Wage and Employment Verification

Lexington County School District One

Solicitation Number:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

Phone:

E-Mail Address:

PT2024.2

11/21/2023

Jessica Monts

(803) 821-1109

mmonts@lexington1.net

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

DESCRIPTION:   Wage and Employment Verification Services

The Term "Offer" Means Your "Bid" or "Proposal".  Your offer must be submitted in a sealed package. Solicitation Number & Opening Date must appear on package exterior. See "Submitting Your Offer" provision.

SUBMIT YOUR SEALED OFFER TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS BELOW:

PHYSICAL/MAILING ADDRESS:

Lexington School District One

Attn: Procurement Services

100 Tarrar Springs Road

Lexington, South Carolina 29072

SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time):  1/05/2024 3:00 PM     (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision)

QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY:   12/08/2024 12:00 Noon (See "Questions From Offerors" provision)

NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED:  One (1) Original, one "Redacted" copy, One USB Flash Drive with all documents loaded

CONFERENCE TYPE:  N/A

DATE & TIME:  N/A

(As appropriate, see "Conferences - Pre-Bid/Proposal" & "Site Visit" provisions)

LOCATION: N/A

AWARD & AMENDMENTS

Award will be posted at the Physical Address above on 03/22/2024. The award, this solicitation, any amendments, and any related notices will be posted at the following web address: https://www.lexington1.net/Page/4030

You must submit a signed copy of this form with Your Offer. By submitting a bid or proposal, You agree to be bound by the terms of the Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after the Opening Date.                                    (See "Signing Your Offer" provisions.)

NAME OF OFFEROR:

(full legal name of business submitting the offer)

OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY:

(Check one)

____ Sole Proprietorship

____ Partnership

____ Corporate entity (not tax-exempt)

____ Tax exempt corporate entity

____ Government entity (federal, state, or local)

____ Other _________________________

(See “Signing your Offer” provision)

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE:

(Person must be authorized to submit binding offer to contract on behalf of Offeror.)

TITLE:

(business title of person signing above)

PRINTED NAME:

(printed name of person signing above)

DATE SIGNED:

INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING OFFEROR’S NAME: Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.

STATE OF INCORPORATION

(If you are a corporation, identify the state of incorporation.)

TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NO.

(See "Taxpayer Identification Number" provision)

HOME OFFICE ADDRESS (Address for offeror's home office / principal place of business)

NOTICE ADDRESS (Address to which all procurement and contract related notices should be sent.) (See "Notice" clause)

Area Code:

Number:

Extension:

Facsimile:

E-Mail Address:

PAYMENT ADDRESS (Address to which payments will be sent.) (See "Payment" clause)

____Payment Address same as Home Office Address

____Payment Address same as Notice Address   (check only one)

ORDER ADDRESS (Address to which purchase orders will be sent) (See "Purchase Orders and "Contract Documents" clauses)

____Order Address same as Home Office Address

____Order Address same as Notice Address   (check only one)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS

Offerors acknowledges receipt of amendments by indicating amendment number and its date of issue. (See "Amendments to Solicitation" Provision)

Amendment No.

Amendment Issue Date

Amendment No.

Amendment Issue Date

Amendment No.

Amendment Issue Date

Amendment No.

Amendment Issue Date

DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT

(See "Discount for Prompt Payment" clause)

10 Calendar Days (%)

20 Calendar Days (%)

30 Calendar Days (%)

_____Calendar Days (%)

MINORITY PARTICIPATION

Are you a South Carolina Certified Minority Vendor? Yes __________ No__________

If yes, South Carolina Certification # ________________

I. SCOPE OF SOLICITATION

ACQUIRE SERVICES

Lexington County School District One is soliciting proposals from qualified offerors to provide Wage and Employment Verification Services. The purpose of this solicitation is to acquire services complying with the enclosed description and/or specifications and conditions. The District does not want to limit your creativeness or ingenuity by over specifying the requirements of this solicitation.

MAXIMUM CONTRACT PERIOD - ESTIMATED

Start date: 04/01/2024 End date: 03/31/2029 Dates provided are estimates only. Any resulting contract will begin on the date specified in the notice of award. See clause entitled "Term of Contract - Effective Date/Initial Contract Period".

This is a one-year contract with four one-year renewal options. The maximum contract life is five years.

II. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS - A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

AMENDMENTS TO SOLICITATION

(a) The Solicitation may be amended at any time prior to opening. All actual and prospective Offerors should monitor the following web site for the issuance of Amendments: https://www.lexington1.net/Page/4030

(b) Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of any amendment to this solicitation (1) by signing and returning the amendment, (2) by identifying the amendment number and date in the space provided for this purpose on Page Two, (3) by letter, or (4) by submitting a bid that indicates in some way that the bidder received the amendment.

(c) If this solicitation is amended, then all terms and conditions which are not modified remain unchanged.

AWARD NOTIFICATION

Notice regarding any award, cancellation of award, or extension of award will be posted at the location and on the date specified on the Cover Page or, if applicable, any notice of extension of award. Should the contract resulting from this Solicitation have a total or potential value in excess of fifty thousand dollars, such notice will be sent electronically to all Offerors responding to the Solicitation and any award will not be effective until the calendar day (including weekends and holidays) immediately following the seventh business day after such notice is given.

BID/PROPOSAL AS OFFER TO CONTRACT

By submitting Your Bid or Proposal, You are offering to enter into a contract with the Using Governmental Unit(s). Without further action by either party, a binding contract shall result upon final award. Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the Offeror on the Cover Page. An Offer may be submitted by only one legal entity; "joint bids" are not allowed.

BID ACCEPTANCE PERIOD

In order to withdraw Your Offer after the minimum period specified on the Cover Page, You must notify the Procurement Officer in writing.

BID IN ENGLISH and DOLLARS

Offers submitted in response to this solicitation shall be in the English language and in US dollars, unless otherwise permitted by the Solicitation.

CERTIFICATE OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION

GIVING FALSE, MISLEADING, OR INCOMPLETE INFORMATION ON THIS CERTIFICATION MAY RENDER YOU SUBJECT TO PROSECUTION UNDER SECTION 16-9-10 OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS AND OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS.

(a) By submitting an offer, the Offeror certifies that-

(1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without, for the purpose of restricting competition, any consultation, communication, or agreement with any other Offeror or competitor relating to-

(i) Those prices;

(ii) The intention to submit an offer; or

(iii) The methods or factors used to calculate the prices offered.

(2) The prices in this offer have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed by the Offeror, directly or indirectly, to any other Offeror or competitor before bid opening (in the case of a sealed bid solicitation) or contract award (in the case of a negotiated solicitation) unless otherwise required by law; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Offeror to induce any other concern to submit or not to submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition.

(b) Each signature on the offer is considered to be a certification by the signatory that the signatory-

(1) Is the person in the Offeror’s organization responsible for determining the prices being offered in this bid or proposal, and that the signatory has not participated and will not participate in any action contrary to paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this certification; or

(2) (i) Has been authorized, in writing, to act as agent for the Offeror’s principals in certifying that those principals have not participated, and will not participate in any action contrary to paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this certification [As used in this subdivision (b)(2)(i), the term "principals" means the person(s) in the Offeror’s organization responsible for determining the prices offered in this bid or proposal];

(ii) As an authorized agent, does certify that the principals referenced in subdivision (b)(2)(i) of this certification have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this certification; and

(iii) As an agent, has not personally participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this certification.

(c) If the Offeror deletes or modifies paragraph (a)(2) of this certification, the Offeror must furnish with its offer a signed statement setting forth in detail the circumstances of the disclosure.

CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS

(a) (1) By submitting an Offer, Offeror certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that-

(i) Offeror and/or any of its Principals-

(A) Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any state or federal agency;

(B) Have not, within a three-year period preceding this offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, state, or local) contract or subcontract; violation of Federal or state antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, or receiving stolen property; and

(C) Are not presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (a)(1)(i)(B) of this provision.

(ii) Offeror has not, within a three-year period preceding this offer, had one or more contracts terminated for default by any public (Federal, state, or local) entity.

(2) "Principals," for the purposes of this certification, means officers; directors; owners; partners; and, persons having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager; plant manager; head of a subsidiary, division, or business segment, and similar positions).

(b) Offeror shall provide immediate written notice to the Procurement Officer if, at any time prior to contract award, Offeror learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.

(c) If Offeror is unable to certify the representations stated in paragraphs (a)(1), Offer must submit a written explanation regarding its inability to make the certification. The certification will be considered in connection with a review of the Offeror's responsibility. Failure of the Offeror to furnish additional information as requested by the Procurement Officer may render the Offeror non-responsible.

(d) Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render, in good faith, the certification required by paragraph (a) of this provision. The knowledge and information of an Offeror is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.

(e) The certification in paragraph (a) of this provision is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when making an award. If it is later determined that the Offeror knowingly or in bad faith rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the State, the Procurement Officer may terminate the contract resulting from this solicitation for default.

[02-2A035-1]

CODE OF LAWS AVAILABLE

The South Carolina Code of Laws is available at:

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t11c035.php

The District’s Procurement Code is available at: https://www.lexington1.net/cms/lib/SC50000473/Centricity/Domain/1592/Procurement_Code.pdf

COMPLETION OF FORMS / CORRECTION OF ERRORS

All prices and notations should be printed in ink or typewritten. Errors should be crossed out, corrections entered and initialed by the person signing the bid. Do not modify the solicitation document itself including the bid schedule.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFER

Any offer received after the Procurement Officer or their designee has declared that the time set for opening has arrived, shall be rejected unless the offer has been delivered to the designated Procurement Office or the District Office’s mail room which services that Procurement Office prior to the bid opening which is located at the physical address on the first page of the solicitation.

DEFINITIONS

EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN, THE FOLLOWING DEFINITIONS ARE APPLICABLE TO ALL PARTS OF THE SOLICITATION:

AMENDMENT – means a document issued to supplement the original solicitation document.

BOARD – means the Lexington School District One Board of Trustees.

BUYER – means the Procurement Officer.

CHANGE ORDER - means any written alteration in specifications, delivery point, rate of delivery, period of performance, price, quantity, or other provisions of any contract accomplished by mutual agreement of the parties to the contract.

CONTRACT - See clause entitled “Contract Documents & Order of Precedence.”

CONTRACT MODIFICATION – means a written order signed by the Procurement Officer, directing the contractor to make changes which the changes clause of the contract authorizes the Procurement Officer to order without the consent of the contractor.

CONTRACTOR - means the Offeror receiving an award as a result of this solicitation.

COVER PAGE – means the top page of the original solicitation on which the solicitation is identified by number. Offerors are cautioned that Amendments may modify information provided on the Cover Page.

DISTRICT – means Lexington County School District One.

OFFER – means the bid or proposal submitted in response to this solicitation. The terms “Bid” and “Proposal” are used interchangeably with the term “Offer.”

OFFEROR – means the single legal entity submitting the offer. The term “Bidder” is used interchangeably with the term “Offeror.” See bidding provisions entitled “Signing Your Offer” and “Bid/Proposal As Offer To Contract.”

PAGE TWO – means the second page of the original solicitation, which is labeled Page Two.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER – means the person, or his successor, identified as such on the Cover Page.

SOLICITATION – means this document, including all its parts, attachments, and any Amendments.

SUBCONTRACTOR – means any person having a contract to perform work or render service to Contractor as a part of the Contractor’s agreement arising from this solicitation.

WORK - means all labor, materials, equipment, services, or property of any type, provided or to be provided by the Contractor to fulfill the Contractor’s obligations under the Contract.

YOU and YOUR – means Offeror.

DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST OR UNFAIR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

You warrant and represent that your offer identifies and explains any unfair competitive advantage you may have in competing for the proposed contract and any actual or potential conflicts of interest that may arise from your participation in this competition or your receipt of an award. The two underlying principles are (a) preventing the existence of conflicting roles that might bias a contractor's judgment, and (b) preventing an unfair competitive advantage. If you have an unfair competitive advantage or a conflict of interest, the District may withhold award. Before withholding award on these grounds, an Offeror will be notified of the concerns and provided a reasonable opportunity to respond. Efforts to avoid or mitigate such concerns, including restrictions on future activities, may be considered. Without limiting the foregoing, you represent that your offer identifies any services that relate to either this solicitation or the work and that has already been performed by you, a proposed subcontractor, or an affiliated business of either.

DRUG FREE WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION

By submitting an Offer, the Offeror certifies that, if awarded a contract, they will comply with all applicable provisions of The Drug-free Workplace Act, Title 44, Chapter 107 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended.

DUTY TO INQUIRE

Offeror, by submitting an Offer, represents that it has read and understands the Solicitation and that its Offer is made in compliance with the Solicitation. Offerors are expected to examine the Solicitation thoroughly and should request an explanation of any ambiguities, discrepancies, errors, omissions, or conflicting statements in the Solicitation. Failure to do so will be at the Offeror's risk. All ambiguities, discrepancies, errors, omissions, or conflicting statements in the Solicitation shall be interpreted to require the better quality or greater quantity of work and/or materials, unless otherwise directed by amendment. Offeror assumes responsibility for any patent ambiguity in the Solicitation that Offeror does not bring to the District’s attention. See clause entitled "Questions from Offerors."

ETHICS ACT

Ethics Certificate: By submitting an offer, Offeror certifies that it has and will comply with, and has not, and will not, induce a person to violate Title 8, Chapter 13 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended (ethics act). The following statutes require special attention: Section 8-13-700, regarding use of official position for financial gain; Section 8-13-705, regarding gifts to influence action of public official; Section 8-13-720, regarding offering money for advice or assistance of public official; Sections 8-13-755 and 8-13-760, regarding restrictions on employment by former public official; Section 8-13-775, prohibiting public official with economic interests from acting on contracts; Section 8-13-790, regarding recovery of kickbacks; Section 8-13-1150, regarding statements to be filed by consultants; and Section 8-13-1342, regarding restrictions on contributions by contractor to candidate who participated in awarding of contract. The state may rescind any contract and recover all amounts expended as a result of any action taken in violation of this provision. If contractor participates, directly or indirectly, in the evaluation or award of public contracts, including without limitation, change orders or task orders regarding a public contract, contractor shall, if required by law to file such a statement, provide the statement required by Section 8-13-1150 to the procurement officer at the same time the law requires the statement to be filed.

OMIT TAXES FROM PRICE

Do not include any sales or use taxes in Your price that the District may be required to pay.

OPEN TRADE REPRESENTATION

By submitting an Offer, Offeror represents that Offeror is not currently engaged in the boycott of a person or an entity based in or doing business with a jurisdiction with whom South Carolina can enjoy open trade, as defined in SC Code Section 11-35-5300.

PROTESTS

Any prospective bidder, Offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation of a contract shall protest within fifteen days of the date of issuance of the applicable solicitation document at issue. Any actual bidder, Offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of a contract shall (i) submit notice of their intent to protest within seven business days of the date notification of award is posted in accordance with the District’s Procurement Code, and (ii) submit their actual protest within 15 days of the date the award notice is posted. Both protests and notices of intent to protest must be in writing, submitted to the appropriate Chief Procurement Officer. The grounds of the protest and the relief requested must be set forth with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. [Article 17 - 4210 of the District’s Procurement Code]

The rights and remedies granted under Article 17 – 4210 are not available for contracts with an actual or potential value of up to fifty thousand dollars.

PUBLIC OPENING

Offers will be publicly opened at the date/time and at the location identified on the Cover Page, or last Amendment, whichever is applicable.

QUESTIONS FROM OFFERORS

(a) Any prospective Offeror desiring an explanation or interpretation of the solicitation, drawings, specifications, etc., must request it in writing. Questions must be received by the Procurement Officer no later than five (5) days prior to opening unless otherwise stated on the Cover Page. Label any communication regarding your questions with the name of the procurement officer, and the solicitation's title and number. Oral explanations or instructions will not be binding. Any information given a prospective Offeror concerning a solicitation will be furnished promptly to all other prospective Offerors as an Amendment to the solicitation, if that information is necessary for submitting offers or if the lack of it would be prejudicial to other prospective Offerors. (b) The District seeks to permit maximum practicable competition. Offerors are urged to advise the Procurement Officer – as soon as possible – regarding any aspect of this procurement, including any aspect of the Solicitation that unnecessarily or inappropriately limits full and open competition.

All questions shall be in writing and submitted to and received no later than the date found on the Cover Page of this solicitation via email, or mail. Please send questions to:

Mailing Address:

Lexington County School District One

Attn: Procurement Services, Mary Monts

100 Tarrar Springs Road

Lexington, South Carolina 29072

Ref: Solicitation Number and Title

Email: mmonts@lexington1.net

Subject Line: Reference Solicitation Number and Title

REJECTION/CANCELLATION

The District may cancel this solicitation in whole or in part. The District may reject any or all proposals in whole or in part. [Article 5 - 1710 of the District’s Procurement Code]

RESPONSIVENESS/IMPROPER OFFERS

(a) Bid as Specified. Offers for supplies or services other than those specified will not be considered unless authorized by the Solicitation.

(b) Multiple Offers. Offerors may submit more than one Offer, provided that each Offer has significant differences other than price. Each separate Offer must satisfy all Solicitation requirements. If this solicitation is an Invitation for Bids, each separate offer must be submitted as a separate document. If this solicitation is a Request for Proposals, multiple offers may be submitted as one document, provided that you clearly differentiate between each offer and you submit a separate cost proposal for each offer, if applicable.

(c) Responsiveness. Any Offer which fails to conform to the material requirements of the Solicitation may be rejected as nonresponsive. Offers which impose conditions that modify material requirements of the Solicitation may be rejected. If a fixed price is required, an Offer will be rejected if the total possible cost to the District cannot be determined. Offerors will not be given an opportunity to correct any material nonconformity. Any deficiency resulting from a minor informality may be cured or waived at the sole discretion of the Procurement Officer.

(d) Price Reasonableness: Any offer may be rejected if the Procurement Officer determines in writing that it is unreasonable as to price.

(e) Unbalanced Bidding. The District may reject an Offer as nonresponsive if the prices bid are materially unbalanced between line items or subline items. A bid is materially unbalanced when it is based on prices significantly less than cost for some work and prices which are significantly overstated in relation to cost for other work, and if there is a reasonable doubt that the bid will result in the lowest overall cost to the District even though it may be the low evaluated bid, or if it is so unbalanced as to be tantamount to allowing an advance payment.

RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE TO OFFERORS

Violation of these restrictions may result in disqualification of your offer, suspension or debarment, and may constitute a violation of the state Ethics Act. (a) After issuance of the solicitation, you agree not to discuss this procurement activity in any way with the District or its employees, agents or officials. All communications must be solely with the Procurement Officer. This restriction may be lifted by express written permission from the Procurement Officer. This restriction expires once a contract has been formed. (b) Unless otherwise approved in writing by the Procurement Officer, you agree not to give anything to the District or its employees, agents or officials prior to award.

SIGNING YOUR OFFER

Every Offer must be signed by an individual with actual authority to bind the Offeror. (a) If the Offeror is an individual, the Offer must be signed by that individual. If the Offeror is an individual doing business as a firm, the Offer must be submitted in the firm name, signed by the individual, and state that the individual is doing business as a firm. (b) If the Offeror is a partnership, the Offer must be submitted in the partnership name, followed by the words by its Partner, and signed by a general partner. (c) If the Offeror is a corporation, the Offer must be submitted in the corporate name, followed by the signature and title of the person authorized to sign. (d) An Offer may be submitted by a joint venturer involving any combination of individuals, partnerships, or corporations. If the Offeror is a joint venture, the Offer must be submitted in the name of the Joint Venture and signed by every participant in the joint venture in the manner prescribed in paragraphs (a) through (c) above for each type of participant. (e) If an Offer is signed by an agent, other than as stated in subparagraphs (a) through (d) above, the Offer must state that is has been signed by an Agent. Upon request, Offeror must provide proof of the agent's authorization to bind the principal.

DISTRICT OFFICE CLOSINGS

If an emergency or unanticipated event interrupts normal District Office processes so that offers cannot be received at the District Office for receipt of bids by the exact time specified in the solicitation, the time specified for receipt of offers will be deemed to be extended to the same time of day specified in the solicitation on the first work day on which normal District Office processes resume. In lieu of an automatic extension, an Amendment may be issued to reschedule bid opening. If the District Office is closed at the time a pre-bid or pre-proposal conference is scheduled, an Amendment will be issued to reschedule the conference.

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR BID / PROPOSAL and SUBMITTING CONFIDENTIAL DATA

(a) According to Section 11-35-410, any person submitting a document in response or with regard to any solicitation or other request must "comply with instructions provided in the solicitation for marking information exempt from public disclosure. Information not marked as required by the applicable instructions may be disclosed to the public." IF YOU IDENTIFY YOUR ENTIRE RESPONSE AS EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, OR IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A REDACTED COPY AS REQUIRED, THE DISTRICT MAY, IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION, DETERMINE YOUR BID OR PROPOSAL NONRESPONSIVE AND INELIGIBLE FOR AWARD.

(b) By submitting a response to this solicitation or request, Offeror (1) agrees to the public disclosure of every page, or portion thereof, of every document regarding this solicitation or request that was submitted at any time prior to entering into a contract (including, but not limited to, documents contained in a response, documents submitted to clarify a response, and documents submitted during negotiations), unless the page, or portion thereof, was redacted and conspicuously marked "Trade Secret" or "Confidential" or "Protected", (2) agrees that any information not redacted and marked, as required by these bidding instructions, as a "Trade Secret" is not a trade secret as defined by the Trade Secrets Act, and (3) agrees that, notwithstanding any claims or markings otherwise, any prices, commissions, discounts, or other financial figures used to determine the award, as well as the final contract amount, are subject to public disclosure.

(c) If your offer includes any information that you claim is exempt from public disclosure, you must submit one complete copy of your offer from which you have removed or concealed such information (the redacted copy). Except for the information removed or concealed, the redacted copy must be identical to your original offer.

(d) Do not mark your entire response (bid, proposal, quote, etc.) as confidential, trade secret, or protected. If only portions of a page are subject to some protection, do not redact the entire page. The redacted copy must reflect the same pagination as the original and show the empty space from which information was redacted. The Procurement Officer must be able to view, search, copy and print the redacted copy without a password. If your response, or any part thereof, is improperly marked as confidential or trade secret or protected, the District may, in its sole discretion, determine it nonresponsive.

(e) On the redacted copy, you must identify the basis of your claim by marking each redaction as follows: You must separately mark with the word "CONFIDENTIAL" every page, or portion thereof, that you redacted and claim as exempt from public disclosure because it is either (1) a trade secret as defined in Section 30-4-40(a)(1) of the Freedom of Information Act, or (2) privileged and confidential, as that phrase is used in Section 11-35-410. You must separately mark with the words "TRADE SECRET" every page, or portion thereof, that you redacted and claim as exempt from public disclosure as a trade secret pursuant to Section 39-8-20 of the Trade Secrets Act. You must separately mark with the word "PROTECTED" every page, or portion thereof, that you redacted and claim as exempt from public disclosure pursuant to Section 11-35- 1810. All markings must be conspicuous; use color, bold, underlining, or some other method in order to conspicuously distinguish the mark from the other text.

(f) In determining whether to release documents, the District will detrimentally rely on your redaction and marking of documents, as required by these bidding instructions, as being either "Confidential" or "Trade Secret" or "Protected". By submitting a response, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Lexington County School District One, its officers and employees, from every claim, demand, loss, expense, cost, damage or injury, including attorney's fees, arising out of or resulting from withholding information by the State of South Carolina or any of its agencies, that you have redacted or marked as "Confidential" or "Trade Secret" or "Protected". (All references to S.C. Code of Laws.)

SUBMITTING YOUR OFFER OR MODIFICATION

(a) Offers and offer modifications shall be submitted in sealed envelopes or packages – (1) Addressed to the office specified in the Solicitation; and (2) Showing the time and date specified for opening, the solicitation number, and the name and address of the bidder.

(b) If you are responding to more than one solicitation, each offer must be submitted in a different envelope or package.

(c) Each Offeror must submit the number of copies indicated on the Cover Page.

(d) Offerors using commercial carrier services shall ensure that the Offer is addressed and marked on the outermost envelope or wrapper as prescribed in paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) of this provision when delivered to the office specified in the Solicitation.

(e) Facsimile or email offers, modifications, or withdrawals, will not be considered unless authorized by the Solicitation.

TAX CREDIT FOR SUBCONTRACTING WITH DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESSES (JAN 2008)

Pursuant to Section 12-6-3350, taxpayers, who utilize certified minority subcontractors, may take a tax credit equal to 4% of the payments they make to said subcontractors. The payments claimed must be based on work performed directly for a District contract. The credit is capped at $25,000 per year or the total tax liability; whichever is lesser. The taxpayer is eligible to claim the credit for 6 consecutive taxable years beginning with the taxable year in which the credit is first claimed. There is no carry forward of unused credits. The credit may be claimed on Form TC-2, "Minority Business Credit." A copy of the subcontractor's certificate from the Governor's Office of Small and Minority Business (OSMBA) is to be attached to the contractor's income tax return. Taxpayers must maintain evidence of work performed for a District contract by the minority subcontractor. Questions regarding the tax credit and how to file are to be referred to: SC Department of Revenue, Research and Review, Phone: (803) 898-5786, Fax: (803) 898-5888. The subcontractor must be certified as to the criteria of a "Minority Firm" by the Governor's Office of Small and Minority Business Assistance (OSMBA). Certificates are issued to subcontractors upon successful completion of the certification process. Questions regarding subcontractor certification are to be referred to: Governor's Office of Small and Minority Business Assistance, Phone: (803) 734-0657, Fax: (803) 734-2498.

TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

(a) If Offeror is owned or controlled by a common parent as defined in paragraph (b) of this provision, Offeror shall submit with its Offer the name and TIN of common parent.

(b) Definitions: "Common parent," as used in this provision, means that corporate entity that owns or controls an affiliated group of corporations that files its Federal income tax returns on a consolidated basis, and of which the Offeror is a member. "Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)," as used in this provision, means the number required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be used by the Offeror in reporting income tax and other returns. The TIN may be either a Social Security Number or an Employer Identification Number.

(c) If Offeror does not have a TIN, Offeror shall indicate if either a TIN has been applied for or a TIN is not required. If a TIN is not required, indicate whether

(i) Offeror is a nonresident alien, foreign corporation, or foreign partnership that does not have income effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States and does not have an office or place of business or a fiscal paying agent in the United States;

(ii) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a state or local government;

(iii) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a foreign government; or

(iv) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government

WITHDRAWAL OR CORRECTION OF OFFER

Offers may be withdrawn by written notice received at any time before the exact time set for opening. If the Solicitation authorizes facsimile offers, offers may be withdrawn via facsimile received at any time before the exact time set for opening. A bid may be withdrawn in person by a bidder or its authorized representative if, before the exact time set for opening, the identity of the person requesting withdrawal is established and the person signs a receipt for the bid. The withdrawal and correction of Offers is governed by Article 5 – 1520 of the District’s Procurement Code.

II. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS – B. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS

CONTENTS OF OFFER: (a) Offers should be complete and carefully worded and should convey all of the information requested. (b) Offers should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of offeror's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. (c) Each copy of your offer should be bound in a single volume where practical. All documentation submitted with your offer should be bound in that single volume. (d) If your offer includes any comment over and above the specific information requested in the solicitation, you are to include this information as a separate appendix to your offer. Offers which include either modifications to any of the solicitation’s contractual requirements or an offeror's standard terms and conditions may be deemed non-responsive and not considered for award.

OPENING PROPOSALS -- INFORMATION NOT DIVULGED

In competitive sealed proposals, neither the number nor identity of Offerors nor prices will be divulged at opening.

PROTESTS

Any protest must be addressed to the Chief Financial Officer, Lexington County School District One, and submitted in writing by e-mail or post-delivery as follows:

Mailing Address: Lexington County School District One