Publications

Vendor Questions and Answers

Updated July 14, 2008

Please Note:
Questions are no longer being taken as per page three of the DigitalEdge Invitation to Bid. Bids are due at the ESD 112 business office no later than 5:00 p.m. on July 18, 2008.

Will you consider eliminating the specials and promotions from the Invitation to Bid?

No.

Would it be possible to extend the deadline beyond July 18th?

The DigitalEdge office has contracted with a third party to open and evaluate the bids, and has set up a schedule to do so. Because of scheduling conflicts, changing the deadline is not possible. July 18th will be the final deadline for all bids to be due to ESD 112’s business office.

Can we offer discounts off of our advertised prices, which are advertised in our online catalog?

The document you submit for baseline pricing must be a manufacturer pricer, a manufacturer product line catalog, or an equivalent document that meets the following criteria: (1) the document is established by the manufacturer; (2) the document contains the base line pricing to which the adjustments will be applied in the bid; (3) the bidder submits net bid prices based on the application of the adjustment to the base line price; and (4) the document with the baseline pricing that is submitted with the initial bid and the adjustment methodology are used consistently throughout the entire term of the contract and shall be used when new products are added to the product line.

Can we bid on just a portion of a manufacturer’s product line?

No. The discount or mark-up that is bid is applied to all products in a manufacturer’s product line.

If a manufacturer bids directly, can they name more than one reseller for a specific state?

Yes.

Will you accept the 3% administrative fee directly from the manufacturer, or does it need to come from each reseller?

Bidders are required to identify who will be paying the administrative fee in Section F (Item 13) of the 2008 DigitalEdge Bid Form.

Can we turn in one bid form and check all product lines that apply if the manufacturer fits several categories?

No. One bid form is required for each product line for each manufacturer.

Will you consider amending the bid requirements to allow discounts or markups as per the following price ranges?

• $0 - $25
• $26 - $50
• $51 - $100
• $101 - $300
• $301 - $600
• $601 - $1,000
• $1,001 and above

Due to the lateness of this request, we can not consider this amendment at this time.

Q: We would like to limit our bid response to the most popular items purchased in a manufacturer’s catalog. Is it acceptable to offer only some of the products in a manufacturer’s product line?

No. The bid response must include all products in the manufacturer’s product line.

Q: Can a manufacturer’s product line be listed on the DigitalEdge contract with two or more different bidders? For example, can Bidder a bid a price and have that product listed at price X and can Bidder B have the same product listed at price X or Y?

Bids will go to the lowest bidder in each state.

Q: How does another state piggyback on the DigitalEdge contract? What is the process for extending outside of the eight states?

It is up to an eligible Purchaser in other states to determine whether they have the authority to piggyback off of the DigitalEdge contract. If an eligible Purchaser informs the Awarded Bidder that they are interested in using the DigitalEdge contract, the DigitalEdge will work with the Awarded Bidder.

Q: I understand that we are to respond to only one item on the request for pricing form. Can we later add other items or accessories that could go with the item we chose on the Bid?

Bidders are required to bid on an entire manufacturer’s product line that includes all items in that line, and are required to add new items to the contract when those items become available.

Q: Is there some place where we are asked to list what we charge for installations or training that might be needed?

No.

Q: Can you provide information about the numbers of document cameras sold in previous years?

Approximately 6,700 document cameras were sold through the DigitalEdge contract in the calendar year 2005; 4,200 in 2006; and 11,500 in 2007.

Qa: What happens if a non-member customer wishes to purchase directly from an awarded vendor? Will the awarded vendor be required to pay the 3% administrative fee? Will the vendor be bound by the pricing restrictions set forth in the bid documents [reference page 39, paragraph 18 ‘Favored Nation Clause’]?

Qb: Are members of ESD 112 required to purchase from this contract? If they are not required to purchase from this contract and opt to purchase directly from an awarded vendor, how will ESD 112 respond? Will the awarded vendor be required to pay the 3% administrative fee in this case? Will the vendor be bound by the pricing restrictions set forth in the bid documents [reference page 39, paragraph 18 ‘Favored Nation Clause’]?

Qc: Pricing for bid #ESD112-DE-08 is to be based on single unit pricing. How will ESD 112 react if a non-member customer in an awarded state is offered large volume pricing directly from an awarded vendor? Will the response be different if that customer is a member is ESD 112? If so, please explain.

There are not “members” and “non-members” in the DigitalEdge purchasing program. Instead, any eligible “Purchaser” may participate in the program. The purpose of this bid solicitation is to secure the most competitive pricing for the eligible Purchasers in the eight states. Any Bidder that is awarded a Contract is obligated to sell DigitalEdge products at Contract prices as defined in the Bid document.

The bid includes provisions for the Awarded Bidders to lower their bid prices when eligible Purchasers are purchasing in large volume or considering procuring equipment through their own competitive bid.

Any interested Bidder that wishes to sell DigitalEdge products to an eligible Purchaser outside of the contract should consider not bidding.

Q: If we are not the lowest bidder in the state of Washington for a manufacturer's product line, can we still be named on the contract to sell this manufacturer's product line in other states if we are the lowest price in those states?

Yes.

Q: Would it be possible to extend the bid due date back a week or two?

ESD 112 has now received multiple requests for additional time to submit the DigitalEdge bids. The new deadline for bids to be due at ESD 112 will be Friday, July 18, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. They will be opened and read on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. at ESD 112 in the Community Room in the 2200 Building.

Q: How would you like our bid responses bound?

Each complete set can be bound with a paper clip or binder clip.

Q: Are you requiring the same discount value for all products included in an entire manufacturer’s product category?

All products in an equipment category must have the same discount. For more information, please ready pages 11 and 12 of the Invitation to Bid, and refer to section D of the Bid Form.

Q: Are separate proposals required for each product line by each manufacturer?

Yes, for example, four separate proposals would be required for the following:

• Manufacturer A – LCD Projectors
• Manufacturer A – DLP Projectors
• Manufacturer B – LCD Projectors
• Manufacturer B – DLP Projectors

Q: Is the requested catalog “price data” something more detailed than a list of current catalog pricing?

No.

Q: Will Awarded Bidders be allowed to add new products and updated models to the product line category if those products are released in a new product line category?

Yes. Awarded Bidders are required to add new products to the DigitalEdge Contract when a new product line catalog is published.

Q: Will the issuance of a new product line catalog cause the Contract to be terminated?

No. The Contract is only terminated if an existing catalog is discontinued and a replacement is not published.

Q: Will you consider extending the deadline for submitting bids for 3 to 4 weeks?

No. Only one interested bidder has requested additional time. We may reconsider if we receive requests from a sufficient number of interested bidders.

Q: Will you eliminate the envelope requirement and allow bidders to list all manufactures in one envelope?

No.

Q: Can bidders provide a consolidated listing of all manufacturers bid on one form?

No.

Q: Can bidders provide the information required for Appendix A in a separate envelope marked Administrative Screening Information?

No.

Q: Can bidders submit a dealer price list or MSRP instead of a manufacturers’ pricer?

Yes, provided that: (1) the dealer price list or MSRP is established by the manufacturer; (2) the price list or MSRP contains the base line pricing to which the adjustments will be applied in the bid; (3) the bidder submits net bid prices based on the application of the adjustment to the base line price; and (4) the dealer price list or MSRP that is submitted with the initial bid and the adjustment methodology are used consistently throughout the entire term of the contract and shall be used when new products are added to the product line.

Q: Have contracts already been awarded for video equipment?

No. DigitalEdge is accepting bids from any interested video equipment manufacturer or reseller.

Q: What is the administrative fee on all sales if a bidder is awarded a contract?

Three percent (3%).

Q: What is the new process for presenting product prior to bid being published?

There will be no presentation prior to the bid being published.

Q: Are you requiring anything in writing stating that we are extending our pricing until August 15, 2008?

For vendors that have current DigitalEdge contracts with ESD 112, we will be sending out contract extensions with pricing revisions in the near future. They will arrive via e-mail.

Q: Does the administrative fee apply to "all sales on this contract?"

Yes.

Q: Is it permissable for a bidder to sell only in Washington?

Yes.