The Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee seeks a Digital Services Agency with the ability to provide best-in-class digital marketing services, including, but not limited to:

• Based off primary destination market research, coordinate with Visit Tallahassee marketing staff to develop a strategic and actionable annual marketing campaign that drives visitation and increases brand awareness in the key markets and with target audiences.
• Utilizing the creative brand campaign, anticipated to launch in 2025, develop and execute annual media plan for the destination.
• Develop and execute engaging marketing/activations in key markets to creatively showcase the destination.
• Search Engine Marketing.
• Search Engine Optimization.
• Website content curation and creation.
• Visit Widget® Mobile application development and maintenance.
• Graphic Design work, as needed.
• Social Media Integration on paid and organic content with Visit Tallahassee/Leon County Division of Tourism Social Media Team.
• Account updates and strategic presentations during Tourist Development Council Meetings (4-6 times per year)
• Annually set KPI’s. Report progress to Visit Tallahassee and to Tourist Development Council in a full report including highlights and insights as requested.
• Monthly KPI measurement and reporting, monthly digital analytics and media/campaign ROI. Website tracking/reporting. Mobile tracking and reporting.

• Targeted Marketing Campaign Development: Develop a research-driven annual marketing campaign targeting key markets, informed by primary destination research. The campaign should strategically drive visitation to Tallahassee and increase brand awareness through engaging and impactful digital advertising initiatives.
• Integrated Media Planning and Execution: Utilize the creative brand campaign to develop and execute a comprehensive annual media plan that effectively reaches Visit Tallahassee's target audience across various digital platforms. This should include strategic placements, ad formats, and messaging tailored to each channel for maximum impact and ROI.
• Innovative Experiential Marketing: Conceptualize and implement experiential marketing activations in key markets to creatively showcase Tallahassee as a desirable tourist destination. These activations should provide memorable and immersive experiences that resonate with target audiences, driving engagement and fostering positive brand associations.
• Data-Driven Performance Measurement: Develop and Implement KPI measurement strategies to track the effectiveness of digital advertising campaigns and initiatives. Provide monthly digital analytics reports and media/campaign ROI analysis to assess performance, optimize strategies, and ensure alignment with Visit Tallahassee's objectives. Additionally, implement website and mobile tracking/reporting mechanisms to monitor visitor behavior and inform ongoing content curation, design, and optimization efforts.

Leon County Division of Tourism/ Visit Tallahassee, requires innovative concepts and strategies along with a demonstration of quantifiable results. Agency(s) must offer best-in-class services and must have extensive experience in destination marketing, preferably with a Florida DMO, as demonstrated in case studies and examples provided.

Within the first two to four months of the award of the contract, it is expected that the awarded vendor will provide a strategic annual marketing campaign as well as an outline of recommended media buys to support the campaign. In June/July of years following the annual year of the contract, awarded vendor will work with Visit Tallahassee to develop annual marketing campaign as well as an outline of recommended media buys to support the campaign. Plan must be finalized by Sept. 15 of each year of the contract.

Within the next six to twelve months of the awarded contract, following the launch of the new destination branding campaign, it is expected that the awarded vendor will develop website framework and begin execution of new destination website. Additionally, it is expected that the awarded vendor will monitor effectiveness of the executed creative campaign and adjust as necessary to optimize budget and effectiveness utilizing tools like Google Analytics, Zartico, etc.

The selected agency must have significant experience in destination marketing, preferably Florida DMO’s and expertise in targeting primarily leisure travel consumers.

The selected agency shall be in‐market for discovery after contract execution, on or around the October 1, 2024 start date. If located outside of the Tallahassee-Leon County area, the agency shall be consistently available in‐market.

• Operational requirements include:

  1. • If located outside of the Tallahassee-Leon County area, the agency shall be consistently available and in‐market on a regular basis.
     • The selected agency shall assign a permanent team with diverse perspectives that represent Tallahassee-Leon County that will take ownership of the Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee account. Vendor must assign one account manager to this account and identify the percentage of that individual’s time that will be devoted to this account. Frequently changing or ad hoc assignment of personnel will not be accepted and can be considered grounds for contract termination.
     • All media and outside purchases will be at net cost with no markup. Fees and commissions, if any, shall be paid to the County or credited against agency billings.
     • Written estimates must be provided for each billable job and this approved and signed estimate must accompany billing. If changes are necessary because of a request by the Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee, TDC or for other reasons, new estimates must be provided and signed prior to any execution.
     • Billing per job must include proof of agency payment for outside expenses, copies of all out-of-pocket expenses incurred, signed estimate and affidavit indicating total number of agency hours incurred.
     • Leon County/Visit Tallahassee retains ownership and all rights of use (including by assigns) of all marketing and advertising materials generated by the agency(s) and paid for by the County for use in its campaigns.
     • Leon County/Visit Tallahassee maintains the right to use any agency‐generated materials as it deems necessary and may do so without consent or approval.
     • The Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee requires universal releases for materials unless mutually agreed cost considerations become prohibitive, such as model releases, music, photography, etc. Any restrictions on contracted materials such as photography, talent, models, etc. are to be provided to the Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee in advance with implications stated. In general, buyouts should be incorporated into the initial production costs.
     • The Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee shall have final review and approval of all work concepts, created and or produced for the account by the agency.
     • The Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee retains the right to hire/contract/work with other advertising, marketing, promotion or technology agencies/vendors including freelance creative suppliers as deemed appropriate to achieve the County needs.
     • The Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee must be advised of all current and new North Florida business solicitations by the selected agency so the Leon County Division of Tourism/Visit Tallahassee can determine if these present a potential conflict of interest.
     • The Leon County Division of Tourism must abide by state regulations that prohibit public entities from making advance payment of goods and services.

Any person requiring a special accommodation at a Pre-Proposal Conference or RFP opening because of a disability must call the Division of Purchasing at (850) 606-1600 at least five (5) workdays prior to the Pre-Proposal Conference or RFP opening. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the Purchasing Division by calling the County Administrator's Office using the Florida Relay Service which can be reached at 1(800) 955-8771 (TDD).

Any Form of communication, except for written correspondence with the Purchasing Division requesting clarification or asking questions, shall be prohibited regarding a particular request for proposal, request for qualification, bid, or any other competitive solicitation between:

1. Any person or person’s representative seeking an award from such competitive solicitation; and
2. Any County Commissioner or Commissioner’s staff, or any county employee authorized to act on behalf of the Commission to award a particular contract.

For the purpose of this section, a person’s representative shall include, but not be limited to, the person’s employee, partner, officer, director, consultant, lobbyist, lawyer, relative, or any actual or potential subcontractor or consultant of the person.

The prohibited communication shall be in effect as of the release of the competitive solicitation and terminate at the time the Board, or a County department authorized to act on behalf of the Board, awards or approves a contract, rejects all bids or responses, or otherwise takes action which ends the solicitation process.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to oral communications at any public proceeding, including pre-bid conferences, oral presentations before selection committees, contract negotiations during any public meetings, presentations made to the Board, and protest hearings. Further, the provisions of this section shall not apply to contract negotiations between any employee and the intended awardee, any dispute resolution process following the filing of a protest between the person filing the protest and any employee, communications with the County Attorney or communications with the Purchasing Director.

Violation of this section may result in disqualification from this solicitation and shall be grounds for suspension from doing business with the County.

Proposals for this RFP shall be submitted electronically to this solicitation in OPENGOV Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty.

Respondents who obtain solicitation documents from sources other than the County Purchasing Division MUST officially register with the County Purchasing Division in order to be placed on the plan holders list for the solicitation. This list is used for communications from the County to prospective respondents. Also, respondents should be aware that solicitation documents obtained from sources other than those listed above may be drafts, incomplete, or in some other fashion different from the official solicitation document(s). Failure to register as a prospective respondent through the Purchasing Division may cause your submittal to be rejected as non-responsive. To Register, complete the online vendor registration process, find the opportunity of interest, and click "Follow" or "Draft Response".

A plan holders list is made available via the internet lists of all registered plan holders for each bid or request for proposals. The information is available on-line at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty. by simply clicking the Followers tab for each respective solicitation. A listing of the registered vendors with their contact information is designed to assist vendors in preparation of their responses.

The County and its representatives shall not be responsible for any errors or omission in the RFP. Due care and diligence has been exercised in the preparation of this RFP, and all information contained herein is believed to be substantially correct. Information is subject to review by the successful respondent.

Leon County objects to and shall not consider any additional terms or conditions submitted by a respondent, including any appearing in documents attached as part of a respondent’s response. In submitting its response, a respondent agrees that any additional terms or conditions, whether submitted intentionally or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect. Failure to comply with terms and conditions, including those specifying information that must be submitted with a response, shall be grounds for rejecting a response or placing a respondent in default.

A Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 10:00 am. The Location is as follows: Leon County Purchasing Office 1800-3 N. Blair Stone Rd. Tallahassee, FL 32308 -OR- https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YjhiZGQxMzQtYmU1Yy00ZGI5LWI5M2QtZWJlZTA1ZWU1MDdi%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22854ed59b-aa79-47ab-bff4-86a4211bbe97%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22a63713f5-e829-4a9a-bed6-65bdf428f0f9%22%7d Meeting ID: 225 507 425 436 Passcode: ZgkZzv -OR- Microsoft Teams - Dial in by phone: +1 929-352-3425 Phone conference ID: 466 168 239#.

The Pre-Proposal Meeting will be a public meeting that the public is invited to attend either physically in person or an audio conference at the County's discretion.  All questions of Respondents to be discussed at the Pre-Proposal meeting must be submitted in writing by the deadline identified in the Schedule of Events as the Deadline for Pre-Proposal Meeting Questions. The Respondents will be instructed to submit all questions after the meeting to the Leon County e-Procurement website.

The purpose of the Pre-Proposal Meeting is to provide a forum to answer questions concerning the RFP, instructions for submitting proposals, and other relevant issues. In the event that any discussions or questions at the Pre-Proposal Meeting require, in the Leon County's opinion, official additions, deletions, or clarifications of the RFP, Leon County will issue a written summary of questions and answers or an addendum to this RFP as the Leon County determines is appropriate. No oral representations or discussions, which take place at the Pre-Proposal Meeting, will be binding on Leon County. The Respondents will be instructed to direct all questions after the meeting to Leon County e-Procurement website.

While the Question and Answer period is open, respondents shall select the Question and Answer tab of the solicitation to submit their questions.  PLEASE DO NOT Email inquiries.

Each respondent shall examine the solicitation documents carefully, including the forms and agreement; and, no later than the last day for questions listed in schedule of events, shall make a written request to the County for interpretations or corrections of any ambiguity, inconsistency or error discovered in the solicitation, including the agreement. The County will prepare a written response to each written question, comment, and recommendation that is delivered to the County prior to the deadline listed in the schedule of events. The County's written responses will be posted to this solicitation. The County will not be responsible for oral clarifications. No negotiations, decisions or actions shall be initiated or executed by the proposer as a result of any discussions with any County employee prior to the opening of proposals. Only those communications which are in writing from the County may be considered as a duly authorized expression on the behalf of the Board. Also, only communications from firms which are in writing and signed will be recognized by the Board as duly authorized expressions on behalf of respondent. Each respondent shall be deemed to have waived all questions, comments, and recommendations that are not submitted to the County in compliance with this section.

Addenda to this solicitation will be posted to the solicitation on the e-Procurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty. For those projects with separate plans, blueprints, or other materials that cannot be accessed through the internet, the Purchasing Division will make a good faith effort to ensure that all registered vendors (those vendors who have been registered as receiving a proposal package) receive the documents. It is the responsibility of the vendor prior to submission of any proposal to check the above website or contact the Leon County Purchasing Division at (850) 606-1600 to verify any addenda issued. The receipt of all addenda must be acknowledged on the response sheet.

Proposals shall be electronically submitted (uploaded) to the solicitation on the County e-Procurement portal (https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty) no later than the Opening Date (Wednesday, August 21, 2024 at 2:00 pm), as identified in the Timeline, to be considered.

Proposals will be opened publicly at the time and place stated in the Timeline. When the specified time has arrived no proposals received thereafter will be considered. At the time fixed for the opening of proposals, the tabulation sheet will be made public and will be posted on the Purchasing Division website at: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty.

Sealed bids, proposals, or replies received by the County pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from public records disclosure until such time as the County posts an intended decision or until 30 days after opening of the documents, whichever is earlier. If the County rejects all Proposals submitted in response to this RFP, the rejected Proposals remain exempt from public records disclosure until the County posts an intended decision or until the County withdraws the reissued Proposal. Proposals received by the County pursuant to this RFP will not remain exempt for longer than twelve (12) months after the County rejects such Bids.

It is the respondent's responsibility to assure that the proposal is submitted at the proper time and location. Electronic submissions will not be allowed through the County's e-Procurement portal once the deadline has passed.

The County is not liable for any costs incurred by respondents prior to the issuance of an executed contract.

Any material submitted to the County that Respondent contends constitutes or contains trade secrets or is otherwise exempt from production under Florida public records laws (including Chapter 119, Florida Statutes) (“Trade Secret Materials”) must be redacted, conspicuously labeled “EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC RECORD PRODUCTION — TRADE SECRET” and the applicable statutory provision for the exemption must be stated. The Respondent is required to also provide an unredacted copy of the redacted information as part of the Proposal. If a third party submits a request to the County for records designated as Trade Secret Materials by a Respondent, the County shall refrain from disclosing the Trade Secret Materials, unless otherwise ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or authorized in writing by Respondent. By submitting a Proposal, Respondent agrees to indemnify and defend the County and its employees and agents from any and all claims, causes of action, losses, fines, penalties, damages, judgments and liabilities of any kind, including attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and court costs, relating to the nondisclosure of any Trade Secret Materials in response to a records request by a third party. 

The County reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals, in whole or in part, when such rejection is in the best interest of the County. Further, the County reserves the right to withdraw this solicitation at any time prior to final award of contract.

Award shall be made to the responsive, responsible vendor whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to Leon County, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the Request for Proposals. In accordance with Section 287.05701(3), Florida Statutes, in determining whether a bidder is responsible, the County will not request documentation of or consider a bidder’s social, political, or ideological interests, nor give preference to a bidder based on such interests. No other factors or criteria shall be used in the evaluation criteria that are not included in the Request for Proposal. The County reserves the right to waive any minor irregularity in proposals and to make an award in whole or in part when either or both conditions are in the best interest of Leon County.

Notice of the Intended Decision will be posted on the County website at: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty for a period of seventy-two (72) consecutive hours, which does not include weekends or County observed holidays. Failure to file a protest within the time prescribed in Leon County Policy No. 96-1, Purchasing Policy, or failure to post the bond or other security required by law within the time allowed for filing a bond shall constitute a waiver of proceedings. Notice of intent of bid protest shall be made in writing to the Purchasing Director, 1800-3 N. Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32308. The bidder shall be responsible for inquiring as to any and all award recommendation/postings.

Any award recommendation may be protested on the grounds of irregularities in the specifications, procedure, or the evaluation of the proposal. Such notice of an intent to protest shall be made in writing to the Purchasing Director within 72 hours after receipt of the intended recommendation of award and the protestor shall file a formal written bid challenge within 10 days after the date in which the notice of intent of bid protest has been submitted. The notice of protest shall contain at minimum: the name of the Protestor; the Protestor’s address and phone number; the name of the Protestor’s representative to whom notices may be sent; the name and bid number of the solicitation; and a brief factual summary of the basis of the protest. Failure to file a notice of an intent to protest or failure to file a formal written bid protest shall constitute a waiver of all rights granted under this section.

The respondent shall be responsible for obtaining and maintaining throughout the contract period any licenses required pursuant to the laws of Leon County, the City of Tallahassee, or the State of Florida.

If the contractor is operating under a fictitious name as defined in Section 865.09, Florida Statutes, proof of current registration with the Florida Secretary of State shall be submitted with the proposal. A business formed by an attorney actively licensed to practice law in this state, by a person actively licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or the Department of Health for the purpose of practicing his or her licensed profession, or by any corporation, partnership, or other commercial entity that is actively organized or registered with the Department of State shall submit a copy of the current licensing from the appropriate agency and/or proof of current active status with the Division of Corporations of the State of Florida or such other state as applicable.

Failure to provide the above required documentation may result in the proposal being determined as non-responsive.

A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a public entity crime may not submit a bid on a contract to provide any goods or services to a public entity, may not submit a bid on a contract with a public entity for the construction or repair of a public building or public work, may not submit bids on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017, Florida Statute for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months from the date of being placed on the convicted vendor list. By submission of a proposal in response to this solicitation, the proposer certifies compliance with the above requirements as stated in Section 287.133, Florida Statutes.

The prospective primary participant must certify to the best of its knowledge and belief, that it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency and meet all other such responsibility matters as contained on the attached certification form.

The Contractor agrees that unauthorized aliens shall not be employed nor utilized in the performance of the requirements of this solicitation or any work authorized thereunder. The County shall consider the employment or utilization of unauthorized aliens a violation of Section 274A(e) of the Immigration and Naturalization Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a). Such violation shall be cause for unilateral termination of this Agreement by the County. As part of the response to this solicitation, please complete and submit the attached form “AFFIDAVIT CERTIFICATION IMMIGRATION LAWS.”

By providing goods and/or services to the County, the Contractor is obligated to comply with the provisions of Section 448.095, Florida Statutes, “Employment Eligibility.” Compliance with Section 448.095, Florida Statutes., includes, but is not limited to, utilization of the E-Verify System to verify the work authorization status of all newly hired employees, and requiring all subcontractors to provide an affidavit attesting that the subcontractor does not employ, contract with, or subcontract with, an unauthorized alien. The Contractor affirms and represents that it is registered with the E-Verify system and is using same and will continue to use same as required by Section 448.095, Florida Statutes.

1. Preference in requests for proposals. In purchasing of, or letting of contracts for procurement of, personal property, materials, contractual services, and construction of improvements to real property or existing structures for which a request for proposals is developed with evaluation criteria, a local preference of the total score may be assigned for a local preference, as follows:
   1. Individuals or firms which have a home office located within Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla, or Jefferson County, and which meet all of the criteria for a local business as set forth below, shall be given a preference in the amount of five percent.
   2. Individuals or firms which do not have a home office located within Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla, or Jefferson County, and which meet all of the criteria for a local business as set forth below, shall be given a preference in the amount of three percent.
   3. For the purposes of this section, "home office" shall mean a business's principal office or headquarters constituting the center for administration and policymaking.
2. Local business definition. For purposes of this section, "local business" shall mean a business which:
   1. Has had a fixed office or distribution point located in and having a street address within Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla, or Jefferson County for at least six (6) months immediately prior to the issuance of the request for competitive bids or request for proposals by the County; and
   2. Holds any business license required by Leon County, and, if applicable, the City of Tallahassee; and
   3. Is the principal offeror who is a single offeror; a business which is the prime contractor and not a subcontractor; or a partner or joint venturer submitting an offer in conjunction with other businesses.
3. Certification. Any vendor claiming to be a local business as defined herein, shall so certify in writing to the Purchasing Division. The certification shall provide all necessary information to meet the requirements set forth above. The Local Vendor Certification Form is enclosed. The purchasing agent shall not be required to verify the accuracy of any such certifications, and shall have the sole discretion to determine if a vendor meets the definition of a "local business."

All vendors in accordance with Florida Statute 287.087 must certify the following actions:

1. Publish a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.
2. Inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace, the business’s policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace, any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee assistance programs, and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations.
3. Give each employee engaged in providing the commodities or contractual services that are under response/bid a copy of the statement specified in subsection (1).
4. In the statement specified in subsection (1), notify the employees that, as a condition of working on the commodities or contractual services that are under response/bid, the employee will abide by the terms of the statement and will notify the employer of any conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, any violation of Chapter 893 (Florida Statutes) or of any controlled substance law of the United States or any state, for a violation occurring in the workplace no later than five (5) days after such conviction.
5. Impose a sanction on, or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program if such is available in the employee’s community, or any employee who is so convicted.
6. Make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug-free workplace through implementation of this section.

Vendor must confirm compliance with this requirement in the Required Submittals section of your response.

The contractors and all subcontractors shall agree to a commitment to the principles and practices of equal opportunity in employment and to comply with the letter and spirit of federal, state, and local laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, national region, sex, age, handicap, marital status, and political affiliation or belief.

For federally funded projects, in addition to the above, the contractor shall agree to comply with Executive Order 11246, as amended, and to comply with specific affirmative action obligations contained therein.

In addition to completing the Equal Opportunity Statement, the Respondent shall include a copy of any affirmative action or equal opportunity policies in effect at the time of submission.

A company is ineligible to, and may not, bid on, submit a proposal for, or enter into or renew a contract with Leon County for goods or services of any amount if, at the time of bidding on, submitting a proposal for, or entering into or renewing such contract, the company 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.

A company is ineligible to, and may not, bid on, submit a proposal for, or enter into or renew a contract with Leon County for goods or services of $1 million or more if, at the time of bidding on, submitting a proposal for, or entering into or renewing such contract, the company is on the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in Sudan List, the Scrutinized Companies with Activities in the Iran Petroleum Energy Sector List, created pursuant to Section 215.4725, Florida Statutes, or with companies engaged in business operations in Cuba or Syria.

The County Administrator shall appoint an Evaluation Committee composed of three to five members who will review and evaluate all proposals received on time. 

Meetings of Evaluation Committees subsequent to the opening of the solicitation shall be public meetings. Notice of all meetings shall be posted on the Purchasing Division website at:https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/leoncounty and in the Purchasing Division Offices no less than 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).

Evaluators will independently score each responsive proposal based upon the points given in the Scoring Sheet utilizing the Evaluation Criteria Matrix.  The scores for both Price/Cost and Local preference will be calculated by the Purchasing Division.  Responsiveness of MWSBE Forms will be determined by the MWSBE Division and scored appropriately.

Proposals will be ranked using the ordinal ranking process. First, each evaluator will score proposals based upon the points given in the Scoring Sheet utilizing the Evaluation Criteria contained herein. Then ordinal ranking will be used to rank each proposal. These rankings will be averaged to determine the final ranking of proposals. 

Award shall be made to the responsive, responsible offeror whose proposal is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to Leon County, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the Request for Proposals. No other factors or criteria shall be used in the evaluation criteria that are not included in the Request for Proposal.  The County reserves the right to negotiate with the awarded vendor for any related items, products, services, method of compensation, or associated work/services not specifically listed in this solicitation.

The County reserves the right to waive any minor irregularity in proposals and to make an award in whole or in part when either or both conditions are in the best interest of Leon County.

The Minority Women Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Policy of the City of Tallahassee, Leon County Government, and Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency applies to this solicitation. This solicitation has a project specific goal for the participation of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) firms certified by the Office of Economic Vitality (OEV) MWSBE Division.

• Certified MBE Participation Project Specific Goal: 5%
• Certified WBE Participation Project Specific Goal: 6%

All respondents, including MBE firms, and WBE firms will meet the project specific goal(s) or demonstrate in their response that a good faith effort was made to meet the project specific goal(s). When an MBE or WBE firm is the prime contractor or consultant, the goal is fulfilled for their certification designation and the other portion of the goal, if present, must be fulfilled. For example, if a certified MBE firm responds to a solicitation as a prime contractor, the goal for MBE participation is fulfilled. The MBE prime contractor remains responsible for meeting the goal for WBE participation.

Certified MBE and WBE firms may participate by providing goods or services in support of the project as subcontractors or subconsultants identified on the Respondent and Team Summary Form.

The MWSBE Division will deem responses responsive to the MWBE Section of the solicitation if they include a completed MWBE Participation Plan that is eligible for points and/or Good Faith Effort documentation. The maximum number of points are described in the Evaluation Criteria [see Section 11] of this Solicitation. For further detail on the possible combination or assessment of MWBE points, see the Minority Women Small Business Enterprise (MWSBE) Policy.

Please complete an MWSBE Participation Plan, include the MBE and WBE firms on your Respondent and Team Summary Form, and, if you are unable to meet the project specific goal, complete a Good Faith Effort Form. To be eligible for evaluation, all MWBE Section Forms (Attachment C) must be uploaded to your response (see Section 12. Submittals).

If you are unable to meet the project specific goal for MBE and WBE participation, you must submit a Good Faith Effort Form documenting your efforts to identify MBE and WBE firms to participate in order for your response to remain responsive to this solicitation.

Each Respondent is strongly encouraged to secure MBE and WBE firm participation. Respondents needing assistance or guidance with these requirements should contact LaTanya Raffington of the MWSBE Division at [email protected] OR Shanea Wilks of the MWSBE Division at [email protected]. A directory of certified MBE and WBE firms is available on the OEV website: https://oevforbusiness.mwsbe.com.

Bidders’ attention is directed to the insurance requirements set forth in the Agreement contained in the "Attachments" section of this solicitation. Bidders should confer with their respective insurance carriers or brokers to determine in advance of bid submission the availability of insurance certificates and endorsements as prescribed and provided herein. If an apparent low bidder fails to comply strictly with the insurance requirements, that bidder may be disqualified from award of the contract.

The awarded Contractor shall procure and maintain for the duration of the contract insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work hereunder by the Contractor, his agents, representatives, employees or subcontractors. The cost of such insurance shall be included in the Contractor’s bid.

The terms and conditions associated with this solicitation are as set forth in the Agreement contained in the "Attachments" section of this solicitation. After the proposal award the County will, at its option, prepare a purchase order or an agreement specifying the terms and conditions resulting from the award of this bid. Every procurement of contractual services shall be evidenced by a written agreement. The respondent will have five calendar days after receipt to acknowledge the purchase order or execute the agreement.

The performance of Leon County of any of its obligations under the purchase order or agreement shall be subject to and contingent upon the availability of funds lawfully expendable for the purposes of the purchase order or agreement for the current and any future periods provided for within the proposal specifications.

Consultant travel which is not covered within the scope of the consultant’s contract and which is billed separately to the County on a cost reimbursement basis must receive prior approval and will be reimbursed in accordance with the Leon County Travel Policy. Travel expenses shall be limited to those expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of a public purpose authorized by law to be performed by the Leon County Board of County Commissioners and must be within limitations described herein and in Ch. 112.06, Florida Statutes. Consultants and contractors, traveling on a cost reimbursement basis, must have their travel authorized by the department head from whose budget the travel expenses will be paid and the County Administrator.

With the consent and agreement of the successful vendor(s), purchases may be made under this solicitation by other governmental agencies or political subdivisions within the State of Florida. Such purchases shall be governed by the same pricing, terms and conditions stated herein with no deviations allowed. This agreement in no way restricts or interferes with the right of any public agency or political subdivision to bid any or all of the items or services independently.

PROPOSALS MAY BE REJECTED AND/OR BIDDER(S)/PROPOSERS DISQUALIFIED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:

1. Failure to perform according to contract provisions.
2. Conviction in a court of law of any criminal offense in connection with the conduct of business.
3. Clear and convincing evidence of a violation of any federal or state anti-trust law based on the submission of bids or proposals, or the awarding of contracts.
4. Clear and convincing evidence that the bidder has attempted to give a Board employee a gratuity of any kind for the purpose of influencing a recommendation or decision in connection with any part of the Board's purchasing activity.
5. Other reasons deemed appropriate by the Board of County Commissioners.

It shall be unethical for any person to offer, give, or agree to give any County employee, or for any County employee to solicit, demand, accept, or agree to accept from another person, a gratuity or an offer of employment in connection with any decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, or preparation of any part of a program requirement or a purchase request, influencing the content of any specification or procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, auditing, or performing in any other advisory capacity in any proceeding or application, request for ruling, determination, claim or controversy, or other particular matter, subcontract, or to any solicitation or proposal therefor.

It shall be unethical for any payment, gratuity, or offer of employment to be made by or on behalf of a subcontractor under a contract to the prime contractor or higher tier subcontractor or any person associated therewith, as an inducement for the award of a subcontract or order.

The Board reserves the right to deny award or immediately suspend any contract resulting from this proposal pending final determination of charges of unethical business practices. At its sole discretion, the Board may deny award or cancel the contract if it determines that unethical business practices were involved.