Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 12 - Finance and Administration › Part 9 - Office of Personal Service Contract Review Rules and Regulations › Chapter 3 - SOURCE SELECTION AND CONTRACT FORMATION › Sec2 12-9-3-203 - COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALS AND QUALIFICATIONS › Section 12-9-3-203.01 - General Provisions

Current through June 25, 2024
(a)
Conditions for Use:
When, the PPRB, determines that the use of
				  competitive sealed bidding is either not practicable or not advantageous to the
				  State, a contract may be entered into by competitive sealed proposals or
				  competitive sealed qualifications as provided herein. See Section 3-201 and
				  3-201.05 before issuance of a Request for Proposals or Request for
				  Qualifications.
(b)
Request
				  for Proposals:
Competitive sealed proposals shall be solicited through a
				  Request for Proposals (hereinafter referred to as "RFP"). Offerors responding
				  to the RFP must submit a Proposal.
(c)
Request for Qualifications:
Competitive sealed qualifications shall be solicited through a Request for
				  Qualifications (hereinafter referred to as "RFQ"). Offerors to the RFQ must
				  submit a Qualifications Response.
(d)
Public Notice:
Adequate
				  public notice of the RFP or RFQ shall be given in the same manner as provided
				  in Sections 3-202.01(c) and 3-202.06 (Competitive Sealed Bidding, Public
				  Notice).
(e)
Receipt of
				  Proposals or Qualifications:
The agency shall prepare and keep a
				  Register of Proposals or Qualifications which shall indicate the name of all
				  offerors.
(f)
Register of
				  Proposals or Qualifications:
As each proposal or qualification is
				  submitted, but before proposals or qualifications are opened, the Chief
				  Procurement Officer shall designate a person to prepare a Register of Proposals
				  or Qualifications, which shall include the number of modifications received, if
				  any, and a description sufficient to identify the supply, service, commodity or
				  other item offered. The designated person shall assign each submitted proposal
				  or qualification an identifying letter, number, or combination thereof, without
				  revealing the name of the offeror who submitted each proposal or qualification
				  to the Chief Procurement Officer or any person named to the evaluation
				  committee for that proposal or qualification.
(g)
Evaluation Factors:
The
				  Request for Proposals or Request for Qualifications shall state the relative
				  importance of each evaluation factor in terms of important, very important, and
				  critical. Price as an individual evaluation factor shall be given the highest
				  criteria weighting and at least thirty-five percent (35%) out of the one
				  hundred percent (100%) total weight of all the other evaluation
				  factors.
(h)
Discussions with
				  Responsible Offerors and Revisions to Proposal or Qualification:
If
				  provided in the RFP or RFQ and as set forth in these regulations, discussions
				  may be conducted with responsible offerors who submit proposals or
				  qualifications determined to be reasonably susceptible to being selected for
				  award. The discussions shall be for the purpose of clarification to assure full
				  understanding of, and responsiveness to, the solicitation requirements. In
				  conducting discussions, agencies should be cautious to not disclose information
				  derived from competing offers. Offerors should be accorded fair and equal
				  treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion. Revision of proposals
				  or qualifications may be permitted after submissions and prior to award for the
				  purpose of obtaining best and final offers.
(i)
Award:
Award shall be made
				  to the responsible and responsive offeror whose proposal or qualification is
				  determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the State taking into
				  consideration price and the evaluation factors set forth in the RFP or RFQ. No
				  other factors or criteria shall be used in the evaluation.