REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 15-037 - Sebring - Lake Placid · REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ... with Chapter 11.45 of the Florida Statutes on Local Government Reporting Regulations. ... Office’s

HIGHLANDS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Purchasing Department

May 2015

15-037

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

PROFESSIONAL EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES

RFP 15-037 / PROFESSIONAL EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES V Page 2 of 28

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INVITATION...........................................................................................................................................3

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ................................................................... 5 SECTION I.

THE COUNTY’S RESERVATION OF RIGHTS ....................................................... 10 SECTION II.

INTENT OF THIS RFP ............................................................................................ 12 SECTION III.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA .................................................................................. 13 SECTION IV.

GENERAL INFORMATION .................................................................................... 14 SECTION V.

NATURE OF SERVICES REQUIRED ..................................................................... 16 SECTION VI.

REPORT REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ......................................... 17 SECTION VII.

AUDIT TIMELINE ................................................................................................... 20 SECTION VIII.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE ........................................................................................ 20 SECTION IX.

CONTACT INFORMATION .................................................................................... 21 SECTION X.

RESPONSE FORMAT CRITERIA .......................................................................... 21 SECTION XI.

SELECTION PROCESS ......................................................................................... 25 SECTION XII.

PRESENTATIONS .................................................................................................. 25 SECTION XIII.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTION .................................................. 26 SECTION XIV.

CONTRACTS, BILLINGS, AND PAYMENTS ......................................................... 26 SECTION XV.

SAMPLE EVALUATION SCORE SHEET ............................................................... 27 SECTION XVI.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL FORM ........................................................................... 28 SECTION XVII.


REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

The Board of County Commissioners (BCC), Highlands County, Sebring, Florida will receive sealed

proposals in the County’s Purchasing Department for:

RFP NO. 15-037 PROFESSIONAL EXTERNAL AUDITING SERVICES

Highlands County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting proposals from qualified Independent

Certified Public Accounting firms for its 2016 thru 2018 year-end auditing requirements, in accordance

with Chapter 11.45 of the Florida Statutes on Local Government Reporting Regulations. The purpose

of the audit is to express an opinion as to the fair presentation of the County’s basic financial

statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. An opinion on the fair

presentation of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, any discreetly presented

component unit(s), each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information should be

expressed based upon the auditing procedures applied and in accordance with legal and regulatory

requirements.

The audit shall be conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards as set forth

by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the standards set forth by the Government

Accounting Standards Board; Financial Accounting Standards Board; the U.S. General Accounting

Office’s Government Auditing Standards, Section 218.39 Florida Statutes; the Florida Department of

Banking and Finance; the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 and the

Supercircular; the Rules of the Auditor General; the Single Audit Act of 1984 as revised in 1996; the

Florida Single Audit Act; Chapter 270-1, Rules of the Executive Office of the Governor, Florida

Administrative Code and any other applicable standards as set forth by Generally Accepted

Governmental Auditing Standards and Florida Statutes.

Determination of firm qualifications will be based on the firm’s written proposal which is to be

completed and submitted in accordance with the RFP specifications. The contract, if awarded, shall

incorporate the RFP specifications and the firm’s proposal.

Specifications may be obtained by downloading from our website:

http://www.hcbcc.net/departments/office_of_administrative_services/general_services_purchasing/cur

rent_bids_and_rfp_s.php, or by contacting: Danielle Gilbert, Purchasing Manager; 4320 George Blvd.,

Sebring, Florida 33875-5803, Phone: 863-402-6524 or E Mail: [email protected].

HIGHLANDS COUNTY BOARD OF

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Purchasing Department

http://www.hcbcc.net/departments/office_of_administrative_services/general_services_purchasing/current_bids_and_rfp_s.php

http://www.hcbcc.net/departments/office_of_administrative_services/general_services_purchasing/current_bids_and_rfp_s.php

mailto:[email protected]


A MANDATORY PRE-PROPOSAL meeting will be held at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY; MAY 27th,

2015 at the BCC Boardroom, 600 S. Commerce Ave., Sebring, FL 33870. The Public is invited to

attend this meeting.

Each submittal shall include one (1) original and fourteen (14) copies and fourteen (14) electronic

forms (CD’s or thumb drives) of the submission packet.

PROPOSALS MUST BE DELIVERED to the Highlands County Purchasing Department, 4320

George Blvd., Sebring, FL. 33875-5803 so as to reach said office no later than 2:00 P.M.,

THURSDAY; JUNE 18th, 2015, at which time they will be opened. The Public is invited to attend this

meeting. Proposal envelopes must be sealed and marked with the proposal number and name so as

to identify the enclosed bid. Proposals received later than the date and time as specified will be

rejected.

The Board will not be responsible for the late deliveries of responses that are incorrectly addressed,

delivered in person, by mail or any other type of delivery service.

One or more County Commissioners may be in attendance at the proposal opening.

The Highlands County Board of County Commissioners (HCBCC / COUNTY) reserves the right to

accept or reject any or all proposals or any parts thereof, and the determination of this award, if an

award is made, will be based on the ranking of each Firm’s proposal. The Board reserves the right to

waive irregularities in the proposal.

The Board of County Commissioners of Highlands County, Florida, does not discriminate upon the

basis of any individual's disability status. This non-discrimination policy involves every aspect of the

Board's functions, including one's access to, participation, employment or treatment in its programs or

activities. Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation as provided for in the Americans with

Disabilities Act or Section 286.26 Florida Statutes should contact Ms. Amanda Tyner, ADA

Coordinator at: 863-402-6509 (Voice), or via Florida Relay Service 711, or by e-mail:

[email protected]. Requests for CART or interpreter services should be made at least 24 hours in

advance to permit coordination of the service.

Board of County Commissioners, Highlands County, FL www.hcbcc.net

http://www.hcbcc.net/


GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS SECTION I.

A) All responses shall become the property of the County.

B) Compliance with Florida Statutes 287.087, on Drug Free Work Place, 287.133(3)(a) on Public

Entity Crimes, and Section 287.134, on Discrimination, is required.

F.S. 287.087, Preference to businesses with drug free workplace programs:

In order to have a drug free workplace program, a business shall:

1) Publish a statement notifying employees that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing,

possession, or use of a controlled substance is prohibited in the workplace and specifying the actions

that will be taken against employees for violations of such prohibition.

2) Inform employees about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace, the business’s policy of

maintaining a drug free workplace, any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and employee

assistance programs, and the penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse violations.

3) Give each employee engaged in providing the commodities or contractual services that are under bid a

copy of the statement specified in subsection (1).

4) In the statement specified in subsection (1), notify the employees that, as a condition of working on the

commodities or contractual services that are under bid, the employee will abide by the terms of the

statement and will notify the employer of any conviction of, or plea of guilty or nolo contend ere to, any

violation of chapter 893 or of any controlled substance law of the United States or any state, for a

violation occurring in the workplace no later than 5 days after such conviction.

5) Impose a sanction on, or require the satisfactory participation in a drug abuse assistance or

rehabilitation program if such is available in the employee’s community by, any employee who is so

convicted.

6) Make a good faith effort to continue to maintain a drug free workplace through implementation of this

section.

NOTE: PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR “DRUG FREE” STATUS AS PART OF THE GENERAL

COMMENTS IN YOUR PROPOSAL OR WHERE INDICATED ON THE BID FORM.

F.S. 287.133, Public entity crime; denial or revocation of the right to transact business with

public entities:

(2)(a) A person or affiliate who has been placed on the convicted vendor list following a conviction for a

public entity crime may not submit a bid, proposal or reply on a contract to provide any goods or

services to a public entity, may not submit a bid, proposal or reply on a contract with a public entity for

the construction or repair of a public building or public Work; may not submit bids, proposals or replies

on leases of real property to a public entity, may not be awarded or perform work as a contractor,

supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under a contract with any public entity, and may not transact

business with any public entity in excess of the threshold amount provided in Section 287.017, Florida

Statutes for CATEGORY TWO for a period of 36 months following the date of being placed on the

convicted vendor list.


287.134, Discrimination; denial or revocation of the right to transact business with public

entities:

(2)(a) An entity or affiliate who has been placed on the discriminatory vendor list may not submit a bid,

proposal or reply on a contract or provide goods and services to a public entity, may not submit a bid,

proposal or reply on a contract with a public entity for construction or repair of a public building or public

Work; may not submit bids proposals or replies on leases of real property to a public entity; may not

award or perform work as a contractor, supplier, subcontractor, or consultant under contract with any

public entity; and may not transact business with a public entity.

C) Proposals are due and must be received in accordance with the instructions given in the

announcement page.

D) The County will not reimburse Proposer(s) for any costs associated with the preparation and submittal

of any Proposal.

E) Proposers, their agents and associates shall refrain from contacting or soliciting any County Official

and that contact may be made ONLY with the individual(s) listed in this document for additional

information and clarification.

F) Due care and diligence has been exercised in the preparation of this RFP and all information contained

herein is believed to be substantially correct; however, the responsibility for determining the full extent

of the service required rest solely with those making response. Neither the County nor its

representative shall be responsible for any error or omission in the proposals submitted, nor for the

failure on the part of the Proposers to determine the full extent of the exposures.

G) All timely responses meeting the specifications set forth in this RFP will be considered. However,

Proposers are cautioned to clearly indicate any deviations from these specifications. The terms and

conditions contained herein are those desired by the County and preference will be given to those

proposals in full or substantially full compliance with them.

H) Each Proposer is responsible for full and complete compliance with all laws, rules and regulations

including those of the Federal Government, the State of Florida and the County of Highlands. Failure

or inability on the part of the Proposer to have complete knowledge and intent to comply with such

laws, rules and regulations shall not relieve any Proposer from its obligation to honor its response and

to perform completely in accordance with its proposal.

I) The County, at its discretion, reserves the right to waive minor informalities or irregularities in any

proposals, to reject any and all proposals in whole or in part, with or without cause, and to accept that

proposal, if any, which in its judgment will be in its best interest.

J) Awards will be made to the Proposers whose submittal is determined to be the most advantageous to

the County, taking into consideration those responses in compliance with the requirements as set forth

in this RFP. The Board of County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any and all proposals for

any reason or make no award whatsoever or request clarification of information from the Proposers.


K) Any interpretation, clarification, correction or change to this RFP will be made by written addendum

issued by the Highlands County Purchasing Department. Any oral or other type of communication

concerning this RFP shall not be binding.

L) Proposals must be signed by an individual of the Proposer’s organization legally authorized to commit

the Proposer’s organization to the performance of the product(s) and/or service(s) contemplated by this

document.

M) Unless otherwise stated in the specifications, the following Insurance Requirements must be met

before delivery of goods and performance of services:

1) Workers’ Compensation: Coverage is to apply for all employees for statutory limits in compliance with

the law of the State of Florida and federal laws. The policy must include Employer’ Liability with a limit

of $100,000 each accident, $100,000 each employee, $500,000 policy limit for disease.

2) Commercial General Liability - Coverage shall provide minimum limits of liability of $500,000 per

occurrence Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage. Coverage shall be provided

on an Occurrence Form basis. This shall include coverage for:

* Premises/Operations * Products/Completed Operations * Broad Form Contractual Liability * Independent Contractors

3) Business Auto Liability, if applicable - Coverage shall provide minimum limits of liability of $500,000 per

occurrence Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage. This shall include coverage

for:

* Owned Autos * Hired Autos * Non-Owned

4) Special Requirements / Evidence of Insurance:

(a) A copy of the Proposer’s / Vendor’s current certificate of insurance MUST be provided with the

response to this ITB, RFP, etc. A formal certificate shall be provided upon announcement that a

Proposer / Vendor has been awarded the work as called for in this document. The Certificate(s)

shall be signed by a person authorized by that insurer to bind coverage on its behalf. All

Certificates of Insurance must be on file with and approved by the COUNTY before

commencement of any work activities. The formal insurance certificate shall also comply with

the following:

(i) “Highlands County, a Political Subdivision of the State of Florida and its Elected

Officials, its Agents, Employees, and Volunteers” shall be named as an

"Additional Insured" on all policies except Worker’s Compensation.

(ii) The policy shall provide a 30-day notification clause in the event of cancellation

or modification to the policy. Highlands County will be given notice prior to

cancellation or modification of any stipulated insurance.

In the event the insurance coverage expires prior to the completion of the

project, a renewal certificate shall be issued 30-days prior to said

expiration date.


Such notification will be in writing by registered mail, return receipt

requested, and addressed to the Purchasing Director, 4320 George Blvd.,

Sebring, FL 33875-5803.

(b) It is the responsibility of the proposer to insure that all subcontractors comply with all insurance

requirements.

(c) The policies of insurance shall be written on forms acceptable to the County and placed with

insurance carriers authorized by the Insurance Department in the State of Florida and meet a

minimum financial AM Best company rating of no less than “A- Excellent: FSC VII.

(d) The Proposer shall hold the Owner, its agents and employees, harmless on account of claims

for damages to persons, property or premises arising out of the operations to complete the

Project. The Owner reserves the right to require Proposer to provide and pay for any other

insurance coverage the County deems necessary, depending upon the possible exposure to

liability.

(e) All policies must include Waiver of subrogation; any liability aggregate limits shall apply “Per

Jobsite”/Per Job Aggregate. All liability insurance shall be Primary and Non-Contributory.

Certificate of Insurance shall confirm in writing that these provisions apply.

5) Notice Requirements: PROPOSER shall provide notification to OWNER by overnight delivery return

receipt requested, hand delivery, or confirmed facsimile within three (3) days after giving or receiving

notice of cancellation, modification, non-renewal, or any other lapse in coverage of any required

insurance policies.

N) The following “Statement of Indemnification” will be incorporated in the contract:

Subject to limitations of Florida law, the CONSULTANT shall indemnify and hold harmless the

COUNTY, and its officers and employees, from liabilities, damages, losses, and costs, including, but not

limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees, to the extent caused by the negligence, recklessness, or

intentionally wrongful conduct of the CONSULTANT and other persons employed or utilized by the

CONSULTANT in the performance of this Contract.

O) All pages included in or attached by reference to this document shall be called and constitute the

proposal as stated on the front page of this document. Vendors who will not be submitting a proposal

are requested to notify us and indicate why they are not bidding. Vendors who fail to respond to two or

more consecutive announcements may be removed from the County’s Vendor bidding list.

P) If submitting a proposal for more than one RFP, each Proposal must be in a separate envelope and

correctly marked. Only one Proposal per project shall be accepted from any person, corporation or firm.

Modifications will not be accepted or acknowledged.

Q) Each Bid must contain proof of enrollment in E-Verify. Minority Owned and Women Owned businesses

must submit a copy of the certificate to receive credit. (Primary vendors only, subcontractor's certificate

will not receive points)


R) Board policy prohibits any County employee or members of their family from receiving any gift, benefit,

and/or profit resulting from any contract or purchase. Board policy also prohibits acceptance of gifts of

any kind other than advertising novelties valued less than $10.00

S) Proposals are only accepted if delivered to the location and prior to the time specified on the Invitation.

Proposals must be delivered in sealed envelope or box. Late Proposals will not be accepted under any

circumstances. If Proposals received after the scheduled time of the Proposal Opening Meeting, the

Proposer will be contacted for disposition. The Purchasing Department, at the Proposer’s expense, can

return the unopened envelope, or, at the Proposer’s request in writing, can destroy it.

T) Electronically submitted Proposals and faxed responses will not be accepted. Any blank spaces on the

required proposal form or the absence of required submittals or signatures may cause the Proposal to

be declared non-responsive.

U) The County is not responsible for correcting any errors or typos made on the bid response. Incorrect

calculations, errors may cause the bid to be declared non-responsive.

V) Public Records: Any material submitted in response to this solicitation will become Public Record

pursuant to Section 119, Florida Statutes. Sealed bids, proposals, or replies received by an agency

pursuant to a competitive solicitation are exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of the State

Constitution until such time as the agency provides notice of an intended decision or until 30 days after

opening the bids, proposals, or final replies, whichever is earlier.. Any financial statement that an

agency requires a prospective bidder to submit in order to prequalify for bidding or for responding to a

proposal for a road or any other public works project is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and s. 24(a), Art. I of

the State Constitution. These documents must clearly marked “Confidential”

W) In the event of legal proceedings to enforce the terms of this contract the prevailing party will be entitled

to legal fees. Venue is in Highlands County, Florida.

X) If any Proposer violates or is a party to a violation of the code of ethics of Highlands County or the

State of Florida, with respect to this proposal, such Proposer may be disqualified from performing the

work described in this proposal or from furnishing the goods or services for which the proposal is

submitted and shall be further disqualified from bidding on any future proposals for work, goods or

services for the COUNTY.

---END OF SECTION ---


THE COUNTY’S RESERVATION OF RIGHTS SECTION II.

A) RESERVATION OF RIGHTS:

This RFP constitutes only an invitation to submit a proposal to the Board. The Board

reserves, holds and may in its own discretion, exercise any or all of the following rights and

options with respect to this RFP:

1) To supplement, amend or otherwise modify this RFP, and to cancel this RFP with or

without the substitution of another Request For Proposal (RFP).

2) To issue additional subsequent RFPs.

3) To reject all incomplete / non-responsive responses, or responses with errors.

4) The Board reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, whether any aspect of the

submitted proposals is satisfactory to meet the criteria established in this document, the

right to seek clarification and/or additional information from any submitting Proposer.

5) The Board also reserves the right to modify the scope of work for this project.

6) The Board shall have no liability to any Proposer for any costs or expenses incurred in

connection with the preparation and submittal of a proposal in response to this RFP.

7) If the County believes that collusion exists among Proposers, all proposals will be rejected.

8) The County reserves the right to audit the records of the awarded proposers related to this

RFP at any time during the contract period and for a period of five (5) years after final

payment is made. The awarded proposers shall provide copies of any records related to

this RFP’s contracts solely at the cost of reproduction.

B) All pages included in or attached by reference to this RFP shall be called and constitute the

Request for Proposal as stated on the front page of this RFP.

C) ADDENDUMS:

In this RFP the Board has attempted to address most situations that may occur. However,

should situations arise that are not addressed, they will be dealt with on a case by case basis,

at the discretion of the Board. If deemed necessary, the Purchasing Department will

supplement this RFP document with Addendums. These Addendums will be posted on the

County’s website, www.hcbcc.net. It is the sole responsibility of the Proposer to check the

website for Addendums. Proposers must acknowledge receipt of Addendums by completing

the respective section on the bid/proposal submittal form.

D) AFFIRMATION:

By submitting a proposal, the Proposer affirms that the proposal is genuine and not made in

the interest of or on behalf of any undisclosed person, firm or corporation and is not submitted

in conformity with any agreement or rules of any group, association, organization or

corporation. The Proposer has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other person

to submit a false or sham proposal. The Proposer has not solicited or induced any person,

firm or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and the Proposer has not sought by

collusion to obtain for him/herself any advantage over other persons or over the County.

http://www.hcbcc.net/


E) COUNTY EMPLOYEES / CONFLICT OF INTEREST:

All Proposers must disclose the name of any officer, director or agent who is also an

employee of the Highlands County Board of County Commissioners. All Proposers must

disclose the name of any HCBCC employee who owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in

the proposer's business or any of its branches.

F) JOINT PROPOSALS:

In the event multiple vendors submit a joint proposal in response to this solicitation, a single

Proposer shall be identified as Primary Proposer. The Primary Proposer must include the

name, address and contact information of all parties of the joint proposal. Primary Proposer

shall provide all insurance requirements, execute any contract, sign the proposal and have

overall and complete accountability to resolve any dispute arising within the contract. Only a

single contract with one Proposer will be acceptable. Invoices will be accepted from and paid

to the Primary Proposer only. Primary Proposer shall remain responsible for performing

services associated with response to this solicitation.

G) MISUNDERSTANDINGS:

The failure or omission of the Proposer to receive or examine any instruction or document, or

any part of the specifications, or to visit the site and acquaint themselves as to the nature and

location of the work (where applicable), the general and local conditions, and all matters

which may in any way affect performance shall not relieve the Proposer of any obligation to

perform as specified herein. The Proposer understands the intent and purpose thereof and

their obligations and will not make any claim for, or have any right to damages resulting from

any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of this document, or because of any lack of

information.

H) ASSIGNMENT OF CONTRACT:

The selected Proposer shall not assign, transfer, convey, sublet or sell any portion of this

contract unless permission is first given by the County Representative. All matters dealing

with these actions must be conducted in written format.

I) REQUEST FOR CHANGE OF RFP SPECIFICATIONS:

Requests for changes to specifications must be submitted for consideration in writing to the

designated contact. Request must be submitted by the RFI Cut-off date. (See Section X) The

request will be evaluated by the Project Manager, and the County's response will be

addressed in an Addendum.

J) EXEMPTIONS / ITEMS NOT IDENTIFIED IN THE SCOPE OF WORK:

Any modification to these specifications by a Proposer shall be an exception to the bid and

must be discussed in detail by the Proposer in their response under “Exemptions / Items not

identified in scope of work", unless otherwise specified.

K) DOCUMENTATION RESULTING FROM SERVICES RENDERED:


The Proposer will be prohibited from publishing or releasing any information related to the

requested services without the prior written permission from the County. All reports or

documents, resulting from the ensuing contract will remain the sole property of the County.

INTENT OF THIS RFP SECTION III.

The Highlands County Board of County Commissioners (Board) and the County Auditor Selection

Committee (Committee) invites qualified firms of independent certified public accountants, who

are licensed to practice in the State of Florida, to submit a written proposal for the performance of

the annual audit of the financial statements of the County and each of the Constitutional Officers,

for the fiscal years ending September 30, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The County reserves the right to

extend the contract for an additional period of two (2) fiscal years, at the recommendation of the

Audit Selection Committee and the discretion of the Board. The purpose of the audit is to express

an opinion as to the fair presentation of the County’s basic financial statements in conformity with

accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

The audit shall be conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards as set

forth by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the standards set forth by the

Government Accounting Standards Board; Financial Accounting Standards Board; the U.S.

General Accounting Office’s Government Auditing Standards, Section 218.39 and 215.97 Florida

Statutes; the Florida Department of Banking and Finance; the U.S. Office of Management and

Budget (OMB), Circular A-133, Supercircular; the Rules of the Auditor General; the Single Audit

Act of 1984 as revised in 1996; the Florida Single Audit Act; Chapter 270-1, Rules of the

Executive Office of the Governor, Florida Administrative Code and any other applicable standards

as set forth by Generally Accepted Governmental Auditing Standards and Florida Statutes.

The offices (referred to herein as “County”) to be included in this audit are:

*The Industrial Development Authority and the Heartland Library Cooperative will be permitted to

piggy back off of this RFP to negotiate separate contracts with the awarded firm.

--End of page--

The Board of County Commissioners

The Clerk of Courts

The Property Appraiser

The Sheriff

The Supervisor of Elections

The Tax Collector

Any Component Units*


QUALIFICATION CRITERIA SECTION IV.

To be eligible to participate in this RFP and be considered, the firm must meet all of the following

requirements:

(a) The firm must have been established as a legal entity and be licensed in the State of

Florida by the Department of Business & Professional Regulations.

(b) The firm must have performed CPA services for the preceding (5) consecutive years

and must have extensive experience in governmental auditing.

(c) The firm must submit an affirmation stating that the firm meets the independence and

education requirements of the government auditing standards issued by the

Comptroller General of the United States. Additionally, the firm shall give the County

written notice of any professional relationships entered into during the term of the

contract, which could affect the firm’s independence.

(d) The firm must submit an affirmation that the firm does not have a record of

substandard audit work. (e.g. discipline by AICPA, etc.).

(e) The firm must be a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants,

Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Government Finance Officers

Association.

(f) The firm shall identify the principal supervisory and management staff, including the

engagement partner, manager, other supervisors and specialists, the auditor in-charge

of field work, and other staff who will be assigned to the engagement (referred to as

Audit Team) and indicate whether each such person is licensed to practice as a

certified public accountant in the State of Florida.

a. The Audit Team supervisor (or equivalent) must meet the following minimum

qualifications: licensed by the State of Florida as a certified public accountant

in good standing, five (5) years of experience in governmental accounting and

auditing, three (3) years of supervisor experience, current involvement in the

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) or the Florida Government

Finance Officers Association (FGFOA). It is anticipated that the audit

supervisor will be on-site during the course of the engagement and actively

involved in all aspects of the audit.

b. It is anticipated that the Audit Team will be comprised of individuals at varying

levels within the firm. However, the Audit Team as a whole must possess

adequate training, education, and experience in governmental accounting and

auditing to successfully complete the engagement. All members of the Audit

Team must complete a minimum of 20 hours of continuing professional

education (CPE) in governmental auditing and accounting annually.


c. The firm must indicate how the qualification of the Audit Team over the term of

the contract will be assured. Engagement partners, managers, other

supervisory staff, and specialists may be changed if those personnel leave the

firm, are promoted, or are assigned to another office. Those personnel may

also be changed for other reasons with the permission of the County.

However, in any case, the County retains the right to approve or reject

replacements.

d. The Audit Team members must be reviewed with and approved by the County

prior to the beginning of each audit. No change shall be made in the

composition of the Audit Team, without consent by the County.

GENERAL INFORMATION SECTION V.

1. Highlands County is a non-charter county established under the Constitution and laws of the State of Florida. The County was established on April 23, 1921 from a segment of Desoto County. Highlands County serves an area of 1,029 square miles and has a population of approximately 99,215. The Board of County Commissioners is the legislative body for the County and, as such, budgets and provides the funding used by the County departments and the separate constitutional officers with the exception of fees collected by the Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Clerk of Courts. The County’s fiscal year begins October 1

st and ends

on September 30th.

2. The County's accounting system is fully automated, using SunGard Public Sector’s PLUS software suite of financial applications (CommunityPLUS, FinancePLUS, and eGovPLUS Portal). Financial and payroll processing for the Board of County Commissioners and Clerk of Courts is currently performed on an HP 9000 UNIX/Informix Quad-RISC processor platform, but is scheduled for migration to a Windows/SQL environment in 2015. At the time of writing, financial and payroll processing for the Property Appraiser, Sheriff’s Office, Supervisor of Elections, Clerk of the Courts and Tax Collector have migrated to the aforementioned Windows/SQL environment.

3. Budgets, human resources, and purchasing functions are integrated within the financial records of the County.

4. The accounting records of the Board of County Commissioners are maintained by the Board and/or the Clerk of Court’s Business Services Division, serving as Chief Financial Officer and auditor to the Board. The Board’s records include the general fund, 60 special revenue funds, two (2) enterprise funds, three (3) internal service funds, one (1) Capital Project fund, one (1) agency fund and one (1) discreetly presented component unit. Additionally, General Long Term Debt and General Fixed Assets Account Groups are maintained in the records for worksheet purposes.

The number of funds may be increased or decreased depending upon the County’s and each

Constitutional Officer’s requirements.


The accounting records of the Clerk of Court are maintained by the Clerk of Court’s Business

Services Division. The Clerk’s records include a general fund, seven (7) special revenue

funds, one (1) internal service funds and two (2) agency funds.

The accounting records of the Property Appraiser are maintained by the Property Appraiser’s

staff and/or the Clerk of Courts. The Property Appraiser’s records include a general fund and

one (1) internal service fund.

The accounting records of the Sheriff are maintained by the Sheriff’s staff. The Sheriff’s

records include a general fund, two (2) special revenue funds, one (1) internal service fund,

and five (5) agency funds.

The accounting records of the Tax Collector are maintained by the Tax Collector’s staff.

The Tax Collector’s records include a general fund, one (1) internal service fund and four (4)

agency funds.

The accounting records of the Supervisor of Elections are maintained by the Supervisor’s staff

and/or the Clerk of Courts. The Supervisor’s records include a general fund and one (1)

internal service fund.

5. The County participates in the Florida Retirement System, a multiple employer cost sharing

defined benefit plan, administered by the State of Florida.

6. The County is a recipient of various state and federal grants. Additional information related to the grants received can be obtained from the schedule of expenditures of federal awards and state financial assistance in the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The CAFR can be viewed online at http://www.hcclerk.org/Home.aspx

7. The Clerk of Courts maintains an internal audit function responsible for conducting audits of

the operations of the Board and Clerk. Audits are conducted in accordance with applicable

standards as issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors. Released audit reports can be

accessed on the Clerk’s website; http://www.hcclerk.org/Home.aspx and working papers are

available for inspection by the external auditor, to the extent needed.

8. Highlands County’s has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial

Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for thirty (30) years for its

Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The County intends to apply for the Certificate for

the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016 and all subsequent fiscal years. Highlands County

will expect assistance and expertise in maintaining our present Certification of Achievement.

9. Additional information related to the County’s finances can be obtained from the County’s CAFR, available online via the Clerk’s webpage at http://www.hcclerk.org/Home.aspx

10. The County is progressive in its attitude towards new accounting standards. Early

implementation is preferred, when possible. The auditor will be expected to provide guidance

and assist in the implementation of current changes in governmental accounting standards.

http://www.hcclerk.org/Home.aspx

http://www.hcclerk.org/Home.aspx


NATURE OF SERVICES REQUIRED SECTION VI. 1. Highlands County desires the auditor to express an opinion on the fair presentation of its

general purpose financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and the financial reporting requirements of Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 34, “Basic Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis for State and Local Governments.”

2. Per the requirements of GASB Statement No. 14, the general purpose external financial statements of Highlands County include the Board of County Commissioners and the Constitutional Officers, along with blended and discretely presented component units.

3. The Audit shall be performed in compliance with Section 218.39, Florida Statutes and the requirements of:

a. Generally accepted auditing standards as set forth by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the standards set forth by the Government Accounting Standard Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

b. The U. S. General Accounting Office’s Government Auditing Standards. c. Rules adopted by the Auditor General for form and conduct of local governmental

unit audits. d. The Florida Department of Banking and Finance. e. Single Audit Act of 1984 and Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996, and the

Florida Single Audit Act. f. The U. S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133 and

Supercircular.

4. The audits shall be financial audits as defined in Sec. 11.45 (1) (c), Florida Statutes, and shall cover each of the three (3) fiscal years ending September 30, 2016, 2017 and 2018; with an option to renew for two (2) additional fiscal years.

5. The auditor will be required to issue the following reports:

a. A report on the fair presentation of the financial statements, of the County as a whole and each of the Constitutional Officers, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

b. A report on internal control over financial reporting and on compliance and other matters based on an audit of financial statements performed in accordance with Governmental Auditing Standards.

c. A report on compliance with laws and regulations.

d. Management Letters, as required by Section 218.39(4), Florida Statutes.

e. A report on compliance with requirement that could have a direct and material effect on each major federal program and state project and on internal control over compliance in accordance with OMB Circular A-133 and Chapter 10.550, Rules of


the Auditor General. To include schedules of expenditures of Federal awards and State Financial Assistance, Notes to the Schedule, and Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs.

f. A report on the fair presentation of the Schedule of Other Cash and Investments of the Waste Management Fund in compliance with Rule 62.701 of the Florida Administrative Code and Section 925.037(5), Florida Statutes. This report shall be issued separately.

g. A report on compliance with Section 29.008 and 29.0085, Florida Statutes for County funded court-related functions. This report shall be issued separately.

h. The data collection form submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse as required by OMB Circular A-133 and Supercircular.

6. The auditor will be required to review the following:

a. The Annual Financial Report to the Department of Financial Services, in accordance with Section 218.32, F.S.

REPORT REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES SECTION VII.

1. Although County staff is competent and capable of preparing all agency statement including

the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR), the County intends for the selected firm

to produce the CAFR, with Assistance from County staff. The County will provide the cover

and separator pages for the final document. The CAFR shall contain at a minimum:

a. Index

b. Letter of Transmittal

c. Independent Auditor’s Report

d. Management’s Discussion and Analysis

e. Basic Financial Statements

f. Combining & Individual Fund Statements & Schedules

g. Notes to the Financial Statements

h. Required Supplemental Information

i. Statistical Section

j. Supplemental Audit Reports, as appropriate.

k. Management Letter


2. The management letter shall, for each county agency, make special mention of the following material items discovered within the scope of the audit:

a. Whether irregularities reported in preceding audit(s) have been corrected;

b. Whether recommendations made in preceding audit(s) have been followed, if

adopted by the County;

c. Recommendations to improve the County's present management, accounting

procedures, and internal control;

d. Any violation of the laws, rules and regulations discovered within the scope of the

audit;

e. Any illegal expenditure(s) discovered within the scope of the financial audit;

f. Any improper or inadequate accounting procedures discovered within the scope of

the financial audit;

g. Any failure to properly record financial transactions discovered within the scope of

the audit;

h. All other inaccuracies, irregularities, shortages and defalcations discovered within

the scope of the financial audit by the auditor;

i. Whether the financial report filed with the Department of Banking and Finance

pursuant to Section 218.32 is in agreement with the annual audit report for the said

period and, if not, specify any significant differences;

j. Compliance with auditor general's rules on tangible personal property

3. The auditor shall discuss any comments to be included in the management letters with the

appropriate elected officials, or designee, prior to completion of the report mentioned in item "1" of this Section.

4. The firm selected shall submit progress reports to or hold periodic meetings with appropriate

staff. The information provided in these reports/meetings should be sufficiently detailed to provide assurance that the respective audit is on schedule, noting achievements and problems, which will have a potential effect on the schedule.

5. At the completion of the each audit, an exit conference will be held with appropriate staff. The

meeting will be conducted by the lead auditor on the engagement. During the exit conference, findings and recommendations will be discussed and ample time will be provided to respond in writing to these findings. Responses will be incorporated into the final reports and CAFR.

--End of page--


6. The Offices to be included in this audit will provide, at a minimum, the following to assist the auditor in performing the annual audit:

a. A designated contact person for all audit related requests.

b. General Ledger / Trial Balance as of September 30 and any other time periods as requested.

c. Statements of Revenues, Expenditures, Budgeted and Actual.

d. Various schedule and worksheets designed to assist and provide backup information.

e. The County will prepare confirmation letters for the auditor.

f. Other information requested by the auditor and mutually agreed upon by appropriate staff.

7. The County will provide the auditor with reasonable workspace, internet connection, telephone lines, and other capabilities, as necessary.

8. Additional Considerations:

a. The Partner in charge of the Audit and/or the Audit Manager or equivalent must be available to attend at least one (1) public meeting upon submission of the written reports.

Final draft of the reports shall be presented to the County no later than February 20

th.

Auditor presentation at the public meeting shall be no later than February 28

th.

b. The Auditor shall furnish to the County an electronic version of the CAFR, which is to be submitted to the Government Finance Officers Association for review in connection with the Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Program. An electronic, print ready copy of the final CAFR must be provided to the County by March 15

th of each year.

c. The audited financial statements are owned by the County. The auditor shall not require approval to use or charge for the reproduction of the County’s audited financial statement in offering statements, on the County’s website, or in any other presentation format.

9. All working papers and reports must be retained, at the auditor’s expense, for a minimum of five (5) years, unless the firm is notified in writing by the County of the need to extend the retention period. The auditor will be required to make working papers available, upon request, without charge, to any federal, state or County agency.


AUDIT TIMELINE SECTION VIII.

The firm shall schedule its audit work to perform a substantial portion prior to fiscal year-end. The

following is a proposed audit timeline (schedule is estimated and may change slightly).

Timeline Action

on or before June 15 Pre audit conference, update regarding Audit Team

June 1 – Sept. 30 Interim field work

Sept. 30 Fiscal year-end

Sept. 30 - Oct. 30 Books are closed for Constitutional Officers and the general ledgers are

provided to the auditor; begin field work on Constitutional Officers

Oct. 30 – Dec. 15 Financial statement for Constitutional Officers prepared. Constitutional Officers

exit conferences are held.

Sept. 30 – Nov. 30 Books are closed for Board and the general ledgers are provided to the auditor;

begin field work on the Board

Feb. 15 Final draft financial statements are provided to Board Management and the

Clerk’s Office for review, Exit conference is held

Feb. 21 Print ready electronic copy of CAFR and Combining Statement provided to the

County

Feb. 28 Presentation of CAFR to the Board of County Commissioners

March 15 CAFR submitted to the Auditor General (deadline March 31)

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE SECTION IX.

Date 2015 Phase Description

Sunday May 10 & 17 Advertisement

Wednesday May 27 Mandatory Pre-proposal Conference Government Center Board Room

Thursday June 4 (RFI) Request for Information deadline

Thursday June 18 Proposal Submission Deadline / Opening Date / Time 2:00 PM

Thursday July 9 Review/Ranking & Tabulation of Proposals by Audit Selection Committee

Thursday July 23 Presentation by top ranked firms and final ranking (Optional)

Thursday Aug. 6 Negotiation of Contract with top ranked firm(s)

Tuesday Sept. 1 Submit Contract to Board for Approval


CONTACT INFORMATION SECTION X.

All requests for information are to be made through indicated Purchasing Staff in writing,

preferably by email. There is no direct communication with any Commissioner, County Employee,

or Public Official, except through the Interim Purchasing Manager or designee.

(RFI) Request for Information: Cut-Off Date is Thursday; June 4, 2015.

Highlands County BCC Purchasing Department

Danielle K. Gilbert, Purchasing Manager

4320 George Boulevard, Sebring, FL 33875-5803

Tel: (863) 402-6524, Fax (863) 402-6735

Email: [email protected]

RESPONSE FORMAT CRITERIA SECTION XI.

The following criteria are shown and shall include all proposers & sub-contractors information and

must be submitted in a tabbed format. For a proposal to be eligible, the format must be strictly

followed. During this RFP process, any intentional omissions, alterations, or false

representations will be grounds for rejection of any proposal. MBE/WBE/DBE businesses are

encouraged to participate. The County strictly enforces open and fair competition in its RFP’s. A

public entity crimes statement may be requested of any awarded proposers.

During the RFP process, questions or requests for additional information concerning this RFP

shall be directed to contacts listed in Section X and not to selection committee members or

elected officials and shall be in written format (email, fax, letter, etc). Email is the preferred

method for questions or requests.

To facilitate effective evaluation by the County, proposals are to be a maximum of fifty (50)

pages. MBE/WBE/DBE certification(s), index documentation, sectional dividers, and front and

back covers will not be counted toward the total. An executive summary, not to exceed three (3)

additional pages, may also be included in the proposal. Late proposals will be returned

unopened or will be destroyed if advised by proposer, in writing. Evaluation and selection will

occur in accordance with tentative schedule in Section X or at a time and place to be determined.

At the discretion of the County, proposers may be asked to give short presentations / interviews

as part of the selection and ranking process. The Proposal must answer each heading and

any sub-heading and be constructed in the following tabbed format with section

sequences of A-B-C; XII Tab A through XI Tab C.

--End of page--

mailto:[email protected]


TAB – A INTRODUCTION (These pages don’t count toward the 50 page allowance.)

a) Executive Overview / Transmittal Letter (optional) ---(NO POINTS)

Please explain your agency’s status: fully independent, a branch office, subsidiary,

member of affiliate network, etc. If you are a subsidiary, list the parent company and

your relationship to it. Please identify persons authorized to represent and commit the

firm, including address and telephone number.

b) Proposal Submittal Form (Page 28 of this document) c) Proof of enrollment with E-Verify d) Proof of Insurance e) Statement of Drug Free Workplace f) Index

TAB – B EVALUATION CRITERIA

1) PROJECT UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH (MAXIMUM 30 POINTS)

a) The proposal must describe the firm’s understanding of the project scope.

b) The proposal must set forth a work plan, including an explanation of the audit methodology to be followed to perform the services requested in the RFP. The work plan must provide detailed information regarding the following:

i. Proposed segmentation of the engagement including time frames for each segment.

ii. Staffing level and anticipated hours, by position, to be assigned to each proposed segment of the engagement.

iii. Approach to be taken to gain and document an understanding of the County’s internal control structure.

iv. Type and extent of analytical procedures to be used in the engagement. v. Approach to be taken in selecting audit samples and the extent to which

sampling will be used throughout the engagement.

c) The proposal must identify and describe any anticipated potential audit problems, the firm’s approach to resolving these problems, and any special assistance that will be requested from the County.

d) The proposal must include sample products for all reports.

2) RELEVANT FIRM & EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE & ABILITY (MAXIMUM 30 POINTS)

FIRM

a) Provide a brief summary of the firm’s background, including size of the firm and size of the firm’s governmental audit staff.

b) Describe firm’s involvement in governmental accounting committees and associations.


c) List audits for which the GFOA's Certificate of Achievement have been attained and for what years.

d) Include a copy of the firm’s most recent external quality control review, the letter of comments, and a statement as to whether that quality control review included a review of specific governmental engagements.

e) Provide information on the results of any Federal or State desk reviews or field review of its audits during the past three (3) years. In addition, information on the circumstances and status of any disciplinary action taken or pending against the firm during the past three (3) years with State regulatory bodies or professional organizations.

f) Identify any litigation that the firm has been involved in over the last three (3) years with a description of the circumstances and the outcome.

g) Provide a brief description of any continuing professional education seminars that the firm offers for its clients.

h) Identify all Florida governmental entity engagements which the firm has been involved

in over the past five (5) years. Please provide a single line of information per contract /

engagement.

If your proposal is made for a Consortium or Joint Venture the above information must be

provided for all firms which will be engaged in the audit with a breakdown of anticipated

work assignments and related hours by firm, and there must be an official designee. In a

case where a firm has multiple offices the above information is to be limited to the office

that will be performing the audit.

AUDIT TEAM

Substantial consideration will be given by the County in awarding a contract, based on the

experience of the Audit Team proposed by the firm to perform the services required. No

change shall be made in the composition of the Audit Team, without prior consent by the

County.

a) Identify the staff to be directly assigned to the engagement and indicate whether each is registered to practice as a certified public accountant in the State of Florida.

b) Provide as much information as possible regarding the number, qualifications, education, experience and training, professional membership, and relevant continuing professional education of the specific staff to be assigned to the engagement.

c) Include minimum of one paragraph about each member of the project team including role in this proposed work and relevant knowledge and experience they bring to the team.


3) PRICE PROPOSAL (MAXIMUM 30 POINTS)

Price will not be the sole or predominant factor to evaluating qualified proposals.

a) The proposal must contain all pricing information relative to performing the audit engagement as described in this RFP.

b) The fee proposed for each year of the engagement must be separately stated for each fiscal year-end (2016, 2017 and 2018).

c) The price proposal must include a schedule of fees and expenses that support the total all-inclusive fixed fee, to include all anticipated expense.

d) Detail must be provided which indicates the estimated hours that the audit will take per constitutional officer. This must also include estimated hours auditors are on-site and off-site.

e) All expenses will be charged against the total all-inclusive maximum price submitted by the firm.

4) SCHEDULE (MAXIMUM 10 POINTS)

a) Provide a tentative schedule for performing the key phases for the 2016 fiscal year audit.

5) REFERENCES (MAXIMUM 20 POINTS)

a) Provide not less than five (5) reference letters from clients for which the firm has

performed similar work. The following information must be provided for each

reference: name of organization, contact persons, address, telephone numbers and

email address.

6) CLASSIFICATION (MAXIMUM 10 POINTS)

a) Certified Minority / Women owned business certification may be by State, Federal,

County or Local Government. The Federal definition of MBE / WBE must be met.

Consideration of Minority, Women or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise in

compliance with 24-CFR. In order to receive points for this classification, a copy of

their classifications certificate must be included in the proposal.

7) LOCATION (MAXIMUM 10 POINTS)

a) Provide information regarding the firm’s principal location, the office where a majority of

the audit work for the County’s engagement will be completed from and the home

office of each member of the Audit Team that will be assigned to this engagement.


8) CURRENT AND PROJECTED WORKLOAD (MAXIMUM 10 POINTS)

a) Current workload versus capacity of firm.

b) Listing of all existing contracts in place at this time and any future possible contracts in the next six (6) months.

9) RFP FORMAT; PER SECTION XII (MAXIMUM 10 POINTS)

a) Proposal shall follow the Response Format Criteria as described in Section XII.

TAB – C OTHER INFORMATION AT THE PROPOSER’S DISCRETION

Promotional material may be submitted along with the proposal; however, these materials

will not be considered a substitute for the proposal.

SELECTION PROCESS SECTION XII.

10. Proposals shall be reviewed by the Auditor Selection Committee. Each member of the

Committee will perform an independent review and rank each firm accordingly. Proposals

will be ranked and recommend no fewer than three firms deemed to be the most highly

qualified to perform the required services after considering the factors established in

Section XII. If fewer than three firms respond, the committee shall recommend such firms

as it deems to be the most highly qualified.

The Auditor Selection Committee consists of the following members or their designee:

*Don Elwell, Board of County Commissioners

*Susan Benton, Sheriff

*C. Raymond McIntyre, Property Appraiser

*Bob Germaine, Clerk of Courts

*Eric Zwayer, Tax Collector

*Penny Ogg, Supervisor of Elections

PRESENTATIONS SECTION XIII.

The Highlands County Board of County Commissioners and/or Auditor Selection Committee may

require high ranking proposers to participate in presentations and to submit technical and/or other

additional information related to its proposal. (MAXIMUM 25 POINTS)

--End of page--


CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AND EXECUTION SECTION XIV.

Negotiation of contract for services shall follow the initial selection process with the top ranked

firm. The Board may assign the Auditor Selection Committee or a different Work Group for

Negotiations. Should a satisfactory contract not be achievable with the top ranked proposer, then

the next ranked proposer shall be contacted and negotiations shall begin with the next highest

ranked firm and so on. Selection, Procurement and Contracting of External Audit Services shall

conform to all Board, State and Federal requirements. The County may require selected proposer

to submit technical and/or other additional information to its proposal as may result from

negotiations.

After negotiations, the recommended firm and contract will be submitted for review to the County

Administrator and Board Attorney prior to submittal to the Board. Reviewed contract will be

placed on a Board of County Commissioners’ Agenda for their approval and execution. The

contract will be negotiated in accordance with Florida Statutes Chapter 218.391.

CONTRACTS, BILLINGS, AND PAYMENTS SECTION XV.

Highlands County expects to sign a three (3) year contract with the successful proposer with a

two (2) year mutual consent renewal option. A recommendation from the Audit Selection

Committee must be presented to the Board for consideration of a renewal option. (Pending any

Legislative actions that may be taken.) Progress payments, not to exceed 90% of the total annual

fee, will be made upon receipt of a sufficiently detailed invoice from the proposer, following

acceptance of timely reports. Progress payments will be made on the basis of hours of work

completed during the course of the engagement.

---END OF SECTION---


SAMPLE EVALUATION SCORE SHEET SECTION XVI.

The proposals shall be evaluated by the Auditor Selection Committee (Items 1-9) and will be

ranked on the basis of the following point scoring system:

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

Maximum

Points WT Sub-Total

0-10

1) Project Understanding & Approach 3 /30

2) Relevant Firm & Employee Experience & Ability 3 /30

3) Price Proposal 3 /30

4) Schedule 1 /10

5) References 2 /20

6) Classification Yes or No /10

7) Location 1 /10

8) Current & Projected Workload 1 /10

9) RFP Format: Per Section XII 1 /10

SUBTOTAL /160

PRESENTATION (If Requested) By the Board and or Audit Selection Committee /25

TOTAL /185


PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL FORM SECTION XVII.

PROJECT IDENTIFICATION: RFP 15-037 – PROFESSIONAL EXTERNAL

AUDITING SERVICES

PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO: HIGHLANDS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY

COMMISSIONERS –

PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY: ______________________________________

Proposer Name

_____________________________________________________________________________

Proposer Address

_________________________________ _____________________________________

Contact’s E-mail Address Contact’s Phone Number

In submitting this response, PROPOSER represents, as more fully set forth in the

CONTRACT, that:

PROPOSER has examined and carefully studied the RFP Documents and the

following Addenda (receipt of all which is hereby acknowledged if any):

Date Number Date Number Date Number Date Number

This proposal is genuine and not made in the interest of or on behalf of any

undisclosed person, firm or corporation and is not submitted in conformity with any

agreement or rules of any group, association, organization or corporation; Proposer

has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other Proposer to submit a false or

sham Proposal;

SUBMITTED ON: ________________________, 20_____.

SIGNATURE: _________________________________________ (seal)

PRINTED NAME: _________________________________________

TITLE: _________________________________________