Multi Campus ID Card System

Page 1 of 49 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL #1819 TITLE: Multi Campus ID Card System, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 44242. DATE OF ISSUE: Friday, February 4, 2022 SEALED PROPOSALS DUE: Wednesday, March 2, 2022, No Later than 4:30 pm. EDT Proposals must be received via DocuSign and Certificate of Completion must be timestamped “Signed” no later than the date and time specified above. Proposals timestamped after that date and time will be rejected. Proposals are to be submitted in accordance with the enclosed Proposal Instructions and Specifications. There will not be a formal proposal opening. The Procurement Department shall at all times reserve the right to reject any or all proposals, award partial proposals, waive any proposal informalities or irregularities, and request new proposals if doing so is deemed to be in the best interests of Kent State University. Questions pertaining to any specifications contained herein should be directed to: Janet A. Schramm, Strategic Sourcing Manager

Kent State University, Procurement Department 330 Harbourt Hall, 615 Loop Road Kent, Ohio 44242-0001 Phone: 330-672-2276 Fax: 330-672-7904 procurement@kent.edu www.kent.edu/procurement mailto:procurement@kent.edu http://www.kent.edu/procurement Page 2 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Project Timeline 2.0 Overview of Kent State University 3.0 Request for Proposal Instructions 4.0 Request for Proposal Agreement Terms 5.0 Request for Proposal Format and Evaluation Criteria 6.0 Request for Proposal Specifications 7.0 Definitions 8.0 Sample of Response Forms 1-9 Continued on next page. Page 3 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 1.0 PROJECT TIMELINE All respondents are expected to adhere to the following timeline in completion of the Request for Proposal process: ● Friday, February 4, 2022: RFP Issued ● Friday, February 18, 2022: Questions Deadline Questions may only be e-mailed to: Janet A. Schramm, Strategic Sourcing Manager at jschramm@kent.edu Questions should be submitted in the following format. Section number Paragraph number if applicable Text of passage being questioned Question ● Friday, February 25, 2022: Question Responses posted to the Kent State University Procurement Website https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids ● Wednesday, March 2, 2022: Proposals Due (Submit proposals via DocuSign at https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids ) ● Thursday, March 3, 2022 ~ Friday, March 18, 2022: Evaluation* ● Monday, March 21, 2022: Contract Award Contract Award predicated on BOT approval* ● Wednesday, May 25, 2022: Kent State University Board of Trustees (BOT) Meeting Approval and Final Evaluation and Award ● June 1, 2022: Contract Start Date* * Estimated dates, subject to change. Continued on next page. mailto:jschramm@kent.edu https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids Page 4 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 2.0 OVERVIEW OF KENT STATE UNIVERSITY 2.1 Brief Overview of Kent State University: Kent State University is one of 76 public higher-research universities, as categorized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and is ranked in the top-tier list of Best National Universities by U.S. News & World Report. In a class by itself, Kent State is the only public university in Northeast Ohio ranked in the top tier. With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Twinsburg Academic Center, and academic sites in major world capitals such as New York City, Geneva and Florence, Kent State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. Kent State has a population of more than 38,000+ students, 5,700 full-time and part-time faculty and staff members and 257,000 alumni worldwide. On July 1, 2019, Todd Diacon, Ph.D., became the university’s 13th president. The university’s Kent Campus has a student body of nearly 26,800+ and a thriving residential population of more than 6,600. Its seven regional campuses draw full- and part-time students, now totaling more than 10,000, from across Northeast Ohio: Kent State at Ashtabula; Kent State at East Liverpool; Kent State at Geauga in Burton and the Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg; Kent State at Salem; Kent State at Stark in Canton; Kent State at Trumbull in Warren; and Kent State at Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia. The university has expanded beyond the borders of its regional campuses. Kent State’s College of Podiatric Medicine is located in Independence, near downtown Cleveland, and the university’s Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, is located in downtown Cleveland. The Collaborative offers architectural and urban design expertise to urban communities, design professionals, and nonprofit and academic partners in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. In addition, Kent State’s School of Library and Information Science offers the Master of Library and Information Science degree program to residents of central and southern Ohio at its site in the State Library of Ohio in Columbus. Outside of Ohio, located in the heart of the New York City’s Garment District, the Kent State Fashion School’s NYC Studio offers a unique academic experience to further students’ studies in fashion design, fashion merchandising and fashion journalism. Additionally, the university offers more than 200 global education opportunities at its campuses in Florence, Italy, and Geneva, Switzerland; centers in China and India; as well as partnerships with 60 institutes and universities across the globe from Columbia to Vietnam and Germany to Kenya. The Kent Campus is a global education destination in its own right, serving as home to 2,000 students hailing from 104 countries. Kent State is proud of its outstanding faculty and staff, students, collaborative culture, exceptional academic and research orientation, and strong commitment to engagement, academic excellence and diversity. The university offers more than 282 associate and baccalaureate degree programs. Kent State serves the state, the nation and the world through 165 graduate programs. Academic programs are organized into 10 colleges and one independent school: Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology; Architecture and Environmental Design; Arts and Sciences; the Arts; Business Administration; Communication and Information; Education, Health and Human Services; Nursing; Podiatric Medicine; and Public Health, as well as the School of Digital Sciences. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and is ranked in the first-tier list of Best National Universities by U.S. News & World Report. With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Regional Academic Center, and academic sites in major world capitals such as New York City, Geneva and Florence, Kent State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. The addition of new learning environments from the sciences to the arts and the development of exciting new academic programs such as aerospace engineering, geographic information science and business analytics characterize Kent State’s focus on transformational educational experiences. For more information about Kent State, visit www.kent.edu. Continued on next page. http://www.kent.edu/ Page 5 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 3.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS 3.1 Proposal Instruction and Information: In order to receive consideration, companies responding to this RFP are required to submit their proposal via DocuSign at https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids and the Certificate of Completion must be timestamped “Signed” no later than the date and time specified. Proposals timestamped after that date and time will be rejected. All of sections 5 and Forms 1 through 9, must be completed, dated, and signed by a responsible company official, in addition to the information requested of your company. It is the responsibility of the respondent to ensure that all required documentation, as enumerated above, is submitted on time. Any submissions received after the stated date and time, or those that do not contain the required information as enumerated above, will be considered incomplete and unresponsive, and will be disqualified. Instructions, manufacturer’s model or catalog numbers, etc., where shown herein, are for descriptive purposes to guide the proposer in interpretation of the quality, design, and performance desired, and shall not be construed to exclude proposals based on furnishing other types of material or service which may be judged as an acceptable alternate. If the description of your offer differs in any way, you must give a complete detailed description of your quotation including pictures and literature where applicable. Unless specific exception is made, assumption will be that you are submitting a proposal exactly as the specifications of this document require. All prices MUST BE FIRM. Proposers will be expected to deliver on order(s) at the price quoted. This RFP is part of a competitive procurement process which helps to serve the University’s best interests. It also provides contractors with a formal and unrestrictive opportunity for their services to be considered. The process of competitive negotiation being used in this case should not be confused with the process of competitive sealed bidding. The latter process is usually used where the goods and services being procured can be precisely described and price is generally the determinative factor. With a RFP and competitive negotiation, however, price is not required to be the determinative factor, although it may be, and the University has the flexibility to negotiate with one or more contractors to arrive at a mutually agreeable relationship. Check your proposal carefully for it may not be corrected after the proposal has been opened. 3.2 RFP Question and Answer Period: Questions concerning this RFP must be submitted by email to Janet Schramm in the Procurement Department via email at jschramm@kent.edu no later than February 18, 2022. The University evaluation team will review and attempt to answer any and all questions received. All questions and their corresponding answers will be posted to the Kent State University Procurement Website https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids . 3.3 New Product Lines: Upon written request by the successful proposer, new related product lines not available at the time of proposal bidding, may be added during the course of any agreement resulting from this RFP at like discounts for the represented manufacturers. 3.4 Specifications: Specifications have been based on products familiar to the University and are used for the purpose of description and establishing quality desired. Acceptable alternates will also be considered. 3.5 Exceptions to Specifications: The proposer shall clearly state in the quote any exceptions to, or deviations from, these specifications, terms or conditions; otherwise, the proposer will be responsible for compliance with all requirements listed herein. Proposers shall provide a separate, itemized list of any and all exceptions. Such list must be cross referenced to the corresponding numbered item in this bid. 3.6 Additional Information: In the event that information submitted by the Respondent is unclear to the University, the University may request additional explanation from the Respondent for the purpose of evaluation and decisions. The respondent shall answer requests for additional information or clarification in writing, and these responses will become part of the company’s overall submission. Respondents failing to provide adequate information on any issue in a timely manner to allow a comprehensive evaluation by the University shall be considered unresponsive, and their proposal subject to rejection. https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids mailto:jschramm@kent.edu https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids Page 6 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 3.7 Verbal Information: Respondents shall NOT base the proposal on verbal information from any employee of the University from the date and time the RFP is received by the proposer, unless otherwise noted elsewhere in the RFP. Any such incident will invalidate the proposal, and bar that particular vendor from receiving a purchase or contract award. In case errors or omissions are found in the proposal document, companies submitting proposals shall at once inform the signee in the Procurement Department who will publish the correction to all companies. 3.8 Evaluation and Contract Award: Selection and award of contract will be made to the supplier(s) whose proposal, in the sole opinion of Kent State University, represents the best overall value to the University. Factors which determine the award are more fully detailed in the specifications, and will include, but will not be limited to, the following: The proposer’s responsiveness to all specifications in the RFP, quality of the proposer’s products and/or services, ability to fulfill the contract, and general responsibility as evidence of past performance. Payment terms and cash discounts will be considered as determining factors in the contract award. Should the total potential spend of the contract resulting from this RFP, inclusive of all possible renewals, exceed or appear to exceed $1.0 million, the final selection will be pending Board of Trustees approval at its next scheduled meeting; and appropriate contract review, approval and execution pursuant to University Policy. Notwithstanding the above, this RFP does not commit the University to enter into any contracts as described in this document. The University reserves the right to reject any or all offers and to waive formalities and minor irregularities in the proposals it receives. 3.9 Proposer Presentations: Proposers submitting proposals which meet the selection criteria and which are deemed to be the most advantageous to the University may be required to give an oral presentation to the University selection team. Scheduling of these oral presentations will be done by the Procurement Department. 3.10 Samples: Requested samples necessary for evaluation must be provided without cost or obligation to Kent State University, and shall become the property of the University. Upon request by the supplier, unless destruction, alteration or retention of the sample is required for evaluation purposes, samples may be returned to supplier at supplier’s expense. 3.11 Rights Reserved: The University reserves, and in its sole discretion may, but shall not be required to, exercise the following rights and options with respect to the proposal submission, evaluation and selection process under this RFP: • To reject any proposal if, in the University’s sole discretion, the proposal is incomplete or is not responsive to the requirements of this RFP, the Respondent does not meet the Qualifications set forth in the RFP, or it is otherwise in the University’s best interest to do so; • To supplement, amend, substitute or otherwise modify this RFP at any time prior to selection of one or more respondents for negotiation or to cancel this RFP with or without issuing another RFP; • To accept or reject specific items or elements in any proposal and award a contract based only on such items or elements if it is deemed in the University’s best interest to do so; • To reject the proposal of any respondent that, in the University’s sole judgment, has been delinquent or unfaithful in the performance of any contract with the University, or is financially or technically incapable or is otherwise not a responsible respondent; • To waive any informality, defect, non-responsiveness and/or deviation from this RFP and its requirements that is not, in the University’s sole judgment, material to the proposal; • To permit or reject at the University’s sole discretion, corrections (including for information inadvertently omitted), of proposals by some or all of the respondents following proposal submission; Page 7 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 • To request that some or all of the respondents modify proposals based upon the University’s review and evaluation; • To request additional or clarifying information or more detailed information from any respondent at any time, before or after proposal submission, including information inadvertently omitted by a respondent; • To inspect and otherwise investigate projects performed by the respondent, whether or not referenced in the proposal, with or without the consent of or notice to the respondent; • To conduct such investigations with respect to the financial, technical, and other qualifications of respondents as the University, in its sole discretion, deems necessary or appropriate. • To enter into post-submission negotiations and discussions with any one or more respondents regarding price, scope of services, and/or any other term of their proposals, and such other contractual terms as the IUC-PG may require, at any time prior to execution of a final contract. The University may, at its sole election, enter into simultaneous, competitive negotiations with multiple respondents or negotiate with individual respondents seriatim. In the event negotiations with any respondent(s) are not satisfactory to the University, the University reserves the right to discontinue such negotiations at any time; to enter into or continue negotiations with other respondents; and, to solicit new proposals from entities that did not respond to this RFP. 3.12 Valid Proposals: Proposals will be considered valid for a period of one hundred-eighty (180) days after the scheduled due date, unless otherwise noted. 3.13 Preferred Invoicing and Payment Methods: The successful proposer must invoice products or services awarded exactly as indicated on a resultant University purchase order, to include cost, unit specified, quantity ordered, item descriptions, etc. The University prefers to receive invoices for goods and services via electronic means. It is the goal of the University to make payment on invoices via Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer. To that end, please indicate your company's capabilities for electronic invoicing and payment where appropriate in Section 8 of this document. 3.14 Dun and Bradstreet Data: Kent State University reserves the right to request data from Dun and Bradstreet concerning history of company’s financial and payment statistics. Proposals from companies failing to provide the requested data to Dun and Bradstreet will not be considered. 3.15 Supplier Diversity: The University strongly encourages women, minority groups, and EDGE vendors to respond to University Requests for Proposals. Kent State University is committed to a proactive and a comprehensive supplier diversity program that ensures an active and full participation of historically disadvantaged, economically and socially underutilized businesses located within the University's geographic region and beyond with specific attention to include Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WOBE), and State of Ohio EDGE Enterprises. Information about Kent State University’s Supplier Diversity Program including the Vendor Registration Process can be found on the Procurement Department Web site at www.kent.edu/procurement/diversity Further, Kent State University encourages the participation of women, minority groups, and EDGE vendors in all University contracts. Kent State University therefore requires that all prospective suppliers demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain the participation of minority-owned, women-owned, and EDGE business enterprises in the work to be performed under contract(s) resulting from this RFP. The respondent is required to furnish appropriate information about its effort to include women-owned, minority, and EDGE vendors in the contract, including the identities of such enterprises and the dollar amount supplied under the contract. A listing of Ohio certified minority businesses, as well as the services and commodities they provide, is available from the State of Ohio Minority Business Enterprise Unit and can be reviewed at http://eodreporting.oit.ohio.gov/searchEODReporting.aspx http://www.kent.edu/procurement/diversity http://eodreporting.oit.ohio.gov/searchEODReporting.aspx Page 8 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 3.16 Preference to United States and Ohio Products: State of Ohio Am. H.B. 271 requires that preference be given to products produced or mined in the United States and in Ohio 3.17 Buy America: Proposals will be evaluated to determine that a proposer’s offering is for a “domestic source end product”, as defined in the Federal Buy America Act, 41 U.S.C.A., section 10a-10d. Any proposer’s offering that does not meet this requirement shall be rejected, except in those circumstances where a determination has been made that certain articles, materials and supplies are not mined, produced or manufactured in the U.S. in sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities and of satisfactory quality. 3.18 Buy Ohio: Sections 125.09 and 125.11 of the Ohio Revised Code require that in the evaluation of bids, the University give preference to products which are “mined, excavated, produced, manufactured, raised, or grown in the state by a person where the input of Ohio products, labor, skill, or other services constitutes no less than 25% of the manufactured cost”, or products offered by bidders who have a “significant Ohio presence”, defined to mean that the bidders: (1) pay required taxes to the state of Ohio; (2) are registered and licensed to do business in the state of Ohio with the Office of Secretary of State; and (3) have ten or more employees based in Ohio, or seventy- five percent or more of their employees based in Ohio. Any bids meeting the above criteria will be given a preference of up to five (5) percent over the lowest price "non- Ohio" bid submitted; except that such preference will not be applied against vendors from bordering states, provided that the border state imposes no greater restrictions than contained in sections 125.09 and 125.11 of the Ohio Revised Code. Where it has been determined that selection of the lowest Ohio proposer, if any, will not result in an excessive price or a disproportionately inferior product or service, the contract shall be awarded to the low Ohio proposer at the proposal price quoted. Where it is advantageous to award the contract to other than an Ohio proposer or Proposers from a border state, then the contract shall be awarded accordingly. 3.19 H.B. 476, State Contract and Boycotting: Pursuant to R.C. 9.76(B), by responding to this RFP, respondent warrants that it is not boycotting any jurisdiction with whom the State of Ohio can enjoy open trade, including Israel, and will not do so during the term of any contract that may result from this RFP. Continued on next page. Page 9 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 4.0 CONTRACT TERMS 4.1 Contract: The following terms and conditions, shall be incorporated in any final contract or purchase order resulting from this RFP except as such terms and conditions are otherwise expressly specified in any such contract or purchase order. 4.2 Term: The contract term shall be for four (4) years beginning June 2022. After the initial four (4) year term, Kent State University reserves the right to renew the contract resulting from this RFP for four (4) additional one (1) year periods, for an eight (8) year maximum contract duration. Although this is the preferred contract term, other term durations may be considered during contract negotiations. Any renewal agreed upon shall occur ninety (90) days prior to expiration of the contract then in force and shall be executed upon the mutually signed agreement of both parties. 4.3 Termination: Either party may terminate this contract after the expiration of sixty (60) days from the effective date of the contract. Termination may occur by giving the other party ninety (90) days prior written notice of its intent to terminate the contract, except that any breach of this contract shall be just cause for the University to terminate the contract immediately without such prior notice to you. The in case of any termination resulting from breach of contract, the Procurement Department may, at its discretion, prohibit proposer from submitting a proposal on any project at the University for a period of up to three (3) years. 4.4 Choice of Law: This Request for Proposal will be governed, interpreted and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio. 4.5 Extended Payment Clause: Kent State University may, upon written notice to the proposer receiving the contract, suspend or terminate the unpaid balance of this contract, if the Ohio General Assembly, in a subsequent biennium, fails to appropriate funds making possible the continuation of such payment. 4.6 Vendor Responsibilities: Vendor may not, during the term of the contract, or any renewals or extensions thereof, assign or transfer all or any part of the contract without the prior written consent of the University; and, should Vendor become insolvent, or if proceedings in bankruptcy shall be instituted by or against Vendor the remaining or unexpired portion of the contract shall, at the election of the University, be terminated. 4.7 Value: The contract will not guarantee a specific amount of business, or income and is not an exclusive contract. The University reserves the right to place purchase orders in any manner deemed by the University to be in its own best interest. 4.8 Estimated Requirements: The University in no way obligates itself to purchase the full quantities indicated, but the entire amount of any discount offered must be allowed whether or not the purchases are more or less than the full quantities indicated. The University’s requirements may be greater than or less than the quantities shown, and the Vendor shall be obligated to fulfill all requirements as shown on the purchase orders whose mailing dates fall within the term of the contract. 4.9 Sales Tax: Kent State University is exempt from Ohio sales tax and federal tax and will furnish an exemption certificate upon request. 4.10 Price and Freight: All pricing must be quoted FOB Destination. Include all freight, transportation, and any applicable handling and/or installation charges necessary to complete delivery on an FOB Destination basis. Please specify if your pricing is quoted delivered or pickup. 4.11 Title and Risk of Loss: Supplier shall retain title and bear the risk of any loss or damage to the items purchased until they are delivered at the specified FOB point; and upon such delivery, title shall pass and supplier’s responsibility for loss or damage shall cease except as resulting from the supplier’s negligence or failure to comply to all stated terms and conditions. Passing of title upon such delivery shall not constitute acceptance of the terms by Kent State University. Page 10 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 4.12 Payment Terms and Cash Discounts: Kent State University will endeavor to use any cash terms offered, and these could be considered in determining the final net price depending on the discount period. In the event that Kent State University is entitled to a cash discount, the period of computations will commence on the date of delivery or receipt of a correctly completed invoice, whichever is later. If an adjustment is necessary due to damage, the cash discount period shall commence on the date final approval for payment is authorized. If a discount is part of the contract, but the invoice does not reflect the existence of a cash discount, the University is entitled to a cash discount with the period commencing on the date it is determined that a cash discount applies. 4.13 Rejection of Goods or Services: All goods or services purchased herein are subject to approval by Kent State University. Any rejection of goods or services resulting because of nonconformity to the terms and specifications of the contract, whether held by the buyer or returned, will be at the proposer’s risk and expense. 4.14 Guarantee and Warranty Requirements: Vendor guarantees all products and installation against any defect in workmanship and/or materials. Full manufacturer’s warranty for labor and materials for all equipment proposed, and a comprehensive list of all authorized service centers must be provided by supplier. List to include the company name, location, and telephone number. 4.15 Product Substitutions: There will be no substitutions of ordered product allowed unless the University has first been notified and permission granted. 4.16 Price Adjustment: All prices quoted are expected to remain firm during the term of the contract; however, in the event of a price change related to an increase or decrease, prices may be changed subject to a negotiated adjustment to reflect such an increase or decrease. Such negotiations and adjustments will be considered only upon written request to the Procurement Department, documented with cost data, filed prior to our request for delivery and submitted after the expiration of ninety (90) days from the date of the proposal closing. 4.17 Audits: With advance notice to Vendor, from time to time during the contract term and for five (5) years after termination of the contract, Kent State University reserves the right to audit Vendor’s performance under, and compliance with the requirements of, the contract. The University will utilize all invoicing and documentation, which relates to Kent State University’s final cost, and internal controls documentation required under the contract including, but not limited to any applicable audit or security assessment reports or certifications such as: SAS 70 or its replacement SSAE 16, SOC 2, or ISO 27001, and copies of any applicable corporate information security policies or other supporting documentation. University personnel from Kent State University Dining Services, Procurement Department, and/or the Auditing Department may perform these audits. Audit discrepancies must be resolved to the reasonable satisfaction of Kent State University, and the university reserves the right to terminate the any contract resulting from this RFP if at any time the audit results are not resolved to its reasonable satisfaction. Vendor must provide access to files and information reasonably necessary, including, but not limited to all cancelled checks, work papers, books, records and accounts upon which invoices are based, and any and all documentation and justification in support of expenditures or fees incurred pursuant to the contract, to validate cost data and internal controls, and assist in the performance of each audit. Audit discrepancies must be resolved to the satisfaction of Kent State University. Kent State University reserves the right to terminate the contract at any time if the audit results are not resolved to meet the requirements of Kent State University. 4.18 Sales Representative: Vendor will provide the name and telephone number of the company sales representative who may be contacted Monday through Friday 8am to 4pm (EST), exclusive of holidays. Company representative shall have primary responsibility for processing and correcting all breaches of this contract and shall be authorized to accept emergency and special orders. Vendor must notify the University when the regular sales representative is on vacation and identify the individual acting in his/her absence. 4.19 Extending Contract: The bidder’s response to this RFP must state whether or not the offer will permit the use of this contract by other Kent State University Campus locations and other Universities within Ohio. An answer to this issue must be submitted within the response. Bidder may reserve the right to evaluate and assess a unique service charge on each participating institution. Page 11 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 4.20 Time is of the Essence: Time is of the essence in completing this project. Any breach of the terms of this contract, including, but in no way limited to the time period of performance, will be just cause to terminate the contract without prior notice to the Vendor. Termination resulting from breach will be cause, at the sole discretion of the University, to suspend the proposer from proposing on any project at the University for a period of up to three (3) years. 4.21 Parking: Kent State University operates under a paid parking system. All Vendor-owned vehicles and privately- owned vehicles of Vendor personnel that are to be parked on campus must comply with existing parking regulations. If parking permits are required, the successful proposer will purchase appropriate numbers of permits from Kent State University Parking Services. All regulations concerning parking can be obtained from Parking Services. Vendor is to take care that sidewalks are not blocked and all handicap areas are fully accessible. 4.22 Federal, State and Local Laws: Vendor shall, in the performance of work or services, fully comply with all applicable federal, state or local laws, rules, regulations and ordinances, and shall hold Kent State University harmless from any liability from failure of such compliance. 4.23 Governmental Approvals: Vendor shall obtain all permits, certificates of inspection and any and all governmental approvals relating to his/her work, and shall pay all charges connected therewith. 4.24 Indemnification/Hold Harmless: Vendor shall indemnify and hold Kent State University harmless from and against all claims, losses, expenses, damages, causes of actions and liabilities of every kind and nature (including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees), arising out of any alleged breach of any proposer’s obligations or warranties or from any other acts or omissions of Vendor, its officers, agents, employees and subcontractors. 4.25 Force Majeure: If University or Vendor is unable to perform any part of its obligations under this contract by reason of force majeure, the party will be excused from its obligations, to the extent that its performance is prevented by force majeure, for the duration of the event. The party must remedy with all reasonable dispatch the cause preventing it from carrying out its obligations under this contract. The term “force majeure” means without limitation: acts of God; such as epidemics; lightning; earthquakes; fires; storms; hurricanes; tornadoes; floods; washouts; droughts; any other severe weather; explosions; restraint of government and people; war; strikes; and other like events; or any other cause that could not be reasonably foreseen in the exercised of ordinary care, and that is beyond the reasonable control of the party. 4.26 Insurance for Vendor Services: If this contract involves services, and unless otherwise approved by the University in writing, Vendor shall, at its sole cost and expense, procure and maintain, in full force and effect, the types and minimum limits of insurance specified below, covering its performance of the services provided hereunder by Vendor, its agents, representatives, employees or subcontractors. Vendor shall procure such insurance from duly licensed or approved non-admitted insurers in the State of Ohio with an “A.M. Best” rating of not less than A-VII or otherwise acceptable to the University: (a) Workers’ Compensation/Employers’ Liability. Coverage: Worker’s Compensation for losses arising from work performed by or on behalf of the Vendor • State Fund or Self-Insurance: Statutory Limits • Proof of Employers' Liability: $500,000 (b) General Liability Insurance. Coverage: Policy shall include bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, contractual liability, fire legal liability, medical payments coverage, and sexual molestation/abuse if Vendor is interacting with minors • Each Occurrence: $1,000,000 • General Aggregate Accrual: $2,000,000 • Products-Completed Operations Aggregate Accrual: $2,000,000 (c) Business Automobile Liability. Coverage: Bodily injury and property damage for any owned, leased, hired and non-owned vehicles used in the performance of the Vendor services Page 12 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 • Combined Single Limit: $1,000,000 (d) Insurance Required as Applicable: (1) Professional Liability Insurance—if applicable. Coverage: Policy required for licensed or certified professionals, including, without limitation, accountants, architects, consultants, and engineers. • Each Occurrence: $1,000,000 • General Aggregate: $2,000,000 Professional Liability Insurance may be written on a claims-made basis provided that coverage for occurrences happening during the performance of the Services required under this Contract shall be maintained in full force and effect under the policy or “tail” coverage for a period of at least three (3) years after completion of the Services. (2) Liquor Liability—if applicable. Coverage: Policy for service provider distributing, selling or serving alcoholic beverages. • Each Occurrence: $1,000,000 • General Aggregate: $1,000,000 (3) Crime Coverage—if applicable. Coverage: Policy for service provider with access to cash or payments, networks or outsources services such as custodial, building management, dining, etc. • Single Loss: $500,000 (4) Cyber Liability—if applicable. Coverage: Policy for service provider who has access to credit card information, student or employee records, health records, or any other Personally Identifiable Heath Information. • Each event for Breach Response/Event Services: $5,000,000 (5) Pollution Liability—if applicable. Coverage: Policy for service provider working with pollutants, coverage shall include coverage for 3rd party claims and clean-up. • Each incident: $1,000,000 All required policies shall meet the following requirements: • shall be endorsed on a primary basis, non-contributory with any other insurance coverages and/or self-insurance carried by the University. • all insurance herein, except Professional Liability and Pollution Liability, shall be written on an “occurrence” basis and not a “claims-made” basis. • Shall be endorsed to include University and its governing board, officers, agents and employees as additional insureds with respect to liability arising out of the services performed by or in behalf of Vendor. Such endorsement shall be evidenced on the Certificate of Insurance as well as a copy of the endorsement to the Vendor’s insurance. • Shall contain a waiver of subrogation in favor of University and its board, officers, agents and employees for losses arising from work performed by or on behalf of Vendor. • Limits may be met with a combination of primary and/or excess/umbrella coverage or equivalent. • Coverage provided by Vendor shall not be limited to the liability assumed under the indemnification provision set for in Section 4.24 above. Service Provider shall furnish the University’s Procurement Department, at the address provided herein, with Certificates of insurance (ACORD form or equivalent) as required by the services being provided under this Contract. In no event shall Vendor perform any services or other work until Vendor has delivered or caused to be delivered to the University’s Procurement Department the required evidence of insurance coverages. Page 13 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 All insurance coverages shall provide for at least thirty (30) days prior written notice to be given to the University in the event coverage is reduced, suspended, voided, cancelled, or non-renewed. 4.27 Proprietary Information Disclosure: All responses and accompanying documentation will become the property of the University at the time proposals are opened. All submitted proposal materials may be subject to disclosure under the Ohio Public Records Law (ORC 149.43). Personal Social Security numbers, if provided in Section 7, will be redacted prior to release. If you choose to submit documentation containing information your company considers trade secret, please be aware that the University may have a duty to release the documentation in response to a public record request. If you wish to claim that certain information contained in the materials is trade secret, your company bears the burden of identifying that information, as well as taking steps to demonstrate that it is subject to protection under the law. 4.28 Marketing and Advertising: Vendor shall not willfully use the name, identifying marks or property of Kent State University for its own promotional purposes. 4.29 Use of Designs: Vendor agrees that it will keep confidential the features of any equipment, tools, gauges, patterns, designs, drawings, engineering data or other technical or proprietary information furnished by the University and use such items only in the production of item(s) awarded pursuant to the contract. Upon demand or completion of resultant purchase order, the proposer shall return all such item(s) to the university at the expense of the Vendor, or make other disposition thereof as may be directed or approved by the University. 4.30 Performance Bond: If required, Vendor shall, within ten (10) days of the contract award, furnish a performance bond in the amount of 100% of the contract price. 4.31 Equal Employment Opportunity: Kent State University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and as such makes the following request: The proposer, in submitting a proposal and /or filling a purchase order, agrees not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment with respect to hiring and tenure, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, or any matter directly or indirectly related to employment, because or race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or identity as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era to the extent required by law. The proposer must further agree that every subcontract or order given for the supplying of this order will contain a provision requiring nondiscrimination in employment, as herein specified. This covenant is required pursuant to Federal executive orders 11246 and 11375 and any breach thereof may be regarded as a material breach of the contract or purchase order. Additionally, Proposer must comply with the following: The Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq., which prohibits discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 701 et seq. and 45 C.F.R. 84.3(J) and (K) implementing Sec. 504 of the Act which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities in the access to or participation in federally- funded services or employment. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, which generally prohibits discrimination based upon age. The Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, 29 U.S.C. 206, which provides that an employer may not discriminate on the basis of sex by paying employees of different sexes differently for the same work. 4.32 Prevailing Wage Rate: If applicable under Ohio law, Vendor must agree to pay all employees involved with the installation on this project, the prevailing wage rate as ascertained by the Department of Industrial Relations of the State of Ohio. 4.33 Drug Free Workplace: Vendor agrees to comply with all applicable state and federal laws regarding drug – free workplace and shall make a good faith effort to ensure that all its employees, while working at Kent State University, will not purchase, transfer, use or possess illegal drugs or alcohol or abuse prescription drugs in any way. 4.34 Smoke-Free, Tobacco-Free University: Smoking and the use of nicotine, tobacco-derived or plant based products, and oral tobacco are not permitted on any property owned, operated or leased by Kent State University inclusive of personal vehicles parked on University property. All smoking is prohibited, including the use of electronic smoking devices, mod boxes or electronic nicotine delivery systems that create an aerosol or vapor. Vendors, contractors Page 14 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 and other respondents to this RFP may not use cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, cloves, hookahs, e-cigarettes, herbal and oil vaporizers, pipes, water pipes, any smokeless tobacco (chew, snuff, dip, etc.), and any other non-FDA approved nicotine products while conducting business on University property. 4.35 Americans with Disabilities Act: Without limiting the requirements of Subsection 4.49, Electronic Information Technology Accessibility, Seller agrees to comply with the Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12131-12134, and it implementing regulation 28 C.F.R. pt. 35, which prohibits public universities from excluding individuals with disabilities from participating in and/or receiving the benefits of University services, programs, and activities, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794, and its implementing regulation at 34 C.F.R. Part 104, which prohibits a qualified individual with a disability, solely by reason of disability, from being excluded from participation in, being denied benefits of, or being subjected to discrimination under any University activity, and other applicable State of Ohio laws and regulations regarding accessibility and disability. Accordingly, Seller represents and warrants that the products and/or services provided hereunder are functionally accessible to individuals with disabilities. Compliance means that a person with a disability can acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability, in an equally effective and integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. 4.36 Conflicts of Interest and Ethics Compliance: Vendor represents, warrants, and certifies that it and its employees engaged in the administration or performance of the Agreement are knowledgeable of and understand the Ohio Ethics and Conflicts of Interest laws. Vendor further represents, warrants, and certifies that neither Vendor nor any of its employees will do any act that is inconsistent with such laws. 4.37 Executive Order Banning the Expenditure of Public Funds on Offshore Services: Vendor affirms that it has read and understands Executive Order 2011-12K issued by Ohio Governor John Kasich and shall abide by those requirements in the performance of any Contract arising from this RFP, and shall perform no services required under this Contract outside of the United States. The Executive Order is available at the following website: (http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Portals/0/pdf/executiveOrders/EO%202011-12K.pdf). The Vendor also affirms, understands, and agrees to immediately notify the State of any change or shift in the location(s) of services performed by the Vendor or its subcontractors under this Contract, and no services shall be changed or shifted to a location(s) that are outside of the United States. If Vendor or any of its subcontractors perform services under this Contract outside of the United States, the performance of such services shall be treated as a material breach of the Contract. The State is not obligated to pay and shall not pay for such services. If Vendor or any of its subcontractors perform any such services, Vendor shall immediately return to the State all funds paid for those services. The State may also recover from the Vendor all costs associated with any corrective action the State may undertake, including but not limited to an audit or a risk analysis, as a result of the Vendor performing services outside the United States. The State may, at any time after the breach, terminate the Contract, upon written notice to the Vendor. The State may recover all accounting, administrative, legal and other expenses reasonably necessary for the preparation of the termination of the Contract and costs associated with the acquisition of substitute services from a third party. If the State determines that actual and direct damages are uncertain or difficult to ascertain, the State in its sole discretion may recover a payment of liquidated damages amounting to a percentage of the value of the Contract, such a percentage to be determined. The State, in its sole discretion, may provide written notice to Vendor of a breach and permit the Vendor to cure the breach. Such cure period shall be no longer than 21 calendar days. During the cure period, the State may buy substitute services from a third party and recover from the Vendor any costs associated with acquiring those substitute services. Notwithstanding the State permitting a period of time to cure the breach or the Vendor’s cure of the breach, the State does not waive any of its rights and remedies provided the State in this Contract, including but not limited to recovery of funds paid for services the Vendor performed outside of the United States, costs associated with corrective action, or liquidated damages. Page 15 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 —Assignment/Delegation The Vendor will not assign any of its rights, nor delegate any of its duties and responsibilities under this Contract, without prior written consent of the State. Any assignment or delegation not consented to may be deemed void by the State. 4.38 Finding for Recovery; Debarment: Ohio Revised Code Section 9.242 prohibits any vendor who has been debarred by any state agency to participate in any contract during the debarment period. Further, Vendor represents and warrants that it is not now, and will not become during the term of any contract resulting from this RFP, subject to an unresolved finding for recovery under ORC Section 9.24 and is not under any suspension or debarment by any office of the state of Ohio or the federal government. If this representation and warranty is found to be false, any contract resulting from this RFP shall be void, and the Vendor shall immediately repay to the university any funds paid under the contract. If Vendor becomes subject to an unresolved finding for recovery under ORC Section 9.24 and/or is suspended or debarred by any office of the state of Ohio or the federal government during the term of the contract, such finding for recovery, suspension or debarment shall be considered a material breach of such contract, and the University may, at its sole discretion, terminate the contract. 4.39 Campaign Contributions: Vendor hereby certifies that all applicable parties listed in Division (l)(3) or (J)(3) of O.R.C. Section 3517.13 are in full compliance with Divisions (l)(1) and (J)(1) of O.R.C. Section 3517.13. 4.40 Biobased Products Bid Reference Policy: The Department of Administrative Services, other state agencies and state institutions of higher education must procure biobased products that fall within the designated item categories list compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture, as maintained by the Department of Administrative Services. State agencies must procure equipment, materials, and supplies in accordance with procedures set forth in Ohio Revised Code section 123:5-1-14. Biobased products may be considered and a preference may be applied for those biobased products meeting the specifications set forth in bidding documents when applicable. For those proposals in which biobased products are offered, Vendor must list or otherwise identify and certify those products. The minimum content for the anticipated biobased purchase shall be derived from the United States Department of Agriculture’s determination of minimum content for the designated item. 4.41 Data Security Requirements/PCI Compliance: 1) Will this product or service have involvement in creating, storing, processing, transmitting, or accessing University data or handling financial transactions? a) If yes, will any data be removed by, accessed from, copied to, or created within systems that do not reside within the geographical boundaries of Kent State University? i. If yes, complete the “Higher Education Cloud Vendor Assessment Tool Lite", https://www.kent.edu/it/higher-education-cloud-vendor-assessment-tool-lite .Include a copy of any applicable audit or security assessment reports or certifications such as: SSAE 16, SOC 2, or ISO 27001 and include copies of any applicable corporate information security policies or other supporting documentation that will substantiate the questionnaire responses. (1) If an NDA is required for the disbursement of any of these documents or information, provide a copy of the NDA in your response. 2) Will this product or service have involvement in the processing of credit card transactions (Card-Present, Card- Not-Present, Online, Phone-based, or otherwise)? a) If yes, submit a QSA-signed Attestation of Compliance to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (“PCI-DSS”). b) If yes, Vendor acknowledges and agrees to the following statements: i. Kent State University requires that Vendor at all times maintain compliance with current PCI DSS as applicable. Accordingly, the Vendor will be required to provide confirmation of compliance upon request by Kent State University throughout the contract term. Respondent hereby acknowledges that https://www.kent.edu/it/higher-education-cloud-vendor-assessment-tool-lite Page 16 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 cardholder data may only be used for execution of the contracted systems or services as described herein, or as required by the PCI DSS, or as required by applicable law. ii. If, during the contract term, Vendor becomes aware that systems or services provided under the contract falls out of compliance with PCI DSS requirements, the Vendor shall immediately notify the Kent State University Office of Security and Access Management. iii. In the event of a breach, intrusion, or unauthorized access to cardholder data, Vendor shall immediately notify the Kent State University Office of Security and Access Management to allow for the PCI DSS breach notification process to commence. Vendor shall provide appropriate payment card companies and their respective designee’s access to Vendor’s facilities and all pertinent records to conduct a review of Vendor’s compliance with the PCI DSS requirements. Vendor acknowledges liability for any and all costs resulting from such breach, intrusion, or unauthorized access to cardholder data deemed to be the fault of Vendor. Vendor agrees to assume responsibility for informing all such individuals in accordance with applicable law and to indemnify and hold harmless Kent State University and its officers and employees from and against any claims, damages, or other harm related to such breach. 4.42 European General Data Protection Regulation: If Kent State University’s Cyber Security and Privacy Department in the Division of Information Technology, determines that the services provided within this RFP involve the transfer of personal data subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation, the supplier will be required to execute the University’s the European General Data Protection Regulation addendum. https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/file/GDPR%20Vendor%20Addendum%20KSU%20FINAL%200619%20P DF.pdf 4.43 H.B. 476, State Contract and Boycotting: Pursuant to R.C. 9.76(B) Vendor represents and warrants that Vendor is not boycotting any jurisdiction with whom the State of Ohio can enjoy open trade, including Israel, and will not do so during the contract period. 4.44 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Compliance: Vendor agrees to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of l996 (“HIPAA”), and the regulations promulgated thereunder, including without limitation the federal privacy regulations (the “Federal Privacy Regulations”) and the federal security standards (the “Federal Security Standards”), as such provisions are applicable to delivery of the goods or services being provided pursuant to and contract resulting from this RFP. Vendor acknowledges that an entity’s status as a business associate is determined under law, regardless of such entity’s opinion as to its status as a business associate; and if an entity is, under applicable law, a business associate, such entity has a direct legal obligation in its own right to comply with all legal requirements applicable to a business associate. Accordingly, Vendor agrees not to use or further disclose any protected health information, as defined in 45 CFT 164.504, or individually identifiable health information, as defined in 42 USC § 1320d (collectively the “Protected Health Information” or “PHI”), other than as permitted by the requirements of HIPAA or regulations promulgated under HIPAA including without limitation the Federal Privacy Regulations and the Federal Security Regulations. Vendor agrees to implement appropriate safeguards to prevent the use or disclosure of Protected Health Information as applicable to the performance of any agreement arising from this RFP. The successful Vendor agrees to promptly report to University any improper or unlawful use or disclosure of any PHI arising out of or relating to the products and or services arising from this RFP. 4.45 Electronic Information Technology (“EIT”) Compliance: If the proposed product or service is an Electronic Information Technology (“EIT”) product or service as such products or services are defined below in this Section, then your proposal must include a response to this section so the proposed product or service can be evaluated by University personnel for compliance with the University Policy 4-16. “EIT” product(s) and/or service(s) include, but are not limited to, systems and application software (including mobile), online services such as learning management systems, content management systems, access portals, online marketing solutions, websites, web content and multimedia, digital materials (video, audio, etext, ebooks, lab simulations), telecommunications, and self-contained products such as displays, kiosks, touchscreens, operable controls (key carded door openers), and personal response systems. If the proposed product or service is not an EIT product or service, consider this section complete. https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/file/GDPR%20Vendor%20Addendum%20KSU%20FINAL%200619%20PDF.pdf https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/file/GDPR%20Vendor%20Addendum%20KSU%20FINAL%200619%20PDF.pdf Page 17 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 Pursuant to University Policy 4-16, Kent State University is committed to ensuring that its electronic and information technologies, including but not limited to, all information provided through university and third-party websites, online learning and course management systems, and curriculum, institutional and administrative data systems: (a) provide equal opportunity to the educational benefits and opportunities afforded by the technology; (b) provide equal treatment in the use of such technology; and (c) be accessible to individuals with disabilities in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (ADA-AA) and other applicable laws of the State of Ohio. Requirements for Vendors submitting a proposal for an “EIT” product and/or service: Provide information about the digital accessibility of proposed product(s) and/or services(s). This process is handled via an online form. Please carefully read the instructions below: A. In a web browser, visit http://bit.ly/eitvendorsurvey. The form should be completed by Vendor’s lead technical staff member best suited to share information about the digital accessibility of the product and/or service. i. PLEASE DO NOT START FORM until previewing of the list of questions that will be asked. ii. If available, please make sure to attach a completed VPAT when completing the form. A blank template of the VPAT is available at https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility. iii. NOTE: KSU may, in its sole discretion, deem as non-responsive, any form submission that is deemed by the university as incomplete. Continued on next page. https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/file/ICT%20vendor%20form%20-%20question%20preview.pdf https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility Page 18 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 5.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FORMAT AND EVALUATION CRITERIA 5.1 Format and Content of Proposals: To respond to this RFP, bidder is to submit their proposal via DocuSign at https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids and the Certificate of Completion must be timestamped “Signed” no later than the date and time specified. Proposals timestamped after that date and time will be rejected. The proposal must be signed by a person authorized to bind the proposing form to the representations, commitments and statements contained in this response. Proposals should be prepared as simply as possible and provide a straightforward description of the Proposer’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements and goals of the RFP. Proposer should concentrate on accuracy, completeness, and clarity of content. All parts, pages, figures, and tables should be numbered and labeled clearly. Kent State University considers it to be of utmost importance that the successful contractor(s) present evidence of their ability to perform prior to the awarding of this contract partnership. The contract partnership shall be awarded to company that will best serve the interest of Kent State University, and, in determining the responsible proposer, the university shall consider the responses to the following requested information. All proposals submitted shall conform to the following format requirements. Deviation from these requirements may disqualify a supplier from consideration. The response must contain the following information and documents: A. Forms 1 through 9 – Signed and Dated. (Completed through DocuSign) B. Qualifications Statement/Background Information – This document should articulate why your firm has the ability to fulfill the RFP. Bidders should submit information explaining their company including how long they have been in business, number of employees, annual sales volume, areas of specialization, describe special and/or unique qualifications and experience working with Universities. Include the Name and biography of the consultant(s) who will be directly assigned to Kent State University. C. Submission Requirements –Provide a Statement of Work that addresses capabilities in each of the specific requirements as outlined in the Specifications Section 6. D. Cost Proposal - Provide cost proposal and/or price quotation as indicated in Section 6, and include any additional specification documentation you deem necessary to support your proposal. E. References – Bidder shall list reference information for three (3) accounts of similar size, preferably with at least one in higher education that speak to the level of commitment, quality of service, and capability of the candidate. F. Assumptions, Clarifications, and Exclusions – Describe any and all of the assumptions, clarifications, or exclusions to the proposal. 5.2 Evaluation Criteria and Process: All proposals received from contractors will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee of qualified University personnel. Selection and award of contracts will be made to the supplier(s) whose proposal, in the sole opinion of Kent State University, represents the best overall value to the University. Factors which determine the award include, but will not be limited to, the following: The proposer’s responsiveness to all specifications in the RFP, quality of the proposer’s products and/or services, ability to fulfill the contract, and general responsibility as evidence of past performance. Payment terms and cash discounts will be considered as determining factors in the contract award Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated according, but not limited, to the criteria listed herein. As a part of the evaluation process, the university has assigned a component rating (0 to 5 – Poor to Excellent) to each area defined in the criteria section. The component rating will be applied to the evaluation criteria of this proposal. Selection of the successful vendor will be determined by the proposal(s) that best serves the interest of the university. https://www.kent.edu/procurement/bids Page 19 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 A. Vendor Qualifications, Financial Resources, Relevant Experience, and References. B. General Requirements C. Functional Specification for Central System and Peripherals D. ID Card Production System Card E. All Campus Application Support F. On-line Card Reading Application Devices G. On-line Vending Reader H. PCI-DSS Compliance I. Pricing Proposal Continued on next page. Page 20 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 6.0 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL SPECIFICATIONS 6.1 Intent: Kent State University is seeking Proposals from qualified firms which are in the business of providing and supporting a multi-campus ID card transaction management system that performs the various card-based purchase and verification operations and services as listed in this Request for Proposal (RFP) document. The university is very interested in collaborative and innovative strategies and programs, especially those that support and advance its commitment to enhance the student experience. The university specifically solicits your creative ideas and recommendations towards that goal. It is the intent of the university to select one (1) vendor to provide exclusively all card system requirements for Kent State University’s eight (8) campuses and the College of Podiatric Medicine in Independence, Ohio. The respondent shall present evidence that the firm or its officers have been engaged in providing services as listed in the RFP. References must be included stating the name, position, and telephone number of a contact person. This system must involve more than hardware and software; the design philosophy of the system and the successful vendor must be based on the premise that a single, personalized magnetic striped and smart (iClass, SEOS, etc.) identification card can be utilized for all monetary and non-monetary transactions and activities associated with day-to-day life on campus. These various applications must be supported by a family of on-line devices (application specific card reading terminals and "sub-systems") designed to manage point of sale, debit card applications, facility access and entitlement/verification activities from multiple locations on campus. The vendor's commitment to this "all campus" concept, as well as the vendor's ability to support it from a position of short and long term system development, will weigh significantly in the evaluation process. The minimum requirements for these individual application specific card reading terminals and “sub-systems”, the centralized transaction processor and the common database will be detailed within this document. See Appendices for current Kent State demographics, hardware, usage, statistics, interfaces, point of sale devices, reporting requirements, and data conversion requirements. 6.2 Scope of Work: As iterated elsewhere, Kent State University is seeking Proposals from qualified firms which are in the business of providing and supporting a multi-campus ID card transaction management system that performs the various card-based purchase and verification operations and services as listed in this Request for Proposal (RFP) document. The university is very interested in collaborative and innovative strategies and programs, especially those that support and advance its commitment to enhance the student experience. The university specifically solicits your creative ideas and recommendations towards that goal. 6.3 General Requirements: Service and Support The bidder will provide a detailed description of the variety of service and support options available (service level agreement), including telephone, chat, ticketing and/or other options, as well as a detailed description of the Warranty provisions. The bidder will evaluate the scope of the proposed installation and, based on this evaluation, will suggest a "best" option in this case. The bidder will provide a detailed explanation of why this service and support option was selected as "best" in this case. Training Describe the level of vendor support provided in implementing, installing, and maintaining the system. If any additional vendor support or training is an extra cost, specify cost in the proposal. Describe the proposed training packages. Indicate the type, duration, and location of training courses that are available. List any restrictions placed on the number of attendees. If any additional training is available at an extra cost, please specify what costs will be assessed to the university and indicate this in the proposal. Page 21 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 Implementation Schedule Describe in detail your proposed implementation schedule, outlining timeliness for implementation, training, etc. The system must be completely installed by July 2022. The vendor will provide on-site support personnel during start-up. The proposal should indicate the number of days that this will include, number of people, and any expenses associated with this requirement. Cost of Ownership Provide a five (5) year total cost of ownership schedule. This should include a summary of initial investment plus recommended maintenance and support costs to the university. Provide detail on price protection for maintenance and support services. Updates to Current Hardware/Software All of the service and support options will include provisions to notify the university of the availability of hardware and software updates, and the associated costs (if any). It is preferred that periodic software updates will occur at regular intervals at low cost (if any), and hardware updates be performed for the least possible cost on-site. The bidder will provide a description of the update/upgrade policy. Updates for all vendor-provided hardware and software must be made available to the university, even if the university chooses not to carry an on-going maintenance agreement on that particular piece of hardware or software. Data Conversion Vendor shall be responsible for converting data from our current system’s (CS Gold Version 7.0.23 and Micros Simphony v2) to vendor's proposed system. Data that must convert includes: • Patron account number, ISO number, and name including history from the past 7 years. • Patron activity flags • Patron debit plans and current balances • System location configuration • System plan configuration • System rule configuration 6.4 Functional Specification for Central System and Peripherals: Architecture 1. Database Management System a. Vendor must describe the proposed system's database management system. The database management system must have a proven track record of supporting large-scale All Campus Debit Card systems. b. Vendor will describe their long-term strategy for operating within the evolving "client/server" and "open database" environment. Interoperability with other campus and off-campus systems depends on the general computer industry's acceptance of the vendor's Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS). c. The system must offer interoperability with other systems via published industry standards. The preferred method for external interoperability is the use of the Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) standard, due its broad acceptance by the majority of the RDBMS industry. 2. Central System Hardware a. The central computer system must utilize quality, industry-standard hardware components in a configuration with a proven track record in large-scale All Campus Debit Card systems. Vendor must describe the central system hardware configuration. Page 22 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 3. Operating Systems a. Central System: To eliminate the need for the central system user to be familiar with the operating system, the central system's application software must completely control the system environment. In other words, the central system user must not require any knowledge of the operating system to use, maintain, or configure the system, create reports, etc. As such, it is expected that there will be no "command line" interaction required with the operating system whatsoever. Likewise, the central system's operating system will be transparent to other campus systems and users. Performance 1. The system must be able to maintain a sustained transaction rate of at least sixteen (16) transactions per second, regardless of the size of the system configuration (number of on- line card reading terminals, workstations) and/or other concurrent activities such as multiple report generation. 2. The maximum response time from the time the ID card is read at the card reading terminal location until the appropriate response is returned to the terminal must never exceed two (2) seconds, regardless of the number of on-line readers or system activities which are occurring at the same time. System Capacity 1. On-line Devices: The system must have the capacity for at 10,000 point of sale devices and/or other application-specific card reading terminals and/or "sub- systems" (such as vending, third party debit devices, building access, etc.) 2. Cardholder Capacity: The system must support unlimited cardholders. 3. Plan Capacity: A "plan" is a subset of the overall cardholder record that holds a debit/credit point balance. The system must have a capacity of at least 500 plans, and allow combinations of meal plans and/or credit/debit point plans on the same cardholder record. 4. Each cardholder's record could require multiple debit/credit balances, while at the same time maintaining a configuration that may be realistically administered. The system must allow at least six debit/credit balances per cardholder record. Communications 1. Workstation Connectivity a. The system workstations will communicate with the central server via Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN). This LAN will be connected to the campus LAN, allowing system workstations to be placed in any campus location serviced by the campus LAN. b. The system should also have a provision for workstations to communicate over RS-232 or dial-up communication. The vendor must describe in detail both the workstation Ethernet LAN communication and RS-232 communication options. 2. Terminal Connectivity - The point of sale (POS) terminals must connect to the system using a variety, and combination, of communication options. These should include LAN terminal servers, and direct Ethernet LAN connection options. The vendor must describe in detail its card reading terminal communication options. 3. Data Exchange Capability The system should provide an efficient and encrypted method of exchanging data between itself and other campus computing resources. The minimum data exchange capability must consist of the exchange of data files. a. This method must allow population of all debit system databases including point and meal plans, as well as demographic data. Page 23 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 b. It must create auditable transactions for all additions and/or changes to point and meal plan balances performed via the data file exchange. c. Audit transactions created during the data exchange must be readily identifiable. d. Data exchanges of any size must be allowed by the system while maintaining full on-line system operation. Transactions occurring during the download must continue to be fully completed in real time. e. Data exchanges must be allowed from any/all LAN-based system workstations, and this functionality must be password protected. f. The format of the ASCII files should be user-definable. g. No "reset" or "restart" of any part of the system must be required following a download. h. The vendor should describe other data exchange capabilities inherent to the proposed system, such as real-time operations (sql etc.). 24-Hour System Operation The system should support operation of all on-line card reading terminals on a 24 hour per day, 7 days per week basis. No scheduled off-line period for reporting, backup, etc. is acceptable. Time Schedule 1. The system must utilize a real-time Time Schedule which can execute unattended reports and perform routine system maintenance at pre-established times. 2. The Time Schedule must have provisions for at least 500 individual event commands. 3. The Time Schedule execution cycle must be nearly unlimited, (i.e., not on a weekly or monthly cycle), to allow the scheduling of reports and system maintenance covering an entire year. 4. The system must provide scheduling options for execution: • every day • every weekday only • every weekend day only • specific day(s) every week, month, or year • one time only on a date/time specified 5. All system reports, both standard and user-defined, must be executable via the Time Schedule. Reporting 1. The system must include a report generator that runs a complete set of vendor-provided standard reports, as well as the capability to create custom reports. 2. Users must have the capability to copy and edit standard reports for quick report customization, as well as the ability to create "original" reports. 3. Reports must allow "ownership" by individual users to control who can run and edit the individual reports. 4. The Report Generator must include capabilities for automatic page headers, full page format control, and page width control. Page 24 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 5. The Report Generator must allow reports to be displayed on the screen, printed to the workstation's attached printer, and report data direct to an ASCII file in a user-defined format. 6. System should provide the ability to e-mail reports directly from system using e-mail address from the demographics table. 7. The Report Generator language should support various output data formats such as the number of characters, left of right justified format, with or without decimal point, etc. 8. The system must include a complete standard report set including: • Location Summary and Detail Reports • Transaction Reports • Patron Reports • Plan/Balance Reports • Configuration Reports 9. The system Report Generator must allow the execution of reports from the Report menu and from the Time Schedule. 10. The system must allow third party report software (ex. Crystal Reports) to be able to access data for reports and data extracts. 11. The bidder's response must include a set of "standard" or canned reports for evaluation. (Sample reports from Kent State's current System are provided in Appendix). 6.5 ID Card Production System Card Specifications: The university produces an ID card which has a high coercivity magnetic stripe which follows the ABA encoding standards. We use standard CR80 card stock as well as iClass SE Corporate 1000 card stock and all vendor readers must be capable of reading the ABA specification. The is currently produced using an HID system using various manufactures printers and encoders. The vendor should outline any experience interfacing their card system with a HID system and itemize any cost for the interface. The system must be able to: • Randomly generate a unique ISO number based on KSU’s numbering scheme at the time of card creation. The ISO number must include a LUHN check digit. • Read our current number server database in order to guarantee that no ISO numbers are generated from numbers that had previously been used on our current system. The Vendor must be able to pass the ISO number and account number from their server (number server) to the HID card production system workstations automatically. Cardholder Information—Cardholder Record The system must utilize a cardholder record structure having a single record per card holder. When a Workstation user accesses an account record, this account record will include all aspects of the cardholder's campus wide privileges, balances, access scheduling and demographic detail. This single account record for each cardholder record must include, as a minimum, the following information: • Point plan balances for several debit and credit plans. • A minimum of 100 yes/no indicators (commonly referred to as "activity flags") which can be utilized to record information about a cardholder, to determine privilege verification, to control specified transactions, and that can be utilized during reporting. • Meal Plan balance • The Lost Card Code to ensure that a reported lost card cannot be used. Page 25 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 • Detailed demographic information fields. The bidder will describe in detail the demographic detail supported by the proposed system. • The date/time that the record was created and the ID of the user who created the account. • The date/time that the record was last modified at a workstation, and the ID of the user performing the modification. • An on-line transaction log that displays all of the cardholder's transactions instantaneously, without waiting for the completion of a cardholder transaction report. User Workstations A workstation is defined as an administrative terminal where cardholder accounts are created, viewed, or modified. Reports and system configuration will also be performed at these workstations. 1. Workstation Architecture a. The system must utilize standard Windows PCs for user workstations. The primary communication method must utilize an Ethernet LAN. b. Changes made to cardholder records via workstations must be recorded as transactions on the central system. The bidder will describe in detail the audit trail provided for modifications to cardholder accounts performed at Workstations. c. The total number of PCs on campus that are workstation-capable (workstation software loaded, connected to the LAN, and ready to log-on) must be virtually unlimited. The system must support at least 20 concurrent workstation operations. 2. Workstation Hardware a. The University may choose to obtain the workstation hardware locally. This campus- supplied hardware will be Windows PCs and PC peripherals (printers, etc.) b. The vendor may impose reasonable basic minimum hardware qualifications for the workstation PCs. The vendor must supply a detailed list of basic minimum hardware qualifications. 3. Workstation Software a. The university-supplied workstation PCs will provide the Microsoft Windows 10 or later. Other than MS Windows, all other software required for the operation of the workstation must be supplied by the vendor. 4. User Interface a. Menu-driven User Interface Requirements • The system workstations must incorporate an industry-standard graphic user interface. • The user interface must support a pointing device, such as a mouse, for operation of the vendor's debit card system software. b. On-Line Documentation and Context sensitive Help • The system User Manual should be electronically included "on-line" to all users from their workstations. The user should be able to read on-line documentation from the User Manual by selecting chapters or topical index. • In addition, the ability to instantly access the contents of this manual in a context sensitive manner should be available. When prompted with an unfamiliar option, the user should have the ability to press the HELP key or icon, and the appropriate section of the User Manual which explains the option will appear. Passwords The university anticipates the system will be expanded to encompass many different operations throughout the campus, each requiring limited access to the central database. This limited access will allow "departmentalization" of the system: different departments will be allowed access to features and data as necessary, but access will be restricted to areas outside the operational jurisdiction of that department. Page 26 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 A critical component of this "departmentalization" capability is the password protection system. The system must include password protection by functional areas of the workstation software, so that individual system users have access only to functional areas and features authorized by the System Administrator. The system should be LDAP and AZURE compliant. If not yet available, an estimated timeline must be provided showing the vendor's reasonable estimation of the quarter in which the feature will be made available. The successful vendor will be expected to provide the necessary upgrade to achieve compliance within a reasonable time frame [within two (2) quarters] for no additional charge following the successful install of an LDAP compliant system elsewhere. 1. The password protection system will allow read-only access, read/write access or no 2. access to each of the specific areas listed below. 3. The menu selections for access to functional areas of the workstation software that are denied to an individual user will not be displayed. 4. The password protection system must control an individual user access to: • Specific plans • Specific access schedules • Specific activity flags • Specific reports • Demographic data • On-line personal transaction logs • Ability to make lost card code changes • Ability to view the cardholder's name with record • System configuration • Diagnostic tools Mass Storage Devices and Data Redundancy 1. A removable mass storage device must be utilized for automatic system backup. The vendor will describe the mass storage device. 2. The automatic system backup must take place at the user-defined time of day and while maintaining readers on-line. 3. Vendor should describe system used to handle data redundancy. Disaster Recovery 1. Data Recovery The system must include sufficient disaster recovery provisions to preclude the loss of any data under nearly any circumstance. As a test of this aspect of the system (and the vendor's ability to deal with this situation), the vendor will provide a detailed description of the steps that would be performed to recover from the following scenario: "The primary database hard disk fails Sunday at 3:05 P.M. After contacting the vendor, subsequent attempts to restart the system with the hard disk fails. The last automatic backup was Sunday at 2:00 A.M. This backup is discovered to be unusable (physically damaged). Therefore, the next preceding backup must be utilized, and Saturday and Sunday's transactions must be recovered." 2. Physical Disaster The next scenario details a physical disaster (natural or manmade). The debit card system will play a vital role in campus life, and therefore it can be expected that loss of the system will yield a significant impact on campus operations. Therefore, the vendor is expected to assist with the recovery effort as quickly as possible. Page 27 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 The vendor will provide a detailed description of their involvement with the recovery effort from the following scenario: "Fire destroys the building containing the debit card central processor system. The vendor is immediately notified and is asked for assistance." Archive Mass Storage 1. The mass storage device used for daily automatic backup will also provide access to archived data from previous time periods. 2. Archived data must be available without interrupting real-time transaction processing, and without requiring an "archive restoration" procedure. 3. The archived data set will utilize the same user interface and allow the full reporting capability of the "live" data set. 4. Archived data from our current system should be able to be loaded into vendors proposed system. Backup Power The university will provide a UPS for the system. The vendor should provide specifications to ensure that the UPS will meet the following criteria: • The protection time of each power outage must be sufficient to provide a complete and orderly shutdown of all system processes fully automatically. • The UPS must not allow the system to operate without sufficient battery reserves in order to perform a complete shutdown sequence in the event of another power failure. • The UPS must interactively communicate with the system via an electronic communication link, exchanging status and other pertinent data. • When electrical power is restored to the UPS, the system must automatically restart to full operational capability without operator intervention. System Configuration 1. The system must allow for modification of the configuration by the user at any time. This system requirement will allow the university to perform the system configuration changes required to support a campus wide debit system program. 2. The bidder will describe the proposed system's user-configurability. Site Survey and Initial Configuration 1. Prior to submission of a proposal, each interested vendor must perform an on-site survey sufficient to document the overall operation of the system prior to installation. This on- site survey must be provided at no additional cost. The purpose of the tour is to ensure that all interested vendors have sufficient access and knowledge to provide the best possible informed proposal. Any relevant question will be answered during the course of the tour. In the unlikely event any answers are given or information provided in contradiction of what is contained in this document, the statements contained within this document will serve as the official and final answer. Please contact Janet Schramm, Jschramm@kent.edu to schedule a site survey. 2. The vendor will then configure and test the system off-site, to ensure that installation of the system at the university is not hampered or delayed by on-site configuration. System Diagnostics 1. The system must provide on-line system diagnostics that allow monitoring and system troubleshooting. 2. A display of the status of all defined locations must be instantly available from any workstation. The status log must include not just readers that are on-line at the time, but also display the date and time that each off-line reader was last on-line. mailto:Jschramm@kent.edu Page 28 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 3. Error messages from the Time Schedule and other system functions must be saved to an error message log for review at any time from any workstation. 4. Describe method used for remote administration and diagnostics. Detail security and encryption methods. Transaction Logging The system must record complete detail of each and every financial, privilege/entitlement verification and facility access transaction. At a minimum, the transaction detail must include: Transaction Type • Account number • Date/Time • Location • Amount • Tax • Discount • Surcharge • Transaction Code • On-Line or Off-Line Uploaded • Keyed-in or Card Read Off Site Hosting - Bidding Alternate Vendor should provide detailed description of off site hosting option for system server and data storage. Proposal should include any/all cost quotes related to this service as a bidding alternate. Vendors interested in bidding on this alternate should also provide proposed service level agreements. Please provide references for any off site hosting. Higher education clients preferred. 6.6 All Campus Application Support: General The system must include the capability to accommodate a wide range of on-line campus wide debit card applications. The following are minimum application requirements. Detailed application requirements are included within the section above entitled, "On-Line Card Reading Application Devices". Dining Services 1. The system must support various dining service POS devices including declining point and debit card transaction devices and third party devices currently in place at KSU. 2. The dining service POS devices must be fully featured and include a wide variety of peripheral options such as scales, kitchen printers/kitchen display systems. 3. Kiosks: Self-service kiosks are used for unattended cardholder account management as well as food ordering and payment within dining services. The devices must include multiple mount options, including pedestal or tabletop. Device must be Touch Screen and Native IP capable for communication method. Please describe the features of the proposed self-service kiosk devices. On-Line Vending The system must include the capability for an on-line vending control system that allows debit card purchases of soda, juice, snack, sandwich, etc. from vending machines. These on-line readers must be able to process campus debit as well as standard credit cards. Privilege Verification Card reading terminals will be used throughout the campus to perform various levels of privilege verification. In its basic functionality, a single card read at a reader location will initiate a "request" to check multiple privilege Page 29 of 49 RFP #1819 Multi Campus ID Card System Issued February 4, 2022 indicators in the central system and respond with a concise audio/visual reader response. More sophisticated verification applications will involve the selection of the appropriate verification type by the user or each situation. The verification reader must be portable and hand held. Bookstore The bidder must be able to interface with the Barnes and Noble LLC bookstore POS systems. Retail Sales Numerous and miscellaneous retail sales applications will be integrated into the campus wide debit card system. The vendor must demonstrate its experience in providing hardware/software solutions that satisfy the varied requirements of retail sales applications. Miscellaneous Low-Volume Retail Sales Operation Support There are many miscellaneous retail operations on and off campus that require basic access to debit card funds on a low-volume basis. The system must provide a dial-in method of supporting retail sales transactions utilizing the PAX S80 terminals currently in use at KSU. The vendor must describe in detail the availability and function of this feature. 6.7 On-line Card Reading Application Devices: Basic Card Reader The Basic Card Reader must be an on-line card reading device that will provide the user with functionality for basic board/debit plan and privilege verification applications. 1. It must be equipped with an alphanumeric display to provide the user with responses such as "PERMITTED," "DENIED, "LOST CARD”, "BALANCE LOW," and "NOT AUTHORIZED" as well as some user-defined response messages. 2. It must include an audible tone for permitted responses. 3. It must offer an optional printer for receipts and/or printed reports. 4. It must offer an optional display for patrons. It is preferred that this "customer display" be vertically oriented and swivel to be positioned for best viewing by the customer. Full-featured POS Device The full-featured POS device must consolidate the functions of a POS device and a card reading terminal into one device. It must provide all the functionality of the basic card reader, in addition to the following POS features: 1. The POS device must include an integrated magnetic-stripe card reader. 2. The POS device must facilitate cash, in house credit/debit, visa type credit/debit and privilege verification transactions. 3. The POS device must facilitate multiple/split tendering. 4. The POS device must offer a variety of keyboard options. The bidder will describe the available options and the recommended applications for each type. 5. The POS device must support the following optional peripherals: • Laser bar code scanner to read UPC (must