REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Notice is hereby given that proposals will be received by the City of University Place, Washington for:
UNIVERSITY PLACE WAYFINDING SIGNAGE PLAN
by filing with Kevin Briske, Director of Community and Economic Development, 3609 Market Place West Suite 200, University Place, Washington, 98466 until:
Date: June 9, 2023
Time: 4:00 PM Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Proposals submitted after the due date and time will not be considered. Proposals may be submitted through email as well to . The proposing party accepts all risks of late delivery of mailed proposals regardless of fault. Detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) information including general information, general terms and conditions, requested services, proposal requirements and evaluation process is available from the Director Briske located at the above address or by calling (253) 566-5656. The RFP is also available on the City’s website at www.cityofup.com, under “University Place Wayfinding Signage Plan Proposal”. The City of University Place reserves the right to reject any and all submittals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the City to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of a Proposal. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the City to accept or contract for any services.
Dated this 18th day of May, 2023.
CITY OF UNIVERSITY PLACE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
UNIVERSITY PLACE WAYFINDING SIGNAGE PLAN
RFP INTRODUCTION:
RFP Title: University Place Wayfinding Signage Plan
Date Issued: May 19, 2023
Contact Person: Kevin Briske
Email Address:
Proposals Due: June 9, 2023
SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO:
Electronic Submissions to:
Mailed or Hand-delivered submissions to:
City of University Place
3609 Market Place West, Ste 200, University Place, Washington, 98466
Attn: Kevin Briske, Director, Community and Economic Development Department
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of UP can bolster commercial growth and development by providing a worry-free experience for residents and visitors alike as they navigate throughout its streets. Integral to that experience will be providing informative and effective wayfinding at strategic locations, not only to guide the public, but to also highlight destinations and districts they may not be aware of. The addition of a thoughtful and intuitive wayfinding signage plan will provide an opportunity to brand business districts and reinforce mobile navigation, as well as encourage exploration and discovery.
SCOPE OF SERVICES:
The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to solicit competitive Proposals from qualified entities to assist the City in the development of a City Wayfinding Signage Plan. Plan elements will likely include discovery, visioning (including outreach to stakeholders), the development of design concepts, and possible construction administration.
The Plan should also include:
- Identification of 15-20 signage locations
- Location for an electronic message center sign
- Up to 3 different possible design options to highlight the separate business districts and community amenities
- Presentation to the City Council
The successful vendor shall have experience in developing such plans and working with local municipalities to achieve goals to enhance the City’s draw as a location for commerce and recreation.
DURATION OF SERVICES IF CONTRACT AWARDED:
By issuing this RFP, the City makes no commitment to enter into any contract(s) as a result of this RFP. If the process results in a contract(s), the term of any contract will be negotiated with the successful Vendor(s) but will not exceed a 5-month base term, with reasonable cancellation rights for both parties.
RFP SCHEDULE:
(These dates are estimates and are subject to change by the City, in the City's sole discretion.)
RFP Release May 19, 2023
Vendor Questions Due May 26, 2023
Responses to Vendor Questions June 2, 2023
Proposal Submittal Due June 9, 2023
Proposal Evaluation Complete June 23, 2023
Contract Negotiations July 2023
All Proposals Rejected or Contract with Successful Vendor Presented for
City Council Approval or Rejection August 2023
QUALIFICATIONS:
The vendor is required to have the following qualifications:
- Substantial demonstrated experience in developing plans that successfully present directional information through visual design;
- Proven ability to work with various publics including city officials and staff as well as stakeholders; and
- Fresh, creative ideas that sync well with current infrastructure realities.
SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS:
Responses to this RFP must include the following:
- A cover letter/statement of interest indicating the Vendor’s interest in offering these services and highlighting its qualifications to perform the services;
- A description of the Vendor’s experience working with local government;
- Resumes of key personnel who would be assigned to this contract;
- A description of all proposed fees and charges to the City for the services;
- References relating to the services being requested with full name, title, address, phone and email addresses or fax numbers; and
- A completed and signed Proposal.
SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSALS: Proposals may be submitted electronically in PDF format via email to , mailed or dropped off in-person to the address on the cover page. Proposals shall be no more than ten (10) double-sided pages (a total of 20 pages). Submittals shall be clearly marked “Proposal for University Place Wayfinding Signage Plan.” Complete proposals must be received by the proposal due date and time. The City, in its discretion, may make additional copies of the proposal for the purpose of evaluation only. The original proposal will include original signatures by authorized personnel on all documents that require an authorized signature.
EVALUATION PROCESS: Vendors are encouraged to be creative in responding to this RFP. A joint proposal between two vendors may be submitted. Proposals will be evaluated by the City, which will consider the completeness of a vendor’s Proposal, the vendor's qualifications, and how well the vendor's Proposal meets the needs of the City.
EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated by the City based upon the responsiveness of the Proposal to this RFP, which may be weighted by the City in any manner it deems appropriate. Interviews, if considered necessary, will be held with selected vendors based on an evaluation of the Proposals. All Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria listed below:
- The Proposal demonstrates experience of the vendor in successfully completing municipal wayfinding plans;
- Experience conducting outreach and meetings for the purpose of community visioning, and goal, policy and action strategy development;
- The ability of the vendor to complete the project in a timely manner and within budget ($55,000); and
- The proposed project outcomes and deliverables.
QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this project may be directed to the RFP coordinator via e-mail at . Unauthorized contact regarding this RFP with other City appointed or elected officials may result in disqualification. Any oral communications between a vendor and any City employee, official or representative is unofficial and non-binding on the City.
VENDOR CONDUCT: After the issuance of any solicitation, all bidders, vendors, contractors, consultants or individuals acting on their behalf are hereby prohibited from lobbying any City employee, official or representative at any time prior to award. The City may reject the submittal of any bidder, vendor, contractor and/or consultant who violates this policy.
REJECTION OF PROPOSALS: The City reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the City to pay any costs incurred by vendors in the preparation and submission of their Proposals. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the City to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.
RFP ADDENDA: The City reserves the right to change the RFP schedule or issue addenda to the RFP at any time. The City also reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP. All such addenda will become part of the RFP.
PROPOSAL MODIFICATION & CLARIFICATIONS: The City reserves the right to request any vendor to clarify its Proposal or to supply any additional material deemed necessary to assist in evaluation of the Proposal. Modification of a Proposal already received will be considered only if the modification is received prior to the submittal deadline. All modifications must be made in writing, executed and submitted in the same form and manner as the original Proposal.
EXCEPTIONS: If a vendor(s) takes exception to any term or condition set forth in this RFP and/or the Sample Agreement and any of its Exhibits and Attachments (including Insurance Requirements), said exceptions must be clearly identified in the RFP as exceptions or deviations. Such exceptions shall be considered in the evaluation and award process. The City shall be the sole determiner of the acceptability of any exception.
PROPOSAL VALIDITY PERIOD: Submission of a Proposal will signify the vendor’s agreement that its Proposal and the content thereof are valid for ninety (90) days following the submission deadline unless otherwise agreed to in writing by both parties. The Proposal will become part of the Contract that is negotiated between the City and the successful vendor.
RESPONSE FORMAT: Proposals should be prepared simply, providing a straightforward, concise delineation of the approach and capabilities necessary to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Technical literature and elaborate promotional materials, if any, must be submitted separately. Emphasis in the Proposal should be on completeness, clarity and content. In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, the City will issue the addenda on the City’s website (www.cityofup.com). It is the vendor’s responsibility to confirm as to whether any addenda have been issued. Faxed Proposals will not be accepted.
PROPOSAL SIGNATURES: An authorized representative must sign the Proposal, with the vendor's address, telephone and email information provided. Unsigned Proposals may not be considered. If the Proposal is made by an individual, the name, mailing address and signature of the individual must be shown. If the Proposal is made by a firm or partnership, the name and mailing address of the firm or partnership and the signature of at least one of the general partners must be shown. If the Proposal is made by a corporation, the name and mailing address of the corporation and the signature and title of the person who signs on behalf of the corporation must be shown. The City reserves the right to request documentation showing the authority of the individual signing the Proposal to execute contracts on behalf of anyone, or any corporation, other than himself/herself. Refusal to provide such information upon request may cause the Proposal to be rejected as non-responsive.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATION: The City reserves the right to negotiate with the highest ranked firm that, in the opinion of the City, has submitted a Proposal that is the best suited for the City's needs. In no event will the City be required to offer any modified terms to any other firm prior to entering into an agreement with a vendor, and the City shall incur no liability to any vendor as a result of such negotiation or modifications. It is the intent of the City to ensure it has the flexibility it needs to arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement. Negotiations may include, but are not be limited to, matters such as contract details, contract payment details, service requirements, and minor changes to the scope of services.
CONTRACT AWARD: The City reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the submittals. Therefore, the Proposal should be initially submitted on the most favorable terms the vendor can offer. The general conditions and specification of the RFP and the successful vendor's response, as amended by contract between the City and the successful vendor, including e-mail or written correspondence relative to the RFP, will become part of the contract documents. Additionally, the City will verify vendor representations that appear in the Proposal. Failure of a vendor to perform services as represented may result in elimination of the vendor from further competition or in contract cancellation or termination. Once the City and vendor have reached an agreement on the scope of services, a final contract will be prepared by the City. The foregoing should not be interpreted to prohibit either party from proposing additional contract terms and conditions during the negotiations of the final contract. If the selected vendor fails to sign the contract within ten (10) business days of delivery of the final contract, the City may elect to negotiate a contract with the next-highest ranked vendor. The City shall not be bound, or in any way obligated, until both parties have executed a contract. No party may incur any chargeable costs prior to the execution of the final contract. The City further reserves the right, at its sole option, to award more than one contract or to split a contract among multiple vendors.
BUSINESS LICENSE: The vendor or vendors awarded the contract will be subject to City of University Place Business Licensing requirements.
PUBLIC RECORDS: Under Washington State law, the documents (including but not limited to written, printed, graphic, electronic, photographic or voice mail materials and/or transcriptions, recordings or reproductions thereof) submitted in response to this RFP (the “documents”) become a public record upon submission to the City, subject to mandatory disclosure upon request by any person. Vendors should not submit material to the City that they deem confidential or proprietary.