​These guidelines outline agency procedures for initiating and executing a Purchase Order Request for Proposal (PORFP) under the GIS Software as a Service (SaaS) Master Contract. This process applies to purchases under the following Functional Areas (FA):

• Functional Area I – SaaS GIS and Open Data Cloud Services including any of:

• Remote Sensing,​
• CADD,
• Web Mapping,
  
• Location-Based Analytics,
  
• GIS-based Enterprise Asset Management,
  
• Open Data SaaS Products/Subscriptions
  
• ​​Functional Area II – SaaS GIS Data Services/Subscriptions
  
• Functional Area III – SaaS Training and Support
  

Questions regarding this process should be sent to gis.contracts@maryland.gov.

PORFP Procedures for Agencies of the State of Maryland Government

1. Determine agencies SaaS service and training needs. In making a selection, it is recommended agencies assess what products already exist in the agency or other agency environments. This may help agencies select compatible products or at least identify technical requirements used towards making a se​lection. The Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), Geographic Information Office (GIO Office) can provide assistance upon request.
   
2. Agencies should complete the GIS SaaS Request Form​​ by identifying the corresponding GIS SaaS Master Contract Functional Area(s) and Master Contractor(s). See Functional Areas Descriptions. The request shall be sent to gis.contracts@maryland.gov who will issue a PORFP on the agencies’ behalf.
   

All information below will be completed by DoIT

3. Follow ADPICS Procedures to create an agency Purchase Order (PO). The PO number becomes the “PORFP Number” used to identify th​e PORFP.
   
4. Complete all sections of the PORFP Template​. For guidance, refer to the PORFP Template Instructions. Complete the PORFP Template as follows:
   

​a. Section 1 – General Information: Captures PORFP Number (ADPICS PO Number). FA selections, Manufacturer*, proposal due date**, and agency instructions governing the provision of services.

​* Only one manufacturer is allowed per PORFP.

​** DoIT recommends a 10 day period from release to the proposal due date.

​b. Section 2 – Agency Point of Contact (POC) Information: Captures the contact information of the agency representative responsible for the PORFP.

​c. Section 3 – Delivery Address / Worksite POC Information (if different from above): Captures the contact information of a secondary agency representative as needed if the delivery or work site address differs from the information captured in Section 2.

​d. Section 4 – Scope of Work: The scope of work should include the following information by selected FA:

​​i. FA I & FA II – Detailed description of the business need, required functionality, description of required software, subscription period, and subscription start date (if applicable). If product specifics are unknown, Master Contractors may propose products based on a detailed description of the business need / required functionality.

​​ii. FA III – Detailed description of the business need

​​e. Section 5 – Evaluation Criteria – Technical Proposal: Communicates to the Master Contractors how their technical proposals will be evaluated. Criteria should be objective and aligned to the SOW, prioritized in order of importance in order to identify the best value proposal.

5. Email the PORFP to the Master Contractors in the application FA authorized to sell the required manufacturer software or services. If the manufacturer is not known, email the PORFP to all Master Contractors in the FA.
   
6. ​Upon receipt of the PORFP, Master Contractors should prepare and submit proposals or a GIS SaaS master Contractor Feedback Form in response to the PORFP. Proposals will provide two separate sections as follows:
   

​a. Technical Proposal

​​i. Description of the GIS SaaS Master Contract software to be provided;

​​ii. Transportation and delivery schedule;

​​iii. A statement that the Master Contractor is authorized by the manufacturer or distributor to provide the GIS SaaS Master Contract software or services as of the date of the proposal; and

​​​iv. A guarantee that the proposed GIS software proposed is virus free.

​b.  Financial Proposal - For FA I, FA II and FA III, the proposed price including a screen shot of the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP)

7. ​The agency POC or designee reviews the technical proposal for adherence to the requirements defined in the PORFP.
   
8. ​The agency POC or designee establishes a process to evaluate technical proposals based on the evaluation criteria in the PORFP. The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with all applicable State laws and regulations and may include requests for clarification, additional information and best and final offers.
   
9. ​Upon completion of technical rankings, the agency POC or designee reviews the financial proposals for each qualified proposal. For FA I, FA II and FA III the agency POC or designee will ensure the proposed pricing for the recommended proposal is at or below MSRP. Labor rates can be found by clicking Master Contractor Contact​ from the GIS SaaS Master Contract Links.
   
10. ​The agency will make an award based on the proposal that is “most advantageous to the State,” (See the “Basis for Award” Section of the PORFP).
    
11. ​For approval of all awards, the agency POC or designee is required to complete a GIS SaaS Award Package Checklist​. The agency shall mail the GIS SaaS Award Package Checklist and all required parts to DoIT at central.procurement@maryland.gov​.
    
12. ​**This step is to be completed by the requesting agency in coordination with DoIT**
    The requesting agency shall complete the PO for the PORFP and post the PO according to the ADPICS Procedures. The PO shall be sent to DoIT for approval. The requesting agency will then email a copy to the selected Master Contractor and DoIT at gis.contracts@maryland.gov.
    
13. ​Notify all Master Contractors who submitted a proposal in response to the PORFP of the selected Master Contractor and the amount of the award.
    
14. ​Products will be shipped directly to the agency address included in the PO. Agencies are responsible for following up with the Master Contractor directly concerning the status of the order, as well as subsequent invoice and product concerns.