Fully-Automated ELISA Analysis System

Request for Proposals # 274-603-3-20-2026
Title: Fully-Automated ELISA Analysis System
Issue Date: March 20, 2026
Due Date: April 9, 2026 no later than 4:00PM EST
*LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED*
Issuing Department: Raleigh Water
Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:
Samantha Dillon
Senior Laboratory Scientist
Email: samantha.dillon@raleighnc.gov
(v.09/15/25)

Table of Contents
1. Introduction .............................................................................................. 2
1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................. 2
1.2 Background ........................................................................................ 2
1.3 RFP Timeline ..................................................................................... 3
1.4 Pre-Proposal Conference .................................................................. 3
1.5 Proposal Question ............................................................................. 3
1.6 Proposal Submission Requirements & Contact Information .............. 4
1.7 Business Engagement & Opportunities ............................................. 5
1.8 Rights to Submitted Material .............................................................. 5
1.9 Communications ................................................................................ 5
1.10 Lobbying ............................................................................................ 5
1.11 Conflicts of Interest ............................................................................ 5
1.12 Proposer Expenses ........................................................................... 6
1.13 Proposer Acceptance ........................................................................ 6
2. Proposals ................................................................................................. 7
2.1 Request for Proposals Required Document Format .......................... 7
2.2 RFP Documents ................................................................................ 9
3. Proposal Evaluation ................................................................................ 9
3.1 Proposal Evaluation Criteria (Stage 1) ............................................... 9
3.2 Interview/Demonstration (Stage 2) .................................................. 10
3.3 Final Selection ................................................................................. 10
3.4 Notice to Proposers Regarding RFP Terms & Conditions ............... 10
3.5 Contract Term......................................................................10
4. Scope of Services .................................................................................. 10
Appendix I - Proposal Cost Form ................................................................... 13
Appendix II - Proposer Questionnaire ........................................................... 14
Appendix III - Reference Questionnaire (Instructions) ................................. 15
Appendix III - Reference Questionnaire Form ............................................... 16
Appendix IV - Sample Contract ...................................................................... 18
Appendix V - Vendor Security Questionnaire ............................................... 27

1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
The City of Raleigh (COR) is solicitating proposals from one or more firm(s) with which to
contract for the following services:
The purpose of this Request for Purchase is to acquire an algal toxin analysis instrument using a
fully-automated ELISA analysis system. The instrument must be capable of using ELISA kits for
the analysis of Cylindropermopin, Anatoxin-A, and Microcystins. The vendor must provide all
initial consumables, minimum one day on-site training, and operational parts to start up the
instrument. Upon installation, the instrument must achieve a passing curve with a correlation
coefficient of no less than 0.995 for algal toxin analysis.
This request includes a 12 month comprehensive warranty covering all parts, service, labor, and
travel.

A detailed scope of services is provided in Section 4 of this document.
All information related to this solicitation, including any addenda, will be posted to the North
Carolina electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) at https://evp.nc.gov/.
All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following
individual - questions submitted via telephone will not be answered:
Contact Name Email Address
Samantha Dillon samantha.dillon@raleighnc.gov
1.2 Background
The City of Raleigh, the Capital City of North Carolina, remains one of the fastest growing areas
in the country. A great economy, top educational institutions, and exceptional health care facilities
are some of the characteristics that attract people to the triangle area. The mild climate, diverse
work force and proximity to Research Triangle Park combine to make Raleigh a great place to
live.
Raleigh is a 21st Century City of Innovation focusing on environmental, cultural, and economic
sustainability. The City conserves and protects our environmental resources through best practice
and cutting-edge conservation and stewardship, land use, infrastructure and building
technologies. The City welcomes growth and diversity through policies and programs that will
protect and enhance Raleigh's existing neighborhoods, natural amenities, history, and cultural and
human resources for future generations. The City leads to improve quality of life for
neighborhoods and standard of living for all citizens. The City works with universities, colleges,
citizens, and local partners to promote new technology, create new job opportunities, and
encourage local businesses and entrepreneurs. The City enlists and prepares 21st Century staff
with the skill sets to carry out the duties of the City through transparent civic engagement and by
providing the very best customer service to our citizens.
The fully automated ELISA analysis system will allow us to monitor algal toxins in both source
water and finished water. By automating the process, we can run all analyses simultaneously,
enabling faster and more efficient testing of our source water. This improved monitoring provides
2

critical information that can guide necessary treatment adjustments and ensure the quality of our
drinking water is never compromised.
1.3 Request for Proposal (RFP) Timeline
Provided below is a list of the anticipated schedule of events related to this solicitation. The City
of Raleigh reserves the right to modify and/or adjust the following schedule to meet the needs of
the service. All times shown are Eastern Time (EST):
RFP Process Date and Time
RFP Date March 20, 2026
Pre-Proposal Meeting/Site-Visit
(if required) N/A
Deadline for Written Questions March 27, 2026
City Response to Questions April 2, 2026
(anticipated)
Proposal Due Date and Time April 9, 2026 no later than 4:00PM EST
Evaluation Meeting
April 16, 2026
(anticipated)
Interviews
(if required) N/A
Selection Announced April 20, 2026
(tentative)
1.4 Pre-Proposal Conference
If the City of Raleigh elects to conduct a Pre-Proposal Conference or Site Visit, attendance by
prospective proposers is strongly encouraged but is not mandatory. Prospective Proposers are
encouraged to submit written questions in advance. Date, time, and location of pre-proposal
conference is shown above in the RFP Timeline (Section 1.3).
1.5 Proposal Questions
Requests for clarification and questions to this RFP must be received by the City not later than
the date shown above in the RFP Timeline (Section 1.3) for the submittal of written inquires. The
firm's failure to request clarification and submit questions by the date in the RFP Timeline above
shall be considered to constitute the firm's acceptance of all City's terms and conditions and
requirements.
The City shall issue addenda reflecting questions and answers to this RFP, if any, and shall be
posted to North Carolina electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). No information, instruction or advice
provided orally or informally by any City personnel, whether made in response to a question or
otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Proposers
can only rely on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP.
3

It is important that all Proposers submitting to this RFP periodically check eVP for any
Addenda. It is the Proposers responsibility to ensure that all addenda have been reviewed
and, if required signed and returned.
All questions related to this solicitation must be submitted in writing (via email) to the following
individual - questions submitted via telephone will not be answered:
Contact Name Email Address
Samantha Dillon samantha.dillon@raleighnc.gov
1.6 Proposal Submission Requirements and Contact Information
Proposals must follow the format as defined in Section 2 (PROPOSALS), and be addressed and
submitted as follows:
DELIVERED BY US POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERED BY OTHER DEIVERY
MAIL: SERVICES:
City of Raleigh City of Raleigh
ATTN: Samantha Dillon ATTN: Samantha Dillon
Raleigh Water Laboratory Raleigh Water Laboratory
10700 Star Rd. 10700 Star Rd.
Wake Forest, NC 27587 Wake Forest, NC 27587
RFP No. 274-603-3-20-2026 RFP No. 274-603-3-20-2026
Proposals must be enclosed in an envelope or package and clearly marked with the name of the
submitting company, the RFP number and the RFP Title.
Proposers must submit:
A. one (1) signed original;
B. one (1) electronic version of the signed proposal and;
C. and three (3) copies of the signed proposal.
The electronic version of the Proposal must be submitted as a viewable and printable Adobe
Portable Document File (PDF) on a USB Flash Drive. Both hard copy and electronic versions
must be received by the City on or before the RFP due date and time provided in RFP Timeline
(Section 1.3). Proposals received after the RFP due date and time will not be considered and will
be returned unopened to the return address on the submission envelope or package.
Proposers must respond to the entire Request for Proposals (RFP). Any incomplete
proposal may be eliminated from competition at the discretion of the City of Raleigh. The
City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason and to waive any informality it
deems in its best interest.
Proposals that arrive after the due date and time will not be accepted or considered for any reason
whatsoever. If the firm elects to mail in its response, the firm must allow sufficient time to ensure
the City's proper receipt of the package by the time specified in the RFP Timeline (Section 1.3).
Regardless of the delivery method, it is the responsibility of the firm to ensure that their proposal
arrives at the designated location specified in this Section by the due date and time specified in
the RFP Timeline (Section 1.3).
4

1.7 Business Engagement & Opportunities
The City of Raleigh maintains processes to conduct business with all business enterprises,
including small, emerging, growing, under-capitalized, and under-resourced firms or
organizations.
1.8 Rights to Submitted Material
All proposals and supporting materials, as well as correspondence relating to this RFP, shall
become the property of the City. The content of all submittals will be held confidential until the
selection of the firm is made. Proposals will be reviewed by the Evaluation Team, as well as other
City staff and members of the general public who submit public record requests. Any proprietary
data must be clearly marked. In submitting a Proposal, each Prospective Proposer agrees that
the City may reveal any trade secret materials contained in such response to all City staff and City
officials involved in the selection process and to any outside consultant or other third party who
serves on the Evaluation Team or who is hired by the City to assist in the selection process.
Proposals marked entirely as "confidential", "proprietary", or "trade secret" will be
considered non-responsive and will be removed from the evaluation process.
1.9 Communications
All communications of any nature regarding this RFP with any City staff, elected City officials,
evaluation committee members, are strictly forbidden from the time the solicitation is publicly
posted until award. Questions must be submitted in writing to the individual designated in Section
1.1 (Purpose), prior to the deadline provided in the RFP Timeline (Section 1.3). Violation of this
provision may result in the firm's proposal being removed from consideration.
1.10 Lobbying
By responding to this RFP, the firm certifies that is has not and will not pay any person or firm to
influence or attempt to influence an officer or employee of the City or the State of North Carolina,
or any elected official in connection with obtaining a contract as a result of this RFP.
1.11 Conflicts of Interest
City of Raleigh contracts are controlled by three conflict of interest provisions.
First, federal procurement standards provide in 2 CFR 200.318 (c)(1),
No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a
contract supported by a Federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest.
Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his
or her immediate family, his or her partner, or a firm which employs or is about to employ any of
the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from
a firm considered for a contract. The officers, employees, and agents of the non-Federal entity
may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors
or parties to subcontracts.
Similarly, the North Carolina General Statutes provides a criminal statute for conflicts of interest
in public contracting. N.C.G.S. 14-234(a):
(1) No public officer or employee who is involved in making or administering a contract on behalf
of a public agency may derive a direct benefit from the contract except as provided in this section,
or as otherwise allowed by law. (2) A public officer or employee who will derive a direct benefit
from a contract with the public agency he or she serves, but who is not involved in making or
5

administering the contract, shall not attempt to influence any other person who is involved in
making or administering the contract. (3) No public officer or employee may solicit or receive any
gift, favor, reward, service, or promise of reward, including a promise of future employment, in
exchange for recommending, influencing, or attempting to influence the award of a contract by
the public agency he or she serves.
City of Raleigh Charter Section 3.9 regulates private transactions between the City and its
officials and employees. The Charter states:
No member of the City Council, official, or employee of the City of Raleigh shall be financially
interested, or have any personal beneficial interest, either directly or indirectly, as agent,
representative, or otherwise, in the purchase of, or contract for, or in furnishing any materials,
equipment or supplies to the City of Raleigh, nor shall any official or employee of the City of
Raleigh accept or receive, or agree to accept or receive, directly or indirectly, from any person,
firm or corporation to whom any contract may be awarded or from whom any materials,
equipment or supplies may be purchased by the City of Raleigh, by rebate, gift, or otherwise,
any money or anything of value whatsoever, or any promise, obligation or contract for future
reward or compensation, for recommending or procuring the uses of any such materials,
equipment or supplies by the City of Raleigh; no member of the City Council, official or employee
of the City of Raleigh shall for his own personal benefit operate, directly or indirectly, any
concession in any building or on any lands of the City of Raleigh, nor shall any official or
employee of the City of Raleigh bid for or be awarded any contract granting concessionary rights
of any nature or kind from the City of Raleigh; it shall be unlawful for any member of the City
Council, official or employee of the City of Raleigh to bid for or to purchase or to contract to
purchase from the City of Raleigh any real estate, equipment, materials, or supplies of any nature
or kind whatsoever, either directly or indirectly, at either public or private sale, either singly, or
through or jointly with any other person.
1.12 Proposer Expenses
The City of Raleigh will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by any Proposer in the
development of a response to this Request for Proposal or any other activities associated with this
procurement including but not limited to any onsite (or otherwise) interviews and/or presentations,
and/or supplemental information provided, submitted, or given to City of Raleigh and/or its
representatives. Further, the City of Raleigh shall reserve the right to cancel the work described
herein prior to issuance and acceptance of any contractual agreement/purchase order by the
recommended Proposer even if the awarding authority for each entity has formally accepted a
recommendation.
1.13 Proposer Acceptance
Submission of any proposal indicates a Proposer's acceptance of the conditions contained in this
RFP. Furthermore, the City of Raleigh is not bound to accept a proposal on the basis of lowest
price, and further, the City has the sole discretion and reserves the right to cancel this RFP, and
to reject any and all proposals, to waive any and all informalities and/or irregularities and reserves
the right to re-advertise this RFP with either the identical or revised scope and specifications if it
is deemed to be in the best interests of the City to do so.
The City of Raleigh reserves the right to accept or reject any or all of the items in the proposal,
and to award the contract in whole or in part and/or negotiate any or all items with individual
Proposers if it is deemed in the best interest of the City to do so. Moreover, the City reserves the
right to make no selection if proposals are deemed to be outside the fiscal constraint or not in the
best interest of the City.
6

2 PROPOSALS
Submitted proposals must follow the format outlined below. The City may reject as non-responsive at
its sole discretion any proposal that does not provide complete and/or adequate responses or departs
in any substantial way from the required format.
2.1 Request for Proposals Required Document Format
Proposals should be on 8-1/2" x 11" (A4-sized) paper, printed on both sides, bound with only
removable clips or staples (no 3-ring binders), and divided into sections using tabs to easily
identify and separate each section as follows:
2.1.1. Section/Tab 1: Cover Letter
Provide an introduction letter summarizing the unique proposal of your firm to meet the needs of
this service requirement. This letter should be presented on the firm's official letterhead and
signed by an authorized representative who has the authority to enter into a contract with the City
on behalf of the firm. Additionally, include the name, address, telephone and email address of the
individual who serves as the point of contact for this solicitation.
2.1.2. Section/Tab 2: Corporate Background and Experience
Include background information on the firm and provide detailed information regarding the firm's
experience with similar projects. Provide a list of all similar contracts performed in the past two
(2) number of years, accompanied by at least three (3) references (contact persons, firm,
telephone number and email address).
Include the total amount invoiced for each listed project, the length of the project, and list of those
involved in the project who are also proposed for the subject project named in this solicitation.
Failure to provide a list of all similar contracts in the specified period may result in the rejection of
the firm's proposal. The evaluation team reserves the right to contact any or all listed references,
and to contact other public entities regarding past performance on similar projects.
2.1.3. Section/Tab 3: Financial Information
Review and provide one of the following three (3) financial statement options:
1. Recent audited or reviewed financial statements prepared by an independent certified public
accountant (CPA) that shall include, at a minimum, a balance sheet, income statement (i.e.,
profit/loss statement) and cash flow statement and, if the audited or reviewed financial
statements were prepared more than six (6) months prior to the issuance of this RFP, the
Proposer shall submit its most recent internal financial statements (balance sheet, income
statement and cash flow statement or budget with entries reflecting revenues and expenditures
from the date of the audited or reviewed financial statements to the end of the most recent
financial reporting period (i.e., the quarter or month preceding the issuance date of this RFP)).
OR
2. Recent compiled financial statements prepared by an independent CPA that shall include, at
a minimum, a balance sheet, income statement (i.e., profit/loss statement) and cash flow
statement and, if the compiled financial statements were prepared more than three (3) months
prior to the issuance of this RFP, the Proposer shall submit its most recent internal financial
statements (balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement or budget with entries
reflecting revenues and expenditures to date), and other evidence of financial stability such as
7

most recently filed income tax return, evidence of a line of credit/loans/other type of financing
with statement of amount in use/outstanding balance (e.g., a complete copy commitment letter,
loan agreement, billing statement reflecting the line of credit or statement from lender
acknowledging the commitment to fund the Proposer's stated financing), personal guaranty
with copies of personal income tax filing and statement of net worth or such other evidence
that is accurate, reliable and trustworthy regarding the Proposer's financial stability.
OR
3. Include a certified, signed statement from a licensed CPA regularly engaged in the review of
the firm's financial information verifying the financial viability of the firm.
All financial information, statements and/or documents provided in response to this solicitation
shall be kept confidential provided that EACH PAGE is marked as follows: "CONFIDENTIAL - DO
NOT DISCLOSE EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF PROPOSAL EVALUATION."
"Recent" shall be defined as financial statements that were prepared within the 12 months
preceding the issuance date of this RFP.
Consolidated financial statements of the Proposer's parent or related corporation/business
entity shall not be considered, unless: (1) the Proposer's actual financial performance for the
designated period is separately identified in and/or attached to the consolidated statements, (2)
the parent or related corporation/business entity provides the State with a document wherein the
parent or related corporation/business entity will be financially responsible for the Proposer's
performance of the contract and the consolidated statement demonstrates the parent or related
corporation's/business entity's financial ability to perform the contract, financial stability and/or
such other financial considerations identified in the evaluation criteria; and/or (3) Proposer
provides its own internally prepared financial statements and such other evidence of its own
financial stability identified above.
The firm's failure to provide any of the above-referenced financial statements may result in the
proposal being removed from consideration. Proposers are also encouraged to explain any
negative financial information, and to provide documentation supporting those explanations and
demonstrating the financial strength of the firm.
2.1.4. Section/Tab 4: Project Understanding, Approach and Schedule
Provide a comprehensive narrative, outline, and/or graph demonstrating the firm's understanding
and approach to accomplishing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. A
description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be
included.
2.1.5. Section/Tab 5: Team Firm, Experience and Certifications
This section must include the proposed staffing, deployment and firm of personnel to be assigned
to this project. The Proposer shall provide information as to the Proposals and experience of all
executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including
resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each
person. A project-specific firm chart which clearly illustrates the roles, responsibilities, and the
reporting relationships of each team member should be included.
2.1.6. Section/Tab 6: Cost
In a separate sealed envelope provide a minimum of three (3) complete copies of the Proposal
Cost Form and any additional itemized cost breakdown or price schedule. Hourly rates shall be
8

fully burdened to include all costs, all applicable overhead and profit (including lodging, meals,
and transportation). Attach any additional pricing details.
2.2 RFP Documents
This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released
before the contract is awarded. All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of
any contract award are incorporated herein by reference.
3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION
3.1 Proposal Evaluation Criteria (Stage 1)
This is not a bid. There will not be a public opening. The proposals received in response to this
RFP will be evaluated and ranked by the evaluation committee in accordance with the process
and evaluation criteria contained below. Responses will be evaluated in light of the material
and substantiating evidence presented in the response and not based on what is inferred. After
thoroughly reading and reviewing this RFP, each evaluation committee member shall conduct
his or her independent evaluation of the proposals received and grade the responses on their
merit in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth in the following table.
The maximum interview/demonstration points a Proposer can receive is five (5) points. The
Proposers selected for interviews/demonstrations under this section will be notified in writing
of the date and time. The Proposers' interview/demonstrations shall be based solely upon
information provided in each Proposer's original proposal. No new information may be
presented.
(a) x (b)
(a) (b)
Criteria Weighted
Weight Score (0-3)
Score
Corporate Background and Experience 20
Firm Financial Stability 10
Project Understanding 20
Project Approach 15
Team Firm Experience 15
Proposed Cost 20
Total Score (without Interview/Demonstrations)
Interview/Demonstration (if applicable) (1-5 points) N/A
Final Score (with Interview/Demonstrations)
Score Points
0- Missing or Does Not Meet Expectation 2- Meets Expectation
1- Partially Meets Expectation 3- Exceeds Expectation
Cost Formula: The cost criterion is rated by giving the proposal with the lowest total cost the
maximum number of Cost points available. The remaining proposals are rated by applying the
9