4) Are we allowed to bid on individual parts to the bid ie: rental or direct sale or would both be required?

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1 The following are questions in response to RFP DEN-Branded Uniform Design, Production and Fulfillment Services, received by February 28 th deadline 5pm. The City and County of Denver reserves the right to remove company specific references and otherwise edit as necessary to provide clarity, correct spelling errors, etc. Questions are black text, answers are blue text immediately following: 1) Will a competitively solicited cooperative contract be accepted by DEN as an alternative proposal? a. The City and County of Denver is soliciting independently of existing Cooperative Agreements because it requires specific goods and services that were not fully contemplated by those agreements when they were competitively solicited. It is our expectation that interested suppliers would respond specifically to our RFP and propose a solution that meets or exceeds our anticipated goals. 2) Under what circumstances would DEN be willing to accept and adopt a competitively solicited cooperative contract from a highly qualified and experienced supplier offering superior technical and business management best practices? a. Refer to answer #1, above. 3) If DEN does not receive a proposal that meets their criteria to their satisfaction, do you reserve the right to forgo awarding the RFP and consider an alternative means of meeting your uniform needs? a. It is unclear at this point what proposals will be submitted and how well any proposed solutions might best fit with DEN-desired outcomes. It would be premature to take a stance at this juncture as to what decisions might be made based on what has yet to be considered. 4) Are we allowed to bid on individual parts to the bid ie: rental or direct sale or would both be required? a. No. The City asks prospective suppliers to provide pricing that reflects both rental and direct sale. 5) Page 10: Are you planning on sharing the 2015 refreshed brand for transparency? Will we have access to view the different uniform styles, standards, and colors that were selected to help with designing your new program? Will you provide the last awarded bid to review? a. Refer to Attachments 2 and 3 published with the RFP. 6) Page 11: Is it possible for a company to win the Phase 1 Design award and not win the Phase 2 Production, Fulfillment, Rental award and vice versa? a. DEN s goal is to find a Supplier that has the capability and capacity to provide both design and fulfillment services.

2 7) Page 16: Please clarify your expectations with stocking uniforms at a local facility for quicker distribution. a. The expectation of this RFP is that interested Suppliers will propose what they believe will provide the best solution for DEN. Provide ideas, scenarios, etc. that describe what your firm believes would best serve the needs of DEN, including both rental and maintenance, and direct sale for AIM and Airport Contractors (over time), as each work group is on boarded. 8) Page 19: Does the 45 Calendar day set up period include custom uniforms? a. Propose what your firm believes is most acceptable, market normal. 9) Page 23: Is fixed pricing required for both Rental and Direct Purchase? a. Proposing suppliers must bid both Rental and Direct Sale. 10) Official Question: How long is the length of the contract? a. The City and County of Denver anticipates an initial commitment with annual renewal options, for a potential five-year total agreement. 11) Page 10: The final designs and specifications for the entire suite of uniforms will be the exclusive property of DEN. Additional information from potential Supplier: [We are] the exclusive manufacturer of uniform garments for GM, Ford, Honda USA, TSA, US Border Patrol, and many other entities. We are experts in crafting a suite of uniforms, by job function, which encompass brand identity. However, we will more than likely exclude ourselves from competition if this stipulation remains in the RFP. We design uniforms, hand in hand with our clients, with the guarantee that we will remain the exclusive manufacturer of the garments. If [we] design the garments, [we] will protect the integrity of those designs on behalf of DEN (meaning we would protect the integrity of the design IP if another customer asked [us] to use those designs for their program). Official Question: Will DEN consider deleting the stipulation that the designs and specs for the entire suite of uniforms will be the exclusive property of DEN? a. Please respond in your proposal why the stipulation is unacceptable, and what your company position is regarding design, brand identity, integrity, and exclusivity, DEN inclusivity in design decisions, etc. 12) P.10: The RFP process will also help determine whether it is more beneficial to purchase verses rent DEN employee uniforms. Additional info from potential Supplier: Industry standards dictate that custom garments in most rental programs entail a buyback or a purchase agreement of some kind, due to the fact that the garments cannot be used by rental companies in any other account. Confirm with your industrial laundry professional.

3 Official Question: Will DEN also consider a Customer-Owned-Goods (COG) program? This style of program entails the end user to outright purchase the uniforms and subsequently contract for only the wash and repair of the garments. a. Please describe in your proposal the option(s) that your firm believes would best serve the overall intent of the DEN branded uniforms RFP for each work group. 13) Official Question: Will DEN consider any proposal from a Supplier who does not have a physical facility in the Denver Metro area? If so, can addenda be made to the references on pages 11, 16 & 17? Furthermore, page 16 states: and be able to stock uniform components in a retail location within the Denver Metropolitan area for distribution to both DEN and participating uniformed Contractors. Can you please define retail location? a. Section A. Alternative response allows for other suggested best practices. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure the alternative response meets the needs outlined in the RFP document. Please propose what your firm believes would be the most effective solution for providing uniforms to the various work groups, including anything your firm feels would create a successful program. b. This Q/A will be considered as addenda. The City will not be changing the published RFP, which is not stating requirements or expectations, but rather is suggesting what the future program might be. It is incumbent on proposing companies to describe how they would do business with DEN if selected, and why their solution makes the most business sense for our program needs. 14) Does DEN have the expectation to purchase uniforms locally at a cash and carry retail POP location? a. Please refer to Q/As 7, 12, and ) Official Question: Will DEN consider any proposal from a Supplier who does not have a physical facility in the Denver Metro area? If so, can addenda be made to the references on pages 11, 16 & 17? Furthermore, p. 16 states: and be able to stock uniform components in a retail location within the Denver Metropolitan area for distribution to both DEN and participating uniformed Contractors. Can you please define retail location? Does DEN have the expectation to purchase uniforms locally at a cash and carry retail POP location? a. Please refer to Q/As 7, 12, and ) Official Question: p. 17: What is the documentation process for unsatisfactory performance? a. The documentation process for unsatisfactory performance will be developed in collaboration with the selected Supplier. We encourage proposers to submit examples of processes for addressing and resolving performance issues. 17) Official Question p. 17: Will DEN consider any other billing period other than weekly?

4 a. Please recommend invoicing cycles. 18) Official Question: Can DEN please share the current uniform contract status for each of the respective contractors listed in the RFP and the expected timelines of program implementation for all 1397 uniformed employees? a. The current City contract for rental uniforms for DEN employees is included as an attachment it is open records. This is the only contract currently in place for uniforms at DEN. Refer also to Q/A ) Official Question: Can the Supplier expect to implement all at once or does DEN anticipate a staggering of contractor-by-contractor implementation? a. Please indicate what your company believes is a realistic expectation and propose a strategy and anticipated timeline for implementation across both AIM and contractors. Refer also to Q/A ) Official Question: Can DEN please share, specifically, how it plans to require each of its contractors to procure the uniforms? a. DEN s uniformed partners will be required to utilize final approved uniform designs through requirements in existing agreements. 21) Official Question: Will there be a guarantee to the Supplier that all contractors listed in the RFP will be required to wear the chosen uniform by April 5, 2019? a. Uniform requirements for DEN s uniformed contract partners is based on DEN s preferred business practices and existing agreements. Refer also to Q/A ) Additional information from potential Supplier: Again, our company excels in the design and manufacturing of custom uniform programs. However, the penalties assessed for failure to meet the above timelines are restrictive. As an example, our custom-made garments ship in bulk from weeks after order. Additionally, industry standard for the delivery of non-stock garments thereafter is 6-8 weeks. Official Question: The timelines for penalty on page 18 are restrictive to the creation and fulfillment of custom-made uniforms. Will DEN please consider removing the penalties regarding following: a. 45 days program setup, including measurement b. 14 days ordering replacement garments in standard sizes c. 14 days repairs d. 14 days size exchange e. Exceptions allowed if approved in writing, including non-stock sizes, but credits assessed after 28 days a. Propose what your company believes to be less restrictive and manageable timeframes, based on your experience.

5 23) Page 20 states: Provide a resume and job description of the on-site Project Manager which your Company intends to assign to DEN on a dedicated basis if awarded the Contract. Official Question: Can DEN please outline the role of on-site Project Manager and the number of hours per calendar year required in this role? a. This role is envisioned to be the Supplier s primary point of contact for DEN. An onsite Project Manager is not required to physically office at DEN. 24) Official Question: Can DEN please clearly explain how Suppliers are expected to respond the pricing spreadsheet, considering the design of the uniforms has not been established? a. The pricing spreadsheet should be completed indicating your company s costs for comparable uniform components at the levels of fabric quality indicated. The design aspect requests roles and rates. 25) Official Question: What are DEN s priorities (in order of importance) in this uniform design / production process? 1. Pricing 2. Timeline 3. DEN Image / Colorado feel & uniqueness Etc. a. It is the City s policy not to stress or identify an importance of an evaluation criteria. Proposers are responsible for responding to the entire RFP. 26) Additional information from potential Supplier: If [our company] was asked to produce someone else s designs, then [we] would have to have leeway to interpret the designs into one that would be suitable for a production environment. Often designers create a look without thinking through the details of a production environment, and they propose fabrics that may not be durable enough for the work environment. Official Question: Is DEN expecting to see/approve designs as a part of the pre-selection phase or post-selection? If post-selection is the case, can you clarify in PH 2/ Production Phase (Page 20 / Q 1) DEN would expect [our company], if selected, to produce a design from another company if the design is in the post-selection phase? a. DEN invites proposers to demonstrate their design expertise by presenting concepts that infuse the DEN brand in the pre-selection phase. Refer to Phase 1 item 10 of the RFP. 27) Official Question: [Our company] performs field studies to gain intel/insights, hold focus groups, [and] may perform formal consumer insight studies, [including] wear tests prior to finalizing designs. How engaged and a part of the process is DEN expecting to participate/give approvals, as the design process is not a fast process?

6 a. DEN expects to be engaged in the design development process, including review and approvals. Please describe your typical company design workflow and how it has succeeded in developing a suite of uniforms, by job function, which encompasses brand identity across a wide spectrum of workforce. 28) Official Question: Are resumes required as part of the official proposal for the design team from the potential Supplier? a. Yes. Refer to Phase 1 item 5 of the RFP. 29) Official Question: Will DEN consider a proposal from a government coop Supplier who does not have a physical location in the Denver Metro Area? a. Refer to Q/As 1, 2, 3, 13, 14, and ) Is this an all or nothing bid? Vendor must bid Rental and Direct Sale? a. Refer also to Q/A 4. 31) Will the terms and conditions of this RFP supersede any existing partnerships we currently have? a. Previous partnership terms and conditions would not be relevant to the future partnership or agreement contemplated by this RFP, as scope and expectations are different from previous agreements. 32) By participating in this bid, do we lose our current agreement if we are not awarded the business? a. Participating in this proposal process does not eliminate the existing agreement. In fact, it provides an incumbent service provider an opportunity to compete for the future business, and possibly up their game in terms of expanding outside their usual service model. It would be a business decision for each interested supplier to make: whether to continue with their current business model or explore a creative opportunity to improve their market capacity and compete for expanded services. 33) If awarded the RFP will we be required to redress our current served location(s)? a. The intent of this RFP is solely focused on DEN. 34) Vague descriptions are included, can we get a better idea or pictures of the current uniform program? a. There is no existing custom uniform program at DEN. Currently, the incumbent supplier provides rental and maintenance of uniforms for DEN employees, and all uniformed contractors obtain uniforms from independent sources based on basic guidelines provided by DEN.

7 35) Are previous bid tabulations available? a. Previous bid tabulations are not relevant to the current RFP, which is focused specifically on DEN and is an entirely different scope. 36) What is the time frame for rolling out the new program? a. Propose what your company believes is a realistic time frame, based on the information provided in the RFP. Refer also to Q/As 18 and ) Cooperative purchasing- if DEN is wanting specialty designed items, other governmental jurisdictions will have access to DEN s line of clothing? a. The line of clothing designed for DEN is specifically limited to DEN employees and DEN s uniformed contract partners.