Section 293-2-2 - REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCEDUREA. All contracts issued by or for the Park which do not qualify as sole source, emergency or waiver procurements must be competitively bid using the Request for Proposal. i. The request for proposal must contain at a minimum a clear definition (scope) of the project, the evaluation criteria and relative scoring weights to be applied, the proposal opening date and time, and agency contact person. aa. Cost of the contract must be included in the evaluation criteria and must receive a minimum of 25% of the total weight of all criteria.bb. All proposals shall be opened publicly at the Headquarters of the Park in Millinocket, Maine, or such other location as set forth in the RFP. Proposals received after the advertised opening time shall be rejected, unless the advertised opening date and time have been extended by the Director of the Park due to circumstances requiring such an extension of time.ii. Request for proposals must be advertised for a minimum of three (3) consecutive weeks in the local Millinocket newspaper, allowing a minimum of fifteen (15) calendar days from the final day of advertising to the proposal opening date. This section does not limit advertising in any other publication, trade publication or other media. aa. Advertisements must include at a minimum a brief description of the service requirements of the Park, the name of the department and division issuing the RFP, the name of the contact person and address where copies of the RFP can be obtained, the opening date, the opening time and the opening location: Baxter State Park, 64 Balsam Drive, Millinocket, Maine 04462.iii. Pre-Bidders conferences are allowed, but are not required. These conferences are used to be certain that all bidders have an equal understanding of the Park requirements. aa. Pre-Bidders conferences must be advertised within the RFP advertisement, including location, day and time. Conference must be scheduled a .minimum of seven (7) calendar days from the final day of advertising and a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to proposal opening date. The Director of the Park may authorize a pre-bidders conference on shorter notice that has not been advertised in the RFP. The Park shall notify all prospective bidders who requested the RFP of the date and time of the conference under these circumstances.bb. Conferences must be open to the public, questions raised must be documented in writing, and responses must be written and forwarded to each prospective bidder who received an RFP, whether in attendance or not.cc. No alterations or changes to any requirement or specification within the original RFP can be made without notifying all bidders in writing a minimum of seven (7) calendar days before opening date.iv. Proposals shall be opened publicly at the Headquarters of the Park or a nearby appropriate facility at the discretion of the Director of the Park. The opening of proposals shall be open to public attendance. The name of the respondent will be read aloud. No other information will be made available prior to evaluation and award notification. All proposals shall be sequestered from this time until notification of award by the Director after which time they become public record. Proposals received at the Headquarters of the Park later than the date and time specified will not be accepted and will be returned unopened or held at the Park to be picked up by the respondent. Late proposals not picked up within seven (7) calendar days will be destroyed.
v. A written record of the vendor names, date and time received, cost/price and agency representative shall be kept at the Headquarters of the Park.94- 293 C.M.R. ch. 2, § 2