Request for Proposal Licensing Solution Provider for Microsoft
Event ID # PFP0000085
Proposal due date: January 7, 2020 at 2:00 PM central time
Closing date for questions: December 3, 2019 at 2:00 PM central time
Table of Contents 1 Introduction ...... 3 1.1 Purpose of RFP ...... 3 1.2 Background ...... 3 1.3 Goals and objectives ...... 3 1.4 Mandatory qualifications ...... 3 1.5 RFP requirements...... 4
2 General Rules ...... 4 2.1 RFP overview ...... 4 2.2 Estimated timeline and extension of time ...... 4 2.3 Proposal format and content (Attachment 2) ...... 5 2.4 Proposal submission ...... 5 2.5 Questions and communication restrictions ...... 5 2.6 Addenda ...... 5 2.7 County’s right to withdraw, cancel, suspend and/or modify RFP ...... 6 2.8 Proposer’s right to edit or cancel proposal...... 6 2.9 Proposals will not be returned ...... 6 2.10 Public disclosure of proposal documents ...... 6 2.11 Proposer’s costs ...... 6 2.12 Proposer’s ideas ...... 7 2.13 Collusion ...... 7 2.14 Conflict of interest ...... 7 3 Evaluation and Selection...... 7 3.1 Proposal evaluation and recommendation for selection ...... 7 3.2 Evaluation of responsiveness ...... 8 3.3 Evaluation of responsibility ...... 8 3.4 Evaluation panel and evaluation criteria ...... 8 3.5 Interviews ...... 9 3.6 Execution of contract ...... 9
4 Attachments ...... 9 Exhibit A – Sample of current products ...... 10 Exhibit B – Pricing markup Excel spreadsheet ...... 12 Attachment 1 - Requirements ...... 13
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 1 Attachment 2 – Proposal format and content ...... 14 Attachment 3 – Hennepin County Terms and Conditions...... 16
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 2 1 Introduction
Purpose of RFP The County of Hennepin, State of Minnesota (“County”), is soliciting proposals for a Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products, which the County hopes will lead to a three-year agreement. The selected solution will replace the County’s current LSP contract.
Background The County’s current LSP for Microsoft products contract expires December 31, 2020. Current annual Microsoft spend is $7,000,000.
For further background see Exhibit A.
Hennepin County is the most populated county in Minnesota and encompasses Minneapolis. Hennepin County Government has 9,000 employees with five distinct lines of business and an annual budget of $2,000,000,000.
Goals and objectives • The new LSP contract will be executed in time to allow for transition services if necessary
• LSP serves as a business partner to Hennepin County
• LSP establishes uniform product pricing at the lowest possible level, which can be used by all County enrollees regardless of purchasing volume
• LSP assures that all enrollees receive necessary administrative and support services
• LSP provides instruction and guidance in developing an understanding of Microsoft pricing and licensing for various Microsoft products and Azure services
• LSP establishes and assists in Proof of Purchase, entitlement, and certificate/order confirmation
• LSP establishes reconcilable Azure usage billing
• LSP establishes the availability of Microsoft Consulting Services at competitive rates
• LSP establishes the availability of Premier Support services (optional)
Mandatory qualifications 1. LSP must be a certified direct Microsoft LSP partner authorized to provide Select Plus, Enterprise, and Academic Agreements to Local Government and Affiliates. LSP must include with their proposal an authorized Large Account Reseller (“LAR”) letter issued by Microsoft confirming the Proponent’s LSP accreditation and good standing; the letter must be current and dated within one (1) month of the proposal due date, signed by an authorized representative from Microsoft, and issued on Microsoft letter head.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 3 2. LSP must have appropriate skills defined by the Microsoft Partner Program and must include within the proposal and within the letter provided in 1 above a list of Microsoft organization skills including: Cloud Licensing, Office 365 Licensing, and Volume Licensing. 3. LSP must provide fixed pricing for the term of the agreement. 4. LSP must be able to provide quotes and Invoices that, at a minimum, contain the following attributes: a. Microsoft Part number and not reseller SKU b. Quantity c. Cost per Unit d. Product Description in plain language e. Extended or Total Cost (Cost per unit multiplied by Quantity) f. Microsoft Enrollment Number g. Hennepin Contract Number h. Cost i. Mark-up % j. j Start and end dates
RFP requirements The RFP Requirements are included as Attachment 1.
General Rules
RFP overview This Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is an invitation for Proposers to submit a proposal to the County. It is not to be construed as an official and customary request for bids, but as a means by which the County can facilitate the acquisition of information related to the purchase of services. Any proposal submitted is a suggestion to negotiate and NOT A BID.
Estimated timeline and extension of time 12/3/2019 Due date for vendor questions
12/6/2019 Anticipated date County answers posted
1/7/2020 Due date for proposals
Week of 1/20/2020 Vendor interview period (if requested; this date is an approximation)
These dates are subject to revision or cancellation by the County in its sole and absolute discretion.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 4 Proposal format and content (Attachment 2) When submitting a proposal, Proposers must follow the specific format and contents detailed in Attachment 2. Failure to do so will likely prolong the evaluation process.
Proposal submission Proposals will be received in the Hennepin County Supplier Portal. In order to submit a proposal, you must first register with the Supplier Portal. For more information on how to register, please go to the Supplier Portal Information Page. Proposers are strongly encouraged to make their submissions well in advance of the proposal due date as the process may take some time to complete.
Questions and communication restrictions Questions concerning this RFP should be submitted in writing via e-mail with the subject line LSP for Microsoft to the following:
Tina Wong, Sr. Contract Services Analyst Hennepin County Purchasing and Contract Services
Copy to:
Patrick Murphy, IT Project Manager Hennepin County Information Technology Department
With the subject line: LSP for Microsoft RFP Question
Proposers shall not communicate, verbally or otherwise, with any Hennepin County personnel or boards or relevant consultant(s) concerning this RFP, except for the persons listed in this section. This restriction may be suspended or removed by the authority and direction of the persons listed above. If any Proposer attempts or completes any unauthorized communication, Hennepin County may, in its sole and absolute discretion, reject the Proposer’s Proposal.
Addenda The County reserves the right to modify the RFP at any time prior to the proposal due date. An addendum will be posted in the Supplier Portal if the RFP is modified. Addenda may be viewed by clicking on the ‘View Event Package’ on the Event Details page. It is the responsibility of each prospective Proposer to assure receipt of all addenda.
The County will modify the RFP only by formal written addenda. Proposer’s Proposal should be based on this RFP document and any formal written addenda. Proposers should not rely on oral statements.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 5 County’s right to withdraw, cancel, suspend and/or modify RFP The County reserves the right to withdraw, cancel, suspend, and/or modify this RFP for any reason and at any time with no liability to any prospective Proposer for any costs or expenses incurred in connection with the RFP or otherwise.
Proposer’s right to edit or cancel proposal A proposal may be edited or cancelled in the Supplier Portal prior to the proposal due date. For instructions, view the Edit or Cancel a Response section of the How to Respond to an Event Guide.
Proposals will not be returned Upon submission, proposals will not be returned.
Public disclosure of proposal documents Under Minnesota law, proposals are private or nonpublic until the proposals are opened on the proposal due date. Once the proposals are opened, the name of the Proposer becomes public. All other data in the proposal is private/nonpublic data until completion of the evaluation process. The evaluation process is completed when the County enters into a contract with a Proposer. At that time, all remaining data submitted by all Proposers is public with the exception of data classified as private/non-public trade secret data under Minn. Stat. § 13.37 of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
If the Proposer believes private/non-public data is included in its Proposal, Proposer shall clearly identify the data and provide the specific rationale in support of the asserted classification. Proposer must type in bold red letters the term “CONFIDENTIAL” on that specific part or page of the Proposal which Proposer believes to be confidential. Classification of data as trade secret data will be determined pursuant to applicable law, and, accordingly, merely labeling data as “trade secret” does not necessarily make the data protected as such under any applicable law.
The Proposer agrees, as a condition of submitting its Proposal, that the County will not, as between the parties, be liable or accountable for any loss or damage, which may result from a breach of confidentiality related to the Proposal. Typically, pricing, fees, and costs are public data. The Proposer agrees to indemnify and hold the County, its officials, agents, and employees harmless from all claims arising out of, resulting from, or in any manner attributable to any violation of any provision of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, including legal fees and disbursements paid or incurred to enforce this provision.
Proposer’s costs The County shall not be responsible for any costs incurred by Proposer in connection with this RFP. Proposer shall bear all costs associated with proposal preparation, submission, and attendance at interviews, or any other activity associated with this RFP or otherwise.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 6 Proposer’s ideas The County reserves the right to use any or all ideas, concepts, or other information provided in any proposals. Selection or rejection of the Proposal does not affect this right.
Collusion If the County determines that collusion has occurred among Proposers, none of the proposals of the participants involved in the collusion shall be considered. The County’s determination shall be final.
Conflict of interest The Proposer affirms that to the best of its knowledge the submission of its Proposal, or any resulting contract, does not present an actual or perceived conflict of interest. The Proposer agrees that should any actual or perceived conflict of interest become known, it will immediately notify the County and will advise whether it will or will not avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the conflict of interest.
The County may make reasonable efforts to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize a conflict of interest by a Proposer. To avoid a conflict of interest by a Proposer, the County may utilize methods including disqualifying a Proposer from eligibility for a contract award or cancelling the contract if the conflict is discovered after a contract has been issued. The County may, at its sole and absolute discretion, waive any conflict of interest.
Evaluation and Selection
Proposal evaluation and recommendation for selection This RFP does not commit the County to award a contract. Submission of a proposal shall neither obligate nor entitle a Proposer to enter into a contract with the County. The County reserves the following rights, to be exercised in the County’s sole and absolute discretion: 1) to determine whether any aspect of a proposal satisfactorily meets the criteria established in this RFP; 2) to seek clarification or additional information from any Proposer; 3) to negotiate, sequentially or simultaneously, pricing and/or terms with any Proposer or vendor; 4) to reject any or all proposals with or without cause; 5) to waive any irregularities or informalities in a proposal; 6) to cancel or amend by addenda this RFP, in part or entirely; 7) to award multiple contracts to Proposers; and/or 8) award a contract to a vendor that did not submit a proposal.
Evaluation of proposals by a selection committee, evaluation panel, County staff, a technical advisory committee, or by another group, individual or entity is advisory only. The County Board or its designee may consider or reject such evaluation(s) for any or all proposals. Such evaluations are for the sole benefit of the County Board or its designee, and as such, they are not binding upon the County, nor may they be relied upon in any way by a Proposer.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 7 Evaluation of responsiveness The County will consider all the material submitted by the Proposer to determine whether the Proposer’s offer is in compliance with the terms and conditions set forth in this RFP. Proposals that do not comply with the provisions in this RFP may be considered nonresponsive and may be rejected.
Evaluation of responsibility To determine whether a Proposer is responsible, the County will consider the Proposer’s general qualifications to perform the requested services in a satisfactory manner; financial responsibility; integrity; skill; and ability.
Factors considered by the County may include, but are not limited to, Proposer’s past performance on previous projects; the Proposer’s technical capabilities; individual qualifications of Proposer’s key personnel; and the Proposer’s financial ability to perform on the contract. Proposals from Proposers considered non-responsible will be rejected.
Evaluation panel and evaluation criteria After review of each responsive proposal, the County may immediately award a contract to a successful Proposer based on the evaluation criteria, or it may establish a short list of Proposers for further consideration. The short list of Proposers may be asked to provide additional information, including but not limited to two years of audited financial statements. The short list of Proposers may also be asked to attend an in-person or telephone interview/presentation, as determined by the County in its sole discretion.
Evaluation criteria shall include the following in order of importance:
1. Quality of the services identified, including without limitation: • Quality of the proposed services to County including value added services and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) • Any differentiators that make the proposed solution stand out from the others
2. Accreditation, Experience and qualifications, including without limitation: • Government experience • Expertise • Capability • Past performance and ability to execute as promised
3. Quality of proposal compliance, including without limitation: • Compliance with Proposal Format & Content • How well the LSP meets the requirements as stated in the RFP • Acceptance of the County’s terms and conditions (Attachment 3) • Prepared for interview (if applicable)
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 8 Please note that cost is a critical factor. The County will consider the trade-off between proposed cost and the other evaluation criteria in determining which proposal is most advantageous to the County.
Interviews After review of each responsive proposal, the County may immediately award a contract to a successful Proposer based on the evaluation criteria, or it may establish a short list of Proposers for further consideration. The short list of Proposers may be asked to provide additional information, interview/demonstration and/or offer a limited license for a trial period, as determined by the County in its sole discretion. If a limited license is requested, Proposer may be required to execute a limited duration zero dollar agreement for the limited license.
Execution of contract Before a contract becomes effective between the County and any Proposer, the contract award must be ratified and signed by the County Board or its designee. If for any reason the County Board or its designee does not ratify and sign the contract then there are no binding obligations whatsoever between the County and the Proposer relative to the proposed contract.
Attachments Exhibit A – Sample of current products
Exhibit B – Pricing markup Excel spreadsheet
Attachment 1 – Requirements Excel spreadsheet
Attachment 2 – Proposal format and content
Attachment 3 – Hennepin County Terms and Conditions
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 9 Exhibit A – Sample of current products Hennepin County has a unique opportunity to partner with a Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) that will help assist in assessment of current and future IT architecture needs and help right size appropriate Microsoft licensing and offerings during the renewal and/or the establishment of Volume Licensing Agreements. This may include but is not limited to:
1. Government Desktop Enterprise Agreement (EA) 2. Education Desktop Enterprise Agreement (EA) 3. Server and Cloud Enrollment (SCE) 4. Select Plus 5. Microsoft Cloud Agreement (MCA) 6. Azure Services (Both Commercial and Government)
Below is a sample and not an all-inclusive list of current products leveraged at Hennepin County excluding Azure or bundled services:
Product Pool License Product Family License Version Applications Expression Studio Web Professional 4 Applications MSDN Platforms Applications O365 E5 from SA in GCC Applications O365 E5 in GCC Applications Office for Mac Standard 2019 Applications Office Professional 2019 Applications Project Standard 2019 Applications Visio Plan 2 GCC from SA Applications Visio Professional 2019 Applications Visio Standard 2019 Applications Visual Studio Enterprise with MSDN 2019 Applications Visual Studio Pro Subscription (MSDN) 2019 Applications Visual Studio Test Pro Subscription (MSDN) 2019 Servers Advanced Threat Analytics Client Management License 2018 Servers Azure DevOps Server 2019 Servers Azure DevOps Server User CAL 2019 Servers Azure Monetary Commitment Servers Core Infrastructure Server Suite Datacenter Core Servers Core Infrastructure Server Suite Standard Core Servers Data Loss Prevention Servers EMS E5 FromSA GCC old Servers EMS E5 Full GCC old Servers Exchange Online Archiving Servers Exchange Online Protection Servers Exchange Server Enterprise CAL 2019 Servers Exchange Server Standard CAL 2019
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 10 Product Pool License Product Family License Version Servers Identity Manager External Connector 2016 Servers Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Plan Servers Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement Plan GCC - Per User Servers Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Case Management GCC - Per User Servers Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Team Member Old Servers Microsoft Dynamics 365 Plan Servers OMS E2 Add on Servers Project Online Premium GCC Servers Project Online Professional From SA GCC Servers Project Server 2019 Servers Sharepoint Server Enterprise CAL 2019 Servers SharePoint Server Standard CAL 2019 Servers Skype for Business Server Enterprise CAL 2019 Servers Skype for Business Server Standard CAL 2019 Servers SQL Server - Standard 2019 Servers SQL Server Enterprise Core 2019 Servers SQL Server Standard Core 2019 Servers System Center Configuration Manager Client ML 2019 Servers System Center Endpoint Protection 2012 R2 Servers Windows Remote Desktop Services - User CAL 2019 Servers Windows Remote Desktop Services External Connector 2019 Servers Windows Rights Management Services CAL 2019 Servers Windows Server CAL 2019 Servers Windows Server External Connector 2019 10 Enterprise LTSC Systems Windows 2019 Systems Windows 10 Azure AD-based activation Systems Windows 7 ESU 2020 for M365 Year 1 Systems Windows E3 From SA USL 10 Enterprise Systems Windows E5 Step-up 10 Enterprise Systems Windows Edu Per Device 10 Education 10 Enterprise 2015 Systems Windows VDA Per Device LTSB
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 11 Exhibit B – Pricing markup Excel spreadsheet Attached in the Event Comments and Attachments page of the Event.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 12 Attachment 1 - Requirements Attached in the Event Comments and Attachments page of the Event.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 13 Attachment 2 – Proposal format and content Proposals must adhere to the following format:
1. Cover letter
The Proposer must submit a cover letter that includes the following statements:
A. Proposer is a certified direct Microsoft LSP partner authorized to provide Select Plus, Enterprise, and Academic Agreements to Local Government and Affiliates;
B. Proposer has included with their proposal an authorized Large Account Reseller (“LAR”) letter issued by Microsoft confirming the Proponent’s LSP accreditation and good standing; the letter is current and dated within one (1) month of the proposal due date, signed by an authorized representative from Microsoft, and issued on Microsoft letter head;
C. Proposer has the appropriate skills defined by the Microsoft Partner Program and has included within the proposal and within the letter provided in B above a list of Microsoft organization skills including: Cloud Licensing, Office 365 Licensing, and Volume Licensing;
D. Proposer will provide fixed pricing for the term of the agreement;
E. Proposer is able to provide quotes and Invoices that, at a minimum, contain the following attributes: i. Microsoft Part number and not reseller SKU ii. Quantity iii. Cost per Unit iv. Product Description in plain language v. Extended or Total Cost (Cost per unit multiplied by Quantity) vi. Microsoft Enrollment Number vii. Hennepin Contract Number viii. Cost ix. Mark-up % x. x Start and end dates;
F. The Proposal is effective for a period of one hundred eighty (180) days or the date the contract takes effect, whichever is later;
G. The Proposer has reviewed and agrees to be bound by Hennepin County Terms and Conditions (Attachment 3); or, alternatively, a statement confirming that the Proposer has reviewed and agrees to be bound by Hennepin County Terms and Conditions (Attachment 3), excluding only those provisions that have been redlined for negotiation purposes (and are included in their Proposal);
H. The Proposer does not have an actual or perceived conflict of interest regarding this RFP or in submission of their Proposal; or alternatively, a statement explaining any conflict of interest and how to avoid, mitigate or neutralize the conflict;
I. Each subcontractor Proposer intends to use to deliver any services are identified herein. Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 14 2. Proposal
The Proposal shall contain the following information (and in the same order):
A. A profile of the Proposer, including the size, organizational structure, and history. (3 pages maximum)
B. A narrative response that addresses the following: (10 pages maximum)
i. Proposer’s ability to meet the RFP requirements and support Hennepin County with value-added services and capabilities starting at the initial onboarding agreement phases, throughout the required true-ups and product or technology changes; assist in audit defense and compliance; financial governance; procurement reconciliation; Azure billing; and retirement of obsolete related products. Please indicate no cost versus additional paid services.
ii. County-personalized service level agreements and how Proposer intends to maintain them;
iii. detailed description of transition plan, ensuring that license counts transition, especially persistent license counts.
C. A narrative of the experience of the firm in providing similar services for other clients, including specifically governmental clients in Minnesota, if available. (2 pages maximum)
D. Three (3) references for whom the Proposer has provided services similar to those described in the RFP. If Proposer will be using a subcontractor, three (3) references must be provided for the subcontractor as well. The County reserves the right to check other references not provided by the Proposer. The following information is required for each reference:
i. customer name and address; ii. point of contact (name, telephone number) for contractual/administrative matters and technical performance; iii. period of contract performance; and iv. description of work performed.
Emphasis should be given to providing references where: 1) the resources used are the same or mostly the same as those who will be used for the County’s agreement; and 2) the customers are governmental organizations (in Minnesota preferred). The County may request additional references from Proposer.
E. Fully completed Exhibit B Reseller Markup Percentage Excel spreadsheet
F. Fully completed Attachment 1 (Requirements spreadsheet) including any attachments required therein.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 15 Attachment 3 – Hennepin County Terms and Conditions Attached in the Event Comments and Attachments page of the Event.
Licensing Solution Provider (LSP) for Microsoft products 16