SLL Certificate Licensing RFP

Agency:	State of Vermont
State:	Vermont
Type of Government:	State & Local
Posted Date:	Apr 4, 2024
Due Date:	Apr 23, 2024
Bid Source:	Please Login to View Page
Contact information:	Please Login to View Page
Bid Documents:	Please Login to View Page

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Department of Buildings and General Services

Office of Purchasing & Contracting

133 State Street

[phone] 802-828-2211

Montpelier VT 05609-3001

[fax] 802-828-2222

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing

Agency of Administration

SEALED BID

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

SLL Certificate Licensing

ISSUE DATE

QUESTIONS DUE

RFP RESPONSES DUE BY

April 4, 2024

April 12, 2024 @ 4:30 PM (EST)

April 23, 2024 @ 4:30 PM (EST)

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND ADDENDUMS ASSOCIATED

WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php

THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT INTERESTED PARTIES WITH UPDATED

INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH BIDDER TO PERIODICALLY CHECK THE

ABOVE WEBPAGE FOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND ADDENDUMS

ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP.

STATE CONTACT:

E-MAIL:

Kristine Furman

kristine.furman@vermont.gov

USE SUBJECT: SSL CERTIFICATE LICENSING

1. OVERVIEW:

1.1. SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the State of Vermont, Agency

of Digital Services (hereinafter the “State”) is seeking to establish contracts with one or more companies

that can provide Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificate Licensing.

1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Contracts arising from this RFP will be for a period of (3) THREE YEARS with an

option to renew for up to one additional (2) TWO YEAR period. The State anticipates the start date will be

August 12, 2024.

1.3. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this RFP are to be addressed in writing

to the State Contact listed on the front page of this RFP. Actual or attempted contact with any other

individual from the State concerning this RFP is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.

1.4. BIDDERS’ CONFERENCE: A bidders’ conference will not be held.

1.5. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any vendor requiring clarification of any section of this RFP or

wishing to comment on any requirement of the RFP must submit specific questions in writing no later than

the deadline for question indicated on the first page of this RFP. Questions may be e-mailed to the point

of contact on the front page of this RFP. Questions or comments not raised in writing on or before the last

day of the question period are thereafter waived. At the close of the question period a copy of all

questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted on the State’s web site

http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php . Every effort will be made to post this information as soon as

possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions.

1.6. CHANGES TO THIS RFP: Any modifications to this RFP will be made in writing by the State through the

issuance of an Addendum to this RFP and posted online at http://www.bgs.state.vt.us/pca/bids/bids.php .

Verbal instructions or written instructions from any other source are not to be considered.

2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS/DESIRED OUTCOMES:

2.1. The State is responsible for ensuring the security of its systems and the Internet traffic of their citizens.

Managing SSL certificates is essential to both missions.

2.2. A Managed SSL Service is a hosted service (“the Service”) that supports the issuance and management of

OrganizationSSL (OV) certificates, OrganizationSSL (OV) Wildcard certificates, ExtendedSSL (EV)

certificates, IntranetSSL certificates, CloudSSL certificates and other certificates that may be added to the

Service (collectively “MSSL Certificates”) and are issued using company information and domain names

previously vetted and registered in the Service. Certificates are managed through a web-based interface or

via APIs.

2.3. The Service provides SSL certificate issuance and lifecycle management capabilities through a web-based

user interface. The Certificate Administrator or his/her designee may:

1. Submit new or modified organizational information, in the form of a “Profile”, for vetting

2. Submit domains for vetting against one of the existing profiles to validate manually

3. Submit and then approve domains against one of the existing profiles using one of the provided

domain validation methods.

Profile and domain re-vetting shall be performed periodically.

2.4. The State of Vermont is interested in obtaining bids to meet the following business need(s):

2.4.1.A Licensing Agreement to manage up to 650 unique SANs annually and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

certificates for website domains.

2.4.2. Contractor shall be paid annually as outlined in the Price Schedule.

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

3.1. PRICING: Bidders must price the terms of this solicitation at their best pricing. Any and all costs that

Bidder wishes the State to consider must be submitted for consideration. If applicable, all equipment

pricing is to include F.O.B. delivery to the ordering facility. No request for extra delivery cost will be

honored. All equipment shall be delivered assembled, serviced, and ready for immediate use, unless

otherwise requested by the State.

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3.1.1.Prices and/or rates shall remain firm for the initial term of the contract. The pricing policy submitted by

Bidder must (i) be clearly structured, accountable, and auditable and (ii) cover the full spectrum of

materials and/or services required.

3.1.2.Cooperative Agreements. Bidders that have been awarded similar contracts through a competitive

bidding process with another state and/or cooperative are welcome to submit the pricing in response

to this solicitation.

3.1.3.Retainage. In the discretion of the State, a contract resulting from this RFP may provide that the

State withhold a percentage of the total amount payable for some or all deliverables, such retainage

to be payable upon satisfactory completion and State acceptance in accordance with the terms and

conditions of the contract.

3.2. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State shall have the authority to evaluate Responses and select the

Bidder(s) as may be determined to be in the best interest of the State and consistent with the goals and

performance requirements outlined in this RFP. The State of Vermont reserves the right to obtain

clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal. Failure of vendor to

respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that vendor's

proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of the State, the State reserves the

right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to waive

technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to make purchases outside of the awarded

contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.

3.2.1.Best and Final Offer (BAFO). At any time after submission of Responses and prior to the final

selection of Bidder(s) for Contract negotiation or execution, the State may invite Bidder(s) to provide a

BAFO. The state reserves the right to request BAFOs from only those Bidders that meet the minimum

qualification requirements and/or have not been eliminated from consideration during the evaluation

process.

3.2.2.Presentation. An in-person or webinar presentation by the Bidder may be required by the State if it

will help the State’s evaluation process. The State will factor information presented during

presentations into the evaluation. Bidders will be responsible for all costs associated with providing

the presentation.

3.3. WORKER CLASSIFICATION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS: In accordance with Section 32 of The

Vermont Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54), Bidders must comply with the following

provisions and requirements.

3.3.1.Self Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidder shall complete the appropriate

section in the attached Certificate of Compliance for purposes of self-reporting information relating to

past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information related to past performance

relative to coding and classification of workers. The State is requiring information on any violations

that occurred in the previous 12 months.

3.3.2.Subcontractor Reporting: For bid amounts exceeding $250,000.00, Bidders are hereby notified that

upon award of contract, and prior to contract execution, the State shall be provided with a list of all

proposed subcontractors and subcontractors’ subcontractors, together with the identity of those

subcontractors’ workers compensation insurance providers, and additional required or requested

information, as applicable, in accordance with Section 32 of The Vermont Recovery and

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Act No. 54). This requirement does not apply to subcontractors providing

supplies only and no labor to the overall contract or project. This list MUST be updated and provided

to the State as additional subcontractors are hired. A sample form is available online at

http://bgs.vermont.gov/purchasing-contracting/forms. The subcontractor reporting form is not

required to be submitted with the bid response.

3.4. EXECUTIVE ORDER 05-16: CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS IN STATE PROCUREMENTS:

For bid amounts exceeding $25,000.00 Bidders are requested to complete the Climate Change

Considerations in State Procurements Certification, which is included in the Certificate of Compliance for

this RFP.

After consideration of all relevant factors, a bidder that demonstrates business practices that promote

clean energy and address climate change as identified in the Certification, shall be given favorable

consideration in the competitive bidding process. Such favorable consideration shall be consistent with

and not supersede any preference given to resident bidders of the State and/or products raised or

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manufactured in the State, as explained in the Method of Award section. But, such favorable

consideration shall not be employed if prohibited by law or other relevant authority or agreement.

3.5. METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made in the best interest of the State. The State may award one

or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other compliant bidders at any time

if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. All other considerations being equal,

preference will be given first to resident bidders of the state and/or to products raised or manufactured in

the state, and then to bidders who have practices that promote clean energy and address climate change,

as identified in the applicable Certificate of Compliance.

3.5.1.Evaluation Criteria: Consideration shall be given to the Bidder’s project approach and methodology,

qualifications and experience, ability to provide the services within the defined timeline, cost, and/or

success in completing similar projects, as applicable.

3.6. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: Upon completion of the evaluation process, the State may select one or

more Vendors with which to negotiate a contract, based on the evaluation findings and other criteria

deemed relevant for ensuring that the decision made is in the best interest of the State. In the event State

is not successful in negotiating a contract with a selected Vendor, the State reserves the option of

negotiating with another Vendor, or to end the proposal process entirely.

3.7. COST OF PREPARATION: Bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in the preparation

of a response to this RFP and shall be responsible for all expenses associated with any presentations or

demonstrations associated with this request and/or any proposals made.

3.8. CONTRACT TERMS: The selected bidder(s) will be expected to sign a contract with the State, including

the Standard Contract Form and Attachment C as attached to this RFP for reference. If IT Attachment D is

included in this RFP, terms may be modified based upon the solution proposed by the Bidder, subject to

approval by the Agency of Digital Services.

3.8.1.Business Registration. To be awarded a contract by the State of Vermont a vendor (except an

individual doing business in his/her own name) must be registered with the Vermont Secretary of

State’s office http://www.sec.state.vt.us/tutor/dobiz/forms/fcregist.htm and must obtain a Contractor’s

Business Account Number issued by the Vermont Department of Taxes http://tax.vermont.gov/ .

3.8.2.The contract will obligate the bidder to provide the services and/or products identified in its bid, at the

prices listed.

3.8.3.Payment Terms. All invoices are to be rendered by the Contractor on the vendor's standard billhead

and forwarded directly to the institution or agency ordering materials or services and shall specify the

address to which payments will be sent. Payment terms are Net 30 days from receipt of an error-free

invoice with all applicable supporting documentation. Percentage discounts may be offered for

prompt payments of invoices; however, such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or

more in order to be considered in making awards.

3.8.4.Quality. If applicable, all products provided under a contract with the State will be new and unused,

unless otherwise stated. Factory seconds or remanufactured products will not be accepted unless

specifically requested by the purchasing agency. All products provided by the contractor must meet

all federal, state, and local standards for quality and safety requirements. Products not meeting these

standards will be deemed unacceptable and returned to the contractor for credit at no charge to the

State.

3.9. DEMONSTRATION: An in-person or webinar demonstration by the Vendor may be required by the State if

it will help the State’s evaluation process. The State will factor information presented during

demonstrations into the evaluation. Vendors will be responsible for all costs associated with the providing

the demonstration.

3.10.INDEPENDENT REVIEW: Certain State information technology projects require independent expert

review as described under 3 V.S.A. § 3303(d). Such review, if applicable, will inform the State’s decision to

award any contract(s) resulting from this RFP

4. CONTENT AND FORMAT OF RESPONSES: The content and format requirements listed below are the

minimum requirements for State evaluation. These requirements are not intended to limit the content of a

Bidder’s proposal. Bidders may include additional information or offer alternative solutions for the State’s

consideration. However, the State discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals, and Bidders are advised to

include only such information in their response as may be relevant to the requirements of this RFP.

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4.1. Unsolicited Bidder-Confidential Information Prohibited. Bidders are hereby expressly directed not to

include any confidential information in their proposal submissions. Additionally, Bidders must provide a

redacted copy of the portions of their proposal that are permitted to contain confidential information. By

submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Bidders acknowledge and agree to abide by the terms and

conditions outlined in this document, including the prohibition on submitting confidential information.

4.2. Disclosure of Proposals and Related Materials. All information received by the State in response to this

RFP will become part of the contract file and subject to disclosure as required by the Vermont Access to Public

Records Act, 1 V.S.A. § 315 et seq., other law, court order, or a federal funding partner. This includes

materials permitted to be marked as confidential, and for which a redacted copy has been provided, although

the State agrees to take reasonable steps to protect such information consistent with those authorities.

4.3. State Not Responsible for Disclosure of Unsolicited, Unmarked, or Unredacted Bidder-Confidential

Information. It is the sole responsibility of the Bidder to ensure that information it considers confidential is not

included in their proposal materials except where specifically permitted by this RFP. The State shall have no

responsibility for Bidder’s unsolicited or unmarked or unredacted disclosure of information that Bidder believes

should not be publicly disclosed, including any 1) trade secrets or intellectual property, 2) proprietary financial

or business information, 3) personal information, or 4) any other information that should not be disclosed to the

public. For example, Bidders should avoid including in their proposal materials any details of their proprietary

technologies or methodologies that they consider confidential. Further, any references to previous client

engagements should be presented in a manner that does not disclose the client's confidential information.

4.4. The bid should include a Cover Letter and Technical Response and Price Schedule.

4.5. COVER LETTER:

4.5.1.Exceptions to Contract Terms and Conditions. If a Bidder wishes to propose an exception to any

terms and conditions set forth in the Standard Contract Form and its attachments, such exceptions

must be included in the cover letter to the RFP response. Failure to note exceptions when responding

to the RFP will be deemed to be acceptance of the State contract terms and conditions. If exceptions

are not noted in the response to this RFP but raised during contract negotiations, the State reserves

the right to cancel the negotiation if deemed to be in the best interests of the State. Note that

exceptions to contract terms may cause rejection of the proposal.

4.6. TECHNICAL RESPONSE. In response to this RFP, a Bidder shall:

4.6.1.Provide details concerning your form of business organization, company size and resources.

4.6.2.Describe your capabilities and particular experience relevant to the RFP requirements.

4.6.2.1. Identify all current or past State projects.

4.6.3.Identify the names of all subcontractors you intend to use, the portions of the work the subcontractors

will perform, and address the background and experience of the subcontractor(s), as per RFP section

4.3.2 above.

4.7. REFERENCES. Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with

whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names who

can talk knowledgeably about performance.

4.8. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Provide a sample of any reporting documentation that may be applicable

to the Detailed Requirements of this RFP.

4.9. PRICE SCHEDULE: Bidders shall submit their pricing information in the Price Schedule attached to the

RFP.

4.10.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the

response for the proposal to be considered valid.

5. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

5.1. CLOSING DATE: Bids must be received by the State by the due date specified on the front page of this

RFP. Late bids will not be considered.

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TITLE	QUESTIONS DUE	ANSWERS POSTED	DUE DATE	NO POSTING AFTER
SLL Certificate Licensing RFP	04/12/2024 04:30PM		04/23/2024 04:30PM

SLL Certificate Licensing RFP

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