Force Majeure, Notice of Delay, and No Damages for Delay The Contractor will not be responsible for delay resulting from its failure to perform if neither the fault nor the negligence of the Contractor or its employees, subcontractors, or agents contributed to the delay and the delay is due directly to acts of God, wars, acts of public enemies, strikes, fires, floods, or other similar cause wholly beyond the Contractor’s control, or for any of the foregoing that affect suppliers if no alternate source of supply is available to the Contractor. In case of any delay the Contractor believes is excusable, the Contractor shall notify the Department in writing of the delay or potential delay and describe the cause of the delay either (i) within ten (10) calendar days after the cause that creates or will create the delay first arose, if the Contractor could reasonably foresee that a delay could occur as a result; or (ii) if a delay is not reasonably foreseeable, within five (5) calendar days after the date the Contractor first had reason to believe that a delay could result. THE FOREGOING WILL CONSTITUTE THE CONTRACTOR’S SOLE REMEDY OR EXCUSE WITH RESPECT TO ANY DELAY except if such delay is caused by the fraud, bad faith, or active interference of the Department. Providing notice in strict accordance with this paragraph is a condition precedent to such remedy, and a rebuttable presumption of prejudice will exist based on Contractor’s untimely notice. The Contractor shall not assert any claim for damages related to such delay. The Contractor will not be entitled to an increase in the Term Contract price or payment of any kind from the Department for direct, indirect, consequential, impact, or other costs, expenses, or damages, including costs of acceleration or inefficiency, arising because of delay, disruption, interference, or hindrance from any cause whatsoever. If performance is suspended or delayed, in whole or in part, due to any of the causes described in this subsection, the Department may unilaterally (and with no recourse on the part of the Contractor) identify and use an alternate source to complete any work under the Term Contract as the Department deems necessary, in its sole discretion. After the causes have ceased to exist, the Contractor shall perform at no increased cost, unless the Department determines, in its sole discretion, that the delay will significantly impair the value of the Contract to the Department or State, in which case the Department may (i) accept allocated performance or deliveries from the Contractor, provided that the Contractor grants preferential treatment to the Department with respect to Products subjected to allocation; or (ii) terminate the Term Contract in whole or in part.
