Panhandle Area Educational Consortium Website Development Bid #16-06 1
REQUEST FOR BID PAEC Website Development Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) RFB # 16-06 RFB Timeline: 1. Begin advertisement 2/8/2016 2. Bids due at PAEC office by 4:30 PM CST on 2/29/2016 3. Bids opened 3/7/2016 at PAEC Chipley office 9:00 AM CST 4. Contract will be awarded after approval by the PAEC Web Development team and Washington County School District, PAEC s fiscal agent. 5. Bid closing Date February 29, 2016, 4:30 PM CST Failure to meet the following requirements will invalidate the bid submission Deadline for Submissions: Four (4) hardcopies and one (1) electronic copy must be received by February 29, 2016 by 4:30 pm, CST. Bids may be hand-delivered or mailed to the address below in a sealed envelope marked Sealed Bid for PAEC Website Development RFB # 16-06 attn: Lisa Schofield. All inquiries, questions, and request for bid packet should be submitted in writing to Lisa Schofield at lisa.schofield@paec.org, the RFB Coordinator. Mailing Address: E-mail Address: PAEC attn. Lisa Schofield 753 West Blvd. Chipley, Florida 32428 lisa.schofield@paec.org Subject: RFB question/website Development Bids will be accepted up to but no later than the time indicated on the RFB. Bids received after the time stated in the RFB will not be considered and will be returned to the bidder unopened. The bidder assumes the risk of any delay in the U.S. Mail or in the handling of the mail by employees of PAEC. Whether sent by mail or by means of personal delivery, the bidder assumes responsibility for having the bid deposited on time at the place specified. The official clock for determining the time shall be that utilized by PAEC at the place bids are received. 2
I. Introduction and Background Table of Contents II. III. IV. Bid Packet Requirements General Information Scope of Services Requested V. PAEC Website Evaluation Team VI. VII. VIII. Bidder Selection Process Proprietary Information and Public Disclosure Required Response Form I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (hereinafter, PAEC) is issuing this Request for Bid (RFB) to solicit bids from companies and firms interested in providing website development by incorporating the PAEC image and web design (separate RFB). Should the awardee so desire, they may participate in the PAEC Cooperative State Purchasing Program and offer its services under the award to its participating school districts, individual public, private, charter schools, trade and technical schools, colleges and universities, local and state government entities and non-profit organizations. Written responses to this RFB must be delivered to PAEC no later than 4:30 p.m. CST February 29, 2016. No late submissions will be accepted. The purpose of this Request for Bid is to identify and endorse a Website developer and its services for PAEC. This RFB is not an agreement or contract, and represents a list of requirements only. Submitted bids shall become property of PAEC, and as such, PAEC reserves the right to reject any or all bids for any reason. It is desired that these services shall be performed on an objective basis, and without conflict of interest. This objectivity is desired to ensure that no undue influences or bias will hinder the website design services that are in the best interests of PAEC and participating districts and entities aforementioned. Therefore, the Provider or its subsidiaries or affiliates shall either (1) not own or have a direct financial interest in any materials, supplies, transportation, delivery or sales assets of PAEC and participating districts and entities aforementioned or (2) shall provide a verifiable program whereby such desired objectivity and lack of bias will be otherwise achieved. 3
II. BID PACKET REQUIREMENTS The following is required to be submitted by the Bidder: A. Bidder must provide clearly defined pricing charts indicating prices for onsiteoffsite services and consultation both remote and onsite. B. The Required Response Form must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Bidder to a contractual relationship, e.g. the President or an Officer, if a corporation. The Required Response Form should have the contact information for the bidder to include firm address, phone and fax numbers for its primary office. Name, title, address, phone number and e- mail address of the contact person in the firm authorized to speak on its behalf regarding this initiative and have prime responsibility and final authority for the work under the proposed contract. C. A list of five references. This information shall include: 1. Client name 2. Individual contact 3. Mailing address 4. Phone number, fax and e-mail address 5. Brief project summary to include dates and places of service 6. URL(s) of similar projects completed by the bidder for client reference. D. Bidders must have sufficient capacity to satisfy and perform all services and requirements described in this RFB for PAEC and other participating school districts and entities described on page 8. Bidder should provide relevant background information regarding the ability to carry out the scope of work defined and a description of your support capabilities and assurances that support for the project is available should accompany your response. E. Bidders awarded a contract through this RFB must submit to, if requested, and pay the costs of a Level 2 background screening to secure a State Vendor Badge in order to work on school district property as prescribed in Florida Statutes commonly referred to as the Jessica Lunsford Act. III. GENERAL INFORMATION A. Period of Performance 1. The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFB is tentatively scheduled for not less than one calendar year from date of contract. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the PAEC. However, the completion of the project should be in phases with a launch date no more than six months after the award notification. 4
B. Definitions for the purpose of this RFB include: 1. The Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC) and/or its member and participating school districts which include, a. Calhoun b. FAMU DRS c. Franklin d. Gadsden e. Gulf f. Holmes g. Jackson h. Jefferson i. Liberty j. Madison k. Taylor l. Wakulla m. Walton n. Washington 2. Bidder Company or firm submitting a bid in order to obtain a contract with the PAEC and/or its participating districts and/or other entities identified on page 8. 3. Contractor Company or firm whose bid has been accepted by PAEC and is awarded a formal written contract. Also referred to as a Technology Services Provider. 4. Request for Bid (RFB) Written invitation to prospective suppliers to submit a bid on products and services. 5. RFB Coordinator - The RFB Coordinator is the sole point of contact of the PAEC for this RFB. All communication between the Bidder and the PAEC upon receipt of this RFB shall be with the RFB Coordinator, via email only to the following: lisa.schofield@paec.org 6. Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on PAEC. Bidders are to rely on written statements issued by the RFB Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFB Coordinator may result in disqualification of the bidder. 7. Shall, Must, Will- Indicate a mandatory requirement. Failure to meet mandatory requirements will invalidate the bid response, or result in a rejection of a bid as non-responsive. 5
8. May, Should- Indicate something that is requested but not mandatory. 9. Addendum Written instruments, issued only by the PAEC RFB Coordinator that detail amendments, changes or clarifications to the specifications and terms and conditions of this RFB. Such written instruments shall be the sole method used by PAEC to amend, change or clarify this RFB. C. Submission of Bids 1. Bid format shall be on 8 ½ x 11 sheets. Clear, legible fonts with a minimum 12 points in size. Unnecessary self-promotion and promotional material is to be avoided. 2. Deadline for Bids: Four (4) hardcopies and one (1) electronic copy (CD or other) must be received by February 29, 2016 by 4:30 pm, CST. Bids will be opened on March 7, 2016 at 9:00 am Central time at PAEC in Chipley, Florida. Bids may be handdelivered or mailed to the address below in a sealed envelope marked Sealed Bids for PAEC Website Development RFB 16-06 Mail to the attention of: Lisa Schofield 753 West Blvd Chipley, Florida 32428 3. Bids may not be transmitted using electronic media such as facsimile transmissions or e-mail. 4. Bids will be accepted up to but no later than the time indicated on the RFB. All bids received after the time stated in the RFB will not be accepted. The bidder assumes the risk of any delay in the U.S. Mail or in the handling of the mail by employees of PAEC. Whether sent by mail or by means of personal delivery, the bidder assumes responsibility for having the bid deposited on time at the place specified. The official clock for determining the time shall be that utilized by PAEC at the place bids are received. PAEC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason. D. Pre-Bid Written Questions and Answers 6
1. Any prospective bidder is welcome to submit written questions to the PAEC by email to the RFB Coordinator (lisa.schofield@paec.org). PAEC will respond in writing to all questions, which PAEC in its discretion deems relevant and substantive, so long as the questions are received more than 5 days before the due date for the bids. PAEC will not respond to any questions orally or over the phone. A copy of the written questions and answers will be sent by email to each bidder who received a copy of the RFB. It is very important that you put in the subject line: RFB question/website Development. E. Failure to Comply 1. The bidder is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the RFB may result in rejection of the bid as nonresponsive. F. Revisions to the RFB 1. PAEC reserves the right to revise the RFB and/or to issue addenda to the RFB. 2. PAEC also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFB in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFB, addenda will be provided by email to all those who received the RFB from PAEC. G. Rejection of Bids 1. PAEC reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all bids received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFB. The PAEC also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities contained in any bid. H. Most Favorable Terms 1. PAEC reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the bid submitted. Therefore, the bid should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms, which the bidder can propose. There will be no best and final offer process. The bidder should be prepared to accept this RFB for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFB. Contract negotiations may incorporate some portion of the bid or the bidders entire bid. It is understood that the bid will become a part of the official file on this matter without obligation to PAEC. 7
I. Obligation to Contract 1. This RFB does not obligate PAEC to contract for any services specified herein. J. Costs for Bids 1. Bidders are responsible for all their costs associated with this RFB. PAEC will not be liable for any costs incurred by the bidder in preparation of a bid submitted in response to this RFB or any other activities related to responding to this RFB. K. Invitation to participate in the PAEC Cooperative State Purchasing Program 1. Awarded Bidders/Vendors will qualify to join the PAEC Cooperative State Purchasing Program. As part of the program, PAEC will market and promote the awarded bidder s products and services to its member and participating school districts, as well as to the public at large through its web site and other marketing methods consistent with the program s established practices for an administrative fee of 2% of the net sales on all purchases made utilizing the awarded bid. The administrative fee of 2% of net sales shall be based on gross sales less returns and cancelled orders within 30 days, and shipping costs. Neither contractor/vendor nor its designated authorized reseller shall include additional amounts corresponding to the administrative fees in the awarded contract prices. This administrative fee applies to all orders, regardless of the method used to submit the order, or the quantity or dollar amount of the order. IV. Scope of Services Requested A. Scope of Work 1. Develop a new mobile friendly website for PAEC, www.paec.org, and associated components to improve functionality. Additionally, the development should include enhancement to PAEC s portal site, www.paeccoop.org. A list of five (5) examples of past work should accompany your proposal and should be presented via an Internet URL or any other digital form. 8
B. Current Situation 1. The current PAEC Website was developed from a modified WordPress Template (www.paec.org). 2. The Website consists of 480 pages that are monitored for quality assurance and ADA Compliance by SiteImprove. This service will be available to scan the new site during development stages. 3. The fec.tv site links to a video portal that is housed, monitored and maintained through Eduvision. 4. The PAEC Cooperative Purchasing site was built from a WordPress Template and we are looking for ideas to improve the functionality and user-friendliness to increase usage. Our current traffic averages 22,000 hits per month. 5. PAEC Websites a. www.paec.org b. www.fec.tv c. http://paeccoop.org/ 6. Similar Websites a. www.nefec.org / www.heartlanded.org b. www.aepacoop.org C. Cooperation/Collaboration with Web Designer 1. A contract for Image and Web Design is also being sought. Additional points will be awarded for a group that provides both services or teams with a history of working together on similar projects. D. Aims and objectives 1. We are seeking a website design consistent with our vision: Working Together to Enhance Education and our mission: To Strengthen Member and Participating School Districts Ability to Meet Their Goals and Objectives through: Communication Cooperation 9
Support Advocacy 2. PAEC is a legacy institution, created in 1967 with a rich and proud tradition of providing shared services to small, rural school districts to avoid duplication of services and provide cost effective solutions to advance K-12 education. E. Improve Visual Appeal 1. New Clean Design 2. Mobile-Friendly / Responsive F. Improve Functionality 1. User Log-In (broaden the purpose of the PAEC Website) a. Staff access web-based email, technology support ticket system, activity tracking, etc. b. PAEC Members Access epdc, Online Course Registrations, etc. c. Other user groups example, Board of Directors, Professional Development Council, Technology Advisory Council, etc. receive an rss feed option or notification of new threads in personalized discussion board since last log in as well as a template to add groups as needed. 2. Integrate Events Calendar 3. Cooperative Purchasing a. Mobile-Friendly b. Responsive Design 4. PAEC Leadership Conference a. Registration / Marketing b. Sponsorship i. Automate Steps ii. Communication 5. Catalog Integration for Online Courses 6. Coordinate/Collaborate with contracted Web Designer and PAEC Team 7. ADA Compliant V. PAEC WEBSITE EVALUATION TEAM A. PAEC Leadership Team 1. Approve Concept 10
2. Identify Funding Source 3. Review Status Updates 4. Promote to the Board of Directors / Final Approval B. Project Manager Lisa Schofield 1. Liaison with the Web Development Team 2. Provide Status/Budget Updates to the PAEC Leadership Team C. PAEC Web Resource Technician Clayton Smith 1. Provide Input, Direction and Content for the Website Development 2. Monitor Compatibility and Coordinate Testing with Internal PAEC Systems 3. Maintain / Manage Website after development is complete D. PAEC Programmer II Brian Walters 1. Test Security and compatibility with internal databases, as needed 2. Write code for PHP language to reference ASP Database E. PAEC Cooperative Purchasing Larche Hardy 1. Advertise and seek bid responses for Image and Web Design and Website Development RFPs VI. BIDDER SELECTION PROCESS A. Timeline 1. Bid responses are due by 4:30pm CST February 29, 2016. Bidders should make sure all materials are submitted to be considered. B. Pricing 1. While pricing is important it will not be the only criteria used when selecting a web developer. Creativity and timeline will also be considered and weighed heavily by PAEC. A. Our decision criteria 11
1. As previously mentioned, pricing is not the sole criteria for selecting a bidder although it will consist of up to half of the points during the process. The remainder of points will be awarded based on the development plan and major emphasis will be placed on previous work that will be submitted with your bid. At least five (5) examples of similar websites created by your company should accompany the bid response. 2. PAEC may, at its discretion, schedule an interview with high scoring bidders to further gather creative information and insight into the vision of the bidder to meet the criteria outlined in this proposal. B. Supplier background 1. A list of five (5) professional references should accompany the response to the RFB. C. Support provision 1. At a minimum, PAEC requires a response time to a request for support within 24 hours, during the work week (Monday-Friday). The bidder agrees to assign a dedicated senior-level contract manager (one authorized to make decisions) to the account. This employee will have a complete copy and working knowledge of the agreement. 12
VII. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION/PUBLIC DISCLOSURE A. PAEC takes its public records responsibilities as provided under Chapter I19, Florida Statutes and Article l, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution, very seriously. If Proposer considers any portion of the documents, data or records submitted in response to this solicitation to be confidential, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure pursuant to Chapter l19, Florida Statutes, the Florida Constitution or other authority, Proposer must also simultaneously provide PAEC with a separate redacted copy of its response. This redacted copy shall contain the PAEC solicitation name, number, and the name of the Proposer on the cover, and shall be clearly titled provided to PAEC at the same time Proposer submits its response to the solicitation and must only exclude or obliterate those exact portions that are claimed confidential, Proposer shall be responsible for defending its determination that the redacted portions of its response are confidential, proprietary, trade secret or otherwise not subject to disclosure. Further, Proposer shall protect, defend, and indemnify PAEC for any and all claims arising from or relating to proposers redacted portions of its response. 1. PAEC will make no effort to verify whether or not the redacted material is exempt from Chapter 119, of the Florida Statutes. The determination is totally the responsibility of the Proposer. If the Proposer fails to submit a redacted copy with its response, PAEC is authorized to produce the entire documents, data or records submitted by Proposer in answer to a public records request for these records. 2. Include redacted copy with submitted response. 13
VIII. Required Response Form I have read and understand my responsibilities regarding any purported confidential, proprietary' or trade secret material contained in this proposal. Signature of Proposer Signing Agreement I hereby certify that I am submitting the following information as my company's proposal and understand that by virtue of executing and returning with this proposal this REQUIRED RESPONSE FORM, I further certify full, complete and unconditional acceptance of the contents inclusive of this Request for Proposal, and all appendices and the contents of any Addendum released hereto. Proposal must be signed by an officer or employee having authority to legally bind the proposer. I, the undersigned proposer have not divulged, discussed, or compared this proposal with any other proposer and have not colluded with any other proposer in the preparation of this proposal in order to gain an unfair advantage in the award of this proposal. PROPOSER: STREET ADDRESS: PRINT NAME OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: TITLE: DATE: CONTACT PERSON: CONTACT PERSON S ADDRESS: TELEPHONE: TOLL FREE: FAX: E-MAIL ADDRESS: INTERNET URL: PROPOSER TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: NOTE: Entries must be completed in ink or typewritten. An original manual signature is required. Include this page in your proposal. 14