PART V PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS SECTION TITLE K L M Proposal Content Cost Information Submission of Proposal 38
SECTION K PROPOSAL CONTENT K.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS A. The requirements included in this Section are purposely established to facilitate an objective, timely and efficient evaluation by VRE. The Offeror is advised to ensure that their Proposal is in compliance with all such requirements. B. Proposals shall include all of the requirements requested in this RFP. Failure to include all the information requested may adversely affect the evaluation. Noncompliance with the RFP requirements will affect the evaluation of the Offeror s technical and/or past performance and may be grounds to eliminate the Proposal from consideration. C. Offerors are advised their Proposal represents their company or team s best efforts and most complete responses to this solicitation. Assurance of experience, capability, and qualifications that clearly demonstrate and support the Offeror s claim are essential. The absence of such evidence will adversely influence evaluation of the Proposal. D. Offerors are to submit Proposals that present the Offeror s qualifications and understanding of the overall work to be performed. E. Proposals must provide a clear and concise response to the requirements of the solicitation. F. The Offeror s submission of a Proposal represents their firm will comply with all the requirements specified in this RFP. G. Offerors must submit the required information identified in this Section as a complete Proposal package. Information in addition to that requested below will not be considered in evaluating the Proposal and shall not be provided. Incomplete Proposals may cause the Proposal to be deemed non-responsive. H. Offerors are to submit Proposals that present the Offeror s qualifications and understanding of the overall work to be performed. Offerors are directed to SECTION N.3 EVALUATION CRITERIA and shall respond to each factor in detail so VRE may properly evaluate the Offeror s capabilities to perform the work described in this RFP. 39
I. The Proposal must be submitted in a binder separated with the respective numbered and titled tabs and include all written documentation outlined below: TAB 1 Table of Contents: Furnish a table of contents to delineate all the sections of the Proposal package. TAB 2 Title Page: Furnish the name and address of the firm, local address, if any; name, title, address, email address, telephone and fax numbers of the contact person and the company officer responsible for ascertaining the correctness of the Proposal. TAB 3 Transmittal Letter (Maximum 2 pages): Submit a transmittal letter dated and signed by a company officer authorized to bind the firm(s) or entity in a Contract. Failure to manually sign the letter may disqualify the Proposal. The following information shall be provided in the transmittal letter: a. Type and size of business; b. Years of operation; and c. Description of the company (or other structure in the case of a partnership or joint venture), and relevance of services to this RFP. TAB 4 Overall Project Approach (Maximum 2 pages): Furnish a clear and concise summary of the proposed project approach to properly perform the work outlined in the Scope of Services to include the following: a. Understanding of the project scope and technical requirements; b. Methods and procedures proposed for quality assurance/control of the services provided and project deliverables; and c. Innovative or unique approaches that will be used to carry out the project and meet the schedule. 40
TAB 5 Management Plan: Furnish a proposed management plan to properly perform the work outlined in the Scope of Services to include the following: a. An organizational chart including identification and definition of the responsibilities of all personnel thereon and firm name; b. List of personnel, positions, titles of each individual that will participate or may participate in the project; and c. Project role(s) that will be filled by the Prime Consultant and, if applicable, Subconsultant(s). Each objective above shall be conspicuously identified and described on a separate page. TAB 6 Capability and Expertise of the Proposed Firm(s) (Maximum 5 pages excluding project summaries; project summaries shall be a maximum of 1 page per project): Describe in concise detail the capability, expertise, past experience and performance of the Offeror and, if applicable, proposed Subconsultant(s) to include the following: a. Experience in performing conceptual, preliminary and final design for passenger rail stations; b. Experience working with NS; c. Knowledge and ability to support a construction procurement; d. Relevant experience with and knowledge of environmental analysis to include NEPA guidelines and procedures; e. Summaries of past projects completed by the Offeror within the last eight (8) years, demonstrating experience relative to the proposed engineering and environmental services which best illustrate the capability and expertise of the proposed firm(s). The summaries shall identify, where applicable, participation by the proposed personnel to perform the work described in the Scope of Services, to include the following: i. Firm name; 41
ii. iii. iv. Title of project, location (City, State), and owner (Government agency, institution, etc.); Construction fee and firm fee, as applicable; Project duration and period during which the firm commenced and completed work; v. Task(s) for which the firm was responsible; vi. vii. Team personnel members, including Subconsultants personnel; Description of the work performed by the firm including the scope, size of the project, principal elements, and special features of the project, as well as the relevance of the project to this Contract; viii. Description of the work performed by the Subconsultant(s); ix. Notable accomplishments of the firm on the project, particularly those accomplishments related to the tasks included in the Scope of Services; and x. Photos of the project (provided for illustrative purposes only). TAB 7 Knowledge and Qualifications of the Proposed Project Manager (Maximum 2 pages excluding resume): Complete the form in EXHIBIT T.1 RESUME SUMMARY FOR PROPOSED KEY PERSONNEL included herein and furnish a summary of the knowledge and qualifications of the proposed Project Manager to perform the work described in the Scope of Services to include the following; a. Evidence of a minimum of five (5) years of experience in a project management role on passenger rail station projects. The experience may have been performed by the proposed Project Manager with the offering firm or other firms (identify); b. Experience working with NS; c. Applicable technical skills and other experience relevant to the proposed project tasks; 42
d. Estimated availability to devote to the management of the project including identification of potential competing commitments; and e. Resume (maximum three (3) pages) for the proposed Project Manager to include the following: i. Name of firm where employed; ii. iii. iv. Name of individual and title; Education to include, degree(s) earned, year completed, and curriculum or area of specialization; Current professional registration/license information to include, issuing state, number, and area of registration; v. Certifications and training applicable to the project to include, Railway Worker Protection Training and the date completed; vi. Number of years of experience performing tasks similar to those required for this project; and vii. Relevant experience citations within the last five (5) years only, to include the following: a. Title of the project, location (City, State), and dates which the individual performed work on the project; b. Indicate if the individual performed work on behalf of the offering firm or other firms; c. Individual s title/role and responsibilities on the project; and d. Notable accomplishments of the individual on the project. 43
TAB 8 Knowledge and Qualifications of the Personnel Proposed for the Project Team to Include Subconsultant Key Personnel (Maximum 3 pages excluding resumes; resumes shall be no more than 2 pages): Complete the form in EXHIBIT T.1 RESUME SUMMARY FOR PROPOSED KEY PERSONNEL included herein and furnish a clear and concise summary of the knowledge and qualifications of the proposed personnel to perform the work described in the Scope of Services to include the following: a. Knowledge and qualifications of the proposed personnel relevant to performing their assigned role; b. Depth of experience in passenger rail station design projects, in particular: USDOT (i.e., FTA, FRA, etc.) rules and guidance; NEPA; application of AREMA, NS, and other applicable design and construction standards and practices; and c. Resumes (maximum two (2) pages) for the proposed key personnel to include the following: i. Name of firm where employed; ii. iii. iv. Name of individual and title; Education to include, degree(s) earned, year completed, and curriculum or area of specialization; Current professional registration/license information to include, issuing state, number, and area of registration; v. Certifications and training applicable to the project to include, Railway Worker Protection Training and the date completed; vi. Number of years of experience performing tasks similar to those required for this project; and vii. Relevant experience citations within the last five (5) years only, to include the following: a. Title of the project, location (City, State), and dates which the individual performed work on the project; b. Indicate if the individual performed work on behalf of the offering firm or other firms; 44
c. Individual s title/role and responsibilities on the project; and d. Notable accomplishments of the individual on the project. TAB 9 Project Advancement (Maximum 2 pages): Provide a concise summary outlining the approach to address project advancement and cost savings in project delivery. TAB 10 Point of Contact: Provide a telephone number and an email address for an assigned single point of contact. TAB 11 References (Past and Present Experience): Identify three (3) clients for whom comparable work has been done by the Prime Consultant in the past five (5) years or is currently being performed; complete the form in EXHIBIT T.2 REFERENCES included herein. If applicable, the following information must be provided: a. Information on contracts performed by each of the Offeror s Subconsultants that are considered most relevant in demonstrating their ability to support the Offeror in the effort, including rationale supporting the Offeror s assertion of relevance. At VRE s direction, any proposed Subconsultant(s) identified by the Offeror may be contacted for the purposes of determining the responsibility of the Offeror. b. A list of contracts within the past five (5) years, if any, on which failure to complete the work within the specified time frame resulted either in the assessment of liquidated damages, penalties or contract termination. TAB 12 Subconsultants: Identify any Subconsultants and the type of work anticipated to be performed on the Contract; complete the form in EXHIBIT T.3 SUBCONSULTANTS included herein. 45
a. During the Contract performance, ALL Subconsultants shall be approved in advance by VRE. VRE reserves the right to request from the Offeror during the solicitation process and any time during Contract performance, additional information about a Subconsultant proposed by the Offeror/Consultant, that VRE deems necessary to evaluate the qualifications for the Subconsultant. b. The Offeror shall ensure lower-tier Subconsultants in support of this solicitation are in compliance with the certifications included herein, including the insurance coverage described in this solicitation and all requirements to Federal and State procurement regulations referenced herein. TAB 13 Exceptions to the Solicitation: State whether the Scope of Work/Services and/or Technical Specifications, Special Terms and Conditions, and General Terms and Conditions are accepted as presented in this solicitation or if exceptions are taken; identify exceptions taken to the solicitation; provide rationale in support of the exception and fully explain its impact, if any, on the performance, schedule, cost, and specific requirements of the solicitation; and relate each exception specifically to each section/paragraph and/or specific part of the solicitation to which the exception is taken. If no exceptions are taken to the solicitation, the Offeror shall so state. TAB 14 Acknowledge Receipt of Addenda Issued: Include a signed acknowledgement of receipt of all addenda issued to this solicitation. TAB 15 Representations and Certifications: Complete and sign the forms in ATTACHMENT U.3 REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS/BIDDERS included herein. TAB 16 Financial Statements: Submit one (1) CD/DVD or USB memory device, containing one (1) continuous electronic copy of the financial statements in PDF format, separate from the Proposal CD/DVD or USB memory device. The electronic copy shall be labeled appropriately with the RFP number and title, firm s name and date. A hard copy is not required. 46
1. Offerors shall furnish complete financial statements for the current fiscal year (interim statements are acceptable) and the past two (2) years. The financial statements shall include the following: a. Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) b. Results of Operation (Income Statement) c. Statement of Cash Flow (if available) d. Statement of Current and Retained Earnings 2. These statements (a through d) shall be certified indicating disclosure of all facts that could impair or affect the statements presented. 3. The term certified is defined to mean that an officer of the corporation includes a statement that the financial statements fairly present the financial position of the Offeror. The term officer is defined to mean the President, Chief Financial Officer, or Treasurer. Audited financial statements with the auditor s opinion meet this requirement. Audited statements must be submitted, if available. 4. The certified statement provided with the financial statements must read as follows: The financial information provided is correct to the best of my understanding. 5. If audited financial statements are not available, the above statement shall also note the following: No audited statements are available for the periods reported in the accompanying information. 6. VRE reserves the right to request additional financial information as may be required to determine the Offeror s financial responsibility. If required, a formal request shall be made by VRE to the Offeror. 47
SECTION L COST INFORMATION L.1 NON-BINDING COST ESTIMATE (BOUND SEPARATELY AND SUBMITTED UPON REQUEST BY VRE) A. Cost Proposals must not be submitted with the Technical Proposal for this professional services Contract. However, a Non-Binding Cost Estimate must be available for submission immediately upon VRE s request. See EXHIBIT T.5 NON-BINDING COST ESTIMATE. B. The Non-Binding Cost Estimate shall include: 1. Name, title of person, role and firm name; 2. Hourly billing rates for each person; and 3. Direct and indirect costs anticipated in itemized detail (include on a separate tabulation sheet). C. All cost estimate data shall be quoted in U.S. Dollars. D. Unless indicated otherwise, the Offeror s rates shall be inclusive of all costs for labor, overhead and profit. Overhead shall include all taxes, fees, insurances, etc. Direct costs such as materials, printing and transportation, in addition to any other items necessary to complete the work in conformance with the Contract and to the satisfaction of VRE shall be identified separately as direct costs. Extra charges will not be allowed, without approval of the VRE Project Manager. E. No erasures or other handwritten changes may appear on the Non-Binding Cost Estimate. F. The Non-Binding Cost Estimate must be signed in ink. 48
SECTION M SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL M.1 PROPOSAL ORGANIZATION A. Binding: The Proposal shall be in a loose-leaf, three-ring binder. Elaborate format and binding are neither necessary nor desirable. All binders must be capable of lying flat when opened. B. Cover: The covers must be titled Technical Proposal and clearly identify the Offeror s name, RFP number, RFP title and copy number (e.g. copy 1 of 4). The original shall be conspicuously marked ORIGINAL and the copies shall be conspicuously marked COPY. C. Tabs: Tabs must be included in the original binder and each copy and identified by the respective numbers and titles as outlined in SECTION K PROPOSAL CONTENT. M.2 PROPOSAL FORMAT A. Text: The Proposal must be typed. Type size must not be smaller than Microsoft Word Times New Roman 11 point font, normal proportional spacing. Text lines must be single-spaced. B. Page: A page shall be: 1. 8-1/2 x 11 sheet of paper (minimum of ½ margins); 2. 11 x 17 sheet of paper for a foldout only such as illustrations, charts, appendices, graphs, drawings, photographs, diagrams and tables and shall count towards one (1) page; 3. Printed on one-side only; and 4. White or ivory stock background color. M.3 HARD COPY Offerors shall submit one (1) signed original and four (4) copies of the Proposal in a sealed package. 49
M.4 ELECTRONIC COPY Offerors shall submit two (2) CDs/DVDs or USB memory devices, each containing one (1) continuous electronic copy of the Technical Proposal package in PDF format. Each electronic copy shall be labeled appropriately with the RFP number and title, firm s name and date. M.5 IDENTIFICATION OF PROPOSAL PACKAGE A. The Technical Proposal shall be clearly marked in a sealed package. B. It is imperative that the label shown below is filled in and pasted on the lower left corner of the sealed package conspicuously identified. S E A L E D P R O P O S A L IN RESPONSE TO: RFP No.: 016-011 Title: Proposals Due Date: Name of Offeror: C. Failure to properly identify the Proposal package may result in the premature opening of or a failure to open such Proposal, which may result in the disqualification of the Proposal. M.6 HAND DELIVERY OR MAILING OF PROPOSALS A. Offerors shall deliver or mail Proposals to: Gerri Hill Manager of Purchasing and Contract Administration 1500 King Street, Suite 202 Alexandria, VA 22314 50
B. A Proposal may be mailed, delivered by private courier, express mail or delivered in person to VRE in Alexandria, VA prior to the Proposal closing date and time, between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. EST, Monday through Friday, on days that VRE service is operated. C. It is the responsibility of the Offeror to assure that its Proposal is delivered to the place designated for receipt of Proposals on or before the day and time set for receipt of Proposals. D. Proposals will be time stamped by VRE s official time clock at the receptionist s desk in the foyer. E. Electronic, facsimile or verbal Proposals shall not be accepted. F. Proposals shall be kept unopened until after the closing date and time. M.7 PROPOSALS DUE (CLOSING DATE) Proposals must be received by VRE at 2:00 P.M. EST on the date specified in SECTION B PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE of this RFP. Proposals received after the Proposal closing date and time will not be considered. 51