PROCUREMENT GUIDELINES

value which takes into consideration cost as well as technical or non-cost factors. For certain service and technology procurements, however, best value can be equated to low price. The RFP should indicate whether the agency anticipates making a single or multiple award pursuant to the solicitation. If there will be multiple awards, it should also state whether awards will be made by lot, region, type of service, or some other characteristic. Evaluation Criteria The RFP must present the criteria that will be used for the evaluation of proposals. At a minimum, the agency must disclose in the RFP the relative weights that will be applied to the cost and technical components of the proposals. An example would be: 30 percent for cost and 70 percent for technical. An agency may elect to include in the RFP a more detailed breakdown of the evaluation criteria, such as specifying the relative weights for detailed categories (e.g., Experience = 20 percent, Staffing = 15 percent, and so forth). Additional information about developing and using evaluation criteria can be found in subsequent sections of this chapter. Offerer’s Minimum Qualifications The RFP should state any qualifications that the offerer must meet to be eligible for consideration. Minimum qualifications may address characteristics of the business such as company capacity, staffing, licenses or certifications, experience (firm and/or employee), recently completed projects of similar scope/size, and references.

Mandatory Requirements Refer to Chapter III.

Reserved Rights The RFP must inform potential bidders of the agency’s “reserved rights.” A list of reserved rights is included in Chapter III, and represents the minimum that should be used. Agencies are encouraged to review the list and add to it as needed. Method for Issuing Clarifications or Modifications to the RFP This section should specify how the agency will issue any clarifications or modifications to the RFP that may arise after it is first issued.

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