<School District Logo>
<School District Name>
<Project Name>
Prepared <date>
R E Q U E S T
F O R
P R O P O S A L
This template is provided by the U.S. Green Building Council –
Georgia Chapter. For questions or comments regarding the use of
this template, please contact us at 404.431.5213 or visit our
website at www.usgbcga.org.
Table of Contents
USING THIS TEMPLATE ............................................................................................... 3
TEMPLATE CONTENTS ............................................................................................. 3
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................................................................ 4
PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL............................................................. 4
ADMINISTRATIVE........................................................................................................ 5
TECHNICAL CONTACT ............................................................................................. 5
CONTRACTUAL CONTACT ........................................................................................ 5
DUE DATES............................................................................................................. 5
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ............................................................................................ 6
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION ................................................................. 7
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION.............................................................................................. 7
DETAILED RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................... 8
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. 8
SCOPE, APPROACH, AND METHODOLOGY................................................................. 8
DELIVERABLES........................................................................................................ 8
PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH......................................................................... 8
DETAILED AND ITEMIZED PRICING.......................................................................... 8
APPENDIX: REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 9
APPENDIX: PROJECT TEAM STAFFING ...................................................................... 9
APPENDIX: COMPANY OVERVIEW ............................................................................ 9
EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD ............................................................................ 10
CRITERIA ............................................................................................................... 10
SCOPE OF WORK ........................................................................................................ 10
REQUIREMENTS...................................................................................................... 11
2
USING THIS TEMPLATE
This Request For Proposal (“RFP”) template is designed to help school districts identify and select
a quality vendor to provide sustainable cleaning products and materials, and cleaning equipment
for a “Green” cleaning program. It also lists questions school districts should consider asking
potential vendors to ensure that a thorough and comprehensive approach to the project will be
taken.
TEMPLATE CONTENTS
The template contains a number of different sections that provide the vendor with a better
understanding of the business and technical objectives of the effort. The major sections of the
RFP template are:
•
Introduction and Background: A description of the project’s objectives plus any
additional background about the organization or business objectives that may provide the
vendor with additional useful perspective.
•
Administrative Information: Contact information that the vendors will need to
prepare and submit their proposal as well as major dates associated with the RFP
submission, evaluation and award process.
•
Guidelines for Proposal Preparation: Guidelines for vendor communication with the
organization are provided in this section and a preferred proposal format is described for
the vendor.
•
Evaluation Factors for Award: Outlines the criteria that will be used to evaluate the
various proposals.
•
Statement of Work: This section provides sufficient technical details about the
environment to allow a vendor to understand the scope of the effort and price it
appropriately.
3
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
PURPOSE OF THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
This paragraph should be a brief description of your school district - where it’s located, number of
students, etc.
Anytown Public School System is interested in purchasing sustainable cleaning products and
materials to reduce the environmental impacts and use resources more efficiently than
conventional products would allow. The following are objectives of the Anytown Public School
System:
•
Provide green cleaning products, janitorial paper products, janitorial trash liners, and
janitorial power equipment to meet standards provided in this RFP.
•
Track invoices for all green cleaning purchases made for Anytown Public School,
including green cleaning products, janitorial paper products, janitorial trash liners, and
janitorial power equipment.
•
Maintain a binder or electronic folder of the material safety data sheets (MSDS) or other
product information of the cleaning product and materials used in the building.
•
Develop a cleaning equipment program that uses janitorial equipment that reduces
building contaminants and minimizes environmental impact.
•
Keep a log for the repair and maintenance of any cleaning equipment used.
•
Maintain an inventory of all cleaning equipment purchased and used.
•
Conduct staff training to meet APPA requirements.
These activities are part of Anytown Public School ongoing “Green” cleaning program and are
focused on meeting the requirements of USGBC Green Building Maintenance and Operations
guide, 2009 edition.
Anytown Public School is seeking to identify and select a Vendor to perform the activities listed
above. The remainder of this document provides additional information that will allow a Vendor
to understand the scope of the effort and develop a proposal in the format desired by Anytown
Public School.
Refer for the APPA website at www.appa.org for additional information regarding APPA
requirements.
4
ADMINISTRATIVE
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Any questions concerning technical specifications or Statement of Work (SOW) requirements
must be directed to:
Name
Address
Phone
FAX
Email
CONTRACTUAL CONTACT
Any questions regarding contractual terms and conditions or proposal format must be directed
to:
Name
Address
Phone
FAX
Email
DUE DATES
A written confirmation of the Vendor’s intent to respond to this RFP is required by XX/XX/XX. All
proposals are due by time am/pm on XX/XX/XX. Any proposal received at the designated
location after the required time and date specified for receipt shall be considered late and nonresponsive. Any late proposals will not be evaluated for award.
5
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Event
Date
1. RFP Distribution to Vendors
2. Pre-bid Meeting
3. Written Confirmation of Vendors with Bid Intention
4. Questions from Vendors about scope or approach due
5. Responses to Vendors about scope or approach due
6. Proposal Due Date
7. Target Date for Review of Proposals
8. Final Vendor Selection Discussion(s)--Week of
9. Anticipated decision and selection of Vendor(s)
10. Anticipated commencement date of work
6
GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL PREPARATION
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Award of the contract resulting from this RFP will be based upon the most responsive vendor
whose offer will be the most advantageous to Anytown Public School in terms of cost,
functionality, and other factors as specified elsewhere in this RFP.
Anytown Public School reserves the right to:
•
•
•
•
Reject any or all offers and discontinue this RFP process without obligation or liability to
any potential Vendor,
Accept other than the lowest priced offer,
Award a contract on the basis of initial offers received, without discussions or requests
for best and final offers, and
Award more than one contract.
Vendor's proposal shall be submitted in several parts as set forth below. The vendor will confine
its submission to those matters sufficient to define its proposal and to provide an adequate basis
for Anytown Public School evaluation of the vendor’s proposal.
In order to address the needs of this procurement, Anytown Public School encourages vendors to
work cooperatively in presenting integrated solutions. Vendor team arrangements may be
desirable to enable the companies involved to complement each other's unique capabilities, while
offering the best combination of performance, cost, and delivery for the standards being provided
under this RFP. Anytown Public School will recognize the integrity and validity of vendor team
arrangements provided that:
•
•
The arrangements are identified and relationships are fully disclosed, and
A prime vendor is designated that will be fully responsible for all contract performance.
Vendor’s proposal in response to this RFP will be incorporated into the final agreement between
Anytown Public School and the selected vendor(s). The submitted proposals are suggested to
include each of the following sections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Executive Summary
Approach and Methodology
Project Deliverables
Project Management Approach
Detailed and Itemized Pricing
Appendix: References
Appendix: Project Team Staffing
Appendix: Company Overview
The detailed requirements for each of the above-mentioned sections are outlined below.
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DETAILED RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This section will present a high-level synopsis of the vendor’s responses to the RFP. The
Executive Summary should be a brief overview of the engagement, and should identify the main
features and benefits of the proposed work.
SCOPE, APPROACH, AND METHODOLOGY
This section should include a description of each major type of work being requested of the
vendor. All information that is provided will be held in strict confidence. The proposal should
reflect each of the sections listed below:
•
Identify required cleaning materials and equipment to maintain the buildings to cleaning
levels identified using the APPA guidelines.
•
Provide and maintain stocking levels for cleaning products and equipment used by inhouse staff.
•
Provide written documentation from the product manufactures which demonstrates the
products meet the standards below.
•
Provide a monthly purchasing report.
•
Maintain ≥60% of the total annual purchases of the products (by cost minus tax &
shipping cost).
•
Provide and maintain all MSDS sheets either in a binder or electronically for the duration
of contract.
•
Provide a powered equipment inventory list to include: Equipment type/Brand/Serial
Number/Model Number/Purchase date/Number of units/Cost per unit/Sustainability
Criteria/and recommended life cycle replacement
•
Maintain powered equipment in working order
•
Provide maintenance records for each piece of powered equipment.
•
Ensure ≥20% of all janitorial powered equipment (by number of items for the entire
project) and all newly purchased equipment meet the required sustainability criteria of
USGBC.
DELIVERABLES
Include cut sheets or brochures for each product or equipment. Include sample reports as
attachments to the proposal to provide an example of the types of reports that will be provided
for this engagement.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH
Include the method and approach used to manage the overall project and client correspondence.
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Briefly describe how the engagement proceeds from beginning to continued sustainability of the
program.
DETAILED AND ITEMIZED PRICING
Include a price sheet for each product and/or equipment chosen to meet the requirements found
within this RFP.
APPENDIX: REFERENCES
Provide three current references for which you have provided similar service protocol.
APPENDIX: PROJECT TEAM STAFFING
Include biographies and relevant experience of key training staff, account manager and
maintenance personnel. Describe the qualifications and relevant experience of the types of staff
that would be assigned to this project by providing biographies for those staff members, to
include certifications and yearly training hours.
APPENDIX: COMPANY OVERVIEW
Provide the following for your company:
• Official registered name (Corporate, D.B.A., Partnership, etc.), Dun & Bradstreet Number,
Primary and secondary SIC numbers, address, main telephone number, toll-free
numbers, and facsimile numbers.
• Key contact name, title, address (if different from above address), direct telephone and
fax numbers.
• Person authorized to contractually bind the organization for any proposal against this
RFP.
• Brief history, including year established and number of years your company has been
offering a “Green” cleaning program.
• Brief outline overview of your “green” cleaning program and the following aspects:
o Cleaning product and “green” requirements
o Janitorial staff education program for preparation and application
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EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
CRITERIA
Any award to be made pursuant to this RFP will be based upon the proposal with appropriate
consideration given to operational, meeting the technical standards, cost, and management
requirements. Evaluation of offers will be based upon the Vendor’s responsiveness to the RFP
and the total price quoted for all items covered by the RFP.
The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all submitted proposals
and in the selection of a Vendor or Vendors:
1. Completion of all required responses in the correct format.
2. An assessment of the Vendor’s ability to deliver the indicated service in accordance with
the specifications set out in this RFP.
3. The Vendor’s stability, experiences, and record of past performance in delivering such
services.
4. Availability of sufficient high quality Vendor personnel with the required skills and
experience to ensure sustainability of the program.
5. Overall cost of Vendor’s proposal.
Anytown Public School may, at their discretion and without explanation to the prospective
Vendors, at any time choose to discontinue this RFP without obligation to such prospective
Vendors.
10
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUIREMENTS
The following information should be used to determine the scope of this project and provide
pricing for this engagement:
Conduct assessment of materials, equipment, documentation, training and processes to
determine current compliance to the requirements of this RFP.
Provide materials, equipment, documentation, training and processes to meet the needs of
Anytown Public School.
The cleaning products must meet 1 or more of the following standards for the appropriate
category:
• Green Seal GS-37, for general-purpose, bathroom, glass and carpet cleaners used for
industrial and institutional purposes.
• Environmental Choice CCD-110, for cleaning and degreasing compounds.
• Environmental Choice CCD-146, for hard surface cleaners.
• Environmental Choice CCD-148, for carpet and upholstery care.
Disinfectants, metal polish, floor finishes, strippers or other products not addressed by the above
standards meet 1 or more of the following standards for the appropriate category:
• Green Seal GS-40, for industrial and institutional floor care products.
• Environmental Choice CCD-112, for digestion additives for cleaning and odor control.
• Environmental Choice CCD-113, for drain or grease traps additives.
• Environmental Choice CCD-115, for odor control additives.
• Environmental Choice CCD-147, for hard floor care.
• California Code of Regulations maximum allowable VOC levels for the specific product
category.
Note to school districts:
Insert optional low chemical emissions requirement here. See text at end of document.
Disposable janitorial paper products that fit existing dispensers and trash bags meet the
minimum requirements of 1 or more of the following programs for the applicable product
category:
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for
Janitorial Paper and Plastic Trash Can Liners.
• Green Seal GS-09, for paper towels and napkins.
• Green Seal GS-01, for tissue paper.
• Environmental Choice CCD-082, for toilet tissue.
• Environmental Choice CCD-086, for hand towels
• Janitorial paper products derived from rapidly renewable resources or made from treefree fibers.
Hand soaps that are suitable for existing dispensers and meet 1 or more of the following
standards:
• No antimicrobial agents (other than as a preservative) except where required by health
codes and other regulations (e.g., food service and health care requirements).
• Green Seal GS-41, for industrial and institutional hand cleaners.
• Environmental Choice CCD-104, for hand cleaners and hand soaps.
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The cleaning equipment must meet 1 or more of the following standards for the appropriate
category:
•
Vacuum cleaners are certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute “Green Label” Testing
Program for vacuum cleaners and operate with a sound level of less than 70dBA.
•
Carpet extraction equipment used for restorative deep cleaning is certified by the Carpet
and Rug Institute’s “Seal of Approval” Testing Program for deep-cleaning extractors.
•
Powered floor maintenance equipment, including electric and battery-powered floor
buffers and burnishers, is equipped with vacuums, guards and/or other devices for
capturing fine particulates and operates with a sound level of less than 70dBA.
•
Propane-powered floor equipment has high-efficiency, low-emissions engines with
catalytic converters and mufflers that meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) or
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for the specific engine size and
operate with a sound level of less than 90dBA.
•
Automated scrubbing machines are equipped with variable-speed feed pumps and onboard chemical metering to optimize the use of cleaning fluids. Alternatively, the
scrubbing machines use only tap water with no added cleaning products.
•
Battery-powered equipment is equipped with environmentally preferable gel batteries.
•
Powered equipment is ergonomically designed to minimize vibration, noise and user
fatigue.
•
Equipment is designed with safeguards, such as rollers or rubber bumpers, to reduce
potential damage to building surfaces.
Provide initial training of 150 staff members to utilize the material and equipment provided.
Provide continued staff training for a total of 24 hours per year to meet APPA and OSHA
requirements.
Provide recommendations to the utilization of new products and equipment as changes within
industry occur.
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Note to school districts:
The requirements listed above comply with the requirements of the LEED Green Building Rating
Systems. To further protect the indoor air quality within your school buildings, add the optional
requirements below to the “Requirements” section of the RFP.
Cleaning products shall be verified for low chemical emissions including, but not limited to:
Low-emitting Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Limited emissions for scented chemical cleaners that use the following aromatics:
o Terpenes & Glycols. Examples include the following:
 Benzene
 Toluene
 Pinene (common pine scent)
 Limonene(common lemon scent)
o Alcohol
Examples of acceptable third party IAQ certifiers include:
• GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified or GREENGUARD High Performance
Cleaning Systems
• Those GS-37 products that have been tested for chemical emissions in addition
to chemical content
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