Retail Partnership for the Distribution of Waste Containers Solution

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST No EOI1 Retail Partnership for the Distribution of Waste Containers Solution CLOSING DATE: 04 November 2015, 3:00 pm Local Time

2 Page 2 of 19 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PART 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Purpose City of Ottawa Overview Project Introduction Objectives and Intent of this Benefits of responding Inquiries 5 2. PART 2 STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS Summary of the Process (REOI) Timeline and Critical Dates 7 3. PART 3 - ANNEXES 7 4. PART 4 - ANNEX A TERMS OF REFERENCE Requirements Services 8 5. PART 5 - ANNEX B QUESTIONS Ottawa Retail Location Inventory Management Single Use Bar Codes Additional Items Yellow Bags PART 6 - ANNEX C RESPONDENT INFORMATION 10

3 Page 3 of PART 1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.1 Purpose The City of Ottawa s current contract for a retail partnership for the supply and distribution of waste containers will be coming to an end in June As a result, the City will be issuing a new Request for Proposal (RFP) in the near future. The waste containers include the Green Bin and a kitchen container for organic materials, and standard curbside Recycling Bins. The Purpose of this Expression of Interest is to gauge the Ottawa market regarding potential interest in this opportunity, as well as to get a better understanding of the capabilities of potential retail vendors towards improvements that could be implemented. 1.2 City of Ottawa Overview The City of Ottawa s Solid Waste Services (SWS) provides solid waste collection and processing services to the residents of the City which include approximately 280,000 households. These homes have recycling boxes (Blue for containers and Black for paper fibres) and Green Bins (either 80 litre bins or 47 litre containers ) and 6.6 litre kitchen containers (for primary capture of kitchen food waste). These five containers are herein referred to (collectively or individually) as waste containers. The purpose of the diversion program is to maximize landfill capacity by ensuring recyclable or compostable materials are captured and treated as a resource. Key to the convenience of participation is the ability of residents to obtain the necessary tools to participate in the waste diversion programs. Ottawa's waste container distribution policy is: 1. Every household receives the first waste container of each type (one green bin, one kitchen container, one black and one blue bin) for free from the City when a resident moves into a new household (new residents). 2. Lost or stolen containers will be replaced for free, once every two years. 3. Additional containers must be purchased by residents 4. Containers supplied for new residents/houses always include the City supplied educational information.

4 Page 4 of Project Introduction The program is to work with a retailer who can provide the distribution network to allow easy access for City residents to pick up or purchase waste collection bins. The retailer would be responsible for ordering, transporting, storing, and selling the waste containers. The City currently provides a coupon(s) to residents for the waste containers that they require. The resident can then go to the retail establishment and pick up the containers, and pay for them using the City issued coupon. The retailer then invoices the City for the cost of the bin and uses the coupon as proof of purchase. The retailer may also sell the containers to their customers directly without restrictions. The key advantage to the retailer will be the in-store foot traffic created by the City of Ottawa directing thousands of residents into the retail store(s), as well as the potential increased brand recognition for your corporate name and logo on approximately 23,000 requests and on the City webpage. For the next contract period the City envisions a system of distribution where the resident contacts the City to request the appropriate container(s). The City would validated the request and the resident would receive via or SMS text message a Single Use Bar Code Coupon that the resident would then use to purchase the container(s) at the retail location. The Retail Partnership will benefit the City of Ottawa and its residents and the successful proponent by: providing a neighbourhood based and publicly accessible outlet for residents to get new Waste Containers Providing the City with an established and cost effective distribution mechanism for the Waste Containers 1.4 Objectives and Intent of this The objective of this (REOI) is to determine what vendors may be interested in the project, and to see what some possible solutions are when it comes to the technology to create and distribute single use bar code coupons. The City of Ottawa s Information Technology Services (ITS) department can generate Bar Codes if the vendors cannot. In this case, the proponent will

5 Page 5 of 19 need to detail a process to coordinate the management of the bar codes between ITS and the proponent. The City will consider the feedback it receives from Respondents should it be decided to proceed with the next step or finalize a Request for Proposal document. Vendors who respond to this could be contacted by the City to further discuss the information and insights/limitations to running this program. 1.5 Benefits of responding Vendors who respond to the Expression of Interest by the closing date: Have the opportunity to show they are interested in the future project. Have the opportunity to help the City develop the criteria for the future project solicitation. Would be notified in advance and updated of when the future solicitation is made available to the public. Would be listed as an approved vendor for the City project team to contact and discuss the issues or concerns presented in the expression of interest response. 1.6 Inquiries All inquiries or questions concerning this REOI shall be directed to the City s Contracting Authority representative as designated in Inquiries must be received in writing by , no later than 28 October, If inquiries or questions refer to a specific section or item in this REOI document, the section or item must be directly referred to in an inquiry or question Prospective Respondents are requested to explain their questions in sufficient detail to enable the City to be best able to provide correct and accurate responses All inquiries regarding this REOI must be directed to the Contracting Authority representative identified as follows:

6 Page 6 of 19 City of Ottawa Finance Department Supply Branch 100 Constellation Drive 4 th Floor West Tower Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8 Attention: Faridah Akuju Title: Purchasing Officer Telephone: (613) ext faridah.akuju@ottawa.ca 2. PART 2 STANDARD INSTRUCTIONS FOR BIDDERS 2.1 Summary of the Process Please provide your Expression of Interest submission by to: Attention: Faridah Akuju Title: Purchasing Officer Telephone: (613) ext faridah.akuju@ottawa.ca Submission responses to this REOI should be received by the designated Contracting Authority prior to the end of business day 04 November, Specific questions concerning the REOI have been provided in Annex A as well as a recommended format for an REOI submission. Submissions received after this time could be reviewed, but the City would not be able to discuss the results further. The City will assess the submissions of all respondents and reserves the right to consider the content of the submissions should it decide to proceed to develop materials for a RFP for a Retail Partnership for the Distribution of Waste Containers Solution.

7 Page 7 of (REOI) Timeline and Critical Dates Stage 1 Date REOI MERX Release Date Week of 28 September, 2015 Final Day for Inquiries and Questions 28 October 2015 Requested Response Submission Date 04 November 2015 Stage 2 Date Potential Subsequent Bid Solicitation (i.e. a RFP) February PART 3 - ANNEXES The following Annexes are attached to this Request for Expressions of Interest: Annex Annex A Annex B Annex C Contents Terms of Reference - Requirement Summary - Retail Partnership for Distribution of Waste Containers Questions Respondent Information

8 Page 8 of 10 REOI EO1 4. Part 4 - Annex A Terms of Reference Requirement Summary Retail Partnership for the Distribution of Waste Containers 4.1 Requirements The City has a requirement to make Waste Containers available to the residents of Ottawa in a convenient manner. In 2014, Solid Waste Services processed over 23,000 coupon requests from residents with nearly 40,000 coupons being redeemed at our retail partner. In further detail, Solid Waste Services requires at a minimum; 1. Partner stores throughout the Ottawa area for residents to get waste containers. 2. Partner stores to supply waste containers meeting the minimum specifications (size, colour, lifting standards, etc.) 3. Partner stores to maintain stock on shelves at all times of waste containers. In 2014 the number of containers that were redeemed were: 8,500 of the 80 litre Green Bin 500 of the 46 litre Green Bin 7,000 of the Kitchen Container 12,000 of the Blue Box 12,000 of the Black Box 4. Partner stores to distribute City of Ottawa supplied educational brochures with all waste containers. 5. Partner stores to accept Single Use Bar Code Coupons 6. Invoice the City on a monthly basis for coupons redeemed in stores 4.2 Services It is the City s expectation that under any future contract award the successful proponent(s) would bear all of the associated costs. Costs would include but not limited to, the contract supervision, labour, service facilities, repair or replacement parts, consumables, test equipment, and any supplies necessary to supply the contract. Execution of the contract to the Standards of Performance and Operation specified by the City.

9 Page 9 of 10 REOI EO1 5. Part 5 - Annex B Questions 5.1 Ottawa Retail Location Do you have various outlets in the Ottawa area? Please provide details of the locations. 5.2 Inventory Management What measures and procedures are in place to ensure a stock of waste containers is always available to residents at all retail locations? 5.3 Single Use Bar Codes The City s intent is to receive and process the request from the resident for new waste containers. How can the City work with you to provide the resident with a single use bar code coupon that will be redeemed for waste containers in your stores? Does your company have the ability to create electronic coupons with barcodes? If the City created electronic coupons with barcodes, can your company handle and process these? What are the limitations you foresee? Can you think of any concerns? Are there ways to ensure a coupon is only used once? After it has been scanned in your system, can your system make sure it can t be accepted again? Can you handle electronic coupons shown from a smart phone? Or would it have to be a printed out copy How will you be able to track the redemption of single use bar codes for invoicing?

10 Page 10 of 10 REOI EO1 5.4 Additional Items Yellow Garbage Bags The City has a requirement to make Yellow Garbage Bags available to small business owners for the purpose of cost effective waste disposal. The City of Ottawa Yellow Garbage Bag Program helps hundreds of small businesses in Ottawa with recycling and waste disposal. There are no coupons used for the Yellow Garbage Bag Program. Customers will purchase the merchandise from you directly. The retail partners would be responsible to report back on their monthly invoices the quantity of Yellow Garbage Bags sold from each store. Yellow Garbage Bags are purchased through the City of Ottawa for a set cost. If you were awarded the contract for the distribution of waste containers would you also be interested in distributing the Yellow Garbage Bags? 6. Part 6 - Annex C Respondent Information Respondent Information Required Information Response Company Name General description of business Name of authorized representative Contact information for authorized representative