RFP and Addendum-Vendor Managed Inventory 090624 - November 10, 2025 - DCSD Board Meeting Archive

RFP #090624
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
for
Vendor Managed Inventory and Logistics Management Solutions for Fleets and
Facilities

Proposal Due Date: September 6, 2024, 4:30 p.m., Central Time

Sourcewell, a State of Minnesota local government unit and service cooperative, is requesting
proposals for Vendor Managed Inventory and Logistics Management Solutions for Fleets and
Facilities to result in a contracting solution for use by its Participating Entities. Sourcewell
Participating Entities include thousands of governmental, higher education, K-12 education,
nonprofit, tribal government, and other public agencies located in the United States and Canada.
A full copy of the Request for Proposals can be found on the Sourcewell Procurement Portal
[https://proportal.sourcewell-mn.gov]. Only proposals submitted through the Sourcewell
Procurement Portal will be considered. Proposals are due no later than September 6, 2024, at
4:30 p.m. Central Time, and late proposals will not be considered.

SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

Public Notice of RFP Published: July 16, 2024

Pre-proposal Conference: August 15, 2024, 10:00 a.m., Central Time

Question Submission Deadline: August 29, 2024, 4:30 p.m., Central Time

Proposal Due Date: September 6, 2024, 4:30 p.m., Central Time
Late responses will not be considered.

Opening: September 6, 2024, 4:30 p.m., Central Time
See RFP Section V.G. “Opening”

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I. ABOUT SOURCEWELL

A. SOURCEWELL

Sourcewell is a State of Minnesota local government unit and service cooperative created
under the laws of the State of Minnesota (Minnesota Statutes Section 123A.21) that facilitates
a competitive public solicitation and contract award process for the benefit of its 50,000+
participating entities across the United States and Canada. Sourcewell’s solicitation process
complies with State of Minnesota law and policies, conforms to Canadian trade agreements
(including Canadian Free Trade Agreement, Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation
Agreement, and Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, as
applicable), and results in cooperative purchasing solutions from which Sourcewell’s
Participating Entities procure equipment, products, and services.

Cooperative purchasing provides participating entities and suppliers increased administrative
efficiencies and the power of combined purchasing volume that result in overall cost savings. At
times, Sourcewell also partners with other purchasing cooperatives to combine the purchasing
volume of their membership into a single solicitation and contract expanding the reach of
contracted suppliers’ potential pool of end users.

Sourcewell uses a website-based platform, the Sourcewell Procurement Portal, through which
all proposals to this RFP must be submitted.

B. USE OF RESULTING CONTRACTS

In the United States, Sourcewell’s contracts are available for use by:
• Federal and state government entities 1;
• Cities, towns, and counties/parishes;
• Education service cooperatives;
• K-12 and higher education entities;
• Tribal government entities;
• Some nonprofit entities; and
• Other public entities.

In Canada, Sourcewell’s contracts are available for use by current and future members including:
• Federal, provincial, and territorial government departments, ministries, agencies,
boards, councils, committees, commissions, and similar agencies;
• Indigenous self-governing bodies;
• Regional, local, district, and other forms of municipal government, municipal
organizations, school boards, and publicly funded academic, health, and social service

1
Pursuant to HAR §3-128-2, the State of Hawaii, Department of Accounting and General Services, State Procurement Office, on behalf of the
State of Hawaii and participating jurisdictions, has provided notice of its Intent to Participate in the solicitation as a participating entity.

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entities referred to as MASH sector (this should be construed to include but not be
limited to the cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Winnipeg), as well as
any corporation or entity owned or controlled by one or more of the preceding entities;
• Crown corporations, government enterprises, and other entities that are owned or
controlled by these entities through ownership interest; and
• Canoe procurement group of Canada’s current and future members. Canoe members
include:
o Federal, provincial and territorial government departments, ministries, agencies,
boards, councils, committees, commissions, and similar agencies;
o Crown corporations, government enterprises, and other entities that are owned
or controlled by these entities through ownership interest;
o Indigenous self-governing bodies;
o Airport authorities;
o Regional, local, district, and other forms of municipal government, municipal
organizations, school boards, and publicly funded academic, health, and social
service entities referred to as MASH sector (this should be construed to include
but not be limited to the cities of Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and
Winnipeg), as well as any corporation or entity owned or controlled by one or
more of the preceding entities; and
o Canoe procurement group of Canada’s current and future partner associations,
including Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Association of
Manitoba Municipalities, Local Authorities Services/Association of Municipalities
Ontario, Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities, Federation of Prince Edward
Island Municipalities, Municipalities Newfoundland Labrador, Union of New
Brunswick Municipalities, Northwest Territories Association of Communities,
Association of Yukon Communities, CivicInfo BC, Association and their current
and future members.

For a listing of current United States and Canadian Participating Entities visit Sourcewell’s
website (note: there is a tab for each country): https://www.sourcewell-mn.gov/sourcewell-for-
vendors/agency-locator.

Participating Entities typically access contracted equipment, products, or services through a
purchase order issued directly to the contracted supplier. A Participating Entity may request
additional terms or conditions related to a purchase. Use of Sourcewell contracts is voluntary
and Participating Entities retain the right to obtain similar equipment, products, or services
from other sources.

To meet Participating Entities’ needs, Sourcewell broadly publishes public notice of all
solicitation opportunities, including this RFP. In addition, where applicable, other purchasing
cooperatives and procurement officials receive notice and are encouraged to re-post the
solicitation opportunity.

Proof of publication will be available at the conclusion of the solicitation process.
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II. SOLICITATION DETAILS

A. SOLUTIONS-BASED SOLICITATION

This RFP and contract award process is a solutions-based solicitation; meaning that Sourcewell
is seeking equipment, products, or services that meet the general requirements of the scope of
this RFP and are commonly desired or are required by law or industry standards.

B. REQUESTED EQUIPMENT, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES

It is expected that proposers will offer a wide array of equipment, products, or services at lower
prices and with better value than what they would ordinarily offer to a single government
entity, school district, or regional cooperative.

1. Sourcewell is seeking proposals for Vendor Managed Inventory and Logistics
Management Solutions for Fleets and Facilities, including, but not to be limited to:

a. Vendor Managed Inventory solutions, such as:
i. Parts, fluids, equipment, and supplies for vehicle, truck, fleet, and warehouse
operations;
ii. On and off-site storage, service, and parts room operation, management, and
staffing;
iii. Performance reporting, and data and technology analysis;
iv. Fleet and facility software integration and data exchange;
v. Emergency response services;
vi. Parts replacement and warranty management;
vii. National distribution system services;
viii. Stock and non-stock parts sourcing of original equipment and aftermarket parts,
fluids, equipment, and supplies; and,
ix. Parts research, acquisition, and delivery.

b. Logistics Management Solutions, such as:
i. Warehouse management services;
ii. Warehouse and transportation coordination for in and outbound supplies;
iii. Shipment optimization;
iv. Freight management;
v. Load scheduling and delivery confirmation;
vi. Customs management for international shipments;
vii. Coordination of just-in-time replenishment of parts; and,
viii. Web-based solutions and knowledge-based professional services.

c. Training, consultative, and administrative or technical support services related to the
delivery of the solutions offered under Section 1. a. or b. above.

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Proposers may include related equipment, accessories, and services to the extent that these
solutions are ancillary or complementary to the equipment, products, or services being
proposed.

2. The primary focus of this solicitation is on Vendor Managed Inventory and Logistics
Management Solutions for Fleets and Facilities. This solicitation should NOT be
construed to include:
a. Inventory Software System-only solutions;
b. Vehicle Parts-only solutions; and,
c. Public Safety Consultancy-only solutions.

3. This solicitation does not include those equipment, products, or services covered under
categories included in pending or planned Sourcewell solicitations, or in contracts
currently maintained by Sourcewell, identified below:

a. RFP #101520 OEM Automotive Parts and Supplies;
b. RFP #020221 Fleet Management and Related Technology Solutions;
c. RFP #032521 Aftermarket Vehicle Parts and Supplies;
d. RFP #030122 Fleet Management Services; and,
e. RFP #091422 Facility MRO, Industrial, and Building Supplies and
Equipment, with the exception of the types of solutions described in RFP
Section II. B. 1. a.-c. above.

Generally, the solutions for Participating Entities are turn-key solutions, providing a
combination of equipment, products and services, delivery, and installation to a properly
operating status. However, equipment-only or products-only solutions may be appropriate for
situations where Participating Entities possess the ability, either in-house or through local third-
party contractors, to properly install and bring to operation the equipment or products being
proposed.

Sourcewell prefers suppliers that provide a sole source of responsibility for the equipment,
products, and services provided under a resulting contract. If proposer is including the
equipment, products, and services of its subsidiary entities, the proposer must also identify all
included subsidiaries in its proposal. If proposer requires the use of distributors, dealers,
resellers, or subcontractors to provide the equipment, products, or services, the proposal must
address how the equipment, products or services will be provided to Participating Entities, and
describe the network of distributors, dealers, resellers, and/or subcontractors that will be
available to serve Participating Entities under a resulting contract.

Sourcewell encourages suppliers to offer the broadest possible selection of equipment,
products, and services being proposed over the largest possible geographic area and to the
largest possible cross-section of Sourcewell current and future Participating Entities.

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C. REQUIREMENTS

It is expected that proposers have knowledge of all applicable industry standards, laws, and
regulations and possess an ability to market and distribute the equipment, products, or services
to Participating Entities.

1. Safety Requirements. All items proposed must comply with current applicable safety or
regulatory standards or codes.
2. Deviation from Industry Standard. Deviations from industry standards must be
identified with an explanation of how the equipment, products, and services will provide
equivalent function, coverage, performance, and/or related services.
3. New Equipment and Products. Proposed equipment and products must be for new,
current model; however, proposer may offer certain close-out equipment or products if
it is specifically noted in the Pricing proposal.
4. Delivered and operational. Unless clearly noted in the proposal, equipment and
products must be delivered to the Participating Entity as operational.
5. Warranty. All equipment, products, supplies, and services must be covered by a
warranty that is the industry standard or better.

D. PROSPECTIVE CONTRACT TERM

The term of any resulting contract(s) awarded by Sourcewell under this solicitation will be four
years. Sourcewell and supplier may agree to up to three additional one-year extensions based
on the best interests of Sourcewell and its Participating Entities. Sourcewell retains the right to
consider additional extensions beyond seven years as required under exceptional
circumstances.

E. ESTIMATED CONTRACT VALUE AND USAGE

Based on past volume of similar contracts, the estimated annual value of all transactions from
contracts resulting from this RFP are anticipated to be USD 250 Million; therefore, proposers
are expected to propose volume pricing. Sourcewell anticipates considerable activity under the
contract(s) awarded from this RFP; however, sales and sales volume from any resulting contract
are not guaranteed.

F. MARKETING PLAN

Proposer’s sales force will be the primary source of communication with Participating Entities.
The proposer’s Marketing Plan should demonstrate proposer’s ability to deploy a sales force or
dealer network to Participating Entities, as well as proposer’s sales and service capabilities. It is
expected that proposer will promote and market any contract award.

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G. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. Contracts will be awarded to proposers able to best meet the need of Participating
Entities. Proposers should submit their complete line of equipment, products, or
services that are applicable to the scope of this RFP.
2. A proposer may submit only one proposal. If related, affiliated, or subsidiary entities
elect to submit separate proposals, rather than a single parent-entity proposal, each
such proposal must be prepared independently and without cooperation, collaboration,
or collusion.
3. If a proposer works with a consultant on its proposal, the consultant (an individual or
company) may not assist any other entity with a proposal for this solicitation.
4. Proposers should include all relevant information in its proposal, since Sourcewell
cannot consider information that is not included in the proposal. Sourcewell reserves
the right to verify proposer’s information and may request clarification from a proposer,
including samples of the proposed equipment or products.
5. Depending upon the responses received in a given category, Sourcewell may need to
organize responses into subcategories in order to provide the broadest coverage of the
requested equipment, products, or services to Participating Entities. Awards may be
based on a subcategory.
6. A proposer’s documented negative past performance with Sourcewell or its
Participating Entities occurring under a previously awarded Sourcewell contract may be
considered in the evaluation of a proposal.

III. PRICING

A. REQUIREMENTS

All proposed pricing must be:

1. Either Line-Item Pricing or Percentage Discount from Catalog Pricing, or a combination of
these:
a. Line-item Pricing is pricing based on each individual product or service. Each line must
indicate the proposer’s published “List Price,” as well as the “Contract Price.”
b. Percentage Discount from Catalog or Category is based on a percentage discount from
a catalog or list price, defined as a published Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price
(MSRP) for the products or services. Individualized percentage discounts can be
applied to any number of defined product groupings. Proposers will be responsible
for providing and maintaining current published MSRP with Sourcewell, and this
pricing must be included in its proposal and provided throughout the term of any
contract resulting from this RFP.
c. Cost-Plus Pricing is pricing based on the actual cost incurred by the Vendor in
performance of the contract, or a stated price for equipment or products supplied by
Vendor, plus a specified amount of fee or profit.

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2. The proposer’s not to exceed price. A not to exceed price is the highest price for which
equipment, products, or services may be billed to a Participating Entity. However, it is
permissible for suppliers to sell at a price that is lower than the contracted price.
3. Stated in U.S. and Canadian dollars (as applicable).
4. Clearly understandable, complete, and fully describe the total cost of acquisition (e.g., the
cost of the proposed equipment, products, and services delivered and operational for its
intended purpose in the Participating Entity’s location).

Proposers should clearly identify any costs that are NOT included in the proposed product or
service pricing. This may include items such as installation, set up, mandatory training, or initial
inspection. Include identification of any parties that impose such costs and their relationship to
the proposer. Additionally, proposers should clearly describe any unique distribution and/or
delivery methods or options offered in the proposal.

B. ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

Proposers awarded a contract are expected to pay to Sourcewell an administrative fee in
exchange for Sourcewell facilitating the resulting contracts. The administrative fee is normally
calculated as a percentage of the total sales to Participating Entities for all contracted equipment,
products, or services made during a calendar quarter, and is typically one percent (1%) to two
percent (2%). In some categories, a flat fee may be an acceptable alternative.

IV. CONTRACT

Proposers awarded a contract will be required to execute a contract with Sourcewell (see
attached template). Only those modifications the proposer indicates in its proposal will be
available for discussion. Much of the language in the Contract reflects Minnesota legal
requirements and cannot be altered. Numerous and/or onerous exceptions that contradict
Minnesota law may result in the proposal being disqualified from further review and
evaluation.

To identify any exception, or to request any modification, to Sourcewell’s standard Contract
terms, conditions, or specifications, a proposer must submit the proposed exception(s) or
requested modification(s) via redline in the Contract Template provided in the “Documents”
section of the “Bid Details” page on the Sourcewell Procurement Portal and uploaded as part of
its response. Only those exceptions noted at the time of the proposal submission will be
considered.
Exceptions must:
1. Clearly identify the affected article and section.
2. Clearly note the requested modification; and as applicable, provide requested
alternative language.
Unclear requests will be automatically denied.

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Only those exceptions that have been accepted by Sourcewell will be included in the contract
document provided to the awarded supplier for signature.

If a proposer receives a contract award resulting from this solicitation it will have up to 30 days
to sign and return the contract. After that time, at Sourcewell’s sole discretion, the contract
award may be revoked.

V. RFP PROCESS

A. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Sourcewell will hold an optional, non-mandatory pre-proposal conference via webcast on the
date and time noted in the Solicitation Schedule for this RFP and on the Sourcewell
Procurement Portal. The purpose of this conference is to allow potential proposers to ask
questions regarding this RFP and Sourcewell’s competitive contracting process. Information
about the webcast will be sent to all entities that have registered for this solicitation
opportunity through their Sourcewell Procurement Portal Vendor Account. Pre-proposal
conference attendance is optional.

B. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS RFP AND ORAL COMMUNICATION

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal.
The deadline for submission of questions is found in the Solicitation Schedule and on the
Sourcewell Procurement Portal. Answers to questions will be issued through an addendum to
this RFP. Repetitive questions will be summarized into a single answer and identifying
information will be removed from the submitted questions.

All questions, whether specific to a proposer or generally related to the RFP, must be submitted
using this process. Do not contact individual Sourcewell staff to ask questions or request
information as this may disqualify the proposer from responding to this RFP. Sourcewell will not
respond to questions submitted after the deadline.

C. ADDENDA

Sourcewell may modify this RFP at any time prior to the proposal due date by issuing an
addendum. Addenda issued by Sourcewell become a part of the RFP and will be delivered to
potential proposers through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal. Sourcewell accepts no liability
in connection with the delivery of any addenda.

Before a proposal will be accepted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal, all addenda, if
any, must be acknowledged by the proposer by checking the box for each addendum. It is the
responsibility of the proposer to check for any addenda that may have been issued up to the
solicitation due date and time.

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If an addendum is issued after a proposer submitted its proposal, the Sourcewell Procurement
Portal will WITHDRAW the submission and change the proposer’s proposal status to
INCOMPLETE. The proposer can view this status change in the “MY BIDS” section of the
Sourcewell Procurement Portal Vendor Account. The proposer is solely responsible to check the
“MY BIDS” section of the Sourcewell Procurement Portal Vendor Account periodically after
submitting its proposal (and up to the Proposal Due Date). If the proposer’s proposal status has
changed to INCOMPLETE, the proposer is solely responsible to:
1. make any required adjustments to its proposal;
2. acknowledge the addenda; and
3. ensure the re-submitted proposal is received through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal
no later than the Proposal Due Date and time shown in the Solicitation Schedule above.

D. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposer’s complete proposal must be submitted through the Sourcewell Procurement Portal
no later than the date and time specified in the Solicitation Schedule. Any other form of
proposal submission, whether electronic, paper, or otherwise, will not be considered by
Sourcewell. Late proposals will not be considered. It is the proposer’s sole responsibility to
ensure that the proposal is received on time.

It is recommended that proposers allow sufficient time to upload the proposal and to resolve
any issues that may arise. The time and date that a proposal is received by Sourcewell is solely
determined by the Sourcewell Procurement Portal web clock.

In the event of problems with the Sourcewell Procurement Portal, follow the instructions for
technical support posted in the portal. It may take up to 24 hours to respond to certain issues.

Upon successful submission of a proposal, the Sourcewell Procurement Portal will automatically
generate a confirmation email to the proposer. If the proposer does not receive a confirmation
email, contact Sourcewell’s support provider at support@bidsandtenders.ca.

To ensure receipt of the latest information and updates via email regarding this solicitation, or
if the proposer has obtained this solicitation document from a third party, the onus is on the
proposer to create a Sourcewell Procurement Portal Vendor Account and register for this
solicitation opportunity.

Within the Sourcewell Procurement Portal, all proposals must be digitally acknowledged by an
authorized representative of the proposer attesting that the information contained in the
proposal is true and accurate. By submitting a proposal, proposer warrants that the information
provided is true, correct, and reliable for purposes of evaluation for potential contract award.
The submission of inaccurate, misleading, or false information is grounds for disqualification
from a contract award and may subject the proposer to remedies available by law.

E. GENERAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
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Proposals must be:
1. In substantial compliance with the requirements of this RFP or it will be considered
nonresponsive and be rejected.
2. Complete. A proposal will be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete.
3. Submitted in English.
4. Valid and irrevocable for 90 days following the Proposal Due Date.

Any and all costs incurred in responding to this RFP will be borne by the proposer.

F. PROPOSAL WITHDRAWAL

Prior to the proposal deadline, a proposer may withdraw its proposal.

G. OPENING

The Opening of proposals will be conducted in the Sourcewell Procurement Portal immediately
following the proposal due date and time. To view the list of proposers resulting from the
opening, verify that the Sourcewell Procurement Portal opportunities list search is set to “All”
or “Closed.”

Members of the public may attend the Opening at Sourcewell’s office located at 202 12th
Street NE, Staples, MN to hear the results.

VI. EVALUATION AND AWARD

A. EVALUATION

It is the intent of Sourcewell to award one or more contracts to responsive and responsible
proposers offering the best overall quality, selection of equipment, products, and services, and
price that meet the commonly requested specifications of Sourcewell and its Participating
Entities. The award(s) will be limited to the number of proposers that Sourcewell determines is
necessary to meet the needs of its Participating Entities.

Factors to be considered in determining the number of contracts to be awarded in any category
may include the following:
1. Total evaluation scores (giving consideration to natural breaks in the scoring of responsive
proposals);
2. The number and geographic location of highest-scoring proposers that offer:
a. A comprehensive selection of the requested equipment, products, or services;
b. A sales and service network ensuring availability and coverage for Participating
Entities’ use; and
c. Other attributes of the proposer or contents of its proposal that assist Participating
Entities in achieving environmental and social requirements, and goals.
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Information submitted as part of a proposal should be as specific as possible when responding
to the RFP. Do not assume Sourcewell has any knowledge about a specific supplier or product.

B. AWARD(S)

Award(s) will be made to the highest-scoring proposer(s) whose proposal conforms to all
conditions and requirements of the RFP, and consistent with the award criteria defined in this
RFP.

Sourcewell may request written clarification of a proposal at any time during the evaluation
process.

Proposal evaluation will be based on the following scoring criteria and the Sourcewell Evaluator
Scoring Guide (a copy is available in the Sourcewell Procurement Portal):

Conformance to RFP Requirements Pass/Fail
Financial Viability and Marketplace Success 50
Ability to Sell and Deliver Solutions 150
Marketing Plan 100
Value Added Attributes 100
Depth and Breadth of Offered Solutions 200
Pricing 400
TOTAL POINTS 1000

C. PROTESTS OF AWARDS

Any protest made under this RFP by a proposer must be in writing, addressed to Sourcewell’s
Executive Director, and delivered to the Sourcewell office located at 202 12th Street NE, P.O.
Box 219, Staples, MN 56479. All documents that comprise the complete protest package must
be received, and time stamped at the Sourcewell office by 4:30 p.m., Central Time, no later
than 10 calendar days following Sourcewell’s notice of contract award(s) or non-award. A
protest must allege a procedural, technical, or legal defect, with supporting documentation. A
protest that merely requests a re-evaluation of a proposal’s content will not be entertained.

A protest must include the following items:
• The name, address, and telephone number of the protester;
• Identification of the solicitation by RFP number;
• A precise statement of the relevant facts;
• Identification of the alleged procedural, technical, or legal defect;
• Analysis of the basis for the protest;
• Any additional supporting documentation;
• The original signature of the protester or its representative; and

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• Protest bond in the amount of $20,000 (except where prohibited by law or treaty).

Protests that do not address these elements will not be reviewed.

D. RIGHTS RESERVED

This RFP does not commit Sourcewell to award any contract, and a proposal may be rejected if
it is nonresponsive, conditional, incomplete, conflicting, or misleading. Proposals that contain
false statements or do not support an attribute or condition stated by the proposer may be
rejected.

Sourcewell reserves the right to:
• Modify or cancel this RFP at any time;
• Reject any and all proposals received;
• Reject proposals that do not comply with the provisions of this RFP;
• Select, for contracts or for discussion, a proposal other than that with the lowest cost;
• Independently verify any information provided in a proposal;
• Disqualify any proposer that does not meet the requirements of this RFP, is debarred or
suspended by the United States or Canada, State of Minnesota, Participating Entity’s
state or province; has an officer, or other key personnel, who have been charged with a
serious crime; or is bankrupt, insolvent, or where bankruptcy or insolvency are a
reasonable prospect;
• Waive or modify any informalities, irregularities, or inconsistencies in the proposals
received;
• Clarify any part of a proposal and discuss any aspect of the proposal with any proposer;
and negotiate with more than one proposer;
• Award a contract if only one responsive proposal is received if it is in the best interest of
Participating Entities; and
• Award a contract to one or more proposers if it is in the best interest of Participating
Entities.

E. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS

All materials submitted in response to this RFP will become property of Sourcewell and will
become public record in accordance with Minnesota Statutes Section 13.591, after negotiations
are complete. Sourcewell considers that negotiations are complete upon execution of a
resulting contract. It is the proposer’s responsibility to clearly identify any data submitted that
it considers to be protected. Proposer must also include a justification for the classification
citing the applicable Minnesota law. Sourcewell may reject proposals that are marked
confidential or nonpublic, either substantially or in their entirety.

Sourcewell will not consider the prices submitted by the proposer to be confidential,
proprietary, or trade secret materials. Financial information, including financial statements,
provided by a proposer is not considered trade secret under the statutory definition.
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09/03/2024

Addendum No. 1
Solicitation Number: RFP 090624
Solicitation Name: Vendor Managed Inventory and Logistics Management Solutions for
Fleets and Facilities

Consider the following Question(s) and Answer(s) to be part of the above-titled
solicitation documents. The remainder of the documents remain unchanged.

Question 1:

Do we need a warehousing facility? and if we do can it be a public or shared warehouse

Answer 1:
Each proposer, in its discretion, will propose the equipment, products, and services that
it deems to fall within Sourcewell’s requested equipment, products, and services as
described in RFP Section II. B (Requested Equipment, Products and Services).

Question 2:

Is there a limitation to a specific geographical area?

Answer 2:
A proposer is not required to cover every geographic region to be considered for award.
Each proposal is evaluated based on the criteria stated in the RFP.

Question 3:

What would be the minimum size (square footage) needed for a warehouse?

Answer 3:
See answer to Question #1.
Question 4:

Document speaks of fleet, is this a transportation fleet (trucks) or vehicle fleet, where
one simply needs asset management?

Answer 4:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 5:

Can you elaborate on fleet management? Does this mean mechanical work and
maintenance or a means to track make, model, operator, status, work condition
(history)?

Answer 5:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 6:

Is the provision of PC's, monitors, and devices needed for members?

Answer 6:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 7:

In the past how many facilities and/or workstations have been serviced by this contract?

Answer 7:
The RFP anticipated volume is an estimate based on past volumes of similar contracts. It
is an estimate only, and no sales or sales volume are guaranteed.

Question 8:

Is there a requirement to set up an infrastructure in the various facilities (routers,
firewall, cabling, etc.)?

Answer 8:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 9:

If tapping into an existing infrastructure, is there a requirement to provide VPN or is a
secured HTTPS connection sufficient, such as an IP address white list?
Answer 9:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 10:

Is inventory kept as available to general public or is it assigned to each member as their
own?

Answer 10:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 11:

Warranty is mentioned in document, do we need to provide an extended warranty
beyond what the MFG/Vendor provides or are we simply to act as a liaison between
members and MFG/Vendors when dealing with warranty issues?

Answer 11:
It is left to the discretion of the proposer to provide information in their response in
regard to their warranty program.

Question 12:

Do we need to provide members with a procurement/purchasing system or do
members independently, use B2B tools?

Answer 12:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 13:

What kind of inventory is expected to be used: FIFO or LIFO?

Answer 13:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 14:

For tech support and customer service is a call center allowed?

Answer 14:
Refer to RFP Section II. B. – Requested Equipment, Products, or Services – “… If Proposer
requires the use of dealers, resellers, or subcontractors to provide the products or
services, the Proposal should address how the products or services will be provided to
Participating Entities and describe the network of dealers, resellers, and/or
subcontractors that will be available to serve Participating Entities under a resulting
contract.” It is left to the discretion of each proposer to determine the information or
documentation necessary to best demonstrate their ability to serve Sourcewell
Participating Entities and satisfy all the requirements of the RFP and the questionnaire
tables. Proposals are evaluated based on the criteria stated in the RFP.

For additional detail on the requirement for awarded suppliers with respect to
distributor/dealer networks, refer to Sourcewell Contract Template Section 2. C. –
Dealers, Distributors, and/or Resellers.

Question 15:

For the SKU's will some sort of soft document listing all specs per SKU be provided or is
this something that will need to be keyed in manually?

Answer 15:
Sourcewell utilizes a competitive, solutions-based solicitation approach that is not based
on detailed specifications, finite quantities, or set locations.

Question 16:

Are there master products (those that are assembled by a combination of SKU's. If there
are can they be dispatched individually?

Answer 16:
Sourcewell utilizes a competitive, solutions-based solicitation approach that is not based
on detailed specifications, finite quantities, or set locations.

Question 17:

Can shipping be done by loose cargo, like UPS, Fed Ex, USPS) or Freight (FTL, LTL)?

Answer 17:
See answer to Question #16.

Question 18:

Are we responsible for using our own tariffs?

Answer 18:
See answer to Question #1.
Question 19:

Are any services provided billable independent from the awarded contractor or is this an
all inclusive package where if awarded, all services provided are paid by the awarded
contractor?

Answer 19:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 20:

For export/import and customs related works, are we allowed to use vendors we
already have established working relationships?

Answer 20:
See answer to Question #1.

Question 21:

Which software you are using, ERP software or CRM Software or any other?

Answer 21:
See answer to Question #16.

Question 22:

Provide me the total no. of users?

Answer 22:
Sourcewell utilizes a competitive, solutions-based solicitation approach that is not based
on detailed specifications, finite quantities, or set locations. Sourcewell members
include thousands of governmental, higher education, K-12 education, not-for-profit,
tribal government, and other public agencies located in the United States and Canada.

Question 23:

Does Sourcewell accept external links in proposer responses?

Answer 23:
In the competitive process, Sourcewell will not advise a proposer on the content of the
proposal. So, it is left to the discretion of each proposer to determine the information
necessary to best demonstrate their ability to serve Sourcewell members and that they
are willing to include. The solicitation is a competitive process and proposals are
evaluated on the content submitted.

Question 24:

Can Sourcewell clarify the following question and how this applies to this project:
Describe your strategy regarding the disposition of existing and remaining
inventory at the start of and conclusion of a Participating entity utilizing your
services.

Answer 24:
Describe how a proposer would deal with existing or remaining inventory if taking over
for another vendor or the entities inventory.

Question 25:

Can Sourcewell clarify the following question: Propose a method of facilitating
“sourced” products or related services, which may be referred to as “open
market” items or non-contracted items. For example, you may supply such items
“at cost” or “at cost plus a percentage,” or you may supply a quote for each
such request.

Answer 25:
It is left to the discretion of the proposer to describe how they may or may not provide
products asked for by a participating entity outside of the contracted items.

Question 26:

On Tab 8.B, can you provide more information on what is required in the below
categories
• Emergency response services, is this referring to managing EMS assets?
• National distribution system services?
• Warehouse management services, is this referring to inventory management?
• Shipment optimization
• Freight management

Answer 26:
See answer to Question #1.

End of Addendum

Acknowledgement of this Addendum to RFP 090624 posted to the Sourcewell
Procurement Portal on 09/03/2024, is required at the time of proposal submittal.

Agenda Item