OAR 137-049-0390: Offer Evaluation and Award; Determination of Responsibility

(1) General. If Awarded, the Contracting Agency shall Award the Contract to the Responsible Bidder submitting the lowest, Responsive Bid or the Responsible Proposer or Proposers submitting the best, Responsive Proposal or Proposals, provided that such Person is not listed by the Construction Contractors Board as disqualified to hold a Public Improvement Contract (ORS 279C.375(3)(a)) or is ineligible for Award as a nonresident education service district (ORS 279C.325). The Contracting Agency may Award by item, groups of items or the entire Offer provided such Award is consistent with the Solicitation Document and in the public interest. Where Award is based on competitive Bids, ORS 279C.375(5) permits multiple Contract awards when specified in the ITB. (2) Determination of Responsibility. Offerors are required to demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactorily under a Contract. Before Awarding a Contract, the Contracting Agency must have information that indicates that the Offeror meets the standards of responsibility set forth in ORS 279C.375(3)(b). To be a Responsible Offeror, the Contracting Agency must determine that the Offeror: (a) Has available the appropriate financial, material, equipment, facility and personnel resources and expertise, or ability to obtain the resources and expertise, necessary to meet all contractual responsibilities; (b) Has completed previous contracts of a similar nature with a satisfactory record of performance. A satisfactory record of performance means that, to the extent the costs associated with and time available to perform a previous contract were within the Offeror’s control, the Offeror stayed within the time and budget allotted for the procurement and otherwise performed the contract in a satisfactory manner. A Contracting Agency should carefully scrutinize an Offeror’s record of contract performance if the Offeror is or recently has been materially deficient in contract performance. In reviewing the Offeror’s performance, the Contracting Agency should determine whether the Offeror’s deficient performance was expressly excused under the terms of the contract, or whether the Offeror took appropriate corrective action. The Contracting Agency may review the Offeror’s performance on both private and public contracts in determining the Offeror's record of contract performance. The Contracting Agency shall make its basis for determining an Offeror not Responsible under this paragraph part of the Solicitation file; (c) Has a satisfactory record of integrity. An Offeror may lack integrity if a Contracting Agency determines the Offeror demonstrates a lack of business ethics such as violation of state environmental laws or false certifications made to a Contracting Agency. A Contracting Agency may find an Offeror not Responsible based on the lack of integrity of any Person having influence or control over the Offeror (such as a key employee of the Offeror that has the authority to significantly influence the Offeror’s performance of the Contract or a parent company, predecessor or successor Person). The standards for Conduct Disqualification under OAR 137-049-0370 may be used to determine an Offeror's integrity. A Contracting Agency may find an Offeror non-responsible based on previous convictions of offenses related to obtaining or attempting to obtain a contract or subcontract or in connection with the Offeror’s performance of a contract or subcontract. The Contracting Agency shall make its basis for determining that an Offeror is not Responsible under this paragraph part of the Solicitation file; (d) Is legally qualified to contract with the Contracting Agency; (e) In State Contracting Agency procurements, possesses an unexpired certificate, issued by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services under 2015 Oregon Laws, chapter 454, section 2, if the Offeror employs 50 or more full-time workers at the time of the Bid or Proposal Closing and the estimated Contract Price exceeds $500,000; and (f) Has supplied all necessary information in connection with the inquiry concerning responsibility. If the Offeror fails to promptly supply information requested by the Contracting Agency concerning responsibility, the Contracting Agency shall base the determination of responsibility on any available information, or may find the Offeror not Responsible. (3) In addition to making the responsibility determination under ORS 279C.375(3)(b) and section (2) of this rule, the Contracting Agency may consider, as authorized by House Bill 2094 (2019 Oregon Laws, chapter 124), as part of the Contracting Agency’s evaluation of an Offer, whether the Offeror owes a liquidated and delinquent debt to the State of Oregon. (4) Documenting Agency Determinations. Contracting Agencies shall document their compliance with ORS 279C.375(3) and the above sections of this rule on a Responsibility Determination Form substantially as set forth in 279.375(3)(c), and file that form with the Construction Contractors Board within 30 days after Contract Award. (5) Contracting Agency Evaluation. The Contracting Agency shall evaluate an Offer only as set forth in the Solicitation Document and in accordance with applicable law. The Contracting Agency shall not evaluate an Offer using any other requirement or criterion. (6) Offeror Submissions. (a) The Contracting Agency may require an Offeror to submit Product Samples, Descriptive Literature, technical data, or other material and may also require any of the following prior to Award: (A) Demonstration, inspection or testing of a product prior to Award for characteristics such as compatibility, quality or workmanship; (B) Examination of such elements as appearance or finish; or (C) Other examinations to determine whether the product conforms to Specifications. (b) The Contracting Agency shall evaluate product acceptability only in accordance with the criteria disclosed in the Solicitation Document to determine that a product is acceptable. The Contracting Agency shall reject an Offer providing any product that does not meet the Solicitation Document requirements. A Contracting Agency's rejection of an Offer because it offers nonconforming Work or materials is not Disqualification and is not appealable under ORS 279C.445. (7) Evaluation of Bids. The Contracting Agency shall use only objective criteria to evaluate Bids as set forth in the ITB. The Contracting Agency shall evaluate Bids to determine which Responsible Offeror offers the lowest Responsive Bid. (a) Nonresident Bidders. In determining the lowest Responsive Bid, the Contracting Agency shall, in accordance with OAR 137-046-0310, add a percentage increase to the Bid of a nonresident Bidder equal to the percentage, if any, of the preference given to that Bidder in the state in which the Bidder resides. (b) Clarifications. In evaluating Bids, a Contracting Agency may seek information from a Bidder only to clarify the Bidder's Bid. Such clarification shall not vary, contradict or supplement the Bid. A Bidder must submit Written and Signed clarifications and such clarifications shall become part of the Bidder's Bid. (c) Negotiation Prohibited. The Contracting Agency shall not negotiate scope of Work or other terms or conditions under an Invitation to Bid process prior to Award. (8) Evaluation of Proposals. See OAR 137-049-0650 regarding rules applicable to Requests for Proposals.