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Law No. 09-CC-BKSTR Request for Proposals for Bookstore ServicesAdvertised: March 19, 2009 Suffolk County Community College

Request for Proposals (RFP) for

Bookstore Services

Technical Questions Due: April 2, 2009

Proposals Due: No later than 4:00 p.m. on April 9, 2009

For additional information, contact:Craig M. HarrisAdministrative Director of Business OperationsPhone: 631-451-4435Fax: 631-451-4444E-mail [email protected]

All Proposals must be signed in ink and accompanied by a signed transmittal letter,County Disclosure SCEX Form 22 and Bid Certification SCPD-7

Late Proposals Will Be Rejected

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mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents

Section IAdministrative Information

1. Purpose of RFP 2. Background Information 3. Coordinating Departments 4. Evaluation Committee 5. Administrative and Technical Questions 6. Proposer’s Conference 7. Due Date for Proposals 8. Number of Copies 9. Proposal Format10. Selection Process11. Award Criteria12. RFP Policies and Procedures

Section IICompany Profile

1. General Information/Company Profile 2. Technical Approach 3. Expertise of Proposer, including Qualifications and Experience of Personnel 4. Quality Control 5. Financial Viability

Section IIITechnical Proposal Requirements

1. Project overview2. Scope of Work [or Technical Requirements]

Section IVCost Proposal

Section VModel Agreement

http://www.sunysuffolk.edu/RFP

Section VISuffolk County Request for Proposals (RFP)Legal Appendices/ Forms revised as of 1/14/09


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Section IAdministrative Information

1. Purpose of RFP

Suffolk County Community College (College) invites proposals (Proposal(s)) from qualified companies (Company) to provide Bookstore Services.

2. Background Information

a. The College is a non-resident, public, two-year college with three campuses (located in Riverhead, Brentwood and Selden) and two centers located in Sayville and the City of Riverhead, New York.

b. The College annually enrolls approximately 35,000 students (head count).

c. The Ammerman Campus is located in Selden, New York. The Eastern Campus is located in Southampton, New York. The Grant Campus is located in Brentwood, New York.

3. Coordinating Departments

a. Prior to Award of Contract

The College’s Office of Business and Financial Services (contact listed below) is responsible for coordinating the issuance of the RFP.

Contact: Craig M. Harris, Administrative Director of Business AffairsSuffolk County Community College533 College Road, Rm. 232, NFL BuildingSelden, New York 11784-2899

Tel: (631) 451-4435Fax: (631) 451-4444E-mail: [email protected]

b. After Award of Contract/Prior to Execution of Contract

The College’s Office of Legal Affairs will be responsible for coordinating with Company regarding the negotiation and execution of the contract.

c. After Execution of Contract

The Office of Business and Financial Services is responsible for administration of Company’s contract, including payments.

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mailto:[email protected]


4. Evaluation Committee

A College Evaluation Committee will make the final selection of Company. The Evaluation Committee may include, but may not be limited to, the Associate Vice President for Student Services, the Directors of Student Services, the Campus Business Officersand student representatives.

5. Administrative and Technical Questions

a. Administrative Questions may be submitted in telephone or in writing to the contact listed in paragraph 3 above. E-mail and fax are acceptable; e-mail is preferable.

b. Technical Questions must be submitted in writing on or before April 2, 2009, to the contact listed in paragraph 3 above. E-mail and fax are acceptable; e-mail is preferable. The College Evaluation Committee will develop responses to the technical questions. Responses will be issued by the College in the form of an Addendum to this RFP.

c. Office of Business and Financial Services is Sole Contact during RFP Process

All communications during the RFP process should be directed to the Office of Business and Financial Services or, as appropriate, the College’s Legal Affairs Office. Communication with any other College or County employee or any member of the College Evaluation Committee or any incumbent company for the goods and services being procured pursuant to the RFP may be cause for disqualification from the RFP process.

6. Proposer’s Conference

There will be no Proposer’s Conference.

Companies are encouraged to visit the College as frequently as necessary to familiarize themselves with this project.

7. Due Date for Proposals

Proposals must be submitted to the attention of Mr. Harris, at the address listed in paragraph 3 above by April 9, 2009, no later than 4:00 p.m. In the interest of fairness to all participants, no extensions or exceptions will be permitted, unless issued as an Addendum to this RFP and applicable to all companies.

8. Number of Copies

One original and 8 copies of the Proposal are required, plus one copy on a diskette using an MSWord or ASCII format or as an e-mail attachment in similar format.

Do not submit Proposals that are permanently bound.

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9. Proposal Format

Proposals must include the following:

a. Transmittal Letter on Company Letterhead

Signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of Company

b. Company Profile: Response to Questions set forth in Section II

This section will be used in the College’s evaluation of Company’s generalqualifications. Use the format (expand as appropriate) set forth in Section II, entitled“Company Profile.”

c. Company’s Proposed Technical Services/Products: Responses to items set forth in Section III

This section will be used in the College’s evaluation of Company’s proposed technical services. Use the format (expand as appropriate) set forth in Section III, entitled “Technical Proposal Requirements.”

d. Company’s Cost Proposal: Responses to items set forth in Section IV

i. This section will be used in the College’s evaluation of Company’s proposed fees. Use the format (expand as appropriate) set forth in Section IV, entitled “Cost Proposal.” The Cost Proposal must be submitted in the same package as other items requested by this RFP, but must be in a separate sealed envelope labeled “Cost Proposal.”

ii. One original and 5 copies of the Cost Proposal are required, plus one copy on a diskette using an MSWord or ASCII format or as an e-mail attachment in similar format. Do not submit Cost Proposals that are permanently bound.

e. List (if applicable) of Subcontractors

Identify all subcontractors Company plans to use and the function for which such subcontractors will be responsible. Provide qualifications, including prior relevant experience, for subcontractors anticipated to be used. Failure to include this information in the Proposal may be grounds for disqualification.

f. Requested Changes to Model Agreement

Company should identify any items not set forth in the Model Agreement (reference Section V) which Company requests be negotiated.

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g. County Disclosure SCEX Form 22

Three originals, signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of Company and notarized, are required. SCEX Form 22 is included in the Section entitled “Legal Appendices/ County Forms."

h. County Bid Certification Form SCPD-7

One original, signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of the Company. Form SCPD-7 is included in the Section entitled “Legal Appendices/ County Forms.”

i. Living Wage Forms

Signed by a corporate officer or an authorized agent of the company. Forms are included in the Section entitled “Living Wage Law.” See that section for instructions.

j. Certificate of Authorization

If applicable, Company shall submit with its proposal a copy of its current Certificate of Authorization issued pursuant to § 7210 of the New York Education Law. Company shall also submit with its proposal the Certificate(s) of Authority of any subconsultant or subcontractor who shall perform any professional engineering services under this RFP. Failure to submit copies of Certificate(s) shall be grounds to reject any proposal and disqualify Company as not meeting the necessary minimum qualifications to perform the services required to be performed under this RFP.

k. Pursuant to College Board Resolution No. 2008.38, the College complies with Suffolk County’s Local Preference Law, which applies to all respondents. (See Section VI Legal Appendices).

10. Selection Process

The College will evaluate the submission through a point rating system, set forth below in Paragraph 11. The College may invite firms to make presentations to the Evaluation Committee to demonstrate their qualifications and approach to the project. The final selection will represent the best interests of the College.

11. Award CriteriaPoints

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a. General Qualifications 30Consultant’s history, expertise, experience,financial viability and references.See Section II, entitled “Consultant Profile,”for specific requirements.

b. Proposed Services/Products 30Strategies, methodologies, services offered by Consultant.See Section III entitled“Proposal Requirements” forspecific requirements.

c. Cost Proposal 40Separate sealed envelope.See Section IV, entitled “Cost Proposal,”for specific requirements.

Total 100

12. RFP Policies and Procedures

a. Anyone who intends to submit a Proposal must contact the College’s Office of Business and Financial Services directly and specifically request a copy of this RFP, unless such company was mailed a copy directly from the College’s Office of Business and Financial Services. The Office of Business and Financial Services has responsibility for maintaining a control list of all potential Proposers.

b. It is the College’s intent to select the company that provides the best solution for the College’s needs.

c. Reference is made to the Model Agreement attached (set forth in Section V) for the terms and conditions of the Agreement to be entered into, including indemnification and insurance. The Model Agreement is subject to revision arising out of the terms and conditions imposed by law or deemed appropriate by the College’s Office of Legal Affairs.

d. Company’s response to this RFP, as may be subsequently modified in negotiations with the College, may be included as exhibits in any contracts that the College may execute with Company.

e. The College reserves the right to amend this RFP. The College reserves the right to reject any or all of the proposals, or any part thereof, submitted in response to this RFP, and reserves the right to waive formalities, if such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the College. The College reserves the right to request additional information from any Proposer. The College reserves the right to award negotiated contracts to one or more

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Companies

f. This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the College to pay any costs incurred in connection with any proposal or to procure or contract for any services.

g. The decision to award a contract shall be based on Company’s ability to provide quality services and products and to comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations, including without limitation the local preference and other Suffolk County local laws set forth in the Section entitled “Legal Appendices/ County Forms.”

h. The award of any contract will be made as judged to be in the best interest of the College. The final selection of the company will be made by the College Evaluation Committee, including but not limited to, the representatives set forth in paragraph 4, entitled “Evaluation Committee” of Section I of this RFP.

i. The College General Counsel acts as counsel to the Evaluation Committee, but does not vote in the selection process.

j. Each Proposal will be examined to determine whether it is responsive to the requirements of this RFP. All responsive proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth herein.

k. While the College is under no obligation to contact companies for clarifications, it reserves the right to do so. Depending on the number and quality of the proposals submitted, the College, at the sole discretion of the College Evaluation Committee, may elect to interview all or some of the companies during the selection process and to request presentations, including demonstrations of products and services.

End of text for Section I

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Section IICompany Profile

1. General Information/Company History

a. Company Name, e-mail, main address and all branch office addresses.

b. Describe the nature of your organization (e.g. business corporation, not-for-profit corporation, proprietorship, etc.). If applicable, identify all principals and the ownership interest of each.

c. Year Company was founded and brief history.

d. Total number of employees and total number of licensed professionals. Include an organization chart as relevant.

e. Location(s) from which services will be performed.

f. Annual fee income for the past three (3) years.

g. The general and specific design specialties/expertise and overall resources.

2. Expertise of Company, including Qualifications and Experience of Personnel

a. Describe your Company’s experience in providing services and products similar to those requested in this RFP, particularly for colleges or universities in Suffolk County and the State of New York.

Respondents must provide five references germane to the request, to include client name and address, a project description, and current contact name with title and telephone number.

b. Describe the qualifications and background of staff who will be assigned to the project.

c. Provide the title, role and resume of each team member, including principals.

d. Provide the qualifications and background, corporate affiliation, resumes, and experience of any consultants proposed to support the project.

e. Provide a list of all contracts with the College or the County of Suffolk in the last five years (regardless of type of service) and the time period for those services.

f. Include any brief supplemental information that may be relevant to your qualifications for the project. Such material may include descriptions of specialized equipment the

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company possesses (i.e. CADD, word processing systems, specialty design software, reference materials, drawing archival systems, etc.).

g. Elaborate or superfluous material should not be presented.

3. Quality Control

a. Operational Plan: Describe how Company will ensure performance through adequate management, supervision, review and control.

b. Record and Reporting Systems: Describe Company’s system for self-monitoring and to ensure maintenance of complete and accurate records.

c. Operating Problems: Discuss any operating problems, other than litigation, which you have experienced within the past five years, and their resolution.

4. Financial Viability

a. Financial Statements

For nongovernmental agencies, submit current financial statements prepared and certified by an independent CPA, or internal statements if certified statements are not available or have not been issued within the past twelve (12) months.

b. Indebtedness to County and/or College, Liens and Litigation

i. Submit a statement as to indebtedness, if any, to the County and/or College.

ii. Submit a listing of all outstanding liens, if any, against Company.

iii. Submit a summary of litigation, if any, against Company and its disposition.

End of text for Section II

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Section IIITechnical Proposal Requirements

1. Project Scope

Suffolk County is seeking proposals from companies (Company) to manage bookstores located at its three campuses by providing the services described herein.

The College will select a qualified firm that possesses the applicable knowledge and expertise.

To be considered, respondents must minimally have extensive experience in college bookstore operations. Preferences will be given to vendors with demonstrated commitment to customer service and a track record of increasing sales and profit margins through new and innovative ideas. Additionally, the College will be consider the financial return to it with an emphasis on fair and reasonable pricing for its students.

The term of the contract will be August 1, 2009 through July 31, 2014, with one option to renew for a subsequent five-year (August 1, 2014 through July 31, 2019).

2. Overview of Suffolk County Community College:

a. The College was established in 1960 and is sponsored by the County pursuant to the provisions of the New York State Education Law and State University of New York Regulations. The College is governed by a Board of Trustees (Board) consisting of ten members and is accredited by the Middle States Association. The annual college budget is approximately $175 million.

b. Suffolk County Community College is a non-resident, public, two-year college with three campuses (located in Riverhead, Brentwood and Selden) and extension centers located throughout Suffolk County.

Credit full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment at the College for Fall 2007 was as follows:

Ammerman Grant East Total

` FTE 9,021 5,544 1,971 16,536 FTE

The College operates on a semester calendar and offers programs during the summer and an intersession in January. Non-credit programs are offered at various times during the year.

The College provides space, utilities, and campus phone service for bookstore operations. On the Eastern Campus, the bookstore in the East Peconic Room 109 occupies 1,669 square feet. On the Grant Campus, the bookstore in Captree Commons 111 and 112 occupies 2,450 square

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feet. At the Ammerman Campus, the bookstore occupies 4,880 square feet (bookstore, 2,128; offices, 457, and storage, 2295).

The Company will use these areas solely to stack, display and sell books, stationery, supplies and items usually sold by college bookstores or otherwise permitted.

The present Company reported net sales as follows, for the periods indicated:

AMM GRANT EAST TOTAL

FY08 5,541,297.07 3,523,611.87 1,116,775.82 10,181,684.76

FY07 5,139,946.93 3,309,682.38 1,082,445.47 9,532,074.78

3. Proposal Requirements

a. Describe the solutions the Company will design to meet all aspects of the bookstore needs, including the following:

Management structure Staffing structure and levels Hours of operation Customer service policies and practices Pricing policies Criteria for selection of suppliers and merchandise to be available for sale Innovative approaches to providing service to the higher education market

b.Company must comply totally with the requirements of 20 U.S.C. 1015 and Article 15C of the Education Law of the State of New York and shall cooperate in the implementation of any and all rules, regulations and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees of Suffolk County in compliance with these statutory requirements.

c. Company must agree to terminate the services of any employee or agent who, in the judgment of the President of the College, is considered detrimental to the best interests of the College.

d. Company must agree to hire Suffolk County Community College students for part-time employment wherever and whenever practical.

e. In the space provided by the College, Company must provide the fittings, fixtures, equipment and software required.

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f. Company must describe in detail the process and timetable it proposes to follow to determine the textbooks and other course materials it will provide, clearly noting its responsibilities and those of College personnel.

g. Company must propose a discounting policy relative to new books, new hardcover textbooks, used books relative to current list pricing, stationary and supplies, and how these policies would apply to students, faculty and staff.

h. Company must describe its policy on the return of new and used books and the refund and/or exchange of the same.

i. Company must agree to publicly post its store policies concerning discounts, refunds, exchanges and buy-backs, and to make available a copy of the current list prices of its books and the Publishers’ Wholesale Buying Guide.

j. Company must agree that a student exchange of used books may be established periodically at each campus under the auspices of the duly elected Student Government.

k. Company must agree to give credit to students who are on a financial aid deferral list provided by the College, it being understood that the College will not be guaranteeing payment and that the only source of payment the Company may look to, in the event the financial aid is not received, is the student.

l. Company must agree to make caps and gowns available for graduating students, faculty and staff in the style selected by the College, and to charge the students no more than cost plus a mark-up of 15 percent.

m. Company must agree to remit any amounts due and payable to the College no less often than quarterly, with the amounts due no less than 30 days after the close of the previous quarter. Quarters begin January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1. Company must submit a financial report with each remittance, documenting sales by campus and commissions due and paid. The College may assess an interest charge of one percent per month on any unpaid balances from the remittance due dates.

n. Company must provide general background information, including without limitation, a statement of recent experience in operating similar types of bookstore operations. List the name and address of the accounts, name and title of the client contact, telephone number, opening date, annual volume, and type of contractual arrangements. State available regional and home office support, services and controls to ensure standards and operating results. Indicate other resources available in reasonable proximity to this account, or indicate other resources for providing backup support. (Include this information as part of the Section II response.)

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o. Company must describe its accounting systems, reporting procedures and management control checks with planned frequency schedules. It must provide a sample of the type of financial operating reports it will use for this account. Include an annual operating statement for a similar size account which you operate.

.

p. Company may propose any other financial commitments, to include capital investments, proposed discount rates to students, faculty and/or staff, and other financial incentives offered. This is to be described in Section III, not the “Cost Proposal” in Section IV as they are germane to the consideration of the firm’s proposed delivery of services.

Company, if making such proposals, must include with their proposals for construction or renovation of College’s existing bookstore facilities, descriptions of renovations and, if available, preliminary sketches or drawings. Include estimated costs, amortization, project beginning and ending dates, and other pertinent information. Construction costs must include payment and performance bonds, acceptable insurance, and payment of prevailing wages. Construction estimates must conform to New York State’s prevailing wage provisions.

q. A detailed statement of any equipment purchases required. Include cost, amortization, and other pertinent information.

r. If it is not possible for the Company to meet one or more of the terms or conditions in this RFP, Company must indicate so in writing. Each exception must indicate term or condition that cannot be met, and the reason the specific term or condition cannot be met.

s. Company must agree to sell merchandise only as deemed appropriate by the College and in accordance with agreements with other Colleges.

t. Company must provide and shall describe an online website for the purchase of all books, supplies and other merchandise from the bookstore, as an extension of the bookstore.

u. Company must acknowledge that the College will have sole and absolute discretion over approval of designs ultimately used for construction or renovation of any facilities.

v. Company must acknowledge that its pricing and refund policies shall be subject to College approval, which approval shall not be unreasonable withheld.

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w. Company must agree to adhere to all federal and state environmental, health and safety regulations and local fire and building code ordinances when performing any work on College property or delivering any product or service to the College. The College reserves the right to suspend any work or delivery that violates any federal or state regulation or local ordinance until further notice.

End of Section III

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Section IVCost Proposal

1. The rate of sales commission to be paid by Company to College in consideration of leasing the bookstore premises of the College. Include rates for all types of retail sales, and include calculations of how such payments will be computed and paid.

2. Provide the cost proposal under separate cover.

End of text for Section IV

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