N.J. Admin. Code § 17:12-3.2

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 17:12-3.2 - Protest procedures; challenges to a specification

(a) A vendor intending to submit a proposal in response to an advertised RFP, pursuant to 52:34-6 et seq., and finding cause to challenge a specification contained within the RFP, may submit a written protest to the Director, setting forth, in detail, the grounds for such protest.

(b) The written protest shall be submitted to the Director only after the Division has formally responded to questions posed during the RFP-established question and answer period and in sufficient time to permit a review of the merits of the protest and to take appropriate action as may be necessary, prior to the scheduled deadline for proposal submission.

1. A protest of a specification of any proposal solicitation document issued by the Director shall contain the following items:

i. Identification of the Division's solicitation number for the particular procurement;

ii. The specification(s) at issue and the specific grounds for challenging the cited specification(s), including all arguments, materials, or other documentation that may support the protester's position that the specification should be changed; and

iii. A statement as to whether the protester requests an opportunity for an in-person presentation and the reason(s) for the request.

2. The Director may disregard a protest not containing all of the items set forth in (b)1 above.

3. In order to provide sufficient time for full assessment of the issue(s) of the challenge and, if merited, to effect changes to the RFP and public notice of such changes, the Director may disregard any protest of specifications filed fewer than seven business days prior to the scheduled deadline for proposal submission.

(c) The Director shall, upon receipt of a timely protest of a specification contained in an advertised RFP, issue a final written decision on the protest prior to the public opening and reading of proposals received in response to that RFP.

(d) The Director may resolve a protest of a specification by amending the RFP and extending the deadline for proposal submission, by canceling the procurement, or by any other appropriate means.

(e) The Director has sole discretion to determine if an in-person presentation by the protester is necessary to reach an informed decision on the matter(s) of the protest. In-person presentations are fact-finding for the benefit of the Director. The Director has the discretion to limit attendance at an in-person presentation to those bidders likely to be affected by the outcome of the protest.

(f) The Director, or the Director's designee from within or outside the Division, may perform a review of the written record or conduct an in-person presentation. In the case of a review or an in-person presentation being handled by a hearing officer designee from outside the Division, the determination of such designee shall be in the form of a report to the Director, which shall be advisory in nature and not binding on the Director. All parties shall receive a copy of the hearing officer's report and shall have 10 business days to provide written comments or exceptions to the Director. Subsequent to the 10-business-day period for comments/exceptions, the Director shall make a final written decision on the matter. In the case of a review or in-person presentation being handled by a designee from within the Division, the determination shall be issued by the Director, or the Director's designee, and such determination shall be a final agency decision pursuant to N.J.A.C. 17:12-3.1(b).

N.J. Admin. Code § 17:12-3.2

Amended by 51 N.J.R. 141(a), effective 1/22/2019