GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS - GOODS & NONPROFESSIONAL SERVICES

1. PURCHASING MANUAL: This solicitation is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and Their Vendors and any revisions thereto, which are hereby incorporated into this contract in their entirety. A copy of the manual is available for review at the purchasing office. In addition, the manual may be accessed electronically at http://www.vcu.edu/procurement or a copy can be obtained by calling University Purchasing at 804-828-1077.
2. APPLICABLE LAW AND COURTS: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and any litigation with respect thereto shall be brought in the courts of the Commonwealth. The Contractor shall comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.
3. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION: By submitting their bids, Bidders certify to the Commonwealth that they will conform to the provisions of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, as well as the Virginia Fair Employment Contracting Act of 1975, as amended, where applicable, the Virginians With Disabilities Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act and Section 11-51 of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. If the award is made to a faith-based organization, the organization shall not discriminate against any recipient of goods, services, or disbursements made pursuant to the contract on the basis of the recipient's religion, religious belief, refusal to participate in a religious practice, or on the basis of race, age, color, gender or national origin and shall be subject to the same rules as other organizations that contract with public bodies to account for the use of the funds provided; however, if the faith-based organization segregates public funds into separate accounts, only the accounts and programs funded with public funds shall be subject to audit by the public body. (Code of Virginia, § 11-35.1E).

   In every contract over $10,000 the provisions in 1. and 2. below apply:

   1. During the performance of this contract, the Contractor agrees as follows:
      1. Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution providing access to education and employment without regard to age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran's status, political affiliation or disability. As such, the Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of age, race, color, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, veteran's status, political affiliation or disability or any other basis prohibited by state law related to discrimination in employment, except where there is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the Contractor. The Contractor agrees to post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, notices setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.
      2. The Contractor, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the Contractor, will state that such Contractor is an equal opportunity employer.
      3. Notices, advertisements and solicitations placed in accordance with federal law, rule or regulation shall be deemed sufficient for the purpose of meeting these requirements.
   2. The Contractor will include the provisions of 1. above in every subcontract or purchase order over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.
4. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: By submitting their bids, Bidders certify that their bids are made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other bidder, supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their bid, and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.
5. IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986: By submitting their bids, Bidders certify that they do not and will not during the performance of this contract employ illegal alien workers or otherwise violate the provisions of the Federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
6. DEBARMENT STATUS: By submitting their bids, Bidders certify that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting bids on contracts for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation, nor are they an agent of any person or entity that is currently so debarred.
7. ANTITRUST: By entering into a contract, the Contractor conveys, sells, assigns, and transfers to the Commonwealth of Virginia all rights, title and interest in and to all causes of the action it may now have or hereafter acquire under the antitrust laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia, relating to the particular goods or services purchased or acquired by the Commonwealth of Virginia under said contract.
8. MANDATORY USE OF STATE FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Failure to submit a bid on the official state form provided for that purpose shall be a cause for rejection of the bid. Modification of or additions to any portion of the Invitation for Bids may be cause for rejection of the bid; however, the Commonwealth reserves the right to decide, on a case by case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject such a bid as nonresponsive. As a precondition to its acceptance, the Commonwealth may, in its sole discretion, request that the Bidder withdraw or modify nonresponsive portions of a bid which do not affect quality, quantity, price, or delivery. No modification of or addition to the provisions of the contract shall be effective unless reduced to writing and signed by the parties.
9. CLARIFICATION OF TERMS: If any prospective Bidder has questions about the specifications or other solicitation documents, the prospective Bidder should contact the buyer whose name appears on the face of the solicitation no later than five working days before the due date. Any revisions to the solicitation will be made only by addendum issued by the buyer.
10. PAYMENT:
     
    1. To Prime Contractor:
        
       1. Invoices for items ordered, delivered and accepted shall be submitted by the contractor directly to the payment address shown on the purchase order/contract. All invoices shall show the state contract number and/or purchase order number; social security number (for individual contractors) or the federal employer identification number (for proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations).
       2. Any payment terms requiring payment in less than 30 days will be regarded as requiring payment 30 days after invoice or delivery, whichever occurs last. This shall not affect offers of discounts for payment in less than 30 days, however.
       3. All goods or services provided under this contract or purchase order, that are to be paid for with public funds, shall be billed by the contractor at the contract price, regardless of which public agency is being billed.
       4. The following shall be deemed to be the date of payment: the date of postmark in all cases where payment is made by mail, or the date of offset when offset proceedings have been instituted as authorized under the Virginia Debt Collection Act.
       5. Unreasonable Charges. Under certain emergency procurements and for most time and material purchases, final job costs cannot be accurately determined at the time orders are placed. In such cases, contractors should be put on notice that final payment in full is contingent on a determination of reasonableness with respect to all invoiced charges. Charges which appear to be unreasonable will be researched and challenged, and that portion of the invoice held in abeyance until a settlement can be reached. Upon determining that invoiced charges are not reasonable, the Commonwealth shall promptly notify the contractor, in writing, as to those charges which it considers unreasonable and the basis for the determination. A contractor may not institute legal action unless a settlement cannot be reached within thirty (30) days of notification. The provisions of this section do not relieve an agency of its prompt payment obligations with respect to those charges which are not in dispute (Code of Virginia, § 11-69).
    2. To Subcontractors:
        
       1. A contractor awarded a contract under this solicitation is hereby obligated:
           
          1. To pay the subcontractor(s) within seven (7) days of the contractor's receipt of payment from the Commonwealth for the proportionate share of the payment received for work performed by the subcontractor(s) under the contract; or
          2. To notify the agency and the subcontractor(s), in writing, of the contractor's intention to withhold payment and the reason.
       2. The contractor is obligated to pay the subcontractor(s) interest at the rate of one percent per month (unless otherwise provided under the terms of the contract) on all amounts owed by the contractor that remain unpaid seven (7) days following receipt of payment from the Commonwealth, except for amounts withheld as stated in (2) above. The date of mailing of any payment by U. S. Mail is deemed to be payment to the addressee. These provisions apply to each sub-tier contractor performing under the primary contract. A contractor's obligation to pay an interest charge to a subcontractor may not be construed to be an obligation of the Commonwealth.
           
11. PRECEDENCE OF TERMS: Paragraphs A-J of these General Terms and Conditions shall apply in all instances. In the event there is a conflict between any of the other General Terms and Conditions and any Special Terms and Conditions in this solicitation, the Special Terms and Conditions shall apply.
12. QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDERS: The Commonwealth may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the Bidder to perform services/furnish the goods and the Bidder shall furnish to the Commonwealth all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. The Commonwealth reserves the right to inspect Bidder's physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the Bidder's capabilities. The Commonwealth further reserves the right to reject any bid if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such Bidder fails to satisfy the Commonwealth that such Bidder is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to provide the services/and or furnish the goods contemplated therein.
13. TESTING AND INSPECTION: The Commonwealth reserves the right to conduct any test/inspection it may deem advisable to assure goods and services conform to the specifications.
14. ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT: A contract shall not be assignable by the Contractor in whole or in part without the written consent of the Commonwealth.
15. CHANGES TO THE CONTRACT: Changes can be made to the Contract in any one of the following ways:
     
    1. The parties may agree in writing to modify the scope of the contract. An increase or decrease in the price of the contract resulting from such modification shall be agreed to by the parties as a part of their written agreement to modify the scope of the contract.
    2. The Purchasing Agency may order changes within the general scope of the contract at any time by written notice to the Contractor. Changes within the scope of the contract include, but are not limited to, things such as services to be performed, the method of packing or shipment, and the place of delivery or installation. The Contractor shall comply with the notice upon receipt. The Contractor shall be compensated for any additional costs incurred as the result of such order and shall give the Purchasing Agency a credit for any savings. Said compensation shall be determined by one of the following methods:
        
       1. By mutual agreement between the parties in writing; or
       2. By agreeing upon a unit price or using a unit price set forth in the contract, if the work to be done can be expressed in units, and the Contractor accounts for the number of units of work performed, subject to the Purchasing Agency's right to audit the Contractors records and/or to determine the correct number of units independently; or
       3. By ordering the Contractor to proceed with the work and keep a record of all costs incurred and savings realized. A markup for overhead and profit may be allowed if provided by the contract. The same markup shall be used for determining a decrease in price as the result of savings realized. The Contractor shall present the Purchasing Agency with all vouchers and records of expenses incurred and savings realized. The Purchasing Agency shall have the right to audit the records of the Contractor as it deems necessary to determine costs or savings. Any claim for an adjustment in price under this provision must be asserted by written notice to the Purchasing Agency within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order from the Purchasing Agency. If the parties fail to agree on an amount of adjustment, the question of an increase or decrease in the contract price or time for performance shall be resolved in accordance with the procedures for resolving disputes provided by the Disputes Clause of this contract or, if there is none, in accordance with the disputes provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia's Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and Their Vendors. Neither the existence of a claim or a dispute resolution process, litigation or any other provision of this contract shall excuse the Contractor from promptly complying with the changes ordered by the Purchasing Agency or with the performance of the contract generally.
           
16. DEFAULT: In case of failure to deliver goods or services in accordance with the contract terms and conditions, the Commonwealth, after due oral or written notice, may procure them from other sources and hold the Contractor responsible for any resulting additional purchase and administrative costs. This remedy shall be in addition to any other remedies which the Commonwealth may have.
17. TAXES: Sales to the Commonwealth of Virginia are normally exempt from State sales tax, State sales and use tax certificates of exemption, Form ST-12, will be issued upon request. Deliveries against this contract shall usually be free of Federal excise and transportation taxes. The Commonwealth's excise tax exemption registration number is 54-73-0076K.
18. USE OF BRAND NAMES: Unless otherwise provided in this solicitation, the name of a certain brand, make or manufacturer does not restrict Bidders to the specific brand, make or manufacturer named, but conveys the general style, type, character, and quality of the article desired. Any article, which the public body, in its sole discretion, determines to be the equal of that specified, considering quality, workmanship, economy of operation, and suitability for the purpose intended, shall be accepted. The Bidder is responsible to clearly and specifically identify the product being offered and to provide sufficient descriptive literature, catalog cuts and technical detail to enable the Commonwealth to determine if the product offered meets the requirements of the solicitation. This is required even if offering the exact brand, make or manufacturer specified. Normally in competitive sealed bidding only the information furnished with the bid will be considered in the evaluation. Failure to furnish adequate data for evaluation purposes may result in declaring your bid nonresponsive. Unless the Bidder clearly indicates in its bid that the product offered is an "equal" product, such bid will be considered to offer the brand name product referenced in the solicitation.
19. TRANSPORTATION AND PACKAGING: By submitting their bids, all Bidders certify and warrant that the price offered for FOB destination includes only the actual freight rate costs at the lowest and best rate and is based upon the actual weight of the goods to be shipped. Except as otherwise specified herein, standard commercial packaging, packing and shipping containers shall be used. All shipping containers shall be legibly marked or labeled on the outside with purchase order number, commodity description, and quantity.
20. INSURANCE: By signing and submitting a bid under this solicitation, the bidder certifies that if awarded the contract, it will have the following insurance coverages at the time the contract is awarded. For construction contracts, if any subcontractors are involved, the subcontractor will have workers' compensation insurance in accordance with §§ 2.2-4332 and 65.2-800 et seq. of the Code of Virginia. The bidder further certifies that the contractor and any subcontractors will maintain these insurance coverages during the entire term of the contract and that all insurance coverage will be provided by insurance companies authorized to sell insurance in Virginia by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

    MINIMUM INSURANCE COVERAGES AND LIMITS REQUIRED FOR MOST CONTRACTS:

    1. Worker's Compensation - Statutory requirements and benefits. Coverage is compulsory for employers of three or more employees, to include the employer. Contractors who fail to notify the Commonwealth of increases in the number of employees that change their workers' compensation requirements under the Code of Virginia during the course of the contract shall be in noncompliance with the contract.
    2. Employers Liability - $100,000.
    3. Commercial General Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence. Commercial General Liability is to include bodily injury and property damage, personal injury and advertising injury, products and completed operations coverage. The Commonwealth of Virginia must be named as an additional insured and so endorsed on the policy.
    4. Automobile Liability - $1,000,000 per occurrence. (Only used if motor vehicle is to be used in the contract.)
    
    
21. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARD: Upon the award or the announcement of the decision to award a contract as a result of this solicitation, Virginia Commonwealth University will publicly post such notice electronically at http://www.vcu.edu/procurement and in the lobby of Procurement and Payment at 10 S. Sixth Street, Richmond, VA during normal business hours for a minimum of 10 days.
22. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE: During the performance of this contract, the Contractor agrees to (i) provide a drug-free workplace for the contractor's employees; (ii) post in conspicuous places, available to employees and applicants for employment, a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of a controlled substance or marijuana is prohibited in the contractor's workplace and specifying the actions that will be taken against employees for violation of such prohibition: (iii) state in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by or on behalf of the contractor that the Contractor maintains a drug-free workplace: and (iv) include the provisions of the foregoing clauses in every subcontract or purchase order of over $10,000, so that the provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor or vendor.

    For the purposes of this section, "drug-free workplace" means a site for the performance of work done in connection with a specific contract awarded to a contractor, the employees of whom are prohibited from engaging in the unlawful manufacture, sale, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of any controlled substance or marijuana during the performance of the contract.

23. NONDISCRIMINATION OF CONTRACTORS: A bidder, offeror, or contractor shall not be discriminated against in the solicitation or award of this contract because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability or against faith-based organizations. If the award of this contract is made to a faith-based organization and an individual, who applies for or receives goods, services, or disbursements provided pursuant to this contract objects to the religious character of the faith-based organization from which the individual receives or would receive the goods, services, or disbursements, the public body shall offer the individual, within a reasonable period of time after the date of his objection, access to equivalent goods, services, or disbursements from an alternative provider.
24. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION: The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution, web site portal www.eVA.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The eVA portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies. All vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet e-procurement solution either through the eVA Basic Vendor Registration Service or eVA Premium Vendor Registration Service. Vendors are strongly encouraged to register prior to submitting a bid or offer. Firms will be required to register in eVA prior to award.
    
    
    1. eVA Basic Vendor Registration Service: $25 Annual Registration Fee plus the appropriate order Transaction Fee specified below. eVA Basic Vendor Registration Service includes electronic order receipt, vendor catalog posting, on-line registration, electronic bidding, and the ability to research historical procurement data available in the eVA purchase transaction data warehouse.
    2. eVA Premium Vendor Registration Service: $25 Annual Registration Fee plus the appropriate order Transaction Fee specified below. eVA Premium Vendor Registration Service includes all the benefits of the eVA Basic Vendor Registration Service plus automatic email or fax notification of solicitations and amendments.
    3. For orders issued prior to August 16, 2006, the Vendor Transaction Fee is 1%, capped at a maximum of $500 per order.
    4. For orders issued August 16, 2006 and after, the Vendor Transaction Fee is:
       1. DMBE-certified Small Businesses: 1% Capped at $500 per order.
       2. Businesses that are not DMBE-certified Small Businesses: 1% Capped at $1,500 per order.