Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council
Online Seaport Data Platform
The Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council (hereinafter referred to as “Council”) is soliciting responses from qualified providers for the purchase of transportation statistics trade data services to the Council and Florida seaports.
Chapter 311, Florida Statutes authorizes the Council to purchase trade data information on waterborne imports and exports to provide Florida’s seaports with necessary information and data to accomplish their statutory mission; enhance the growth of international trade and jobs; and develop and define seaport development/financing plans.
Pursuant to Section 311.07, Florida Statutes, the Council invites qualified parties to submit for consideration a proposal and statement of qualifications and experience to provide transportation statistics trade data services to the Council and Florida seaports.
Following a thorough review of all Extended Letters of Response (ELOR), the Council will meet to discuss, score, and rank the submissions. The ELOR will be utilized to judge the firm’s/consultants’ experience and knowledge of the project and the Council’s work and needs. Final selection will be made in accordance with the policies of the Council and statutory provisions of the Florida Statutes. The Council Selection Committee for this task will publicly post the rankings of submits on or before June 19th.
If there are two or less respondents, the Council Selection Committee will proceed directly to contract negotiations with the top ranked firm. If four or more respondents apply, a teleconference interview may be held to further evaluate the submits.
If the Council and the top-ranked respondent are unable to successfully develop a purchase order, the Council will move to the next-ranked firm and continue in this fashion until a purchase order is successfully executed.
Responses should be submitted to Casey.Grigsby@flaports.org no later than 4:00 p.m. on June 25th. Responses failing to provide information as requested will be disqualified and receive no further consideration.
General Information
The Council is soliciting Extended Letters of Response (ELOR) from qualified providers for the purchase of transportation statistics trade data services to the Council and Florida seaports.
This Request for Contractual Service is for the data information services of waterborne commerce from database providers.
Compensation
The Council has authorized a maximum of $350,000 for purchase of these data services for Fiscal Year 2021/22. This will be for an annual contract to be renewed for up to but not more than five years.
For the satisfactory performance of services detailed in Exhibit “A”, the Vendor shall be paid up to a Maximum Amount listed below unless otherwise approved by a majority vote of the Council and approval by the Chairperson.
The Maximum Amount shall be made up of:
$350,000 from Fiscal Year 2021/2022
$350,000 from Fiscal Year 2022/2023
$350,000 from Fiscal Year 2023/2024
$350,000 from Fiscal Year 2024/2025
$350,000 from Fiscal Year 2025/2026
Intended award
The Council intends to award a contract to the responsive and responsible vendor with the highest cumulative total points for the evaluation criteria specified herein. The Intended Award decision will be announced at the Selection Committee meeting specified in the Timeline and publicly posted at flaports.org by the date indicated on the timeline herein. If the Council is confronted with identical pricing or scoring from multiple vendors, the Council shall determine the order of award using the following criteria, in the order of preference listed below (from highest priority to lowest priority): 1. Section 295.187(4), Florida Statutes; Veteran Business Enterprise 2. Section 287.087, Florida Statute; Drug-Free WorkPlace 3. Subsection 287.057(11); Minority Business Enterprise In the event that the application of the above referenced preferences does not resolve the identical replies, the Council shall determine the award by means of random drawing.
Reservations
The Council reserves the right to accept or reject any or all submits received and reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the submits submitted. Therefore, the Respondents should make sure that the Proposal package submitted is complete and accurate and submitted to ensure delivery on or before the Proposal opening time and date specified in this solicitation. It is understood that the Proposal will become a part of the Council's official file, without obligation to the Council.
Responsiveness of submits
Proposal will not be considered if not received by the Council on or before the date and time specified as the due date for submission. All Proposals must be typed or printed in ink. A responsive submit is an offer to provide the services specified in this Invitation to Submit in accordance with all requirements of this Invitation to Submit. Submits found to be non-responsive will not be considered. Proposals may be rejected if found to be irregular or not in conformance with the requirements and instructions herein contained. A Proposal may be found to be irregular or non-responsive by reasons that include, but are not limited to, failure to utilize or complete prescribed forms, modifying the submit requirements, submitting conditional submits or incomplete submits, submitting indefinite or ambiguous submits, or executing forms or the Submit sheet with improper and/or undated signatures. Other 13 of 19 conditions which may cause rejection of submits include, evidence of collusion among Respondentss, obvious lack of experience or expertise to provide the required services, and failure to perform or meet financial obligations on previous contracts.
Renewal
Upon mutual agreement, the Council and the Contract Vendor may renew the Contract for a period that may not exceed five (5) years or the term of the original contract, whichever is longer. The renewal must be in writing and signed by both parties and is subject to the same terms and conditions set forth in the initial contract and any written amendments signed by the parties. Any renewal shall specify the renewal price, as set forth in the solicitation response except that an agency may negotiate lower pricing. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory performance evaluations and subject to the availability of funds.
Submission Requirements
Format:
1. Please be aware that all font (including font in graphics, tables, and captions on photos) must be standard Arial Narrow, 11-point, single line spacing with no modification of font or spacing allowed.
2. ½” clear margin on all sides must be maintained on all pages.
3. Character styling such as use of color, bold, and italics is allowed.
4. A maximum limit of five (5) pages allowed will be provided in the RFP.
5. The length of resumes will also be limited, with a maximum length of two pages per person (required of shortlisted firms only).
6. The electronic transmission of Proposals shall be required.
7. Organization/staffing chart (can be either 8-1/2 x 11 or 11 x 17, at the discretion of the Consultant-required of shortlisted firms only).
Submittals must have and address the following items:
1. Table of Contents: Responses shall include a Table of Contents properly indicating the section and page numbers of the information included.
2. Executive Summary.
3. Experience and Background.
4. Consultant's name and address (Firm must use the name shown on the Consultant's qualification letter).
5. Proposed responsible office for consultant.
6. Contact person, phone number and email address.
7. Statement regarding prequalification of consultant or proposed subconsultants in advertised type(s) of work.
8. Proposed key personnel and their proposed roles (do not include resumes)
9. Subconsultant(s) that may be used for the project.
10. Indication as to whether the prime firm and/or subconsultants are disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) or Small Businesses.
11. Project Approach and Understanding of Critical Issues.
12. Relevant project experience - similar type of work experience.
Web-based access information:
1. Respondents shall provide information on the system, access provisions, number of access portals or users to be authorized, platform and other browser capacity, and any other relevant web-based user capacity information.
2. Database Research Capabilities: Respondents shall provide information on research and other information gathering capability, business intelligence information, export and import information provided by the database, and any other relevant information on international trade data intelligence provided by the database.
3. Mobile Integration: Respondents shall provide information on mobile integration of the proposed platform, access provisions, and any other relevant security functions as it pertains to maintaining a platform that can adjust to changing technology.
4. User Training and Help Services: Respondents shall provide information on training, system assistance, help services, and any other user services provided by the respondent.
5. Other Benefits: Respondents should describe any other benefits the Council will realize by purchasing their services.
6. Database System Test: As part of the response, the respondent shall provide a minimum of five (5) temporary user access identifications and passwords to allow the Council selection committee to adequately test the system.
Selection Process
Completeness
Each response will be reviewed prior to the selection process for completeness and adherence to format. A response will be considered complete if all requested sections are included in the proper order and properly completed.
Evaluation of RFP Responses
The Council will appoint a selection committee to objectively evaluate and score the responses on their merit and responsiveness. Responses will be evaluated considering the material and substantiating evidence presented in the response and not on what is inferred. The evaluation process may include verification of experience, references, confirmation of information submitted, and verification of other information identified by the Council.
Criteria for Evaluation Proposals will be evaluated and graded in accordance with the criteria detailed below.
Technical Proposal (100 Points)
Technical evaluation is the process of reviewing the Respondents response to evaluate the experience, qualifications, and capabilities of the proposers to provide the desired services and assure a quality product.
The following point system is established for scoring the technical proposals:
Total Points Possible = 100
1. Management Approach- 10 Points
2. Project Approach- 10 Points
3. Technical Experience/Work History- 50 points
4. Price Proposal- 30 Points
Pre-submit conference
A pre-submit conference will not be held.
Cost Breakdown
Respondent shall delineate what type of database use and services would be provided under the amount listed in the initial project funding (maximum of $320,000). The response also shall include any potential cost for access, research, training, help services, or any other use by individual users of the system that would be charged for use and services above and beyond those provided under the initial project funding.
The Vendor shall work closely with the Council’s Contract Manager or designee in developing services and work necessary under each Task Work Order (TWO) to ensure both parties agree as to the intended result of each TWO. Included at a minimum will be a detailed description of prior operations, the problems to be addressed, expected results, and schedules of work and cost. Once an acceptable Lump Sum Amount has been agreed upon by the Vendor and the Council’s Contract Manager, a TWO shall be issued. The Contract Manager shall obtain fund approval for each authorization by approved encumbrance prior to issuing the TWO. All work authorizations shall be completed within the term of this agreement.
Timeframe
After ranking of the consultant submits, the contract fee will be negotiated in accordance with Section 287.055 Florida Statutes. Funding on all projects is subject to legislative approval.
1. Advertisement posting: June 9, 2020
2. Advertisement closing: June 25, 2020
3. Final selection: June 30, 2020
Exhibit A
Details of the services, information and items to be furnished by the Vendor are described in Exhibit "A", Scope of Services, attached hereto and made a part hereof.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) requests the data information services of waterborne commerce database providers. Database providers must be able to provide the following services and information content:
1. Provides web-based access and services to waterborne trade data and services for the members of the Council – Florida’s fifteen (15) public seaports, the Florida Council of Transportation, the Florida Council of Economic Opportunity, and the administrator of the Council.
2. At a minimum, the database should provide comprehensive statistics on global cargo movements transiting seaports in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia.
3. At a minimum, the database should provide specific import and export data that contains details including commodity descriptions, manifest descriptions, name of origin company and foreign company, country of origin, port of entry, shipment weight and date of arrival or departure.
4. The web based system must allow users and members of the Council to extract information and data to assist in defining relevant strategic local, regional, and statewide significant trade corridors; examine how the swift, efficient movement of passengers and freight may be facilitated within, and between, the state’s corridor regions and points beyond; examine origins and destinations of key trade commodities and passenger movements on Florida’s designated strategic freight and passenger networks; define the nature of capacity deficiencies and needs at a local, regional, strategic corridor and macro level; and provide relevant information and data to develop approaches and strategies to address those needs. In addition, such information and data should help in the development of strategic financing/implementation plans for programming needs and highlighting public policy issues that must be addressed to enhance Florida’s capture of trade from competitors.
5. Eligible Providers: Respondents to this RFP must demonstrate their experience and ability to provide such services. Respondents also must demonstrate that they are eligible to conduct business in the State of Florida.
6. The system must be able to support a minimum of fifty (50) user logins.
Exhibit B
This Exhibit defines the limits of compensation to be made to the consultant for the services set forth in Exhibit “A” and the method by which payments shall be made.
Florida Council of Financial Services (DFS) W-9 REQUIREMENT
The Florida Council of Financial Services (DFS) requires all vendors that do business with the state to submit an electronic Substitute Form W-9. Vendors must submit their W-9 forms electronically at https://flvendor.myfloridacfo.com to receive payments from the state. Contact the DFS Customer Service Desk at (850)413-5519 or FLW9@myfloridacfo.com with any questions. Registration in MyFloridaMarketPlace is required prior to contracting.
All Prime Consultants and all Subvendors/subconsultants/subcontractors must register with the state's web-based e-Procurement system -"MyFloridaMarketPlace." You can register on-line at http://dms.myflorida.com/mfmp Professional Services acquired in accordance with Chapter 287.055 Florida Statutes, are exempt from the 1% transaction fee. You can also sign up to attend a vendor registration training session or call 1(866)352-3776 for assistance. Note: The final selection meeting dates and times are provided within the advertisement.
Qualifications authorized to do business in the state of Florida
In accordance with Section 607.1501, paragraph 605.0211(2)(b), and Section 620.9102, Florida Statutes, out of state corporations, out of state limited liability companies, and out of state limited partnerships must be authorized to do business in the State of Florida.
Questions & answers
In accordance with subsection 287.057(23), Florida Statutes, respondents to this solicitation or persons acting on their behalf may not contact, between the release of the solicitation and the end of the 72-hour period following the agency posting the notice of intended award, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays, any employee or officer of the executive or legislative branch concerning any aspect of this solicitation, except in writing to the procurement officer or as provided in the solicitation documents. Violation of this provision may be grounds for rejecting a response.
Oral instructions / changes to the invitation to submit (addenda)
No negotiations, decisions, or actions will be initiated or executed by a Respondents as a result of any oral discussions with a State employee. Only those communications which are in writing from the Council will be considered as a duly authorized expression on behalf of the Council. Notices of changes (Addenda) will be posted on the Florida Vendor Submit System at www.myflorida.com (click on “BUSINESS”, click on “Doing Business with the State”, under “Everything for Vendors and Customers”, click on “Vendor Submit System (VBS)”, click on “Search Advertisements”) under this Submit number. It is the responsibility of all potential Respondents to monitor this site for any changing information prior to submitting your Submit.
Warranty/substitutions
When performance of the services requires the supply of commodities, a warranty is required on all items provided against defective materials, workmanship, and failure to perform in accordance with required industry performance criteria, for a period of not less than ninety (90) days from the date of acceptance by the purchaser. Any deviation from this criterion must be documented in the Submit response or the above statement shall prevail. Delivery of substitute commodities requires prior written approval from the ordering location. Replacement of all materials found defective within the warranty period shall be made without cost to the purchaser, including transportation if applicable. All fees associated with restocking cancelled orders shall be the responsibility of the vendor. All items provided during the performance of the contract found to be poorly manufactured will not be accepted, but returned to the vendor, at their expense, for replacement. Replacement of all items found defective shall be made without cost to the Council, including transportation, if applicable. As it may be impossible for each facility to inspect all items upon arrival, a reasonable opportunity must be given to these facilities for inspection of the items and returning those that are defective.
Liability insurance
No general liability insurance is required.
Performance bond
Performance Bond is not required for this project.
Minority business enterprise (MBE) utilization
The Council, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 USC 2000d- 2000d-4, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Council of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in federally-assisted programs of the Council of Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all bidders that the Council will affirmatively ensure that in any contract/agreement entered into pursuant to this advertisement, minority and disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded the full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated on the basis of race, color, national origin, or sex in consideration for an award. The Council encourages small, minority, women, and service-disabled veteran businesses to compete for Council contracts, both as “Vendor” and as subcontractors. The Council, its vendors, suppliers, and consultants should take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that small, minority, women, and service-disabled veteran businesses have the opportunity to compete for and perform contract work for the Council in a nondiscriminatory environment. Bidders are requested to indicate their intention regarding MBE participation on the MBE Planned Utilization form and to submit the completed form with their Price Proposal. The contract vendor will be asked to submit payment certification for MBE subcontractors used. To request certification or to locate certified MBEs, call the Office of Supplier Diversity, Council of Management Services at (850)487-0915, or access their MBE directory on the Internet at www.osd.dms.state.fl.us/.
Method of compensation
For the satisfactory performance of these services the Vendor shall be paid a Lump Sum Amount of a maximum of $350,000 annually. Vendor shall submit an invoice upon receipt of Purchase Order. Payment shall be made to the Vendor in advance and/or upon completion of services, as approved by the Council.
Financial consequences
Payment shall be made only after receipt and approval of goods and services unless advance payments are authorized by the Chief Financial Officer of the State of Florida under Chapters 215 and 216, Florida Statutes. Deliverable(s) must be received and accepted in writing by the Contract Manager on the Council’s invoice transmittal forms prior to payment. If the Council determines that the performance of the Vendor is unsatisfactory, the Council shall notify the Vendor of the deficiency to be corrected, which correction shall be made within a timeframe to be specified by the Council. The Vendor shall, within five days after notice from the Council, provide the Council with a corrective action plan describing how the Vendor will address all issues of contract non-performance, unacceptable performance, failure to meet the minimum performance levels, deliverable deficiencies, or contract non-compliance. If the corrective action plan is unacceptable to the Council, the Vendor shall be assessed a non-performance retainage equivalent to 10% of the total invoice amount. The retainage shall be applied to the invoice for the then-current billing period. The retainage shall be withheld until the vendor resolves the deficiency. If the deficiency is subsequently resolved, the Vendor may bill the Council for the retained amount during the next billing period. If the Vendor is unable to resolve the deficiency, the funds retained will be forfeited at the end of the agreement period.
Contract document purchase order
The MyFloridaMarketPlace “Purchase Order Terms and Conditions” and the Council’s “Purchase Order Terms & Conditions” are referenced or attached hereto and made a part hereof. The terms and conditions contained therein will become an integral part of each Purchase Order issued for this solicitation. In submitting a Submit, the Respondents agrees to be legally bound by these terms and conditions.
Unauthorized aliens
The employment of unauthorized aliens by any contractor is considered a violation of Section 274A(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If the contractor knowingly employs unauthorized aliens, such violation shall be cause for unilateral cancellation of the contract.
Scrutinized companies
Responses, regardless of dollar value, must include a completed Vendor Certification Regarding Scrutinized Companies Lists to certify the respondent is not on either of those lists. The Form should be submitted with the Price Proposal. A Vendor is ineligible to enter into a contract with the Council for goods or services of any amount if, at the time of entering into such contract, the Vendor is on the Scrutinized Companies that Boycott Israel List, created pursuant to Section 215.4725, Florida Statutes, or is engaged in a boycott of Israel. Section 287.135, Florida Statutes, also prohibits companies from entering into a contract for goods or services of $1 million or more that are on either the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List or the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector Lists which were created pursuant to s. 215.473, Florida Statutes. If the Council determines the Vendor submitted a false certification under Section 287.135 of the Florida Statutes, the Council shall either terminate the Contract after it has given the Vendor notice and an opportunity to demonstrate the Council’s determination of false certification was in error pursuant to Section 287.135 of the Florida Statutes, or maintain the Contract if the conditions of Section 287.135 of the Florida Statutes are met.
RFP CHECKLIST (DOES NOT NEED TO BE RETURNED WITH YOUR PROPOSAL)
This Checklist is provided as a guideline, only, to assist Proposers in the preparation of their RFP response. Included are some important matters that the proposer should check. This checklist is just a guideline and is not intended to include all matters required by the RFP. Proposers are responsible to read and comply with the RFP in its entirety. Check off each the following:
1. “Scrutinized Companies Lists” certification form has been read, signed, and enclosed.
2. The “Bid Opportunity List” and the “DBE Participation Statement” form has been read, completed, and enclosed in the response.
3. The Scope of Services, Exhibit “A”, has been thoroughly reviewed for compliance to the requirements.
4. The Technical Proposal (one (1) original and the specified number of copies) has been completed, as specified, and enclosed in the response.
5. The http://www.myflorida.com/apps/vbs/vbs_www.main_menu website has been checked and any Addendums posted have been completed, signed, and included in the RFP response.
6. Simplified Self Audit has been completed, as specified, and enclosed in the response.
7. The RFP response must be received, at the location specified, on or before the Opening Date and Time designated in the RFP.
