220901 RFP Specifications - PART 1 ONLY

          COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT SOLICITATION
                        DOCUMENT


                     THE INTERLOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM (TIPS)
 A Cooperative Purchasing Program available for membership by Governmental and other eligible entities in all fifty states.




        TEXAS REGION 8 EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER (Region 8 ESC)
                                                    TIPS Lead Agency


CONTACT INFORMATION:
TIPS/Region 8 ESC
4845 US Hwy. 271 North
Pittsburg, Texas 75686
Toll Free: (866) 839-8477
Email: bids@tips-usa.com
Website: www.tips-usa.com

                                               NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

PROPOSAL DUE DATE:
October 21, 2022 AT 3:00 P.M. LOCAL TIME
ALL PROPOSALS TO BE RECEIVED ELECTRONICALLY, OR OTHERWISE SEALED, BY FOREGOING
DATE & TIME.

LOCATION OF SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS:
Solicitation documents are located at http://tips.ionwave.net. If you encounter a problem while accessing the
solicitation, please contact TIPS at the contact information provided above for assistance.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL:
This solicitation document is a Request for Proposal as permitted in Texas Education Code § 44.031 for the
category:
RFP 220901 Scoreboards and Services (2 PART with JOC) - PART 1 ONLY

PART 2 is the Job Order Contract Section of this combination solicitation

NOTICE: The type of solicitation document is identified directly above. The use of terms such as: “Solicitation”,
“Bid”, “Request for Proposal”, “RFP”, “Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal”, “RCSP”, or other specific
terms, may be informal terminology and should be construed to mean the method of competitive procurement
identified directly above with the legal citation.



The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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PIGGYBACKING NOTICE:
THIS IDIQ SOLITICATION IS INTENDED FOR THE USE OF REGION 8 ESC, TIPS, TIPS MEMBER
ENTITIES (MEMBERS), AND FUTURE MEMBERS TO PIGGYBACK UPON AND UTILIZE AS THEIR
OWN SOLICITATION FOR LEGAL PROCUREMENT. SINCE MEMBER ENTITITES PIGGYBACKING ON
AN AGREEMENT RESULTING FROM THIS SOLICITATION MAY DO SO AT THEIR OWN
DISCRETION/TIMING, THE SCOPE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SOLICITATION MAY CHANGE DURING
THE LIFE OF THE RESULTING IDIQ AGREEMENTS AND NO SPECIFIC PURCHASE VOLUME IS
GUARANTEED BY TIPS.


                                                 General Information

FINANCING OF TIPS

TIPS Vendor Paid Fee
The total cost of the TIPS program, in most cases, is primarily funded through an administration fee paid to TIPS by the
awarded contractors. The fee is based on actual vendor project sales. Vendor will pay the percentage fee on the amount
actually invoiced and paid on TIPS sales by TIPS members. Fees are not assessed to vendors for shipping cost, required
bond cost, or any taxes that may be applicable.

TIPS establishes a fee for each solicitation for proposals that is in the best interest of TIPS and its members.

The fee schedule for agreements awarded under solicitation is 2%.

Term of Agreement and Renewals
The Agreement with TIPS is for approximately three years with an option for renewal for an additional one
consecutive year. If TIPS offers the renewal extension year, the Vendor will be notified by email to the primary
contact of the awarded Vendor and shall be deemed accepted by the Vendor unless the awarded Vendor notifies
TIPS of its objection to the additional term in writing. TIPS may or may not exercise some or all of the available
extension(s) provided in the original solicitation beyond the base three-year term. Whether or not to offer some
or all of the extension is at the sole discretion of TIPS.

“Start Date” for Term Calculation Purposes Only: Regardless of actual award/effective date of Contract, for
Agreement “term” calculation purposes only, the Agreement “Start Date” is the last day of the month that
“Award Notifications” are anticipated as published in the Solicitation.

Example: In this example, if the anticipated “Award Date” published in the Solicitation is May 22, 2022, but
extended negotiations delay award until June 27, 2022 The end date of the resulting initial “three-year” term,
(which is subject to an extension(s)) will still be May 31, 2025 for purposes of this example.

“Termination Date”: The scheduled Agreement “termination date” shall be the last day of the month of the
month of the original solicitation’s anticipated “Award Date” plus three years.

Example: In this example, if the original term is approximately three years, and the solicitation provides an
anticipated award date of May 22, 2022, the expiration date of the original three-year term shall be May 31,
2025 for purposes of this example.


The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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Extensions: Any extensions of the original term shall begin on the next day after the day the original term expires
unless otherwise specified.

Example Following the Previous Example: In this example, if TIPS offers a one-year extension, the expiration of
the extended term shall be May 31, 2026 unless otherwise specified.

TIPS may offer to extend Vendor Agreements to the fullest extent the original Solicitation permits.

THIS CLAUSE CONTROLS OVER ANY OTHER TERM IN ANY OTHER PART OF THIS SOLICITATION. TIPS reserves the
right to solicit proposals at any time it is in the best interest of TIPS and/or its members.

VALUE OF THE CONTRACT
The estimated value for the life of the of the contract for all awarded vendors combined is $7,425,041.50. This
estimate is not a guarantee of the minimum or maximum value of the contract because TIPS cannot accurately
predict the future needs of our member entities, their budget allocations, or the ongoing needs as they relate to
this solicitation.

Termination
TIPS or the awarded vendor may terminate an award under this solicitation at will for cause or no cause or for
convenience. TIPS must provide the vendor with 30 days prior written notice to the awarded vendor at the address
provided in the response or as otherwise provided. The Awarded Vendor shall provide TIPS with 90 days prior
written notice of termination in order to protect the interests of the TIPS member that may be in negotiation or
budget approval process.

Miscellaneous
The Vendor acknowledges and agrees that continued participation in TIPS is subject to TIPS sole discretion and that
any Vendor may be removed from the participation in the Program at any time with or without cause. Nothing in
the Agreement or in any other communication between TIPS and the Vendor may be construed as a guarantee that
TIPS or TIPS Members will submit any orders at any time. TIPS reserves the right to request additional proposals
for items or services already on Agreement at any time.

Vendor Questions
Questions about the specific solicitation shall be submitted to bids@tips-usa.com with the following in the
subject line: “220901 Scoreboards and Services Part 1– Proposing Vendor Question”. Questions of a ministerial
nature will be answered without an addendum, but questions of a substantive nature that are not addressed in
the solicitation or deemed relevant to the process by TIPS will be addressed by properly posted addendum.

SUBSTANTIVE QUESTIONS WILL BE RECEIVED UNTIL October 7, 2022 AT NOON Local Time.
Pre-Bid Meeting (Not Mandatory)
A Pre-Bid Meeting may be requested by any proposer, if you wish to request a Pre-Bid Meeting, please email
bids@tips-usa.com by Noon, September 15, 2022.
If requested, a Pre-Bid meeting may be scheduled if agreed to by TIPS, in that circumstance, an addendum will
be posted and a notifications will be sent through the electronic bidding system to all known interested parties.
*If Requested, TIPS reserves the right to determine if a Pre-Bid Meeting is held.*




The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE OF AWARD OR RELATED EVENT:

These anticipated dates may change due to number of responses and staff workloads or extension of time for
the due date.


            Posting Date                  September 1, 2022                          8:00 A.M. Local Time

         Proposal Deadline                 October 21, 2022                          3:00 P.M. Local Time

         Proposal Opening                  October 21, 2022                          3:00 P.M. Local Time

      Proposal Review Begins               October 21, 2022                          3:01 P.M. Local Time

          Proposals Award                November 22, 2022                           8:30 A.M. Local Time

        Award Notifications              November 22, 2022                          12:00 P.M. Local Time

Negotiating deviations to terms and conditions is very time consuming, so Vendors with deviations are
evaluated last, so TIPS does not delay awards to vendors that do not submit deviations.

TIPS agreements are available for use by all public entities, schools, colleges, universities, cities, agencies,
counties and other government entities in all fifty states if permitted by the jurisdictions of the governmental
entities.


                                              Pricing Models
Pricing for Line Items or Catalog

It is the intention of TIPS to establish an agreement to furnish and/or deliver all goods and services provided by awarded
vendors to its members. Proposers are requested to submit a proposal for offering their complete and total line of
available products and services to governmental entities, including school districts.

If a name brand is mentioned in the specifications, proposals on any reputable manufacturer’s regularly produced
equipment of such items of a similar nature or similarly used and substantially equivalent will be considered.
The list or category of goods or services sought by this solicitation is inclusive and not exclusive. There may be other
similarly used items that are sold by the responding vendors that may be included as part of the proposing vendor’s
“catalog” (defined below) now or during the life of the agreement that are considered included in this solicitation and
subject to the minimum discount proposed. Pricing may also be exclusively line item pricing or, and recommended, in
combination with a minimum catalog discount.

Example: During the life of the agreement, models change and new products come to market that are in the same
category and are added to the vendor’s “catalog” and are available for purchase by users of the agreement. If you fail to
propose a minimum discount off your catalog, it may limit the ability to change pricing of catalog items and services


The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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during the life of the award.


Definition of “catalog”
"Catalog" means the available list of tangible personal property or services, in the most current listing, regardless of
date, during the life of the contract, that takes the form of a catalog, price list, schedule, shelf price or other form that:

    A. is regularly maintained by the manufacturer or vendor of an item; and
    B. is either published or otherwise available for inspection by a customer during the purchase process;

    C. to which the minimum discount proposed by the proposing vendor may be applied.


Adding New or Replacement Goods Items During the Life of the Agreement

Is easiest proposing a Minimum Discount off (PREFERRED MODEL) catalog prices for goods or a markup
on vendor’s cost of a good item. See PART 1 Pricing sheet 1.

Pay Careful Attention to This When Completing the Pricing spreadsheets.

Adding New or Replacement Services During the Life of the Agreement
Is easiest proposing a Discount off (PREFERRED MODEL) catalog prices for Services because there is no
manufacturer or supplier’s price in which to apply a markup percentage. See PART 1 Pricing sheet 2.

Pay Careful Attention to This When Completing the Pricing spreadsheet.

Explanation:

Markup on cost

Vendors may propose a markup on miscellaneous items that are not ordinarily in their catalog or for which no
list or manufacturer’s pricing is available. It is NOT recommended proposers use the Markup pricing method
EXCLUSIVELY because many members are not allowed to use a bid with a markup pricing method, specifically
when using Federal Grant Funds. Using this pricing method may limit the effectiveness of your award.

If you choose to use the markup pricing method:
When proposing a markup on cost model, the vendor shall be required to provide proof of actual cost to the
vendor of the goods sold to verify pricing markup is properly and legally applied for the sale of the goods.

         NEW ITEMS: TIPS will allow the addition of new goods items to be added to the agreement when they
         become available to the market through the vendor under the discount off published pricing model or
         markup on cost model. You must stipulate a discount or markup on catalog price in the appropriate
         section of the pricing Excel sheet to be eligible for this option. You may stipulate discount off specific
         brands or lines of goods if you desire. Be thorough and concise. Any items added must be available to all
         customers, within legal or contractual limitations, if any. (Example: Apple products are not permitted to



The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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        be sold to the education market without special agreement from Apple but may be sold to other
        government customers.)

        REPLACEMENT OF DISCONTINUED OR LIMITED AVAILABILITY ITEMS: When proposing a Line Item pricing
        model - TIPS will allow replacement items to the original list item if it is no longer manufactured or is
        available in limited quantities. Limited availability must be documented by a letter from the
        manufacturer. Vendor may replace it with an item of like kind and quality and the price will remain the
        same as proposed, except if it is cheaper, vendor shall lower the price accordingly and if it is more
        expensive due to vendor’s actual cost from the manufacturer, it will be priced and the same discount shall
        apply as the item it replaces. Vendor shall be required to prove the pricing if the cost is higher than the
        original core list price to customer.
        Note: If you propose a minimum Discount off catalog, you avoid this process since you are adding an item
        to your catalog and list price and the proposed minimum discount off catalog would apply to the new
        item.

Shipping cost:
Pricing presented for goods offered should not include shipping costs from dealer to Member customer. IF
shipping is included in the price, regardless of the situation, then you simply state no additional cost for shipping
or delivery to any customer. Example: if the truck includes delivery but parts do not, then be sure to specify the
variations in your pricing. Shipping method is determined by the vendor and the Member/Customer at the time
of the quote/purchase by the Member/Customer and satisfactory shipping methods and costs are agreed upon
at that time. Shipping should be passed through at actual cost to the TIPS Member.


                     SPECIFICATIONS and PRICING FORMAT
                             (EXCEL SPREADSHEET)
Proposals on any reputable manufacturers regularly produced goods falling within the general categories solicited
herein will be considered for award. If a name brand is mentioned, it is only to illustrate type and quality and is
not intended to restrict competition. Any list included herein is inclusive and not exclusive. There may be other
similarly used items that are sold by the responding vendors that may be included as part of the proposing
vendor’s “catalog” (Defined above) now or during the life of the contract that are considered included in this RFP.
Example: During the life of the contract, models change and new products come to market that are in the same
category and are added to the vendor’s “catalog” and are available for purchase by users of the contract provided
the catalog discount or cost markup proposed is honored by the awarded vendor.

TIPS leaves it to the proposer to determine what goods or services that perform or serve this function and the proposer
may list or include anything applicable.


This solicitation is seeking providers for:

Scoreboards and Services
Specifications and Pricing




The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                          Page 6
It is the intention of Region 8 ESC to contract with reliable, high performance vendors to supply scoreboard goods
and related non-construction services to public agencies and certain non-profit organizations in the United States.
Part 1 of this solicitation is seeking only scoreboard goods and related non-construction services. Part 1
scoreboard goods and related non-construction services to shall include, but not be limited to the sale of:
      • Scoreboards;
      • Parts and Accessories related to scoreboards;
      • *Limited scoreboard installation;
      • *Limited scoreboard maintenance;
      • *Limited scoreboard repair;
      • *Limited scoreboard removal;

*This Part 1 solicitation does not include, and expressly excludes, any scoreboard installation, removal,
maintenance, or repairs that amount to a “public work” construction project, as identified by the purchasing
TIPS Customer. All scoreboard services and projects that amount to a “public work” construction project, as
identified by the purchasing TIPS Customer, must be proposed through Part 2.

If a price list or catalog is submitted or available as defined herein, then a percentage off catalog is acceptable. If
line item pricing is proposed, proposals should include any and all listings of product names, sizes, packaging,
quantity, pricing, description of services and any other related information.

Proposals should include all listings of scoreboard goods and related non-construction services, description of
services, and any other related services. DO NOT INCLUDE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED scoreboard goods
and related non-construction services. Hourly or other unit pricing for services providing installation, repair, or
maintenance may be submitted. Accessories to support scoreboards and related non-construction services should
be submitted.

Offerors may provide pricing based on a discount from a manufacturer’s price list or catalog, or fixed price, or a
combination of both with indefinite quantities. An Electronic Catalog, links to same, and/or availability to access
the list prices should accompany the proposal if a discount off catalog is proposed. Multiple percentage discount
structure is also acceptable. Please specify where different percentage discounts apply. Additional pricing and/or
discounts may be included. Each service proposed is to be priced separately with all ineligible items identified.
TIPS may award to multiple vendors. See pricing instruction in this document and on the pricing forms 1 and 2.

Offerors may elect to limit their proposals to a single service within any category, or multiple services within any
or all categories. Region 8 ESC is seeking service providers that have the depth, breadth and quality of resources
necessary to complete various aspects of this contract. In addition, TIPS also requests any relevant value add
commodity or service that could be provided under this contract. While this solicitation specifically covers the
above-mentioned category, Offerors are encouraged to submit an offering on any and all products or services
available that they currently perform in their normal course of business.

Respondent shall perform and provide these products and/or services under the terms of this agreement. The
supplier shall assist the end user with making a determination of their individual needs. The following is a list of
included (but not limited to) categories.

Proposers may serve a local area only or a broader geographic area at their discretion and should indicate their
limitations for a service area.




The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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Proposers may submit all items and goods related to supplying scoreboard goods and related non-construction
services that they offer. Proposer should submit all applicable services for all types of scoreboard goods and
related non-construction services.

Value Added Pricing
Value added services should be explained in detail. If proposer can offer greater quantities at lower pricing, these
“value added” prices should be submitted in this section.

Proposal should list offerings to be considered as part of the category of scoreboard goods and related non-construction
services that can be provided by the Vendor. Servicing of scoreboards or any related service to support such equipment
may be included in this proposal.

A discount off list price pricing model is ideal as list prices change over the life of the awarded agreement. Possible pricing
models are discussed in this document. Any other goods and services that are logically related to this general category.
TIPS reserves the sole right to determine whether or not proposed goods or services are logically related to this general
category.

Additional Services:
Proposer should list in the PART 1 Pricing Sheet 2 excel spreadsheet all related services, installation, travel, and hourly
fee or other defined unit cost according to category offered on this contract. Offering must be related to this category.
No inappropriate offerings will be considered. For projects that are considered a Public Work/Construction, the work
can be provided through the PART 2 Job Order Contract (JOC) section of this solicitation.

The Vendor may furnish all necessary labor, materials, tools, supplies, equipment, transportation, supervision,
management and may perform all operations necessary and required for services. All work shall be performed in
accordance with the requirements set forth in the resulting contract and each mutually agreed upon work request or
purchase order issued by TIPS participating members.

NOTHING IN PART 1 IS REQUESTING SERVICES THAT ARE CONSIDERED A PUBLIC WORK/CONSTRUCTION. PART 2
ADDRESSES ANY PROJECTS THAT ARE CLASSIFIED AS PUBLIC WORKS OR CONSTRUCTION BY THE TIPS MEMBER
ENTITY. PART 2 ADDRESSES CONRETE, WIRING, PLUMBING, INSTALLATION, AND OTHER SITE WORK, UTILITIES, ETC
THAT IS CONSIDERED A PUBLIC WORK BY THE END-USER.

PART 1 Pricing Sheets 1 and 2 must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section, completed and uploaded to the
“Response Attachments” PRICING sections.

Since the list of items a vendor may carry is potentially very long, and items are removed and added to the market
frequently, it may be more advantageous to propose a minimum discount off your catalog for goods and services. You
may offer different discounts for different brands or lines or services of goods if you choose.

A zero discount off catalog proposal is permitted, but TIPS encourages vendors to propose the best discount that
they feel is necessary to compete with other retailers to provide the greatest benefit to TIPS members. Proposer
shall propose a minimum discount off catalog in the eBid system attribute for all non-line items proposed so you
will be covered when future items are available in you catalog. By doing this, the pricing is a ceiling and not a floor.
You may always lower your price or increase your minimum discount percentage to be more competitive in a
particular situation,




The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                                 Page 8
You may propose all goods as a line item list if you prefer but the PREFERRED proposal method is a minimum
discount off catalog prices. Proposer may propose, both discount off a catalog AND line item pricing for specific
lists of items if you choose to.

Caution: Using the Markup method of pricing may exclude some members when using Federal funds as Federal
regulations prohibit this type of pricing and some local regulations prohibit this type of pricing and it always
requires the proposer to make available to TIPS or its members proof of the cost of the item to the proposer to
verify the markup is applied according to the terms of this solicitation ad resulting award. However, offering a
markup method percentage may allow you to sell items or services that do not have a catalog or list price.

You may stipulate different discounts off on specific brands or lines of goods if you desire.

PRICING FORMAT (EXCEL SPREADSHEETS 1 and 2)
DO NOT PROPOSE “PRICE TO BE DETERMINED” or “ON REQUEST”. This method is not lawful to award by TIPS.
You must have unit pricing that can be applied to the needs of the customer.

PART 1 Pricing Sheet 1 excel sheet
There are three (3) sections in the Excel sheet #1, Section A, B, and C provided in the solicitation documents,
please complete all that are applicable to your proposal. The discount off catalog price is an excellent method if
list prices are available and please propose that method in addition to any other method you desire to cover
future item or service availability.

Example: IF you are providing a line item pricing sheet AND a discount off the rest of your catalog, be sure to
provide both the line item prices on the list of items proposed and a minimum discount off the rest of your catalog.
If different sections of your catalog have different minimum discounts, please note accordingly.

PART 1 Pricing Sheet 2 excel sheet
List any other services, maintenance agreements, mileage fees, maximum travel costs, etc. with line item pricing
AND/OR discount off Catalog price as defined above if services are routinely listed in your catalog and priced
therein.

Vendor may provide additional pricing in another format.
ALL PRICING SHALL BE FIRM AND CALCULABLE AT THE TIME OF SALE DURING THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT AND
MUST CONFORM AND COMPLY WITH THE VENDOR’S PROPOSED PRICING MODEL IN RESPONSE TO THE ORIGINAL
SOLICITATION. DO NOT PROPOSE “PRICE TO BE DETERMINED”. If you have questions on this process, call TIPS
for clarification.

Example: Proposed catalog, web or store price for an item is $10.00 each and your proposed minimum discount
is 5%, then the price is firm and calculable as $9.50.

Please provide any explanatory information on your pricing proposal you believe is necessary to fully inform TIPS
of your intent.

Service Incidental to the Sale of Goods
Many times, the sale of goods may be accompanied by the installation or set up of said goods. Proposers may
submit pricing for the services in the PART 1 Pricing Sheet 2 spreadsheet or in an attachment.




The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                       Page 9
Any and All SERVICES may be proposed, but must be priced either as a line item or as a discount off the
published Catalog price for said services. You may provide a catalog of services or a link to the available services
or you may create a TIPS-specific Catalog list of services with applicable pricing. Please specify or illustrate your
chosen method.

If proposing LINE ITEM GOODS pricing, then during the life of the award prices may be increased only
commensurate, dollar for dollar as your cost for the item increases. To increase the price of a line item prices
good, vendor must submit proof from the manufacturer or distributor that the pricing has increased and by
how much.

NOTE: FAILURE TO PROPOSE SERVICES SHALL EXCLUDE THEM FROM YOUR OFFERING THROUGH THIS AWARD.
PLEASE INCLUDE THEM IN SOME CALCULABLE WAY. YOU MAY PROVIDE A PERCENTAGE DISCOUNT OFF POSTED
PRICES OR CATALOG PRICES FOR THE LOCATION OF THE STORE OR IN SOME SPECIFIC MANNER THAT FITS YOU
BUSINESS MODEL.

When using line item pricing, vendor should provide on pricing template 2 a maximum price increase
percentage for annually for renewal years. Complete all excel pricing forms or their equivalents.


                            PROPOSAL SCORING AND EVALUATION – PART 1

TIPS staff evaluates and scores all responsive proposals. Recommendations for award will be made to the Region
8 Education Service Center Board of Directors. Awards will be ratified or rejected at the monthly stated meeting
of the Region 8 ESC Board of Directors or as delegated by the Board of Directors. TIPS will base a recommendation
for award on several factors mandated by the Texas Education Code section 44.031. The factors which will be
considered and assigned points in each area as follows (100 total points possible).

TIPS utilizes a value approach for awarding agreements under this solicitation and applies the mandated
evaluation criteria under Texas Education Code §44.031. TIPS reserves the right to assign any number of point
awards or penalties it considers warranted if an offeror stipulates exceptions, exclusions, or limitations of
liabilities. TIPS shall reserve the right to reject any or all proposals or any part of any proposal. TIPS is the sole
arbiter of scoring.

   The following evaluation criteria are mandated for consideration by Texas Education Code § 44.031 (b).

    1. Purchase Price: (22) point weight. Per prices quoted as related to information within the request for
       proposals and/or the discount off MSRP or other published list pricing or stated prices of goods or services.
       Points are awarded based on the prices and or discount, and the reasonableness in the market of the
       pricing offered. TIPS is the sole arbiter of what constitutes price criterion scoring.
    2. The reputation of the vendor and of the vendor's goods or services; (3) point weight. References or TIPS
       staff knowledge and any other available information known to TIPS may be used to score this criterion.
    3. The quality of the vendor's goods or services; (21.5) point weight. References or TIPS staff knowledge or
       any other available information known or available through the RFP or otherwise to TIPS may be used to
       score this criterion.
    4. The total long-term cost to TIPS and its members to acquire the vendor's goods or services; (10) point
       weight. Points will be assigned to this criterion based on the Vendor’s response to the Attribute entitled
       "MINIMUM Discount Term." A "YES" answer agreeing to at least offer the Minimum Discount Percentage

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Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
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         off list or catalog proposed by Vendor will be awarded the maximum 10 points for this criterion out of the
         100 total points and a "NO" answer is awarded 0 points.
    5.   Extent to which the Goods or Services meet the Needs: (21.5) point weight. TIPS evaluators will
         determine if the proposal provides value to TIPS members and if the goods and/or services offered by the
         proposer meets the needs outlined in the solicitation. In the judgment of TIPS, points are awarded
         incrementally 0-21.5 points depending if the proposal meets the needs outlined in the solicitation.
    6.   Vendor’s Past Relationship: (10) point weight – No past relationship scores 5 points, a good relationship
         scores 6 to 10 points, and a poor relationship scores 0 to 4 points.
    7.   Impact on the Ability of the District to Comply with Laws and Rules Relating to Historically Underutilized
         Businesses: (2) point weight –Points are assigned if, where applicable, the vendor agrees to abide by the
         federal regulations in the Attribute entitled “Subcontracting with small and minority businesses, women's
         business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms” and the attribute that immediately follows, if
         applicable, of this solicitation in the ION Wave bidding system related to underutilized businesses in its
         subcontracting practices, when applicable. NOTE: Failure to agree to comply with the federal regulations
         herein, where applicable, shall make use of federal funds to purchase the goods or services proposed
         unallowable.
    8.   Experience: 10 point weight - <2 years = 1 points; 2 -3 years = 5 points; 4-5 years = 8 points; >5 years = 10
         points
    9.   Residency: 0 point weight. For a contract for goods and services, other than goods and services related to
         telecommunications and information services, building construction and maintenance, or instructional
         materials, whether the vendor or the vendor's ultimate parent company or majority owner:
              A. has its principal place of business in this state; or
              B. employs at least 500 persons in this state.

Federal funds may be utilized by ESC Region 8 or TIPS member entities during the life of this contract, and
residency is a prohibited criterion under federal regulation, it has been considered and assigned a weight of 0
points.

   PROPOSERS FALLING BELOW AN 70-POINT THRESHOLD WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR AN AWARD.


                                                  About TIPS

It is the purpose of this solicitation to establish awarded vendor agreements to satisfy the procurement needs of
participating member entities in this particular commodity category. These awarded agreements will enable member
entities to purchase on an “as needed” basis from competitively awarded agreements with high performance vendors.
Proposers are requested to submit a proposal for offering their line of available products that are commonly purchased
by government agencies, cities, counties and educational entities.

    •    Awards will be made to the successful proposer(s) for the products and/or services. (Unless proposer has
         submitted inappropriate items for the commodity category. Those items will not be awarded. Example: a
         software company may not propose to perform construction work).
    •    TIPS reserves the right to award multiple vendors for each solicitation.
    •    This proposal is requested for the benefit of the current list of members and other new members as they
         execute TIPS membership Agreements in the future.
    •    TIPS reserves the right to extend the proposal deadline for any reason.

The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                        Page 11
    •   TIPS reserves the right to make changes to this Solicitation by way of one or more posted addenda.

Benefits of TIPS
   • Provide government entities opportunities for greater efficiency and economy in acquiring goods and services
        through competitively procured vendor agreements.
   • Provide comprehensive purchasing practices according the Laws of the State of Texas and Federal Regulation 2
        CFR part 200, when appropriate, and is designed to result in competitive agreements that meet a wide variety
        of needs.
   • Provide competitively priced purchasing options for multiple government entities that yields economic benefits
        usually unobtainable by the individual entity.
   • Provide quick and efficient delivery of goods and services by entering into pricing agreements with “high
        performance” vendors.
   • Equalized purchasing power for smaller entities.
   • Maintain credibility and confidence in business procedures by maintaining free, full and open competition for
        purchases and by complying with purchasing laws and ethical business practices.
   • Provide document retention for competitive procurement process for all TIPS Awarded Agreements.

Customer Service
    • TIPS staff is available to members for assistance in viewing/contacting awarded vendors for categories to make
       purchases and agreement decisions.
    • TIPS provides a way for government entities to avoid the time and expense of seeking competition for purchases
       on an agency-by-agency basis.
    • TIPS enables vendors to become more efficient and competitive by reducing the number of proposals that
       require responses to be made to individual entities.

Purchasing Procedures
    • Agreements are established through free, full and open competition as described by the laws of the State of
        Texas and are available for piggy-back by other government entities anywhere in the United States, subject to
        each entities’ jurisdictional law and regulation. Purchase orders or equivalent are issued by participating
        governmental entities directly to the Vendor or Vendor assigned dealer. Purchase orders or equivalent are
        usually sent to the TIPS office where they are reviewed by the TIPS staff and forwarded to the Vendor within
        one working day. In some instances, the entity may send the purchase orders or equivalent directly to the
        vendor and report the purchase to TIPS.
    • NOTE: It is always the Vendor’s responsibility under the TIPS agreement to report all sales under the TIPS
        Agreement. When a public entity initiates a purchase with a TIPS Awarded Vendor, if the Member inquires
        verbally or in writing whether the Vendor holds a TIPS Contract, it is the duty of the Vendor to verify whether or
        not the Member is seeking a TIPS purchase. Once verified, the Vendor must include the TIPS Contract Number
        on all related quotes, invoices, and similar sales documents. It is the duty of the Vendor to submit
        documentation of all final purchases to TIPS for processing. This may only be done through the TIPS Vendor
        Portal or by emailing the sales documentation to TIPSPO@TIPS-USA.com, unless TIPS agrees to an alternative
        reporting method in writing. Failure to report a TIPS sale may result in termination of Vendor’s TIPS Contract(s)
        and preclusion to responding to future solicitations.
    • Vendors deliver goods/services directly to the participating member agency and then invoice the participating
        member agency. The Vendor receives payment directly from the participating member agency.
    • Vendor accepts and understands that when a purchase order or similar purchase document is sent from a
        customer through TIPS to the Vendor, TIPS is recording the purchase and verifying whether the purchase is
        within the parameters of the TIPS Contract only. Vendor agrees that TIPS is not a legal party to the purchase


The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                           Page 12
        order or similar purchase document and TIPS is not responsible for identifying fraud, mistakes, or
        misrepresentations for the specific order. Vendor agrees that any purchase order or similar purchase document
        issued from a customer to Vendor, even when processed through TIPS, constitutes a legal contract between the
        customer and Vendor only. A Vendor that accepts a purchase order or similar purchase document and fulfills
        an order, even when processed through TIPS, is representing that the vendor has carefully reviewed the
        purchase order or similar purchase document for legality, authenticity, and accuracy.

Notice of Confidentiality of Proposed Information
The proposal submitted and all information therein is available to TIPS members. Also, according to the Texas
Public Information Act, any documents or information held by TIPS “may” be public information. In the documents
for the proposer to complete is a declaration form entitled “CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION SUBMITTED IN
RESPONSE TO COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT REQUESTS OF EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER REGION 8 AND TIPS IS
GOVERNED BY TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 552” that must be completed by the proposer that
designates specified pages as confidential or waives confidentiality of the entire proposal.

                                        Proposal Instructions
    1. Electronically sealed proposals are the preferred and most accurate method and is highly encouraged
       through our online procurement software, ION Wave.
    2. Proposals may be amended by the proposer on the electronic site at any time prior to the due date and
       time. ION Wave permits you to retract and resubmit your proposal.
    3. If an addendum is posted, you are required to login to the ION Wave bidding software and address the
       addendum. No addendum will be issued within five calendar days of the opening unless it is to extend
       the opening or address a non-substantive issue. Legal holidays not counted as calendar days are New
       Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
    4. Proposals may be submitted on any or all sections, related to the category, unless stated otherwise. TIPS
       reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to accept any proposal(s) deemed advantageous to
       the TIPS members and to waive any informality in the proposal process.
    5. Deviations to any Terms, Conditions and/or Specifications shall be clearly noted in writing by the
       contractor and shall be included with the proposal. There are attributes that you must respond to in order
       to submit a proposal that address deviations.
    6. Withdrawal of proposals will not be allowed for a period of 90 days following the opening unless approved
       by TIPS.
    7. Addenda, if required, will be issued by TIPS by email to the proposer’s designated contact to all those
       vendors known to have reviewed the solicitation documents through our electronic bidding software, ION
       Wave.

PROPOSAL FORMAT - PROPOSERS PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DETAILS LISTED.

TIPS reserves the right to waive any informality and/or reject any or all proposals.

All responses should be direct, concise, complete, and unambiguous. With regard to those items that cannot be
answered in the affirmative, clearly explain the precise portion to which you disagree and why you disagree.
Proposers must propose pricing that is calculable based on the prices presented or discounts proposed as they
relate to a published price of the goods are services. Published prices are prices that are provided by a catalog,
website, shelf, price list accessible to TIPS and it members at any time during the term of an awarded agreement
with the vendor or specifically proposed. Other methods of publishing prices will be considered if proposed but
must be calculable.


The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                       Page 13
Felony Conviction Notice (Required in Texas) -Notification of Criminal History “A person or business entity that
enters into an agreement with a school district must give advance notice to the district if the person or an owner
or operator of the business entity has been convicted of a felony. The notice must include a general description
of the conduct resulting in the conviction of a felony. A school district may terminate an agreement with a person
or business entity if the district determines that the person or business entity failed to give notice as required or
misrepresented the conduct resulting in the conviction. The district must compensate the person or business
entity for services performed before the termination of the agreement.” This notice is not required of a publicly
held corporation. Texas Education Code § 44.034.



References
The proposal response should contain a minimum of five references of customers that you have served, ideally
that would be considered eligible for membership in TIPS (i.e. K-12 School Districts, College/Universities, and/or
City/County Government Entities, Water or Fire Districts, etc.). In addition to the name of the entity, a contact
name, email and phone number shall be included per the instructions on the reference sheet provided. The
references document must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section, completed and uploaded to the
“Response Attachments” REFERENCES section.

Resellers/Dealers
Vendors with Resellers/Dealers must enter/authorize all Authorized Resellers in the Vendor Portal upon award.

Vendor Certifications
Vendor certifications should include applicable D/M/WBE, HUB and manufacturer certifications for sales and
service (if applicable). Certificates must be scanned and uploaded to the “Response Attachments” D/M/WBE, HUB
and/or ALL OTHER CERTIFICATES section. Whether or not you are a D/M/WBE, HUB or similar business will have
no bearing on the evaluation score, but provides our members the information if it is part of their entities’ policies.

Vendor Agreement
Vendor Agreement must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section, completed and uploaded to the
“Response Attachments” VENDOR AGREEMENT section. If proposer has deviations to the agreement language to
negotiate with TIPS, there are attributes in the electronic process that address this possibility and you may insert
your deviations there.

Agreement Signature Form
Agreement Signature Form must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section, completed, signed, scanned
and uploaded to the “Response Attachments” AGREEMENT SIGNATURE FORM section. If proposer has deviations
to the agreement language to negotiate with TIPS, the agreement signature page may be submitted unsigned until
all terms and conditions are agreed.

Warranty (If applicable)
Warranty documentation should be scanned and uploaded to the “Response Attachments” WARRANTY section.

Protest Procedure
If a contractor/proposer (contractor) desires to protest a process or decision by TIPS, the contractor must follow
the following process:
http://www.tips-usa.com/assets/documents/docs/letters/Protest_Procedures_for_Vendor.pdf

The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                        Page 14
Supplementary Catalogs and Information if Applicable
Supplementary Catalogs and Information documentation should be scanned and uploaded to the “Response
Attachments” SUPPLEMENTARY section. You may provide a link to catalogs or pricing that is published for all
customers to see when shopping for your goods or services. Links to catalog pricing must be kept current during
the term of the awarded agreement. It is the intent of TIPS to award a manufacturer’s complete line of products,
when possible.

LIMITATIONS OF THE SOLICITATION AND THE USE OF AWARDED AGREEMENTS BY MEMBERS
Depending on different entities’ and jurisdictions’ laws and regulations, members may be prohibited from
participating in one or more of the TIPS agreements. TIPS has no control over those legal restrictions and does
not warrant that a member entity will be able to utilize a TIPS awarded agreement.


                                      Terms and Conditions
    1. Exclusivity- Any award under this solicitation is not exclusive and TIPS reserves the right to multi award
       or not award. TIPS reserves the right to solicit same or similar categories again for additional awards during
       the life of an existing agreement with one or more awarded vendors of another solicitation, if TIPS decides
       it is in the best interest of our members.
    2. Confidentiality of Proposal - If you believe part of your proposal is confidential and not subject to sunshine
       laws such as the Public Information Act, there is a form that you must complete to make such a
       declaration. Read it carefully and fill it out properly.
    3. Best and Final Offer – There will be NO best and final offer, your proposal will be your final offer for
       solicitation competition purposes. Vendor may lower prices at any time during agreement period. See
       pricing section.
    4. Non-Responsive Proposals: All proposals will be reviewed for responsiveness to the material
       requirements of the solicitation. A proposal that is not materially responsive shall not be eligible for
       further consideration for award of the agreement. There may be required specifications for this proposal
       and desired and other specifications. IF YOUR PROPOSAL FAILS TO MEET ANY OF THE DESIGNATED
       REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS, YOUR PROPOSAL MAY BE DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND WILL NOT BE
       EVALUATED FURTHER OR CONSIDERED FOR AWARD.
    5. Deviations and Exceptions: Deviations or exceptions stipulated as non-negotiable in the response by the
       proposer may result in disqualification if they are not acceptable to TIPS.
    6. Equal Pricing – Pricing proposed shall be provided to any TIPS member and regardless of the quantity of
       product or service purchased from the awarded vendor. Pricing may always be lowered by the vendor if
       circumstances permit to provide better value to TIPS members and for the vendor to be more competitive
       in that particular circumstance of sales opportunity. If prices are lowered in a specific circumstance, the
       same lowered pricing must be offered to all TIPS members if the quantities, timing and all other
       circumstances are identical.
    7. Estimated Quantities: Because TIPS cannot accurately anticipate which members will utilize the awarded
       agreements due to the thousands of members and the different government entity types, TIPS makes no
       guarantee or commitment of any kind concerning quantities or usage of agreements resulting from this
       solicitation. This information, if provided, is provided solely as an aid to vendors in preparing proposals
       only. The successful Vendor(s) discount and pricing schedule shall apply regardless of the total cumulative
       volume of business under the agreement.

The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                       Page 15
    8. Conditions of Agreement - The terms and conditions of this solicitation shall control in the order that best
        serves the TIPS members’ needs and deciding the controlling order is at the sole discretion of TIPS. The
        terms and conditions of this solicitation shall be incorporated by reference in a resulting agreement unless
        expressly agreed otherwise by the parties in writing.
    9. Name brands – If name brands are required to be priced but other products of equal or similar type and
        quality may also be represented in the pricing and will be considered. TIPS want pricing either in a fixed
        price or a discount off published or available to TIPS Members catalog price or both if applicable to your
        proposal. A “catalog” is defined above and includes pricing of goods and /or services.
    10. Evaluation – TIPS will evaluate the best value by rating the proposals submitted by the vendors. The point
        score received will be the weighted score which will be used to determine awarded vendors. See
        Evaluation criteria sheet with applicable point weights in this document. If applicable, extensions of unit
        prices shown will be subject to verification by the district. In case of variation between the unit price and
        the extension, the unit price will be considered to be the proposal.
    11. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY – Waiver: BY SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, OFFERER EXPRESSLY AGREES TO
        WAIVE ANY CLAIM IT HAS OR MAY HAVE AGAINST BOTH THE INTERLOCAL PURCHASING SYSTEM REGION
        8 EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, ITS TRUSTEES, OR AGENTS ARISING OUT OF OR
        IN CONNECTION WITH (1) THE ADMINISTRATION, EVALUATION, RECOMMENDATION OF ANY PROPOSAL;
        (2) ANY REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE SOLICITATION, PROPOSAL PACKAGE, OR RELATED DOCUMENTS; (3)
        THE REJECTION OF ANY PROPOSAL OR ANY PART OF ANY PROPOSAL; AND/OR (4) THE AWARD OF AN
        AGREEMENT, IF ANY. NEITHER REGION 8 ESC NOR TIPS SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY COSTS
        INCURRED BY PROPOSERS OR THE SELECTED CONTRACTOR IN CONNECTION WITH RESPONDING TO THE
        SOLICITATION, PREPARING FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS, PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL,
        ENTERING OR NEGOTIATING THE TERMS OF AN AGREEMENT, OR ANY OTHER EXPENSES INCURRED BY A
        PROPOSER. THE PROPOSER OR SELECTED CONTRACTOR IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SUCH COSTS
        AND EXPENSES AND SHALL NOT BE REIMBURSED IN ANY MANNER BY REGION 8 ESC OR TIPS.
    12. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS - TIPS expressly reserves the right to:
        a) Reject or cancel any or all proposals;
        b) Waive any defect, irregularity or informality in any proposal or solicitation procedure provided the
             waiver is equally applied to all Offerors and an Offeror is not prejudiced by the waiver as compared
             to other Offerors;
        c) Waive as an informality, minor deviations from specifications for goods or services at a lower price
             than other proposals meeting all aspects of the specifications if it is determined that total cost is lower
             and the overall function is not impaired;
        d) Reissue a solicitation;
        e) Consider and accept an alternate proposal as provided herein when most advantageous to TIPS and
             its members;
        f) TIPS has the right to terminate the agreement for cause or no cause for convenience with a thirty-day
             written notice, unless otherwise agreed in writing in an executed agreement between the parties;
        g) This is not an exclusive award and no guaranteed volumes of purchases are guaranteed. TIPS and
             its members reserve the right to procure any items or services by other means at the sole discretion
             of TIPS or its members.




The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) Lead Agency –
Region 8 Education Service Center Pittsburg, Texas
REV. 021522.sr                                                                                         Page 16