Explanation
BACKGROUND: This legislation authorizes the Finance and Management Director to enter into a contract for Bonfire Strategic Sourcing Platform Site License for Unlimited Users, with Euna Solutions, Inc. This subscription-based software allows City employees to solicit, receive, and evaluate RFPs and BVPs in an online procurement system. The system allows users to organize and distribute documents with digital scorecards for online evaluation and makes vendor submissions easier and more compliant with a simple uploading experience. This platform is administered by the Purchasing Office and is made available to City staff, allowing them to become a user and publish and review RFPs and BVPs for purchases using this process. The City has used this software since 2018, but separate agreements for licensees were entered into by each agency who had users. As of 2024, there were a total of thirty-four (34) user licenses contracted by all City agencies. By entering into the new, unlimited-user license agreement, the City will be able to increase availability of the software to more users at a reduced cost per license.
The Finance and Management Department, Purchasing Office, respectfully requests a waiver of the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes to continue the City’s use of this particular software and its relationship with Euna Solutions, Inc The waiver is requested to maintain continuity of this procurement system and there is not enough time available for a formal bid process, as the current contract for department-by-department licenses expires June 12, 2025. The term of the proposed contract will be one year with an expiration date of June 12, 2026.
Euna Solutions, Inc. - CC052723 - Pending Review
Emergency Designation: The Finance and Management Department respectfully requests this legislation be considered an emergency measure to insure there is no interruption of Bonfire software services.
This company is not debarred according to the Excluded Parties listing of the Federal Government and are not listed in the Auditor of States database for Findings for Recovery.
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance authorizes the expenditure of $168,813.16 to Euna Solutions, Inc. for the cost of the one-year unlimited license subscription of the Bonfire Strategic Sourcing Platform. These funds are budgeted various funds for various departments. In 2024, $143,813.16 was expended for this service by all agencies who used the previous contract for Bonfire.
Title
To authorize the Finance and Management Director to enter into a one-year contract with Euna Solutions, Inc., for unlimited licenses to use the software solutions and professional services related to the Bonfire Strategic Sourcing Platform; to waive the competitive bidding requirements of Columbus City Codes; to authorize the expenditure of $168,813.16; and to declare an emergency. ($168,813.16)
Body
WHEREAS, the Purchasing Office currently maintains a contract for use of the Bonfire Strategic Pricing Platform on an Annual Subscription basis, which licenses are available for use by citywide staff; and
WHEREAS, the Purchasing Office desires to continue its relationship with Euna Solutions, Inc. and use of the Bonfire procurement system for the City’s RFP and BVP processes, in order to provide citywide users with software for publishing and evaluating RFP and BVP procurements; and
WHEREAS, this ordinance authorizes a contract which will be entered into in accordance with Chapter 329 of the Columbus City Codes via waiver of competitive bidding so that the City may maintain continuity of this procurement system because there is not enough time available for a formal bid process, as the current contract for department-by-department licenses expires June 12, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the new contract will be a one-year contract for an unlimited number of licenses to use the Bonfire platform; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operations of the Department of Finance and Management, Purchasing Office, in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director of Finance and Management to enter into a contract with Euna Solutions, Inc. for professional services and hosted software solutions, ensuring staff have continuous access to Bonfire Strategic Pricing Platform without interruption and because the current contract expires June 12, 2025, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; and now, therefore:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Finance and Management Director is hereby authorized to enter into a one-year contract with Euna Solutions, Inc., for licenses and use of the Bonfire Strategic Pricing Platform for the period from June 13, 2025 up to and including June 12, 2026.
SECTION 2. This Council finds it is in the best interest of the City of Columbus to waive the competitive bidding provisions of Columbus City Codes, Chapter 329 for the aforementioned purchase.
SECTION 3. That the expenditure of $168,813.16, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby authorized from various funds in Object Class 03 (Purchased Services) per the account codes in the attachment to this ordinance to pay the cost of such contract.
SECTION 4. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 5. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.