Physical Security Services

Request for Proposal Physical Security Services

ERCOT RFP Contact: Lori Markham Procurement Specialist Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (“ERCOT”) 2705 West Lake Drive Taylor, TX 76574 [email protected]

All respondent communication and proposals must be sent to the ERCOT RFP Contact. RFP Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION 3

II. SCOPE OF WORK 4

III. GENERAL RULES 11

IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 13

V. REQUIRED PROPOSAL FORMAT AND DOCUMENTS 13

VI. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS 14

VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA 18

VIII.APPENDICES 18

I. INTRODUCTION

A. About ERCOT Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 23 million Texas customers - representing 85 percent of the state’s electric load and 75 percent of the Texas land area. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects 40,500 miles of transmission lines and more than 550 generation units. ERCOT also manages financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers customer switching for 6.6 million Texans in competitive choice areas. ERCOT has three primary office locations: 7620 Metro Center Drive, Austin, Texas 78744; 2705 West Lake Drive, Taylor, Texas 76574; and 1832 West Highway 71, Cedar Creek, Texas 78612. Additional information about ERCOT can be found on its website at: http://www.ercot.com.

B. Purpose The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to invite suppliers to submit proposals for the procurement of Physical Security Services for ERCOT. C. Administrative Information How to Respond to This RFP Responses to this solicitation will be in the form of a proposal according to the format described in Section V of this RFP. The proposal shall document the respondent’s qualifications to perform the tasks described in the Scope of Work found in Section II of this RFP.

The title of this RFP is: Physical Security Services. The Proposal Deadline is September 30, 2011.

Contact Personnel This RFP is available through the ERCOT website at www.ercot.com under the Procurement tab. Questions for clarification about this RFP should be directed to the ERCOT Contact Person:

Lori Markham, Procurement Specialist Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (“ERCOT”) 2705 West Lake Drive Taylor, TX 76574 [email protected]

Where and How to Deliver the Proposal All proposals must be delivered to ERCOT at:

Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (“ERCOT”) 2705 West Lake Drive Taylor, TX 76574 Attn: Lori Markham

Number of Copies to Submit

To be considered timely, the ERCOT RFP Contact must receive three (3) complete hardcopy versions and one (1) complete electronic copy (preferably, PDF format via e-mail) of a proposal on or before 3:00 pm CST on the above Proposal Deadline.

Key Activities and Dates Key activities and tentative dates for this RFP are presented below:

Procurement Schedule Activity Dates RFP release 9/12/2011 Intent to Bid Notice due 9/15/2011 Vendor questions due 9/20/2011 3:00 pm CST Responses to questions due 9/22/2011 Proposal Deadline 9/30/2011 3:00 pm CST Vendor presentations 10/17/11 – 10/21/2011 Notice of Proposed Award 11/30/2011 Respondent Selected 11/30/2011 Implementation (start) Date 2/1/2012

II. SCOPE OF WORK

D. Project Scope Overview The scope is to provide ERCOT with unarmed professional security guard services at the three ERCOT facilities. The selected Contractor will provide Security Guards with the necessary expertise and qualifications listed below to maintain the safety and well-being of all individuals at and/or entering the ERCOT facilities, as well as securing and protecting all property of ERCOT. E. Qualifications and Minimum Requirements

1) The selected Contractor must hold a current Class B or Class C Security Contractor Company License issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security Bureau and must comply with all Texas statues and administrative rules pertaining to private security services, including, but not limited to::  Texas Occupations Code 1702, Private Security;  Texas Administrative Code, Title 27, Part 1, Chapter 35, Private Security

2) Guard services shall be provided continuously during the specified office hours for each location, and at no time during specified service hours shall there be no guard present at the premises. In the event of illness or necessary absence, it shall be the responsibility of the Contractor to provide a qualified replacement guard so that services are not to be interrupted.

3) Each individual Security Guard that the selected Contractor provides to ERCOT for physical security services (“Services”) must:

a) Have the education, training, and experience to provide professional security guard services with the ability of maintaining good thought process and communication during times of great duress;

b) Be in good physical condition sufficient to perform Services;

c) Have military or law enforcement experience or have more than two (2) years of acceptable security experience (military and law enforcement experience is preferred);

d) Be a “First Responder” (be certified by the American Red Cross or another acceptable organization to provide first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation);

e) Hold a current Commissioned Security Officer License or Noncommissioned Security Officer License issued by DPS;

f) Consistently exhibit a professional and courteous demeanor;

g) Be interviewed and accepted by the ERCOT Security Supervisor before being assigned by the selected Contractor to perform Services;

h) Be an employee of the selected Contractor who has successfully passed a complete background investigation (including education, reference, and experience verifications and nationwide clean criminal and credit checks);

i) Be authorized to work in the United States and, if English is a second language, be capable of being understood under situations of great duress;

j) Have a history of consistent work attendance and have access to reliable transportation;

k) Familiarize her/himself with all emergency phone numbers and facility evacuation plans;

l) Not be related in any way to any ERCOT employee, officer, or Board of Director; and

m) Have no prohibited Conflicts of Interest, as defined below in Section VI (D).

F. Additional Positions - Qualifications and Minimum Requirements

In addition to the requirements in the Scope of Work Section B, the selected Contractor will provide the additional three (3) positions with the following expertise and qualifications.

1. Essential Job Requirements for Physical Security Access Assistant  Issue new access and/or identity badges to contractors/employees.  Disable a badge once an email is received.  Send an email once the badge is disabled to the appropriate personnel.  Provide screen shot of the Disabled Badge to the appropriate personnel.  Printing and filing the facilities request form for new personnel.  Weekly Badge Access Report every Monday.  Expiring Contractor Report.

 Monthly Audits of all Critical Doors.  Invalid access attempt report at the beginning of the month.  Enter new Security Guards into out LENEL and GE Nav applications.  Weekly Metrics.  Update the KeyTrak system.  Ensure that all Incident Reports are filed in accordance with NERC Standards.  Ensure all access request are in accordance with NERC and SAS 70 regulations.  Provide work orders for the Physical Security Technicians.  Keep files in order on all employees and contractors at ERCOT in accordance with all SAS 70 and NERC compliance regulations. Both paper and electronic.  Keep up with the Photos of contractors/employees on ERCOT’s SharePoint site.  Records all manager and/or department changes on all personnel.  Have good verbal and written communication skills.

2. Essential Job Duties Senior Physical Security Technician  Responsible for installation, configuration, calibration, maintenance, repair, trouble-shooting, programming and conducting operational tests and periodic inspections of security alarm systems, access control systems, gate operators, pedestals and CCTV video systems.  Assists with systems integration so that all systems can share common components and interaction occurs between systems.  Installs, programs, documents, setups, wires, calibrates, repairs or replaces any facet of the physical security platform necessary to maintain the physical security integrity.  Maintains a record of all documents that are required by NERC security standards, their review schedule and current status.  Create custom programming of electronic physical security systems to enhance control functions, alarm notification and ease of operation for security officers.  Provide training on equipment, procedures and operational troubleshooting to security officers.  Utilize AutoCAD programming to develop and maintain NERC required drawings of the Physical Access Control systems in Critical Cyber Areas.  Utilize AutoCAD programming to develop and maintain “as built” drawings of existing equipment systems as well as develop new drawings for new systems and sites.  Review and approve monthly physical access audits. Assist with resolving issues discovered during the audits.  Work with various departments to maintain compliance related to physical access and with the creation and updating of the intranet access nodes.  Performs other duties as assigned.

3. Essential Job Requirements for Fire Safety Officer  Develop and implement of ERCOT’s Fire Safety program  Maintain and annual updates to the Emergency Response Plan and Fire Prevention Plan  Maintain updates to the Emergency-Crisis Procedures Booklets  Implement a quality assurance program to ensure the maintenance or the Fire Safety equipment

 Initiate two annual Evacuation drills for all ERCOT buildings  Ensure that updated Evacuation Team is in place  Development of training for Zone Wardens and Evacuation Leaders for emergency evacuations  Upkeep of Incident Commander and Evacuation Team bags and equipment  Create & maintain current Evacuation and Zone Maps  Assist in Fire Inspections of all fire systems  Write Meeting minutes for post-evacuation drill meeting  Provide First-Aid, CPR and AED training classes  Have good verbal and written communication skills  Interact with local emergency response personnel

G. Contractor Expectations and Deliverables 1. Maintain all licenses and certifications necessary to provide security services in Texas;

2. Meet with ERCOT Physical Security Management to decide the appropriate on- going training to provide to the Security Guards. Copies of all training materials will be supplied to ERCOT Physical Security Management for review prior to being taught to the Security Guards;

3. Provide written Incident Reports as necessary and/or required by ERCOT Physical Security Management to report security incidents throughout the service locations. Contractor and ERCOT will meet quarterly to review top incidents in an effort to mitigate future incidents;

4. Perform complete background investigations (including education, reference, and experience verifications and nationwide clean criminal and credit checks) of all Security Guards prior to assigning them to work at or on ERCOT Facilities. The results of the background check and the drug test will be presented to ERCOT management prior to the guard being assigned to ERCOT. All other background investigation information will be available to ERCOT Physical Security Management for review upon request in order to place a Security Guard at ERCOT;

5. Provide the Security Guards with summer and winter uniforms (style and composition of uniforms to be discussed) plus rain gear and cold weather protection while meeting state requirements;

6. Ensure that ERCOT Facilities are consistently staffed with professional and capable Security Guards who are physically fit and capable to perform all assigned duties and are trained and equipped to lawfully and safely react to any conditions, hazards and dangers to which they may be exposed in the performance of their duties;

7. Warrant and represent that each Security Guard provided to ERCOT has the qualifications listed above in Section B;

8. Understand the confidentiality of ERCOT business with access if given; and

9. Understand and abide by to ERCOT’s Corporate Standards regarding gifts and gratuities.

H. Location of Services Contractor will provide unarmed professional security guard services to ERCOT in accordance with all the requirements listed herein:

Met Center 7620 Metro Center Drive, Austin, Texas 78744 TCC 1 2705 West Lake Drive, Taylor, Texas 76574; Building 1 TCC 2 2705 West Lake Drive, Taylor, Texas 76574; Building 2 Bastrop Control Center 1832 West Highway 71, Cedar Creek, Texas I. Staffing Requirements and Hours of Service Each ERCOT facility must be staffed with Contractor personnel as follows: 1. The total number of standard weekly hours expected is 1,210.

2. Met Center - 130 hours per week, comprised of: one (1) Lead Supervisor at 50 hours per week and two (2) Security Guards at 40 hours per week each.

3. Taylor Facilities (TCC1 and TCC2) 584 hours per week, comprised of: one Site Supervisor at 40 hours per week, three (3) Lead Supervisors at 40 hours per week each, ten (10) Security Guards at 40 hours per week each and one (1) part time Security Guard at 24 hours per week.

4. Bastrop Control Center 376 hours per week, comprised of: one (1) Site Supervisor at 40 hours per week, three (3) Lead Supervisors at 40 hours per week each, 5 Security Guards at 40 hours per week each and one part time Security Guard at 16 hours per week.

5. One individual in Taylor assigned as the Assistant Physical Access Control Administrator at 40 hours per week.

6. One individual in Taylor assigned as the Fire Safety Officer at 40 hours per week.

7. One individual in Taylor assigned as the Senior Security Technician at 40 hours per week

8. At ERCOT’s request, Contractor will provide additional Security Guards be assigned by Contractor to any ERCOT facility or for any offsite event. .

9. ERCOT will occasionally require additional hours of security guard services, some of which may be required on short notice (less than 48 hours). However, no Security Guard shall work longer than a 12 hour shift within a 24 hour period. 10. The selected Contractor will work with ERCOT Physical Security Management to provide the Security Guards with the most comprehensive set of post orders to

ensure Security Guards have guidance and all necessary information as identified by ERCOT.

G. Additional Requirements 1. The selected Contractor will work with ERCOT Physical Security Management to provide the Security Guards with the most comprehensive set of post orders to ensure Security Guards have guidance and all necessary information as identified by ERCOT.

2. The Security Guards who provide Services to ERCOT shall remain employees of the selected Contractor and will report to the selected Contractor regarding any employer/employee issues, but, while on duty at ERCOT’s facilities, they should communicate primarily with the designated ERCOT Corporate Security Supervisor relative to operational issues.

3. While on ERCOT premises, the selected Contractor’s personnel will observe ERCOT’s policies regarding working conditions, conduct, email, internet, and computer use with respect to computers furnished by ERCOT. Contractor personnel will use all ERCOT equipment provided to them with the proper respect and care. Any vehicular equipment will be operated safely. The selected Contractor will be held financially responsible for any damage done to ERCOT equipment due to misconduct or unsafe operation by the Contractor personnel.

4. The selected Contractor will designate two Site Supervisors, one for Austin/Bastrop and one for Taylor, and will ensure that at least one individual who is of supervisory level is present to act as Shift Lead for each shift at each facility. In addition, the selected Contractor will, from time to time and as needed, have its management personnel visit ERCOT’s Facilities to supervise and review the Contractor personnel. The selected Contractor will notify ERCOT in advance of its other management personnel that are authorized to visit the ERCOT Facilities.

5. ERCOT is currently utilizing a third-party staffing company for expedient time tracking and invoicing. The selected Contractor will be required to participate and utilize the time card approval system for weekly time card entry and expedient invoicing and payment.

6. At the acceptance of ERCOT’s Standard Agreement, the selected Contractor will provide ERCOT with a list of names and their respective titles and telephone numbers of the chain of command of the Contractor personnel assigned to ERCOT Facilities and will thereafter provide ERCOT with any changes in that chain of command within three (3) business days after said changes take effect. Any employee of the selected Contractor who has not met the access authorization requirements, including criminal background check, will have access only as an ERCOT visitor.

7. ERCOT must approve all Contractor personnel designated to work at ERCOT Facilities. Current guard staff who are hired by the successful bidder will be required to go through pre-employment screening by the new employer.

8. The selected Contractor’s personnel will perform all duties necessary for appropriate Services, and will specifically include, but not be limited to the following:

a) Perform perimeter patrols at least every hour utilizing the electronic patrol register and ensuring that all required guard tour patrol points have been recorded;

b) Actively observe any and all activity at assigned posts;

c) Report any unusual activities to the ERCOT Corporate Security Supervisor and/or Manager;

d) Perform routine monitoring and reporting duties;

e) Provide First Responder services, as needed;

f) Follow specific guidelines for observing and reporting such incidents;

g) Verify pedestrian and vehicle authorization for access;

h) Report malfunctions of equipment that may impact the security or well being of the ERCOT Facilities;

i) Be available to respond to alternate locations in emergency situations;

j) Interact with ERCOT employees, other contractors, and the traveling public at the ERCOT facilities with courtesy and professionalism; and

k) Other duties as assigned by the selected Contractor or the ERCOT Corporate Security Supervisor and/or Manager.

H. Personnel Retention Program The successful bidder should maintain a stable pool of well-qualified resources to perform services for ERCOT. Accordingly, ERCOT will give favorable consideration to bidders who provide employee compensation and robust employee benefits designed to minimize turnover among personnel assigned to ERCOT, and will share the cost of such practices as set forth below:

1) Minimum Compensation All staff providing services at ERCOT facilities should receive wages at or above the following initial levels: a. Security Guards - $13.50 per hour; b. Shift Leads - $14.50 per hour; c. Site Supervisors - $16.50 per hour; d. Physical Access Control Administrator Assistant - $16.50 per hour; e. Fire Safety Officer - $16.00 per hour; f. Assistant Security Technician (year 1 only) - $22.00 per hour.

2) Paid Vacation If the vendor does not already provide paid vacation for employees assigned to work full-time at ERCOT, ERCOT will reimburse Contractor for paid vacation as follows:

Duration of Full-time Service (including Reimbursable Vacation Days per service under prior employers) Year 1- 3 years Five days More than 3 years up to 7 years Ten days 7 years or longer Fifteen days

Such reimbursement shall include the employer-paid wage taxes, and will be made only if the individual actually uses such vacation time while assigned to work at ERCOT.

3) Paid Personal Days If the vendor does not already provide paid sick leave or personal days for employees assigned to work full-time at ERCOT, ERCOT will reimburse Contractor for up to three paid personal days per year.

4) Holiday Pay ERCOT will reimburse Contractor for up to 8 paid holidays per year granted to staff assigned to ERCOT. In addition ERCOT will reimburse Contractor at overtime rates for up to 8 hours for each employee who works at ERCOT during an ERCOT holiday. The foregoing payments shall include employer-paid wage taxes.

5) Merit Raises ERCOT will increase the hourly rate of compensation by $0.50 per hour for any Contractor employee who meets annual performance expectations defined by Contractor’s site supervisors and approved by ERCOT, provided that such increase is passed through to the employee without administrative fees or deductions, other than those required by state or federal law.

In order to ensure the best possible Contractor personnel pool and low Contractor personnel turnover, all Contractors must provide information in their proposals which detail the following:

a. Company information regarding paid medical, dental and vision care coverage for Contractor personnel; b. Company information regarding Company-sponsored retirement benefits for Contractor personnel; c. Company information regarding life insurance Contractor personnel; d. Company information regarding overtime pay, sick leave pay, holiday pay, vacation pay, longevity pay, raises, promotions and/or bonuses to Contractor personnel and e. Annual training program

III. GENERAL RULES

1. ERCOT reserves the right to amend this RFP at any time prior to the specified due date for proposals (“Proposal Deadline”). After the Intent to Bid Notice due date, amendments to this RFP shall be sent only to respondents who submitted an Intent to Bid Notice. ERCOT will also send to respondents who have submitted an Intent to Bid Notice the answers to questions received and any clarifications and addenda to the Request For Proposal. Respondents who submit an Intent to Bid Notice are not required to submit proposals. 2. At any time prior to the Proposal Deadline, a respondent may withdraw its

submitted proposal by submitting an email, signed request for withdrawal to the ERCOT RFP Contact. 3. ERCOT reserves the right to reject any proposal, to reject all proposals, to accept any portion of a proposal, or accept all proposals if deemed in the best interest of ERCOT to do so. ERCOT also reserves the right to accept informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received. 4. ERCOT reserves the right to cancel this Request for Proposal at any time, without penalty. 5. All respondents submitting proposals shall keep their proposals open for acceptance by ERCOT for a period of 120 days, unless otherwise noted. 6. All material submitted regarding this RFP becomes the property of ERCOT and will only be returned to the respondent at ERCOT’s option. 7. Any restrictions on the disclosure or use of data and materials contained within a proposal must be clearly stated in the proposal itself with the indication of enclosed proprietary information clearly noted as stated in this paragraph. If proprietary information is submitted, it must be placed in a separate, sealed envelope, with the following information clearly and conspicuously marked: “Proprietary Information Enclosed” RFP Name, Proposal Deadline. 8. No oral or written statements made by ERCOT personnel shall be considered addenda to this RFP unless the statement is confirmed in writing and identified as a written addendum to this RFP by the ERCOT Procurement RFP Contact Person. 9. ERCOT reserves the right to seek proposal clarification from any respondent to assist in making decisions. 10. All proposals submitted shall contain enough detail to allow for ERCOT evaluation. Vague or incomplete proposals may be rejected. 11. Respondents shall not contact any ERCOT agent, employee, officer or director (except for the ERCOT RFP Contact) regarding this RFP or related services. Violators of this rule may be disqualified. 12. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN A TELEPHONE OR FAX BID BE ACCEPTED. FAILURE OF A COURIER, OVERNIGHT EXPRESS OR SIMILAR SERVICE TO DELIVER A PROPOSAL SHALL NOT RELIEVE A RESPONDENT OF THE REQUIREMENT OF SUBMITTING THE PROPOSAL BY THE PROPOSAL DEADLINE. 13. News releases pertaining to this procurement or any part of the subject shall not be made without prior written approval of an authorized ERCOT employee. 14. Respondents may not use the ERCOT name, logo or any other reference to ERCOT, outside of this proposal, without prior written approval by an authorized ERCOT employee. 15. ERCOT shall not be liable for any cost incurred by respondents prior to completion of a fully-signed agreement or issuance of a purchase order. Any cost incurred by respondent in the preparation of the proposal will be borne by respondent. 16. The contents of the proposal (including persons specified to implement the project) of the successful respondent may become contractual obligations. Failure of the successful respondent to accept these obligations in a contract, purchase order, or similar document may result in cancellation of the respondent’s selection. Under these conditions, ERCOT reserves the right to enter into negotiations with another respondent. 17. ERCOT will evaluate proposals and consider cost, reliability, quality of service and

other factors. Contracts/Purchase Order(s) will be awarded to the respondent whose final proposal will be the most advantageous to ERCOT. Due to the evaluation procedure for the Request for Proposal, lowest dollar price MAY or MAY NOT indicate the successful awardee. Price constitutes only one of several evaluation criteria. 18. Complete payment by ERCOT will be made ONLY after specifications are met and services are accepted by ERCOT. Alternate payment proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the ERCOT Procurement Department and Accounts Payable Department. 19. A one (1) year term is anticipated for purchases under this RFP, with an option for renewal for two (2) additional one-year terms. 20. A respondent may submit any additional information or data not requested in this RFP (which the respondent believes should be considered in the evaluation of a response) by including in its proposal a separate section entitled “Additional RFP Bid/Proposal Information”. 21. Upon review and approval of the evaluation committee’s recommendation for award, the ERCOT Procurement RFP Contact will issue a “Notice of Proposed Award” to a respondent. All other respondents may be notified that an award has been made, but ERCOT does not commit to giving specific feedback to individual respondents.

IV. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Except for current ERCOT suppliers who have completed the Vendor Information Form (VIF) within the last six months, all Bidders must provide a completed Supplier Vendor Information Form, attached hereto as Appendix B, to the person identified in the form itself, when submitting notice of intent to bid. 2. Before entering into a contract with ERCOT, respondent must become a qualified vendor. The qualification process may require that Respondent provide information demonstrating respondent’s financial and commercial viability. In the event respondent’s staff requires unescorted access to ERCOT facilities, they will be required to undergo identity verification, a background check including a criminal history report, and drug testing.

3. Respondent agrees to accept the ERCOT terms and conditions as set out in the attached document(s) or to include in its proposal a list of all proposed changes to ERCOT’s standard terms and conditions. Respondent must have each person who will provide services to ERCOT execute an ERCOT Contractor Ethics Agreement (a sample of which is attached hereto as Appendix C). 4. This RFP may contain information that is confidential and proprietary. Respondent may not use the information contained herein for any purposes other than the preparation of a response to this RFP. Confidential or proprietary information provided by respondent (and marked as such in accordance with the rules of this RFP) will be handled as confidential by ERCOT and all project team members assisting in the evaluation process. 5. Respondents may be invited to ERCOT to make oral presentations or participate in question and answer sessions. Any such visit to ERCOT will be at the Respondent’s expense. Respondent may be asked to make their facilities available for an onsite visit or inspection by the ERCOT evaluation committee.

V. REQUIRED PROPOSAL FORMAT AND DOCUMENTS

This section provides information regarding submittal of the RFP proposals. Bidders must follow all Proposal format instructions, answer all questions, and supply all requested data. Please mark any non-applicable information as N/A.

B. Required Proposal Format

The following topics constitute the mandatory order of presentation for a Proposal. 1. Section 1 - Executive Summary 2. Section 2 - Table of Contents 3. Section 3 - Required Documents and Statements 4. Section 4 - Written acceptance of ERCOT’s terms and conditions or Respondent’s list of proposed changes 5. Section 5 - Proposal – detailed response to how Respondent will meet requirements described in Section II – Scope of Work 6. Section 6 – Pricing as required in VI. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS, Section E. 7. Section 7 – Optional summary (i.e. value add, etc.) B. Required Documents The Bidder shall furnish a Certificate of Insurance or describe how it meets the insurance specifications as described in ERCOT’s Standard Agreement. All documents described in the appendixes as applicable.

VI. RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

A. General Information 1. Provide contact information for the person responsible for Respondent’s proposal who will coordinate any requests for information or to whom ERCOT may distribute additional information or responses to questions. Contact information shall include contact’s name, mailing address, phone number, fax number, and email address. 2. Provide company profile, including: (a) location of primary office(s), (b) history, (c) executive profiles, (d) financials for the most recent two fiscal years, (e) years in business and (f) customer base. 3. Provide a detailed explanation of any specific requirements in this RFP with which it is unwilling or unable to comply. 4. Provide location(s) of offices that will provide primary support for the proposed requirements. 5. Provide full disclosure of any lawsuits or other legal disputes involving services provided by Respondent. B. Capability

Respondent must provide the following: 1. Detailed description of Respondent’s ability to deploy appropriate resources to serve the needs of ERCOT as described in the Section II (Scope of Work) above. The description should address all requirements set forth in the Scope of Work and include a discussion of areas of functional expertise necessary to fully provide services being requested and Respondent’s capability to provide those

specialized resources. The description should also include any current backlog or work in progress. 2. Description of Respondent’s expertise in providing the goods and/or services requested, including examples of similar services delivered in the last five (5) years. 3. Description of the expected level of support from ERCOT resources (staff, facilities, software, etc.) necessary for these services. 4. Additional information Respondent believes may assist ERCOT in its selection process.

C. References

Provide at least five (5) relevant client references (i.e., clients similar to ERCOT) who have used Respondent’s goods and/or services in a similar capacity as those described in this RFP. With each reference, Respondent must include the reference company’s name, address, phone number, and the name and position of a person that ERCOT may contact. ERCOT reserves the right to contact any current or previous user of Respondent’s services, and by submitting a proposal, Respondent consents to ERCOT contacting any such person or entity. D. Conflicts of Interest

By submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, Respondent warrants that it has no prohibited Conflict of Interest with ERCOT or with any ERCOT employee, officer, director, or Market Participant. A list of ERCOT Market Participants, officers, and directors is available at www.ercot.com. A prohibited Conflict of Interest exists where: 1. Respondent or any of its employees, officers, partners, or managers stand to gain or lose personally from an ERCOT or ERCOT Market Participant business decision; 2. Any Market Participant, or any employee, officer, or director of ERCOT stands to gain or lose personally from any business by or decisions of Respondent; 3. There is a relationship between Respondent (or any of its officers, partners, managers, or major clients) and ERCOT (or any of its employees, officers, directors, or Market Participants) that would impair Respondent’s objectivity or independence, in fact or by appearance; or 4. Any ERCOT Market Participant, employee, officer, or director has ownership in, is related in any way to, receives money from, or serves in an advisory, consulting, technical, or management capacity for Respondent.

E. Cost of Goods and/or Services

The Cost Proposal must be based on the Scope of Work described in Section II. This section should include any business, economic, legal, or practical assumptions that underlie the Cost Proposal. Respondents may separately identify cost-saving and cost- avoidance methods and measures and the effect of such methods and measures on the Cost Proposal and Scope of Work. Respondents must also propose a wage progression schedule that must be based on tenure, performance, and completion of training. Respondents must utilize the Cost Proposal table format listed below for submitting your Cost Proposal. Respondents are encouraged to submit cost breakdowns in support of their Cost Proposal. A cost breakdown should include all cost drivers (insurance, training, drug screening, etc.) including mark-up used to comprise the ERCOT bill rate. Cost breakdowns and the wage progression schedule can be submitted in the respondent’s desired format.

Cost Proposal

Cost not included in respondents pricing proposal to ERCOT are the sole responsibility Estimated Number of Hrs Bill of the respondent. per Week Rate Estimated Weekly Fee

Austin MET Center Lead Supervisor 50 $ $ Security Guard - 1 40 $ $ Security Guard - 2 40 $ $ Total Estimated Weekly Hours - MET Center: 130 MET - WEEKLY FEE SUBTOTAL: $

Taylor TCC 1 & TCC2 Estimated Number of Hrs Bill Facilities per Week Rate Estimated Weekly Fee Site Supervisor 40 $ $ Lead Supervisor - 1 40 $ $ Lead Supervisor - 2 40 $ $

Lead Supervisor - 3 40 $ $ Security Guard - 1 40 $ $ Security Guard - 2 40 $ $ Security Guard - 3 40 $ $ Security Guard - 4 40 $ $ Security Guard - 5 40 $ $ Security Guard -6 40 $ $ Security Guard -7 40 $ $ Security Guard -8 40 $ $ Security Guard -9 40 $ $ Security Guard -10 40 $ $ Security Guard -11 24 $ $ Assistant Physical Access Control Administrator 40 $ $ Fire Safety Officer 40 $ $ Assistant Security Technician 40 $ $ Total Estimated Weekly Hours - TCC 1 & 2: 704 Taylor TCC1 & TCC2 WEEKLY FEE SUBTOTAL: $

Estimated Number of Hrs Bill Bastrop Control Center per Week Rate Estimated Weekly Fee Site Supervisor 40 $ $ Lead Supervisor - 1 40 $ $ Lead Supervisor - 2 40 $ $ Lead Supervisor - 3 40 $ $ Security Guard - 1 40 $ $ Security Guard - 2 40 $ $ Security Guard - 3 40 $ $ Security Guard - 4 40 $ $ Security Guard - 5 40 $ $ Security Guard - 6 16 $ $ Total Estimated Weekly Hours - Bastrop: 376 Bastrop - WEEKLY FEE SUBTOTAL: $

TOTAL Weekly Fees: $

Estimated Annual Cost: $

VII. EVALUTION CRITERIA

ERCOT will evaluate Respondents’ proposals based upon, but not limited to, the following criteria:

 Respondent’s previous record of performance, service, and references  Respondent’s ability to meet requirements from Section II  Ability of respondent to render value-added services (e.g., website)  Delivery schedule  Price  Warranty (if applicable)  Terms and conditions– preference given to Bidders who accept ERCOT’s Standard Agreement  Respondent’s financial analysis VIII. APPENDICES

To open a file, double click on the icon for the embedded file. Once open, it may be saved as a new document. If you have any problem opening these embedded attachments, you may request separate email copies from the ERCOT RFP Contact.

A. Vendor Information Form

IRS W-9 - Rev Jan Form 2.1.1 Vendor 2011.pdf Information Form 05.21.11.docx B. ERCOT Professional Services Agreement

Professional Services Agreement 9.12.11.docx C. ERCOT Code of Conduct and Ethics Agreement

CONSULTANT ETHICS AGREEMENT

D. Non-disclosure Agreement

NDA for Vendor RFP