional information.

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 as noted below:

A. Information appropriately designated as proprietary and/or confidential shall not be available for inspection and copying; and B. Where negotiation is contemplated, only the names and addresses of the Vendors {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.

PRICE ALTERATION IN QUOTES

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

QUOTE ERRORS

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

QUOTE WITHDRAWAL PRIOR TO QUOTE OPENING

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

QUOTE WITHDRAWAL AFTER QUOTE OPENING, BUT PRIOR TO BLANKET P.O. AWARD

If, after the Quote opening, but before Blanket P.O. award, a Vendor {Bidder} discovers an error in its Quote, the Vendor {Bidder} may make a written request to the Procurement Bureau to withdraw its Quote, or a portion thereof, from consideration for award. If the Vendor’s {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 Vendor’s {Bidder’s} offer, the request shall be granted. Evidence of the Vendor’s {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 Blanket P.O. resulting from the Quote would be unconscionable; that the mistake relates to a material feature or term of the Blanket P.O.; and that the mistake occurred notwithstanding the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} exercise of reasonable care. After Quote opening, while pursuant to the provisions of this section a Vendor {Bidder} may request to withdraw its Quote and the Director may in his/her discretion allow said Vendor {Bidder} to withdraw it, the Division also may take notice of repeated or unusual requests to withdraw by a Vendor {Bidder} and take those prior requests to withdraw into consideration when evaluating the Vendor’s {Bidder’s} future Quotes.

The Quote withdrawal request must include the Bid Solicitation Number, Bid Solicitation Title, 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 Blanket P.O. awardee is found, the Director or his/her designee shall issue written notice to the Vendor {Bidder}. The Vendor {Bidder} will have up to five (5) business days after receipt of the notice to confirm its pricing. If the Vendor {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 comply with all the forms and certification requirements in Sections 4.4.1 and 4.4.2 of this Bid Solicitation.

RECIPROCITY FOR JURISDICTIONAL VENDOR {BIDDER} PREFERENCE

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:32-1.4 and N.J.A.C. 17:12-2.13, the State of New Jersey will invoke reciprocal action against an out-of-State Vendor {Bidder} whose state or locality maintains a preference practice for its in-state Vendors {Bidders}. The State of New Jersey will use the annual surveys compiled by the Council of State Governments, National Association of State Procurement Officials, or the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing or a State’s statutes and regulations to identify States having preference laws, regulations, or practices and to invoke reciprocal actions. The State of New Jersey may obtain additional information as it deems appropriate to supplement the stated survey information.

A Vendor {Bidder} may submit information related to preference practices enacted for a State or Local entity outside the State of New Jersey. This information may be submitted in writing as part of the Quote response, including name of the locality having the preference practice, as well as identification of the county and state, and should include a copy of the appropriate documentation, i.e., resolution, regulation, law, notice to Vendor {Bidder}, etc. It is the responsibility of the Vendor {Bidder} to provide documentation with the Quote or submit it to the Director within five (5) business days after the deadline for Quote submission. Written evidence for a specific procurement that is not provided to the Director within five (5) business days of the public Quote submission date may not be considered in the evaluation of that procurement, but may be retained and considered in the evaluation of subsequent procurements.

QUOTE ACCEPTANCES AND REJECTIONS

N.J.A.C. 17:12-2.7(d), the Director’s right to waive minor irregularities or omissions in a Quote and N.J.A.C. 17:12-2.2 which defines causes for Quote rejection, apply to all Quotes.

ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES

Vendors {Bidders} submitting Quotes through NJSTART may sign the forms listed in Section 4.4.1 (Forms, Registrations and Certifications Required with Quote) and Section 4.4.2 (Forms, Registrations and Certifications Required Before Blanket P.O. Award and That Should Be Submitted with the Quote) of this Bid Solicitation electronically by typing the name of the authorized signatory in the “Signature” block as an alternative to downloading, physically signing the form, scanning the form, and uploading the form to NJSTART.

DEFINITIONS

CROSSWALK

GENERAL DEFINITIONS

The following definitions will be part of any Blanket P.O. awarded or order placed as a result of this Bid Solicitation.

Acceptance – The written confirmation by the Using Agency that Vendor {Contractor} has completed a Deliverable according to the specified requirements.

All-Inclusive Hourly Rate – An hourly rate comprised of all direct and indirect costs including, but not limited to: labor costs, overhead, fee or profit, clerical support, travel expenses, per diem, safety equipment, materials, supplies, managerial support and all documents, forms, and reproductions thereof. This rate also includes portal-to-portal expenses as well as per diem expenses such as food.

Best and Final Offer or BAFO – Pricing timely submitted by a Vendor {Bidder} upon invitation by the Bureau after Quote opening, with or without prior discussion or negotiation.

Bid or Bid Solicitation – This series of documents, which establish the bidding and Blanket P.O. requirements and solicits Quotes to meet the needs of the Using Agencies as identified herein, and includes the Bid Solicitation, State of NJ Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTC), State-Supplied Price Sheet, attachments, and Bid Amendments.

Bid Amendment – Written clarification or revision to this Bid Solicitation issued by the Division. Bid Amendments, if any, will be issued prior to Quote opening.

Business Day – Any weekday, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, State legal holidays, and State-mandated closings unless otherwise indicated.

Calendar Day – Any day, including Saturdays, Sundays, State legal holidays, and State-mandated closings unless otherwise indicated.

Change Order – An amendment, alteration, or modification of the terms of a Blanket P.O. between the State and the Vendor(s) {Contractor(s)}. A Change Order is not effective until it is signed and approved in writing by the Director or Deputy Director, Division of Purchase and Property.

Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) – Software provided by Vendor {Contractor} that is intended for general use.

Cooperative Purchasing Program – The Division’s intrastate program that provides procurement-related assistance to New Jersey local governmental entities and boards of education, State and county colleges and other public entities having statutory authority to utilize select State Blanket P.O.s issued by the Division, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 52:25-16.1 et seq.

Custom Software – Software and Work Product that is developed by Vendor {Contractor} at the request of the Using Agency to meet the specific business requirements of the Using Agency and is intended for its use.

Customized Software – COTS that is adapted by Vendor {Contractor} to meet specific business requirements of the Using Agency that differ from the standard requirements of the base product.

Days After Receipt of Order (ARO) – The number of calendar days ‘After Receipt of Order’ in which the Using Agency will receive the ordered materials and/or services.

Deliverable – Goods, products, Services and Work Product that Vendor {Contractor} is required to deliver to the State under the Blanket P.O.

Director – Director, Division of Purchase and Property, Department of the Treasury, who by statutory authority is the Chief Contracting Officer for the State of New Jersey.

Disabled Veterans’ Business - means a business which has its principal place of business in the State, is independently owned and operated and at least 51% of which is owned and controlled by persons who are disabled veterans or a business which has its principal place of business in this State and has been officially verified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a service disabled veteran-owned business for the purposes of department contracts pursuant to federal law. N.J.S.A. 52:32-31.2.

Disabled Veterans’ Business Set-aside Blanket P.O. - means a Blanket P.O. for goods, equipment, construction or services which is designated as a Blanket P.O. with respect to which bids are invited and accepted only from disabled veterans’ businesses, or a portion of a Blanket P.O. when that portion has been so designated. N.J.S.A. 52:32-31.2.

Discount – The standard price reduction applied by the Vendor {Bidder} to all items.

Division – The Division of Purchase and Property.

Evaluation Committee – A committee established or Division staff member assigned by the Director to review and evaluate Quotes submitted in response to this Bid Solicitation and recommend a Blanket P.O. award to the Director.

Firm Fixed Price – A price that is all-inclusive of direct cost and indirect costs, including, but not limited to, direct labor costs, overhead, fee or profit, clerical support, equipment, materials, supplies, managerial (administrative) support, all documents, reports, forms, travel, reproduction and any other costs.

Hardware – Includes computer equipment and any Software provided with the Hardware that is necessary for the Hardware to operate.

Internet of Things (IoT) - the network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity which enables these objects to connect and exchange data.

Joint Venture – A business undertaking by two (2) or more entities to share risk and responsibility for a specific project.

Master Blanket Purchase Order (Blanket P.O.) – The Blanket P.O. consists of the State of NJ Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTC), the Bid Solicitation, the responsive Quote submitted by a responsible Vendor {Bidder} as accepted by the State, the notice of award, any Best and Final Offer, any subsequent written document memorializing the agreement, any modifications to any of these documents approved by the State and any attachments, Bid Amendment or other supporting documents, or post-award documents including Change Orders agreed to by the State and the Vendor {Contractor}, in writing.

May – Denotes that which is permissible or recommended, not mandatory.

Must – Denotes that which is a mandatory requirement.

No Bid – The Vendor {Bidder} is not submitting a price Quote for an item on a price line.

No Charge – The Vendor {Bidder} will supply an item on a price line free of charge.

Personally Identifiable Information or PII - as defined by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, means any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.

Primary Form – An electronic form contained within a Vendor’s {Bidder’s} NJSTART profile designated by the Vendor {Bidder} as the primary or principal version of the required form.

Procurement Bureau (Bureau) – The Division unit responsible for the preparation, advertisement, and issuance of Bid Solicitations, for the tabulation of Quotes and for recommending award(s) of Blanket P.O.(s) to the Director and the Deputy Director.

Project – The undertakings or services that are the subject of this Bid Solicitation.

QRGs – Quick Reference Guides.

Quote – Vendor’s {Bidder’s} timely response to the Bid Solicitation including, but not limited to, technical Quote, price Quote, and any licenses, forms, certifications, or other documentation required by the Bid Solicitation.

Retainage – The amount withheld from the Vendor {Contractor} payment that is retained and subsequently released upon satisfactory completion of performance milestones by the Vendor {Contractor}.

Revision – A response to a BAFO request or a requested clarification of the Vendors {Bidders} Quote.

Services – Includes, without limitation (i) Information Technology (IT) professional services, (ii) Software and Hardware-related services, including without limitation, installation, configuration, and training, and (iii) Software and Hardware maintenance and support and/or Software and Hardware technical support services.

Shall – Denotes that which is a mandatory requirement.

Should – Denotes that which is permissible or recommended, not mandatory.

Small Business – Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:32-19, N.J.A.C. 17:13-1.2, and N.J.A.C. 17:13-2.1, “small business” means a business that meets the requirements and definitions of “small business” and has applied for and been approved by the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, Small Business Registration and M/WBE Certification Services Unit as (i) independently owned and operated, (ii) incorporated or registered in and has its principal place of business in the State of New Jersey; (iii) has 100 or fewer full-time employees; and has gross revenues falling in one (1) of the six (6) following categories:

· For goods and services - (A) 0 to $500,000 (Category I); (B) $500,001 to $5,000,000 (Category II); and (C) $5,000,001 to $12,000,000, or the applicable federal revenue standards established at 13 CFR 121.201, whichever is higher (Category III).

· For construction services: (A) 0 to $3,000,000 (Category IV); (B) gross revenues that do not exceed 50 percent of the applicable annual revenue standards established at 13 CFR 121.201 (Category V); and (C) gross revenues that do not exceed the applicable annual revenue standards established at CFR 121.201, (Category VI).

Small Business Set-aside Blanket P.O. – “means (1) a [Blanket P.O.]for goods, equipment, construction or services which is designated as a [Blanket P.O.] with respect to which bids are invited and accepted only from small businesses, or (2) a portion of a [Blanket P.O.] when that portion has been so designated.” N.J.S.A. 52:32-19.

Software – Includes, without limitation, computer programs, source codes, routines, or subroutines supplied by Vendor {Contractor}, including operating software, programming aids, application programs, application programming interfaces and software products, and includes COTS, Customized Software and Custom Software, unless the context indicates otherwise.

State – The State of New Jersey.

State Confidential Information - shall consist of all information or data contained in documents supplied by the State, any information or data gathered by the Vendor {Contractor} in fulfillment of the Blanket P.O. and any analysis thereof (whether in fulfillment of the Blanket P.O. or not);

State Contract Manager or SCM – The individual, as set forth in Section 8.0, responsible for the approval of all deliverables, i.e., tasks, sub-tasks or other work elements in the Scope of Work. The SCM cannot direct or approve a Change Order.

State Intellectual Property – Any intellectual property that is owned by the State. State Intellectual Property includes any derivative works and compilations of any State Intellectual Property.

State-Supplied Price Sheet – the bidding document created by the State and attached to this Bid Solicitation on which the Vendor {Bidder} submits its Quote pricing as is referenced and described in Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.5.

Subtasks – Detailed activities that comprise the actual performance of a task.

Subcontractor – An entity having an arrangement with a Vendor {Contractor}, whereby the Vendor {Contractor} uses the products and/or services of that entity to fulfill some of its obligations under its State Blanket P.O., while retaining full responsibility for the performance of all [the Vendor’s {Contractor's}] obligations under the Blanket P.O., including payment to the Subcontractor. The Subcontractor has no legal relationship with the State, only with the Vendor {Contractor}.

Task – A discrete unit of work to be performed.

Third Party Intellectual Property – Any intellectual property owned by parties other than the State or Vendor {Contractor} and contained in or necessary for the use of the Deliverables. Third Party Intellectual Property includes COTS owned by Third Parties, and derivative works and compilations of any Third Party Intellectual Property.

Unit Cost or Unit Price – All-inclusive, firm fixed price charged by the Vendor {Bidder} for a single unit identified on a price line.

US CERT – United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team.

Using Agency[ies] – A State department or agency, a quasi-State governmental entity, or a Cooperative Purchasing Program participant, authorized to purchase products and/or services under a Blanket P.O. procured by the Division.

Vendor {Bidder} – An entity offering a Quote in response to the Division’s Bid Solicitation.

Vendor {Contractor} – The Vendor {Bidder} awarded a Blanket P.O. resulting from this Bid Solicitation.

Vendor Intellectual Property – Any intellectual property that is owned by Vendor {Contractor} and contained in or necessary for the use of the Deliverables or which the Vendor {Contractor} makes available for the State to use as part of the work under the Blanket P.O. Vendor Intellectual Property includes COTS or Customized Software owned by Vendor {Contractor}, Vendor’s {Contractor’s} technical documentation, and derivative works and compilations of any Vendor Intellectual Property.

Work Product – Every invention, modification, discovery, design, development, customization, configuration, improvement, process, Software program, work of authorship, documentation, formula, datum, technique, know how, secret, or intellectual property right whatsoever or any interest therein (whether patentable or not patentable or registerable under copyright or similar statutes or subject to analogous protection) that is specifically made, conceived, discovered, or reduced to practice by Vendor {Contractor} or Vendor’s {Contractor’s} subcontractors or a third party engaged by Vendor {Contractor} or its subcontractor pursuant to the Blanket P.O. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding sentence, Work Product does not include State Intellectual Property, Vendor Intellectual Property or Third Party Intellectual Property.

BLANKET P.O. SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS/ACRONYMS

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – The organization that oversees the development of technology standards in the United States.

Call-Out – Telephone call from the NJDOT informing the Vendor {Contractor} to report for Operations at a specified time and location.

Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) – A State-issued, commercially endorsed, photographic identification, which illustrates the class of vehicle the driver is legally permitted to drive.

Deploy to Site – A location where the Vendor {Contractor} shall remain on standby until notfied by the NJDOT or NJSP to begin Roving Operations or be dismissed as a result of the Winter Event concluding.

Flatbed (Roll-back) Truck – A type of tow truck with the capability to lift and secure an entire vehicle off the roadway onto a flat (bed) surface, which removes the vehicle from the roadway.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) – The maximum operating weight/mass of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer including the vehicle's chassis, body, engine, engine fluids, fuel, accessories, driver, passengers and cargo, but excluding that of any trailers.

Heavy Duty Tow Truck – Truck capable of towing over 11,500 lb. GVWR.

Highway Operations Crew – A group of personnel assigned to a particular NJDOT yard for the purpose of Highway Operations.

Highway Operations Jurisdiction – A geographic area as defined by the NJDOT Highway Operations coverage.

Lane Miles – The number of miles considered drivable roadway in the New Jersey transportation system. There are approximately 13,000 lane miles of interstate, US, and State routes under NJDOT jurisdiction that it strives to keep open and passable at all times during winter weather.

Medium Duty Tow Truck – Truck capable of towing under 11,500 lb. GVWR.

Minimum Compensation – The four (4) hour payable time that the Vendor {Contractor} is guaranteed if all required towing vehicles and drivers/operators arrive within the two (2) hour reporting timeframe specified by this Bid Solicitation. This shall only apply in the event that Operations for a specific Winter Event do not exceed more than four (4) hours. The moment that Operations for a specific Winter Event does exceed four (4) hours, then the Vendor {Contractor} shall be paid for the actual hours worked. NOTE: this is not supplemental pay to the already established hourly rates. Vendors {Contractors} are not guaranteed Minimum Compensation if any of its towing trucks and/or drivers/operators are unprepared and/or late to begin Operations later than the two (2) hour reporting time. This is calculated in the same manner that normal payment is done. Minimum Compensation is determined for a Vendor {Contractor} on a line by line basis and per Winter Event.

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – The organization responsible for establishing and updating fire protection and prevention safeguards.

No Pay Status – The status that a Vendor’s {Contractor’s} vehicle enters into should the vehicle become unable to perform the duties for which it is assigned.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – A federal organization that ensures safe and healthy working conditions by enforcing standards and providing workplace safety training.

Operating Time – The period of time that the Vendor {Contractor} spends performing towing Operations, including, but not limited to, Roving Operations.

Operations – The performance of any work pursuant to this Bid Solicitation.

Roving Operations – The service provided by a Vendor {Contractor} under this Bid Solicitation, where it is patrolling awarded price line(s)/designated section(s), performing vehicle removal and relocation as necessary and reporting activities to the NJDOT. This form of service is in place when the Snow Incline Task Force is not activated.

Safe Haven Location – A location where broken-down motorists and their vehicles can be brought to that is not blocking any lanes of travel within a Tow Section. These locations shall be considered a secure storage site, where the towed vehicles are safe from theft or vandalism.

Snow Incline Task Force – A group of individuals comprising of NJDOT crews, NJDOT plowing contractors, NJDOT spreading contractors, and towing Vendors {Contractors} that are specifically assigned to address incline sections of roadway where traction becomes a problem. These groups use dedicated radio channels for coordination to keep roadways passable where previous storms have resulted in motorists trapped for long hours.

Tow Section – A geographic area as defined by this Bid Solicitation, requiring towing services.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) – A not-for-profit testing laboratory responsible for conducting safety and quality tests on a broad range of products.

Winter Event – The period of time that the services provided under this Bid Solicitation are deployed for Operations.

Winter Season – The part of the year that the services provided under this Bid Solicitation will be utilized for, beginning October 1st through April 30th.

Wrecker Truck – A type of tow truck with a lift arm capable of lifting a portion of a broken-down vehicle off the roadway.

SCOPE OF WORK – REQUIREMENTS OF THE VENDOR {CONTRACTOR}

General information

The Vendor {Contractor} is advised that the requirements specified in this Bid Solicitation shall apply to towing services.

The Vendor {Contractor} shall be capable of performing one (1) or both, of the following tow services for the awarded locations listed on the State-Supplied Price Sheet for:

A. Vehicles with a 11,500 lb. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and under; and B. Vehicles over 11,500 lb. GVWR.

winter season

The Vendor {Contractor} shall be…