Page 75 - CONTRACT POLICY MANUAL

SECTION 4.3

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

§4.3-101 Definition

(1) When it is not in the County’s best interest to acquire goods or services through normal
competitive bidding, a contract may be solicited using the Request For Proposal (RFP)
method. Such a situation may arise for any number of reasons, including, but not limited
to:
a) The County’s requirements are not well-defined;

b) The County is interested in evaluating a range of offers so that it may take
advantage of technical innovation and developments in the market place; and,

c) Factors such as availability, expertise, and quality override price as a criteria for
award.

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§4.3-102 RFP Process

(1) RFP will be issued with the intent of providing a competitive process from which the
County may select a vendor to satisfy its requirements. The RFP will consist of the
following:

a) Adequate Public Notice: Adequate public notice shall be given to provide
potential proposers sufficient time to prepare and submit proposals by the due date
specified in the RFP.
b) Requirements Statement: This will be a statement of the County’s objectives in
issuing the request. It shall explain the County’s need as clearly as possible. It
shall include any special requirements which the County may have in regard to its
overall objectives. Included may be requests for special reports, critical timelines,
unique items or services to be provided, cost or pricing data required, duration of
service, etc.

c) Qualification Statement: The County may include minimum qualification criteria
in the RFP. The criteria shall not be used to limit competition, but may be used to
assure a certain level of expertise and quality of service.
d) Terms and Conditions: The terms and conditions which are intended to become
part of the final contract shall be included in the RFP. Included in the terms and
conditions are such items as indemnification, contract termination, payment terms,
applicable laws, etc. The County Procurement Officer shall maintain, by type of
contract, applicable and appropriate terms and conditions to be included in
contracts and shall make these available to departments for inclusion in the
contracts they issue.

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