BuyQ RFP BQ-MP-001 - Online Marketplace

ON BEHALF OF PARTICIPATING PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS and PRIVATE PK-12 SCHOOLS BUYQ is issuing the following REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (BQ-MP-001) for an ONLINE MARKETPLACE
PROPOSALS DUE ON May 10, 2024

Questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted in writing to Marco Rafanelli, at mrafanelli@buyq.org by March 22, 2024.
INTRODUCTION and BACKGROUND
RFP Summary

BuyQ, acting as a group purchasing agent on behalf of its 4250+ participating charter and private school participants, is soliciting proposals from qualified Vendors to enter into a master group purchasing agreement for an Online Marketplace (“Products”). BuyQ is acting as a group purchasing agent only and the awarded vendor will deal directly with individual Buyers. Each Buyer will be solely responsible for its own purchases, orders, and conduct under this Agreement. Buyer participation in the Agreement is voluntary.
About BuyQ

BuyQ is a mission-driven organization that provides charter and private schools nationwide opportunities to reduce costs and improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness through group purchasing contracts with Vendors in select product categories. BuyQ is proud to serve over 4,250 schools through its existing group purchasing portfolio. BuyQ’s buying power in charter schools is especially strong, with over 50% of all charter schools participating in one or more of our contracts.
About Charter Schools

Charter schools are free public schools of choice that deliver tailored educational programs to meet the specific needs of the communities they serve. Their unique operational autonomy typically enables them to make purchasing decisions based on their individual needs and priorities. As such, charter schools represent a unique market segment for product and service Vendors that wish to expand their public K-12 market share.
Charter School Market Size and Growth

Public charter schools currently serve 3.7 million students in 7,800 schools and campuses. During the 2020-21 school year, charter schools enrolled 7.5% of all public school students, up from 6.8% in 2019-20. Since the 2005-06 school year, the number of charter schools and campuses has more than doubled, and charter school enrollment has more than tripled (Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools).
About Private Schools

Private schools are educational institutions that are not primarily supported by public funds. BuyQ includes all such PK-12 schools in our list of eligible private schools including Catholic, other religious, non-sectarian, and independent schools.
Private School Market Size and Growth

The latest year for which private school enrollment data is available is fall 2019. In fall 2019, about 5.5 million preK-12 students were enrolled in over 33,000 schools and campuses (Source: National Center for Education Statistics). The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted private school enrollment and, although federal head counts have not yet been released, both the National Association of Independent Schools and the National Catholic Educational Association have reported increases that total about 73,000 K-12 students during the past two years.
Market Opportunity

BuyQ anticipates significant purchases to be recorded against the resulting Agreement(s). At the time of release, 4250+ charter and private schools participate in one or more BuyQ contracts. BuyQ anticipates that a substantial number of participants will make purchases resulting from this solicitation based on usage of other contracts. However, BuyQ makes no guarantee or commitment of any kind concerning usage/sales resulting from this solicitation. The sales volume for this contract is estimated to be more than $50 million a year. This estimate is provided solely as an aid to Vendors in preparing proposals. The successful vendor(s) discount and pricing schedule shall apply regardless of the volume of business under the contract.
BuyQ Marketing Support

BuyQ will work closely with the awarded vendor to develop and implement a custom marketing and sales support plan to create opportunities for charter and private school market growth and retention. Marketing and sales activities in support of this contract may include the following:

Market Intelligence

BuyQ is available to provide subject matter expertise and “on-demand” insights for sales and marketing leadership on the charter and private school markets. Examples include:
- Comparing and contrasting charter, private, and traditional public school buying behavior, trends and preferences.
- Refining customer profiles and personas to improve messaging.
- Experience-based advice on 3rd-party opportunities such as association partnerships and conferences.
Data and Analytics

BuyQ will provide vendor access to information on charter and private schools to enable vendor to efficiently and effectively segment and target buyers. This information may include lists of all charter and private schools, new and expanding schools, and school leadership contact information.

BuyQ analyzes all sales data provided by the awarded vendor to find opportunities to grow existing business and refine business development efforts. Reports can be customized and include insights into buying patterns based on customer segments, geography and products.

General Marketing Support

Contract Award Announcement
BuyQ will announce the contract award through multiple channels including:
- News release posted to the wire and on BuyQ’s website.
- Dedicated email to BuyQ’s full email list.
- Announcement on BuyQ’s and BuyQ executives’ social media accounts, including LinkedIn.
Co-branded Materials

Following the contract award and receipt of logo from the vendor, BuyQ will include awarded vendor in all BuyQ’s co-branded marketing and sales print materials, including BuyQ’s brochure and sell sheets, which are shared with customers at conference, events, roundtables, receptions, one-on-one sales meetings, etc.

Ongoing Digital Marketing Support

Following the contract announcement, BuyQ will market the contract and awarded vendor through various channels including:
- On-going presence on BuyQ’s website in the form of a dedicated vendor webpage.
- Inclusion in BuyQ’s newsletters and targeted email campaigns.
- Social media posts.
Content Marketing and the Charter School Insider Podcast

Vendor Case Study: If vendor can provide a customer, BuyQ will produce a case study featuring awarded vendor and school customer to be posted on the BuyQ Resource Center. BuyQ will also distribute the piece via email and BuyQ’s social media channels. Hard copies of the case study will also be distributed via BuyQ’s booth at various charter and private school conferences.

Charter School Insider Podcast: Focused on the business side of running charter schools, the Charter Schools Insider Podcast is the most listened to podcast in its genre and has a five-star rating across all distribution platforms. Awarded vendors will be invited along with a charter school customer representative as podcast guests.

Additional: BuyQ will work with awarded vendor on various opportunities to develop and/or distribute vendor informed educational content to prospects and buyers through various channels including BuyQ’s website, BuyQ emails, conferences and events and channel partner opportunities.

Conferences and Events

BuyQ maintains a visible presence at key customer conferences. Our conference strategy includes the following key activities:
- Exhibit hall booths at and often sponsorship of the largest charter and private school conferences nationwide including (but not limited to) the National Charter Schools Conference, the National Associaiton of Independent Schools Conference, and state conferences in Texas, California, Colorado, Florida and other top markets.
- Using exhibit hall booth to collect warm leads for BuyQ and our awarded vendors through cash giveaways and other incentives.
- Leading or participating in conference sessions on timely charter and private school business and operations topics.
- Hosting and co-hosting networking functions such as happy hours, receptions and dinners for key customers and prospects.
- Awarded vendors are promoted at these events by being included in onsite print materials and via one-on-one conversations with event attendees.
Sales Support

BuyQ will work with awarded vendor’s sales team to develop strategies for effectively selling into the private and charter school markets. BuyQ will also work directly with vendor sales leaders and representatives to identify, segment and target joint customers and prospects, including providing introductions to school contacts when possible and participating in joint customer meetings. Finally, BuyQ conducts its own direct sales campaigns to grow BuyQ registrations and provide warm leads to awarded vendors.

Additional: As an awarded vendor, you will have the opportunity to leverage BuyQ’s knowledge, resources, and connections to help promote your products and services in other ways not described here. We are happy to work with you to create additional joint marketing campaigns, co-sponsor events, host webinars, etc. Your success equals our success, and we are eager to work with you creatively to achieve our shared goals!
DEFINITIONS

All capitalized terms in this RFP not defined in this Section shall have the meanings set forth in the Sections or Exhibits of this Agreement in which they are defined.

Throughout this RFP there are terms which are synonymous and interchangeable, such as "Vendor" or “Supplier” and “Contractor”, “Respondent”, “Proposer”, “Offeror” and “Bidder,” “Proposal” and “Bid,” and “Agreement” or “Master Agreement” and “Contract.”

“BuyQ Participants” or “Participants”: Each legal entity identified by BuyQ that is a past, present or prospective customer. Participants are most typically K-12 public charter schools or PK-12 private schools.

“Not to Exceed” pricing: Pricing that is based on the maximum amount (on a per-item basis before any tax and freight) that a customer will pay that is agreed to by the Vendor and the Customer. During the agreed upon time period, the price of each item may be lower than the Not to Exceed price, but cannot be higher.

“Core Lists” or “Market Baskets”: A group of products that Vendor has agreed to offer to a Customer for an agreed period of time at “Not to Exceed” pricing.
RFP PROCESS SCHEDULE and SUBMISSION INFORMATION

BuyQ reserves the right to modify the below timeline. Any changes to the timeline will be communicated to respondents via email.

Activity	Expected Date	Method	Who
Issue RFP	03/15/2024	Post on website and via email	BuyQ
Submit an intent to respond	03/27/2024	email to mrafanelli@buyq.org	Respondent
Deadline for questions	3/22/2024	email to mrafanelli@buyq.org	Respondent
Proposal due date	5/10/2024	Submit RFP via Jotform online tool	Respondent
Virtual presentations (for finalists)	5/20/2024-5/23/2024	Virtual meeting	Vendor finalist(s) and BuyQ eval Committee
Negotiations (as needed)	5/24/2024-5/26/2024	via email or phone	BuyQ and vendor finalist(s)
Contract award date	5/31/2024	email	BuyQ
Contract start date	TBD, as early as 05/31/2024	Execute contract	BuyQ and awarded vendor(s)

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
Scope

It is BuyQ's intention to establish a contract with Vendor(s) for products sold through an online marketplace (Products). BuyQ is seeking vendor(s) that have the depth, breadth and quality of resources necessary to complete this contract and serve PK-12 education customers throughout the country. BuyQ expects that Respondents offer a wide array of products and services at the lowest price available to K-12 charter and private schools nationwide.
Objectives

The following outlines the primary objectives of this RFP:

● Provide BuyQ participants the best overall price, value, and lowest total cost of ownership based on the aggregate purchasing volume of all current and potential BuyQ participants.

● Reduce participating customer and awarded vendor administrative costs though a central RFP process that reduces or eliminates the need for individual customer participants to issue their own RFPs or requests for bid while maintaining compliance with internal and external purchasing rules and regulations.

● Establish the awarded contract as the winning vendor’s primary go to market strategy to K-12 charter and private schools nationwide.
NOTICE TO RESPONDENTS

Submission of a proposal confers NO RIGHT on a Respondent to an award or to a subsequent contract. BuyQ, in its sole discretion and for any reason or no reason, reserves the rights to reject any or all proposals, accept only a part of any proposal, accept the proposal deemed most advantageous to BuyQ, and waive any technicalities. The issuance of this RFP does not obligate BuyQ to make an award or negotiate or execute a contract. BuyQ reserves the right to amend the terms and provisions of the RFP, negotiate with a respondent , add, delete, or modify the contract and/or the terms of any proposal submitted, extend the deadline for submission of proposals, ask for best and final offers, or withdraw the RFP entirely for any reason solely at BuyQ's discretion. An individual proposal may be rejected if it fails to meet any requirement of this RFP. BuyQ may seek clarification from a respondent at any time, and failure to respond within a reasonable time frame is cause for rejection of a proposal.
BuyQ Code of Conduct

DOWNLOAD and read BuyQ's code of conduct
Please check the box to indicate that the Respondent has read and acknowledges the BuyQ code of conduct*

Acknowledged
GENERAL TERMS AND INSTRUCTIONS
Questions

Any questions regarding this RFP must be directed via email to Marco Rafanelli, Co-Founder, COO and Chief Product Officer at mrafanelli@buyq.org. All questions must be received no later than March 22, 2024. Respondents are expected to raise any questions, exceptions or concerns they have regarding the RFP. If a Respondent discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission or other deficiency in this RFP, the Respondent should immediately notify Marco Rafanelli via email of the deficiency and request modification or clarification of the RFP document. Any questions and responses specific to the terms and conditions, process, procedures, language, specifications, and other parts of the RFP maybe made public. Questions and responses that pertain to proprietary information will be answered confidentially via email. Please note that oral communications concerning this RFP shall not be binding and shall in no way excuse Respondent of the obligations set forth in this proposal.
Clarifications

Respondent may receive a written request to clarify, in writing, its proposal to determine whether a proposal should be considered for award. The process of clarification is not an opportunity for a Respondent to revise or modify its proposal, and any response by a Respondent to a written request for clarification that attempts to revise or modify its proposal shall be given no effect. The purpose of the request for clarification will be solely made for the purpose of eliminating minor irregularities, informalities, or apparent clerical mistakes in the proposal, which may be corrected or waived in BuyQ’s sole discretion.
Restricted and Prohibited Communication

During the period between the date BuyQ issues this RFP and the selection of the Vendor who is awarded a contract by BuyQ, if any, Respondents shall restrict all contact with BuyQ employees and members of the RFP evaluation committee and direct all questions regarding this RFP, including questions regarding terms and conditions, only to the individual identified above in the “Questions and Clarifications” section in the specified manner. Contact with any of these prohibited individuals after issuance of this RFP and before selection is made, may result in disqualification of the Respondent. The communications prohibition shall terminate when a contract has been awarded. The purpose of this prohibition is to create a level playing field for all Respondents and to protect the integrity of the RFP process.
Non-Responsive Proposals

All proposals will be reviewed for responsiveness to the material requirements of the solicitation. A proposal that is not materially responsive shall not be eligible for further consideration for award of the contract, and the Respondent shall receive notice of the rejection of its proposal.
Negotiations

BuyQ shall determine which responsive proposals are in the competitive range and/or are reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. Proposals not in the competitive range may not be further evaluated. Proposals in the competitive range shall be evaluated on the evaluation criteria set forth in the solicitation. If BuyQ decides to conduct negotiations, notice shall be provided to each Respondent whose proposal is being considered for award, which notice may identify, in general terms, the elements or factors upon which BuyQ intends to base its negotiations. Respondents will not be assisted, in any way, to bring their proposal up to the level of other proposals through discussions. During negotiations, no Respondent’s technical proposal or pricing shall be revealed to any other Respondent or to any other person who is not involved with the evaluation process. BuyQ will also not indicate to Respondent a cost or price that it must meet to either obtain further consideration nor will it provide any information about other Respondents’ proposals or prices.
Best and Final Offer

BuyQ, in its sole discretion, may request all Respondents in the competitive range to submit a Best and Final Offer. Respondents must submit their Best and Final Offers in writing. If a Respondent does not respond to the request for a Best and Final Offer, that Respondent’s most recent prior offer will be its Best and Final Offer.
Formation of Contract

A response to this solicitation is an offer to contract with BuyQ based upon the terms, conditions, scope of work, and specifications contained in this request. A solicitation does not become a contract until it is awarded by BuyQ and executed by both BuyQ and Vendor.
Multiple Awards

BuyQ participants includes a large number of charter and private schools of various sizes located throughout the nation. To ensure that any ensuing contract(s) will allow BuyQ to fulfill current and future customer needs, BuyQ reserves the right to award contract(s) to multiple vendors. The decision to award multiple contracts, award only one contract, or to make no awards rests solely with BuyQ.
Past Performance

A Respondent’s performance and actions under previously awarded contracts or as reported by current or past customers are relevant in determining whether or not the Proposer is likely to provide quality goods and services to BuyQ participants; including the administrative aspects of performance; the Respondent’s history of reasonable and cooperative behavior and commitment to customer satisfaction; and generally, the Respondent’s businesslike concern for the interests of the customer.
Protest of Non-Award

Protest Procedure: Any protest of an award or proposed award must be filed in writing within five (5) business days from the date of the official award notification and must be received by 5:00 pm MST. No protest shall lie for a claim that the selected Vendor is not a responsible Proposer. Protests shall be filed with Marco Rafanelli, at mrafanelli@buyq.org. Protests shall include the following:

1. Name, address and telephone number of protester

2. Original signature of protester or its representative

3. Identification of the solicitation by RFP number

4. Detailed statement of legal and factual grounds including copies of relevant documents; and the form of relief requested
Waiver:

BY SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, PROPOSER EXPRESSLY AGREES TO WAIVE ANY CLAIM IT HAS OR MAY HAVE AGAINST BUYQ, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, ITS TRUSTEES, OR AGENTS ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH (1) THE ADMINISTRATION, EVALUATION, RECOMMENDATION OF ANY PROPOSAL; (2) ANY REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE SOLICITATION, PROPOSAL PACKAGE, OR RELATED DOCUMENTS; (3) THE REJECTION OF ANY PROPOSAL OR ANY PART OF ANY PROPOSAL;AND/OR (4) THE AWARD OF A CONTRACT, IF ANY.
Notice

BUYQ SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY COSTS INCURRED BY PROPOSERS OR THE SELECTED VENDOR IN CONNECTION WITH RESPONDING TO THE RFP, PREPARING FOR ORAL PRESENTATIONS, PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL, ENTERING OR NEGOTIATING THE TERMS OF A CONTRACT, OR ANY OTHER EXPENSES INCURRED BY A PROPOSER. THE PROPOSER OR SELECTED VENDOR IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY SUCH COSTS AND EXPENSES AND SHALL NOT BE REIMBURSED IN ANY MANNER BY BUYQ.
AWARD PROCESS AND BASIS OF AWARD

Proposals will be evaluated by BuyQ in accordance with our contracting process rules and code of conduct. An evaluation committee of BuyQ participant school representatives will be called upon to assist in proposal evaluation and award decision. The recommendation for contract awards will be based on the predetermined criteria factors outlined in this solicitation, where each factor is assigned a point value based on its importance. Finalists will be asked to make virtual presentations to the BuyQ evaluation committee.

BuyQ has identified the following criteria as most critical to the award decision:
- Ability to deliver the Products to charter and private schools on a national scale.
- Breadth and quality of Products/Services.
- Pricing and terms that provide BuyQ participants the best overall price, value, and lowest total cost of ownership based on the aggregate purchasing volume of all current and potential BuyQ participants.
- Added value/incentives and services.
- Vendor’s qualifications, references, reputation, experience and past performance.
- Ability to effectively market and promote the Products/Services to all eligible Buyers (marketing plan).
- Location and number of salespersons who can support the marketing and sales of this contract to BuyQ participants.
- Experience in and an understanding of the charter and private school markets.
- Service, support, product warranty and maintenance.
- Ease and quality of customer experience throughout the buying process.
Evaluation Criteria

BuyQ will use an overall scoring system with a total possible score of 1000 points. BuyQ and its evaluation committee reserves the right to assign any number of point awards or penalties it considers warranted. The criteria, corresponding questionnaire section and associated points are as follows:

Criteria	Maximum Points
General Company Information, Experience and Reputation	150
Products/Services and Pricing	350
Ordering and Distribution Model	200
Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service	200
Contract Terms and Conditions Fit	50
Presentation and Overall Quality of Proposal	50
Total Possible Points	1000

DEFINITION OF PRODUCTS and SERVICES
Product Categories

BuyQ intends to enter into a contract with one or more Respondents to provide its Participants with access to an Online Marketplace that provides products across a wide vast of categories to include but not limited to the following:

● Arts and Crafts Supplies
● Cleaning Supplies and Equipment
● Clothing / Shoes / Apparel
● Educational Equipment and Materials
● Electronic Products and Appliances
● PE and Athletic Supplies
● Food and beverage
● General and Miscellaneous Supplies
● Musical Instruments /Audio Equipment
● Office Equipment and Accessories and Supplies
● Over-the-Counter Medicine / Personal Care
● Paper Materials and Products
● Published Products Including Books / E-books / Magazines
● Small Appliances and Power Tools
● Sports and Outdoors Equipment and Supplies
● Technology Products including Computers and Tablets
● Telecommunications Products
● Maintenance and Repair Supplies
● Toys and Games

Online Marketplace Platform

Respondents shall provide an established online marketplace platform that:
● Offers a wide variety of products across multiple product categories.
● Is designed as a platform to connect multiple sellers offering products to buyers and includes:

▪ A secure login for multiple customer locations under one or more parent accounts.
▪ The ability to develop and maintain a customer-specific online catalog of items.
▪ User friendly interface with visibility to pricing which identifies purchase price discounted from list or advertised price (where possible).
▪ Access to online order history.
▪ Mobile-enabled site and/or mobile app.
▪ Payments allowable through the platform via purchase order, debit card, credit card, or gift card.
▪ Customer service with options to interact via website chat, email, and phone.

● Provides a main point of contact to provide customer service and resolve any account issues.
● The ability to identify methods for delivery and provide delivery options of 5 days or less for a majority of products across product categories.
● An interface to provide spend analytics and reporting.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Each Respondent must meet the following minimum qualifications to participate in this proposal:
- Respondent is able to provide products and related services to BuyQ Participants nationwide
- Respondent shows a demonstrated commitment to the K-12 market. Respondents must have at least three (3) years’ experience selling the Products to the K-12 market within the last five (5) years.
- For the covered Products and Services, Respondent is able to provide BuyQ Participants dynamic, market-based pricing.
- All items proposed must comply with current applicable safety or regulatory standards or codes.
- Proposed equipment and products must be for new, current model; however, Respondent may offer certain close-out equipment or products if it is specifically noted in the Pricing proposal.
- The ability to offer tax-exempt pricing. Vendor acknowledges that following tax law in each state is solely the Vendor’s responsibility
Acknowledgement of Minimum Qualifications*

Respondent meets all minimum qualificationsOther - please explain
PROPOSAL QUESTIONNAIRE
GENERAL COMPANY INFORMATION, EXPERIENCE and REPUTATION

Please provide the following general information about your company. NOTE: If a question is required but does not apply to your company's capabilities, please fill in the blank with "N/A".
Company's official registered name and any DBA names *
Brief history of your company, including the year it was established*
Company's D&B Number
Company's Central Office Address *

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState / Province

Postal / Zip Code
Company-wide total annual sales (top-line revenue) for both 2022 and 2023 *
What is your company's mission? Please give one example of how your mission drives business decision-making *
What differentiates your company from competitors? How will this translate into value for our charter and private school participants? Provide examples if possible. *
Is your company able to offer products and services to customers in all 50 states? If not, indicate every state where your company is UNABLE to serve customers.*

YesNo- list all ineligible states
Number of years your company has been selling the products under consideration to the K-12 market*

0-55-1010-2020+
Indicate your approximate national charter school K-12 market share:*

< 1%1-5%5-10%>10%
Indicate your approximate national private school K-12 market share:*

< 1%1-5%5-10%>10%
Describe your company’s social responsibility programs (philanthropy), especially any that provide funding to K-12 schools and/or K-12 non-profit support organizations. *
What two companies do you consider to be your main competitors in the K-12 market? *
Please provide the contact information for BuyQ's central point of contact for all business items related to the administration and management of the contract following award:*
Please provide the contact information for BuyQ's central point of contact for marketing and sales (if different):*
Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) and Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Participation

It is the policy of some entities participating BuyQ contracts to involve minority and women business enterprises and historically underutilized businesses (HUB) in the purchase of goods and services. Respondents shall indicate below whether they are an MWBE or HUB certified.
Minority Women Business Enterprise - Respondent certifies that this firm is a MWBE*

YesNo
Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUB) - Respondent certifies that this firm is a HUB*

YesNo
Small Business, MWBE and HUB Support. If Proposer is a Large, National or Multinational Organization/Corporation with multiple partner manufacturers and suppliers, do you have programs in place that supports the growth of small and MWEB and HUB business?

N/A, we are a recognized MWEB or HUB organizationNo, we do not have any programs in place.Yes, we have one or more programs in place – (please describe in the text box)
If applicable, provide information regarding whether your firm is presently involved in any litigation, bankruptcy, or reorganization*
If your company is offering installation services as part of your response to this RFP, provide your company's policies for background checks, fingerprinting, and TB screening for any employees who may enter customer grounds, or for fulfilling those requirements should a customer require it.*
List any cooperative/group purchasing agreements currently held pertinent to the K-12 education market. Include the following information for each: Cooperative name, contract termination date, describe the pricing structure, describe any rebate structures, provide 2023 total sales *
Describe your company’s implementation and success with existing cooperative purchasing programs, if any, and provide the cooperative’s name(s), contact person(s) and contact information as reference(s).
Provide a minimum of 3 references from existing or past charter and/or private school customers. If none exist, provide references from public K-12 customers:
Reference #1 *
Reference #2*
Reference #3*
PRICING - COVERED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

NOTE: The awarded vendor’s submissions in this section will be incorporated into Exhibit A “Supplemental Provisions” section of the Master Agreement.
Commonly Purchased Item Price Comparison

For the purposes of determining price competitiveness, we request that each respondent provide pricing for all the items in this linked commonly purchased pricing file.

Price File Notes:
1. All respondents must provide best availble pricing based on their marketplace's dynamic pricing model according to the instructions provided in the attached file.
3. Pricing provided shall be inclusive of any Administrative Fees or rebates that may be included in the Master Agreement OR the respondent may calculate fees and rebates separately without passing them on to the customer.
Once completed, upload an electronic copy of the Price File. *

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If needed, provide any notes to accompany your submitted price list.
Administrative Fee Confirmation Please confirm that the pricing submitted includes the required administrative fee of 2% (or that the fee will be calculated separately and not passed on to the Customer). Please note that, as per section 5 of the Master Agreement, BuyQ intends to pass on a portion of the fee to eligible Buyer participants who meet certain sales thresholds.*

Yes - pricing is inclusive of the fee or will be calculated separatelyNo - the 2% fee must be added to all pricingOther
Custom Core Lists. BuyQ requests that individual customers be provided with the opportunity to create custom Core Lists with items that are priced as “not to exceed” for a set period. Please respond with your ability to provide custom Core Lists. Include any parameters or boundaries for such Core Lists including (but not limited to) product categories, minimum category or product annual spend, time limits, and number of included items. *
Dynamic Pricing. Non-Core List pricing will be established by overall market trends to ensure that the end users and their entities are continually receiving the best value. The Master Agreement will not need to be amended for price when the market goes up or down due to the market establishing the best value possible.*

We acknowledge and agreeOther - please explain
Bulk Discounts. Describe you company’s bulk buying programs, if any, including the ability to negotiate discounts on bulk orders. Please describe any relevant parameters to this program including order sizes, excluded categories, etc.*
Rebates. If offered, please describe any rebates that will be available to BuyQ customers under the Master Agreement. Indicate if rebates are applicable above a certain purchasing threshold and if there are any other limitations applicable to offered rebates. Please indicate if such rebates are standard to your K-12 customers or if they provide unique value to BuyQ participants. *
Pricing Scale Comparison. Compare the value of the proposed pricing and other terms (such as Core Lists and Rebates) to large school districts, public agencies, and other cooperative group purchasing organizations that serve PK-12 Schools. Please indicate how the proposed pricing and overall total value compares to each of those competitive contracts. Given BuyQ’s market share and history serving our niche, BuyQ’s expectation is that our contract be the best option for our participating charter and private schools. *
Other Restrictions and Fees. Please provide any other relevant information, fees or restrictions for BuyQ Participants to receive pricing or value under this contract, such as minimum order sizes related to shipping and services, restocking fees, and/or any other relevant fee or restriction associated with this contract. Fees or restrictions not listed will not be allowed under the Master Agreement.
Community Affiliation. Indicate any programs that allow BuyQ customers to extend the BuyQ contract/program to their community members such as parents or donors.
Teacher Shopping Lists. Describe any programs you offer that allow teachers or other individual buyers to create a shopping list of items that parents or other community members can pay for. Please explain how payment and delivery is handled for any such program.
Value Added Products and Services

Please include any additional products and/or services not included in the scope of the solicitation that you think will enhance and/or add value to this contract for BuyQ participating charter and private schools.

Clearly indicate if such products or services are normally offered to individual customers or if there is any component of the offering (such as reduced price) that is exclusive to BuyQ customers under the Master Agreement.

All products or services offered in this section are subject to the same requirements as products offered in the “Pricing” section above. Respondents must provide detailed descriptions of any additional products and services being offered as a part of their proposal, and BuyQ reserves the right to reject any value-add products or services which it deems to be unrelated to the scope of this RFP.
Fill in proposed value added Products and Services here OR
Attach a file with all required information on proposed value added Products and Services here.

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New and Expanded School Pricing and Terms
Strong proposals will offer deeper discounts on products, services and/or value-added services to new and expanding schools. New and expanding schools, which we define as any school that is opening a new campus (including brand new schools and existing schools that are expanding) are a key market segment and can drive significant sales volume. Recognizing the special opportunity these customers provide presents your company the opportunity to build a strong relationship from day one. The strongest proposals will offer additional discounts and/or an exclusive value-added offering for new schools to be applied for the six-months-prior-to and two-months-after the new or expanding school’s opening period. The strongest responses to this question will include special pricing and extended payment terms. In the space below, please describe any special new and expanding school benefits offered to applicable customers.*
ORDERING and DISTRIBUTION

NOTE: Where applicable, the awarded vendor’s submissions in this section will be incorporated into sections 9, 10, and 11 of the Master Agreement.
Which best describes your company’s position in the distribution channel (check all that apply):*

Manufacturer directAuthorized dealerValue-added resellerCertified education/government resellerManufacturer marketing through a resellerOther - please describe
Describe your company’s e-commerce capabilities to serve customers that have a central office but also require multiple ship-to locations, and multiple users within each ship-to. Indicate any customizations available. Indicate any controls available, including the ability to limit spend to certain products or within certain dollar thresholds. *
Indicate the monthly rate (if applicable) charged to BuyQ participants to use the offered online marketplace platform, or any affiliated products or services being offered, and the corresponding discount off of your company’s published or standard rates for the product or service for similar customers. *
Describe your company’s mobile ordering capabilities including the ability to manage customer buying policies and shopping lists, payments, delivery locations, etc. *
Describe how your company proposes to nationally distribute Products outlined in this RFP through your distribution system. *
If applicable, please include and describe the ability for customers to purchase, pick up, or return items at a physical “brick and mortar” location. *
If in-store purchases are possible, please indicate if BuyQ customers will still be eligible for benefits included in the Master Agreement (or associated with any custom Core List)

YesNoN/AOther - please explain
If you answered yes to the last question, will in-store purchases will be considered part of the BuyQ Master Agreement for purposes of Administrative Fee calculation?

YesNoOther - please explain
Describe if physical locations are Company-owned, in partnership with other 3rd-party businesses, or a mix of the two.
Provide an overview of your physical locations including number of stores by state
Charter and private schools are increasingly adopting procurement software and using it to "punch-out" to Vendor e-commerce sites. Describe your company’s experience with and ability to (if any) connect with a customer’s e-procurement software via punch-out or other means of electronic data interchange (EDI). *
Identify all other companies that will be involved in processing, handling, or shipping Products and/or Related Services to the end user. If you use a distributor or reseller sales model, please attach a list of all distributors nationwide and the territory they cover. *
Delivery during school hours. Please indicate if you are able to limit delivery to during school business hours. Typical school business hours are 8am-4pm M-F. If not, please explain how customers can ensure package security. *
State your products’ normal delivery time and any options and associated costs for expedited delivery, desktop delivery, and returns. *
Does your company offer same day delivery? If Yes, indicate any parameters for same day delivery including cost thresholds, product categories, etc. *
Provide your company's average fill rate *
Provide you company's average on time delivery rate *
Provide your company's return and restocking policy/policies and applicable fees*
Describe your company's backorder policy*
Describe your company's invoicing process, if any. Include payment terms and acceptable methods of payments. Respondents shall describe any associated fees pertaining to credit cards/p-cards, if applicable. *
Tax-exempt ordering. Many of BuyQ’s participating customers are tax-exempt. Please describe the customer process and experience for ensuring that tax-exempt entities are not charged sales tax.*
MARKETING, SALES and CUSTOMER SERVICE

BuyQ is seeking the ability to serve all current and prospective Participating charter and private schools. The Respondent must demonstrate the ability to both market and service their services/products nationwide.
Marketing Plan

Please indicate how your organization plans to market this contract to charter and private schools nationwide following contract award and throughout the life of the contract term. Your plan should be based on your organization’s marketing and sales strengths, and should include (but not be limited to) the following activities:
- A contract marketing “launch” meeting with BuyQ staff.
- Announcement of award through applicable marketing channels including web, email, social media, etc.
- Co-branded collateral pieces for digital and print marketing.
- Participation in the largest charter and private school conferences. Vendors are strongly encouraged to participate in certain conferences including:
  - The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ Annual Conference
  - The Texas Charter Schools Conference
  - The California Charter Schools Conference
  - The NBOA: Business Leadership for Independent Schools Conference
- Dedicated BuyQ web landing page with:
  - BuyQ Logo
  - Link to BuyQ website
  - Summary of BuyQ contract benefits
  - Explanation of how BuyQ participants can affiliate to the contract and make purchases
  - A commitment to regular meetings with BuyQ staff to coordinate and follow-up on all marketing and sales efforts
Marketing plans can be submitted via the fill-in form or as an attachment.
Fill-in marketing plan here
Or, upload marketing plan here

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Sales and Marketing Commitment If awarded a contract with BuyQ, the Respondent commits to market the BuyQ contract as its primary go-to market strategy in the charter and private school sectors and that its sales force will be trained, engaged and committed to offering the BuyQ contract to those customers nationwide. Respondent commits that all BuyQ contract sales will be accurately and timely reported according to the terms of the BuyQ Master Agreement. Please acknowledge and agree.*

Acknowledge and agreeOther - please explain
Existing Charter and Private School Business
How many charter school customers did your company serve in 2023? Close estimates are acceptable. *
Provide the 2023 aggregate sales volume in dollars to those charter schools for the products and services under consideration in this RFP. *
How many private school customers did your company serve in 2023? Close estimates are acceptable. *
Provide the 2023 aggregate sales volume in dollars to those private schools for the products and services under consideration in this RFP. *
Sales Structure and Training
Explain your approach to business development within the K-12 market and, if applicable, the charter and private school sectors. How are the majority of your new customers acquired? *
Does your sales force consist of employees, independent contractors, third-party employees, or a mix? Please explain. *
Please provide a list of all applicable salespeople and their corresponding geographic territories. You may also upload a list below.
Uploaded list of salespeople and corresponding territories, if not filled in above.

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Please describe your sales and account management structure and incentive alignment — please indicate if representatives are responsible for both new business and existing business retention.*
Describe your plan for delivering training on the implementation of this contract to your sales force. Please indicate the degree to which BuyQ may be involved in that training.*
Customer Service and Retention
Describe your company’s approach to customer service/customer service philosophy *
Describe your company’s customer service department (hours of operation, number of service centers, etc.). *
Outline your process for responding to customer service requests and conflict resolution. *
Describe your service response time policy and explain any warranty programs. *
Provide your company-wide retention rate *
Customer Spend Data and Analytics
Describe your company’s ability to provide customers with spend data and analytics. Include any features that allow “parent” customers to break out spend by sub-location*
If applicable, describe available customizations to your spend analytics.
If applicable, describe features that promote savings or spend optimization including KPI management.
If applicable, provide any thresholds or limitations on number of users or minimum spend needed to access analytics data,.
TERMS and CONDITIONS - MASTER AGREEMENT
Master Agreement- Instructions

Respondents are advised to carefully read the linked Master Agreement and each of its specific provisions, and to indicate, with the submission of their proposal, any exceptions or proposed changes. All proposed changes should be well explained using the “comment” feature. Please make changes to the agreement by enabling the “track changes” feature and re-attach the revised contract below as part of your submission. (Note: Unacceptable exceptions to the Master Agreement shall remove your proposal from consideration for award. BuyQ shall be the sole judge on the acceptance of exceptions/deviations and the decision shall be final.)
Upload Master Agreement (with comments and requested changes) here:*

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USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS: EDGAR CERTIFICATION

Participating entities may elect to use federal funds to purchase under the Master Agreement. The following certifications and provisions may be required and apply when a participating entity expends federal funds for any purchase resulting from this procurement process. Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.326, the following categories are covered in the linked EDGAR Certification form:

• Vendor Violation or Breach of Contract Terms
• Termination for Cause or Convenience
• Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement
• Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387), as amended
• Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352)
• Certification of Equal Employment Statement
• Debarment and Suspension
• Procurement of Recovered Materials
• Prohibition on certain telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment.
• Record Retention Requirements for Contracts Involving Federal Funds
• Energy Policy and Conservation Act
• Access to Records
• Certification of Compliance with Buy America Provisions
• Certification of Applicability to Subcontractors
Respondents must complete, sign, and upload the EDGAR Certification form linked in the previous section. This form will become Exhibit B of the Master Agreement. *

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REPORTING

As per section 5.0 in the Agreement, the awarded vendor will provide BuyQ with a monthly report of all business transacted pursuant to this Agreement for the applicable period. Reports shall be sent via e-mail to BuyQ at mrafanelli@buyq.org. Reports are due on the fifteenth (15th) day after the close of the previous month.

● Customer organization name
● Customer ID (assigned by vendor)
● Customer ship-to address
● Name/description of item(s)/product(s) purchased
● Seller, if different from the vendor
● Product category (and any other available descriptors)
● Total sale amount
● Tax paid, if applicable
● Sale date
● Freight type
● Freight Costs, if any
● List price, if provided at time of sale
● Savings amount, if applicable
● Purchase method (purchase order, credit card, gift card, etc)
Please acknowledge and agree that such reports can be provided with the above information:*

Acknowledge and agreeOther - please explain
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ON BEHALF OF PARTICIPATING PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS and PRIVATE PK-12 SCHOOLS BUYQ is issuing the following REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (BQ-MP-001) for an ONLINE MARKETPLACE

PROPOSALS DUE ON May 10, 2024

INTRODUCTION and BACKGROUND

RFP Summary

About BuyQ

About Charter Schools

Charter School Market Size and Growth

About Private Schools

Private School Market Size and Growth

Market Opportunity

RFP PROCESS SCHEDULE and SUBMISSION INFORMATION

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

Scope

NOTICE TO RESPONDENTS

GENERAL TERMS AND INSTRUCTIONS

Questions

Clarifications

Restricted and Prohibited Communication

Non-Responsive Proposals

Negotiations

Best and Final Offer

Formation of Contract

Multiple Awards

Past Performance

Waiver:

Notice

Evaluation Criteria

DEFINITION OF PRODUCTS and SERVICES

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

PROPOSAL QUESTIONNAIRE

GENERAL COMPANY INFORMATION, EXPERIENCE and REPUTATION

PRICING - COVERED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

ORDERING and DISTRIBUTION

MARKETING, SALES and CUSTOMER SERVICE

TERMS and CONDITIONS - MASTER AGREEMENT