HomeMy WebLinkAboutR2023-264 2023-10-23RESOLUTION NO. R2023-264
A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Pearland, Texas, authorizing
participation in the Sourcewell Interlocal Agreement for the cooperative
purchase of office supplies from Staples Advantage, in the estimated amount
of $100,000.00, for the period of October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS:
Section 1. That the City obtained competitive unit supply pricing for the purchase of
office supplies through the Sourcewell Cooperative Contract.
Section 2. That the City Council hereby authorizes the unit supply purchase of office
supplies from Staples Advantage, in the unit supply amounts reflected in Exhibit “A” attached
hereto.
Section 3. The City Manager or his designee is hereby authorized to execute a contract
for the purchase of office supplies.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this the 23rd day of October, A.D., 2023.
________________________________
J.KEVIN COLE
MAYOR
ATTEST:
________________________________
FRANCES AGUILAR, TRMC, MMC
CITY SECRETARY
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
________________________________
DARRIN M. COKER
CITY ATTORNEY
DocuSign Envelope ID: 96DD53B2-5E80-4B2C-BB6D-0DF9C31BB718
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Solicitation Number: RFP#012320
CONTRACT
This Contract is between Sourcewell, 202 12th Street Northeast, P.O. Box 219, Staples, MN
56479 (Sourcewell) and Staples Contract & Commercial LLC, 500 Staples Drive, Framingham,
MA 01702 (Vendor).
Sourcewell is a State of Minnesota local government agency and service cooperative created
under the laws of the State of Minnesota (Minnesota Statutes Section 123A.21) that offers
cooperative procurement solutions to its members. Participation is open to all levels of
governmental entity, higher education, K-12 education, nonprofit, tribal government, and other
public entities located in the United States and Canada.
Vendor desires to contract with Sourcewell to provide equipment, products, or services to
Sourcewell and its Members (Members).
1. TERM OF CONTRACT
A. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Contract is effective August 1, 2020.
B. EXPIRATION DATE AND EXTENSION. This Contract expires April 6, 2024, unless it is cancelled
sooner pursuant to Article 24. This Contract may be extended up to one additional one-year
period upon request of Sourcewell and with written agreement by Vendor.
C. SURVIVAL OF TERMS. Articles 11 through 16 survive the expiration or cancellation of this
Contract.
2. EQUIPMENT, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES
A. EQUIPMENT, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES. Vendor will provide the Equipment, Products, or
Services as stated in its Proposal submitted under the Solicitation Number listed above.
Vendor’s Equipment, Products, or Services Proposal (Proposal) is attached and incorporated
into this Contract.
All Equipment and Products provided under this Contract must be new/current model. Vendor
may offer close-out or refurbished Equipment or Products if they are clearly indicated in
Vendor’s product and pricing list. Unless agreed to by the Member in advance, Equipment or
Products must be delivered as operational to the Member’s site.
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This Contract offers an indefinite quantity of sales, and while substantial volume is anticipated,
sales and sales volume are not guaranteed.
B. LAWS AND REGULATIONS. All Equipment, Products, or Services must comply fully with
applicable federal laws and regulations, and with the laws of the state or province in which the
Equipment, Products, or Services are sold.
C. WARRANTY. Vendor warrants that all Products and installation thereof will conform to
specifications as stated in manufacturer documentation. Vendor will pass through all
manufacturers’ warranties to Member (copies of such manufacturer warranties provided upon
request). Vendor warrants that all Products branded TRU RED, Perk, NXT Technologies, Union &
Scale, or Coastwide Professional are: (1) merchantable; (2) of good quality and workmanship;
(3) free from defects latent or patent in material design and workmanship for whichever period
is shorter, either (a) one year from the date of purchase, or (b) as otherwise specified on the
packaging of the Products; (4) fit sufficient and safe for their intended purpose and for the
particular purpose for which they were designed; and (5) in conformity with Vendor’s samples,
if any. Vendor warrants that for a period of one year from performance, installation and
assembly Services will meet or exceed generally accepted standards in the industry and will
meet any required specifications mutually agreed upon by Vendor and Member.
Additional warranties applicable to specific product categories, if any, are set forth in Vendor’s
Proposal.
THESE WARRANTIES ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL OTHERS, ORAL OR WRITTEN, EXPRESS
OR IMPLIED. VENDOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
D. DEALERS AND DISTRIBUTORS. Upon Contract execution, Vendor will make available to
Sourcewell a means to validate or authenticate Vendor’s authorized Distributors/Dealers
relative to the Equipment, Products, and Services related to this Contract. This list may be
updated from time-to-time and is incorporated into this Contract by reference. It is the
Vendor’s responsibility to ensure Sourcewell receives the most current version of this list.
Vendor may utilize certain company affiliates under the Staples, Inc. umbrella to serve as
authorized dealers and distributors under this agreement. Any sales by such affiliates pursuant
to the Contract would be reflected in a written agreement between such affiliate and
Sourcewell participating Member with reference made to this Contract. These affiliates include,
but are not limited to, DEX Imaging, LLC, a leading nationwide managed print services provider.
3. PRICING
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All Equipment, Products, or Services under this Contract will be priced as stated in Vendor’s
Proposal.
Regardless of the payment method chosen by the Member, the total cost associated with any
purchase option of the Equipment, Products, or Services must always be disclosed in the pricing
quote to the applicable Member at the time of purchase.
When providing pricing quotes to Members, all pricing quoted must reflect a Member’s total
cost of acquisition. This means that the quoted cost is for delivered Equipment, Products, and
Services that are operational for their intended purpose, and includes all costs to the Member’s
requested delivery location.
A. SHIPPING AND SHIPPING COSTS. All delivered Equipment and Products must be properly
packaged. Damaged Equipment and Products may be rejected. If the damage is not readily
apparent at the time of delivery, Vendor must permit the Equipment and Products to be
returned within a reasonable time at no cost to Sourcewell or its Members. Members reserve
the right to inspect the Equipment and Products at a reasonable time after delivery where
circumstances or conditions prevent effective inspection of the Equipment and Products at the
time of delivery.
Vendor must arrange for and pay for the return shipment on Equipment and Products that arrive
in a defective or inoperable condition.
Sourcewell may declare the Vendor in breach of this Contract if the Vendor intentionally
delivers substandard or inferior Equipment or Products. In the event of the delivery of
nonconforming Equipment and Products, the Member will notify the Vendor as soon as
possible and the Vendor will replace nonconforming Equipment and Products with conforming
Equipment and Products that are acceptable to the Member.
Vendor will use commercially reasonable efforts to ship Products ordered by Members before
4:00 p.m. local time within one (1) business day after acceptance of a Purchase Order, except
for backordered, special-order, or out of stock Products. If a Product is backordered or
shipment is delayed for any reason, Member will be notified of a delay and Vendor will deliver
the delayed Product as promptly as commercially practicable. Vendor will treat delayed orders
as active until Member contacts Vendor and provides other instructions. Vendor’s standard
shipments will be F.O.B. Member’s location in the forty-eight (48) contiguous United States.
Additional charges may apply for desk-top delivery, special delivery, non-standard delivery, rush
delivery, or special or custom order products or as noted on Vendor’s e-commerce platform.
Title and risk of loss for the Products will pass to Member at the time the Products are delivered
to Member. Eligible products purchased online and picked up at a Vendor retail location will be
available for pick up two hours after approval, charged at time of pick up, and cancelled if not
picked up after five (5) days. Sales tax will be calculated based upon order pick up location.
Member’s invoice may not separately designate these items as “in-store pick up.” Certain items
may incur an additional charge (typically furniture items) which will be invoiced to the Member,
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if applicable. Unless otherwise agreed by Vendor and a Member all orders shall be subject to a
minimum order size of 35.00 per order. If an order below this amount is placed, the Member
will be informed it cannot be processed.
The following will apply for shipments to Alaska or Hawaii: Shipments up to 159lbs. are shipped
UPS 2nd Day Air. Shipments over 159lbs. or items which cannot be shipped via UPS (e.g. items
classified as hazmat and/or ORM-D) are shipped ocean freight. Vendor will not ship any fully
regulated hazmat items, which are shipped directly from the vendor. Ocean shipments are
delivered approximately fourteen (14) days from shipment. All shipments to Alaska or Hawaii
will be subject to a 25% surcharge.
B. SALES TAX. Each Member is responsible for supplying the Vendor with valid tax-exemption
certification(s). When ordering, Members must indicate if it is a tax-exempt entity.
C. HOT LIST PRICING. At any time during this Contract, Vendor may offer a specific selection
of Equipment, Products, or Services at discounts greater than those listed in the Contract.
When Vendor determines it will offer Hot List Pricing, it must be submitted electronically to
Sourcewell in a line-item format. Equipment, Products, or Services may be added or removed
from the Hot List at any time through a Sourcewell Price and Product Change Form as defined
in Article 4 below.
Hot List program and pricing may also be used to discount and liquidate close-out and
discontinued Equipment and Products as long as those close-out and discontinued items are
clearly identified as such. Current ordering process and administrative fees apply. Hot List
Pricing must be published and made available to all Members.
4. PRODUCT AND PRICING CHANGE REQUESTS
Vendor may request Equipment, Product, or Service changes, additions, or deletions at any
time. All requests must be made in writing by submitting a signed Sourcewell Price and Product
Change Request Form to the assigned Sourcewell Contract Administrator. This form is available
from the assigned Sourcewell Contract Administrator. At a minimum, the request must:
x Identify the applicable Sourcewell contract number
x Clearly specify the requested change
x Provide sufficient detail to justify the requested change
x Individually list all Equipment, Products, or Services affected by the requested
change, along with the requested change (e.g., addition, deletion, price change)
x Include a complete restatement of pricing documentation in Microsoft Excel
with the effective date of the modified pricing, or product addition or deletion. The
new pricing restatement must include all Equipment, Products, and Services offered,
even for those items where pricing remains unchanged.
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A fully executed Sourcewell Price and Product Request Form will be become an amendment to
this Contract and be incorporated by reference.
Core List. The “Core List” represents net priced items which are inclusive of those products
predicted to be the most commonly used products by Sourcewell and its participating
Members. Prices for Core List items provided under this contract are set forth in Exhibit 1.
The prices for Core List Items, excluding Premium Products, may be updated biannually on
August 1st and February 1st of each year during the term that this contract in effect. Vendor
may request a price change adjustment for Core List items by submitting a price change
addendum to Sourcewell thirty (30) days prior to August 1st and February 1st to reflect changes
in stock availability, market conditions, buying expense, tariffs and other factors that affect the
overall cost of such items.
The prices for Premium Products may be updated quarterly of each year during the term that
this contract in effect. Premium Products are defined as toner, ink, IT hardware, copy paper and
furniture that Members purchase from Vendor.
Extraordinary Market Events. Vendor reserves the right to reasonably adjust a Core Item’s price
if extraordinary market events require immediate adjustment (e.g. shortages, trade disputes,
natural disasters, etc.) and to adjust pricing with the impact of tariffs, customs, or duties
imposed on products. Any such adjustments shall be noticed to Sourcewell with thirty (30) days
prior written notice accompanied by supporting documentation. Vendor will work with
Sourcewell and affected Members to identify alternative products to mitigate the impact of the
foregoing where possible.
Updated Items. For purposes of contract management, Vendor may provide to Sourcewell an
updated report no more than once a calendar quarter, which shall identify the SKU numbers
and prices for the new items that Vendor and Sourcewell have added, as well as SKU numbers
for items that have been removed from the from the Core List. Vendor may from time to time
propose substitutions to Core Items. Sourcewell agrees that it will not unreasonably withhold
its consent.
Custom Pricing; Rebates & Incentives; Other Terms. Vendor may offer additional pricing
discounts, rebates and/or incentives to an individual participating Member based upon
commitments and variables that may include, but not limited to, Member size and scope,
geography, purchase volume, guarantees, logistical expenses, manufacturer support, specific
product usage and other contractual terms/requirements. Members receiving custom pricing or
incentives may be required to sign a Participation Agreement with Vendor.
Non-Core Items. The prices for Non-Core Items shall appear on StaplesAdvantage.com and shall
be adjusted to reflect changes in stock availability, market conditions, buying expense, and
other factors that affect the overall cost of the Non-Core Items. Notwithstanding anything to
the contrary Non-Core Items are not subject to customer audit, or any pricing guarantee, nor
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shall Non-Core Items be subject to the Change Request process set forth in this Section 4.
Sourced Goods. Members may request certain goods that are non-stock or custom in nature.
The prices for Sourced Goods shall be those prices that appear on the ordering platform at time
of order, or as otherwise established between Vendor and the applicable participating Member
at the time the order is placed. Sourced Goods may include additional delivery or handling
charges that would be the responsibility of the ordering Member.
Pricing Exhibits. Please see the Pricing Exhibits for pricing details on the following categories:
• Exhibit 1 – Core List Pricing
• Exhibit 2 – Print & Copy Program
• Exhibit 3 – Promotional Products Program
• Exhibit 4 – Staples Technology Solutions
• Exhibit 5A – Managed Print Services Capabilities
• Exhibit 5B – Managed Print Services Pricing
• Exhibit 5C – Managed Print Services Sample Agreement
Tier One Diversity Program. Vendor reserves the right to implement a pricing upcharge when
setting up a Tier One program for any Participating Member to reflect the additional cost of the
diversity supplier’s program.
5. MEMBERSHIP, CONTRACT ACCESS, AND MEMBER REQUIREMENTS
A. MEMBERSHIP. Membership in Sourcewell is open to public and nonprofit entities across the
United States and Canada; such as municipal, state/province, K-12 and higher education, tribal
government, and other public entities.
The benefits of this Contract should be available to all Members that can legally access the
Equipment, Products, or Services under this Contract. A Member’s authority to access this
Contract is determined through its cooperative purchasing, interlocal, or joint powers laws. Any
entity accessing benefits of this Contract will be considered a Service Member of Sourcewell
during such time of access. Vendor understands that a Member’s use of this Contract is at the
Member’s sole convenience and Members reserve the right to obtain like Equipment, Products,
or Services from any other source.
Vendor is responsible for familiarizing its sales and service forces with Sourcewell membership
requirements and documentation and will encourage potential members to join Sourcewell.
Sourcewell reserves the right to add and remove Members to its roster during the term of this
Contract.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary a Member’s participation hereunder including for the
avoidance of doubt and extension of credit hereunder is contingent upon Member’s
satisfaction of Vendor’s standard credit requirements. Vendor also reserve the right to refuse
sales of Products to Members reselling such Products. To the extent a Member has a pre-
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existing separate agreement with Vendor, Vendor reserves the right not to sell products and
services under multiple agreements to that Member. In addition, Vendor may terminate this
Contract for any reason (i.e., for convenience) with respect to an individual Member by
delivering not less than ninety (90) days prior written notice thereof to Sourcewell and the
applicable Member.
B. PUBLIC FACILITIES. Vendor’s employees may be required to perform work at government-
owned facilities, including schools. Vendor’s employees and agents must conduct themselves in
a professional manner while on the premises, and in accordance with Member policies and
procedures, and all applicable laws.
6. MEMBER ORDERING AND PURCHASE ORDERS
A. PURCHASE ORDERS AND PAYMENT. To access the contracted Equipment, Products, or
Services under this Contract, Member must clearly indicate to Vendor that it intends to access
this Contract; however, order flow and procedure will be developed jointly between Sourcewell
and Vendor. Typically a Member will issue a purchase order directly to Vendor. Members may
use their own forms for purchase orders, but it should clearly note the applicable Sourcewell
contract number. Members will be solely responsible for payment and Sourcewell will have no
liability for any unpaid invoice of any Member.
B. ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Additional terms and conditions to a purchase order
may be negotiated between a Member and Vendor, such as job or industry-specific
requirements, legal requirements (such as affirmative action or immigration status
requirements), or specific local policy requirements. Any negotiated additional terms and
conditions must never be less favorable to the Member than what is contained in Vendor’s
Proposal.
C. PERFORMANCE BOND. If requested by a Member, Vendor will provide a performance bond
that meets the requirements set forth in the Member’s purchase order.
D. SPECIALIZED SERVICE REQUIREMENTS. In the event that the Member requires service or
specialized performance requirements (such as e-commerce specifications, specialized delivery
requirements, or other specifications and requirements) not addressed in this Contract, the
Member and the Vendor may enter into a separate, standalone agreement, apart from this
Contract. Sourcewell, including its agents and employees, will not be made a party to a claim
for breach of such agreement.
E. TERMINATION OF PURCHASE ORDERS. Members may terminate a purchase order, in
whole or in part, immediately upon notice to Vendor in the event of any of the following
events:
1. The Member fails to receive funding or appropriation from its governing body at
levels sufficient to pay for the goods to be purchased;
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2. Federal or state laws or regulations prohibit the purchase or change the
Member’s requirements; or
3. Vendor commits any material breach of this Contract or the additional terms
agreed to between the Vendor and a Member.
Vendor reserves the right to terminate a purchase order pursuant to which a Member requests
or demands services to be performed not enumerated by the terms of this Contract.
F. GOVERNING LAW AND VENUE. The governing law and venue for any action related to a
Member’s purchase order will be determined by the Member making the purchase.
7. CUSTOMER SERVICE
A. PRIMARY ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE. Vendor will assign an Account Representative to
Sourcewell for this Contract and must provide prompt notice to Sourcewell if that person is
changed. The Account Representative will be responsible for:
x Maintenance and management of this Contract;
x Timely response to all Sourcewell and Member inquiries; and
x Business reviews to Sourcewell and Members, if applicable.
B. BUSINESS REVIEWS. Vendor must perform a minimum of one business review with
Sourcewell per contract year. The business review will cover sales to members, pricing and
contract terms, administrative fees, supply issues, customer issues, and any other necessary
information.
8. REPORT ON CONTRACT SALES ACTIVITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE FEE PAYMENT
A. CONTRACT SALES ACTIVITY REPORT. Each calendar quarter, Vendor must provide a contract
sales activity report (Report) to the Sourcewell Contract Administrator assigned to this
Contract. A Report must be provided regardless of the number or amount of sales during that
quarter (i.e., if there are no sales, Vendor must submit a report indicating no sales were made).
The Report must contain the following fields:
x Customer Name (e.g., City of Staples Highway Department);
x Customer Physical Street Address;
x Customer City;
x Customer State;
x Customer Zip Code;
x Customer Contact Name;
x Customer Contact Email Address;
x Customer Contact Telephone Number;
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x Sourcewell Assigned Entity/Member Number;
x Item Purchased Description;
x Item Purchased Price;
x Sourcewell Administrative Fee Applied; and
x Date Purchase was invoiced/sale was recognized as revenue by Vendor.
B. ADMINISTRATIVE FEE. In consideration for the support and services provided by Sourcewell,
the Vendor will pay an administrative fee to Sourcewell on all Equipment, Products, and
Services provided to Members. The Vendor will submit a check payable to Sourcewell for the
percentage of administrative fee stated in the Proposal multiplied by the total sales of all
Equipment, Products, and Services purchased by Members under this Contract during each
calendar quarter. Payments should note the Sourcewell-assigned contract number in the memo
and must be mailed to the address above “Attn: Accounts Receivable.” Payments must be
received no later than forty-five (45) calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter.
The administrative fee referenced in this Section shall be calculated as a percentage of Net
Sales (defined below) as follows:
Unless otherwise mutually agreed to in writing by Sourcewell and Staples, and except as stated
below, Staples will pay Sourcewell an administrative fee of one and half percent (1.5%) of the
Members’ aggregate Net Sales during each calendar quarter, which have been timely paid, to
be paid within forty five (45) days after the end of each calendar quarter.
An exception to the above 1.5% admin fee would be that Staples will pay Sourcewell one half of
one percent (0.5%) administrative fee for participating Members’ aggregate Net Sales under
the managed print services (“MPS”) program of the Contract and one quarter of one percent
(0.25%) on technology product Net Sales.
Net Sales. Net Sales will be defined as the gross sales price of the applicable products sold
pursuant to this Contract, less shipping costs (including freight charges and insurance), taxes,
duties, any rebates actually paid, discounts and allowances actually taken, rejections and
returns to the extent credit is given or paid, and also excluding purchases made via staples.com,
or any Staples retail channel.
Vendor agrees to cooperate with Sourcewell in auditing transactions under this Contract to
ensure that the administrative fee is paid on all items purchased under this Contract.
In the event the Vendor is delinquent in any undisputed administrative fees, Sourcewell
reserves the right to cancel this Contract and reject any proposal submitted by the Vendor in
any subsequent solicitation. In the event this Contract is cancelled by either party prior to the
Contract’s expiration date, the administrative fee payment will be due no more than thirty (30)
days from the cancellation date.
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9. AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Sourcewell's Authorized Representative is its Chief Procurement Officer.
Vendor’s Authorized Representative is the person named in the Vendor’s Proposal. If Vendor’s
Authorized Representative changes at any time during this Contract, Vendor must promptly
notify Sourcewell in writing.
10. ASSIGNMENT, AMENDMENTS, WAIVER, AND CONTRACT COMPLETE
A. ASSIGNMENT. Neither the Vendor nor Sourcewell may assign or transfer any rights or
obligations under this Contract without the prior consent of the parties and a fully executed
assignment agreement. Such consent will not be unreasonably withheld.
This Section shall not apply to Vendor’s delivery, installation, design, repair, or refurbishment
obligations hereunder, which Vendor may subcontract to reasonably qualified third parties.
B. AMENDMENTS. Any amendment to this Contract must be in writing and will not be effective
until it has been fully executed by the parties.
C. WAIVER. If either party fails to enforce any provision of this Contract, that failure does not
waive the provision or the right to enforce it.
D. CONTRACT COMPLETE. This Contract contains all negotiations and agreements between
Sourcewell and Vendor. No other understanding regarding this Contract, whether written or
oral, may be used to bind either party.
E. RELATIONSHIP OF THE PARTIES. The relationship of the parties is one of independent
contractors, each free to exercise judgment and discretion with regard to the conduct of their
respective businesses. This Contract does not create a partnership, joint venture, master-
servant, principal-agent, or any other relationship.
11. LIABILITY
Vendor must indemnify, save, and hold Sourcewell and its Members, including their agents and
employees, harmless from any claims or causes of action, including attorneys’ fees, arising out
of the performance of this Contract by the Vendor or its agents or employees; this
indemnification includes injury or death to person(s) or property alleged to have been caused
by some defect in the Equipment, Products, or Services under this Contract to the extent the
Equipment, Product, or Service has been used according to its specifications.
Neither party, nor its officers, directors, employees, or Affiliates, shall be liable to the other for
any special, indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, or exemplary damages including, but
not limited to, lost profits, business interruption, loss of data, or cost of cover even if the party
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alleged to be liable has knowledge of the possibility of such damages. The limitations set forth
in this Section shall not apply to, or in any way limit liabilities arising from, a party’s gross
negligence or willful misconduct, or from the confidentiality or indemnification obligations of
that party.
12. AUDITS
Sourcewell reserves the right to review the books, records, documents, and accounting
procedures and practices of the Vendor relevant to this Contract for a minimum of three (3)
years from the end of this Contract. This clause extends to Members as it relates to business
conducted by that Member under this Contract. Any audit requests shall be made with thirty
(30) days advance written notice and shall be conducted during normal business hours at
Vendor’s corporate offices. If a third-party consultant or auditor is used, Vendor may require
the execution of a confidentiality agreement prior to receiving access to any records.
13. GOVERNMENT DATA PRACTICES
Vendor and Sourcewell must comply with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act,
Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13, as it applies to all data provided by or provided to Sourcewell
under this Contract and as it applies to all data created, collected, received, stored, used,
maintained, or disseminated by the Vendor under this Contract.
If the Vendor receives a request to release the data referred to in this article, the Vendor must
immediately notify Sourcewell and Sourcewell will assist with how the Vendor should respond
to the request.
14. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
As applicable, Vendor agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Sourcewell and its Members
against any and all suits, claims, judgments, and costs instituted or recovered against
Sourcewell or Members by any person on account of the use of any Equipment or Products by
Sourcewell or its Members supplied by Vendor in violation of applicable patent or copyright
laws.
15. PUBLICITY, MARKETING, AND ENDORSEMENT
A. PUBLICITY. Any publicity regarding the subject matter of this Contract must not be released
without prior written approval from the Authorized Representatives. Publicity includes notices,
informational pamphlets, press releases, research, reports, signs, and similar public notices
prepared by or for the Vendor individually or jointly with others, or any subcontractors, with
respect to the program, publications, or services provided resulting from this Contract.
B. MARKETING. Any direct advertising, marketing, or offers with Members must be approved
by Sourcewell. Materials should be sent to the Sourcewell Contract Administrator assigned to
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this Contract. Any use by Sourcewell of Vendor’s trademarks, logos, or other intellectual
property shall be subject to Vendor’s prior written consent.
C. ENDORSEMENT. The Vendor must not claim that Sourcewell endorses its Equipment,
Products, or Services.
16. GOVERNING LAW, JURISDICTION, AND VENUE
Minnesota law governs this Contract. Venue for all legal proceedings out of this Contract, or its
breach, must be in the appropriate state court in Todd County or federal court in Fergus Falls,
Minnesota.
17. FORCE MAJEURE
Neither party to this Contract will be held responsible for delay or default caused by acts of God
or other conditions that are beyond that party’s reasonable control. A party defaulting under
this provision must provide the other party prompt written notice of the default.
18. SEVERABILITY
If any provision of this Contract is found to be illegal, unenforceable, or void then both
Sourcewell and Vendor will be relieved of all obligations arising under such provisions. If the
remainder of this Contract is capable of performance, it will not be affected by such declaration
or finding and must be fully performed.
19. PERFORMANCE, DEFAULT, AND REMEDIES
A. PERFORMANCE. During the term of this Contract, the parties will monitor performance and
address unresolved contract issues as follows:
1. Notification. The parties must promptly notify each other of any known dispute
and work in good faith to resolve such dispute within a reasonable period of time. If
necessary, Sourcewell and the Vendor will jointly develop a short briefing document
that describes the issue(s), relevant impact, and positions of both parties.
2. Escalation. If parties are unable to resolve the issue in a timely manner, as
specified above, either Sourcewell or Vendor may escalate the resolution of the issue to
a higher level of management. The Vendor will have thirty (30) calendar days to cure an
outstanding issue.
3. Performance while Dispute is Pending. Notwithstanding the existence of a
dispute, the Vendor must continue without delay to carry out all of its responsibilities
under the Contract that are not affected by the dispute. If the Vendor fails to continue
without delay to perform its responsibilities under the Contract, in the accomplishment
of all undisputed work, any additional costs incurred by Sourcewell and/or its Members
as a result of such failure to proceed will be borne by the Vendor.
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B. DEFAULT AND REMEDIES. Either of the following constitutes cause to declare this Contract,
or any Member order under this Contract, in default:
1. Nonperformance of contractual requirements, or
2. A material breach of any term or condition of this Contract.
Written notice of default and a reasonable opportunity to cure must be issued by the party
claiming default. Time allowed for cure will not diminish or eliminate any liability for liquidated
or other damages. If the default remains after the opportunity for cure, the non-defaulting
party may:
x Exercise any remedy provided by law or equity, or
x Terminate the Contract or any portion thereof, including any orders issued
against the Contract.
20. INSURANCE
A. REQUIREMENTS. At its own expense, Vendor must maintain insurance policy(ies) in effect at
all times during the performance of this Contract with insurance company(ies) licensed or
authorized to do business in the State of Minnesota having an “AM BEST” rating of A- or better,
with coverage and limits of insurance not less than the following:
1. Workers’ Compensation and Employer’s Liability.
Workers’ Compensation: As required by any applicable law or regulation.
Employer's Liability Insurance: must be provided in amounts not less than listed below:
Minimum limits:
$500,000 each accident for bodily injury by accident
$500,000 policy limit for bodily injury by disease
$500,000 each employee for bodily injury by disease
2. Commercial General Liability Insurance. Vendor will maintain insurance covering
its operations, with coverage on an occurrence basis, and must be subject to terms no
less broad than the Insurance Services Office (“ISO”) Commercial General Liability Form
CG0001 (2001 or newer edition). At a minimum, coverage must include liability arising
from premises, operations, bodily injury and property damage, products-completed
operations including construction defect, contractual liability, and personal injury and
advertising injury. All required limits, terms and conditions of coverage must be
maintained during the term of this Contract.
Minimum Limits:
$1,000,000 each occurrence Bodily Injury and Property Damage
$1,000,000 Personal and Advertising Injury
$2,000,000 aggregate for Products-Completed operations
$2,000,000 general aggregate
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3. Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance. During the term of this Contract,
Vendor will maintain insurance covering all owned, hired, and non-owned automobiles
in limits of liability not less than indicated below. The coverage must be subject to terms
no less broad than ISO Business Auto Coverage Form CA 0001 (2010 edition or newer).
Minimum Limits:
$1,000,000 each accident, combined single limit
4. Umbrella Insurance. During the term of this Contract, Vendor will maintain
umbrella coverage overEmployer’s Liability, Commercial General Liability, and
Commercial Automobile.
Minimum Limits:
$2,000,000
5. Professional/Technical, Errors and Omissions, and/or Miscellaneous Liability.
During the term of this Contract, Vendor will maintain coverage for all claims the Vendor
may become legally obligated to pay resulting from any actual or alleged negligent act,
error, or omission related to Vendor’s professional services required under this
Contract.
Minimum Limits:
$2,000,000
6. Network Security and Privacy Liability Insurance. During the term of this
Contract, Vendor will maintain coverage for network security and privacy liability. The
coverage may be endorsed on another form of liability coverage or written on a
standalone policy. The insurance must cover claims which may arise from failure of
Vendor’s security resulting in, but not limited to, computer attacks, unauthorized
access, disclosure of not public data – including but not limited to, confidential or
private information, transmission of a computer virus, or denial of service.
Minimum limits:
$2,000,000
Failure of Vendor to maintain the required insurance will constitute a material breach entitling
Sourcewell to immediately terminate this Contract for default.
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B. CERTIFICATES OF INSURANCE. Upon commencing under this Contract, Vendor must furnish
to Sourcewell a certificate of insurance, as evidence of the insurance required under this
Contract. Prior to expiration of the policy(ies), renewal certificates must be mailed to
Sourcewell, 202 12th Street Northeast, P.O. Box 219, Staples, MN 56479 or sent to the
Sourcewell Contract Administrator assigned to this Contract. The certificates must be signed
byan authorized representative. All policies must include there will be no cancellation,
suspension, non-renewal, or reduction of coverage without thirty (30) days’ prior written notice
to the Vendor.
Upon request, Vendor must provide to Sourcewell copies of applicable endorsements, within
ten (10) days of a request. Failure to request certificates of insurance by Sourcewell, or failure
of Vendor to provide certificates of insurance, in no way limits or relieves Vendor of its duties
and responsibilities in this Contract.
C. ADDITIONAL INSURED ENDORSEMENT AND PRIMARY AND NON-CONTRIBUTORY
INSURANCE CLAUSE. Vendor agrees to name Sourcewell and its Members, including their
officers, agents, and employees, as an additional insured under the Vendor’s commercial
general liability insurance policy with respect to liability arising out of activities, “operations,” or
“work” performed by or on behalf of Vendor, and products and completed operations of
Vendor. The policy provision(s) or endorsement(s) must further provide that coverage is
primary and not excess over or contributory with any other valid, applicable, and collectible
insurance or self-insurance maintained by the additional insureds. Notwithstanding the
minimum limits of coverages set forth herein, Vendor shall name Sourcewell and its Members,
including their officers, agents, and employees as an additional insured for the full limits of
insurance coverage, including but not limited to any excess policy coverage, purchased by
Vendor.
D. WAIVER OF SUBROGATION. Vendor waives and must require (by endorsement or
otherwise) all its insurers to waive subrogation rights against Sourcewell and other additional
insureds for losses paid under the insurance policies required by this Contract. The waiver must
apply to all deductibles and/or self-insured retentions applicable to the required insurance
maintained by the Vendor
E. UMBRELLA/EXCESS LIABILITY. The limits required by this Contract can be met by either
providing a primary policy or in combination with umbrella/excess liability policy(ies).
21. COMPLIANCE
A. LAWS AND REGULATIONS. All Equipment, Products, or Services provided under this
Contract must comply fully with applicable federal laws and regulations, and with the laws in
the states and provinces in which the Equipment, Products, or Services are sold.
012320-SCC
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B. LICENSES. Vendor must maintain a valid status on all required federal, state, and local
licenses, bonds, and permits required for the operation of the business that the Vendor
conducts with Sourcewell and Members.
22. BANKRUPTCY, DEBARMENT, OR SUSPENSION CERTIFICATION
Vendor certifies and warrants that it is not in bankruptcy or that it has previously disclosed in
writing certain information to Sourcewell related to bankruptcy actions. If at any time during
this Contract Vendor declares bankruptcy, Vendor must immediately notify Sourcewell in
writing.
Vendor certifies and warrants that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred,
suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from programs
operated by the State of Minnesota, the United States federal government, or any Member.
Vendor certifies and warrants that neither it nor its principals have been convicted of a criminal
offense related to the subject matter of this Contract. Vendor further warrants that it will
provide immediate written notice to Sourcewell if this certification changes at any time.
23. PROVISIONS FOR NON-UNITED STATES FEDERAL ENTITY PROCUREMENTS UNDER
UNITED STATES FEDERAL AWARDS OR OTHER AWARDS
Members that use United States federal grant or FEMA funds to purchase goods or services
from this Contract may be subject to additional requirements including the procurement
standards of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements
for Federal Awards, 2 C.F.R. § 200. Members may also require additional requirements based
on specific funding specifications. Within this Article, all references to “federal” should be
interpreted to mean the United States federal government. The following list only applies when
a Member accesses Vendor’s Equipment, Products, or Services with United States federal
funds.
A. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY. Except as otherwise provided under 41 C.F.R. § 60, all
contracts that meet the definition of “federally assisted construction contract” in 41 C.F.R. § 60-
1.3 must include the equal opportunity clause provided under 41 C.F.R. §60-1.4(b), in
accordance with Executive Order 11246, “Equal Employment Opportunity” (30 FR 12319,
12935, 3 C.F.R. §, 1964-1965 Comp., p. 339), as amended by Executive Order 11375, “Amending
Executive Order 11246 Relating to Equal Employment Opportunity,” and implementing
regulations at 41 C.F.R. § 60, “Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Equal
Employment Opportunity, Department of Labor.” The equal opportunity clause is incorporated
herein by reference.
B. DAVIS-BACON ACT, AS AMENDED (40 U.S.C. § 3141-3148). When required by federal
program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-
federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. §
3141-3144, and 3146-3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 C.F.R. § 5,
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“Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted
Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to
laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage
determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay
wages not less than once a week. The non-federal entity must place a copy of the current
prevailing wage determination issued by the Department of Labor in each solicitation. The
decision to award a contract or subcontract must be conditioned upon the acceptance of the
wage determination. The non-federal entity must report all suspected or reported violations to
the federal awarding agency. The contracts must also include a provision for compliance with
the Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (40 U.S.C. § 3145), as supplemented by Department of Labor
regulations (29 C.F.R. § 3, “Contractors and Subcontractors on Public Building or Public Work
Financed in Whole or in Part by Loans or Grants from the United States”). The Act provides that
each contractor or subrecipient must be prohibited from inducing, by any means, any person
employed in the construction, completion, or repair of public work, to give up any part of the
compensation to which he or she is otherwise entitled. The non-federal entity must report
all suspected or reported violations to the federal awarding agency. Vendor must be in
compliance with all applicable Davis-Bacon Act provisions.
C. CONTRACT WORK HOURS AND SAFETY STANDARDS ACT (40 U.S.C. § 3701-3708). Where
applicable, all contracts awarded by the non-federal entity in excess of $100,000 that involve
the employment of mechanics or laborers must include a provision for compliance with 40
U.S.C. § 3702 and 3704, as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 C.F.R. § 5).
Under 40 U.S.C. § 3702 of the Act, each contractor must be required to compute the wages of
every mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess
of the standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of
not less than one and a half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40
hours in the work week. The requirements of 40 U.S.C. § 3704 are applicable to construction
work and provide that no laborer or mechanic must be required to work in surroundings or
under working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous. These requirements
do not apply to the purchases of supplies or materials or articles ordinarily available on the
open market, or contracts for transportation or transmission of intelligence. This provision is
hereby incorporated by reference into this Contract. Vendor certifies that during the term of an
award for all contracts by Sourcewell resulting from this procurement process, Vendor must
comply with applicable requirements as referenced above.
D. RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER A CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT. If the federal award
meets the definition of “funding agreement” under 37 C.F.R. § 401.2(a) and the recipient or
subrecipient wishes to enter into a contract with a small business firm or nonprofit organization
regarding the substitution of parties, assignment or performance of experimental,
developmental, or research work under that “funding agreement,” the recipient or subrecipient
must comply with the requirements of 37 C.F.R. § 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit
Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative
Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the awarding agency. Vendor
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certifies that during the term of an award for all contracts by Sourcewell resulting from this
procurement process, Vendor must comply with applicable requirements as referenced above.
E. CLEAN AIR ACT (42 U.S.C. § 7401-7671Q.) AND THE FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
ACT (33 U.S.C. § 1251-1387). Contracts and subgrants of amounts in excess of $150,000 require
the non-federal award to agree to comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations
issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401- 7671q) and the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. § 1251- 1387). Violations must be reported to the Federal
awarding agency and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Vendor
certifies that during the term of this Contract will comply with applicable requirements as
referenced above.
F. DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION (EXECUTIVE ORDERS 12549 AND 12689). A contract award
(see 2 C.F.R. § 180.220) must not be made to parties listed on the government wide exclusions
in the System for Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 C.F.R.
§180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 C.F.R. § 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3
C.F.R. § 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” SAM Exclusions contains the names
of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as parties declared
ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549. Vendor
certifies that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for
debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation by any federal
department or agency.
G. BYRD ANTI-LOBBYING AMENDMENT, AS AMENDED (31 U.S.C. § 1352). Vendors must file
any required certifications. Vendors must not have used federal appropriated funds to pay any
person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any
agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member
of Congress in connection with obtaining any federal contract, grant, or any other award
covered by 31 U.S.C. § 1352. Vendors must disclose any lobbying with non-federal funds that
takes place in connection with obtaining any federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded
from tier to tier up to the non-federal award. Vendors must file all certifications and disclosures
required by, and otherwise comply with, the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. §
1352).
H. RECORD RETENTION REQUIREMENTS. To the extent applicable, Vendor must comply with
the record retention requirements detailed in 2 C.F.R. § 200.333. The Vendor further certifies
that it will retain all records as required by 2 C.F.R. § 200.333 for a period of three (3) years
after grantees or subgrantees submit final expenditure reports or quarterly or annual financial
reports, as applicable, and all other pending matters are closed.
I. ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT COMPLIANCE. To the extent applicable, Vendor
must comply with the mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency which are
contained in the state energy conservation plan issued in compliance with the Energy Policy
and Conservation Act.
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J. BUY AMERICAN PROVISIONS COMPLIANCE. To the extent applicable, Vendor must comply
with all applicable provisions of the Buy American Act. Purchases made in accordance with the
Buy American Act must follow the applicable procurement rules calling for free and open
competition.
K. ACCESS TO RECORDS (2 C.F.R. § 200.336). Vendor agrees that duly authorized
representatives of a federal agency must have access to any books, documents, papers and
records of Vendor that are directly pertinent to Vendor’s discharge of its obligations under this
Contract for the purpose of making audits, examinations, excerpts, and transcriptions. The right
also includes timely and reasonable access to Vendor’s personnel for the purpose of interview
and discussion relating to such documents.
L. PROCUREMENT OF RECOVERED MATERIALS (2 C.F.R. § 200.322). A non-federal entity that is
a state agency or agency of a political subdivision of a state and its contractors must comply
with Section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act. The requirements of Section 6002 include procuring only items designated in
guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 40 C.F.R. § 247 that contain the
highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a
satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the
value of the quantity acquired during the preceding fiscal year exceeded $10,000; procuring
solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery;
and establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials
identified in the EPA guidelines.
24. CANCELLATION
Sourcewell or Vendor may cancel this Contract at any time, with or without cause, upon sixty
(60) days’ written notice to the other party. However, Sourcewell may cancel this Contract
immediately upon discovery of a material defect in any certification made in Vendor’s Proposal.
Termination of this Contract does not relieve either party of financial, product, or service
obligations incurred or accrued prior to termination. In addition, Vendor may terminate this
Contract for any reason (i.e., for convenience) with respect to an individual Member by
delivering not less than ninety (90) days prior written notice thereof to Sourcewell and the
applicable Member.
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Sourcewell Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
By: __________________________ By: __________________________
Jeremy Schwartz Joanne Harris
Title: Director of Operations &
Procurement/CPO
Title: Chief Commercial Officer
Date: ________________________
Date: ________________________
Approved:
By: __________________________
Chad Coauette
Title: Executive Director/CEO
Date: ________________________
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
RFP 012320 - Office Supply Catalog Solutions
Vendor Details
Company Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
Does your company conduct
business under any other name? If See Staples W-9 for list of company names
yes, please state:
500 Staples Drive
Address:
Contact:
Email:
Phone:
HST#:
Submission Details
Created On:
Submitted On:
Submitted By:
Email:
Transaction #:
Submitter's IP Address:
Framingham, MA 01702
Don Hasch
don.hasch@staples.com
714-868-4274
04-2896127
Thursday December 05, 2019 16:29:54
Thursday January 23, 2020 14:19:24
Don Hasch
don.hasch@staples.com
03530933-5d38-4e03-a53c-27c14c4f6471
170.37.244.38
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Specifications
Table 1: Proposer Identity & Authorized Representatives
General Instructions (applies to all Tables) Sourcewell prefers a brief but thorough response to each question. Please do not merely
attach additional documents to your response without also providing a substantive response. Do not leave answers blank; mark "NA" if
the question does not apply to you (preferably with an explanation).
Line
Item
Question
Response *
1
Proposer Legal Name (and
applicable d/b/a, if any):
Staples Contract & Commercial LLC (Staples) *
2
Proposer Address:
500 Staples Drive, Framingham, MA 01702 *
3
Proposer website address:
www.StaplesAdvantage.com *
4
Proposer's Authorized
Representative (name, title,
address, email address & phone)
(The representative must have
authority to sign the "Proposer's
Assurance of Compliance" on
behalf of the Proposer):
Joanne Harris
Chief Commercial Officer, Staples
500 Staples Drive, Framingham, MA 01702
Email: joanne.harris@staples.com *
Phone: (508) 253-5000
5
Proposer's primary contact for this
proposal (name, title, address,
email address & phone):
Don Hasch
Senior Manager - SLED Team (State, Local, and Education)
16501 Trojan Way, La Mirada, CA 90638
Email: don.hasch@staples.com
Phone: (714) 868-4274
6
Proposer's other contacts for this
proposal, if any (name, title,
address, email address & phone):
Jeremy Landis
Area Vice President - Vertical Markets
1945 Old Gallows Rd, Suite 200, Vienna, VA 22182
Email: jeremy.landis@staples.com
Phone: (571) 581-3829
Joseph Gorman
Vice President - Commercial Sales
1414 Radcliffe Street, Suite 110, Bristol, PA 19007
Phone: (215) 292-3160
Email: joseph.gorman@staples.com
Table 2: Company Information and Financial Strength
Line
Item
Question
Response*
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
7
Provide a brief history of your company,
including your company's core values,
business philosophy, and industry longevity
related to the requested equipment, products
or services.
Staples, The Worklife Fulfilment Company, has 33 years of expertise helping
organizations of all sizes be more productive, connected and inspired — however
and wherever they work today. With dedicated account teams, category professionals,
innovative brands and a curated assortment for business, Staples provides
customized solutions to help organizations achieve their goals. Headquartered near
Boston, Staples operates in North America.
As the pioneer of office solutions, Staples knows work is more than a job. It is a
sense of purpose and fulfillment that defines us. As "The Worklife Fulfillment
Company", we have programs that fit every size organization, from a one -person
office to the Fortune 100 organization, across all industries, including academic
institutions, healthcare, state and federal governments. We're here to help with
products, services and solutions, combined with our expertise, best -in -class national
distribution, customer service, competitive pricing and state-of-the-art e -commerce site.
WORKLIFE PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
Our products, services and technology are thoughtfully designed and sourced for the
way you work and live. We'll help you and your teams with Worklife:
• Productivity — Helping customers and their teams do more.
• Connectivity — Building better communication and ways of working.
• Inspiration — Inciting creative thinking through spaces that feel good.
YOU CAN COUNT ON US
• Reliable financial stability allows us to continually evolve to meet the needs of
our customers, as a strong stable supplier.
• Community involvement with 42,000 associates across the U.S. who live and
work where your Members do.
• Eco-responsible business partner to help customers boost everyday sustainability.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
8
Provide a detailed description of the products
and services that you are offering in your
proposal.
From business essentials to facility supplies, and custom print to furniture, Staples
offers an unmatched selection of products and services, saving your participating
Members the time and expense of dealing with multiple vendors. With free next -day
delivery available for more than 500,000 products on our e -commerce site, our
industry -leading breadth and depth of solutions includes:
INNOVATIVE PRODUCT SOLUTIONS
With the introduction of our new innovative products we offer tools and systems that
help drive solutions in business essentials, breakroom, facilities, technology and
furniture:
• Tru Red — Thoughtfully designed business essentials to help you work, create
and innovate better. Quality tested and engineered to last.
• NXT Technologies — Tech products to keep your teams connected and
productive — whether they're at the office or the airport, a coffeehouse or the couch.
• Coastwide Professional — Professional -grade facility and pack and ship supplies
built to spec and made to perform, with no wasted product or labor.
• Perk — Breakroom essentials designed with quality, value and just the right
touch of personality to bring fun and energy to break time.
• Union & Scale — Furniture and decor that work together in perfect harmony.
There's a collection for every style and work style.
We've simplified our product assortment to focus on the right choices for business
and institutions versus every product out there. So, it will be easier for your
participating Members to get exactly what they need.
• Business Essentials — Staples can help participating Members search for a
better way. We fulfill the essentials for teams to be more productive, more organized
and more inspired. We carry everything from copy paper to smart phones and
accessories, with a wide selection of green and MWBE products.
• Facility Solutions — We know that results matter. We can work with participating
Members to provide a clean, efficient and seamlessly stocked workspace. Our
Facility Solutions offering includes a wide selection of products from best -in -class
manufacturers, including Diversey, GOJO, Georgia-Pacific, Kimberly-Clark and
Rubbermaid. Our exclusive BluPrintTM site assessment tool helps to analyze
participating Members' facilities operations to offer cost saving recommendations.
• Furniture Solutions — We can work with participating Members on their journey
to create a productive, collaborative environment with inspired workspaces through our
products, technology, people and services. Our Furniture Solutions offering provides
access to more than 250 best -in -class manufacturers, including Allsteel, HON, Global
and National.
• Print & Marketing Services — We can create custom print essentials and high -
quality products through our expertise and technology. Every year, we handle more
than 396,000 print jobs. It is clear customers are already choosing Staples as their
trusted print provider.
• Technology Solutions — We offer differentiated and thoughtfully designed tech
products and exclusive brands. Our Technology Solutions offering includes a wide
selection of products from everyday tech and data center solutions to printer fleet
management and network services. With more than 1,000 vendors and suppliers, we
offer more than one million items delivered nationwide.
• Breakroom Solutions — We can help participating Members create a more
connected and inspired workspace with a complete breakroom experience. From
coffee and coffee brewers to water coolers, cutlery and snacks, the wide variety of
products we offer in this category continues to match the needs of every generation
in the workforce. Our breakroom specialists are ready to analyze your space and
provide cost saving recommendations.
• Pack & Ship Solutions — We can unlock advancements through our products,
people and supply chain. We can help keep your operations running smoothly. From
sourcing package -specific tape to helping lower your damage rate, our Pack & Ship
Specialists partner with you to drive efficiency in your participating Members'
operations.
• Staples Promotional Products — With more than one million products plus well -
cultivated relationships with a global supply network, Staples can help participating
Members create unique branded solutions for all their buying needs.
9
What are your company's expectations in the
event of an award?
Our expectation is to build on our already strong and dynamic partnership, and to
continue to drive tremendous value, efficiencies and savings to existing and future
Sourcewell Members. Our hope is that many more Sourcewell Members will join the
thousands of existing participating Members currently enjoying the benefits that our
Sourcewell awarded contracts offer. Our goal is to enhance our value in becoming a
true sustainable resource for your Members, providing industry intelligence, advice and
research collateral to further supplement the products/services we have offered in the
past. Our expectation is to continue the trend of exponential sales growth year over
year that we have experienced as a contract award holder for the past 15 years.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
10
Demonstrate your financial strength and
stability with meaningful data. This could
include such items as financial statements,
SEC filings, credit and bond ratings, letters
of credit, and detailed reference letters.
Upload supporting documents (as applicable)
in the document upload section of your
response.
Staples represents that it has the financial resources available to perform its
obligations under an agreement reached between Staples and Sourcewell. Please
see Attachment 1 for Staples' Bank and Trade References.
Staples became a private company in 2017 and no longer publicly reports our
financial information. Staples can provide limited financial information directly to Dr.
Chad Coauette, Executive Director & CEO at Sourcewell, once we have a current,
fully executed Non -Disclosure Agreement in place. If provided, please note that our
financial information would be considered Trade Secret.
11
What is your US market share for the
solutions that you are proposing?
Staples' leading financial position allows the company to invest in its business,
expand its products and services and provide customers with the confidence of
working with a strong and stable supplier. We have programs that fit every size
organization, across all industries. As a private company, Staples considers our
market position confidential, however, Staples serves more than 2.5 million small, mid-
size and commercial enterprise business customers, including many of the largest
and most trusted companies and institutions in the U.S.
12
What is your Canadian market share, if any?
Please see our response to Question 11 above.
13
Has your business ever petitioned for
bankruptcy protection? If so, explain in detail.
No. Staples Contract & Commercial LLC has never been the subject of a bankruptcy
action.
14
How is your organization best described: is it
a manufacturer, a distributor/dealer/reseller, or
a service provider? Answer whichever
question (either a) or b) just below) best
applies to your organization.
a) If your company is best described as a
distributor/dealer/reseller (or similar entity),
provide your written authorization to act as a
distributor/dealer/reseller for the manufacturer
of the products proposed in this RFP. If
applicable, is your dealer network
independent or company owned?
b) If your company is best described as a
manufacturer or service provider, describe
your relationship with your sales and service
force and with your dealer network in
delivering the products and services proposed
in this RFP. Are these individuals your
employees, or the employees of a third party?
Staples is best described as (a) a distributor/dealer/reseller. Staples is authorized to
resell all products offered under this proposal by the terms of Vendor Program
Agreements (VPA) established with each of our suppliers. Upon request, Staples is
willing to provide Sourcewell with specifics of our authorization as a reseller from any
of the manufacturers we represent.
Staples also intends to utilize certain company affiliates under the Staples, Inc.
umbrella to serve as authorized dealers and distributors under this agreement. Any
sales by such affiliates pursuant to this agreement would be reflected in a written
agreement between such affiliate and Sourcewell participating Member with reference
made to the Staples/Sourcewell contract. These affiliates include DEX Imaging LLC,
a leading nationwide managed print services provider.
15
If applicable, provide a detailed explanation
outlining the licenses and certifications that
are both required to be held, and actually
held, by your organization (including third
parties and subcontractors that you use) in
pursuit of the business contemplated by this
RFP.
Staples is licensed to do business in all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and U.S.
territories. Staples is fully compliant with all applicable federal and state laws and
regulations. Staples also requires that all third -party companies and subcontractors
that may be utilized in the provision of the services contemplated under this RFP
hold all required business licenses and certifications required by law.
The following are functions where Staples may involve subcontractors in the provision
of the products and services contemplated by this RFP:
• Delivery: We utilize a combination of our own fleet and carefully selected third -
party courier providers to supplement our territory reach as needed.
• Service, Installation & Repair: Some product lines, such as managed print
services, furniture and facility solutions may involve service, repair and installation
functions.
• Diversity One Program: Staples has established strategic alliances with highly
respected diverse and small business suppliers who have extensive experience
serving the public sector and large institutional customers.
We will be happy to share additional information with Sourcewell upon request.
16
Provide all "Suspension or Debarment"
information that has applied to your
organization during the past ten years.
Staples Contract & Commercial LLC has not been debarred, suspended, proposed
for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any federal agency
during the past ten years.
17
Within this RFP category there may be
subcategories of solutions. List subcategory
titles that best describe your products and
services.
Staples offers hundreds of thousands of products in a host of categories that are
necessary for Sourcewell Members to manage and maintain their operations and
facilities. These categories are ever evolving as customers' needs evolve but they
currently include product categories such as office and school supplies, janitorial
products and equipment, breakroom, safety, transactional furniture, print, promotional
products, technology hardware and software as well as mobile peripherals including
tablets, and more. Staples continues to invest in and expand into these and many
other product segments based on customer and industry demand.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Table 3: Industry Recognition & Marketplace Success
Line
Item
Question
Response *
18
Describe any relevant industry awards or
recognition that your company has received
in the past five years
Thanks to the collaborative effort of our leadership team and our associates around
the world, Staples continuously receives awards and accolades for our service and
corporate responsibility.
COMPANY RANKINGS
• #20 on Forbes America's Largest Private Companies list for 2018
• #4 on Modern Distribution Management's Top Jan/San Distributors list for 2018
• #2 on Advertising Specialty Institute's Top 40 Promotional Products Distributors
list for 2019
• #63 on National Retail Federation's Top 100 Retailers list for 2019
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
• Awarded U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year -Sustained Excellence
in 2019 for the 10th year
• S&P Global Platts Grid Edge Award Finalist 2018
• Ranked #13 among retailers on the 2018 Green Power Top Partnership list
from the U.S. EPA
• S&P Global Platts Corporate Social Responsibility Award Winner 2017
• Selected as component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices in 2017 for the
14th consecutive year
• Received the 2016 Alliance to Save Energy's Built Environment Star of Energy
Efficiency Award for our commitment to reducing energy consumption and improving
efficiency in stores
DIVERSITY AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
• Lesa Rivers, Director of Supplier Diversity, nominated as one of 2014's Top 25
Women in Power Impacting Diversity by DiversityPlus Magazine
• Named one of the 2018 Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the
Human Rights Campaign for eight consecutive years
SUPPLIER AWARDS
• NJPA (Sourcewell) Legacy Award (2015)
• HP U.S. Partner to Watch (2017)
• HP U.S. Supplies Partner of the Year (2017)
• CBRE Supplier of the Year (2017)
*
19
What percentage of your sales are to the
governmental sector in the past three years
Staples considers corporate financial information to be proprietary. However, based
on our own mutual sales, we achieved over $70M in state and municipal
government sector sales annually under our Sourcewell awarded contracts.
Staples' response to question 19 should be considered as "Trade Secret", as
defined by Minnesota Statutes 325C.01, Subd. 5. Exempt from public disclosure
under applicable law.
20
What percentage of your sales are to the
education sector in the past three years
Staples considers corporate financial information to be proprietary. However, based
on our own mutual sales, we achieved over $160M in education sector sales
annually under our Sourcewell awarded contracts.
Staples' response to question 20 should be considered as "Trade Secret", as
defined by Minnesota Statutes 3250.01, Subd. 5. Exempt from public disclosure
under applicable law.
21
List any state or cooperative purchasing
contracts that you hold. What is the annual
sales volume for each of these contracts
over the past three years?
Staples holds the following national public sector cooperative contracts:
• Sourcewell
• NASPO ValuePoint
• NPP Gov
• E&I
Staples holds numerous state office products purchasing contracts throughout the
U.S, including multiple states that have adopted our existing Sourcewell 010615-SCC
Office & Related Supplies contract as their state office supplies contract vehicle.
Staples considers corporate financial information to be proprietary.
22
List any GSA contracts that you hold. What
is the annual sales volume for each of these
contracts over the past three years?
Staples has the following GSA contracts:
• 47QSEA19D008T - Schedule 75: Enhanced SIN for Office Supplies &
Services/Office Supplies 4th Generation (OS4)
• GS-07F-035BA - Schedule 73: Food Service, Hospitality, Cleaning Equipment
and Supplies, Chemicals and Services
• GS-28F-018AA - Schedule 71: Furniture
• GS -03F-051 GA - Schedule 78: Sports, Promotional, Outdoor, Recreation,
Trophies and Signs
Staples considers corporate financial information to be proprietary.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Table 4: References/Testimonials
Line Item 23. Supply reference information from three customers who are eligible for Sourcewell membership.
Entity Name *
Contact Name *
Phone Number *
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida)
Cristine Jones, CPPB
(813) 272-4370
*
*
*
County of Orange (California)
Yarida Guzman
(714) 567-7368
County of Sacramento (California)
Craig Rader, CPPO, CPPB
(916) 876-6362
Table 5: Top Five Government or Education Customers
Line Item 24. Provide a list of your top five government, education, or non-profit customers (entity name is optional), including entity type,
the state or province the entity is located in, scope of the project(s), size of transaction(s), and dollar volumes from the past three years.
Entity Name
Entity Type *
State / *
Province
Scope of Work*
Size of Transactions *
Dollar Volume Past Three
Years
Chicago
Public Schools
Education
Illinois - IL
Office Supplies and related
products and services
Due to various non-
disclosure agreements in
place, we do not disclose
financial information or
specific contract details
for our customers.
Proprietary Information
*
Hillsborough
County Public
Schools
Education
Florida - FL
Office Supplies and related
products and services
Due to various non-
disclosure agreements in
place, we do not disclose
financial information or
specific contract details
for our customers.
Proprietary Information
*
Anoka
Hennepin
Independent
School District
#11
Education
Minnesota - MN
Office Supplies and related
products and services
Due to various non-
disclosure agreements in
place, we do not disclose
financial information or
specific contract details
for our customers.
Proprietary Information
*
University of
Colorado
Education
Colorado - CO
Office Supplies and related
products and services
Due to various non-
disclosure agreements in
place, we do not disclose
financial information or
specific contract details
for our customers.
Proprietary Information
*
County of
Orange
Government
California - CA
Office Supplies and related
products and services
Due to various non-
disclosure agreements in
place, we do not disclose
financial information or
specific contract details
for our customers.
Proprietary Information
*
Table 6: Ability to Sell and Deliver Service
Describe your company's capability to meet the needs of Sourcewell Members across the US, and Canada if applicable.Your
response should address in detail at least the following areas: locations of your network of sales and service providers, the number of
workers (full-time equivalents) involved in each sector, whether these workers are your direct employees (or employees of a third party),
and any overlap between the sales and service functions.
Line
Item
Question
Response*
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
25
Sales force.
Staples has a national service footprint and provides sales coverage to nearly the
entire U.S. The map and listing attached does not include the locations of our remote
sales teams and account leaders. We have more than 4,500 sales associates
dispersed in every major city and market so that we are close to your Members and
can quickly meet their needs. Please see Attachment 2 for details on our sales
offices nationwide.
Our national account management model leverages a single, centralized point of
contact for each participating Member. The Account Manager is empowered to make
most decisions regarding pricing, contractual terms and service commitments on a day-
to-day basis. Of equal importance is the streamlined internal process we have in
place to escalate issues requiring management input or approval. This process
enables our Account Managers to provide timely responses to any issue, large or
small.
• Business Development — Responsible for communicating the benefits and value
of Staples and our offerings to potential new participating Members
• Account Manager — Member's partner to provide insights and recommendations
on Worklife Solutions
• Category Account Executive — Focuses on specific Staples product categories
leveraging their in-depth knowledge and expertise to fully support participating Member
needs
• Customer Success Consultant — Member's support to help with their day-to-day
needs
• Site Management Team — Team that proactively ensures compliance of each
program in all locations
• Category Professionals — Industry experts in facilities, technology, furniture, print
and promotional products that provide assessments to recommend efficiencies and
savings
• Customer Service — Live knowledgeable representatives available to get answers
fast while shopping on our ordering site through live chat and standing by to help via
email and phone
26
Dealer network or other distribution methods.
Staples is best described as a distributor/dealer/reseller. Staples is authorized to resell
all products offered under this proposal by the terms of Vendor Program Agreements
(VPA) established with each of our suppliers. Upon request, Staples is willing to
provide Sourcewell with specifics of our authorization as a reseller from any of the
manufacturers we represent.
Staples also intends to utilize certain company affiliates under the Staples, Inc.
umbrella to serve as authorized dealers and distributors under this agreement. Any
sales by such affiliates pursuant to this agreement would be reflected in a written
agreement between such affiliate and Sourcewell participating Member with reference
made to the Staples/Sourcewell contract.
27
Service force.
Staples has a national service footprint that provides service and distribution coverage
to nearly the entire U.S., with more than 8,900 fulfillment and delivery associates
employed directly by Staples and are nationally dispersed throughout the U.S.
Additionally, Staples has approximately 550 customer service associates in our call
centers, including representatives who process fax orders, answer customer emails and
provide agent support.
Staples proudly operates the most extensive and technologically advanced distribution
network in the industry and Sourcewell participating Members will continue to benefit
from a robust national network of fulfillment centers equipped to achieve their next -
business -day shipping needs. Our network is strategically located close to our delivery
partners, vendors and customers to ensure that we always keep our network costs
low. This means getting products to Sourcewell Members accurately, on time, complete
and undamaged. Please see Attachment 3 for a list of our fulfillment centers in the
U.S.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
28
Describe in detail the process and
procedure of your customer service
program, if applicable. Include your
response -time capabilities and
commitments, as well as any incentives that
help your providers meet your stated
service goals or promises.
At Staples, we have a team by each participating Members side, dedicated to serve.
Staples owns and operates four North American call centers staffed with highly trained
Staples associates. Additional support is provided offshore, as needed, to reduce wait
times and ensure ample coverage for our customers nationwide. All customer service
associates provide expert support for more than five million customer inquiries per
year.
To drive higher customer satisfaction, Staples provides:
• A One & Done Service Culture — With a first -call resolution rate of 90%, we
train and empower our associates to resolve issues at initial contact.
• Direct Connection to a Live Representative — Participating Members will always
reach a Staples Customer Service Representative right away. Our goal is to answer
calls within 30 seconds and reply to emails within four hours.
• A Knowledgeable, Highly Trained Team — Every call center associate attends a
comprehensive three-week training program covering customer service skills, problem
resolution and product information.
• Proactive Alerts — If a delivery delay is expected, we'll let the Member know.
• A Continuous Feedback Loop — We review all customer feedback and if the
Member is not satisfied, we follow-up with them to make things right.
SERVING SOURCEWELL MEMBERS' NEEDS
Our Customer Service Representatives have access to all the details necessary to
provide service specific to participating Members' business, and even their location.
The Staples Customer Service team is their first line of contact for:
• Login support and password resets
• New user set up and adding ship -to locations
• Assisting with online profile management
• Aiding with account setup, expedited ordering and research
• Pricing inquiries and special orders processing
• Delivery and backorder tracking
• Billing and tax exemption questions
Customer Service is conveniently available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to
8:00 p.m. EST by email, phone or via live chat on StaplesAdvantage.com.
CALL CENTER STRUCTURE
• Customer Service Representative — Responsible for order entry, issue resolution,
providing order status and product information. This individual has ongoing direct
contact with participating Member and develops a strong knowledge of the specifics of
their account.
• Order Resolution Associate — Focuses only on order entry, resulting in time and
accuracy efficiencies.
• Team Manager — Coordinates the activities of the Customer Service
Representatives in each group, ensuring that each account is supported, and
procedures are enforced.
• Customer Operations Team — Communicates with participating Member about next -
business -day delivery exceptions and rare instances of product cancellations.
• Quality Assurance Team — Monitors contact between associates and customers
and reports on key customer service trends important to the business. Coaches both
managers and associates to improve the quality of customer interactions.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
DEX Imaging's Managed Print Services help participating Members create a more
efficient, customized and sustainable printing network. DEX Imaging's customer service
outreach is a multi -faceted group. There is customer service through each touchpoint
of the process: initial meeting, implementation, and ongoing management — making up
the participating Member's account team. The DEX Imaging Account Sales Manager
is their main point of contact for their MPS program and is in contact with the
Member from pre -sale forward. Their customer service representative is involved in the
coordination and participation for the installation, setup, and provides solutions for
various technological devices while overseeing the customer database. Their project
manager is responsible for the implementation of their devices from sale to delivery.
With any equipment troubles, there is a 3 -layer approach. Participating Members will
speak to either Customer Service, a Service Engineer or have a Service Technician
dispatched, depending on the complexity of their issue. DEX Imaging's service
department has a historical 99.98% approval rating, due in large part to the exclusive
Customer Care Program we've implemented.
29
Identify any geographic areas of the United
States or Canada that you will NOT be fully
serving through the proposed contract.
Our proposal includes service to all geographic areas in the continental U.S. and
Alaska. There are some product and service exceptions and/or additional costs for
Hawaii and other U.S. territories. Please see Question 31 below for more details.
Staples is not including Canada in the scope of our proposal.
30
Identify any Sourcewell Member sectors
(i.e., government, education, not -for-profit)
that you will NOT be fully serving through
the proposed contract. Explain in detail. For
example, does your company have only a
regional presence, or do other cooperative
purchasing contracts limit your ability to
promote another contract?
Staples has a national presence in the U.S. If re -awarded the office products
agreement with Sourcewell, Staples will continue its established efforts to promote the
Sourcewell agreement in compliance with Staples' contractual obligations and the
suitability of the Sourcewell agreement for the applicable prospect/customer.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
31
Define any specific contract requirements or
restrictions that would apply to our
Members in Hawaii and Alaska and in US
Territories.
Staples reserves the right to charge fees to the following locations unless otherwise
mutually agreed between Staples and the participating Member.
Delivery to Alaska or Hawaii. The following additional delivery terms apply for
shipments to Alaska or Hawaii: Shipments up to 159 lbs. will be shipped with transit
times of two to three (2 to 3) business days. Shipments over 159 lbs. or items which
cannot be shipped via normal means, including any items which are classified as
hazmat or ORM-D (other regulated materials for domestic transport only), are shipped
via ocean freight. Staples' policies prohibit shipment of any fully regulated hazmat
items. Such items must be shipped directly from the vendor. Ocean shipments will be
delivered approximately fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of shipment. All
shipments to Alaska or Hawaii will be subject to a 25% surcharge to help offset the
cost of freight.
Every country has specific requirements in which both the exporter and importer must
follow; here are some additional specific details for U.S. Territories and Possessions:
Delivery to Puerto Rico. The following additional delivery terms apply for shipments to
Puerto Rico: Shipments up to 150 lbs. will be shipped with transit times of two (2)
business days. Shipments over 150 lbs. are shipped via ocean freight. Any goods
classified as ORM-D (other regulated materials for domestic transport only) will also
ship ocean freight, regardless of weight. No hazardous goods can be exported to
Puerto Rico. Transit time is approximately seven to ten (7 to 10) business days from
door -door. Buyer is responsible for all customs or tax filings or applications necessary
to effect the importation of the Products. Delays may result from Buyer's failure to
satisfy all customs clearance requirements. All taxes, fees, and other costs (including
freight) will be charged back to Buyer on a separate invoice.
Delivery to U.S. Virgin Islands. The following additional delivery terms apply for
shipments to the U.S. Virgin Islands: Shipments up to 150 lbs. will be shipped UPS
WorldShip, using the most commercially advantageous WorldShip service available,
with transit times of approximately three (3) business days. Products weighing over
150 lbs. will be shipped via ocean freight. No hazardous goods can be exported to
these locations. Any goods classified as ORM-D (other regulated materials for
domestic transport only) will ship ocean freight, regardless of weight, and will require
an additional five (5) days of transit time. Buyer is responsible for all customs or tax
filings or applications necessary to effect the importation of the Products. Delays may
result from Buyer's failure to satisfy all customs clearance requirements. All taxes,
fees, and other costs (including freight) will be charged back to Buyer on a separate
invoice.
Delivery to American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands. The following additional
delivery terms apply for shipments to American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern
Mariana Islands: Shipments up to 150 lbs. will be shipped UPS WorldShip, using the
most commercially advantageous WorldShip service available, with transit times of
approximately five (5) business days. Products weighing over 150 lbs. will be shipped
via ocean freight. No ORM-D goods or hazardous goods can be exported to these
locations. Buyer is responsible for all customs or tax filings or applications necessary
to effect the importation of the Products. Delays may result from Buyer's failure to
satisfy all customs clearance requirements. All taxes, fees and other costs (including
freight) will be charged back to Buyer on a separate invoice.
Import/Export. If Staples agrees to export Products from the U.S. to Buyer's locations
outside the U.S. (including but not limited to Mexico, Canada and all U.S.
Possessions and Territories) (for these purposes referred to as "Other Locations"), the
following applies: (a) Staples will not be the Importer of Record for any Products
shipping to Other Locations. Buyer or Buyer's agent shall nominate a customs clearing
agent to act on its behalf and to facilitate the import customs clearance process.
Buyer shall be responsible for obtaining any documentation, such as special permit(s)
or license(s) that may be required to import Products; (b) Buyer shall be responsible
for payment of any customs clearance and duties and taxes and the full freight cost of
the shipment; (c) Staples will not provide Certificates of Origin (C/O) or Free Trade
Agreement certificates; (d) Staples will not export the following Products: ORM-D
(Other Regulated Materials -Domestic); consumables; and/or Products prohibited from
export by Staples' vendors; (e) Staples will not export Products to Other Locations in
the event any export restriction applies; and (f) Staples will not accept returns from
Other Locations unless agreed in writing.
Table 7: Marketing Plan
Line
Item
Question
Response *
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
32
Describe your marketing strategy for
promoting this contract opportunity.
Upload representative samples of your
marketing materials (if applicable) in
the document upload section of your
response.
Staples response to questions 32 through 34 of this section should be considered
as "Trade Secret":
Staples' strategy for the national promotion of the Sourcewell Contract consists of four
fundamental and ongoing approaches that our experience has shown are critical to the
contract's success. These approaches are based on leveraging the unique skills and
strengths of our business development and account management sales team.
• Business Development - prospecting and acquisition process
o Continue to focus efforts on acquisition of participating Members in the public sector
through the Sourcewell contract
o Leverage the unique skills and strengths of our mid -market teams for small and
medium sized Members and our enterprise teams for larger more complex Members
• New Account Management - new account implementation and ramp
o Implement accounts with specificity, efficiency and speed
o Comprehensive program training
• Existing Account Management - existing account communication and penetration
o The development and deployment of program tools to ensure individual entity
adoption, compliance, loyalty and satisfaction
• Ongoing Internal Training and Education
o Continue to develop internal training tools that communicate best practices, processes
and contractual specifics throughout our salesforce
It is our responsibility and our goal to leverage existing communication tools and best
practices to successfully support the Sourcewell contract through the acquisition and
implementation of new participating Members and the continued service and management
of existing accounts. These tools and tactics are further enumerated in our Attachment 4 —
Sourcewell Marketing Plan.
We have also included representative samples of some of the marketing materials we
make available to your participating Members. Actual examples can be provided upon
request.
The plan:
• Is a complete lifecycle of internal and external tools that ensures contract promotion
through proven best -practices and constant innovation
• Relies on the committed resources of the entire Staples organization, supported by
our senior management team
• Utilizes a full range of tools and technology including, but not limited to:
o Online and in -person training tools and techniques
o Leveraging the significant investment Staples has made in sales force automation
methods to ensure the consistency of message, availability of materials and visibility into
progress throughout the entire sales organization.
o Internal instructional website presence for sales education
o Public -facing website presence for current and prospective Sourcewell participating
Members
33
Describe your use of technology and
digital data (e.g., social media,
metadata usage) to enhance
marketing effectiveness.
As detailed in Attachment 4, Staples utilizes digital, social and sales enablement marketing
materials to support Sourcewell targeted opportunities as well as mass communication to
select customers. Attached is the comprehensive marketing plan that we have developed to
support marketing offerings to support Sourcewell Members. Our marketing plan promotes
awareness of the Sourcewell contract to your Members utilizing our marketing technology
and ecommerce platform StaplesAdvantage.com
ACCOUNT BASED MARKETING (ABM) - USER -FOCUSED
To ensure compliance, Staples can use digital retargeting and content syndication to
proactively communicate to Sourcewell's membership in order to drive location (site) and
end user level (conversion) participation. The goal is to improve compliance and revenue of
the Sourcewell/Staples contract.
STAPLESADVANTAGE.COM/SOURCEWELL MICROSITE
Staples also has a public -facing website that educates prospective and existing customers
on the Sourcewell/Staples Contracts:
• Overall Program Highlights
Contract Highlights
Ordering Overview
Product and Service Overview
Contact Information
Messaging from Sourcewell
Link to www.StaplesAdvantage.com/Sourcewell for more information
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
34
In your view, what is Sourcewell's role
in promoting contracts arising out of
this RFP? How will you integrate a
Sourcewell-awarded contract into your
sales process?
Our success in driving the Sourcewell contract is directly attributable to the support and
participation of Sourcewell itself. In continuing to promote the contract, we see significant
benefit in this continued support exhibited through:
• The ongoing collaboration between Sourcewell and Staples that allows for the
optimization of identifying, soliciting and acquiring participating Members and contract
participants.
• The regular communication of industry and public procurement conditions that will allow
Staples to tailor its acquisition and management efforts to contract prospects accordingly.
• The identification and creation of opportunities that allow Staples to provide Sourcewell
participating Members its entire scope of products and services. While providing an
increasingly attractive value proposition for prospective Members and a compelling source
of value for participating Members.
• Assistance in identifying Sourcewell participating Members to provide account of their
contract success, these successes would in turn be used to acquire new participating
Members to the Sourcewell/Staples contract.
• The co -development of marketing materials and the mutual identification of marketing
opportunities including public events and trade shows.
• Ongoing availability to meet with Sourcewell, Staples' senior -level leadership and sales
management to reinforce the opportunity within the contract and the vital role it plays in
Sourcewell's and Staples' mutual ongoing success.
35
Are your products or services
available through an e -procurement
ordering process? If so, describe your
e -procurement system and how
governmental and educational
customers have used it.
Yes. At StaplesAdvantage.com, participating Members can do more than just order the
products they need. Our site is fully customizable to their unique requirements.
StaplesAdvantage.com provides easy online ordering, the ability to set spend limits,
approval flows, and charge orders to multiple departments plus transactional details to
easily reconcile orders. Order management is easy with shopping lists for fast reordering,
order tracking, delivery notifications, free returns, reporting and online bill pay. And, we have
experience integrating with over 300 third -party purchasing platforms.
EASY ORDERING TOOLS
StaplesAdvantage.com provides features and functionalities to streamline participating
Members' ordering process while minimizing time spent on purchasing the items their
organization needs to succeed. Key features include:
• Increased Login Security — Website generated welcome email contains a password
set up link for customers to create their unique password for enhanced security.
• Easy Search & Navigation — New header design for effortless navigation and
approvals, orders and shopping lists displayed on the home page for easy access. Search
by keyword or item number for a summary of categories and top-ranking items that match
their criteria. Narrow results by category, brand or your recently purchased items. Advanced
search with auto -suggest terms to find what they want fast and the ability to add to their
cart from search to save time.
• Shopping Lists — Create, save and share lists of frequently ordered or preferred
contract items for faster reordering while maintaining program compliance.
• Order Status & Tracking — View details on all orders placed in the past 90 days,
track their orders and view proof of delivery.
• Online Returns — Process returns by clicking Return an Item from the My Order Status
page.
• Ink & Toner Finder — Search by brand, model or cartridge number. Our enhanced ink
and toner finder also includes past purchases and allows end users to save printer
information. Or choose from a range of free recycling options by clicking Recycle Ink &
Toner.
• Favorite Items — Click the heart icon on product tiles and pages to easily add items
to a shared or personal shopping list that can be made a favorite.
• Time to Reorder — View and reorder items ready for replenishment right from your
Home page, based on purchasing history. Frequently purchased items now include a list of
products purchased over a one-year timeframe. All order management essentials are
available in order history: order search, details, tracking and returns, with up to two years
of history.
• Easy Savings Alternative — Easy savings alternative products are presented on the
product page and at checkout if a similar item with a lower price is available.
• Customizable Print Products — Personalize business cards, greeting cards, rubber
stamps, nameplates and more using your own design or standard company templates.
• Robust Help Center — The StaplesAdvantage.com Help Center enables customers to
search help topics, manage their account, track or return orders, view or print their packing
slip, get pre -paid address labels to recycle ink and toner and more.
ONLINE PROCUREMENT CONTROLS
Participating Members can achieve greater control over your purchasing with
StaplesAdvantage.com, whether integrated with their existing e -procurement systems or on
its own. We offer:
• User & Location Management — Easily add new users, supervisors and account
administrators and remove or add shipping locations.
• Approval Controls — Establish spending limits and approval routing to track account
expenditures by user and department.
• Small Order Controls — To maximize efficiencies, implement order controls that prevent
users from placing orders under a minimum amount.
• Customization Features — Customize your platform with special instructions and
messages to keep users in program compliance.
MOBILE CAPABILITIES
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Participating Members can order products, track shipments and access their accounts on
their tablets or smartphones using our mobile app. Available for Android and Apple
devices, features of the Staples mobile app include:
• Full account information, including recent orders, orders pending approval and custom
deals
Scan -to -order functionality
Search, browse and order on the go
One -touch order approvals
Shopping lists for quick replenishment
Ink & Toner Finder
Quick Order entry
Filterable search results
Order status and package tracking
Integration with StaplesAdvantage.com
• Secure Remember Me feature for login convenience
ONLINE REPORTING
Participating Members can easily access on -demand reports on StaplesAdvantage.com
• User reports provide pertinent user information including approval hierarchy, ordering
limits and assigned ship -to or budget center information.
• Spending reports provide a summary of purchases by budget center, bill -to, ship -to or
individual for up to 24 months, including details on ordering method, order totals, number of
orders and average order size.
• Budget reports allow you to monitor the variances between spend versus budget.
SCALABILITY
If a participating Member has a surge in new hires or acquires a new division, their
Staples team is ready. StaplesAdvantage.com is fully scalable to meet their changing
business needs. We have the infrastructure in place to handle the ordering needs of
additional users without affecting website performance. We analyze site capacity levels and
plan for additional volume months in advance. We conduct stress tests regularly to ensure
optimum site performance and site speeds.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
DEX Imaging's e -info and Patrol work together as an online reporting channel for
participating Members' Printer Fleet. The e -info portal allows the client -based management
of an account. Using e -info gives Members the ability to manage devices online by
ordering supplies, checking status orders, initiating service requests, inputting meter reads,
and generally reviewing all accounting facets. This information is extracted from the Patrol
Wi-Fi device we install on all printers on the day of delivery. Patrol safely and securely
receives real-time printer information from your print network to order supplies and monitor
print volumes, providing the necessary information for powerful reports on printing efficiency.
No more wasted staff time with supply ordering or meter readings — the Patrol device will
let us know when to ship toner or schedule routine maintenance.
Table 8: Value -Added Attributes
Line
Item
Question
Response*
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
36
Describe any product, equipment,
maintenance, or operator training
programs, and any on -boarding
resource or training that you offer
to Sourcewell Members. Include
details, such as whether training is
standard or optional, who provides
training, and any costs that apply.
Staples can introduce a comprehensive communication campaign prior to program launch to
ensure participating Member's employees have a full understanding of their new Staples
program. As a standard, we train through online webinars to ensure participating Member's
employees across locations and remote users have access to the sessions. Other types of
training sessions can be provided, if needed. Our Field Marketing team will customize a plan
to maximize program awareness at all your locations, including providing information on
available trainings.
Tools and support materials are always available at StaplesAdvantage.com/Information.
Customized materials can be provided upon request. Training sessions can also be
scheduled as needed throughout the life of your program.
JANITORIAL TRAINING PROGRAMS
To create a successful janitorial program for participating Members, Staples provides
customized training programs to demonstrate the best procedures for your staff to use our
products. By employing the correct procedures and techniques, Members' facilities staff will
dramatically reduce its labor and product costs, increase productivity and improve their
sustainability program.
We have a dedicated Facilities Technical Training team for both customer and in-house
training. This team has an average of 25 years' experience and is certified in the ISSA
Cleaning Industry Management Standard, ISSA Cleaning Industry Training Standard, OSHA
and GHS standards.
We use a library of ISSA-certified training programs along with customized curriculum
developed for the specific needs of our customers. Our training materials include process
manuals and bi-lingual wall charts. Training methods include onsite and web -based programs,
as well as in -person at our training facility in Aurora, Colorado.
The courses we provide include:
• Introduction to cleaning
• General safety
• Hard floor care
• Restroom care
• General cleaning
• Carpet care
• Hazard communication
• Customer service
Completion of our training program qualifies participating Members' employees for ISSA
CITS Master Cleaner Certification.
PRINT & MARKETING TRAINING
Participating Members will receive customized training and extensive ongoing support from
your Staples account team to ensure a successful program launch. Your Print & Marketing
Account Executive can provide training for your users. It's our goal to make ordering your
print products simple and easy.
About four weeks prior to the go live date, our Field Marketing team will create an
announcement for Members to send to their users that will help set the tone for their Print
program's success. Over the next few weeks we'll follow up with Coming Soon
communications to promote program awareness and advantages of your new program with
Staples. Staples can send training announcements to users with dates and web -based
training details, plus user guides. Their Print & Marketing Account Executive will host
trainings, ensuring that their trainer has intimate knowledge of their program details.
Once the program launch is complete, participating Member's Print & Marketing Account
Executive will continue to monitor the print program to identify areas of improvement and
opportunity for increased efficiencies.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
Training for printers and copiers will be performed upon delivery of new equipment and
offered through the term of the agreement at no charge. Training is provided by either the
DEX Imaging Help Desk Team, Customer Service Team, or our Systems Engineer team.
Users will be given key -op training and instructions sheets for better understanding of the
equipment. Initial training happens at install and should include all users pointed to a specific
device. Multilayer training is available for users of different skill levels. Training will include
functionality of the device, operating within the workflow of a specific department, responsible
use of the equipment, describing policies set forth by the Administration team as well as
general use directions. Ongoing training can be scheduled with the account team and is
suggested for new employees, workflow changes, departmental changes and new policies
implemented by the facility.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
37
Describe any technological
advances that your proposed
products or services offer.
To remain at the forefront of our industry, we are constantly implementing new and innovative
ideas so that we can enhance the services and offerings we bring to our customers. Some
of our current innovations include the following:
WORKLIFE PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
With the introduction of our new innovative products we offer tools and systems that help
drive solutions in business essentials, breakroom, facilities, technology, and furniture.
• Tru Red. Thoughtfully designed business essentials to help you work, create and
innovate better. Quality tested and engineered to last.
• NXT Technologies. Tech products to keep your teams connected and productive —
whether they're at the office or the airport, a coffeehouse or the couch.
• Coastwide Professional. Professional -grade facility and pack and ship supplies built to
spec and made to perform, with no wasted product or labor.
• Perk. Breakroom essentials designed with quality, value and just the right touch of
personality to bring fun and energy to break time.
• Union & Scale. Furniture and decor that work together in perfect harmony. There's a
collection for every style and work style.
BLUPRINTTM SITE ASSESSMENT TOOL
The Staples BluPrint app is the industry's first and only mobile solution for site assessments
for janitorial and facilities programs. Using this innovative tool, the Staples Facilities
Specialist can take pictures of various areas and have a conversation with the facility
manager about their recommendations for enhancing current assets. Later, a report is
generated that includes those pictures as well as a written description of the
recommendation and rationale behind it. Then, the Staples Facilities Specialist shares a
customized presentation translating our findings into a straightforward, impactful current versus
future state comparison.
SMARTSIZE PACKAGINGTM
Order delivery is a major area of Staples' and our customers shared environmental footprint.
Staples has rolled out award -winning SmartSize technology to most of our U.S. fulfillment
centers that tailors box sizes to the exact size of the order. In addition to utilizing about 20%
less corrugate, SmartSize lessens our use of air pillows by approximately 60%. In addition, it
not only reduces packaging waste, but helps optimize the available space of our courier
vehicles.
ROBOTIC MATERIAL HANDLING SOLUTION
Staples recently developed a cutting -edge robotic material handling solution for our fulfillment
centers. Unlike other systems in the market today, the automated robotic storage and
retrieval system incorporates two types of automated guided vehicles into a unified system
that brings both high and low cubic velocity items to a single pick and pack station. This
unique robotic material handling solution provides a more efficient and flexible warehousing
operation that improves service to our customers.
This solution is live in four of our fulfillment centers and is rolling out across our remaining
fulfillment centers in the months to come. We are also exploring other potential applications
for our groundbreaking technology outside of our fulfillment centers.
E -COMMERCE
Staples' new strategy is driven by the company's commitment to helping professionals make
their workplaces more productive and connected, and to provide products and services
designed to help inspire colleagues to do their best, most creative work.
Central to our reimagined brand is an upcoming new, interactive digital experience to make
it easier for customers to build a workplace that makes every employee's Worklife fulfilling
and collaborative. The future online experience will connect customers to products and
solutions in a variety of ways, from intelligent content and peer recommendations, to intuitive
shopping and buying tools. Recent enhancements include making it easier to find and
reorder product, improving basic ordering features and adding more self-service features.
PRINT
Technological advances are critical to our corporate strategy. Within print, new direct -to -plate,
electronic proofing, digital presses, and electronic pre -press are constantly evolving. The
internet has changed and improved many business processes. Electronic forms of varying
complexities continue to improve overall business processes. The communications
infrastructure required to successfully integrate these technologies is also improving. All these
technologies, and more, are changing the printing industry.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
Patrol box is a device hardware, firmware and server application that was developed by
DEX Imaging's internal R&D department. It is a patented device that uses smart technology
for supply replenishment. To date, over 10 patents have been filed for the PrintCounts
embedded Patrol device and requisite software.
38
Describe any "green" initiatives
that relate to your company or to
your products or services, and
include a list of the certifying
agency for each.
Staples offers a full array of sustainability solutions to help participating Members meet their
sustainability goals. As a partner committed to sustainability, we carry a large assortment of
eco-responsible products across all our product categories, provide comprehensive
environmental reporting and offer industry -leading recycling and waste reduction programs.
Our sustainability experts can design a program tailored to each participating Member's
goals and our Field Marketing personnel will help promote it to their employees. Please see
Attachment 5 for more details.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
39
Identify any third -party issued eco-
labels, ratings or certifications
awarded to the equipment or
products included in your Proposal
related to energy efficiency or
conservation, life -cycle design
(cradle -to -cradle), or other
green/sustainability factors.
ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATIONS
ENERGY STAR® CERTIFICATION
To improve energy efficiency, we began participating in the ENERGY STAR Building
Certification program with the goal of certifying 50% of our active facilities by the end of
2020. At the end of 2018, 51% of our active facilities were ENERGY STAR certified,
reaching our goal ahead of schedule. Each certified site has increased energy efficiency by
20% to 30%. For our efforts, Staples has received the EPA's ENERGY STAR Partner of the
Year Award for 9 consecutive years.
ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS
Staples offers a wide array of eco-conscious products that are third -party certified. We track
dozens of leading environmental certifications down to the product level, which we can then
report to our customers. These items are easily identified in our catalogs and online.
Some examples include:
ENERGY STAR and EPEAT qualified technology
FSC certified, recycled and alternative fiber -based papers
Green SealTM, UL EcoLogo, and U.S. EPA Safer Choice certified cleaners
• AP non-toxic certified writing instruments and art supplies
• GREENGUARD, Indoor Advantage and LEVEL -certified furniture
ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS
• Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) — This non-profit organization
supports and recognizes purchasing leadership that accelerates the transition to a prosperous
and sustainable future. Staples is a member of this organization as both a supplier and
purchaser.
• U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR for Buildings Partner — Staples joined the ENERGY STAR
for Buildings program to advance energy efficiency in our operations.
• U.S. EPA WasteWise Partner — This voluntary program focuses on helping organizations
eliminate waste and increase recycling rates across their operations; Staples joined in 2005.
The program has helped us measure and set goals for waste reduction and recycling
internally.
• U.S. EPA Sustainable Materials Management Electronics Challenge Partner — This
voluntary program works to increase the number of electronic devices collected and safely
recycled in the U.S. Staples was the first retailer to offer a national office technology -
recycling program.
• GreenBlue Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) — This non-profit, multi -stakeholder
group is dedicated to a more robust environmental vision for packaging. Through strong
member support, an informed and science -based approach, supply chain collaborations and
continuous outreach, the SPC endeavors to build packaging systems that encourage
economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials.
• GreenBlue Forest Products Working Group — This brings together leading companies
that rely on paper, wood and other forest products to share their knowledge and develop
innovative solutions to support thriving forests and the forest products industry.
• Rainforest Alliance Appalachian Woodlands Alliance (AWA) — We have been working
with Rainforest Alliance and several other brands as part of the AWA for several years to
explore and test new models for advancing responsible forestry practices in the southeastern
U.S.
• Carbon Disclosure Project — We have voluntarily reported our greenhouse gas
emissions inventory data to this organization since 2005 as part of our commitment to
reducing our global carbon emissions. We also share our emissions data with any
commercial and enterprise customer who requests it through the CDP Supply Chain program.
• EcoVadis — Staples works with EcoVadis, the world's most trusted provider of business
sustainability ratings.
40
Describe any Women or Minority
Business Entity (WMBE), Small
Business Entity (SBE), or veteran
owned business certifications that
your company or hub partners
have obtained. Upload
documentation of certification (as
applicable) in the document upload
section of your response.
Staples shares Sourcewell and its participating Members' commitment to diversity and offers
your choice of two diversity programs to achieve participating Member's diverse and small
business supplier spending goals.
DIVERSITY ONE PROGRAM
We've formed strategic alliances with highly respected and experienced diverse and small
business suppliers. Using a rigorous supplier qualification process, our Diversity One program
connects participating Members with a certified supplier who will collaborate with Staples to
provide a fully managed program that meets the quality standards, service and scope
required.
We find successful, independently owned and credible diverse companies and help them
grow their businesses, create jobs and expand their offerings. Staples provides our Diversity
One suppliers with extensive coaching and mentoring to build capacity within their
organizations.
DIVERSITY TWO PROGRAM
With this program, participating Members can access a wide selection of high quality, cost-
effective products manufactured by diverse and small business suppliers. Participating
Members can benefit from:
• A wide selection of high -quality products easily identified by MBE and WBE symbols
• Products across every category — business essentials, furniture solutions, facility
solutions and technology solutions
• Detailed reporting and tracking of their diverse product spend
• Expert, consultative support from their Staples Account Manager, who will identify
opportunities to utilize these product groups and report on the Member's progress
Please note that Staples reserves the right to implement a pricing upcharge when setting up
a Tier One program for any participating Member.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
41
What unique attributes does your
company, your products, or your
services offer to Sourcewell
Members? What makes your
proposed solutions unique in your
industry as it applies to Sourcewell
members?
As Sourcewell's current contract supplier, we plan on increasing our overall value and to
continue offering built-in flexibility to accommodate the evolving needs of your participating
Members. Our new proposal offers a full -service approach that contains the following
elements and molds them into a cohesive, cost -reducing procurement program that is
unmatched by other suppliers in our industry:
• Worklife Solutions — Participating Members can maximize unique supplier consolidation
savings through our integrated product and service offering, which includes business
essentials, facility solutions, breakroom offerings, business furniture and interior design
services, pack and ship supplies, technology products and services, promotional products and
print and marketing services.
• Financial Strength — You never need to worry about us falling short or cutting corners.
Our leading financial position allows us to continually invest in our business and provides
participating Members with the confidence of working with a strong and stable supplier.
• Dedicated Account Team — We put together a full, dedicated team for participating
Members' business. Your Account Manager provides insights and recommendations on
Worklife solutions. Your Customer Success Consultant manages your programmatic needs
and a Site Management team proactively ensures compliance of your program across all
locations.
• Category Expertise — Industry experts provide assessments and advice on products and
process efficiencies.
• Superior Delivery Execution — Rely on free, accurate next -business -day delivery to your
locations from our strategically located, state-of-the-art fulfillment centers.
• E -Procurement Expertise — Our website provides easy online ordering, the ability to set
spend limits and approval flows, line item budget center to charge orders to multiple
departments and transactional details to easily reconcile orders. Order management is easy
with shopping lists for fast reordering, order tracking, delivery notifications, free returns,
reporting and online bill pay. And, we have experience integrating with over 300 third -party
purchasing platforms.
• Recognized Customer Call Centers — Exceeding your expectations is our highest
priority. Our knowledgeable Customer Service team is ready to solve your problem in one
call.
• Largest Retail Network — Our industry -leading network of U.S. stores gives participating
Members easy same -day purchasing solutions. Your employees can make in-store purchases
and receive your customer pricing for both office supplies and a full range of print solutions
on marketing and print services. Or, use our Buy Online, Pick Up in Store option, and your
items will normally be available for pick up in less than one hour.
• Managed Print Services — DEX Imaging is completely unique in its approach to
manage print. We offer multiple programs in managed print to accommodate the various
types of organizations and buying strategies. The programs listed within this RFP are by
themselves incredibly flexible, and our ability to cross pollinate between these programs is
what truly separates us from the competition. This flexibility allows us to partner with any
organization regardless of structure and/or financial limitation.
• Incentives & Recognition — Staples Promotional Products' incentive and recognition
offering is a full -service program built around strategy, technology, execution and ROI
measurement. It is the pairing of these services and the people who bring them to clients
that creates differentiation. Providing counsel on the best approach and the best way to
invest funds in an incentive program means we will counsel you on methods that save you
money as well. We can offer participating Members multiple economical options to meet their
requirements.
• Corporate Responsibility — We are committed to corporate responsibility and recognize
the close connection between our success and our efforts in the areas of environmental
sustainability, ethics, diversity and community.
• Worklife Magazine — In 2019, we launched the first issue of our quarterly magazine,
Staples Worklife. Available online and in print, this magazine is for professionals and offers
insights, ideas and practical know-how for decision -makers and problem -solvers. It features
exclusive interviews with today's trailblazers and articles written by business and productivity
experts.
With Staples, our focus is our customers' Worklife needs. Sourcewell participating Members
can rely on expertise that helps them make smarter purchasing decisions. With the
introduction of our new innovative products we offer tools and systems that help drive
solutions in business essentials, breakroom, facilities, technology and furniture.
• Tru Red — Thoughtfully designed business essentials to help you work, create and
innovate better. Quality tested and engineered to last.
• NXT Technologies — Tech products to keep your teams connected and productive —
whether they're at the office or the airport, a coffeehouse or the couch.
• Coastwide Professional — Professional -grade facility and ship and pack supplies built to
spec and made to perform, with no wasted product or labor.
• Perk — Breakroom essentials designed with quality, value and just the right touch of
personality to bring fun and energy to break time.
• Union & Scale — Furniture and decor that work together in perfect harmony. There's a
collection for every style and work style.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
42
Identify your ability and willingness
to provide your products and
Staples is willing to explore providing goods and services to Sourcewell participating
Members located outside the U.S. Sales to such locations will be made in accordance with
services to Sourcewell member
agencies in Canada.
the operational requirements of our non-U.S. businesses, as well as the requirements of
applicable local law. Please note that expanding the use of this contract into other countries
will require addenda to the contract, as Staples uses separate legal entities in its non-U.S.
operations.
*
Table 9: Warranty and Performance Standards
Describe in detail the warranties applicable to the equipment or products included in your proposal, including conditions and requirements
to qualify, claims procedure, and overall structure. You may upload representative samples of warranty materials (if applicable) in the
document upload section of your response in addition to responding to the questions below.
Line
Item
Question
Response
43
Do warranties cover all products, parts, and labor?
Supplier expressly warrants that it will provide Buyer with pass -through of all
manufacturers' warranties for all office products sold to Buyer. Supplier
expressly warrants that all Supplier -branded Office Products provided by it
are: (1) merchantable; (2) of good quality and workmanship; (3) free from
defects, latent or patent, in material, design, and workmanship for whichever
period is shorter, either (a) one year from the date of purchase, or (b) as
otherwise specified on the packaging of the Office Products; (4) fit, sufficient
and safe for their intended purpose and for the particular purpose for which
they were designed; and (5) in conformity with Supplier's samples, if any.
CUSTOM -IMPRINTED PRODUCTS
Prior to Supplier's production of custom products such as print or
promotional items and items which contain a corporate or personal logo,
name or other marking of Buyer (hereinafter "Print Products"), Supplier shall
submit to Buyer samples or an appropriate proof of each item, for Buyer's
written approval of the Print Products. Buyer agrees to promptly review any
items submitted to Buyer for approval under this section.
Supplier warrants that Print Products in their unaltered, unmodified form are
free from defects in design, workmanship and materials and are in
compliance with the specifications agreed to by the Parties. In the event any
defects in design, workmanship or materials, or material deviation from the
specifications or claims made by Supplier, are discovered by Buyer, Buyer's
sole and exclusive remedy shall be, at Supplier's sole election, for Supplier
to replace the defective Print Product at Supplier's expense or to credit
Buyer's account for the net amount actually paid by Buyer to Supplier for the
applicable Print Product, provided that Supplier is reasonably certain that the
warranty claim is valid and was not caused by Buyer.
The following terms apply when Members provide content for Staples to
reproduce:
Buyer Warranty. Buyer represents and warrants that it owns or has the right
and license to use, adapt and reproduce Buyer Property. Buyer represents
and warrants that Buyer Property shall not infringe or misappropriate any
patent, trademark, trade secret, mask work, copyright, design or any other
proprietary right of any third party, and complies with all applicable federal,
state and local laws, regulations, and rules. Buyer grants to Supplier a non-
exclusive, worldwide, royalty -free and fully paid up right and license to use,
reproduce and incorporate Buyer Property solely in connection with Supplier's
obligations hereunder. Supplier acknowledges that, as between Supplier and
Buyer, Buyer owns, controls and shall retain all ownership rights in and to
Buyer Property. All proprietary rights and goodwill in the Buyer Property shall
inure to the benefit of Buyer and not Supplier. Supplier shall acquire no
intellectual property rights in the Buyer Property by reason of its use thereof,
and if, by operation of law, or otherwise, Supplier is deemed to, or appears
to, own any intellectual property in the Buyer Property, Supplier shall, at
Buyer's request, execute any and all documents necessary to confirm or
otherwise establish Buyer's rights therein. Buyer acknowledges that, as
between Supplier and Buyer, Supplier owns, controls and shall retain all
ownership rights in and to Supplier's proprietary systems and business
processes and any designs, artwork, prototypes, or other materials prepared
or produced by or for Supplier.
Buyer's Property means the trade names, logos, artwork, forms, trademarks,
copyrights, trade devices, trade dress, service marks, symbols, abbreviations,
registered marks, indicia of ownership, information, representations,
descriptions, classifications, characterizations, statements, or language
contained in or on any print or electronic content or materials provided to
Supplier by Buyer in connection with Supplier's performance hereunder.
To the extent permitted by applicable law, Buyer shall indemnify, defend and
hold harmless Supplier for any third party claims, suits, judgments, and costs
instituted or recovered against Staples for any alleged or actual infringement
*
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
of any patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property
or other rights of a third party resulting from (i) Buyer's breach of Buyer's
warranty related to Buyer Property; or (ii) Supplier's use of Buyer Property in
accordance with the specifications provided by Buyer.
SERVICES WARRANTY
Supplier warrants that the Services shall meet or exceed generally accepted
standards in the industry and shall meet any required specifications mutually
agreed upon by Supplier and Buyer. Staples' labor services are warrantied
for one year.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
Each of the programs contract includes supplies, service/maintenance, and
parts. DEX Imaging also offers a Lifetime Performance Guarantee on all
products and services. Provided that equipment is maintained and serviced
under a DEX Equipment Maintenance & Supply Agreement (EMS), DEX
Imaging guarantees it. If a unit is not performing up to manufacturer
specifications/expectations and DEX Imaging is unable to repair the unit, it
will be replaced at no charge.
GENERAL WARRANTY DISCLAIMER
These warranties are exclusive and in lieu of all others, whether oral or
written, express or implied. Supplier specifically disclaims any and all implied
warranties, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of
merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose.
44
Do warranties impose usage restrictions or other
limitations that adversely affect coverage?
Please see our response to Question 43 above.
45
Do warranties cover the expense of technicians'
travel time and mileage to perform warranty
repairs?
Please see our response to Question 43 above.
46
Are there any geographic regions of the United
States (and Canada, if applicable) for which you
cannot provide a certified technician to perform
warranty repairs? How will Sourcewell Members in
these regions be provided service for warranty
repair?
Our proposal includes service to all geographic areas in the continental U.S.
and Alaska. There are some exceptions for Hawaii and other U.S. territories.
Staples is not including Canada in the scope of our proposal.
For products purchased through Staples, all manufacturer warranties are
passed on to the Member and upheld. Staples will reasonably assist in
coordinating the repair or replacement of the product by the manufacturer.
47
Will you cover warranty service for items made by
other manufacturers that are part of your proposal,
or are these warranties issues typically passed on
to the original equipment manufacturer?
For products purchased through Staples, all manufacturer warranties are
passed on to the Member and upheld. Staples will reasonably assist in
coordinating the repair or replacement of the product by the manufacturer.
Please see our response to Question 43 for more details.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
Service is included on all print devices covered under your MPS contract.
DEX Imaging performance guarantee extends beyond manufacturer warranty.
Please see our response to Question 43 for more details.
48
What are your proposed exchange and return
programs and policies?
If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with a product purchased
from Staples, you may return it within the applicable return period. We will
gladly accept returns of a product in resalable condition with its complete and
original manufacturers' packaging intact and undamaged, including Universal
Product Code (UPC), manuals and parts and a copy of the packing slip.
At any time, you can call our Customer Service team to submit a return or
use our no -hassle online return process offered through
StaplesAdvantage.com. Your delivery driver will pick up the returned item, so
no shipping expense is required from you. Credit for returned items is issued
once the items are received at the Staples fulfillment center. Typically, returns
are picked up within 1 to 5 business days and the credit is released within
24 to 48 hours after receipt of the items.
RETURN PERIODS BY PRODUCT
• Office Supplies, School Supplies and Facilities Supplies — 30 Days
• Software (unopened)* — 30 Days
• Opened or defective software may be exchanged for the same title and
version within 30 calendar days of receiving the software.
• Technology Items and Business Machines — 14 Days
• Furniture — 14 Days after delivery (Only products in new condition,
unassembled and in original packaging are eligible for return. A restocking
fee may apply. Special -order or non -stocked furniture is not returnable, unless
such products arrive damaged or defective.)
• Non -Stock Products — Not returnable unless damaged/defective (within
30 days)
• Custom -Imprinted Products — Not returnable unless damaged/defective
FACILITY SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT
We gladly accept the return of stock merchandise within 30 days from the
date of delivery. Large orders and merchandise returned after 30 days may
be subject to a restocking fee. Additional charges may be incurred for
shipping and handling of hazardous or oversized materials. Partial cartons of
hazardous materials cannot be returned. Equipment, including custom
configured equipment, returns are subject to applicable manufacturer terms
and restrictions.
FURNITURE
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
If for any reason you aren't completely satisfied with a furniture product, or if
a product arrives damaged or is found to be defective, you may request to
return it within 14 days of its delivery. Sourcewell participating Members can
contact your Customer Service team to initiate the return process. The
product must be returned to Staples with its complete and original packaging
intact (original UPC code, packaging materials, instructions, manuals, etc.).
Special order, customized, manufacturer -direct shipped or assembled items
are not returnable, unless such products arrive damaged or defective.
PRINT & MARKETING SERVICES
Custom imprinted products are not returnable unless damaged or defective.
These items may include, but are not limited to, all business cards, business
forms, letterhead, promotional products, products customized per customer's
specifications and products that have been imprinted with the customer's
trademark, trade name, service mark and/or logo. Staples can work with
participating Members throughout the design and proofing process to ensure
your print products match your exact specifications. We conduct a thorough
analysis of all damaged or defective products to ensure quality issues are
corrected at our production facilities.
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
Should a product arrive damaged or defective, please contact our
Promotional Products Customer Care team to report it within 48 hours of
receipt. Based on the specific damage or defect, Staples will either replace
the item or issue a credit to your account. We conduct a thorough analysis
of all damaged or defective products to ensure quality issues are corrected
at our production facilities.
TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS
At any time, Sourcewell participating Members can contact your Staples
Technology Solutions (STS) Customer Service Representative for a Return
Authorization (RA) number before returning any product. All
returns/replacements must be in their original packaging and in resalable
condition. We are unable to accept returns of non -stock, obsolete or special -
order items that were ordered incorrectly. If product is being returned due to
an error by STS, our Customer Service Department will provide a return
authorization (RA) number and call tag to pick up the product. Returns of
certain IT hardware are governed by the policies for return supported by the
distribution source and manufacturers used. These may limit returns of non -
defective items to a certain time period. They may limit returns of items once
opened. They may include specific restocking fees. STS will actively work on
behalf of Sourcewell to minimize and mitigate the impact of these limits and
fees. We will ship replacement product on the same day that STS is made
aware of the situation, as long as it is prior to 3:00 p.m. EST.
MANAGED PRINT SERVICES
DEX Imaging offers multiple programs which gives us the ability to provide a
replacement or service loaner machine, if existing isn't operating up to
standard, under our Performance Guarantee. Our rental programs also allow
flexibility to change equipment if your environment circumstances change —
i.e. you can swap out a Mono Printer for a Color Printer. Our Hot Spot
Program is also available for devices that are under rental. Under this
program, devices can be replaced on the fly, keeping critical areas at a
99.9% uptime.
DAMAGED/DEFECTIVE ITEMS
Please call your Customer Service team to return damaged or defective
products. Your account will be credited when returned merchandise is
received back into inventory. We conduct a thorough analysis of all damaged
or defective products to ensure that our manufacturers correct any quality
issues.
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT ALL RETURNS
• Non -defective dated goods such as forms, batteries, film, toner and ink
cartridges are subject to approval and require a Return Authorization for credit.
• Calendars cannot be returned after January 31 of the year to which they
correspond.
• For health and safety reasons, food, beverages, first aid and medical
products cannot be returned.
• For similar reasons, janitorial and sanitation products (such as cleaning
chemicals) can only be returned in unopened and unaltered original case
quantities and packaging.
• Products purchased in bulk, including those intended to be used during
a World Health Organization epidemic or pandemic alert, are subject to
review prior to return.
• Neither party shall be liable for any consequential, incidental, special or
exemplary damages arising out of or in connection with the sale, delivery,
use or performance of the product. In no event shall Staples be liable
(whether in contract, tort or otherwise) for damages arising out of or relating
to a breach of any warranty or the sales, delivery, installation, use or
performance of the product that exceed the purchase price of the product.
• Additional charges may be incurred for the shipping and handling of
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
products classified as hazardous or oversized materials. Partial cartons or
opened containers of hazardous materials cannot be returned. It is your
responsibility to ensure the products are used and disposed of in accordance
with all applicable federal, state, county and local laws and regulations,
including environmental rules and regulations.
49
Describe any service contract options for the items
included in your proposal.
Staples offers a number of lease/service agreement options to meet
Sourcewell Members' unique product and/or service needs. These lease
options may include the following products and/or services and may require
additional signed agreements between Staples and the requesting Sourcewell
Member:
Coffee: We provide the coffee brewer, installation; maintenance and service
through the term of the lease as long as the minimum spend requirements
are met for coffee products. Minimum spend requirements vary by type of
brewer.
Water: Program offered is a lease agreement — the customer pays
established fees per month and Staples installs, maintains and services the
filtration unit. The customer pays for the number of 5 -gallon water bottles
delivered to them and has an option to lease a water dispenser if desired —
or they can choose to use their own 5 -gallon water dispenser.
Ware Wash: Utilizes equipment that dispenses chemicals into a commercial
dishwasher and Diversey provides the installation and the service as part of
the customer's purchase of the Diversey chemicals through Staples.
Managed Print Services. DEX Imaging's Managed Print Services help
participating Members create a more efficient, customized and sustainable
printing network. We can help Sourcewell's participating Members customize
a solution that utilizes a vendor neutral strategy which allows us to provide
service and support for most print models and devices.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
50
Describe any performance standards or guarantees
that apply to your services (back -orders, retired
products, substitutions, order delays or problems,
metrics, etc.).
Delivering your order complete, correct, undamaged and on -time is as
important to us as it is to you. Our Supply Chain Quality Assurance team
partners cross -functionally within the Staples organization to drive an
outstanding customer experience. This means we strive for orders to be
picked complete and correct, delivered on -time to the correct location, without
damages or defects, every day. The Staples' Supply Chain Quality Program
includes:
• Quality Assurance Supervisors and Leads located in each of our
fulfillment centers to drive process improvements
• A central Supply Chain Quality Assurance team that develops tools and
processes to help local Quality Assurance teams identify and address defects
within the order fulfillment process
• Conducting weekly interactive and cross -functional collaboration forums to
share best demonstrated practices and trends within the business
• Tracking key metrics on a daily, weekly and monthly basis
THE PROOF IS IN THE NUMBERS
We track a variety of metrics to measure quality and service throughout our
fulfillment and delivery operations.
• Fill Rate — Calculated as the percentage of in -stock items shipped from
your primary fulfillment center. Our fill rate for 2018 was 97.1%.
• Missing & Wrong Rate — Calculated as the percentage of total orders
with an error. We count each issue within one order as separate errors. Our
missing and wrong rate for 2018 was 0.37%.
• Returns Rate — Calculated as the percentage of returns placed. When
returns occur, we have processes in place to credit you quickly. Our returns
rate for 2018 was 1.45%.
• Delivered by Date Confirmed — Calculated as the percent of fulfilled
shipments (excluding dropship) where all cartons were delivered on or before
the date promised at order confirmation. Our delivered by date confirmed
rate for 2018 was 92%.
*
If quality levels fall below expectations, we use a combination of root cause
analysis and process improvement techniques to identify and resolve the
problem. Our continuous improvement processes have resulted in year -over -
year quality level improvement.
BACKORDERS
Staples goes to great lengths to stock the right assortment of products to
meet our customers' needs. We use sophisticated inventory models to ensure
that items are stocked in the right fulfillment centers and in the right
quantities. We continuously gather customer input to determine which products
to include in future stocking models, including the slower moving but
necessary ones.
Staples' fulfillment logic can source an item from the next closest fulfillment
center or a wholesaler when an item is temporarily out of stock. This platform
technology allows Staples to fulfill a high percentage of orders immediately.
Orders filled by wholesalers are married up with your Staples orders for
seamless, on -time delivery. During the implementation process, Staples can
work with participating Members to eliminate wholesale items from your core
list to offer the best selection of items at the optimal price.
Users on StaplesAdvantage.com can also confirm that an item will be
delivered the next business day by viewing the Expected Delivery Date
notification which automatically displays per item during check out. The
checkout page displays a banner when there's an out of stock item. This
provides the end user with the opportunity to choose a replacement the item,
if preferred.
When backorder situations occur, customers receive an email notification
alerting them of the delay and of the expected delivery date.
Table 10: Payment Terms and Financing Options
Line
Item
Question
Response *
51
What are your payment terms (e.g., net 10, net 30)?
Staples' standard payment terms are Net 30 days. Each participating
Member will remit all invoice payments, including all taxes on its
product purchases to Staples in thirty (30) calendar days from receipt
of invoice, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Staples and
Member. In the event a participating Member fails to comply in any
material respect with the foregoing payment terms, Staples may, at
its sole discretion and in addition to any other right or remedy
available under applicable law or in equity, immediately suspend all
deliveries to such Member's location(s) by written notice to such
participating Member and to Sourcewell.
*
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
52
Do you provide leasing or financing options, especially
those options that schools and governmental entities may
need to use in order to make certain acquisitions?
Staples is flexible and utilizes multiple third -party leasing sources for
eligible Staples customers. Participating Members may have an
existing relationship with their own choice of leasing providers, and
we may work with that provider if mutually agreed to.
Leasing terms and conditions vary by lease provider and the
requirements of the acquisition and are determined as the solution is
developed and the leasing source is finalized. Our broad range of
leasing options is flexible so that you can tailor the length,
acquisition type and amount of your payments to meet your business'
needs. Lease options include capital or operating lease options,
giving you end of term options to keep (own), upgrade or return
assets. Leases may allow for certain soft expenses like service,
software and accessories to be include in the monthly payments for
an asset acquired under lease. Staples can work with your
organization to help finalize the option that best suits your needs.
53
Briefly describe your proposed order process. Include
enough detail to support your ability to report quarterly
sales to Sourcewell as described in the Contract template.
For example, indicate whether your dealer network is
included in your response and whether each dealer (or
some other entity) will process the Sourcewell Members'
purchase orders.
Staples operates as a reseller/distributor and does not have a dealer
network. Our key business goals center on helping our customers
simplify the ordering process, eliminating hidden costs in the
procurement process and enhancing delivery accuracy. We offer a
variety of ordering methods to achieve these goals:
• Online via StaplesAdvantage.com
• Mobile App
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
• Third -party interface
• Buy Online, Pick Up in Store
• Telephone (toll -free number)
ORDER FULFILLMENT PROCESS
1) Order Placement — Once Staples receive the participating
Member's order, it is entered into our order management system.
Our system manages customer requirements and validates each
order as it is placed.
2) Order Sourcing & Routing — Once in our system, the order
goes through a standardized process that determines how to fill the
order. The system chooses the best location to source the item,
either from the primary or secondary fulfillment center or from a
wholesaler — whichever will provide the shortest delivery time for the
customer.
3) Box Creation — Next, the warehouse management system
creates the optimal box size for each order. Our system analyzes the
dimension and weight of each product to ensure their order is
protected against damages without excess packaging material. Each
carton receives a unique barcode to track it throughout the order
cycle in our package tracking system.
4) Order Picking & Quality Control — Fulfillment associates pick
orders, inspect for quality and pack orders for shipment. Methods for
picking orders include pick -to -light, robotic picking and system -
generated tasks to pick everything from a full pallet of paper to an
individual toner cartridge. Sophisticated conveyor systems direct
cartons through the required pick zones, through Quality Control for
final inspection and then finally onto the correct truck for delivery. We
perform regular analysis to ensure every order is a complete order
— delivered the next business day, without substitutions or damaged,
wrong or missing items.
5) Delivery — Once the source for an order is determined, our
order management system determines the best method for delivery.
Package tracking information uploads into our system once the
fulfillment center processes the order for shipping. This tracking
system reduces delays, errors and provides visibility to Customer
Service Representatives and delivery associates. Customers can
check the status of their orders through package tracking on our e -
commerce site without contacting customer service.
QUARTERLY REPORTING TO SOURCEWELL
Staples understands this requirement and has the ability to provide
quarterly reporting as requested. However, further discussion is
requested on the distribution methods for reporting due to the size
and scope of the metrics and transactions to be included.
54
Do you accept the P -card procurement and payment
process? If so, is there any additional cost to Sourcewell
Members for using this process?
Yes. Procurement Cards (P -Cards) represented by one of the major
credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover)
may be used at the time of purchase. However, P -cards may not be
used to pay invoices.
Table 11: Pricing and Delivery
Provide detailed pricing information in the questions that follow below. Keep in mind that reasonable price and product adjustments can
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
be made during the term of an awarded Contract as desribed in the RFP, the template Contract, and the Sourcewell Price and Product
Change Request Form.
Line
Item
Question
Response *
55
Describe your pricing model (e.g., line -item discounts or
product -category discounts). Provide detailed pricing data
(including standard or list pricing and the Sourcewell
discounted price) on all of the items that you want
Sourcewell to consider as part of your RFP response. If
applicable, provide a SKU for each item in your proposal.
Upload your pricing materials (if applicable) in the document
upload section of your response.
Staples proposed pricing model is designed to take advantage of
our industry leading assortment of products, equipment and services.
The offering includes a large number of net priced items on the
Core List that facilitates price stability on office supplies, school
supplies, facility solutions, breakroom products, technology products,
furniture and other business essential supplies.
Additionally, there is pricing for services and manufactured items like
managed print services, promotional products, and printing. Rounding
out the offering is non -core pricing that will take advantage of
leveraging Staples' strength as one of the largest sellers of office
supplies on the Internet.
Today, market -based pricing provides full visibility and disclosure of
pricing. Successful online sellers like Staples invest in systems and
intelligence gathering to strive to ensure that market -based prices
are set and maintained in a market -competitive structure.
*
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
56
Quantify the pricing discount represented by the pricing
proposal in this response. For example, if the pricing in
your response represents a percentage discount from MSRP
or list, state the percentage or percentage range.
Staples proposes the following pricing structure:
Core List. The "Core List" represents net priced items which are
inclusive of those products predicted to be the most commonly used
products by Sourcewell and its participating Members. Prices for
Core List items provided under this contract are set forth in Exhibit 1.
The prices for Core List Items, excluding Premium Products may be
updated biannually on August 1st and February 1st of each year
during the term that this contract in effect. Staples may request a
price change adjustment for Core List items by submitting a price
change addendum to Sourcewell thirty (30) days prior to August 1st
and February 1st to reflect changes in stock availability, market
conditions, buying expense, tariffs and other factors that affect the
overall cost of such items.
The prices for Premium Products may be updated quarterly of each
year during the term that this contract in effect. Premium Products
are defined as toner, ink, IT hardware, copy paper and furniture that
Members purchase from Staples.
Extraordinary Market Events. Staples reserves the right to reasonably
adjust a Core Item's price if extraordinary market events require
immediate adjustment (e.g., shortages, trade disputes, natural
disasters, etc.) and to adjust pricing with the impact of tariffs,
customs, or duties imposed on products. Any such adjustments shall
be noticed to Sourcewell with thirty (30) days prior written notice
accompanied by supporting documentation. Staples will work with
Sourcewell and affected Members to identify alternative products to
mitigate the impact of the foregoing where possible.
Updated Items. For purposes of contract management, Staples may
provide to Sourcewell an updated report no more than once a
calendar quarter, which shall identify the SKU numbers and prices for
the new items that Staples and Sourcewell have added, as well as
SKU numbers for items that have been removed from the from the
Core List. Staples may from time to time propose substitutions to
Core Items. Sourcewell agrees that it will not unreasonably withhold
its consent.
Custom Pricing; Rebates & Incentives; Other Terms. Staples may
offer additional pricing discounts, rebates and/or incentives to an
individual participating Member based upon commitments and
variables that may include, but not limited to, Member size and
scope, geography, purchase volume, guarantees, logistical expenses,
manufacturer support, specific product usage and other contractual
terms/requirements. Members receiving custom pricing or incentives
may be required to sign a Participation Agreement with Staples.
Non -Core Items. The prices for Non -Core Items shall appear on
StaplesAdvantage.com and shall be adjusted to reflect changes in
stock availability, market conditions, buying expense, and other
factors that affect the overall cost of the Non -Core Items.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Non -Core Items are not
subject to customer audit or any pricing guarantee, nor shall Non -
Core Items be subject to the Change Request process set forth in
this Section 4.
Sourced Goods. Members may request certain goods that are non -
stock or custom in nature. The prices for Sourced Goods shall be
those prices that appear on the ordering platform at time of order,
or as otherwise established between Staples and the applicable
participating Member at the time the order is placed. Sourced
Goods may include additional delivery or handling charges that would
be the responsibility of the ordering Member.
Pricing Exhibits. Please see our Pricing Exhibits for pricing details
on the following categories:
• Exhibit 1 — Core List Pricing
• Exhibit 2 — Print & Copy Program
• Exhibit 3 — Promotional Products Program
• Exhibit 4 — Staples Technology Solutions
• Exhibit 5A — Managed Print Services Capabilities
• Exhibit 5B — Managed Print Services Pricing
• Exhibit 5C — Managed Print Services Sample Agreement
Tier One Diversity Program. Staples reserves the right to implement
a pricing upcharge when setting up a Tier One program for any
Participating Member to reflect the additional cost of the diversity
supplier's program.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
57
Describe any quantity or volume discounts or rebate
programs that you offer.
Our proposal reflects updated attributes related to pricing, rebates
and incentives based on our experience with Sourcewell participating
Members' behaviors and desires, as well as market conditions.
Staples may offer additional pricing discounts and/or incentives to an
individual participating Member based upon commitments and
variables that may include, but not limited to, Member size and
scope, geography, purchase volume, guarantees, logistical expenses,
manufacturer support, specific product usage and other contractual
terms/requirements. Members receiving custom pricing or incentives
may be required to sign a Participation Agreement with Staples.
58
Propose a method of facilitating "sourced" products or
related services, which may be referred to as "open market"
items or "nonstandard options". For example, you may
supply such items "at cost" or "at cost plus a percentage,"
or you may supply a quote for each such request.
Staples customers frequently request we source goods and services
on their behalf that could be non -stock or custom in nature and are
within the scope of our sourcing and distribution capabilities. Staples
will also facilitate access to these "Sourced Goods" and services to
Sourcewell and its participating Members.
Despite having hundreds of thousands of items available through our
e -commerce site, Staples customers often have unique product
sourcing needs that range from forklifts to industry -specific proprietary
items. To fulfill these unique requests for our customers, Staples
maintains a highly specialized non -stock procurement team available
to assist our customers with these unique requests. Users can
submit special order requests directly through our e -commerce site
or through your Staples Account Manager. The non -stock procurement
team works diligently to fulfill your product needs quickly and at the
lowest possible cost.
The prices for Sourced Goods shall be those prices that appear on
the ordering platform at time of order, or as otherwise established
between Staples and the applicable participating Member at the time
the order is placed. Sourced Goods may include additional delivery
or handling charges that would be the responsibility of the ordering
Member.
59
Identify any element of the total cost of acquisition that is
NOT included in the pricing submitted with your response.
This includes all additional charges associated with a
purchase that are not directly identified as freight or
shipping charges. For example, list costs for items like pre-
delivery inspection, installation, set up, mandatory training, or
initial inspection. Identify any parties that impose such costs
and their relationship to the Proposer.
There may be additional services available which are associated
with certain products, including, but not limited to: furniture, facilities,
technology, or water/coffee dispensers, etc. which at the option of the
Member may be purchased or leased at the time of
order/agreement. The costs for such services shall be paid to
Staples by the Sourcewell Member. Additionally, there may be some
items, typically furniture, where there may be an additional fee
charge by the manufacturers that will be passed along to the
ordering participating Member.
60
If freight, delivery, or shipping is an additional cost to the
Sourcewell Member, describe in detail the complete freight,
shipping, and delivery program.
Staples does not apply additional charges or fees for standard
delivery. However, there are some special exceptions where a
delivery or special handling fee may apply. Most fees will be
displayed in your shopping cart on StaplesAdvantage.com upon
ordering.
Common delivery exceptions that require a surcharge include:
• Furniture unpacking or assembly
o Stair Carry for upper floor inside deliveries (lack of freight
elevator or access to same)
o Handling support for facilities that do not operate a fully
functioning dock
• Expedited deliveries
• Deliveries outside Staples' standard distribution area (Alaska
and Hawaii)
• Bulky, fragile, or heavy items such as fireproof file cabinets,
cases of water, soda, ice melt and chemicals
• Or as otherwise indicated on our website at the time of
purchase.
Surcharges are calculated on a per -order basis. Freight will be listed
as a line item charge for all Staples Promotional Products orders.
61
Specifically describe freight, shipping, and delivery terms or
programs available for Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, or any
offshore delivery.
Staples reserves the right to charge fees to the following locations
unless otherwise mutually agreed between Staples and the
participating Member.
Delivery to Alaska or Hawaii. The following additional delivery terms
apply for shipments to Alaska or Hawaii: Shipments up to 159 lbs.
will be shipped with transit times of two to three (2 to 3) business
days. Shipments over 159 lbs. or items which cannot be shipped via
normal means, including any items which are classified as hazmat or
ORM-D (other regulated materials for domestic transport only), are
shipped via ocean freight. Staples' policies prohibit shipment of any
fully regulated hazmat items. Such items must be shipped directly
from the vendor. Ocean shipments will be delivered approximately
fourteen (14) calendar days from the date of shipment. All shipments
to Alaska or Hawaii will be subject to a 25% surcharge to help
offset the cost of freight.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
Every country has specific requirements in which both the exporter
and importer must follow; here are some additional specific details
for U.S. Territories and Possessions:
Delivery to Puerto Rico. The following additional delivery terms apply
for shipments to Puerto Rico: Shipments up to 150 lbs. will be
shipped with transit times of two (2) business days. Shipments over
150 lbs. are shipped via ocean freight. Any goods classified as
ORM-D (other regulated materials for domestic transport only) will
also ship ocean freight, regardless of weight. No hazardous goods
can be exported to Puerto Rico. Transit time is approximately seven
to ten (7 to 10) business days from door -door. Buyer is responsible
for all customs or tax filings or applications necessary to effect the
importation of the Products. Delays may result from Buyer's failure to
satisfy all customs clearance requirements. All taxes, fees, and other
costs (including freight) will be charged back to Buyer on a separate
invoice.
Delivery to U.S. Virgin Islands. The following additional delivery terms
apply for shipments to the U.S. Virgin Islands: Shipments up to 150
lbs. will be shipped UPS WorldShip, using the most commercially
advantageous WorldShip service available, with transit times of
approximately three (3) business days. Products weighing over 150
lbs. will be shipped via ocean freight. No hazardous goods can be
exported to these locations. Any goods classified as ORM-D (other
regulated materials for domestic transport only) will ship ocean
freight, regardless of weight, and will require an additional five (5)
days of transit time. Buyer is responsible for all customs or tax
filings or applications necessary to effect the importation of the
Products. Delays may result from Buyer's failure to satisfy all
customs clearance requirements. All taxes, fees, and other costs
(including freight) will be charged back to Buyer on a separate
invoice.
Delivery to American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands. The
following additional delivery terms apply for shipments to American
Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands: Shipments up to
150 lbs. will be shipped UPS WorldShip, using the most
commercially advantageous WorldShip service available, with transit
times of approximately five (5) business days. Products weighing
over 150 lbs. will be shipped via ocean freight. No ORM-D goods
or hazardous goods can be exported to these locations. Buyer is
responsible for all customs or tax filings or applications necessary to
effect the importation of the Products. Delays may result from
Buyer's failure to satisfy all customs clearance requirements. All
taxes, fees and other costs (including freight) will be charged back
to Buyer on a separate invoice.
Import/Export. If Staples agrees to export Products from the U.S. to
Buyer's locations outside the U.S. (including but not limited to
Mexico, Canada and all U.S. Possessions and Territories) (for these
purposes referred to as "Other Locations"), the following applies: (a)
Staples will not be the Importer of Record for any Products shipping
to Other Locations. Buyer or Buyer's agent shall nominate a customs
clearing agent to act on its behalf and to facilitate the import
customs clearance process. Buyer shall be responsible for obtaining
any documentation, such as special permit(s) or license(s) that may
be required to import Products; (b) Buyer shall be responsible for
payment of any customs clearance and duties and taxes and the full
freight cost of the shipment; (c) Staples will not provide Certificates
of Origin (C/O) or Free Trade Agreement certificates; (d) Staples will
not export the following Products: ORM-D (Other Regulated Materials -
Domestic); consumables; and/or Products prohibited from export by
Staples' vendors; (e) Staples will not export Products to Other
Locations in the event any export restriction applies; and (f) Staples
will not accept returns from Other Locations unless agreed in writing.
62
Describe any unique distribution and/or delivery methods or
options offered in your proposal.
Staples delivers an average of 675,000 cartons per day. Our delivery
experience, combined with our advanced distribution network, makes
us the industry leader. We recently increased the square footage
across our 24 strategically located fulfillment centers, ensuring we
have more product in stock for next -business -day deliveries.
Staples uses a combination of our own fleet, national delivery
services, Staples -exclusive carriers and third -party couriers to ensure
the fastest, most efficient delivery options for our customers. Our third -
party couriers undergo a rigorous evaluation process and we require
them to meet our customers' service level agreements. Staples
couriers are selected based on the caliber of their management and
delivery drivers, their equipment and, more specifically, their ability to
provide timely and excellent customer service.
PREMIUM DELIVERY OPTIONS
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCAO9F
As part of each participating Member's account setup, we may meet
to discuss the individual needs and develop delivery protocols that
make it easy to do business with Staples. Our normal delivery hours
are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.
Requests for premium delivery service are vetted by our internal
transportation team prior to approval. Examples of delivery service
exceptions we have approved in the past include:
• Specific delivery windows (before noon, after 10:00 a.m., etc.)
• Desktop delivery (desk to desk)
• Inside delivery (specific floor)
• Mailroom delivery (by floor)
• Delivery to copy areas (where we leave a fixed number of
cases of paper per mailroom, in some cases, stocking the shelves)
• Loading boxes through an X-ray machine prior to making
delivery
Additional costs may apply for premium services and is customized
based on each participating Member's specific requirements.
SAME -DAY DELIVERIES
Same -business -day delivery can be investigated as a possibility by
contacting Staples Customer Service. To ensure all appropriate
process checks are completed, we recommend a cut-off time of
11:30 a.m. local time. To account for added transportation costs and
courier fees incurred on our end, we do require a separate charge
for same -business -day requests.
Our industry -leading network of U.S. stores gives participating
Members easy same -day purchasing solutions. Your employees can
make in-store purchases and receive your customer pricing for both
office supplies and a full range of print and marketing solutions. Or,
use our Buy Online, Pick Up in Store option, and your items will be
available for pickup in less than one hour.
There are some exceptions to same -day delivery service. The
delivery location must be within 50 miles of a Staples fulfillment
center. Further, the fulfillment center must have the capacity to handle
the request that day. In addition, the following items cannot be
delivered same day:
• Furniture
• HAZMAT items (this includes items that contain Lithium
batteries)
• Liquid
• Food and beverage items
• Custom items
• Drop ship or special -order items
• Orders containing more than six SKUs
BUY ONLINE, PICK UP IN STORE
Participating Members can purchase a wide variety of items on
StaplesAdvantage.com and pick their items up in one hour or less
at any of our U.S. retail stores. This allows your users to buy within
your established purchasing program, with your contract rules and
pricing, for same -day purchases. Users can even filter by Pick Up in
Store to make those emergency purchases quicker.
PRINT TO STORE
Participating Members can also use Staples' Print to Store option to
print directly from their computer to any Staples retail location for
pickup. From black & white or color printing to binding and booklet
options, Print to Store offers more than 2,000 finishing configurations
for your employees' printing needs. Print to Store bills directly to
your Staples account, ensuring compliance and more robust tracking
while providing easy, on -the -go printing services for your remote and
traveling employees.
Participating Members can upload and reconfigure their documents,
save their files for future reordering and proof all orders online
before submitting. At any time, they can submit their orders right
from their desktop to Staples, with delivery to any Staples retail
location.
STAPLES PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
Staples Promotional Products has a 500,000 square foot contract
decoration and distribution center in Orange City, IA. This facility
does embroidery, screen print, laser engraving, digital heat transfer,
and more. We have pick -to -voice technology and use a pack -right
shipping system to cut boxes to the order size. Our facility is
centrally located for distribution throughout the U.S. We also use
FedEx as our preferred shipper but can utilize any major carrier
service. As of 2019, it's also moved to achieve zero waste to landfill
status.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Table 12: Pricing Offered
Line
*
Item
The Pricing Offered in this Proposal is:
Comments
63
d. other than what the Proposer typically offers (please describe).
Staples supplies a significant
number of government
agencies and numerous
GPOs and cooperative
procurement organizations
that range in size, geography,
purchase volume, guarantees,
logistic expenses, incentives,
manufacturer support and
other contractual
terms/requirements.
Additionally, Staples provides
a wide variety of products
and services, including many
that are customized and
therefore, based on
customers' specifications. As
a result, while pricing may
vary, Staples feels that its
proposal provides competitive
pricing and exceptionally
strong value-added attributes.
Table 13: Audit and Administrative Fee
Line
Item
Question
Response*
64
Specifically describe any self -audit process or program that you
plan to employ to verify compliance with your proposed Contract
with Sourcewell. This process includes ensuring that Sourcewell
Members obtain the proper pricing, that the Vendor reports all sales
under the Contract each quarter, and that the Vendor remits the
proper administrative fee to Sourcewell.
At Staples, we take our national contract obligations seriously.
We have a long history of providing accurate pricing and
conducting compliance audits with Sourcewell and its
participating Members. To maintain contract compliance, we
continually verify our pricing data and hold ourselves
accountable to the highest internal pricing standards. As such,
we have multiple processes in place to ensure pricing
accuracy and consistency. For example, national contract
pricing is managed and maintained by a single,
knowledgeable and experienced pricing team. This ensures
that all pricing is consistent with the contract terms and
requirements. We also review pricing on a regular basis and
compare it to the contract pricing requirements. This further
guarantees that your participating Members receive pricing
that is consistent.
Staples may also work with manufacturers to frequently spot-
check and audit pricing and discounts that are applied to
customer orders. Additional audits and periodic pricing
checks may be conducted randomly throughout the term of
the contract to add an extra level of protection and audit
control as deemed necessary to maintain our pricing integrity.
65
Identify a proposed administrative fee that you will pay to
Sourcewell for facilitating, managing, and promoting the Sourcewell
Contract in the event that you are awarded a Contract. This fee is
typically calculated as a percentage of Vendor's sales under the
Contract or as a per -unit fee; it is not a line -item addition to the
Member's cost of goods. (See the RFP and template Contract for
additional details.)
Unless otherwise mutually agreed to in writing by Sourcewell
and Staples, and except as stated below, Staples will pay
Sourcewell an administrative fee of one and half percent
(1.5%) of the Members' aggregate Net Sales during each
calendar quarter, which have been timely paid, to be paid
within forty five (45) days after the end of each calendar
quarter.
An exception to the above 1.5% admin fee would be that
Staples will pay Sourcewell one half of one percent (0.5%)
administrative fee for participating Members' aggregate Net
Sales under the managed print services ("MPS") program of
the Contract and one quarter of one percent (0.25%) on
technology product Net Sales.
Net Sales. Net Sales will be defined as the gross sales
price of the applicable products sold pursuant to this
Contract, less shipping costs (including freight charges and
insurance), taxes, duties, any rebates actually paid, discounts
and allowances actually taken, rejections and returns to the
extent credit is given or paid, and also excluding purchases
made via staples.com, or any Staples retail channel.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Table 14: Catalog Solution Description
Table 14: Indicate below the features and capabilities of your office supplies catalog solution (Yes I No) and provide supplemental
descriptions as needed.
Line
Item
Feature
Yes I No*
Description
66
Display item description,
catalog price, contract price,
and photo (if applicable)
r: Yes
r No
StaplesAdvantage.com displays item description, photos and the participating
Members' contract pricing. However, the site does not show catalog pricing. All
products include images, full description and detailed product specifications, with
partial graphic support for wholesaler items on StaplesAdvantage.com.
67
Enhanced catalog content
(stock availability,
ship/delivery date, product
reviews, filters,
comparables, etc.)
r Yes
r No
Search by keyword or item number for a summary of categories and top-ranking
items that match your criteria. Narrow results by category, brand or your recently
purchased items. Advanced search with auto -suggest terms to find what you want fast
and the ability to add to your cart from search to save time.
68
Order tracking and order
history
a Yes
r No
Members can view details on all orders placed in the past 90 days, track your
orders and view proof of delivery.
69
Customized member portal
or punchout
a Yes
r No
Members can customize their platform with special instructions and messages to keep
users in program compliance.
70
Member preferred products
listing
r Yes
r No
Depending on the situation, Staples may identify preferred items with a customizable
On Contract or Core Item icon that can contain your own message. For example,
individual participating Members can opt for it to display (Member) Contract Item
instead of On Contract. This message will appear with the icon wherever product
information is displayed. Users will see the icon on product pages, shopping lists,
shopping carts and order status screens. Members can also click the heart icon on
product tiles and pages to easily add items to a shared or personal shopping list
that can be made a favorite.
71
Member blocked item
removal
a Yes
r No
Upon mutual agreement between the participating Member and Staples.
72
Multiple ship -to locations
a Yes
r No
User and Location Management allows Members to easily add new users, supervisors
and account administrators and remove or add shipping locations associated with
user profiles.
73
Display of eco-label or
green certifications or
attributes
r Yes
r No
Eco-conscious and recycled items are identified with icons on our search pages and
item descriptions, making them easy to find from any search or shopping list.
74
Search by eco-label or
green certifications or
attributes
r Yes
r No
Eco-conscious and recycled items are identified with icons on our search pages and
item descriptions, making them easy to find from any search or shopping list.
75
Tiered approvals
r Yes
r No
Members can establish spending limits and approval routing to track account
expenditures by user and department.
76
Help function
r: Yes
r No
The StaplesAdvantage.com Help Center enables customers to search help topics,
manage their account, track or return orders, view or print their packing slip, get pre-
paid address labels to recycle ink and toner and more.
77
Live chat
a Yes
r No
Our e -commerce site offers a proactive chat feature that helps users quickly find the
products they need by interacting with a live agent. This feature helps reduce the
time spent searching for and comparing products. By providing more product
intelligence prior to purchasing, live chat also decreases returns and helps ensure the
best product solution is selected for the purchaser.
78
Integration with member
eProcurement/ERP platforms
r: Yes
r No
Staples has experience integrating with over 300 third -party purchasing platforms.
Table 15: Industry Specific Questions
Line
Item
Question
Response"
79
If you are awarded a contract, provide a
Some internal metrics used to measure success with the contract include number of
few examples of internal metrics that will
participating Members under the contract, geographic distribution of participating
be tracked to measure whether you are
Members, sales and number of orders by participating Member and year over year
having success with the contract.
sales growth. Additionally, success metrics can be mutually established and measured
in scheduled business reviews between Staples and Sourcewell.
Having serviced Sourcewell participating Members for many years, we know that we
need to continually raise the bar in our national contract performance. As a current
Sourcewell awarded supplier, we commit to increasing our overall value with the built-
in flexibility to accommodate the evolving needs of your participating Members.
Bid Number: RFP 012320
Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
80
If you are a dealer, distributor, or reseller,
describe your capabilities for verification of
product authenticity, quality control, and
documentation of custody in your supply
chain.
Staples is committed to providing high quality products that last, leading to fewer
returns, fewer reorders and less frustration for our customers. To uphold this
commitment, we capture reporting and regularly audit the quality of the products we
source from suppliers, as well as from Staples -exclusive products. Staples' strict
product sourcing process assures that products offered are genuine by sourcing
products only from OEMs and authorized resellers to mitigate the risk of cloned, fake
or counterfeit products that could potentially put Sourcewell Members at risk.
ANNUAL VENDOR REVIEWS
We only source from the most trusted and reputable suppliers in our industry,
including leading wholesalers and brands such as 3M, HP, Avery and HON.
We conduct annual vendor contract reviews to measure our suppliers' quality
performance. We evaluate the number of returns placed on their products as well as
general customer satisfaction survey feedback. At 1.45%, our low product -return rate
is a testament to our relentless focus on quality.
PAPER & WOOD -BASED PRODUCT SOURCING POLICY
We also actively work with our key paper suppliers to ensure transparency into their
sourcing and production methods with respect to environmental and social
responsibility. The majority of our paper suppliers have achieved chain of custody
certification with one or more programs, including the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Approximately 90% of the paper
products we sell by weight in the U.S. are manufactured and/or distributed by vendors
with FSC chain of custody certification, including brands like Domtar, International
Paper, Georgia Pacific, Kimberly Clark, 3M, Esselte, Fellowes, Marcal and others.
Our Paper and Wood Based Product Sourcing Policy forms the foundation of our
commitment to ensure the paper products we sell are sourced in an environmentally
and socially responsible manner. It also defines our expectations for suppliers of
paper -based products. The policy focuses on four key areas:
• Protecting forest resources and communities by seeking to source certified
products
• Reducing demand for virgin wood fiber
• Sourcing from suppliers committed to environmental excellence
• Promoting responsibly sourced paper and wood products to our customers
PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS
We collaborate with a few key non -profits to help us improve paper and wood
product sustainability. This includes partnerships with the Rainforest Alliance on the
Appalachian Woodlands Alliance and various projects with the Forest Products
Working Group (FPWG), an initiative of GreenBlue.
PRODUCT BRANDS EXCLUSIVE TO STAPLES QUALITY ASSURANCE
Product brands exclusive to Staples are subject to a comprehensive Quality
Assurance program that includes:
• Product Design — Product brands exclusive to Staples are designed to meet or
exceed national brand equivalent specifications.
• Factory Certification — Production facilities in developing countries undergo third -
party audits to uphold our standards for social responsibility and to guarantee
practices are in place to deliver quality products.
• Rigorous Testing & Inspection — All products are engineer -tested for quality in
leading independent labs. Inspectors pull samples from the production line to confirm
that products are manufactured to our exact specifications before they ship to our
warehouses.
• Continuous Monitoring — Throughout a product's lifecycle, inspectors pull samples
for follow-up lab testing to certify that the product still meets our specifications.
MONITORING PRODUCT QUALITY
On the rare occasion that a product fails to meet a Member's satisfaction, we offer
fast and easy resolution methods:
• Purchasers can return any item using our no -hassle online returns process or by
contacting Customer Service.
• We arrange driver pickup for all product returns at no cost to participating
Members.
We thoroughly analyze damaged or defective items and ensure our manufacturers
address the underlying quality issue. Your Staples Account Manager will share
corrective actions and report on progress during regular business reviews.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
81
Describe your ability to address member
concerns related to packaging, including
product markings, safety, warnings, waste
reduction, packaging toxicity, recycling
and/or re -use, etc.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATIONS & ECO-LABELING
Within our core product assortment, we have identified thousands of items that meet
third -party standards and certifications. This is a significant subset of our total
assortment of nearly 15,000 products with environmental features, which includes
products with recycled content or other design features like solar powered,
rechargeable and refillable. The certifications and standards we track include:
AP certified non-toxic
Bluesign certified clothing product
• BPI compostable
• Cradle to Cradle certified
• EcoLogo certified
• ENERGY STAR qualified
• EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
• EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) for Pesticides registered
EPA Safer Choice registered
EPA WaterSense certified
EPEAT qualified
EWG verified
Fair Trade certified
Food Alliance certified
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified
GREENGUARD certified
Green Seal certified
Indoor Advantage certified
Level certified
Made by a Certified B Corporation
Made Safe certified
PMA non-toxic
Rainforest Alliance certified
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified
USDA Certified Biobased Product
• USDA Organic
We are continually improving our ability to capture and track products with
environmental certifications in our systems, as well as increase the number of
products that meet credible third -party environmental certifications.
PACKAGING OPTIMIZATION
To help reduce waste at Members' facilities, Staples has engineered our order
fulfillment process to minimize packaging and shipping materials on supply deliveries.
Simultaneously, we ensure that all deliveries are properly protected in order to arrive
to you intact.
• SmartSizeTM - Staples has rolled out award -winning technology to the majority of
our U.S. distribution centers that tailors box sizes to the exact size of the order,
reducing use of corrugate and air pillows. To further reduce the environmental impact
of our delivery process, we use boxes made from 35% to 100% recycled material.
This approach to packaging results in an annual carbon footprint reduction of more
than 30,200 tons, equivalent to 120,000 trees.
• Box Logic — Our warehouse management system uses a series of algorithms
that automatically choose the smallest delivery box from eight standard sizes, based
on the combined dimensions of items in the order, reducing packaging waste.
• Wholesaler Initiatives — As part of our fulfillment process, Staples utilizes three
national wholesalers to support our product requirements. We work diligently with
these suppliers to confirm they are reducing shipping materials for our customers.
The products shipped by our wholesalers undergo similar sizing analysis by their
computer systems.
Reducing packaging waste is important to our commitment to help the environment. In
addition to the internal initiatives above, we're actively working with customers to
minimize packaging waste by reducing the frequency of small orders through order
consolidation. These initiatives have reduced packaging and shipping materials by up
to 20% for some customers.
PACKAGE PROTECTION
Staples has invested in air pillow dunnage technology to safeguard the product we
ship. These air pillows:
• Are designed to provide maximum protection with a minimum use of material,
reducing the amount of packaging required
• Can be re -used
• Can be deflated prior to disposal, reducing original volume by over 90%
• Can be recycled when given to your delivery driver or sent back when making a
return
• May be returned for recycling to local Sealed Air sites by calling the Sealed Air
phone number on the cushion or may be recycled commercially as #4 plastic
• Provide high BTU energy contents in municipal incineration
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-6822-2A0034DCA09F
82
Describe your capabilities related to
member need for collection and recycling
of toner and ink cartridges, batteries,
packaging, etc.
Staples offers our customers a wide range of convenient no- and low -fee recycling
services. Check out Staples Recycling Services or speak with your Account Manager
for more details on our programs.
• Ink & Toner Cartridges — Staples provides free delivery driver pick-up and mail -
back service. Simply work with your delivery driver to pick a location for regular pick-
up or print a mail -back label from StaplesAdvantage.com.
• Technology — We offer low cost options for responsible and secure technology
recycling including certificate of recycling and optional serial number tracking services.
You can order prepaid recycling kits, boxes and pallets for larger items through
StaplesAdvantage.com. Staples' tech recycling partner ERI Direct is e -Stewards and
R2 certified at all locations for responsible e -waste management practices.
• Furniture — Talk to your Account Manager for details on recycling,
decommissioning and donating office furniture. Staples customers can trade in their
old outdated cubicle systems and furniture to Davies for a credit towards Grade A
like -new remanufactured furniture by Davies from leading brands like Knoll, Steelcase,
Haworth and more. Alternatively, Staples can direct customers to other furniture
donation and recycling options like IRN.
• Lamps, Ballasts & Batteries — We offer mail -back recycling services on
StaplesAdvantage.com. Simply order the right -size container, fill it with your goods
and put it in the mail. Pricing is inclusive of packaging, shipping and recycling.
• Other Hard -to -Recycle Items — Divert hard -to -recycle waste from landfills with
Staples' Zero Waste Boxes. Simply fill, close and ship. StaplesAdvantage.com box
prices include all shipping and recycling fees. Use our Zero Waste Boxes to recycle
coffee pods, breakroom waste, binders, safety supplies, writing instruments and more.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
83
Describe your capabilities or limitations
According to industry research, employees making purchases outside a procurement
related to ordering and/or deliveries
program can increase operating costs by anywhere from 25% to 45%. Reducing
(minimum order requirements, order
maverick spend can dramatically impact the effectiveness of your procurement
consolidation, expedited shipping/delivery,
etc.)
program. Staples uses multiple strategies to keep program compliance high and
costs low.
MINIMUM ORDER SIZE
Unless otherwise mutually agreed to by Staples and a Sourcewell participating
Member, Sourcewell and its Members shall have a minimum order size of $35.00 per
order.
ORDER CONSOLIDATION: REDUCING SMALL, INEFFICIENT ORDERS
Industry statistics show the average cost for processing a single order transaction can
be as high as hundreds of dollars depending on the organization and payment
processing systems. Placing small, frequent orders incurs these costs with each order,
which can be significantly reduced by order consolidation. We'll educate your end
users to adopt more efficient behaviors, such as:
• Ordering bi-weekly or monthly, instead of weekly or daily
• Coordinating ordering with other departments
• Determining frequently ordered items and ordering enough for a week
• Anticipating projects that may require more supplies than usual and consolidating
these supplies within regularly scheduled orders
Benefits of order consolidation include:
• Reduced order processing costs
• Fewer deliveries and invoices to process
• Less packaging, label and invoicing paper waste
• CO2 savings from fewer truck deliveries
INCREASING MEMBERS' ONLINE ORDERS
The most efficient way for end users to order from Staples is through our e -
commerce site or their e -procurement system. An order placed by phone costs
Members significantly more than an order placed electronically. We'll educate
participating Member's end users on online order placement.
Benefits include:
• Reduced order processing costs
• Faster and easier ordering
• Fewer ordering mistakes - fewer product returns
• Real-time tracking of product delivery status
Staples can communicate ordering best practices to their end users during the
implementation process and on a continuous basisthrough client -approved customized
flyers, newsletters and emails.
ONLINE COMPLIANCE CONTROLS
StaplesAdvantage.com also drives program compliance with features like:
• The ability to customize their home page with messaging to communicate key
program rules (such as minimum order requirements) and guide purchasers to
preferred -item shopping lists
• Shared or personal shopping lists populated with commonly ordered or preferred
core items
• Optional spending and approval controls that eliminate inefficient and costly small
orders
RETAIL PURCHASING PROGRAM & IN-STORE PURCHASING
Today, customers can use the Buy Online, Pick Up in Store option and Print -to -Store
to get what they need, when they need it for same day purchases. Or, they can take
advantage of our Retail Purchasing Program, which ensures customers can shop in
stores to receive their custom pricing or in-store sale price, whichever is lowest at
the time of purchase, in any Staples store throughout the U.S.
Exceptions to Terms, Conditions, or Specifications Form
Only those Proposer Exceptions to Terms, Conditions or Specifications that have been accepted by Sourcewell have been
incorporated into the contract text.
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Documents
Ensure your submission document(s) conforms to the following:
1. Documents in PDF format are preferred. Documents in Word, Excel, or compatible formats may also be provided.
2. Documents should NOT have a security password, as Sourcewell may not be able to open the file. It is your sole responsibility to
ensure that the uploaded document(s) are not either defective, corrupted or blank and that the documents can be opened and viewed by
Sourcewell.
3. Sourcewell may reject any response where any document(s) cannot be opened and viewed by Sourcewell.
4. If you need to upload more than one (1) document for a single item, you should combine the documents into one zipped file. If the
zipped file contains more than one (1) document, ensure each document is named, in relation to the submission format item responding
to. For example, if responding to the Marketing Plan category save the document as "Marketing Plan."
• Financial Strength and Stability - Attachment 1 - Staples Bank and Trade References.pdf - Thursday January 23, 2020 12:11:28
• Marketing Plan/Samples - Attachment 4 - Sourcewell Marketing Plan.pdf - Thursday January 23, 2020 12:11:38
• WMBE/MBE/SBE or Related Certificates (optional)
• Warranty Information (optional)
• Pricing - Staples Pricing Exhibits 1-5.zip - Thursday January 23, 2020 13:16:09
• Additional Document - Staples Additional Attachments.zip - Thursday January 23, 2020 13:16:19
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 4D82BD89-57E9-4B05-B822-2A0034DCA09F
Proposers Assurance of Comp
PROPOSER ASSURANCE OF COMPLIANCE
PROPOSER'S AFFIDAVIT
The undersigned, authorized representative of the entity submitting the foregoing proposal (the "Proposer"), swears that the following
statements are true to the best of his or her knowledge.
1 The Proposer is submitting its proposal under its true and correct name, the Proposer has been properly originated and legally exists
in good standing in its state of residence, the Proposer possesses, or will possess before delivering any products and related
services, all applicable licenses necessary for such delivery to Sourcewell member agencies. The undersigned affirms that he or she
is authorized to act on behalf of, and to legally bind the Proposer to the terms in this Contract.
2. The Proposer, or any person representing the Proposer, has not directly or indirectly entered into any agreement or arrangement
with any other vendor or supplier, any official or employee of Sourcewell, or any person, firm, or corporation under contract with
Sourcewell, in an effort to influence the pricing, terms, or conditions relating to this RFP in any way that adversely affects the free
and open competition for a Contract award under this RFP.
3. The contents of the Proposer's proposal have not been communicated by the Proposer or its employees or agents to any person not
an employee or agent of the Proposer and will not be communicated to any such persons prior to the official opening of the
proposals.
4. The Proposer has examined and understands the terms, conditions, scope, contract opportunity, specifications request, and other
documents in this solicitation and affirms that any and all exceptions have been noted and included with the Proposer's Proposal.
5. The Proposer will, if awarded a Contract, provide to Sourcewell Members the /products and services in accordance with the terms,
conditions, and scope of this RFP, with the Proposer -offered specifications, and with the other documents in this solicitation.
6. The Proposer agrees to deliver products and services through valid contracts, purchase orders, or means that are acceptable to
Sourcewell Members. Unless otherwise agreed to, the Proposer must provide only new and first -quality products and related
services to Sourcewell Members under an awarded Contract.
7. The Proposer will comply with all applicable provisions of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, rules, and orders.
8. The Proposer understands that Sourcewell will reject RFP proposals that are marked "confidential" (or "nonpublic," etc.), either
substantially or in their entirety. Under Minnesota Statute §13.591, Subd. 4, all proposals are considered nonpublic data until the
evaluation is complete and a Contract is awarded. At that point, proposals generally become public data. Minnesota Statute §13.37
permits only certain narrowly defined data to be considered a "trade secret," and thus nonpublic data under Minnesota's Data
Practices Act.
The Proposer understands that it is the Proposer's duty to protect information that it considers nonpublic, and it agrees to defend and
indemnify Sourcewell for reasonable measures that Sourcewell takes to uphold such a data designation.
F By checking this box I acknowledge that I am bound by the terms of the Proposer's Affidavit, have the legal authority to submit this
Proposal on behalf of the Proposer, and that this electronic acknowledgment has the same legal effect, validity, and enforceability as if I
had hand signed the Proposal. This signature will not be denied such legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because an electronic
signature or electronic record was used in its formation. - Joanne Harris, Chief Commercial Officer - Staples, Staples Contract &
Commercial LLC
The Proposer declares that there is an actual or potential Conflict of Interest relating to the preparation of its submission, and/or the
Proposer foresees an actual or potential Conflict of Interest in performing the contractual obligations contemplated in the bid.
r Yes c No
Bid Number: RFP 012320 Vendor Name: Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
DocuSign Envelope ID: 98EBF5BD-64B0-4158-8408-30CBF31 BC216
AMENDMENT #1
TO
CONTRACT #O1232O-SCC
THIS AMENDMENT is by and between Sourcewell and Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
(Vendor).
Vendor was awarded a Sourcewell Contract for Janitorial Supplies and Equipment with Related
Services effective August 1, 2020, through November 16, 2024, relating to the provision of
services by Vendor and to Sourcewell and its Members (Original Agreement).
The parties agree that certain terms within the Original Agreement will be updated and
amended and only to the extent as hereunder provided.
IN CONSIDERATION OF the mutual covenants and agreements described in this Amendment,
the parties agree as follows:
1. This Amendment is effective February 1, 2021, and upon the date of the last signature
below.
2. Section 4: PRODUCT AND PRICING CHANGE REQUESTS — Paragraph 5 is amended as
follows:
The prices for Premium Products, except Janitorial Premium Products, may be
updated once quarterly: August - October, November -January, February - April,
May -July of each year during the term that this Contract. These Premium Products
are defined as toner, ink, IT hardware, copy paper, and furniture that Participating
Entities purchase from Staples. The prices for Janitorial Premium Products may be
updated upon 30 days' prior written notification. Manufacturer's documentation will
be provided when available. Janitorial Premium Products are defined as janitorial
paper, towel, tissue, paper -related items, petroleum-, resin-, and steel -based
products, custom products, and seasonal products that Participating Entities
purchase from Staples.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 98EBF5BD-64B0-4158-8408-30CBF31BC216
Except as amended by this Amendment, the Original Agreement remains in full force and
effect.
Sourcewell
.-DocuSigned by:
By: it-rutoi Sat-Wart/5
C0FD2A139D06489...
ALAMO�! iLCU �igi iaiui c
Jeremy Schwartz
Staples Contract & Commercial LLC
By:
r—DocuSigned by: ^
Autho 4871E6FEB760485...
Joanne Harris
Name — Printed Name — Printed
Title: Director of Operations & Procurement/CPO Title: Chief Commercial Officer
Date:
12/23/2020 I 1:43 PM CST
Sourcewell—APPROVED:
�DocuSigned by:
By: lea IAAI,
-7E42B8F817A64CC..
AUtho1 iccu ngi ICLui
Chad Coauette
Name — Printed
Title: Executive Director/CEO
12/23/2020 I 2:27 PM CST
Date:
12/23/2020 I 11:24 AM CST
Date:
Page 2 of 2