Proposal:
Issue a Request for Quotations to Pre-Qualify Vendors for Providing Mailing Services
Synopsis:
On March 10, 1995, the Board received and filed a report outlining administrative policy and procedure changes made by the Executive Officer relating to the purchase of nonconsultant services and supplies. One of these changes was a requirement for establishing, through Board approval, a list of pre-qualified vendors of such services and supplies. Staff is recommending the release of Request for Quotations which will be used to establish a list of pre-qualified vendors from whom competitive bids may be solicited for mailing services as needed in the remainder of FY 1995-96 and through FY 1996-97 and 1997-98.
Committee:
Administrative, January 19, 1996, Approved
Recommended Action:
Approve the release of the attached Request for Quotations for pre-qualifying vendors for outside mailing services.
James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer
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Attachment
Background
The District conducts various types of mailings annually. Subscriptions Services coordinates many of these mailings including the District's subscription publications. Other mailings may include regularly scheduled mailings for public workshops, rules notification, permit fee billings, etc. During FY 1994-95, the District spent approximately $80,000 on vended mailing services.
Proposal
Staff has prepared the attached Request for Quotations to identify and pre-qualify vendors capable of providing mailing services for the District. Vendors selected as a on a mailing services vendor pre-qualification list. Staff intends to create a public service announcement advertising the RFQ on local radio stations. Staff also intends to advertise the RFQ in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Sentinel, Eastern Group Publications, Orange County Register, The Excelsior, San Bernardino Sun, PrecinctReporter, El Chicano, Riverside Press-Enterprise, The Black Voice News, La Opinion, Rafu Shimpo, Chinese Daily News, Korean Central Daily, Philippine News, The M/W/DVBE Source, and California State Contracts Register. Copies of the RFQ will be sent to the Black and Latino Legistative Caucus and interested minority contractors/professional associations.
Mailing Services
RFQ # 1804
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (District) invites sealed bids for the following purpose according to the terms and conditions stated.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this Request for Quotations (RFQ) is to identify and pre-qualify vendors capable of providing mailing services for the District located at 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. Vendors selected as a result of this RFQ process will be recommended to the District Board for placement on a mailing service vendor pre-qualification list. Vendors on this list will be awarded a Blanket Purchase Agreement and given an opportunity to bid competitively on the District's vended mailing service requirements, as needed, during a two year period.
INDEX:
The following is a list of sections contained in this RFQ:
All bids must be submitted in the manner prescribed in Section V, Response Submittal Requirements.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District is a regional governmental agency responsible for meeting air quality health standards in Los Angeles and Orange counties and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
DISPOSITION
District reserves the right to reject any or all quotations and to waive any formalities in the bidding. All materials and documents submitted with the bid will become the property of District.
WITHDRAWAL
All bids are firm offers and may not be withdrawn for a period of 90 days following the last date to accept proposals.
QUESTIONS
All inquiries regarding the contents of this RFQ should be directed to:
Name: Gloria Denver
Mail/Subscription Supervisor
Address: 21865 E. Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Phone: (909) 396-2072
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SECTION II: MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, AND DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISES (MBEs/WBEs/DVBEs)
A. General
1. It is the policy of the South Coast Air Quality Management District to ensure that minority business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises have a fair and equitable opportunity to compete for and participate in District contracts.
B. Definitions:
1. "Minority-or-women business enterprise" as used in this policy means a business enterprise that meets all of the following criteria:
a. a business that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more minority persons or women, or in the case of any business whose stock is publicly held, at least 51 percent of the stock is owned by one or more minority persons or women.
b. a business whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more minority persons or women.
c. a business which is a sole proprietorship, corporation, or partnership with its primary headquarters office located in the United States, which is not a branch or subsidiary of a foreign corporation, foreign firm, or other foreign-based business.
2. "Minority person" for purposes of this policy, means a Black American, Hispanic American, Native American (including American Indian, Eskimo, Aleut, and Native Hawaiian), Asian-Indian (including a person whose origins are from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh), Asian-Pacific American (including a person whose origins are from Japan, China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, Samoa, Guam, the United States Trust Territories of the Pacific, Northern Marinas, Laos, Cambodia, and Taiwan).
3. "Disabled veteran" as used in this policy is a United States military, naval, or air service veteran with at least 10 percent service-connected disability who is a resident of California.
4. "Disabled veteran business enterprise" as used in this policy means a business enterprise that meets all of the following criteria:
a. is a sole proprietorship or partnership of which is at least 51 percent owned by one or more disabled veterans or, in the case of a publicly owned business, at least 51 percent of its stock is owned by one or more disabled veterans; a subsidiary which is wholly owned by a parent corporation but only if at least 51 percent of the voting stock of the parent corporation is owned by one or more disabled veterans; or a joint venture in which at least 51 percent of the joint venture's management and control and earnings are held by one or more disabled veterans.
b. the management and control of the daily business operations are by one or more disabled veterans. The disabled veterans who exercise management and control are not required to be the same disabled veterans as the owners of the business.
c. is a sole proprietorship, corporation, or partnership with its primary headquarters office located in the United States, which is not a branch or subsidiary of a foreign corporation, firm, or other foreign-based business.
5. "Local business" as used in the Contracting and Purchasing Policy and Procedure and the Consultant Selection Policy and Procedure means a company that has an on-going business within the boundaries of the AQMD at the time of bid application and performs 90% of the work related to the contract within the boundaries of the AQMD.
6. "Joint ventures" as defined in this policy pertaining to certification means that one party to the joint venture is a MBE/WBE/DVBE and owns at least 51 percent of the joint venture.
7. "Certifications" as used in this policy means a certification in accordance with 49 CFR 23.
C. All Prime Contractors and Consultants responding to AQMD RFPs and RFQs shall comply with this policy and demonstrate a good faith effort to contract MBE/WBE/DVBE subcontractors and attain MBE/WBE/DVBE participation in meeting the established District goals.
D. The District will ensure that discrimination in the award and performance of contracts does not occur on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual preference, creed, ancestry, medical condition, or retaliation for having filed a discrimination complaint in the performance of AQMD contractual obligations.
E. A Contractor/Consultant must provide certification of MBE/WBE/DVBE status or documentation of good faith effort at time of proposal submission. Evidence of a pending certification will not suffice. A good faith effort must be demonstrated by evidence of all of the following:
1. Advertisement of bids or proposals not less than ten calendar days prior to the submission of bids/proposals in one or more daily or weekly newspapers, trade association publications, minority, women, disabled veterans or trade oriented publications, trade journals, or other media.
2. Written notice of its interest in bidding on the contract to those business enterprises, including certified MBE/WBE/DVBE having an interest in participating in such contracts at least ten calendar days prior to the date the bids or proposals are due.
3. Follow up of initial solicitations of interest by contacting the business enterprises to determine with certainty whether the enterprises were interested in performing specific portions of the project.
4. Documentation that interested certified MBE/WBE/DVBE enterprises were provided with information about the plans, specifications, and requirements.
5. Documentation that the proposer requested assistance from minority, disabled veteran, and women community organizations; minority, disabled veteran, and women contractor groups; local, state, or federal minority, disabled veteran, and women business assistance offices; or other organizations that provide assistance in the recruitment and placement of minority, disabled veteran, and women business enterprises, if any are available.
6. Where applicable, documentation that the proposer advised and made efforts to assist interested minority-and-women business enterprises in obtaining bonds, lines of credit, or insurance required by the local agency or contractor.
7. Evidence that a proposer performed all of the criteria specified above and has made a good faith effort to comply with the goals and requirements relating to participation by minority, women, and disabled business enterprises.
F. To the extent that any conflict exists between this policy and any requirements imposed by federal and state law relating to participation in a contract by a certified MBE/WBE/DVBE as a condition of receipt of federal or state funds, the federal or state requirements shall prevail.
SECTION III: WORK STATEMENT/SCHEDULE OF DELIVERABLES
Work Statement
The District conducts various types of mailings annually. Subscription Services coordinates many of these mailings including the District's subscription publications. Other mailings include regularly scheduled mailings for public workshops, rules notification, permit fee billings, etc. During fiscal year 94/95, the District spent approximately $80,000 on outside mailing services.
This bid is to pre-qualify vendors providing mailing services for the District. The quantities of jobs will range anywhere between 10 pieces to 70,000 pieces per mailing. However, 90% of those jobs are for quantities of less than 5,000 pieces. Jobs are sent via U.S. postage certified mail, first class, third class, fourth class, and via United Parcel Service (UPS) Ground Service and UPS Delivery Confirmation Service. Jobs include but are not limited to mailing # 10 envelopes with 1-6 inserts, 9X12 manila envelopes with single or multiple inserts, self mailers, newsletters, and books. Mailing weights will vary anywhere between under an ounce to 10 pounds per piece. Pressure sensitive mailing labels are most commonly used.
Contractor will provide mailing services which will include but is not limited to folding, inserting, sealing, removing duplicate labels, labeling, tabbing, and metering. Contractor services will also include the pick up and delivery of material to and from storage areas within District facility (Diamond Bar), contractor's location, and the post office. Jobs must be picked up within two hours of notification. Jobs of less than 5,000 pieces and that require minimal handling must be delivered to the post office the same day, if notified by 2:00 pm. Jobs notified after 2:00 pm or that consist of more than 5,000 pieces or that may require special handling such as certified or registered mail must be delivered to the post office by the next post office business day (including Saturday) unless otherwise arranged by District staff. Contractor may be required to prepare mailings for registered, certified or overnight delivery. Contractor may be required to provide for the purchase of SIC codes as needed.
Contractor may be required to assemble the materials for mailing or the material may already be assembled and ready for inserting. In any case, the District will provide a sample of the package to be mailed. For certain mailings contractor may be required to match mailing labels to letter inserts with no errors. With UPS, the contractor may be required to track each package and provide District with delivery confirmation. With U.S. postal certified mail delivery, contractor may be required to enter each mail piece's certified number into a certified mailing book for record keeping purposes. Contractor must notify the District with the actual date of mailing after every mailing is completed and/or provide a mailing statement as a proof of mailing if delivered directly to the post office. All extra material must be returned to the District. Contractor will also be responsible to pick up additional inserts or material as needed when shortages occur or changes are made.
In most cases, the District will provide a check for the postage costs prior to a mailing. However, some mailings will take place with very little lead time. Contractor may be requested to pay the postage costs in order to get a mailing out on time. The District will reimburse the contractor for those postage costs within two business days. All other mailing service invoices will be paid within 30 days of receipt of invoice. Contractor will be required to include some billing information on the invoices as directed by Mail/Subscription Supervisor.
Contractor may be required to provide some or all of the above mentioned services within a very short time frame and possibly over a weekend and/or holiday. Contractor must have access to a facsimile machine. District will fax the specifications for individual mailing jobs to all successful pre-qualified mailing service vendors. Each vendor will be responsible for providing a written quote within 8 hours of request if they wish to be considered for the job. Facsimile quotes will be accepted.
Schedule of Deliverables
The pre-qualification list is for two years.
SECTION IV: REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
The contractor shall hold license(s) required by the legally constituted authorities having jurisdiction over this type of work. Contractor shall have been in business of furnishing this type of service for at least three years. Contractor submitting the bid must provide the services described in the Work Statement. Contractor must have its own facility for providing such services. In addition, contractor must have all of the necessary equipment to handle such services. A site visit may be required in evaluating each proposal.
SECTION V RESPONSE SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION
Format
Submitted proposals must follow the format outlined below and all requested information must be supplied. Failure to submit proposals in the required format will result in elimination from proposal evaluation.
1. Cover letter - Must include the name, address, and telephone number of the contractor, and be signed by the person or persons authorized to represent the firm.
2. Initialed RFQ - Each proposal must include all pages of the RFQ which should include the Firm's name and initials of the person authorized to represent the firm to show that all parts of the RFQ were read, understood and accepted. Should your company deviate or take exception to any of the requirements listed in the Work Statement, please explain on a separate sheet of paper.
3. Qualifications - Provide evidence of any applicable license(s). Also include the names of organizations that you are a current member of, as it relates to this RFQ (e.g. PCC, Postal Customer Council).
4. References - Include five references that your organization provides similar scope of work. Please provide current contact names and telephone numbers.
5. Company Information - Please answer all of the questions in this section as thoroughly as possible. Include any other information pertaining to your company that is applicable to this RFQ.
6. MBE/WBE/DVBE Certification - If applicable, provide evidence of MBE/WBE/DVBE certification in accordance with 49 CFR 23.
Mandatory Bidder's Conference
A mandatory bidder's conference will be held:
Date: February 29, 1996
Time: 10:00 am
Location: South Coast Air Quality Management District
Conference Room CC6
21865 East Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FROM ANYONE NOT ATTENDING THE MANDATORY BIDDER'S CONFERENCE.
Proposal Submission
The proposer shall submit four (4) complete copies of the proposal in a sealed envelope, plainly marked in the upper, left-hand corner with the name and address of the bidder with the words, "Request for Quotations - # 1804." It should be addressed to:
Mildred Brown, Purchasing Manager
South Coast Air Quality Management District
21865 E. Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Bids are due no later than 2:00 p.m., March 15, 1996. Late bids/proposals will not be accepted. Any corrections or resubmissions of the bid will not be sufficient reason to extend the deadline.
Grounds for rejection: A bid may be rejected if:
SECTION VI PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA
The criteria used to evaluate the bids will be as follows:
Weighting Factor
1. Ability to perform scope of work 60
2. References and Experience 40
Only those vendors scoring a minimum of 75 points will be considered for recommendation to the District Board for pre-qualification. The determination shall be based solely on the evaluation criteria contained in the Request for Quotation, on evidence provided in the quotation and any other evidence provided during the bid review process. Evidence provided during the bid review process is limited to clarification of information presented in the quotation by the bidder.
Certified MBE/WBE/DVBEs and local business firms shall be granted a preference in an amount equal to 3% and 2% of the lowest cost responsive bid, respectively. This preference will be granted at the time quotes are received from pre-qualified vendors.
The successful pre-qualified vendor(s) will be awarded a blanket purchase agreement. Specific quotes will be solicited from the list of pre-qualified vendors.
In awarding any contract, the District Governing Board may consider all circumstances relating to each bid, including salaries paid to each bidder's employees, and shall have discretion to award the contract to the bidder which the Governing Board determines will provide the best value to the District, considering cost and other relevant factors.
SECTION VII REFERENCES
Please provide five client references for which your company provides services to similar to the scope of services described in this RFQ.
1. Company Name:
Address:
Contact Person:
Phone Number:
2. Company Name:
Address:
Contact Person:
Phone Number:
3. Company Name:
Address:
Contact Person:
Phone Number:
4. Company Name:
Address:
Contact Person:
Phone Number:
5. Company Name:
Address:
Contact Person:
Phone Number:
Other Comments:
SECTION VIII COMPANY INFORMATION
Please provide the following information regarding your company:
1. How long has your company been in business?
2. Describe the various types of mailing services your company provides and how they make your level of service superior over other vendors. Also include information regarding the lead times required to handle certain types of mailings.
3. How many full time employees are on staff? How will your company handle the staffing for large mailings?
4. What are your regular business hours? Will you be able to provide services over a weekend or holiday if given reasonable lead time to acquire staffing?
5. List the number and types of mailing equipment at your facility?
6. Will there be an extra charge for pick up and delivery? If so, what are the charges.
7. How will your company handle the presorting service? If it is handled by another vendor, provide the name of the presorting mail vendor used. At what postage rates will the District be charged?
8. Identify services that your company cannot perform.