REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) is requesting proposals for transportation provider(s) to provide taxi or car rental services for MORPC RideSolutions Emergency Ride Home (ERH) Program. MORPC is a voluntary association of local governments in the 15 county Central Ohio area. Our organization strives to enhance the quality of life and competitive advantages of Central Ohio by working through local governments and other constituents. A catalyst for change, evidence of MORPC's work is seen every day through planning, programming and services in the areas of housing, transportation, water, land use, economic development, environment, public policy and technology. We assist our local government members by providing innovative solutions for the many challenges facing our growing region. Companies may apply to provide taxi, car rental or car sharing services to all or any of our 15 counties. Please specify the counties for which you are submitting your service proposal. Companies interested in being considered must submit four (4) printed copies and one (1) copy in the form of a compact disc or jump drive in a PDF format. Proposals will be received by MORPC until 4:00 p.m. (ET), MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016. Submit proposals to: Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission Attn: Shari Saunders 111 Liberty Street, Suite 100 Columbus, OH 43215 ssaunders@morpc.org Proposals must arrive in the MORPC offices prior to the proposal due date and time. Companies making proposals should take this into account when choosing a mail carrier. Facsimile submissions will not be accepted. All questions must be submitted in writing and should be submitted via mail, fax (614-621-2401), or email to PATTY OLMSTED at polmsted@morpc.org. No answers will be given over the phone. Written answers, including any amendments to the RFP, if necessary, will be posted on MORPC s website. Responses to questions will be posted at http://www.morpc.org/info_center/rfps_rfqs/rfps_rfqs.asp. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority
business enterprise(s) will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex or gender, sexual orientation, disability or other handicap, age, marital/familial status, income, or status with regard to public assistance in consideration for an award. Neither MORPC nor any member agency of the Committee shall be liable for any costs incurred by the company and/or contractor in response to this RFP, or any costs incurred in connection with any discussions, correspondence or attendance at interviews or negotiation sessions. All materials submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of MORPC and may be returned only at MORPC s option. All materials received shall be considered public information and shall be open to public inspection. 2
Contents I. Overview... 4 II. Scope of Services... 4 III. Proposal Format... 5 a.) Cover Letter... 6 b.) Organization, Personnel, Experience & Project Management... 6 C.) Company s Methodology/Work Plan... 6 D.) Cost Proposal... 7 E.) MORPC Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Compliance/Subcontracting... 7 IV. Procurement Process... 7 RFP Timeline... 7 Evaluation Criteria... 8 Evaluation Committee... 8 Clarification Interviews... 8 Selection and Negotiations... 9 V. PROPOSAL TERMS & CONDITIONS... 9 General Information & Requirements... 9 MORPC Statements on Diversity & Inclusion... 10 Contracting Requirements... 10 3
.] I. OVERVIEW The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) RideSolutions Program is requesting proposals from qualified transportation provider(s) to provide taxi, car rental or car sharing services for our Emergency Ride Home (ERH) program. The ERH program is offered to commuters working at employment and job training sites throughout our 15-county region of Central Ohio (see Appendix A for a map of the service territory). The purpose of the program is to provide a "safety net" for commuters using alternatives to driving alone, and to remove the major barrier to participation in ridesharing and other transportation demand management activities. The ERH program is just one component of RideSolutions' overall Transportation Demand Management (TDM) effort to reduce the single-occupant automobile trips and maximize modal shift from driving alone to commute alternatives including transit, carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, and walking. MORPC's RideSolutions' intent is to retain qualified transportation providers to provide twenty-four hour, seven days a week, timely, reliable transportation services for our registered ERH participants in cases of personal or family emergency, personal illness, and unscheduled overtime on days the employee has used alternative transportation to get to work or job training. II. SCOPE OF SERVICES The ERH program will provide safe, reliable and efficient transportation services to registered ERH participants who have chosen to ride transit, carpool, vanpool, bicycle, or walk to work. The ERH program shall be available to all eligible riders. An eligible rider is one who is registered in the RideSolutions database as participating in any of the qualified modes of transportation including carpooling, vanpooling, transit, bicycling or walking in our 15 county region. ERH trips are made available in the event of a personal and/or family emergency, personal illness, or unscheduled overtime. The participant s trip must start at the place of employment as specified on the voucher. Cost of trips that do not use a program voucher and do not start at the place of employment stated on the voucher will not be reimbursed to the company. MORPC is requesting proposals from qualified companies to provide the following services to its RideSolutions ERH program: 1. To provide safe, reliable and efficient taxi, car rental or car sharing services on an as-needed basis to eligible participants in the RideSolutions program for transportation from their places of employment or job training. Hours available will be seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. 2. Eligible participants entitled to use the ERH service will print a voucher from the RideSolutions website, or contact their Employee Transportation Coordinators at their work sites to help them print a voucher. Participants will schedule and make their own trip arrangements directly with the designated taxi, car rental or car sharing company. Program participants must be traveling more than 30 miles one way to use a car rental and the car must be returned within a 24-hour timeframe. 3. The company will at all times during the term of this agreement provide all the required personnel, vehicles, dispatching and customer services required to provide ERH services. Vehicles providing ERH services shall be licensed properly; insured to the levels required in this 4
agreement and have the necessary vehicle inspection documents. All personnel employed by the company shall be trained and knowledgeable in the provisions of the ERH program. No fares or gratuities will be collected from eligible emergency ride home participants. 4. The company shall guarantee the performance of ERH services to include pick-up (for taxi cab) or delivery of rental car (for rental car provider) of each eligible ERH participant no later than 20 minutes after the trip request. In the event the participant cannot be picked up within 20 minutes, the company's dispatcher shall be required to notify the rider of the expected time of pick-up. The company will also notify MORPC RideSolutions of cases where a participant cannot be picked up within 20 minutes. 5. All trips that will be reimbursed to the company must originate in the commuter's place of employment or job training in the following counties: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Knox, Fayette Licking, Logan, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway, Ross, or Union. 6. The company should clearly indicate which of MORPC's 15 counties listed above that they are requesting to provide taxi, car rental or car sharing services. 7. The company will only accept valid MORPC RideSolutions Emergency Ride Home vouchers for trips under this program. Vouchers must contain valid date, and the point of origin must match the pick-up location (employer or job training site). The program participant must print out a voucher from the RideSolutions database each time the service is utilized. Misuse of vouchers by program participants will result in disqualification of that person from the program and may result in denial of reimbursement to the company. The company's personnel are required to have the rider present a photo identification card at the time of pick-up, along with an authorized original program voucher with correct date of service. Company personal cannot accept altered copies ERH voucher. The driver must verify the rider s final destination prior to beginning the trip. At the rider s destination, the driver is required to enter the metered fare, the distance of the trip, the trip point of origin, and the drop-off destination of the trip. No intermediate stops in the route are allowed. The driver signs the voucher with the data entered and supplies the voucher to the company's accounting department. 8. The company will submit monthly invoices to MORPC RideSolutions for reimbursement. A copy of the vouchers received for rides must accompany the company's invoice to be valid for reimbursement. Additional fees for "no show" or for abandoned trips will not be paid. 9. Driver gratuities and other costs associated with the provision of ERH services are to be added into the fares quoted in this proposal. Drivers should not expect gratuities from the riders. 10. MORPC RideSolutions will pay 100% of contracted fare up to four times in a calendar year for each program participant. 11. The company will cooperate with enhancements that MORPC RideSolutions may make to the program over the term of this contract. III. PROPOSAL FORMAT The proposal must address the following items in the following order. Failure of the proposal to respond to a specific requirement may be a basis for elimination from consideration during the comparative evaluation. MORPC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals. 5
Each company shall submit a formal proposal that shall contain the following sections: A) Cover Letter B) Organization, Personnel, Experience & Project Management C) Scope of Services D) Price Proposal E) MORPC Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Goal Compliance/Subcontracting A.) COVER LETTER The cover letter shall be signed by a representative authorized to legally bind the company, and include: Name, telephone number, and email address of a contact person with authority to answer questions regarding the proposal (ideally the day-to-day manager for this work). Name, address, and phone number of a contact person to be notified regarding contractual issues. Identification of the company as a corporation or other legal entity. Identify how company will attempt to meet DBE participation. The cover letter shall state that the proposer: Has sole and complete responsibility for delivery of the required services. Is presently not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency or the Ohio Department of Transportation. B.) ORGANIZATION, PERSONNEL, EXPERIENCE & PROJECT MANAGEMENT Specific background information on key individuals who are anticipated to be providing the service should be included, most notably the manager. The background information on these individuals would emphasize their experience relative to service requirements. A statement concerning the recent related experience of persons from your company who will be actively engaged in the proposed effort should also be included. A general resume is not a satisfactory substitute for this information. Identify the location of the office where the majority of the work is to be performed. Identify any diversity and inclusion efforts the company is taking or will take. Identify similar services provided by your company within Ohio and in other states. Document your company's actual responsibility in providing the service. Provide appropriate reference(s), name(s) and telephone number(s). C.) COMPANY S METHODOLOGY/WORK PLAN The proposal must include a statement that summarizes the company's understanding of the services being proposed, with specific reference to the services described in the scope of services. The proposal shall contain a step-by-step explanation and description of the services that will be provided. Explain how the services provided address the scope of services. In addition, please explain any aspect of your service that is unique or innovative. Administrative information, such as the proposing company's approach to its accounting procedures and trip logging should be included. 6
D.) COST PROPOSAL Please provide a full description and breakdown of the expected cost for this service. Gratuity should be added into the cost of the taxi fare. Taxi drivers should not expect to receive a gratuity at time of service. If the price proposal is not received when due or if the proposal does not include requested information, that proposal may be dropped from further consideration. The proposer should be aware that this program is funded with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funds and will be subject to all the requirements thereby imposed. In addition, since U.S. DOT funds are administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), this program will be subject to all requirements imposed by ODOT. The proposer should be aware that it is the goal of MORPC to process and pay properly prepared and submitted invoices within 60 days, although that is not guaranteed. Improperly prepared and submitted invoices which do not include trip vouchers will be returned and will consequently not be processed and paid within the 60-day goal. E.) MORPC DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) COMPLIANCE/SUBCONTRACTING Working in cooperation with ODOT, a 12 percent DBE goal has been established for this contract per requirements of the U.S. DOT. Respondents are strongly encouraged to meet or exceed this goal, and this section should include a description of how the contractor will do so. DBE companies must be certified by a U.S. DOT-authorized certification agency such as ODOT. MORPC encourages companies to do their best to meet the DBE percentage included in their contracts and will require ongoing reporting of this percentage during the contract life. MORPC will also include DBE prompt payment requirements in all contracts. IV. PROCUREMENT PROCESS RFP TIMELINE The schedule for the RFP is given below. Dates are tentative and may be modified by MORPC as necessary. Key Date Event Monday, February 1, 2016 Monday, February 29, 2016 Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Tuesday, March 8, 2016 Week of March 14, 2016 Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Friday, March 25, 2016 Thursday, April 14, 2016 Friday, April 15, 2015 Proposal is posted on MORPC website for interested parties to retrieve. Completed proposals due to MORPC by 5:00 p.m. Proposals will be opened at 2:00 p.m. Evaluation of proposals. Clarification Interviews at MORPC, if required. Evaluation Committee makes recommendation. Contact all bidders regarding awards to be made. MORPC Commission to approve resolution/award contract. Contract preparation. 7
Friday, April 29, 2015 Monday, May 2, 2016 Contract finalized. Project begins. The selection of the proposing company will follow a multi-step process. The first step will be an evaluation of the written proposals using the criteria listed below. EVALUATION CRITERIA The evaluation criteria are as follows: 1. General Quality & Adequacy of Response (10%) a. Completeness and thoroughness b. Responsiveness to terms and conditions c. Overall impression 2. Organization, Personnel, Experience (15%) a. Qualifications and experience of proposed key personnel b. Experience working with similar clients c. Demonstrated capacity to provide the service in a professional and timely manner 3. Scope of Services (50 %) a. Clearly understands services requested in scope of service b. Clearly states to which of MORPC's 15 counties they can provide service c. Capable of providing taxi or rental car service within the 20-minute window d. Clearly describes processes for taxi or car rental dispatch; taxi, car rental or car sharing fleet management; and ERH invoice billing e. Insurance was explained and meets State of Ohio requirements f. Demonstrates the ability to effectively communicate with MORPC staff g. Demonstrates unique or innovative experience relevant to the work scope 4. Cost/Budget (25 %) a. Clarity of budget and congruence with RFP and proposed scope of work b. Cost EVALUATION COMMITTEE The selection committee will conduct the evaluation of proposals and reserves the right to reject any and all proposals in whole or in part received in response to this request. The MORPC RideSolutions staff may waive minor defects which are not material when no prejudice will result to the rights of any other company or to the public. The second step would include clarification interviews. Depending upon the relative merits of the proposals, two or three of the companies will be invited for a clarification interview. CLARIFICATION INTERVIEWS At MORPC s option, the company may be required to answer questions about the proposal. The purpose of the interview is to provide clarification of information presented in the written proposal. If interviews are necessary, MORPC will contact the company's authorized representative to schedule the time, date, and method of interview (e.g., in-person presentation or conference call). The interview will be within 8
one week of notification. The interview will be given by the Evaluation Committee. If in-person interviews are requested, the company must comply at no cost or obligation to MORPC. A company's refusal to make a presentation as described shall result in the company s proposal being rejected from consideration for the project. SELECTION AND NEGOTIATIONS Based on the evaluation of the proposals, the most qualified company will be selected for each of MORPC's 15 counties. One company may be selected for multiple counties. If negotiation with the highest ranked company fails to result in a mutually acceptable agreement, MORPC will notify that company in writing of the termination of negotiations. The next highest ranked company for each county, as determined by the proposal evaluation, will then be invited to enter into negotiations with MORPC. If negotiations again fail, the same procedure shall be followed with each next most qualified company until a contract has been negotiated. If the remaining proposals are not considered to be qualified, the notification and selection processes will be repeated. V. PROPOSAL TERMS & CONDITIONS Evaluation of Proposal Compliance with Specifications Understanding that no company may completely meet all requirements of the specifications, MORPC reserves the sole right to determine whether a proposal substantially complies with the specifications; accepts, negotiates modifications to, or rejects the terms of any proposal; and waives the right to accept a part, or parts, of a proposal, unless otherwise restricted in the proposal. Modification and/or Withdrawal of Proposals Modifications of a submitted proposal must be received by the designated due date. Withdrawal of proposals will be allowed only in those cases in which a written request to withdraw a proposal is received by MORPC prior to the date and hour for receiving and opening proposals. In such case, same will be returned to company unopened. Proposer Qualifications MORPC may require all proposers to submit evidence of qualifications, and may consider any evidence of the financial, technical, and other qualifications and abilities. MORPC will not award a contract to a proposer who, in its opinion, is not fully qualified on the basis of financial resources and responsibility, possession of adequate equipment, personnel, experience, and past record of performance to perform the obligation to be undertaken competently and without delay. Award of Contract Each company acknowledges that MORPC will use its discretion and judgment in making the final decision and further acknowledges that no claim by the company will arise in any way relating to the exercise of that judgment by MORPC. MORPC reserves the right to accept the proposal deemed to be in the best interest of MORPC or to reject any and all proposals. MORPC s Executive Director is the only individual who may legally commit MORPC to the expenditure of public funds. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of either a fully executed contract or a specific, written authorization to proceed. GENERAL INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS Compliance with U.S. DOT Regulations The project will be funded from federal funds. Consequently, the company must comply with all U.S. Department of Transportation contract regulations. Companies will be required to comply with all 9
regulations of the U.S. Department of Transportation relative to, for example, non-discrimination in federally assisted programs. Deviation Clause The company's attention is called to the condition that, if awarded a contract, the company will be required to furnish the particular item referred to in strict accordance with the specifications or descriptions as proposed, unless a departure or substitution is clearly noted and described in the proposal, along with the reasons therefore. Tax Exemption MORPC is exempt from the payment of federal excise and transportation taxes levied under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. MORPC is also exempt from Ohio State Gross Retail tax (sales tax). The successful company will be furnished with any certificates of exemption required. MORPC STATEMENTS ON DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Equal Opportunity The company agrees that it will not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, or sub-contractor and that it will take affirmative action to ensure that employees, applicants and subcontractors are treated equally during employment without regard to race, color, gender, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or other handicap, age, marital/familial status, veteran status, or status with regard to public assistance. Disadvantaged Vendors Disadvantaged Vendors shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts financed under this solicitation. In this regard, all proposers shall take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that minority vendors have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform any subcontracts. Also, proposing companies are encouraged to notify MORPC if they meet one of the disadvantaged vendor designations, such as Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Small Business Enterprise (SBE), or Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE). CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS The following are not part of the proposal requirements but will be requirements in the contract in addition to other contractual requirements. Please also note that prior to negotiation, the company selected for negotiation must provide average hourly rates for personnel assigned and a copy of the last audited financial statement. Compensation Proposed compensation for Emergency Ride Home (ERH) services 1. Outline your proposed compensation for taxi rides (include gratuity in proposed cost) 2. Outline your proposed compensation for rental car (car rental must be over 30 miles and cannot last over 24 hours) 3. Outline your proposed compensation for car sharing service Cancellation MORPC reserves the right to cancel any contract for failure or refusal of performance, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, collusion, or any other misconduct on the part of the company. Unresolved Finding for Recovery The selected company affirmatively represents and warrants to MORPC that it is not subject to a finding for recovery under ORC 9.24 or that it has taken appropriate remedial steps required under ORC 9.24 or otherwise qualifies under that section. The company agrees that if this representation or warranty is deemed to be false, the agreement shall be void ab initio between the parties to this agreement, and 10
any funds paid by MORPC to the company hereunder shall be repaid to MORPC immediately, or an action for recovery may be commenced immediately by MORPC for recovery of said funds. Covenants of Company The company will be required to covenant and warrant the following: a) Company is not debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in any contract, supported in whole or in part by the funding sources for this project; b) Company has not within a three- (3-) year period had one or more public transactions terminated for cause or default; c) Company will comply with the provisions of Section 1352, Title 31 of the U.S. Code, which prohibits the use of federal funds to lobby any official or employee of any federal agency, or member or employee of Congress; and to disclose any lobbying activities in connection with federal funds. 11
APPENDIX A MAP - MORPC RIDESOLUTIONS 15-COUNTY SERVICE AREA 12