Common use of Governing Reductions to or Waiver of MBE/WBE Goals Clause in Contracts

Governing Reductions to or Waiver of MBE/WBE Goals. The following Regulations set forth the standards to be used in determining whether or not a reduction or waiver of the MBE/WBE commitment goals of a particular contract is appropriate. If a bidder determines that it is unable to meet the MBE and/or WBE Contract-Specific Goals on a City of Chicago contract, a written request for the reduction or waiver of the commitment must be included in the bid or proposal. The written request for reduction or waiver from the commitment must be in the form of a signed petition for grant of relief from the MBE/WBE percentages submitted on the bidder's letterhead, and must demonstrate that all required efforts as set forth in this document were taken to secure eligible Minority and Women Business Enterprises to meet the commitments. The Chief Procurement Officer or designee shall determine whether the request for the reduction or waiver will be granted. A bidder will be considered responsive to the terms and conditions of these Regulations if, at the time of bid, it submits a waiver request and all supporting documentation that adequately addresses the conditions for waiver of MBE/WBE goals, including proof of notification to assist agencies except: • Bidders responding to Request for Proposals (RFPs) who have been identified as a short listed candidate and/or a prospective awardee will be given a designated time allowance, but no more than fourteen (14) calendar days to submit to the Department of Procurement Services complete documentation that adequately addresses the conditions for waiver described herein; and • Bidders responding to Request for Information and or Qualifications (RFI/RFQs) deemed by the Chief Procurement Officer or authorized designee to be the most responsive and responsible shall submit documentation that adequately addresses the conditions for waiver described herein during negotiations. Failure to submit documentation sufficient to support the waiver request will cause the bid/proposal to be found non-responsive by the Chief Procurement Officer, and the bid/proposal will be rejected. In such cases the remedies to be taken by the Chief Procurement Officer, in his or her discretion, may include, but are not limited to, forfeiture of bid deposit; negotiating with the next lowest bidder; or re-advertising the bid/proposal. All bidders must submit all required documents at the time of bid opening to expedite the contract award.