Belgrade School District No. 44 2015 Invitation to Submit Bids For School Accounting, Payroll, and Human Resources Software Prepared by Business Administration
BELGRADE PUBLIC SCHOOLS INVITATION TO SUBMIT BIDS FOR SCHOOL ACCOUNTING, PAYROLL, AND HUMAN RESOURCES SOFTWARE TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Invitation to Submit Bids (Legal Advertisement) 3 Schedule of Events 4 1.0 District Overview 5 2.0 Terms and Conditions 5 3.0 Proposal Requirements 8 2
NOTICE TO SOFTWARE VENDORS INVITATION TO SUBMIT BIDS Notice is hereby given Belgrade School District #44, Gallatin County Montana, hereinafter referred to as DISTRICT, will receive sealed bids up to but no later than 4:00 P.M., MST, August 5, 2015, for providing School Accounting, Payroll, and Human Resource software. Each bid must contain a completed Vendor Authorization, the prescribed amount of Bid Security in an acceptable form, the Listing of Features, a Proposed Implementation Timeline, a Listing of Compatible Third-Party Software, and a Pricing Spreadsheet. The Pricing Spreadsheet and Listing of Features shall be submitted on the forms specified by the District, which are included in the Invitation to Submit Bids Package. The Invitation to Submit Bids Package may be obtained from the District s Administration Office. Bids shall be received in the District s Administration Office and addressed as follows: Belgrade School District #44 C/O Jay J. Bates 312 N. Weaver Belgrade, MT 59714 All bids must clearly reference School Accounting, Payroll and Human Resource software. Any bid not received by 4:00 P.M., MST on August 5, 2015 at the above location will not be accepted. Lawful moneys of the United States; a cashier s check, certified check, bank money order or bank draft drawn and issued by a national banking association located in the state of Montana or by any banking corporation incorporated under the laws of the state of Montana; or a bid bond executed by a surety corporation authorized to do business in the state of Montana must accompany the sealed bids in the amount of 10% of the lowest startup/purchase cost. All security deposits received must be payable to Belgrade School District #44 and will be refunded except when a contract offered by the District is rejected by the selected vendor. Belgrade School District #44 reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any irregularities. Note to Chronicle staff: Publish Legal ad in the Belgrade Chronicle: July 22, 2015 July 29, 2015 3
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Task Description Completion Date Issue Proposal July 22, 2015 Last Day for Vendor Questions August 3, 2015 Proposal Due by 4:00 p.m., MST August 5, 2015 Evaluations of Vendors August 6 August 7, 2015 Complete Reference Check August 6 August 7, 2015 Apparent successful vendor presented for Board approval August 10, 2015 4
1.0 DISTRICT OVERVIEW Belgrade Public Schools serves approximately 3,300 students in the Gallatin Valley of Montana. We employ approximately 475 contracted permanent employees across 7 locations, including three (3) elementary schools, one (1) middle school, one (1) high school, one (1) alternative high school, and a central office. The District is growing, and projections indicate this growth will continue into the foreseeable future. Our core purpose states that Belgrade Public Schools will educate students to become responsible members of society. Part of that endeavor falls squarely on a robust powerful accounting software system. We currently use Black Mountain Software for our administrative software function. 2.0 TERMS AND CONDITIONS Belgrade Public Schools, 312 N. Weaver, Belgrade, Montana 59714, must receive sealed Proposals by 4:00 p.m., MST on August 5, 2015. Proposals must meet all specifications and requirements or they will not be considered. 2.1 PROPOSAL CHANGES OR AMENDMENTS Belgrade Public Schools may change the proposal as a result of questions submitted by vendors. The Director of Fiscal Services will issue any attachment or revisions to the proposal to all vendors who have received the proposal. 2.2 PERIOD OF VALIDITY OF PROPOSAL The vendor must certify that its proposal will remain in effect for 120 days after the proposal due date. 2.3 QUANTITY Belgrade Public Schools reserves the right to purchase any or all of the modules requested by this document. 2.4 PROPOSAL COORDINATOR Upon release of this Proposal, all communications concerning this acquisition must be directed to the Director of Fiscal Services. Failure to observe this requirement may result in the disqualification of the vendor from further consideration. 2.5 PROPOSAL RESPONSE DATE AND LOCATION Belgrade Public Schools must receive sealed Proposals by 4:00 p.m., MST on August 5, 2015. Proposals arriving after the deadline will be returned unopened. Vendors are solely responsible for insuring that Proposals are delivered on time to Belgrade Public Schools Director of Fiscal Services. Please submit one hard copy of your proposal. NOTICE: Belgrade Public Schools assumes no responsibility for delays caused by the U.S. Postal Service or any other delivery service. Late Proposals will not be accepted, nor will additional time be granted to individual vendors unless Belgrade Public Schools extends the required submittal date to all vendors. Proposals must address all requirements in the Proposal. Failure to do so may result in the Proposal being rejected as non-responsive. 2.6 COST OF PREPARING PROPOSAL 5
Belgrade Public Schools will not be liable for costs incurred by vendors in preparation and presentation of Proposals submitted in response to this Proposal or in the participation of demonstration. 2.7 ERRORS IN PROPOSAL Vendors are responsible for errors and omissions in the Proposal and any such errors and omissions will not serve to diminish their obligation to Belgrade Public Schools. 2.8 CLARIFICATION OF PROPOSALS Belgrade Public Schools reserves the right to obtain clarification of any point in a Vendor s Proposal or to obtain additional information necessary to properly evaluate a Proposal. Failure of a Vendor to respond to such a request for additional information or clarification may result in rejection of the Vendor s Proposal. Such requests for clarification shall be made at the sole discretion of Belgrade Public Schools, and retention of this right shall in no way reduce the responsibility of Vendors to submit complete, accurate and clear Proposals. 2.9 REJECTION OF PROPOSALS Belgrade Public Schools reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals at any time with no penalty and to waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in Proposals. If it is determined that a person or firm has used inside information in submitting a proposal in response to this proposal, the proposal will be rejected. 2.10 PROPOSAL DISPOSITION All materials submitted in response to the proposal, except for proprietary material become the property of Belgrade Public Schools upon delivery to the Director of Fiscal Services. 2.11 INCORPORATION OF PROPOSAL AND PROPOSAL IN CONTRACT This Proposal and the Vendor s response, including all promises, warranties, commitments and representations made in the successful proposal shall be binding. 2.12 READABILITY Vendors are advised that Belgrade Public Schools ability to conduct a thorough evaluation of Proposals is dependent on the Vendor s ability and willingness to submit Proposals, which are well ordered, detailed, comprehensive, and readable. Clarity of language and adequate, accessible documentation is essential, and is the Vendor s responsibility. 2.13 PRIME CONTRACT RESPONSIBILITY If a Vendor s Proposal includes hardware, software, or services to be provided by other entities, it is mandatory for the proposing Vendor to be able to act as prime contractor for the procurement of all of the products proposed to meet the mandatory specifications. In this role, the prime contractor must be the sole point of contact for any and all charges resulting from the purchase of the proposed hardware, software, and services for the initial procurement, as well as any additional items that are proposed to be supplied directly by the Vendor. The primary Vendor must take full responsibility for the demonstration, delivery, and acceptance testing of all of the items proposed to be supplied directly by the Vendor. The prime contractor must also provide maintenance and warranty for its products and pass through warranties of other Vendors. The Vendor s Proposal must clearly indicate the hardware, software, or services, which are not marketed or maintained by his/her firm. 6
2.14 CERTIFICATION OF PROPOSAL The submission of the proposal shall indicate the intention of the Vendor to adhere to the provisions described in this proposal. 2.15 WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS Vendors may withdraw their proposals in person or in writing, provided that such request must be received by Belgrade Public Schools prior to the scheduled closing time for filing proposals. 2.16 FINANCIAL REQUIREMENT Each Vendor s financial proposal must include all costs associated with delivering products in accordance with the draft contract. Each Vendor s financial proposal must include all costs necessary to procure the requested goods and services. These costs must include the cost of all vendor-specific hardware, software, delivery, installation, maintenance, training, service, and any other components. Vendors may propose prices for future purchases that remain constant for the term of the contract or proposed prices, which increase over time. If the proposed prices are related to a percentage increase or decrease from a price list published by the Vendor, the price list must be included and the Vendor must describe the number and names of different price lists that are published. 2.17 PROTEST All questions, inquiries and protests must be submitted to the Director of Fiscal Services in writing within 72 hours after award of proposal. Upon receipt of the protest, the Director of Fiscal Services shall suspend award of the proposal until the protest is resolved. The Business Office will gather all necessary information regarding proposal documentation. The Superintendent or designee will evaluate the protest. If such resolution does not occur to the mutual satisfactions of all parties involved, the Board will decide final action in awarding the dispute. 2.18 SPECIFICATIONS Only Belgrade Public Schools may determine what product is best suited and meets specifications outlined in this Proposal. Items that do not meet specifications will be rejected. 2.19 FREIGHT All prices must be quoted F.O.B. with desktop delivery to our site, Belgrade, Montana. 2.20 DEBARMENT/EXCLUDED PARTIES LIST SYSTEM (EPLS) The information below is from the 2010 Compliance Supplement Part 3 Requirement Procurement/Suspension/Debarment: When a non-federal entity enters into a covered transaction with an entity at a lower tier, the nonfederal entity must verify that the entity is not suspended or debarred or otherwise excluded. This verification will be accomplished by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA). (2 CRF Section 180.300) 2.21 BID SECURITY In accordance with 18-1-201, MCA, lawful moneys of the United States; a cashier s check, certified check, bank money order or bank draft drawn and issued by a national banking association located in the state of Montana or by any banking corporation incorporated under the laws of the state of Montana; or a bid bond executed by a surety corporation authorized to do business in the state of Montana must accompany the sealed bids in the amount of 10% of the lowest startup/purchase cost, highlighted in yellow on the Pricing Spreadsheet. All security deposits received must be payable to Belgrade School District #44 and will be refunded except when a contract offered by the District is rejected by the selected vendor. 7
Bid security received by the District will be returned within ten days of the Board s rejection of the vendor s bid. If a bid is accepted by the District and contract offered pursuant to terms of the invitation, but the vendor does not execute a contract within ten days from the date of offer of a contract, the District may declare such vendor s bid security forfeited to the District. 2.22 QUESTIONS The District will accept questions regarding this bid document through 4:00 p.m., MST on August 3, 2015. Following that deadline, the District may, at its discretion, issue an amended bid packet clarifying questions that have been raised. If issued, the District will send an amended packet to all vendors who requested the initial bid packet. Questions regarding this RFP should be emailed to Jay J. Bates, Director of Fiscal Services (jbates@belgradeschools.com). 2.23 EVALUATING CRITERIA OF RFP The evaluation of supplier s proposals may include, but is not limited to, the following criteria: Ability to meet Belgrade Public Schools requirements Compliance with Belgrade Public Schools Terms and Conditions Pricing Ongoing support Reporting capability Extent of services available Experience of supplier with goods/services required by Belgrade Public Schools Capacity to assume new business Total cost competitiveness Company s financial stability Implementation Timeline 3.0 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Vendor proposals must include the following components: 3.1 VENDOR AUTHORIZATION Vendor Name Vendor Address City State Zip Vendor Phone Number Vendor Fax Number Email Address TAX ID # Authorized Signature Email Address 8
A CURRENT W-9 MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH PROPOSAL 9
3.2 BID SECURITY In accordance with 18-1-201, MCA, lawful moneys of the United States; a cashier s check, certified check, bank money order or bank draft drawn and issued by a national banking association located in the state of Montana or by any banking corporation incorporated under the laws of the state of Montana; or a bid bond executed by a surety corporation authorized to do business in the state of Montana must accompany the sealed bids in the amount of 10% of the lowest startup/purchase cost, highlighted in yellow on the Pricing Spreadsheet. All security deposits received must be payable to Belgrade School District #44 and will be refunded except when a contract offered by the District is rejected by the selected vendor. Bid security received by the District will be returned within ten days of the Board s rejection of the vendor s bid. If a bid is accepted by the District and contract offered pursuant to terms of the invitation, but the vendor does not execute a contract within ten days from the date of offer of a contract, the District may declare such vendor s bid security forfeited to the District. 3.3 LISTING OF FEATURES The District has developed a list of Software Requirements by module that is included as a part of this bid packet. It is our expectation that the successful bidder will be able to accommodate all of these requirements. In the left-hand column of this document, bidders should indicate whether your product includes each feature listed. If any requirement cannot be met exactly as specified, bidders may choose to identify that requirement and propose an alternative solution on a separate document. 3.4 PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE The District s desired timeline for implementation is as follows: Fall/Winter 2015-16: Data conversion from existing system; training for all departments Winter/Spring 2016: HR, Budgeting systems available for FY2015-16 information April 1, 2016: Go Live date for Payroll, General Ledger, Purchasing, Accounts Payable All bidders are required to: 1. Comment on the feasibility of this implementation timeframe 2. Propose any modifications deemed necessary to ensure a smooth, yet timely transition 3. Propose a date-specific calendar of events for implementation 3.5 LISTING OF COMPATIBLE THIRD PARTY SOFTWARE As listed in Software Requirements 2.53, 2.54, 3.2, 4.34, 4.170 and as a part of this conversion, the District intends to purchase after-market solutions for timesheets/timeclocks, substitute management, financial reporting, and work orders. All bidders are required to include a list of after-market software solutions for these purposes that are compatible with your system. 3.6 PRICING SPREADSHEET The District intends to purchase all of the modules listed below, but retains the right to select any or all of the modules at our discretion. We request pricing options for each module based on a hosted solution and a District-Owned Windows Server Environment. Modules listed should include all features listed in the Software Requirements section of the bid packet. Please complete the attached grid for each option, and include a list of equipment needed to support a District-Owned Server Environment: 10
VENDOR NAME: Hosted Solution Cost Annual Cost: Startup/Purchase One-Year Cost Commitment Annual Cost: Three-Year Commitment District-Owned Server Environment Cost* Annual Cost: One-Year Commitment Startup/Purchase Cost Annual Cost: Three-Year Commitment HR Module w/affordable Care Act Capability Subtotal Payroll Module w/affordable Care Act Reporting Capability Subtotal Purchasing & Requisitions Receiving & Accts Payable Bank Reconciliations Cashiering Budget Development Fixed Asset Module Internal Service Module G/L Module Subtotal Additional Student Activity Databases (Each) Subtotal: Modules Conversion Costs Training Subtotal: Soft Costs GRAND TOTAL 11
* Include list of required equipment 12