INSTRUCTION FOR COMPLETING
COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORMS
The Competitive Solicitation Acknowledgement Form must be completely filled in. This
may be done on line then printed or you may print then fill in with pen or typewriter.
PLEASE NOTE: IF THIS IS NOT COMPLETED IT MAY BE GROUNDS FOR
REJECTING YOUR SOLICITATION.
NOTICE TO RESPONDERS:
Responders must Mail or Fax Verification of Receipt of Competitive Solicitation.
E-Mail Mary Ward at [email protected] or Fax Attention: Mary Ward, (850)
644-8921.
K 5026-3 05/02/2006
Lab Supplies ITN
Invitation to Negotiate
Laboratory Supplies
ITN K 5026-3: Florida State University Laboratory Supplies
I. NEGOTIATION OVERVIEW
This solicitation is released as an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN) and is entitled, “Florida State University Laboratory Supplies”. Florida State University (FSU), located in Tallahassee, Florida, intends to negotiate a purchase or service agreement(s) with qualified companies in the laboratory supplies industry for the solutions outlined below. The purpose of this solicitation is to establish a three-year contract for the purchase of Laboratory Supplies. The contract term is anticipated to be June 1, 2006 through May 31, 2009.
In accordance with the guidelines under Section 6CS-2.015(27) of the Florida Administrative Code, FSU deems it appropriate to negotiate a contract rather than use other State procurement options as expected responses may contain innovative solutions utilizing components driven by emerging and rapidly
changing technologies.
II. DEFINITIONS
“Bid” means the offer extended to FSU in response to this solicitation.
“Contract” means the legally enforceable agreement, if any, that results from this solicitation. The parties to the Contract shall be FSU and Contractors. The Contract shall be reduced to writing substantially in the form included in section 5.0 of these solicitation documents.
“Sole Point of Contact” means the Purchasing employee to whom bidders shall address any questions regarding the solicitation or award process. The sole point of contact shall be the arbitrator of any dispute concerning performance of the Contract.
“FSU” is Florida State University.
“Contractor” is a successful bidder, which along with FSU, will enter into the Contract. FSU may make multiple awards, but for sake of convenience the solicitation documents use the singular form of this term. If a Contractor is a manufacturer, its certified dealers and resellers may also furnish products under the Contract; in choosing to do so, the dealers and resellers agree to honor the Contract and the term “Contractor” shall be deemed to refer to them. Unless awarded the Contract as a direct bidder, however, dealers and resellers are not parties to the Contract, and the Contractor that certifies them shall be responsible for their actions and omissions.
“Customer” is FSU and other eligible users that may order products directly from the Contractor under the Contract. By ordering products under the Contract, the Customer agrees to its terms. Customers are not, however, parties to the Contract.
“Product” means any deliverable under the Contract.
“Purchase Order” or “Order” means the form or format a Customer uses to make a purchase under the Contract (e.g., a formal written purchase order, electronic purchase order, procurement card, or any other means authorized in writing by contract manager).
“Contract Manager” means the Purchasing employee who is primarily responsible for administration of the Contract. FSU shall post contact information on its Internet web page associated with the Contract. FSU may appoint a different Contract Manager, which shall not constitute an amendment to the Contract, by updating the posted contact information and sending notice to Contractor. Any communication to FSU by Contractors shall be addressed to the Contract Manager.
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III. FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF CONTRACT TO BE AWARDED
This Invitation to Negotiate is for Laboratory Supplies. All products offered under this contract shall be new, unused and currently available. Remanufactured or refurbished products are not acceptable, in lieu of a new product, unless authorized by the Customer(s).
A. Term
FSU proposes the initial term of the agreement shall be three (3) years, with three (3) one-year renewal options, with the consent of both parties. For the purposes of this initial response, please respond with this term in mind. Subsequent negotiations with vendors on the short list may result in a different term structure.
B. Pricing Buckets
1. General Supplies
The General Supplies list is a consolidated list of products that represent approximately 60% of FSU’s annual spend on Laboratory Supplies between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2005. All lots are included in Attachment B – Lab Supplies Pricing Matrix. The following information is provided for all items (when available):
• Product Manufacturer’s (MFR)
• Product Manufacturer’s Model Number (MFR_NUM)
• UPC code (UPC)
• Item Description (ITEM_DESC)
• Unit of Measure (UOM)
• Unit of Measure Description (UOM_DESC)
• Estimated Annual Usage (EAU)
Vendors shall respond with a List Price and Unit Price for all items. All other fields shall not be modified by the bidders. Vendors shall identify items that can not be found or provided.
2. Manufacturers
The Manufacturers’ list represents approximate spend with several Laboratory Supplies manufacturers. If the bidder has specific pricing with a manufacturer, it should be provided.
C. Pricing Expectations
1. General Supplies
For the items contained in the Core contract items list, discount from published list for the specific Unit of Measure (UOM) from the award of the contract is required. Pricing offered with the bid shall be held firm against any price increases not sooner than 12 months from the effective date of the contract.
FSU reserves the right, on at least an annual basis, to re-negotiate the core contract items list with contactor to ensure it matches the buying patterns of customers.
2. Manufacturer Pricing
Bidders shall provide a proposed percentage discount from retail list price to be applied to these products to determine the final invoice price when purchased. Where there is no match for an item, use the product manufacturer's MSRP to apply the discount. If the item is a private label, then the vendor is considered the product manufacturer and the same discount shall be applied.
This discount must be a positive discount and not a cost-adder to FSU. This discount shall be in addition to any other cost reductions associated with these items. For each bidder’s eligible
manufacturer, this discount shall be identified in the Manufacturer Discount cells of the Attachment B – Laboratory Supplies Pricing Matrix.xls document.
This discount from list must be guaranteed for the entire life of the contract period awarded.
3. Incentive & Rebates
Bidder’s willingness to offer incentives and/or rebates included shall be specified in the response. 4. Payment Terms
Payment shall be within 30 days of receipt of invoice for goods or services received. 5. Price Adjustments
Price adjustments during the contract period are permitted using the following criteria:
Successful bidder(s) will only be allowed to increase prices on the contract anniversary date for each year of the contract. Any price increase is not to exceed the finished goods Producer Price Index, if the index changes by more than 3%. If the Producer Price Index falls, prices should be reduced. The percentage discount originally accepted for award shall not be decreased at any time during the contract period.
The vendor must notify FSU Purchasing of any intended price increase at least 60 days before the anniversary date of the contract. The FSU Purchasing Department reserves the right to accept or reject any price increases. Any increase accepted shall not become effective prior to 30 days after receipt of the request. All requests for acceptance of revised pricing must be substantiated by written evidence that the increase(s) are a result of general industry-wide changes.
Any price decrease effectuated during the contract period either by reason of market change or on the part of the vendor to other customers shall be passed on to Florida State University.
D. Basis of Short List Selection
The immediate objective of this process is to identify Best Value suppliers that can serve FSU well and provide attractive pricing. The University shall determine the short list of vendors after evaluating each of them on the following three points. For determination of the short list each of the three points will be given equal consideration.
1. Bidder’s use of creative programs to ensure quick and deep "traction” within the FSU community. Examples include:
- Use of marketing programs in higher education environments (e.g., departmental “road shows”, leveraging web site messages, etc.)
- Willingness to extend the agreement by expanding the to customer (University) definition (e.g., to alumni, retirees, etc.)
2. Financial considerations and flexibility. Examples include:
- Examples of creative pricing (e.g., signing bonuses, rebates, prebates, etc.) - Willingness to hold pricing constant and/or cap pricing changes
3. Pricing
- Weighted average discounts on item pricing as organized in the electronic worksheet which is part of this ITN
- Willingness to renegotiate list definitions on a scheduled basis
IV. LABORATORY SUPPLIES SERVICE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
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A. Delivery Locations
Delivery shall be free (FOB Destination) to any location. If special delivery or handling charges are applicable they shall be pre-approved by the order initiator.
A Contractor, within twenty-four (24) hours after receiving a purchase order, shall notify the Customer of any potential delivery delays. Evidence of inability to deliver or intentional delays shall be cause for Contractor suspension and/or Contract cancellation.
B. Delivery Timing
The Contractor shall provide delivery within two (2) business days from time of order at no extra charge. On-time delivery shall be maintained at 95% or greater. On-time delivery is defined as delivery of order within two (2) business days of placement of order. Later orders are anything greater than two (2) business days, unless with approved notification.
C. Minimum Delivery Cost – Shipping Charges
There shall be no shipping or delivery charges as long as the minimum order is at least $25.00. D. Order Accuracy
Order Accuracy rate shall be maintained at 98% or greater. Order Accuracy rate is defined as “the number of items delivered as ordered divided by the total number of items ordered.”
A report of Order Accuracy rate shall be provided by the Contractor at each Business Review (see below) or when requested by FSU.
E. Order Completeness
Order Fill rate shall be maintained at 95% or greater. Order Fill rate is defined as “the number of items on an order filled completely as ordered divided by to the total number of lines on an order.”
A report of Order Fill rate shall be provided at each Business Review (see below) or when requested by FSU.
A report of Order Completeness rate shall be provided by the Contractor at each Business Review (see below) or when requested by FSU.
Known backorders by the Contractor shall be provided within twenty-four (24) days of original order, unless special circumstances apply. The information shall be provided to the customer. The following information about the backorder(s) may be requested by the Customer or FSU:
• Item ID / Number
• Item Name & Description
• Reason for shortage
• Plan of action (when delivery may be expected or suggested replacement)
• PO Number, if applicable
Shipment shortages or over-shipments found by a Customer shall be reported to Contractor’s customer service immediately upon recognition.
F. Substitutions
Substitutions of any kind shall be used only in the event of an item not being available, or in order to save the Customer money. Substitutions cannot occur without first notifying and requesting permission of the Customer.
If a higher priced item is used to fill the order, the Customer shall be billed at the lower price of the item that was out of stock, not the higher priced item.
G. Return Policy
• All merchandise is in original packaging and in re-sellable conditions. Original packaging may not have Customer’s writing on them.
• Merchandise is returned within 30 days of delivery. H. Restocking Policy
Contractor shall not impose a restocking fee on Customer if an item is returned due to damage, incorrect product shipped, or Contractor customer service order entry error. Also, the contractor shall also not impose a restocking fee on Customer for inventory that is returned within 24 hours of delivery. Contractor shall not impose a restocking fee on Customer for inventory that is returned, but exchanged for other inventory. Re-stocking fees for all other reasons can be no greater than 10% of the value of the items needing re-stocking.
I. Customer Support
Each Contractor shall have a single point of contact for any customer support. This individual may support multiple Customers.
Customers shall have access to their corresponding customer service representative during normal business hours of every business day (8am (EST) to 5pm (EST)).
J. Business Review Meetings
In order to maintain the partnership between FSU and the Contractor, FSU requires a Business Review meeting. This meeting shall be held on at least an annual basis, if not more frequently. The business review meeting shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
• Review of Contractor performance as determined by Service Level Agreement metrics
• Review of minimum required reports (see Section IV.L - Reporting)
• Review of continuous improvement plans to consolidate number of Core items K. Reporting
Minimum required reports, in electronic format, are the following: Quarterly Reports & Statistics
• Total dollar value of purchases and total number of orders
• Total value of purchases and total number of orders by Customer
• Total purchases by item number
• Total value of purchases of Core Items divided by total value of all purchases
• Total purchases paid by check vs. purchasing card
• # of Orders made within the 2 business day requirement divided by total number of orders
• Overall Order Accuracy Rate = # orders with order accuracy rate of less than 98% vs. # orders with order accuracy rate of more than 98%
• Order Fill Rate = # orders with order fill rate of less than 95%
• # of orders returned due to Customer error
• Total re-stocking charges ($) applied
• # of Orders returned due to Contractor error
• Total dollar value of surcharges, transaction fees, delivery charges, and other misc. charges
Annual Reports & Statistics
• Total dollar value of purchases and total number of orders
• Total value of purchases and total number of orders by Customer
• Total purchases by item number
• Total value of purchases of Core Items divided by total value of all purchases
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• # of Orders made within the 2 business day requirement divided by total number of orders
• Overall Order Accuracy Rate = # orders with order accuracy rate of less than 98% vs. # orders with order accuracy rate of more than 98%
• Order Fill Rate = # orders with order fill rate of less than 95%
• # of orders returned due to Customer error
• Total re-stocking charges ($) applied
• # of Orders returned due to Contractor error
• Total dollar value of surcharges, transaction fees, delivery charges, and other misc. charges
• Calendar Year Usage Detail, containing the following fields:
o Item ID
o Item Description
o Unit of Measure
o Total Quantity Ordered
o Total Quantity Shipped
o Sales Price
o List Price
o Total Sales Price (Total Quantity Shipped * Sales Price)
o Department L. Contract Home Page
Each Contractor shall develop and maintain a FSU Contract Web Page on the Internet to enable access to and ordering from Contractor’s catalog for all eligible users.
FSU Contract Web Site must have the following requirements:
• FSU-specific current contract pricing
• Detailed item descriptions; pictures when possible
• Indicators of recycled product and minority manufactured product, when possible
• Robust search engine capabilities
• Additional links or information may be placed on the screen to access additional product literature, the vendor’s home page, the history of the company, etc.
• “Shopping-cart” ordering capability
• Universal Resource Locator (URL) for the Internet Page must be supplied to FSU prior to the implementation of the contract
• A current list of contract items for customers, which is explicitly stated as a contract item and easily location on the website.
V. INITIAL WRITTEN RESPONSE & PROPOSAL
Original proposal and all copies must be on 8-½ x11 text weight paper, using binding tabs that will facilitate the distribution and evaluation of the proposals.
A. Response Format
• Submit one (1) copy of the initial response on CD or PC compatible disk, preferably in Word® and/or Excel®. The original response must contain the original manual signature of the authorized person signing the proposal, and the electronic copy of the proposal. The ‘Laboratory Supplies Pricing Matrix’ response shall be in Excel® as provided.
• Submit one (1) original and ten (10) copies of the offeror’s proposal in hard copy form.
Failure to include the original response, the electronic Excel ®, and all signed copies may be grounds for rejection of your initial response without further evaluation.
• The original hard copy response must be in a standard size 3 ring binder or binders, tabbed and numbered as described on the following page.
• Copies must be bound but may be bound using alternative binding.
• The original response must be in a separate envelope, clearly marked original.
• Copies may be submitted in bulk.
• The outer carton of the response must include the ITN number, name and due date.
• The offerors’ response must include the information and required submittals described,
tabbed and numbered as shown below, with all information appearing in the Tab in which it was requested.
• Questions and requests for information may not be rearranged, regrouped, or divided in any way.
• All information and required submittals requested MUST BE in hardcopy and included in your written response.
Responses must not refer the University to electronic media such as websites, cd’s, disks, or tapes in order to obtain the required information or submittals.
Failure to adhere to this condition may cause your response to be rejected without further evaluation.
• Information submitted that is not requested by the University may be considered to be supplemental, not subject to evaluation by the committee members.
• If there is any information or required submittals which due to size or binding cannot be incorporated following the proper tab, the offeror must provide information following the numbered tab, telling the evaluator where the information can be found in the response.
• Paper copies of responses must be tabbed, headed, and numbered exactly as outlined in each section, and the required information must be provided in the section under which it was requested by FSU. Responding companies may not combine or reorganize the headings and/or requests for information, or indicate that the information will be included in another section.
• Tabular / Paginated Format:
o Tab 1: A one to two page executive summary of the offerors’ proposal, including brief descriptions of the company’s expertise procuring a contract the size and scope described in the ITN, and how the proposer plans to address the University’s requirements.
o Tab 2: Completed and signed ITN acknowledgement form, and/or signed and completed acknowledgement forms for any addenda issued.
o Tab 3: Contact name(s) and title(s) of the individual(s) responsible for the company’s proposal and negotiation during this ITN process.
o Tab 4: The financial statements of the company for the past three years. If the company is a division of a larger corporation, the statements must be submitted for the corporation as a whole and for that division of the corporation.
o Tab 5: A listing of the company projects/customers similar in size and scope to the services described in the ITN. This list must include the name, address, telephone, and email address of the client contract administrator. If applicable, please list examples of services rendered in the state of Florida, particularly within institutions of higher learning.
o Tab 6: As defined in Section III.D, please describe the process of producing “best value” for FSU and its users, through creative marketing and/or other programs.
o Tab 7: As defined in Section III.D, please describe any financial considerations and flexibility of the bidder.
o Tab 8 (Attachment B – Laboratory Supplies Pricing Matrix): Core Item Pricing (in tabular format)
o Product Manufacturer, where available (MFR_NUM)
o Product Manufacturer’s Model Number (MFR_NUM)
o Product Description (ITEM_DESC)
o Unit of Measure (UOM)
o Unit of Measure Description (UOM_DESC)
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o Unit Price (UNIT_PR)o Tab 9 (Attachment B – Laboratory Supplies Pricing Matrix): Manufacturer Pricing
o Manufacturer – Discount off list
o Tab 10 (Attachment B – Laboratory Supplies Pricing Matrix): Manufacturer Pricing
o Category – Discount off list
B. Delivery of Proposals
The original and copies must be mailed or hand delivered to the University contact noted in section number IX of the ITN. These copies must be received within the University Purchasing Office by the date and time specified in calendar of events. Please see Appendix A – Calendar of Events for due date.Emailed or faxed copies are not acceptable and shall be considered as an invalid response. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that proposals are delivered to the Purchasing Office by the date and time shown on the calendar of events.
C. Important Note Regarding Initial Written Response
The determination of the companies selected for the short list with which negotiations will continue shall be based on evaluation of the initial written response submitted. There shall be no opportunity for presentations at this stage. Any response that does not provide complete, accurate, and detailed answers to each question and pricing requests, or which indicates the company prefers to defer providing complete details until a later stage in the process, may be declared non-responsive, and rejected without further evaluation.
D. Important Note Regarding Supplier Diversity Initiative
Florida is a state rich in its diversity. Florida State University is dedicated to fostering the continued development and economic growth of small and minority and women-owned businesses. Central to this initiative is the participation of a diverse group of vendors doing business with the state. To this end, it is vital that minority and women-owned business enterprises participate in the State’s
procurement process as both prime contractors and subcontractors under prime contracts. Small and minority and women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to submit replies to this solicitation, or to contact larger suppliers about subcontracting opportunities.
To track the success of the One Florida Initiative, the University maintains data to establish
benchmarks from which to measure supplier diversity in University purchasing. Vendors who contract with the University are obligated to provide information related to the use of minority- and women-owned businesses and subcontractors.
The vendor shall submit documentation addressing the Governor’s One Florida Initiative and describing the efforts being made to encourage the participation of small and minority and women-owned businesses. Please refer to the Governor’s “Equity in Contracting Plan” when preparing this documentation:
http://www.oneflorida.org/myflorida/government/governorinitiatives/one_florida/equity_contracting.html
Equity in Contracting documentation should identify any participation by diverse contractors and suppliers as prime contractors, subcontractors, vendors, resellers, distributors, or such other participation as the parties may agree. Equity in Contracting documentation shall include the timely reporting of spending with certified and other minority business enterprises. Such reports must be submitted at least quarterly and include the period covered, the name, minority code, and Federal Employer Identification Number of each minority vendor utilized during the period, commodities and services provided by the minority business enterprise, and the amount paid to each minority vendor on behalf of each purchasing agency ordering under the terms of this bid.
VI. EVALUATION PROCESS
Proposals shall be evaluated by the ITN Evaluation Committee to determine a short list of companies whose written response best addresses the University’s priorities, as previously stated. The University, after initial written responses have been evaluated, shall utilize the following negotiation process:
The University shall determine a short list of two or more companies with whom to enter into simultaneous negotiations. At the conclusion of this negotiation process, companies in whose offer the University is still interested will be asked to submit a written best and final offer, to memorialize all agreements reached during negotiations and to extend additional benefits to the University, if desired. An invitation to submit a best and final offer is not automatic. If at the conclusion of the negotiation process, the University
evaluation team feels that further evaluation of an offer is not needed, and is unlikely to end in a contract award to the proposer, the proposer will be notified that his/her participation has been terminated. The negotiation process will stop upon submission of the “best and final” offers and companies will not be allowed to make further adjustments to their offer or communicate further with the University, except to respond to requests for clarification from the Committee. The final decision of the Evaluation Committee shall be based upon the initial written response (as described in Section V – Initial Written Response & Proposal), negotiation sessions, and best and final offers. Such a decision may be subject to approval by the Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration.
VII. AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE
Representatives of the offeror(s) selected to participate in oral negotiation(s) shall be first required to submit written authorization from the company CEO or CFO attesting to the fact that the company’s lead negotiator is authorized to bind the company to the terms and conditions agreed to during negotiations and as contained in the offeror’s best and final offer. Such authorization shall be requested immediately upon posting of the ranking or short list companies, and the provision of such authorization shall be a prerequisite to continuation in the ITN process. The University shall not enter into extensive contract negotiations with the selected offeror(s) after the negotiation process has been completed. If the
University determines that a company awarded a contract based on this ITN does not honor all aspects of the agreement reached during the negotiations in the best and final offer, the University reserves the right to immediately cancel the award, and to place the company on the University’s suspended vendor list. Company negotiators must enter the negotiations prepared to speak on behalf of the offerors company. The University reserves the right to immediately terminate negotiations with any company whose representatives are not empowered to, or who will not, make decisions during the negotiation session. Companies are reminded that the University may elect not to solicit a best and final offer from any company whose representative(s) have been unable or unwilling to commit to decisions reached during the verbal negotiation process.
VIII. ITN QUESTIONS
Preliminary questions relative to the ITN document and/or process may be submitted in advance by email to the FSU point of contact, prior to the pre-negotiation conference. Questions which cannot be answered at the conference, or questions that arise following the conference must be submitted in writing no later than the day and time shown in the Calendar of Events as the last day to submit questions. FSU may respond to questions via an addendum that will be posted to the FSU Purchasing Department website:
http://www.purchasing.fsu.edu/VendorInfo.html. All postings referred to in this ITN will be posted
electronically on this website. At all times it shall remain the responsibility of the company participating in the ITN to check the website for postings of addenda or short list or award decisions. No further notice will be given. Only representatives of the selected companies who are authorized to negotiate and initiate contracts will be involved in negotiations as defined above in Section #VII AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE. A calendar of ITN events is included in Appendix A.
IX. SOLE POINT OF CONTACT
The University’s sole point of contact for all matters relating to this ITN is: Herica Valerus, Coordinator of Purchasing
Purchasing and Receiving Florida State University
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Tallahassee, FL 32306 Phone: (850) 645-2789 Fax: (850) 644-8921
Email: [email protected]
Any individual associated with the company participating in this ITN who contacts any other University employee and/or Evaluation Committee member supporting this project regarding any aspect of this ITN, who attempts to discuss the ITN with any representative of FSU other than the person designated as the sole point of contact, whether such contact be in person, telephone, or through electronic or written correspondence, may be determined to have violated the terms and conditions of this solicitation. If that determination is made, any proposal received from such an individual OR his or her company may be rejected as non-responsive, not subject to evaluation. If there are any changes or additions to the sole point of contact information at any time in the process, participating companies will be notified via an addendum to the ITN.
X. INTERPRETATIONS AND DISPUTES
Any questions concerning conditions and specifications must be directed in writing to the FSU Purchasing Department, to the attention of the person designated as the sole point of contact, by the date and time outlined in the Calendar of Events. No interpretation will be considered binding unless provided in writing by the University in response to requests in full compliance with this provision. Any person who is adversely affected by the University’s decision or intended decision concerning a solicitation or contract award and who wants to protest such a decision will file a protest in compliance with Section
120.57(3)(b), F.S. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Section 120.57(3)(b), F.S., and the bond required under Rule 6C-18.055(3) will constitute a waiver of proceedings.
XI. NOTICE OF ITN PROTEST, BONDING REQUIREMENT
Any person or company/business who files an action protesting a decision or intended decision pertaining to the ITN solicitation administered by the University pursuant to Section 120.57(3)(b), Florida Statutes, will post with the University at the time of filing the formal written protest, a BOND payable to the University in an amount equal to ten percent of the total volume of the contract or $10,000, whichever is less, which bond will be conditioned upon the payment of all costs which may be adjudged against the protester in the administrative hearing in which the action is brought and in any subsequent appellate court proceeding. In lieu of a bond, the University may, in either case, accept a cashier’s check or money order in the amount of the bond.
Failure to file the proper bond at the time of filing the formal protest shall result in a denial of the protest.
XII. PUBLIC RECORDS
All materials submitted by a company in response to this solicitation, in whole or in part, are a public document pursuant to Section 119.07, Florida Statutes. This includes any material that the company might consider confidential or a trade secret. Any reference to confidentiality or restrictions on circulation or release of all or part of any proposal submitted, whether such reference is submitted either purposely through intent or design or inadvertently appearing separately in transmittal letters, specifications, literature, price lists or warranties, it is understood and agreed the conditions as stated in this solicitation are the only conditions applicable to this ITN, and the authorized signature of the company representative affixed to the acknowledgement form attests to this.
XIII. NON-MANDATORY PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE
FSU will conduct a Pre-Proposal Conference on the date, time, and location specified in the calendar of events. Please see the calendar of events for detailed information. Due to the nature of parking at FSU it is highly recommended that attendees arrive approximately one hour before the start of the pre-bid
conference. Attendees must follow all University parking regulations. If you have questions as to where or how to park on campus, please contact University Parking Services at (850) 644-5278.
Any person requiring special accommodations should contact Jerry Rivera at (850) 644 – 8142 or
While FSU believes that it is important to attend the Pre-proposal Conference in person, in recognition that carriers shall be required to involve senior managers and staff relative to the sponsorship
opportunities, the University will welcome participation by teleconference as well. If an offeror wishes to participate by teleconference, the offeror must contact Herica Valerusat (850) 644-2789 or
[email protected] at least twenty-four hours before the start of the conference. This will ensure
that the conference bridge is capable of fully supporting the requirements of offerors. It will also permit the University to email conference materials and presentations to attendees.
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Appendix A – Proposed Calendar of Events
Task
A. FSU Releases ITN 5/2/2006
B. Pre-Proposal Conference 5/15/2006 @ 2:00 PM EST
[Location]
C. Last Day for Vendor Questions 5/19/2006 @ 11:00AM EST D. Addenda Release, if necessary, with Answers to Questions 5/23/2006
E. ITN Proposal Due Date 5/31/2006 @ 3:00PM EST
F. ITN Committee Reviews of Proposals, Determine Short List, Posts Short List 6/2/2006 G. Presentations & Negotiations with Finalists TBD
H. Best & Final Offers Due TBD
I. ITN Committee Reviews Best & Final Offers TBD
J. FSU Posts Intent to Award TBD
