REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS For Federal Consulting Services: Washington D.C.-based The Nebraska State College System (NSCS) PO Box 94605 1115 K Street, Suite 102 Lincoln NE, 68509-4605 Release Date: September 1, 2009 Vendor Questions Due: September 15, 2009 Response to Questions: September 22, 2009 Proposal Opening: October 6, 2009 2:00 p.m. Central Time Finalist Presentations and Week of October 19, 2009 Interviews (tentative) Agreement Negotiations: October 30, 2009 Board Approval: November 13, 2009 Effective Date: December 1, 2009 All documents pertinent to this Request for Proposal will be posted on the Nebraska State College System web site. It is the vendor s responsibility to periodically check the web site for the most current information. http://www.nscs.edu/
Nebraska State College System TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Request for Proposal Notice II. Background and General Information III. Scope of Service IV. Proposal Evaluation Criteria V. Conditions and Stipulations VI. Vendor Organization Questionnaire 2
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Nebraska State College System (NSCS) will accept Proposals for Federal Consulting Services: Washington D.C.-based. All Proposals shall be clearly identified as Federal Consulting Services: Washington D.C.-based. Seven (7) copies of your Proposal (one must be marked as Original) should be forwarded to the NSCS at the following address if by U.S. Postal Service: Nebraska State College System Attn: Carolyn Murphy PO Box 94605 1115 K Street, Suite 102 Lincoln, NE 68509-4605 If using FedEx, UPS, etc. to forward proposals please use the address below. The above criteria must be followed. Nebraska State College System Attn: Carolyn Murphy 1115 K Street, Suite 102 Lincoln, NE 68508 There will be a formal opening of the proposals. The opening will be held at the NSCS Office, 1115 K Street, Suite 102, Lincoln, NE, at 2:00 p.m. CST on October 6, 2009. Proposals received after 2:00 p.m. on October 6, 2009 will not be considered and will be returned unopened. Any proprietary information submitted with your proposal must be in a sealed envelope marked Proprietary. Generally, responses are considered public information and can only be kept confidential to the extent allowed by law. Proposals will be evaluated by a committee and the selected vendor will be recommended for approval by the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges. The resulting contract will be signed by the Chancellor. The NSCS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive formalities and to select the vendor and services that best meet the needs of the NSCS. The NSCS reserves the right to select and terminate any vendor services. Inquiries, clarifications, requests for proposal forms and questionnaires should be requested in writing or via email. All correspondence regarding this Request for Proposal should be directed to: Carolyn Murphy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Direct : 402-471-2505 E-mail : cmurphy@nscs.edu 3
BACKGROUND AND GENERAL INFORMATION The Nebraska State College System (NSCS) is seeking proposals for Federal Consulting Services: Washington D.C.-based. The purpose of this Request for Proposal is to gather information from interested organizations relative to the NSCS required scope of service and key selection criteria. Organizations selected as finalists may be expected to address more detailed issues regarding specifics of their organization and operations. These same finalists may be expected to participate in interviews with the Chancellor, NSCS System Office staff, college representatives and other designated representatives. These interviews may be held by telephone conference or in person in either Lincoln, NE or in Washington D.C. The actual mode will be determined by the Chancellor at a later date. The Nebraska State College System serves nearly 8,600 students from Nebraska and the surrounding states through three geographically diverse institutions: Chadron State College, Peru State College, and Wayne State College. Combined, the three colleges offer more than 200 degree, certificate, and pre-professional programs that are accessible on the three campuses, via the Internet, and in several satellite locations throughout the state. With more than 250 credentialed faculty members and 50,000 successful graduates, the Nebraska State College System provides significant human and intellectual capital that contributes to the current and future economic strength of the State of Nebraska. The NSCS Strategic Plan can be found at: http://www.nscs.edu/stratplan.html. 4
SCOPE OF SERVICE The Nebraska State College System (NSCS) is seeking a Washington D.C.- based Federal Consulting firm to provide the following services, at a minimum: 1) Provide direct, personal services necessary to work with and assist the Nebraska State College System (NSCS) to develop and implement a strategy to secure federal funding for the programs and projects of the State Colleges. 2) Monitor legislative and regulatory activities of the United States Congress as well as monitor federal budget and appropriations processes with the purpose of best positioning the NSCS for grant and/or appropriation funding opportunities. 3) Report to the Chancellor and provide regularly scheduled updates both written and through telephone and e-mail communications as requested by the Chancellor. 4) Identify funding from potential federal sources and monitor U.S. Department of Education grant programs to identify other possible funding opportunities for the NSCS and Colleges. 5) Develop a strategy and case statements supporting specific program proposals to pursue federal funding for the programs and projects identified by the NSCS and its member institutions. 6) Enhance name recognition and credibility of the Nebraska State College System, Chadron, Peru, and Wayne State College with federal contacts. 7) Represent the Nebraska State College System in Washington, D.C. with the specific task of implementing strategies to obtain federal funding for System and College programs and projects. Efforts include, but are not limited to, working with the Congressional Committees authorizing federal education programs and providing the appropriations for federal programs, along with federal offices at the U.S. Department of Education, and other federal agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. 8) Comply with all laws and regulations for lobbying activities established by the State of Nebraska or Federal law. 9) Provide all files and work products to the NSCS in a timely manner. 5
The NSCS anticipates that the project will include telephone conferences and e- mail exchanges as the primary mode of communication. The project may include visits to the State Colleges and in addition, NSCS officials may visit with the consultants in Washington, D.C. The NSCS anticipates an annual budget for these Consulting Services of $50,000 to $100,000 annually, inclusive of expenses. PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA The NSCS will evaluate proposals based on the needs of the NSCS. The following criteria will be used in evaluating each of the vendor responses: 1. The Vendor s ability to assist the NSCS in meeting its goals as discussed in the Background and General Information and Scope of Services sections. 2. Experience, resources, and qualifications of the organization and individuals assigned to this account. 3. Compliance with specifications; responsiveness to requirements and adequacy of information provided. 4. Ability to offer a comprehensive set of core services. 5. Vendor s relevant experience, qualifications and success in providing the services outlined in this RFP. 6. Competitive financial proposal. 7. Stability of rates and fees over time. 8. Other criteria identified by the NSCS as important in evaluation of submitted proposals. 6
CONDITIONS AND STIPULATIONS You are invited to submit your Proposal for Federal Consulting Services: Washington D.C.-based, based on the information contained in this Request for Proposal. Unless a specific note is made to the contrary, we will assume that your Proposal conforms to the NSCS specifications. You are invited to ask questions during the proposal process and to seek additional information, if needed. All questions should be submitted in writing to Carolyn Murphy, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at the address or e-mail address noted on the Request for Proposal Notice. Questions must be received no later than September 15, 2009. A written response to all questions will be provided on the NSCS web page on September 22, 2009. The NSCS reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals and to waive formalities and select the Vendor that best meets the needs of the NSCS. The objective of the NSCS is to select a vendor who will provide the best possible service at the best possible cost while meeting the Request for Proposal specifications. The NSCS is not obligated to award the contract based on cost alone. Any proposed deviations to any part of these specifications must be submitted in writing as a part of the questionnaire, and clearly identified in the appropriate section of the Proposal. Any deviation deemed to be significant by the NSCS will disqualify the Proposal. Failure to identify any such deviation(s) shall not in the future accrue to the disadvantage of the NSCS or any qualified participant or dependent in any manner. The vendor awarded the contract shall submit properly executed contracts to the NSCS within thirty (30) days of the plan effective date. The successful vendor shall be required to include a disclosure statement of any potential conflict of interest that the firm may have due to other clients, contracts or interest associated with this project. All Providers must be in full compliance with Nebraska and Federal requirements relating to the requested coverage or administration of such benefits, including (but not limited to): o State and federal privacy requirements o Drug Free Workplace o Nondiscrimination/Fair Labors Standards 7
o Americans with Disabilities Act o State of Nebraska Lawful Presence requirements The NSCS reserves the right to negotiate with the successful Vendor to obtain other related services not specifically covered herein. The Vendor will remain an independent contractor, not an employee of the NSCS, and is not entitled to unemployment or Worker s compensation Insurance benefits for the NSCS as a result of any agreement. This Request for Proposal does not obligate the NSCS to the eventual contract for any items described or implied until confirmed by written contract and may be terminated by the NSCS without penalty or obligation at any time prior to the signing of a contract. All expenses for developing and presenting proposals shall be the entire responsibility of the vendor and shall not be chargeable to the NSCS. The NSCS reserves the right to enter into negotiations with the selected vendor even though these negotiations may result in changes to the NSCS specifications and/or to the vendor s proposal. Continuation of a contract is dependent upon the availability of funds for the services described as determined by the NSCS. In the event of a dispute, the laws of the State of Nebraska will prevail. 8
VENDOR ORGANIZATION QUESTIONNAIRE Note: A complete response to this questionnaire must accompany all Requests for Proposal. A response such as See Proposal is not sufficient unless there is proper reference to the specific section of the proposal addressing the question. Please be specific in your answers. Please list the question as stated with your response immediately following the question. ORGANIZATION INFORMATION 1. Provide a legal description and a brief history of your organization. 2. Provide the number and a listing of professional lobbyists employed by your firm. 3. How many clients does your firm represent? 4. What attributes distinguish your organization from the competition? 5. What experience has your company had with public sector entities? 6. What experience has your organization had with Higher Education? 7. Please include a statement of any current litigation or results of disciplinary actions. 8. Provide and explain any potential Conflicts of interest you may have in representing the NSCS. 9. Please provide a list of representative clients and references. 10. Please include a list of Higher Education clients and references. SERVICES SECTION 11. Please describe the services included with your proposal to provide Consulting Services to the NSCS. 12. What standard services are included? Are there additional costs associated with any of these services? 13. What additional resources are available to the NSCS? Are there additional costs associated with any of these services? 9
14. If selected to provide services to the NSCS, please list the name(s) and provide resumes of the individual(s) who would be providing services to the NSCS. 15. Who would be the designated contact for the NSCS? Please provide the name, contact information, and years of experience with your company. 16. Provide the names and telephone numbers of five (5) current or former clients with whom you have had a working relationship, as a reference for the NSCS. Please include governmental and/or educational units in the listing, if possible. Deviations 1. Does your Proposal contain any deviations from the general conditions, stipulations or other provisions of the specifications? If yes, provide details in a separate cover letter. Otherwise, confirm that you have responded according to Proposal conditions. Fees 2. Please provide an estimate of your annual fees and reimbursable expenses for the services you are proposing. 3. The NSCS intends to include the possibility of additional renewals, if agreed to by both parties, beyond the first annual contract. Please provide any anticipated increases in fees following the first year for up to five one-year renewals. 4. Are additional services available beyond what is described within the RFP and/or your proposal? If so, what are these services and the fees for the services in detail? 10
The undersigned certifies that their organization is not currently debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by any federal entity; and agrees to notify the NSCS of any change in this status. The undersigned further certifies that they have carefully reviewed all terms, conditions, and requirements contained herein and agree to furnish such services in accordance with the specified scope of work. Signature (Authorized Representative) Title Company Date Telephone Number 11