ONE ORIGINAL AND 5 COPIES OF THIS BID MUST BE SUBMITTED

Bidder submitting this Bid should check the appropriate box.

This is: The Original

This is: One of the Copies

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

(RFP)

City of Columbus, Ohio Purchasing Office

77 North Front Street, 5th Floor Columbus, Ohio 43215

614/645-8315

Ohio Municipalities Business Conference & Expo (Solicitation No.) / (Item)

MAYOR'S OFFICE

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION/EBOCO

(Division)

Bid Opening Date and Time (due date and time) Friday, November 11, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. local time

Sealed proposals will be received by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion 1393 E. Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Col, Ohio 43205 until November 11, 2016 at 12:00 P.M. Proposals received after that time will be

returned to the bidder unopened. The City will not be responsible for late mail or other deliveries.

NOTE: FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BID PROPOSAL INTACT MAY BE CAUSE FOR REJECTION.

Bid Proposal Submitted By:

Company Name

Street Address

City State Zip

YES / NO (circle one)Federal I.D. No. Contract Compliance No. E-Mail Address

Contact Person Phone No. Fax No.

-I-

CONTACTS FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS BID PROPOSAL

Solicitation No.:

OTitle:

hio Municipalities Business Conference & Expo

Department/Division or Agency:

MAYOR'S OFFICE/Diversity and Inclusion

CITY OF COLUMBUS PURCHASING OFFICE

Contact the following individuals on questions regarding specifications:

NAME

E-MAIL.

Procurement

Manger:

Sean Fouts

SSFouts@columbus.gov

Secondary Contact:

Thomas Stephens thstephens@columbus.gov

EQUAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION OFFICE

Contract Compliance Applications are available online by registering at the City of Columbus Vendor Services website: http://vendorservices.columbus.gov/e-proc/

For assistance with questions regarding Contract Compliance, telephone (614) 645-4764.

-II-

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CLAUSE

(1) The contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The contractor will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Such action shall include, but not be limited to the following: employment upgrading, demotion, or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; and selection for training. The contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices summarizing the provisions of this Equal Opportunity Clause. (2) The contractor will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor, state that the contractor is an equal opportunity employer. (3) It is the policy of the City of Columbus that business concerns owned and operated by minority and female persons shall have the maximum practical opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts awarded by the city. (4) The contractor shall permit access to any relevant and pertinent reports and documents by the Director for the sole purpose of verifying compliance with this article, and with the regulations of the Equal Business Opportunity Commission Office. All such materials provided to the Director by the contractor shall be considered confidential. (5) The contractor will not obstruct or hinder the Director or his deputies, staff, and assistants in the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities imposed by Article I, Title 39. (6) The contractor and each subcontractor will include a summary of this Equal Opportunity Clause in every subcontract. The contractor will take such action with respect to any subcontract as is necessary as a means of enforcing the provisions of the Equal Opportunity Clause. (7) The contractor agrees to refrain from subcontracting any part of this contract or contract modification thereto to a contractor not holding a valid contract compliance number as provided for in Article I, Title 39. (8) Failure or refusal of a contractor or subcontractor to comply with the provisions of Article I, Title 39, may result in the cancellation of this contract.

ALL CONTRACTORS MUST HOLD A VALID CONTRACT COMPLIANCE

CERTIFICATION NUMBER ISSUED BY THE EBOCO/ODI DIRECTOR. For information regarding contract compliance, please contact the Equal Business Opportunity Commission Office at 614.645.4764. Contract Compliance Applications are available online by registering at the City of Columbus Vendor Services Portal.

INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS (RFP)

-III-

SPECIAL CONDITIONS Special conditions included in the specifications, if inconsistent with provisions included in "Information for Offerors (RFP)", shall take precedence over any provisions in "Information for Offerors (RFP)" to the extent inconsistent. PERSONAL EXAMINATION Offerors are required to satisfy themselves by personal examination of the proposed contract documents and investigation of the conditions at the site of the work in order that they may be fully informed of the contract requirements, the conditions existing, and the difficulties likely to be encountered in the execution of the work. SUBMISSION OF RESPONSE Responses must be submitted as specified in this RFP and enclosed in a sealed envelope marked with the bid name and solicitation number. Offerors are invited to be present at the opening of the responses. All proposals and other material submitted in response to this Request for Proposal (RFP) become the property of the City of Columbus. The City may choose to retain or return these materials to the offeror, at the offeror’s expense. The City is not liable for any cost associated with the preparation of the proposal or any other costs incurred by any bidder prior to the execution of the contract. The rejection of any proposal in whole or in part, at it discretion, will not render the City liable for incurring any cost or damage. If at any time prior to the closing date the invited offeror decides not to provide a proposal, the City will appreciate that a letter to that effect be supplied to the City prior to the deadline. ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION This response submitted by the offeror to the City of Columbus will be accepted or rejected within a period of 180 days from due date. The City reserves the right to waive technicalities, and to cancel and renew the request on the required service. If more than one service, prices shall be quoted on the services requested. However, each service may be considered a separate offer and the City reserves the right to award a contract on each service separately or on all services as a whole or any combination thereof. Offerors whose proposal is made on an "All or None" basis must clearly state such fact in their written responses. Each invitation for Bids, Request for Statements of Qualifications, and Request for Proposals issued by the City shall state that the Bid or Request may be cancelled and that any bid or proposal may be rejected in whole or in part when it is for good cause and in the best interests of the City. WITHDRAWAL OF RESPONSE PROPOSALS Offerors may withdraw their responses at any time prior to the time specified in the advertisement as the closing time for the receipt of responses. However, no offeror shall withdraw or cancel a proposal for a period of 180 calendar days after said advertised closing time for the receipt of the proposals. SIGNATURE REQUIRED The responses must be signed in ink. If the offeror is a firm or corporation, insert the corporate name followed by the signature of a person authorized to sign said response; if a partnership, indicate partnership name followed by the signature of one of the partners; if a sole proprietorship the signature of the owner is required. Where the person signing for a corporation is NOT an

officer or Member of the Company, an affidavit or a resolution of the Board of Directors showing the authority of that person to bind the corporation must be furnished. DEFAULT PROVISION In case of default by the offeror or the contractor, the City of Columbus may procure the articles or services from other sources and hold the offeror or contractor responsible for any excess costs occasioned or incurred thereby. CONTRACT AND BOND The offeror to whom an award is made will be required to execute a written contract with the City of Columbus, Ohio within ten days after receiving such contract for execution, and if specified in the legal notice, furnish a good and approved bond conditioned upon the faithful performance of the same. The proposal, contract, proposal bond, (if applicable), and performance bond (if applicable) shall be in the form herein specified. If, at any time during the continuance of the Contract, any surety shall, in the opinion of the contracting agent of the City, become irresponsible, then said agent shall have the right to require additional and sufficient surety or sureties. The Contractor shall furnish the surety or sureties to the satisfaction of the said agent, within ten (10) days after notice. In default thereof the default provision herein shall apply. LIABILITY, INSURANCE, LICENSES AND PERMITS Where offerors are required to enter or go onto City of Columbus property to deliver materials or perform work or services as a result of contract award, the offeror will assume full duty, obligation and expense of obtaining all necessary licenses, permits, and insurance when required. The offeror shall be liable for any damages or loss to the City occasioned by negligence of the offeror (or his agent) or any person the offeror has designated in the completion of his contract as a result of his response. Particular attention is directed to the statutory requirements of the State of Ohio relative to the licensing of corporation organized under the Laws of any other State. TAXES The City, being a municipality, is tax exempt and will provide appropriate artifact upon request. Federal and/or State Taxes are not to be included in prices quoted. The successful offeror will be furnished an exemption certificate if needed. PRICING Offerors are to quote firm or fixed prices for the duration of any contract, which may be a result of the proposal unless otherwise noted in the specifications. In case of discrepancy in computing the amount of the cost, the UNIT PRICE quoted will govern. In the event of a conflict between the price in numbers and the price in words, the price in words will control. DELIVERY Time will be of the essence for any orders placed as a result of this response. Purchaser reserves the right to cancel such orders, or any part thereof, without obligations if delivery is not made within the time(s) specified. Delivery shall be made during normal working hours and to the destination shown on the proposal.

INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS (RFP) (Continued)

-IIII- Revised 6-28-07

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Contractor hereby certifies the following: that it is familiar with Ohio Revised Code (“O.R.C.”) Section 3517.13; that all applicable parties listed in Division (I)(3) or (J)(3) of O.R.C. Section 3517.13 are in full compliance with Divisions (I)(1) and (J)(1) of that Section; that it is eligible for this contract under the law and will remain in compliance with O.R.C. Section 3517.13 for the duration of this contract and for one year thereafter. QUALITY Unless otherwise stated by the offeror, the proposal will be considered as being in strict accordance with the specifications outlined in this RFP document. SAMPLES Samples, when requested, must be furnished free of expense to the City and if not destroyed, will upon request be returned at the bidder's expense. CHANGES AND ADDENDA TO RFP DOCUMENTS Each change or addenda issued in relation to this document will be published on the City’s Vendor Services website no less than five (5) working days prior to the scheduled RFP due date. In addition, to the extent possible, c notice will be e-mailed to each person registered as having interest in the commodities selected for this RFP. Total RFP inquiry or specific item cancellations may be issued later than that time specified above. REPUDIATION OF AGREEMENT The liability of the City for repudiation of any agreement which might result from this request shall be limited to the difference between the market price at the time and place for tender of the service and the unpaid sales price together with any incidental damages, but less expenses paid in consequence of the breach by the City. The liability of the city shall not be measured by the profits or overhead of seller. CONTRACT MODIFICATION An agreement which may result from this request shall not be modified or altered by any subsequent course of performance between parties or by additional terms contained in any subsequent documents unless said additional or differing terms are incorporated by contract modification authorized to be entered into by ordinance. APPLICABLE LAWS The Revised Code of the State of Ohio, the Charter of the City of Columbus, and all City ordinances insofar as they apply to the laws of competitive bidding, contracts, and purchases, are made a part hereof. REMEDIES All claims, counterclaims, disputes and other matters in question between the City, its agents and employees, and the Contractor arising out of or relating to this agreement or its breach will be decided in a court of competent jurisdiction within the County of Franklin, State of Ohio. OFFERORS TERMS AND CONDITIONS Terms and conditions, submitted with this proposal, which are contrary to City Code or Charter shall be disregarded for the purpose of any subsequent contract. The successful offeror shall be notified as to which terms and conditions, if any, have been deleted or changed. PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS The City of Columbus, as a political subdivision of the State of Ohio, is subject to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 149, known as

the Ohio Public Records Law. Consequently, the Offeror understands that ALL documents submitted in response to this RFP are considered public records and WILL be released when a public records request is made by news media, competitors, or other interested parties, in accordance with the law. If you contend that certain CLEARLY MARKED portions of your response constitute an exception to Ohio’s public records law, you MUST submit your legal basis in support of that assertion with your response. If a public records request is made for any portion of the documents that you have submitted and you have NOT clearly marked such documents as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law, your information will be released immediately. If a public records request is made for such information and you HAVE clearly marked portions of your response as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law, AND you have submitted the legal basis supporting such claim, the City will release a redacted version of your information to the requestor and notify you that a request was made and that a redacted version of your response was released. Should the requestor indicate that the redacted version is not sufficient for their purposes, you then will be IMMEDIATELY responsible for obtaining an order from a Court of competent jurisdiction in Franklin County, Ohio enjoining release of your clearly marked information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law. If a public records request is made for such information and you HAVE clearly marked portions of your response as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law, but you have NOT submitted the legal basis supporting such claim, the City WILL RELEASE your information to the requestor and notify you that a request was made and that your response was released. DO NOT mark your entire response/submittal as information constituting an exception to Ohio’s public records law. If your entire response/submittal is so marked, the City of Columbus will not consider your offer. COSTS INCURRED FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS The City is not liable for any cost associated with the preparation of the proposal or any other costs incurred by any offeror prior to the execution of the contract. The rejection of any proposal in whole or in part, at it discretion, will not render the City liable for incurring any cost or damage. WITHDRAWL OF PROPOSALS If at any time prior to the closing date the invited offeror decides not to provide a proposal, the City will appreciate that a letter to that effect be supplied to the City prior to the deadline. CITY IS TAX EXEMPT The City, being a municipality, is tax exempt and will provide appropriate certification upon written request. SAFETY REQUIREMENTS Successful vendor shall at all times while performing duties, adhere to all rules of their particular industry, with regard to mandates by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and/or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and any other regulation applicable to the circumstance.

(INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS continued next page)

INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS (RFP) (Continued)

-V- Revised 6-28-07

NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT Each respondent is required to submit with his proposal an affidavit stating that neither he nor his agents, nor any other party for him, has paid or agreed to pay, directly or indirectly, any person, firm or corporation any money or valuable consideration for assistance in procuring or attempting to procure the Contract herein referred to, and further agreeing that no such money or regard will be hereafter paid. This affidavit must be on the form required, titled "Non-Collusion Affidavit.” ADDITIONAL CONTRACT TERMS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN THE EVENT OF A CONTRACT This section sets forth contract terms and the required contract documents that the successful offeror must execute following the award of the contract by the contracting authority. PUBLICATIONS The Contractor agrees to submit to the City’s Contract Administrator all advertising, sales promotion, and other publicity matters relating to this Contract wherein the City’s name is mentioned or language used from which the connection of the City’s name therewith may, in the City’s judgment, be inferred or implied. The Contractor further agrees not to publish, or use such advertising, sales promotion, or publicity matter without the prior written consent of the City except that may be required under law. TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE The City upon thirty days written notice may terminate this agreement at its convenience. The party providing goods or services shall be entitled compensation for goods provided or services rendered under the terms of this contract up to the date of notification of termination. TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT If either the City or the Contractor violates any material term or condition of this Contract or fails to fulfill in a timely and proper manner its obligations under this Contract, then the aggrieved party shall give the other party written notice of such failure or violation. The responsible party shall give the other party written notice of such failure or violation. The responsible party will correct the violation or failure within thirty (30) calendar days or as otherwise mutually agreed. If the failure or violation is not corrected, this Contract may be terminated immediately by written notice from the aggrieved party to the other party. The option to terminate shall be the sole discretion of the aggrieved party. If it determined for any reason the failure to perform is without the defaulting party’s control, fault, or negligence, the termination shall be deemed to be a Termination for Convenience. APPLICABLE LAW, REMEDIES This agreement shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio. All claims, counterclaims, disputes and other matters in question between the City, its agents and employees, and the Contractor arising out of or relating to this agreement or its breach will be decided in a court of competent jurisdiction within the County of Franklin, State of Ohio. The remedies provided for in this Contract shall not be exclusive but are in addition to all other remedies available under law. ASSIGNMENT This agreement may not be assigned or otherwise transferred to others by the contractor without the prior written consent of the City.

SAVE HARMLESS Contractor shall protect, indemnify and save the City harmless from and against any damage, cost, or liability, including reasonable attorneys’ fees resulting from claim, by third parties for any or all injuries to persons or damage to property arising from the acts or omissions of the Contractor, its officers, employees, agents, or Subcontractors in providing goods or services under the terms and conditions of this contract. SAVE HARMLESS DISCLOSURE OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION The Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Columbus, Ohio and their respective officials, employees and other agents and representatives, against loss, claim, liability in tort or by statute imposed, charge, cost or expense, including without limitation, attorneys fees to the extent permitted; by law, which may be incurred in connection with, or in any manner of any damage or loss arising from disclosure of proprietary information. PROPRIETARY INFORMATION INDEMNIFICATION The Contractor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the City of Columbus, Ohio and their respective officials, employees and other agents and representatives, against loss, claim, liability in tort or by statute imposed, charge, cost or expense, including without limitation, attorneys fees to the extent permitted; by law, which may be incurred in connection with, or in any manner of any damage or loss arising from disclosure of proprietary information. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION The director of the agency requesting proposals may choose to keep RFP information in confidence during the evaluation process and until the time a contract is executed. This information may include all proposal documentation, notes, including detailed prices, references, resumes, technical and cost information, etc. Thereafter, proposals and all submissions will become public information, as the City is subject to R.C. 149.43, the Public Records Act. CONTRACTOR’S PROPRIETARY INFORMATION Contractor acknowledges that the City is subject to chapter R.C.149.43, the State of Ohio Public Records Law. The City agrees to keep any information confidential except as otherwise required to be disclosed by law including but not limited to the contract. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR STATUS The Contractor shall perform its duties as an independent contractor and not as an employee. Neither the contractor nor any agent or employee of the contractor shall be or shall be deemed to be an agent or employee of the City of Columbus. The Contractor shall pay when due all required employment taxes and income tax on any monies paid pursuant to the contract. Contractor shall acknowledge that the contractor and its employees are not entitled to unemployment insurance benefits unless the contractor or a third party provides such coverage and that the City does not apply for or otherwise provide such coverage. Contractor shall have no authorization, express or implied, to bind the City to any agreements, liability, or understanding except as expressly set forth in the contract. Contractor shall provide and keep in force worker’s compensation (and show proof of such insurance) and unemployment compensation insurance in the amounts required by law, and shall be solely responsible for the acts of the contractor, it’s employees and agents.

(INFORMATION FOR OFFERORS continued next page)

1 | P a g e

1.0 SCOPE AND CLASSIFICATION 1.1 Background: The City of Columbus, Ohio, is soliciting proposals through the

request for proposals (RFP) process to provide for professional consulting services to assist it in planning, marketing and execution of the first ever “Ohio Municipalities Business Conference.” This builds upon the city’s small business conference which has been held for over a decade. The scope has now been extended to a statewide basis. The selected consultant will work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and assigned regional captains to effectively market the conference throughout the state and drive sponsorships and registration. The goal of the conference is to increase business opportunities and expand capacity of diverse business owners throughout the State of Ohio. Through this annual Business Opportunity Fair and Expo there will be the opportunity to match those businesses with opportunities from municipalities and other quasi-governmental organizations throughout Ohio. A key focus will be to increase business opportunities for small / minority / female owned businesses. Agencies to participate in the conference will include Ohio cities with populations greater than 20,000, transit authorities, public universities, school districts and other targeted organizations. The conference will be held in Columbus Ohio on August 2-3, 2017.

• Target Audience:

– Cities from across Ohio with populations of 20,000 plus

– Municipal and County Transit Authorities, Housing Authorities, Port Authorities & Airport Authorities

– Government-Funded Colleges & Universities

– Representatives from Facilities / Purchasing / Administrative and other Departments within these entities and organizations

– Minority and Female Business throughout Ohio

• Administration: Contracted Conference Planner & ‘Regional Captains’

across Ohio:

Northwest (Toledo/Lima)

Northeast (Cleveland/Akron)

Southwest (Cincinnati/Dayton)

Central & Southeast (Columbus)

2 | P a g e

The purpose of this RFP is to retain a consultant that will work with the Department to provide the necessary planning, marketing and execution of the 2017 “Ohio Municipalities Business Conference. The Department anticipates that the consultant will consist of a team that provides the City with expertise in at least the following areas: event planning/project management, marketing, and subject-matter expertise. The budget for the project is subject to negotiation. Contract length will be one year, with optional renewals for two additional years (total of 3 years). The goals of the project are:

1. To assist the Department in all aspects of event planning and marketing.

2. Execute a creative and innovative business conference that leverages key partnerships and impacts diversity and inclusion on a statewide level and scope.

3. Engage minority, female and small business enterprises throughout the state in capacity-building and networking activities that support their growth and sustainability.

Minimum Qualifications: Lead respondents shall have performed at least two (2) projects of similar size and scope in the past five (5) years including at least one (1) project for a city or state government.

1.2 Instructions and Classification: Offerors are encouraged to submit

proposals that demonstrate their competence, ability, past performance, quality and feasibility, as defined in this request. Proposals shall be submitted no later than 12:00 pm Friday November 11, 2016 to Thomas H. Stephens, Assistant Director, Office of Diversity andInclusion/EBOCO, 1393 E. Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43205. Each consultant should provide five (5) copies of the proposal and one (1) electronic PDF copy, and submit the proposals in a sealed envelope. Proposals should be submitted on recycled payer, and printed double-sided. While the appearance of proposals is important, the use on non-recyclable or non-recycled glossy materials is discouraged. Proposals should

3 | P a g e

not exceed thirty (30) pages in length, not including any addenda. All offerors and their proposed subcontractors must have a valid City of Columbus Contract Compliance Number (CCCN) before a contract may be entered. Applications for contract compliance certification may be obtained at the vendor portal of the City of Columbus website. “Go to http://vendor.columbus.gov/sites/public and follow the instructions available in the User Guide to register as a City of Columbus vendor. The instructions for registering at the portal are on page 3 of the User Guide. Approval usually happens within 24 to 48 hours. Don’t forget to complete the ebo questionnaire which is the application for contract compliance. Instructions can be found on page 13 of the User Guide. For questions regarding contract compliance call 614-645-2203.Thecity of Columbus encourages the use of city certified minority and female business enterprises. Include in the proposal the name and qualifications of all certified firms you will consider on this project. The use of certified firms is not a condition of the contract award.

1.3 SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Final date for submission of proposal documents will be no later than 12:00 p.m. November 11, 2016. At the City’s option, in-person presentations by the top-ranked bidders may be requested prior to final selection. The City reserves the right not to make an award.

2.0 APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND PUBLICATIONS Any proposed solution must meet all relevant legal criteria that the City must satisfy.

3.0 SPECIFICATIONS 3.1 General Information: 3.1.1 Term: The proposed contract shall be negotiated which shall include all

terms and conditions of the award.

4 | P a g e

3.1.1.1 Specification Questions: Questions regarding this RFP must be sent via the portal no later than 11:00 a.m. (local time) on Friday, November 4, 2016.Reponses will be posted to this RFP on the City’s website

(vendors.columbus.gov/sites/public) no later than 11:00 a.m. (local time) on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Instructions for adding a vendor question can be found on page 16 of the User Guide.

4.0 RFP OVERVIEW The Offeror’s response to this RFP should be a clear and concise description of the Offeror’s capabilities and proposed service offerings. The RFP will be evaluated using (1) the competence of the offeror to perform the required service as indicated by the technical training, education and experience of the Offeror's personnel who would be assigned to perform the work; (2) the quality and feasibility of the Offeror's technical proposal; (3) the ability of the offeror to perform the required service competently and expeditiously as indicated by the Offeror's workload and the availability of necessary personnel, equipment and facilities; (4) past performance of the Offeror as reflected by evaluations of the city agency, other city agencies and other previous clients of the offeror with respect to such factors as quality of work, success in controlling costs, and success in meeting deadlines. Each of these factors are to be responded to in the manner described herein.

Process Summary: The City will appoint an evaluation committee to evaluate proposals received. The committee will evaluate all Offerors and proposals received and rank the offerors based upon the evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. The committee may then select two (2) or more of the highest qualified Offerors with which to hold additional discussions. The discussions may include, but are not limited to, presentations by the Offerors to the committee to elaborate upon their qualifications, proposals, and/or other pertinent information. Based upon the content of the proposals received including any revisions thereto, and upon any additional discussions with the Offerors the committee shall rank the remaining offerors based upon the evaluation criteria specified in the RFP. The committee shall submit its ranking of the Offerors along with a written explanation to the ODI Director. The ODI Director shall select the

5 | P a g e

Offeror(s) with which to enter into contract negotiations. If negotiations fail, negotiations with this offeror(s) shall be terminated, and the city agency may enter into contract negotiations with another. Evaluation Team: Evaluators will be selected by the City based on their expertise in the subject area. Offerors may not contact members of the evaluation team (hereinafter “committee”) during the bidding and RFP evaluation process except at the City’s request. Offerors are strictly prohibited from communicating with any City employees or officers regarding this solicitation except through the method stated herein during the Question & Answer Period. Any communication from the vendor to the City after the Question & Answer period should be limited to only what is necessary. Necessary communication required by the City will be communicated clearly to Offerors. If any Offeror has a need to communicate with the City, the communication should come only to the Chair of the Committee. If a City employee attempts to communicate with an Offeror contrary to this provision, the Offeror shall report said incident to the Chair of the Committee. The Chair is Thomas H. Stephens, Assistant Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, City of Columbus. He can be reached at Thstephens@columbus.gov or 614-645-0248. A violation of this section on the part of the Offeror could lead to disqualification. RFP Sequence of Events: The following RFP sequence of events represents the City’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. Exact times for questions / answers and due date (on the RFP cover page) are noted in this document and will be published on the City’s VendorServices website.

RFP Issued: Deadline for written questions: approximately 21 days after RFP issued. City response to questions: approximately 4 days after question deadline. RFP Due: approximately 4 days after responses published. Notification of finalists: approximately 15 days after RFP received. Presentations to City: approximately 15 days after notifications sent. Negotiations begin: approximately 10 days after presentations. Contract completed: approximately 40

6 | P a g e

days after completed negotiations. 5.0 Evaluation Criteria: 5.1: All proposals must be submitted in writing and signed by an official

agent or representative of the company submitting the proposal. 5.2: All Proposals must be sealed. Proposers are solely responsible for

ensuring that all documents supporting their proposals are included and are delivered to the above stated address at the appropriate date and time. It will not be sufficient to show that the document was mailed prior to the appropriate date and time.

5.3: Proposals must be submitted in accordance with the instructions

contained herein this document and in accordance with Federal, State and local laws and municipal codes.

5.4: Proposals must be submitted in the following format and include

the following information:

1. Contact Information: Full name and Title, address, email and phone numbers of the individuals responsible for data collection, data evaluation, data analysis and preparation interim reports and the Final report. 2. Full name, address, email and phone number of Project Manager who will be responsible and responsive to the City of Columbus during the progress and completion of the Conference. 3. Qualifications, experience, references and testimonials of each person proposed to complete work under the Proposal. 4. A complete and detailed narrative describing prescribed methodologies to coordinate and implement the conference. This will help us determine ability, quality and feasibility.

7 | P a g e

5. A complete and detailed narrative of past experiences of coordinating and implementing a conference of this size and scope as described in this RFP. 6. References including examples of other conference and expos planned and coordinated with names, address and phone numbers of parties for whom you worked with. This will help us determine past performance. 7. Documentation of any additional information.

5.5: If the organization submitting a proposal must outsource or contract any work to meet the requirements contained herein, such work must be clearly identified in the proposal. Proposers must identify by name, address, and telephone number, any individuals or entities outside the Proposer’s organization that Proposer intends to use for any part of the required scope of work.

5.6: Amendments and Addenda to this RFP will be posted on the City’s

website with the RFP. No verbal or written information, which is not contained within this RFP or its addenda, must be binding on the City of Columbus.

5.7: The City of Columbus reserves the right to reject any and all

proposals. 5.8: The City of Columbus is not obligated to enter into any contract based

on any proposal submitted and reserves the right to negotiate the final contract proposal with selected candidates to the proposal.

5.9: Proposers are responsible for all costs associated with the

preparation and submittal of any proposal, including travel and per diem cost.

5.10: All proposals, responses, inquiries or correspondence relating to or

in reference to this RFP, and all charts, reports and other documents associated with this RFP, become the property of the City of Columbus

8 | P a g e

upon receipt of the documents. 5.11: The winning proposers must provide, a copy of a certificate of

insurance including professional liability coverage before the time of contract.

6.0 TASK TO BE PERFORMED

The proposed tasks follows; however, the consultant is encouraged to suggest deletions or additions within their Project Approach if they believe changes will better meet the objectives of the project.

Meeting Planning: The selected consultant will assist the City in all aspects of meeting planning. The consultant will:

Provide a detailed project plan (the RFP response should include a plan with major milestones)

Assist the City in developing conference program agenda

Be responsible for national and regional talent management procurement

Manage venue logistics

Coordinate with the City for all technology needs including registration portal (website) and all audio visual needs

Assist in driving registration

With assistance from the City recruit and manage needed volunteers

Obtain private sector sponsorship, support and buy-in

Manage kick-off reception, conference event day and post-conference appreciation reception activity

Manage post-conference tasks including supporter, speaker, panel, staff and volunteer appreciation

Coordinate with the City as it concerns the conference Expo and photography.

Conduct a follow-up Survey to ascertain results and effectiveness of the conference.

9 | P a g e

Note: This list may not be exhaustive. The respondent should discuss any additional tasks you believe necessary to ensure a successful conference. Marketing: The City maintains multiple channels of communication with affected community stakeholders including public outreach and meetings, Columbus Government Television and social media including Facebook and Twitter. The consultant will: Assist the Department in identifying targeted stakeholders;

Complete and execute a marketing/promotion plan that utilizes existing City resources and recommends expansion options that support growth of the conference. Message development should be targeted and supported by research A variety of tools and techniques should be proposed and may include road shows, public appearances, surveys and other interactive approaches;

Design and print the conference program.

Provide conference paraphernalia and gifts. Project Post-Mortem: The Consultant will provide a full debriefing of conference activity including but not limited to conference statistics, costs, revenues and lessons learned. The debriefing will take place within two (2) weeks of the conference. Document support: The Consultant may also be asked to produce ancillary materials to support the above tasks, including but not limited to PowerPoint slideshows, videos, reports, brochures, direct mail, posters, and/or pages for the City’s website.

7.0 Evaluation Criteria and Award of Contract

Proposals will be evaluated based criteria as defined in 329.28 of the Columbus City Code.

Section One – Competence (15 points): The competence of the

Offeror to perform the required service as indicated by the technical training, education and experience of the Offeror's personnel who would be assigned to perform the work.

10 | P a g e

The competence of the Offeror to perform the required service as indicated by the technical training, education and experience of the Offeror's personnel who would be assigned to perform the work.

Training, Education, Experience, and Qualifications: The

Offeror shall provide information on those employees that will be involved in the provision of proposed services to the City of Columbus as outlined in the technical proposal as submitted, as well as any other non-specified services. This information shall include but be not limited to the following:

Provide a resume and a list of responsibilities for each employee.

Information on how they will interact with the

City’s Departments and the Mayor’s Office (ODI).

Information on where they fit into the overall proposal.

Information on any specialized skills, if any, within the group and a sample or representative resume(s) if applicable.

Section Two – Quality and Feasibility (35 points): The quality and

feasibility of the Offeror's technical proposal. The quality and feasibility (i.e., the proposal fits within the proposed scope) of the Offeror's technical proposal and compliance to the technical requirements outlined in this document.

Section Three – Ability (25 points): The ability of the Offeror to

perform the required service competently and expeditiously as indicated by the Offeror's workload and the availability of necessary personnel, equipment and facilities.

The ability of the Offeror to perform the required service competently and expeditiously as indicated by the Offeror's workload and the availability of necessary personnel, equipment and facilities. This evaluation shall include

11 | P a g e

consideration of information on the size of the Offeror’s local employee strength, its financial data, as well as information on its assets and inventory.

Organization Size: Provide a description of the Offeror’s

organization size. Description should include, but not necessarily be limited to, date of incorporation, ownership, location of corporate office, number of years in the related business, corporate ethics statement, number of employees locally and overall, locations, both nationally and internationally and longevity.

Financial Stability: The Offeror shall demonstrate, through

standardized and generally accepted financial statements, that it has sufficient financial resources to provide the scope of services is has proposed to the City in the volume projected in its technical proposal and within the time frames required by the City. The Vendor shall provide the following:

A statement as to whether, in the last five (5) years, the

Offeror has filed (or had filed against it) any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, whether voluntary or involuntary or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors; and if so, an explanation providing relevant details, and a

a description of any other pertinent financial information supporting the financial strength of the Offeror.

Section Four – Past Performance (25 points): The past performance

of the Offeror as reflected by evaluations of the city agency, other city agencies and other previous clients of the Offeror with respect to such factors as quality of work, success in controlling costs, and success in meeting deadlines.

12 | P a g e

The past performance of the Offeror as reflected by evaluations of the city agency, other city agencies and other previous clients of the Offeror with respect to conducting a comprehensive disparity study.

Service History: Offeror shall provide a brief history of its

provision of service to organizations of similar size and/or complexity. This service must include at least one large governmental organization.

Local Service History: A brief description of the company’s

background and qualifications with respect to the delivery of utility bill management services in the Columbus metropolitan area as described in the technical proposal.

Professional References: The Offeror must provide

professional references. A minimum of five references are required with at least one (1) coming from a governmental organization. References should consist of projects of a similar scope and complexity.

Cost Structure: The cost structure will be discussed after the written

evaluation process has been completed. Proposal Format: Offerors responses are to be submitted in bound,

8 ½ by 11 inch in format. Responses are to be clearly divided into the letter of transmittal and the seven (7) sections listed in section 5.4. The Offeror’s response to the requirements of each section is to be contained within their response to that particular section. The City will not be responsible for considering information submitted in a different section. Should requirements necessitate that information need be duplicated from a previous section, please duplicate the information. Offeror shall provide one (1) original and five (5) copies of the proposal.

13 | P a g e

Proposal Requirements: 8.0 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL: A dated letter of transmittal on the

Offeror’s letterhead must be in each submittal and shall include, but need not be limited to, the following information:

Identify Materials: Identification of all material enclosures

submitted in RFP. Company information: Provide a primary local address, as

well as a primary local contact name, phone number and email address.

Contact Information: The name, e-mail address, street

address, and telephone number of the individuals to which inquiries about the Offeror’s RFP should be directed.

Agreement to Present: Offeror shall note agreement to

present technical proposals for the City of Columbus, if selected.

Signature: The transmittal letter shall be affixed with the

signature of a person legally authorized to bind the Offeror to a potential contract agreement with the City.

9.0 Submittal of Additional Information: There shall be no additional

sections or information submitted with your proposal. Should you have information that you believe is relevant to the evaluation of your company within the definitions of any of the sections listed above, please duplicate that information in the applicable section of your bid. The City will not be responsible for considering information submitted in a different section.

10.0 Notes: Company Information Changes: The successful Offeror shall keep the

City informed of all changes to contact information including but not

14 | P a g e

limited to, merger or sale of the company, contract administration address change, remittance address change, changes in vendor personnel assigned to this contract, and any other changes that might impact the completion of the contract. For purposes of this contract, “currently informed” means with sufficient notice to properly notify make updates to the City’s data processing systems, funding, or contract modifications. Failure to meet the requirements of this section may be grounds for contract termination or delayed payments.

Non-disclosure: The contractor agrees that no information will be

disclosed to third parties or published in case studies, advertisements, white papers, customer testimonials, etc. without the written consent of the City.

Contract Termination: The City may terminate the contract at any time at its sole

discretion by delivering 90 days written notice to the contractor. Upon termination, the City liability will be limited to the cost of the products and/or services actually received and retained.

In the event that the contractor terminates the contract, it will

refund to the City within two business days of termination, all payments made hereunder by the City to the contractor for products or services not completed or not accepted by the City. Written notification of termination must be delivered to the City not less than 180 days prior to termination.

The above provisions not withstanding, the contact may also

be terminated if: The City may terminate when City law will render

continued performance of the contract impossible or inappropriate. Under these circumstances, the City may terminate the contract by delivering at least 30 day advance written notice of termination to the contractor,

15 | P a g e

specifying the date upon which such termination becomes effective. Upon receipt of such notice, the contractor will exercise its best efforts to carry out the remaining duties.

The City may terminate the whole or part of the contract

at any time upon written notice, if the contractor has failed to satisfactorily perform its contractual duties or responsibilities. In this event, the City may procure services similar to those so terminated, and the contractor must continue its contractual duties that were not terminated.

A complete bid packet will consist of ONE ORIGINAL AND FIVE (5) COPIES.

-X-

PROPOSAL

To the Finance & Management Director of the City of Columbus, Ohio: We (I) propose to furnish the following article(s) and/or service(s) at the price(s) and terms stated subject to all instructions, conditions, specifications and all attachments hereto. We (I) have read all attachments including the specifications and fully understand what is required. Delivery: ______________________________________ - calendar day(s) after receipt of order. Terms: ________________________________________________________________________________ Company Name or Bidder's Name: ________________________________________________________________________________ Business Address of Bidder: ________________________________________________________________________________ REQUIRED Company Employee Information:

Total number of company employees = ____________ Total number of company employees working in Columbus = ___________________

Additional number of employees that will be working in Columbus in the event this contract is awarded to your company = _____________________________________

The full name and residence of all persons and parties interested in the foregoing bid are: (If a corporation, give the name and address of the president and secretary; if firm or partnership, the names and address of the Members or partners.)

Name Address

Authorized Signature X ________________________________ Title: ________________________________ (SIGNATURE MUST IN WRITING IN OTHER THAN BLACK INK) (TITLE MUST BE GIVEN) REVISED 10-5-05

-XX-

CONTRACT SIGNATURE AFFIDAVIT

(Must be completed when the individual signing the Contract is NOT an officer or Member of the Company.) STATE OF: COUNTY OF: , being duly sworn, deposes and says that he/she is of , a Corporation, LLC, or LLP organized and existing under (Title) (Company Name) and by virtue of the laws of the State of , and having its principal office at

City, State, Zip Code Affiant further says that he/she is familiar with the records, minute books and by-laws of (Company Name) Affiant further says that _____________________________is (Name of Person Signing Contract) (Title) Of the Company and is duly authorized to sign the Contract for : For said Company by virtue of (State whether the provision of by-laws or a resolution of the Board of Directors. If resolution, give date of adoption.) Signature of Affiant**

** AFFIANT MUST BE SOMEONE OTHER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL SIGNING THE CONTRACT.**

Sworn to before me and subscribed in my presence this day of 20 Notary Public

My Commission Expires:

-XXX-

Non-Collusion Affidavit

(This affidavit must be executed for the proposal to be considered) State of ______________________________) County ______________________________) ________________________________________________________________, being first duly sworn deposes and says that the is, ______________________________,(sole owner, a partner, president, secretary, etc.) of the party making the foregoing proposal or bid; that such bid is genuine and not collusive or sham; that said bidder is not financially interested in, or otherwise affiliated in a business way with any other bidder on the same Contract; that said has not colluded, conspired, connived or agreed, directly or indirectly, with any bidder or person, to put in a sham bid, or that such other person shall refrain from bidding, and has not in any manner directly or indirectly, sought by agreement or collusion, or communication or conference, with any person, to fix the bid price of affiant or any other bidder or to secure any advantage against the City of Columbus, Ohio or any person or persons interested in the proposed Contract; and that all statements contained in said proposal or bid are true; and further, that such bidder has not directly or indirectly submitted this bid, or the contents thereof or divulged information or data relative thereto to any association or to any member or agent thereof. ______________________________________________ Signature of Affiant Sworn to and subscribed before me this ______ day of __________________, 20____. Notary public in and for (Seal) (county) (state) My commission expires: