PUBLIC NOTICE – REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
EXCLUSIVE ATHLETIC APPAREL SUPPLIER AND BRANDING AGREEMENT
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF
THE COUNTY OF BROOKE
INTRODUCTION
The Brooke County Board of Education seeks sealed proposals from interested parties to enter into an Agreement or Agreements with one interested party for (i) procurement, for athletic programs at Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School, of high-quality uniforms, apparel under a single brand in which all uniforms, apparel will bear the same brand, as identified in more detail below; and (ii) identity and facility branding, including artwork and related imagery, for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School. Interested parties shall provide pricing for all deliverables and branding services as one proposal. All deliverables and branding services being proposed by interested parties must meet or exceed all specifications described herein.
OBJECTIVE
Brooke County Board of Education has determined that it would be in the best interest of the District to enter into a Supplier Agreement and Branding Agreement (“Agreement” or “Contract”) for its specified schools. It invites sealed proposals from interested parties in accordance with this Request For Proposals (“RFP”). Sealed proposals are to be submitted by the time and at the location specified herein. The primary goal of this RFP is to provide high quality, durable athletic wear and consistent branding for its middle and high school students.
DEFINITIONS
“District”: The Brooke County Board of Education.
“Proposal”: An offer to enter into an agreement or agreements, which will constitute a Supplier Agreement for the provision of high-quality uniforms, apparel, footwear, and equipment for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School athletic teams, in which all uniforms, apparel, footwear, and equipment will bear the same brand, and a Branding Agreement for the provision of services and materials for identity and facility branding, including artwork and related imagery, for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School.
“Interested Party(ies)”: Any individual, company, or corporation submitting a proposal.
“Successful Interested Party”: Any Interested Party to whom an award is made by the District; also referred to as “Vendor”.
“Specifications”: The requirements set forth in this RFP.
GENERAL INFORMATION
(1) All proposals must be submitted on and in accordance with instructions provided in this RFP.
(2) Proposals received after the time stated in the Instructions to Interested Parties may be rejected. Rejected proposals will be returned unopened to the Interested Party. The Interested Party assumes the risk of any delay in the mail or in the handling of the mail by employees of the District. Whether sent by mail or personal delivery, the Interested Party assumes responsibility for having its proposal deposited on time at the place specified.
(3) The submission of a proposal will be construed to mean that the Interested Party is fully informed as to the extent and character of the District’s facilities and operations.
(4) The Interested Party certifies that:
(a) The proposal has been arrived at by the Interested Party independently and has been submitted without collusion with any other vendor of the products described herein.
(b) The contents of the proposal have not been communicated by the Interested Party, nor, to the best of its knowledge and belief, by any of its employees or agents, to any person not an employee or agent of the Interested Party.
(5) Each proposal is submitted with the understanding that it will be evaluated by the District to determine which proposal best serves the public interest, and that the District will select an Interested Party based on the evaluation; the District will negotiate in good faith with the selected Interested Party to reach a definitive Agreement or Agreements. It is understood that: the District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, in its discretion; the District reserves the right to cease negotiations with any Interested Party at any time, and to negotiate with more than one Interested Party after evaluation of the Proposals, if the District determines in its discretion that the public interest is best served thereby; any Agreement reached with an Interested Party is subject to the review and approval of the Board of Education of the County of Brooke; the District reserves the right to waive or vary any of the specifications or other terms contained in this RFP as it determines in its sole discretion will best serve the public interest. The award of a contract will be made as soon as practicable, in the best interest of the District.
(6) The Successful Interested Party guarantees that it is financially solvent and that it is experienced in and competent to perform pursuant to the Agreement or Agreements.
DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS
It is the intent of the District to contract with an Interested Party for the exclusive right to provide (i) high-quality uniforms and apparel, under a single brand in which all uniforms and apparel will bear the same brand for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School athletic teams, as identified in more detail below; and (ii) identity and facility branding, including artwork and related imagery, for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School. Interested party must be able to supply footwear and equipment compliant with WVSSAC and NFHS Guidelines for interscholastic competition.
The District seeks uniforms and apparel for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School athletic teams that meet the following specifications:
Brooke High School:
Sports Included: Number of Uniforms
1. Golf 10-12
2. Cross country 25 boys and girls
3. Football 80
4. Cheer (sideline only) 20
5. Girls Soccer 35
6. Boys Soccer 35
7. Volleyball 30
8. Boys Basketball 25
9. Freshmen BB 15
10. Girls BB 25
11. Wrestling 10-20
12. Swimming 25-30
13. Track and Field 50-65
14. Tennis 25 boys and girls
15. Baseball 30
16. Softball 25
Brooke Middle School:
Sports Included:
1. Cross Country 6-10 boys and girls
2. Football 65
3. Cheer (sideline only) 25
4. Volleyball 30
5. Boys Basketball 40
6. Girls Basketball 30
7. Wrestling 15
8. Track 50
The Agreement entered into by the Successful Interested Party and the District will also include any district sponsored sports that may be added during the course of said Agreement.
Interest Parties must be capable of offering (i) an on-line store where players, coaches, fans, community members can direct purchase high-quality team gear direct from the distributor/vendor; and (ii) premier pricing on all high-quality footwear, clothing and equipment purchased by Brooke High and Brooke Middle Schools athletic participants and coaches. The ability to offer sports product/apparel rebate based on an agreed upon list of specific products is preferred. Brooke High and Brooke Middle Schools will have the ability to use the logos of agreed upon Vendor.
The District seeks identity and facility branding, including artwork and related imagery for Brooke High School and Brooke Middle School.
SCHEDULE OF TIMELINE
05/18/21 Request for Proposal, (RFP), issued
05/28/21 Submission of written questions
06/07/21 Proposal submission deadline
06/08/21 Bid/Proposal Open Date
06/08/21 Vendor selected
06/15/21 Contract start date
Proposal Acknowledgement:
All Interested Parties intending to respond to this RFP are asked to provide an acknowledgement via email to Jeffrey Crook at 4 p.m., 06/04/21 Although this acknowledgement is not mandatory, receipt of this email will ensure that the Interested Party is provided answers to all questions submitted and is updated on progress or changes to this RFP process. The proposal acknowledgement will include the following:
*Company Name
*Company Address;
*Email Address;
*Point of Contact / Representative;
*Contact / Representative information, (best phone number, email)
Written Questions:
Vendors may submit questions in writing to Jeffrey Crook by 06/03/21 at 4 p.m. Answers to questions will be provided by 4 p.m. on 06/04/21 via email to all Interested Parties from which a proposal acknowledgement email has been received. Interested Parties should contact only the individual indicated above. Any responses obtained from any other source will be considered invalid.
Proposal Submission:
For consideration, Interested Parties must submit a comprehensive, sealed proposal/bid to the RFP that meets the minimum requirements included in this RFP and the corresponding attachments, if any. All Interested Parties are required to respond to this RFP as outlined in above in order for the District to be able to evaluate proposals on an equal and timely basis. Any supporting documentation shall be clearly identified and included in a separate section.
All bids shall be delivered to
Jeffrey Crook,
1201 Pleasant Avenue,
Wellsburg, WV 26062
The submission deadline 06/07/21 at 4 p.m. Proposals received after 4 p.m. will not be accepted and will be returned.
All bids/proposals will be publicly opened on 06/08/21 beginning at 10:00am at the following location: 1201 Pleasant Avenue, Wellsburg, WV 26062
Right to Modify or Cancel:
The District reserves the right to cancel this RFP or reject any and all proposals. The District also reserves the right to modify the proposal process and timelines as it deems necessary.
Responsibility for Proposal Costs: The Interested Party shall be fully responsible for all proposal development end submission costs. The District assumes no contractual or financial obligation as a result of the issuance of this RFP, the preparation and submission of a proposal by an Interested Party, the evaluation of any accepted proposal or selection of finalists.
Proposal Acceptance and Rejection: The District reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals, to reject or accept any and/or all the items in a proposal, and to award the contract in whole or in part as deemed to be in the best interest of the District. The District reserves the right to negotiate further with any Interested Party if such action is deemed in the best interest of Brooke County Schools. It is not mandatory that the District accept the lowest bid.
Contract Award:
Final selection of the successful Vendor is targeted for 06/14/2021 with negotiation to commence immediately thereafter for the development of a contract. This target date is subject to revision as deemed necessary by the District.
PROPOSAL FORMAT
Checklist of Forms to Accompany Proposal
As a convenience to Interested Parties, the following is a list of forms to be included in the proposal.
1. Cover Letter
2. Vendors Proposal (Methodology)
3. Staffing List and Assignments (Clear background checks required)
4. Qualifications
5. Fees/Pricing Proposal (Brooke County BOE is a tax exempt entity)
6. Services and Equipment Warranties
7. Disclosure Statement
8. Samples of available products
The proposal shall be in the form of a sealed bid.
PROPOSAL QUALIFICATIONS AND
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Qualification Requirements: Any qualified company, firm or corporation that can provide services in accordance with the specifications of the RFP is qualified to submit a proposal.
Proposal Evaluation Criteria: The District will initially review all proposals for completeness and compliance with the terms and conditions of the RFP. Proposals inconsistent with the RFP requirements may be eliminated from further consideration. Proposals that are complete and compliant will be evaluated on the following considerations:
*Competitive pricing and product quality
*Vendor qualifications and references
*Customer service and availability
*Experience providing the services and commodities
Selection:
A successful vendor will be the one best able to meet the needs of the District based on the evaluation criteria. The determination of the successful vendor will be based on the information supplied by the vendor in response to the RFP. The District will utilize the selected vendor as the sole source for provision of the commodities and services.
Additional Provisions:
Assignment- Neither the resultant Agreement(s) nor any of the requirements, rights, or privileges demanded by it may be sold, assigned, sublet, contracted, or transferred by the Vendor without the express written consent of the District. The granting or withholding of such consent shall be at Brooke County Board of Education’s sole discretion.
Cancellation: The District reserves the right to cancel award of the contract any time before execution of the Agreement(s) by both parties if cancellation is deemed to be in the best interest of Brooke County Schools. In no event shall the District have any liability for the cancellation of award. The vendor assumes the sole risk and responsibility for all expenses connected with the preparation of its proposal.
Clarification of Responses: The District reserves the right to obtain clarification of any point in a vendor’s proposal or to obtain additional information necessary for properly evaluating a particular proposal. Failure of a vendor to respond to such a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that firm’s response or responses.
Collusion: An Interested Party submitting a proposal hereby certifies that no officer, agent, or employee of the District has a pecuniary interest in this RFP or the proposal; that the proposal is made in good faith without fraud, collusion, or connection of any kind with any other vendor; the vendor is competing solely in its own behalf without connection with, or obligation to, any undisclosed person or firm.
Cost of Preparation of Response: Costs incurred by any Interest Party in the preparation of their response to this RFP is the responsibility of the Interest Party and will not be reimbursed by the District.
Disputes: In case of any doubt or differences of opinions as to the items or service to be furnished hereunder, or the interpretation of the provisions of the RFP, the decision of the District shall be final and binding upon all parties.
Lobbying: Commencing with the issuance of this RFP, Interest Parties or others acting on their behalf are cautioned not to undertake any activities or actions to promote their proposals. Interested Parties or others acting on their behalf shall not make direct or indirect (through others) contact with members of District staff or others to promote their proposals. Violation of this requirement may, in the District’s discretion, be grounds for disqualifying the vendor from further consideration.
Proposal not a Contract:
Neither this RFP nor responses to it constitute a contract between the District and the Interested Party or successful vendor. Brooke County Board of Education reserves the right to negotiate specific contract terms with the successful vendor under the Agreement(s); however should such negotiation fail to arrive at a mutually agreeable contract, the selected vendor shall abide by the terms and conditions generally specified in this request for proposals.
Rejection of Proposals: The District reserves the right to reject any and/or all responses to this RFP. Proposals may not be considered if they fail to contain the required information. There will be no changes to the content of this request for proposal except by written notification to the Interested Parties that respond in accordance with the criteria herein.
Termination: Interested Parties agree to the following termination provision and agree that said termination provision will be included in any Agreement(s):
“The Board of Education each have determined that it is in the best interests of the District to enter into an agreement for exclusive pouring and vending rights for a period of five years with the possibility of a five year renewal term. The Vendor agrees, however, that the Board of Education may annually terminate the Agreement upon thirty (30) days written notice to the Vendor.”
Agreement Addendum: Interested Parties agree that any Agreement(s) entered into pursuant to this RFP will be subject to the regulations contained in West Virginia State Board of Education Policy 8200, that the Successful Interested Party will be required to execute, as an attachment to the Agreement(s), the Agreement Addendum contained within Policy 8200 as Appendix C, and that all terms and conditions of the Agreement(s) will be subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement Addendum.
Int. May 21, 28. June 4, 2021