STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) RFP NO. 16-22110110-01
NOTE: If you download this RFP from the Department of Commerce website, you are
responsible for sending your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number to the RFP Coordinator in order for your organization to receive any RFP amendments or proposer
questions/agency answers.
PROJECT TITLE: Small Business Retirement Marketplace: Web Portal and Brand/Identity Development
PROPOSAL DUE DATE: Monday, March 14, 2016 by 5:00 pm. Pacific Standard Time, Olympia, Washington, USA.
E-mailed bids will be accepted. Faxed bids will not be accepted.
ESTIMATED TIME PERIOD FOR CONTRACT: May 11, 2016 – June 30, 2017. The Agency reserves the right to extend the contract for up to two additional one-year periods at the sole discretion of the Agency.
CONTRACTOR ELIGIBILITY: This procurement is open to those Contractors that satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein and that are available for work in Washington State. CONTENTS OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:
1. Introduction
2. General Information for Contractors
3. Proposal Contents
4. Evaluation and Award
5. Exhibits
A. Certifications and Assurances B. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction ... 3
1.1 Purpose and Background ... 3
1.2 Objective and Scope of Work ... 3
1.3 Minimum Qualifications ... 9
1.4 Funding ...10
1.5 Period of Performance ...10
1.6 Current or Former State Employees………..10
1.7 Definitions ...10
1.8 ADA ...11
2. General Information for Contractors ...11
2.1 RFP Coordinator ...11
2.2 Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities ...12
2.3 Contractor Questions ……..………...12
2.4 Submission of Proposals ...12
2.5 Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure ...13
2.6 Revisions to the RFP ...13
2.7 Diverse Business Inclusion Plan ...14
2.8 Acceptance Period ...14
2.9 Complaint ...14
2.10 Responsiveness ...15
2.11 Most Favorable Terms ...15
2.12 Contract and General Terms & Conditions ...15
2.13 Costs to Propose ...15
2.14 No Obligation to Contract ...15
2.15 Rejection of Proposals ...15
2.16 Commitment of Funds ...15
2.17 Electronic Payment………...16
2.18 Insurance Coverage ...16
3. Proposal Contents ...17
3.1 Letter of Submittal ...18
3.2 Technical Proposal ...18
3.3 Management Proposal ...19
3.4 Cost Proposal ...21
4. Evaluation and Contract Award ...21
4.1 Evaluation Procedure ...21
4.2 Evaluation Weighting and Scoring ...22
4.3 Oral Presentations may be Required ...22
4.4 Notification to Proposers ...22
4.5 Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers ...22
4.6 Protest Procedure ...23
5. RFP Exhibits. … ...24 Exhibit A Certifications and Assurances
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1.PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
The Washington State Department of Commerce hereafter called "Commerce,” is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from firms interested in assisting with the development of Washington’s Small Business Retirement Marketplace (hereafter, Marketplace).
The Marketplace is a retirement savings program created to connect eligible employers and their employees with approved retirement savings plans to increase individual retirement savings. The Marketplace was established to address the retirement savings gap by making it easier and less costly for small businesses to establish and provide retirement savings options to their employees.
There are two major Scope of Work elements of this solicitation: First is the development of a web-based portal to connect Washington small business owners and their employees with verified financial services firms and retirement plans. Second is development of the Marketplace brand, identity, and marketing materials.
The maximum budget for this project is $175,000 for a contract period of approximately 14 months beginning on approximately May 11, 2016.
Enabling Legislation
The Marketplace was created by the Washington State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Jay Inslee in 2015. This link will take you the statute (law) establishing the program: Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 43.330.730-750.
Intent
When the Washington State Legislature introduced the bill creating the Marketplace, they found that there is a retirement savings access gap in Washington; that Americans reach the median salary four years later than they did in 1980 and therefore have four fewer years of savings opportunities; and that one in six Americans retire in poverty. Employees who are unable to effectively build their retirement savings risk living on low incomes in their elderly years and are more likely to become dependent on state services. Further, small businesses, which employ more than forty percent of private sector employees in Washington, often choose not to offer retirement plans to employees due to concerns about costs, administrative burdens, and potential liability that they believe such plans would place on their business.
1.2.OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF WORK
The Marketplace will be an online portal where employers and employees can research and compare various retirement plans. Information provided on the site will allow users to link to plan administrators to sign up for and contribute to plans1. Participation in the Marketplace by financial services firms, employers and employees is voluntary.
A. Objectives: Success, Ideas We Like, and Things the Marketplace Isn’t i. What will success look like?
1 Enrollment in plans will take place entirely outside of the Marketplace.
Vision: Washington’s Small Business Retirement Marketplace is an online portal where small businesses can comparison shop for low-cost, low-barrier retirement savings options for their employees. It’s easy to use, informative, and inspirational. It inspires small businesses and their employees to take action and begin saving for retirement.
Retirement savings participation success
Potential contractors will want to know how many businesses and workers we anticipate will sign up for retirement savings through the Marketplace. How big is the market? And what conversion rate do we expect (that is, at what rate will Marketplace visitors be converted to retirement plan participants in plans offered on the Marketplace?). Simply put: We don’t know. However, we do have general information on the market.
Let’s look at some numbers to estimate the magnitude of the market for workplace-based retirement savers who aren’t already covered. It’s estimated that 52% of Washington workers lack access to a workplace-based retirement savings option across all business size categories. 2 And in 2013 an
estimated 88,800 Washington businesses with fewer than 100 employees didn’t offer retirement plans to full-time employees. That’s 65% of Washington’s small businesses3. Businesses with fewer than 100 employees employ about 1.56 million workers in our state. Nationwide, 82% of small businesses owners agree that offering retirement benefits helps recruit good employees, and 73% of them say they feel a responsibilities to provide some kind of retirement benefit4. The trouble is it’s too hard and too costly. We know the financial industry enjoys some of the highest conversion rates of all industries (reportedly 8-10%), so we anticipate high click-through conversion rates from the Marketplace to the financial services firms participating in the Marketplace. The successful proposer will be experienced working with financial services providers (or other industries) so that referred (or “click-thru”) customers are handled in a way that maximizes conversions from site visitor to retirement plan participant. ii. Ideas we like
The Marketplace will be the first-of-its-kind state-based retirement savings exchange in the US5. Although there are no cookie-cutter models, we think there are some great ideas out there and would like to see proposals that incorporate proven tactics into new, innovative ideas for our project. Take Avenue H, for instance: We like the look and feel of Utah’s health insurance marketplace, with its heroes telling their stories, a clear gateway for small businesses, and succinct, accessible information. We expect you’ll have studied lessons learned from the first two years of the Affordable Care Act6. We’re looking for a contractor who knows how to create top-performing landing pages, and has experience creating brands that motivate visitors to act.
2Approximately 1.5 million workers in Washington State. Source: NIRS 2012 estimate for Washington. 3
Source: ESD, LMPA, 2013 Employee Benefits Survey, firms size 0-99 employees.
4Source: National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS). A downloadable report from the survey can be found at:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS224986+01-Dec-2011+BW20111201.
5Some 25-30 states are looking at how to reduce the retirement savings gap for private sector workers. Washington’s Marketplace model is one of 3-4 primary models for state retirement initiatives. New Jersey recently passed legislation into law establishing a similar marketplace (http://cri.georgetown.edu/states/new-jersey/). For more information, see Georgetown University’s Center for Retirement Initiatives:
http://cri.georgetown.edu/states/
6For instance, see webpagefx’s review of HealthCare.gov.
The comparison shopping experience on New Zealand’s KiwiSaver Fund Finder is easy to use and informative. We like its dynamic comparison features (sort by fees, services, and past returns), though we don’t expect to provide fund-level detail in the Marketplace.
While we’re at it, have a look at New Zealand’s Sorted, the Kiwi guide to retirement planning. Its friendly look and feel, combined with a variety of financial literacy tools, is quite attractive. Likewise, the UK’s
NEST, gives users a bright, cohesive look and feel as they navigate the Kingdom’s workplace pension system.
When we look for examples of marketing and outreach materials (collateral), we think the US Department of Treasury’s myRA does a great job of providing resources to its partners.
iii. What the Marketplace Isn’t
The Marketplace is not any of these things:
• A custodian. There will be no direct enrollment, payroll deductions, or recordkeeping in or on the Marketplace.
• A mandate. Participation is voluntary for small businesses and employees.
• PII collector. No personally-identifiable information (PII) will be gathered or transmitted by the Marketplace. The Marketplace will not engage in transactions requiring individuals or employers to disclose, upload, or otherwise share personal information. Personal information means information identifiable to any person, including, but not limited to, information that relates to a person’s name, health, finances, education, business, use or receipt of governmental services or other activities, addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security Numbers, driver license numbers, other identifying numbers, and any financial identifiers.
• Boring. The Marketplace won’t be just another static government website.
B. Scope of Work:
The scope of work includes two main components: 1. Website development and operation; and
2. Brand and identity development, advertising and marketing materials. 1. WEBSITE
a. Development:
Explanation: All website design and architecture work will be conducted by the contractor. The Marketplace website will need:
i. Hosting and CMS: The contractor will arrange hosting on a commonly available Content Management System platform.
ii. Domain: The Marketplace’s domain will be tied to its brand identity. Thus, the
Contractor will make domain registration/purchasing recommendations to Commerce once a brand and identity are approved. Commerce will purchase, register and own the Marketplace domain(s).
iii. CRM: The contractor will utilize an online customer relationship management software interface for limited visitor demographic capture (e.g., position – employer or employee, ZIP code, industry sector).
iv. Navigation: Navigation will be intuitive for a general public audience possessing basic web-browsing skills.
v. Comparison functions: The website must enable novice financial information users to compare verified financial services firms and verified retirement savings products offered on the Marketplace.
ii. Pages and products: We anticipate the Marketplace will be a small site in terms of number of pages, products/service providers, and back-end data. That being said, we don’t have an estimate of size at this time.
iii. Accessibility:
1)Website design and operability will be compliant with AA level W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
2) Contractor must provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) Section 1194.22 for Web-Based Internet Information and Applications Form disclosing product features and deficiencies at the conclusion of Stage II Testing and Phased Deployment (see 1.2.C Timeline, below).
iv. Language translation: The website needs to include a function for switching content to other languages. We would like to plan for a more complete multilingual strategy in future updates and are open to proposer’s suggestions on how to budget for robust language translation into two alternate languages.
v. User-centered: Employ best practices in user-centered design, responsive web design and be optimized for mobile use.
vi. Social media integration: Pages should include share/follow buttons for major social media platforms.
b. Marketplace Operation:
Explanation: The gateway for financial services providers and their products to participate in the Marketplace is an administrative process conducted by Commerce in coordination with the Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) and Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC). A financial services firm will submit an application Commerce to participate in the Marketplace. Simultaneously, the firm will apply to the DFI (or OIC in the case of insurance carriers) for verification that the retirement plan and the firm offering it meet the requirements set forth in statute. Commerce will approve firms and retirement plans for inclusion on the Marketplace provided that they meet the application and verification requirements. There is an annual review process for all firms and products.
Commerce will provide the contractor with a list of firms and their products that meet all verification and approval requirements. See Figure 1 for an illustration.
i. The contractor will coordinate with Commerce to establish and administer an operating protocol for ensuring that only verified and approved financial services firms and plans are listed on the Marketplace and that a methodology is in place to ensure that plan marketing materials posted to the Marketplace are current.
ii. The website must provide direct links to verified financial services firms where small business employers and their employees can review, enroll and participate in verified retirement savings products.
iii. The contractor will coordinate directly with verified financial services firms to include pertinent information, brand logos, and links on the Marketplace portal. It is the expectation of this contract that the contractor will establish a standard set of formats and file sharing protocols to be used by all verified financial services firms.
iv. The contractor will coordinate directly with verified financial services firms to encourage that the processes participants use to enroll in retirement plans use technologies and active choice architecture to make enrollment easy while still complying with all relevant federal laws and rules related to retirement savings programs.
c. Content management:
Explanation: Content for the Marketplace website generally fits into two categories: Financial literacy materials/links and comparative information about retirement savings products and service providers. The contractor will be responsible for managing and maintaining content using a commonly available technology platform (i.e., content management system), including
managing workflow, editing, version control, security, and repository features scaled to the relatively modest nature of the Marketplace.
i. The contractor will post content submitted by Commerce to the website and will format any content into standard look and feel of the Marketplace.
ii. The contractor will feature a link to myRA (US Department of the Treasury; enrollment site operated by Comerica Bank) prominently on the website.
iii. The contractor will post links to external websites, including landing pages for verified financial services firms’ verified plans/products, at the direction of Commerce. All links to external sites must be approved by Commerce.
iv. The contractor will promote the benefits of retirement savings and other aspects of personal and household financial literacy using content approved by Commerce. v. The contractor will identify and promote existing federal and state tax credits and
benefits for employers and employees that are related to encouraging retirement savings or participating in retirement savings plans using content approved by Commerce.
d. Data Metrics:
Develop, track and deliver data metrics on Marketplace activity, reporting monthly activity to Commerce. Metrics will be negotiated with the contract and may include:
• Website traffic (e.g., hits).
• Website self-reported and non-personally identifying visitor characteristics (e.g., unique visitors, industry, zip code, number of employees, and estimated average age of workforce of business visitors).
• Click-thru traffic patterns to verified financial services firms.
• Other key metrics such as inbound links, search engine traffic, page views, and bounce rates.
2. BRAND, IDENTITY, AND MARKETING DEVELOPMENT:
Explanation: The target audiences for the Marketplace are Washington-based small businesses with fewer than 100 employees and their diverse workforce. We will also make a concerted effort to reach the smallest of firms and microenterprises, with a sub-focus of our marketing strategy on businesses with 50 or fewer employees.
Commerce will devise the high-level marketing strategy for the Marketplace and provide it to contractor. Commerce will assume responsibility for implementing earned media (including social) and outreach elements of the marketing strategy, including all coordination with other state agencies, local governments, community organizations, etc. Commerce will carry out all aspects of outreach to the financial services industry to promote participation in the
Marketplace.
a. Develop Marketplace brand, identity, and logo. The contractor will develop a brand, identity, and logo for the Marketplace that fits with the vision for success described above. Commerce, as the client, will provide input into the creative process and review brand proposals. We will expect the contractor to develop the brand, identity, and logo using the best mix possible of research-based (i.e., market testing) and creative design methods within the budget constraints at hand.
b. Collateral material development: The contractor will develop a toolkit containing electronic collateral for advertising, marketing and informational materials about the Marketplace geared to small businesses and their employees, including materials appropriate for electronic distribution, social media deployment, posts to state agency websites (e.g., newsletter and promo copy), downloadable images (e.g., web banners), FAQs, and print-on-demand inserts. The contractor will develop a smaller toolkit containing electronic collateral geared to financial services providers.
c. Design and implement outward-facing paid advertising plan promoting the Marketplace. The contractor will assume responsibility for designing and implementing a paid advertising plan to promote awareness of and participation in the Marketplace focused on the initial launch of the Marketplace between January and June, 2017. We know the budget is paper thin, so Commerce staff will be willing and able to work with the contractor to prioritize highly targeted markets and mechanisms to make the biggest impact using the least resources.
C. Project Timeline
Phase Activity Timeline
I Design & Development May-Oct 2016
Brand, identity, and logo design NOTE: The contract will require
certain design and development deliverables be completed on or by June 30, 2016 in order to conform to fiscal year funding cycles. The budget for this contract for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016 totals $15,000. Website architecture development
Develop and implement operating protocols
II Testing & Staged Deployment Oct-Dec 2016
III Full Launch & Major Marketing Campaign Jan. 2017 –June 30, 2017
IV On-going Operations, Reporting, and Marketing Ongoing – contract renewals
and/or reissues depend upon funding availability and the discretion of Commerce.
1.3 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Minimum qualifications include:
• Licensed to do business in the State of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparently Successful Contractor.
• Experience with designing consumer-focused websites that provide product comparison capabilities.
Desirable qualifications include:
• Experience offering integrated business services including creating brand identity, designing marketing content and materials, web portal development, and third party provider
• Proven experience building websites that engage users and encourages them to take action. • A working knowledge of the financial industry, specifically in the retirement
investment/plan arena.
• Past work on projects with the public sector, especially state agencies. Sub-Contractors:
• Commerce intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFP. Does your firm offer part, but not all, of what we’re looking for? That might work if you’re able to coordinate your proposal with subcontractors to provide the services and expertise you don’t have in-house. We invite proposers to submit proposals with sub-contractors for one component or the other, but will award lower scores for proposals that sub-contract the website design and operation component rather than the brand, identity, and marketing development component.
1.4 FUNDING
Commerce has budgeted an amount not to exceed one hundred and seventy-five thousand Dollars ($175,000) for this project. Proposals in excess of $175,000 will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.
Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding. Commerce utilizes performance-based compensation for contract, wherein the agency pays the contractor based on completion of deliverables, performance measures, or outcomes.
1.5 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE
The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is scheduled to begin on or about May 11, 2016 and to end on June 30, 2017. Proposers should note that the first deliverables for this contract will be required on or before June 30, 2016.
Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the Commerce.
Commerce reserves the right to extend the contract for two one-year periods. 1.6 CONTRACTING WITH CURRENT OR FORMER STATE EMPLOYEES
Specific restrictions apply to contracting with current or former state employees pursuant to chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington. Proposers should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a proposal that includes current or former state employees. 1.7 DEFINITIONS
Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include:
Apparent Successful Contractor – The contractor selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.
Commerce – The Department of Commerce is the agency of the state of Washington that is issuing this RFP.
Marketplace – A retirement savings program created to connect eligible employers and their employees with approved retirement savings plans to increase individual retirement savings
Proposal – A formal offer submitted in response to this solicitation.
Proposer – Individual or company that submits a proposal in order to attain a contract with Commerce.
Request for Proposals (RFP) – Formal procurement document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the contractor community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at a given price.
Contractor – Individual or company whose proposal has been accepted by Commerce and is awarded a fully executed, written contract.
Verified plan – A retirement plan that meets the requirements of Chapter 43.330 RCW by the Department of Financial Institutions and/or the Office of the Insurance Commissioner for inclusion in the marketplace.
Verified financial services firm – A person or entity that currently meets the requirements of chapter 43.330 RCW by the Department of Financial Institutions and/or the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to offer verified plans in the marketplace.
1.8 ADA
Commerce complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Proposers may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.
2. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR CONTRACTORS 2.1. RFP COORDINATOR
The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in Commerce for this procurement. All
communication between the Proposer and Commerce upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:
Name Linda Alongi
E-Mail Address MarketplaceRFP@Commerce.wa.gov Mailing Address PO Box 42525
Olympia WA 98504-2525 Phone Number 360-725-4031
Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on Commerce. Proposers are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the proposer.
2.2. SCHEDULE OF PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES
Issue Request for Proposals 02/11/16
Question & answer period 02/11/16 - 02/22/16 at
12:00 pm PST. Issue last addendum to RFP (if applicable) 02/26/16
Proposals due 03/14/16 at 5:00 pm
PST
Evaluate proposals 03/15/16 - 03/23/16
Conduct oral interviews with finalists 03/28/16 - 04/06/16 Announce “Apparent Successful Contractor” and send notification
via e-mail to unsuccessful proposers 04/08/16
Hold debriefing conferences (if requested) 04/11/16
Negotiate contract 04/08/16 - 04/27/16
Contract executed 04/27/16 - 05/11/16
Begin contract work 05/11/16
Commerce reserves the right to revise the above schedule. 2.3 CONTRACTOR QUESTIONS
Contractor questions regarding this RFP will be accepted until the date and time specified in 2.2 Schedule of Procurement Activities. Contractor questions must be submitted by email to the RFP Coordinator, MarketplaceRFP@Commerce.wa.gov . Commerce will be bound only to provide written answers to questions. Questions arising in communication with the RFP Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be posted to WEBS. The contractor that submitted the questions will not be identified. Verbal responses to questions will be considered unofficial and non-binding.
2.4 SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
The proposal must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00pm, Pacific Standard Time, in Olympia, Washington, on March 14, 2016.
Proposals must be submitted electronically as an attachment to an e-mail to the RFP Coordinator, at
MarketplaceRFP@Commerce.wa.gov. Attachments to e-mail must be in Microsoft Word format or PDF and total file size (including email message) cannot exceed 30 megabytes. If the proposal is larger than 30 megabytes, it must be separated into more than one file and sent in different emails. Please clearly indicate the number of files and emails being sent. Zipped files cannot be received by Commerce and cannot be used for submission of proposals. Commerce does not assume
responsibility for problems with Consultant’s e-mail. If Commerce email is not working, appropriate allowances will be made. However, the 30 megabytes size restriction cannot be changed.
The cover submittal letter and the Certifications and Assurances form must have a scanned signature of the individual within the organization authorized to bind the Consultant to the offer.
Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission.
Consultants should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the RFP
Coordinator. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration, unless Commerce e-mail is found to be at fault. All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of Commerce and will not be returned.
2.5 PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
Proposals submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become the property of Commerce. All proposals received shall remain confidential until the Apparent Successful Contractor is announced; thereafter, the proposals shall be deemed public records as defined in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
Any information in the proposal that the Proposer desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from
disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or
as Proprietary Information will not be honored.
If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," Commerce will notify the Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, Commerce will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure pursuant to Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for nondisclosure, Commerce shall maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer’s information per the court order.
A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.56. No fee shall be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator.
2.6 REVISIONS TO THE RFP
In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be posted to Washington’s Electronic Bid System (WEBS). The website can be located at
https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/. For this purpose, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information shall be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the website.
If you downloaded this RFP from the Agency website located at www.Commerce.wa.gov, you are responsible for sending your name, e-mail address, and telephone number to the RFP Coordinator in order for your organization to receive any RFP addenda.
Commerce also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract.
2.7 DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN
Responders will be required to submit a Diverse Business Inclusion Plan with their proposal. In accordance with legislative findings and policies set forth in RCW 39.19, the state of Washington encourages participation in all contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE), set forth in RCW 43.60A.200 for firms certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, and set forth in RCW 39.26.005 for firms that are Washington Small Businesses. Participation may be either on a direct basis or on a subcontractor basis.
However, no preference on the basis of participation is included in the evaluation of Diverse
Business Inclusion Plans submitted, and no minimum level of minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE), Washington Small Business, or Washington State certified Veteran Business participation is required as a condition for receiving an award. Any affirmative action requirements set forth in any federal Governmental Rules included or referenced in the contract documents will apply.
Commerce has the following agency goals:
10% participation by Minority Owned Business 6% participation by Women Owned Business 5% participation by Veteran Owned Business 5% participation by Small Businesses
2.8 ACCEPTANCE PERIOD
Proposals must provide 60 days for acceptance by Commerce from the due date for receipt of proposals.
2.9 COMPLAINT PROCESS
Proposers may submit a complaint to Commerce based on any of following: a) The solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition;
b) The solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair; or
c) The solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response. A complaint may be submitted to Commerce at any time prior to 5 days before the bid response deadline. The complaint must meet the following requirements:
a) The complaint must be in writing;
b) The complaint must be sent to the RFP coordinator in a timely manner; c) The complaint should clearly articulate the basis for the complaint; and d) The complaint should include a proposed remedy.
The RFP coordinator will respond to the complaint in writing. The response to the complaint and any changes to the solicitation will be posted on WEBS. The Director of Commerce will be notified of all complaints and will be provided a copy of Commerce’s response. The complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. Commerce’s action or inaction in response to the complaint will be final. There will be no appeal process.
2.10 RESPONSIVENESS
All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Proposer is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the RFP may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive. Commerce also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities. 2.11 MOST FAVORABLE TERMS
Commerce reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal
submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. Commerce does reserve the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its proposal.
The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some, or all, of the Contractor’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to Commerce.
2.12 CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS
The apparent successful contractor will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the sample contract and its general terms and conditions7. In no event is a Contractor to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. The Contractor may submit exceptions as allowed in the Certifications and Assurances form, Exhibit A to this solicitation. All exceptions to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as an attachment to Exhibit A, Certifications and Assurances form. Commerce will review requested exceptions and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion.
2.13 COSTS TO PROPOSE
Commerce will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.
2.14 NO OBLIGATION TO CONTRACT
This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or Commerce to contract for services specified herein.
2.15 REJECTION OF PROPOSALS
Commerce reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.
2.16 COMMITMENT OF FUNDS
The Director of Commerce or his delegate is the only individual who may legally commit Commerce to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract.
7 To review the Washington Department of Commerce Services Contract General Terms and Conditions click here
http://commerce.wa.gov/about/PoliciesandInitiatives/Pages/ContractTermsandConditions.aspx
2.17 ELECTRONIC PAYMENT
The state of Washington prefers to utilize electronic payment in its transactions. The successful contractor will be provided a form to complete with the contract to authorize such payment method.
2.18 INSURANCE COVERAGE
The Contractor is to furnish Commerce with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth below.
The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and a copy shall be forwarded to Commerce within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date.
Liability Insurance
1) Commercial General Liability Insurance: Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability (CGL) insurance and, if necessary, commercial umbrella insurance, with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per each occurrence. If CGL insurance contains aggregate limits, the General Aggregate limit shall be at least twice the “each occurrence” limit. CGL insurance shall have products-completed operations aggregate limit of at least two times the “each occurrence” limit. CGL insurance shall be written on ISO occurrence from CG 00 01 (or a substitute form providing equivalent coverage). All insurance shall cover liability assumed under an insured contract (including the tort liability of another assumed in a business contract), and contain separation of insureds (cross liability) condition.
Additionally, the Contractor is responsible for ensuring that any subcontractors provide adequate insurance coverage for the activities arising out of subcontracts.
2) Professional Liability, Errors and Omissions Insurance. The Contractor shall maintain Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance. The Contractor shall maintain minimum limits of no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence to cover all activities by the Contractor and licensed staff employed or under contract to the Contractor. The state of Washington, its agents, officers, and employees need not be named as additional insureds under this policy.
Employers Liability (“Stop Gap”) Insurance: In addition, the Contractor shall buy employers liability insurance and, if necessary, commercial umbrella liability insurance with limits not less than $1,000,000 each accident for bodily injury by accident or $1,000,000 each employee for bodily injury by disease.
Additional Provisions
The above insurance policy shall include the following provisions:
1. Additional Insured. The state of Washington, Commerce, its elected and appointed officials, agents and employees shall be named as an additional insured on all general liability, excess, umbrella and property insurance policies. All insurance provided in compliance with this
contract shall be primary as to any other insurance or self-insurance programs afforded to or maintained by the state.
2. Cancellation. State of Washington, Commerce, shall be provided written notice before cancellation or non-renewal of any insurance referred to therein, in accord with the following specifications. Insurers subject to 48.18 RCW (Admitted and Regulation by the Insurance Commissioner): The insurer shall give the state 45 days advance notice of cancellation or non-renewal. If cancellation is due to non-payment of premium, the state shall be given 10 days advance notice of cancellation. Insurers subject to 48.15 RCW (Surplus lines): The state shall be given 20 days advance notice of cancellation. If cancellation is due to non-payment of premium, the state shall be given 10 days advance notice of cancellation.
3. Identification. Policy must reference the state’s contract number and the agency name.
4. Insurance Carrier Rating. All insurance and bonds should be issued by companies admitted to do business within the state of Washington and have a rating of A-, Class VII or better in the most recently published edition of Best’s Reports. Any exception shall be reviewed and approved by Commerce Risk Manager or the Risk Manager for the state of Washington, before the contract is accepted or work may begin. If an insurer is not admitted, all insurance policies and procedures for issuing the insurance policies must comply with Chapter 48.15 RCW and 284-15 WAC
5. Excess Coverage. By requiring insurance herein, the state does not represent that coverage and limits will be adequate to protect Contractor and such coverage and limits shall not limit Contractor’s liability under the indemnities and reimbursements granted to the state in this contract.
Workers’ Compensation Coverage
The Contractor will at all times comply with all applicable workers’ compensation, occupational disease, and occupational health and safety laws, statutes, and regulations to the full extent applicable. The state will not be held responsive in any way for claims filed by the Contractor or their employees for services performed under the terms of this contract.
3. PROPOSAL CONTENTS
Proposals must be written in English and submitted electronically to the RFP Coordinator in the order noted below:
1. Letter of Submittal, including signed Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit A to this RFP) 2. Technical Proposal
3. Management Proposal 4. Cost Proposal
5. Diverse Business Inclusion Plan (Exhibit B to this RFP)
Proposals must provide information in the same order as presented in this document with the same headings. This will not only be helpful to the evaluators of the proposal, but should assist the Proposer in preparing a thorough response.
Items marked “mandatory” must be included as part of the proposal for the proposal to be considered responsive; however, these items are not scored. Items marked “scored” are those that are awarded points as part of the evaluation conducted by the evaluation team.
Please note the 30 megabyte size limitation specified in 2.2.4 above. 3.1. LETTER OF SUBMITTAL (MANDATORY)
The Letter of Submittal and the attached Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit A to this RFP) must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. Along with introductory remarks, the Letter of Submittal is to include by attachment the following information about the Proposer and any proposed subcontractors:
1. Name, address, principal place of business, telephone number, and e-mail address of legal entity or individual with whom contract would be written.
2. Name, address, and telephone number of each principal officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, etc.).
3. Legal status of the Proposer (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists. 4. Federal Employer Tax Identification number or Social Security number and the Washington
Uniform Business Identification (UBI) number issued by the state of Washington
Department of Revenue. If the Proposer does not have a UBI number, the Proposer must state that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Contractor.
5. Location of the facility from which the Proposer would operate.
6. Identify any state employees or former state employees employed or on the firm’s governing board as of the date of the proposal. Include their position and responsibilities within the Proposer’s organization. If following a review of this information, it is determined by Commerce that a conflict of interest exists, the Proposer may be disqualified from further consideration for the award of a contract.
3.2. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL (SCORED)
The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements:
A. Project Approach/Methodology – Include a complete description of the Proposer’s
proposed approach and methodology for the project. This section should convey Proposer’s understanding of the proposed project.
B. Work Plan - Include all project requirements and the proposed tasks, services, activities, etc. necessary to accomplish the requirements set forth in Section 1.2, Objectives and Scope of Work.
• This section of the technical proposal must contain sufficient detail to convey to members of the evaluation team the Proposer’s knowledge of the subjects and skills necessary to successfully complete the project.
• The Proposer may also present any creative approaches that might be appropriate and may provide any pertinent supporting documentation, including examples of the Proposer’s experience in designing/developing elements of the project requirements. C. Deliverables – Fully describe deliverables to be submitted under the proposed contract.
Deliverables must support the requirements set forth in Section 1.2, Objectives and Scope of Work.
D. Project Schedule - Include a project schedule indicating when the elements of the work will be completed. Project schedule must ensure that any deliverables requested are met and that the project conforms to the schedule set forth in Section 1.2 Objectives and Scope of Work.
E. Process and Outcomes Measurement – Describe the outcomes set forth in Section 1.2 Objectives and Scope of Work proposed to achieve as a result of the delivery of these services including how progress towards and accomplishment of outcomes would be monitored, measured and reported to Commerce.
F. Risks - The Proposer must identify potential risks that are considered significant to the success of the project. Include how the Proposer would propose to effectively monitor and manage these risks, including reporting of risks to the Commerce contract manager. 3.3. MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL
A. Project Management (SCORED)
1. Project Team Structure/Internal Controls - Provide a description of the proposed project team structure and internal controls to be used during the course of the project, including any subcontractors.
• Provide an organizational chart of your firm indicating lines of authority for personnel involved in performance of this potential contract and relationships of this staff to other programs or functions of the firm.
• This chart must also show lines of authority to the next senior level of management. Include who within the firm will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work.
• Identify proposed subcontractors and who they will report to.
2. Staff Qualifications - Identify staff, including subcontractors, who will be assigned to the potential contract, indicating the responsibilities and qualifications of such personnel, and include the amount of time each will be assigned to the project.
• Provide resumes' for the named staff, which include information on the individual’s particular skills related to this project, education, experience, significant accomplishments and any other pertinent information.
• The Proposer must commit that staff identified in its proposal will actually perform the assigned work. Any staff substitution must have the prior approval of Commerce.
3. Client Communication Plan – Describe the communication practices and protocols the project team proposes to utilize to communicate with Commerce and any
subcontractors during the course of the project. Identify examples of experience the Proposer has with using these communication practices with past projects and clients. B. Experience of the Proposer (SCORED)
1. Document the experience the Proposer/staff and any subcontractors have in the following areas:
a. Experience with designing consumer-focused websites that provide product comparison capabilities.
b. Experience building websites that engage users and encourages them to take action. c. Experience in creating product brand, identity, and marketing materials.
d. Experience offering third party provider integration (e.g., integrating financial services firms into a web portal).
e. A working knowledge of the financial industry, specifically in the retirement investment/plan arena.
f. Past work on projects with the public sector, especially state agencies.
2. Indicate other relevant experience that indicates the qualifications of the Proposer, and any subcontractors, for the performance of the potential contract.
3. Include a list of contracts the Proposer has had during the last five years that relate to the Proposer’s ability to perform the services needed under this RFP. List contract reference numbers, contract period of performance, contact persons, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses.
C. Related Information (MANDATORY)
1. If the Proposer or any subcontractor contracted with the state of Washington during the past 24 months, indicate the name of the agency, the contract number and project description and/or other information available to identify the contract.
2. If the Proposer’s staff or subcontractor’s staff was an employee of the state of Washington during the past 24 months, or is currently a Washington State employee, identify the individual by name, the agency previously or currently employed by, job title or position held and separation date.
3. If the Proposer has had a contract terminated for default in the last five years, describe such incident. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the Proposer’s non-performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the Proposer, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the Proposer was in default.
4. Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Present the Proposer’s position on the matter. Commerce will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience. If no such termination for default has been experienced by the Proposer in the past five years, so indicate.
D. References (MANDATORY)
List names, addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of three (3) business references for the Proposer and three (3) business references for the lead staff person for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the type of service provided. Do not include current Commerce staff as references. By submitting a proposal in response to this Work Request, the proposer and team members grant permission to Commerce to contact
these references and others, who from Commerce’s perspective, may have pertinent information. Commerce may or may not, at Commerce’s discretion, contact references. Commerce may evaluate references at Commerce’s discretion.
E. OMWBE Certification (OPTIONAL AND NOT SCORED)
Include proof of certification issued by the Washington State Office of Minority and
Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) if certified minority-owned firm and/or women-owned firm(s) will be participating on this project. For information:
http://www.omwbe.wa.gov.
Please note if any subcontractors are certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (optional and not scored).
3.4. COST PROPOSAL
The maximum fee for this contract must be ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($175,000) or less to be considered responsive to this RFP.
The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Proposal of least cost, but rather to the Proposer’s whose proposal best meets the requirements of this RFP. However, Proposers are encouraged to submit proposals which are consistent with state government efforts to conserve state resources.
A. Identification of Costs (SCORED)
Identify all costs in U.S. dollars including expenses to be charged for performing the services necessary to accomplish the objectives of the contract. The Proposer is to submit a fully detailed budget including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks and to produce the deliverables under the contract. Cost proposals should correspond to the requirements set forth in Section 1.2, Objectives and Scope of Work. Proposers are required to collect and pay Washington state sales and use taxes, as applicable.
Costs for subcontractors are to be broken out separately. The score for the cost proposal will be computed by dividing the lowest cost bid received by the Proposer’s total cost. Then the resultant number will be multiplied by the maximum possible points for the cost section.
4. EVALUATION AND CONTRACT AWARD 4.1. EVALUATION PROCEDURE
Responsive proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation and any addenda issued. The evaluation of proposals shall be accomplished by an evaluation team(s), to be designated by Commerce, which will determine the ranking of the proposals.
Commerce, at its sole discretion, may elect to select the top-scoring firms as finalists for an oral presentation.
The RFP Coordinator may contact the Proposer for clarification of any portion of the Proposer’s proposal.
4.2. EVALUATION WEIGHTING AND SCORING
Responsive proposals will be evaluated using a factored scoring methodology, by which evaluators score every question using a standard scoring matrix, which is then multiplied by the scoring factor (relative importance) to arrive at the factored score.
The following points (scores) and factors will be assigned to the proposal for evaluation purposes: 3.2. Technical Proposal 60%
A. Project Approach/Methodology B. Work Plan C. Deliverables
D. Project Schedule E. Process and Outcome
Measurement F. Risks
Maximum Points Possible
10 points 10 points 10 points 10 points 10 points 10 points Scoring Factor 1 2 2 2 1 1
Total possible points: 90
3.3 Management Proposal 27%
A. Project Management B. Experience of the Proposer
10 points (maximum)
10 points (maximum) 1 3
Total possible points: 40
3.4 Cost Proposal 13%
A. Identification of Costs B. Computation
10 points
10 points 1 1
Total possible points: 20
TOTAL 150 POINTS
Commerce reserves the right to award the contract to the Proposer whose proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of Commerce and the state of Washington.
4.3. ORAL PRESENTATIONS MAY BE REQUIRED
Commerce may after evaluating the written proposals elect to schedule oral presentations of the finalists. Should oral presentations become necessary, Commerce will contact the top-scoring firm(s) from the written evaluation to schedule a date, time and location. Commitments made by the Proposer at the oral interview, if any, will be considered binding. The scores from the written evaluation and the oral presentation combined together will determine the apparent successful contractor.
4.4. NOTIFICATION TO PROPOSERS
Commerce will notify the Apparent Successful Contractor of their selection in writing upon completion of the evaluation process. Individuals or firms whose proposals were not selected for further negotiation or award will be notified separately by e-mail.
4.5. DEBRIEFING OF UNSUCCESSFUL PROPOSERS
Any Proposer who has submitted a proposal and been notified that they were not selected for contract award may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00 PM, Pacific Standard Time, in Olympia, Washington on the third business day following the transmittal of the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification. The debriefing must be held within three (3) business days of the request.
• Evaluation and scoring of the firm’s proposal; • Critique of the proposal based on the evaluation;
• Review of proposer’s final score in comparison with other final scores without identifying the other firms.
Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or on the telephone and will be scheduled for a maximum of one hour.
4.6. PROTEST PROCEDURE
Protests may be made only by Proposers who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed five (5) business days to file a protest of the acquisition with the RFP Coordinator. Protests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 4:30 PM, Pacific Standard Time, in Olympia, Washington on the third business day following the debriefing. Protests may be submitted by e-mail, but must then be followed by the document with an original signature. Proposers protesting this procurement shall follow the procedures described below. Protests that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this procurement.
All protests must be in writing, addressed to the RFP Coordinator, and signed by the protesting party or an authorized Agent. The protest must state the RFP number, the grounds for the protest with specific facts and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included.
Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects shall be considered: • A matter of bias, discrimination or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator; • Errors in computing the score;
• Non-compliance with procedures described in the procurement document or Commerce policy.
Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit if they address issues such as: 1) an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or 2) Commerce’s assessment of its own and/or other agencies needs or requirements.
Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by Commerce. The Commerce Director or an employee delegated by the Director who was not involved in the procurement will consider the record and all available facts and issue a decision within five (5) business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay.
In the event a protest may affect the interest of another Proposer that also submitted a proposal, such Proposer will be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the RFP Coordinator.
• Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold Commerce’s action; or
• Find only technical or harmless errors in Commerce’s acquisition process and determine Commerce to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest; or
• Find merit in the protest and provide Commerce options which may include: --Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals, and/or
--Reissue the solicitation document and begin a new process, or
--Make other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.
If Commerce determines that the protest is without merit, Commerce will enter into a contract with the apparent successful contractor. If the protest is determined to have merit, one of the alternatives noted in the preceding paragraph will be taken.
5. RFP EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Certifications and Assurances Exhibit B Diverse Business Inclusion Plan
EXHIBIT A CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES
I/we make the following certifications and assurances as a required element of the proposal to which it is attached, understanding that the truthfulness of the facts affirmed here and the continuing
compliance with these requirements are conditions precedent to the award or continuation of the related contract:
1. I/we declare that all answers and statements made in the proposal are true and correct. 2. The prices and/or cost data have been determined independently, without consultation,
communication, or agreement with others for the purpose of restricting competition. However, I/we may freely join with other persons or organizations for the purpose of presenting a single proposal.
3. The attached proposal is a firm offer for a period of 60 days following receipt, and it may be accepted by Commerce without further negotiation (except where obviously required by lack of certainty in key terms) at any time within the 60-day period.
4. In preparing this proposal, I/we have not been assisted by any current or former employee of the state of Washington whose duties relate (or did relate) to this proposal or prospective contract, and who was assisting in other than his or her official, public capacity. If there are exceptions to these assurances, I/we have described them in full detail on a separate page attached to this document. 5. I/we understand that Commerce will not reimburse me/us for any costs incurred in the preparation
of this proposal. All proposals become the property of Commerce, and I/we claim no proprietary right to the ideas, writings, items, or samples, unless so stated in this proposal.
6. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices and/or cost data which have been submitted have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by him/her prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Proposer or to any competitor.
7. I/we agree that submission of the attached proposal constitutes acceptance of the solicitation contents and the attached sample contract and general terms and conditions. If there are any exceptions to these terms, I/we have described those exceptions in detail on a page attached to this document.
8. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.
9. I/we grant Commerce the right to contact references and other, who may have pertinent
information regarding the ability of the Contractor and the lead staff person to perform the services contemplated by this RFP.
10. If any staff member(s) who will perform work on this contract has retired from the State of Washington under the provisions of the 2008 Early Retirement Factors legislation, his/her name(s) is noted on a separately attached page.
We (circle one) are / are not submitting proposed Contract exceptions. (See Section 2.12, Contract and General Terms and Conditions.) If Contract exceptions are being submitted, I/we have attached them to this form.
On behalf of the Contractor submitting this proposal, my name below attests to the accuracy of the above statement. We are submitting a scanned signature of this form with our proposal.
Signature of Proposer
Exhibit B
DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN
Do you anticipate using, or is your firm, a State Certified Minority Business? Y/N Do you anticipate using, or is your firm, a State Certified Women’s Business? Y/N Do you anticipate using, or is your firm, a State Certified Veteran Business? Y/N Do you anticipate using, or is your firm, a Washington State Small Business? Y/N If you answered No to all of the questions above, please explain:
____________________________________________________________________________ Please list the approximate percentage of work to be accomplished by each group:
Minority __%
Women __%
Veteran __% Small Business __%
Please identify the person in your organization to manage your Diverse Inclusion Plan responsibility. Name: __________________
Phone: __________________ E-Mail: __________________
