Strategic Planning Services

Agency:	Knox County
State:	Tennessee
Type of Government:	State & Local
NAICS Category:	541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Posted Date:	Mar 25, 2024
Due Date:	Apr 9, 2024
Solicitation No:	3541
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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The Procurement Division of Knox County, Tennessee will receive sealed proposals for the provision of Strategic Planning

Services as requested by Knox County. Proposals must be received by 2:00 p.m. on April 9, 2024. Late proposals will

neither be considered nor returned.

DELIVER PROPOSALS TO:

Proposal Number 3541

Knox County Procurement Division

Suite 100

1000 North Central Street

Knoxville, Tennessee 37917

The Proposal Envelope must show the Company Name, Proposal Number, Proposal Name & Proposal Closing Date.

SECTION I GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1.1 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Knox County wants requests for additional information routed to Jay Garrison,

CPPO, CPPB, Procurement Coordinator, at 865.215.5767 or emailed to jay.garrison@knoxcounty.org. If you have

not heard from the Buyer in a reasonable amount of time, please call for further assistance Information about the

Knox County Procurement Division and current bids may be obtained on the internet at

www.knoxcounty.org/Procurement.

1.2 ACCEPTANCE: Proposers shall hold all pricing and percentages proposed firm and subject to acceptance by Knox

County for a period of ninety (90) business days from the date of the proposal closing, unless otherwise indicated

in their proposal.

1.3 ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS: Knox County will not accept alternate proposals (those not equal to specifications)

unless authorized by the Request for Proposal (RFP).

1.4 AUDIT HOTLINE: Knox County has established an Audit Hotline to report potential fraud and waste. To report

potential fraud, waste or abuse, please call or 1.866.858.4443 (toll-free). You can also file a report online by

accessing http://www.knoxcounty.org/hotline/index.php. Vendors are hereby cautioned that this Audit Hotline

does not replace the Award Protest Procedures found in Section VI, Item M of the Knox County Procurement

Regulations.

1.5 AWARD: Award will be made to the most responsive, responsible proposer(s) meeting specifications, and which

presents the product and/or service that is in the best interest of Knox County. Knox County also reserves the right

to not award this proposal. Award will be made in accordance with the evaluation criteria specified herein.

1.6 BUSINESS OUTREACH PROGRAM: Knox County has established a Business Outreach Program which has the

responsibility of increasing opportunity for small, minority and women owned businesses. This is being

accomplished through community education programs, policy edification, active recruitment of interested

businesses and process re-engineering. Knox County is committed to ensuring full and equitable participation for

all disadvantaged businesses. Knox County welcomes submittals from those disadvantaged businesses that have

an interest in providing goods and/or services listed herein. In addition, Knox County strongly encourages the

inclusion of disadvantaged businesses by non-disadvantaged Contractors who may wish to partner or subcontract

portions of this agreement in order to accomplish the successful delivery of goods and/or services.

If you are a disadvantaged business and would like additional information about our Business Outreach Program,

please contact:

Diane Woods, CPPB

Administrator of Business Outreach

Telephone: 865.215.5760

Fax: 865.215.5778

Email: diane.woods@knoxcounty.org

1.7 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Proposers must have read and complied with the "Non-Conflict of Interest" statement

provided in the vendor registration process prior to the closing of this solicitation.

1.8 COPIES: Knox County requires that proposals submitted by hand be submitted with one (1) marked original and

one (1) exact copy. Proposers must submit with their written response an exact electronic version of their proposal

in electronic format. Knox County requests this electronic copy version be in one (1) complete file.

1.9 DECLARATIVE STATEMENT: Any statement or words (i.e.: must, shall, will, etc.) are declarative statements and

proposers must comply with the condition. Failure to comply with any such condition will result in their proposal

being non-responsive and disqualified.

1.10 ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF PROPOSALS: Due to the nature of this proposal, the Knox County

Procurement Division will NOT accept electronically transmitted proposals through the County’s On-Line

Procurement System. Email and facsimile submission are strictly prohibited.

1.11 HOW TO DO BUSINESS: Knox County utilizes a web-based Procurement software system, “KnoxBuys.” The

system provides our clients (vendors, county departments and the citizens of Knox County) with a more enhanced

and end-user friendly means of accessing our services. The system allows for on-line vendor registration and

maintenance, electronic receipt of purchase orders, on-line retrieval and submittal of quotes, bids and proposals for

our vendor-clients and on-line requisitioning and receiving for our county departments. In order for the County to

maximize its investment and minimize the cost associated with office operations, we need your help. When doing

business with Knox County we are urging you to please go to our website at www.knoxcounty.org/procurement,

to conduct your business with the County through this site. If you have any questions, please contact the

Procurement Division Representative listed in Section 1.1 of this document.

1.12 INCURRED COSTS: Knox County will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation

of their proposal.

1.13 MULTIPLE PROPOSALS: Knox County will consider multiple proposals that meet specifications.

1.14 NON-COLLUSION: Proposers, by submitting a signed proposal, certify that the accompanying proposal is not the

result of, or affected by, any unlawful act of collusion with any other person or company engaged in the same line

of business or commerce, or any other fraudulent act punishable under Tennessee or United States law.

1.15 PAYMENT: Knox County utilizes two (2) methods of placing orders for products. The first is the use of Purchase

Orders. These Purchase Orders will be issued from the Knox County Procurement Division via the method selected

by the Vendor during registration. The Purchase Order will detail the quantity, specific item(s) and the contracted

price for each item.

The second method is the use of the Knox County Credit Card (VISA). Orders placed on the credit card will list the

same information as the Purchase Order. Vendors will be given the card information and approval to process the

transaction for the requesting department. Vendors must indicate in their bid response if the Vendor will accept the

Knox County Credit Card (VISA) as form of payment. Proposers are prohibited to charge Knox County any type of

merchant fee from their financial institution to accept this type of payment.

1.16 POSSESSION OF WEAPONS: All vendors and their employees and their agents are prohibited from possessing

any weapons on Knox County property without prior written consent from the County. In the case of a vendor whose

Contract requires possession of firearms or other weapons to successfully complete their Contract, vendor must

provide personnel who are bonded to bear said weaponry.

1.17 PROCESSING TIME FOR PAYMENT: Vendors are advised that a minimum of thirty (30) days is required to

process invoices for payment.

1.18 PROOF OF FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS CAPABILITY: Proposers must, upon request, furnish satisfactory

evidence of their ability to fulfill all obligations of the contract in accordance with the terms and conditions of these

specifications. Knox County will make the final determination as to the proposer's ability.

1.19 PROPOSAL DELIVERY: Knox County requires proposers, when hand delivering proposals, to time and date stamp

the envelope before depositing it in the bid box. Knox County will not be responsible for any lost or misdirected mail

sent by common carrier, nor will Knox County be responsible for proposals delivered to addresses other than the

delivery address specified at the top of this solicitation. The time clock in the Procurement Division shall serve as

the official record of time.

Solicitations must be in a sealed envelope/box prior to entering the Procurement Division office.

Procurement Division personnel are not allowed to see the submittal nor assist in placing documents in an

envelope/box. Additionally, the Procurement Division is not responsible for providing materials (e.g.

envelopes, boxes, tape) for submittals.

1.20 RECYCLING: Knox County, in its continuing efforts to lessen the amount of landfill waste and to further recycling

efforts, requests that proposals being submitted on paper shall:

1.20.1 Be submitted on recycled paper

1.20.2 Not include pages of unnecessary advertising

1.21 RESTRICTIVE OR AMBIGUOUS SPECIFICATIONS: It is the responsibility of the prospective proposer to review

the entire Request for Proposal packet and to notify the Procurement Division if the specifications are formulated in

a manner that would unnecessarily restrict competition. Any such protest or question regarding the specifications

or proposal procedures must be received in the Procurement Division by March 20, 2024 @ 4:30 p.m. local time.

These requirements also apply to specifications that are ambiguous.

1.22 SIGNING OF PROPOSALS: In order to be considered, all proposals must be signed. Please sign the original

in blue ink. By signing the proposal document, the proposer acknowledges and accepts the term and conditions

stated in the document.

1.23 TAXES: Knox County purchases are not subject to taxation. Tax exemption certificates will be provided upon

request.

1.24 TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT: “Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs”-“No person in the

United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the

benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

42 U.S.C. section 2000 et seq. It is the policy of Knox County Government that all its services and activities be

administered in conformance with the requirements of Title VI.

1.25 UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES: During periods of closure due to unforeseen circumstances in Knox County or

closures at the direction of the Knox County Mayor, the Procurement Division will enact the following procedures

in regard to solicitations and closures:

• If the Mayor closes the Administrative offices prior to the time set for solicitation opening of any business day, all

solicitations due that same day will be moved to the next operational business day.

• Other unforeseen circumstances shall be at the sole discretion of the Procurement Director.

• Knox County shall not be liable for any commercial carrier’s decision regarding deliveries during any unforeseen

circumstances.

1.26 USE OF PROPOSAL FORMS: Vendors are to complete the proposal forms contained in the proposal package.

Failure to complete the proposal forms may result in proposal rejection.

1.27 VENDOR DEFAULT: Knox County reserves the right, in case of vendor default, to procure the goods or services

from other sources and hold the defaulting vendor responsible for any excess costs occasioned thereby. Should

vendor default be due to a failure to perform or because of a request for a price increase, Knox County reserves

the right to remove the vendor from the County's bidders list for twenty-four (24) months.

1.28 VENDOR REGISTRATION: Prior to the closing of this proposal, ALL PROPOSERS must be registered with the

Procurement Division. Please register on-line at our website at www.knoxcounty.org/procurement and click on

“Online Vendor Registration.” Vendors must be registered with the Procurement Division prior to submitting their

proposal. Knox County shall not be responsible for technical difficulties experienced by vendors trying to register

electronically less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the proposal closing time.

1.29 WAIVING OF INFORMALITIES: Knox County reserves the right to waive minor informalities or technicalities when

it is in the best interest of Knox County.

SECTION II OBLIGATIONS, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES

These terms and conditions shall be part of the Contract. Knox County reserves the right to negotiate other terms

and conditions it deems appropriate and necessary under the circumstances to protect the public’s trust.

2.1 ALTERATIONS OR AMENDMENTS: No alterations, amendments, changes, modifications or additions to this

Contract shall be binding on Knox County without the prior written approval of the County.

2.2 APPROPRIATION: In the event no funds are appropriated by Knox County for the goods or services in any fiscal

year or insufficient funds exist to purchase the goods or services, then the Contract shall expire upon the

expenditure of previously appropriated funds or the end of the current fiscal year, whichever occurs first, with no

further obligations owed to or by either party.

2.3 ASSIGNMENT: Contractor shall not assign or sub-contract this agreement, its obligations or rights hereunder to

any party, company, partnership, incorporation or person without the prior written specific consent of Knox County.

2.4 BOOKS AND RECORDS: Contractor shall maintain all books, documents, accounting records and other evidence

pertaining to the goods and services provided under this Contract and make such materials available at its offices

at all reasonable times during the Contract period and for three (3) years from the date of the final payment under

this agreement for inspection by County or by any other governmental entity or agency participating in the funding

of this agreement, or any authorized agents thereof; copies of said records to be furnished, if requested.

Such records shall not include those books, documents and accounting records that represent the Contractor’s

costs of manufacturing, acquiring or delivering the products and services governed by this agreement.

2.5 CHILD LABOR: Contractor agrees that no products or services will be provided or performed under this Contract

that have been manufactured or assembled by child labor.

2.6 COMPLIANCE WITH ALL LAWS: Contractor is assumed to be familiar with and agrees to observe and comply

with all federal, state, and local laws, statutes, ordinances, and regulations in any manner affecting the provision of

goods and/or services, and all instructions and prohibitive orders issued regarding this work and shall obtain all

necessary permits.

2.7 DEFAULT: If Contractor fails to perform or comply with any provision of this Contract or the terms or conditions of

any documents referenced and made a part hereof, Knox County may terminate this Contract, in whole or in part,

and may consider such failure or noncompliance a breach of Contract. Knox County expressly retains all its rights

and remedies provided by law in case of such breach, and no action by Knox County shall constitute a waiver of

any such rights or remedies. In the event of termination for default, Knox County reserves the right to purchase its

requirements elsewhere, with or without competitive bidding.

2.8 GOVERNING LAW; VENUE: This agreement shall be exclusively construed, governed, and controlled by the Laws

of the State of Tennessee without regard to principles of law, including conflicts of law, of any other jurisdiction,

territory, country, and/or province. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this agreement shall exclusively be

brought in the Chancery Court or the Circuit Court of Knox County, Tennessee. Each party consents to personal

jurisdiction thereto and waives any defenses based on personal jurisdiction, venue and inconvenient forum.

2.9 INCORPORATION: All specifications, drawings, technical information, Request for Proposal, Proposal, Award and

similar items referred to or attached or which are the basis for this Contract are deemed incorporated by reference

as if set out fully herein.

2.10 INDEMNIFICATION/HOLD HARMLESS: Contractor shall indemnify, defend, save and hold harmless Knox County,

its officers, agents and employees from all suits, claims, actions or damages of any nature brought because of,

arising out of, or due to breach of the agreement by Contractor, its subcontractors, suppliers, agents, or employees

or due to any negligent act or occurrence or any omission or commission of Contractor, its subcontractors, suppliers,

agents or employees.

2.11 INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: Contractor shall acknowledge that it and its employees serve as independent

contractors and that Knox County shall not be responsible for any payment, insurance or incurred liability.

2.12 INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE: Warranty periods shall not commence until Knox County inspects and formally

accepts the goods and/or services. The terms, conditions and timing of acceptance shall be determined by Knox

County. Knox County reserves the right to reject any or all items or services not in conformance with applicable

specifications, and Contractor assumes the costs associated with such nonconformance.

Acceptance of goods or services does not constitute a waiver of latent or hidden defects or defects not readily

detectable by a reasonable person under the circumstances.

2.13 IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT: By submission of this proposal, each proposer and each person signing on behalf of

any proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal each party thereto certifies as to its own organization,

under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each proposer is not on the list created

pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated § 12-12-106.

2.14 LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: In no event shall Knox County be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential,

special or exemplary damages or lost profits, even if Knox County has been advised of the possibility of such

damages.

2.15 NO BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL: Pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 1, by submission of

a response to this solicitation, each proposer and each person signing on behalf of any proposer certifies, and in

the case of a joint response each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to

the best of its knowledge and belief that each proposer is not currently engaged in, and will not for the duration of

the contract engage in, a boycott of Israel.

2.16 NON-DISCRIMINATION AND NON-CONFLICT STATEMENT: Contractor agrees that no person on the grounds

of handicap, age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any individual trait or characteristic found to be an

illegal consideration shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to

discrimination in the performance of this agreement or in the employment practices of Vendor. Contractor shall

upon request show proof of such non-discrimination and shall post in conspicuous places available to all employees

and applicants notices of non-discrimination. Contractor covenants that it complies with the Fair Wage and Hour

Laws, the National Labor Relations Act, and other federal and state employment laws as applicable. Contractor

covenants that it does not engage in any illegal employment practices.

Contractor covenants that it has no public or private interest and shall not acquire directly or indirectly any interest,

which would conflict in any manner with the provision of its goods or performance of its services. Contractor warrants

that no part of the total contract amount provided herein shall be paid directly or indirectly to any officer or employee

of Knox County as wages, compensation, or gifts in exchange for acting as officer, agent, employee, sub-contractor

or consultant to Contractor in connection with any goods provided or work contemplated or performed relative to

the agreement.

2.17 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: In the event of inconsistent or conflicting provision of this Contract and referenced

documents, the following descending order of precedence shall prevail: (1) Written Contract, (2) Request for

Proposal, (3) Contractor’s Response, (4) Award, (5) Special Terms and Conditions, (6) General Terms and

Conditions, (7) Specifications, (8) Drawings.

2.18 REMEDIES: Knox County shall have all rights and remedies afforded under the U.C.C. and Tennessee law in

contract and in tort, including but not limited to, rejection of goods, rescission, right offset-off, refund, incidental,

consequential and compensatory damages and reasonable attorney’s fees.

2.19 RIGHT TO INSPECT: Knox County reserves the right to make periodic inspections of the manner and means the

service is performed or the goods are supplied.

2.20 SEVERABILITY: If any provision of this Contract is declared illegal, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions

shall not be affected but shall remain in force and in effect.

2.21 TAX COMPLIANCE: Pursuant to Resolution R-07-1-903 passed by the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee,

Contractor hereby acknowledges, by submission of its proposal and signature that it is current in its respective

Federal, State, County, and City taxes of whatever kind or nature and is not delinquent in any way. Delinquent

status must be disclosed or risk debarment by the Knox County Procurement Division.

2.22 TERMINATION: Notwithstanding any other provision of this Contract to the contrary, County may terminate this

Contract with or without cause, upon written notice of not less than thirty (30) business days. Upon termination,

County will pay for services satisfactorily completed but not yet invoiced. Contractor shall not perform additional

work without the expressed permission of County.

In the event Contractor intends to interrupt or discontinue service under this Contract, Contractor agrees to give

Knox County at least one hundred twenty (120) day advance written notice of said interruption or discontinuance of

service prior to interrupting or discontinuing same. Any interruption or discontinuance of service without said

advance notice shall constitute a material breach of this Contract.

Name of Solicitation	Number	Deadline Due Date	Buyer	Attachments
Strategic Planning Services	3541	04-09-24	Jay Garrison (865) 215-5767	Click Here for the Solicitation Click Here for the Addendum II Click Here for the Addendum I

Strategic Planning Services

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