Request for Proposals RFP #:
6399008JC
RFP Title: Data Warehouse RFP Development and Evaluation Assistance Date:
March 31, 2015
A VASCUPP Member Institution
Request For Proposals RFP # 6399008JC Issue Date: March 31, 2015 Title: Data Warehouse RFP Development and Evaluation Assistance Issuing and Using Agency:
Virginia Commonwealth University Attention: Jackie Colbert 912 W Grace St., 5th floor POB 980327 Richmond, Virginia 23220
Proposals For Furnishing The Services Described Herein Will Be Received Until: 11:00 (EDT) local time on May 5, 2015.
All Inquiries For Information Should Be Directed To: ISSUING AGENCY, address listed above or to Email:
[email protected], Phone: (804) 828-0163, VOICE TDD: (800) 828-1120. This solicitation & any addenda are posted on the eVA website at: http://www.eva.virginia.gov HARD-COPY, ORIGINAL PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED IN VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY’S DEPARTMENT OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES ON OR BEFORE THE DATE AND TIME DESIGNATED ON THIS SOLICITATION. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS AND FACSIMILE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IN LIEU OF THE HARD-COPY, ORIGINAL PROPOSAL. VENDORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELIVERY OF THEIR PROPOSAL. PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE OFFICIAL DATE AND TIME WILL BE REJECTED. THE OFFICIAL DATE AND TIME USED IN RECEIPT OF RESPONSES IS THAT TIME ON THE CLOCK OR AUTOMATIC TIME STAMP IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES. IF PROPOSALS ARE MAILED, SEND DIRECTLY TO VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, PROPOSAL PROCESS DEPARTMENT, POB 980327, RICHMOND, VA 23298-0327. IF PROPOSALS ARE HAND DELIVERED OR SENT BY COURIER, DELIVER TO: VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY, DEPARTMENT OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES, 912 W GRACE ST., 5th FLOOR, RICHMOND, VA 23284. THE RFP NUMBER, DATE AND TIME OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE, AS REFLECTED ABOVE, MUST CLEARLY APPEAR ON THE FACE OF THE RETURNED PROPOSAL PACKAGE. In Compliance With This Request for Proposals And To All Conditions Imposed Therein and Hereby Incorporated By Reference, The Undersigned Offers And Agrees To Furnish The Goods/Services Described Herein In Accordance With The Attached Signed Proposal Or As Mutually Agreed Upon By Subsequent Negotiation. Furthermore, The Undersigned Agrees Not To Start Any Work Relative To This Particular Solicitation Until A Resulting Formal Signed Purchase Order Is Received By The Contractor From University Purchasing. Any Work Relative To This Solicitation Performed By The Contractor Prior To Receiving A Formal Signed Purchase Order Shall Be At The Contractor's Own Risk And Shall Not Be Subject To Reimbursement By The University. Signature below constitutes acknowledgement of all information contained through links referenced herein. NAME AND ADDRESS OF FIRM: Date: By (Signature In Ink): Zip Code
Name Typed:
E-Mail Address: Telephone: (
Title: )
Fax Number: (
)
Toll free, if available
Toll free, if available
DUNS NO.:
FEI/FIN NO.:
REGISTERED WITH eVA:
( ) YES ( ) NO
SMALL BUSINESS:
( ) YES ( ) NO
VIRGINIA DSBSD CERTIFIED: ( ) YES ( ) NO
MINORITY-OWNED:
( ) YES ( ) NO
DSBSD CERTIFICATION #:
WOMEN-OWNED:
( ) YES ( ) NO
A Pre-Proposal conference will be held. See Section V. herein. THIS SOLICITATION CONTAINS 13 PAGES.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 2 of 13
Table of Contents I.
PURPOSE: ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
II.
OPTIONAL USE CONTRACT: .................................................................................................................................................. 4
III.
THE UNIVERSITY: ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4
IV.
REPORTING AND DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: ............................................................................................................... 4
V.
PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: ............................................................................................................................................ 5
VI.
BACKGROUND: ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5
VII.
DESCRIPTION OF REQUESTED GOODS/SERVICES AND PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: ............................................................................................................................................... 5
VIII.
ORAL PRESENTATION: .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
IX.
EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA: ............................................................................................................................ 11
X.
METHOD OF PAYMENT: ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
XI.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: ............................................................................................................................... 11
XII.
SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: ................................................................................................................................. 11
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 3 of 13
I.
PURPOSE: The intent and purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to establish a contract with a qualified source for a consulting agreement to develop an RFP for creating an Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) for Virginia Commonwealth University (the lead issuing institution and hereafter referred to as “the University” or “VCU”), an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The contract term is from the award until the services defined in Section VII. below are completed.
II. OPTIONAL USE CONTRACT: The resulting contract(s) will be an optional use contract. VCU is in no way required to make purchases from the Contractor and may in its sole discretion purchase the identical and/or similar goods/services from other sources. Any estimates/quantities contained herein do not represent a purchase commitment by VCU. III. THE UNIVERSITY: Virginia Commonwealth University (“VCU”) was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, later becoming the Medical College of Virginia (“MCV”) in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia General Assembly merged MCV with the Richmond Professional Institute, founded in 1917, to create Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU’s enrollment growth has been excellent in recent years. In 1997, VCU enrolled roughly 21,000 students and today more than 31,000 students attend VCU's 13 schools and one college. The VCU Health System supports VCU's health care education, research and patient care mission. With a record $256 million in sponsored research funding in the fiscal year 2011, VCU is designated as a research university with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. A broad array of University-approved centers and institutes of excellence, involving faculty from multiple disciplines in public policy, biotechnology and health care discoveries, supports VCU's research mission. Twenty-eight graduate and first-professional programs are ranked by U.S. News and World Report as among the best in the country. As the premier urban, public research university in Virginia, VCU’s mission is to advance knowledge and student success through its commitments to:
An engaged, learner-centered environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting Research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and promotes translational applications to improve human health Interdisciplinary collaborations that bring new perspectives to complex problems and mobilize creative energies that advance innovation and solve global challenges Health care that strives to preserve and restore health for all people, to seek the cause and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research and to educate those who serve humanity Diversity that provides a climate of inclusion, a dedication to addressing disparities wherever they exist and an opportunity to explore and create in an environment of trust Sustainable, university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of the communities VCU serves in Virginia and around the world.
IV. REPORTING AND DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 4 of 13
Information is available at: RFP Website Link Reporting Delivery Requirements http://go.vcu.edu/procurement-purchasing V. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: OPTIONAL PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: An optional pre-proposal conference will be held at 9:00 AM (EDT) on April 23, 2015 at the James W. and Frances G. McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 1201 E. Marshall Street, Room 11-102, Richmond, VA 23219. Please see http://www.maps.vcu.edu/mcv/jamescenter/ for directions and additional information. The purpose of the conference is to allow potential Offerors an opportunity to present questions and obtain clarification relative to any facet of this solicitation. Note – Offerors: Should submit questions in advance (via email) to
[email protected] prior to the date of the conference. While attendance at this conference will not be a prerequisite to submitting a proposal, Offerors who intend to submit a proposal are encouraged to attend. Bring a copy of the solicitation with you. Any changes resulting from this conference will be issued in a written addendum to the solicitation. VI. BACKGROUND: A. VCU is currently in the middle of its strategic plan, Quest for Distinction (“Quest”). The guiding principles of Quest have been an abiding focus on student success at all levels, unparalleled innovation through research, a University wide commitment to human health, and engagement and empowerment in the communities VCU serves. B. Since 2011, Quest has moved from announcement into implementation to further fortify VCU’s vision as the nation’s premier urban, public research university focused on student success. It does so with a renewed focus on how VCU will pursue excellence at every level even in the face of dwindling resources and increasing calls for accountability and demonstrable value for higher education. To that end, VCU looks at its university-level initiatives to help meet performance targets. While its themes and goals are the framework for the strategic plan, the initiatives are the ways in which VCU can make that framework a reality. C. VCU has demonstrated its intellectual and creative mettle to achieve its strategic plan. In a difficult economic climate, VCU strengthened its position as a top-ranked urban, public research university and earned “Research University, Very High Research Activity” status, as well as Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation, one of only 28 national public research universities with academic medical centers that hold both distinctions. VCU will continue to strive toward improving its placement in the “Top American Research Universities” annual report from The Center for Measuring University Performance, and will hold itself accountable to the highest of standards in teaching, research and service. D. Quest for Distinction provides a strategic framework for capitalizing on the outstanding assets that form the VCU experience — a commitment to educational quality, an environment that embraces diversity, an evolving research program with substantial increases in extramural funding, preeminent programs, an engaged community and an alumni base that is more involved than ever. VCU’s limited resources have been tied to implementing and achieving the aspirations outlined in Quest for Distinction, moving the needle quickly. In short, VCU is no longer doing more with less but rather doing what is important better. E. Quest for Distinction embodies VCU’s dedication to advancing knowledge and student success — a dual commitment that is exceptional among research universities. VCU’s quest is to continue its rise as one of the nation’s premier public research universities. VII. DESCRIPTION OF REQUESTED GOODS/SERVICES AND PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 5 of 13
This section describes VCU’s requested goods and/or services and the areas to be addressed in Offeror’s proposal. The areas to be addressed are italicized and in bold. Proposal response must be written in the same order as outlined below. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities. Emphasis should be placed on completeness and clarity of content. Failure to submit all information requested may result in the elimination of the proposal from consideration. Proposals which are substantially incomplete or lack key information may be rejected by VCU. A. Overview of the Opportunity 1. Located in downtown Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU or the University) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from interested parties to enter into a consulting agreement with VCU to develop an RFP for creating an Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) that will integrate clinical, research and administrative data to support translational research, precision medicine and clinical operations. VCU is open to evaluating all proposed options to gather use cases and requirements from across VCU and the VCU Health System (VCUHS) to deliver an RFP that can be used to solicit vendors for creating the VCU/VCUHS EDW. 2. VCU is soliciting proposals to create a comprehensive RFP for an EDW that meets the requirements of clinicians, researchers and administrators and to assist with selection of a vendor, including preparing of executive summaries of submitted proposals and facilitating the process of evaluating vendors based on the state Tier III procurement regulations and VCU procurement procedures. 3. Through this solicitation process, VCU will determine if there is a feasible approach to engaging a consulting partner to assist VCU in developing an RFP for an EDW. The private partner must demonstrate the appropriate experience and a proven track record of successfully executing projects similar in size and scope. 4. As specified in the RFP award clause, VCU reserves the right to commence negotiations with some or all of the responders to this RFP or otherwise determine the appropriate next steps to develop an EDW RFP. Response to this RFP is a pre-requisite to participate in subsequent steps regarding the development of a RFP for an EDW. 5. Two or more entities may collaborate in submitting a response to this RFP, but a single entity must be designated to contract with VCU and be responsible for performance under any pontential contract. B. Enterprise Data Warehouse Master Plan 1. As VCU continues to grow as an institution, it has developed a data integration strategy to integrate clinical, research and administrative data to support translational research, precision medicine and clinical operations. 2. Overview of EDW project: The ability of a healthcare system to provide precision medicine for its patients is becoming more critical as new technologies are able to identify targeted interventions based on clinical and genomics data. A key to making data usable in the patient care environment is the ability to translate raw data into information and knowledge; moving from basic research to clinical utility through the process of translational research, which is the foundation of a major academic medical center. Translational research in the 21st century requires new REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 6 of 13
investments to support the pipeline of discovery, translation, delivery and dissemination – many times referred to as a Continuous Learning Environment. These new pipelines facilitate the transformation of data to information to knowledge to wisdom leading to clinical decision support thereby selecting the right treatment for the right patient at the right time. But speed is crucial, because many diseases that currently have targeted treatments are also some of the most lethal to VCU’s patient population, i.e. cancer. Therefore, university-wide resources are needed to not only offer the latest therapies and interventions to our patients, but for VCU to be at the cutting edge of translational research and precision medicine. Health care reform is transforming the way data and information are collected and used across the health care continuum in an effort to improve the quality of care, reduce errors, and allow patients to play a greater role in wellness and disease management. Much of the current momentum of precision medicine is based on molecular technologies such as genomics and proteomics that are being used to develop new biomarkerbased diagnostics and prognostic tools that will facilitate earlier detection of disease and biological monitoring of interventions. In addition, molecular-based technologies are creating new paradigms in the development of therapeutic drugs that target specific biological processes revealed through molecular characterization of the patient. Not all personalized medicine is molecular based, but the need to move to evidence-based precision medicine requires the design of new information systems that enable the repurposing of data for multiple stakeholders, including researchers, clinicians, administrators and patients. Of paramount importance is an enterprise data warehouse (EDW) that harmonizes and integrates data from the VCUHS clinical systems, the VCU biorepository, and genomics/proteomics data stores, as examples, into a centralized data warehouse using complex metadata structures exposed to the users via a searchable data dictionary that formalizes the structure to include: a) Common data elements
b) Data element identifiers
c) Data element descriptors
d) Data element representations e) Data element standards f) Data element value domains
g) Organizational data source information h) Data element classification
i)
Data element contributor
Although an EDW can provide many advantages to VCU/VCUHS, this architecture is not ideal for processing of omics data or developing clinical models that discover relationships within the REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 7 of 13
data that can be the underpinning of new discoveries, treatments and interventions. Massively parallel sequencing (sometime referred to as Next Generation Sequencing) requires a highperformance computing environment to transform raw molecular data into a key enabler for precision medicine. One of the most popular architectures for ‘Big Data’ is Hadoop, an open source architecture that has become the mainstay of most data management vendors (Oracle, Teradata, SAP) beyond the traditional EDW architecture, described above, to expedite analyses of large datasets. Even though Hadoop is able to provide excellent support for data analyses and modeling, this architecture does not replace the traditional EDW (at this time); instead it enhances the ability to use ‘Big Data’ rapidly. Although VCU has several high-performance computing environments, these will not be suitable for analyzing molecular data for clinical utility requiring a CLIA-certified system. In addition, the need for a dedicated resource is essential to providing the quickest turn-around on the analysis of clinical samples. Non-CLIA required samples, i.e. research samples can be analyzed using existing computing infrastructure. C. VCU Opportunity 1. VCU is offering potential partners a distinctive opportunity to partner with VCU to create a Request for Proposal for an Enterprise Data Warehouse and have active involvement with vendor selection. D. VCU’s Goals and Objectives 1. VCU seeks a private partner who will gather use cases from clinicians, researchers and administrators to create requirements for the implementation of an EDW to support translational research, precision medicine and clinical operations. Goal 1: Development of use cases for an EDW generated through interviews with key members of the VCU and VCUHS faculty and staff. Goal 2: Creation of a list of software requirements to include data warehouse architecture, metadata architecture, enterprise vocabulary system, self-service end-user interfaces, and selfservice analytical tools. Goal 3: Delivery of an RFP, using the VCU RFP template for the EDW to solicit proposals from healthcare EDW vendors. Goal 4: Assist VCU/VCUHS Evaluation Committee to evaluate EDW vendor proposals by: 1) Preparing executive summaries of each proposal; 2) Attend and contribute at Evaluation Committee meetings to select proposals for onsite vendor presentations; 3) Attend and contribute at vendor presentations to support Evaluation Committee; and 4) assist with final vendor selection. Firm should provide detailed information regarding proposed services for Section VII.A.-D. E. Procurement Requirements: 1. The terms and conditions of the RFP govern the resulting contract and not the Contractor terms and conditions. 2. Any travel and living expenses must be included in the cost of the services. Please reference Section VII., Item J. Price Schedule below. 3. The period of the contract shall be from the award through the completion of the services for VCU. Does your company agree with the Procurement requirements in Section VII.E.1.-3.? Provide an implementation schedule to indicate the number of days after award that your company can begin providing the proposed services for VCU. F. Experience and Qualifications of Firm: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 8 of 13
Firm should provide: 1. List of three references for whom similar services were provided, preferably of public institutions of higher education or a similar sized organization. 2. Provide a list of institutions of higher education with which the firm has a signed term contract. 3. Provide information about the experience and qualifications of the personnel proposed to work on the project with VCU. Why does this experience and qualifications make them the best choice for this project? 4. Provide the amount of annual sales the firm has with each VASCUPP Member Institution. A list of VASCUPP Members can be found at http://procurement.vcu.edu/our-services/university-purchasing/vascupp/ G. Other related goods/services: Describe other products and/or services provided by your firm that may be utilized by VCU. Explain how the fee schedule would be established for these products / services during the contract term (or submit the fee schedule) and your firm's ability to provide most favored nations pricing. Also, explain how VCU would be notified of newly introduced products / services. H. Sustainability: Provide information to demonstrate the overall environmental impact of your proposed approach. Include information on your recommendations to reduce the environmental impact and create efficiencies. I. Small, Women-Owned and Minority-Owned Business Commitment: Firm must submit complete Appendix I which is available at RFP Website Link Appendix 1 http://go.vcu.edu/procurement-purchasing unless the firm is a DSBSD certified small business. DSBSD certified small businesses must include their certification number on the coversheet of this RFP, but are not required to complete Appendix I. J.
Price Schedule: Firm should provide pricing to create a Request for Proposal for an Enterprise Data Warehouse and to have active involvement with vendor selection. The proposed cost of the services for each Goal and the Total Amount is a fixed price for the services offered in the RFP response. Goal 1: Development of use cases for an EDW generated through interviews with key members of the VCU and VCUHS faculty and staff. $_______________________ Goal 2: Creation of a list of software requirements to include data warehouse architecture, metadata architecture, enterprise vocabulary system, self-service end-user interfaces, and selfservice analytical tools. $_______________________ Goal 3: Delivery of an RFP, using the VCU RFP template for the EDW to solicit proposals from healthcare EDW vendors. $_______________________
Goal 4: Assist VCU/VCUHS Evaluation Committee to evaluate EDW vendor proposals by: 1) Preparing executive summaries of each proposal; 2) Attend and contribute at Evaluation Committee meetings to select proposals for onsite vendor presentations; 3) Attend and contribute at vendor presentations to support Evaluation Committee; and 4) assist with final REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 9 of 13
vendor selection. $_______________________ Total Amount: $_______________________ K. Proposal Submission Instructions: 1. Complete and return page1of the RFP. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror. 2. Complete and return signed addenda acknowledgments (if applicable). 3. For Procurement Services submit one (1) original hard copy (paper) of the entire proposal, including all attachments and proprietary information. The original proposal must be clearly marked on the outside of the proposal. Submit one (1) unsecured, electronic copy (on a disc or flash drive) of the entire proposal including all attachments and INCLUDING ANY PROPRIETARY INFORMATION and one (1) unsecured, electronic copy (on a disc or flash drive) of the entire proposal including all attachments and EXCLUDING ANY PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. These discs or flash drives must be clearly marked on the outside whether it includes or excludes proprietary information. 4. For the Evaluation Committee submit seven (7) hard copies (paper) of the entire proposal, including all attachments and proprietary information and one (1) unsecured, electronic copy (on a disc or flash drive) of the entire proposal including all attachments and INCLUDING ANY PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. 5. If applicable, the outside of the proposal must be marked to denote proprietary information is contained in the documents. Written notice of proprietary information must be submitted as the first page of the Offeror’s proposal. Notice must specifically identify the applicable portions of the Offeror’s proposal that contains data or materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary. In addition, the specific (i.e. specific words, figures or paragraphs) proprietary or trade secret material submitted, must be identified on the applicable page(s) within the Offeror’s proposal, by some distinct method, such as highlighting, underlining, etc. The classification of an entire proposal document, line item prices and/or total proposal prices as proprietary or trade secrets is not acceptable and will result in rejection and return of the proposal. 6. Communications regarding this Request for Proposals (RFP) shall be formal from the date of issue for this RFP, until either a Contractor has been selected or the University Purchasing Department rejects all proposals. Formal communications shall be directed to the University Purchasing Department. Informal communications including but not limited to, request for information, comments or speculations, regarding this RFP to any University employee other than a Purchasing Department representative may result in the offending Offeror’s proposal being rejected. 7. Additional information is available at: RFP Website Link Additional Information http://go.vcu.edu/procurement-purchasing VIII. ORAL PRESENTATION: Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to conduct an oral presentation of their proposal to VCU. Oral presentations are an option and may or may not be required. Should an oral presentation be required, VCU will designate the date and location for the presentation; the date is critical and alternative dates will not be available. Offerors who are invited to conduct an oral presentation shall include the individual(s) who would be the primary point of contact for VCU, on the Offerors presentation team. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 10 of 13
IX. EVALUATION AND AWARD CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated based upon the information provided in the Offeror’s proposal using the following criteria: Offeror’s qualifications and experience; methodology/approach to providing the requirements stated herein; price; and the Offeror’s status as a Virginia certified SWaM Business or the Offeror’s plans to utilize Virginia DSBSD certified SWaM Businesses in the Offeror’s performance of the contract. Selection shall be made of two or more Offerors deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals. The Institution reserves the right to make multiple awards. Negotiations shall be conducted with Offerors so selected. After negotiations have been conducted with each Offeror so selected, the agency shall select the Offeror which, in its opinion, has made the best offer, and shall award the contract to that Offeror. The Institution may cancel this Request for Proposals or reject proposals at any time prior to an award, and is not required to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous. (Governing Rules Section 49.D) Should the Institution determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one Offeror has made the best proposal, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that Offeror. The award document will be a contract incorporating by reference all the requirements, terms and conditions of the solicitation. Notice of Award(s) or Notice of Intent to Award may be accessed electronically at http://www.eva.virginia.gov. X. METHOD OF PAYMENT: The Contractor shall submit a fully itemized invoice to Virginia Commonwealth University, Accounts Payable and Support Services, P. O. Box 980327, Richmond, VA 23298-0327, that, at minimum, includes the following information: the Virginia Commonwealth University purchase order number; a description of the goods or services provided; quantities; unit prices; extended prices; and total prices Payment will be made thirty days after receipt of a proper invoice for the amount of payment due, or thirty days after receipt of the goods or services, whichever is later, in accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia Prompt Payment Legislation. XI. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: General Terms and Conditions can be viewed at: http://go.vcu.edu/procurement-purchasing XII. SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS: A. ADVERTISING: In the event a contract is awarded for supplies, equipment, or services resulting from this proposal, no indication of such sales or services to Virginia Commonwealth University will be used in product literature or advertising. The Contractor shall not state in any of the advertising or product literature that the Commonwealth of Virginia or any agency or institution of the Commonwealth has purchased or uses its products or services. B. AUDIT: The Contractor shall retain all books, records, and other documents relative to this contract for five (5) years after final payment, or until audited by the Commonwealth of Virginia, whichever is sooner. The agency, its authorized agents, and/or State auditors shall have full access to and the right to examine any of said materials during said period. C. PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE PERIOD: Any proposal in response to this solicitation shall be valid for sixty (60) days. At the end of the sixty (60) days, the proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the Offeror. If the proposal is not withdrawn at that time it remains in effect until an award is made or the solicitation is cancelled. D. PROPOSAL PRICES: Proposal prices shall be in the form of a firm unit price for each item during the contract period. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 11 of 13
E. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACT: The purchasing agency reserves the right to cancel and terminate any resulting contract, in part or in whole, without penalty, upon sixty (60) days written notice to the Contractor. In the event the initial contract period is for more than twelve (12) months, the resulting contract may be terminated by either party, without penalty, after the initial twelve (12) months of the contract period upon 60 days written notice to the other party. Any contract cancellation notice shall not relieve the Contractor of the obligation to deliver and/or perform on all outstanding orders issued prior to the effective date of cancellation. F. IDENTIFICATION OF PROPOSAL: The proposal package should be identified as follows: From: Name of Offeror
Due Date
Street or Box Number
RFP No.
City, State, Zip Code +4
RFP Title
Time
Name of Contract / Purchase Officer or Buyer: Jackie Colbert The package should be addressed as directed on Page 2 of the solicitation. If a proposal is not clearly identified, the Offeror takes the risk that the proposal may be inadvertently opened and the information compromised which may cause the proposal to be disqualified. Proposals may be hand delivered to the designated location in the office issuing the solicitation. No other correspondence or other proposals should be placed in the envelope. LATE PROPOSALS: To be considered for selection, proposals must be received by the issuing office by the designated date and hour. The official time used in the receipt of proposals is that time on the automatic time stamp machine in the issuing office. Proposals received in the issuing office after the date and hour designated are automatically disqualified and will not be considered. The University is not responsible for delays in the delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service, private couriers, or the intrauniversity mail system. It is the sole responsibility of the Offeror to insure that its proposal reaches the issuing office by the designated date and hour. G. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Contractor will not be liable under this contract for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, or damages from loss profits, revenue, data or use of the supplies, equipment and/or services delivered under this contract. This limitation of liability will not apply, however, to liability arising from: (a) personal injury or death; (b) defect or deficiency caused by willful misconduct or negligence on the part of the Contractor; or (c) circumstances where the contract expressly provides a right to damages, indemnification or reimbursement. H. PRIME CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES: The Contractor shall be responsible for completely supervising and directing the work under this contract and all subcontractors that he may utilize, using his best skill and attention. Subcontractors who perform work under this contract shall be responsible to the prime Contractor. The Contractor agrees that he is as fully responsible for the acts and omissions of his subcontractors and of persons employed by them as he is for the acts and omissions of his own employees. I.
WARRANTY (COMMERCIAL): The Contractor agrees that the supplies or services furnished under any award resulting from this solicitation shall be covered by the most favorable commercial warranties the Contractor gives any customer for such supplies or services and that the rights and remedies provided therein are in addition to and do not limit those available to the Commonwealth by any other clause of this solicitation. A copy of this warranty must be furnished with the proposal.
J. POLICY OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT: Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women, Minorities, persons with disabilities are REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 12 of 13
encouraged to apply. The University encourages all vendors to establish and maintain a policy to insure equal opportunity employment. To that end, Offerors should submit along with their proposals, their policy of equal employment. K. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS AND ORDERS: The solicitation/contract will result in purchase order(s) with the eVA transaction fee specified below assessed for each order. 1. For orders issued July 1, 2011 thru June 30, 2013, the Vendor Transaction Fee is: a) DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 0.75%, Capped at $500 per order. b) Businesses that are not DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 0.75%, Capped at $1,500 per order. 2. For orders issued July 1, 2013, and after, the Vendor Transaction Fee is: a) DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, Capped at $500 per order. b) Businesses that are not DSBSD-certified Small Businesses: 1%, Capped at $1,500 per order. The specified vendor transaction fee will be invoiced, by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of General Services, approximately 30 days after the corresponding purchase order is issued and payable 30 days after the invoice date. Any adjustments (increases/decreases) will be handled through purchase order changes. The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution, website portal www.eva.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies. Vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet e-procurement solution and agree to comply with the following: If this solicitation is for a term contract, may provide an electronic catalog (price list) or index page catalog for items awarded. The format of this electronic catalog shall conform to the eVA Catalog Interchange Format (CIF) Specification that can be accessed and downloaded from www.eVA.virginia.gov. Contractors should email Catalog or Index Page information to
[email protected].
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP# 6399008JC Page 13 of 13
