Request for Proposal for Furniture Procurement

Issue Date: 10.26.23

Case number: SFFU202310001

A. PROJECT INTRODUCTION

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco (herein TECO) is one of thirteen representative offices for the Republic of China on Taiwan in the United States. The San Francisco office includes the Consular Division, Education Division, Economic Division, Tourism Division, Science and Technology Division, Immigration Division, Chinese Culture Centers (in SF-Chinatown and Milpitas), and Taiwan Trade Center.

TECO is seeking proposals for furniture procurement for their offices in the newly purchased office building at 345 4th Street, San Francisco.

B. PROJECT TEAM

Client: TECO

Furniture Specifications: Taro Design Studio

Architect: Stanton Architecture

Project Manager: Summit Construction Management

General Contractor: BCCI Construction

C. BUILDING INFORMATION

Project Address: 345 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107

Number of Elevators: Two: No dedicated freight elevator. Passenger elevators can be used for installation.

Elevator 1 Size*: Cab: +/- 92"W x 72"D x 96”H. Door: 48”W

Elevator 2 Size*: Cab: +/- 79"W x 72"D x 96”H. Door: 42”W

Loading Dock: No

Parking: None (Street or lot parking nearby)

Delivery & Installation: Straight time, no afterhours required. Union is not required. Non-union should be base bid with union labor as an add alternate.

*Dealer to field verify sizes

D. SCHEDULE

10.26.23 RFP Issued

11.06.23 by 3pm PST Questions Due

11.29.23 by 5pm PST Proposals Due

11.30.23 10:30 AM Tender opening

03.11.24 Furniture Order

08.12.24 Installation to Commence*

09.20.24 Furniture Installation Complete

*Dates subject to change pending the general contractor’s schedule

 E. SCOPE OF WORK

The scope of this RFP includes the purchase, delivery, and installation of office furniture for approximately 56,000 gross square feet over 7 floors. The furniture dealer’s role and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

1. Provide executive level account management and/or project management. The individual must be acceptable to TECO and no changes in assignments will be accepted without formal written approval from TECO. These individuals will be responsible for maintaining a professional working relationship among the parties, expediting the manufacturing process, and for resolving any problems. The team should be capable of serving this and future projects for TECO.

 

2. Assist with the design, planning, cost estimating, procurement, implementation, and scheduling issues for the project:
   a) Generate Installation/ Specification Drawings, Specifications, and Pricing for all products for review by the Project Team. Dealer to provide 3D drawings of typical offices, workstations, and custom furniture pieces.
   b) Prepare and maintain, with regular updates, a schedule for furniture procurement including expediting, production, shipping, delivery, and installation.
   c) Create, maintain, and track the overall furniture budget.
   d) Present alternative product options if required by the Project Team.
   e) Revise the drawings and specifications per the Project Team’s direction.
   f) Coordinate sit testing as required by the Client.
   g) Submit finish samples to the Project Team to review and approve for selected pieces.
   h) Provide installation drawings representing the selected furniture pieces drawn to scale. Dealer to provide CAD drawings to the Project Team for general coordination.

3. Execute Order Entry/Tracking/Approvals:
   a) Produce a validation package summarizing product specs and finishes with accompanying images and pricing to obtain Client approval for the final furniture order.
   b) Place orders with manufacturers in a timely fashion and inform the Project Team of any delays in scheduling. Alert the Project Team of any potential long lead items.

4. Project Coordination During Planning and Installation: a) Coordinate electrical/data/AV and backing requirements with the Project Team. This includes generating drawings to show outlet locations prior to construction, then during construction, field verifying rough in locations and clearances for furniture to ensure proper fit. Furniture dealer shall notify the project team of any discrepancies or conflicts noted prior to order entry. In instances where conditions are not yet constructed, notify the Project Team of potential areas of concern so that these areas are brought to the attention of the General Contractor. b) Attend coordination meetings as required with the Project Team from Award of Contract through move-in. Meetings may be in person if required to address field conditions or to coordinate with the construction.

5. All furniture, fixtures, equipment, accessories, and their installation shall conform to all local, state, and national building and fire codes. The furniture dealer shall verify that products meet all applicable codes. This includes but is not limited to accessibility clearances, electrical devices, and flammability requirements.

6. Installation and Delivery:
   a) The dealer is responsible for pulling any necessary electrical permit for electrical work associated with the systems furniture included in this bid.
   b) Receive Product: Provide dealer personnel to inspect goods for freight damage and verify quantities upon arrival at the jobsite.
   c) Warehousing (if required): If warehousing is required due to construction scheduling, indicate the availability of such to the client. Provide terms and rates for warehousing products prior to installation in the Bid Response Form.
   d) Oversee the furniture delivery and installation process for quality control. All work has to be coordinated on a daily basis with the General Contractor and Client. Furniture installers will be required to remove and dispose of all trash daily, no debris shall remain on the floors.
   e) Installers will be required to coordinate and be responsible for all costs associated with City of San Francisco and any necessary permits for street/lane closures as they pertain to deliveries if required.
   f) Attend site walk with the Project Team during furniture installation to identify missing or defective items. At the completion of Punchlist, items that are missing, found to be defective, or require modification at the Client’s direction are to be corrected in a timely fashion.

 

 

7. Provide ongoing dealer services through installation completion and closeout:
   a) Qualified furniture representatives shall provide training of products to TECO personnel. In addition, the dealer will include an adjustment period of one week for individual workstation modifications/adjustments to occur after initial occupancy. If this service is defined as an added service, identify the cost for provision of this service.
   b) The dealer will be responsible for resolving all warranty-related issues in a timely and efficient manner with minimal loss of productivity by TECO. This may include the loan of temporary equipment and the coordination of its installation during non-business hours.
   c) Provide TECO with (1) digital and (1) print copies of the final furniture package including drawings and specifications with cleaning instructions, owner’s manuals, and warranties for all pieces.

8. Purchase Agreement: a) TECO requires a fixed pricing structure held for the duration of the project. The dealer should define their tiered discount structure and should propose alternate pricing strategies if more aggressive pricing can be provided.

F) SUBMITTAL CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

Each respondent should provide the following in response to the RFP:

1) Statement of Qualifications: Complete the Statement of Qualification (Attachment B) and submit the supporting documentation requested.

2) Terms and Conditions: Submit a signed copy of the Terms and Conditions (Attachment C).

 

3) Schedule: Provide a furniture procurement schedule inclusive of the following milestones:

• Finalize drawings and specifications
• Furniture order submitted for review
• Furniture order placed
• Furniture fabrication
• Shipping
• Furniture Installation

 

4) Products Proposed: Describe the product you propose in this RFP: a)

Base bid: For option 1 on the bid response form, the products named by the manufacturer are to be priced. If no manufacturer is listed in the specification, dealers should propose a solution that matches the aesthetic, function, dimensions, durability, and performance standards. If a finish grade or a COM allowance is not indicated on the specifications, price the highest-grade option. Any deviations or differences in the specifications must be clearly identified to evaluate the proposed solution.

Alternates: For option 2 and option 3 on the bid response form, the furniture dealer can propose cost-saving alternatives that match the function, dimensions, and general aesthetic of the specifications. Products do not need to meet the quality standards outlined on page 3 of the general notes of the furniture specifications. Any deviations or differences from the option 1 base bid specifications must be clearly identified to evaluate the proposed solution. This includes, but is not limited to, using lower grade finishes or lower COM allowances, proposed products without finish options, or products that do not meet the base bid quality and warranty requirements.
For all options proposed:

• Products must meet California code requirements.
• Products must meet the project schedule. In the event of a conflict between a required base bid specification and the project schedule, please notify Taro Design Studio.
• Products must have wire management where applicable. Describe how you would integrate power, data, AV, and lighting into the furniture solutions.
• Pricing must be inclusive of freight, installation, dealer fees and other costs associated with scope of the RFP.
  b) Describe how you would integrate power, data, AV, and lighting, where applicable, into the furniture solutions. This may include wire management,

future configurability, etc. c) If a finish grade or a COM allowance is not indicated on the specifications, price the highest-grade option.

5) Non-obsolescence policy: Provide your non-obsolescence policy for products, components, and finishes.

6) Warranty: Provide your policy for handling the replacement of defective or damaged items including parts and labor. Include the warranty information for the proposed products.

7) Furniture Bid Form (Attachment F): For each product and any alternates, complete the provided Furniture Bid Form which includes the following information:
a) Images of the proposed Products
b) Proposed Manufacturers
c) Proposed Product
d) Proposed Finish
e) Deviations from the specifications. If the quality is different, then those differences must be clearly identified. Provide dimensional information and finish information as required to evaluate the proposed solution.
f) Lead time
g) Warranty
h) Unit Sell Pricing. Where applicable, note preferred pricing for “bundling” of products.
i) Quantities
j) Freight, Delivery, and Installation
k) Dealer Fees

Do not modify the Furniture Bid Form format.

8) Dealers are required to sign and return the Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreement (Attachment A).

 

Note: TECO has a Mission Tax Exemption and is not required to pay sales tax in California.

Official documentation will be provided to the Awarded Dealer.

 G) SUBMITTAL DELIVERY

Proposals Due on November 29, 2023 by 5pm PST

(1) Hard copy in a sealed envelope:

Martin Hou

TECO

555 Montgomery Street, Suite 501

San Francisco, CA 94111

H) SELECTION PROCESS

TECO intends to award the entire furniture package to a single furniture dealer that provides the lowest cost for the base bid, option 1. After awarding the project, TECO may elect to select alternate products proposed in options 2 and 3.

TECO shall review and evaluate all received Proposals for responsiveness to the Request for Proposals to determine whether the Proposer possesses the professional qualifications necessary for the satisfactory performance of the services required. TECO should also investigate the qualifications of all Proposers to whom the award is contemplated and may request clarifications of proposals directly from one or more Proposers. TECO reserves the right to disqualify any proposals that do not meet the minimum qualifications. Any proposal with false or misleading information on the Statement of Qualifications may be rejected.

 I) ERRORS IN THE RFP

While every effort has been made to ensure the information presented in the RFP is accurate and thorough, TECO accepts no responsibility or liability for any unintentional errors or omissions in this document.

If before the proposal due date and time listed in the timeline of the RFP a Proposer discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or error in the RFP, the Proposer must immediately notify Taro Design Studio (tamara@tarodesignstudio.com) via email to request modification or clarification of the RFP. Without disclosing the source of the request, Taro Design Studio may modify the RFP before the proposal due date and time by releasing an addendum to the solicitation.

 J) CONFIDENTIALITY

The information contained within this RFP is sensitive in nature and must remain confidential. Any company found violating this confidence will not be considered for this project or any future projects.

 K) ATTACHMENTS

• ATTACHMENT_A_TECO-SF_Confidentiality_And_Non-Disclosure_Agreement
•  ATTACHMENT_B_STATEMENT_OF_QUALIFICATIONS
•  ATTACHMENT_C_TERMS_AND_CONDITIONS

L) QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this RFP should be emailed by November 6, 2023 3pm PST

to Tamara Roth at Taro Design Studio: tamara@tarodesignstudio.com. Responses to questions submitted shall be shared with all bidders at the same time without disclosing the source of the question.