Tattoo Apprenticeship

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES

Request for Information 6100064980

Summary.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Commonwealth) issues this Request for Information (RFI) to solicit information that will be used to assist with the development of a solicitation for which may be released by the Commonwealth in the near future.

Specifically, this request seeks information from which the Commonwealth can formulate specifications and requirements, realistic timeframes and cost structures for the referenced procurement and project. The Commonwealth desires to produce a solicitation that promotes vendor competition and creative technical solutions. The Commonwealth is open to any and all ideas in relation to this project and encourages alternative ideas that will help the Commonwealth better define its requirements. This RFI is an earnest attempt to become aware of and knowledgeable about current solutions to support the project requirements of the Commonwealth. This RFI will also help the Commonwealth identify vendors who are able to provide the required services to support this goal.

Background.

Issues to Be Addressed.

The Commonwealth is requesting feedback from firms with expertise in , as set forth below:

1) Include a cover letter, with the RFI response, on Company Letterhead, which includes a point of contact name, phone number and email address.

2) Complete Attachment A, Questionnaire. Please respond to the questions in the questionnaire and limit the responses to these questions only.

Point of Contact:

The sole point of contact for this RFI shall be .

Due Date.

The Commonwealth is requesting that all responses to this RFI be submitted via email to Amanda Wasko at amawasko@pa.gov by on with the subject line of .

Disclaimer.

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation for future business, an offer for procurement or any other type of current or future procurement or contractual action and is only intended to gather input. The Commonwealth will not award a contract on the basis of this RFI nor will it pay for information it receives. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Commonwealth to form a binding contract. No party is bound by the information provided in response to this RFI.

Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is not liable for any costs or expenses incurred by the Respondent in the preparation of its responses.

Respondents needing confidential treatment for any proprietary information they furnish must clearly identify that in their respective Responses. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled in accordance with applicable law including the Right To Know Law, as amended.

All material submitted shall be considered the property of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and may be returned only at the Commonwealth’s option. Notwithstanding any Respondents copyright designations contained on responses, the Commonwealth shall have the right to make copies and distribute responses internally and to comply with public record or other disclosure requirements under the provisions of any Commonwealth or United States statute or regulation, or rule or order of any court of competent jurisdiction.

Respondents to this Request shall not provide recommendations as to specific courses of action and shall not be deemed to be an advisor or consultant to the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth will evaluate the information presented and determine any subsequent course of action, which may consist of contracting for implementation of Commonwealth-determined work. Such work may be procured through any procurement method available, and respondents to this Request may be considered for selection to perform such work.

Responses to this RFI will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the result of the review, nor will they be provided copies of it.

Commonwealth Reservation of Rights.

The Commonwealth reserves the right to consider or reject any and all responses to this Request, to amend and/or reissue this Request and to abandon and then recommence at any time, or not recommence, this process. All costs of any response to this Request and participation in any presentations to the Commonwealth are solely the responsibility of the Respondent and the Commonwealth shall not be liable for payment of any such costs.

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT A

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What is the industry standard for tattoo apprenticeships?

a. How many apprentices can someone oversee at once?

b. How long does an average apprenticeship take?

c. How many hours a week do you need to spend directly with an apprentice?

2. Identify any offeror qualifications (i.e. years of experience, certifications, etc.) that the Commonwealth should consider during the development of the solicitation?

3. What certifications do you have, or are recommended/required, related to blood borne pathogens?

4. Is your tattoo shop governed by local or state inspections or requirements? If so, what are they?

5. What county do you practice in? What counties are you able to service?

6. How long have you been tattooing? How many years of experience should an individual have before taking on apprentices?

7. How do you continue to develop your skills?

8. What experience do you have with the following and what is the average number of years required to be proficient at the following:

a. Cover ups

b. Tattooing burns or scar tissue

9. Which aftercare products do you recommend?

10. What is the typical cost structure for the services identified in this questionnaire? What is a typical hourly compensation?

11. Are there any value-add services that we should consider when developing a new solicitation? Please describe.

12. Are there any other recommendations or lessons learned that have not already been mentioned but that the Commonwealth should consider?