Agency of Commerce & Community Development Department of Tourism & Marketing 1 National Life Drive, 6th Floor Montpelier, VT 05620-0501 802-828-3211

SEALED BID

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Call Center Services

ISSUE DATE: May 10, 2012 BIDDERS’ CONFERENCE: May 21, 2012, 10:00 a.m. QUESTIONS DUE BY: May 16, 2012, 2:00 p.m. DUE DATE and TIME: May 24, 2012, 2:00 p.m. LOCATION OF BID OPENING: ACCD, 1National Life Drive, 6th Floor, Montpelier , Vt. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND AMENDMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:

http://www.vermontbidsystem.com/ THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT VENDORS WITH UPDATED INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH VENDOR TO PERIODICALLY CHECK FOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND AMENDMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RFP. Single Point of Contact: Kathy Murphy, Chief Marketing Officer TELEPHONE: (802) 828-2999 E-MAIL: Kathy.Murphy@state.vt.us FAX: (802) 828-2233

http://www.vermontbidsystem.com/

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 1

1. OVERVIEW:

1.1. SCOPE: The State of Vermont (“State”) is seeking to establish purchasing agreements with a vendor to provide comprehensive call center services primarily for inbound calls from the United States (US) and Canada on a 24 hour per day and 365 days per year basis.

Any State entity may utilize the provisions of this agreement. Proposed solutions should anticipate growth and demonstrate sustainability of services. It should be understood, therefore, that vendors are dealing with a very diverse group of entities that nonetheless comprise one client – the State.

1.2. CONTRACT PERIOD: Contracts arising from this request for proposal will be for a period of 24

months and the state will consider renewing for up to 2 additional 12 -month periods. Proposed start date will be June 15, 2012.

1.3. CONTRACT VALUE/QUANTITY: The estimated annual value of this contract is $XX.XXX for the call center component; $XX,XXX for the data management component. The annual value and quantities are estimated only based on prior usage; actual purchases may be higher or lower depending on the state’s needs.

1.4. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this Request For Proposal (RFP) are to be addressed in writing to the attention of: Kathy Murphy, Chief Marketing Officer, State of Vermont, Agency of Commerce & Community Development, 1 National Life Drive, 6th Floor Montpelier,VT 05620. Ms. Murphy, is the sole contact for this proposal. Actual contact with any other party or attempts by bidders to contact any other party could result in the rejection of their proposal.

1.5. KEY ASPECTS: The current vendor is handling inbound calls from two distinct programs: 1-800-Vermont (tourism information requests for the Department of Tourism and Marketing) and 511 (Vermont road conditions, travel directions). Under the current contract, daily administration, quality control, lead distribution, and 14 monthly inquiry analysis reports are generated by the vendor. Because the State is considering bringing this Data Management

component in-house, pricing for these services must be quoted separately. 1.6. BACKGROUND: The State has contracted for call center services for more than 25 years,

primarily for in-bound inquires from the US and Canada. Because a significant number of inquiries are from French speaking Canadians, bi-lingual capability among agents is desirable. During calendar year 2011, the current vendor received 6,174 incoming calls for vacation planning on 800-Vermont (1-800-837-6668) and 8,341 for 511 traveler information.

1.7. 511 TRANSITION: The Vermont Agency of Transportation anticipates launching a new 511 system during 2013 at a date still to be determined. Beginning in July, 2012 all 511 calls will be answered at the call center, at an average of 1,800 a month. Once a new contractor has been selected for the TriState 511 system (serving Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) most calls will be handled by an automated, voice-recognition system provided by that contractor, though the call center will continue to receive calls from the “live operator” selection available to callers.

Note: the 511 system received an exceptionally high volume of calls during September and October, 2011 in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. The largest single day volume was approximately 20,000 calls to the automated system; the call center received 721 inbound calls, an all time high for a single day. In fair weather the 511 calls to the call center are currently in the range of 2 -5, while typically inclement weather will increase the daily volume to 15 – 40 calls, depending on the severity and season of the storm; severe winter storms generate the greatest volume of live-agent calls, sometimes as many as 200 in a day.

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 2

1.8. The following is offered for information only: the Vermont Division of State Parks

anticipates continuing the in-house reservations center that has been in place for several

years. The State Parks center handled approximately 48,000 total calls through its internal in-house campsite reservations center in 2011. Of these, around 36,000 were inbound and 12,000 were outbound. An average day during the peak summer period is around 230 calls per day (170 inbound and 60 outbound).

1.9. The Go Vermont program is looking for an answering service for inbound consumer calls and outbound representation to the large employers in Vermont. The 1-800-685-RIDE number is currently routed to the office phone of the Go Vermont program manager, and usually receives 4-10 calls per day on regular business days. This service must include: a reporting system to track real time activity and subjects discussed and the ability to proactively inquire, and offer assistance with, transportation issues for any individual or business calling the center on other business.

1.10. Several times during the current contract the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing and the Department of Economic, Housing & Community Development have utilized outbound services for updating our contacts database or surveying clients. Other State agencies, departments, and divisions will have the ability to utilize the services provided under this contract for future teleservicing program both inbound and outbound, not currently established.

1.11. BIDDERS’ CONFERENCE: A bidders’ conference will be held May 21, 2012, 10:00 a.m., at the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Coolidge Conference Room, Sixth Floor, North Building, 1 National Life Drive, Montpelier, Vt.

1.12. QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD: Any vendor requiring clarification of any section of this proposal or wishing to comment or take exception to any requirements or other portion of the RFP must submit specific questions in writing no later than May 16, 2012. Questions may be e-mailed to Kathy.Murphy@state.vt.us . Any objection to the RFP, or to any provision of the RFP, that is not raised in writing on or before the last day of the question period will be waived. At the close of the question period a copy of all questions or comments and the State's responses will be posted on the State’s web site http://www.vermontbidsystem.com. Every effort will be made to have these available as soon as possible after the question period ends, contingent on the number and complexity of the questions.

1.13. INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS: see sections 5 and 6.

1.14. ATTACHMENTS: 1.14.1. Offshore Outsourcing Questionnaire

1.14.2. Vermont Tax Certificate and Insurance Certificate

1.14.3. Standard State Contract Provisions 2011

1.14.4. Detailed Call Volume and Call Duration Statistics for calendar year 2011

1.14.5. Table with Call Distribution by Month for FY 10

2. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS: The vendor will provide the following services to be operational and thoroughly tested for beginning service July 1, 2012. Setup programming, training and report design will commence upon full execution of the contract, no later than June 15, 2012. Services shall include:

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 3

2.1 Technical Capabilities

2.1.1. Comprehensive call center services for inbound calls from both the US and Canada from inbound numbers designated by the State, on a 24/7 basis 365 days a year (See Attachment A for a detail of monthly call volumes and average call durations.);

2.1.2. All programming required for web-based data entry and FAQ help screens to support live agents providing friendly, accurate and timely information about activities, events, services, resources, or other items as defined by the State;

2.1.3. High speed internet access for all agents to utilize the State’s online information resource in real time for response to caller’s requests for information, travel directions, or specific referrals;

2.1.4. Sufficient line and trunk capacity to expand service volume or to serve private sector partners of the State in a flexible fashion;

2.1.5. Describe capability to quickly update recorded voice announcements and report the max “burst” capacity of your carrier(s), specifically for emergency communications through 511;

2.1.6. The technological and relationship-building capability, when required by the State, to pass appropriate calls (take-back and transfer) on from the original live agent to a third party anywhere in Vermont or outside the state at a cost competitive with industry standards, along with the personnel abilities to do this in a seamless and customer-friendly fashion;

2.1.7. The capability to switch inbound calls to a referred organization or business without carrying double line charges;

2.1.8. The capability to charge callers’ credit cards (to be billed at net) for special services (e.g. rush or overnight delivery of an information packet or product) when required by the State and utilizing the State Agency’s appropriate merchant account;

2.1.9. The capability to provide live agent outbound call service, if required by the State;

2.1.10. The capability to provide live chat for online inquiries, if required by the State.

2.2. Training Requirements

2.2.1. Initial and on-going training of supervisors and agents servicing the Vermont accounts through a combined program of operator training and information retrieval, and forwarding callers to appropriate statewide or regional partner organizations;

2.2.2. After the initial training, the vendor will be responsible for maintaining a trained supervisor and a trained pool of at least 15 agents at no additional cost to the State, unless a new program or substantially different procedures are introduced by the State, requiring supplemental training.

2.2.3. Provision for special project or event-related training by any State agency or partner organization or region at the same rates specified in this contract. For instance, a project might utilize a customer relationship feedback system to track real time activity and subjects discussed with each caller to better guide the overall outreach and marketing materials needed.

2.2.4. The capability to staff bi-lingual agents (fluent in both English and French Canadian) is desirable because of Vermont’s near-neighbor, the French-speaking province of Quebec.

2.3. Account Management:

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 4

2.3.1. A billing procedure designed to be comply with the State’s payment system.

2.4. Reporting:

2.4.1. An automated spreadsheet reporting system for all scheduled reports prepared in both MS Excel and Adobe PDF formats (Samples of current reports are available upon request.);

2.4.2. Daily reports should include at a minimum hourly call distribution, answer speed, calls dropped, call duration and average call duration;

2.4.3. Monthly reports indicating inquiry volumes, sources, hourly distribution, geographical origin, average call length, caller information, and the leading reasons for the call;

2.4.4. Monthly, seasonal and annual (fiscal and calendar year) summaries of all call disposition, inquiry data, call transfers, referrals and counseling calls as required by the State;

2.5. Data Management (Note – Because the State is considering bringing the Data Management component in house, all pricing for this section must be quoted separately from the general Call Center services):

2.5.1. All programming required for web-based data entry and FAQ help screens to support live agents providing friendly, accurate and timely information about activities, events, services, resources, or other items as defined by the State, including initial databridge set up, database scripting, record development, verification procedures, data entry screens, export formats, report formats, and testing prior to launch of service;

2.5.2. Set up of a database structured in a concise, flexible and readily exportable format that can be readily imported at the State’s mailing center (e.g., .xls, .csv, .dbf, or ASCII, although Excel is preferred) and manipulated in any standard PC database software;

2.5.3. All set-up programming required for sorting selected leads for regular, daily distribution to the State’s contracted fulfillment centers in the US and Canada, and to partner and regional organizations as required by the State;

2.5.4. Daily integration of inquiry data captured from calls, e-mail (from the Internet and other sources), and direct-entry requests from various state department and partner web sites;

2.5.5. Scheduled, early morning download each business day by e-mail attachment of all inquiries received in the past 24 hours to the State's mailing center (s), contract supervisor(s), and selected leads to any marketing, or other, partners designated by the State;

2.5.6. Maintenance of the inquiry database for daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, annual and ad hoc analysis as required by the State;

2.5.7. A procedure, with specific costs clearly defined, for ordering special runs of leads selected from the database by specific criteria;

2.5.8. An archive of all current and recent inquiry data searchable by at least 10-12 criteria, maintained on site for at least 18 months;

2.5.9. Monthly transfer of aged (more than six months) inquiry data to the State's permanent archive.

2.6. The State of Vermont will provide:

2.6.1. Expert staff to assist with general Vermont information training and on-line resource development.

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 5

2.6.2. Access to the State’s existing, online data entry forms and resource databases (for example, The Vermont Travel Planner (VermontVacation.com) and State Parks (vtstateparks.com).

2.6.3. Information content and guidelines for FAQ and Help screens;

2.6.4. If applicable, file and field format descriptions for utilizing the State’s existing inquiry database in consultation with State’s information technology staff and management;

2.6.5. Access procedure for daily (before 8:00 a.m. EST) retrieval of current leads.

2.6.6. Listings of addresses for lead transfer by e-mail to specific marketing partners each business day.

3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

3.1. .ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED IN THE PROPOSAL: The instructions and format for the submission of proposal information are designed to ensure the provision of data considered essential to the understanding and comprehensive evaluation of the bidder's proposal. There is no intent to limit the content of the proposals, nor in any way to inhibit a presentation in other than the vendor's favor. The vendor may include such additional information or data as may be appropriate, or offer alternate solutions but should not exclude any portion requested in this document. All proposals should contain the following information:

3.2. Identity of Preparer(s). A statement identifying individuals who were involved in the preparation of the proposal as well as a single point of contact for clarification of information must be included.

3.3. Background and Experience. Provide a full description of the experience you have had in providing call center services and data management.

3.4. References. Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names who can talk knowledgeably about your performance.

3.5. Narrative: Provide a point by point narrative that states how they will meet the requirements of this Request for Proposal.

3.6. Acknowledgment Of Terms: A statement acknowledging and agreeing to all provisions of Attachment C; Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants. If you are not agreeing, identify every provision to which you object and provide proposed language to substitute.

3.7. Offshore Outsourcing Questionnaire: All bidders are to complete the attached questionnaire.

3.8. Vermont Tax Certificate and Insurance Certificate: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

3.9. PRICING: Any and all costs that you wish the state to consider must be submitted for consideration. When preparing your response to this section, please refer to Attachment A for a detail of recent monthly call volumes and average call duration. Note that all data management pricing must be quoted separately from the general call center services pricing, as indicated below:

Call Center Operations: Set-up for initial programming and training includes:

Initial scripting, data entry screens, agent help screens, report formats, fulfillment interface, and merchant account.

Recorded announcement set up, rates, and burst capacity through your carrier for handing a high volume of 511 calls in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.

Training of supervisor and at least 15 agents.

Total amount of initial training and set-up costs are not to exceed $ ____

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 6

The monthly administrative services fee is $ ____

This fee includes: daily reporting and review of staffing levels, agent performance and quality assurance (call monitoring, data review, daily testing of phone lines), overall program management, administrative and clerical support.

Live Agent call time will be billed at a rate of $ ____ per minute (7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.); $.___per minute (11:01 p.m. – 6:59 a.m.) in increments of ________ for 24/7 coverage, based on ____ calls/month.

Indicate any rate changes based on incremental increases in calls/month.

If the State elects to have carrier line charges paid through the vendor’s contract at cost, the State will be billed at $______ per minute in increments of ______________.

Performance Guarantees: For example, a discount for any call abandoned that is held in queue over 60 seconds, or indicate the percentage of calls that will be answered within the first 60 seconds.

Discount: Indicate any applicable discounts to be provided to the State under this contract: __________________________________________________

Detailed Miscellaneous Costs (require specific project approval by the State): Live Agent Outbound Calls/ per minute $ ____________ Differential (if any) for bi-lingual agent $ ____________ Live Online Chat/per minute $ ____________ Additional Supervisor Training/ per hour $ ____________ Additional Agent Training/ per hour $ ____________ External Call Transfer/per minute (if applicable) $ ____________ Clerical services/per hour $ ____________ Facsimiles/per page $ ____________

Database Management and Lead Distribution: Set-up for initial programming and database services includes:

All programming for database setup, record development, verification, export and lead distribution procedures. $ ___________

Monthly fee for database administration, quality control, and lead distribution. $ ____________

Miscellaneous Costs (require specific project approval by the State): Custom Programming/ per hour $ ____________ Special, select lead runs/ per inquiry $ ____________

3.10. WORKER’S COMPENSATION; STATE CONTRACTS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT: The Department of Buildings and General Services in accordance with Act 54, Section 32 of the Acts of 2009 and for total projects costs exceeding $250,000.00, requires bidders comply with the following provisions and requirements.

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 7

(a) (1) Bidder is required to self report detailed information including information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information related to past performance and likely compliance with proper coding and classification of employees requested by the applicable agency.

The bidder is required to report information on any violations that occurred in the previous 12 months.

(a) (2) Bidder is required to provide a list of subcontractors on the job along with lists of

subcontractor’s subcontractors and by whom those subcontractors are insured for workers’ compensation purposes. Include additional pages if necessary. This is not a requirement for subcontractor’s providing supplies only and no labor to the overall contract or project.

In order for a bidder’s response to be considered valid bidders must complete and submit the

following two (2) forms at time of bid:

Self Reporting Subcontractor Reporting

3.11. AVAILABILITY: *(Delivery Schedule)

3.12. METHOD OF ORDERING: Purchase orders must be used to order items available under this contract. If verbal orders are given a confirming purchase order must be issued.

3.13. INVOICING: All invoices are to be rendered by the Contractor on the vendor's standard billhead and forwarded directly to the institution or agency ordering materials or services and shall specify the address to which payments will be sent.

3.14. CANCELLATION: The State specifically reserves the right to cancel the contract, or any portion thereof, if, in the opinion of the State, the services or materials supplied by the contractor are not satisfactory or are not consistent with the terms of the contract

3.15. METHOD OF AWARD: Awards will be made in the best interest of the State. The State may award one or more contracts and reserves the right to make additional awards to other compliant bidders at any time during the first year of the contract if such award is deemed to be in the best interest of the State. All other considerations being equal, preference will be given to resident bidders of the state and/or to products raised or manufactured in the state.

3.16. EVALUATION CRITERA: Vendor experience with the successful delivery of comparable services is a major criteria.

Documented experience in performing the services required Operating facilities and equipment Documented performance standards Administrative and operating costs Database management and reporting capabilities

3.17. CONFIDENTIALITY: The successful response will become part of the contract file and will become a matter of public record, as will all other responses received. If the response includes material that is considered by the bidder to be proprietary and confidential under 1 VSA, Chapter 5, the bidder shall clearly designate the material as such, explaining why such material should be considered confidential. The bidder must identify each page or section of the response that it believes is proprietary and confidential with sufficient grounds to justify each exemption from release, including the prospective harm to the competitive position of the bidder if the identified material were to be released. Under no circumstances can the entire response or price information be marked confidential. Responses so marked may not be considered.

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 8

3.18. CONTRACT TERMS: The selected vendors will sign a contract with the State to provide the items named in their responses, at the prices listed. Minimum support levels, terms, and conditions from this RFP, and the vendor’s response will become part of the contract. This contract will be subject to review throughout its term. The State will consider cancellation upon discovery that a vendor is in violation of any portion of the agreement, including an inability by the vendor to provide the products, support, and/or service offered in their response.

3.19. DEFAULT: In case of default of the contractor, the State may procure the materials or supplies from other sources and hold the contractor responsible for any excess cost occasioned thereby, provided, that if public necessity requires the use of materials or supplies not conforming to the specifications they may be accepted and payment therefore shall be made at a proper reduction in price.

3.20. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS: The State of Vermont reserves the right to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal. Vendors may be asked to give a verbal presentation of their proposal after submission. Failure of vendor to respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that vendor's proposal. To secure a project that is deemed to be in the best interest of the State, the State reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to waive technicalities in submissions. The State also reserves the right to make purchases outside of the awarded contracts where it is deemed in the best interest of the State.

3.21. TAXES: Most state purchases are not subject to federal or state sales or excise taxes and must be invoiced tax free. An exemption certificate will be furnished upon request covering taxable items. The contractor agrees to pay all Vermont taxes which may be due as a result of this order. If taxes are to be applied to the purchase it will be so noted in the response.

3.22. ORDER OF PRECEDENCE: The order of precedence for documentation will be the State of Vermont Standard Contract Form and attachments, the bid document and any amendments, and the vendor’s response and any amendments.

3.23. SPECIFICATION CHANGE: Any changes or variations in the specifications must be received in writing from the Office of Purchasing & Contracting. Verbal instructions or written instructions from any other source are not to be considered.

3.24. AMENDMENTS: No changes, modifications, or amendments in the terms and conditions of this contract shall be effective unless reduced to writing, numbered, and signed by the duly authorized representative of the State and Contractor.

3.25. NON COLLUSION: The State of Vermont is conscious of and concerned about collusion. It should therefore be understood by all that in signing bid and contract documents they agree that the prices quoted have been arrived at without collusion and that no prior information concerning these prices has been received from or given to a competitive company. If there is sufficient evidence to warrant investigation of the bid/contract process by the Office of the Attorney General, all bidders should understand that this paragraph might be used as a basis for litigation.

4. VENDOR RESPONSE CONTENT AND FORMAT: The content and format requirements listed below are the minimum required for our evaluation. They are not intended to limit the content of the proposals; vendors may include additional information or offer alternative solutions which may be considered.

4.1. NUMBER OF COPIES: Submit one original bid.

4.2. BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE. Provide a full description of the experience you have had in supplying call center and database management services.

4.3. REFERENCES. Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names who can talk knowledgeably about performance.

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 9

4.4. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: Provide a sample of your current reporting document.

4.5. PRICING: *Define Pricing Requirements. Complete the attached PRICE SCHEDULE.

4.6. CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

4.7. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION; STATE CONTRACTS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT; SELF

REPORTING: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

4.8. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION; STATE CONTRACTS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT;

SUBCONTRACTOR REPORTING: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

4.9. OFFSHORE OUTSOURCING QUESTIONNAIRE: This form must be completed and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

5. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

5.1. CLOSING DATE: The closing date for the receipt of proposals is May 24, 2012, 2:00 p.m.

5.2. BID OPENING The bid opening will be held at the Calvin Coolidge Conference Room, Agency of Commerce and Community Development, 1 National Life Drive, Sixth Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620-0501 and is open to the public.

5.3. SEALED BID INSTRUCTIONS: All bids must be sealed and must be addressed to the State of Vermont, Chief Marketing Officer, Agency of Commerce and Community Development, 1 National Life Drive, Sixth Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620-0501. BID ENVELOPES MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED ‘SEALED BID’ AND SHOW THE REQUISITION NUMBER AND/OR PROPOSAL TITLE, OPENING DATE AND NAME OF BIDDER.

5.3.1. All bidders are hereby notified that sealed bids must be received and time stamped by the Office Chief Marketing Officer, Agency of Commerce and Community Development, 1 National Life Drive, Sixth Floor, Montpelier, VT 05620-050 by the time of the bid opening. Bids not in possession of the Office Chief Marketing Officer at the time of the bid opening will be returned to the vendor, and will not be considered.

5.3.2. The State may, for cause, change the date and/or time of bid openings or issue an addendum. If a change is made, the State will make a reasonable effort to inform all bidders.

5.3.3. All bids will be publically opened. Typically, the State will open the bid, read the name and address of the bidder, and read the bid amount. However, the State reserves the right to limit the information disclosed at the bid opening to the name and address of the bidder when, in its sole discretion, the State determines that the nature, type, or size of the bid is such that the State cannot immediately (at the opening) determine that the bids are in compliance with the RFP. As such, there will be cases in which the bid amount will not be read at the bid opening. Bid openings are open to members of the public. Bid results are a public record however, the bid results are exempt from disclosure to the public until the award has been made and the contract is executed.

STATE OF VERMONT Agency of Commerce & Community Development RFP – PAGE 10

5.4. DELIVERY METHODS:

5.4.1. U.S. MAIL: Bidders are cautioned that it is their responsibility to originate the mailing of bids in sufficient time to ensure bids are received and time stamped at the Agency of Commerce and Community Development prior to the time of the bid opening.

5.4.2. EXPRESS DELIVERY: If bids are being sent via an express delivery service, be certain that the RFP designation is clearly shown on the outside of the delivery envelope or box. Express delivery packages will not be considered received by the State until the express delivery package has been received and time stamped by Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

5.4.3. HAND DELIVERY: Hand carried bids shall be delivered to a representative of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, date and time stamped prior to the bid opening.

5.4.4. ELECTRONIC: Electronic bids will not be accepted.

5.4.5. FAX BIDS: FAXED responses MAY be acceptable. You must contact the Ms. Murphy and obtain prior, written approval. If approval is received, the FAX must be prefixed with the “SEALED BID”. Bidders are cautioned that if a FAXED response is approved it is their responsibility to originate the message in sufficient time to insure receipt by the State prior to the time of the bid opening. All pages must be printed and in the possession of the division prior to the date and time of the bid opening or the bid will not be considered. FAXED bidders are cautioned that bids submitted by the FAX method may be compromised prior to the time of the sealed bid opening. FAXED information is accessible when transmitted and confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. State reserves the right to reject a faxed bid if it appears that the faxed bid is incomplete or if portions of the faxed bid are illegible.

6. ATTACHMENTS:

6.1. Attachment C: Standard State Contract Provisions (January 10, 2011)

6.2. Certificate of Compliance

6.3. Offshore Outsourcing Questionnaire

6.4. Workers’ Compensation; State Contracts Compliance Requirement; Self Reporting

6.5. Workers’ Compensation; State Contracts Compliance Requirement; Subcontractor Reporting

6.6. Attachment A – DNIS Summary by Date Range

6.7. Attachment B – Monthly Disposition Report for Fiscal Year Covering 365 Days

For theDate From: 01/01/2011

DNIS Name Total Offered

Total Handled

Inbound Duration

Hours

Inbound DurationMinutes

Average Talk Time

Minutes

Svc Level 0-60

% Svc Level 0-60

Svc Level 60+

% Svc Level 60+

Total Abandon

% Aban

Report Summary 14995 14751 52792.60 14079 95.44% 672 4.56% 244 1.63%879.88 3.58

Average Answer Delay

Seconds

1

Longest Answer Delay Mins

Average Abandon

Time Seconds

0:05:42 10

Date To: 12/31/2011

Time From

24-Hour Clock

Time To 24-Hour Clock

Wrap Up Time

Minutes

18.18

The Vermont 511 Traveler Information Line

3915 VT 511 7792 7596 435.46 26127.33 3.44 7105 93.54% 491 6.46% 196 2.52%3 0:05:30 907:00 23:00 6.36

3915 VT 511 549 539 33.09 1985.53 3.68 504 93.51% 35 6.49% 10 1.82%2 0:05:35 2223:00 07:00 1.91

3916 STATE OF 5808 5781 366.38 21982.57 3.80 5663 97.96% 118 2.04% 27 0.46%2 0:05:42 2607:00 23:00 6.74

3916 STATE OF 364 361 14.09 845.52 2.34 358 99.17% 3 0.83% 3 0.82%0 0:05:28 2723:00 07:00 2.96

3916 STATE 23 2 2 0.07 4.30 2.15 2 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%0 0:00:02 023:00 07:00 0.01

3917 CT-Byway 1 1 0.00 0.23 0.23 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%0 0:00:01 007:00 23:00 0.00

3917 VT VOlun 372 364 23.80 1428.10 3.92 342 93.96% 22 6.04% 8 2.15%2 0:03:34 1707:00 23:00 0.10

3917 VT Volun 8 8 0.54 32.45 4.06 7 87.50% 1 12.50% 0 0.00%0 0:01:35 023:00 07:00 0.01

3918 French S 98 98 6.39 383.32 3.91 96 97.96% 2 2.04% 0 0.00%0 0:05:38 007:00 23:00 0.10

3918 French S 1 1 0.05 3.25 3.25 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00%0 0:00:22 023:00 07:00 0.00

Performance Consolidated DNIS Summary By Date Range

Attachment A: Call Center Services RFP, May 2012

VTDTM Monthly Disposition Report for Fiscal Year Covering

Year 2010 40300 1136 5645 223 44 282 4

Summary

4826744687 170347081

365

Daily Averages: 110 3 15 1 0 1 0 132122 5129

Days

15125

41

4215

12

7258

20

137

0

525

1

2

0

3414

9

199

1

420

1

37

0

0

0

4

0

0

0

Month CNSMR WEB INQ

ST01 Send Info Pack

ST02 Info Only

ST03 Refer

ST11 WRNG

NR

ST12 Hang

UP

ST99 Tng Test

Total Entry's Dispo

Int WEB INQ

Call Cent INQ

Total INQS

Leads Sent

to RMOs

Leads Sent

to CAN

Leads Sent to Vt Life

ST05 Bulk RQST

ST04 Packet Sent Prior

ST06 Conte

st Only

Call Cent PKTS

ST13 DIR INQ

ST14 Road Conditions

ST15 Road Probs RPT

ST07 SPCL PROM

ST16 911 Refl

ST08 News

Let

July 5035 5481 258 18 8 35 1 591218 818 58711981537 735 1856 0482 17 17 30 00

August 4560 5002 248 26 4 48 2 545823 813 53961759348 720 1271 1488 28 16 00 00

September 3385 3777 287 41 6 40 0 425274 764 42231372218 612 2252 0369 15 10 10 10

October 2097 2338 171 36 3 26 0 264577 408 2582882154 399 109 0173 20 29 30 00

November 1539 1718 53 18 0 15 0 186977 209 182560394 294 421 0123 15 24 10 00

December 1345 1513 36 14 4 24 0 1740106 145 159650988 229 119 078 17 101 110 00

January 3364 3614 60 21 6 30 1 389688 318 37701237249 675 848 0208 16 83 80 10

February 3266 3590 136 12 1 24 0 3937134 414 38141250331 717 1546 0293 24 86 30 00

March 3625 4033 142 8 5 12 0 4292155 486 42661315502 710 1750 0313 17 7 00 10

April 3619 4006 106 12 2 10 0 4234163 403 41851241551 653 744 1272 13 29 40 00

May 4324 4853 83 7 3 9 0 5041138 374 48361486579 767 1153 0273 8 14 00 00

June 4141 4762 123 10 2 9 0 499183 493 47171490564 747 1256 0342 9 4 30 10

Attachment B: Call Center Services RFP, May 2012

VTDTM Monthly Disposition Report for Fiscal Year Covering

Year 2010

Revised 01-10-2011

State of Vermont ATTACHMENT C: STANDARD STATE PROVISIONS

FOR CONTRACTS AND GRANTS

1. Entire Agreement: This Agreement, whether in the form of a Contract, State Funded Grant, or Federally Funded Grant, represents the entire agreement between the parties on the subject matter. All prior agreements, representations, statements, negotiations, and understandings shall have no effect.

2. Applicable Law: This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Vermont.

3. Definitions: For purposes of this Attachment, “Party” shall mean the Contractor, Grantee or Subrecipient, with whom the State of Vermont is executing this Agreement and consistent with the form of the Agreement.

4. Appropriations: If this Agreement extends into more than one fiscal year of the State (July 1 to June 30), and if appropriations are insufficient to support this Agreement, the State may cancel at the end of the fiscal year, or otherwise upon the expiration of existing appropriation authority. In the case that this Agreement is a Grant that is funded in whole or in part by federal funds, and in the event federal funds become unavailable or reduced, the State may suspend or cancel this Grant immediately, and the State shall have no obligation to pay Subrecipient from State revenues.

5. No Employee Benefits For Party: The Party understands that the State will not provide any individual retirement benefits, group life insurance, group health and dental insurance, vacation or sick leave, workers compensation or other benefits or services available to State employees, nor will the state withhold any state or federal taxes except as required under applicable tax laws, which shall be determined in advance of execution of the Agreement. The Party understands that all tax returns required by the Internal Revenue Code and the State of Vermont, including but not limited to income, withholding, sales and use, and rooms and meals, must be filed by the Party, and information as to Agreement income will be provided by the State of Vermont to the Internal Revenue Service and the Vermont Department of Taxes.

6. Independence, Liability: The Party will act in an independent capacity and not as officers or employees of the State.

The Party shall defend the State and its officers and employees against all claims or suits arising in whole or in part from any act or omission of the Party or of any agent of the Party. The State shall notify the Party in the event of any such claim or suit, and the Party shall immediately retain counsel and otherwise provide a complete defense against the entire claim or suit.

After a final judgment or settlement the Party may request recoupment of specific defense costs and may file suit in Washington Superior Court requesting recoupment. The Party shall be entitled to recoup costs only upon a showing that such costs were entirely unrelated to the defense of any claim arising from an act or omission of the Party.

The Party shall indemnify the State and its officers and employees in the event that the State, its officers or employees become legally obligated to pay any damages or losses arising from any act or omission of the Party.

7. Insurance: Before commencing work on this Agreement the Party must provide certificates of insurance to show that the following minimum coverages are in effect. It is the responsibility of the Party to maintain current certificates of insurance on file with the state through the term of the Agreement. No warranty is made that the coverages and limits listed herein are adequate to cover and protect the interests of the Party for the Party’s operations. These are solely minimums that have been established to protect the interests of the State.

Workers Compensation: With respect to all operations performed, the Party shall carry workers’ compensation insurance in accordance with the laws of the State of Vermont.

General Liability and Property Damage: With respect to all operations performed under the contract, the Party shall carry general liability insurance having all major divisions of coverage including, but not limited to:

Premises - Operations Products and Completed Operations

Revised 01-10-2011

Personal Injury Liability Contractual Liability

The policy shall be on an occurrence form and limits shall not be less than:

$1,000,000 Per Occurrence $1,000,000 General Aggregate $1,000,000 Products/Completed Operations Aggregate $ 50,000 Fire/ Legal/Liability

Party shall name the State of Vermont and its officers and employees as additional insureds for liability arising out of this Agreement.

Automotive Liability: The Party shall carry automotive liability insurance covering all motor vehicles, including hired and non-owned coverage, used in connection with the Agreement. Limits of coverage shall not be less than: $1,000,000 combined single limit.

Party shall name the State of Vermont and its officers and employees as additional insureds for liability arising out of this Agreement.

8. Reliance by the State on Representations: All payments by the State under this Agreement will be made in reliance upon the accuracy of all prior representations by the Party, including but not limited to bills, invoices, progress reports and other proofs of work.

9. Requirement to Have a Single Audit: In the case that this Agreement is a Grant that is funded in whole or in part by federal funds, and if this Subrecipient expends $500,000 or more in federal assistance during its fiscal year, the Subrecipient is required to have a single audit conducted in accordance with the Single Audit Act, except when it elects to have a program specific audit.

The Subrecipient may elect to have a program specific audit if it expends funds under only one federal program and the federal program’s laws, regulating or grant agreements do not require a financial statement audit of the Party.

A Subrecipient is exempt if the Party expends less than $500,000 in total federal assistance in one year.

The Subrecipient will complete the Certification of Audit Requirement annually within 45 days after its fiscal year end. If a single audit is required, the sub-recipient will submit a copy of the audit report to the primary pass-through Party and any other pass-through Party that requests it within 9 months. If a single audit is not required, the Subrecipient will submit the Schedule of Federal Expenditures within 45 days. These forms will be mailed to the Subrecipient by the Department of Finance and Management near the end of its fiscal year. These forms are also available on the Finance & Management Web page at: http://finance.vermont.gov/forms

10. Records Available for Audit: The Party will maintain all books, documents, payroll papers, accounting records and other evidence pertaining to costs incurred under this agreement and make them available at reasonable times during the period of the Agreement and for three years thereafter for inspection by any authorized representatives of the State or Federal Government. If any litigation, claim, or audit is started before the expiration of the three year period, the records shall be retained until all litigation, claims or audit findings involving the records have been resolved. The State, by any authorized representative, shall have the right at all reasonable times to inspect or otherwise evaluate the work performed or being performed under this Agreement.

11. Fair Employment Practices and Americans with Disabilities Act: Party agrees to comply with the requirement of Title 21V.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter 6, relating to fair employment practices, to the full extent applicable. Party shall also ensure, to the full extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, that qualified individuals with disabilities receive equitable access to the services, programs, and activities provided by the Party under this Agreement. Party further agrees to include this provision in all subcontracts.

12. Set Off: The State may set off any sums which the Party owes the State against any sums due the Party under this Agreement; provided, however, that any set off of amounts due the State of Vermont as taxes shall be in accordance with the procedures more specifically provided hereinafter.

Revised 01-10-2011

13. Taxes Due to the State:

a. Party understands and acknowledges responsibility, if applicable, for compliance with State tax laws, including income tax withholding for employees performing services within the State, payment of use tax on property used within the State, corporate and/or personal income tax on income earned within the State.

b. Party certifies under the pains and penalties of perjury that, as of the date the Agreement is signed, the Party is in good standing with respect to, or in full compliance with, a plan to pay any and all taxes due the State of Vermont.

c. Party understands that final payment under this Agreement may be withheld if the Commissioner of Taxes determines that the Party is not in good standing with respect to or in full compliance with a plan to pay any and all taxes due to the State of Vermont.

d. Party also understands the State may set off taxes (and related penalties, interest and fees) due to the State of Vermont, but only if the Party has failed to make an appeal within the time allowed by law, or an appeal has been taken and finally determined and the Party has no further legal recourse to contest the amounts due.

14. Child Support: (Applicable if the Party is a natural person, not a corporation or partnership.) Party states that, as of the date the Agreement is signed, he/she:

a. is not under any obligation to pay child support; or b. is under such an obligation and is in good standing with respect to that obligation; or c. has agreed to a payment plan with the Vermont Office of Child Support Services and is in full

compliance with that plan.

Party makes this statement with regard to support owed to any and all children residing in Vermont. In addition, if the Party is a resident of Vermont, Party makes this statement with regard to support owed to any and all children residing in any other state or territory of the United States.

15. Sub-Agreements: Party shall not assign, subcontract or subgrant the performance of his Agreement or any portion thereof to any other Party without the prior written approval of the State. Party also agrees to include in all subcontract or subgrant agreements a tax certification in accordance with paragraph 13 above.

16. No Gifts or Gratuities: Party shall not give title or possession of any thing of substantial value (including property, currency, travel and/or education programs) to any officer or employee of the State during the term of this Agreement.

17. Copies: All written reports prepared under this Agreement will be printed using both sides of the paper.

18. Certification Regarding Debarment: Party certifies under pains and penalties of perjury that, as of the date that this Agreement is signed, neither Party nor Party’s principals (officers, directors, owners, or partners) are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or excluded from participation in federal programs or programs supported in whole or in part by federal funds.

(End of Standard Provisions)

RFP/PROJECT:

DATE:

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

This form must be completed in its entirety and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid.

TAXES: Pursuant to 32 V.S.A. § 3113, bidder hereby certifies, under the pains and penalties of perjury, that the company/individual is in good standing with respect to, or in full compliance with a plan to pay, any and all taxes due to the State of Vermont as of the date this statement is made. A person is in good standing if no taxes are due, if the liability for any tax that may be due is on appeal, or if the person is in compliance with a payment plan approved by the Commissioner of Taxes. INSURANCE: Bidder certifies that the company/individual is in compliance with, or is prepared to comply with, the insurance requirements as detailed in Section 7 of Attachment C: Standard State Contract Provisions. Certificates of insurance must be provided prior to issuance of a contract and/or purchase order. If the certificate(s) of insurance is/are not received by the Office of Purchasing & Contracting within five (5) days of notification of award, the State of Vermont reserves the right to select another vendor. Please reference the RFP and/or RFQ # when submitting the certificate of insurance. CONTRACT TERMS: The undersigned hereby acknowledges and agrees to Attachment C: Standard State Contract Provisions. TERMS OF SALE: The undersigned agrees to furnish the products or services listed at the prices quoted. The Terms of Sales are Net 30 days from receipt of service or invoice, whichever is later. Percentage discounts may be offered for prompt payments of invoices, however such discounts must be in effect for a period of 30 days or more in order to be considered in making awards. FORM OF PAYMENT: Would you accept the Visa Purchasing Card as a form of payment? ____ Yes ____ No Insurance Certificate(s): Attached ______________ Will provide upon notification of award ____________ Delivery Offered: _______ days after notice of award Terms of Sale: ___________________ (If Discount) Quotation Valid for: _____ days Date: __________ Name of Company: __________________________ Contact Name: ______________________________ Address: ___________________________________ Fax Number: ___________________________ ___________________________________________ E-mail: _______________________________ By: _______________________________________ Name: _______________________________ Signature (Bid Not Valid Unless Signed) (Type or Print)

All returned quotes and related documents must be identified with our request for quote number.

RFP/PROJECT: DATE:

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION; STATE CONTRACTS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT

Self Reporting

Form 1 of 2

This form must be completed in its entirety and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid. The Department of Buildings and General Services in accordance with Act 54, Section 32 of the Acts of 2009 and for total projects costs exceeding $250,000.00, requires bidders comply with the following provisions and requirements. Bidder is required to self report the following information relating to past violations, convictions, suspensions, and any other information related to past performance relative to coding and classification for worker’s compensation. The state is requiring information on any violations that occurred in the previous 12 months. Summary of Detailed Information Date of Notification Outcome

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION STATE CONTRACTS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT: Bidder hereby certifies that the company/individual is in compliance with the requirements as detailed in Act 54, Section 32 of the Acts of 2009. Date: Name of Company: Contact Name: Address: Title: Phone Number: E-mail: Fax Number: By: Name: Signature (Bid Not Valid Unless Signed)* (Type or Print) *Form must be signed by individual authorized to sign on the bidder’s behalf.

RFP/PROJECT: DATE:

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION; STATE CONTRACTS COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENT

Subcontractor Reporting

Form 2 of 2

This form must be completed in its entirety and submitted as part of the response for the proposal to be considered valid. The Department of Buildings and General Services in accordance with Act 54, Section 32 of the Acts of 2009 and for total projects costs exceeding $250,000.00 requires bidders to comply with the following provisions and requirements. Bidder is required to provide a list of subcontractors on the job along with lists of subcontractor’s subcontractors and by whom those subcontractors are insured for workers’ compensation purposes. Include additional pages if necessary. This is not a requirement for subcontractor’s providing supplies only and no labor to the overall contract or project.

Subcontractor Insured By Subcontractor’s Sub Insured By

Date: Name of Company: Contact Name: Address: Title: Phone Number: E-mail: Fax Number: By: Name: Signature (Bid Not Valid Unless Signed)* (Type or Print) *Form must be signed by individual authorized to sign on the bidder’s behalf.

Offshore* Outsourcing Questionnaire Vendors must indicate whether or not any services are or will be performed in a country other than the United Sates. Indicate N/A if not applicable. Services:

Proposed Service to be Outsourced

Bid Total

Offshore Dollars

Represents what % of total Contract Dollars

Outsourced Work Location (Country)

Subcontractor

If any or all of the services are or will be outsourced offshore, Vendors are required to provide a cost estimate of what the cost would be to provide the same services onshore and/or in Vermont.

Proposed Service to be

Outsourced

Bid Total if provided

Onshore

Bid Total if provided in

Vermont

Cost Impact

Onshore Work Location

Subcontractor

Name of Bidder: Signature of Bidder: Date *Offshore means residing in a country other than the United States