The University of Tennessee (Campus or Unit) Request for proposal Date_______________

1. (1) General Requirements

   1. (a) Issuing Office

      1. 1. This RFP is issued by (name, address and telephone number of University department), which shall be the sole point of contact for purposes of information concerning this RFP.

   2. (b) Submitting Proposals

      1. 1. The vendor is to deliver this proposal in the form and detail specified in this request to (address of University department) by (date).
      2. 2. Proposals will be opened on (date), at _____ AM:PM.
      3. 3. The cost and noncost sections of the proposal must be submitted as separate items.

   3. (c) Accepting or Rejecting Proposals

      1. 1. The University reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and/or to further negotiate with any potential vendor after proposals are opened.

   4. (d) Terms

      1. 1. The University’s standard terms and conditions are attached and should be included in the contract. The vendor must also meet federal and other State contractual requirements.

   5. (e) Analyzing Proposals

      1. 1. The contract will be awarded to the vendor who submits the proposal most advantageous to the University, considering the following criteria:
   6. (i) Prior experience.
   7. (ii) Resources to perform the work adequately. SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, AND CONSULTANT SERVICE CONTRACTS
   8. (iii) Qualifications of staff to be assigned to the work. This will be determined from resumes submitted. Education, position in firm, and years and types of experience will be considered.
   9. (iv) Vendor’s understanding of work to be performed. This will be determined by evaluation of time estimates for performing each step in the total services proposed.
   10. (v) Price per unit of service.
   11. (vi) Vendor’s contractual terms and conditions.

   12. (f) Evaluation Criteria (if applicable)

       1. 1. The proposal criteria will be evaluated in the following manner: [describe any applicable instructions, including any points or weighting, to be used to rank proposals].

   13. (g) Period of contract

       1. 1. The contract will cover the term from __________ to __________.

   14. (h) Terminating a Contract

       1. 1. Either party has the right to terminate the contract upon ____ days advance written notice.

   15. (i) Maintaining Records

       1. 1. For three years, the vendor must maintain documentation for all charges to the University under the contract. These records will be subject to audit.

   16. (j) Approving a Contract

       1. 1. No contract will be binding on the University until approved by the President or a Vice President (or designee by the Vice President for Business and Finance).

   17. (k) Unit or Hourly Rates

       1. 1. The RFP should specify the applicable unit or hourly rate to allow easier comparison of proposals.

   18. (l) Payments

       1. 1. Payments under the contract will be made after an invoice is submitted for performance of the services that each payment represents. The final payment will not be made until after the performance is complete.

   19. (m) Progress Reports

       1. 1. Periodic (monthly or quarterly) progress reports are required by the University for contracts in which the term is longer than three months.

   20. (n) Subcontracting SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, AND CONSULTANT SERVICE CONTRACTS

       1. 1. If any part of the work is or is to be subcontracted, the vendor’s proposal shall provide a description of the subcontracting organization and the contractual arrangements. All subcontractors will be subject to University approval. The successful vendor will also furnish the corporate or company name and the names of the officers or principals of companies proposed as subcontractors by the vendor.

2. (2) Proposal Format and Content

   1. (a) Vendors should prepare proposals simply, clearly, and economically, providing a concise description of their capabilities to satisfy the requirements of the RFP.

   2. (b) Organizational Support and Experience

      1. 1. This section shall contain all data relating to the vendor’s organization, personnel, and experience to substantiate his or her qualifications and capabilities to perform the services described in Section (3) below. It shall be divided into separate statements of:
   3. (i) Work experience.
   4. (ii) Resources to perform the work adequately.
   5. (iii) Qualifications of staff to be assigned to the work. This shall be in the form of resumes, including education, position in the firm, and experience.

   6. (c) Technical Proposal

      1. 1. This section shall describe the vendor’s plans for accomplishing the tasks described in Section (3) below. The information presented should be detailed enough so that the University can ascertain the vendor’s understanding of the work to be performed and should outline the steps in the total services proposed.

   7. (d) Cost Proposal (to be submitted separately)

      1. 1. This section shall contain all information relating to cost, commissions, fees, hourly rates, etc. When appropriate, proposals should contain unit or hourly rates limited by a maximum total obligation of the University.

3. (3) Description and Scope of Services Requested

   1. (a) (Description of Services)

Authority: T.C.A. 49-9-209, “Public Acts of Tennessee, 1839-1840”, Chapter 98, Section 5 and “Public Acts of Tennessee, 1807”, Chapter 64. Administrative History: Original rule filed March 29, 1978; effective June 14, 1978. Repeal and new rule filed May 27, 1986; effective August 12, 1986. Amendment filed September 20, 1999; effective January 28, 2000.