CENTENNIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT R-1
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FINANCIAL AUDIT SERVICES
June 25, 2024
I. Introduction and Overview
Centennial School District is a public school district located in San Luis, Colorado and serving students in grades K-12. The District has a student enrollment of 183 students, and 45 employees.
II. Scope of Services
The District is seeking competitive proposals from qualified professionals to provide the following services (“Services”): The District requires the auditor to express an opinion on the fair presentation of its combining the individual fund financial statement and schedules in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. The auditor is required to issue an opinion on the The Auditors’ Integrity Report submitted to Colorado Department of Education (CDE). If required, the auditor is to provide a report on the Schedule of Federal Financial Assistance based on the auditing procedures applied during the audit of the financial statements. To meet the requirements of this request for proposal, the audit shall be performed in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United Stats of America and the standards application to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United Stats and the provisions of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133, Audits of State, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations.
III. Proposal Requirements
A. Submission Procedures
1) Proposals must be submitted in PDF format to Kristin Mora at kristin.mora@centennial.k12.co.us. Proposals should not exceed 25 pages, including pricing and marketing materials.
B. Proposal Format
Proposals shall be in the following format and shall adhere to the page limitations, if any:
1) Cover Letter - include the name, authorized representative, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of the bidder.
2) Bidder Overview – provide a brief description of the bidder’s organization and experience. Include specific experience with school districts or other local governments. Identify a bidder point of contact for this RFP and provide such person’s title, address, telephone, and email address.
3) Bidder Services – explain the manner and time frame in which the bidder intends to provide the Services.
4) Project Team - Identify the project team that will provide the Services and provide a brief resume and/or summary of each team member’s qualifications and experience.
5) References – provide at least two (2) references for which bidder has performed similar services within the last five (5) years. The District prefers to have school district or other local government references. Include the entity name, contact person name and address, and a description of the services performed for each reference.
6) Insurance – provide a certificate of insurance evidencing bidder’s current general liability, automobile liability, and, if applicable, professional liability coverage.
7) Form of Engagement Letter or Contract for Services – the District reserves the right to negotiate changes as part of the selection process.
8) Pricing – identify hourly or flat rates or other fee structure, including policy for reimbursement of expenses.
9) Signature Page – bidders shall complete the Signature Page set forth in Attachment A and submit it with their proposals.
IV. Evaluation of Proposals
The District Evaluation Committee will judge the merit of proposals received in accordance with the criteria described below (in no particular order):
● Completeness of proposal and overall responsiveness to RFP
● Cost for services contained in the Proposal
● Qualifications and experience of the bidder to provide the Services
● Quality of references
V. RFP Administrative Information
A. RFP Contact
Please direct all communications regarding this RFP to:
Lisa Dupont
Co-Finance Director
Lisa.dupont@centennial.k12.co.us
Ms. Dupont is to be the sole point of contact and communication concerning this RFP.
B. Invitation to Submit Proposals
The District invites bidders who have an interest to submit a proposal in accordance with terms of this RFP.
C. Purpose
This RFP provides prospective bidders with sufficient information to enable them to prepare and submit proposals for consideration by the District to satisfy the need for expert assistance in the completion of the goals of this RFP.
D. Scope
This RFP contains the instructions governing the proposal to be submitted and the material to be included therein, the mandatory requirements which must be met to be eligible for consideration; and other requirements to be met by each proposal.
E. Schedule of Activities and Timeline
1. Issuance of RFP. -- June 25, 2024
2. Deadline for bidder submission of written inquiries (no inquiries accepted after this deadline.) Reference Section 5.F of the RFP. -- July 12, 2024
3. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE -- July 19,2024, at 4:00 p.m. MT
4. Evaluation of RFP responses -- July 22-26, 2024
5. Interviews, if necessary. See Section 5. DD of the RFP -- July 30, 2024
6. Engage services of successful bidder/contract execution -- On or about August 1, 2024
7. Contract term. -- To be determined upon award.
F. Inquiries
Bidders may make written inquiries (via mail, facsimile or email) concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. Inquiries made in person or by telephone will not be accepted. Inquiries shall not be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities and Timeline. Inquiries must be clearly marked with “CSD - Financial Services Proposal”. Send all inquiries to Lisa Dupont, Co-Finance Director, lisa.dupont@centennial.k12.co.us.
As email delivery issues can occur from time to time, the District strongly recommends that bidders submitting inquiries electronically send a separate email to request District confirmation of receipt of the electronic inquiry.
Telephonic or in-person inquiries shall not be accepted. Bidders shall not contact District staff directly with questions and may not rely on any verbal statements by District staff that alter any specification or other term or condition of the RFP. This RFP may be modified only in a writing signed by the District Superintendent or designee.
G. Intentionally deleted.
H. Modification or Withdrawal of Proposals
Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the bidder prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline set forth in the above Schedule of Activities and Timeline.
I. Proposal Submission
Proposals shall be received on or before the proposal submission deadline as indicated in the above Schedule of Activities and Timeline. Late proposals will not be accepted. It is the responsibility of the bidder to ensure that the proposal is received by the District on or before the proposal submission deadline date and time.
The original proposal must be dated and signed by a person who is legally authorized to bind the bidder to the proposal, with that person’s name and title clearly identified on the Signature Page. The format of the Signature Page is provided at the end of this document.
J. Addendum or Supplement to RFP
In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, a modification notice will be issued by the District to the email supplied by the bidder.
K. Objections to RFP Terms; Notice to District of RFP Errors
If a bidder objects on any ground to any provision or legal requirement set forth in this RFP, such bidder shall, not more than five (5) calendar days after the RFP is issued, provide written notice 5 to the District Representative setting forth with specificity the grounds for the objection. Any failure to object in the manner set forth in this section shall constitute a complete and irrevocable waiver of any such objection. This requirement excludes proposed modifications to a District contract or agreement if the process for proposing modifications is addressed elsewhere within this RFP.
Each bidder is responsible for reviewing all portions of this RFP and shall promptly notify the District Representative in writing if the bidder discovers any ambiguity, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this RFP (an "Error Notification"). Any Error Notification should be delivered via mail, facsimile or email promptly after discovery, but in no event later than the Deadline for Written Inquiries as set forth in this RFP.
L. Acceptance of RFP Terms
A proposal submitted in response to this RFP shall constitute a binding offer. The autographic signature of the bidder shall indicate acknowledgment of this condition. Signature shall be that of a person legally authorized to execute contractual obligations. A submission in response to this RFP acknowledges acceptance by the bidder of all terms and conditions including compensation, as set forth herein. A bidder shall identify clearly and thoroughly any variation between its proposal and the District’s RFP requirements. Failure to do so shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance, except as outlined or specified in the RFP. Bidders, please note: if you do offer suggested modifications, the decision to reject, accept or further negotiate requested changes will be at the District’s sole discretion.
M. Confidential/Proprietary Information
Any proposed restrictions for the use or inspection of material contained within the proposal shall be clearly stated in the proposal itself.
Step 1. Written requests for confidentiality shall be submitted by the bidder with its proposal. The bidder must provide a justification and state specifically what elements of the proposal are to be considered confidential/proprietary.
Step 2. Confidential/proprietary information must be readily identified, marked, and packaged separately from the rest of the proposal. Commingling of confidential and/or proprietary information with other information is NOT acceptable and will result in bidder waiving any claim of confidential/proprietary information.
Step 3. The District Representative will decide the validity of any written request for confidentiality. Neither a proposal in its entirety, nor proposal price information will be considered confidential and proprietary. Any information that will be included in a resulting contract shall not be considered confidential.
N. Proposal Prices
Estimated proposal prices are not acceptable. Proposal prices will be considered a bidder’s best and final offer, unless otherwise stated in the RFP. The proposal contents and fees must be guaranteed for ninety (90) days from the proposal date. The proposal price will be considered in determining the apparent successful bidder.
O. Selection of Proposal
As described within the RFP, an Evaluation Committee will review and score offers submitted, and make a recommendation for award. This selection will be for award to the responsible bidder(s) whose proposal is determined to be most advantageous to the District, in the District’s sole discretion.
P. Award of Contract(s)
The award(s) will be made to the responsible bidder whose proposal, conforming to the RFP, will be the most advantageous to the District, price and other factors considered. A contract must be completed and signed by all parties concerned. In the event the parties are unable to enter into a contract, the District may elect to cancel the award and make the award to the next most responsible bidder.
Q. Multiple Awards
The District reserves the right to award this RFP in part to multiple bidders, if so determined by the District to be in the best interests of the District.
R. Intentionally deleted
S. Acceptance of Proposal Content
The contents of the proposal (including persons specified to implement the project) of the successful bidder will become contractual obligations if acquisition action ensues. Failure of the successful bidder to accept these obligations in a contract, purchase order, or similar authorized acquisition document may result in cancellation of the award and such bidder may be removed from future solicitations.
T. RFP Cancellation
The District reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time, without penalty.
U. District Ownership of Contract Products/Services
Proposals, upon established opening time, become the property of the District. All products/services produced in response to the contract(s) resulting from this RFP will be the sole property of the District, unless otherwise noted in the RFP. The RFP requirement and the contents of the successful bidder’s proposal, clarifications and/or best and final offers will become contractual obligations.
V. Incurring Costs
The District is not liable for any cost incurred by bidder prior to issuance of a legally executed contract, purchase order, or other authorized acquisition document. No property interest, of any nature, shall occur until a contract is awarded and signed by all concerned parties.
W. Non-Discrimination
The bidder shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations involving non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, or other protected status.
X. Rejection of Proposals
The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received and to accept any portion of a proposal or all items proposed if deemed in the best interest of the District.
Y. Parent Company
If a bidder is owned or controlled by a parent company, the name, main office address and parent company's tax identification number shall be provided in the proposal. The tax identification number provided must be that of the bidder responding to the RFP.
Z. News Releases
News releases pertaining to this RFP or any resulting contract shall NOT be made without prior written approval by the District.
AA. Certification of Independent Pricing Determination
Except as otherwise disclosed with particularity, through its submission of a quote, bid, or offer, the bidder certifies that the prices and other terms in the quote, bid, or offer have been arrived at independently without any consultation, communication, agreement with, or knowledge of the contents of the quote, bid, or offer by, any other competing bidder. For purposes of this paragraph, "consultation, communication, agreement with, or knowledge" does not include knowledge of prices or terms gained through availability of established price lists or catalogues made available to the public by the competing bidder. No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.
BB. Reservation of Rights
The District reserves the right to:
● reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFP; 8
● waive or decline to waive any informalities and any irregularities in any proposal or responses received;
● request clarification(s) of the bidder’s proposal;
● adopt all or any part of the bidder’s proposal;
● negotiate changes in the scope of work or services to be provided;
● engage the successful bidder for future services related to the Services set forth in this RFP based upon future needs as determined by the District;
● withhold the award of contract; or
● select the bidder it deems to be most qualified to fulfill the needs of the District. The lowest priced response will not necessarily be the one most qualified, since a number of factors other than price are important in the determination of the most acceptable response.
CC. Confidentiality of District Information
The bidder acknowledges that it may come into contact with confidential information contained in the records of the District. The confidentiality of all information will be respected, and no confidential information shall be distributed or sold to any third party nor used by the bidder or the bidder’s employees, subcontractors or assignees in any way except as expressly authorized in writing by the District, nor be retained in any files of the bidder. No reports, information, or data provided to the bidder or prepared by the bidder shall be made available by the bidder to any individual or organization without prior written approval of the District. Disclosure of such information may be cause for legal action against the bidder. Defense of any such action shall be the sole responsibility of the bidder. If applicable, successful bidder personnel may be required to sign a District Data Protection Agreement.
DD. Personal Interviews/Demonstrations
Bidders may be invited by the evaluation committee to participate in personal interviews and/or demonstrations. If applicable, the date is set forth in the Schedule of Activities and Timeline within this RFP. Bidders, by responding to this RFP, are confirming their availability to participate in an interview on this date, if selected by the District as a finalist. Inability of a bidder to be available on the designated interview date may result in elimination of that bidder for consideration of award. Any costs associated with bidder participation in the personal interview/demonstrations (i.e., travel costs) shall be at the bidder’s expense.
EE. Best and Final Offers
The District may, at its sole option, either accept a bidder’s initial proposal by award of a contract or enter into discussions with bidders whose proposals are deemed to be reasonably susceptible of being considered for award. In conducting discussions, there shall be no disclosure of any pricing information derived from proposals submitted by a competing bidder. Bidder(s) may be invited to submit a “Best and Final Offer” to the District for consideration. Best and Final Offers will be made at the bidder’s expense. After receipt and review of the Best and Final Offers, the District will determine the successful bidder.
FF. District Board of Education Approval
Depending on the final scope of services as determined by the District, it may be necessary to receive Board of Education approval prior to issuance by the District of a purchase order to the successful bidder or execution of a contract with the successful bidder. The District will make efforts to obtain Board approval as soon as reasonably possible.
GG. RFP Compliance
All participating bidders, by their signatures, shall agree to comply with all of the conditions, requirements and instructions of this RFP as stated or implied herein. Should the District omit anything from this document which is necessary to a clear understanding of the work, or should it appear that various instructions are in conflict, the bidder shall inquire and secure written instructions from the District Representative by the written inquiry deadline set forth in the schedule for this RFP.
HH. Service Commitment
The successful bidder shall commit that the level of service (number and experience of people and hours) and identified personnel committed to the District in the successful bidder’s proposal shall be maintained throughout the resulting contract, including extensions. If the successful bidder wishes to make key staff changes during the term of the contract, including any extensions, the District requires pre-approval by the District of that individual’s replacement.
II. Premises Access
The successful bidder shall not knowingly employ on District premises any persons convicted of any felony or misdemeanor crime of unlawful sexual behavior involving children
**Please see required Declaration & Signature page 