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REQUEST
FOR PROPOSALS
Fort
Drum
Regional Liaison
Organization
BUSINESS
AND RESOURCES GAP ANALYSIS
The Fort Drum Regional Liaison Organization
(FDRLO) will accept and review bid proposals no
later than
November 23, 2005
at
5:00 p.m.
Offers received after the stated time and date period will be
rejected. Questions regarding this proposal shall be submitted in
writing to Douglas Schelleng via fax at 315-785-7935.
Following the receipt of responses, proposals
will be thoroughly evaluated and firms may be invited to participate
in interviews or presentations. Following this phase, a vendor may
be selected.
1.0
PROJECT
1.1
INTRODUCTION
The North Country
Region of New York hosts
Fort
Drum
, the permanent home of the US Army’s Tenth Mountain Division
(LI). Since the expansion of
Fort
Drum
in the mid – 1980’s, several efforts aimed at leveraging the
economic benefits of the military presence have been implemented.
Many of these efforts have had positive results, but there is a
lingering belief among community and economic development leaders
that more needs to be done.
The Fort Drum
Regional Liaison Organization (FDRLO, www.fdrlo.org)
is a community based entity that is pursuing the following mission:
“…foster
effective communication, understanding and mutual support by serving
as the primary point of coordination for resolution of those issues
which transcend the specific interests of the military and civilian
communities of the Fort Drum region.”
The
FDRLO, with representation that includes both the military and
civilian leaders, has heretofore been largely involved in activities
aimed at preserving the presence of
Fort
Drum
in the face of scrutiny by successive Base
Realignment and Closure Commissions. With the 2005 BRAC concluding
that Fort Drum will not only remain an important part of the
Army’s inventory, but that it will grow, the community and the
FDRLO is transitioning its activities
to those that support expansion and enhanced
military/community collaboration.
Without question,
Fort
Drum
is the principal economic force in the region. In its annual
economic impact statement for 2004, installation management
estimates that the direct economic impact of the post exceeds $650
million. When the various spin-off and multiplier effects of this
direct impact are considered, the overall economic effect of the
military presence in the region exceeds $1.4 billion. The current
expansion of the post is likely to continue these impacts on an
upward trend, raising the military’s economic profile in the
region still higher.
Yet, economic
concerns persist in the region. Like many areas of the
US
,
Northern New York
has seen a steady decline in the number of high-paying manufacturing
jobs. While these jobs are being replaced in ample numbers by the
service and retail sectors, the transition is also toward the lower
wages and benefits of those sectors. Seasonal unemployment remains a
persistent problem as well. The increase in jobs in the summer
months in the construction and tourism sectors is followed by a
contraction in the winter; unemployment rates typically double.
While other regional economies have weathered similar problems by
transitioning to an emphasis on knowledge and technology based
businesses, the North Country region has yet to make any meaningful
movement in that direction.
The FDRLO believes
that the presence of
Fort
Drum
in the community has the potential to help erase these problems from
the local economic scene. Some study is necessary in order to
maximize this potential. Three interrelated areas of involvement
appear to hold the most promise in addressing this objective:
1.
Workforce Enhancements: By insuring that the workforce comprised of
military family members and retirees have good access to the local
job market, and that local employers have easy access to this unique
pool of talent, economic benefits will accrue to the region.
2.
Local Contracting Performance. By taking steps to maximize the local
content of contracts, jobs and wealth can be created in the local
economy.
3.
Business Development and Attraction. By analyzing the gap between
the goods and services demanded by military purchasers (both
consumer and institutional) and the extent which those goods and
services are delivered by local firms, strategies for local business
development and/or attraction of new business to the area can be
pursued.
It is this last
concept that this Request for Proposals intends to address – the
conduct of an economic Gap Analysis.
1.2
PROJECT SCOPE
1.2a.
Project Objective
To plan, develop, coordinate, conduct and
deliver a multi-function gap analysis of:
·
Business demand
and local capacity - identifies the current and future needs of
the military for specific products and services, for which realistic
opportunities exist for production or supply in Northern New York
(demand); provides an inventory of current capacity of Northern New
York-based businesses to meet these needs (supply); and identifies
the business capacity gap (i.e., list of targeted businesses for
recruitment)
·
Canadian and
Domestic business attraction potential – given the proximity
to a large concentration of defense and technology focused
businesses in the Ottawa Valley of Canada, identify the potential of
that concentration to deliver the needed goods and services, and the
potential for relocation/expansion of Canadian firms in the NNY
region. Similarly, identify logical targets of attraction efforts
within the domestic economy, including those located at DoD
facilities impacted by the 2005 BRAC round
·
resource
capacity - identifies the resource needs of targeted businesses
(i.e., infrastructure, facilities, other physical requirements,
R&D, workforce education and training, materials, labor, and
other requirements) (demand); provides an inventory of current
capacity in the North Country to meet these resource needs (supply);
and identifies the resource gap (i.e., list of required resources to
support successful recruitment)
1.2b.
Project Deliverable(s).
Deliverables of this project include:
·
A report that identifies specific and appropriate
military requirements, the current capacity to produce or service
these requirements locally, and a specific list of targeted
businesses.
·
A report that identifies targeted businesses’
resource needs, available statewide resource capacity, and a
specific list of resources required to support effective business
recruitment (which the FDRLO will provide to state and local
agencies)
·
A report that identifies a series of implementable
strategies aimed at developing the presence of the targeted
industries locally either by way of development of the local
business base or by way of attracting new firms to the area.
I
.2c. Project
Management.
An FDRLO-identified working group shall
constitute a Project Team. The Project Team shall agree on the
vendor-proposed work plan and timetable for accomplishing this
project. The Director of the FDRLO and his designated representative
shall constitute a Project Support Team to provide on-going support
to the vendor and liaison between the vendor and the Project Team.
1.2d.
Project Timeline.
The FDRLO intends to review proposals as
received, and select a vendor no later than
December 15, 2004
. Once the vendor is selected and under contract, the Project
Support Team will coordinate in-progress reviews with the vendor and
the Project Team, to further coordinate requirements, provide
required input, and monitor progress to project completion. Vendor
will deliver the multi-function gap analysis no later than
April 1, 2006
.
1.4
QUALIFICATIONS
Bidders must meet the following minimum
qualifications. Failure to meet these qualifications will cause the
proposal to be considered non-responsive. Bidders will outline their
qualifications in Response Item 3 (Bidder’s Qualifications) of
their proposals (see Section 3.4).
Minimum Qualifications
•
experience in researching, identifying and analyzing current
and future military procurement
requirements
•
experience in identifying and quantifying resource
requirements of businesses for production and/or delivery of
specific products and services.
•
experience in planning, coordinating and conducting community
resource and business capacity assessments
•
experience in developing and delivering gap analyses in
support of community business recruitment and resource development
initiatives
2.0
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
2.1
PROPOSALS
Proposals shall be made in strict accordance
with the “Proposal Package” provided herein. Any modification to
the “Proposal Package” will disqualify the proposal and shall
cause the proposal to be rejected. Prices quoted in the “Proposal
Package” shall include overhead and profit and shall be the full
compensation for the Bidder’s cost involved in the work.
All offers shall be considered firm and
binding for a period of 90 days from the date of the proposal opening.
Each proposal shall be sealed and marked as
required in the instructions to the bidders.
2.2
ISSUING OFFICE
The FDRLO issues this RFP. Additional copies
are available from the FDRLO, at
200 Washington Street
, Fourth Floor,
Watertown
,
NY
13601
during regular business hours.
2.3
CONTACTS/INQUIRIES
Any inquiries or clarification regarding this
RFP should be addressed in writing and mailed or faxed to:
Fort
Drum
Regional Liaison Organization
c/o Douglas Schelleng, Chairman
FDRLO Economic Development Task Force
200 Washington Street
, 4th Floor
Watertown
,
NY
13601
Phone: 315.785.7932
Fax: 315.785.7935
Email: dschelleng@empire.state.ny.us
2.4
ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL CONTENT
Bidders shall carefully review this
solicitation, without delay, for defects and questionable or
objectionable matter. Questions, objections, or comments shall be
made in writing and received by the FDRLO no later than five (5)
working days before the response date of the proposal. The FDRLO
reserves the right to use any of the ideas presented in any reply to
the RFP. Selection or rejection of the proposal does not affect that
right.
2.5
WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSAL
If the bidder desires to withdraw his
proposal without prejudice, he must do so before the time fixed for
the opening by communicating his purpose in writing to the Director
of the FDRLO, and when reached it shall be handed to him or his
authorized agent unread.
2.7
RIGHT TO REJECT PROPOSALS
Proposals shall be submitted initially on the
most favorable terms that the respondent can propose from both a
price and technical standpoint. The respondent shall submit its
proposal with the understanding that the proposal shall become a
part of the official contract file. The FDRLO reserves the right to
reject any proposal that does not address all the material
requirements of this request. In addition, the FDRLO may reject all
proposals at any time, negotiate separately with any source(s), or
make the award without further discussion on any grounds provided by
law. Any proposal from or including a debarred or suspended bidder
shall be rejected.
The FDRLO reserves the unqualified right to
reject any and all proposals.
2.8
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The successful bidder shall carry
satisfactory insurance coverage and evidence thereof.
2.9
INCURRED COSTS
All cost incurred in the preparation,
submission, and/or presentation of a proposal responding to this
RFP, including, but not limited to the bidder’s travel expenses to
attend a pre-proposal conference, interview, and/or proposal
negotiation session, shall be the sole responsibility of the bidder
and shall not be reimbursed by the FDRLO.
2.10
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Each proposal shall include a statement
indicating whether or not the firm or any individuals working on the
contract has a possible conflict of interest and, if so, the nature
of that conflict. The FDRLO reserves the right to cancel the award
if, in its sole discretion, any interest disclosed from any source
could give the appearance of a conflict or cause speculation as to
the objectivity of the program to be developed by the bidder. The
determination by the FDRLO regarding any questions of conflict of
interest shall be final.
2.11
SUBLETTING OR ASSIGNING OF CONTRACT
The vendor shall not sublet, sell, transfer,
assign, or otherwise dispose of the contract or any portion thereof,
or of the work provided for therein, or his right, title or interest
therein to any person, firm, partnership or corporation without the
written consent of the FDRLO.
3.0
PROPOSAL PROCESS AND INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS
3.1
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The following subsections provide detail on
how to respond to this RFP.
3.2
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Submission of Proposal Copies. One
(1) original and five (5) copies of the proposal shall be
submitted in a sealed package to the Director of the FDRLO. Package
shall be marked: FDRLO RFP, Business and Resource Gap Analysis. Mail
or deliver proposals to:
Fort
Drum
Regional Liaison Organization
c/o Douglas Schelleng, Chairman
FDRLO Economic Development Task Force
200 Washington Street
, 4th Floor
Watertown
,
NY
13601
Phone: 315.785.7932
Fax: 315.785.7935
Email: dschelleng@empire.state.ny.us
3.3
AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSALS
Amendments and/or withdrawals of
proposals shall be allowed only if the amendment is received prior
to the bid opening date. No amendment, corrections or withdrawals
shall be accepted after the response date and time for any reason.
3.4
PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS
Proposals must be organized into the
following Response Item sections. One (1) original and three (3)
original copies of the proposal are required at submission.
Response Item
1.
Transmittal Letter
2.
Acknowledgment of Amendments/Addenda, if any
3.
Bidder’s Qualifications (see also Section 1.4 above)
4.
Proposed Process and Methodology for Completing the Project
5.
List of Similar Projects Completed Previously
6.
List of Other References
7.
Other Information
8.
Estimated Cost(s)
Elaborate or unnecessarily voluminous
proposals are not desired. Bidders are encouraged to take care in
completely responding to proposal requirements and to avoid
submitting extraneous materials that do not show how the respondent
intends to meet requirements.
Requirements for each Response Item are
detailed below:
RESPONSE ITEM 1: TRANSMITTAL LETTER
Transmittal Letter on the bidder’s
letterhead shall be submitted and at a minimum shall include:
a. A summary of the
bidder’s proposal and a brief statement of the bidder’s
qualifications to meet the needs of the FDRLO
b. If the proposal
deviates from the requirements of this RFP, the transmittal letter
should identify and explain these deviations. The FDRLO reserves the
right to reject any proposal containing such deviations.
c. Identification of
all material enclosures being submitted in response to this RFP
d. The signature of
a person authorized to commit the bidder to the extent of work and
financial obligation included in the proposal
RESPONSE ITEM 2:
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS/ADDENDA
A statement identifying all
amendments/addenda to this RFP issued by the FDRLO received by the
bidder shall be included. If no amendment/addenda have been
received, a statement to that effect should be included.
RESPONSE ITEM 3:
BIDDER’S QUALIFICATIONS
This section contains items that will assist
the FDRLO in determining your firm’s capacity to provide the
project deliverables and an appropriate level of service to the
FDRLO. This Response Item incorporates the “Qualifications” from
Section 1.4 above.
•
Organizational Stability. Provide a brief history and
description of your firm. Include information on: size of the firm;
length of time in business; financial stability of the organization;
number of employees; and their areas of specialization
•
Product Line Experience (Minimum Requirements). Provide
detailed information on how your firm meets each of the
qualifications outlined in paragraph 1.4 above
•
Account Team. Provide resumes of key individuals to be
assigned to the project. Include credentials, position, principle
duties, length of employment or association with the firm, related
project experience and project responsibilities on recent
assignments, which were similar in scope. Identify the individual
within your firm who would have overall responsibility for this
project.
RESPONSE
ITEM 4: PROPOSED
PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY FOR COMPLETING THE
PROJECT. Outline the process and methodology
your firm would use to complete this project and to provide the
deliverables in Section 1.2b. State how your firm will meet the goal
of the FDRLO to initiate the project immediately after contract
award, and to complete it within the minimum timeline outlined in
Section 1 .2e. Provide a detailed project timeline. Identity any
ancillary services you will require from the FDRLO. Provide other
relevant information concerning process and methodology for
completing the project.
RESPONSE ITEM 5: LIST OF PROJECTS
COMPLETED PREVIOUSLY. Provide a comprehensive summary of a maximum
of three projects that your firm has undertaken that are/were
similar in scope to this project. Include names of personnel
involved in each project, customer point of contact information,
project description, and status of each project.
RESPONSE ITEM 6: LIST OF OTHER
REFERENCES. Provide a list that includes a minimum of five
institutional references for your firm’s previous work of this
nature. Provide a contact name, mailing address, phone and fax
numbers, and e-mail and website addresses. Providing this
information confers authority to the FDRLO to contact these
organizations for reference purposes.
RESPONSE ITEM 7:
OTHER INFORMATION
•
Include a statement as to whether or not the bidder has been
involved in litigation within the last five (5) years or has pending
litigation arising out of contract performance. Exclude routine
inter-pleader action, garnishments, and similar routine matters that
do not reflect on contract performance. List all such contracts,
reference number, contact persons and telephone numbers for the
other parties, and a brief description of the facts surrounding each
incident.
•
Include a statement as to whether or not the bidder or
principals have ever been involved in any kind of bankruptcy
proceedings. Give a summary of all proceedings.
•
Provide any other information relevant to your firm’s
qualifications, experience, capacity or proposed process for
completing this project.
RESPONSE ITEM 8: ESTIMATED
COST(S). Provide information on expected costs and/or cost structure
for this project. Include costs for consultancy, expenses, travel,
clerical support, etc.
3.5
EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS
A
committee will initially evaluate all proposals based upon Response
Items 3 through 7 (quality).
The
committee will then evaluate the top proposals for both quality and
cost (incorporating
Response
Item 8). This process will produce a short list of lowest responsive
bidders.
The
committee may subsequently conduct interviews, request
presentations, use other
assessment
tools and/or conduct further reference checks. Presentations and
interviews would
be
used to provide bidders the opportunity to clarify and ensure mutual
understanding of proposal content. This process may result in
selection of a vendor.
4.0 GENERAL
CONTRACT INFORMATION
4.1
PROPOSAL AS PART OF THE CONTRACT
The successful proposal shall become an
integral part of the contract. It shall not, however, be considered
the total binding obligation for the contract. Any and all proposal
conditions may be included, at the discretion of the project
procurement officer, as a part of a final negotiated and approved
contract.
The contract awarded as a result of this RFP
may incorporate the following documents:
•
The RFP, amended.
•
Written Bidder’s questions and answers.
•
Transcript of Contractor’s oral presentation to the FDRLO.
•
The proposal.
Should there be any conflict among the
documents, the following order of precedence shall govern the
resolution of conflict:
•
First, the contract document
•
Second, the RFP as amended or as modified by the FDRLO’s
written answers to bidders’ questions
•
Third, transcript of bidder’s oral presentation
•
Last, the proposal
4.2
CANCELLATION
The FDRLO may terminate the contract at any
time when it is in the FDRLO’s best interest.
4.3
VENDOR PERSONNEL
The FDRLO reserves the right to approve or
disapprove any change in the successful bidder’s project team
members whose participation in the project is specifically offered
in the bidder’s proposal. This is to ensure that the prime
contractor does not arbitrarily remove persons with vital experience
and skills from the project.
Any
change in vendor personnel shall be submitted in writing for the
FDRLO’s review and approval before the change is made. Vendor
personnel changes that impact the work in any manner may be cause
for the FDRLO to terminate the contract.
4.4 HELD
HARMLESS
The vendor shall be responsible for and save
harmless the FDRLO, its officers, employees, agents or servants from
all claims and liability due to the negligent acts, if any, of
agents or employees in connection with their services under this
agreement.
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