Request for Proposal
For Plagiarism Services
RFP # U0002
Issued 24 September 2015
Unizin Contact:
Angela Melpolder
710 Brazos Street, Suite 810
Austin, TX 78701
rfp-response@unizin.org
Questions regarding this RFP should be submitted to:
Angela Melpolder, RFP # U0002
In the Question and Answer section
Request for Proposal for Plagiarism Detection Services
for Internet 2 and Unizin
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Note: Suppliers must respond to all sections of this RFP, including sections 1 through 6.
When a section does not request specific information and you agree to the terms of that
Section, you may use language such as “Sections 1.01 through 1.05, Understood and
Agreed” in your response. Refer to section 5 for instructions on how to compile your
response. All terms and provisions in Section 7 will also be in the Contract awarded to any
Supplier.
SECTION 1 - PURPOSE OF RFP
1.01 Purpose of RFP. The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit
proposals “Proposals” to enter into a contract (the “Contract”) with a qualified supplier to
provide plagiarism services for the Internet2 and Unizin and its constituents. The companies
submitting Proposals in response to this RFP will hereafter be referred to as “Supplier.”
Internet2 and Unizin, hereafter be referred to as, “Unizin.” The plagiarism services must be
automated and integrated with existing media infrastructure. All interested Suppliers must
meet the requirements specified in this RFP. Suppliers must have qualified staff on hand for
this project and be able to complete the scope of the projects within the timeframes specified.
Unizin is examining several solutions to provide plagiarism services and may decide, after
reviewing Proposals submitted, not to enter into any agreement. Additionally, Unizin
reserves the right to award the RFP to one or multiple Suppliers.
The following minimum specifications must be met in order for the Proposal to be
considered responsive:
1. The Proposal must be for software that is capable of plagiarism detection of writing
submitted by students.
2. Must provide the ability to check works against both a repository of university papers
and external sources with links to the sources.
3. Must provide ability, at no extra cost, for Unizin to retrieve all documents submitted
by students from Supplier.
4. Must provide ability to, upon request, permanently remove all documents submitted
by students from Supplier infrastructure.
5. Must provide reporting capability.
6. The software must be capable of integrating with Canvas by Instructure using an LTI
interface.
7. The Supplier must agree to include the cooperative language in section 2.11 in the
Contract.
1.02 Background. Unizin works to collaborate with Unizin member institutions, to create
cost and process efficiencies. Unizin plans to leverage existing platforms and processes to
select a Supplier to provide plagiarism services for student developed content. Typically,
student papers are uploaded using the Canvas learning management system as the front-end
interface. Nevertheless, various submission and evaluation methods may exist.
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SECTION 2 – RFP DETAILS
2.01
Issuing office and RFP Reference Number. Unizin is the issuing office for this
RFP and all subsequent addenda relating to it. The reference number for the
transaction is (RFP # U0002.) This number must be referenced on all Proposals,
correspondence, and documentation relating to the RFP.
2.02
Important Dates. The following dates are significant for this RFP:
RFP Dated and Issued
24 September 2015
RFP Inquiry Questions Due
15 October 2015
Proposal Due Date
05 November 2015
2.03
Inquiries. Questions arising subsequent to the issuance of this RFP, that could have
a significant impact on the responses to the RFP, should be submitted in the RFP
Question and Answer section (RFP # U0002.) All such questions should be submitted
and received by close of business (5:00pm Central Time) on 15 October 2015.
Answers to questions will be e-mailed to all officers that downloaded the RFP.
2.04
Submission Due Date. Submit your Proposal electronically by 2:00 p.m. Central
Time on 05 November 2015. All documents must be attached as separate files.
Suppliers must also Submit one (1) original plus FIVE (5) copies of the Proposal to
Unizin, 720 Brazos Suite 810, Austin TX 78701 by 2:00 p.m. Central Time on 05
November 2015.
Proposals received after this deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration.
Following the deadline, the names of those responding to the RFP will be made
public. All other information will remain confidential.
2.05
Time for Evaluation. All Proposals shall remain valid for a minimum of 120
calendar days after the Proposal Due Date to allow adequate time for evaluation.
2.06
Multiple Stage Process. Unizin reserves the right to conduct the RFP in a multiple
stage process and narrow the number of Proposals that will move on to a subsequent
stage or Best and Final Offer (BAFO).
2.07
Oral Presentation. Unizin may award the Contract based on initial Proposals
received without discussion of such Proposals with Suppliers. However, Unizin may
require an oral presentation by a Supplier to supplement their written Proposal. These
presentations will be scheduled, if required, by Unizin after Proposals are received
and prior to the award of the Contract.
2.08
Best and Final Offer. Each initial Proposal should be submitted with the most
favorable price and service available. However, at the option of Unizin, a Best and
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Final Offer (BAFO) may be requested.
2.09
Award of the Contract. Upon completion of the evaluation process, Unizin may
award the Contract to the Supplier whose Proposal is determined to be most
advantageous to Unizin. Unizin is the only entity authorized to award the Contract.
2.10
Contract Period and Effective Date. The anticipated term of the Contract will be
for a period of three months.
2.11
Permissive Cooperative Procurements. If Supplier is awarded the Contract from
this RFP, Supplier hereby agrees to offer the resulting contractual terms and prices to
all other Unizin Founding Investors, subscribers, customers or any other consumers
of Unizin Services.
Further, the Supplier agrees to include the following in the Contract:
Supplier agrees to make prices offered under this Contract available to other
Unizin Founding Investors, subscribers, customers or any other consumers of
Unizin Services upon the same terms and conditions set forth in this
Contract. Unizin does not guarantee purchases from Unizin Founding
Investors, subscribers, customers or any other consumers of Unizin
Services. Supplier shall provide written notification to Unizin when a new
Unizin Founding Investor, subscriber, customer or any other consumer of
Unizin Services begins utilizing this Contract. The total expenditures of all
Unizin Founding Investors, subscribers, customers or any other consumers of
Unizin Services shall be included in the volumes reported to Unizin and
included in the calculation of the Proposal. Should the total purchases by
Unizin and other Unizin Founding Investors, subscribers, customers or any
other consumers of Unizin Services collectively trigger any volume discounts,
Supplier shall apply such discounts to fees charged.
2.12
Confidentiality. “Confidential Information” means any business or technical
information or material that has not been made available generally to the public,
regardless of whether it has been labeled “Confidential,” that is: (a) conceived,
created, developed, generated, collected by or utilized in the operations of Unizin and
related to the actual or anticipated business or research or development of Unizin,
including but not limited to, all inventions, methods, processes, algorithms, future
product plans, product designs, products (including prices, costs, sales or content),
drawings, details of Unizin operations or marketing, computer programs, flow charts,
customers (including identities of customers or prospective customers and identities
of individual contacts at business entities that are customers or prospective
customers), prospective service providers or vendors, financial information or
measures, business methods, future business plans, data bases, designs, models,
operating procedures, knowledge of the organization, manufacturing processes, or
any other Work Product of Unizin and all other information, draft agreements and
agreements, documents or materials, owned, developed or possessed by Unizin; or (b)
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suggested by, or resulting from, any tasks assigned to Supplier or work performed by
Supplier for or on behalf of Unizin under this RFP, is confidential and proprietary
(“Confidential Information”). For the avoidance of doubt, this RFP is not
considered Confidential Information. Supplier will hold Confidential Information in
confidence and will use solely for the purpose of providing services. Supplier further
agrees that it will not disclose Confidential Information to anyone without Unizin’s
prior written consent, except as required by law, provided that Supplier has notified
Unizin of the required disclosure as soon as possible before such disclosure is made.
All Confidential Information and any materials containing Confidential Information,
including drawings, notebooks, reports and any other document, will be returned
upon termination of the RFP upon request of Unizin, along with any copies, or will be
destroyed by Supplier at Unizin’s request.
SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK
The Scope of Work is defined as the Supplier providing:
3.01
Ongoing Service
Unizin expects the Supplier to provide an ongoing plagiarism detection service. There is no
projected end date. Unizin will submit content based on current needs.
3.02
Consortium Purchasing
In this RFP, Unizin represents its member institutions. The Supplier should have capacity to
serve all institutions participating in this RFP and the high volume of content that may be
submitted for plagiarism. Additionally, Unizin wishes to select a Supplier who will work to
provide cost efficiencies based on the high purchasing volumes of Unizin.
3.03
Submission Methods
Suppliers must support the submission of text via Canvas as well as other industry standard
learning management systems. This will be the primary submission method of content that
needs to be evaluated. The Supplier should also accept the following media formats: .RTF,
.DOC, .DOCX, .DOT, .DOTX, .TXT, .HTM, .PDF, .XML, .XLSX, .XLS, and .CSV. The
Supplier should indicate in their response the plagiarism services that are supported.
3.04
Workflow
Because of the large amount of content that will be submitted, an automated process
is critical. Unizin suggests that the Supplier comply with the following workflow:
1. Text is uploaded to Canvas or other industry learning management system.
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2. Supplier automatically evaluates content.
3. Supplier provides a detailed analysis and a report on suspected plagiarism.
3.05
Languages Supported
The English language must be supported. Spanish language support is preferred but
not required.
3.06
Delivery and Notification
The Supplier should deliver evaluated text and reports seamlessly from within
Canvas. This will be the primary workflow for delivering evaluated text and reports.
Supplier should support email notifications as well as the ability to update content
flags in Canvas, which indicates when plagiarism evaluation is complete.
3.07
Turnaround
Standard turnaround is within 1 hour of submission.
3.08
Privacy, Security and Content Ownership
All content will remain copyright of the Unizin. Data transmitted during the
plagiarism process should not be made available to third parties and is considered
Confidential. A clear content policy should be included in the Proposal. The Supplier
should provide a sample Service Level Agreement (SLA).
3.09
Output Formats
The Supplier should support various output formats. Please provide a list of the
output formats supported by your service.
3.10
Cost
Suppliers should complete Attachment A for their pricing submission.
3.11
References
Please provide at least THREE (3) references (more recent references preferred) for
customers that your organization has provided services similar to those required by
Unizin. Include business name, address, phone number and contact person for each
reference. Unizin reserves the right to contact or visit any of the Supplier’s current
and/or past customers to evaluate the level of performance and customer satisfaction
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SECTION 4 –PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
4.0
Evaluation Process. All Proposals in response to this RFP will be evaluated in a
manner consistent with Unizin Procurement and all applicable rules and policies.
4.01
Evaluations:
Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria outlined below:
1. Compliance with Workflow Requirements in Section 3.0 (50%)
2. Integration with Canvas (LMSs) (20%)
3. Cost (20%)
4. References (10%)
4.02
Supplier Proposal Documentation Requirements
To enable thorough, fair, and accurate evaluation of all Proposals, Suppliers are
required to complete their Proposal with the requirements in Section 5
4.03
RFP Evaluations and Contract Requirements
In the initial phase of the Proposal evaluation process, the evaluation committee will
review all Proposals timely received and eliminate all non-responsive Proposals, i.e.,
those not conforming to RFP requirements. The remaining Proposals will be
evaluated according to compliance and sufficiency with the RFP specifications and
requirements. At the conclusion of this initial evaluation phase, finalist Supplier
Proposals will be selected for detailed review, evaluation, and award, during which
time oral presentations may be required. All awards will be made by notification to
the Supplier in writing by Unizin. After notification of award, Unizin will then enter
into contract negotiations with the winning Supplier(s).
Unizin reserves the right to be the sole judge as to the overall acceptability of any
Proposal or to judge the individual merits of specific provisions within competing
offers. Each Supplier bears sole responsibility for the items included or not included
in the Proposal submitted by that Supplier. Unizin reserves the right to disqualify any
Proposal that includes significant deviations or exceptions to the terms, conditions
and/or specifications in this RFP.
SECTION 5 – PROPOSAL RESPONSE FORMAT
For Cost Proposal submission see section 5.03
Unizin requests the Supplier’s Proposals follow these guidelines. Submit a Proposal that
addresses each area defined in the requirements below. Proposals to this RFP must contain
all of the information requested. It is the Supplier’s responsibility to provide all required and
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other information deemed necessary for Unizin to determine and verify the Supplier’s ability
to provide an automated plagiarism service.
5.01
Administrative Guidance. The information provided herein is intended to assist
Suppliers in the preparation of Proposals necessary to properly respond to this RFP.
The RFP is designed to provide interested Suppliers with sufficient basic information
to submit Proposals meeting minimum requirements, but is not intended to limit a
Proposal's content or to exclude any relevant or essential data therefrom. Suppliers
are at liberty and are encouraged to expand upon the specifications to give additional
evidence of their ability to provide the services requested in this RFP.
5.02
Technical Proposal Response Format. Proposals must be concise and in outline
format. Pertinent supplemental information should be referenced and included as
attachments. All Proposals must be organized and tabbed to comply with the
following sections:
Tab A LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL (COVER LETTER). The letter of transmittal
should include an introduction of the Supplier's company, as well as contact
information for those persons who are authorized to represent the Supplier in
dealing with this RFP. Proposal Contact: List the name, title, office address,
telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the person(s) authorized
to represent the Supplier regarding the Proposal(s) submitted in response to
this RFP. Contract Contact: Give the name, title, office address, telephone
number, fax number and e-mail address of the person authorized to sign a
contract, and receive and sign all formal notices and/or addendum regarding
such contract. Note that all amendments to any contract must be in writing
and signed by both parties. Any other information not appropriately contained
in the Proposal itself should also be included in the letter.
Tab B EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. An executive summary will briefly describe the
Supplier's approach and clearly indicate any options or alternatives being
proposed. If options or alternatives are proposed as exceptions to the RFP, the
Proposal should include an explanation for each option or alternative. It
should also indicate any major requirements that cannot be met by the
supplier.
Tab C DETAILED DISCUSSION. This section should constitute the major portion
of the Proposal and must contain a specific response in outline form to each
section in this RFP. Outline numbers should correspond, in order, to the
section numbers contained in this RFP. Specific emphasis should be placed
on responding to the information requested in Sections 3 and 4 but all sections
and items should be fully addressed. Narrative regarding options or
alternatives with complete details including how those meet or exceed the
RFP requirements should be included in the relevant section. Failure to
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provide written response to items indicated in this RFP will be interpreted by
Unizin as an inability by the Supplier to provide the requested product, service
or function.
Tab D Miscellaneous additional information and attachments, may be submitted by
the Supplier.
Tab E. FINANCIAL REPORTS. Supplier will provide evidence of financial
responsibility, which demonstrates the Supplier’s ability to perform the
services contemplated by the RFP.
5.03 Cost Proposal Response Format.
Suppliers are required to provide an Excel file with their proposal submission.
SECTION 6 - PROPOSAL EVALUATION
6.01
Proposal Evaluation Criteria. The criteria to be used to evaluate Proposals, listed
with their relative weight are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.02
Compliance with Workflow Requirements in Section 3.0 (50%)
Integration with Canvas (LMS’s) (20%)
Cost: (20%)
References: (10%)
Evaluation Process. All Proposals in response to this RFP will be evaluated as
follows:
1. In the initial phase of the Proposal evaluation process, the evaluation committee
will review all proposals timely received. Nonresponsive Proposals (those not
conforming to minimum RFP requirements) will be eliminated. Each Supplier
bears sole responsibility for the items included or not included in the Proposal
submitted by that Supplier. Unizin reserves the right to disqualify any Proposal
that includes significant deviations or exceptions to the terms, conditions and/or
specifications in this RFP.
2. At the conclusion of this initial evaluation phase, remaining supplier technical
Proposals will be selected for detailed review and evaluation. Oral presentations
may be required from the highest scored Proposal or Proposals. Unizin will be the
sole judge as to the overall acceptability of any Proposal or to judge the individual
merits of specific provisions within competing offers.
3. After the remaining Supplier Proposals have been evaluated and scored by the
evaluation committee, Unizin will evaluate the Cost Proposals. The points
allocated to each cost Proposal will be added to the corresponding Proposal’s total
technical score.
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SECTION 7 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
7.01
Incorporation. Supplier agrees that all terms listed in this Section will also
appear in any contract awarded to any Supplier, as well as being applicable to
the RFP process.
7.02
Assignment. Supplier shall not assign or subcontract any portion of its obligations
under the Contract without the prior written consent of Unizin. Assignment or
subcontracting shall in no way relieve the Supplier of any of its obligations under the
Contract.
7.03
Remedies. The laws of the District of Columbia shall apply in all disputes arising out
of this RFP and any contract between Supplier and Unizin, without application of any
principles of choice of laws. In the event of any dispute relating to this RFP, Supplier
shall first seek to resolve the dispute in good faith through informal discussions or
through the use of a mediator. In the event any dispute cannot be resolved informally,
Supplier agrees that any legal action or proceeding arising out of or related to this
RFP or any contract between Supplier and Unizin must be brought in the courts of
Washington, District of Columbia. Supplier consents to the exclusive jurisdiction of
the District of Columbia, waiving any objection to the propriety or convenience of
such venues.
7.04
Compliance. The Supplier hereby agrees to abide with all applicable federal, state,
county and city laws and regulations and to be responsible for obtaining and/or
possessing any and all permits and licenses that may be required.
7.05 Limitation of Liability. To the extent permitted by applicable law, whatever the legal
basis for the claim, neither party, nor any of its members, directors, officers, trustees or
employees, will be liable for any indirect consequential, exemplary, punitive, special
or incident damages arising in connection with the RFP or the Contract. The foregoing
limitation on liability, shall, however not be applicable to any indemnification
obligations listed below. Not withstanding any contrary provision set forth in this RFP,
in no event shall any of the officers, trustees, directors, partners, beneficiaries or
representatives of Unizin ever be personally liable to Supplier, its agents, employees
or subcontractors, and Supplier hereby waives the right to recover damages from any
such persons.
7.06
Indemnification. The Supplier shall hold harmless, defend and indemnify Unizin,
and its officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, losses,
causes of action, judgments, damages and expenses including, but not limited to
attorney's fees because of bodily injury, sickness, disease or death, or injury to or
destruction of tangible property or any other injury or damage resulting from or
arising out of (a) performance or breach of the RFP processes and procedures or the
Contract by Supplier or any agents, employees, or subcontractors of Supplier, or (b)
Supplier’s or any agents, employees or subcontractors of Supplier use of Unizin
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7.07
premises, or (c) any act, error, or omission on the part of the Supplier or its agents,
employees, invitees, participants, or subcontractors except where such claims, losses,
causes of action, judgments, damages and expenses result solely from the negligent
acts or omissions or willful misconduct of Unizin, its officers, employees or agents.
Insurance. Supplier shall maintain Commercial General Liability insurance with per
occurrence limits of at least $1,000,000 and general aggregate limits of at least
$2,000,000. Supplier shall also maintain, if applicable to Supplier’s operations or
performance of the Contract, Business Automobile Liability insurance covering
Supplier’s owned, non-owned, and hired motor vehicles and/or Professional Liability
insurance with liability limits of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence. Such insurance
policies shall be endorsed to be primary and not contributing to any other insurance
maintained by Unizin.
Fidelity Bond Provision: The Supplier shall maintain and provide evidence of an
employee dishonesty (fidelity) bond or other form of surety in the amount of
$100,000 which guarantees that the bond or surety will reimburse Unizin for any
pecuniary loss that may be sustained by any act of fraud, dishonesty, forgery, theft,
embezzlement, malfeasance, or misappropriation by Supplier, or any of its
employees, officers, directors, agents, contractors or subcontractors directly or
indirectly. This bond shall be issued by a responsible surety company, and shall be
subject to the reasonable approval by Unizin as to form and content
The Supplier shall maintain all employee related insurances, in the statutory amounts,
such as unemployment compensation, worker's compensation, and employer's
liability, for its employees or volunteers involved in performing services pursuant to
the Contract. Supplier shall also maintain "special form" property insurance at
replacement cost applicable to Supplier’s property or its equipment and that contains
a waiver of subrogation endorsement in favor of Unizin.
The Supplier's insurance carriers and policy provisions must be acceptable to the
Unizin’s Risk and Insurance Manager and remain in effect for the duration of the
Contract. Unizin shall be named as an additional insured on the Commercial General
Liability insurance policy by endorsement. Supplier will cause any of its
subcontractors, who provide materials or perform services relative to the Contract, to
also maintain the insurance coverage and provisions listed above.
The Supplier shall submit certificates of insurance as evidence of the above required
insurance to Unizin prior to the commencement of the Contract. Such certificates
shall indicate that Unizin will be given thirty- (30) calendar days written notice prior
to the cancellation of coverage.
7.08
Relationship of the Parties. In assuming and performing the obligations of any
contract, Unizin and any Supplier shall each be acting as independent parties and
neither shall be considered or represent itself as a joint venture, partner or employee
of the other.
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7.09
Equal Opportunity. No Supplier of goods and/or services under this RFP or any
contract shall discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, or
recipient of services on the basis of veteran status, race, religion, color, sex, sexual
orientation, age, disability, or national origin.
7.10
Taxes – Supplier’s Responsibility. Suppliers shall be responsible for and pay all
taxes which may be levied or incurred against the supplier in connection with the
performance of any services under a contract, including taxes levied or incurred
against Supplier’s income, inventory, property, sales, or other taxes.
7.11
Tax Liens. By submitting a Proposal, the Supplier certifies that neither it nor its
principals are presently subject to an outstanding tax lien. If the Supplier cannot
certify this statement, the Supplier will submit to Unizin a written explanation for
review by Unizin. If the Supplier is subject to any outstanding tax lien, Unizin may
reject the Supplier’s quote, bid, offer, or Proposal.
7.12
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Unizin member
institutions are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (HIPAA). This transaction may fall under the jurisdiction of HIPAA and seller
must comply with applicable state and federal HIPAA laws.
7.13
Debarment Clause. Supplier certifies that neither it nor its principals are presently
debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily
excluded from participation in this transaction (contract), by any governmental
department or agency. If Supplier cannot certify this statement, attach a written
explanation for review by Internet2. Supplier must notify Unizin within 30 days if
debarred by any governmental entity during the Contract period. Supplier shall not, in
furtherance of performance of the RFP or the Contract, enter into any contract with
any party listed on the General Services Administration’s List of Parties Excluded
from Federal Procurement or Nonprocurement Program in accordance with Executive
Order 12549 and 12689 (the “Debarment or Suspension List”). Supplier shall not, in
furtherance of the RFP or any contract, enter into a contract with any party listed on
the Debarment and Suspension List.
7.14
Conflict of Interest. Supplier represents, by virtue of submitting a Proposal, that to
the best of its knowledge it does not currently have any agreement with, or any other
obligation to, any third party that conflicts with the terms of this RFP and agrees that
it shall not intentionally and knowingly enter into any such agreement during the term
of the Contract. Supplier shall inform Unizin in writing of any other employment,
services, agreement, or contract that may create an actual or potential conflict of
interest with Unizin, or the appearance of such a conflict.
7.15
Cancellation. Inadequate delivery, unsatisfactory service or failure to adhere to the
Contract may result in termination of the Contract. The Supplier shall be responsible
for reimbursing Unizin for expenses incurred as a result of unacceptable service and
finding a new Supplier if the unacceptable service results in termination of the
15
Contract, including any increase in Contract price to a new Supplier. In the event that
either party determines that a material breach has occurred that would be cause for
cancellation of the Contract, the party wishing to cancel shall notify the other party of
the alleged breach in writing, and allow the other party thirty (30) days in which to
cure the alleged breach. If the alleged breach is not cured or substantial steps to cure
the alleged breach are not taken within this period, the non-defaulting party may
cancel the Contract at the end of said thirty (30) day period.
7.16
Acceptance of Services Rendered. Unizin, through its designated agents and
representatives, will be the sole determining judge of whether services rendered under
the Contract satisfy the requirements as identified in the RFP and the Contract.
7.17
Record Keeping and Audit Rights. Any Supplier providing goods or services under
the Contract shall maintain accurate accounting records for all goods and services
provided thereunder, and shall retain all such records for a period of at least three (3)
years following termination of the Contract. Upon reasonable notice and during
normal business hours Unizin, or any of its duly authorized representatives, shall have
access to and the right to audit any records or other documents pertaining to the
Contract. Unizin’s audit rights shall extend throughout the term of the Contract and
for a period of at least three (3) years thereafter.
SECTION 8 – SPECIFIC PROVISIONS
8.01
Incurring Costs. Unizin will not be liable for any cost, which Suppliers may incur in
connection with the preparation or presentation of their Proposal(s). Proposals should
be concise, straightforward and prepared simply and economically. Expensive
displays, bindings or promotional materials are neither desired nor required.
However, these instructions are not intended to limit a Proposal's content or exclude
any relevant or essential data therefrom.
8.02
Addendum to RFP. In the event that it becomes necessary to revise this RFP in
whole or in part, a formal, written addendum will be provided to all Suppliers on
record as having received this RFP.
8.03
Alternative Proposals. A Supplier may submit more than one Proposal, each of
which must follow the Proposal Response Format (section 5 herein) and satisfy the
requirements of this RFP. The Supplier's initial Proposal must be complete and
comply with all instructions. The alternative Proposals may be in abbreviated form
following the Proposal Response Outline but providing complete information only for
sections, which differ in any way from those, contained in the initial Proposal. If
alternative proposals are submitted, the Supplier must explain the reasons for the
alternative(s) and its comparative benefits. Each Proposal submitted will be
evaluated on its own merits.
8.04
Authorized Supplier Representatives. Unizin reserves the right to require a change
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in the individual assigned to represent the Supplier. This right shall carry forward
through the RFP period and, with the successful Supplier, during the term of the
Contract.
8.05
Award of Subcontracts. For each subcontract, if any, which the Supplier proposes
to award, the Supplier shall specify in writing the proposed subcontractor's name and
address, and the purpose of each subcontract. Any Supplier proposing subcontracts
as a part of a Proposal must explicitly state so in the Proposal. Written approval by
Unizin is required prior to the awarding of any subcontracts. Any subcontractor shall
be required to provide evidence to Unizin of the same insurance provisions and
coverage as described in section 7.15 of this RFP. Any subcontractor shall also be
bound by any and all terms in this RFP and any contract Unizin has with Supplier.
8.06
Anti-Collusion. The submission of a Proposal constitutes agreement that the
Supplier has not divulged its Proposal to, or colluded with, any other Supplier or
party to a Proposal whatsoever.
8.07
Restrictions. All Proposals must clearly set forth any restrictions or provisions
deemed necessary by the Supplier to effectively service the Contract.
8.08
Right to Reject. Unizin reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive
any informality or technicality in any Proposal in the interest of Unizin.
8.09
Management Reports. Upon request the Supplier must be able to summarize and
concisely report pertinent information to Unizin in a timely manner, throughout the
duration of any contract resulting from this RFP.
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