Wausa Call Center RFP.docx

State of Nebraska (Department of Health and Human Services)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR SERVICES CONTRACT

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!

SCOPE OF SERVICE

The State of Nebraska (State), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is issuing this solicitation for a service contract for the purpose of selecting a qualified bidder to provide Nebraska Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Customer Service Call Center services. A more detailed description can be found in Section V. The resulting contract may not be an exclusive contract as the State reserves the right to contract for the same or similar services from other sources now or in the future.

The term of the contract will be four (4) years commencing upon execution of the contract by DHHS and the Vendor (Parties). The Contract includes the option to renew for one (1) additional four (4) year period upon mutual agreement of the Parties. DHHS reserves the right to extend the period of this contract beyond the termination date when mutually agreeable to the Parties.

In the event that a contract with the awarded bidder(s) is cancelled or in the event that DHHS needs additional Vendors to supply the solicited services, this solicitation may be used to procure the solicited services for up to twenty-four (24) months from the date the Intent to Award is posted, provided that 1) the solicited goods or services will be provided by a bidder (or a successive owner) who submitted a response pursuant to this solicitation, 2) the bidder’s solicitation response was evaluated, and 3) the bidder will honor the bidder’s original solicitation response, including the proposed cost, allowing for any price increases that would have otherwise been allowed if the bidder would have received the initial award.

ALL INFORMATION PERTINENT TO THIS SOLICITATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT: https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/bidopps.html.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-602.04, State contracts in effect as of January 1, 2014, and contracts entered into thereafter, must be posted to a public website. The resulting contract, the Solicitation, and the awarded solicitation response will be posted to a public website managed by DAS, which can be found at http://statecontracts.nebraska.gov and https://www.nebraska.gov/das/materiel/purchasing/contract_search/index.php.

In addition and in furtherance of the State’s public records Statute (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712 et seq.), all responses received regarding this Solicitation will be posted to the State Purchasing Bureau public website.

These postings will include the entire solicitation response. Bidder must request that proprietary information be excluded from the posting. The bidder must identify the proprietary information, mark the proprietary information according to state law, and submit the proprietary information in a separate file named conspicuously as "PROPRIETARY INFORMATION". The bidder should submit a detailed written document showing that the release of the proprietary information would give a business advantage to named business competitor(s) and explain how the named business competitor(s) will gain an actual business advantage by disclosure of information. The mere assertion that information is proprietary or that a speculative business advantage might be gained is not sufficient. (See Attorney General Opinion No. 92068, April 27, 1992). THE BIDDER MAY NOT ASSERT THAT THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION IS PROPRIETARY. COST SHEETS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY AND ARE A PUBLIC RECORD IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA. The State will determine, in its sole discretion, if the disclosure of the information designated by the Bidder as proprietary would 1) give advantage to business competitors and 2) serve no public purpose. The Bidder will be notified of the State’s decision. Absent a determination by the State that the information may be withheld pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712.05, the State will consider all information a public record subject to disclosure.

If the State determines it is required to release withheld proprietary information, the bidder will be informed. It will be the bidder's responsibility to defend the bidder's asserted interest in non-disclosure.

To facilitate such public postings, except for proprietary information, the State of Nebraska reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to copy, reproduce, publish, post to a website, or otherwise use any contract, or solicitation response for any purpose, and to authorize others to use the documents. Any individual or entity awarded a contract, or who submits a solicitation response, specifically waives any copyright or other protection the contract, or solicitation response may have; and acknowledges that they have the ability and authority to enter such waiver. This reservation and waiver are a prerequisite for submitting a solicitation response, and award of a contract. Failure to agree to the reservation and waiver will result in the solicitation response being found non-responsive and rejected.

Any entity awarded a contract or submitting a solicitation response agrees not to sue, file a claim, or make a demand of any kind, and will indemnify and hold harmless the State and its employees, volunteers, agents, and its elected and appointed officials from and against any and all claims, liens, demands, damages, liability, actions, causes of action, losses, judgments, costs, and expenses of every nature, including investigation costs and expenses, settlement costs, and attorney fees and expenses, sustained or asserted against the State, arising out of, resulting from, or attributable to the posting of the contract or solicitation response, awards, and other documents.

ii SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07012025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Addendum: A written correction or alteration to a document during the solicitation process (e.g., Questions and Answers, Revised Schedule of Events, Addendum to Contract Award)

Agency: All officers of the state, departments, bureaus, boards, commissions, councils, and institutions receiving legislative appropriations

Agent/Representative: A person authorized to act on behalf of another

Amend: To alter or change by adding, subtracting, or substituting

Amendment: A written correction or alteration to a document

Appropriation: Legislative authorization to expend public funds for a specific purpose; money set apart for a specific use

Award: All purchases, leases, or contracts which are based on competitive solicitations will be awarded according to the provisions in the solicitation

Best and Final Offer (BAFO): In a competitive solicitation, the final offer submitted which contains Vendor’s most favorable terms for price

Bid: See Solicitation Response

Bid Opening: The process of opening correctly submitted solicitation responses at the time and place specified in the written solicitation and in the presence of any bidder who wishes to attend

Bidder: A Vendor who submits a Solicitation Response

Breach: Violation of a contractual obligation by failing to perform or repudiation of one’s own promise

Business: Any corporation, partnership, individual, sole proprietorship, joint-stock company, joint venture, or any other private legal entity

Business Day: Any weekday, except State-recognized holidays

Calendar Day: Every day shown on the calendar including Saturdays, Sundays, and State/Federal holidays

Cancellation: To call off or revoke a solicitation, purchase order, or contract without expectation of conducting or performing at a later time

Central Processing Unit (CPU): Any computer or computer system that is used by the State to store, process, or retrieve data or perform other functions using Operating Systems and applications software

Collusion: An agreement or cooperation between two or more persons or entities to accomplish a fraudulent, deceitful, or unlawful purpose

Competition: The effort or action of two or more commercial interests to obtain the same business from third parties

Confidential Information: See Proprietary Information

Contract: An agreement between two or more parties creating obligations that are enforceable or otherwise recognizable at law; the writing that sets forth such an agreement

Contract Administration: The management of the contract which includes and is not limited to contract signing, contract amendments and any necessary legal actions

Contract Award: Document that officially awards a contract to a bidder(s) as the result of a competitive solicitation or a vendor(s) in a contract that qualifies for an exception or exemption from the competitive bidding requirements of the State Procurement Act

Contract Management: The management of day-to-day activities at the agency which includes but is not limited to ensuring deliverables are received, specifications are met, handling meetings and making payments to the Vendor

Contract Period: The duration of the contract

Contractor: See Vendor

Cost Sheet: A required document that is completed by the vendor in the prescribed format to show the vendor’s pricing to provide the commodities or perform the services requested

Customer Service: The process of ensuring customer satisfaction by providing assistance and advice on those commodities or services provided by a Vendor

Default: The omission or failure to perform a contractual duty

Deviation: Any proposed change(s) or alteration(s) to either the terms and conditions or deliverables within the scope of the written solicitation or contract

Evaluation: The process of examining a solicitation response after opening to determine the bidder’s responsibility, responsiveness to requirements, and to ascertain other characteristics of the solicitation response that relate to determination of the successful award

Evaluation Committee: Individual(s) identified by the agency that leads the solicitation to evaluate solicitation responses

Extension: Continuance of a contract for a specified duration upon the agreement of the parties beyond the original Contract Period; not to be confused with “Renewal Period”

Installation Date: The date when the procedures described in “Installation by Vendor“ and “Installation by State” as found in the solicitation or contract are completed

Interested Party: A person acting in their personal capacity or an entity entering into a contract or other agreement creating a legal interest therein

Late Solicitation Response: A solicitation response received after the Opening Date and Time

Mandatory: Required, compulsory, or obligatory

May: Discretionary, permitted; used to express possibility

Must: See Shall

Non-Responsive Solicitation Response: Any solicitation response that does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation or cannot be evaluated against the other solicitation responses

Non-negotiable: These clauses are controlled by state law and are not subject to negotiation

Opening Date and Time: Specified date and time for the opening of received, labeled, and sealed formal solicitation responses

Operating System: The control program in a computer that provides the interface to the computer hardware and peripheral devices, and the usage and allocation of memory resources, processor resources, input/output resources, and security resources

Payroll & Financial Center (PFC): Electronic procurement system of record

Performance Bond: An insurance agreement accompanied by a monetary commitment by which a third party (the surety) accepts liability and guarantees that the Vendor fulfills any and all obligations under the contract

Personal Property: See Commodities

Point of Contact (POC): The person designated to receive communications and to communicate

Project: The total scheme, program, or method worked out for the accomplishment of an objective, including all documentation, commodities, and services to be provided under the contract

Proposal: See Solicitation Response

Proprietary Information: Trade secrets, academic and scientific research work that is in progress and unpublished or other information that if released would give advantage to business competitors and service no public purpose. See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-712.05(3). In accordance with Attorney General Opinions 92068 and 97033, proof that information is proprietary requires identification of specific named competitor(s) advantaged by release of the information and the demonstrated advantage the named competitor(s) would gain by the release of information

Protest/Grievance: A complaint about a governmental action or decision related to the solicitation or resultant contract under SPB’s Protest Policy

Quote: See Solicitation Response

Release Date: The date of public release of the solicitation

Renewal Period: Optional contract periods subsequent to the original Contract Period for a specified duration with previously agreed to terms and conditions; not to be confused with “Extension”

Request for Proposal (RFP): See Solicitation

Responsible Bidder: A Vendor who has the capability in all respects to perform fully and lawfully all requirements with integrity and reliability to assure good faith performance

Responsive Bidder: A Vendor who has submitted a solicitation response which conforms to all requirements of the solicitation

Shall: An order/command; mandatory

Should: Expected; suggested, but not necessarily mandatory

Software License: Legal instrument with or without printed material that governs the use or redistribution of licensed software

Solicitation: A formal invitation to receive quotes in the form of a Request for Proposal or Invitation to Bid

Solicitation Bond: An insurance agreement, accompanied by a monetary commitment, by which a third party (the surety) accepts liability and guarantees that the Vendor will not withdraw the solicitation response

Solicitation Conference: A meeting scheduled for the purpose of clarifying a written solicitation and related expectations

Solicitation Response: An offer, quote, bid, or proposal submitted by a Vendor in response to a Solicitation

Specifications: The detailed statement, especially of the measurements, quality, materials, and functional characteristics, or other items to be provided under contract

Termination: Occurs when either Party, under a power created by agreement or law, puts an end to the contract prior to the stated expiration date; all obligations that are still executory on both sides are discharged but any right based on prior breach or performance survives

Title IV-D: Refers to Part D of Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.). This legislation established the Child Support Enforcement program, providing federal funding to states to manage cases involving the establishment and enforcement of support obligations

Trademark: A word, phrase, logo, or other graphic symbol used by a manufacturer or Vendor to distinguish its product from those of others, registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Upgrade: Any change that improves or alters the basic function of a product of service

Vendor: An individual or entity lawfully conducting business with the State, or licensed to do so, who seeks to provide and contract for goods or services under the terms of a Solicitation and/or Contract

Vendor Performance Report: A report completed by the using agency and submitted to State Purchasing Bureau documenting products or services delivered or performed which exceed or fail to meet the terms of the purchase order, contract, and/or solicitation specifications

Will: See Shall

Work Day: See Business Day

ACRONYM LIST

ACH – Automated Clearing House

ARO – After Receipt of Order

BAFO – Best and Final Offer

CHARTS – Children Have A Right To Support

COI – Certificate of Insurance

CPU – Central Processing Unit

CSE – Child Support Enforcement

DAS – Department of Administrative Services

DHHS - Department of Health and Human Services

F.O.B. – Free on Board

ICT – Information and Communication Technology

ITB – Invitation to Bid

NIGP – National Institute for Governmental Purchasing

NITC - Nebraska Information Technology Commission

PA – Participating Addendum

RFP – Request for Proposal

SDU – State Disbursement Unit

SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

SPB – State Purchasing Bureau

TANF – Temporary Assistance to Needy Families

TDD - Telecommunications Device for the Deaf

VRU – Voice Response Unit

PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

This solicitation is designed to solicit responses from qualified bidders who will be responsible for providing Nebraska Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Customer Call Center services at a competitive and reasonable cost.

Solicitation responses shall conform to all instructions, conditions, and requirements included in the solicitation. Prospective bidders are expected to carefully examine all documents, schedules, and requirements in this solicitation, and respond to each requirement in the format prescribed. Solicitation responses may be found non-responsive if they do not conform to the solicitation.

B. PROCURING OFFICE AND COMMUNICATION WITH STATE STAFF AND EVALUATORS

Procurement responsibilities related to this solicitation reside with DHHS. The point of contact (POC) for the procurement is as follows:

From the date the solicitation is issued until the Intent to Award is issued, communication from the bidder is limited to the POC listed above. After the Intent to Award is issued, the bidder may communicate with individuals DHHS has designated as responsible for negotiating the contract on behalf of DHHS. No member of the State Government, employee of the State, or member of the Evaluation Committee is empowered to make binding statements regarding this solicitation. The POC will issue any answers, clarifications, or amendments regarding this solicitation in writing. Only the SPB or awarding agency can award a contract. Bidders shall not have any communication with or attempt to communicate or influence any evaluator involved in this solicitation.

The following exceptions to these restrictions are permitted:

Contact made pursuant to pre-existing contracts or obligations;

Contact required by the schedule of events or an event scheduled later by the POC; and

Contact required for negotiation and execution of the final contract.

DHHS reserves the right to reject a bidder’s solicitation response, withdraw an Intent to Award, or terminate a contract if DHHS determines there has been a violation of these procurement procedures.

C. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

DHHS expects to adhere to the procurement schedule shown below, but all dates are approximate and subject to change.

NOTE: All ShareFile links in the Schedule of Events below, are unique links for each schedule step. Please click the correct link for the upload step you are requesting.

Schedule of Events

Last day to submit written questions via email to: dhhs.rfpquestions@nebraska.gov – Please reference the solicitation number in the subject line of email. Solicitation Number XXXXXX 03

July 21, 2026

http://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/bidopps.html

July 23, 2026

IT IS THE BIDDER’S RESPONSIBILTY TO UPLOAD ELECTRONIC FILES BY OPENING DATE AND TIME. EXCEPTIONS WILL NOT BE MADE FOR TECHNOLOGY ISSUES.

ShareFile Electronic Solicitation Submission Link:

https://nebraska.sharefile.com/r-r7343c2c10c3f452dbb467b5dac602c66

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July 28, 2026

2:00 PM

Central Time

SPB Form 22 | RFP Template | Effective 07012025

D. WRITTEN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Questions regarding the meaning or interpretation of any solicitation provision must be submitted in writing to Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Procurement and Grants dhhs.rfpquestions@nebraska.gov and clearly marked “Solicitation Number 126010 O3; Nebraska Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Customer Service Call Center services Questions”. The POC is not obligated to respond to questions that are received late per the Schedule of Events.

Bidders should submit questions for any items upon which assumptions may be made when preparing a response to the solicitation. Any solicitation response containing assumptions may be deemed non-responsive and may be rejected by DHHS. Solicitation responses will be evaluated without consideration of any known or unknown assumptions of a bidder. The contract will not incorporate any known or unknown assumptions of a bidder.

Questions should be emailed to dhhs.rfpquestions@nebraska.gov as provided in the solicitation Schedule of Events, Section I.C. It is recommended that bidders submit questions using the following format:

Written answers will be posted at https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/bidopps.html per the Schedule of Events.

E. SECRETARY OF STATE/TAX COMMISSIONER REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS (Nonnegotiable) All bidders must be authorized to transact business in the State of Nebraska and comply with all Nebraska Secretary of State Registration requirements. The bidder who is the recipient of an Intent to Award may be required to certify that it has complied and produce a true and exact copy of its current (within ninety (90) calendar days of the intent to award) Certificate or Letter of Good Standing, or in the case of a sole proprietorship, provide written documentation of sole proprietorship and complete the United States Citizenship Attestation Form, available on the Department of Administrative Services website at:

https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/docs/pdf/Individual%20or%20Sole%20Proprietor%20United%20States%20Attestation%20Form%20English%20and%20Spanish.pdf This should be accomplished prior to execution of the contract.

F. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING

DHHS reserves the right to reject solicitation responses, withdraw an intent to award or award, or terminate a contract if an ethical violation has been committed, which includes, but is not limited to:

Offering or giving, directly or indirectly, a bribe, fee, commission, compensation, gift, gratuity, or anything of value to any person or entity in an attempt to influence the bidding process;

Utilizing the services of lobbyists, attorneys, political activists, or consultants to influence or subvert the bidding process;

Being considered for, presently being, or becoming debarred, suspended, ineligible, or excluded from contracting with any state or federal entity:

Submitting a solicitation response on behalf of another Party or entity; and Colluding with any person or entity to influence the bidding process, submit sham solicitation responses, preclude bidding, fix pricing or costs, create an unfair advantage, subvert the solicitation response, or prejudice the State.

The bidder shall include this clause in any subcontract entered into for the exclusive purpose of performing this contract.

Bidder shall have an affirmative duty to report any violations of this clause by the bidder throughout the bidding process and throughout the term of this contract for the awarded bidder and their subcontractors.

G. DEVIATIONS FROM THE SOLICITATION

The requirements contained in the solicitation (Sections II through IV) become a part of the terms and conditions of the contract resulting from this solicitation. Any deviations from the solicitation in Sections II through IV must be clearly defined by the bidder in its solicitation response and, if accepted by DHHS, will become part of the contract. Any specifically defined deviations must not be in conflict with the basic nature of the solicitation, requirements, or applicable state or federal laws or statutes. “Deviation”, for the purposes of this solicitation, means any proposed changes or alterations to either the contractual language or deliverables within the scope of this solicitation. DHHS discourages deviations and reserves the right to reject proposed deviations.

H. SUBMISSION OF SOLICITATION RESPONSES

DHHS is only accepting electronic responses submitted in accordance with this solicitation. DHHS will not accept solicitation responses by mail, email, voice, or telephone, unless otherwise explicitly stated in writing by DHHS.

Pages may be consecutively numbered for the entire solicitation response or may be numbered consecutively within sections. Figures and tables should be numbered and referenced in the text by that number. They should be placed as close as possible to the referencing text.

The Technical Responses should not contain any reference to dollar amounts. However, information such as data concerning labor hours and categories, materials, subcontracts and so forth, shall be considered in the Technical Response so that the bidder’s understanding of the scope of work may be evaluated. The Technical Response shall disclose the bidder’s technical requirements in as much detail as possible, including, but not limited to, the information required by the Technical Response instructions.

It is the bidder’s responsibility to ensure the solicitation response is received electronically by the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Events. Solicitation Responses must be submitted via ShareFile by the date and time of the opening per the Schedule of Events. No late solicitation responses will be accepted.

It is the responsibility of the bidder to check the website for all information relevant to this solicitation to include addenda and/or amendments issued prior to the opening date. The website can be found here: https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/bidopps.html.

Emphasis should be concentrated on conformance to the solicitation instructions, responsiveness to requirements, completeness, and clarity of content. If the solicitation response is presented in such a fashion that makes evaluation difficult or overly time consuming the State reserves the right to reject the solicitation response as non-conforming.

The ShareFile link for uploading Solicitation Response(s) is provided in the Schedule of Events, Section I.C.

***UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, DO NOT SUBMIT DOCUMENTS

THAT CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED WITH A PASSWORD***

1. Bidders must submit responses via ShareFile using the solicitation submission link.

Note: Not all browsers are compatible with ShareFile. Currently Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Firefox are compatible. After the bidder clicks the solicitation response submission link, the bidder will be prompted to enter contact information including an e-mail address. By entering an e-mail address, the bidder should receive a confirmation email confirming the successful upload directly from ShareFile.

ShareFile link for uploading solicitation response(s) provided in the Schedule of Events, Section I.C.

a. The Solicitation response and Proprietary information should be uploaded as separate and distinct files.

i. If duplicated responses are submitted, the State will retain only the most recently submitted response.

ii. If it is the bidder’s intent to submit multiple responses, the bidder must clearly identify the separate submissions.

iii. It is the bidder’s responsibility to allow time for electronic uploading. All file uploads must be completed by the Opening date and time per the Schedule of Events. No late responses will be accepted.

b. ELECTRONIC SOLICITATION RESPONSE FILE NAMES The bidder should clearly identify the uploaded solicitation response files. To assist in identification the bidder should use the following naming convention:

i. 126010 O3 Company Name If multiple files are submitted for one solicitation response, add number of files to file names:

126010 O3 Company Name File 1 of 2 126010 O3 Company Name File 2 of 2

ii. If multiple responses are submitted for the same solicitation, add the response number to the file names:

126010 O3 Company Name Response 1 File 1 of 2

The “Contractual Agreement Form” must be signed manually in ink or by DocuSign and returned by the opening date and time along with the bidder’s solicitation response and any other requirements as stated in this solicitation in order for the bidder’s solicitation response to be evaluated.

By signing this Contractual Agreement Form, the bidder guarantees compliance with the provisions stated in this solicitation and agrees to the terms and conditions unless otherwise indicated in writing.

I. SOLICITATION PREPARATION COSTS

DHHS shall not incur any liability for any costs incurred by bidder’s in replying to this solicitation, including any activity related to bidding on this solicitation.

J. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SOLICITATION

Violation of the terms and conditions contained in this solicitation or any resultant contract, at any time before or after the award, shall be grounds for action by DHHS which may include, but is not limited to, the following:

Rejection of a bidder’s solicitation response, Withdrawal of the Intent to Award, Withdrawal of the Award, Negative documentation regarding Vendor Performance, Termination of the resulting contract, Legal action; and Suspension or Debarment of the bidder from further bidding with DHHS for the period of time relative to the seriousness of the violation. Such period to be within the sole discretion of DHHS.

K. SOLICITATION RESPONSE CORRECTIONS

A bidder may correct a mistake in an electronically submitted solicitation response prior to the time of opening by uploading a revised and completed solicitation response.

1. If a corrected electronic solicitation response is submitted, the file name(s) date/time stamped with latest date/time stamp will be accepted. The corrected solicitation response file name(s) should be identified as:

Changing a solicitation response after opening may be permitted if the change is made to correct a minor error that does not affect price, quantity, quality, delivery, or contractual conditions. In case of a mathematical error in extension of price, unit price shall govern.

L. LATE SOLICITATION RESPONSES

Solicitation Responses received after the time and date of the opening will be considered late responses. Late responses will be considered non-responsive. DHHS is not responsible for responses that are late or lost regardless of cause or fault.

M. BID OPENING

The opening will consist of opening solicitation responses and announcing the names of bidders. Responses WILL NOT be available for viewing by those present at the opening. Responses will be posted to the State Purchasing Bureau website once an Intent to Award has been posted to the website. Once responses are opened, they become the property of the State of Nebraska and will not be returned.

N. SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS

The solicitation responses will first be examined to determine if all requirements listed below have been addressed and whether further evaluation is warranted. Solicitation responses not meeting the requirements may be rejected as non-responsive. The requirements are as follows:

Original Contractual Agreement Form signed manually in ink or by DocuSign;

Clarity and responsiveness;

Completed Corporate Overview;

Completed Sections II through IV;

Completed Technical Response; and Completed Cost Sheet.

O. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

Solicitation Responses are evaluated by members of an Evaluation Committee(s). The Evaluation Committee(s) will consist of individuals selected at the discretion of DHHS. Names of the members of the Evaluation Committee(s) will not be published prior to the intent to award.

Any contact, attempted contact, or attempt to influence an evaluator that is involved with this Solicitation may result in the rejection of this response and further administrative actions.

P. EVALUATION OF SOLICITATION RESPONSES

All solicitation responses that are deemed responsive to the solicitation will be evaluated. Each evaluation category will have a maximum point potential. DHHS will conduct a fair, impartial, and comprehensive evaluation of all responses in accordance with the criteria set forth below. Areas that will be addressed and scored during the evaluation include:

Corporate Overview may include, but is not limited to:

the ability, capacity, and skill of the bidder to deliver and implement the system or project that meets the requirements of the Solicitation;

the character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the bidder;

whether the bidder can perform the contract within the specified time frame;

the bidder’s historical or current performance; and such other information that may be secured and that has a bearing on the decision to award the contract.

Technical Response; and

Cost Sheet.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 73-808 allows the State to consider a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the quality of performance of previous contracts to be considered when evaluating responses to competitive solicitations in determining a responsible bidder. Information obtained from any Contract Compliance Request or any Contract Non-Compliance Notice (See Terms & Conditions, Section II.H) may be used in evaluating responses to solicitations for goods and services to determine the best value for the State.

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 73-107 allows for a preference for a resident disabled veteran or business located in a designated enterprise zone. When a state contract is to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, a resident disabled veteran or a business located in a designated enterprise zone under the Enterprise Zone Act shall be allowed a preference over any other resident or nonresident bidder, if all other factors are equal.

Resident disabled veterans means any person (a) who resides in the State of Nebraska, who served in the United States Armed Forces, including any reserve component or the National Guard, who was discharged or otherwise separated with a characterization of honorable or general (under honorable conditions), and who possesses a disability rating letter issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs establishing a service-connected disability or a disability determination from the United States Department of Defense and (b)(i) who owns and controls a business or, in the case of a publicly owned business, more than fifty percent of the stock is owned by one or more persons described in (a) of this paragraph and (ii) the management and daily business operations of the business are controlled by one or more persons described in (a) of this paragraph. Any contract entered into without compliance with this section shall be null and void.

Therefore, if a resident disabled veteran or business located in a designated enterprise zone submits a solicitation response in accordance with Neb. Rev. Stat. § 73-107 and has so indicated on the Contractual Agreement Form under “Vendor must complete the following” requesting priority/preference to be considered in the award of this contract, the following will need to be submitted by the Vendor within ten (10) business days of request:

16. Documentation from the United States Armed Forces confirming service, Documentation of discharge or otherwise separated characterization of honorable or general (under honorable conditions), Disability rating letter issued by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs establishing a service-connected disability or a disability determination from the United States Department of Defense; and Documentation which shows ownership and control of a business or, in the case of a publicly owned business, more than fifty percent of the stock is owned by one or more persons described in subdivision (a) of this subsection; and the management and daily business operations of the business are controlled by one or more persons described in subdivision (a) of this subsection.

Failure to submit the requested documentation within ten (10) business days of notice will disqualify the bidder from consideration of the preference.

Q. BEST AND FINAL OFFER

Each bidder should provide its best offer with their original solicitation response and should not expect DHHS to request a best and final offer (BAFO).

DHHS reserves the right to conduct more than one BAFO. If requested by DHHS, the BAFO must be submitted on the BAFO Cost Sheet and in accordance with DHHS’s instructions. Failure to submit a requested BAFO or failure to submit a BAFO in accordance with the DHHS’s instructions may result in rejection of the bidder’s entire solicitation response. BAFOs may be scored and ranked by the Evaluation Committee.

R. REFERENCE AND CREDIT CHECKS

DHHS reserves the right to conduct and consider reference and credit checks. DHHS reserves the right to use third parties to conduct reference and credit checks. By submitting a solicitation response, the bidder grants to DHHS the right to contact or arrange a visit in person with any or all of the bidder’s clients. Reference and credit checks may be grounds to reject a solicitation response, withdraw an intent to award, or rescind the award of a contract.

S. AWARD

DHHS reserves the right to evaluate solicitation responses and award contracts in a manner utilizing criteria selected at the DHHS's discretion and in the DHHS’s best interest. After evaluation of the solicitation responses, or at any point in the Solicitation process, the State of Nebraska may take one or more of the following actions:

1. Amend the solicitation;

2. Extend the date and time of a solicitation;

3. Waive deviations or errors in DHHS’s solicitation process and in bidder responses that are not material, do not compromise the solicitation process or a bidder’s response, and do not improve a Vendor’s competitive position;

4. Accept or reject a portion of or all of a solicitation response;

5. Accept or reject all responses;

6. Withdraw the solicitation;

7. Elect to re-release the solicitation;

8. Award single lines or multiple lines to one or more Vendors; or,

9. Award one or more all-inclusive contracts.

The solicitation does not commit DHHS to award a contract. Once intent to award decision has been determined, it will be posted to the Internet at: https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/bidopps.html

Any protests must be filed by a bidder within ten (10) business days after the intent to award decision is posted to the Internet. Grievance and protest procedure is available on the Internet at: https://das.nebraska.gov/materiel/docs/NE_DAS_Materiel_Purchasing_Agency-SPB_Policy_23_07_Protest_Policy.pdf

T. LUMP SUM OR “ALL OR NONE” SOLICITATION RESPONSES

DHHS reserves the right to purchase item-by-item, by groups or as a total when DHHS may benefit by so doing. Bidders may submit a response on an “all or none” or “lump sum” basis but should also submit a response on an item-by-item basis. The term “all or none” means a conditional response which requires the purchase of all items on which responses are offered and bidder declines to accept award on individual items; a “lump sum” response is one in which the bidder offers a lower price than the sum of the individual responses if all items are purchased but agrees to deliver individual items at the prices quoted.

“LUMP SUM” OR “ALL OR NONE” RESPONSES SHOULD BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE SOLICITATION AND COST SHEET (IF APPLICABLE)

U. REJECTION OF SOLICITATION RESPONSES

DHHS reserves the right to reject any or all responses, wholly or in part, in the best interest of DHHS.

V. PRICES & COST CLARIFICATION

Discount and Price provisions are discussed in Sections III.F. and III.G. DHHS reserves the right to review all aspects of cost for reasonableness and realism as those terms are defined in (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 73-810 (1) (a) and (b) DHHS may request clarification of any solicitation where the cost component indicates a significant and unsupported deviation from industry standards or in areas where detailed pricing is required. Under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 73-810 (2), DHHS may reject a bid if the price is not reasonable or realistic.

W. VENDOR DEMONSTRATIONS

DHHS may determine that oral interviews/presentations and/or demonstrations are required. Every bidder may not be given an opportunity to interview/present and/or give demonstrations; DHHS reserves the right, in its discretion, to select only the top scoring bidders to present/give oral interviews. The scores from the oral interviews/presentations and/or demonstrations will be added to the scores from the Corporate Overview, Technical Response, and Cost Sheets. The presentation process will allow the bidders to demonstrate their solicitation response offering, explaining and/or clarifying any unusual or significant elements related to their solicitation responses. Bidders’ key personnel, identified in their solicitation response, may be requested to participate in a structured interview to determine their understanding of the requirements of this solicitation response, their authority and reporting relationships within their firm, and their management style and philosophy. Only representatives of DHHS and the presenting bidder will be permitted to attend the oral interviews/presentations and/or demonstrations. A written copy or summary of the presentation, and demonstrative information (such as briefing charts, et cetera) may be offered by the bidder, but DHHS reserves the right to refuse or not consider the offered materials. Bidders shall not be allowed to alter or amend their solicitation responses.

Once the oral interviews/presentations and/or demonstrations have been completed, DHHS reserves the right to make an award without any further discussion with the bidders regarding the solicitation responses received.

Any cost incidental to the oral interviews/presentations and/or demonstrations shall be borne entirely by the bidder and will not be compensated by DHHS.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Bidder should read the Terms and Conditions within this section and must initial either “Accept All Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” or “Exceptions Taken to Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written” in the table below. If exception is not taken to a provision, it is deemed accepted as stated. If the bidder takes any exceptions, they must provide the following within the “Exceptions” field of the table below (Bidder may provide responses in separate attachment if multiple exceptions are taken):

1. The specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken;

2. An explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause; and

3. Provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.

By signing the solicitation, bidder agrees to be legally bound by all the accepted terms and conditions, and any proposed alternative terms and conditions submitted with the solicitation response. DHHS reserves the right to negotiate rejected or proposed alternative language. If DHHS and bidder fail to agree on the final Terms and Conditions, DHHS reserves the right to reject the solicitation response. DHHS reserves the right to reject solicitation responses that attempt to substitute the bidder’s commercial contracts and/or documents for this solicitation.

Accept All Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written (Initial) Exceptions Taken to Terms and Conditions Within Section as Written (Initial) Exceptions:

(Bidder must note the specific clause, including section reference, to which an exception has been taken, an explanation of why the bidder took exception to the clause, and provide alternative language to the specific clause within the solicitation response.)

The bidders should submit with their solicitation response any license, user agreement, service level agreement, or similar documents that the bidder wants incorporated in the Contract. DHHS will not consider incorporation of any document not submitted with the solicitation response as the document will not have been included in the evaluation process. These documents shall be subject to negotiation and will be incorporated as addendums if agreed to by the Parties.

If a conflict or ambiguity arises after the Addendum to Contract Award has been negotiated and agreed to, the Addendum to Contract Award shall be interpreted as follows:

If only one (1) Party has a particular clause, then that clause shall control, If both Parties have a similar clause, but the clauses do not conflict, the clauses shall be read together, If both Parties have a similar clause, but the clauses conflict, DHHS’s clause shall control.

1. GENERAL

The contract resulting from this Solicitation shall incorporate the following documents:

Solicitation, including any attachments and addenda;

Questions and Answers;

Bidder’s properly submitted solicitation response, including any terms and conditions or agreements submitted by the bidder;

Addendum to Contract Award (if applicable); and Amendments to the Contract. (if applicable)

These documents constitute the entirety of the contract.

Unless otherwise specifically stated in a future contract amendment, in case of any conflict between the incorporated documents, the documents shall govern in the following order of preference with number one (1) receiving preference over all other documents and with each lower numbered document having preference over any higher numbered document: 1) Amendment to the executed Contract with the most recent dated amendment having the highest priority, 2) Executed Contract and any attached Addenda 3) Addendums to the solicitation and any Questions and Answers, 4) the original solicitation document and any Addenda or attachments, and 5) the Vendor’s submitted solicitation response, including any terms and conditions or agreements that are accepted by DHHS.

Unless otherwise specifically agreed to in writing by DHHS, DHHS’s standard terms and conditions, as executed by DHHS, shall always control over any terms and conditions or agreements submitted or included by the Vendor.

Any ambiguity or conflict in the contract discovered after its execution, not otherwise addressed herein, shall be resolved in accordance with the rules of contract interpretation as established in the State of Nebraska.

1. NOTIFICATION

Bidder and DHHS shall identify the contract manager who…