County of Alameda, General Services Agency – Purchasing
RFP No. 900977, Addendum No. 2
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA
ADDENDUM No. 4
to
RFP No. 901036
for
Purchasing Card Program
Specification Clarification/Modification and Recap of the Networking/Bidders Conferences
Held on May 29, 2014 and May 30, 2014
This County of Alameda, General Services Agency (GSA), RFP Addendum has been electronically issued to potential bidders via e-mail. E-mail addresses used are those in the County’s Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Vendor Database or from other sources. If you have registered or are certified as a SLEB, please ensure that the complete and accurate e-mail address is noted and kept updated in the SLEB Vendor Database. This RFP Addendum will also be posted on the GSA Contracting Opportunities website located at http://www.acgov.org/gsa/purchasing/bid_content/ContractOpportunities.jsp.**REVISED BID DUE DATE and CALENDAR OF EVENTS**
Please note that Bid Responses are now due on August 19, 2014
The following Sections have been modified to read as shown below. Changes made to the original RFP document are in bold print and highlighted, and deletions made have a strike through.
Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply chain.
If printing this document, please print only what you need, print double-sided, and use recycled-content paper.
RFP No. 900977, Addendum No. 2
Page 2
County of Alameda, General Services Agency – Procurement & Support Services
RFP No. 901036, Addendum No. 4
Page 19 of the RFP, Section II. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, has been modified as follows:
EVENT / DATE/LOCATIONRequest Issued / May 14, 2014
Written Questions Due / by 5:00 p.m. on May 30, 2014
*Networking/Bidders Conference #1
(Online conference option enabled for remote participation) / May 29, 2014 @ 10:00 a.m. / at: General Services Agency
Room 1107, 11th Floor
1401 Lakeside Dr.
Oakland, CA 94612
OR remotely @ http://gsaalamedacounty.adobeconnect.com/admin/show-event-catalog
Networking/Bidders Conference #2 / May 30, 2014 @ 2:00 p.m. / at: Public Works Agency
Conference Room
4825 Gleason Drive
Dublin, CA 94568
Addendum 1 Issued / June 18, 2014
Addendum 2 Issued / June 27, 2014
Addendum 3 Issued / July 16, 2014 July 21, 2014
Addendum 4 Issued / August 1, 2014 August 5, 2014
Response Due / August 15, 2014 August 19, 2014 by 2:00 p.m.
Evaluation Period / August 15, 2014 – September 15, 2014
August 19, 2014 – September 19, 2014
Vendor Interviews / September 3 – September 5, 2014
September 9 – September 11, 2014
Board Letter Recommending Award Issued / September 23,2014 October 7, 2014
Board Consideration Award Date / October 14, 2014 October 21, 2014
Contract Start Date / November 1, 2014 November 10, 2014
Note: Award and start dates are approximate.
Page 3 of Exhibit A, Bid Response Packet, has been modified as follows:
10. The undersigned acknowledges ONE of the following (please check only one box):
Bidder is not local to Alameda County and is ineligible for any bid preference; or
Bidder is a certified SLEB and is requesting 10% bid preference; (Bidder must check the first box and provide its SLEB Certification Number in the SLEB PARTNERING INFORMATION SHEET); or
Bidder is LOCAL to Alameda County and is requesting 5% bid preference, and has attached the following documentation to this Exhibit:
§ Copy of a verifiable business license, issued by the County of Alameda or a City within the County; and
§ Proof of six (6) months business residency, identifying the name of the vendor and the local address. Utility bills, deed of trusts or lease agreements, etc., are acceptable verification documents to prove residency.
Page 8 of Exhibit A, Bid Response Packet, has been modified as follows:
(b) SLEB Partnering Information Sheet:
(1) Every bidder must fill out and submit a signed SLEB Partnering Information Sheet, (found on page 11 of Exhibit A) indicating their SLEB certification status. If bidder is not certified, the name, identification information, and goods/services to be provided by the named CERTIFIED SLEB partner(s) with whom the bidder will subcontract to meet the County SLEB participation requirement must be stated. Any CERTIFIED SLEB subcontractor(s) named, the Exhibit must be signed by the CERTIFIED SLEB(s) according to the instructions. All named SLEB subcontractor(s) must be certified by the time of bid submittal.
SMALL LOCAL EMERGING BUSINESS (SLEB)
PARTNERING INFORMATION SHEET
RFP No. 901036 –Purchasing Card Program
In order to meet the Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) requirements of this RFP, all bidders must complete this form as required below.
Bidders not meeting the definition of a SLEB (http://acgov.org/auditor/sleb/overview.htm) are required to subcontract with a SLEB for at least twenty percent (20%) of the total estimated bid amount in order to be considered for contract award. SLEB subcontractors must be independently owned and operated from the prime Contractor with no employees of either entity working for the other. This form must be submitted for each business that bidders will work with, as evidence of a firm contractual commitment to meeting the SLEB participation goal. (Copy this form as needed.)
Bidders are encouraged to form a partnership with a SLEB that can participate directly with this contract. One of the benefits of the partnership will be economic, but this partnership will also assist the SLEB to grow and build the capacity to eventually bid as a prime on their own.
Once a contract has been awarded, bidders will not be able to substitute named subcontractors without prior written approval from the Auditor-Controller, Office of Contract Compliance (OCC).
County departments and the OCC will use the web-based Elation Systems to monitor contract compliance with the SLEB program (Elation Systems: http://www.elationsys.com/elationsys/index.htm).
BIDDER IS A CERTIFIED SLEB (sign at bottom of page)SLEB BIDDER Business Name:
SLEB Certification #: SLEB Certification Expiration Date:
NAICS Codes Included in Certification:
BIDDER IS NOT A CERTIFIED SLEB and will subcontract % with the SLEB named below for the following goods/services:
SLEB BIDDER Business Name:
SLEB Certification #: SLEB Certification Expiration Date:
SLEB Certification Status: Small / Emerging
NAICS Codes Included in Certification:
SLEB Subcontractor Principal Name:
SLEB Subcontractor Principal Signature: Date:
Upon award, prime Contractor and all SLEB subcontractors that receive contracts as a result of this bid process agree to register and use the secure web-based ELATION SYSTEMS. ELATION SYSTEMS will be used to submit SLEB subcontractor participation including, but not limited to, subcontractor contract amounts, payments made, and confirmation of payments received.
Bidder Printed Name/Title:______
Street Address: ______City______State______Zip Code______
Bidder Signature: Date:
Page 23 & 25 of the RFP Section G. EVALUATION CRITERIA has been modified as follows:
B. / Technical Criteria:In each area described below, an evaluation will be made of the probability of success of and risks associated with, the proposal response:
1. System Design - A comparison will be made of the proposed purchasing card systems.
2. Software Design and Development - The evaluation will compare the proposed software capabilities with the requirements of this RFP in terms of the software’s compatibility with existing purchasing card management and data processing systems
3. Life-Cycle Support - An assessment will be made of the scope and extent of resources required to operate and maintain the proposed purchasing card system.
4. Ancillary Services - A comparison will be made of the proposed services with the requirements of this RFP. Credit will be given for convenience, responsiveness, and technical expertise.
5. Security & Confidentiality – An assessment will be made of the proposed system and internal measures the vendor has in place to safeguard account information and employee data. / 15 Points
H. / Overall Proposal / 15 Points
Responses to Questions
Q1) SECTION A – INTENT states:
The County intends to award a five-year contract (with option to renew) to the bidder selected as the most responsible bidder whose response conforms to the RFP and meets the County’s requirements.
SECTION J – TERM / TERMINATION / RENEWAL states:
1. The term of the contract, which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, will be three (3) years.
2. By mutual agreement, any contract which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP may be extended for an additional two-year term at agreed prices with all other terms and conditions remaining the same.
Will the length of the contract be three (3) or five (5) years?
A1) The term of the contract will be five (5) years and may be extended for an additional two-year term by mutual agreement.
Q2) SECTION D – SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, Item #3a states:
a. The Contractor shall provide an overall commitment to ensure the card-management system is available 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week. The Contractor shall enter into a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the County that prescribes safeguards to ensure service continuity to maintain maximum uptime, planned down time for system maintenance, penalties for failure to remediate system problems within prescribed time limits, and response time parameters for system problem resolution.
Can you describe in detail the Service Level Agreement (SLA) the County uses today? Or if one is not in place today with the current provider, will you please explain what is prompting this request and how the agreement would read as envisioned by the County?
A2) Please see attached Exhibit E.
Q3) SECTION D – SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, Item #9e states:
e. Credit Setup
The Contractor is expected to provide a line of credit to the County, as a whole, sufficient for its purchasing needs; the overall County credit limit will be apportioned to the individual Agencies sufficient for their needs, pursuant to the designation by the Countywide P-Card Administrator. Agency monthly credit limits currently range from $23,000 to more than $500,000 depending on the volume of spending and are subject to change based upon request and obtain the speedy approval for specific agency credit limits changes.
How much is the credit line the County has today (I see $4MM in spend indicated but also $5MM in the pricing sheet)? Are there any commitment fees paid for the credit line currently? Are you anticipating growth in the program?
A3) The County currently has a credit limit of $4.5 Million. There are no commitment fees paid for the credit line, and yes, the County anticipates program growth.
Q4) SECTION R – SUBMITTAL OF BIDS, Item #2 states:
*PLEASE NOTE that on the bid due date, a bid reception desk will be open between 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. and will be located in the 1st floor lobby at 1401 Lakeside Drive.
Is there a limited window only for delivery on the due date? I note that the bid reception desk is open between 1-2pm. Is that where it should be delivered ideally, and if not, then to 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907?
A4) The County will accept bids up to its official timestamp of 2pm on the bid due date. All bids are to be delivered to 1401 Lakeside Drive, Suite 907 Oakland, CA 94612. The 1st floor reception desk is provided as a convenience to the vendors due to the scarcity of parking.
Q5) Regarding the sheet titled “For Informational Purposes Only”, if there are other offerings for shorter periods, or different periods perhaps just a few days different than what the County shows, may we have a form to include those, or note on the sheet in the response?
A5) Alternative methods may be proposed in addition to the designated periods. Alternative methods should be clearly identified on page 14 of the Exhibit A packet titled - Exceptions, Clarifications, Amendment.
Q6) Is the contract extension period defined or up to the County and the institution? I do see a 2-year extension mentioned. Is there a limit to the number of extensions?
A6) The contract period is defined by the County, there is no specific limit on the number of extensions.
Q7) As a Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) can we partner with more than one prime?
A7) Yes, a SLEB can partner with more than one prime, however the SLEB partnering is waived for this project.
Q8) Is JP Morgan currently subcontracting with a SLEB?
A8) No, not at this time.
Q9) Which municipalities are involved with this Purchasing Card Program?
A9) The Purchasing Card Program is only for the County of Alameda and its employees. Cities within the County are not included.
Q10) SECTION D – SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, Item #9b states:
(2) Work with County personnel to determine if the Contractor’s card management system meets the County’s needs or if customization will be required. The County’s card-management system needs to include but is not limited to:
(c) Merchant Category Code (MCC)/object code matches
Please clarify this requirement.
A10) The County is seeking a card management system that will allow rapid changes, customized MCC grouping, and MCC group blocking, to restrict the purchase of items prohibited based on County policy. In some cases a prohibited item may be allowed therefore the system must have the capability to allow a customized change.
Q11) Can you clarify the SLEB requirements? Any bidder must partner with a SLEB or only if you want preference points? Is the SLEB partnership temporary or throughout the life of the contract?
A11) The SLEB partnership requirement is waived for this project.
Q12) Is EXHIBIT A –BID FORM the actual pricing form used for evaluation?
A12) Yes, the actual pricing listed on Exhibit A – Bid Form will be used in the evaluation process.
Q13) What are the expectations for the training requirement in SECTION D – SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, ITEM 9.g – Training for Administrators and Cardholders?
A13) As detailed in Section D – Specific Requirements Item 9.g.
Training shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) Card administration (i.e. hierarchy development within the card-management system, etc.), (2) Card use issue (i.e. transaction dispute resolution, card misuse procedures, lost/stolen card issues, etc.), (3) Accessing, modifying, scheduling, and printing Agency reports. Training curricula should be designed in “train the trainer” format and should be similar in content and format to web-based training, which is also required. Proposers may suggest other training formats.