. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS

Seeds Group Inc. is a company that sells seeds from a catalog. The company is seeking proposals from experts in inventory management solutions to develop a new inventory control system that includes hardware and software infrastructure. The new inventory control system will help Seeds Group Inc. to avoid supply outages and delays that generate numerous complaints among customers. In addition, the new system will help keep the firms employees fully informed about inventory levels. In essence, the company is looking for a 24/7 real-time inventory control system. The purpose of this RFP is to offer a fair assessment of all candidates by providing them with evaluation criteria to determine the merits of their bids.

1.1 General Description of Work

This RFP is for a new inventory control system that will help in the daily management of inventory needs at Seed Group Inc. The goal of the new inventory tracking system is to allow real-time input of seed catalog data, which results in more accurate tracking and management of inventory. In addition, the new system must have the capability to handle supply disruptions during high seasons to prevent customer complaints because of delays. Since the implementation is likely to be handled under a different contract and at a later date, this solicitation is for the design stage only. Therefore, this RFP is essentially a concept to design production and inventory management.

1.2 What Must Be Included with Bid

Bidders are advised to read this whole RFP carefully and to abide by all directives in order to avoid disqualification from an award. Bidders should provide documentation that shows their qualifications and experience in providing the inventory tracking systems specified in this RFP. The documentation should include details of any similar previous projects. For such past projects, bidders must specify the client for whom the services were provided, the type of system provided, and dates when the system was provided. In addition, bidders must specify the fee structure for the design and development of the system. While the costs/price of the system must be firm and in relation to the specifications of this RFP, any additional information should be included in the bid. Bidders documentation will be used for comprehensive proposal evaluations.

1.3 Schedule of Bid Period Activities

Seeds Group Inc. intends to procure the new inventory tracking system based on the following schedule though the firm retains the right to modify the procurement schedule.

Activity

Due Date

1. Release RFP to Vendors

5/1/2022

2. RFP Questions and Release of Answers to RFP Questions

5/14/2022

3. Proposals Due

6/1/2022

4. Complete Proposal Evaluations

6/15/2022

5. Vendor Shortlisting

6/22/2022

6. Vendor Demonstrations and Reference Checks

7/14/2022

7. Site Visits

7/21/2022

8. Announcement of Apparent Successful Vendor

7/27/2022

9. Contract Negotiations, Approval, and Signing

8/10/2022

10. Work Begins

8/15/2022

1.4 Location of Work

The location of the project site is Seeds Group Inc., 10th Street 7030, Hoboken, New Jersey. This is the location of the facility and project site. All work and shipments should be made to this address in the attention of Edel Margaret, the Procurement Officer and RFP Coordinator.

1.5 Pre-Bid Meeting

All bidders are encouraged to visit the site to obtain the necessary information for the completion of their bid proposal processes. The site visit, which will also serve as the pre-bid meeting, will be carried out on April 29, 2022, at 10:00 am EST at the project site. Bidders attending the meeting are encouraged to arrive by 9:30 am EST to allow adequate time for registration and badging.

1.6 Owner Contact for Questions

Bidders should rely only on written statements issued by the Procurement Officer. Any questions regarding requirements and RFP should be directed to the Procurement Officer & RFP Coordinator at the address listed below.

Edel Margaret

10th Street 7030, Hoboken, NJ

705-222-2222

[email protected]

1.7 Pre-Award Surveys

Pre-award surveys will be conducted once the RFP is issued to bidders and before an award. For the pre-award survey, bidders are encouraged to provide detailed presentations on the management and technical approaches they will undertake on a contract. Pre-award surveys will be carried out at the bidders facility site, which will also help to evaluate the adequacy of the bidders facility. Timing for these surveys will be determined on an individual bidder basis. The surveys will be based on the technical capability, financial capability, and quality assurance of the bidder to help ascertain their capabilities.

1.8 Sealed Bid Requirements

All bids must seal and deliver their bids to Seeds Group Inc. before the time of the bid opening. Bids not in possession of the company by the time of the bid opening will not be considered and will be returned to the vendor. Bids can be delivered by hand or mail not electronically. Sealed bids must include proposal title, the name of bidder, opening date, and delivered to the following address:

Seeds Group Inc.

10th Street 7030, Hoboken, NJ

1.9 Basis for Bid Evaluation

Bid proposals will be evaluated by the management staff and procurement officer of Seeds Group Inc. RFP evaluation criteria will include, but are not limited to:

Qualifications and/or previous experience of the bidder.

Ability to meet RFP specifications in terms of technical and licensing requirements and functionality.

Qualifications and experience of proposed personnel in relation to their successful completion of a previous project with similar scope and size.

Scope of services offered.

Understanding of the requirements and the work required.

Costs including fee structure.

Reference checks.

Demonstration and oral presentations.

Project approach including project schedule.

Familiarity with the project.

1.10 Ethical Standards

This procurement transaction will be conducted in a professional way and in line with the highest ethical standards as required in procurement practices (Office of Supply Chain Management Procurement Division, 2020). Ethical standards to be followed in this procurement process include the ethical principles and practices that both Seeds Group Inc. and bidders are required to follow in their work. Corporate procurement policies will be used as the premise for ethical standards to be followed by the parties before and after the award of a contract. Seeds Group Inc. expects that once a contract is issued, bidders who wont receive the award will not undertake any actions to interfere with or disrupt the contractual obligations of the company. Some of the ethical standards that will be followed include equal opportunity and fairness to all bidders, preventing conflicts of interests, and professional conduct throughout the process. Bidders are barred from contacting any individual associated with or at Seeds Group Inc. on any matter relating to the project except necessary contact for any ongoing business with the company. Seeds Group Inc. reserves the right to take any and all actions deemed suitable in response to any unethical conduct by any of its staff involved in the procurement process or by a bidder.

1.11 Responsibility for Surety Bonds

The successfulproposer shall furnish Seeds Group Inc. with surety bonds at the time of executing the agreement. Bidders should fully execute the surety bonds and guarantee the successful performance the project and debt repayments for any expenses that may be incurred on his/her in the performance of the work. The issued surety bonds shall be acceptable to Seeds Group Inc if they are in the sum total of the full amount of the agreement unless otherwise specified.

1.12 Proposal Format

All proposals must be well organized, legible, concise, and in outline format. Necessary additional information should be referenced and included in the proposal as an appendix. The proposal should follow the format shown in Appendix A.

1.13 List of Bidders

Companies involved in Seeds Group Inc.s competitive bidding process are shown in Appendix B and based on the top 8 inventory management firms (Scout Inc., 2022).

1.14 Letter of Acknowledgement

For a bid proposal to be considered, it must be returned with the Letter of Acknowledgment found in Appendix C, by April 29, 2022, at 5:00 pm EST.

2. DESCRIPTION OF WORK

All bidders to the RFP need to design an up-to-date inventory control system for all inventory needs of Seeds Group Inc. Currently, Seeds Group Inc. provides a wide variety of seeds to more than 50,000 customers throughout the United States. While the company has continued to experience rapid growth since its inception, it faces challenges during the high seasons. During these seasons, supply disruptions are usually frequent and customer complaints regarding delays increase. The design of the new inventory control system should focus on preventing these two major issues during the high seasons in addition to managing the firms inventory needs on a daily basis.

2.1 Company Overview

The company is headquartered in Hoboken, NJ, and has grown into a blossoming business. It is currently one of the fastest-growing seed companies in the U.S. Since Seeds Group Inc. sells seeds through a catalog, it provides a complete range of seeds. By providing a wide range of seeds to thousands of American gardeners, Seeds Group Inc. seeks to safeguard the agricultural foundation on which our lives depend. The company believes that providing seeds is critical to safeguarding the future by guaranteeing a stable source of food. Therefore, the company seeks to provide seeds that benefit farmers, consumers, and gardeners throughout the U.S.

2.2 Mission

The mission of Seeds Group...…the bid documents. The written notice should be provided immediately upon discovery of the errors. The bidder shall bear the risks for any errors that were discovered prior to the fixed date for submissions if he/she failed to notify Seeds Group Inc. of the error. In such a scenario, the bidder shall not receive any additional compensation or extensions for the completion of the project if awarded the contract.

3.8 Clarifications of Bids

Seeds Group Inc. may make changes to the bid documents in the form of an addendum and send it to all bidders who received the RFP. The addendum will be sent to all bidders without disclosing the source of the request for modifications or clarifications and before the fixed date for submissions of bid proposals.

3.9 Bidder Signature

Bidder signature is a requirement for all bid proposals. The signature shall be included with the Letter of Transmittal, which must be signed by an authorized individual from the Company. The authorized individual must have the capacity to bind the Company to all terms and conditions of the proposal.

4. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS

Seeds Group Inc. intends to provide part of the contractual and technical aspects of the project to all bidders. The one set of contract drawings and specifications will be provided to all bidders on April 25, 2022, without charge. All bidders are required to:

a) Check all drawings provided to them upon receipt.

b) Compare the drawings and ascertain the figures.

c) Provide prompt notifications of any errors to Seeds Group Inc.

d) Assume responsibility for errors that were avoided even after discovery.

e) Reproduce specifications and drawings of the contract as necessary.

Bidders specifications and drawings will be reviewed. To ascertain whether the bidder has acceptable and suitable deliveries, Seeds Group Inc will require the following documents:

Business Requirements

Work Breakdown Schedule

Data Flow Diagrams

System Design

Technical Requirements

Risk Assessment

Proposed Project Schedule

Seeds Group Inc. considers these documents to be critical during the design phase of the project. Therefore, a review of the document would help provide insights into the capabilities of potential bidders to complete the project. Bidders are required to ensure that these documents have a high level of content and are detailed.

5. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND CONTRACT AGREEMENTS

Seeds Group Inc. will receive sealed bid proposals from interested and qualified companies to design a new inventory management system. The proposals should focus on improving the daily management of inventory at Seeds Group Inc. as well as avoiding supplier disruptions and increased customer complaints over delays during high seasons. Bidders are required to submit a proposal that covers all the specifications and requirements documented in the RFP package. Bid proposals that do not cover all the RFP requirements and specifications will not be considered. Seeds Group Inc. will carefully examine all bid proposals to ascertain if all the RFP requirements and specifications can be met by the bidder.

Bid proposals that are submitted to Seeds Group Inc. must be the original product of the bidding company. Two (2) original copies of bid proposals should be submitted by each bidder in sealed envelopes and clearly marked with the name SEALED PROPOSAL FOR A NEW INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM. Proposals should be submitted to the Procurement Officer & RFP Coordinator at Seeds Group Inc. They should be delivered to the following address by 6/1/2022, 5:00 pm (EST):

Edel Margaret

Procurement Officer & RFP Coordinator,

Seeds Group Inc.

10th Street 7030, Hoboken, NJ

705-222-2222

[email protected]

The specified date and time shall be the official receipt of all bid proposals. Seeds Group Inc. shall not be responsible for any lateness/non-delivery of bids by any carrier.

Seeds Group Inc. has undertaken all efforts and due diligence to ensure that the information presented in this RFP document is accurate and represents project requirements and specifications. However, the information contained herein is neither guaranteed to be accurate nor exhaustive. The information contained herein will solely be used as guidelines for bidders. By providing guidelines in this RFP document, Seeds Group Inc. seeks to elieve bidders from creating their own views, ideas, and conclusions regarding the project and the bidding process.

Each potential bidder is responsible for verifying information provided in this RFP document and providing written notifications to Seeds Group Inc. in the event of the discovery of any discrepancies, conflicts, ambiguities, and other errors. After reviewing this RFP document, the bidder must satisfy itself regarding the intent and ability to meet the requirements and specifications. Seeds Group Inc. will not accept any complaints, misunderstandings, or claims that emerge after a bid proposal is submitted.

Seeds Group…