REQUEST for PROPOSAL Reverse Auction Management Services
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Reverse Auction Management Services July 16, 2015 This Request for Proposal (RFP) is made available to qualified/capable Reverse Auction Management Service Providers. The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (District) is seeking Statements of Qualifications and competitive sealed Proposals via this Request for Proposal (RFP) for provision of Reverse Auction Management Services for the procurement of Wholesale Natural Gas. If an acceptable Proposal is made in response to this RFP, the District may authorize the selected Proposer to perform the services. Once selected, the term of the service will begin on the date the contract is awarded, and be in place for the duration the wholesale natural gas procurement contract. RFP Issued: July 16, 2015 Non mandatory pre –proposal meeting: July 22, 2015 Inquiry addendum deadline: July 25, 2015 Proposal due date: July 30, 2015 Contract Award: Aug 6, 2015 The RFP is organized as follows: SECTION 1 – GENERAL INSTRUCTION SECTION 2 – SCOPE OF SERVICE SECTION 3 – PROPOSAL CONTENT AND FORMAT SECTION 4 - EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS Page 1 of 17 07/16/2015 SECTION 1 ~ GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 1.0 Proposal Delivery, Time and Date Proposals for providing these services will be accepted until the close of business (4:30 P.M.) on July 30, 2015. The official time shall be as stated on the atomic time stamp clock designated as the official clock located at the District’s Security Desk at the George J. McMonagle Administration Building. Late submittals will not be considered. Proposals not meeting the requirements of this RFP may be deemed non-responsive at the sole discretion of the District. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held at 9:00A.M. on July 22, 2015 in the George J. McMonagle, Public Meeting Room, 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Proposals are to be delivered to the following name and address: Jennifer Demmerle, CPA, Chief Financial Officer Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District 3900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115-2506 1.2 Proposal Submissions Proposers are requested to submit three (3) copies of their information packet. Proposers must include their company name and address on the outside of the envelope or container. The envelope or container must be sealed. The words RFP for Reverse Auction Management Services RFP# P1212 must appear on the outside of the envelope or container. Proposals will be accepted in person, by U.S. Mail, by UPS, or by private courier service. NO Proposals will be accepted via oral or e-mail communication, telephone, facsimile, or telegraphic transmission. 1.3 Clarification Questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to Jacqueline Williams at the pre- proposal meeting or at other times by e-mailing to [email protected]. It shall be the proposer’s responsibility to advise the purchasing agent if any language, requirements, or any combination thereof, inadvertently restricts or limits the requirements stated in this RFP to a single source. Such notifications must be submitted Page 2 of 17 07/16/2015 in writing and must be received by the District’s Manager of Procurement Services no later than July 24, 2015. A review of such notification will be made. All requests for additional information or clarification concerning this Request for Proposal (RFP) must be submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m., July 24, 2015 addressed to: Jacqueline Williams, Manager of Procurement Services Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District 3900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115-2506 [email protected] 1.4 Addenda and Modifications Any changes, additions, deletions, or clarifications to the RFP are made by the District through amendments (addenda). Any proposer in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the RFP documents may request any interpretation thereof from the Division of Purchasing and Supplies. At the request of the proposer, or in the event the Purchasing Department deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Purchasing Department. Such addendum issued by the Purchasing Department will be sent to all proposers receiving the original Request for Proposal (RFP) and will become part of the proposal package having the same binding effect as provisions of the original RFP. No verbal explanations or interpretations will be binding. In order to have a request for interpretation considered, the request must be submitted in writing and must be received by Manager of Procurement Services by July 24, 2015. All Addenda, amendments, and interpretations of this solicitation shall be in writing. Any amendment or interpretation that is not in writing shall not legally bind the District. Only information supplied by the District in writing or in this RFP should be used in preparing proposal responses. All contact that a proposer may have had before or after receipt of this RFP with any individuals, employees, or representatives of District regarding this RFP should be disregarded in preparing responses. The District does not assume responsibility for the receipt of any addendum sent to proposers. A copy of all addenda issued must be signed and returned with your proposal. Page 3 of 17 07/16/2015 1.5 Examination of Documents and Requirements Each proposer shall carefully examine all RFP documents and thoroughly familiarize themselves with all requirements prior to submitting a proposal to ensure that the proposal meets the intent of this RFP. Before submitting a proposal each proposer shall be responsible for making all investigations and examinations that are necessary to ascertain conditions and requirements affecting the requirements of this RFP. Failure to make such investigations and examinations shall not relieve the proposer from obligation to comply, in every detail, with all provisions and requirements of the Request for Proposal. 1.6 Conflict of Interest The proposer shall not accept gifts or anything of value nor enter into any business arrangement with any employee, official or agent of the District. By signing their proposal, the proposer certifies and represents to the District that the proposer has not offered, conferred or agreed to confer any pecuniary benefit or other thing of value for the receipt of special treatment, advantaged, information, recipient’s decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or any other exercise of discretion concerning this RFP. 1.7 Proposal Preparation Costs Issuance of this RFP does not commit the District, in any way, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal. The issuance of this RFP does not obligate the District to enter into contract for any services or equipment. All costs related to the preparation and submission of a proposal shall be paid by the proposer. Page 4 of 17 07/16/2015 SECTION 2 ~ SCOPE OF SERVICE 2.1 Objective The District is interested in contracting with a Reverse Auction Management Service Provider for the Procurement of Wholesale Natural Gas. The objective of this RFP is to solicit Proposals to engage the services of a knowledgeable Reverse Auction Management Service Provider in the field of wholesale natural gas, load management and procurement services. The District’s annual natural gas usage during the last two (2) year contract was 1,416,320 Dths. The Reverse Auction Management Service Provider will be responsible for the development and support to provide a wholesale natural gas strategy that will maximize cost savings while providing management reports on the program and any savings. The Reverse Auction Management Service Provider will perform many of the administrative functions under the direction of District including usage analysis, development of a buying strategy, development of a load management strategy, proposal preparation, and reporting. The Reverse Auction Management Service Provider must not be affiliated with any particular wholesale natural gas or marketer, and must act impartially with regard to providers and in the best interest of the District. Therefore, if a wholesale natural gas supplier or affiliated company submits a proposal under this RFP and is selected to provide reverse auction management services, that supplier may not bid to supply wholesale natural gas to the District in response to the Invitation to Bid developed with the auction management service. This RFP provides details on what is required to submit a Proposal, how the District will evaluate the Proposals and what will be required of the Proposer who is selected to provide Reverse Auction Management Services. Scope of services: Performance -The Reverse Auction Management Service Provider shall: 1. Work with the District to gather historical usage data. 2. Work with the District to develop risk management goals. Such goals will be used to guide the procurement process and the wholesale natural gas supplier selection. 3. Develop a supply strategy that adheres to the risk management goals, generates the most competitive bids, reduces the District's exposure to capacity costs and distribution/transmission riders, and positions the District to monetize demand response opportunities. 4. Conduct a survey of active and licensed competitive wholesale natural gas suppliers as certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to ensure maximum supplier participation. 5. Provide information regarding the best time to hold the procurement based on District's specified timelines and market conditions. Page 5 of 17 07/16/2015 6. Solicit qualified suppliers for wholesale natural gas that meet the objectives of the supply strategy. 7. Provide training and instruction to the qualified suppliers on how to bid using the reverse auction technology/tools. 8. Conduct the auctions. 9. Create baselines (current budget and avoided costs) against which supplier bid prices are compared to ensure that selected offer adheres to supply strategy goals. 10. Review the final contract to ensure that it meets both District's and supplier's requirements. 11. Facilitate contract negotiations, if necessary, between the District and supplier.