DIGITAL ARCHIVING AND PRESERVATION

City of Frankfort, Kentucky

City Records – Digital Archiving and Preservation Services

Request for Proposals (RFP)

CITY OF FRANKFORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CITY OF FRANKFORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TOPIC PAGE

Legal Advertisement 2

I. Scope of Work/ Specifications/ Required Information 3

II. General Instructions to Proposers 3

III. General Terms and Conditions 9

VI. Selection Process 24

CITY OF FRANKFORT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP #: 22526002-20

The City of Frankfort, Kentucky, is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for digital archiving and preservation services. The objective of this project is to convert a collection of historical records—dating from as early as 1823 through 2025—into a secure, searchable, and accessible digital format. This initiative aims to protect historical documents from disasters such as fire or water damage, reduce physical storage requirements, and improve access for both City staff and the public.

The City will accept hard copy and electronic submissions until 2:00pm on Thursday , March 5,2026, in accordance with the submittal requirements set forth below.

HARD COPY PROPOSALS: Hard copy proposals must be turned in to the Office of the Purchasing Division, City Hall, 315 West Second St., Frankfort, KY, no later than 2:00 pm EST on the date of RFP opening. Proposals cannot be accepted at any other location. Proposals must be submitted in a sealed envelope clearly marked with the RFP number and description listed above. Proposals must be received by the designated date and time and none will be considered thereafter.

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS: Electronic proposals submitted through DemandStar will also be accepted for this project. Proposals must be signed and submitted in the same required format. Submit one (1) electronic copy if using DemandStar. After uploading your proposal, respondents shall verify the successful upload of the document. Proposals must be received by the designated date and time and none will be considered thereafter.

All proposals will be prepared per the specifications detailed within the RFP documents, which are available at no charge with registration through DemandStar (https://www.demandstar.com/registration) or a copy can be obtained in the Office of the Purchasing Division, City Hall, 315 West Second St., Frankfort, KY.

The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received, and to select that proposal(s) which it determines to be in its best interest.

The City is not responsible for the premature opening of, or the failure to open, a sealed proposal not properly addressed or identified.

Proposals will be opened at 2:00pm, Thursday, March 5,2026 in the Frankfort Board of Commissioners Chambers, City Hall, 315 West Second Street, Frankfort, KY.

FOR THE CITY OF FRANKFORT, KENTUCKY

Angie Disponette, Purchasing Agent

I. SCOPE OF WORK/ PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

The selected Consultant will be responsible for the complete digitization of all specified documents4. This includes:

1) Document Preparation: Removal of staples and opening of envelopes.

2) Scanning: High-resolution capture (300 DPI in RGB) of various document types. including bound/pinned volumes, manila folders, and tri-folds.

3) Data Processing: 100% quality control, metadata capture (book name, year, page number), and OCR conversion for word-searchability.

4) Archiving: Creation of web-optimized PDF-A files and a hosted online archive system.

The following categories of documents are included in the primary scope, totaling an estimated 15,516 pages for books plus approximately 59,300 additional folders/documents:

Proposals should include the following information:

1) Contact Information: Name, address, email, and phone numbers for the firm and project manager.

2) Company Information: Brief history, form of organization (Tax ID required), and qualifications regarding government record digitization.

3) Key Personnel: Names, titles, and experience of staff assigned to this project.

4) Proposed Solution: A detailed narrative of the methodology for handling, digitization, and quality control.

5) Location of Work: Specification of on-site (preferred) or off-site logistics.

6) Project Timeline: A clear schedule for completion within the anticipated 4-month window.

7) Cost Proposal: A fixed-price cost breakdown including cost per image and total project price.

8) References: Not less than five (5) references for similar projects.

II. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

1. Proposal Identification

Hard copy proposals shall be returned in a sealed envelope and have typed on the outside RFP or Quotation Number, Opening Time and Date. This instruction is provided as a means to ensure proper delivery, handling, and public announcement of a response at the official RFP opening date, and time. No responsibility will be attached to the City of Frankfort for a premature opening of or failure to open a proposal not properly addressed or identified. Proposals in the form of telegrams, telephone calls, facsimiles, or telex messages will not be accepted.

2. Proposal Submission

Each proposal shall be signed and submitted with the understanding that the proposal is firm for the sixty (60) days immediately following the date of opening of the proposals. Hard copy proposals must be submitted on the attached form and signed in ink by an authorized individual of the proposer. At the end of the sixty (60) day period, the proposal may be withdrawn at the written request of the proposer. If the proposal is not withdrawn, it will remain in effect until an award is made or the RFP offering is canceled. Responses received after the deadline will not be considered.

3. Right to Reject and Award RFP

The City of Frankfort, Kentucky reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received in response to this RFP offering, and to waive any informality in this RFP offering. The award of a contract shall be at the sole discretion of the City of Frankfort, Kentucky. The award will be made to the responsible proposer whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the City, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in this RFP package, if any. The City of Frankfort may make the award without further discussion of the proposals submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms with respect to product, service, and technical capability. The contents of the proposal of the selected proposer will become the basis for the City of Frankfort, Kentucky’s contractual obligation when the award is made.

4. Proposal Retraction

Proposers are advised that proposals submitted as part of this RFP offering may not be withdrawn for a minimum of sixty (60) days following the public RFP opening unless circumstances justify consideration by the Finance Director of a release from this provision. Requests to withdraw a proposal must be in writing and received by the City of Frankfort, Kentucky within twenty-four (24) hours of the public RFP opening.

5. Basis of Selection

The RFP award will be based on the best evaluated proposal received from those proposers as determined to be responsible and responsive to the RFP, and provided that the proposal is reasonable and it is in the best interest of the City to do so. Delivery time schedule must be definite.

6. Sales Tax

a) If this RFP is for the purchase and installation of materials or equipment, and if you are a Contractor as defined by 103 KAR 26:070, Section 2, and are required to pay Sales Tax on materials or equipment purchased by you from your suppliers, then the Sales Tax should be included as a part of your proposal price.

b) If this RFP is for the direct sale of materials or equipment to the City of Frankfort, and if you are a retailer or hold a valid Resale Certificate from the State of Kentucky, then the proposal price should not include any Sales Tax.

7. Documentation

Return original document with RFP response.

8. Late Submissions

See General Terms and Conditions.

9. Specifications

All services provided or materials purchased and delivered by the vendor shall meet the City’s specifications, including amendments and revisions, hereto issued prior to the date of RFP opening.

10. Completion/Delivery Schedule

If applicable, each proposer shall state as part of the proposal, a time schedule for delivery of the components required by the City. Number of calendar days required for delivery shall be considered in the RFP award.

11. Business Tax Status

In order to receive an RFP award from the City of Frankfort, Kentucky, a proposer must not be delinquent on any business, regulatory, and/or ad valorem taxes, due to the City for real or personal properties owned by the proposer, including penalty and interest charges, or any one or more of its corporate officers. Inquiries can be directed to the Finance Department, City Hall, 502-875-8500.

12. Questions and Addenda

This RFP is offered by the Purchasing Office. Proposers shall carefully examine this RFP and any addenda issued by the Purchasing Office. Proposers shall seek clarification of any ambiguity, conflict, omission, or other error in this RFP in writing. Oral comments or communications do not form any part of this RFP offering. Questions should be addressed to the Purchasing Agent in writing. If the answer materially affects this procurement, the information will be issued in an addendum. Written communications should be addressed as follows:

City of Frankfort Purchasing Office

P.O. Box 697

Frankfort, Kentucky 40601-0697

13. Retention of Records

The successful proposer shall be required to maintain, for a period of five (5) years from the date of final payment, all books and records pertaining to this RFP offering.

14. Business Status and Registration Requirements

In order to enter into a contract as a result of an RFP award from the City of Frankfort, Kentucky, a proposer must be properly registered with the Occupational License Division to do business in the City. If a proposer is already registered, all of their applicable license accounts must be in “good standing” with the City. Good standing is defined as having all fees, including penalty and interest charges, relating to employee wages, and business net profits, paid in full with appropriate reporting forms filed in the offices of the City’s License Division. Inquiries can be directed to the License Division, City Hall, 502-875-8500. (This clause is only for proposers requesting to perform actual business in the City, not delivering equipment. This is also only relevant if the proposer is awarded the contract.)

15. Conflicts, Gratuities, and Kick-Backs Prohibited

The City of Frankfort, Kentucky adheres to the provisions of KRS 45A.455, paragraphs (1) through (5) relative to conflicts of interests, gratuities, kick-backs, and use of confidential information in all RFP offerings.

16. Cost Incurred in Responding

This RFP offering does not commit the City of Frankfort, Kentucky to pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals or in making necessary studies or designs, nor does it commit the City of Frankfort, Kentucky to enter into a contract.

17. Disposition of Proposals

All materials submitted in response to this RFP offering will become the property of the City of Frankfort, Kentucky. One (1) copy of each proposal shall be retained for the official files and will become a public record after an award is made by the City of Frankfort, Kentucky, and thus open for public inspection. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official file without obligation on the part of the City of Frankfort, Kentucky.

18. Insurance Requirements

Prior to commencement of work, the City of Frankfort requires all Vendors to submit a Certificate of Insurance to the City of Frankfort’s Procurement Agent (and other parties upon request) in the form of a standard Accord Form 25 that fully complies with the requirements of our contract agreement. Failure to provide the certificate with the proper coverage and limits will result in delayed payment to the Vendor. The following is an outline of the Insurance requirements that must be provided and so indicated on the Certificate of Insurance.

Commercial General Liability (CGL) with limits of insurance not less than:

• $1,000,000 Each Occurrence and $2,000,000 General Aggregate

• $1,000,000 Personal Injury and Advertising Injury

i. The General Aggregate shall apply separately to each project per ISO form CG2503 (11/85) or its equivalent.

ii. CGL coverage shall be written on ISO occurrence form CG0001(04/13) or a substitute form providing equivalent coverage and shall cover liability arising from:

• Premises/Operations

• Personal Injury / Advertising Injury

• Products-Completed Operations

• Liability assumed under an Insured contract (including tort liability of another assumed in a business contract)

• Independent Contractors

iii. Commercial Business Auto

● Bodily Injury $1 million

● Property Damage $1 million

● Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists $1 million

● Personal Injury Protection $10,000

● Hire Non-Owned Auto Liability $1 million

Certificate Requirements

Certificate Holder:

City of Frankfort

315 W. Second Street

Frankfort, KY 40601

General Liability policy must be endorsed to provide there will be no cancellation or reduction in coverage without thirty (30) days prior written notice given to the City of Frankfort.

Certificate of Insurance should be mailed to the corporate office of the City of Frankfort attention of the Finance Department. If applicable to a specific project, reference the project number and project name on the Certificate. Copies of the Certificate forms showing compliance with the insurance requirements must be provided prior to commencement of work.

19. Disclosure

In compliance with Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 45A, and the Kentucky Open Records Act, trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a proposer in connection with this procurement shall not be subject to public disclosure. However, the proposer must invoke this protection prior to or upon submission of the data or other material and must identify the specific area or scope of data or other materials to be protected and state the reasons why protection is necessary.

20. Prime Contractor Responsibilities

If the proposer’s response includes goods and services provided by others, the proposer will be required to act as the prime contractor for all such items and must assume full responsibility for the procurement, delivery, and quality of such goods and services. The proposer will be considered the sole point of contact with regard to all stipulations, including payment of all charges and the meeting of all contractual requirements resulting from this RFP offering.

21. Inquiries and Additional Information

Any questions may be referred to the City of Frankfort Purchasing Agent at 502-352-2101. 

III. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Applicable Laws and Regulations. The firm / company’s attention is directed to the fact that all applicable Laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Municipal Ordinances and the rules and regulations of the City shall apply to this invitation and contractual documents that may result with award of this invitation. Any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Kentucky Law shall govern.

2. Exceptions. Firms / companies taking exceptions to any part or section of the RFP shall indicate such exceptions on the proposal form. Failure to indicate any such exception will be interpreted as the firm / company's intent to comply fully with the requirements as written. Conditional or qualified RFP’s, unless specifically allowed, shall be subject to rejection in whole or in part.

3. Oral Statements. No oral statement shall modify or otherwise affect the terms, conditions, or specifications stated in the invitation or ensuing contract. Modifications will be written.

4. Proposal Acceptance Period. Any proposals submitted as a result of the solicitation shall be binding on the firm / company for a period of sixty (60) calendar days following the opening date. Any quote for which the firm / company specifies a shorter acceptance period may be rejected.

5. Ethics in Public Contracting. The firm / company certifies that its proposal was made without collusion or fraud; that it has not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other firm / company, supplier, manufacturer, or subcontractor in connection with the RFP; and that it has not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services, or anything of more than nominal value.

6. Late Submissions. A proposal received at the place designated in the invitation for the receipt of proposals after the exact time specified for receipt will not be considered unless it is the only proposal received or it is received before award is made and was sent by registered or certified mail not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of proposals. The City must determine that the late proposal was due solely to mishandling by the City after receipt at the specified address.

7. Informalities and Irregularities. The City has the right to waive minor defects or variations of a quote from the exact requirements of the specifications that do not affect the price, quality, quantity, delivery, or performance time of the services being procured. If insufficient information is submitted by a firm / company, (with the proposal) for the City to properly evaluate the proposal, the City has the right to require such additional information as it may deem necessary after the time set for receipt of quotes, provided that the information requested does not change the price, quality, quantity, delivery, or performance time of the services being procured.

8. Indemnification. The firm / company covenants to save, defend, keep harmless, and indemnify the City and all of its officers, departments, agencies agents, and employees from and against all claims, loss damage, injury, fines penalties, and cost - including court costs and attorney's fees, charges, liability, and exposure, however caused - resulting from, arising out of, or in any way connected with the firm / company’s negligent performance or nonperformance of the terms of the contract.

9. Termination. The performance of work under the contract may be terminated by the City in whole or in part whenever the City determines that the termination is in the best interest of the City. Any such termination shall be effected by the delivery to the contractor of a written notice of termination at least fifteen (15) days before the date of the termination, specifying the extent to which performance of the work under contract is terminated.

10. Drawings, Sketches, and Technical Data Information. Firm / companies are encouraged to submit any and all technical data necessary to support its proposal. Additional generic literature on the item proposal, i.e. marketing, sales and so forth may also be submitted.

11. Warranties of Quality. Firm / company warrants that the goods and services provided pursuant to the RFP Specification shall conform to all affirmations of fact or promises made by firm / company, descriptions, samples, specifications and appropriate industry and workmanship. In addition, firm / company warrants that said goods and services are merchantable and are fit for the ordinary purposes for which such goods and services are used. In the event of a breach of any of the foregoing warranties, firm / company shall expeditiously as that term is defined by the City, and at its own expense but at the sole option of the City, repair or replace the goods and services to comply with said warranties. The foregoing warranties shall apply to any and all repaired or replacement goods and services provided hereunder. Additional warranty requirements are incorporated in Article IV TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS.

12. Additional Clauses Incorporated by Reference

a) OSHA 1970 (Public law 91-596) Safety Standards and Accident Prevention

b) KRS 45.610 – Hiring Minorities and Women

c) KRS 45.620 – Actions Against Contractor - Hiring Minorities and Women

d) KRS 45.630 – Termination of Existing Employees

e) KRS 45.640 – Reporting Compliance Breech

f) KRS 65.140 – Time for Payment

g) KRS 45-570; 45.590 – Nondiscrimination Clause

13. Proposal Distribution: Physical proposals shall be made out in three (3) copies and returned per instructions in preamble.

14. Questions On RFP Documents: All matters, regardless of the nature regarding this RFP shall be submitted to the Purchasing Agent, City of Frankfort, 315 W. Second Street, Frankfort, KY 40601, telephone number (502) 352-2101.

15. Warranties of Title: Supplier warrants that it has title to and the proprietary right to provide the goods pursuant to the contract. Supplier shall at its own expense either defend or settle with the prior approval of the City, any suit, claim or action against the City based on an allegation that the goods or the use thereof constitutes a patent, copyright, trade secret or other intellectual property right infringement. Supplier shall pay all amounts assessed against the City in just suit, claim or action and shall reimburse the City of any damages, direct or consequential, incurred as a result of such suit, claim or action including the City’s expenses incurred by participating in the defense or settlement thereof. In the event the goods are held to constitute an infringement in such suit, claim or action or their continued use is enjoined, Supplier shall at its own expense and at the option of the City, either: a) procure for the City the right to continue using the goods, b) replace the goods with equivalent noninfringing goods which are acceptable to the City, or c) modify the goods in a manner which is acceptable to the City, so they become noninfringing.

16. Nonwaiver Of Rights: No delay or omission by the City to excise any right in the contract at law or in equity, shall constitute a waiver of such right or any other right in the contract, at law or in equity.

17. Warranty of Price: Supplier warrants that the prices for the goods provided to the City pursuant to the contract are not less favorable than those prices currently in effect with other customers of Supplier for the same or similar goods in similar quantities. In the event Supplier reduces its prices for such goods prior to the completion of the contract, Supplier shall reduce the prices in the contract correspondingly. Supplier warrants that the prices in the contract shall be complete and no additional charges of any type, including but not limited to shipping, packaging, labeling, custom duties, storage, insurance, boxing and crating, shall be added without the prior written consent of the City.

18. Setoff: All claims for money due or to become due from the City shall be subject to deduction or setoff by the City by reason of any counterclaim or cross claim arising out of this or any other transaction with Supplier.

19. Compliance With Laws: Supplier shall comply with all federal, state and local laws, rules, City ordinances and regulations, Presidential directives and executive orders that are or may in the future become applicable to Supplier or the subject matter of the contract and all such federal, state and local laws, rules, City ordinances and regulations, Presidential directives and executive orders are hereby incorporated herein by this reference.

20. Certification Of No Bid Rigging: Supplier certifies to the City that Supplier has not combined or conspired with any other person to reduce or eliminate competition in the requesting of the contract, the effects of which would constitute an unreasonable restraint of trade or commerce.

21. Merger Clause: Unless it has been issued by the City in response to an offer by Supplier, this contract, including any exhibits or documents incorporated herein by reference, constitutes the final written expression of all the terms and conditions of the contract between Supplier and the City and is a complete and exclusive statement of those terms and conditions and supersedes all prior negotiations, representations or agreements, either written or oral, with respect to the subject matter of the contract, except those representations relating to warranties of quality. This contract may only be modified in writing by the City.

22. Local Purchasing Preference: Applicable provisions of the Local Purchasing Preference located in City of Frankfort Code of Ordinances §38.01 to 38.04 apply to a contract awarded pursuant to this Invitation for proposals.

23. Reciprocal Preference for Resident Bidders: Per KRS 65.027, if applicable, the City will apply the provisions of KRS 45A.494 regarding preferences for resident bidders of the Commonwealth.

VI. SELECTION PROCESS

An evaluation committee will review each Response for completeness and content. Each Response will be evaluated based upon the relevant qualifications, experience, cost factors, ability to perform the scope of work and meet the technical specifications of the Respondent. The committee may conduct interviews (in person, phone or video conference) if necessary or may complete its evaluation based on the Response alone. References will also be verified. The evaluation committee will select one company/firm/individual by the evaluation score, interviews (if deemed necessary) and references. The RFP review will focus upon the following criteria:

a) Clarity and Responsiveness: Understanding of project objectives (10%).

b) Experience: Qualifications of the firm and key personnel (20%).

c) Proposed Methodology: Technical approach to scanning and archiving (20%).

d) Project Schedule: Ability to meet the 4-month timeline (10%).

e) Project Budget/Cost: Total cost and per-image rates (30%).

f) References: Input from past clients (10%).

For all City of Frankfort RFPs requesting products or services of $40,000 or more, the selection committee will make a recommendation or series of recommendations to the Board of Commissioners of the City of Frankfort. The Board of Commissioners will make the final determination regarding award of a Contract or Contracts for any projects of $40,000 or more.

The City of Frankfort reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Responses. The City of Frankfort also reserves the right to waive any informality or irregularity in any Proposal. Additionally, the City of Frankfort may, for any reason, decide not to award an agreement as a result of this sealed RFP or cancel the RFP process. The City of Frankfort shall not be obligated to respond to any Response submitted, nor be legally bound in any manner by the submission of the Response. The City of Frankfort reserves the right to negotiate project deliverables and associated costs.

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