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Request for Quotation – Number 003-2020

Education Development Center, Inc. (Hereafter referred to as “EDC”)

Request for Quotation

For Information Technology Support and Maintenance Services in Liberia For the USAID Accelerated Quality Education Project

Monrovia, Liberia

Date of Issuance February 3, 2020

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Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) is an international non-profit organization that develops, delivers, and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges. Our work includes research, training, educational materials and strategy, with activities ranging from seed projects to large-scale initiatives. EDC enjoys a worldwide reputation for its excellence in program and fiscal management and for the impact of its work. The Accelerated Quality Education Project (AQE) provides educational opportunities to learners in Liberia. EDC’s work on AQE is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); organizations submitting quotations in response to this Request for Quotations (RFQ) have no relationship with USAID under the terms of this RFQ or any resultant contract. All communications regarding this RFQ must be directed to USAID AQE, Liberia.

Section 1: Purpose and Eligibility

1.1 Purpose The purpose of this RFQ is to invite prospective offerors to submit quotations for Information Technology Support and Maintenance Services for the EDC USAID Liberia AQE office, Gibson Avenue, 21st Street, Fiamah, Liberia and field office locations. EDC is seeking a professional and reliable Information Technology services firm to provide customer-focused End-to-End information technology support for its offices in Monrovia and in field offices. The selected Information Technology Services Provider:

Provides technology support to all of the EDC offices listed in Section 3 and is responsible for the maintenance and support of Information Technology Equipment including: OS X Server, Windows server, network devices, workstations, printers, scanners, and other peripherals. Additional equipment will be added as EDC expands its operations.

Sets up and troubleshoot wireless network in each office.

Is availability during business hours from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Reports and work closely with the EDC IT team in the United States and the Finance and Administration Director in Liberia to maintain, support and implement new technology for improved reliability, security and governance.

Required to work with the EDC IT Team in resolving technical issues. For more additional information, see Section 3: Technical Specifications and Requirements

1.2 Eligibility This procurement is open to offers from organizations which are incorporated or legally organized under the laws of Liberia, operating as a going concern in Liberia and either (1) is managed by a governing body, the majority of whom are citizens or lawful permanent residents of Liberia or (2) employs citizens or lawful permanent residents of Liberia in more than half its permanent full-time positions and more than half of its principal management positions. Offers from organizations which are incorporated or legally organized under the laws of the any country which is sanctioned by the US government shall not be considered

Section 2: General Information

2.1 Original RFQ Document EDC shall retain the RFQ, and all related terms and conditions, exhibits and other attachments, in original form in an archival copy. Any modification of these, in the offeror’s submission or subsequent contract, is grounds for immediate disqualification.

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2.2 RFQ Provisions 1. All information provided by EDC in this RFQ is offered in good faith. EDC makes no certification that

any item is without error. EDC is not responsible or liable for any use of the information or for any claims asserted there from.

2. This RFQ does not under any circumstances commit EDC to pay any costs incurred by the offeror in the submission of a quotation. This is the offeror’s responsibility.

3. All materials submitted in response to this RFQ shall become the property of EDC upon delivery to EDC.

4. Additional documentation may be required prior to selection. 5. All quotations in response to this RFQ and other communications related must be done in English.

2.3 Schedule of Events The following schedule applies to this RFQ but may change in accordance with AQE’s needs or unforeseen circumstances. Changes will be announced as formal modifications to the RFQ.

TIME DATE Time Table

4:00 pm Monrovia, Liberia time

February 10, 2020

Deadline for request for any clarifications from EDC. Questions must be submitted in writing via email to LiberiaRFQ@edc.org

4:00 pm Monrovia, Liberia time

February 12, 2020

Estimated date for issuance of any clarifications by EDC.

4:00 pm Monrovia, Liberia time

February 19, 2020

Deadline for submission of proposals

Section 3: Technical Specifications & Requirements

3.1 Specifications All of the requirements listed in Section 3.1 must be met by the Offeror. The following requirements and responsibilities must be reflected in the Offeror’s quotation:

A. End User Support The Offeror will support end users on the network including email setup and use with Microsoft Outlook. Also, software; client upgrades and patches; installation and testing printers and backup devices; while carrying out end user support, the Offeror is required to inform EDC of any preventative maintenance issues that are required. B. Server Backups Server will be configured by an EDC Technician to backup automatically to external hard drive. These backups must be verified on a weekly basis by the Offeror. Weekly backups of external server on Fridays; in the event that a public holiday falls on a Friday, back up can then be done on the Thursday preceding that Friday or the Monday. This must be done in coordination with the office. Scan backups for viruses prior to transfer of data to sever.

C. Back up computers The Offeror will ensure that all project related data is saved on the server or locally in a designated folder on each computer and backed up to an external drive on a weekly basis. Backups must be scanned for viruses prior to being transferred to the server. The Offeror will check, and where

mailto:LiberiaRFQ@edc.org

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necessary, configure EDC staff laptop and desktop computers to save all project related data on the server or locally in a designated folder on each computer. D. Perform basic servicing of computers The Offeror will be required to ensure defragging is carried out once a month and should not be done on computers with SSDs (Solid State Drives). The Offeror must also do Disk Clean-up on all computers once a month. E. Virus protection The Offeror must ensure that all (networked and not networked) computers have updated anti-virus and anti-spyware software (Kasperski or Windows Defender); the antivirus software will have a set schedule for updates but should be checked once a month to make sure the latest has been installed. A virus scan is automated and should be set to run a full scan weekly. Any new programs that are download are immediately scanned for viruses. Antimalware software such as Super AntiSpyWare and Malwarebytes need to be updated and run manually and these must be conducted biweekly. F. Check and service printers, as required The Offeror will check and service project printers. The Offeror will clean each project printer on a monthly basis as part of preventative maintenance. Other than ink cartridge and paper replacement, it is rare for printers to require service. Most network printers will prompt when service or maintenance is required. G. Deploy, remove and service client machines to/from the network, including hands-on cabling

and wiring, and basic TCP/IP troubleshooting The Offeror will ensure that each new or serviced machine should work by design like all the other machines. Any issue that results in a stoppage of work for the user should be address, escalated, and resolved within a timely fashion. H. Server Maintenance The Offeror will provide initial technical assessments of problems and solutions as the technical support specialist. I. Bandwidth Monitoring The Offeror will continuously monitor the accurate bandwidth use and limits for Monrovia and all County Offices. EDC’s Responsibilities are as follows: 1. Server configuration 2. Configuration of servers to back up automatically to external hard drive 3. Provision of external hard drive for backups; on days when there are no backups to be

performed this will be held by the COP in a safe location away from the office 4. Provision and or purchase of licensed software and hardware, approval for purchase of the

same 5. Provide all information as needed for The Vendor in carrying out its work. 6. Provide technical support and inputs to IT issues related to this contract that The Vendor may

need additional clarifications or approvals. Other issues

The AQE Project Offices hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm. The Offeror will provide technical support three days per week at the start of the contract based on a schedule agreed with EDC during

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project office hours for the Monrovia Office. For the field offices, the Offeror will provide technical support one day every two weeks (bimonthly). It may also be necessary to adjust the number of days per week based of changing project requirements. The staff assigned by the Offeror will coordinate all activities with the Finance and Administration Director based in the Monrovia office.

Depending on the issue, EDC may require additional technical support outside of regular work hours, including on weekends. Where this is requested or agreed, a daily rate, which the Offeror will reflect in the price quotation.

EDC may require additional technical support for its Field Offices. This will require prior approval and agreement by EDC. Once agreed EDC will be responsible for transportation to and from the field office, as well as hotel accommodation and meals using the project’s approved rates.

3.2 Delivery Schedule of Services and Locations The Offeror’s quotation must be developed based on the following delivery schedule, taking into account the delivery location, the number of anticipated staff and equipment specified below.

Deliverables All items and quantities from Section 3.

Estimated start dates for provision of any and all services detailed in Section 3

Services will be required to start on/about the dates and at the locations as detailed below:

1. Monrovia Office: Service will begin within 3 to 5 business days of

signing contract. Service will be for approximately 19 full-time staff, with possible extension of up to 25 staff – there will be 20 to 25 laptops/desktops in addition to a variety of printers

2. Grand Bassa, Bong and Montserrado Offices: Services will start approximately 3-5 business days after signing the contract. Service will be for approximately 10-12 staff with approximately 10-12 desktops/laptops in addition to several printers.

3. Lofa, Nimba and Margibi Offices: Services will start approximately 3-5

business days after signing the contract. Service will be for approximately 10-12 staff with approximately 10-12 desktops/laptops in addition to several printers.

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Section 4: Quotation Submission and Selection

4.1 Offeror’s Understanding of the RFQ

In responding to this RFQ, the Offeror fully understands the RFQ in its entirety and in details, including making any inquiries to AQE as necessary to gain such understanding. Clarification questions must be submitted by potential offerors—in writing on February 7, 2020 by 4:00 pm local time in Monrovia, Liberia (GMT). Responses will be published in writing. EDC AQE reserves the right to disqualify at its sole discretion any offeror who submits a quotation that is not responsive or that demonstrates less than such understanding. That right extends to cancellation of the contract if a contract has been made. Such disqualification and/or cancellation shall be at no fault, cost, or liability whatsoever to EDC.

4.2 Communication

Verbal communication shall not be effective unless formally confirmed in writing by the EDC Contact Person in charge of managing this RFQ process. In no case shall verbal communication govern over written communications. Offeror’s inquiries, questions, and requests for clarification related to this RFQ are to be directed in writing in English before February 7, 2020 by 4:00 pm local time in Monrovia, Liberia to: Education Development Center, Inc. Attention: AQE RFQ Information Technology Support Services, LiberiaRFQ@edc.org

4.3 Quotation Submission

Quotations must be provided on the offeror’s letterhead or stationery and must be delivered via email to: Education Development Center, Inc. Attention: AQE RFQ Information Technology Support Services, LiberiaRFQ@edc.org OR sent via postal mail or hand delivered to: Education Development Center, Inc. Attention: AQE RFQ Information Technology Support Services, Postal address: Gibson Avenue, 21st Street, Fiamah Liberia. Quotations submitted via postal mail or hand delivered must be in a closed and sealed envelope. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that the quotation is delivered to EDC by the deadline date listed in this RFQ. All quotations must be received by EDC, before the deadline date and time, February 17, 2020, 4:00 pm local time in Monrovia, Liberia.

4.4 Opening of Quotations

On February 17, 2020, 4:00PM Liberia time, EDC will open the quotations at the EDC USAID Liberia AQE office, Gibson Avenue, 21st Street, Fiamah, Monrovia Liberia All offerors are invited to attend the opening of bids either in person in the EDC Fiamah, Monrovia office. Up to two representatives of the offeror may attend the opening. quotations.

4.5 Evaluation Criteria

EDC shall evaluate all eligible quotations based on price. To be considered eligible, offerors must meet and demonstrate the following minimum requirements:

4.5.1 Eligible Quotations Offerors must submit ALL components required by this RFQ, including its annexes, in order for their quotation to be complete; please refer to Annex C for a list of required documents. Samples will be returned to Offerors after the EDC bid evaluation process is completed. Before evaluating quotations, EDC will determine which quotations include the components required by the RFQ to be considered a complete quotation and therefore eligible. Please note that although EDC will determine certain quotations to be complete, this determination does not signify that an award will be made to one or any of the offerors with complete quotations. Only complete quotations

mailto:LiberiaRFQ@edc.orgmailto:LiberiaRFQ@edc.org

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will be evaluated and considered for award. 4.5.2 Compliance with Technical Specifications & Requirements Offerors may be disqualified if the quotation does not demonstrate compliance with Section 4, Technical Specifications & Requirements. 4.5.3 Past Performance Offerors may be disqualified if a check of past performance demonstrates that the offeror has not been able deliver similar commodities on time and in a satisfactory manner.

4.6 Evaluation Criteria EDC shall evaluate all complete quotations based on pricing and cost realism, including offeror’s ability to project costs, which are realistic for the work to be performed; reflect a clear understanding of the requirements, and are consistent with Offeror’s technical capacity

4.7 Selection

EDC may award one or more firm fixed price contracts resulting from this RFQ to the Offeror(s) whose quotation(s) conforming to this RFQ offer(s) the greatest value. EDC may also (a) reject any or all quotations, (b) accept other than the lowest quotation, or (c) accept more than one quotation. Contracts may be issued for some or all of the deliverables. EDC, at its sole discretion, may waive informalities and minor irregularities in quotations received. EDC may award a contract without discussions with offerors. As such, offerors are strongly encouraged to submit their best quotations with their original submissions. EDC reserves the right to site visits and/or to conduct discussions, which may result in revisions to quotations, with one or more than one or all offeror(s) if EDC determines, at its sole discretion, discussions to be necessary. Discussions may include oral presentations provided by the offeror.

Section 5: Quotation Requirements

Quotations must be submitted in English 5.1 General Requirements

Offeror(s) must submit:

1. Quote on Offeror’s letterhead or stationery, including completed Pricing Template as provided in Annex B. All quotations should be GST Exempt

2. A summary of the information technology services the Offeror can provide based on the services requested in section 3.1 of the RFQ.

3. A summary of the Offeror’s full-time and part-time staff by title, education, technical specialization and years of experience.

4. The forms and certifications specified in Annex A 5. The RFQ Checklist (Annex C) and all other required documentations including: warranty, price

guarantee, and a sample schedule for providing coverage to each of the offices. 6. Offeror must be a registered business in Liberia and provide a copy of the registration document 7. Offeror must provide an up to date Tax Clearance document by the government of Liberia 8. Must have a minimum of 03 years of experience in providing similar information technology

support and maintenance services.

5.2 Price Quotation Requirements

The price quotation must include the costs for all the type of services including any necessary components to meet the specifications in Section 4. The quotation must follow the format provided in Annex B. The price quotation must be in United States Dollars. All offerors must provide a price guarantee that the

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quotation price remains valid for 120 days from the date of the quotation.

Section 6: Contract Type and Payment One or more contracts may be awarded in response to this RFQ. The payment schedule for any resultant task order under

the contract is anticipated to be as follows:

Deliverable Payment Amount

Execution of the agreed upon information

technology task(s) and services carried out

on a monthly basis.

Monthly

EDC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to revise the payment schedule before issuance of a contract.

Section 7: Organization Overview and Offeror Certification

7.1 Organization Overview and Certification

In order for their quotation to be considered, the offeror must complete and submit the organizational information form included in Annex A to this RFQ and submit all the attachments required by Annex A to this RFQ.

Section 8: Warranty, Proof of Business Registration and Up to Date Tax Certification In order for their quotation to be considered, the offeror must complete and submit the proof of their Business Registration and up to date tax certification as an attachment to this RFQ.

Section 9: Quotation Checklist The Quotation Checklist is required as part of the submission. It lists all pieces of the submission and should be used to track completion of the quotation package by the offeror. Please use the checklist provided in Annex C.

Annexes Annex A—Organizational Information and Certif ication Form

The Offeror must ensure that this form is duly completed and correctly executed by an authorized officer of the Offeror’s company. A1. Organizational Information Full legal name of the Offeror’s company: Year the Offeror’s company was established: Contact information regarding the proposal:

(a) Individual’s full name and title: (b) Full office address: (c) Telephone number: (d) Fax number: (e) Email address:

Offeror’s Dun & Bradstreet Number1: The Offeror certifies, by checking the applicable box(es), that:

The Offeror is a non-U.S. entity and it operates as: a corporation organized under the laws of (country name), an individual, a partnership, a nongovernmental nonprofit organization, a nongovernmental educational institution, a governmental organization, an international organization, or a joint venture.

The Offeror is a U.S. entity and it operates as:

a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of (state name), an individual, a partnership, a nongovernmental nonprofit organization, a state or local governmental organization, a private college or university, a public college or university, an international organization, or a joint venture.

A2. References Please list the names, email addresses, phone numbers, and contact people at three organizations to which the Offeror has provided services of a similar or larger size and scope

1 Offerors that currently have a Dun & Bradstreet Number are requested to provide this information. Offerors who are not registered with Dun & Bradstreet may do so at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. There is no charge for this registration. A Dun & Bradstreet Number is not required for submission of a proposal, but may be required before a contract is issued. Whether or not an Offeror currently has a Dun & Bradstreet number will not affect the evaluation of the Offeror’s proposal.

during the last 24 months, whom EDC can call on as references, and a description of the services provided to each organization. It is recommended that the Offeror alert the contacts that their names have been submitted and that they are authorized to provide performance information if requested by EDC.

Reference #1: Organization Name: Contact Person: Email Address: Telephone Number: Type of Services Provided: Value of the Services Provided: Month and Year During Which Services were Provided:

Reference #2: Organization Name: Contact Person: Email Address: Telephone Number: Type of Services Provided: Value of the Services Provided: Month and Year During Which Services were Provided:

Reference #3: Organization Name: Contact Person: Email Address: Telephone Number: Type of Services Provided: Value of the Services Provided: Month and Year During Which Services were Provided:

A3. Incorporation, Registration, and Litigation The following documents must be included in your proposal. Documentation showing the Offeror’s current legal incorporation in the country in which it is incorporated:

Attached A copy of the Offeror’s currently active registration in Mali, demonstrating that the organization can legally operate in Mali, if the Offeror will complete any work under a contract resulting from this RFQ in Mali.

Attached Offeror certifies that it will not complete any work under a contract resulting from this

RFQ in Mali and further certifies that it can legally operate in the country(ies) in which all work under a contract resulting from this RFQ will take place.

Information regarding any current lawsuits, legal proceedings, court cases, or other litigation in which the Offeror, or any of the entities in the collaboration, are involved, regardless of jurisdiction where the litigation resides.

Attached Offeror certifies that it is not currently involved in any lawsuits, legal proceedings, court

cases, or other litigation.

A4. Key Individuals The names and titles of the Offerors’s key individuals are:

(a) the principal officers of the organization’s governing body (e.g., chairman, vice chairman, treasurer and secretary of the board of directors or board of trustees): (b) the principal officer and deputy principal officer of the organization (e.g., executive director, deputy director, president, vice president): (c) the program manager(s) for the proposed contract: (d) any other person who will have significant responsibilities for administration of the US Government-financed activities or resources under the proposed delivery of the services:

A5. Awareness and Agreement to the Content of this RFQ By signing this form, the Offeror attests to its awareness and agreement to the content of this RFQ and all accompanying calendar schedules and terms and provisions contained herein, including but not limited to the payment terms in Section 6. A6. Compliance with Applicable Laws and Regulations By signing this form, the Offeror agrees to comply with all applicable U.S. federal laws and regulations including those governing affirmative action, E-Verify, equal employment opportunity, use of human participants in research, disabilities, prohibitions against supporting terrorism, prohibitions on human trafficking and prohibitions against discrimination, and, if the value of the contract resulting from this RFQ is $10,000 or more, Executive Order 13496, Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws, see 29 CFR Party 471, Appendix A to Subpart A. Offeror hereby certifies that it is not delinquent on any State or Federal tax. Offeror will cooperate with EDC in its efforts to comply with all laws, regulations and any award terms and conditions imposed by EDC by the sponsor(s) of this project. A7. Debarment and Suspension The Offeror further certifies that their firm (check one):

IS IS NOT

currently debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by any United States federal entity. The undersigned agree to notify EDC of any change in this status, should one occur, until such time as an award has been made under this procurement action. A8. Quotation Validity This quotation is submitted in response to an RFQ issued by EDC. The undersigned is a duly authorized officer and hereby certifies that:

(Offeror Name) agrees to be bound by the content of this Technical and Cost Quotation and agrees to comply with the terms, conditions and provisions of the referenced RFQ. The quotation shall remain in effect for a period of 120 calendar days as of the Due Date of the RFQ. A9. Authorized Negotiators Person[s] authorized to negotiate on behalf of this firm for purposes of this RFQ are:

Name: Title:

Signature: Date:

Name: Title:

Signature: Date:

A10. Signature Signature of Authorized Officer:

Name: Title:

Signature: Date:

Annex B (Please prepare the price quotation in Excel)

Service

Provided

Job Title for each

individual proposed

Hourly Rate in

USD

Daily Rate (8 hours)

Number of Days per

Office

Total Cost

(Daily Rate x Number of

Days)

Year 1

IT Services – AQE Monrovia Office

3 days per week

IT Services – AQE Bong County Office

1 day every two weeks

IT Services – AQE Grand Bassa Office

1 day every two weeks

IT Services – AQE Montserrado Office

1 day every two weeks

Year 2.

IT Services AQE Nimba County Office

1 day every two weeks

IT Services AQE Margibi County Office

1 day every two weeks

IT Services – AQE Nimba County Office

1 day every two weeks

Add more rows as necessary

Annex C - RFQ Checklist Please include this checklist with your Quotation Name of Offeror:

Items to be included with quotation Submitted

1. Checklist - Annex C

2. Quotation on Letterhead

3. Price guarantee valid for 120 days

4. Summary of the information technology services the Offeror intends to provide for the Monrovia Office, and Field offices

5. Annex A, completed and signed

a. Documents of Incorporation

b. Proof of Active Registration in Liberia

c. List of Key Personnel

d. Three (3) References

6. Up-to-Date Tax Certification Document

7. Annex B - Price Template in excel format (include CD with quotation if submitting Quote in person or by mail)