UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
Procurement & Contract Services E-Solicitation Cover Page
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) NO. 15P0007SRS TITLE OF SOLICITATION: Commercial Printing Services The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is requesting proposals from commercial printing companies (Offerors) to provide a comprehensive range of printing services for its colleges, departments, and research organizations located on the Fairbanks Campus. EMAIL OR DELIVER PROPOSALS For Physical Delivery of electronic media:
University of Alaska Fairbanks Procurement & Contract Services 3295 College Road, Suite 103 Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 By Email to:
[email protected] PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: November 4, 2014 - 2:00 pm DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF QUESTIONS: November 7, 2014
SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN November 18, 2014 - 3:00 PM AST FAXED, PRINTED OR LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
RFP ISSUE DATE: October 27, 2014
NOTE: Faxed proposals, or proposals submitted by any means other than described in this announcement will not be accepted and will be rejected as non-responsive. NOTICE TO OFFERORS POINT OF CONTACT FOR RFP INQUIRIES: Stanley R. Schwafel, Senior Contracting Officer Email:
[email protected] Telephone: ( 907) 474-7420 Fax: (907) 474-7720
The person listed above is the only point of contact for any inquiries regarding any aspect of this RFP or its requirements. Offerors who seek or receive information regarding this solicitation from any other University official may be declared non-responsive and removed from further consideration. A copy of this solicitation, supporting documents, and any amendments, if issued, may be accessed from the UAF Procurement & Contract Services website, http://www.uaf.edu/procurement/community/solicitations/. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING
Any contract resulting from this RFP will only be issued subject to the availability of funding. The funding source allows or does not allow application of Alaska preference laws. PROCUREMENT OFFICER
Stanley R. Schwafel Senior Contracting Officer
Documents Acknowledgment Page Listed below are supplemental documents to this RFP. Reference documents are listed in the left-hand column, and Required Forms to be submitted with the technical proposal are listed in the right-hand column. These documents are integral to the solicitation and, where applicable, are legally binding. Reference Documents & Required Forms (links) Reference documents REQUIRED FORMS Instructions to Offerors Non-Personal Services General Provisions Insurance
Proposal Transmittal Form Documents Acknowledgment Page Statement of Compliance Form Representations, Certifications & etc. Rate Response Form
Instructions: The documents listed above are linked to a website for access, download and printing. Please complete all required forms and submit them as part of the Technical Proposal. If there are questions regarding format, please contact the responsible procurement officer listed on the cover page. Organize proposal documents as follows: Prepare, save, and submit the proposal as two Adobe PDF files: one PDF file containing the Technical (written narrative) Proposal together with all required forms and other documents, and a second PDF file containing the Rate Response Form and any rate/price-related supporting documentation. PART A – TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
PART B – RATE RESPONSE FORM
REQUIRED FORMS TO BE SUBMITTED Proposal Transmittal Form Documents Acknowledgment Page (this page) Statement of Compliance Form Representations, Certifications & Statement of Bidders/Offerors Form
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
RATE RESPONSE FORM
A narrative that addresses the requirements and standards in the RFP.
(Second pdf)
(First pdf )
Proposals will be accepted ONLY in PDF format on the following media: USB Flash Memory
CD or DVD
by E-mail attachment to:
[email protected]
Please list the Offeror’s name and the name and signature of the person authorized to legally bind the offeror: Company Name
Preparer’s Name and title (print or type)
Date
Preparer’s signature
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 2
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. 15P0007SRS for
COMMERCIAL PRINTING SERVICES TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Page .....................................................................................................................1 Documents Acknowledgment Page ...............................................................................2 Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................3 I. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) OVERVIEW A. Web-based Access ...................................................................................................5 B. Digital Version of RFP ............................................................................................5 C. Contract Award Schedule / NAICS Code designation ............................................6 II. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA BACKGROUND A. University of Alaska System Organization..............................................................6 B. University of Alaska Fairbanks ...............................................................................6 C. UAF Faculty, Staff and Students .............................................................................7 III. PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION A. Purpose of Solicitation .............................................................................................7 B. General Information 1. Note on Nomenclature.........................................................................................8 2. Single Point of Contact at UAF ...........................................................................8 C. Basis of Selection .....................................................................................................9 D. Schedule ...................................................................................................................9 E. UAF Intends to Evaluate Proposals and Select Vendors without Discussions ......10 F. Questions Received Prior to the Deadline for Proposals .......................................10 G. Pre-Proposal Conference .......................................................................................10 H. Period of Acceptance of Proposals ........................................................................11 I. Alternate or Multiple Proposals – NOT accepted ..................................................11 J. Faxed Proposals Will Not Be Accepted.................................................................11 K. Contract Type and Kind (Firm-fixed-price/Non-personal Services) .....................11 L. Contract Term/Period of Performance ...................................................................11 M. Contract/Purchase Order Contents .........................................................................12 N. Modifications to Contract/Purchase Order ............................................................12 O. Subcontracting and Transfer ..................................................................................12 P. Contract Administrator(s) ......................................................................................12 Q. Confidentiality .......................................................................................................12 R. Proprietary Information .........................................................................................12 S. Requirements of Offerors: Proposal Format/Checklist of Required Documents ..13 RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 3
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES IV. REQUIREMENTS and SPECIFICATIONS A. Printing Services - General ....................................................................................15 B. Classification of Printing Services .........................................................................15 C. Printing Products and Services ..............................................................................16 1. Typical Products and Services .........................................................................16 2. Typical Finishing/Binding Services .................................................................16 3. Other Services ..................................................................................................17 4. Promotional and Specialized Services .............................................................17 D. List of Exhibits.......................................................................................................17 E. Printing Standards and Specifications ...................................................................18 V. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND BASIS OF SELECTION ..............................19 A. Preliminary Administrative Evaluation .................................................................19 B. Technical Evaluation Criteria ................................................................................19 C. Scoring Methodology.............................................................................................21 D. Price/Discount Evaluations ....................................................................................22 E. Determination of Qualified Vendors List ..............................................................22 VI. RATE RESPONSE FORM – available as a web-link on the Documents Acknowledgment Page in the Required Forms list (see page 2)
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 4
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES I. RFP OVERVIEW A. WEB-BASED ACCESS The University of Alaska Fairbanks, Procurement & Contract Services department (UAF/P&CS) utilizes online, web-based access to information to serve the needs of the University, vendors/offerors and the public. The department’s on-going efforts strive for:
Responsiveness to modern business practices through web-based services
Fast and simplified availability of documents and information
Facilitation of the proposal submittal process
More efficient time management for vendors and UA staff
Improved communications
Greater competition
This solicitation document describes the required services and includes downloadable documents that are listed on the Documents Acknowledgment Page (page 2 of this document). Offerors should download, review, and print the documents listed there at their earliest convenience. Documents are listed by groups: Reference documents and Required Forms. All documents and forms should be reviewed and those documents that require signatures (Required Forms) shall be submitted with the technical proposal. The required forms and proposal shall be assembled in a specific order together with the technical proposal and combined into a single electronic PDF file. All Offerors submitting proposals are responsible for examining the entire RFP and supplemental documents, including this document and reference materials. Failure to do so shall be at the Offeror’s risk. The Technical Proposal pdf file shall be accompanied by a second PDF file containing ONLY the Offeror’s rate response form and any other rate/cost information. The RFP (this document), the Rate Response Form, and all related documents and REQUIRED FORMS are accessible at the UAF/P&CS website: http://www.uaf.edu/procurement/community/solicitations/solicitationboilerplate/index.xml B. DIGITAL VERSION OF RFP Offerors may request an MS Word version of this RFP to facilitate preparation of a proposal. The UAF/P&CS Administrative Policy states: "This solicitation is provided in MS Word format to assist Offerors to more easily prepare a response to the RFP. The Offeror may not add, delete, or alter any language in this solicitation. In the event that there is any difference between the language contained in the MS Word version of the solicitation and the Adobe PDF version accessed on the UAF/P&CS website, the version on the website shall prevail."
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 5
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES C. CONTRACT AWARD SCHEDULE / NAICS CODE ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE FOR CONTRACT AWARD Notice date (approximate): December 5, 2014 Services commencement date: On or before January 1, 2015 NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS) CODE: 323111 NAICS CLASSIFICATION TITLE: Commercial Printing Services
In order to qualify as a small business for this solicitation, the offeror’s average number of employees during the preceding twelve (12) month period may not exceed five hundred (500) employees. (cf.: 13CFR§121.106).
II. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA – BACKGROUND INFORMATION A. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA SYSTEM ORGANIZATION The University of Alaska was established by Congress in 1917 at Fairbanks, Alaska as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines. Renamed the University of Alaska in 1935, UA was established as the State University in 1959 under the Alaska State Constitution. In 1986, following decreases in state funding, it was restructured from three universities and eleven community colleges to three multi-campus universities and one community college. UA is the only public institution of higher education in the State of Alaska with a statewide system comprising a System Office, three separately-accredited regional Universities: University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), and University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) in Juneau, nine college centers in Bethel, Dillingham, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Kotzebue, Nome, Palmer, Sitka, Soldotna, a separatelyaccredited community college in Valdez, and various extension, rural education and research sites around the state. The administrative organization of UA has evolved to meet the needs and aspirations of the citizens of Alaska. UA is governed by an eleven member Board of Regents appointed by the governor. President Patrick Gamble serves as the chief executive officer of the UA System and the principal administrative organization resides on the UAF campus. Each of the three major regional academic units are governed by a Chancellor. B. UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS UAF is the flagship campus of the UA System and comprises nine colleges and schools offering 190 degrees in 123 disciplines. UAF is also the principal research campus and is home to five major research institutes, numerous research centers, laboratories, and other facilities, and administers smaller learning centers around the State in addition to the following rural campuses: Bristol Bay Campus, Dillingham Kuskokwim Campus, Bethel RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 6
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES Chukchi Campus, Kotzebue Northwest Campus, Nome Community and Technical College (CTC), Fairbanks Interior-Aleutians Campus, Fairbanks C. UAF FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS There are 2,163 full-time and approximately 1,888 part-time staff, including faculty members, located in Fairbanks, which includes UA system employees and Community and Technical College staff. There are more than 7,000 enrolled students at the Fairbanks campus (Spring 2014). There are more than 10,000 students enrolled throughout the UAF network of campuses and learning centers. Including the Statewide System Administrative Offices, there are more than seventy departments, institutes, and academic and administrative departments that utilize printing services to a greater or lesser degree. Heavier users of printing services include, for example, UAF Marketing and Communications, Summer Sessions, Development and Alumni Relations, Admissions and the Registrar, Geophysical Institute and others. Printing services requirements include the Sun Star student newspaper, which is published weekly by the Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (ASUAF) during the academic year. I. III. PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION A. PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) is soliciting proposals from commercial printing vendors (Offerors) to provide commercial printing services for its multitude of different departments, schools, colleges and institutes on its campuses. UAF procures printing services from vendors located in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and across the country. In addition, UAF has operated its own on-campus printing services department for almost 50 years that provides a range of printing services from commencement programs to flyers, to specialized, unique and time critical products such as event programs, fundraising materials, and the UAF Catalog. Due to legislativemandated budget reductions across the UA system, the UAF Printing Services department will be closed effective December 31, 2014. The objective of this solicitation is to qualify printing services vendors to place on an eligibility list from which University departments may select for their future printing needs. The University is not seeking a single vendor, nor a limited group of vendors, to provide these services. Rather, the University is interested in qualifying as many vendors as possible of all business sizes, from large multi-services companies to small, specialty printing companies. Smaller companies are especially encouraged to submit proposals. Vendors whose proposals meet the requirements of this solicitation, price and non-price factors considered, and pursuant to the procedures described in this solicitation, will be RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 7
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES placed on the qualified vendors list. This solicitation does not guarantee that a qualified vendor will receive a purchase order or contract. It is anticipated that multiple vendors will be placed on the eligibility list. Vendors selected for placement on the list will be based upon the ability to fulfill requirements, meet schedules, a demonstrated expertise and experience in producing the required printing product or service, a competitive price (discount from retail pricing), and other criteria as determined by UAF. In addition, UAF wishes to notify interested vendors that the printing equipment utilized on campus will be disposed of through the UAF property office beginning in late 2014 or early 2015. Interested vendors should include a notice of interest in the proposal to ensure that they are directly notified when the printing equipment is available for auction. B. GENERAL INFORMATION This solicitation is only a Request for Proposals and is not an offer or order to perform services, and it is not a commitment on the part of UAF to award a contract or purchase order. 1. Note on Nomenclature For purposes of this solicitation, hereinafter the University of Alaska Fairbanks may be referred to as “the University”, “UA”, “UAF”, or the “Contracting Agency”. The terms “Offeror”, “Vendor”, “Company” or “Companies”, and “Contractor” may be used interchangeably throughout this solicitation. Generally the term Contractor will refer to the successful, or selected, offerors. 2. Single Point of Contact at UAF Any inquiries or request for clarification concerning this RFP shall be submitted in writing to: Stanley R. Schwafel, Senior Contracting Officer,
[email protected]. Telephone or oral requests for information or clarification will not be accepted. Offerors who seek or receive information regarding this RFP from any other UAF staff member may be disqualified and their proposal may be removed from consideration. All Offerors submitting proposals are responsible for examining this entire RFP and supplemental documents, including this document and reference documents. Failure to do so shall be at the Offeror’s risk. To be considered, an Offeror must meet the minimum qualifications outlined herein, be able and available to perform work and deliver the required services in Alaska, and submit one (1) electronic proposal (two data files) which must be received by UAF/P&CS, Room 103 Administrative Services Center, 3295 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 by the date and time specified on the RFP Cover Sheet, or as subsequently amended. As stated in the Instructions to Offerors (which may be obtained through the web link on page 2), any deviations in a proposal from the requirements of this RFP must be fully RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 8
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES disclosed in detail on the Statement of Compliance Form and submitted with the proposal. Failure by an offeror to disclose all such information as required may result in disqualification of that proposal as being non-responsive and removed from further consideration. In addition to meeting the requirements for technical responsiveness, which include compliance with all RFP requirements, a proposal may not be contingent upon or subject to any other contract or agreement, unless required by law, whose terms and conditions may be in conflict with the terms and conditions of the RFP, or whose terms and conditions purport to govern or supersede those of the RFP. Unless specifically allowed, UAF will not accept multiple or alternate offers or offers conditioned or contingent upon receiving award of all or a portion of this and/or another contract award. Offers in conflict with the intent of this paragraph will be rejected as non-responsive. Proposal evaluations are expected to be completed within one month following the submittal deadline. C. BASIS OF SELECTION Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Past Performance/References Quality Customer Service Technical Expertise Sustainability/Conservation/Social Responsibility
Offerors should describe in the proposal their company’s capabilities to meet the technical criteria requirements and standards for printing services, and offer the University the best discounted pricing for a representative range of products and/or services. Please see the Evaluation and Basis of Selection section of this solicitation for more detailed information. D. SCHEDULE The tentative schedule for the determination of qualified Commercial Printing vendors is as follows: October 27, 2014
Request for Proposals issued
November 18, 2014
Closing Date for Proposal SUBMISSION
December 5, 2014 (tentative)
Evaluation of Proposals / Determination of Qualified Vendors list
December 10, 2014
Issue Letter(s) of Notice to Qualified Vendors
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 9
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES E. UAF INTENDS TO EVALUATE PROPOSALS AND SELECT VENDORS WITHOUT DISCUSSIONS The UAF reserves the right to make award of a contract or issuance of a purchase order without conducting negotiations or discussions with offerors. However, the University reserves the right to conduct discussions with offeror(s) if the Procurement Officer determines that they may be useful to the best outcome for the University. Proposals will be reviewed by an evaluation committee in accordance with the criteria and methodology described in the Evaluation and Basis of Award section of this RFP. During the review process, the University reserves the right, where it may serve UAF’s best interests, to request additional information or clarifications from Offerors and, if the University deems additional discussions or information to be useful and/or necessary to the fair and complete evaluation of a proposal, to allow corrections of errors or omissions. At the discretion of the evaluation committee and the responsible Procurement Officer, Offerors may be requested to make oral presentations. F. QUESTIONS RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS All questions concerning this RFP shall be addressed by email to Stanley R. Schwafel, Senior Contracting Officer, Procurement & Contract Services/UAF, PO Box 757940, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7940 (
[email protected]), who is the single point of contact for any inquiries regarding this RFP. Offerors’ questions and any University responses will become public records. Questions may also be faxed to (907) 474-7720. Generally there are two types of questions that arise. The first type typically requires directing the questioner to the specific section of the RFP or ancillary documents where the answer may be found. At the option of the University, response to this type of question may be given over the telephone; such questions and answers are unofficial and in no case shall an oral response to a question affect any aspect of the RFP process. The second type of question involves clarifying or interpreting parts of the RFP or the intent of the RFP. While the University has no obligation to respond to such questions, this type of question and any response, will be made in writing. Any written responses conveying material information will be provided to all recipients of the original solicitation. If any oral responses are given, or claimed to have been given, no person may rely upon them and they will not affect any aspect of this RFP process. Offerors who seek or receive information regarding this solicitation from any University official other than the individual listed above may be declared non-responsive and removed from further consideration. Note: Prospective Offerors are encouraged to submit questions or requests for clarification. G. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on November 4, 2014 in the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services Conference Room, Suite 206, 3295 College Road, Fairbanks, RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 10
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES Alaska 99701. Vendors wishing to participate by audio-conference should call the following number: 1-800-893-8850. When prompted, enter the participant PIN number: 9298674. H. PERIOD OF ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS Any proposal submitted in response to this solicitation shall remain valid for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) days after the closing date for receipt of proposals listed on the cover page to this RFP, except as otherwise specified in this solicitation. I. ALTERNATE OR MULTIPLE PROPOSALS – NOT ACCEPTED UAF will not accept multiple or alternate proposals or offers conditioned or contingent upon receiving award of all or a portion of this and/or another contract or purchase order. J. FAXED PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED Proposals will NOT be ACCEPTED by fax transmission or by any printed means, or by any means other than as electronic files submitted as an e-mail message attachment or by physically delivering a USB drive or a CD/DVD to the UAF/P&CS office before the date listed on the cover page of this RFP. UAF reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. K. CONTRACT TYPE AND KIND Any contract or purchase order issued as a result of this solicitation will be a non-personal services contract with firm-fixed-prices, negotiable when applicable, during the period of performance for which the offered prices and/or rates shall include all plant, labor, hardware, software, travel, shipping, and administrative costs associated with providing the services. Offeror’s rates or discounts shall be effective for a minimum of one year from the date of notification of placement on the eligibility list. L. CONTRACT TERM / PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The term of a contract or purchase order issued as a result of this solicitation will be for the period required by the using department for a particular project or order. Any vendor selected as qualified to be placed on a list of potential vendors will remain on the list for a period of three (3) years from the notification date, unless the University removes a vendor for non-performance, or other cause. The University reserves the sole right to extend a performance period depending upon continued availability of funding, satisfactory contractor performance, and the University’s continued need for the products or services.
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 11
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES M. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER CONTENTS The contents of this RFP and the contents of any offer from an offeror subsequently selected for award of a contract or purchase order, or selection as a potential vendor for services, may be incorporated, either directly or by selective reference, into a contract or purchase order issued by UAF, unless terms, conditions, and sample documents provided by the Offeror are excluded as contrary to the best interests of UAF. N. MODIFICATIONS TO CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER The terms and conditions of any contract or purchase order issued as a result of this RFP shall only be modified in writing. O. SUBCONTRACTING AND TRANSFER A contractor shall not transfer or subcontract, in whole or in part, any portion of a contract(s) or purchase order resulting from this RFP without written permission from the University. Permission is not guaranteed, but will not be unreasonably withheld, and will be granted only if considered to be in the best interests of the University. P. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR(S) The Contract Administrator for any contract(s) or purchase orders awarded as a result of this solicitation will be a representative of the University department requiring the printing services. In addition, an administrative coordinator may be assigned to specific projects or jobs who advises and assists the end-using departments. Q. CONFIDENTIALITY All Offerors responding to this RFP are required to keep all information regarding students strictly confidential and are required to comply with all applicable privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations pertaining to student’s privacy rights. In addition, offerors should prevent disclosure of any sensitive or privileged information such as other personal information or financial data. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in elimination of that Offeror’s proposal, potential litigation, cancellation of a purchase order or contract, and debarment from receiving further business from UAF. Offerors shall familiarize its staff with, and comply with, all federal and state regulations that pertain to services provided under a contract resulting from this solicitation. R. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION Proposals shall clearly indicate any information which is of a proprietary nature. Proprietary information must be limited to confidential information as defined in Instructions to Offerors (Public Information). Proposals become public information at the
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 12
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES conclusion of the solicitation process, in accordance with Alaska law. Once submitted, all proposals become the property of UAF. It is not expected that proposals submitted in response to this solicitation for printing services will contain proprietary information. S. REQUIREMENTS OF OFFERORS: PROPOSAL FORMAT/CHECKLIST All Offerors should submit the proposals as follows: 1. Format proposals in the order stipulated on the Documents Acknowledgment Page (page 2) and more fully described below. The technical (narrative) proposal should be submitted as a single electronic PDF file. 2. The Technical Proposal should specifically address the requirements and evaluation criteria described in this RFP. The omission or failure to refer to a particular requirement will be construed as an offeror’s inability to provide that type of product or service. 3. There is no limit to the length of the Technical Proposal but offerors are encouraged to submit concise proposals, and to avoid unnecessary discussion. The proposal should describe the offeror’s company, annual revenue (in broad terms), its equipment and capability, number of staff, number of years providing printing services, descriptions of examples of printed materials, capability for specialized printing projects, experience of its staff, etc. 4. Provide samples of printed products similar to those listed in EXHIBITS elsewhere in this RFP, which is a representative of the University’s recent printing requirements. 5. Do not simply refer to an attached document as demonstrating capability to provide a service or product. Offerors may attach supplemental materials to enhance understanding of the proposal, but the narrative should sufficiently describe the capabilities of the offeror. 6. List the Offeror’s prices/discounts for the services it can provide by completing a Rate Response Form(s) and submit it as a separate PDF file. 7. Affirm that all quoted rates/discounts are guaranteed for at least one year and are not subject to adjustments. 8. Fill out and submit the required forms and state that the offer does not include any commissions. 9. Submit the proposal in the order described on the Documents Acknowledgment Page (as TWO PDF files). Examples of printed products should be delivered to the Procurement & Contract Services office located at 3295 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-7940 BEFORE THE DEADLINE for proposal submission. All proposals must be received no later than 3:00 pm on the date and to the office RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 13
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES address listed on the cover page of this RFP, based on either the date and time appearing on the incoming e-mail message through the University’s email system, or on the received time if the proposal is physically delivered to the office. Printed, faxed, telegraphed or other electronically transmitted PROPOSALS will not be accepted. Failure to submit the proposal on time will result in disqualification of the vendor. 10. Checklist – Documents should be ordered as follows: (1) Proposal Transmittal Form – filled out, signed and dated (2) Documents Acknowledgment Page – filled out, signed and dated (3) Statement of Compliance Form – filled out, signed and dated (4) Representations, Certifications and Statements of Bidders/Offerors – filled out, signed and dated (5) TECHNICAL PROPOSAL – one pdf file (identified as TECHNICAL PROPOSAL) In addition to the narrative Technical Proposal, vendors should submit in printed form a set of six to eight representative samples that demonstrate their company’s printing capabilities. Please provide a list of the submitted samples in the Technical Proposal. Vendors’ samples may include some of the characteristics listed below. PLEASE NOTE THAT SAMPLES MAY INCLUDE SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS IN A SINGLE ITEM. Examples of Print Products 1. Printed sample with four colors (CYMK) that includes at least one photograph and one piece of line art. 2. A sample with only black ink that includes at least one halftone image and one piece of line art. 3. Samples on glossy paper, on card stock, and on typical book-weight paper. 4. Samples of an envelope with letterhead and/or a business card. 5. A sample of at least one multi-page and bound document. 6. Samples with different types of finishing techniques: folding, stapling, perfect binding, comb binding, etc. 7. Samples of both digital printing technology and offset printing methods. 8. A sample of a wide-format document. 9. A sample of a promotional item.
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 14
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES (6) Rate Response Form – one pdf file (clearly identified as RATE RESPONSE FORM) IV. REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS A. PRINTING SERVICES - GENERAL UAF is seeking printing services vendors that can provide routine and custom printing services for its academic, research and administrative departments. (Please see the Background Information section for a description of the University). The required printing services comprise everything from business cards to high-quality, multi-color, semi-annual journals and magazines, from flyers and catalogs to posters and letterhead. The intent is not to limit a particular printing service to one vendor but to establish a list of vendors from which departments may select with confidence that the printing product will be of a consistently high quality, standardized and reasonably priced. Smaller vendors who may not have the capacity or equipment to produce all of the products and services required are nevertheless encouraged to submit a proposal. The University actively encourages small businesses to participate in its solicitations. B. CLASSIFICATION OF PRINTING SERVICES Printing services required by the University are classified as follows: 1. Digital Printing 2. Offset Printing 3. Wide Format Printing Digital Printing Digital printing refers to methods of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media and includes small-run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources printed using large-format and/or high-volume laser or inkjet printers. Digital printing services are typically high speed color or black and white printing products produced with modern digital printing equipment. This service would ordinarily have a quick turn-around time (from order to finished product) and is for smaller quantities, perhaps fewer than 500 copies, and a generally higher price per unit of production. Offset Printing Offset printing is a traditional printing technique that transfers ink from a plate to a blanket to paper instead of directly from plate to paper. This technique lends itself to higher volumes of production, larger format print product and quantities, takes longer to set up and produce, is usually a better overall quality than digital printing, higher resolution, and has more color capability.
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 15
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES Wide-Format Printing Wide-format printing incorporates features of both digital and offset printing, high resolution quality products, with the capacity for larger formatted documents, such as posters up to or exceeding forty-four (44) inches in width. NOTE: Other types of printing services, such as books, are not included in this solicitation. C. PRINTING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Listed below are typical products/services that the University requires on a regular basis irrespective of printing method. These lists are not comprehensive but representative of the types of printing products routinely produced by, or contracted by, the University. 1. Typical Printing Products and Services Multiple page a. b. c. d.
Annual Reports Booklets Catalogs Laboratory manuals
e. f. g. h.
Magazines Newsletters Presentations Programs (e.g., Commencement Programs)
Stationery a. b. c. d.
Business cards Folders Letterhead Envelopes
e. Memo pads f. Note cards (invitations, thank you cards, etc.) g. Certificates
Promotional Items (requires vendor license to use UAF trademark) a. Bookmarks b. Decals c. Stickers Banners a. Pull-up (free standing, retractable) b. Stand (free standing, non-retractable) c. Vinyl display (hanging, usually large format) a. b. c. d. e. f.
Miscellaneous Brochures g. Carbonless forms (NCR) h. Labels i. Postcards j. Foam core k. Posters: regular & wide-format l.
Rack cards Signs Tickets CDs/DVDs Online file exchange (FTP) Online quotations
2. Typical Finishing/Binding Services a. Cutting/trimming b. Hole punching RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
c. Perforating d. Scoring page | 16
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES e. f. g. h. i.
Tabbing Collating Glue/padding Saddle stitch/staple Lamination
j. k. l. m.
Perfect binding Comb and spiral binding Center stapling Shrink wrapping
3. Other Services a. Bulk mailing preparation
b. Varnishing
4. Promotional and Specialized Services a. Promotional items, e.g., water bottles b. “Personalized” custom printing
c. Die cutting/Foil Stamping d. Rubber stamps – personalization
D. LIST OF EXHIBITS Following is a list of examples of typical printing products that the University has recently produced or contracted out. The requirements are different for each project but the specifications listed with each item are typical examples. (Please access a pdf of each example by clicking the hypertext following the title). Note that this list is representative and not a comprehensive list of the types of printing jobs required by the University. 1. Troth Yeddha’ gatefold brochure (Troth Yeddha' gatefold brochure) Quantity: 500 copies, size: 9”x16”, 65 lb. Cougar (paper) cover, process color on both sides with bleed. 2. Troth Yeddha’ Legacy flyer (Troth Yeddha' flyer) Qty.: 250 copies, size: 8.5”x11”, process color both with bleed, 65 lb. white Cougar cover. 3. Alumni Reunion Weekend invitation flyer (Alumni) Qty.: 750 copies, size: 8.5”x14”, double-sided (4/1 color), perforate, fold to 3.5”x8.5”, 80 lb. dull text. 4. Chancellor’s Gala Program (Gala) Qty.: 400 copies, size: 8.5”x11” folded in half, score, 78 lb. gloss cover, double-sided (2/1 color). 5. Commencement Program (Commencement text) Qty.: 3,000 copies, size: 8.5”x11”, folded in half, double-sided (1 color inside), 72 sheets, 1-2 day turnaround. Full color cover sent separately before final text. 6. Commencement Invitation envelope (Commencement envelope) Qty.: 650 copies, size: A6 envelope, 1 spot color with bleed. 7. Geophysical Institute rack card (GI rack card) Qty.: 500 copies, size: 3.5”x8.5”, double-sided color (4/4), printed on 14 pt. uncoated cover stock; fifteen different card formats. RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 17
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES E. PRINTING STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS UAF requires high-quality, professional printing products and services. Acceptable minimum standards are listed in the left-hand column, and examples of UNACCEPTABLE characteristics are listed in the right-hand column. Acceptable Standards of Quality
UNACCEPTABLE
Meet or exceed deadlines
Missed deadlines, late deliveries
Paper quality – FSC certified, minimum 10% post-consumer content when available and applicable
Non-sustainable, non-recycled paper (when applicable)
Accurate color reproduction and consistency from proof to final product
Color shifts between proof and final product
Accurate color registration
Inaccurate color registration, or “shifts”
If a licensed trademark vendor, follow licensed protocols (routed through UAF)
Light color streaks on page; washed-out, mottled, inconsistent or milky ink coverage; color streaks, scumming; blotchy, spotted, streaked or poor contrast photographs
Provide file submission guidelines (e.g., color settings, job options, etc.)
Folder wrinkles or roller tracks
Sharp cuts – no rough edges Allow sufficient drying time Trim evenly, straight pages, no jogging across spreads, consistent page margins NO visible register marks and/ or trim marks Consistent ink coverage; no smudges, offsetting or blurred images NO color streaks or scumming (imperfect ink application)
Insufficient drying time resulting in smeared or smudged printing Uneven trim, crooked pages, jogging across spread Visible register marks and/ or trim marks on printed pages Binding flaws Inconsistent page margins Plugged type, shadows and/or burned-out highlights
Accurate binding NO blotchy, spotted, streaked or poor contrast photographs NO folder wrinkles or roller tracks
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 18
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES
V. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND BASIS OF AWARD Proposals will be subjected to a preliminary administrative compliance determination and, if in compliance, will be forwarded to an evaluation committee. Proposals may also be evaluated by a private consulting firm. Proposals meeting the preliminary compliance requirements are then forwarded to an evaluation committee. Proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria described herein, and will be placed on the qualified vendors list if the proposal demonstrates that their company meets the requirements. Note that multiple vendors may be selected and that placement on the qualified vendors list does not guarantee that any vendor will receive a purchase order or contract for services. Proposals that appear to be unrealistic in terms of program commitments, price/discounts, or that reflect an inherent lack of understanding of the complexity and risks of the proposed services requirements, may be removed from further consideration. A. PRELIMINARY ADMINISTRATIVE EVALUATION Proposals will be evaluated to determine if they are responsive to the administrative and submittal requirements as to form, format, and substance. The administrative evaluation, performed by the responsible Procurement Officer, will determine that: 1. The proposal was received before the deadline for submission. 2. The proposal was submitted in the correct format. 3. The correct forms were submitted in the required order (as described on the Documents Acknowledgment Page): one electronic file containing the technical proposal AND ALL REQUIRED SUBMITTAL FORMS, and a second electronic file containing the Rate Response Form. 4. Proposal forms were properly filled in, signed and dated. 5. Any other necessary forms are included. 6. All material alterations or erasures to any forms, if any, were initialed by the signer of the proposal. Proposals failing to comply with all administrative requirements may be declared nonresponsive and removed from further consideration. B. TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA Proposals that comply with the preliminary administrative requirements will be forwarded to an evaluation committee composed of University personnel for evaluation according to RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 19
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES the requirements and criteria described in this RFP. The committee operates under the guidance of the Procurement Officer who serves as chair and ex officio member of the committee. Proposals will be evaluated and scored using a weighted method as follows: Evaluation Criteria for Printing Services Weight 1. Past Performance/References
10
2. Quality: consistently high standard of products and services
45
3. Customer Service: timeliness, responsiveness, deadline oriented
25
4. Technical expertise: personnel/equipment/innovation
15
5. Sustainability/Conservation/Social responsibility
5 TOTAL:
100
The technical proposal should address each of the evaluation criteria specifically, in order, with descriptions of the offeror’s capabilities to meet each criterion, with examples. The narrative need not be long, but it should address each criterion. Additional supplementary materials may be included with the technical proposal (including examples of printed products). 1. Past Performance/References Recent past performance on print projects for the University will be evaluated. Vendors should refer in the proposal to specific jobs produced for the University during approximately the past two years, highlighting any unique or specific characteristics of the project, and how their company met the requirements. In addition, vendors should provide the names of three recent customers for which it has produced printed products, with contact names, telephone numbers, and email addresses. University departments may be listed as references. Vendors which may not have produced products or services for the University in the recent past may not necessarily be scored lower on this criterion if professional references attest to their capabilities and performance. 2. Quality The University of Alaska places the highest importance on the quality of the printing products and services it procures. Referring to standards listed elsewhere in this RFP, offerors should address in the proposal their company’s capabilities and demonstrate how they are able to meet and exceed the minimum professional industry standards for the production and delivery of high quality printing products. 3. Customer Service Describe company policies and practices in meeting the needs of the customer, in particular addressing the company’s attitude regarding responsiveness, timely feedback regarding a project’s status, and the company’s capability to respond to last-minute RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 20
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES changes requested by the customer, or changes that occur late in a project schedule due to a change in materials or requirements, or for other reasons. 4. Technical Expertise Vendors should describe their technical capabilities including types of equipment and other technology that is used in production, if there are specially-trained staff either in the use of the latest technology, or staff members with considerable experience in producing different kinds of printing products. 5. Sustainability/Conservation/Social Responsibility UAF is committed to a Sustainability Program that includes strategies on recycling, limiting waste, conservation of energy, implementation of best practices to reduce impacts on the environment, and others. Offerors should describe their company’s policies regarding waste reduction, responsible waste disposal and reuse, and sustainability and/or conservation efforts to include the use of recycled paper, etc. Non-price, technical evaluations of proposals will be performed by each committee member independently, with no goal of reaching a scoring consensus. The committee may discuss the details and features of proposals for the purpose of ensuring there is a full understanding by the entire committee. C. SCORING METHODOLOGY Each committee member will independently score each technical criterion of each proposal using a point range of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible point score. Each criterion’s points are then multiplied by its weight, resulting in a raw weighted score. For example, if Evaluator A assigned a point score of 10 points for criterion 1 – Background Information, above, it would result in a raw weighted score of 250 (10 points X 25 [weight] = 250). The raw weighted scores of all non-price technical criteria are then summed to achieve a total weighted technical score from each evaluator for each proposal. The total weighted technical scores from each evaluator for each proposal are then summed to achieve an aggregate technical score for each proposal. The aggregate technical scores from all evaluators are then summed and divided by the number of evaluators resulting in an average technical score for each proposal. The highest attainable technical score is 1,000. UAF utilizes a weighted scoring methodology to inform prospective Offerors of the relative importance of the evaluation criteria, and as an aid to evaluators in assigning a tangible expression of the relative strengths or weaknesses of each proposal. Based upon the scoring results, the University may seek clarifications or additional information from any or all Offerors whose proposals are in the competitive range. The competitive range may include proposals receiving both a minimum score of 500 in the technical evaluation and, in the sole discretion of the procurement officer, achieving a technical score high enough to remain under consideration for further consideration when compared against RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 21
PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SERVICES
other proposals received. This procedure is not a strict mathematical formula and may not be challenged or protested on that basis except in the case of obvious arithmetic errors. D. PRICE/DISCOUNT EVALUATIONS While technical evaluations are underway, the Rate Response Form(s) from each proposal will be reviewed by the procurement officer. Only after the technical proposal evaluations are complete is price/discount information provided to the evaluation committee. The price/discount offers from all vendors will be evaluated and listed in order from greatest to least savings off retail pricing. Vendors shall clearly list discounted prices in dollar terms on any quotation or invoice for any services contracted as a result of this solicitation. E. DETERMINATION OF QUALIFIED VENDORS LIST Following completion of the technical evaluations, and after reviewing the price offers, the evaluation committee will consider which proposals offer the better opportunity for the University to achieve its goal of obtaining high-quality, timely, professional quality printing services at the best possible prices/discounts. Proposals receiving technical scores that reflect a clear understanding of the University’s requirements and demonstrate to the evaluation committee their ability to meet UAF’s standards of quality, customer service and price reasonableness, will be placed on a qualified vendors list. University departments may, at UAF’s sole discretion, either contract directly with vendors on the qualified vendors list OR seek competitive quotes for on future printing projects from vendors on the list. No additional documentation will be required. University departments may also conduct business with vendors who are not on the list. However, if they elect to do so, then additional competitive processes may be required. - END OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS -
RFP15P0007SRS Printing Services
page | 22
