State University System of Florida (SUSF) Federal Government Relations Services

27 March 2024 State University System of Florida (SUSF) Federal Government Relations Services The State University System of Florida (SUSF) is seeking a qualified firm to provide federal representation on behalf of the SUSF in Washington, D.C. 27 March 2024 Open 3/15/2024 2:00 PM EST Type Invitation to Negotiate Close 4/16/2024 2:00 PM EST Number ITN-24-26 Currency US Dollar Sealed Until 4/16/2024 2:00 PM EST 27 March 2024 Contacts Eric Dickey eric.dickey@unf.edu 27 March 2024 Commodity Codes Commodity Code Description 80000000 Management, Business, and Administrative Services 80100000 Management Advisory Services 86000000 Education and Training Services 27 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 2024 mailto:eric.dickey@unf.edu The University's Terms and Conditions and Information for Bidders apply to

this Solicitation and shall become a part of any contract issued hereunder. Purpose of the Bid/Event The State University System of Florida (SUSF) is seeking a qualified firm to provide federal representation on behalf of the SUSF in Washington, D.C., which representation would include, but not be limited to establishing and maintaining liaison services with the United States Congress, executive branch agencies and national higher education entities; providing analysis of all federal higher education policies, programs, and regulations; and developing funding initiatives as a part of the federal budget process to serve the best interests of the SUSF. Term of the Agreement (If Applicable) The term of this Agreement will be for an initial period of three (3) years, with an option to renew based on satisfactory performance and the written approval of both parties for one (1) additional three (3) year period. Minimum Requirements Respondents must, at the time of Response Closing: • If the firm/respondent is a Florida corporation or Florida limited liability company, it must be in current and active status with the Florida Division of Corporations. If the firm/respondent is a non-Florida corporation or non-Florida limited liability company, it must be qualified to do business in Florida with the Florida Division of Corporations and in current and active status. Website: Division of Corporations - Florida Department of State (myflorida.com); • Not be disqualified or barred from doing business with the University in accordance with UNF Procurement Regulation 13.0010R • Meet any special prequalification requirements set forth in the solicitation documents; and, • Not have been convicted of a public entity crime within 36 months prior to the date for receipt of responses. Calendar of Events (see Bid Portal) Advance notice of any related meetings will be posted to the UNF Bid Portal. Respondents are solely responsible for checking the Portal periodically to verify the calendar. UNF reserves sole discretion over the conduct and/or format of these meetings. All times are Eastern Time, unless otherwise noted. Event Date & Time Location Pre-Response Meeting Wednesday, March 27, 3:30 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://unf.zoom.us/j/92792550020 Meeting ID: 927 9255 0020 One tap mobile +13017158592,,92792550020# US (Washington DC) 16699006833,,92792550020# +US (San Jose) Dial by your location • +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) • +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Find your local number: https://unf.zoom.us/u/acDrKoQlwT Join by SIP • 92792550020@zoomcrc.com Deadline for Questions Friday, March 29, 2024, 12:00 PM UNF Bid Portal Q&A Board Description https://www.unf.edu/procurement/terms-conditions.html https://www.unf.edu/procurement/information-bidders.html https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/ https://unf.zoom.us/j/92792550020 https://unf.zoom.us/u/acDrKoQlwT Response to Questions Wednesday, April 3, 2024 UNF Bid Portal Q&A Board Response Closing Tuesday, April 16, 2024, 2:00 PM See Bid Openings link on Bid Portal Questions and Answers Questions should be submitted on the UNF Bid Portal on the Q&A Board specific to this solicitation and before the Deadline for Questions provided on the Calendar of Events. Questions may be answered at the discretion of the University and posted on the UNF Bid Portal. No interpretation of the meaning of any part of this solicitation, nor corrections of any apparent ambiguity, inconsistency, or error herein, will be made to any applicant orally. All requests for written interpretation or corrections must be submitted in writing. It is the responsibility of the Respondent, before submitting its response, to check the UNF Procurement Services website to obtain any updates. Response Submission Responses will only be accepted electronically through the UNF Bid Portal. Responses delivered in person, by mail, by fax, or by email will be deemed non-responsive. Responses must be uploaded to the UNF Bid Portal by the date and time identified in the solicitation. We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day prior to closing time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission. Late submissions will not be accepted and the UNF Bid Portal will not accept submissions past the date and time of closing. It is the sole responsibility of the respondent to ensure the submission is finalized prior to the deadline. Each item of requested information is sealed upon submission by the Respondent. Responses will not be visible to anyone at UNF until after the published Closing Time. You may edit your submission as needed up to Closing Time. Respondents may elect to utilize the import/export feature to export questions into Excel and import responses to those questions into the system upon completion. When answering questions within the provided text boxes (if applicable) be aware that there is a limit to the number of characters available for your response. The dynamic character limit counter at the bottom of each text box will display the remaining characters available. Uploading large documents may take a significant amount of time, depending on the size of the file(s) and your internet connection speed. The maximum upload file size is 50 MB. Do not embed any documents within your uploaded files, as they will not be accessible or evaluated. It is the responsibility of the Respondent to carefully review the requirements of this ITN and submit all information requested. If Respondent fails to submit with its sealed response all items requested by this solicitation, the response may be deemed non-responsive. When in doubt of the requirements of this solicitation, send an email to the Procurement Services contact listed. Organization and Content of Proposal One (1) copy of the proposal in its entirety and organized as stated below, must be submitted on the UNF Bid Portal under the Questions tab. The entire proposal should not exceed 40 single-sided, 8.5” x 11” size pages, excluding cover sheets, divider pages (as long as such pages do not include promotional material), and required copies of resumes, forms, licenses, and certifications. Pages should be numbered consecutively. The proposal should be organized to include the following tabbed sections: Tab I - Qualifications Tab I of the Proposal shall be entitled “Qualifications.” It shall describe the Proposer’s qualifications and prior experience performing tasks similar to those required in this ITN. The discussion shall include a description of the Proposer’s background and relevant experience that qualifies the Proposer to provide the services required by this ITN. The SUSF is interested in the specific qualifications of Proposers who can demonstrate prior experience in working with higher education institutions on federal issues, programs, and the appropriation process. Proposers should detail all federal experience representing education interests and include a description of services rendered and their accomplishments. All Proposers should note that experience representing higher education issues is desirable and will be considered in the evaluation. The Proposer will describe the agreed to services; the agreement period; and the name, address, and telephone number of a contact person. This description shall (1) document how long the Proposer has been providing similar services; (2) provide details of the Proposer’s experience relevant to the services required by their Agreement; and, (3) describe the Proposer’s other projects and services that are similar to those required by this ITN. The Proposer will provide a listing of proposed assigned staff with vitae of education, qualifications, and prior experience in dealing with legislative bodies on behalf of higher education issues and institutions. The Proposer will provide a listing of professional references to include descriptions of the services provided; the agreement period; and the name, address, and phone number of the contact person. Tab II - Production Tab II of the Proposal shall be entitled “Production.” It shall describe the Proposer’s ability to provide the services as described in the Scope of Services to meet the requirements of this ITN. The description is to be complete, clear, and concise. This Section of the Proposal must contain a Production Plan that clearly describes the Proposer’s resources and technical plans for performing the services required by this ITN. The Proposer will outline in detail (a) goals and (b) tasks for each goal to effectively implement a program for liaison services in (1) the Congress, (2) the executive branch, and (3) higher education associations. The Proposer will also include a proposed PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) chart illustrating the estimated amount of time the assigned personnel will devote to each goal and task detailed in this area. Proposers should note that the proposed amount of time dedicated to these three functions should reflect an estimated total percentage of 100% of the time the Proposer plans to allot to all activities listed in the Scope of Services of this ITN. An organizational chart can be submitted as an alternative to a PERT chart as long as it denotes all information required in the organizational plan and the requirements under this Section. Tab III - Cost Tab III of the Proposal shall be entitled “Cost” and shall include all costs covering the initial agreement period. The Proposer is responsible for the accuracy of the pricing information provided in the Proposal. The Cost proposed should be on an annual basis for the initial agreement period. Cost information is required to support the reasonableness of the Proposal. Such information is to demonstrate that the Proposer will provide the services requested in the ITN. Evaluation Criteria & Stages of Award The evaluation of each response to this ITN will be based on its overall competence, compliance, format, and organization taking into consideration the evaluation criteria listed below. Cost may or may not be a consideration in the initial stages of the evaluation or negotiation. The Award shall be made to the responsible Vendor whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the SUSF and may not require numeric scoring. Evaluation Criteria Responsive Proposals will be evaluated by a committee composed of SUSF representatives who will be directly involved with the Federal Governmental Liaison. The Proposer must not make available or discuss their Proposal, or any part thereof, with any employee or agent of the SUSF, (including, but not limited to, members of the Board of Governors and any member of the University Board of Trustees) unless allowed in writing by the Proposal Facilitator for purposes of clarification only. The committee will evaluate all responsive Proposals to determine which Proposal best meets the needs of the SUSF based only on the criteria stated. Recommendation of award of the Agreement shall be based on a thorough review of the Proposer’s response to all information requested per this ITN. The evaluation of the Proposals will be conducted in the following five stages: Stage I – Evaluation of Requirements During Stage I, the Proposal Facilitator will verify each Proposal for responsiveness against the requirements listed in this Section. If the proposal does not provide for every one of these requirements, the proposal may be disqualified from further consideration. Requirements are: Was the Proposal received on the UNF Bid Portal by the prescribed date and time as specified in the ITN? Did the Proposer submit one copy on the UNF Bid Portal? Is this the only Proposal submitted by the Proposer? Does the Proposal include a Production Plan and a PERT Chart? Does the Proposal contain the contact vitae, and the vitae for personnel who will be assigned responsibility for major functional service activities under the Agreement? Does the Proposal contain a listing of professional references? For each reference listed, does the Proposer provide descriptions of the services provided; the agreement period; and the name, address, and telephone number of a contact person? Stage II – Evaluation of Proposals Proposals that were determined to have met the requirements of Stage I will be further evaluated. Stage II will involve the evaluations of the Proposals by the Evaluation Committee. The Evaluation Committee will evaluate the Production portion based on the criteria listed below. Each criterion represents a set of requirements of the ITN. Individual evaluators will review the Proposal relative to each criterion and rank the responses. Evaluation Criteria • The Proposer has proven ability to establish and maintain communications with executive branch agencies, members of U.S. and Florida Congressional Delegations, appropriate Congressional staff, Federal R&D Agencies, and National Educational Associations reflecting the goals and objectives of the Proposer’s constituents. In addition to the references listed in each Proposal, the Evaluation Committee reserves the right to contact other individuals who may know the Proposer’s ability to perform the services sought in this ITN. • The Proposer and its assigned staff have proven prior experience in developing legislative analysis, federal budget analysis, federal program analysis, regulatory analysis, and grants analysis including but not limited to the authorization and appropriations processes, including plus-ups. • The Proposer has proposed qualified, experienced personnel that will be assigned to perform the functions of this Agreement. The education and qualifications of the assigned personnel are described in the Proposal. • The Proposer has demonstrated knowledge of university research components and the ability to identify federal research opportunities. • The Proposer has identified appropriate strategies and approaches to enhance the position of the SUSF in federal policymaking and funding initiatives. Stage III – Evaluation of Cost The Cost will be evaluated upon completion of the evaluation of the Production portion of each Proposal. During this phase of the evaluation, the Evaluation Committee will determine if the Cost portion of the Proposal is sufficiently responsive to the requirements of this ITN to permit a complete evaluation. Any incomplete Proposal that contains significant inconsistencies or inaccuracies may be rejected by the Evaluation Committee. Stage IV – Top-Ranked Proposer Presentations and Interviews Determination of the top-ranked Proposers will be based on the responsiveness of the Proposers, a thorough review of all references provided, and other individuals contacted, and evaluations of Stages II and III. During this phase of the evaluation, the Evaluation Committee may meet with the top-ranked Proposers individually to allow for each Proposer to present their Proposal, followed by the Evaluation Committee asking a series of predetermined questions. Stage V – Evaluation of Top-Ranked Proposers After the top-ranked Proposer Presentations and Interviews, the Evaluation Committee members will deliberate using the same criteria as used in Stages II and III and determine those top-ranked Proposers to be advanced to the Negotiation Committee. Negotiations and Award The Negotiation Committee will undertake negotiations with the first-ranked Proposer until an acceptable Agreement can be reached as to the scope of services, terms, and price, or it is determined an acceptable Agreement cannot be achieved with such Proposer. If negotiations fail with the first-ranked Proposer, negotiations may begin with the second-ranked Proposer, and so on until there is an agreement on an acceptable Agreement that best meets the needs of the SUSF. Once an Agreement is reached, the Statement of Intent to Award will be posted on the University of North Florida Procurement Services Bid Portal. Scope, Specifications, and Technical Requirements The SUSF is seeking a qualified firm to provide federal representation on behalf of the SUSF in Washington, D.C., which representation would include, but not be limited to, establishing and maintaining liaison services with the United States Congress, executive branch agencies, and national higher education entities; providing analysis of all federal higher education policies, programs, and regulations; and identifying and developing funding initiatives as a part of the federal budget process to serve the best interests of the SUSF. The Proposer would be expected to provide the following services: Ongoing monitoring and analysis of all current and proposed federal policies and programs affecting higher education. This also includes budget, legislative, and grant information. Regular interaction with executive branch agencies and the U.S. Congress to advocate for priority issues of interest to the SUSF. Organize meetings of federal agency administrators at SUSF institutions to discuss research initiatives and opportunities. With input from SUSF institutions, develop a multi-agency, SUSF-wide federal funding strategy that identifies and aligns the current and emerging agency funding priorities with the research expertise available across the SUSF and within individual SUSF research institutions. • In consultation with SUSF institution leaders, develop a written plan to operationalize the strategy, including but not limited to facilitating meetings with specific funding decision-makers, relevant SUSF researchers, and university government relations professionals, inviting agency officials to visit SUSF institutions to see the SUSF’s research capabilities first-hand, identifying specific solicitations for funding in which the SUSF and its member institutions would be competitive, and guiding the application process to incorporate themes important to the agency. • Facilitate opportunities for university researchers and key agency program managers to develop relationships to help SUSF institutions better anticipate and understand the types of work federal agencies are interested in funding and how the SUSF can help carry out those projects to benefit the agency(ies). Regular interaction with members of the Florida congressional delegation and other congressional leaders to advocate for priority issues of interest to the SUSF. • Maintain relationships and engage with congressional leadership, key appropriators, relevant Chairs/Ranking Members, and other leaders on committees with jurisdiction over relevant research funding authorizations on behalf of SUSF institutions to promote shared priorities. • Facilitate meetings between leaders from SUS institutions and leaders in Congress, both within and outside of the Florida Delegation, to advance SUS priorities. Engage system and university leaders in the development of an annual federal agenda that puts forward policy and appropriations recommendations on items of shared interest. Collaborate with system and university leaders to advance an annual SUS federal agenda through the engagement of the Florida congressional delegation, relevant committees, and research and education agencies. Identify opportunities for all types of SUS institutions to engage in research or economic development. Work with university vice presidents for research, university government relations staff, and system office staff to develop an inventory of areas of research strength to assist with identifying potential partnerships within the system and matches to new federal opportunities. Organize an annual federal research agency workshop where campus researchers and administrators can engage with program officers and research division leaders within executive branch agencies. In consultation with the System office, carry out the SUSF advocacy activities; collaborate, coordinate, and engage university government relations staff as appropriate. Effectively utilize a variety of advocacy activities including, but not limited to, the following: organize joint congressional meetings and briefings; compile and provide SUSF responses to congressional and executive branch agency requests for information; and draft and disseminate position statements on behalf of SUSF. Organize an annual meeting with the Chancellor and university leadership with the congressional delegation to discuss funding and policy priorities. Identify opportunities for executive branch agencies to hold events aligned with SUSF strengths and priorities at or near SUSF campuses. Develop and issue comprehensive reports regularly to SUSF on federal programs, regulatory actions, and budget considerations. Successfully request appropriations in the best interest of the 12 state universities as part of the federal budget process. Assist SUSF in setting up appointments with Congress and executive branch agencies, and accompany SUSF at meetings when appropriate. Make presentations to SUSF in Florida when needed. Increase SUSF national exposure by identifying opportunities for the Chancellor, BOG members, university presidents, and distinguished faculty to speak on higher education issues of importance to the SUSF. This includes but is not limited to speaking engagements at national forums, testimony before congressional committees, and other speaking opportunities that increase the national exposure of the SUSF. Provide the Fiscal Agent and the Chancellor of the State University System with an annual report of activities that demonstrate completion of the above services, due on or before September 30 each year. Refrain from entering into any additional agreements for representation, consulting services, or for any other activities or services that would fall within the scope, specifications, and technical requirements of the SUSF agreement with any one or more of the SUSF institutions on an individual or group basis, during the term of the SUSF agreement. Available Funds The SUSF has available a maximum of $325,000 for consulting services under this Agreement for Fiscal Year 2025. If the annual appropriation for Fiscal Years 2026 and/or 2027 is less than the currently available funds, or in the event of further budget reductions for Fiscal Year 2025, the SUSF reserves the right to modify the payments made to the Proposer as outlined in the Contract resulting from this ITN. Location of Services The Proposer must maintain a close liaison with congressional offices, committees, federal agencies, national organizations, federal or state offices, and agencies in the performance of this Agreement. Based on this requirement, the Proposer must maintain a presence in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Meetings The successful operation of the resulting Agreement will require periodic meetings between the Contractor and the SUSF. The meetings may be scheduled where convenient for both the Contractor and the SUSF. Travel Expenses Travel-related expenses to Florida incurred in connection with the performance of the resulting Agreement will be borne by the requesting SUSF entity and shall be in accordance with Section 112.061, Florida Statutes. Required to View Event Prerequisites Required to Enter Bid 27 March 2024 1. Certify the response. 2. Confirm debarment status. 3. Read UNF's Conflict of Interest statement. 27 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 2024 Buyer Attachments There are no Buyer Attachments added to this event. 27 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 2024 Questions Required Questions Group 1: Response to ITN Instructions: Upload a copy of your firms proposal here. 1.1 Upload one copy of your firms proposal. Group 2: Organization & Management Instructions: 2.1 Attach a list of contact email addresses, names, and titles of the individuals responsible for the company’s response and negotiation during this solicitation process. 2.2 Attach an organizational chart of your firm starting with the person(s) working directly with the SUSF. 27 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 2024 Product Line Items Product Line Items There are no Items added to this event. 27 March 202427 March 202427 March 202427 March 2024 Service Line Items Service Line Items There are no Items added to this event. 27 March 202427 March 202427 March 2024