Arbitration / Mediation / Facilitation Services

T#:15AMF

Solicitation Form

Issued By

[ENTER NAME OF REQUESTING ORGANIZATION]

Project Title: [ENTER PROJECT TITLE]

Category: [ENTER CATEGORY ]

Describe the Engagement

· Provide a description of the business and a brief description of the engagement you are contracting for.

o Location the services are to take place at

§ If facilities are needed, the requesting organization will be expected to provide those.

o Will preparation time be included?

o Does the engagement require special materials to be prepared? If so, who will pay for the materials?

o Will a written report be required?

Project Milestones and Schedule

· Project Start Date

· Key deliverable dates

· End Date

Project Requirements

Describe any pre-identified implementation requirements, if applicable, such as:

· If the project or engagement will involve training of staff

· Written Report/Decision or Agreement, if applicable

· Compliance with applicable guidelines or standards

· Compliance with applicable industry/organization standards

· Whether Insurance will be required

Responsibilities Expected of the Selected Vendor

Address expectations such as:

· Pre/Post Mediation/Arbitration work

· Project Documentation e.g.. Report, Decision or Agreement

· Project management responsibilities

· Providing training/ knowledge transfer

· Work plan

Required Skills (to be scored as pass/fail)

[These must be based on objective criteria, e.g. # of years of experience, etc.]

Required minimum qualifications: [The following list is an example – the requirements should be tailored to the work that needs to be done.]

· Category the vendor needs to be approved in

· Years of experience in a particular category

· Completion of accredited training

· Number of engagements similar to the one being requested

Desired Skills [The scoring of these skills should be reflected in your evaluation criteria.]

· Desired skill

· Desired skill

Process Schedule

Proposals due MM/DD/YYYY, Time

Anticipated proposal evaluation & decision MM/DD/YYYY, Time

Questions

Any questions regarding this Solicitation should be submitted via e-mail to:

Name:

Organization:

Email Address:

Questions and answers will be posted sent to eligible responders at the discretion of the requesting organization.

Other persons ARE NOT authorized to discuss this Solicitation or its requirements with anyone throughout the selection process and responders should not rely on information obtained from non-authorized individuals. If it is discovered a Responder contacted other State staff other than the individual above, the responder’s proposal may be removed from further consideration.

The STATE reserves the right to determine if further information is needed to better understand the information presented. This may include a request for a presentation.

Solicitation Evaluation Process

[This section should only describe what the vendors reasonably need to know or what is required by law. Describe categories and scoring methodology/criteria. The following are examples only. Evaluation criteria should be tailored to the specifics of the work involved and should be based on information requested in Response Requirements.]

· Expressed understanding of the project objectives (__%)

· Deliverables (__%)

· Work Plan (__%)

· Previous Experience (__%)

· Cost, including travel (__%)

This Solicitation does not obligate the state to award a work order or complete the assignment, and the state reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest. The Organization reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.

Response Requirements

[Clearly define what should be included in the proposal and how it should be organized. Vendor must have been previously qualified for the required category . BELOW IS A SAMPLE – YOU MUST CUSTOMIZE THIS TO MATCH YOUR POSTING.]

The proposal should be assembled as follows:

1. Detailed response to project or engagement requirements including but not limited to :

1. Description of contractor’s understanding of the project or engagement

2. Explanation of contractor’s proposed solution and how it will meet the requirements

3. Work plan with identified expense and cost breakdowns

2. ____ references for completed projects/engagements of similar size and scope

3. Conflict of interest statement as it relates to this project

4. Additional Statement and forms:
r equired forms to be returned or additional provisions that must be included in proposal

1. Affidavit of non-collusion
.admin.state.mn.us/doc/noncollusion-2.doc

2. Veteran-Owned/Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Preference Form (if applicable)

.admin.state.mn.us/doc/vetpref.doc

3. Resident Vendor Form (if applicable)

.admin.state.mn.us/doc/residentvendorform.doc

Proposal Submission Instructions

· Response Information:

o To whom to address the response

o Where to respond (e.g. mailing or email address)

o How to label the response (e.g. Attention: ___ Selection Committee)

· How to submit (e.g. registered mail, in person, email, etc.)

· Number of copies (if hard copies are required)

· Submissions are due according to the process schedule previously listed.

General Requirements

[The following, unless specified as optional or otherwise qualified, are required clauses in all Solicitations ]

Proposal Contents

By submission of a proposal, Responder warrants that the information provided is true, correct and reliable for purposes of evaluation for potential award of this work order. The submission of inaccurate or misleading information may be grounds for disqualification from the award as well as subject the responder to suspension or debarment proceedings as well as other remedies available by law.

Disposition of Responses

All materials submitted in response to this Solicitation will become property of the State and will become public record in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 13.591, after the evaluation process is completed. Pursuant to the statute, completion of the evaluation process occurs when the government entity has completed negotiating the contract with the selected vendor. If the Responder submits information in response to this Solicitation that it believes to be trade secret materials, as defined by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. § 13.37, the Responder must: clearly mark all trade secret materials in its response at the time the response is submitted, include a statement with its response justifying the trade secret designation for each item, and defend any action seeking release of the materials it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the State, its agents and employees, from any judgments or damages awarded against the State in favor of the party requesting the materials, and any and all costs connected with that defense. This indemnification survives the State’s award of a contract. In submitting a response to this Solicitation, the Responder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as the trade secret materials are in possession of the State.

The State will not consider the prices submitted by the Responder to be proprietary or trade secret materials.

Conflicts of Interest

Responder must provide a list of all entities with which it has relationships that create, or appear to create, a conflict of interest with the work that is contemplated in this request for proposals. The list should indicate the name of the entity, the relationship, and a discussion of the conflict.

Updated 2/15