Iowa Admin. Code r. 531-2.2

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 6, September 18, 2024

Rule 531-2.2 - Methods of obtaining bids or proposals used by the lottery

Formal or informal bids or proposals are to be obtained by one of the following methods. If more than one method is applicable to the purchase of a particular item, the lottery shall choose the method of bidding to be utilized.

(1) Formal bids may be required for any item if cost is the major criterion for selection. If cost is the major criterion for selection, formal bids shall be required for all items costing in the aggregate more than $50,000.

The lottery shall prepare a written invitation-to-bid document and shall send it via the United States Postal Service or electronic mail to selected vendors in the business of providing the goods or services sought by the lottery. Goods or services may also be obtained by the lottery using reverse auction methods via the lottery's Internet Web site.

The invitation to bid shall contain the due date and time of the bid opening, a complete description of the item needed, and any other necessary or proper items.

Formal bids, other than major procurement sealed bids, received prior to the submission deadline set in the bidding document shall be made available to any interested party on the date and hour designated on the bid form. As the bids are opened they will be tabulated, and the results of the tabulation shall be made available to any interested party. The original bids and the tabulations will be maintained at the lottery for one year following the date on which the bids were opened.

An award shall be made within 60 calendar days from the date of the bid opening unless a different time frame is stated by the lottery in the invitation to bid or subsequently agreed to by the vendors. The price quoted by the vendors shall remain binding throughout the applicable time period. If an award is not made within the applicable time frame, all bids shall be deemed rejected.

(2) Informal bids may be required for any item if cost is the major criterion for selection and if the item is expected to cost in the aggregate $50,000 or less. Informal bids may be obtained by the lottery through use of a written bid form, over the telephone, via facsimile transmission, or in electronic format, including over the Internet or through electronic mail. When requesting informal bids, the lottery shall contact selected vendors supplying the goods or services sought by the lottery and shall communicate to each vendor the date on which bids must be received, a complete description of the item to be purchased, and the time period during which the bid must remain valid. Goods or services may also be obtained by the lottery using reverse auction methods via the lottery's Internet Web site.

Written informal bids shall be opened as received, and informal telephone, facsimile, or electronic bids shall be recorded as received. If a bid is received over the telephone, a telephone bid form shall be used to record the bid received. If an electronic bid is received, a screen print shall be used to record the bid received. Following the submission deadline, the lottery shall tabulate the bids received and make the award. The bids and the tabulations shall be available to interested parties after the submission deadline and shall be maintained by the lottery for one year following the submission deadline.

If an award is not made within the time frame indicated by the lottery when requesting bids, all bids shall be deemed rejected.

(3) Whenever a requirement exists for an item or a major procurement and cost may not be the sole criterion for selection, the lottery may issue a request for proposals. The purpose of a request for proposals is to provide the vendor with sufficient information about the lottery's requirements and goals to allow the vendor to propose a solution to the lottery's requirements.

The lottery shall prepare a written request for proposals and shall send the proposal via the United States Postal Service or electronic mail to selected vendors in the business of supplying the goods or services sought by the lottery.

The lottery requires that bids submitted in response to a request for proposals in a major procurement for award of a contract for the printing of tickets or for the purchase or lease of equipment or services essential to the operation of a lottery game be submitted as sealed bids. The contents of sealed bids shall be made available to any interested party at the time designated in the request for proposals. A bidder shall identify with clear markings the pages, sections, or documents submitted as part of a proposal package that the bidder claims are exempt from disclosure because they contain sensitive business or trade secret information.

To ensure the fairness and integrity of the evaluation process, the lottery may elect to evaluate and score any of the technical, financial, security, and marketing components of major procurement sealed bid proposals prior to opening and integrating the scoring of the pricing component. When scoring has been completed, the evaluation team shall prepare a recommendation report for an award and, if applicable, for rejection of any or all proposals under consideration. The recommendation report shall be submitted to the chief executive officer and the lottery board for such action as the chief executive officer and board may deem appropriate. The report shall be made available to any interested person immediately upon transmittal to the chief executive officer and the board. Prior to making an award, the board and chief executive officer shall receive and consider the results of a background investigation conducted by the department of public safety division of criminal investigation.

An award shall be made within 60 calendar days from the date of the proposal opening unless a different time frame is stated by the lottery in the request for proposal or subsequently agreed to by the vendors. The terms quoted by the vendor shall remain binding throughout the applicable time frame. If an award is not made within the applicable time frame, all proposals shall be deemed rejected and not binding.

At a minimum, a request for proposals shall address the following criteria: the need for a proposal conference; the purpose and background of the request; important dates in the proposal and the award process including the submission deadline; administrative requirements for submitting the proposal and the format required by the lottery; the scope of the work to be performed and any specific requirements which the vendor must meet; and any contractual terms and conditions which the lottery anticipates may affect the terms of the vendor's proposal.

This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code section 72.3 and Iowa Code Supplement sections 99G.7, 99G.9, and 99G.2I.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 531-2.2