RFP No. SRC0000034971
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
RFP NUMBER:
UNSPSC CATEGORY:
SRC0000034971
80141607
The State of Ohio, through the Department of Public Safety, Fiscal/Procurement Services, is
requesting proposals for:
ODPS Agency Wide Event Planner
Those submitting proposals (Offerors) must note that all proposals and other material submitted will become the property of
the State and may be returned only at the State's option. Proprietary information should not be included in a proposal or
supporting materials because the State will have the right to use any materials or ideas submitted in any proposal without
compensation to the Offeror. Additionally, all proposals will be open to the public after the award of the contract has been
posted on the State Procurement Web site. Refer to the Ohio Administrative Code, Rule 123:5-1-08 (E).
This RFP consists of five parts, nine attachments, totaling 57 consecutively numbered pages. Please
verify that you have a complete copy.
RFP No. SRC0000034971
PART ONE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PURPOSE. This is a Request for Competitive Sealed Proposals (RFP) under Section 125.071 of the Ohio Revised Code
(ORC) and Rule 123:5-1-08 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC). The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS),
Fiscal/Procurement Services or ODPS), is soliciting competitive sealed proposals (Proposals) for ODPS Agency Wide Event
Planner and this RFP is the result of that request. If a suitable Proposal is made in response to this RFP, the State of Ohio
(State), through ODPS, may enter into a contract (the Contract) to have the selected Offeror (the Contractor) perform all or
part of the project (the Project or the Work). This RFP provides details on what is required to submit a Proposal for the Work,
how ODPS will evaluate the Proposals, and what will be required of the Contractor in performing the Work.
This RFP also gives the estimated dates for the various events in the submission process, selection process, and performance
of the Work. While these dates are subject to change, prospective Offerors must be prepared to meet them as they currently
stand.
Once awarded, the term of the Contract will be from the award date through June 30, 2027. ODPS also may solely renew this
Contract at the discretion of ODPS for a period of one month; this unilateral renewal may be completed by ODPS at any time
during the term of the Contract. Any other renewals will be by mutual agreement between the Contractor and ODPS for any
number of times and for any period of time. The cumulative time of all mutual renewals may not exceed 2 years, unless ODPS
determines that additional renewal is necessary, and are subject to and contingent upon the discretionary decision of the Ohio
General Assembly to appropriate funds for this Contract in each new biennium. ODPS may renew all or part of this Contract
subject to the satisfactory performance of the Contractor and the needs of the Division.
Any failure to meet a deadline in the submission or evaluation phases and any objection to the dates for performance of the
Project may result in ODPS refusing to consider the Proposal of the Offeror.
BACKGROUND.
The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) supports statewide initiatives through multiple divisions, including
the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC), Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO), and the Ohio School Safety
Center (OSSC). These divisions regularly host conferences, summits, and community engagement events to
advance ODPS’s mission of promoting safety, education, prevention, and interagency collaboration across Ohio.
To streamline procurement and ensure consistency across events, ODPS seeks to establish an agency-wide
contract for professional event planning and coordination services. This contract will allow ODPS divisions to plan
and execute high-quality, cost-effective, and compliant events through a unified process while maintaining
flexibility to accommodate diverse program needs.
OVERVIEW.
ODPS is soliciting proposals from qualified Event Planning Contractors to provide comprehensive event
management services for ODPS conferences, summits, workshops, and special events. The Contractor will be
responsible for planning, coordination, registration, vendor management, logistics, audiovisual and IT support,
data collection, and on-site execution.
Events may range from small regional meetings to large statewide summits, typically held in Central Ohio but
potentially across the state. The selected Contractor will work collaboratively with ODPS to ensure all events
reflect the professionalism, integrity, and mission of the Department.
OBJECTIVES. ODPS has the following objectives that it wants this Work to fulfill, and it will be the Contractor’s obligation to
ensure that the personnel the Contractor provides are qualified to perform their portions of the Work.
ODPS has the following objectives for this work:
1. Deliver comprehensive, efficient, and consistent event planning services across ODPS divisions.
2. Maintain professional, responsive communication with ODPS staff, vendors, and participants.
3. Ensure high-quality attendee experiences aligned with ODPS program goals.
4. Provide transparent reporting, budgeting, and data collection to support accountability and improvement.
5. Ensure compliance with all applicable Ohio procurement, data security, and accessibility standards.
6. Support cost-effective use of public funds and, where appropriate, manage registration fee collection and
reconciliation consistent with state policy.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS. The schedule for the Project is given in OhioBuys and is subject to change. ODPS may change
this schedule at any time. If ODPS changes the schedule before the Proposal due date, it will do so through an amendment in
OhioBuys and posted to the public portal page for this RFP. After the Proposal due date and before the award of the Contract,
RFP No. SRC0000034971
ODPS will make scheduled changes through the RFP amendment process. ODPS will make changes in the Project schedule
after the Contract award through the change order provisions located in Attachment Three, General Terms and Conditions of
the Contract. It is each Offeror’s responsibility to check the public portal question and answer area for this RFP for current
information regarding this RFP and its calendar of events through award of the Contract. No contact shall be made with
Division/Program staff until the Contract award is announced.
There are references in this RFP to the Proposal due date. Offerors must assume, unless it is clearly stated to the contrary,
that any such reference means the date and time (Columbus, OH local time) that the Proposals are due.
PART TWO: STRUCTURE OF THIS RFP
ORGANIZATION. This RFP is organized into five parts, nine attachments. The parts and attachments are listed below.
PARTS:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Executive Summary
Structure of this RFP
General Instructions
Evaluation of Proposals
Award of the Contract
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment One
Part One
Part Two
Attachment Two
Attachment Three
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Attachment Four
Attachment Five
5-A
5-B
5-C
5-D
Attachment Six
Attachment Seven
7-A
7-B
7-C
Attachment Eight
Attachment Nine
Work Requirements and Special Provisions
Work Requirements
Special Provisions
Requirements for Proposals
General Terms and Conditions
Performance and Payment
Work & Contract Administration
Ownership & Handling of Intellectual Property & Confidential Information
Representations, Warranties, and Liabilities
Acceptance and Maintenance
Construction
Law & Courts
Contract
Offeror Profile Summary
Offeror Profile Form
Offeror Prior Project Form
Offeror Prior Project Form
Offeror Prior Project Form
Offeror References
Offeror’s Candidate Summary
Offeror’s Candidate References
Offeror’s Candidate Education, Training, Licensure, and Certifications
Offeror’s Candidate Experience
Offeror Performance Form
Cost Summary Form
RFP No. SRC0000034971
PART THREE: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
The following sections provide details on how to get more information about this RFP and how to respond to this RFP. All
responses must be complete and in the prescribed format.
STATE OF OHIO ONLINE PURCHASING SOLUTION. OhioBuys provides the primary platform for Supplier partners to
engage in procurement activities with the State of Ohio. For additional information on submitting proposals see the “Viewing
and Responding to Solicitations” Learner Guide or the “Viewing and Responding to Solicitations” Supplier Training Video
linked below.
Learner Guide
https://procure.ohio.gov/about/03_supplier-training/03_supplier-training
Viewing and Responding to Solicitations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6iE32BUMJ0&feature=youtu.be
INQUIRIES. Offerors may make inquiries regarding this RFP any time during the inquiry period listed on the OhioBuys Public
Solicitations page. To make an inquiry, Offerors must login to OhioBuys, navigate to the solicitation, open the Inquiry tab and
submit their inquiry.
Offerors will not receive a personalized e-mail response to their question, nor will they receive notification when the question
has been answered.
Offerors may view inquiries and responses on the OhioBuys Public Solicitations page by opening the Solicitation Overview
and navigating to the inquiries section of that page. ODPS will try to respond to all inquiries within forty-eight (48) hours of
receipt, excluding weekends and State holidays. ODPS will not respond to any inquiries received after the inquiry period.
Offerors are to base their Proposals on the requirements and performance expectations established in this RFP for the
Contract, not on details of any other potentially related contract or project. If Offerors ask questions about existing or past
contracts using the OhioBuys Inquiry process, ODPS will use its discretion in deciding whether to provide answers as part of
this RFP process.
ODPS is under no obligation to acknowledge questions submitted through the OhioBuys Inquiry process if those questions are
not in accordance with these instructions or deadlines.
PROTESTS. Any Offeror that objects to the award of a Contract resulting from the issuance of this RFP may file a protest of
the award of the Contract, or any other matter relating to the process of soliciting the Proposals. Such protest must comply
with the following information:
1. The protest must be filed by a prospective or actual offeror objecting to the award of a Contract resulting from the RFP.
The protest must be in writing and contain the following information:
a. The name, address, and telephone number of the protester;
b. The name and number of the RFP being protested;
c. A detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds for the protest, including copies of any relevant documents;
d. A request for a ruling by ODPS;
e. A statement as to the form of relief requested from ODPS; and
f. Any other information the protester believes to be essential to the determination of the factual and legal questions at
issue in the written request.
2. A timely protest will be considered by ODPS, on behalf of the division, if it is received within the following periods:
a. A protest based on alleged improprieties in the issuance of the RFP, or any other event preceding the closing date for
receipt of Proposals that are apparent or should be apparent prior to the closing date for receipt of Proposals, must
be filed no later than five business days prior to the Proposal due date.
b. If the protest relates to the recommendation of the evaluation committee for an award of the Contract, the protest
must be filed as soon as practicable after the Offeror is notified of the decision by ODPS regarding the Offeror’s
Proposal.
3. An untimely protest may be considered by ODPS at the discretion of ODPS. An untimely protest is one received by the
ODPS after the time periods set in paragraph 2 above. In addition to the information listed in paragraph 1, untimely
protests must include an explanation of why the protest was not made within the required time frame.
RFP No. SRC0000034971
4. All protests must be filed at the following location:
Department of Public Safety
Fiscal/Procurement Services
1970 West Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43223
SUBJECT: SRC#0000034971 ODPS Agency Wide Event Planner
This protest language only pertains to this RFP offering.
AMENDMENT TO THE RFP. If ODPS decides to revise this RFP before the Proposal due date, an amendment will be issued
in OhioBuys as a new round. If an Offeror has submitted a Proposal prior to an amendment being issued and wishes to be
considered, the Offeror must resubmit their Proposal in response to the latest round of the RFP. Proposals submitted in
response to amended RFPs prior to the most recent amendment will not be opened or evaluated.
When a modification to this RFP is necessary, ODPS will execute an RFP amendment by creating a new round. ODPS may
issue amendments any time before Proposals are due, and it is each Offeror’s responsibility to check for amendments and
other current information regarding this RFP.
After the submission of Proposals, amendments will be distributed only to those Offerors whose submissions are under active
consideration. When ODPS issues an amendment to the RFP after Proposals have been submitted, ODPS will permit
Offerors to withdraw their Proposals.
This withdrawal option will allow any Offeror to remove its Proposal from active consideration should the Offeror feel that the
amendment changes the nature of the transaction to the extent that the Offeror’s Proposal is no longer in its interests.
Alternatively, ODPS may allow Offerors that have Proposals under active consideration to modify their Proposals in response
to the amendment, as described below.
Whenever ODPS issues an amendment after the Proposal due date, ODPS will tell all Offerors whose Proposals are under
active consideration whether they have the option to modify their Proposals in response to the amendment. Any time ODPS
amends the RFP after the Proposal due date, an Offeror will have the option to withdraw its Proposal even if ODPS permits
modifications to the Proposals. If the Offerors are allowed to modify their Proposals, ODPS may limit the nature and scope of
the modifications. Unless otherwise stated in the notice by ODPS, modifications and withdrawals must be made in writing and
must be submitted within ten business days after the amendment is issued. If this RFP provides for a negotiation phase, this
procedure will not apply to changes negotiated during that phase. Withdrawals and modifications must be made in writing and
submitted to ODPS at the address and in the same manner required for the submission of the original Proposals. Any
modification that is broader in scope than ODPS has authorized may be rejected and treated as a withdrawal of the Offeror’s
Proposal.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL. Each Offeror must submit a Technical Proposal and a Cost Proposal as part of its Proposal
package. Proposals must be submitted as two separate components (Technical Proposal and Cost Proposal) in separate
electronic envelopes.
Technical Proposal: The Technical Proposal is to be submitted as a single searchable PDF document indexed as
required in Attachment Two.
Cost Proposal: The Offeror must submit a separate cost section of its Proposal in the required format described in
Attachment Two.
Each section must be submitted in its own separate, electronic submission as indicated by the solicitation questionnaire. The
submission with the Technical Proposal will be electronically sealed and contain a signed Technical Proposal, and the
submission with the Cost Proposal also will be electronically sealed.
If an Offeror includes in its Proposal information it considers confidential, proprietary, or trade secret exempt from disclosure in
a public records request, it must submit a redacted version of any document containing such information, as further described
in this paragraph. Offerors must only redact (black out) the specific language that is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the
Ohio Public Records Act, R.C. section 149.43. The following are not acceptable actions for the protection of trade secret or
confidential information in an Offeror’s response: 1) redaction of sections in their entirety simply because they may contain
some confidential information; 2) inclusion of a blanket confidentiality or copyright notice anywhere in an Offeror’s response or
redacted documents; and 3) redaction of the Cost Proposal in its entirety. In addition to the redacted document(s), Offerors
must submit a list of each redaction with a detailed legal explanation for each redaction to demonstrate that the redacted
information is protected under the Ohio Public Records Act. A blanket statement that all redactions are exempt from
disclosure pursuant to the Ohio Public Records Act and/or the Uniform Trade Secrets Act is not a sufficient explanation. The
redacted version(s) must be submitted as an electronic copy in a searchable PDF format. The redacted version(s) and
accompanying explanation, as submitted, will be available for inspection and released in response to public records requests.
This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
