REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #09-18
The Board of Public Education for the City of Savannah and the County of Chatham (hereinafter referred to as "the Board") is soliciting sealed proposals for Employee Benefits: Vision Plan as specified in this Request for Proposal (RFP). The successful bidder(s) (hereinafter referred to as "the offeror") shall meet the terms and conditions set forth in this document and all attachments.
I. Standard Terms and Conditions of Proposal
A. Definition
Competitive sealed proposals are being solicited in response to this RFP. The competitive sealed proposal process differs from competitive sealed bidding in two important ways:
1. It permits discussions with competing offerors and changes in their proposal including price; and
2. It allows comparative judgmental evaluations to be made on various criteria ( in addition to cost) for award of the contract.
B. Pricing
No charge will be allowed for those federal, state or local sales and excise taxes where the Board is exempt by state and Federal law. A tax exemption certificate will be furnished by the Board to the successful offeror upon request.
The Board will factor any rebates offered for total dollar volume or quantities ordered over the performance period of this contract in the award of this proposal.
In the event the offeror wishes to provide additional services above and beyond the stated requirements of this proposal at no cost to the Board, these services should be identified and included in the proposal response.
C. Shipping, Delivery, Terms of Payment & Invoicing
All orders shall be shipped F.O.B. Destination to the designated site after receipt of the purchase order. Since the successful offeror(s) will be responsible for all freight expenses, the selection of carrier shall be determined by the offeror.
The successful offeror agrees to reference the following on all shipping documents and invoices:
1.) Purchase Order Number
2.) Serial Number (as applicable)
3.) Part Number/Description/Nomenclature
4.) Quantity Ordered
5.) Quantity Shipped
6.) Site Destination
Failure to ship order in its entirety will prevent payment of your invoices. Per Board policy, backorders will not be accepted. Accordingly, successful offeror(s) should not invoice until one shipment has been made for all items on order.
Offerors shall guarantee delivery of supplies and services in accordance with such delivery schedule as may be provided in the specifications.
The Boards Purchasing Director reserves the right to charge the vendor for each day the supplies or services are not delivered in accordance with the delivery schedule. The per diem charge may be invoked at the discretion of the Boards Purchasing Director and said sum to be taken as liquidated damages and deducted from the final payment, or charged back to the vendor.
All invoices should be mailed to:
Savannah-Chatham Co. Board of Public Education
Attn.: ACCOUNTS PAYABLE
208 Bull Street, Room 119
Savannah, GA 31401
Terms of payment will be 2% 10th Net 40 Days.
D. General Specifications/Scope of Work
Specifications/Scope of Work for items/services to be purchased are detailed in the attached Specifications Sheet "Attachment A" following Section III.
When reference is made in the specifications to manufacturer or brand name, such references are made solely to designate minimum acceptable levels of quality and do not indicate a preference.
In the event an offeror is proposing another manufacturer and/or model number other than stated in the specification, the offeror must provide complete technical information, specifications, manufacturer's name, model number and a complete list of deviations from stated specifications. The burden of proof for documenting equality rests with the offeror. All determinations of the acceptability of an equal or alternate material or equipment shall rest with the Board staff and their decision shall be final.
Proposals on equipment must be on standard, new equipment of the latest model and in current production, unless otherwise specified. Used, reconditioned or refurbished equipment is not acceptable unless otherwise specified.
All regularly manufactured stock electrical items must bear the label of the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.
Any obvious error or omission in specifications shall not inure to the benefit of the offeror but shall put the offeror on notice to inquire of or identify the same from the Board.
E. Discontinuation of Equipment
In the event items requested are discontinued by the manufacturer, offeror shall substitute an equivalent replacement item from the same manufacturer at equal or lower pricing. Offeror shall advise of any anticipated discontinuations. Proposed replacement equipment must be submitted for review and approval prior to completion of any substitution.
F Submittal of Objections
Objections from offerors to this Request for Proposal and/or these specifications should be brought to the attention of the Board, Director of Purchasing. The offeror should submit any objections in writing not less than (5) days prior to the opening of the proposal. The objections contemplated may pertain to form and/or substance of the RFP documents and specifications. Failure to object in accordance with this procedure will constitute a waiver on the part of the offeror to protest this Request for Proposal.
G. RFP Interpretations/Addenda
If any questions should arise pertaining to the RFP documents, the offeror may mail or fax a written request for interpretation to:
Savannah-Chatham Board of Public Education
Attn.: Vanessa M. Kaigler
Purchasing Director
208 Bull Street, Room 213
Savannah, GA 31401
Fax No.: (912)201-7648
Any interpretation of documents shall be made by addendum to the RFP. Copy of such addenda will mailed or faxed to each offeror receiving a set of documents. All requests for interpretation must be submitted on or before the close of business, 05:00:00 PM on July 22, 2008. The Board shall not be responsible for any other explanation of questions submitted after this date. The Board shall mail, fax, or contact offeror for pickup of any addenda prior to the close of business on July 24, 2008.
Any addenda issued during the time of the RFP shall be covered in submitted proposals, and in closing the contract shall become a part thereof.
H. Failure to Respond
If a proposal is not to be submitted but the offeror wishes to remain on the Board's list of offerors, the offeror should complete and return the Certification /M/FBD Program Information document found in this packet marked No Response.
I. Receipt & Registration of Proposals
Proposals and modifications shall be time-stamped upon receipt. Proposals shall not be opened publicly but shall be opened in the presence of two or more Purchasing officials. Proposals and modifications shall be shown only to Board personnel having a legitimate interest. Only after award of the contract shall proposals be open to public inspection.
J. Errors in Proposals
Offerors or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting proposals. Failure to do so will be at the offeror's own risk. The offeror may withdraw a proposal prior to the proposal opening date and time by requesting to do so in writing.
K. Standards of Acceptance of Proposal for Contract Award
The Board reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or technicalities in proposals received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the Board. The Board has the right to disqualify a proposal of any offeror as being unresponsive when such offeror cannot document its ability to deliver requested services or when investigation show it is not in a position to perform the contract.
L. Compliance With Laws
The offeror shall obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, liability insurance, workman's compensation insurance and comply with any and all other standards or regulations required by Federal, State, or County statutes, ordinances and rules during the performance of any contract between the Board and the offeror. Any such requirement specifically set forth in any contract document between the offeror and the Board shall be supplementary to this section and not in substitution thereof.
M. Indemnity Provisions
Where offeror is required to enter or go onto property to provide services or gather information, the offeror shall be liable for any injury (including death), damage or loss occasioned by negligence of the offeror, his agent, or any person the offeror has designated to visit Board property and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Board, its officers, employees, agents and volunteers from any liability arising therefrom.
N. Cancellation/Default of Contract
In the event the successful offeror, through any cause, should fail to fulfill the agreed upon obligations in an effective and timely manner, the Board shall have the right to terminate its contract by specifying the date of termination in a written notice to the selected vendor. The cancellation shall become effective on the date as specified in the notice of cancellation sent to the contractor. The Board also reserves the right to procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the defaulting vendor responsible for any excess cost incurred.
O. Certification of Independent Price Determination
By submission of this proposal, the offeror certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this Request for Proposal:
1. The pricing structure in this proposal has been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other offeror or with any competitor;
2. The pricing structure which has been quoted in this proposal has not been knowingly disclosed by the offeror and will not knowingly be disclosed by the offeror prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other offeror or to any competitor; and
3. No attempt has been made or will be made by the offeror to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.
P. Minority/Female Business Development Program
It is Board policy to improve opportunities for minority/ female business enterprises (M/FBD) to participate competitively in proposals for materials and supplies, and professional services. Participation goals are established each fiscal year and are currently at 10% for African American and 5% for Female business enterprises.
All bidders must read and complete all documents included in Attachment C with all pertinent Exhibits.
Q. Responsive Offeror Criteria
* Availability of Products/ Services
* Warranties/Guarantees
* Ability to Meet Equipment Specifications/Proposal Conditions
* Documented Quality of Product and Manufacturer
* Service and Support Capability
R. Qualification of Offeror
A responsible offeror is defined as one who meets, or by the date of the proposal acceptance can meet, all requirements for licensing, insurance, and service contained within this Request for Proposal. The Board has the right to require any or all offerors to submit documentation of the ability to perform, provide, or carry out the service requested.
S. Proposal Discussion with Individual Offerors
Discussion may be held with offerors submitting proposals acceptable or potentially acceptable. The purpose of the discussions are:
1. Promote understanding of the Boards requirements and the offerors proposals; and
2. Facilitate arriving at a contract most advantageous to the Board taking into consideration price and other evaluation factors set forth in the RFP.
T. Compliance with Specification/Terms and Conditions
The Request for Proposal, Legal Advertisement, General Terms and Conditions, Proposal Submittal Instructions, Special Terms and Conditions, Specifications, Attachments, Vendor's Response, any addenda, and/or any other pertinent documents form a part of the offeror's proposal and by reference are made a part hereof.
U. Award of Contract
The contract, if awarded, will be awarded by means of a two- step process as described in Attachment A Specifications for .
Product quality, service issues and other factors stipulated above in Condition O must be met to the satisfaction of the Board for a proposal to be considered responsive. Moreover, the Board will award the contract to the next most qualified offeror if the selected offeror is unable to execute a contract and provide delivery within the time parameters specified in this RFP.
In the case of a tie of more than three offerors at the conclusion of the first step, the top three offerors will be determined by the following criteria:
1. Savannah-Chatham County Minority/Female Business Enterprise
2. Savannah-Chatham County Vendor
3. Metropolitan Statistical Area Vendor
4. Georgia Vendor
If proposals remained tied, then award will be made by means of a public coin flip performed by the buyer and witnessed by one other Board employee and all interested parties.
Any contract resulting from the acceptance of a proposal shall contain, at a minimum, all applicable provisions of this Request for Proposal.
At its option, the Board may take either of the following actions in order to form an agreement between the Board and the selected offeror:
1. Accept a proposal by issuing a written Notice of Award to the selected offeror, which incorporates the proposal documents by reference and accepts all or selected portions of the offerors proposal. This Notice of Award will represent a contractual obligation, and will be executed by both the Board and the selected offeror.
2. Enter into negotiations in an effort to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement entitled Memorandum of Agreement for Office Supplies, which represents a contractual obligation and will be executed by both the Board and the selected offeror. This agreement will be based on proposal documents, the submitted proposal and the associated negotiations.
V. Vendor Performance
The successful offeror(s) will be evaluated by the Board over the duration of the contract period. Performance will be documented. Poor performance may result in the vendor being disqualified on future proposals.
W. Signed Proposal Considered Offer
The signed proposal shall be considered an offer on the part of the offeror, and shall be deemed accepted upon approval by the Board. In case of a default on the part of the offeror after such acceptance, the Board may take such action as it deems appropriate, including legal action for damages or lack of required performance.
X. Public Information
It is the policy of the Board that at the conclusion of the selection process, the contents of all proposals will be placed in the public domain and be open to inspection by interested parties. Trade secrets or proprietary information that are recognized as such and are protected by law may be withheld, if clearly identified as such in the proposal. Failure to list all proprietary sections of the submitted proposal shall relieve the Board from any responsibility should such information be viewed by the public, a competitor, or be in any way accidentally released.
II. Proposal Submittal Instructions
All proposals must be prepared in the standard format described below in order to facilitate comparison and evaluation. Failure to follow the format or to address an area adequately may cause the proposal to be deemed unresponsive and therefore, be excluded from consideration. Any proposed deviation from the requested item must be noted and fully explained.
A. Completion of Certification Form & M/FBD Program Information Form
1. Complete the attached Certification Form. Include a contact person for this proposal with a phone number where that person may be reached. Include this form as the first page of the submittal.
The offeror is required to provide references, including phone number and contact person, of at least three firms for whom similar items or services have been supplied.
2. Complete the M/FBD Information Form with pertinent information for minority/female/majority designation.
3. Complete the Where Did You Hear About This Proposal section. This information is for statistical use only.
4. Complete all pertinent documents within Attachment C.
B. Completion of Proposal Submittal Form
For each item listed on the Proposal Submittal Form, complete with the requested information.
C. Proposal Preparation and Submittal
All proposals shall be:
* Typewritten or legibly printed in ink and signed by an authorized representative, with all erasures or corrections initialed and dated by the official signing the proposal. ALL SIGNATURE SPACES MUST BE SIGNED. Facsimile, printed, copied or typewritten signatures are not acceptable.
* Submitted in the provided manila envelope, which is plainly marked with the proposal number and title, and date and time of proposal opening. If proposal materials require additional envelopes, then the proposal package must be combined together with the special envelope on top.
* Submitted on proposal forms as included in this RFP and in accordance with instructions stated above.
* Mailed or delivered in sufficient time to ensure receipt by the Purchasing Director prior to the Public Proposal Opening date and time. Whether sent by mail or by means of personal delivery, the offeror assumes the risk for having the proposal deposited on time and at the place specified on the first page of this RFP. Late proposals will be returned unopened to the offeror.
* Proposals submitted by facsimile transmission will not be accepted.
* Considered an irrevocable offer for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of public proposal opening.
Offerors are encouraged to review carefully all provisions and attachments of this document prior to submission. Each proposal constitutes an offer and may not be withdrawn except as provided herein.
Offerors shall provide two (2) copy(s) of submitted proposal proposals containing all pertinent documentation. The Board assumes no responsibility or obligation to respondents and will make no payment for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of the proposal.
III. Special Terms and Conditions
The offeror agrees that the Board shall have the right to place purchase orders referencing 09-18 for quantities of listed items as the Board may require. The projected requirements are subject to increase or decrease contingent upon the availability of state and federal grants and local funding. The Board will award this contract on an "all or nothing" basis or an item by item basis based on the best interest of the Board.
A. Pricing
The offerors shall provide a unit price for each item on this RFP which will remain valid throughout the stipulated performance period or until delivery is completed. Price shall include the items as specified. If so stated in the bid specifications, the Board may request an option to renew the contract at the bid prices for a specified time period.
OR
The bidder shall provide a lump sum price totaling all items on this RFP.
B. Samples/Demonstrations
The Board reserves the right to request samples after proposals are opened and before the award is made. Samples, when requested must be submitted in accordance with instructions. Samples must be furnished free of charge and if not destroyed during testing will, upon request be returned at the offerors expense. A call tag must be furnished and all shipping costs shall be at the offeror's expense. Each individual sample must be labeled with the offerors name and manufacturers brand name and part/model number.
C. Warranty
The offeror shall guarantee the products to be free of defects of material and/or workmanship for a period of at least one (1) year from the date of delivery. Any additional warranty offered by the offeror should be so stipulated in the proposal documents. If, during the warranty period, such faults develop, the successful offeror agrees to replace the unit or part affected without cost to the Board.
Year 2000 Compliant (and Enablement) Warranty
The vendor warrants that all software, firmware and hardware product(s) delivered to The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education under this agreement, and which is used in accordance with the product documentation provided by the vendor, shall be 4-digit, year 2000 Compliant (or approved enabled). All products shall accurately process all date-change data from start to finish, including, but not limited to, twentieth, twenty-first centuries and leap year calculations.
Any product provided under this agreement discovered not to be compliant after acceptance shall be corrected by the vendor at NO COST to The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education. Failure to correct the deficiency shall subject the vendor to default action.
The vendor shall be responsible for correcting any product (s) (e.g. hardware, software, or firmware) which were not provided under this agreement or for correcting any previously owned Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education products that are used in combination with the vendor's product(s); however, if this solicitation identifies any product or sources of data to be used in combination with the product(s) delivered under the resulting agreement, the contractor shall be responsible for providing all necessary interface(s) or other appropriate means for assuring that date data output from such other product(s) or source(s) is automatically corrected before being processed by the product(s) or system provided under this agreement.
CERTIFICATION FORM
BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
FOR THE CITY OF SAVANNAH AND THE COUNTY OF CHATHAM
RFP #09-18
The undersigned offeror certifies that he/she has carefully read the preceding list of instructions to offerors and all other data applicable hereto and made a part of this Request for Proposal; and further certifies that the proposal submitted is in accordance with all documents contained in this request for Proposal package, and that any exception taken thereto may disqualify his/her proposal.
This is to certify that I, the undersigned bidder, have read the instructions to bidder and agree to be bound by the provisions of the same.
This __________ day of _________, 20 ______. By ____________________________________
Name (printed)
____________________________________ ________________________________________
Title Signature
______________________________________________________________________________
Company
______________________________________________________________________________
Address (Street. City, State , Zip)
____________________________________ ________________________________________
Phone No. Fax No.
____________________________________
Federal Taxpayer I.D. No.
____________________________________ ________________________________________
Contact Person for This Bid Phone Number
REFERENCES OF AT LEAST THREE ORGANIZATIONS SUPPLIED WITH SIMILAR ITEMS:
1. Company Name:___________________________________________________________
Contact Person: ___________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________ Fax Number: _______________________
2. Company Name:___________________________________________________________
Contact Person: ___________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________ Fax Number: _______________________
3. Company Name:___________________________________________________________
Contact Person: ___________________________________________________________
Phone Number: ________________________ Fax Number: _______________________
Acknowledge Receipt of Addendum(s) #______ #______#______
MINORITY/FEMALE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
The Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education has established goals to increase participation of minority and female owned businesses. In order to accurately document participation, businesses submitting bids or proposals are encouraged to report ownership status. A minority or female business is defined as a business with 51% or greater minority or female ownership. Please check ownership status as applicable:
__ African-American
__ Asian American
__ Hispanic
__ Native American or Alaskan Indian
__ Female
__ Majority
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL?
(This information is for statistical use only)
__ Savannah News Press Legal Ad
__ Received Proposal Request By Mail
__ Visiting the Purchasing Office
__ The Herald Legal Ad
__ M/FBD Office Notification
__ Other _____________________
DISCLOSURE OF RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT
- List any convictions of any person, subsidiary, or affiliate of the company, arising out of obtaining, or atttempting to obtain a public or private contract of subcontract, or in the performance of such contract or subcontract.
- List any convictions of any person, subsidiary, or affiliate of this company for offenses such as embezzlement, theft, fraudulent schemes, etc. or any other offenses indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty which affect the responsibility of the contractor. List any convictions or civil judgments under state or federal antitrust statutes.
- List any violations of contract provisions such as knowingly (without good cause) to perform, or unsatisfactory performance, in accordance with the specifications of a contract.
- List any prior suspensions or debarments by any government agency.
- List any contracts not completed on time.
- List any penalties imposed for time delays and/or quality of material and workmanship.
- List any documented violations of federal or state labor laws, regulations, or standards, occupational safety and health rules.
I, ______________________________________________________,
Name of Individual Title & Authority
Of _____________________________________________________
Company Name
declare under oath that the above statements, including any supplemental responses attached hereto, are true.
_______________________________________________
Signature
State of _________________________________________
County of ________________________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me on this _____ day of _____ 20_____ by representing him/herself to be of the company named herein.
CONTRACTING AFFIDAVIT AND AGREEMENT
By executing this affidavit, the undersigned contractor verifies its compliance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91, stating affirmatively that the individual, firm, or corporation which is contracting with Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools has registered with and is participating in a federal work authorization program (any of the electronic verification of work authorization programs operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security or any equivalent federal work authorization program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security to verify information of newly hired employees, pursuant to the Immigration reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), P.L. 99-603], in accordance with the applicability provisions and deadlines established in O.C.G.A. 13-10-91.
By initialing in the appropriate space below, the contractor indicates the applicable deadline as established in O.C.G.A. 13-10-91:
| On or after July 1, 2007, to public employers, contractors, or subcontractors of 500 or more employees; |
| On or after July 1, 2008, to public employers, contractors, or subcontractors of 100 or more employees; |
| On or after July 1, 2009 to all other public employers, their contractors, or subcontractors. |
The undersigned further agrees that, should it employ or contract with any subcontractor(s) in connection with the physical performance of services pursuant to this contract with Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, contract will secure from such subcontractor(s) similar verification of compliance with O.C.G.A. 13-10-91 on the Subcontractor Affidavit provided in Rule 300-10-01-.08 or a substantially similar form. Contractor further agrees to maintain records of such compliance and provide a copy of each such verification to the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools at the time the subcontractor(s) is retained to perform such service.
_______________________________________________
BY: Authorized Officer or Agent
(Contractor Name) | __________________
Date |
_______________________________________________
Title of Authorized Officer or Agent of Contractor | |
_______________________________________________
Printed Name of Authorized Officer or Agent | |
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN
BEFORE ME ON THIS THE
_____DAY OF_______________________, 200__
_________________________________________
Notary Public
My Commission Expires:___________________
PROPOSER SUBMITTAL FORM
RFP #09-18
INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS:
A. Proposal Preparation and Submittal
Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation of their proposal to elaborate on the proposal. This is a fact finding and explanation session only and does not include negotiation. The Purchasing Director will schedule the time and location of these presentations. Oral presentations are strictly an option of the District and may or may not be conducted.
All proposals shall be:
1. Typewritten and signed by an authorized representative of the company submitting the proposal, with all erasures or corrections initialed and dated by the official signing the proposal. ALL SIGNATURE SPACES MUST BE SIGNED. Facsimile, printed, copied or typewritten signatures are not acceptable.
2. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror. All information requested must be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in the Purchasing Department requiring prompt submission of missing information and/or giving a lower evaluation of the proposal. Mandatory requirements are those required by law or regulation or are such that they cannot be waived and are not subject to negotiation.
3. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.
4. Each copy of the proposal should be bound or contained in a single volume where practical. All documentation submitted with the proposal should be contained in that single volume.
5. Ownership of all data, materials and documentation originated and prepared for the Board pursuant to the RFP shall belong exclusively to Board and be subject to inspection. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by an Offeror shall not be subject to public disclosure. The Offeror may, prior to or upon submission of the data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary.
6. Submitted in the provided manila envelope, which is plainly marked with the RFP number and title, and date and time of RFP opening. If proposal materials require additional envelopes, then the proposal package must be combined together with the special envelope on top.
7. Mailed or delivered in sufficient time to ensure receipt by the Purchasing Director prior to the Public RFP registering date and time. Whether sent by mail or by means of personal delivery, the offeror assumes the risk for having the proposal deposited on time and at the place specified on the first page of this RFP. Late proposals will be returned unopened to the offeror.
8. Considered an irrevocable offer for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of public RFP opening.
9. Offerors are encouraged to review carefully all provisions and attachments of this document prior to submission. Each proposal constitutes an offer and may not be withdrawn except as provided herein.
10. Offerors shall provide one (1) original and three (3) copies of submitted proposals containing all pertinent documentation. The Board assumes no responsibility or obligation to respondents and will make no payment for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of the proposal.
B. Criteria Evaluation of Bids
The procurement of these services will be based on two criteria: 1) submitted cost and 2) evaluation of information provided with the proposal. The proposal cost will be scored from the lowest cost to the highest cost, with the lowest cost receiving the maximum number of points. Price proposals will comprise 40 percent of the overall evaluation.
C. Notice of Award
The successful offeror shall not commence services under this Request for Proposal or any amendment hereafter until a written Notice of Award, a purchase order and executed contract is issued by the Purchasing Director or his designee. If the successful offeror does commence any work or provide any services prior to receiving official notification, he does so at his own risk.
D. Submittal Requirements:
Proposals must be submitted on 8 1/2" x 11" paper, and prepared simply and concisely. Elaborate artwork, expensive paper, bindings, visual, and other presentation aids are not required. Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible so that the Board may properly evaluate the Offeror's capabilities to provide the required equipment.
In order to be considered for selection, Offerors must submit complete response to this RFP; one (1) original and three (3) copies of each proposal shall be submitted to the Board as indicated on the cover sheet. No other distribution of the proposal shall be made by the Offeror. Offerors are required to submit the following items as a complete proposal:
The return of this Request For Proposal document, signed and filled out as required.
1.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This section shall provide a summary of the offeror's organization's history demonstrating program stability and successful experience with employee vision services
A. Number of years of experience spent providing Vision services. Must have a minimum of ten (10) years experience.
B. Number of years (minimum of 3 years) spent managing a program with at least 2,000 employees.
3.PROJECT TEAM: An organizational chart (block diagram) and written description of the proposed Project Team, with names and titles of the key individuals shown. Include supporting narrative to describe the qualifications, education and experience of the personnel to be assigned.
4.IMPLEMENTATION PLAN: Offeror should provide a detailed implementation plan outlining activities required to achieve a faultless implementation. The implementation plan should include a matrix showing responsibilities of the district, offeror's staff, and offices.
ATTACHMENTS
The following attachments must be responded to or completed in their entirety in order for your proposal to be considered.
Plan Design This is the description of the proposed plan structure to be implemented on January 1, 2009. Vendors may recommend changes to the proposed structure. However, in the event that changes are recommended, vendors should prepare quotes for both employee premiums and administrative costs (as noted above) for both the proposed plan and for their alternate proposal.
Vendor Questionnaire and Information Request Vendors should use the Excel worksheet format that is included on a diskette or electronic attachment with this RFP. Responses should be included on the Information worksheet. Fees should be listed on the second worksheet in the same file.
Note: The completed attachments must be returned in both printed format (as part of your RFP response) and in electronic format (diskette, compact disc, or email attachment).
The following attachments are included to facilitate your evaluation of this RFP:
Census Data This has been included for all eligible employees.
Claims Experience Will be provided via an addendum.
Plan Design
Features
Available to all regular employees who are scheduled to work at least 20 hours each week
Coverage begins the first of the month following 30 days of employment
Dependents are eligible (children up to age 19, or to 26 if a full-time student)
There is no deductible
Plan Option 1
Managed Care Plan
Plan Option 2
Direct Reimbursement
$250 plan maximum each calendar year for each covered participant
100% of first $50 of eligible expenses
50% of the next $400
Vendor Questionnaire and Information Request
Please Respond Using the Excel Spreadsheet Format (Enclosed)
1. Provide background information and a brief description of your firm. Describe your experience in offering vision care plans, as well as the other services you offer. Please include your financial ratings.
2. Who are the subcontractors (including consultants, advisors, and suppliers) that will be used to administer the plan? Describe specific responsibilities, qualifications, and background experience of all key personnel.
3. Provide a listing of references to include the group name, contact person, telephone number, effective date for three active and three terminated accounts (with termination date). To the extent possible, clients should be of similar size and industry. If you are quoting a direct reimbursement plan, tell us how many total Direct Reimbursement plans you now administer and the average number of employees covered.
4. Provide samples of the following: Administrative Agreement; Plan Document; Summary Plan Description; Claim Form; ID card (if any); Employee Communications; Weekly or Monthly reporting; Annual Reporting
5. What on-line services will be offered to the District, including enrollment/eligibility processes? Explain in detail any required on-line enrollment processes. If District employees or Benefits representatives are expected to enter enrollment information directly to the vendors system through internet access, please give full and complete details of the information involved and time required.
6. What process do you use to determine and monitor dependent eligibility? What notifications do you give the employee participant (such as for an over-age dependent)?
7. Please describe your standard reporting of financial and utilization statistics to be provided at least monthly. Please provide samples.
8. What is the location of the claims office where claims will be processed? How many claims personnel are assigned to this office? How many total accounts will the team leader for the Districts account be assigned?
9. What will be the days and hours of operation for the customer service unit? Is there a toll-free number? Do the customer service representatives have the authority to resolve problems immediately? What percentage of problems is resolved during the initial call?
10. What claims cost control and fraud prevention measures do you utilize?
11. If submission of a claim is required, what is the average turn-around time for processing a claim for your accounts from the date of receipt until the mailing of the check and EOB? Please provide data on the claims processing accuracy of your company as well.
12. What performance guarantees do you offer? What are the remedies for failure to meet the guarantees?
13. What is the standard process for claim submission? Do you allow faxed or emailed claim submission?
14. Can employees review claim status or history information over the internet?
15. How will you determine which expenses are not covered by the plan, and how will this be communicated to the participant?
16. Is this plan required to offer COBRA continuation benefits? If so, how will you provide these services?
17. What banking and fund transfer arrangements do you support?
18. What educational materials do you offer to employees on dental care, selecting a dentist, claim processing, or other related topics?
19. What are your recommendations for the appropriate premium for these levels: Employee Only, Employee + Spouse, and Family. What process did you use to make this determination?
20. Please confirm your agreement to furnish multiple representatives for the annual open enrollment and the annual new teacher orientation meetings.
21. Please confirm your agreement to furnish printed copies of enrollment materials, booklet/certificates, and ID cards at no additional cost.
22. Please confirm whether you offer a "direct payment" of premium option for employees who are on an unpaid leave of absence. If so, include whether there would be any additional charge for the service, and who (district or employee) would pay the charge.
23. Please list any and all deviations from the requested specifications.
24. What other factors about your organization, staff, systems, or service do we need to consider in making our selection of a direct reimbursement plan vendor?
ATTACHMENT "A"
SPECIFICATIONS
RFP #09-18
Employee Benefits: Vision Plan
All bid postings on this web site are not intended to be official. This information is provided as a public service. Any information presented here is subject to revisions at any time and is reproduced from official documents of the Purchasing Department. In case of errors and/or omissions you are advised to contact the Purchasing Department for the current status of any bid posting. All bids and RFP's submitted to the Purchasing Department must be clearly marked with the Bid/Proposal name and number on the outside of the document.
GENERAL INTENT
Savannah-Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) has a brand for its human resources activities: Where You Want to Be. It is the Districts intent to be a first choice employer in this region. While the core medical and retirement plans are mandated by the State, the voluntary benefits offered by SCCPSS will:
Compliment the core benefits in a way that enhances the Districts efforts to recruit and retain qualified, productive and effective staff;
Offer coverage options to meet the needs of a socio-economically diverse group of employees; and
Provide state-of-the art customer service, from pre-enrollment information, through enrollment and changes, to timely and accurate claims processing and payment.
For several years, the District has offered a voluntary vision insurance to employees. That coverage included co-pays for office visits and discounts on eyewear. We have elected to look at traditional vision plans, but will also consider direct reimbursement styled plans.
Specific objectives for this RFP process include the selection of a vendor that will:
Offer the widest possible network of providers
Offer the best combination of co-payments and/or discounts; and
Offer assistance with the communication and enrollment process.
REQUIREMENTS
Contract Period: The proposal should be based on an initial effective date of January 1, 2009, for a period of three (3) years. Administrative costs must be guaranteed for a minimum of three years.
Employee Premiums: Employees pay 100% of the costs of coverage. Premiums will be deducted from the employees paycheck on a semi-monthly basis.
Eligibility: Employees who work 20 or more hours per week in a regular position are eligible for coverage on the first of the month after 30 days of employment. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for coverage. Dependent children may be covered to age 26 if enrolled as fulltime students in a post-secondary school.
Participation: Participation in the plan is totally voluntary. SCCPSS will not guarantee a percentage of employee participation.
Claims: The vendor will provide accurate and timely claims processing services.
Documentation and Communication: The vendor is responsible for providing any required plan document, certificates, booklets, forms, and descriptive materials for distribution to employees. Initial copies of all such communication materials, whether printed or internet-based, must be approved by the District in advance. These materials will be provided in advance of the effective date of this plan.
Enrollment sessions are held for employees during new teacher orientation (typically in August) and for Open Enrollment (typically in October). The vendor will make representatives available at any such meetings for employee information and assistance with enrollment.
COBRA Administration: The vendor will assume responsibility for administering COBRA requirements for terminating employees or dependents to include appropriate notification, enrollment, collection of premiums, payment of claims, and terminations of COBRA participants when no longer eligible.
Plan Administration and Reporting: Within ten (10) days of the award of this contract, the vendor will meet with District Benefits representatives to discuss the selected plan and plan documentation, to review proposed communications, and to determine the implementation plan. The vendor will furnish all instructions, forms, and other needed training and materials to the Districts Benefits representatives as soon as prepared, and on a continuing basis as needed. The vendor will report utilization and claims information to the district on at least a monthly basis.
Electronic Data: The vendor will supply the format for sending eligibility and/or premium remittance information.
Contact Information: The vendor will designate a primary point of contact responsible for resolving problems, answering claims questions, responding to administrative or billing issues, and expediting services related to overall performance of the contract. Also, the vendor will give a progressive list of contacts and direct contact information for issues that need resolution at a higher level.
Performance Guarantees: The vendor will provide information on any applicable performance guarantees in its response to the Vendor Questionnaire and Information Request.
Termination: Once a contract has been entered, it may be terminated by SCCPSS upon thirty (30) days advance written notice to the vendor. However, if any work or service hereunder is in progress but not completed as of the date of termination, then this contract may be extended upon written approval of SCCPSS until said work or services are completed and accepted.
Proposed Fees: The vendor will separate proposed fees into the following categories: Standard Administration; COBRA Administration; Other. Other fees will also be listed individually in the response.
Accountability: The respondent must be licensed to conduct business in the State of Georgia. The respondent confirms that he carries Errors and Omissions Insurance with a minimum acceptable limit of $500,000. No agent of record letter will be given. This RFP, the census data included, all other attachments, and any discussions held during the evaluation process are considered confidential and the property of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. No unauthorized use or communication of this information is allowed without specific approval of SCCPSS.
The respondent will be fully accountable for its performance under this offer or any contract entered into pursuant to this proposal, and agrees that its officers or representatives will answer under oath all questions relevant to the performance thereof and to any transaction, act, or omission in connection therewith, if called before judicial, county, or state officer, or agency empowered to investigate the contract or its performance.
Should any disputes arise resulting from agreed upon terms and conditions of this contract, any court actions shall be held in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia, U.S.A.
EVALUATION AND AWARD
The award of the contract will be made to the most responsive vendor who meets all conditions specified. Among the considerations will be items such as, but not limited to, the length of time in business, the size of the vendors business, the number of similar plans already administered by the vendor, and responses from references.
Respondents must include with their proposals a list of any current Georgia school district accounts, with a contact name and telephone number. Additional reference information is requested in the Dental Questionnaire attachment.
The District will set an independent evaluation team to read, review, and evaluate each response based on the criteria noted in the following chart.
The evaluation team will review and discuss each response. Each member of the evaluation team will then rate the responses on a matrix form, resulting in a composite score for each response. The top respondent(s) may be contacted for interviews or clarifications of submitted information. The evaluation team will make an award recommendation to the Purchasing Department for final approval.
| For direct reimbursement plans, this will include the ability of the proposed plan to meet the objectives and plan requirements, particularly in the determination of employee premiums. | 25 points |
| Ability of the vendor to assist the District with communications and enrollment. | 15 points |
| Vendor's experience with other DR plans, especially with similar levels of participation. | 15 points |
| Satisfaction rating of plan and vendor by references | 20 points |
| Administrative Costs, including Stop-Loss Coverage | 25 points |
ATTACHMENTS
The following attachments must be responded to or completed in their entirety in order for your proposal to be considered.
Plan Design This is the description of the proposed plan structure to be implemented on January 1, 2009. Vendors may recommend changes to the proposed structure. However, in the event that changes are recommended, vendors should prepare quotes for both employee premiums and administrative costs (as noted above) for both the proposed plan and for their alternate proposal.
Vendor Questionnaire and Information Request Vendors should use the Excel worksheet format that is included on a diskette or electronic attachment with this RFP. Responses should be included on the Information worksheet. Fees should be listed on the second worksheet in the same file.
Note: The completed attachments must be returned in both printed format (as part of your RFP response) and in electronic format (diskette, compact disc, or email attachment).
The following attachments are included to facilitate your evaluation of this RFP:
Census Data This has been included for all eligible employees.
Claims Experience For Jul07-Apr08, Jul05-Jun06 and Jul06-Jul07.
Plan Design
Features
Available to all regular employees who are scheduled to work at least 20 hours each week
Coverage begins the first of the month following 30 days of employment
Dependents are eligible (children up to age 19, or to 26 if a full-time student)
There is no deductible
Plan Option 1
Managed Care Plan
Plan Option 2
Direct Reimbursement
$250 plan maximum each calendar year for each covered participant
100% of first $50 of eligible expenses
50% of the next $400
Vendor Questionnaire and Information Request
Please Respond Using the Excel Spreadsheet Format (Enclosed)
1. Provide background information and a brief description of your firm. Describe your experience in offering vision care plans, as well as the other services you offer. Please include your financial ratings.
2. Who are the subcontractors (including consultants, advisors, and suppliers) that will be used to administer the plan? Describe specific responsibilities, qualifications, and background experience of all key personnel.
3. Provide a listing of references to include the group name, contact person, telephone number, effective date for three active and three terminated accounts (with termination date). To the extent possible, clients should be of similar size and industry. If you are quoting a direct reimbursement plan, tell us how many total Direct Reimbursement plans you now administer and the average number of employees covered.
4. Provide samples of the following: Administrative Agreement; Plan Document; Summary Plan Description; Claim Form; ID card (if any); Employee Communications; Weekly or Monthly reporting; Annual Reporting
5. What on-line services will be offered to the District, including enrollment/eligibility processes? Explain in detail any required on-line enrollment processes. If District employees or Benefits representatives are expected to enter enrollment information directly to the vendors system through internet access, please give full and complete details of the information involved and time required.
6. What process do you use to determine and monitor dependent eligibility? What notifications do you give the employee participant (such as for an over-age dependent)?
7. Please describe your standard reporting of financial and utilization statistics to be provided at least monthly. Please provide samples.
8. What is the location of the claims office where claims will be processed? How many claims personnel are assigned to this office? How many total accounts will the team leader for the Districts account be assigned?
9. What will be the days and hours of operation for the customer service unit? Is there a toll-free number? Do the customer service representatives have the authority to resolve problems immediately? What percentage of problems is resolved during the initial call?
10. What claims cost control and fraud prevention measures do you utilize?
11. If submission of a claim is required, what is the average turn-around time for processing a claim for your accounts from the date of receipt until the mailing of the check and EOB? Please provide data on the claims processing accuracy of your company as well.
12. What performance guarantees do you offer? What are the remedies for failure to meet the guarantees?
13. What is the standard process for claim submission? Do you allow faxed or emailed claim submission?
14. Can employees review claim status or history information over the internet?
15. How will you determine which expenses are not covered by the plan, and how will this be communicated to the participant?
16. Is this plan required to offer COBRA continuation benefits? If so, how will you provide these services?
17. What banking and fund transfer arrangements do you support?
18. What educational materials do you offer to employees on dental care, selecting a dentist, claim processing, or other related topics?
19. What are your recommendations for the appropriate premium for these levels: Employee Only, Employee + Spouse, and Family. What process did you use to make this determination?
20. Please confirm your agreement to furnish multiple representatives for the annual open enrollment and the annual new teacher orientation meetings.
21. Please confirm your agreement to furnish printed copies of enrollment materials, booklet/certificates, and ID cards at no additional cost.
22. Please confirm whether you offer a "direct payment" of premium option for employees who are on an unpaid leave of absence. If so, include whether there would be any additional charge for the service, and who (district or employee) would pay the charge.
23. Please list any and all deviations from the requested specifications.
24. What other factors about your organization, staff, systems, or service do we need to consider in making our selection of a direct reimbursement plan vendor?
ATTACHMENT "B"
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Before performing any work on the awarded contract, the successful bidder shall procure and maintain, during the life of said contract, insurance coverage as listed below. The policies of insurance shall be primary and written on forms acceptable to the Board and placed with insurance carriers approved and licensed by the Insurance Department in the State of Georgia and meet minimum financial A.M. Best & Company rating of no less than A:8. Further the contractor will provide copies of all insurance policies required thereunder. No changes are to be made to these specifications without prior written specific approval by the Board.
1. Worker's Compensation Insurance. Statutory in accordance with OGGA 34-9.
2. Commercial General Liability. Including but not limited to bodily injury, property damage, contractual and personal injury with limits of not less than $100,000 combined single limit per occurrence, $500,000 per project aggregate covering all work performed under this contract.
3. Automobile liability. Bodily injury and property damage including all vehicles owned, leased, hired and non-owned with limits of not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit covering all work performed under the contract. (Limits may be satisfied by combining an Umbrella form and Automobile Liability form for a combined total limit of $1,000,000). Each bidder shall submit a certificate of insurance and liability/collision coverage for drivers who will transport vehicles to and from Board property. The successful bidder shall be required to list the Board as additionally insured.
4. Umbrella Liability. With limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence covering all work performed under this contract.
5. The Board, its officers and/or officials, employees and volunteers shall be named as insured sunder awarded bidder's insurance policy for the duration of this contract.
ATTACHMENT C
MINORITY /FEMALE BUSINESS PARTICIPATION PROGRAM
It is the policy of the Board of Public Education (owner) that minority and female business enterprises shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in school board projects. Consequently, Savannah-Chatham County Board of Public Education has established a goal of 10% for African American and 5% for Females. This shall in no way be considered as a fixed quota. The bidder who may receive contract award shall take all necessary and reasonable steps in accordance with this solicitation to insure that MFBEs have that maximum opportunity to participate in the resulting contract. The bidder shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex in the award or performance of any subcontracts or purchase orders resulting from or relating to this solicitation. Moreover, the bidder shall take affirmative action and otherwise make good faith efforts as described in the section below entitled Good Faith Efforts to select contractors, vendors, and suppliers from certified MFBEs.
10% African American and 5% female - for a total of 15% of the total dollar amount. This goal may be met through joint ventures, subcontracts, materials and supplies purchases, or a combination of these
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