Change Log

10/2/2009 Requirements removed in the Scope of Work

10/8/2009 – Courier Fees content removed in the Scope of Work

10/9/2009 -  Postage Price Fluctuation added to Terms & Conditions

10/13/2009 - End Date extended

10/21/2009 - End Date extended

CSX is accepting bids on a 5-year term for Check Printing Services. The anticipated start date of the implementation process for this award is January, 2010.
 

The Buyer would like to establish a long-term relationship with one Supplier who is able to provide the products, quality and service-levels outlined in this bid document.

This is a company-wide program and will purchase through this award, which should provide assurance to the awarded bidder that the dollar value awarded is intended to be met.

Although price is an important element of this award, the quality and service-levels included in this document reveal that this is not a price-only decision.  Other factors to be considered include; service-levels, responsiveness, terms and conditions, and relationship.  It is the Buyers intention to contact several low bidders so they have an opportunity to discuss their capabilities, and any other benefits, before an award is made.
 

PLEASE NOTE: 

Any direct contact with the Buyer regarding this opportunity, prior to, during, or after the Online Bidding Event, until the Buyer contacts you, will cause you to be in violation of the bid process (see Sorcity Member Agreement) and be eligible for a penalty.

The quantities listed in the Line Item Worksheet for each product are expected to be minimum purchasing requirements during the next 5-years, based on the last 12-months of actual usage.  Currently suppliers should know the buyer does not intend to award a price higher than what they are currently paying, so please bid aggressively.

BID STRUCTURE:

Suppliers who are able to provide and bid on all items listed, and meet all terms and conditions stated, are invited to bid in this Online Bid Event (Ebid). You may not bid otherwise.  Bids will only be accepted in this Ebid.  Bidding in any other manner will disqualify you for this opportunity.  We look forward to your participation and ask that you read ALL specifications before placing your bid.

1. Please read and comply with the instructions in the Bid Notice email you were sent informing you of this opportunity.

2. Sorcity is providing the bidder this Line Item Worksheet to list Per Unit pricing, which will automatically calculate the “Total” bid price. Only the “Total” from the Worksheet may be entered as your bid in the Event. Do not attempt to enter line item prices online or your bid will be inaccurate.

3. Please be sure to save the Line Item Worksheet to your desktop first, then use it to work up your Bid.  This will allow you to promptly return this worksheet once the bidding ends.

4. Substitutes, of equivalent or better quality and performance, will be allowed for those items highlighted in yellow on the Line Item Worksheet. If you bid a substitute, then you must enter the Description and Price in the respective "Substitute" columns, highlighted in yellow.

5. Please note that this is not a commitment to buy all specified line items or quantities listed, but a good faith effort to meet or exceed the dollar amount awarded for goods in this general category.

6. Your Dun & Bradstreet number should be entered in the Line Item Worksheet where noted. 

7. The Buyer does not intend to change the requirements or process, but due to supplier optimizations over time, or changes within the Buyer's process, or other unknown factors, the supplier should factor in a couple of changes during the term, which may include several elements, without the change impacting price if the process and features needed are equivalent to the current process and features.  Where the process and features are not equivalent to what is currently being used, the price increases or decreases must be equivalent in discount to the discount provided in this bid and not market up.  

8. For changes that are needed, market comparisons may be made by the Buyer to confirm price changes and discounts.  If the awarded supplier's price for changes is not in line with this market comparison, it can be grounds for award termination based on supplier performance.

9. Once the bidding ends, ALL enders must send in their electronic Line Item Worksheet to Operations@sorcity.com within one (1) hour after the bidding ends.

Boiler Plate Contract: We have provided an advanced look at the standard CSX Boiler Plate Contract that is to be signed by the awarded Provider. We urge all Providers to review this in advance so that you are aware of the general terms and conditions of CSX before bidding.

REQUIREMENTS:

Here are requirements specific to this purchase:

Click on the link to review the 10/2/09, 10/8/09 - Requirements Removed Scope of Work in its entirety

 KEY DATES:   Anticipated for Award (U.S. Central Time) 

The Seller must honor the Bid Price until October 2014.

1. You must bid on all items listed in this Event. 

2. Buyer's standard terms and conditions apply

3. Payment Terms: Net 30

4. Regarding substitutes - Must be equal to or better than current spec's

5. Samples may be required at the end of this Event for quality assurance

6. Each party may terminate this Agreement if the other party breaches any material representation, warranty, term, condition, or obligation of this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within thirty (30) days after receipt of written notice of such breach.

7. Each party may terminate this Agreement if the other party becomes the subject of a voluntary petition in bankruptcy or any voluntary proceeding relating to insolvency, receivership, liquidation, or composition for the benefit of creditors, or become the subject of an involuntary petition of an involuntary petition in bankruptcy or any involuntary proceeding relating to insolvency, receivership, liquidation, or composition for the benefit of creditors, if such petition or proceeding is not dismissed within sixty (60) days of filing.

8. Based on the frequent price fluctuations on this commodity, the Buyer agrees to a price increase or decrease, based upon a mutually agreeable industry index, at each 12-month interval.  Buyer and supplier will use the cost published in Pulp and Paper Weekly. The Supplier agrees to provide Sorcity and the Buyer reports by email, 15-days prior to the end of each 12-month term, identifying any change in this index and explaining the impact on a change in price, if any. 

9. Added 10/9/2009: Due to the potential for price change on Postage, pricing must be fixed unless the vender in which you are paying postage increases your pricing. Changes in price must be based on verifiable documentation, provided by the awarded Supplier to the Buyer and Sorcity, documenting how pricing should change.  Notice should be provided, 30-days prior to the price increase to take effect.  

10. Requests for price changes shall be subject to written acceptance before becoming effective.  In the event new prices are not in conformance with the industry changes, this award may be cancelled based on Supplier performance.

11. Failure to provide this report, when prices are increasing, will result in supplier honoring current price for the subsequent quarter.  If it is a price decrease that failed to be reported by the Seller, then a 1% price reduction, in addition to the price reduction that should have been provided at the beginning of that period, will be retroactively provided to the Buyer for that quarter's total quantity ordered.