MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NOTICE OF GRANT OPPORTUNITY/REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program

Note: This document is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities by callingMayjoua Lyat 651-366-3323 or for persons who are hearing or speech impaired by calling the Minnesota Relay Service at 1-800-627-3529.

This RFP does not obligate MnDOT to award a Grant or complete the project, and MnDOT reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest.

Project Specific Information

Purpose of Request:

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is committed to ensuring equal opportunity for all businesses and personnel on MnDOT projects. OCR has developed a comprehensive Business Development Program (BDP) that OCR is committed to consistently administering every year. The BDP is designed to create a framework that provides training and technical assistance, along with access to business and financial resources that help certified small businesses to compete more effectively on MnDOT projects/contracts and is structured into six (6) impact areas. One of the impact areas is building certified small business technical expertise such as increasing capacity and expanding expertise that will enhance a certified small business’s technical knowledge.

To achieve this impact area goal, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) established the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program which is a micro-grant program for certified small businesses who are seeking financial assistance for eligible expenses that increase their business capacity and industry knowledge so they can pursue work on Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) projects or contracts.

Project Goal:

The goals of the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program are to:

•Build and improve the capacity and capabilities of certified small businesses to expand expertise

•Acquire business capacity and industry knowledge needed to bid and be awarded MnDOT contracts

Description of Eligibility for Micro-grant Reimbursements:

Who qualifies?

For purposes of the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program, a certified small business is a small business that has been certified through either MnDOT OCR’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program or the Minnesota Department of Administration’s Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-Owned (TG/ED/VO) Small Business Procurement Program.

Please click the following links below for more information about either certification program:

-Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program

-Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-Owned (TG/ED/VO) Small Business Procurement Program

Additionally, the certified small business must meet the following requirements:

  • Certified small business firm home’s state must be Minnesota;
  • Certified small business must work in Minnesota;
  • Certified small business work must be working on or seeking work on MnDOT projects and/or contracts;
  • Certified small business must be actively pursuing work (submitting bids for MnDOT projects; attended MnDOT Meet & Greet events; graduates of MnDOT Support Services Programs; have a Business Plan), is working on or have worked on MnDOT construction projects;
  • Certified Small Business Owner or Employee (only one employee is eligible per year):
  1. Employee must be employed by the certified small business firm for at least one (1) year; and
  2. Must be named on file as a “Key Employee”

At the time of the proposal submission,

At the time training or assistance takes place,

Key Employee is a staff at the management function level; and

Key Employee must be in the qualifying position at the time of the proposal submission and at the time of the training.

What work qualifies for reimbursement?

  • Technical training which expands or enhances a certified small business’s ability to obtain work associated with MnDOT professional technical contracts/projects; construction project and/or maintenance projects. The technical training must correspond with the certified small business’s certification or a new area of business that would assist the business in obtaining work on MnDOT projects. Certified small business firms are required to document how the training will benefit the certified small business on the MnDOT projects.
  • Marketing or website development.
  • Other areas of assistance based on the certified small business’s Business Plan (The grantor will review other areas of assistance on a case by case and the certified small business must receive approval for reimbursement before incurring expenses for reimbursement.)

What work does not qualify for reimbursement?

  • Advertising
  • Clothing
  • Trade Shows
  • Office Furnishings
  • Salaries/Person Benefits
  • Utilities

MnDOT will not pay for training that is offered through the MnDOT On-the-Job (OJT) Support Services Program.

Funding and Payment:

All funding provided for the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program will be provided as reimbursement for actual costs and expenses incurred by the certified small business for approved eligible expenses. All costs and expenses must be documented and accounted for by the certified small business. Funding for this program is capped at $15,000 per the 2018 State Fiscal Year (SFY). (The State Fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30). The reimbursement maximum is two thousand dollars ($2,000) per certified small business per State Fiscal Year pending availability of funds. Failure to provide all information in the proposal submission will result in the proposal submission being denied. MnDOT recommends that certified small business gets approval from MnDOT first before registering for training or purchasing the needed services. No reimbursement will be made for training/services that took place before approval is granted.

ProposalContents:

The following will be considered minimum contents of the proposal and must be submitted in the order listed:

  1. Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program Application attached to this RFP as Exhibit B.
  2. Supporting documentation for their application (See the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program Application- Exhibit B for more information).
  3. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions Form (Exhibit E)
  4. The forms and documents required under any other section of this RFP including:
  5. Affidavit of Noncollusion (Exhibit C)
  6. Conflict of Interest Checklist and Disclosure Form (Exhibit D)

If the responder’s proposal is approved for reimbursement, the responder will be asked to enter into a grant agreement with MnDOT in order for the responder to receive reimbursement (see Exhibit G for an example of a MnDOT grant agreement).

Proposal Evaluation:

Representatives of MnDOT will evaluate all responses received by the deadline. In some instances, additional information may be requested as part of the evaluation process.

All proposals will be evaluated based on the clarity and completeness of their proposal; responses included in their application; and according to the following criteria:

• Application explains the technical training or area of assistance needed in clear detail and demonstrates consistency with the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program purpose and guidelines (See Exhibit A), as well as demonstrating a strong need for the training or assistance needed.

• Level of participation in MnDOT Support Services Program and/or proof of actively trying to actively bid or submit proposal for MnDOT projects.

• Capacity, experience, and background of the key employee who is requesting the training.

• Detail, clarity, and articulation of the technical training or area of assistance needed.

• Funding requested is clear and consistent with the technical training or area of assistance needed.

Questions

Responders who have any questions regarding this RFP must submit questions by e-mail only to:

Mayjoua Ly

No other department personnel are allowed to discuss the RFP before the proposal submission deadline. Contact regarding this RFP with any personnel not listed above may result in disqualification.

Proposal Submittal

All proposals must be sent to:

Mayjoua Ly, Project Manager
Minnesota Department of Transportation
395 John Ireland Blvd
Mail Stop: 120
St Paul, MN 55155-1899

All responses must be physically received (not postmarked)no later 2:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on April 30, 2018 or until funding is exhausted. Please note that MnDOT Offices have implemented new security measures. These new procedures do not allow non-MnDOT employees to have access to the elevators or the stairs. You should plan enough time and follow these instructions for drop-off:

  • Enter through the Rice Street side of the Central Office building (1st Floor).
  • Once you enter through the doors, you should walk straight ahead to the Information Desk.
  • Proposals are accepted at the Information Desk only. The receptionist will call the Project Manager to come down and to time stamp the proposal.

Submit two (2) copies of your proposal.

It is solely the responsibility of each responder to assure that their proposal is delivered at the specific place, in the specific format, and prior to the deadline for submission. Failure to abide by these instructions for submitting a proposal may result in the disqualification of any non-complying proposal.

MnDOT has estimated that the maximum reimbursementis two thousand dollars ($2,000) per certified small business per State Fiscal Year pending availability of funds.

General Information

Responders must adhere to all terms of this RFP.

Lateproposals will not be considered. Fax and e-mailproposals will not be considered. All costs incurred in responding to this RFP will be borne by the responder.

MnDOT Not Obligated To Complete Project

This RFP does not obligate MnDOT to award a Contract or complete the project, and MnDOT reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest.

Proposal Certifications

By submitting a proposal, responders warrant that the information provided is true, correct and reliable for purposes of evaluation for a potential Contract award. The submission of inaccurate or misleading information may be grounds for disqualification from Contract award and may subject the responder to suspension or debarment proceedings, as well as other remedies available to MnDOT, by law.

Disposition of Responses

All materials submitted in response to this RFP will become property of MnDOT and will become public record, in accordance with Minnesota Statutes §13.591, after the evaluation process is completed. Pursuant to the Statute, completion of the evaluation process occurs when MnDOT has completed negotiating the Contract with the successful responder. If the responder submits information in response to this RFP that it believes to be trade secret materials, as defined by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minnesota Statutes §13.37, the responder must:

  • Clearly mark all trade secret materials in its response at the time the response is submitted,
  • Include a statement with its response justifying the trade secret designation for each item, and
  • Defend any action seeking release of the materials it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the State, its agents and employees, from any judgments or damages awarded against the State in favor of the party requesting the materials, and any and all costs connected with that defense. This indemnification survives the State’s award of a contract. In submitting a response to this RFP, the responder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as the trade secret materials are in possession of the State. The State is required to keep all the basic documents related to its contracts, including responses to RFPs for a minimum of seven years.

MnDOT will not consider the prices submitted by the responder to be proprietary or trade secret materials.

Contingency Fees Prohibited

Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes §10A.06, no person may act as or employ a lobbyist for compensation that is dependent upon the result or outcome of any legislation or administrative action.

Affidavit of Noncollusion

Responders must complete the attached “Affidavit of Noncollusion” and submit it as part of the proposal.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance

The successful responder will be required to submit acceptable evidence of compliance with workers’ compensation insurance coverage requirements prior to execution of the Contract.

Conflicts of Interest

Responders must provide a list of all entities with which it has relationships that create, or appear to create, a conflict of interest with the work that is contemplated in this RFP. This list should indicate the name of the entity, the relationship and a discussion of the conflict. Responders must complete the attached “Conflict of Interest Checklist and Disclosure Form” and submit it as part of the proposal.

Organizational Conflicts of Interest

The responder warrants that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, and except as otherwise disclosed, there are no relevant facts or circumstances, which could give rise to organizational conflicts of interest. An organizational conflict of interest exists when, because of existing or planned activities or because of relationships with other persons, a vendor is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to MnDOT, or the successful responder’s objectivity in performing the Contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or the successful responder has an unfair competitive advantage. The responder agrees that, if after award, an organizational conflict of interest is discovered, an immediate and full disclosure in writing must be made to MnDOT, which must include a description of the action, which the successful responder has taken or proposes to take to avoid or mitigate such conflicts. If an organizational conflict of interest is determined to exist, MnDOT may, at its discretion, cancel the Contract. In the event the responder was aware of an organizational conflict of interest prior to the award of the Contract and did not disclose the conflict to MnDOT, MnDOT may terminate the Contract for default. The provisions of this clause must be included in all subcontracts for work to be performed similar to the service provided by the prime contractor, and the terms “contract,” “contractor,” and “contracting officer” modified appropriately to preserve MnDOT’s rights.

Sample Contract

You should be aware of MnDOT’s standard Grant Contract terms and conditions in preparing your response. A sample State of Minnesota Grant Contract is attached for your reference (See Exhibit F). Much of the language reflected in the Contract is required by statute. If you take exception to any of the terms, conditions or language in the Contract, you must indicate those exceptions in your response to this RFP (See Exhibit E); certain exceptions may result in your response being disqualified from further review and evaluation. Only those exceptions indicated in your response to this RFP will be available for discussion or negotiation.

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CM Notice of Grant Opportunity Request for Proposal (RFP) (Revised: 08/02/2017)1

Exhibit A

Guidelines Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Civil Rights (OCR)

Guidelines for Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program

Purpose: The purpose of the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program is to provide financial assistance to certified small businesses that incur eligible expenses in an effort to increase business capacity and industry knowledge. MnDOT will reimburse up to $2,000 per certified small business per State Fiscal Year of the pre-approved eligible expenses paid by the certified small business (while funds are available).

For purposes of the Certified Small Business Support Services Reimbursement Program, a certified small business is a small business that has been certified through either MnDOT OCR’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program or the Minnesota Department of Administration’s Targeted Group/Economically Disadvantaged/Veteran-Owned (TG/ED/VO) Small Business Procurement Program.

Who Qualifies?

  • Certified small business firm home’s state must be Minnesota;
  • Certified small business must work in Minnesota;
  • Certified small business work must be working on or seeking work on MnDOT projects and/or contracts;
  • Certified small business must be actively pursuing work (submitting bids, attended Meet & Greet, graduates of MnDOT Support Services Programs, have a Business Plan), is working on or have worked on MnDOT construction projects;
  • Certified Small Business Owner or Employee (only one employee is eligible per year):
  1. Employee must be employed by the certified small business firm for at least one year; and
  2. Must be named on file as a “key Employee”

at the time of the application,

at the time training or assistance takes place,

Key Employee is a staff at the management function level; and

Key Employee must be in the qualifying position at the time of the application and at the time of the training.

What Qualifies?

  • Technical training which expand or enhance a certified small business’s ability to obtain work associated with MnDOT Professional Technical contracts/projects, construction project and/or maintenance projects. The technical training must correspond with the certified small business’s certification or a new area of business that would assist the business in obtaining work on MnDOT projects. Certified small business firms are required to document how the training will benefit the firm on the MnDOT projects.
  • Marketing or website development.
  • Other areas of assistance based on the certified small business’s Business Plan (will evaluated on a case by case basis). The certified small business must receive approval from MnDOT before expenses are eligible for reimbursement.

What does not qualify?

  • Advertising
  • Clothing
  • Trade Shows
  • Office Furnishings
  • Salaries/Person Benefits
  • Utilities
  • MnDOT will not pay for training that is offered through the MnDOT On-the-Job (OJT) Support Services Program.

How much funds are available?

Funding for this program is capped at $15,000 per the 2018 State Fiscal Year (SFY). (The State Fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30).The reimbursement maximum is $2,000 per certified small business per State Fiscal Year pending availability of funds. Failure to provide all information in the application will result in the application being denied. MnDOT recommends that certified small business gets approval first before registering for training or purchasing the needed services. No reimbursement will be made for training/services that took place before approval is granted.