REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Transcription

1 STEEL VALLEY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS TURTLE CREEK VALLEY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS TWIN RIVERS COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) NOTE: If you download this RFP from an agency website you are responsible for sending your name, address, address, and telephone number to the RFP Coordinator in order for your organization to receive any RFP amendments or bidder questions/agency answers. Project Title: Analysis of Business Districts in the Tri-COG Area Proposal Due Date: January 21, 2016, 1pm Sealed proposals will be collected by the Steel Valley Council of Governments and can be mailed or delivered to 1705 Maple Street, Suite 100, Homestead PA The office is open Monday-Friday from 8am-4pm. Proposals will be opened on Thursday, January 21, 2016, 1PM Estimated Time Period for Contract: 3 months The AGENCY reserves the right to extend the contract for up to two, two month periods at the sole discretion of the AGENCY. Consultant Eligibility: This procurement is open to those Consultants that satisfy the minimum qualifications stated herein. Contract selection is at the sole discretion of the AGENCY.

2 Table of Contents Contents 1. Introduction Background Information Purpose Objective and Scope of Work Objectives Required Tasks Minimum Qualification Period of Performance General Information for Consultants RFP Coordinator Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities Pre- Proposal Conference Submission of Proposals Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure Revisions to the RFP Responsiveness Most Favorable Terms Contract Costs to Propose No Obligation to Contract Rejection of Proposals Ownership of Proposal Insurance Coverage Proposal Contents General Information Letter of Submittal Technical Proposal Management Proposal Cost Proposal Evaluation and Contract Award Evaluation Procedure... 14

3 5.2 Evaluation Weighing Oral Presentation May Be Required Notification to Proposers... 15

4 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Information For generations, the Monongahela (Mon) Valley, which includes communities along the Monongahela River and its tributaries, was the economic engine that drove the Pittsburgh economy with its manufacturing and steel making enterprises. In almost every case, the location of these industries in the mid-19 th century was on alluvial flat land adjacent to the rivers, and new towns for their workers grew street by street up the hillsides. Each town had its Main Street, churches, schools, park, library, and local government. But, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, US Steel, J & L Steel Company, Westinghouse Electric, Westinghouse Air Brake Company (WABCO), ALCOA, Union Switch and Signal, and Wheeling- Pittsburgh Steel all closed major manufacturing plants in the Mon Valley, and in the wake of these closings innumerable small workshops and service industries shut down as well. Sources indicate that as many as 175,000 industrial and manufacturing jobs were lost in the region in the late 1970 s and early 1980s when these industries closed. As a result, the population in the communities declined from an estimated high of about 380,000 to the current estimation of 294,000, a loss of close to 100,000 people. Many of the towns in the Mon Valley were disproportionately affected by the economic downturn: communities like Braddock, Clairton, Duquesne, East Pittsburgh, Homestead, Rankin, Wall, and Wilmerding lost over two thirds of their population. This population drop was the catalyst for property abandonment, shrinking tax bases and the pervasive spread of blight in the region. Many of our localities currently experience a high degree of tax delinquency, abandonment and poverty as a result of the steel industry s exodus in the region. According to the American Community Survey, the average poverty rate for TCC municipalities is 13.21% which exceeds national, state and county averages. In 2012 the Steel Valley, Turtle Creek Valley, and Twin Rivers Councils of Governments, known as the Tri- COG Collaborative (TCC) pledged to work collaboratively in an effort to better understand the economic costs of blight and to develop regional solutions to existing problems. The Tri-COG Collaborative is comprised of 39 municipalities located in the eastern and southeastern region of Allegheny County. A map of our collective jurisdiction is included in the appendix. In 2013 the TCC released a report titled The Financial Impact of Blight which quantified the negative effects of blight. The report found the total cost of blight in the Tri-COG region in 2012 was $254 million. The direct cost to municipal services, including police, fire, public works, and code enforcement was $10,720,302; the direct cost related to the loss of tax revenue was $8,637,875; and the indirect costs associated with a loss in property value were estimated to be between $218 million and $247 million. The TCC feels strongly that the costs of inaction are too great. They have developed strategies to move revitalization in the region forward. The TCC has put a lot of effort to address blight and revitalize the region by working to implement a multi-municipal Land Bank throughout its jurisdiction and other parts of Allegheny County outside the City of Pittsburgh. 1 While the land bank will concentrate mainly on stabilizing and recycling residential properties in its early years, the TCC understands the importance business districts hold on the success and stability of a community. The completion of a Business District Analysis which will evaluate 1 A copy of the Tri-COG Business plan is available at svcog.org/land-banking

5 commercial main streets and shopping districts, will help municipalities and the TCC identify opportunities to strengthen markets and tailor development based on current market conditions. 1.2 Purpose The purpose for this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to engage a Consultant to provide a Business District Analysis and related services to the Steel Valley, Turtle Creek Valley and Twin Rivers Council of Governments (herein referred to as the AGENCY ). The AGENCY, by means of this RFP, invites all qualified Consultants to submit proposals in accordance with requirements outlined in this RFP. The TCC anticipates that, based on review and evaluation of the proposals received pursuant to this RFP, it will select a Consultant and execute a contract whereby the Consultant render services to the TCC in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the contract. The AGENCY intends to award one contract to provide the services described in this RFP. 2. Objective and Scope of Work 2.1 Objectives The objective of this work program is to provide the TCC with a comprehensive analysis of selected business and commercial districts throughout the TCC jurisdiction. Using the data set provided by the TCC and other data-set(s) required to complete the analysis, the Consultant will: - Analyze and characterize the selected business district across the TCC region based on a broad range of indicators - Develop corridor wide development strategies tailored for each participating business district - Develop site specific development strategies for one or two key properties in each selected business district - Facilitate vision sessions and workshops with local stakeholders in order to refine the analysis and disseminate results and information - Synthesize the analysis into a written report - Clearly document the analysis completed so that the TCC is able to periodically update and track changes over time. 2.2 Required Tasks Task 1: Assess Economic Conditions of Business Districts The primary purpose of this analysis is to assess the economic condition of ten (10) business district corridor s selected by the TCC. The Consultant will play both an advisory and active role during the data collection period. The TCC will collect and provide recent parcel and point based property data pertaining to the businesses found throughout each identified commercial district. The data provided to the Consultant will disclose information on the structural condition, vacancy status, type of business in addition to information on vacant lots. It will also provide locational information of amenities like benches, street lights, tree coverage, and trash cans among others. The Consultant will be responsible for identifying and obtaining additional datasets that are needed in order to complete a comprehensive economic analysis.

6 Task 2: Corridor wide and Site specific economic development analysis Once the economic conditions of the business district are assessed, it will be critical to develop a plan to guide the communities in their business district revitalization. The Consultant will be responsible for developing corridor wide development strategies tailored for each participating business district. The Consultant will also be responsible for providing site specific analysis for one or two key properties within each business district. The analysis should include, but not be limited to, an action plan for the identified properties, identification of potential funding sources and other information as deemed necessary. Task 3: Community Engagement The Consultant will work with the TCC to host no more than three workshops within each community in which an analysis is taking place. These sessions will include local officials, community stakeholders, business owners, relevant Community Development Corporations and Business Improvement Districts and residents. The Consultant should structure these sessions to properly maximize community inclusion and feedback, effectively validating assumptions, results, and conclusions drawn from the analysis. 2.3 Minimum Qualification Minimum qualifications include ten (10) years collective experience working with local governments with proven experience and expert knowledge of real estate, commercial real estate markets, economic development, planning, statistical analysis and community development principals. The Consultant should include a description of its qualifications for this work including at least 3 other similar projects and a description of the expertise and years of experience of the staff to be assigned to the project. 2.4 Period of Performance The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about March 1, 2016 and to end on June 16, Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, shall be at the sole discretion of the AGENCY. 3. General Information for Consultants 3.1 RFP Coordinator The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the AGENCY for this procurement. All communication between the Consultant and the AGENCY upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows:

7 Name Address An Lewis Mailing Address 1705 Maple Street, Suite 100 Homestead, PA Physical Address for Delivery 1705 Maple Street, Suite 100 Homestead, PA Phone Number Fax Number Any other communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the AGENCY. Consultants are to rely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator. Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Consultant. 3.2 Estimated Schedule of Procurement Activities Issue Request for Proposals December 18, 2015 Issue last addendum to RFP January 18, 2015 Proposals due January 21, 2015 Conduct oral interviews with finalists, if required February 4 th -5 th, 2016 Announce Apparent Successful Contractor and send notification via fax or to unsuccessful proposers February 15, 2016 Negotiate contract February 15- February 29, 2016 Begin contract work March 1, 2016 The AGENCY reserves the right to revise the above schedule. 3.3 Pre- Proposal Conference A pre-proposal conference is scheduled to be held on January 11, 2016 at 10:00 am. The pre-proposal conference will be held at the Steel Valley COG. All prospective Consultants should attend; however, attendance is not mandatory. AGENCY will be bound only to AGENCY S written answers to questions. Questions arising at the preproposal conference or in subsequent communication with the RFP Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be sent to each prospective

8 Consultant that has received a copy of the RFP or made the RFP Coordinator aware of its interest in this procurement. 3.4 Submission of Proposals Consultants are required to submit four (4) hard copies of their proposal. All copies must have original signatures, one (1) hard copy of the work samples required under Section 4.4, and one (1) electronic copy of the Proposal and Work samples saved in Portable Document Format (.pdf) to a compact disc. The Proposal must contain all of the elements outlined in this Section and each element should be labeled. The proposal, whether mailed or hand delivered, must arrive at the AGENCY no later than {TIME} on {DATE}. The proposal should be sealed and labeled and sent to the RFP Coordinator at the address noted in Section 3.1. The envelope should be clearly marked to the attention of the RFP Coordinator. Consultants mailing proposals should allow normal mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt of their proposals by the RFP Coordinator. Consultants assume the risk for the method of delivery chosen. The AGENCY assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the AGENCY and will not be returned. 3.5 Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure Proposals submitted in response to this competitive procurement shall become the property of the AGENCY. All proposals received shall remain confidential until the contract, if any, resulting from this RFP is signed by the AGENCY and the Apparent Successful Contractor. Any information in the proposal that the Consultant desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Consultant is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words Proprietary Information printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored. If a public records request is made for the information that the Consultant has marked as "Proprietary Information," the AGENCY will notify the Consultant of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the requester unless the Consultant obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Consultant fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, the AGENCY will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Consultant obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure the AGENCY shall maintain the confidentiality of the Consultant's information per the court order.

9 A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in the SVCOG policies. No fee shall be charged for inspection of contract files, but twenty-four (24) hours notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator. 3.6 Revisions to the RFP. The AGENCY reserves the right to revise, rescind, or revoke this RFP, in whole or in part, at any time prior to the date on which the authorized representative of the TCC executes a contract with the selected proposer. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be provided via to all individuals, who have made the RFP Coordinator aware of their interest. 3.7 Responsiveness All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Consultant is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the RFP may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive. The AGENCY also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities. 3.8 Most Favorable Terms The AGENCY reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Consultant can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The AGENCY does reserve the right to contact a Consultant for clarification of its proposal. The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Consultant s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the AGENCY. 3.9 Contract The Apparent Successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract with the AGENCY. The Consultant may submit its own standard contract in response to this solicitation. The AGENCY will review the Consultant contract and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion Costs to Propose The AGENCY will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Consultant in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP 3.11 No Obligation to Contract This RFP does not obligate the AGENCY to contract for services specified herein.

10 3.12 Rejection of Proposals The AGENCY reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP Ownership of Proposal All proposals become the property of the TCC upon receipt. The TCC reserves the right to use ideas included in any proposal, regardless of whether the TCC selects the Consultant Insurance Coverage The Contractor is to furnish the AGENCY with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements set forth below. The Contractor shall, at its own expense, obtain and keep in force insurance coverage which shall be maintained in full force and effect during the term of the contract. The Contractor shall furnish evidence in the form of a Certificate of Insurance that insurance shall be provided, and a copy shall be forwarded to the AGENCY within fifteen (15) days of the contract effective date. Liability Insurance 1) Commercial General Liability Insurance: Contractor shall maintain commercial general liability (CGL) insurance and, if necessary, commercial umbrella insurance, with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 per each occurrence. If CGL insurance contains aggregate limits, the General Aggregate limit shall be at least twice the each occurrence limit. CGL insurance shall have products-completed operations aggregate limit of at least two times the each occurrence limit. All insurance shall cover liability assumed under an insured contract (including the tort liability of another assumed in a business contract), and contain separation of insureds (cross liability) condition. 2) Errors & Omissions Insurance or Professional Liability Insurance: Consultant shall maintain Errors & Omissions Insurance or Professional Liability Insurance with a limit not less than $1,000,000 per each occurrence. Additionally, the Contractor is responsible for ensuring that any subcontractors provide adequate insurance coverage for the activities arising out of subcontracts. 3) Business Auto Policy: As applicable, the Contractor shall maintain business auto liability and, if necessary, commercial umbrella liability insurance with a limit not less than $1,000,000 per accident. Above insurance policy shall include the following provisions: 1. Additional Insured. The Steel Valley Council of Governments, its elected and appointed officials, agents and employees shall be named as an additional insured on all general liability, excess, umbrella and property insurance policies. All insurance provided in compliance with this contract

11 shall be primary as to any other insurance or self-insurance programs afforded to or maintained by the state. 2. Cancellation. The Steel Valley Council of Governments shall be provided written notice before cancellation or non-renewal of any insurance. 3. Excess Coverage. By requiring insurance herein, the AGENCY does not represent that coverage and limits will be adequate to protect Contractor, and such coverage and limits shall not limit Contractor s liability under the indemnities and reimbursements granted to the state in this contract. Workers Compensation Coverage The Contractor will at all times comply with all applicable workers compensation, occupational disease, and occupational health and safety laws, statutes, and regulations to the full extent applicable. The state will not be held responsive in any way for claims filed by the Contractor or their employees for services performed under the terms of this contract. 4. Proposal Contents 4.1 General Information Proposals must be written in English and submitted on eight and one-half by eleven inch (8 ½ x 11 ) paper with tabs separating the major sections of the proposal. The four major sections of the proposal are to be submitted in the order noted below: 1. Letter of Submittal, including signed Certifications and Assurances (Exhibit B to this RFP) 2. Technical Proposal 3. Management Proposal; and, 4. Cost Proposal 4.2 Letter of Submittal (Mandatory) The Letter of Submittal and the attached Certifications and Assurances form (Exhibit B to this RFP) must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Consultant to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship. Along with introductory remarks, the Letter of Submittal is to include by attachment the following information about the Consultant and any proposed subcontractors: 1. Name, address, principal place of business, telephone number, and fax number/ address of legal entity or individual with whom contract would be written. 2. Name, address, and telephone number of each principal officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, etc.)

12 3. Legal status of the Consultant (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists. 4. Federal Employer Tax Identification number or Social Security number 5. Location of the facility from which the Consultant would operate. 6. Identify any employees currently employed or on the firm s governing board as of the date of the proposal who have worked for a member municipality or who have served in a leadership capacity in any of the three COGs or been employed by or served on Board of one of the three COGs. Include their position and responsibilities within the Consultant s organization and current or past involvement with. If following a review of this information, it is determined by the AGENCY that a conflict of interest exists, the Consultant may be disqualified from further consideration for the award of a contract. 4.3 Technical Proposal (SCORED) The Technical Proposal must contain a comprehensive description of services including the following elements: A. Project Approach/Methodology Include a complete description of the Consultant s proposed approach and methodology for the project. This section should convey Consultant s understanding of the proposed project. B. Work Plan - Include all project requirements and the proposed tasks, services, activities, etc. necessary to accomplish the scope of the project defined in this RFP. This section of the technical proposal must contain sufficient detail to convey to members of the evaluation team the Consultant s knowledge of the subjects and skills necessary to successfully complete the project. Include any required involvement of AGENCY staff. The Consultant may also present any creative approaches that might be appropriate and may provide any pertinent supporting documentation. C. Project Schedule - Include a project schedule indicating when the elements of the work will be completed. Project schedule must ensure that any deliverables requested are met. D. Outcomes and Performance Measurement Describe the impacts/outcomes the Consultants propose to achieve as a result of the delivery of these services including how these outcomes would be monitored, measured and reported to the state agency. E. Risks - The Consultant must identify potential risks that are considered significant to the success of the project. Include how the Consultant would propose to effectively monitor and manage these risks, including reporting of risks to the AGENCY S contract manager. F. Deliverables Fully describe deliverables to be submitted under the proposed contract. Deliverables must support the requirements set forth in Section 2, Objectives and Scope of Work. 4.4 Management Proposal A. Project Management (SCORED)

13 1. Project Team Structure/Internal Controls - Provide a description of the proposed project team structure and internal controls to be used during the course of the project, including any subcontractors. Provide an organizational chart of your firm indicating lines of authority for personnel involved in performance of this potential contract and relationships of this staff to other programs or functions of the firm. This chart must also show lines of authority to the next senior level of management. Include who within the firm will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work. 2. Staff Qualifications/Experience - Identify staff, including subcontractors, who will be assigned to the potential contract, indicating the responsibilities and qualifications of such personnel, and include the amount of time each will be assigned to the project. Provide resumes' for the named staff, which include information on the individual s particular skills related to this project, education, experience, significant accomplishments and any other pertinent information. The Consultant must commit that staff identified in its proposal will actually perform the assigned work. Any staff substitution must have the prior approval of the AGENCY. B. Experience of the Consultant (SCORED) 1. Indicate the experience the Consultant and any subcontractors 2. Indicate other relevant experience that indicates the qualifications of the Consultant, and any subcontractors, for the performance of the potential contract. 3. Include a summary of recent, relevant work completed during the last five years that relate to the Consultant s ability to perform the services needed under this RFP. At least three examples of recent, relevant work shall be provided. List contract reference numbers, contract period of performance, contact persons, telephone numbers, and fax numbers/ addresses. Work experience cited as an example shall identify members of the firm who participated in the work and who will be assigned to work on the proposed Business District Analysis. C. References (MANDATORY) List names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers/ addresses of three (3) business references for the Consultant and three (3) business references for the lead staff person for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the type of service provided. Do not include current AGENCY staff as references. By submitting a proposal in response to this Work Request, the vendor and team members grant permission to AGENCY to contact these references and others, who from AGENCY s perspective, may have pertinent information. AGENCY may or may not, at AGENCY s discretion, contact references. The AGENCY may evaluate references at the AGENCY S discretion. D. MWDBE Certification (OPTIONAL AND NOT SCORED)

14 Include proof of certification recognized by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Small Business Opportunities if certified minority-owned firm and/or women-owned firm(s) will be participating on this project. 4.5 Cost Proposal The evaluation process is designed to award this procurement not necessarily to the Consultant of least cost, but rather to the Consultant whose proposal best meets the requirements of this RFP. A. Identification of Costs (SCORED) Identify all costs in U.S. dollars including expenses to be charged for performing the services necessary to accomplish the objectives of the contract. The Consultant is to submit a fully detailed budget including staff costs and any expenses necessary to accomplish the tasks and to produce the deliverables under the contract. The total proposed price for completion of the project, clearly identified. Consultants are required to collect and pay Pennsylvania state sales and use taxes, as applicable. Costs for subcontractors are to be broken out separately. 5. Evaluation and Contract Award 5.1 Evaluation Procedure Responsive proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation and any addenda issued. The evaluation of proposals shall be accomplished by an evaluation team(s), to be designated by the AGENCY, which will determine the ranking of the proposals. AGENCY, at its sole discretion, may elect to select the top-scoring firms as finalists for an oral presentation. The RFP Coordinator may contact the Consultant for clarification of any portion of the Consultant s proposal. 5.2 Evaluation Weighing The following weighting will be assigned to the proposal for evaluation purposes: Technical Proposal 50% Project Approach/Methodology Quality of Work Plan Project Schedule Project Deliverables Management Proposal 25%

15 Project Team Structure and Internal Controls Staff Qualifications/Experience Experience of the Consultant Cost Proposal 25% AGENCY reserves the right to award the contract to the Consultant whose proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of the AGENCY. 5.3 Oral Presentation May Be Required The AGENCY may after evaluating the written proposals elect to schedule oral presentations of the finalists. Should oral presentations become necessary, the AGENCY will contact the top-scoring firm(s) from the written evaluation to schedule a date, time and location. Commitments made by the Consultant at the oral interview, if any, will be considered binding. 5.4 Notification to Proposers The AGENCY will notify the Apparent Successful Contractor of their selection in writing upon completion of the evaluation process. Individuals or firms whose proposals were not selected for further negotiation or award will be notified separately by or facsimile.

16 EXHIBIT A/B CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES I/we make the following certifications and assurances as a required element of the proposal to which it is attached, understanding that the truthfulness of the facts affirmed here and the continuing compliance with these requirements are conditions precedent to the award or continuation of the related contract: 1. I/we declare that all answers and statements made in the proposal are true and correct. 2. The prices and/or cost data have been determined independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement with others for the purpose of restricting competition. However, I/we may freely join with other persons or organizations for the purpose of presenting a single proposal. 3. The attached proposal is a firm offer for a period of 60 days following receipt, and it may be accepted by the AGENCY without further negotiation (except where obviously required by lack of certainty in key terms) at any time within the 60-day period. 4. In preparing this proposal, I/we have not been assisted by any current or former employee of the SVCOG whose duties relate (or did relate) to this proposal or prospective contract, and who was assisting in other than his or her official, public capacity. If there are exceptions to these assurances, I/we have described them in full detail on a separate page attached to this document. 5. I/we understand that the AGENCY will not reimburse me/us for any costs incurred in the preparation of this proposal. All proposals become the property of the AGENCY, and I/we claim no proprietary right to the ideas, writings, items, or samples, unless so stated in this proposal. 6. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices and/or cost data which have been submitted have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by him/her prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Proposer or to any competitor. 7. I/we agree that submission of the attached proposal constitutes acceptance of the solicitation contents. If there are any exceptions to these terms, I/we have described those exceptions in detail on a page attached to this document. 8. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition. 9. I/we grant the AGENCY the right to contact references and other, who may have pertinent information regarding the ability of the Consultant and the lead staff person to perform the services contemplated by this RFP. We (circle one) are / are not submitting proposed Contract exceptions. If Contract exceptions are being submitted, I/we have attached them to this form. On behalf of the Consultant submitting this proposal, my name below attests to the accuracy of the above statement. Signature of Proposer Title Date