Page | 1 Sole Source Form – Rev. May 12, 2016
City of Richmond
Sole Source Justification
THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AND APPROVED PRIOR TO ANY PURCHASE _______________________________________________________________________________ Contact the Purchasing Division and discuss your rationale before completing this form. If Purchasing can help you make this a competitive purchase, then this form will not be required.
Attach this completed/approved form to requisitions when competitive quotes/bids/proposals are not solicited. (Required for requisitions > $3,000)
Requested Sole Source Supplier:
Company Name: ___________________________ Contact Name: ______________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________ State: _____________ Zip Code: ____________________ Phone Number (____) ___________ E-Mail _______________________________________ Duration of Contract: ____________________________________ Estimated Co
st: $ _______________ Funding Source (Account String)_12579441 400538 42999 Is the product/servi
ce IT related? Yes_____No _____ If Yes, please attach the approved IT Authorization Form For Product:
Is the recommended company the manufacturer of the product? Yes_____ No _____ For Product:
Does the manufacturer sell the item(s) through distributors? Yes_____ No _____ Description
of Product or Service:
Describe the full scope of work or service contemplated including installation if required; items should include brand, model and part number if applicable; (if additional space is needed, include them in a separate page) Sole Source Rationale: PLEASE ANSWER ALL THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS: Explain why the recommended company is the only company that can meet the requirement. Address the following: Are there any other companies who can do this job? What condition (e.g. technological superiority, or performance risks, etc.) exists so that the recommended company has a significant advantage over any other company who can do this job? It is important to sufficiently address the key reason for awarding an order/contract without soliciting competitive bids. The rational must be clear and convincing, avoiding generalities and unsupported conclusions. (if additional space is needed, include them in a separate page)
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Complete the following checklist
A specific contractor is the only source of the required item because (check all that apply):
The required items are proprietary to the Contractor, and contractor solely transacts (sells) direct to the customer. (There are no dealers or distributors for contractor).
The required items are proprietary to the Contractor, and contractor does not sell direct to the customer. Contractor solely distributes the item or service through only one dealer or distributor in the United States. (There are no dealers or distributors for contractor).
Note: If item or service is available from more than one source, the item or service may be treated as proprietary, but must be competitively solicited from multiple (two or more) sources.
A specific item is needed:
To be compatible or interchangeable with existing hardware As spare or replacement hardware For the repair or modification of existing hardware Federal or state grant names vendor as condition of funding. (Attach copy of grant that names vendor)
There is a substantial risk in contracting with any other contractor, (e.g., only one contractor has been successful to date in implementing a difficult manufacturing process or the services sought ). In a brief explanation, provide supporting evidence of why other contractors are considered to be unable to overcome the substantial risk.
Continuation of prior Work – Additional item, service or work required, but not known to have been needed when the original order was placed with vendor, and it is not feasible or practicable to contract separately for the additional need. Provide brief explanation and supporting evidence.
(if additional space is needed, include them in a separate page)
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I acknowledge the City’s requirements for soliciting competitive quotes/bids for purchases over $3,000.00 and the criteria for justification for Sole Source purchases. I have gathered the required information, have made a concerted effort to review comparable/equal equipment/services (e.g., market research), and further affirm that there is no conflict of interest involved in the selection made.
De
partment: _________________________________
Requester Name and Title: ____________________________________________________________ Note: Requester must be able to defend this justification.
Date:_____________ Phone: _______________
Department Director (Print) _____________________ (Sign) ________________ Date:__________ ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Submit completed form to the Purchasing Division (Prior to submission to City Manager) Finance Director:
APP
ROVED: ____________________ DATE: ___/___/___ NOT AP
PROVED: ________________ COMMENTS:
_______________
_____________ ______________________________
City Manager City Clerk Attesting to Council Approval (Under $10,000.00) (Over $10,000.00) (Copy of Minutes may be substituted) Note: Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.52.326 Sole Source Procurement requires final approval by the City Manager and/or City Council. Sole Source must be approved by Finance Director, PRIOR to Council Approval.
PR
OCEDURE
Sole Source purchase/service are exceptions to the normal bidding process and require a detailed justification. In processing Sole Source requests for supplies, services and/or equipment, the Purchasing Division adheres to and is governed by the principles set forth in City of Richmond Municipal Code Section 2.52.326 Sole Source Procurement.
If you are requesting a particular vendor, brand or product, you must make this fact clear on your Sole Source form.
Your request will then be restrictive and non-competitive, and will fall into a sole source category. If the sole source justification is approved, the requisition can be expedited without the normal bidding requirements.
Such a request should not be made unless you are confident that your request is reasonable and appropriately justified to meet the City’s requirements and withstand any possible audit. The City’s requirements and the format for submitting such requests are contained herein. Sole Source form must be signed by authorized department representative(s). The certification will remain on file for audit purposes.
The following factors DO NOT apply to sole source requests and should not be included in your sole source justification. They will not be considered and only tend to confuse the evaluation process.
1. Personal preference for product or vendor.
2. Cost, vendor performance, and local service (these are generally considered award factors in competitive bidding).
3. Features which exceed the minimum department requirements.
S o l e .S o u r c e .Ra t i o n a l e ¿ .P LEAS E.A NSW ER .ALL.TH E.FOLLOW I NG .QU ESTI ONS ¿ .Ex p l a i n . why. the. recommended. company. is. the. only. company. that. can. meet. the. requirement¡.
Ad d r e ss .t h e .fo l l o wi n g ¿ .A r e .t h e r e .a n y .o t h e r .c o m p a n i e s .wh o .c a n .d o .th i s .j o b‽.W h a t . condition. (e¡g¡. technological. superiority? . or. performance. risks? . etc¡). exists. so. that. the. recommended. company. has. a. significant. advantage. over. any. other. company. who. can. d o .t h i s .j o b‽.I t .i s .i m p o r t a n t .to .s u ff i c i e n t l y .a d d r e ss .th e .k e y .r e a s o n .fo r .a wa r d i n g .a n . order― contract. without. soliciting. competitive. bids¡. The. rational. must. be. clear. and. convincing? . avoiding. generalities. and. unsupported. conclusions¡ The City of Richmond previously issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit qualified firms to provide contract and compliance services. Despite outreach efforts, the City received only one response —from Davillier -Sloan, Inc. Given the urgency of addressing non -compliance issues in various City projects, proceeding with a sole -source contract with Davillier Sloan is both necessary and in the City's best interest for the following reasons:
1. Lack of Competitive Responses
T
he formal procurement process yielded only one qualified respondent. Reissuing the RFP or conducting additional outreach would cause significant delays without guaranteeing additional qualified submissions.
2. Proven Experience and Reputation
D
avillier -Sloan has previously provided contract and compliance services to the City of Richmond under a smaller contract. Their familiarity with City processes and regulatory requirements positions them to
immediately address compliance
deficiencies.
3. Urgency of Compliance Issues
T
he City is currently out of compliance on multiple projects. Identifying and onboarding a new vendor through a new competitive process could take months , f
urther exacerbating compliance risks and potential legal or financial penalties.
4. Efficiency and Cost -Effectiveness
E
ngaging Davillier -Sloan under a sole -source contract ensures that a qualified, experienced firm is deployed without unnecessary delays. Their prior work with the City means minimal ramp -up time, leading to faster resolutions and reduced long - term costs associated with continued non -compliance.
Given these factors, we recommend proceeding with a sole -source contract with Davillier -Sloan, Inc. to efficiently address the City’s contract and compliance needs.
Attachment.
Continuation. of. prior. Work. .Ad d i t i o n a l .i te m ? .s e r v i c e .o r .wo r k .r e q u i r e d ? .b u t .n o t .k n o wn . to .h a v e .b e e n .n e e d e d .wh e n .t h e .o r i g i n a l .o r d e r .wa s .p l a c e d .wi t h .v e n d o r? .a n d .i t .i s .n o t . feasible. or. practicable. to. contract. separately. for. the. additional. need¡. Provide. brief. ex planation. and. supporting. evidence¡
The City of Richmond previously engaged Davillier -Sloan, Inc. for contract and compliance services on a smaller scale. However, as the City has continued to assess its compliance status across multiple projects, it has become evident that additional services are required to address widespread non -compliance issues that were not fully anticipated when the initial engagement was made.
Compounding this issue, the City has been unable to successfully hire a Contract and Compliance staff member to manage these critical responsibilities. The lack of in -house expertise has further delayed compliance efforts and increased the need for immediate external support to avoid potential regulatory penalties and disruptions to City projects.
Given Davillier -Sloan’s prior work with the City, they have already developed institutional knowledge of our procurement, compliance, and reporting processes. Contracting separately for these additional services would be
impractical and inefficient , as it would
require a new vendor to undergo a significant learning curve, further delaying urgent compliance corrections.
Furthermore, the City's recently issued RFP for these services resulted in only one response —Davillier -Sloan. This demonstrates that the pool of qualified firms capable of addressing the City’s specific compliance challenges is limited. Reissuing the RFP or seeking additional vendors would cause de lays, increasing the risk of regulatory penalties and further project disruptions.
For these reasons, it is in the best interest of the City to extend a sole -source contract to Davillier -Sloan to continue and expand upon their prior work, ensuring continuity , efficiency, and timely resolution of compliance deficiencies.