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Home My WebLink AboutItem 5i. Authorization to Replace Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location System for SLO Transit Buses via Cooperative Agreement Item 5i Department: Public Works Cost Center: 5201 For Agenda of: 12/2/2025 Placement: Consent Estimated Time: N/A FROM: Aaron Floyd, Publics Works & Utilities Director Prepared By: Alex Fuchs, Mobility Services Business Manager SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO REPLACE COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH AND AUTOMATED VEHICLE LOCATION SYSTEM FOR SLO TRANSIT BUSES VIA COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT RECOMMENDATION Authorize the Replacement of Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location System via Cooperative Agreement between Connexionz, Ltd. and The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) REPORT-IN-BRIEF The Transit Innovation Study identifies replacing SLO Transit’s existing Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system as a high priority. The CAD/AVL system connects with other technologies such as onboard voice annunciators, passenger counters, security cameras, and real-time passenger information displays. The current system is malfunctioning and lacks essential features, resulting in inaccurate vehicle location data, unreliable real-time passenger information, and incomplete ridership reporting. These issues diminish service reliability and require inefficient manual data collection. Replacing the CAD/AVL system will enhance scheduling accuracy, service monitoring, reporting, and rider communication. Under San Luis Obispo Municipal Code Section 3.24.060(E), cooperative purchasing allows the City to procure the system without conducting its own formal bid process. Connexionz Ltd. offers CAD/AVL hardware and software through The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) at a discounted rate. This fully integrated solution meets SLO Transit’s operational and data needs. Sufficient federal and state funding is available to fully replace the existing system. Staff recommend authorizing replacement of the CAD/AVL system through a cooperative purchasing agreement between TIPS and Connexionz Ltd. Page 237 of 764 Item 5i POLICY CONTEXT The Transit Innovation Study identifies replacement of the current Computer-Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) system on all fixed-route buses as the fourth-highest priority (see pages 8-9). The CAD/AVL system connects with other technologies such as onboard voice annunciators, passenger counters, security cameras, and real-time passenger information displays. Because of these integrations, the CAD/AVL system is a critical component to public transit operations. Under San Luis Obispo Municipal Code Section 3.24.060(E), bidding procedures may be waived when a purchase is made cooperatively with other government agencies that offer the same products and/or services at equal or lower cost under the same terms. CAD/AVL hardware and software from Connexionz, Ltd. are available through The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS), a national purchasing cooperative, at a substantial discount compared to retail pricing. Connexionz’s solutions meet SLO Transit’s needs for data communication, GPS tracking, and real-time passenger information and have a demonstrated track record serving multiple agencies throughout California. DISCUSSION Background The current CAD/AVL system was purchased in 2018 and installed shortly thereafter. The CAD/AVL system service agreement is through the City’s transit operation and maintenance services contractor, Transdev, whom the City pays as a pass -through cost on the monthly invoices. Replacement of the CAD/AVL system does not affect delivery of services provided through the transit operation and maintenance services contract. The system was designed to integrate with multiple onboard systems to provide the public with real-time service information and to provide staff with accurate operational data. However, the system lacks key features needed for fixed-route operations, which SLO Transit operates. As a result, wrong location data is transmitted, which causes inaccurate communication of arrival times and next stop announcements to riders. This reduces the reliability of real-time information, negatively affects rider experience, and makes system performance difficult to evaluate. In addition, the current system does not accurately record passenger boardings and alightings. This requires staff to manually count ridership, which is a time-consuming and outdated process. Replacing the CAD/AVL system would significantly improve service scheduling, reporting accuracy, and customer information. Addressing these technology and data issues would improve service quality for SLO Transit riders. The Transit Innovation Study, finalized in February 2024, identified replacement of the CAD/AVL system as the fourth-highest priority recommendation based the critical role the system plays in communicating reliable and accurate data. Page 238 of 764 Item 5i In December 2023, San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) issued a call for projects for Senate Bill (SB) 125 program funding. The SB 125 program provides a one-time infusion of funding to help transit providers with both operating costs and capital improvements. Staff applied for and was awarded $130,000 in funding to replace the CAD/AVL system. In January 2025, Council adopted Resolution No. 11538 authorizing an agreement between SLOCOG and the City for SB 125 funding including for the CAD/AVL system replacement project. After reviewing industry vendors and costs, staff determined that the $130,000 allocation was insufficient to procure all components needed to fully replace the CAD/AVL system. In March 2025, staff applied for and was awarded an additional $300,000 in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 5307 program funds to fully fund the CAD/AVL system replacement project. In June 2025, Council adopted Resolution No. 11575 appropriating the additional federal funds to the associated Capital Improvement Project (Project No. 2000404). Evaluation of Procurement Options The State of California offers Master Service Agreements (MSAs) with three vendors for CAD/AVL systems. Like purchasing cooperatives, MSAs allow agencies to purchase products and services from a vendor that responded to a competitive bidding process and meet the scope of work requirements. The MSAs also offer better pricing for the same products and services compared to retail pricing. Staff prepared a scope of work and requested proposals under these agreements. The CAD/AVL systems offered through these MSAs focus on providing real-time vehicle location information but lack hardware needed to integrate with essential systems like voice annunciators, passenger counters, and security cameras. Staff concluded that using the MSA associated vendors was not recommended, as additional hardware and software would still be required to meet the City’s needs. During this process, staff also explored utilizing The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS). TIPS is a national purchasing cooperative that provides the same or better pricing, depending on the item, compared to the MSA and would allow the City to procure all required hardware and software from a single source. Purchasing Cooperative – The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS) TIPS helps public agencies procure products and services efficiently and in compliance with competitive purchasing requirements. TIPS issues thousands of competitively bid contracts with vendors for a wide range of goods and servic es, including technology, vehicles, construction, and professional services. Once a vendor contract is awarded, member agencies, including the City of San Luis Obispo, can piggyback1 off those contracts to make purchases without conducting their own formal procurement process. Section 3.24.060E of the City’s Municipal Code expressly allows for this type of cooperative purchase. 1 When an organization uses an existing, competitively awarded contract from another entity to make its own purchase. Page 239 of 764 Item 5i Using TIPS offers several advantages for public agencies. It saves time and reduces costs by eliminating the need to conduct separate competitive solicitations while still meeting procurement requirements including federal and state procurement standards. The TIPS procurement process ensures transparent, pre-negotiated rates that allows smaller agencies to benefit from lower per unit pricing. TIPS has an executed vendor agreement with Connexionz, Ltd. (Attachment A) through which their full suite of products and services are available to member agencies at a 20 percent discount compared to retail pricing. Selected CAD/AVL System Vendor – Connexionz, Ltd. Connexionz, Ltd. (Connexionz) has nearly 30 years of experience providing integrated transit technology solutions with a focus on small- and medium-sized transit agencies. The San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has been a client of Connexionz since 2016 and is satisfied with their products and services. Connexionz offers both hardware and software to provide real-time passenger information, reliable operational data, and integrations with other systems (as shown in Figure 1). Connexionz prepared a proposal tailored to the City’s existing and future needs (Attachment B). Because Connexionz offers both the hardware and software components, selecting them as a vendor means the City can procure a full system from a single vendor. Figure 1 - Connexionz System Integrations Discontinuation of the “SLO Transit” Mobile Application The current “SLO Transit” bus tracking mobile application is through Peak Transit and is proprietary to the current CAD/AVL provider. Replacement of the system means that this application will no longer be supported. Connexionz offers its own proprietary a pplication that, for a fee, agencies can use to provide the public with real time service information. However, there are also free third-party transit-dedicated mobile applications like Transit App and Moovit that already integrate and work with SLO Transit’s real-time service information generated by the CAD/AVL system (Figure 2). Page 240 of 764 Item 5i If approved, staff would recommend utilization of these established transit apps rather than offering another proprietary system. These apps are widely used by riders and offer reliable trip planning and real-time bus tracking without additional cost to the City. By maintaining accurate data feeds, the City can ensure up -to-date service information is available to users while benefiting from the continual improvements, regional connectivity, and multimodal trip options provided by these platforms. This approach enhances rider convenience and system visibility while avoiding the significant expense and maintenance demands of a custom app. If the recommended action is approved, as part of the implementation process, staff will create education and outreach materials notifying the public that the current SLO Transit application provided by Peak Transit will no longer be supported. The outreach materials will include QR Codes to other applications like the Transit App and Moovit that users can chose to use instead. Outreach efforts will include but not be limited to flyers on the buses and at highly used stops, communication with Cal Poly, Laguna Middle School, Downtown SLO, and other community partner organizations. Social Media posts, website updates, and other digital outlets will be used. This information will also be provided at future community events attended by Mobility Services staff. The City currently offers digital bus passes through an application called Token Transit. The bus tracking application is a separate application from the Token Transit application and the recommended action in this report does not affect the use of Token Transit application. Figure 2 - Transit App Interface Page 241 of 764 Item 5i Next Steps Staff would issue a Purchase Order to Connexionz, which incorporates the City’s general contract terms, and submit a copy to TIPS for compliance with their purchasing requirements. Staff would also begin work with Connexionz representatives to schedu le a site visit to verify the types and quantities of hardware and auxiliary components needed per bus. The schedule included in the proposal estimates that the project will be completed by mid-March 2026. The schedule provides staff sufficient time to prepare outreach materials notifying the public of the change in bus tracking application providers. Previous Council or Advisory Body Action 1. January 23, 2024 – Council held a Study Session on the draft Transit Innovation Study report and directed staff to finalize the report and begin implementation. 2. January 14, 2025 – Council adopted Resolution No. 11538 (2025 Series) authorizing the Mayor to execute a cooperative agreement with SLOCOG for Senate Bill 125 funds and the appropriation of funds to associated capital projects. 3. June 17, 2025 – Council adopted Resolution No. 11575 (2025 Series) appropriating federal and state funds to Transit program projects including $300,000 in FTA 5307 program funds for Automated Vehicle Location system replacement. Public Engagement and Feedback Throughout the development of the Transit Innovation Study, staff and the consultant solicited feedback from internal and external stakeholders. External stakeholders consisted of representatives from Cal Poly, Downtown SLO, San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, RTA, SLOCOG, Mass Transportation Committee members, and Active Transportation Committee members. During a stakeholder workshop held in September 2023, attendees were asked to rank the preliminary recommendations of the Transit Innovation Study in order of their ability to increase SLO Transit’s ridership. Replacement of the CAD/AVL system was the ranked third highest overall. During the Short-Range Transit Plan update process, riders were surveyed and asked what improvements they would like to see on SLO Transit’s system. Of the 425 rider responses, 24 stated that the Peak Transit application is not accurate, that the application needs to be updated, or that the application does not provide enough informatio n. Additionally, a community survey was completed and asked respondents how likely is it that they would use public transit more often if certain improvements were made. Of the 114 respondents, 74 indicated that they would ride more often if better informa tion about transit services were available. Page 242 of 764 Item 5i CONCURRENCE The City Attorney’s Office has reviewed the TIPS Vendor Agreement with Connexionz and approves as to the form. The City’s Finance Department also reviewed the TIPS Vendor Agreement and agrees that it satisfies the Municipal Code section for cooperative purchasing requirements. The Information Technology (IT) Department concurs that the new devices will function with the City’s overall IT infrastructure. Transdev, the City’s transit operations and maintenance contractor, concurs with the recommended action in this report. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The recommended actions are not considered a “Project” under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378. FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2024-25 Funding Identified: Yes Fiscal Analysis: Project No. 2000404 (Auto Vehicle Locator System Replacement) Funding Sources Total Budget Available Current Funding Request Remaining Balance Annual Ongoing Cost1 General Fund $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 Transit Fund $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 $ 0 Federal (FTA 5307 Funds) $ 300,000 $ 111,571.76 $ 188,428.24 $ 46,984.10 State (SB 125 Funds) $ 130,000 $ 48,347.86 $ 81,652.14 $ 20,359.81 Total $ 430,000 $ 159,919.62 $ 270,080.38 $ 67,343.91 1 – Average annual cost of support and maintenance services over a four-year period On December 6, 2023, SLOCOG’s board approved submittal of the SB 125 allocation package to the California State Transportation Agency. The allocation package included $130,000 in funding for the replacement of SLO Transit’s CAD/AVL system. On January 14, 2025, Council adopted Resolution No. 11538 authorizing an agreement with SLOCOG for Senate Bill 125 funds and the appropriation of funds to associated capital projects. The action included appropriating $130,000 in funding to Project No. 2000404 for the CAD/AVL system replacement. Page 243 of 764 Item 5i On June 17, 2025, Council adopted Resolution No. 11575 appropriating federal and state funds to Transit program projects including $300,000 in FTA 5307 program funds to Project No. 2000404 for the CAD/AVL system replacement. The additional funds were needed based on the costs estimates included in the Transit Innovation Study. The total project cost of $429,295.27 includes four years of support and maintenance services (Attachment C). After the initial four-year period, these annual service costs will be budgeted as part of the Transit Program’s operating budget. Currently, the Transit Program budgets $45,000 annually for CAD/AVL services that is paid to Transdev as a pass-through cost. If the purchase of a new CAD/AVL system is approved, then staff will recommend, as part of the 2026-27 Supplement Budget adoption, reducing the Transit Program’s operating budget to account for these costs being covered by the project account for the initial four-year period. ALTERNATIVES Council could decide not to authorize purchase of a CAD/AVL system from Connexionz through the TIPS cooperative agreement and, instead, direct staff to conduct a formal procurement process. Should Council pursue this option, it will delay the replacement of the existing CAD/AVL system. ATTACHMENTS A - TIPS Vendor Agreement with Connexionz, Ltd. B - Connexionz, Ltd. Proposal C - Connexionz, Ltd. Cost Quote Page 244 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 1 TIPS VENDOR AGREEMENT TIPS RFP 250503 MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations of Facilities and Grounds) Supplies, Equipment, Tool Rental, Sales, and Services The following Vendor Agreement (“Agreement”) creates a legal agreement between The Interlocal Purchasing System (“TIPS”), a government purchasing cooperative and Department of Texas Region 8 Education Service Center and (INSERT ENTITY NAME): __________________________________________________________________________________________________ (ENTER ENTITY NAME] its owners, agents, subsidiaries, and affiliates (together, “Vendor”) (individually, “Party”, and collectively the “Parties”) and this agreement shall exclusively govern the contractual relationship (“Agreement”) between the Parties. TIPS, a governmental entity and a national purchasing cooperative seeks to provide a valuable and necessary solution to public entities and qualifying non-profits by performing the public procurement solicitation process and awarding compliant contracts to qualified vendors. Then, where the law of a customer’s jurisdiction allows, instead of public entities and qualifying non-profits expending time, money, and resources on the extensive public procurement process, the use of TIPS allows public entities to quickly select and purchase their preferred products or services from qualified, competitively evaluated vendors through cooperative purchasing. 1. Purpose. The purpose of this Agreement is to identify the terms and conditions of the relationship between TIPS and Vendor. Public entities and qualifying non-profits that properly join or utilize TIPS (“TIPS Members”) may elect to “piggyback” off of TIPS’ procurements and agreements where the laws of their jurisdiction allow. TIPS Members are not contractual parties to this Agreement although terms and conditions of this Agreement may ensure benefits to TIPS Members. 2. Authority. The Parties agree that the signatories below are individual authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of their entity and that they are acting under due and proper authority under applicable law. 3. Definitions. a. TIPS Pricing: The specific pricing, discounts, and other pricing terms and incentives which Vendor submitted and TIPS approved for each respective TIPS Contract awarded to Vendor and all permissible, subsequent pricing updates submitted by Vendor and accepted by TIPS, if any. b. Authorized Reseller: A reseller or dealer authorized and added by a Vendor through their online TIPS Vendor Portal to make TIPS sales according to the terms and conditions herein. 4. Entire Agreement. This Agreement resulted from TIPS posting a “TIPS Solicitation” (RFP, RCSP, RFQ, or other) and Vendor submitting a proposal in response to that posted TIPS Solicitation for evaluation and award. The Parties agree that this Agreement consists of the provisions set forth herein and: (1) The TIPS solicitation document resulting in this Agreement; (2) Any addenda or clarifications issued in relation to the TIPS solicitation; (3) All solicitation information provided to Vendor by TIPS through the TIPS eBid System; (3) Vendor’s entire proposal response to the TIPS solicitation including all accepted required attachments, acknowledged notices and certifications, accepted negotiated terms, pricing, accepted responses to questions, and accepted written clarifications of Vendor’s proposal, and; any properly included attachments to this Agreement. All documentation and information listed is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth herein verbatim. In the event of conflict between the terms herein and one of the incorporated documents the terms and conditions herein shall control. 5. Vendor’s Specific Warranties, Terms, and License Agreements. Because TIPS serves public entities and non-profits throughout the nation all of which are subject to specific laws and policies of their jurisdiction, as a matter of standard practice, TIPS does not typically accept a Vendor’s specific “Sale Terms” (warranties, license agreements, master agreements, terms and conditions, etc.) on behalf of all TIPS Members. TIPS may permit Vendor to attach those to this Agreement to display to interested customers what terms may apply to their Supplemental Agreement with Vendor (if submitted by Vendor for that purpose). However, unless this term of the Agreement is negotiated and modified to state otherwise, those specific Sale Terms are not accepted by TIPS on behalf of all TIPS Members and each Member may choose whether to accept, negotiate, or reject those specific Sale Terms, which must be reflected in a separate agreement between Vendor and the Member in order to be effective. Connexionz LTD Page 245 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 2 6. Vendor Identity and Contact Information. It is Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure that all identifying vendor information (name, EIN, d/b/a’s, etc.) and contact information is updated and current at all times within the TIPS eBid System and the TIPS Vendor Portal. It is Vendor’s sole responsibility to confirm that all e-correspondence issued from tips-usa.com, ionwave.net, and tipsconstruction.com to Vendor’s contacts are received and are not blocked by firewall or other technology security. Failure to permit receipt of correspondence from these domains and failure to keep vendor identity and contact information current at all times during the life of the contract may cause loss of TIPS Sales, accumulating TIPS fees, missed rebid opportunities, lapse of TIPS Contract(s), and unnecessary collection or legal actions against Vendor. It is no defense to any of the foregoing or any breach of this Agreement that Vendor was not receiving TIPS’ electronic communications issued by TIPS to Vendor’s listed contacts. 7. Initiation of TIPS Sales. When a public entity initiates a purchase with Vendor, if the Member inquires verbally or in writing whether Vendor holds a TIPS Contract, it is the duty of the Vendor to verify whether the Member is seeking a TIPS purchase. Once verified, Vendor must include the TIPS Contract Number on all purchase communications and sales documents exchanged with the TIPS Member. 8. TIPS Sales and Supplemental Agreements. The terms of the specific TIPS order, including but not limited to: shipping, freight, insurance, delivery, fees, bonding, cost, delivery expectations and location, returns, refunds, terms, conditions, cancellations, order assistance, etc., shall be controlled by the purchase agreement (Purchase Order, Contract, Invoice, etc.) (hereinafter “Supplemental Agreement”) entered into between the TIPS Member Customer and Vendor only. TIPS is not a party to any Supplemental Agreement. All Supplemental Agreements shall include Vendor’s Name, as known to TIPS, and TIPS Contract Name and Number. Vendor accepts and understands that TIPS is not a legal party to TIPS Sales and Vendor is solely responsible for identifying fraud, mistakes, unacceptable terms, or misrepresentations for the specific order prior to accepting. Vendor agrees that any order issued from a customer to Vendor, even when processed through TIPS, constitutes a legal contract between the customer and Vendor only. When Vendor accepts or fulfills an order, even when processed through TIPS, Vendor is representing that Vendor has carefully reviewed the order for legality, authenticity, and accuracy and TIPS shall not be liable or responsible for the same. In the event of a conflict between the terms of this TIPS Vendor Agreement and those contained in any Supplemental Agreement, the provisions set forth herein shall control unless otherwise agreed to and authorized by the Parties in writing within the Supplemental Agreement. 9. Right of Refusal. Vendor has the right not to sell to a TIPS Member under the awarded agreement at Vendor’s discretion unless otherwise required by law. 10. Reporting TIPS Sales. Vendor must report all TIPS Sales to TIPS. If a TIPS sale is initiated by Vendor receiving a TIPS Member’s purchase order from TIPS directly, Vendor may consider that specific TIPS Sale reported. Otherwise, with the exception of TIPS Automated Vendors, who have signed an exclusive agreement with TIPS regarding reporting, all TIPS Sales must be reported to TIPS by either: (1) Emailing the purchase order or similar purchase document (with Vendor’s Name, as known to TIPS, and the TIPS Contract Name and Number included) to TIPS at tipspo@tips-usa.com with “Confirmation Only” in the subject line of the email within three business days of Vendor’s acceptance of the order, or; (2) Within 3 business days of the order being accepted by Vendor, Vendor must login to the TIPS Vendor Portal and successfully self-report all necessary sale information within the Vendor Portal and confirm that it shows up accurately on your current Vendor Portal statement. No other method of reporting is acceptable unless agreed to by the Parties in writing. Failure to report all sales pursuant to this provision may result in immediate cancellation of Vendor’s TIPS Contract(s) for cause at TIPS’ sole discretion. Please refer to the TIPS Accounting FAQ’s for more information about reporting sales and if you have further questions, contact the Accounting Team at accounting@tips-usa.com. 11. TIPS Administration Fees. The collection of administrative fees by TIPS, a government entity, for performance of these procurement services is required pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 791.011 et. seq. The administration fee (“TIPS Administration Fee”) is the amount legally owed by Vendor to TIPS for TIPS Sales made by Vendor. The TIPS Administration Fee amount is typically a set percentage of the amount paid by the TIPS Member for each TIPS Sale, less shipping cost, bond cost, and taxes if applicable and identifiable, which is legally due to TIPS, but the exact TIPS Administration Fee for this Contract is published in the corresponding solicitation and is incorporated herein by reference. TIPS Administration Fees are due to TIPS immediately upon Vendor’s receipt of payment, including partial payment, for a TIPS Sale. The TIPS Administration Fee is assessed on the amount paid by the TIPS Member, not on the Vendor’s cost or on the amount for which the Vendor sold the item to a dealer or Authorized Reseller. Upon receipt of payment for a TIPS Sale, including partial payment (which renders TIPS Administration Fees immediately due), Vendor shall issue to TIPS the corresponding TIPS Administration Fee payment as soon as possible but not later than thirty-one calendar days following Vendor’s receipt of payment. Vendor shall pay TIPS via check unless otherwise agreed to by the Parties in writing. Vendor shall include clear documentation with the issued payment dictating to which sale(s) the amount should be applied. Vendor may create a payment report within their TIPS Vendor Portal which is the preferred documentation dictating to which TIPS Sale(s) the amount should be applied. Failure to pay all TIPS Administration Fees pursuant to this provision may result in immediate cancellation of Vendor’s TIPS Contract(s) for cause at TIPS’ sole discretion as well as the initiation of collection and legal actions by TIPS against Vendor to the extent permitted by law. Any overpayment of participation fees to TIPS by Vendor will be refunded to the Vendor Page 246 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 3 within ninety (90) days of receipt of notification if TIPS receives written notification of the overpayment not later than the expiration of six (6) months from the date of overpayment and TIPS determines that the amount was not legally due to TIPS pursuant to this agreement and applicable law. Any notification of overpayment received by TIPS after the expiration of six (6) months from the date that TIPS received the payment will render the overpayment non-refundable. Region 8 ESC and TIPS reserve the right to extend the six (6) month deadline if approved by the Region 8 ESC Board of Directors. TIPS reserves all rights under the law to collect TIPS Administration Fees due to TIPS pursuant to this Agreement. 12. Term of the Agreement. If awarded, the resulting Agreement with TIPS is for approximately five years with a one-year, consecutive option for renewal as described herein. Renewal options are not automatic and shall only be effective if offered by TIPS at its sole discretion. If TIPS offers a renewal option, the Vendor will be notified via email issued to Vendor’s then-listed Primary Contact. The renewal option shall be deemed accepted by Vendor unless Vendor notifies TIPS of its objection to the renewal option in writing and confirms receipt by TIPS. Actual Effective Date: Agreement is effective upon signature by authorized representatives of both Parties. The Effective Date does not affect the “Term Calculation Start Date.” Term Calculation Start Date: To keep the contract term consistent for all vendors awarded under a single TIPS contract, Vendor shall calculate the foregoing term as starting on the last day of the month that “Award Notifications” are anticipated as published in the Solicitation, regardless of the actual Effective Date. Example of Term Calculation Start Date: If the anticipated “Award Date” published in the Solicitation is May 22, 2023, but extended negotiations delay award until June 27, 2023 (Actual Effective Date), the Term Calculation Start Date shall be May 31, 2023 in this example. Contract Expiration Date: To keep the contract term consistent for all vendors awarded under a single TIPS contract, the term expiration date shall be five-years from the Term Calculation Start Date. Example of Contract Expiration Date: If the anticipated “Award Date” published in the Solicitation is May 22, 2023, but extended negotiations delay award until June 27, 2023 (Actual Effective Date), the Term Calculation Start Date shall be May 31, 2023 and the Contract Expiration Date of the resulting initial “five-year” term, (which is subject to an extension(s)) will be May 31, 2028 in this example. Option(s) for Renewal: Any option(s) for renewal shall begin on the Contract Expiration Date, or the date of the expiration of the prior renewal term where applicable, and continue for the duration specified for the renewal option herein. Example of Option(s) for Renewal: In this example, if TIPS offers a one-year renewal and the Contract Expiration Date is May 31, 2028, then the one-year renewal is effective from May 31, 2028 to May 31, 2029. TIPS may offer to extend Vendor Agreements to the fullest extent the TIPS Solicitation resulting in this Agreement permits. 13. TIPS Pricing. Vendor agrees and understands that for each TIPS Contract that it holds, Vendor submitted, agreed to, and received TIPS’ approval for specific pricing, discounts, and other pricing terms and incentives which make up Vendor’s TIPS Pricing for that TIPS Contract (“TIPS Pricing”). Vendor confirms that Vendor will not add the TIPS Administration Fee as a charge or line-item in a TIPS Sale. Vendor hereby certifies that Vendor shall only offer goods and services through this TIPS Contract if those goods and services are included in or added to Vendor’s TIPS Pricing and approved by TIPS. TIPS reserves the right to review Vendor’s pricing update requests as specifically as line-item by line-item to determine compliance. However, Vendor contractually agrees that all submitted pricing updates shall be within the original terms of the Vendor’s TIPS Pricing (scope, proposed discounts, price increase limitations, and other pricing terms and incentives originally proposed by Vendor) such that TIPS may accept Vendors price increase requests as submitted without additional vetting at TIPS discretion. Any pricing quoted by Vendor to a TIPS Member or on a TIPS Quote shall never exceed Vendor’s TIPS Pricing for any good or service offered through TIPS. TIPS Pricing price increases and modifications, if permitted, will be honored according to the terms of the solicitation and Vendor’s proposal, incorporated herein by reference. 14. Indemnification of TIPS. VENDOR AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND DEFEND TIPS, TIPS MEMBERS, TIPS OFFICERS, TIPS EMPLOYEES, TIPS DIRECTORS, AND TIPS TRUSTEES (THE “TIPS INDEMNITEES”) FROM AND AGAINST ALL CLAIMS AND SUITS BY THIRD-PARTIES FOR DAMAGES, INJURIES TO PERSONS (INCLUDING DEATH), PROPERTY DAMAGES, LOSSES, EXPENSES, FEES, INCLUDING COURT COSTS, ATTORNEY’S FEES, AND EXPERT FEES, ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO VENDOR’S PERFORMANCE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT (INCLUDING THE PERFORMANCE OF VENDOR’S OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AUTHORIZED RESELLERS, SUBCONTRACTORS, LICENSEES, OR INVITEES), REGARDLESS OF THE NATURE OF THE CAUSE OF ACTION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION CAUSES OF ACTION BASED UPON COMMON, CONSTITUTIONAL, OR STATUTORY LAW OR BASED IN Page 247 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 4 WHOLE OR IN PART UPON ALLEGATIONS OF NEGLIGENT OR INTENTIONAL ACTS OR OMISSIONS ON THE PART OF VENDOR, ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AUTHORIZED RESELLERS, SUBCONTRACTORS, LICENSEES, OR INVITEES. NO LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES FOR PERSONAL INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE ARE PERMITTED OR AGREED TO BY TIPS. APART FROM THIS INDEMNIFICATION PROVISION REQUIRING INDEMNIFICATION OF THE TIPS INDEMNITEES’ ATTORNEY’S FEES AS SET FORTH ABOVE, RECOVERY OF ATTORNEYS’ FEES BY THE PREVAILING PARTY IS AUTHORIZED ONLY IF AUTHORIZED BY TEX. EDUC. CODE § 44.032(F). 15. Indemnification and Assumption of Risk – Vendor Data. VENDOR AGREES THAT IT IS VOLUNTARILY PROVIDING DATA (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: VENDOR INFORMATION, VENDOR DOCUMENTATION, VENDOR’S PROPOSALS, VENDOR PRICING SUBMITTED OR PROVIDED TO TIPS, TIPS CONTRACT DOCUMENTS, TIPS CORRESPONDENCE, VENDOR LOGOS AND IMAGES, VENDOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION, VENDOR’S BROCHURES AND COMMERCIAL INFORMATION, VENDOR’S FINANCIAL INFORMATION, VENDOR’S CERTIFICATIONS, AND ANY OTHER VENDOR INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION SOFTWARE AND SOURCE CODE UTILIZED BY VENDOR, SUBMITTED TO TIPS BY VENDOR AND ITS AGENTS) (“VENDOR DATA”) TO TIPS. FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY, AND WITHOUT LIMITING THE BREADTH OF THE INDEMNITY OBLIGATIONS IN SECTION 14 ABOVE, VENDOR AGREES TO PROTECT, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD THE TIPS INDEMNITEES HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, CLAIMS, ACTIONS, DEMANDS, ALLEGATIONS, SUITS, JUDGMENTS, COSTS, EXPENSES, FEES, INCLUDING COURT COSTS, ATTORNEY’S FEES, AND EXPERT FEES AND ALL OTHER LIABILITY OF ANY NATURE WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO: (I) ANY UNAUTHORIZED, NEGLIGENT OR WRONGFUL USE OF, OR CYBER DATA BREACH INCIDENT AND VIRUSES OR OTHER CORRUPTING AGENTS INVOLVING, VENDOR’S DATA, PRICING, AND INFORMATION, COMPUTERS, OR OTHER HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS, AND; (II) ALLEGATIONS OR CLAIMS THAT ANY VENDOR DATA INFRINGES ON THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF A THIRD-PARTY OR VENDOR. 16. Procedures Related to Indemnification. In the event that an indemnity obligation arises, Vendor shall pay all amounts set forth in Section 14 and 15 above (including any settlements) and – if it has accepted its indemnity obligation without qualification – control the legal defense to such claim or cause of action, including without limitation attorney selection, strategy, discovery, trial, appeal, and settlement, and TIPS shall, at Vendor’s cost and expense (with respect to reasonable out of pocket costs and expenses incurred by TIPS which shall be reimbursed to TIPS by Vendor), provide all commercially reasonable assistance requested by Vendor. In controlling any defense, Vendor shall ensure that all assertions of governmental immunity and all applicable pleas and defenses shall be promptly asserted. 17. Indemnity for Underlying Sales and Supplemental Agreements. Vendor shall be solely responsible for any customer claims or any disputes arising out of TIPS Sales or any Supplemental Agreement as if sold in the open-market. The Parties agree that TIPS shall not be liable for any claims arising out of Vendor’s TIPS Sales or Supplemental Agreements, including but not limited to: allegations of product defect or insufficiency, allegations of service defect or insufficiency, allegations regarding delivery defect or insufficiency, allegations of fraud or misrepresentation, allegations regarding pricing or amounts owed for TIPS sales, and/or allegations regarding payment, over-payment, under-payment, or non-payment for TIPS Sales. Payment/Drafting, overpayment/over-drafting, under- payment/under-drafting, or non-payment for TIPS Sales between customer and Vendor and inspections, rejections, or acceptance of such purchases shall be the exclusive respective obligations of Vendor/Customer, and disputes shall be handled in accordance with the terms of the underlying Supplemental Agreement(s) entered into between Vendor and Customer. Vendor acknowledges that TIPS is not a dealer, subcontractor, agent, or reseller of Vendor’s goods and services and shall not be responsible for any claims arising out of alleged insufficiencies or defects in Vendor’s goods and services, should any arise. 18. Confidentiality of Vendor Data. Vendor understands and agrees that by signing this Agreement, all Vendor Data is hereby released to TIPS, TIPS Members, and TIPS third-party administrators to effectuate Vendor’s TIPS Contract except as provided for herein. The Parties agree that Vendor Data is accessible by all TIPS Members as if submitted directly to that TIPS Member Customer for purchase consideration. If Vendor otherwise considers any portion of Vendor’s Data to be confidential and not subject to public disclosure pursuant to Chapter 552 Texas Gov’t Code (the “Public Information Act”) or other law(s) and orders, Vendor must have identified the claimed confidential materials through proper execution of the Confidentiality Claim Form which is required to be submitted as part of Vendor’s proposal resulting in this Agreement and incorporated by reference. The Confidentiality Claim Form included in Vendor’s proposal and incorporated herein by reference is the sole indicator of whether Vendor considers any Vendor Data confidential in the event TIPS receives a Public Information Request. If TIPS receives a request, any responsive documentation not deemed confidential by you in this manner will be automatically released. For Vendor Data deemed confidential by you in this manner, TIPS will follow procedures of controlling statute(s) regarding any claim of confidentiality and shall not be liable for any release of information required by law, including Attorney General determination and opinion. In the event that TIPS receives a written request for information pursuant to the Public Information Act that affects Vendor’s interest in any information or data furnished to TIPS by Vendor, and TIPS requests an opinion from the Attorney General, Vendor may, at its own option and expense, prepare comments and submit information directly to the Attorney General stating why the requested information is exempt from disclosure pursuant to the requirements of the Public Information Act. Vendor is solely responsible for submitting the memorandum brief and information to the Attorney General Page 248 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 5 within the time period prescribed by the Public Information Act. Notwithstanding any other information provided in this solicitation or Vendor designation of certain Vendor Data as confidential or proprietary, Vendor’s acceptance of this TIPS Vendor Agreement constitutes Vendor’s consent to the disclosure of Vendor’s Data, including any information deemed confidential or proprietary, to TIPS Members or as ordered by a Court or government agency, including without limitation the Texas Attorney General. Vendor agrees that TIPS shall not be responsible or liable for any use or distribution of information or documentation by TIPS Members or as required by law. 19. Vendor’s Authorized Resellers. TIPS recognizes that many vendors operate in the open market through the use of resellers or dealers. For that reason, TIPS permits Vendor to authorize Authorized Resellers within its Vendor Portal and make TIPS Sales through the Authorized Reseller(s). Once authorized by Vendor in the Vendor Portal, the Authorized Reseller(s) may make TIPS sales to TIPS Members. However, all purchase documents must include: (1) Authorized Reseller’s Name; (2) Vendor’s Name, as known to TIPS, and; (3) Vendor’s TIPS Contract Name and Number under which it is making the TIPS Sale. Either Vendor or Reseller may report the sale pursuant to the terms herein. However, Vendor agrees that it is legally responsible for all reporting and fee payment as described herein for TIPS Sales made by Authorized Resellers. The TIPS Administration Fee is assessed on the amount paid by the TIPS Member, not on the Vendor’s cost or on the amount for which the Vendor sold the item to a dealer or Authorized Reseller. The Parties intend that Vendor shall be responsible and liable for TIPS Sales made by Vendor’s Authorized Resellers. Vendor agrees that it is voluntarily authorizing this Authorized Reseller and in doing so, Vendor agrees that it is doing so at its own risk and agrees to protect, indemnify, and hold TIPS harmless in accordance with Sections 14-17 above related to Authorized Reseller TIPS Sales made pursuant to this Agreement or purporting to be made pursuant to this Agreement that may be asserted against Vendor whether rightfully brought or otherwise. The Parties further agree that it is no defense to Vendor’s breach of this Agreement that an Authorized Reseller caused Vendor of breach this Agreement. 20. Circumvention of TIPS Sales. When a public entity initiates a purchase with Vendor, if the Member inquires verbally or in writing whether Vendor holds a TIPS Contract, it is the duty of the Vendor to verify whether the Member is seeking a TIPS purchase. Any request for quote, customer communication, or customer purchase initiated through or referencing a TIPS Contract shall be completed through TIPS pursuant to this Agreement. Any encouragement or participation by Vendor in circumventing a TIPS sale being completed may result in immediate termination of Vendor’s TIPS Contract(s) for cause as well as preclusion from future TIPS opportunities at TIPS sole discretion. 21. State of Texas Franchise Tax. By signature hereon, Vendor hereby certifies that Vendor is not currently delinquent in the payment of any franchise taxes owed to the State of Texas under Chapter 171 of the Texas Tax Code. 22. Termination. A) Termination for Convenience. TIPS may, by written notice to Vendor, terminate this Agreement for convenience, in whole or in part, at any time by giving thirty (30) days’ written notice to Vendor of such termination, and specifying the effective date thereof. B) Termination for Cause. If Vendor fails to materially perform pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, TIPS shall provide written notice to Vendor specifying the default. If Vendor does not cure such default within thirty (30) days, TIPS may terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part, for cause. If TIPS terminates this Agreement for cause, and it is later determined that the termination for cause was wrongful, the termination shall automatically be converted to and treated as a termination for convenience. C) Vendor’s Termination. If TIPS fails to materially perform pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, Vendor shall provide written notice to TIPS specifying the default (“Notice of Default”). If TIPS does not cure such default within thirty (30) days, Vendor may terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part, for cause. If Vendor terminates this Agreement for cause, and it is later determined that the termination for cause was wrongful, the termination shall automatically be converted to and treated as a termination for convenience. D) Upon termination, all TIPS Sale orders previously accepted by Vendor shall be fulfilled and Vendor shall be paid for all TIPS Sales executed pursuant to the applicable terms. All TIPS Sale orders presented to Vendor but not fulfilled by Vendor, prior to the actual termination of this agreement shall be honored at the option of the TIPS Member. TIPS shall submit to Vendor an invoice for any outstanding TIPS Administration Fees and approved expenses and Vendor shall pay such fees and expenses within 30 calendar days of receipt of such valid TIPS invoice. Vendor acknowledges and agrees that continued participation in TIPS is subject to TIPS’ sole discretion and that any Vendor may be removed from the TIPS program at any time with or without cause. This Page 249 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 6 termination clause does not affect TIPS Sales Supplemental Agreements pursuant to this term regarding termination and the Survival Clause term. E) Vendor hereby waives any and all claims for damages, including, but not limited, to consequential damages or lost profits, that might arise from TIPS’ act of terminating this Agreement. 23. Survival Clause. It is the intent of the Parties that this Agreement and procurement method applies to any TIPS Sale made during the life of this Agreement even if made on or near the Contract Expiration Date as defined herein. Thus, all TIPS Sales, including but not limited to: leases, service agreements, license agreements, open purchase orders, warranties, and contracts, even if they extend months or years past the TIPS Contract Expiration Date, shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement subject to the terms and conditions of the Supplemental Agreement between Customer and Vendor or unless otherwise specified herein. 24. Audit Rights. Due to transparency statutes and public accountability requirements of TIPS and TIPS Members, Vendor shall at their sole expense, maintain documentation of all TIPS Sales for a period of three years from the time of the TIPS Sale. In order to ensure and confirm compliance with this agreement, TIPS shall have authority to conduct audits of Vendor’s TIPS Pricing or TIPS Sales with thirty-days’ notice unless the audit is ordered by a Court Order or by a Government Agency with authority to do so without said notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that TIPS is made aware of any pricing being offered to eligible entities that is materially inconsistent with Vendor’s TIPS Pricing, TIPS shall have the ability to conduct the audit internalO\RUPD\HQJDJHDWKLUGဨSDUW\DXGLWLQJ ILUPWRLQYHVWLJDWHDQ\SRVVLEOHQRQဨFRPSOLDQWFRQGXFWRUPD\WHUPLQDWHWKH$JUHHPHQWDFFRUGLQJWRWKHWHUPVRIWKLV$JUHHPHQt. In the event of an audit, the requested materials shall be reasonably provided in the time, format, and at the location acceptable to TIPS. TIPS agrees not to perform a random audit the TIPS transaction documentation more than once per calendar year, but reserves the right to audit for just cause or as required by any governmental agency or court with regulatory authority over TIPS or the TIPS Member. These audit rights shall survive termination of this Agreement for a period of one (1) year from the effective date of termination. 25. Conflicts of Interest. The Parties confirm that they have not offered, given, or accepted, nor intend to give at any time hereafter any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, service to the other in connection with this Agreement. Vendor affirms that, to the best of Vendor’s knowledge, this Agreement has been arrived at independently, and is awarded without collusion with anyone to obtain information or gain any favoritism that would in any way limit competition or give an unfair advantage over other vendors in the award of this Agreement. Vendor agrees that it has disclosed any necessary affiliations with Region 8 Education Service Center and the TIPS Department, if any, through the Conflict of Interest attachment provided in the solicitation resulting in this Agreement. 26. Volume of TIPS Sales. Nothing in this Agreement or any TIPS communication may be construed as a guarantee that TIPS or TIPS Members will submit any TIPS orders to Vendor at any time. 27. Compliance with the Law. The Parties agree to comply fully with all applicable federal, state, and local statutes, ordinances, rules, and regulations applicable to their entity in connection with the programs contemplated under this Agreement. 28. Severability. If any term(s) or provision(s) of this Agreement are held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, void, or unenforceable, then such term(s) or provision(s) shall be deemed restated to reflect the original intention of the Parties as nearly as possible in accordance with applicable law and the remainder of this Agreement, and the remainder of the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated, unless such holding causes the obligations of the Parties hereto to be impossible to perform or shall render the terms of this Agreement to be inconsistent with the intent of the Parties hereto. 29. Force Majeure. If by reason of Force Majeure, either party hereto shall be rendered unable wholly or in part to carry out its obligations under this Agreement through no fault of its own then such party shall give notice and full particulars of Force Majeure in writing to the other party within a reasonable time after occurrence of the event or cause relied upon. Upon delivering such notice, the obligation of the affected party, so far as it is affected by such Force Majeure as described, shall be suspended during the continuance of the inability then claimed but for no longer period, and such party shall endeavor to remove or overcome such inability with all reasonable dispatch. In the event that Vendor’s obligations are suspended by reason of Force Majeure, all TIPS Sales accepted prior to the Force Majeure event shall be the legal responsibility of Vendor and the terms of the TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement shall control Vendor’s failure to fulfill for a Force Majeure event. 30. Immunity. Vendor agrees that nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of sovereign or government immunity; nor constitute or be construed as a waiver of any of the privileges, rights, defenses, remedies, or immunities available to Region 8 Education Service Center or its TIPS Department. The failure to enforce, or any delay in the enforcement of, any privileges, rights, defenses, Page 250 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 7 remedies, or immunities available to Region 8 Education Service Center or its TIPS Department under this Agreement or under applicable law shall not constitute a waiver of such privileges, rights, defenses, remedies, or immunities or be considered as a basis for estoppel. 31. Insurance Requirements. Vendor agrees to maintain the following minimum insurance requirements for the duration of this Agreement. All policies held by Vendor to adhere to this term shall be written by a carrier with a financial size category of VII and at least a rating of ³$ဨ” by A.M. Best Key Rating Guide. The coverages and limits are to be considered minimum requirements and in no way limit the liability of the Vendor(s). Any immunity available to TIPS or TIPS Members shall not be used as a defense by the contractor's insurance policy. Only deductibles applicable to property damage are acceptable, unless proof of retention funds to cover said deductibles is provided. "Claims made" policies will not be accepted. Vendor’s required minimum coverage shall not be suspended, voidHGFDQFHOOHGQRQဨUHQHZHGRUUHGXFHGLQFRYHUDJHRULQOLPLWVXQOHVVUHSODFHGE\DSROLF\WKDWSURYLGHVWKHPLQLPXPUHTXLUHG coverage except after thirty (30) days prior written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested has been given to TIPS or the TIPS Member if a project or pending delivery of an order is ongoing. Upon request, certified copies of all insurance policies shall be furnished to the TIPS or the TIPS Member. Vendor agrees that when Vendor or its subcontractors are liable for any damages or claims, Vendor’s policy, shall be primary over any other valid and collectible insurance carried by the Member or TIPS. General Liability: $1,000,000 each Occurrence/Aggregate Automobile Liability: ,QFOXGHVRZQHGKLUHG QRQဨRZQHG Workers' Compensation: Statutory limits for the jurisdiction in which the Vendor performs under this Agreement. If Vendor performs in multiple jurisdictions, Vendor shall maintain the statutory limits for the jurisdiction with the greatest dollar policy limit requirement. Umbrella Liability: $1,000,000 each Occurrence/Aggregate 32. Waiver. No waiver of any single breach or multiple breaches of any provision of this Agreement shall be construed to be a waiver of any breach of any other provision. No delay in acting regarding any breach of any provision shall be construed to be a waiver of such breach. 33. Binding Agreement. This Agreement shall be binding and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective heirs, legal successors, and assigns. 34. Headings. The paragraph headings contained in this Agreement are included solely for convenience of reference and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of any of the provisions of this Agreement. 35. Choice of Law and Venue. This Agreement shall be governed by, construed, and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas. Any proceeding, claim, action, or alternative dispute resolution arising out of or relating to this Agreement or involving TIPS shall be brought in a State Court of competent jurisdiction in Camp County, Texas, or if Federal Court is legally required, a Federal Court of competent jurisdiction in the Eastern District of Texas, and each of the Parties irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of said court in any such proceeding, waives any objection it may now or hereafter have to venue or to convenience of forum, agrees that all claims in respect of the proceeding shall be heard and determined only in any such court, and agrees not to bring any proceeding arising out of or relating to this procurement process or any contract resulting from or and contemplated transaction in any other court. The Parties agree that either or both of them may file a copy of this paragraph with any court as written evidence of the knowing, voluntary and freely bargained for agreement between the Parties irrevocably to waive any objections to venue or to convenience of forum. 36. Relationship of the Parties. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to make one Party an agent of the other Party nor shall either party have any authority to bind the other in any respect, unless expressly authorized by the other party in writing. The Parties are independent contractors and nothing in this Agreement creates a relationship of employment, trust, agency or partnership between them. 37. Assignment. No assignment of this Agreement or of any duty or obligation of performance hereunder, shall be made in whole or in part by a Party hereto without the prior written consent of the other Party. Written consent of TIPS shall not be unreasonably withheld. 38. Minimum Condition and Warranty Requirements for TIPS Sales. All goods quoted or sold through a TIPS Sale shall be new unless clearly stated otherwise in writing. All new goods and services shall include the applicable manufacturers minimum standard warranty unless otherwise agreed to in the Supplemental Agreement. Page 251 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 8 39. Minimum Customer Support Requirements for TIPS Sales. Vendor shall provide timely and commercially reasonable support for TIPS Sales or as agreed to in the applicable Supplemental Agreement. 40. Minimum Shipping Requirements for TIPS Sales. Vendor shall ship, deliver, or provide ordered goods and services within a commercially reasonable time after acceptance of the order. If a delay in delivery is anticipated, Vendor shall notify the TIPS Member as to why delivery is delayed and provide an updated estimated time for completion. The TIPS Member may cancel the order if the delay is not commercially acceptable or not consistent with the Supplemental Agreement applicable to the order. 41. Minimum Vendor License Requirements. Vendor shall maintain, in current status, all federal, state, and local licenses, bonds and permits required for the operation of the business conducted by Vendor. Vendor shall remain fully informed of and in compliance with all ordinances and regulations pertaining to the lawful provision of goods or services under the TIPS Agreement. TIPS and TIPS Members reserve the right to stop work and/or cancel a TIPS Sale or terminate this or any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement involving Vendor if Vendor’s license(s) required to perform under this Agreement or under the specific TIPS Sale have expired, lapsed, are VXVSHQGHGRUWHUPLQDWHGVXEMHFWWRDဨGD\FXUHSHULRGXQOHVVSURKLELWHGE\DSSOLFDEOHVWDWXHRUUHJXODWLRQ 42. Minimum Vendor Legal Requirements. Vendor shall remain aware of and comply with this Agreement and all local, state, and federal laws governing the sale of products/services offered by Vendor under this contract. Such applicable laws, ordinances, and policies must be complied with even if not specified herein. 43. Minimum Site Requirements for TIPS Sales (when applicable to TIPS Sale). Cleanup: When performing work on site at a TIPS Member’s property, Vendor shall clean up and remove all debris and rubbish resulting from their work as required or directed by the TIPS Member or as agreed by the parties. Upon completion of work, the premises shall be left in good repair and an orderly, neat, clean and unobstructed condition. Preparation: Vendor shall not begin a project for which a TIPS Member has not prepared the site, unless Vendor does the preparation work at no cost, or until TIPS Member includes the cost of site preparation in the TIPS Sale Site preparation includes, but is not limited WRPRYLQJIXUQLWXUHLQVWDOOLQJZLULQJIRUQHWZRUNVRUSRZHUDQGVLPLODUSUHဨLQVWDOODWLRQUHTXLUHPHQWV Registered Sex Offender Restrictions: For work to be performed at schools, Vendor agrees that no employee of Vendor or a subcontractor who has been adjudicated to be a registered sex offender will perform work at any time when students are, or reasonably expected to be, present unless otherwise agreed by the TIPS Member. Vendor agrees that a violation of this condition shall be considered a material breach and may result in the cancellation of the TIPS Sale at the TIPS Member’s discretion. Vendor must identify any additional costs associated with compliance of this term. If no costs are specified, compliance with this term will be provided at no additional charge. Safety Measures: Vendor shall take all reasonable precautions for the safety of employees on the worksite, and shall erect and properly maintain all necessary safeguards for protection of workers and the public. Vendor shall post warning signs against all hazards created by the operation and work in progress. Proper precautions shall be taken pursuant to state law and standard practices to protect workers, general public and existing structures from injury or damage. Smoking: Persons working under Agreement shall adhere to the TIPS Member’s or local smoking statutes, codes, ordinances, and policies. 44. Payment for TIPS Sales. TIPS Members may make payments for TIPS Sales directly to Vendor, Vendor’s Authorized Reseller, or as otherwise agreed to in the applicable Supplemental Agreement after receipt of the invoice and in compliance with applicable payment statutes. Regardless of how payment is issued or received for a TIPS Sale, Vendor is responsible for all reporting and TIPS Administration Fee payment requirements as stated herein. 45. Marketing. Vendor agrees that any logos, images, photos, writing, audio, clip art, music, data, promotional documents, or any other information or intellectual property (“Vendor Property”) approved or provided by Vendor for TIPS’ use are either the exclusive property of Vendor, or Vendor has all necessary rights, license, and permissions to allow TIPS use of Vendor Property. Vendor permits TIPS to use their name and logo to identify Vendor as a TIPS Awarded Vendor on the TIPS website only. All other use of Vendor’s Property by TIPS shall require prior written Vendor approval. Any Vendor use of TIPS’ logos, images, photos, writing, audio, clip art, music, data, promotional documents, or any other information or intellectual property (“TIPS Property”) or reference to TIPS in marketing outreach requires Vendor to obtain prior written authorization from marketing@tips-usa.com which will not be unreasonably Page 252 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Page 9 withheld. Vendor must execute a TIPS Marketing Waiver before specific, written authorization will be granted. For any marketing outreach taken by Vendor without proper TIPS’ authorization and execution of the TIPS Marketing Waiver, Vendor shall indemnify and hold harmless TIPS and its employees, officers, agents, representatives, contractors, assignees, designees, and TIPS Members from any and all claims, damages, and judgments involving: i. Infringement of patent, copyright, trade secrets, trade or services marks, and any other intellectual or intangible property rights and/or claims arising from the Vendor’s (including Vendor’s officers’, employees’, agents’, authorized resellers’, subcontractors’, or invitees’) unauthorized use or distribution of Vendor Property. ii. Violations of privacy and data laws; and iii. Unauthorized use or distribution of TIPS Property. 46. Tax Exempt Status of TIPS Members. Most TIPS Members are tax exempt entities and the laws and regulations applicable to the specific TIPS Member customer shall control. 47. Automatic Renewal Limitation for TIPS Sales. No TIPS Sale may incorporate an automatic renewal clause that exceeds month to month terms with which the TIPS Member must comply. All renewal terms incorporated into a TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement shall only be valid and enforceable when Vendor received written confirmation of acceptance of the renewal term from the TIPS Member for the specific renewal term. The purpose of this clause is to avoid a TIPS Member inadvertently renewing an Agreement during a period in which the governing body of the TIPS Member has not properly appropriated and budgeted the funds to satisfy the Agreement renewal. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing an “Automatic Renewal” clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. 48. Choice of Law Limitation for TIPS Sales. Vendor agrees that if any "Choice of Law" provision is included in any TIPS Sale agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause must provide that the "Choice of Law" applicable to the TIPS Sale agreement/contract between Vendor and TIPS Member shall be the state where the TIPS Member operates unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing a “Choice of Law” clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable.pr 49. Venue Limitation for TIPS Sales. Vendor agrees that if any "Venue" provision is included in any TIPS Sale Agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause must provide that the "Venue" for any litigation or alternative dispute resolution shall be in the state and county where the TIPS Member operates unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing a “Venue” clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. 50. Indemnity Limitation for TIPS Sales. Texas and other jurisdictions restrict the ability of governmental entities to indemnify others. Vendor agrees that if any "Indemnity" provision which requires the TIPS Member to indemnify Vendor is included in any TIPS sales agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause must either be stricken or qualified by including that such indemnity is only permitted, "to the extent permitted by the laws and constitution of [TIPS Member's State]” unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing an "Indemnity" clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. 51. Arbitration Limitation for TIPS Sales. Vendor agrees that if any "Arbitration" provision is included in any TIPS Sale agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause may not require that the arbitration is mandatory or binding. Vendor agrees that if any "Arbitration" provision is included in any TIPS Sale agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause provides for only voluntary and non-binding arbitration unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing a “Arbitration” clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto, each acting under due and proper authority, have signed this Agreement. Page 253 of 764 TIPS Vendor Agreement Signature Form Page 1 TIPS VENDOR AGREEMENT SIGNATURE )250 7,360520DLQWHQDQFH5HSDLUDQG2SHUDWLRQVRI)DFLOLWLHVDQG*URXQGV 6XSSOLHV(TXLSPHQW7RRO5HQWDO6DOHVDQG6HUYLFHV Vendor Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Vendor Address: ___________________________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________________________ State: ____________ Zip Code: _____________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Name: ___________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Title: ____________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Phone: ___________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Email: ___________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signature: ________________________________________ Date: ___________________ (The following is for TIPS completion only) TIPS Authorized Signatory Name: _____________________________________________________________ TIPS Authorized Signatory Title: ______________________________________________________________ TIPS Authorized Signature: ___________________________________ Date: __07/22/2025_________________ _________________________ 91355 Patrick ODonnell Head of Sales 712-242-8688 patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com June 18, 2025 Dr. Fitts Executive Director Connexionz LTD 27720 Avenue Scott Unit 190 Santa Clarita CA Page 254 of 764 250503 Connexionz Ltd. Supplier Response Event Information Number:250503 Title:MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations of Facilities and Grounds) Supplies, Equipment, Tool Rental, Sales and Services Type:Request for Proposal Issue Date:5/1/2025 Deadline:6/20/2025 03:00 PM (CT) Notes:This is a solicitation issued by The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS), a department of Texas Region 8 Education Service Center. It is an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity ("IDIQ") solicitation. It will result in contracts that provide, through adoption/"piggyback" an indefinite quantity of supplies/services, during a fixed period of time, to TIPS public entity and qualifying non-profit "TIPS Members" throughout the nation. Thus, there is no specific project or scope of work to review. Rather this solicitation is issued as a prospective award for utilization when any TIPS Member needs the goods or services offered during the life of the agreement. IF YOU CURRENTLY HOLDS A TIPS CONTRACT WHICH COVERS ALL OF YOUR MRO OFFERINGS AND YOU ARE SATISFIED WITH IT, THERE IS NO NEED TO RESPOND TO THIS SOLICITATION UNLESS YOU PREFER TO HOLD BOTH CONTRACTS. Contact Information Address:Region 8 Education Service Center 4845 US Highway 271 North Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 1 of 32 pages Page 255 of 764 Pittsburg, TX 75686 Phone:+1 (866) 839-8477 Email:bids@tips-usa.com Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 2 of 32 pages Page 256 of 764 Connexionz Ltd. Information Contact:Patrick F O'Donnell Address:27720 Avenue Scott Unit 190 Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Phone:(712) 242-8688 Email:patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com Web Address:www.connexionz.com By submitting your response, you certify that you are authorized to represent and bind your company. Patrick ODonnell patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com Signature Email Submitted at 6/19/2025 03:52:46 PM (CT) Requested Attachments Pricing Form 1 250503 Pricing Form 1- Connexionz.xlsx Pricing Form 1 must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, properly completed as instructed, and uploaded to this location. Pricing Form 2 250503 Pricing Form 2 - CONNEXIONZ.xlsx Pricing Form 2 must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, properly completed as instructed, and uploaded to this location. (3) Required Customer Reference Letters Professional Reference for Connexionz - TIPS RFP 250503.pdf Vendor is required to upload three Customer Reference Letters from three separate customers as described herein. Vendor will be scored on the aggregate Reference Letters received from customers as described in the solicitation. Vendor must provide three current letters (issued within the 12-months preceding the date on which the solicitation was posted) from its customers verifying Vendor’s customer service and reputation as described herein. (Ex. if the solicitation/bid posted on February 4, 2024, the letters must be dated on or after February 1, 2023). The letters must be issued from customers who have received goods or services from the Vendor or its current corporate officials, on entity/company letterhead, must specify its customer experience with Vendor, and must be signed by an authorized representative of the customer. TIPS Reference Forms from past bids will no longer be accepted. Required Confidentiality Claim Form 250503 Required Confidentiality Claim Form.pdf The Required Confidentiality Claim Form must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, properly completed, and uploaded to this location. This is the only way for Vendor to assert confidentiality of any information submitted. Vendor Agreement 250503 Completed Vendor Agreement.pdf The Vendor Agreement must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, Vendor Name placed in the line provided at the top, and uploaded to this location. If Vendor has proposed deviations to the Vendor Agreement, Vendor may assert so in the Attribute Questions and those shall be addressed during evaluation. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 3 of 32 pages Page 257 of 764 Vendor Agreement Signature Form 250503 SIGNED Vendor Agreement Signature Form.pdf The Vendor Agreement Signature Form must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, properly completed, and uploaded to this location. If Vendor has proposed deviations to the Vendor Agreement, Vendor may leave the signature line of this page blank and assert so in the Attribute Questions and those shall be addressed during evaluation. Current Form W-9 Connexionz - W-9 (1).pdf Vendor must upload their current IRS Tax Form W-9. The legal name, EIN, and d/b/a's listed should match the information provided herein exactly. This form will be utilized by TIPS to properly identify your entity. Alternate or Supplemental Pricing Documents No response Optional. If when completing Pricing Form 1 & Pricing Form 2 you direct TIPS to view additional, alternate, or supplemental pricing documentation, you may upload that documentation. Certificates & Licenses (Supplemental Vendor Information Only) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities - CONNEXIONZ Standard Form - LLL.pdf Optional. If Vendor would like to display any applicable certificates or licenses (including HUB certificates) for TIPS and TIPS Member Customer consideration, Vendor may upload those at this location. These supplemental documents shall not be considered part of the TIPS Contract. Rather, they are Vendor Supplemental Information for marketing and informational purposes only. Vendor Logo (Supplemental Vendor Information Only)CONN008 Logo COLOUR REV NO BG v1 v1 (2).jpg Optional. If Vendor desires that their logo be displayed on their public TIPS profile for TIPS and TIPS Member viewing, Vendor may upload that logo at this location. These supplemental documents shall not be considered part of the TIPS Contract. Rather, they are Vendor Supplemental Information for marketing and informational purposes only. Vendor’s Warranties, Terms, and Conditions (Supplemental Vendor Information Only) Limited-Warranty (1).pdf Optional. If Vendor would like to display any standard warranties, terms, or conditions which are often applicable to their offerings for TIPS and TIPS Member Customer consideration, Vendor may upload those at this location. These supplemental documents shall not be considered part of the TIPS Contract. Rather, they are Vendor Supplemental Information for marketing and informational purposes only. Supplemental Vendor Information (Supplemental Vendor Information Only) Connexionz Base Product Information - June 2025.pdf Optional. If Vendor would like to display or include any brochures, promotional documents, marketing materials, or other Vendor Information for TIPS and TIPS Member Customer consideration, Vendor may upload those at this location. These supplemental documents shall not be considered part of the TIPS Contract. Rather, they are Vendor Supplemental Information for marketing and informational purposes only. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities - Standard Form - LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities - CONNEXIONZ Standard Form - LLL.pdf Do not upload this form unless Vendor has reportable lobbying activities. There are Attributes entitled, “2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment – Continued.” Properly respond to those Attributes and only upload this form if applicable/instructed. If upload is required based on your response to those Attributes, the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities – Standard Form - LLL must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, properly completed, and uploaded to this location. Conflict of Interest Questionnaire - Form CIQ Conflice of Interest - Connexionz.pdf Do not upload this form unless you have a reportable conflict with TIPS. There is an Attribute entitled “Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Requirement” immediately followed by an Attribute entitled “Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Requirement – Form CIQ – Continued.” Properly respond to those Attributes and only upload this form if applicable/instructed. If upload is required based on your response to those Attributes, the Conflict of Interest Questionnaire – Form CIQ must be downloaded from the “Attachments” section of the IonWave eBid System, reviewed, properly completed, and uploaded at this location. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 4 of 32 pages Page 258 of 764 Bid Attributes 1 Disadvantaged/Minority/Women Business & Federal HUBZone Some participating public entities are required to seek Disadvantaged/Minority/Women Business & Federal HUBZone ("D/M/WBE/Federal HUBZone") vendors. Does Vendor certify that their entity is a D/M/WBE/Federal HUBZone vendor? If you respond "Yes," you must upload current certification proof in the appropriate "Response Attachments" location. NO 2 Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Some participating public entities are required to seek Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) vendors as defined by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Statewide HUB Program. Does Vendor certify that their entity is a HUB vendor? If you respond "Yes," you must upload current certification proof in the appropriate "Response Attachments" location. No 3 National Coverage Can the Vendor provide its proposed goods and services to all 50 US States? Yes - All 50 States 4 States Served If Vendor answered "No" to the question entitled "National Coverage," please list all states where vendor can provide the goods and services proposed directly below. Your response may dictate which potential TIPS Member customers consider purchasing your offerings. No response 5 Description of Vendor Entity and Vendor's Goods & Services If awarded, this description of Vendor and Vendor's goods and services will appear on the TIPS website for customer/public viewing. Connexionz will design, deliver, and support end-to-end Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) solutions for transportation providers such as yourself. Our cloud-based solutions mean that our system will evolve as new features are added, giving you flexibility should you wish to adopt them. Over the decades CNX has successfully installed CAD/AVL hardware on hundreds of mass transit vehicles across America, ranging from large buses to cut-aways and trolleys, and even ferries. A base example of agencies are included below: Augmenting the CAD/AVL core has included add-on/integration of APCs (Automated Passenger Counters), AFCs (automated fare collection), AVA (Automatic Voice Announcements), infotainment, engine diagnostics, and a myriad of long- standing partner relationships for specialties such as MVS (Mobile Video Systems), NTD (National Transport Database) reporting, pre and post-trip inspections, run-cutting and more. CNX prides itself on two very key differentiators; firstly, its long-standing customer relationships that have renewed multiple times, which could be due in-part to the second - its unique ability to play very well with 3rd party hardware and software for integration purposes. Circling back to “the sum of its parts”, the core individuals assigned to a typical project’s ITS deployment have a combined experience of more than 85 years in project management and service/support. 6 Primary Contact Name Please identify the individual who will be primarily responsible for all TIPS matters and inquiries for the duration of the contract. Patrick ODonnell Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 5 of 32 pages Page 259 of 764 7 Primary Contact Title Primary Contact Title Head of Sales 8 Primary Contact Email Please enter a valid email address that will definitely reach the Primary Contact. patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com 9 Primary Contact Phone Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). Please provide the accurate and current phone number where the individual who will be primarily responsible for all TIPS matters and inquiries for the duration of the contract can be reached directly. 7122428688 1 0 Primary Contact Fax Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). No response 1 1 Primary Contact Mobile Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). 7122428688 1 2 Secondary Contact Name Please identify the individual who will be secondarily responsible for all TIPS matters and inquiries for the duration of the contract. Jamie Palmer 1 3 Secondary Contact Title Secondary Contact Title Sales Manager 1 4 Secondary Contact Email Please enter a valid email address that will definitely reach the Secondary Contact. jamie.palmer@connexionz.com 1 5 Secondary Contact Phone Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). Please provide the accurate and current phone number where the individual who will be secondarily responsible for all TIPS matters and inquiries for the duration of the contract can be reached directly. 6614511005 Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 6 of 32 pages Page 260 of 764 1 6 Secondary Contact Fax Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). No response 1 7 Secondary Contact Mobile Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). 6614511005 1 8 Administration Fee Contact Name Please identify the individual who will be responsible for all payment, accounting, and other matters related to Vendor's TIPS Administration Fee due to TIPS for the duration of the contract. Jamie Palmer 1 9 Administration Fee Contact Email Please enter a valid email address that will definitely reach the Administration Fee Contact. jamie.palmer@connexionz.com 2 0 Administration Fee Contact Phone Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). 6614511005 2 1 Purchase Order and Sales Contact Name Please identify the individual who will be responsible for receiving and processing purchase orders and sales under the TIPS Contract. Patrick ODonnell 2 2 Purchase Order and Sales Contact Email Please enter a valid email address that will definitely reach the Purchase Order and Sales Contact. patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com 2 3 Purchase Order and Sales Contact Phone Numbers only, no symbols or spaces (Ex. 8668398477). The system will auto-populate your entry with commas once submitted which is appropriate and expected (Ex. 8,668,398,477). 7122428688 2 4 Company Website Company Website (Format - www.company.com) www.connexionz.com Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 7 of 32 pages Page 261 of 764 2 5 Entity D/B/A's and Assumed Names You must confirm that you are responding to this solicitation under your legal entity name. Go now to your Supplier Profile in this eBid System and confirm that your profile reflects your "Legal Name" as it is listed on your W9. In this question, please identify all of your entity's assumed names and D/B/A's. Please note that you will be identified publicly by the Legal Name under which you respond to this solicitation unless you organize otherwise with TIPS after award. Connexionz Ltd. is correct 2 6 Primary Address Primary Address 27720 Avenue Scott 2 7 Primary Address City Primary Address City Santa Clarita 2 8 Primary Address State Primary Address State (2 Digit Abbreviation) CA 2 9 Primary Address Zip Primary Address Zip 91355 3 0 Search Words Identifying Vendor Please list all search words and phrases to be included in the TIPS database related to your entity. Do not list words which are not associated with the bid category/scope (See bid title for general scope). This will help users find you through the TIPS website search function. You may include product names, manufacturers, specialized services, and other words associated with the scope of this solicitation. Transit Agency Bus Parts Transit Software E-Signs Infotainment System CAD/AVL Bus Tracking Automated Announcements Automated Passenger Counters GTFS GTFS-RT Cellular Routers Bus Shelters Transit Centers NTD Certification Fixed Route Buses Passenger Information Transit Technology GPS 3 1 Certification of Vendor Residency (Required by the State of Texas) Does Vendor's parent company or majority owner: (A) have its principal place of business in Texas; or (B) employ at least 500 persons in Texas? Texas Education Code Section 44.031 requires that this information be considered in evaluation for certain contracts. However, Vendor response does not affect points, scoring, or potential award. No 3 2 Vendor's Principal Place of Business (City) In what city is Vendor's principal place of business located? Santa Clarita Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 8 of 32 pages Page 262 of 764 3 3 Vendor's Principal Place of Business (State) In what state is Vendor's principal place of business located? CA 3 4 Vendor's Years in Business How many years has the business submitting this proposal been operating in its current capacity and field of work? 30 3 5 Certification Regarding Entire TIPS Agreement Vendor agrees that, if awarded, Vendor's final TIPS Contract will consist of the provisions set forth in the finalized TIPS Vendor Agreement, Vendor's responses to these attribute questions, and: (1) The TIPS solicitation document resulting in this Agreement; (2) Any addenda or clarifications issued in relation to the TIPS solicitation; (3) All solicitation information provided to Vendor by TIPS through the TIPS eBid System; (3) Vendor’s entire proposal response to the TIPS solicitation including all accepted required attachments, acknowledged notices and certifications, accepted negotiated terms, accepted pricing, accepted responses to questions, and accepted written clarifications of Vendor’s proposal, and; any properly included attachments to the TIPS Contract. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 9 of 32 pages Page 263 of 764 3 6 Minimum Percentage Discount Offered to TIPS Members on all Goods and Services (READ CAREFULLY) Please read thoroughly and carefully as an error on your response can render your contract award unusable. TIPS Members often turn to TIPS Contracts for ease of use and to receive discounted pricing. What is the minimum percentage discount that you can offer TIPS Members off of all goods and service pricing (whether offered through Pricing Form 1, Pricing Form 2, or in another accepted format) that you offer? Only limited goods/services specifically identified and excluded from this discount in Vendor’s original proposal may be excluded from this discount. Vendor must respond with a percentage from 0%-100%. The percentage discount that you input below will be applied to your "Catalog Pricing", as defined in the solicitation, for all TIPS Sales made during the life of the contract. You cannot alter this percentage discount once the solicitation legally closes. You will always be required to discount every TIPS Sale by the percentage included below with the exception of limited goods/services specifically identified and excluded from this discount in Vendor’s original proposal. If you add goods or services to your "Catalog Pricing" during the life of the contract, you will be required to sell those new items with this discount applied. Example: In this example, you enter a 10% minimum percentage discount below. In year-one of your TIPS Contract, your published "Catalog Pricing" (website/store/published pricing) for "Tablet A" is $100 and for "Tablet Set-Up Service" is $100. In this example, you must sell those items under the TIPS Contract at the proposed 10% discounted price of: "Tablet A" - $90, "Tablet Set-Up Service" - $90. In year two of your TIPS Contract, you update your "Catalog Pricing" with the market. You add "Tablet B" to your "Catalog Pricing" for $200 and have increased the price of "Tablet A" to $110 and the price of "Tablet Set-Up Service" to $110. In this example, after the "Catalog Pricing" update, you must still sell those items under the TIPS Contract at the proposed 10% discounted price of: "Tablet A" - $99, "Tablet Set-Up Service" - $99, and "Tablet B" - $180.00. With the exception of limited goods/services specifically identified and excluded from this discount in Vendor’s original proposal, if you cannot honor the discount on all goods and items now included or which may be added in the future with certainty, then you should offer a lesser discount percentage below. What is the minimum percentage discount that you can offer TIPS Members off of all goods and service pricing (whether offered through Pricing Form 1, Pricing Form 2, or in another accepted format) that you offer? 20% 3 7 Honoring Vendor's Minimum Percentage Discount Vendor is asked in these Attribute Questions to provide a Minimum Percentage Discount offered to TIPS Members on all goods and services sold under the TIPS Contract. Points will be assigned for your response and scoring of your proposal will be affected. A "YES" answer will be awarded the maximum 10 points and a "NO" answer will be awarded 0 points. Does Vendor agree to honor the Minimum Percentage Discount off of their TIPS "Catalog Pricing" that Vendor proposed for all TIPS Sales made for the duration of the TIPS Contract? Yes, Vendor agrees 3 8 Volume and Additional Discounts In addition to the Minimum Percentage Discount proposed herein, does Vendor ever expect and intend to offer additional, greater, or volume discounts to TIPS Members? Point(s) may be assigned for your response in the category of "Pricing" during scoring and evaluation. Yes Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 10 of 32 pages Page 264 of 764 3 9 "Catalog Pricing" and Pricing Requirements This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. In this solicitation and resulting contract, "Catalog Pricing" shall be defined as: "The then available list of goods or services, in the most current listing regardless of date, that takes the form of a catalog, price list, price schedule, shelf-price or other viewable format that: A. is regularly maintained by the manufacturer or Vendor of an item; and B. is either published or otherwise available for review by TIPS or a customer during the purchase process; C. to which the Minimum Percentage Discount proposed by the proposing Vendor may be applied. If awarded on this TIPS Contract, for the duration of the contract, Vendor agrees to provide, upon request, their then current "Catalog Pricing." Or, in limited circumstances where Vendor has proposed the Percentage Mark-Up method of pricing in this proposal, proof of Vendor's "cost" may be accepted by TIPS in place of catalog pricing. YES 4 0 EXCEPTIONS & DEVIATIONS TO TIPS STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS Vendor agrees that, if awarded, Vendor's final TIPS Contract will consist of the provisions set forth in the finalized TIPS Vendor Agreement, Vendor's responses to these attribute questions, and: (1) The TIPS solicitation document resulting in this Agreement; (2) Any addenda or clarifications issued in relation to the TIPS solicitation; (3) All solicitation information provided to Vendor by TIPS through the TIPS eBid System; (3) Vendor’s entire proposal response to the TIPS solicitation including all accepted required attachments, acknowledged notices and certifications, accepted negotiated terms, accepted pricing, accepted responses to questions, and accepted written clarifications of Vendor’s proposal, and; any properly included attachments to the TIPS Contract. In the event of conflict between the terms of the finalized Vendor Agreement and one of the incorporated documents the terms and conditions which are in the best interest of governmental/qualifying non-profit TIPS Members shall control at TIPS sole discretion. If Vendor responds, "No, Vendor does not agree" to this Attribute, after this solicitation legally closes and TIPS begins evaluating Vendor's file, TIPS will provide Vendor with a draft Word Document version of the Vendor Agreement and will be instructed to include all requested negotiations as redline edits for TIPS consideration. This is the only proper way to submit proposed deviations for TIPS consideration. TIPS reserves the right to accept, decline, or modify Vendor's requested negotiated terms. For this reason, answering "No, Vendor does not agree" may ultimately delay or prevent award. Does Vendor agree with TIPS standard terms and conditions as presented in the TIPS solicitation document (RFP, RCSP, RFQ, or other) and the TIPS Vendor Agreement document? Yes, Vendor agrees Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 11 of 32 pages Page 265 of 764 4 1 TIPS Sales Reporting Requirements This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. By submitting this proposal, Vendor certifies that Vendor will properly report all TIPS sales. With the exception of TIPS Automated Vendors, who have signed an exclusive agreement with TIPS regarding reporting, all TIPS Sales must be reported to TIPS by either: (1) Emailing the purchase order or similar purchase document (with Vendor’s Name, as known to TIPS, and the TIPS Contract Name and Number included) to TIPS at tipspo@tips-usa.com with “Confirmation Only” in the subject line of the email within three business days of Vendor’s acceptance of the order, or; (2) Within 3 business days of the order being accepted by Vendor, Vendor must login to the TIPS Vendor Portal and successfully self-report all necessary sale information within the Vendor Portal and confirm that it shows up accurately on your current Vendor Portal statement. No other method of reporting is acceptable unless agreed to by the Parties in writing. Failure to report all sales pursuant to this provision may result in immediate cancellation of Vendor’s TIPS Contract(s) for cause at TIPS’ sole discretion. 4 2 TIPS Administration Fee Requirement and Acknowledgment This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. The collection of fees by TIPS, a government entity, for performance of these procurement services is required pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 791.011 et. seq. The TIPS Administration Fee is the amount legally owed by Vendor to TIPS for TIPS Sales made by Vendor. The TIPS Administration Fee amount is typically a set percentage of each TIPS Sale legally due to TIPS, but the exact TIPS Administration Fee for this Contract is published in the corresponding RFP or RCSP document. TIPS Administration Fees are due to TIPS immediately upon Vendor’s receipt of payment, including partial payment, for a TIPS Sale. By submitting a proposal, Vendor agrees that it has read, understands, and agrees to the published TIPS Administration Fee amount, calculation, and payment requirements. By submitting a proposal Vendor further confirms that all TIPS Pricing includes the TIPS Administration Fee and Vendor will not show adding the TIPS Administration Fee as a charge or line-item in any TIPS Sale. 4 3 TIPS Member Access to Vendor Proposal & Documentation This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. Notwithstanding any other information provided in this solicitation or Vendor designation of certain documentation as confidential or proprietary, Vendor’s submission of this proposal constitutes Vendor’s express consent to the disclosure of Vendor’s comprehensive proposal, including any information deemed confidential or proprietary, to TIPS Members. The proposing Vendor agrees that TIPS shall not be responsible or liable for any use or distribution of information or documentation to TIPS Members or by TIPS Members. By submitting this proposal, Vendor certifies the foregoing. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 12 of 32 pages Page 266 of 764 4 4 Non-Collusive Bidding Certificate This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. By submission of this proposal, the Vendor certifies that: 1) This proposal has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other entity, bidder, or with any competitor; 2) This proposal has not been knowingly disclosed and will not be knowingly disclosed, prior to the opening of bids, or proposals for this project, to any other bidder, competitor or potential competitor: 3) No attempt has been or will be made to induce any other person, partnership or corporation to modify, submit, or not to submit a bid or proposal; and 4) The person signing this bid or proposal certifies that they are duly authorized to execute this proposal/contract on behalf of Vendor and they have fully informed themselves regarding the accuracy of the statements contained in this certification, and under the penalties being applicable to the bidder as well as to the person signing in its behalf; 4 5 Antitrust Certification Statements (Tex. Government Code § 2155.005) This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. By submission of this bid or proposal, Vendor certifies under penalty of perjury of the laws of the State of Texas that: (1) I am duly authorized to execute this proposal/contract on my own behalf or on behalf of the company, corporation, firm, partnership or individual (Vendor) identified herein; (2) In connection with this proposal, neither I nor any representative of Vendor has violated any provision of the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act, Tex. Bus. & Comm. Code Chapter 15; (3) In connection with this proposal, neither I nor any representative of the Vendor has violated any federal antitrust law; (4) Neither I nor any representative of Vendor has directly or indirectly communicated any of the contents of this bid to a competitor of the Company or any other company, corporation, firm, partnership or individual engaged in the same line of business as the Company. 4 6 Limitation on Out-of-State Litigation - Texas Business and Commerce Code § 272 This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. Texas Business and Commerce Code § 272 prohibits a construction contract, or an agreement collateral to or affecting the construction contract, from containing a provision making the contract or agreement, or any conflict arising under the contract or agreement, subject to another state’s law, litigation in the courts of another state, or arbitration in another state. If included in Texas construction contracts, such provisions are voidable by a party obligated by the contract or agreement to perform the work. By submission of this proposal, Vendor acknowledges this law and if Vendor enters into a construction contract with a Texas TIPS Member under this procurement, Vendor certifies compliance. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 13 of 32 pages Page 267 of 764 4 7 Required Confidentiality Claim Form This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. TIPS provides the required TIPS Confidentiality Claim Form in the "Attachments" section of this solicitation. Vendor must execute this form by either signing and waiving any confidentiality claim, or designating portions of Vendor's proposal confidential. If Vendor considers any portion of Vendor's proposal to be confidential and not subject to public disclosure pursuant to Chapter 552 Texas Gov’t Code or other law(s) and orders, Vendor must have identified the claimed confidential materials through proper execution of the Confidentiality Claim Form. If TIPS receives a public information act or similar request, any responsive documentation not deemed confidential by you in this manner will be automatically released. For Vendor documents deemed confidential by you in this manner, TIPS will follow procedures of controlling statute(s) regarding any claim of confidentiality and shall not be liable for any release of information required by law, including Attorney General determination and opinion. Notwithstanding any other Vendor designation of Vendor's proposal as confidential or proprietary, Vendor’s submission of this proposal constitutes Vendor’s agreement that proper execution of the required TIPS Confidentiality Claim Form is the only way to assert any portion of Vendor's proposal as confidential. 4 8 Non-Discrimination Statement and Certification This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. In accordance with Federal civil rights law, all U.S. Departments, including but not limited to the USDA, USDE, FEMA, are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by federal funds (not all bases apply to all programs). Vendor certifies that Vendor will comply with applicable Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity provisions set forth in TIPS Member Customers’ policies and other regulations at the local, state, and federal levels of governments. Yes, I certify 4 9 Limitation of Vendor Indemnification and Similar Clauses This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. TIPS, a department of Region 8 Education Service Center, a political subdivision, and local government entity of the State of Texas, is prohibited from indemnifying third-parties (pursuant to the Article 3, Section 52 of the Texas Constitution) except as otherwise specifically provided for by law or as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction. Article 3, Section 52 of the Texas Constitution states that "no debt shall be created by or on behalf of the State … " and the Texas Attorney General has opined that a contractually imposed obligation of indemnity creates a "debt" in the constitutional sense. Tex. Att'y Gen. Op. No. MW-475 (1982). Thus, contract clauses which require TIPS to indemnify Vendor, pay liquidated damages, pay attorney's fees, waive Vendor's liability, or waive any applicable statute of limitations must be deleted or qualified with ''to the extent permitted by the Constitution and Laws of the State of Texas." Does Vendor agree? Yes, I Agree Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 14 of 32 pages Page 268 of 764 5 0 Alternative Dispute Resolution Limitations This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. TIPS, a department of Region 8 Education Service Center, a political subdivision, and local government entity of the State of Texas, does not agree to binding arbitration as a remedy to dispute and no such provision shall be permitted in this Agreement with TIPS. Vendor agrees that any claim arising out of or related to this Agreement, except those specifically and expressly waived or negotiated within this Agreement, may be subject to non-binding mediation at the request of either party to be conducted by a mutually agreed upon mediator as prerequisite to the filing of any lawsuit arising out of or related to this Agreement. Mediation shall be held in either Camp or Titus County, Texas. Agreements reached in mediation will be subject to the approval by the Region 8 ESC's Board of Directors, authorized signature of the Parties if approved by the Board of Directors, and, once approved by the Board of Directors and properly signed, shall thereafter be enforceable as provided by the laws of the State of Texas. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 5 1 No Waiver of TIPS Immunity This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. Vendor agrees that nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of sovereign or government immunity; nor constitute or be construed as a waiver of any of the privileges, rights, defenses, remedies, or immunities available to Region 8 Education Service Center or its TIPS Department. The failure to enforce, or any delay in the enforcement, of any privileges, rights, defenses, remedies, or immunities available to Region 8 Education Service Center or its TIPS Department under this Agreement or under applicable law shall not constitute a waiver of such privileges, rights, defenses, remedies, or immunities or be considered as a basis for estoppel. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 5 2 Payment Terms and Funding Out Clause This is a requirement of the TIPS Contract and is non-negotiable. Vendor agrees that TIPS and TIPS Members shall not be liable for interest or late-payment fees on past-due balances at a rate higher than permitted by the laws or regulations of the jurisdiction of the TIPS Member. Funding-Out Clause: Vendor agrees to abide by the applicable laws and regulations, including but not limited to Texas Local Government Code § 271.903, or any other statutory or regulatory limitation of the jurisdiction of any TIPS Member, which requires that contracts approved by TIPS or a TIPS Member are subject to the budgeting and appropriation of currently available funds by the entity or its governing body. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 5 3 Certification Regarding Prohibition of Certain Terrorist Organizations (Tex. Gov. Code 2270) Vendor certifies that Vendor is not a company identified on the Texas Comptroller’s list of companies known to have contracts with, or provide supplies or services to, a foreign organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Secretary of State. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 15 of 32 pages Page 269 of 764 5 4 Certification Regarding Prohibition of Boycotting Israel (Tex. Gov. Code 2271) If (a) Vendor is not a sole proprietorship; (b) Vendor has ten (10) or more full-time employees; and (c) this Agreement or any agreement with a TIPS Member under this procurement has value of $100,000 or more, the following certification shall apply; otherwise, this certification is not required. Vendor certifies, where applicable, that neither the Vendor, nor any affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company of Vendor, if any, boycotts Israel, and Vendor agrees that Vendor and Vendor Companies will not boycott Israel during the term of this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “boycott” shall mean and include refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action that is intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with Israel, or with a person or entity doing business in Israel or in an Israeli-controlled territory but does not include an action made for ordinary business purposes. When applicable, does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 5 5 Certification Regarding Prohibition of Contracts with Certain Foreign-Owned Companies (Tex. Gov. Code 2274) Certain public entities are prohibited from entering into a contract or other agreement relating to critical infrastructure that would grant Vendor direct or remote access to or control of critical infrastructure in this state, excluding access specifically allowed by a customer for product warranty and support purposes. Vendor certifies that neither it nor its parent company nor any affiliate of Vendor or its parent company, is (1) owned by or the majority of stock or other ownership interest of the company is held or controlled by individuals who are citizens of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or a designated country; (2) a company or other entity, including governmental entity, that is owned or controlled by citizens of or is directly controlled by the government of China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or a designated country; or (3) headquartered in China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or a designated country. For purposes of this certification, “critical infrastructure” means “a communication infrastructure system, cybersecurity system, electric grid, hazardous waste treatment system, or water treatment facility.” Vendor certifies that Vendor will not grant direct or remote access to or control of critical infrastructure, except for product warranty and support purposes, to prohibited individuals, companies, or entities, including governmental entities, owned, controlled, or headquartered in China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or a designated country, as determined by the Governor. When applicable, does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 16 of 32 pages Page 270 of 764 5 6 Certification Regarding Prohibition of Discrimination Against Firearm and Ammunition Industries (Tex. Gov. Code 2274) If (a) Vendor is not a sole proprietorship; (b) Vendor has at least ten (10) full-time employees; and (c) this Agreement or any Supplemental Agreement with certain public entities have a value of at least $100,000 that is paid wholly or partly from public funds; (d) the Agreement is not excepted under Tex. Gov. Code 2274 and (e) the purchasing public entity has determined that Vendor is not a sole-source provider or the purchasing public entity has not received any bids from a company that is able to provide this written verification, the following certification shall apply; otherwise, this certification is not required. Vendor certifies that Vendor, or association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, or limited liability company, including a wholly owned subsidiary, majority-owned subsidiary parent company, or affiliate of these entities or associations, that exists to make a profit, does not have a practice, policy, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association and will not discriminate during the term of this contract against a firearm entity or firearm trade association. For purposes of this Agreement, “discriminate against a firearm entity or firearm trade association” shall mean, with respect to the entity or association, to: “(1) refuse to engage in the trade of any goods or services with the entity or association based solely on its status as a firearm entity or firearm trade association; (2) refrain from continuing an existing business relationship with the entity or association based solely on its status as a firearm entity or firearm trade association; or (3) terminate an existing business relationship with the entity or association based solely on its status as a firearm entity or firearm trade association.” “Discrimination against a firearm entity or firearm trade association” does not include: “(1) the established policies of a merchant, retail seller, or platform that restrict or prohibit the listing or selling of ammunition, firearms, or firearm accessories; and (2) a company’s refusal to engage in the trade of any goods or services, decision to refrain from continuing an existing business relationship, or decision to terminate an existing business relationship to comply with federal, state, or local law, policy, or regulations or a directive by a regulatory agency, or for any traditional business reason that is specific to the customer or potential customer and not based solely on an entity’s or association’s status as a firearm entity or firearm trade association.” When applicable, does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 5 7 Certification Regarding Termination of Contract for Non-Compliance (Tex. Gov. Code 552.374) If Vendor is not a governmental body and (a) this Agreement or any Supplemental Agreement with a public entity has a stated expenditure of at least $1 million in public funds for the purchase of goods or services by certain public entities; or (b) this Agreement or any Supplemental Agreement results in the expenditure of at least $1 million in public funds for the purchase of goods or services by certain public entities in their fiscal year, the following certification shall apply; otherwise, this certification is not required. As required by Tex. Gov. Code 552.374, the following statement is included in the RFP and the Agreement (unless the Agreement is (1) related to the purchase or underwriting of a public security; (2) is or may be used as collateral on a loan; or (3) proceeds from which are used to pay debt service of a public security of loan): “The requirements of Subchapter J, Chapter 552, Government Code, may apply to this solicitation and Agreement and the Vendor agrees that this Agreement and any applicable Supplemental Agreement can be terminated if Vendor knowingly or intentionally fails to comply with a requirement of that subchapter.” Pursuant to Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, Vendor certifies that Vendor shall: (1) preserve all contracting information related to this Agreement as provided by the records retention requirements applicable to TIPS or the purchasing TIPS Member for the duration of the Agreement; (2) promptly provide to TIPS or the purchasing TIPS Member any contracting information related to the Agreement that is in the custody or possession of Vendor on request of TIPS or the purchasing TIPS Member; and (3) on completion of the Agreement, either (a) provide at no cost to TIPS or the purchasing TIPS Member all contracting information related to the Agreement that is in the custody or possession of Vendor, or (b) preserve the contracting information related to the Agreement as provided by the records retention requirements applicable to TIPS or the purchasing TIPS Member. When applicable, does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 17 of 32 pages Page 271 of 764 5 8 Certification Regarding Prohibition of Boycotting Certain Energy Companies (Tex. Gov. Code 2274) If (a) Vendor is not a sole proprietorship; (b) Vendor has ten (10) or more full-time employees; and (c) this Agreement or any Supplemental Agreement with certain public entities has a value of $100,000 or more that is to be paid wholly or partly from public funds, the following certification shall apply; otherwise, this certification is not required. Vendor certifies that Vendor, or any wholly owned subsidiary, majority-owned subsidiary, parent company, or affiliate of these entities or business associations, if any, do not boycott energy companies and will not boycott energy companies during the term of the Agreement or any applicable Supplemental Agreement. For purposes of this certification the term “company” shall mean an organization, association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, or limited liability company, that exists to make a profit. The term “boycott energy company” shall mean “without an ordinary business purpose, refusing to deal with, terminating business activities with, or otherwise taking any action intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with a company because the company (a) engages in the exploration, production, utilization, transportation, sale, or manufacturing of fossil fuel-based energy and does not commit or pledge to meet environmental standards beyond applicable federal and state law, or (b) does business with a company described by paragraph (a).” (See Tex. Gov. Code 809.001). When applicable, does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 5 9 Felony Conviction Notice - Texas Education Code 44.034 Texas Education Code, Section 44.034, Notification of Criminal History, Subsection (a), states, "a person or business entity that enters into a contract with a school district must give advance notice to the district if the person or an owner or operator of the business entity has been convicted of a felony. The notice must include a general description of the conduct resulting in the conviction of a felony.” Subsection (b) states, "a school district may terminate a contract with a person or business entity if the district determines that the person or business entity failed to give notice as required by Subsection (a) or misrepresented the conduct resulting in the conviction. The district must compensate the person or business entity for services performed before the termination of the contract.” Subsection (c) states, "This section does not apply to a publicly held corporation. Vendor certifies one of the following: A. My firm is a publicly held corporation; therefore, this reporting requirement is not applicable, or; B. My firm is not owned nor operated by anyone who has been convicted of a felony, or; C. My firm is owned or operated by the following individual(s) who has/have been convicted of a felony. If Vendor responds with Option (C), Vendor is required to provide information in the next attribute. A. My firm is a publicly held corporation. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 18 of 32 pages Page 272 of 764 6 0 Felony Conviction Notice - Texas Education Code 44.034 - Continued If Vendor selected Option (C) in the previous attribute, Vendor must provide the following information herein: 1. Name of Felon(s) 2. The Felon(s) title/role in Vendor's entity, and 3. Details of Felon(s) Conviction(s). No response 6 1 Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Requirement Vendor agrees that it has looked up, read, and understood the current version of Texas Local Government Code Chapter 176 which generally requires disclosures of conflicts of interests by Vendor hereunder if Vendor: (1) has an employment or other business relationship with a local government officer of our local governmental entity, or a family member of the officer, described by Section 176.003(a)(2)(A); (2) has given a local government officer of our local governmental entity, or a family member of the officer, one or more gifts with the aggregate value specified by Section 176.003(a)(2)(B), excluding any gift described by Section 176.003(a-1); or (3) has a family relationship with a local government officer of our local governmental entity. (4) Any other financial, commercial, or familial relationship with our local government that may warrant reporting under this statute. Does Vendor certify that it has NO reportable conflict of interest? Yes, Vendor certifies - VENDOR HAS NO CONFLICT 6 2 Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Requirement - Form CIQ - Continued If you responded "No, Vendor does not certify - VENDOR HAS CONFLICT" to the Conflict of Interest Questionnaire question above, you are required by law to fully execute and upload the form attachment entitled "Conflict of Interest Questionnaire - Form CIQ." If you accurately claimed no conflict above, you may disregard the form attachment entitled "Conflict of Interest Questionnaire - Form CIQ." Have you uploaded this form if applicable? No 6 3 Upload of Current W-9 Required Vendors are required by TIPS to upload a current, accurate W-9 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax Form for your entity. This form will be utilized by TIPS to properly identify your entity. You must confirm that you are responding to this solicitation under your legal entity name. Go now to your Supplier Profile in this eBid System and confirm that your profile reflects your "Legal Name" as it is listed on your W9. 6 4 Regulatory Good Standing Certification Does Vendor certify that its entity is in good standing will all government entities and agencies, whether local, state, or federal, that regulate any aspect of Vendor's field of work or business operations? If Vendor selects "No", Vendor must provide explanation on the following attribute question. Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 19 of 32 pages Page 273 of 764 6 5 Regulatory Good Standing Certification - Explanation - Continued If Vendor responded to the prior attribute that "No", Vendor is not in good standing, Vendor must provide an explanation of that lack of good standing here for TIPS consideration. No response 6 6 Instructions Only - Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Instructions for Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion 1. By answering yes to the next Attribute question below, the vendor and prospective lower tier participant is providing the certification set out herein in accordance with these instructions. 2. The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was entered into. If it is later determined that the prospective lower tier participant knowingly rendered an erroneous certification in addition to other remedies available to the federal government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and / or debarment. 3. The prospective lower tier participant shall provide immediate written notice to the person to which this proposal is submitted if at any time the prospective lower tier participant learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances. 4. The terms “covered transaction,” “debarred,” “suspended,” “ineligible,” “lower tier covered transaction,” “participants,” “person,” “primary covered transaction,” “principal,” “proposal” and “voluntarily excluded,” as used in this clause, have the meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of rules implementing Executive Order 12549. You may contact the person to which this proposal is submitted for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations. 5. The prospective lower tier participant agrees by submitting this form that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is debarred, suspended, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the department or agency with which this transaction originated. 6. The prospective lower tier participant further agrees by submitting this form that it will include this clause titled “Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transaction” without modification in all lower tier covered transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions. 7. A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not debarred, suspended, ineligible or voluntarily excluded from the covered transaction, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. A participant may decide the method and frequency by which it determines the eligibility of its principals. Each participant may, but is not required to, check the Nonprocurement List. 8. Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause. The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings. 9. Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 5 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction knowingly enters into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended, debarred, ineligible or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the federal government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and / or debarment. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 20 of 32 pages Page 274 of 764 6 7 Suspension or Debarment Certification Read the instructions in the attribute above and then answer the following accurately. Vendor certifies that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 6 8 Vendor Certification of Criminal History - Texas Education Code Chapter 22 Texas Education Code Chapter 22 requires entities that contract with school districts to provide services to obtain criminal history record information regarding covered employees. Contractors must certify to the district that they have complied. Covered employees with disqualifying criminal histories are prohibited from serving at a school district pursuant to this law. DEFINITIONS Covered employees: Employees of a contractor or subcontractor who have or will have continuing duties related to the service to be performed at the District and have or will have direct contact with students. The District will be the final arbiter of what constitutes direct contact with students. Disqualifying criminal history: Any conviction or other criminal history information designated by the District, or one of the following offenses, if at the time of the offense, the victim was under 18 or enrolled in a public school: (a) a felony offense under Title 5, Texas Penal Code; (b) an offense for which a defendant is required to register as a sex offender under Chapter 62, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure; or (c) an equivalent offense under federal law or the laws of another state. Vendor certifies: NONE (Section A): None of the employees of Vendor and any subcontractors are covered employees, as defined above. If this box is checked, I further certify that Contractor has taken precautions or imposed conditions to ensure that the employees of Vendor and any subcontractor will not become covered employees. Contractor will maintain these precautions or conditions throughout the time the contracted services are provided under this procurement. OR SOME (Section B): Some or all of the employees of Vendor and any subcontractor are covered employees. If this box is checked, I further certify that: (1) Vendor has obtained all required criminal history record information regarding its covered employees. None of the covered employees has a disqualifying criminal history; (2) If Vendor receives information that a covered employee subsequently has a reported criminal history, Vendor will immediately remove the covered employee from contract duties and notify the purchasing entity in writing within 3 business days; (3) Upon request, Vendor will provide the purchasing entity with the name and any other requested information of covered employees so that the purchasing entity may obtain criminal history record information on the covered employees; (4) If the purchasing entity objects to the assignment of a covered employee on the basis of the covered employee's criminal history record information, Vendor agrees to discontinue using that covered employee to provide services at the purchasing entity. Which option does Vendor certify? Yes, I certify - NONE (Section A) Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 21 of 32 pages Page 275 of 764 6 9 Certification Regarding "Choice of Law" Terms with TIPS Members Vendor agrees that if any "Choice of Law" provision is included in any sales agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause must provide that the "Choice of Law" applicable to the sales agreement/contract between Vendor and TIPS Member shall be the state where the TIPS Member operates unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing a "Choice of Law" clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. If Vendor disagrees, after this solicitation legally closes and TIPS begins evaluating Vendor's file, TIPS will provide Vendor with a draft Word Document version of the Vendor Agreement and will be instructed to include all requested negotiations as redline edits for TIPS consideration. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 7 0 Certification Regarding "Venue" Terms with TIPS Members Vendor agrees that if any "Venue" provision is included in any sales agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause must provide that the "Venue" for any litigation or alternative dispute resolution is shall be in the state and county where the TIPS Member operates unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing a "Venue" clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. If Vendor disagrees, after this solicitation legally closes and TIPS begins evaluating Vendor's file, TIPS will provide Vendor with a draft Word Document version of the Vendor Agreement and will be instructed to include all requested negotiations as redline edits for TIPS consideration. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 7 1 Certification Regarding "Automatic Renewal" Terms with TIPS Members Vendor agrees that no TIPS Sale may incorporate an "Automatic Renewal" clause that exceeds month to month terms with which the TIPS Member must comply. All renewal terms incorporated into a TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement shall only be valid and enforceable when Vendor received written confirmation of acceptance of the renewal term from the TIPS Member for the specific renewal term. The purpose of this clause is to avoid a TIPS Member inadvertently renewing a Supplemental Agreement during a period in which the governing body of the TIPS Member has not properly appropriated and budgeted the funds to satisfy the Agreement renewal. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing an "Automatic Renewal" clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. If Vendor disagrees, after this solicitation legally closes and TIPS begins evaluating Vendor's file, TIPS will provide Vendor with a draft Word Document version of the Vendor Agreement and will be instructed to include all requested negotiations as redline edits for TIPS consideration. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 22 of 32 pages Page 276 of 764 7 2 Certification Regarding "Indemnity" Terms with TIPS Members Texas and other jurisdictions restrict the ability of governmental entities to indemnify others. Vendor agrees that if any "Indemnity" provision which requires the TIPS Member to indemnify Vendor is included in any sales agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause must either be stricken or qualified by including that such indemnity is only permitted, "to the extent permitted by the laws and constitution of [TIPS Member's State]" unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing an "Indemnity" clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. If Vendor disagrees, after this solicitation legally closes and TIPS begins evaluating Vendor's file, TIPS will provide Vendor with a draft Word Document version of the Vendor Agreement and will be instructed to include all requested negotiations as redline edits for TIPS consideration. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 7 3 Certification Regarding "Arbitration" Terms with TIPS Members Vendor agrees that if any "Arbitration" provision is included in any TIPS Sale agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause may not require that the arbitration is mandatory or binding. Vendor agrees that if any "Arbitration" provision is included in any TIPS Sale agreement/contract between Vendor and a TIPS Member, that clause provides for only voluntary and non-binding arbitration unless the TIPS Member expressly agrees otherwise. Any TIPS Sale Supplemental Agreement containing a “Arbitration” clause that conflicts with these terms is rendered void and unenforceable. If Vendor disagrees, after this solicitation legally closes and TIPS begins evaluating Vendor's file, TIPS will provide Vendor with a draft Word Document version of the Vendor Agreement and will be instructed to include all requested negotiations as redline edits for TIPS consideration. Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 7 4 2 CFR PART 200 AND FEDERAL CONTRACT PROVISIONS EXPLANATION TIPS and TIPS Members will sometimes seek to make purchases with federal funds. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 200 of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (sometimes referred to as “EDGAR”),Vendor's response to the following questions labeled "2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision" will indicate Vendor's willingness and ability to comply with certain requirements which may be applicable to TIPS purchases paid for with federal funds, if accepted by Vendor. Your responses to the following questions labeled "2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision" will dictate whether TIPS can list this awarded contract as viable to be considered for a federal fund purchase. Failure to certify all requirements labeled "2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision" will mean that your contract is listed as not viable for the receipt of federal funds. However, it will not prevent award. If you do enter into a TIPS Sale when you are accepting federal funds, the contract between you and the TIPS Member will likely require these same certifications. Specifically, if Vendor utilizes the Cost-Plus Markup method anywhere in its proposal, Vendor cannot and will not be listed as federally compliant for TIPS purposes unless Vendor also certifies "Yes" in response to the Attribute entitled, "2 CFR Part 200 - Prohibition of Cost- Plus." Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 23 of 32 pages Page 277 of 764 7 5 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Prohibition of Cost Plus Contracts paid with federal funds which exceed the simplified acquisition threshold currently set at $250,000 (2 CFR 200.320), which is the inflation adjusted amount determined by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) as authorized by 41 U.S.C. 1908, may not utilize a cost plus percentage of cost and percentage of cost method of contract pricing. Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members for a TIPS Sale resulting from this procurement process which exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, Vendor shall not utilize a cost plus a percentage of cost and percentage of cost method of contract pricing for that expenditure. If Vendor fails to certify and proposes a Cost Plus Markup Method of pricing anywhere in their proposal, Vendor will not be listed as federally/EDGAR compliant for TIPS purposes. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor agrees. 7 6 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Vendor Willingness to Accept Federal Funds This certification is not required by federal law. However, TIPS Members are public entities and qualifying non- profits which often receive federal funding and grants (ESSER, CARES Act, EDGAR, etc.) Accepting such funds often requires additional required certifications and responsibilities for Vendor. The following attribute questions include these required certifications. Your response to this questions, the following certifications, and other factors will determine whether your contract award will be deemed as eligible for federal fund expenditures by TIPS Members. If awarded, is Vendor willing to accept payment for goods and services offered under this contract paid for by a TIPS Member with federal funds? Yes 7 7 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Contracts Contracts for more than the simplified acquisition threshold currently set at $250,000 (2 CFR § 200.320), which is the inflation adjusted amount determined by the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) as authorized by 41 U.S.C. 1908, must address administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances where contractors violate or breach contract terms, and provide for such sanctions and penalties as appropriate. Notice: Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members reserve all rights and privileges under the applicable laws and regulations with respect to this procurement in the event of breach of contract by either party. Does vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 7 8 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Termination Termination for cause and for convenience by the grantee or subgrantee including the manner by which it will be effected and the basis for settlement. (All contracts in excess of $10,000) Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members reserve the right to terminate any agreement in excess of $10,000 resulting from this procurement process for cause after giving the vendor an appropriate opportunity and up to 30 days, to cure the causal breach of terms and conditions. ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members reserve the right to terminate any agreement in excess of $10,000 resulting from this procurement process for convenience with 30 days notice in writing to the awarded vendor. The Vendor would be compensated for work performed and goods procured as of the termination date if for convenience of the ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members. Any award under this procurement process is not exclusive and the ESC Region 8 and TIPS reserves the right to purchase goods and services from other vendors when it is in the best interest of the ESC Region 8 and TIPS. Does vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 24 of 32 pages Page 278 of 764 7 9 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Clean Air Act Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387), as amended—Contracts and subgrants of amounts in excess of $150,000 must contain a provision that requires the non-Federal award to agree to comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251- 1387). Violations must be reported to the Federal awarding agency and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pursuant to the Clean Air Act, et al above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members require that the proposer certify that during the term of an award by the ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members resulting from this procurement process the vendor agrees to comply with all of the above regulations, including all of the terms listed and referenced therein. Does vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees 8 0 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352)—Contractors that apply or bid for an award exceeding $100,000 must file the required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier must also disclose any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from tier to tier up to the non-Federal award. Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members require the proposer certify that during the term and during the life of any contract with ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members resulting from this procurement process the vendor certifies that it is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352). Does Vendor agree? Yes, Vendor agrees Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 25 of 32 pages Page 279 of 764 8 1 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment - Continued Applicable to Grants, Subgrants, Cooperative Agreements, and Contracts Exceeding $100,000 in Federal Funds Submission of this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this transaction and is imposed by the Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352). This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Any person who fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure. The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that: (1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid by or on behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the awarding of a Federal contract, the making of a Federal grant, the making of a Federal loan, the entering into a cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of a Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. (2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this Federal grant or cooperative agreement, the undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, “disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” in accordance with its instructions. (3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be included in the award documents for all covered subawards exceeding $100,000 in Federal funds at all appropriate tiers and that all subrecipients shall certify and disclose accordingly. Does Vendor certify that it has NOT lobbied as described herein? Yes, Vendor certifies - NO Reportable Lobbying 8 2 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment - Continued If you answered "No, Vendor does not certify - Lobbying to Report" to the above attribute question, you must download, read, execute, and upload the attachment entitled "Disclosure of Lobbying Activities - Standard Form - LLL", as instructed, to report the lobbying activities you performed or paid others to perform. 8 3 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Federal Rule Compliance with all applicable standards, orders, or requirements issued under section 306 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 1857(h)), section 508 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1368), Executive Order 11738, and Environmental Protection Agency regulations (40 CFR part 15). (Contracts, subcontracts, and subgrants of amounts in excess of $100,000) Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members requires the proposer certify that in performance of the contracts, subcontracts, and subgrants of amounts in excess of $250,000, the vendor will be in compliance with all applicable standards, orders, or requirements issued under section 306 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 1857(h)), section 508 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1368), Executive Order 11738, and Environmental Protection Agency regulations (40 CFR part 15). Does vendor certify compliance? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 26 of 32 pages Page 280 of 764 8 4 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Procurement of Recovered Materials A non-Federal entity that is a state agency or agency of a political subdivision of a state and its contractors must comply with section 6002 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The requirements of Section 6002 include: (1) procuring only items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired during the preceding fiscal year exceeded $10,000; (2) procuring solid waste management services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery; and establishing an affirmative procurement program for procurement of recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines. Does vendor certify that it is in compliance with these provisions? Yes, Vendor certifies 8 5 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Rights to Inventions If the Federal award meets the definition of “funding agreement” under 37 CFR §401.2 (a) and the recipient or subrecipient wishes to enter into a contract with a small business firm or nonprofit organization regarding the substitution of parties, assignment or performance of experimental, developmental, or research work under that “funding agreement,” the recipient or subrecipient must comply with the requirements of 37 CFR Part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the awarding agency. Pursuant to the above, when the foregoing applies to ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, Vendor certifies that during the term of an award resulting from this procurement process, Vendor agrees to comply with all applicable requirements as referenced in the Federal rule above. Does vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 27 of 32 pages Page 281 of 764 8 6 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Domestic Preferences for Procurements and Compliance with Buy America Provisions As appropriate and to the extent consistent with law, TIPS Member Customers, to the greatest extent practicable under a Federal award, may provide a preference for the purchase, acquisition, or use of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States (including but not limited to iron, aluminum, steel, cement, and other manufactured products). Vendor agrees that the requirements of this section will be included in all subawards including all contracts and purchase orders for work or products under this award, to the greatest extent practicable under a Federal award. For purposes of 2 CFR Part 200.322, “Produced in the United States” means, for iron and steel products, that all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stag through the application of coatings, occurred in the United States. Moreover, for purposes of 2 CFR Part 200.322, “Manufactured products” means items and construction materials composed in whole or in part of non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, plastics and polymer-based products such as polyvinyl chloride pipe, aggregates such as concrete, glass, including optical fiber, and lumber. Vendor certifies that it is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Buy America Act. Purchases made in accordance with the Buy America Act must still follow the applicable procurement rules calling for free and open competition. For purposes of 2 CFR Part 200.322, “Produced in the United States” means, for iron and steel products, that all manufacturing processes, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, occurred in the United States. “Manufactured products” means items and construction materials composed in whole or in part of non-ferrous metals such as aluminum; plastics and polymer-based products such as polyvinyl chloride pipe; aggregates such as concrete; glass, including optical fiber; and lumber. Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, Vendor certifies that to the greatest extent practicable Vendor will provide a preference for the purchase, acquisition, or use of goods, products, or materials produced in the United States (including but not limited to iron, aluminum, steel, cement, and other manufactured products). Does Vendor Certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 8 7 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Ban on Foreign Telecommunications ESC 8 and TIPS Members are prohibited from obligating or expending Federal financial assistance, to include loan or grant funds, to: (1) procure or obtain, (2) extend or renew a contract to procure or obtain, or (3) enter into a contract (or extend or renew a contract) to procure or obtain, equipment, services, or systems that use “covered telecommunications” equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. “Covered telecommunications” equipment is telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities), and physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure and other national security purposes, and video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities) for the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes detailed in 2 CFR § 200.216. Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, Vendor certifies that Vendor will not purchase equipment, services, or systems that use “covered telecommunications”, as defined by 2 CFR §200.216 equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. Does vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 28 of 32 pages Page 282 of 764 8 8 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Contract Cost & Price For contracts more than the simplified acquisition threshold currently set at $250,000, a TIPS Member may, in very rare circumstances, be required to negotiate profit as a separate element of the price pursuant to 2 C.F.R. 200.324(b). Under those circumstances, Vendor agrees to provide information and negotiate with the TIPS Member regarding profit as a separate element of the price. However, Vendor certifies that the total price charged by the Vendor shall not exceed the Vendor’s TIPS pricing and pricing terms proposed. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 8 9 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Equal Employment Opportunity Except as otherwise provided under 41 CFR Part 60, all contracts that meet the definition of “federally assisted construction contract” in 41 CFR Part 60-1.3 must include the equal opportunity clause provided under 41 CFR 60-1.4(b), in accordance with Executive Order 11246, “Equal Employment Opportunity” (30 FR 12319, 12935, 3 CFR Part, 1964-1965 Comp., p. 339), as amended by Executive Order 11375, “Amending Executive Order 11246 Relating to Equal Employment Opportunity,” and implementing regulations at 41 CFR part 60, “Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Equal Employment Opportunity, Department of Labor.” Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members on any federally assisted construction contract, the equal opportunity clause is incorporated by reference here. Does Vendor Certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 0 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Davis Bacon Act Compliance Texas Statute requires compliance with Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 U.S.C. 3141-3148). When required by Federal program legislation, all prime construction contracts in excess of $2,000 awarded by non-Federal entities must include a provision for compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 3141-3144, and 3146- 3148) as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5, “Labor Standards Provisions Applicable to Contracts Covering Federally Financed and Assisted Construction”). In accordance with the statute, contractors must be required to pay wages to laborers and mechanics at a rate not less than the prevailing wages specified in a wage determination made by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, contractors must be required to pay wages not less than once a week. The non- Federal entity must place a copy of the current prevailing wage determination issued by the Department of Labor in each solicitation. The decision to award a contract or subcontract must be conditioned upon the acceptance of the wage determination. The non-Federal entity must report all suspected or reported violations to the Federal awarding agency. The contracts must also include a provision for compliance with the Copeland “Anti-Kickback” Act (40 U.S.C. 3145), as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 3, “Contractors and Subcontractors on Public Building or Public Work Financed in Whole or in Part by Loans or Grants from the United States”). The Act provides that each contractor or subrecipient must be prohibited from inducing, by any means, any person employed in the construction, completion, or repair of public work, to give up any part of the compensation to which he or she is otherwise entitled. The non-Federal entity must report all suspected or reported violations to the Federal awarding agency. Pursuant to state and federal requirements, Vendor certifies that it will be in compliance with all applicable Davis-Bacon Act provisions if/when applicable. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 29 of 32 pages Page 283 of 764 9 1 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Where applicable, all contracts awarded by ESC 8 and TIPS Members in excess of $100,000 that involve the employment of mechanics or laborers must include a provision for compliance with 40 U.S.C. 3702 and 3704, as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5). Under 40 U.S.C. 3702 of the Act, each contractor must be required to compute the wages of every mechanic and laborer on the basis of a standard work week of 40 hours. Work in excess of the standard work week is permissible provided that the worker is compensated at a rate of not less than one and a half times the basic rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in the work week. The requirements of 40 U.S.C. 3704 are applicable to construction work and provide that no laborer or mechanic must be required to work in surroundings or under working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous. These requirements do not apply to the purchases of supplies or materials or articles ordinarily available on the open market, or contracts for transportation or transmission of intelligence. Pursuant to the above, when federal funds are expended by ESC Region 8 and TIPS Members, Vendor certifies that during the term of an award for all contracts resulting from this procurement process, Vendor will be in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 2 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - FEMA Fund Certification & Certification of Access to Records If and when Vendor accepts a TIPS purchase paid for in full or part with FEMA funds, Vendor certifies that: (1) Vendor agrees to provide the TIPS Member, the FEMA Administrator, the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their authorized representatives access to and rights to reproduce any books, documents, papers, and records of the Contractor which are directly pertinent to this contract, or any contract resulting from this procurement, for the purposes of making audits, examinations, excerpts, and transcriptions. This right also includes timely and reasonable access to Vendor's personnel for the purpose of interview and discussion relating to such documents. Vendor agrees to provide the FEMA Administrator or an authorized representatives access to construction or other work sites pertaining to the work being completed under the contract. Vendor acknowledges and agrees that no language in this contract or the contract with the TIPS Member is intended to prohibit audits or internal reviews by the FEMA Administrator or the Comptroller General of the United States. (2) The Vendor shall not use the Department of Homeland Security’s seal(s), logos, crests, or reproductions of flags or likenesses of DHS agency officials without specific FEMA pre-approval. (3) The Vendor will comply with all applicable Federal law, regulations, executive orders, FEMA policies, procedures, and directives. (4) The Federal Government is not a party to this contract and is not subject to any obligations or liabilities to the non-Federal entity, contractor, or any other party pertaining to any matter resulting from the contract. (5) The Vendor acknowledges that 31 U.S.C. Chap. 38 (Administrative Remedies for False Claims and Statements) applies to the Vendor’s actions pertaining to this contract. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 3 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Certification of Compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act When appropriate and to the extent consistent with the law, Vendor certifies that it will comply with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6321 et seq; 49 C.F.R. Part 18) and any state mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency which are contained in applicable state energy conservation plans issued in compliance with the Act. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 30 of 32 pages Page 284 of 764 9 4 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Certification of Compliance with Never Contract with the Enemy Where applicable, all contracts awarded by ESC 8 and TIPS Members in excess of $50,000.00, within the period of performance, and which are performed outside of the United States, including U.S. territories, are subject to the regulations implementing Never Contract with the Enemy in 2 CFR part 183. Per 2 CFR part 183, in the situation specified, ESC 8 and TIPS Members shall terminate any contract or agreement resulting from this procurement which violates the Never Contract with the Enemy regulation in 2 CFR part 183, including if Vendor is actively opposing the United States or coalition forces involved in a contingency operation in which members of the the Armed Forces are actively engaged in hostilities. Vendor certifies that it is neither an excluded entity under the System for Award Management (SAM) nor Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) for any contract terminated due to Never Contract with the Enemy as a Termination for Material Failure to Comply. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 5 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Certification of Compliance with EPA Regulations For contracts resulting from this procurement, in excess of $100,000.00 and paid for with federal funds, Vendor certifies that Vendor will comply with all applicable standards, orders, regulations, and/or requirements issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act of 1970, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1857(h)), Section 508 of the Clean Water Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1368), Executive Order 117389 and Environmental Protection Agency Regulation, 40 CFR Part 15. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 6 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Record Retention Requirements For contracts resulting from this procurement, paid for by ESC 8 or TIPS Members with federal funds, Vendor certifies that Vendor will comply with the record retention requirements detailed in 2 CFR § 200.334. Vendor certifies that Vendor will retain all records as required by 2 CFR § 200.334 for a period of three years after final expenditure or financial reports, as applicable, and all other pending matters are closed. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 7 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - Subcontracting and Affirmative Steps for Small and Minority Businesses, Women's Business Enterprises, and Labor Surplus Area Firms. Do you ever anticipate the possibility of subcontracting any of your work under this award if you are successful? If you respond "Yes", you must respond to the following attribute question accurately. If you respond "No", you may skip the following attribute question. YES Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 31 of 32 pages Page 285 of 764 9 8 2 CFR Part 200 or Federal Provision - If "Yes" Response to Above Attribute - Continued - Subcontracting and Affirmative Steps for Small and Minority Businesses, Women's Business Enterprises, and Labor Surplus Area Firms. Only respond to this question if you responded "Yes" to the attribute question directly above. Skip this question if you responded "No" to the attribute question directly above. Does Vendor certify that it will follow the following affirmative steps? Federal Regulation 2 CFR §200.321 Contracting with small and minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms. (a)The non-Federal entity must take all necessary affirmative steps to assure that minority businesses, women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible. (b) Affirmative steps must include: (1) Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women's business enterprises on solicitation lists; (2) Assuring that small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises are solicited whenever they are potential sources; (3) Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises; (4) Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits, which encourage participation by small and minority businesses, and women's business enterprises; (5) Using the services and assistance, as appropriate, of such organizations as the Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency of the Department of Commerce ; and (6) Requiring the prime contractor, if subcontracts are to be let, to take the affirmative steps listed in paragraphs(1) through (5) of this section. Does Vendor certify? Yes, Vendor certifies 9 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENT & BINDING CORPORATE AUTHORITY By submitting this proposal, the individual(s) submitting on behalf of the Vendor certify that they are authorized by Vendor to complete and submit this proposal on behalf of Vendor and that this proposal was duly submitted on behalf of Vendor by authority of its governing body, if any, and within the scope of its corporate powers. Vendor further certifies that it has read, examined, and understands all portions of this solicitation including but not limited to all attribute questions, attachments, solicitation documents, bid notes, and the Vendor Agreement(s). Vendor certifies that, if necessary, Vendor has consulted with counsel in understanding all portions of this solicitation. Vendor: Connexionz Ltd.250503Page 32 of 32 pages Page 286 of 764 Board of Directors Terry Scott CHAIR | CITY OF BENICIA Steve Young CITY OF BENICIA Cristina Arriola VICE CHAIR | CITY OF VALLEJO Robert McConnell CITY OF VALLEJO Jim Spering MTC REPRESENTATIVE Alma Hernandez STA, EX-OFFICIO/ MTC ALTERNATE Beth Kranda EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Suzanne Reyes TRANSIT BOARD ADMINISTRATOR/ OFFICE MANAGER December 5, 2024 Bisi Ibrahim, Innovation & Technology Manager Solano County Transit (SolTrans) 311 Sacramento Street Vallejo, CA 94590 RE: Professional Reference for Connexionz, Ltd. Dear Fort Bend Transit: Solano County Transit (SolTrans) has partnered with Connexionz, Ltd. since 2021, when they were brought onboard to upgrade our computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location system (CAD/AVL). In addition to CAD/AVL hardware and software, Connexionz provides operations and integration services for our automatic passenger counters (APCs), real-time information, on-board signage and marketing, and publishes our general transit feed specification (GTFS) feed in a manner that exceeds standards to meet the more stringent requirements of the California Bay Area. The data produced from the Connexionz Platform is useful to us as we continue planning and working to optimize our bus operations. Moreover, this data is made openly available to us, which has allowed us to freely incorporate it into the myriad of other software platforms and services we use to make our daily operations more efficient. Perhaps the most complimented examples of the external use of this data are in regards to our website and our preferred third-party mobile application. Both of these integrations are driven by Connexionz’s customer-facing products and gathered data from real-time bus tracking. Connexionz works directly with our bus manufacturers to ensure that as we bring new buses into our fleet, regardless of make, the proper CAD/AVL and several other additional technologies that have come along over the years, are properly and effectively installed on each bus prior to delivery to our yard. Connexionz proves to be a willing, adaptable and strong partner for SolTrans as we change and grow together. If there are any questions or requests for discussion, my contact information is below. Sincerely, BISI IBRAHIM Innovation and Technology Manager (707) 736 -6985 Page 287 of 764 Page 288 of 764 Page 289 of 764 TIPS CONTRACT ____________________ REQUIRED CONFIDENTIALITY CLAIM FORM (VENDOR MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING VENDOR INFORMATION) Vendor Entity Name: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Title: ______________________________________________________________________________ Vendor Authorized Signatory Email: _____________________________________________________________________________ Vendor Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________________________________ State: ____________ Zip Code: _____________ Vendor agrees that it is voluntarily providing its data (including but not limited to: Vendor information, Vendor documentation, Vendor’s proposal, Vendor pricing submitted or provided to TIPS, TIPS contract documents, TIPS correspondence, Vendor logos and images, Vendor’s contact information, Vendor’s brochures and commercial information, Vendor’s financial information, Vendor’s certifications, and any other Vendor information or documentation submitted to TIPS by Vendor and its agents) (Hereinafter, “Vendor Data”) to TIPS. Vendor understands and agrees that TIPS is a government entity subject to public information laws including but not limited to Texas Government Code (TGC) Chapter 552. Vendor agrees that regardless of confidentiality designations herein, Vendor’s submission of a proposal constitutes Vendor’s consent to the disclosure and release of Vendor’s Data and comprehensive proposal, including any information deemed confidential or proprietary herein, to and by TIPS Members. Notwithstanding the foregoing permissible release to TIPS Members, if Vendor considers any portion of Vendor’s proposal to be otherwise confidential and not subject to public disclosure pursuant to public information laws, including but not limited to TGC Chapter 552, Vendor must properly execute Option 1 only below, attach to this PDF all documents and information that Vendor deems confidential, and upload the consolidated documentation. Regardless of the Option selected below, this form must be completed and uploaded to the “Response Attachments” section of the eBid System entitled “Required Confidentiality Claim Form.” Execution and submission of this form is the sole indicator of whether Vendor considers any Vendor Data confidential in the event TIPS receives a request, a Public Information Request, or subpoena. If TIPS receives a request, any responsive documentation not deemed confidential by you through proper execution of Option 1 of this form will be automatically released. For information deemed confidential by you through proper execution of Option 1 of this form, TIPS will follow procedures of controlling statute(s) regarding withholding that documentation and shall not be liable for any release of information required by law, including Attorney General opinion or court order. (VENDOR MUST COMPLETE ONE OF THE TWO OPTIONS AND UPLOAD IN THE EBID SYSTEM) OPTION 1 – DESIGNATING CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS – YES, VENDOR HAS ATTACHED CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS (Confirm each bullet point and sign below) ▪ Vendor claims some Vendor Data confidential to the extent permitted by TGC Chapter 552 and other applicable law. ▪ Vendor attached to this PDF all potentially confidential Vendor Data and listed the number of attached pages below. ▪ Vendor’s authorized signatory has signed below and shall upload this document in the proper location in the eBid System. ▪ Vendor agrees that TIPS shall not be liable for any release of confidential information required by law. Number of pages attached deemed confidential: ____________ Authorized Signature: ________________________________ OPTION 2 – WAIVER OF CONFIDENTIALITY – NO, VENDOR HAS NOT ATTACHED CONFIDENTIAL MATERIALS (Confirm each bullet point and sign below) By signing for Option 2 below, Vendor expressly waives any confidentiality claim for all Vendor Data submitted in relation to this proposal and resulting contract. Vendor confirms that TIPS may freely release Vendor Data submitted in relation to this proposal or resulting contract to any requestor. Vendor agrees that TIPS shall not be responsible or liable for any use or distribution of Vendor Data by TIPS or TIPS Members. ▪ Vendor’s authorized signatory has signed below and shall upload this document in the proper location in the eBid System. ▪Vendor agrees that TIPS shall not be liable for any release of confidential information required by law. Authorized Signature: ________________________________ 250503 Connexionz LTD Patrick ODonnell Head of Sales patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com 27720 Avenue Scott Unit 190 Santa Clarita CA 91355 0 Page 290 of 764 By: Connexionz Date of this Proposal: June 23, 2025 Computer-Aided Dispatch Automatic Vehicle Location System (CAD/AVL) System Updated Proposal for Comprehensive Solutions By: Connexionz Date Submitted: 9th of October 2025 Page 291 of 764 October 9, 2025 City of San Luis Obispo Transit Attn: Alex Fuchs Mobility Services Manager 1260 Chorro St San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Dear Alex, Thanks for Dear Alex, Thanks for the opportunity to consider your request for improved Transit Technology , and for answering all questions we had during our meetings with you and Jesse Stanley. You have been quite accommodating to us, and we very much appreciate your continued efforts. As a result – the pages below show our updated proposal to you for CAD/AVL at the City of San Luis Obispo Transit, with solutions and support for a five-year timeframe. You seek to provide the most reliable, effective, and accessible public transport choices to enhance the quality of life for your patrons at SLO - now and for years to come. And at Connexionz – we look forward to being your trusted partner to meet and build upon those goals. Your requirements include the solutions listed below, and we aim to deliver: • CAD/AVL – Including Route Planning • Easy & Accurate GTFS & GTFS-RT • On-Site & Dependable Product Training • 24/7/365 Vital Support & Maintenance • Strategic Integration with Key Current and Future Bus Technology Easy to use Agency Branded Patron Website • Easy Customer/End User Interaction • On-bus Integrations and Passenger Wi-Fi • Business Intelligence Reporting • Rider SMS • APC Integration & UTA APC Certification • Rapid Implementation – On Time/On Budget Our Value Proposition – Transit Technology Excellence What sets us apart is our extensive experience and the unique features of our system. We have provided CAD/AVL Intelligent Transport Systems for going on nearly 30 years. Currently, 30+ clients utilize the proposed products and services we are offering you, including your neighbors at SLORTA. Our objective in providing this response is to demonstrate how Connexionz is uniquely qualified to be your best partner and detail how we will make this project a success and your vision a reality. Our solution is anchored in technology excellence. Connexionz Limited 27720 Avenue Scott Unit 190 Santa Clarita CA, 91355 United States www.connexionz.com Page 292 of 764 Technology Excellence – During the Initial Project and for Years to Come Together with your leadership, Connexionz will explore your needs, goals, and unique challenges, laying the foundation for a strong working relationship. During the project, our Project Manager and Customer Success Team will work closely with you daily. We will also coordinate a team of qualified and experienced technicians to manage your deployment. On behalf of Connexionz, I would like to thank everyone at the City of San Luis Obispo for the opportunity to begin this project. Sincerely, Patrick O’Donnell Head of Sales – North America Tel: (712) 242-8688 patrick.odonnell@connexionz.com Page 293 of 764 Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ 1 Executive Summary ..................................................................................................................... 1 San Luis Obispo Transit in the Past – SLO Transit Now ...........................................................................1 Technology Now – Technology in the Future .........................................................................................1 Passenger Counters Ready to Work Correctly – Immediately! ...............................................................2 Above All – Improving the Passenger Experience ..................................................................................2 We invite you to speak with our friends at SLORTA. ..............................................................................2 About Connexionz ....................................................................................................................... 3 Corporate/Agency Profile......................................................................................................................3 History of Company ..................................................................................................................... 3 Overview and History of Connexionz .....................................................................................................3 Connexionz Qualifications .....................................................................................................................3 Longstanding Relationships & Successful Integrations ...........................................................................4 Flexibility ..............................................................................................................................................4 Reliability ..............................................................................................................................................4 Support and Training ............................................................................................................................5 On-Time and Within Budget ..................................................................................................................5 Proven Experience & Reliability – Examples of Completed Projects .......................................................5 Experienced Team with Highlighted Skills..............................................................................................6 Our Pledge is Resolute - We Offer Confidence .......................................................................................6 Overview of Our Solution ............................................................................................................ 8 Hardware – Onboard Platform Deliverables ..........................................................................................8 Software – Platform Deliverables ........................................................................................................ 12 Connexionz Uses Real-time and Historical Data Methodology ............................................................. 32 Optional Deliverables ......................................................................................................................... 33 Implementation Plan ................................................................................................................. 43 At the Outset – The Notice to Proceed – NTP ...................................................................................... 43 Phase One: Project Initiation ............................................................................................................... 43 Phase Two: Discovery & Design ........................................................................................................... 43 Phase Three: Vehicle Procurement, Configuration, Testing, & Shipping ............................................... 45 Phase Four: System Installation, Configuration, & Testing ................................................................... 46 Page 294 of 764 Phase Five: Full Fleet Installation & Testing ......................................................................................... 46 Phase Six: System Training .................................................................................................................. 48 Phase Seven: Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval, & Project Closure ................................................ 49 Phase Eight: Journey Planner Integration ............................................................................................ 50 Project Schedule ................................................................................................................................. 51 Issue, Risk, and Change Management Processes ................................................................................. 61 What Happens After Systems Implementation? ........................................................................ 66 The Proven Connexionz Strength ........................................................................................................ 66 Technical Support ............................................................................................................................... 66 Service & Maintenance Agreement ..................................................................................................... 66 Sample Service Level Agreement......................................................................................................... 66 Weekly/Bi-Weekly/Monthly Meetings ................................................................................................ 68 The Finest Training .................................................................................................................... 70 Immediate Impact, Enduring Commitment ......................................................................................... 70 Connexionz On-site Training Needs ..................................................................................................... 70 Training Plan ....................................................................................................................................... 70 Training Schedule................................................................................................................................ 70 Training Agenda .................................................................................................................................. 71 Page 295 of 764 1 | P a g e Executive Summary San Luis Obispo Transit in the Past – SLO Transit Now Over the last several decades, SLO Transit has grown and adapted to changes in the urban and other regions near your agency. Names have changed, organizations may have merged, and technologies have evolved. However, throughout the years, your mission and the results of your efforts have remained steady, and you have provided the best transportation services to your community. Our purpose is rooted in nearly 30 years of expertise in implementing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) around the world for all our Transit Agency clients, ensuring the best possible transit technology. We pride ourselves on two key differentiators , and we will highlight these in our response: long- standing customer relationships that have been renewed multiple times, and our ability to integrate seamlessly with third-party hardware and software. We achieve this with leading-edge Bus Dispatch, Operations Platforms, and Passenger Experience Solutions - all in the Cloud. Technology Now – Technology in the Future What we are offering you is a true partnership now and for many years to come. We will be showing the effectiveness of our Connexionz Core Solutions in the specific areas of your requirements right now. And we will provide references, especially from nearby California agencies who have been long - standing clients of Connexionz. The first of which will be your neighbors at San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority – SLORTA. These California references, along with others, will note how our platform performance has expanded over the years to include enhanced Passenger Experience solutions, both onboard and at Transit Centers. Additionally, these references demonstrate how our s olutions simplify and enhance their FTA-required reporting and transit planning . Some of these functionalities you need immediately – and others will be coming along later, with your strategic direction and initiative. We will demonstrate that we are the partner you will thrive with, both now and for years to come – doing it with our people, who will work closely with you daily! “The Connexionz X-Factor is the personal touch that you get. I mean, I can literally talk to the COO if I need, or anyone else who’s working for Connexionz. You build up a personal relationship with people – I think that says a lot about the company that t hey have kept a lot of the same employees over the years and that really helps. I mean, these people, you feel as much as a friend, as a colleague, and you know that again gives you the confidence that whatever issues you might have during the day, they’re going to help you, and they're really invested in making this system work. You're not just one of 1000 other companies. You feel like they're focusing on you and helping you be the best transit agency you can. - Tim Bates, Transit Coordinator, Corvallis Transit System Page 296 of 764 2 | P a g e Passenger Counters Ready to Work Correctly – Immediately! As part of our research, you mentioned your challenges with your passenger counters. We all know the importance of proper Passenger Counting. You have a strategic commitment to ensuring robust and accurate Passenger Counts for planning, reporting, and strategic direction. Our experience shows that your current APCs could be working just fine, and at the very least may need some calibration. But once our CAD/AVL is in place – with our impeccable data and data matchups utilizing our Medius - Your need for new APCs could be reduced or even eliminated. – Let’s figure it out together. As part of our initial project – we will help you come to terms with what is truly needed in the APC category. Our clients tell us that our data and the APCs are vital as the “secret sauce” of their reporting and planning. Above All – Improving the Passenger Experience Our position for SLO Transit, is we believe the best way to invest in technology is by focusing on improving the passenger experience. All other aspects of the Bus Operations line up effectively if we work toward this primary goal. What does this mean for you? • Real-Time GPS Tracking, Dispatch & AVL. • Out of the Box - GTFS & GTFS-RT Feeds – RELIABLE & ACCURATE! (Or what’s the point?). • This ACCURACY allows for Advanced Reporting & Business Intelligence Reporting Tools. • 24/7/365 Support and Maintenance. • And – Committed Support for the City of San Luis Obispo Future Transit Vision and Planning • The proposal includes several described “options” – to be priced later as interest warrants. We invite you to speak with our friends at SLORTA. The Bus Operations Group at San Luis Obispo Regional Transit Authority have been wonderful partners with Connexionz for several years. Since their first adoption of the Connexionz Platform, we have engaged together in many projects, from technology enhancements, to outfitting new Gillig Buses - all of which are similar in scope to your mentioned opportunities. We know that Omar McPherson and his colleagues will be able to provide strong insight regarding our levels of service and strength in technology. We invite you to call him and ask his opinion about Connexionz, and what we have done for them, and what we can do for you. We are looking to be a trusted partner for you, just like with SLORTA. We look to earn this trust and look forward to next steps with you at the City of SLO Transit. Page 297 of 764 3 | P a g e About Connexionz Corporate/Agency Profile Legal Information Connexionz LTD 27720 Avenue Scott – Unit 190 Santa Clarita CA 91355 661-451-1005 Type of Entity Public Corporation – Registered in California Contact Information Patrick O’Donnell – Head of Sales 712-242-8688 History of Company Overview and History of Connexionz Connexionz is a limited liability company registered in the United States. Established in 1996, Connexionz has nearly 30 years of experience delivering global CAD/AVL Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Our primary focus has always been making a valuable difference to small and medium agencies across the USA. Number of Employees Involved Between ten and twenty depending on project timeline Years in Service Connexionz has served Transit Agencies for nearly 30 Years Examples of Completed Projects Some examples will be listed in this section below Skill Sets – Licensing, etc. Skill sets are included as part of project examples We design, deliver, and support global end -to-end CAD/AVL Intelligent Transportation Systems solutions for public transportation agencies to improve performance and productivity. In addition, we offer specialized expertise in Bus Transit Center Management and Business Intelligence to support strategic, long-range technology planning. Connexionz Qualifications We have built an incredible team of dedicated hardware and software engineers, project managers, and field technicians to ensure successful project deployment with unparalleled service and support. We design, deliver, and support end-to-end ITS solutions for transportation providers like yourself. Our cloud-based solutions mean that our system will evolve as new features are added, giving you flexibility should you wish to adopt them. Page 298 of 764 4 | P a g e “Connexionz took our wants and ideas and developed them into a multi -faceted project that includes Automatic Vehicle Location Tracking, an Electronic Farebox, an Automated Passenger Counter, a Camera System, a Mobile App, and more. So, whether it is a larger project like ours or a more specific project that you might like information about, I highly recommend them”. - Linuel Wilhoite, Transit Director, Pigeon Forge Mass Transit - TN. Longstanding Relationships & Successful Integrations As previously highlighted, our two key differentiators are: long -standing customer relationships that have been renewed multiple times, and our ability to successfully integrate with third -party hardware and software. In the Executive Summary, we highlighted our relationship with SLORTA. And there are several others. For instance, we have proudly served Pasadena Transit in the greater Los Angeles area since 2012. Nearby, Santa Clarita Transit has been a valued client for over 16 years. To the North, Tri-Delta Transit has partnered with us for nearly two decades. These are just a few examples that reflect the depth and longevity of our client partnerships. With our client, SolTrans, located near California’s Bay Area, we have not only implemented our comprehensive CAD/AVL platform, but have also integrated a range of technologies aimed at enhancing passenger experience. These enhancements have been developed and deployed ov er time in partnership with our client's needs and requests. Here are just some key integrations: • Fare Collections. • Video Surveillance Systems. • Onboard Video Signage. • Transit Center Signage. • Automated Passenger Counting – with NTD Certification Reporting. • Business Intelligence Reporting Tools – and more examples, depending on the agency. • Smart Transit Centers. Flexibility We recognize that each project is unique, so we work closely with clients to tailor solutions that align with their goals and constraints. Whether adapting to changing requirements or integrating with existing systems, we excel at finding innovative and flexible solutions to meet our clients' needs. Reliability Clients rely on us to deliver robust, dependable solutions that meet their needs. This reliability stems from our commitment to rigorous testing, quality assurance protocols, and timely proactive support, which ensure that our products and services consistently perform at the highest level. " We have used Connexionz for many years now and we are very happy with the service we’ve gotten. One word to describe my experience with Connexionz would be reliability because all the other bells and whistles are terrific, but none of that works unless the system works, and it does, it works 99.99% of the time. I just can’t imagine going back to a world in which we didn’t have Connexionz services.” - Tim Bates, Transit Coordinator, City of Corvallis Page 299 of 764 5 | P a g e Support and Training In ALL of our projects, our support is second to none. From the outset of our first project, and ongoing, we offer online and phone support 24 Hours a Day and 7 Days a Week, so customers can get assistance at any time. Additionally, our Santa Clarita office is located within a short drive from SLO – and one of our key client partners, SLORTA is in the same city, ensuring that on-site support is readily accessible whenever needed. “From the initial setup to ongoing support, Connexionz has proven to be a true partner in ensuring our transit schedules are accurate and up to date… they have consistently demonstrated their expertise, reliability, and dedication to our success. Their knowledgeable team is always available to address any questions or concerns, providing swift and effective solutions that keep our operations running smoothly.” - Vincent Tamuzza, Director of Information Systems, NY Waterway Our Core system platform and helpdesk have built -in training documentation and videos to help users help themselves. And by providing remote training built into our support program, we provide both in-person and on-site training on a time and materials basis if required. 24/7/365 Technical Support: A dedicated Customer Success Team ensures immediate assistance and troubleshooting. On-site and Remote Training: Customized training programs for dispatchers, administrators, and operators, including access to an online support portal. Proactive System Maintenance: Regular software updates, system monitoring, performance optimization, and yearly on-site preventative maintenance to ensure smooth operations. On-Time and Within Budget The company's project management processes are tuned to ensure efficient execution and timely delivery. With a focus on clear communication, proactive problem-solving, and diligent planning, our team consistently meets or exceeds project deadlines, earning the trust and satisfaction of our customers. Proven Experience & Reliability – Examples of Completed Projects Connexionz has an extensive track record of successfully deploying CAD/AVL systems for public transit agencies. Recent projects completed include:  Apple Country Public Transit: Delivered a cloud-hosted ITS platform supporting CAD, bus stops, route & schedule management, reporting tools to provide analysis on key transit metrics, GTFS static & real-time data feeds, and real-time rider public website & mobile applications. Onboard functionality supporting real-time AVL.  WAVE Transit – Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority: Delivered a cloud-hosted ITS platform supporting CAD, bus stops, route & schedule management, reporting tools to provide analysis on key transit metrics, GTFS static & real-time data feeds, and real-time rider public website & mobile applications. Onboard functionality supporting real-time AVL, Page 300 of 764 6 | P a g e headsign integration, next LED integration, AVA, engine diagnostics & fuel usage integration, and driver MDTs.  Broome County (BC Transit): Delivered a cloud-hosted ITS platform supporting CAD, bus stops, route & schedule management, reporting tools to provide analysis on key transit metrics, GTFS static & real-time data feeds, and real-time rider public website & mobile applications. Onboard functionality supporting real-time AVL.  Solano County Transit - CA (SolTrans): Delivered a cloud-hosted ITS platform supporting CAD, bus stops, route & schedule management, reporting tools to provide analysis on key transit metrics, GTFS static & real-time data feeds, and real-time rider 3rd party mobile application integration. Onboard functionality supporting real-time AVL, headsign integration, next LED integration, AVA, engine diagnostics integration, driver MDTs, LCD infotainment, and APC integration. Streetside interchange functionality supporting ETA signage, and bus in-bay arrival signage & audible announcements. Experienced Team with Highlighted Skills Our proposed team for this project is highly skilled professionals with extensive experience in ITS and transportation management systems. Their depth of experience, both as a prime contractor and in collaboration with other consultants, ensures we can execute this project successfully. We are committed to bringing innovative solutions to your organization, and we are backed by the reliability and expertise that have defined Connexionz as a leader in the ITS and fleet management sectors. Here are just some of the folks who will be working with you daily: • Vaughan Keenan I Chief Operating Officer: Years of experience leading large-scale ITS and transport network projects. • Hugo Valdovinos I Account Manager: Years of experience working in public transit operations environments and supporting complex ITS platforms. • Marcos Mendez I Field and Support Technician: Experienced in deploying and maintaining hardware and software systems in live operational transit environments. • Tomas Hedman I Technical Manager: Specialist in hardware integration, with expertise in fleet management systems and transit operations. Our Pledge is Resolute - We Offer Confidence Connexionz is confident that our CAD/AVL solution will provide the City of SLO with a future-ready, scalable, and cost-effective system to enhance operational efficiency and improve passenger experience. We will meet all of your requirements, and as you requested, we are confident that you will go live – in perfect harmony with your agency's mission and goals. But we believe even more than that - like all of our customers, you will trust our GTFS Accuracy. Like our experience with different Technology Partners, like future Camera System Upgrades and figuring out the best strategies with your APC situation - you will trust our work ethic and opportunity management. And like our strong relationship with your neighbors at SLORTA, you will have confidence in our data and our platform. Page 301 of 764 7 | P a g e Not only will we meet and exceed your requirements, but we will also work every day to earn your trust and confidence. We have done this for nearly thirty years. This is our commitment, and we ask for the opportunity to earn your trust. Page 302 of 764 8 | P a g e Overview of Our Solution Hardware – Onboard Platform Deliverables Medius Vehicle Logic Unit (VLU) The Medius Vehicle Logic Unit (VLU) is Connexionz’s ruggedized onboard hardware that powers the passenger experience and CAD/AVL ITS systems. It supports remote diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and integration with all onboard systems. For your project, the proposal is to integrate the following onboard features: • GPS. • Audible Announcements (AVAS). • Destination Signs/Headsigns. • Cellular Router Kit (Replacement & Integration with Existing). • Automatic Passenger Counter (APCs) Integration. • Next Stop Sign Integration. The Medius is designed for durability, low maintenance, and easy serviceability in transit environments. Connexionz takes a collaborative and flexible approach, tailoring solutions and implementation strategies to each client’s unique goals and constraints. We specialize in adapting to changing requirements and integrating with existing systems, delivering innovative, client-focused solutions. Our system is designed with scalability in mind, enabling seamless adaptation to fleet expansion or reduction. Future enhancements can be easily integrated, typically requiring only the installation of additional cabling and the procurement of supplementary licenses. Below are some functionalities that come out of the box with the Medius. Image - The image above shows the integrations available that come out of the box with the Medius. Page 303 of 764 9 | P a g e Automated Voice Annunciation (AVA) The Medius integrates with your existing vehicle speakers to trigger location-based audible automatic vehicle announcements via a text-to-speech engine, synchronizing them with visual announcements. Automated Voice Annunciation includes: • Internal Announcements: o Trip Commencement – trip commencement announcements are made before a vehicle leaves the trip terminus and announces: <route number> to <destination> [via <list of secondary destinations>] and [<route extension>]. o Next stop – next stop announcements are made as a vehicle leaves a stop and announces: Next stop <stop name>. o Arriving at – arriving at announcements are made when a vehicle reaches a configurable distance from a stop and announces: Arriving at <stop name> o Stop Request Arriving at – stop request arriving at announcements are made when a rider triggers a stop request, and the vehicle reaches the stop trigger zone and announces: Arriving at <stop name>. o Connection announcements – connection announcements are made at stops that serve more than one route if the schedule indicates that a connection can be made and announces: Connecting to <Route1> <Route2>. o Last stop – last stop announcements are made when the arrival point of the last stop on a trip is triggered and will announce the last stop announcement configured for the system, e.g., this is the last stop. o Service alerts and passenger announcements – service alerts and passenger announcements are made at timepoints when a vehicle is stationary. • External Announcements: o Route and destination – route and destination announcements are made at every stop when the system considers the vehicle “stationary” and will announce: <Route> <Destination>. All internal and external announcements are configured in the Route Planner application and automatically downloaded to each vehicle’s Medius unit, except for Service Alerts and Passenger Announcements, which are sent in real time via the Publisher application. Key features include: • Text-to-speech support. • Phonetic tuning to match local pronunciation. Destination Signs/Headsigns The Medius system integrates with J1708 destination signs, allowing automatic control of sign text via destination codes. Key features include: • Route Planner geofences stops and triggers automatic Headsign changes at the start of a trip, and during a trip as the vehicle traverses a route. • A default “Not In Service” message is set if the vehicle isn’t ready for the next trip. Page 304 of 764 10 | P a g e • For successful deployment, signs must be enabled for integration and preconfigured with consistent destination codes across the fleet. • If duress alarm integration is enabled, the Medius can integrate with t he Headsign emergency switch to automatically set an emergency destination code to appear on the exterior Headsigns when the Covert/Duress button is pressed. Cellular Router As part of the project, buses will be equipped with Pepwave MAX BR1 Mini Cat 7 LTE Advanced routers, offering transit-grade cellular connectivity for Connexionz systems. Key features include: • Durable metal housing and redundant SIM slots with automatic switching. • DC or terminal block power support and remote management. • Provides a cellular gateway for both vehicle systems and passenger Wi-Fi connectivity via a single SIM and cellular plan. Passenger Onboard Wi-Fi Connexionz will configure and support the Pepwave cellular routers it provides, along with the two existing Cradlepoint routers owned by the City of San Luis Obispo. These will be equipped with our standard 3-in-1 antenna, which delivers an open Wi-Fi SSID for passenger internet access. Routers will be configured to use OpenDNS’s free content filtering service, which helps ensure that internet access remains appropriate for public use. This approach is commonly adopted by our transit customers. If more advanced filtering is required, Connexionz recommends that the agency consult its cellular data provider, many of whom offer enhanced filtering and blacklist services. We strongly recommend using unlimited cellular data plans for passenger Wi-Fi to prevent unexpected overage charges. Automatic Passenger Counters (APCs) Image – Connexionz Automatic Passenger Counting (APC) system. We have extensive experience with Iris and Hella APC sensors and have found them to be highly accurate and reliable when properly calibrated and integrated with our Medius VLU and Core system. We understand your concerns regarding the quality of APC data currently received from your CAD/AVL provider. However, we are confident in our ability to integrate with your existing sensors and Page 305 of 764 11 | P a g e provide accurate and reliable data. If required, this data can also be certified for NTD reporting – please refer to the relevant section later in this proposal for more details. The Medius VLU integrates with Iris and Hella APC sensors, as well as GPS data, which it stores and forwards to Connexionz Core via the cellular router and gateway. Your data is not lost if cellular communications are disrupted. Connexionz Core processes all APC data nightly , from buses with a known completed service, making it available to UTA and accessible via the Insights module. Next Stop Sign Integration The Medius integrates with J1708 Next Stop LED signs to trigger location -based visual automatic vehicle announcements and synchronizes them with the audible automatic vehicle announcements. The Next Stop LED signs provide visual announcements for: • Trip Commencement –trip commencement announcements are made as a vehicle leaves the trip terminus and announces: <route number> to <destination> [via <list of secondary destinations>] and [<route extension>]. • Next stop – next stop announcements are made as a vehicle leaves a stop and announces: Next stop <stop name>. • Arriving at – arriving at announcements are made when a vehicle reaches a configurable distance from a stop and announces: Arriving at <stop name>. • Stop Request– stop request announcements are made when a rider triggers a stop request, and the vehicle reaches the stop trigger zone and announces (if the option is selected): Stop Requested. • Connection announcements – connection announcements are made at stops that serve more than one route if the schedule indicates that a connection can be made and announces: Connecting to <Route1> <Route2>. • Last stop – last stop announcements are made when the arrival point of the last stop on a trip is triggered and will announce: the last stop announcement configured for the system e.g. this is the last stop. • Service alerts and passenger announcements – service alerts and passenger announcements are made on arrival at a stop timepoint (message size limits apply). All Next Stop sign announcements are configured within the Route Planner application and automatically downloaded onto the Medius on each vehicle when required. The only exception to this is Service Alerts and Passenger Announcements, which are transmitted in real-time from the Core Publisher application if the “Vehicle” destination is selected. When installing new Next Stop Signs, we conduct a vehicle survey to determine optimal mounting locations that ensure maximum visibility for riders. Page 306 of 764 12 | P a g e Software – Platform Deliverables Overview of the Connexionz Integrated System Image - Overview of the Connexionz Integrated Transit System. Our Fixed Route Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) & Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) is cloud-based. It enables you to monitor and manage your operations easily, anywhere, anytime. We produce and use highly accurate GPS data to let you know where your vehicles have been, where they are, and where they will be in the future. This forms the foundation for an improved onboard and passenger experience, offering the essential tools and services to design, implement, and manage new services. It ensures smooth operations, keeps everyone informed about performance, and empowers riders to plan and manage their journeys with confidence. Our customers provide over 32 million trips per year on land and water. Being cloud -based means you always have the latest features you’ve selected without paying extra. Connexionz Core Connexionz Core is a cloud-hosted solution for ITS applications, including: • Route Planner. • Driver Manager. • Dispatch. • Insights. • Schedule Import. • Admin Center. • Service Calendar. • Notify. • Publisher. Users are granted secure access to the Connexionz Core portal via a dedicated URL, protected by two-factor authentication (2FA) to ensure robust security. The portal is accessible from any web - enabled device, providing users with convenient and flexible access to the system. Page 307 of 764 13 | P a g e Access permissions are role-based, meaning each user is assigned specific capabilities aligned with their responsibilities. This ensures users operate strictly within the boundaries of their designated roles, maintaining both system integrity and operational efficiency. Connexionz Core - Route Planner The Connexionz Route Planner is cloud-hosted and available via an Azure web application. Route Planner provides your team with a visual map-based interface to simplify the management of your route network and provides tools to: • Update existing stops and routes. • Configure real-time detours. • Create new stops and routes. • Configure location-based audio and visual announcements. • Configure destination codes to set head signs. • Configure public information network stop-specific destination titles. • Creates route driver turn-by-turn run sheets/driver paddles. • Configure fare zones and fares for GTFS and farebox integrations. • Configure GTFS, GTFS-RT feeds, and 3rd party feeds. • Configure route colors. Image - Connexionz Core ITS portal home screen. Page 308 of 764 14 | P a g e GTFS and GTFS-RT data are automatically updated to reflect system changes, e.g., route, schedule, and service calendar. PLEASE NOTE: For optimal operation, we recommend a “stop survey” to capture accurate stop GPS coordinates if you don’t already have this data available. Image - Screenshot of our Route Planner Application. Page 309 of 764 15 | P a g e Connexionz Core - Dispatch Dispatch allows system users to review real-time operations and replay historical data. A web- based software that enables Dispatchers to accurately monitor and manage fleet activity in real - time. Supervisory, management, and operator staff can access dispatch when on the road via any cellular broadband network-connected mobile device with a large enough screen or monitor operations. Information is displayed in tabular and map views and can be configured to suit the specific dispatcher or supervisor using the program. All vehicles, whether fixed -route, demand response, or support vehicles are shown on the map, while more detailed information on fixed-route trips appears in a “list” view. Dispatch provides useful real-time and historical information to help you effectively manage your operations and answer questions and queries about your services. Some examples of System Data Collected: • Vehicle block and trip assignments. • Vehicle locations (on route, off-rout, dead-head, vehicle depot). • Vehicle trip speed and passenger loads. • Trip exceptions. • Schedule adherence. • Driver login/log-off. • Driver messages. • Vehicle duress alarms (if option selected). Monitoring Monitor all fleet operations in real-time. Monitor headway times - vehicle loop routes. Monitor alerts and alarms from the onboard system. Filter trips that might be late, early, or off route. Tracking View vehicle position, speed, and on-time performance. View by individual vehicles or stops, by trip, by route, or entire. Fleet management. View vehicle duress alarm events. Management Assign vehicles to routes, blocks, trips, etc. Write trip notes for audit purposes and incident reporting. Messaging Pre-defined and ad-hoc text messaging to Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs). Respond to on-time performance, off-route activity, and covert alarm incidents. Analysis Data Integration View and generate a wide array of system analysis reports. Audit trip exceptions and notes, and conditionally accept the documented cause/s. Review On Time Performance (OTP). Page 310 of 764 16 | P a g e ➢ Screen Overview and Navigation When the Dispatch application is opened, the screen defaults on the current day’s activities. The initial entry screen is divided into panels, with a ribbon at the top and three panels underneath. Menu – Access to areas the Dispatch user needs to monitor and update transit information. List Pane – Displays information that relates to the menu option selection. Map View – A geographical representation of either active trips, routes, or vehicles. Menu Pane: Service Date – Navigation between past, present, and future trips. Blocks – The user can assign a specific block (group of trips) to a vehicle. This feature allows access to specific trip assignment activities (assign trip, create assist trip, unassign block, cancel, and unassign trip). Active Trips – Real-time list of active trips. Schedules – List of all trips scheduled for the service date being viewed. The schedule list buttons (dense or timeline) allow the dispatch user to arrange the view to suit themselves. Routes – List of all routes and related trips for the day. Vehicles – List of all vehicles with the current tracking status, including fixed route and tracking only admin vehicles Drivers – Lists drivers with their status (logged on, on a break, etc.). Image - Screen overview and navigation in Dispatch. Figure 9. Menu Pane close-up. Page 311 of 764 17 | P a g e Image - A screenshot of fixed route vehicles. Image - Tracking a Depot - Image illustrating depot view. Page 312 of 764 18 | P a g e Active Trip – Drilled Down to a Specific Trip – The Dispatcher has clicked on an “active trip” to check that everything is okay. The vehicle is meeting its timepoints, and they can see it’s halfway through its trip. Image - A screenshot of an Active Trip – drilled down to specific Trip. Image - Active Trip with Tracker. Page 313 of 764 19 | P a g e Active Trip with Tracker – A trip tracker allows Dispatchers to view passenger loading (when integrated with APCs or tablet counts are used), vehicle speed, and the locations of an active or historical trip. Active Trip with Trip Tracker – Dispatch users have left-clicked and dragged their mouse across the part of the trip to highlight it and view it in more detail. The system will zoom in to the period highlighted in the Trip Tracker and play back that part of the trip. Trip Details with Warning – The user has clicked on the “Active Trip” with a warning that notes the vehicle has been off route. The yellow and green dots are the GPS unit tracking its whereabouts. The yellow dots show that the bus has gone off route, and the green dots show where the bus has stayed on route. Image - Active Trip with Trip Tracker. Image - Trip Details with Warning. Page 314 of 764 20 | P a g e Locations – the locations tab displays a list of the time stamp, speed, and passenger loading for all GPS positions received. Image - Message tab in Dispatch - Dispatchers can create free-form messages to send to drivers. Image - Create Assist Trip: A Dispatcher needs to assign a new vehicle due to the incumbent broken down vehicle or vehicle is at load capacity and needs an assist trip. Image - If the vehicle has broken down, the Dispatcher would either reassign the trip or create an assist trip. Cancelling is only ever done when the scheduled trip is not going to run. Image - GPS triggered pings. Page 315 of 764 21 | P a g e For projects that include multiple vehicles on routes at the same time, the ‘HEADWAY’ tab will be available for Active Trips. The tab will not appear if your project does not include such routes. The tab ‘HEADWAY’ is located in the list pane and can be selected. Upon clicking it, the screen will update to display current headway trips underway. Image - Headway via Dispatch Application. Image - Headway list view via the Dispatch Application. Select a route from the list to view the real-time headway time between vehicles. This view provides the ‘time behind’ and ‘time ahead’ between trips for all vehicles on the route, helping you determine whether the trips are evenly paced – this example shows two vehicles, but similar information will be displayed for each vehicle on the selected route if there were more than two. Page 316 of 764 22 | P a g e The headway time information is used to help inform operational decisions to ensure optimal system performance crucial for managing regular passenger flows by providing information to identify and prevent vehicles from bunching. Help & Hints – Dispatch has a useful Help & Hints widget. You can navigate these on your own in real-time to help users with software functionality issues. Image - Once you click on the book icon, the Help and support pop-up opens. From there, you can select which Knowledge Base you would like to inquire into. Image - Help & Hints Widget. On the far-right corner of Dispatch, you will find a book icon; clicking on this icon will take you to the Help & Hints section of the application, including written instructions and short helpful videos. Page 317 of 764 23 | P a g e Covert Alarm (Optional - Hardware Integration Required): Dispatch includes a covert alarm system that, when activated, will notify dispatch of such an event with both an audible tone and visual indicators. Our Dispatch application is designed to prevent your dispatch team from moving to another task until they have responded to the alarm actuation. What Happens When the Duress Button is Pressed 1. Notification: A notification is promptly sent to authorized users within the Dispatch application who have the authority to handle alarms. The Dispatch screen will turn red, and a message box will appear detailing the alarm information. The notification will appear even if the Dispatch screen is minimized. 2. Persistent Alert The notification will continue to be presented until the operator acknowledges they have seen the alarm. If the operator chooses to dismiss the alarm, the notification will reappear every few minutes until it is acknowledged. 3. Operator Actions Hover over and select the vehicle to view the alarm details. The map view will zoom in on the alarmed vehicle, and the trip breadcrumbs will display in red from the moment the alarm is activated. The system will provide detailed information about the trip. Image – The image above shows a covert alarm notification on the Dispatch screen. The duress button, located in the vehicle (generally on or near the driver’s console), is used by the driver to notify the dispatch operator that an emergency or dange rous situation has occurred and that immediate assistance is required. Page 318 of 764 24 | P a g e The Dispatcher will need to use the ‘ACKNOWLEDGE’ button to record that you have seen the alarm and stop it from reappearing on the screen. 4. Alarm Icon Once an alarm has been triggered, an alarm icon will appear in the ribbon at the top of the screen until: 1. The vehicle's Medius system resets the alarm trigger, usually within about 15 minutes of activation. 2. The 'trip date' rollover flag, a system configuration typically set by the user to 24 hours, is reached (this configuration is found in the Links menu of Legacy Dispatch). Regardless, the alarm can still be viewed historically by changing the Service Date and accessing the Vehicles Menu, then using the filter ‘ALARMS’. Connexionz Core – Schedule Import The Schedule Import application is the tool your team will use to: • Import schedules – Schedules can be imported in CSV. • Schedule start date – Set the start date for the schedule to start operating. • Validate schedule files – You will receive an email report explaining the impact of importing the schedule, e.g., services removed from the system resulting from the new schedule. Image – Illustrated above are operator actions: the alarm details view. The map view will zoom in on the alarmed vehicle, and the trip breadcrumbs will display in red from the moment the alarm is activated. Page 319 of 764 25 | P a g e Connexionz Core – Service Calendar The Service Calendar allows dispatch planners to proactively adjust transit services for specific days, such as holidays, without importing a new schedule. Authorized users can schedule these changes in advance, and updates are immediately reflected in the Dispatch application's 'Schedules' menu. Connexionz Core – Insights The Insights and Analysis module enables users to query and manipulate system data for detailed reporting. It offers pre-configured reports organized by subject, functioning like interactive Excel pivot tables. Access is role-based, ensuring users see only relevant data. Users can drill down, customize reports with calculated fields, and save versions for easy reuse. A sample of our reports includes: • Travel Times - Deadhead ▪ Deadhead by day, hour, and origin and destination. ▪ Distance by driver (YTD), month, and vehicle. ▪ Duration by driver (YTD), month, and vehicle (YTD). ▪ Deadhead travel time. • Timepoint ▪ Timepoints early and late departure by route, vehicle, layover, revenue distance, travel times, etc. • Trips ▪ Early departure by route & hour (latest). ▪ Late departure by route & hour with early at start (latest). ▪ Late departure by route & trip with early at start (latest). ▪ Layover, departure & arrival stats by driver (YTD), month, and route. ▪ Revenue distance by driver (YTD), route (YTD) and vehicle (YTD). ▪ Speed by route & day. ▪ Travel times by day & hour. - Trip Exceptions ▪ % early and late departure by route. ▪ % timepoint metrics by month and route. ▪ Early departures by route (YTD) and Late departures by route (YTD). ▪ Operator notes by day (YTD). ▪ Trip exceptions by driver (YTD), month, and by route (latest). Page 320 of 764 26 | P a g e Connexionz Core – Notes Dispatch users log notes against trips to document incidents, selecting a category to classify each event. These notes are included in management reports and aid in issue investigations. The application also allows organizations to create and manage custom note categories as needed. Connexionz Core – Publisher The system enables teams to create real-time or scheduled service alerts, informing riders about transit operations. Users can define: • Alert title and message. • Destinations (e.g., GTFS feed, public website/app, onboard signage, SMS). • Recurrence settings (date range, days, time). • Targeted routes, ensuring alerts and announcements are only delivered to relevant vehicles and platforms. Connexionz Core – Notify Notify allows team members to subscribe to email alerts for specific system events. Users can customize notifications by event type and set preferences for date, day, and time, ensuring alerts are only received during their working hours. Connexionz Core – Administration The Admin Center is used by authorized administrators to manage user access across organizational applications. Admins can: • Create and delete team member records. • Assign or revoke application permissions. • Reset passwords. Connexionz Core – Public Website A white-labelled branded public website will be provided, with the same functionality as your neighbours at SLORTA, offering real-time bus ETAs optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop use. Key features include: • Branded with your logo. • Trip planning, live bus map, real-time occupancy, ETAs, service alerts, & agency info. • Text-only navigation pages for eReaders. • WCAG compliance. • Customizable tabs and pages. • Built-in English-to-Spanish multilingual support (selected option). • Partner Agency GTFS and GTFS Real-time Data Feed Integration for ETAs & Service Alerts, to facilitate interconnected services (option). • Can be configured with your chosen URL (agency-led option). Page 321 of 764 27 | P a g e • Can be embedded into an agency's website (agency-led option). Below is the link to the website utilized by SLORTA. https://slo.connexionz.net/rtt/public/ SMS with RideText – Advanced Passenger SMS Functionality Connexionz, in partnership with Alesig, can offer a cloud-based SMS communication management system tailored for the City of SLO. This SaaS solution supports real-time rider alerts via SMS and can be integrated with the City’s existing website for rider sign-up (agency-led). Image - Alesig RideText images depicting SMS functionality. Image - SLORTA Public Website Interface. Page 322 of 764 28 | P a g e Alesig will utilize its experience in cloud-based SMS communication management systems, along with its established history of successfully deploying scalable, reliable, and secure Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, to create a comprehensive rider stop ETA and alerts service for the City of SLO. Alesig’s strategy emphasizes seamless integration with Connexionz Core, ensuring that all functional requirements are met while providing an intuitive and user-friendly platform for both SLO staff and riders. This solution will facilitate real-time communication through SMS, ensuring that stop ETAs and alert information reach users promptly. Additionally, the service will feature a robust reporting and analytics module that allows for in-depth insights into communication effectiveness. It will also include granular user management capabilities, enabling precise control over user access and permissions. Furthermore, automated alerts will be generated based on the City of SLO’s real- time GTFS data feeds, ensuring riders receive timely stop ETAs and system service alerts, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction with the City of SLO’s services. Displaying a Web-based Form for Subscriber Sign-ups: Alesig will develop a responsive, web- based form so it can be embedded on the City of SLO’s website to allow users to sign up for SMS service alerts. This innovative form will be built using modern front -end technologies such as React or Angular. Manual Alert Creation by the City of SLO Staff: Staff will have a web-based or mobile-friendly admin panel to create and disseminate manual alerts. • User-Friendly Alert Creation Interface: The user interface will be designed with a focus on intuitive UX/UI best practices to ensure ease of use. Staff members will have the ability to select from a variety of predefined templates tailored for common alerts, such as planned service changes, weather disruptions, and public meetings. Alerts can also include rich content, such as embedded maps or image files, enhancing the message's clarity and impact. The system will utilize WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors, similar to those found in modern blogging platforms, making the creation process straightforward and visually appealing. Real-Time Transit Information via SMS: We will integrate with the City of SLO’s GTFS-RT feed from the Connexionz Core system to allow users to text a specific number and receive real-time information on transit stop ETAs. • SMS System Implementation: Our SMS system will utilize our included short code (22827) to facilitate communication. We partner with reliable third -party messaging services, such as Twilio or AWS SNS, to ensure that messages are delivered consistently and without delay. When a rider sends a request, specifically a stop code via SMS, our system will promptly query the GTFS-RT feed for effective charting. This system will generate standard reports that cover essential metrics, including subscriber growth trends, message delivery statistics that detail success and failure rates, and subscriber engagement metrics, such as open and click- through rates. These reports will provide insights down to the individual subscriber level, allowing for a deeper understanding of user behavior. • Granular Metrics: The reporting dashboard will offer access to detailed metrics, including impressions, subscriber churn rates, list-level engagement statistics, and real-time information requests at the stop level. Furthermore, the City of SLO will have the capability to filter out inactive subscribers easily. This feature will enable the City of SLO users to manage their subscriber lists more effectively, allowing for the archiving or deletion of inactive subscribers through user-friendly bulk management tools. This ensures a cleaner and more efficient subscriber database. Page 323 of 764 29 | P a g e Permission-Based Controls and Security: Alesig will implement a role-based access control (RBAC) system with multiple permission levels, such as Administrator (Admin) and Customer Service Representative (CSR). • User Management: This aspect will be effectively managed through a comprehensive permissions module integrated into the admin panel. This feature will empower the City of SLO to assign various levels of access based on the specific roles and responsibilities of staff members. The system is designed to uphold security best practices rigorously. This includes enforcing mandatory password changes in compliance with the City of SLO’s IT policies to ensure that user accounts remain secure. Additionally, it can support two-factor authentication (2FA), which provides an extra layer of security, making it significantly harder for unauthorized users to gain access. • Audit Logging: A thorough and detailed audit log will be maintained for all system changes. This includes adjustments to permissions, sending of messages, and modifications to subscriber information. This log will be readily accessible to the City of SLO administrators, ensuring complete transparency and traceability of all actions taken within the system. UTA NTD & APC Certification To help the City of SLO maximize the value of its existing APC hardware and streamline NTD compliance, we have included UTA’s extensive expertise in APC certification and NTD reporting. For more than three (3) decades, UTA APC users have been meeting NTD (previously Section 15) reporting requirements using UTA APC data. Critical to UTA’s NTD Reporting are the highly developed APC Administrative Control software modules that assure high-quality APC data is available for NTD Reporting. UTA’s APC Diagnostics, Data Quality Codes, Filter/Edit Algorithms, Sampling Status, Deployment Plans, Reference File Quality Control are but a few of UTA's APC Administrative Control elements that result in high-quality APC data for both NTD and non-NTD reporting. NTD Reporting is a natural by-product of a UTA APC system. The UTA APC Reporting Software has ensured a 100% approval rating by easily recognizing and filtering out any potential bias of Unlinked Passenger Trips (UPT) and Passenger Miles Travelled (PMT) due to non-revenue door activity from operators/passengers or APC hardware malfunctions. Critical to successful NTD Reporting is the calculation of Passenger Miles. UTA’s APC Software automatically calculates Passenger Miles for each bus stop by multiplying the Passenger Load by the Inter-Stop Distance. With highly refined EOL Load Balancing algorithms assuring an accurate Passenger Load at each bus stop and algorithms that convert Lat/Long change into Inter-Stop Distance, UTA’s APC Passenger Mile variable is highly accurate and auditable down to the bus stop level. Along with an accurate UTA APC Ridership variable, the Passenger Trip Length (PTL) is a standard output of UTA’s Route Ridership Report. Included in UTA's project team for the APC Reporting application is Mr. Keith Gates. For approximately ten (10) years before retirement in late-2015, Mr. Gates was FTA's NTD Program Manager. There is no one more qualified/knowledgeable relative to FTA's requirements of NTD reporting. Over the past five (5) years, UTA and FTA NTD staff have met regularly to discuss the application of UTA's APC system to NTD Reporting. FTA staff noticed the large number of UTA APC users that were Page 324 of 764 30 | P a g e successfully generating NTD Reports in contrast to the number of transit agencies utilizing non-UTA APC systems that could not generate NTD reports. Below is a table of UTA APC accuracy as calculated during NTD Certification Procedures for FY2019. These surveys must be completed after APC installation to use APC data for NTD UPT and PMT statistics and subsequently in every fiscal year (FY) divisible by 3. Certification Year Transit Agency City Manual UPT APC UPT UPT % Con Manual PMT APC PMT PMT % Con FY2022 Asheville, NC 166 169 1.8% 783 782 0.2% FY2022 Winston-Salem, NC 446 431 -3.4% 1056 1106 3.4% FY2022 North Carolina State University 339 343 1.2% 529 531 0.4% FY2022 Greensboro, NC 237 237 0.0% 980 974 0.6% FY2022 Albuquerque, NM (ART) 836 864 3.3% 2,756 2,886 4.7% FY2022 Tallahassee, FL 320 324 1.3% 1,143 1,177 3.0% FY2022 Miami, FL 2,260 2,278 0.8% 9,814 10,125 3.1% FY2022 Buffalo, NY (Rail) 358 356 0.6% 991 1,005 1.4% FY2022 Lincoln, NE 287 292 1.7% 958 934 2.6% FY2022 Concho Valley, TX 126 130 3.2% 797 811 1.8% FY2021 Savannah, GA 319 329 3.1% 1641 1704 3.8% FY2021 Charlottesville, VA 339 342 0.9% 1177 1153 -2.0% FY2021 Monterey, CA 567 590 3.9% 3,893 3,815 -2.0% FY2021 Salisbury, NC 144 145 0.7% 539 559 3.6% FY2020 Columbia, MO 98 101 3.0% 255 258 1.2% FY2020 Jacksonville, FL 814 856 4.9% 4,292 4,131 -3.9% FY2020 Mishawaka, IN 182 179 -1.7% 1,173 1,188 1.3% FY2020 Albuquerque, NM (ART) 565 579 2.4% 2,151 2,168 0.8% FY2020 Boise, ID 337 329 -2.4% 2,013 2,007 -0.3% FY2020 Napa, CA 124 126 1.6% 886 896 1.1% FY2019 Hanford, CA 230 240 4.2% 2,143 2,115 -1.3% Page 325 of 764 31 | P a g e GTFS and GTFS Real-time Data Connexionz is a leader in GTFS and GTFS-RT data, having supported GTFS since its inception. Once configured, the system automatically generates compliant GTFS static data based on your routes and schedules and produces real-time GTFS-RT data (Trip Updates, Vehicle Positions, Alerts) during dispatch. Key features include: • Automatic GTFS updates through schedule and route maintenance. • Out-of-the-box GTFS and GTFS-RT feeds. • Open access to GTFS data for third-party use. • Custom integration options are available upon request. • Integration with Trip Planner applications such as Google Transit and Apple Maps. FY2019 Thousand Oaks, CA 194 198 2.0% 955 959 0.4% FY2019 Antioch, CA 397 414 4.1% 1,989 1,958 -1.6% FY2019 San Luis Obispo, CA 494 497 0.6% 7,143 7,112 -0.4% FY2019 Bloomington, IL 378 397 4.8% 907 898 -1.0% FY2019 Asheville, NC 170 178 4.5% 596 584 -2.1% FY2019 Columbus, OH 1,125 1,094 -2.8% 5,344 5,329 -0.3% FY2019 Fayetteville, NC 356 372 4.3% 1,478 1,428 -3.5% FY2019 Durham, NC 664 657 -1.1% 2,167 2,210 1.9% FY2019 Gainesville, FL 1,785 1,786 0.1% 4,947 5,186 4.6% FY2019 Greensboro, NC 441 440 -0.2% 1,879 1,961 4.2% FY2019 Highpoint, NC 200 208 3.8% 542 557 2.7% FY2019 NCSU 753 757 0.5% 1,224 1,263 3.1% FY2019 Piedmont, NC 139 145 4.1% 2,501 2,409 -3.8% FY2019 Racine, WI 242 251 3.6% 838 869 3.6% FY2019 Williamsburg, VA 302 302 0.0% 1,635 1,566 -4.4% FY2019 Pinellas, FL 943 938 -0.5% 5,181 5,428 4.6% FY2019 Dallas, TX 1,172 1,175 0.3% 5,611 5539 -1.3% FY2017 Ventura, CA 303 317 4.4% 6,667 6,959 4.2% FY2016 Bradenton, FL 681 700 2.7% 3,779 3,617 -4.5% FY2016 Missoula, MT 578 599 3.5% 2,172 2,244 3.2% Page 326 of 764 32 | P a g e • Integration with third-party apps such as Transit App and Moovit. • Local region apps such as 511 Bay Area. • Integration with Streetside Signage providers such as Way Sine and Papercast. Trip Planner Application Integrations ➢ Google Transit & Apple Maps We integrate with Google Transit and Apple Maps out of the box – integration is achieved through the GTFS and GTFS-RT data feed. Time has been included in the project to work with Google Transit and Apple Maps to enable integration with these partners. ➢ Moovit We integrate with Moovit out of the box – integration is achieved through the GTFS and GTFS-RT data feed. ➢ Transit App We integrate with Transit App out of the box – integration is achieved through the GTFS and GTFS-RT data feed. An example of this can be found at: https://get.connexionz.net/rtt/public/?page=mobile Connexionz Uses Real-time and Historical Data Methodology Connexionz uses linear regression algorithms based on real-time and historical data to calculate accurate ETA predictions. The system continuously learns operational patterns, calculating travel times by route segment, trip number, and time of day. As vehicle updates are received, predictions are recalculated and updated for each stop. The system also validates predictions using historical data and random checks. ➢ Real-Time Arrival Predictions Arrival Time Prediction The range of actual arrival time from prediction The frequency of actual arrival falls within the predicted range + 1.5 minutes – 1 minute 95% of the time when the estimated arrival time is <2 minutes + 2.0 minutes – 1 minute 95% of the time when the estimated arrival time is < 5 minutes +3.0 minutes – 1 minute 95% of the time when the estimated arrival time is < 15 minutes Page 327 of 764 33 | P a g e Optional Deliverables As your operational requirements evolve, our platform offers a comprehensive suite of system upgrades and enhancement options designed to scale with your organization. Including:  Farebox Integration.  CCTV Integration.  Engine Diagnostic.  Stop Request.  Traffic Signal Priority (TSP).  Media Player – Infotainment.  Duress/Covert Alarm.  Driver Microphone AVA Override  Mobile Data Terminal (MDT).  Driver Manager  Mobile App.  TimeView.  Partner Agency GTFS and GTFS Real-time Data Feed Integration.  QR Codes.  Smart Transit Centers. Farebox Integration The Medius integrates with J1708 GFI/Genfare fareboxes, enabling the exchange of driver login data and Trip, Block, and Route information. Key features include: • Fareboxes must be licensed for J1708 integration. • When integrated, MDT Single Sign-On (SSO) enables drivers logging into the farebox to be automatically logged into the MDT. • Driver login data flows into Dispatch and is available in the Insights module. CCTV Integration We have extensive experience integrating with Mobile Video Surveillance providers and their equipment to incorporate key functionalities into our platform. Our Medius device can interface with compatible DVR systems to automatically generate event markers when a duress alarm is triggered. Additionally, the onboard cellular router can serve as a communication gateway for the camera system, enabling live video streaming if desired. We can also provide a direct link within the Connexionz Core platform to the Mobile Video Surveillance system’s login page for streamlined access. Engine Diagnostics Vehicles can be equipped with a direct J1939 cable connection to the Medius, enabling real -time capture of engine diagnostics from the CAN bus. This provides dispatchers and maintenance teams with immediate access to vehicle trouble codes. Additionally, the Connexionz Insights module aggregates this data to generate useful reports, including fuel usage and diagnostic summaries. Stop Request The Medius integrates with the OEM stop request button to activate a visual 'Stop Requested' message on the next stop sign, enhancing passenger communication and visibility. TSP The Medius integrates with TSP beacons to support transit signal priority at enabled intersections, activating only when a bus is behind schedule. Additionally, we offer a server-to-server integration Page 328 of 764 34 | P a g e with compatible TSP solutions using GTFS and GTFS-RT data, which does not require onboard hardware. We are happy to provide further details on this approach upon request. Page 329 of 764 35 | P a g e Media Player Content Management System (CMS) – Infotainment The Connexionz Media Player CMS is hosted in the Core system and can be configured to play content for on and off-route situations. On-route playlists can be configured in the following top- down hierarchy, where playlists lower in the hierarchy override the playlists above: • Agency. • Route. • Route pattern. • Stop. The Media Player content plays on HDMI-compatible LCDs and consists of the following zones: Below is a description of each zone: • Yellow rectangle: The route and destination are displayed. • Red rectangle: Next stop display • Purple rectangle: Displays the route stop ladder and showcases the upcoming next stop in a different color. • Green rectangle: Displays the ‘Playlist’, a group of media content being played during a route. The media can also be organized to take up the entire screen. • Blue rectangle: The ‘ticker list’ is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Multiple tickers can be created to scroll along the bottom of the screen. They can consist of fixed text messages, next-stop details, or real-time service alerts (created in Core Publisher application). Duress/Covert Alarm The Medius integrates with our durable covert alarm system to enhance operator and passenger safety during emergencies by immediately notifying your team. When activated by the driver, the alarm remains covert onboard, ensuring passengers are not alerted. Upon activation, Core Dispatch generates an instant pop-up notification for all users, allowing the vehicle to be quickly located on the map. Image – a screenshot of media content on a screen onboard a vehicle. Page 330 of 764 36 | P a g e During the alarm phase, the vehicle’s ping rate is automatically adjusted to the configured moving rate until the alarm is cleared. For safety, the alarm remains active for a mandatory 15 minutes and cannot be manually deactivated once triggered. If configured, the Medius can also automatically set an emergency destination code and trigger a CCTV event marker, provided the connected hardware supports emergency triggers. Should the City opt to include this feature, we will conduct a vehicle survey to identify the optimal mounting location for the covert alarm button – ensuring it is easily accessible to drivers while remaining discreet in potentially confrontational situations. Driver Microphone AVA Override Automatic Vehicle Announcement overrider is also available with the driver microphone and radio, with the following priority: 1. Driver microphone (highest priority). 2. Medius AVA. 3. Radio (default PA source). Mobile Data Terminal (MDTs) ➢ Core Features: • Android-based platform with secure driver login and validation. • Driver tools include: o Route/run paddle details. Image - MDT trip info screen. Trip info showcasing: Real-time load with options for correction, Trip Name, Current Time, Next Timepoint and Vertical Ribbon on bus stops and location of vehicle. In this example, the screen tells the driver they are behind schedule as the current time is greater than the next timepoint time. Image - Our proposed Covert Alarm. The hardware can be placed in the City’s preferred location. Page 331 of 764 37 | P a g e o Schedule adherence indicators. o Live route map with vehicle location. o Fare type tracking. o Self-block assignment. o Two-way text messaging (driver ↔ dispatch). o Real-time APC load correction (if integrated). o Wheelchair, bike, and passenger counts. ➢ Vehicle Integration: • Centrally managed vehicle assignments, with optional driver self-assignment. • Hardwired to vehicle ignition for automatic start-up, shutdown, and charging. • Connects to onboard cellular router to sync with Connexionz Central Core. ➢ Durability & Access: • IP67-rated: resistant to temperature, humidity, and transit wear. • Securely docked and mounted to prevent damage. • Mounting location optimized per vehicle during survey. ➢ Device Management: • Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools for remote support and to lock the base Android tablet functionality off from drivers, so they do not misuse the device. • Supports deployment of additional apps (e.g., VoIP, inspections, paratransit). ➢ System Reliability: • The MDT and VLU are tightly integrated but separate hardware items, ensuring other onboard systems (CAD/AVL, passenger experience) remain operational even if the MDT is unavailable. ➢ Login Options: • Manual Login: Operators select their ID from a list. • Automatic Login: Integrated with farebox—login occurs when the operator signs on to the farebox (if farebox integration with the Medius is selected). • Centralized Reporting: All MDT login data is sent to dispatch and included in analysis reports. Page 332 of 764 38 | P a g e ➢ Operator Software Image - Trip info – trip running (night mode). Image - Trip info – trip running (day mode). Image - Fare Counting – Manual input of passengers by the driver. Great for sampling and testing APC accuracy. Image - Map Route – trip running with tracking. (Night mode). Image - Map Route – trip running with tracking showing the bus’s position and “ghost” bus showing where the bus should be on the route. (Day mode). Image - pre-defined messages available for communication. Page 333 of 764 39 | P a g e Connexionz Core – Driver Manager Driver Manager allows operations to set up drivers for login access to the MDT application, displaying their names on the device. This feature is optional and only applicable if the City of SLO adopts the MDT option. If they instead integrate with GFI Genfare Fareboxes, driver login data is managed through the fare collection system and displayed in Dispatch and Analysis, making Driver Manager unnecessary. Connexionz Core – Mobile Application A white-labelled mobile app matching the public website can be provided to enhance the rider experience by offering journey planning. We are doing this now for SLORTA, and they have great ridership reviews. The app enhances rider experience, reduces customer service calls, and supports system-wide or route-specific alerts. It also helps increase community engagement and ridership by providing Real-Time Passenger Information in an intuitive, easy-to-access format. The white-label mobile app is fully branded for the City of SLO and available on both iOS and Android. It provides Real- Time Passenger Information (RTPI), helping reduce customer service calls and improving rider experience. Key features include: • Easy app discovery by deploying it under your selected name. • System-wide and route-level alerts and bulletins. • GPS-based location tracking to show nearby transit options. • In-bult Trip Planner using the Google Transit API • Accessibility support with an E-Reader compatible ETA screen. Alternatively, we can integrate with third-party apps such as Transit and Mooveit, as previously highlighted. Connexionz Core - TimeView With our TimeView™ technology, you can have beautiful displays showing your expected estimated time of arrival (ETA) and/or estimated time of departure (ETD) at any of your transit centers, bus stops, and public spaces. The application can be accessed via the Connexionz Core portal or at this address: https://etacloud.connexionz.net. Image - SLORTA Mobile App. Page 334 of 764 40 | P a g e Authorized users can easily generate a  hyperlink that returns an ETA list from a Connexionz Real- Time system, filtered by a single platform or multiple platforms. An additional filter, based on a single route, can also be applied to further define the returned list. No page refreshes are necessary; all the data updates in real time. We can bring this modern look to your passengers even if you don’t have our CAD/AVL application, as long as you can provide us with a GTFS feed. TimeView offers an excellent means of engaging with your ridership. You can effortlessly generate ETA information on a display, whether using fixed schedules or real-time data. This allows you to present ETA details to your riders in an  attractive custom display featuring vibrant colors or a high-contrast view. With TimeView and additional development support from Connexionz, we can assist you in crafting an ETA display complete with scrolling tickers for announcements and a personalized layout that proudly showcases your agency's logo and unique color scheme. Partner Agency GTFS and GTFS Real-time Data Feed Integration for ETAs & Service Alerts The system can be configured to import external GTFS and GTFS-RT data from partner agencies that have compliant GTFS data, allowing riders to view routes, see real-time stop ETAs, and service alerts from partner agencies on your website, mobile application, and TimeView instances. This is especially important where partner agency routes intersect yours at a shared stop, as riders will easily be able to view ETA information of connecting services that fall outside of your bus network. Connexionz Core QR Code ETAs Image - TimeView Displays for Bus Stops, Transit Centers, Vehicle Bays, and Terminals or Schedules. Page 335 of 764 41 | P a g e URLs can be generated for individual stops and used to create QR code signage that can be placed at each stop. This gives your riders quick and easy access to stop ETA information. We can easily generate a stop URL list for you so you can get QR codes printed and placed in stops. Image - Stop ETA QR Code example. Smart Transit Centers At Connexionz, we’ve developed and successfully deployed solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, elevate the passenger experience, and streamline Transit Center management for our customers. These solutions are tailored to meet the specific needs of each transit environment. Vehicle in Bay Detection (VIBD) Instead of providing dedicated bays for each route, our team developed Vehicle-In-Bay-Detection (VIBD). This technology tracks vehicles within a Transit Center and enhances passenger experience through audio and visual updates when a bus pulls into a bay or moves away from a bay. This feature aims to improve scheduling flexibility and route expansions for our customers. How does it Work? Upon the arrival of a vehicle at a transit center, the driver will select an available bay to park in. Locators work together to precisely determine the location of nearby vehicles. This positional data is sent to the Connexionz Real Time Tracking (RTT) system, which assesses whether a vehicle is within the bay's defined 'hitbox'. Based on this determination, the system controls and updates the corresponding signage and audio announcements. Image – AoA locators installed at Solano County Transit (SolTrans). Image – Diagram of Connexionz’s Vehicle-in-Bay Detection. Page 336 of 764 42 | P a g e Visual Announcements Using this presence information, the RTT system will update the signage to display the route, destination, and bay number to passengers, who will then make their way to the appropriate bay where their bus is waiting. Orientations of the display can be landscape or portrait and can be configured to display a single route and destination at an individual bay, or ETA/ETD information for one or more platforms. The ETA/ETD information will be replaced with the bay location on vehicle arrivals. Audio Announcements From here, station-wide arrival announcements are triggered to inform passengers of the arriving vehicle's location, destination, and bay location. The audio announcement unit contains the same text-to-speech (TTS) engine used in Connexionz’s onboard Medius™ (VLU) units to render the announcements. The same audio dictionary and voices provide a consistent audio experience to passengers and a single audio configuration interface to staff. Image - Visual Announcements in work at Tri-Delta Transit in the form of our TimeView solution. Page 337 of 764 43 | P a g e Implementation Plan Connexionz employs a proven, transit-tested implementation methodology to ensure the successful delivery of your project. This structured approach is built around phases, each designed to build upon each other for seamless execution. From the moment we receive the Notice to Proceed, our commitment to consistent and effective communication between our team and yours highlights the power of genuine collaboration. This spirit of true teamwork is at the heart of our process and is a key driver of project success. It’s this reliable and results-driven approach that earns the trust of our agency partners, time and time again. At the Outset – The Notice to Proceed – NTP We will work with you to finalize, approve, and execute the necessary documents, as well as plan the project kick-off meeting. Phase One: Project Initiation Following the Notice to Proceed (NTP), our Project Manager will lead a remote workshop to formally initiate the project. During this session, we will review and seek approval for the following key project documentation: • Project Charter. • Project Schedule. • Project Issues, Risks, and Change Management Plans. In addition, we will collect essential project details, including key contacts, delivery address, invoicing requirements, and other logistical information. We will also establish a recurring meeting schedule to ensure consistent communication and alignment throughout the project lifecycle. Upon completion of the workshop, you will be requested to formally approve the Project Charter and Project Schedule. These documents will serve as the foundational framework for advancing to the next phase of the project. Phase Two: Discovery & Design Solution Discovery Planning & Design Prep To initiate the discovery phase, our Project Manager will coordinate with your team to schedule a series of structured workshops at mutually convenient times. Solution Discovery To ensure the solution is tailored to your operational needs, Connexionz will conduct a series of structured discovery workshops. These sessions are designed to gather detailed requirements, confirm integration points, and prepare for successful implementation. ➢ ITS Configuration & Integration Requirements Led by the Connexionz Project Manager, this workshop will guide your team through available configuration, integration, and customization options in the Connexionz Core system. The session Page 338 of 764 44 | P a g e will focus on aligning system capabilities with your functional requirements and identifying any agency-specific adaptations needed. ➢ Vehicle Hardware Installation Requirements Survey To ensure a precise and efficient installation process, our Lead Field Technician will collaborate with your team to conduct a detailed on-site survey of each relevant bus type and year combination. This survey will confirm key vehicle-specific details that impact system integration and installation, including: • Vehicle specifications that may affect installation, such as electrical system voltage. • Existing hardware makes and models requiring integration with the solution. • Optimal hardware placement, including mounting locations within each vehicle. • Cable routing plans that prioritize both aesthetic considerations and the safety of personnel and passengers. • Accurate cable length measurements for all integrated hardware components. This thorough assessment ensures that installation is tailored to each vehicle type, minimizing disruption and maximizing system performance. Solution Design Creation, Review & Approval ➢ Vehicle Install Schematics & Bill of Materials (BOM) Development To ensure a smooth and accurate hardware deployment, our Technical Lead will develop detailed vehicle installation schematics and a comprehensive Bill of Materials (BOM) for each vehicle type. These documents will specify all required components, enabling timely and precise hardware ordering. The Vehicle Schematics and BOM will be integrated into the overall Solution Design documentation, serving as a long-term reference for your team. This ensures that, in the event of hardware replacement or expansion, all necessary technical details are readily available, safeguarding your investment and supporting ongoing operational efficiency . Image - Connexionz Installation Schematics Page 339 of 764 45 | P a g e ➢ ITS Solution Configuration & Integration Specification Creation Based on the findings from the discovery workshops and on -site vehicle surveys, we will develop a comprehensive System Configuration and Integration Specification. This document will define how the system will be configured and the vehicle hardware will be installed to meet your functional requirements, serving as a blueprint for implementation. The System Configuration and Integration Specification will include: • Integration Details – outlining how the solution interfaces with existing systems and third- party platforms. • System Architecture and Network Diagrams – providing a visual and technical overview of system components and connectivity. • Configuration Parameters – detailing system settings aligned with operational needs. • Customer-Specific Customizations – capturing any bespoke features required by your agency. • Vehicle Installation Schematics and Hardware Bill of Materials (BOM) – ensuring accurate and consistent hardware deployment across all vehicle types. This specification ensures clarity, alignment, and readiness for the subsequent phases of implementation. ➢ Solution Configuration & Integration Specification Review We will then conduct a review meeting with you to ensure understanding and answer any questions before submitting the document for review and approval. Phase Three: Vehicle Procurement, Configuration, Testing, & Shipping Vehicle Hardware Procurement & Shipping Upon approval of the System Configuration and Integration Specification, Connexionz will initiate the procurement process for all required hardware. All components will be shipped to our facilities for initial configuration, quality assurance testing, and final packaging before deployment. Vehicle Cellular Data Plans & SIM Card Shipping We will provide your team with detailed specifications for the Connexionz provided cellular router hardware. This will enable you to procure the appropriate SIM cards, which should be shipped to Connexionz for integration and testing as part of the hardware configuration process. Vehicle Hardware Configuration, Testing & Shipping Once all hardware and SIM cards are received, our team will proceed with full system configuration and quality assurance testing. Each unit will undergo a series of static functional tests to verify that both hardware and software components operate as expected. Any defects identified during this phase will be promptly addressed and resolved. Following successful testing, all hardware will be packaged and shipped for installation. Page 340 of 764 46 | P a g e Phase Four: System Installation, Configuration, & Testing Dispatch Cloud & ITS System Install Our technical team will provision, configure, and test your hosted environment in accordance with the approved System Configuration and Integration Specification. This ensures that all system components are correctly deployed and fully operational prior to go-live. UTA Integration Configuration & Testing The UTA team will configure the APC NTD system and validate the standard integration with Connexionz. This ensures that all relevant data is accurately transmitted and available within UTA's reporting environment, ready for NTD reporting. Public Website & Eng/Span Language Configuration & Testing Our technical team will customize and test the website in line with the approved System Configuration and Integration Specification and then deploy them ready for end -user use. Stops, Routes, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Connexionz offers flexible options for importing your transit data. We can ingest your existing GTFS dataset or import stop locations directly from a list of GPS coordinates provided by your team. This provides a solid foundation for route configuration wi thout extensive manual entry. Our Trainer will work closely with your Transit Planners to: • Review and validate imported data. • Demonstrate how to create and configure stops and routes using the Route Planner application. • Guide the team through the creation of real-world route examples. This hands-on approach ensures your team gains the skills and confidence to independently manage all future stops, routes, and schedule updates. By enabling self -sufficiency, your agency can maintain accurate rider-facing data without relying on external support. As a final step in this phase, a complete schedule will be created and imported into the Connexionz system in preparation for training and go-live. SMS System Setup, Configuration, & Testing The Connexionz Project Manager will provide Alesig with access to the Connexionz Core GTFS static and real-time endpoints. The Alesig technical team will then customize and test the SMS solution in accordance with the approved System Configuration and Integration Specification, ensuring it is ready for training. Way Sine Signage Integration Configuration The Connexionz Project Manager will provide Way Sine with access to the Connexionz Core GTFS static and real-time endpoints. Way Sine will configure the signage content management system (CMS) to utilize these endpoints, enabling scheduled and real-time stop ETAs to be displayed on the existing signage. Phase Five: Full Fleet Installation & Testing Page 341 of 764 47 | P a g e Full Fleet Installation Planning & Bookings Upon completion of hardware delivery and successful Connexionz Core system configuration and testing, our Project Manager will collaborate with your team to schedule vehicle installations. The goal is to minimize operational disruption while maintaining efficient throughput across the installation line. Full Fleet Vehicle Installation, Testing & Sign -off The Connexionz Lead Field Technician will be on-site for the duration of the installation period, serving as the primary point of contact. ➢ Full Fleet Vehicle Installation & Testing Before installation commencement, Connexionz will work with your team to ensure full alignment with your operational protocols, including: • Working hours. • On-site communication channels and key personnel. • Workplace layout, safety rules, and procedures. • Risk identification and mitigation strategies • Incident and injury management processes. During the installation phase, our Field Technician will: • Manage on-site inventory and installation resources. • Complete all installation quality checks. • Conduct pre- and post-installation testing. • Coordinate vehicle availability with your Operations and Maintenance teams to optimize throughput. The installation process will involve: • Pre-Installation Testing – to identify any existing issues before installation. • Hardware Installation – deployment of solution components. • Post-Installation Testing – to verify system functionality and ensure no new issues have been introduced. • Documentation – including test checklists, serial number records, and installation photographs. • Site Cleanup and Closeout. ➢ Fleet Testing Connexionz will provide a comprehensive Vehicle Installation Testing Checklist, which includes: • A full fleet list detailing Bus #, Make, Year, VIN, License Plate, and hardware components. • Pre-Installation Functionality Tests – to detect pre-existing issues and protect both parties from post-installation disputes. Page 342 of 764 48 | P a g e • Post-Installation Functionality Tests – to confirm system performance and capture supporting evidence. • Serial Number Documentation – for warranty and configuration management. • Installation Photographs – to verify installation quality. ➢ Full Fleet Vehicle Road Test Sign-off Following installation, Connexionz recommends that your Lead Technical Representative conduct a final inspection and road test for each vehicle. This ensures installation quality and confirms readiness for revenue service, assuring that no defects were introduced during installation. Full Fleet Hardware Installation Test Reports Upon completion of the fleet installation, our Project Manager will compile and submit all Installation Test Reports for your review and formal approval. Phase Six: System Training Training Prep As part of the training preparation phase, Connexionz will ensure all necessary resources, access, and logistics are in place to support a smooth and effective training experience. Our Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating and executing the following activities: • Develop a comprehensive Training Plan, which will be submitted for your review and approval before training delivery. • Distribute all required training documentation in advance of training workshops. • Set up user accounts and provide access to the Connexionz Support Desk. • Configure user access to Connexionz Core and all related applications. • Coordinate all training session bookings and ensure prerequisite tasks are completed. The Training Plan will include: • Training approach and methodology. Image - Test Checklist - example ITS vehicle installation, based on lessons learned from previous similar projects. Each document is checked by the Project Manager. Page 343 of 764 49 | P a g e • Detailed training schedule. • Contact information, roles, and responsibilities of all involved parties. • Mapping of training workshops to training guides. • Workshop agendas, including: o Intended audience. o Required equipment. o Prerequisites. o Workshop topics and durations. o Assigned trainer(s). This structured approach ensures that all stakeholders are well -prepared and that training sessions are aligned with your operational needs and learning objectives. Training Workshops Connexionz will deliver a comprehensive training program aligned with the approved Training Plan, ensuring your team is fully equipped to operate and maintain the system effectively. Training will be conducted both on-site and remotely, as outlined below: • Operator Core System User Training (On-site). • Agency Core System Training (On-site). • SMS System Live Training & Configuration (Remote). • Vehicle System Installation Overview & Maintenance Training (On-site). • Reporting & Analysis Training (Remote). • UTA APC Report Training (Remote). • UTA Ride-along Validation Training (Remote). Following the on-site workshops, Connexionz will remain on-site for one additional day to provide hands-on support as users begin interacting with the live system. This ensures immediate assistance is available for practical, real-time questions - often the most valuable part of the learning process. Insights Reporting & Analysis training is scheduled after the system goes live to allow time for the system to collect meaningful operational data. ➢ Supplemental Training Connexionz also offers additional remote training sessions at no extra cost. These sessions can be arranged upon request to support ongoing learning and system optimization. Phase Seven: Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval, & Project Closure System Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval Page 344 of 764 50 | P a g e The System Burn-in phase begins upon completion of the Full Fleet Installation & Testing. Over the course of 2 weeks, your team will operate the system under normal day-to-day conditions, including revenue service activities. During this phase: • Connexionz will provide daily check-ins and updates to monitor system performance. • Our Project Manager will log and track any issues raised, coordinating with our team to investigate, resolve, and document each item. • All findings and resolutions will be communicated clearly to ensure transparency and progress tracking. Upon successful completion of the burn-in period, Connexionz will formally request System Acceptance. Project Closure Following System Acceptance, Connexionz will initiate the Project Closure process. Our Project Manager will compile all relevant documentation and facilitate a closure workshop to: • Present the Support and Maintenance Agreement • Hand you over to our dedicated Account Manager and Customer Support Technician for on- going support. • Provide all warranty documentation, including serial numbers for installed and spare hardware (if included) • Present the Project Acceptance Certificate You will be asked to review and approve both the Support and Maintenance Agreement and the Project Acceptance Certificate. Once approved, your agency will transition to business-as-usual support, with your Account Manager and Customer Support Technician serving as your primary contacts for all ongoing operational needs. Phase Eight: Journey Planner Integration (Google Transit, Apple Maps, TransitApp/Mooveit) As soon as the routes are configured and the schedule has been imported, we will work directly with Google Transit and the other Journey Planner provider representatives to answer all questions required to validate and integrate the GTFS static data feed into Google Transit. Following the GTFS static data approval and bus tracking integration configuration, we will work with Google Transit representatives to answer all questions required to validate the GTFS real -time data feeds, which is the last step for full Google Transit integration. Page 345 of 764 51 | P a g e Project Schedule Earlier, we highlighted our proven Implementation Methodology, which has consistently kept our agency partners satisfied throughout the years. The Project Schedule will define all the work needed to deliver the project and detail the phases, tasks, estimated start and finish dates, estimated duration, required resources, and task predecessors. The project schedule will be updated to reflect any changes made during contract negotiations, reviewed and finalized during the Project Initiation meeting, and then baselined to ensure the project can be tracked appropriately to meet all required dates. The project schedule is a living, breathing document that our Project Manager will constantly maintain throughout the project's life. It is a valuable tool used to help ensure project dates are met and would only be changed through the approved change cont rol process. Page 346 of 764 52 | P a g e ID Task Name Duration Start Finish Resource Names Predecessors 1 SLO - ITS Implementation - Core Project 73.81 days Mon 24 Nov '25 Thu 19 Mar '26 2 Project Initiation 8.25 days Mon 24 Nov '25 Thu 4 Dec '25 3 Project NTP 0 days Mon 24 Nov '25 Mon 24 Nov '25 4 Contract Finalization 40 hrs Mon 24 Nov '25 Fri 28 Nov '25 CNX - Sales,SLO - Proj Lead 3 5 Project Initiation On-site Meeting Agenda & Bookings 0.5 hrs Mon 1 Dec '25 Mon 1 Dec '25 CNX - Project Manager 4 6 Project Charter & Schedule Review 1 hr Wed 3 Dec '25 Wed 3 Dec '25 CNX - Project Manager,SLO - Proj Lea d5FS+2 days 7 Project Issues, Risks, and Change Management Plans Review 0.5 hrs Wed 3 Dec '25 Wed 3 Dec '25 CNX - Project Manager,SLO - Proj Lea d6 8 Project Charter, Requirements & Schedule Approval 8 hrs Wed 3 Dec '25 Thu 4 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Lead 7 9 Project Initiation - Complete 0 hrs Thu 4 Dec '25 Thu 4 Dec '25 8 10 Milestones 1 Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Thu 4 Dec '25 Fri 5 Dec '25 SLO - Accounts 9 11 Discovery & Design 11.5 days Wed 3 Dec '25 Thu 18 Dec '25 12 Solution Discovery & Design Prep 4 days Wed 3 Dec '25 Tue 9 Dec '25 13 Solution Discovery Planning & Bookings 1 hr Wed 3 Dec '25 Wed 3 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Lead,CNX - Project Manage 7 14 Send Vehicle Manufacturer Schematics 32 hrs Wed 3 Dec '25 Tue 9 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Lead[5%] 7 15 Solution Discovery & Design Prep - Complete 0 days Tue 9 Dec '25 Tue 9 Dec '25 13,14 Page 347 of 764 53 | P a g e 16 Solution Discovery 3.25 days Wed 10 Dec '25 Mon 15 Dec '25 17 ITS Configuration & Integration Requirements Workshop - Remote 1 hr Wed 10 Dec '25 Wed 10 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Team,CNX - BA 13FS+5 days 18 SMS System Configuration Workshop 1 hr Wed 10 Dec '25 Wed 10 Dec '25 Alesig,SLO - Proj Team,CNX - BA 17 19 Vehicle Hardware Installation Requirements Survey – On-site 19 * Vehicles 26 hrs Wed 10 Dec '25 Mon 15 Dec '25 SLO - Lead Mech,CNX - Lead Field Tec 13FS+5 days 20 Send Discovery Deliverables 24 hrs Wed 10 Dec '25 Mon 15 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Team 17 21 Solution Discovery - Complete 0 hrs Mon 15 Dec '25 Mon 15 Dec '25 17,20,19 22 Solution Design Creation, Review & Approval 2.13 days Mon 15 Dec '25 Wed 17 Dec '25 23 Vehicle Install Schematics & Bill of Materials Creation 8 hrs Mon 15 Dec '25 Tue 16 Dec '25 CNX - Tech Lead 14,19 24 ITS Solution Configuration & Integration Specification Creation 4 hrs Tue 16 Dec '25 Tue 16 Dec '25 CNX - BA 17FS+3 days,20,23F 25 ITS Solution Configuration & Integration Specification Review 1 hr Tue 16 Dec '25 Tue 16 Dec '25 CNX - Project Manager,SLO - Proj Tea 24 26 ITS Solution Configuration & Integration Specification Approval 8 hrs Tue 16 Dec '25 Wed 17 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Lead,SLO - Proj Sponsor 25 27 Solution Design Creation, Review & Approval - Complete 0 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Wed 17 Dec '25 26 28 Discovery & Design - Complete 0 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Wed 17 Dec '25 21,27 29 Milestones 2 Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 18 Dec '25 SLO - Accounts 28 Page 348 of 764 54 | P a g e 30 Vehicle Procurement, Configuration, Testing, & Shipping 24.5 days Thu 18 Dec '25 Thu 5 Feb '26 31 Vehicle Hardware Procurement & Shipping 10.5 days Thu 18 Dec '25 Fri 16 Jan '26 32 Vehicle Hardware Procurement 4 hrs Thu 18 Dec '25 Fri 19 Dec '25 CNX - Tech Lead 29 33 Vehicle Hardware Order Fulfilment & Shipping 4 wks Fri 19 Dec '25 Fri 16 Jan '26 OEM - Hardware Suppliers 32 34 Vehicle Hardware Procurement & Shipping - Complete 0 hrs Fri 16 Jan '26 Fri 16 Jan '26 33 35 Vehicle Cellular Data Plans & SIM Card Shipping 5.31 days Fri 16 Jan '26 Fri 23 Jan '26 36 Router IMEI Numbers Confirmation (17 * Routers) 0.5 hrs Fri 16 Jan '26 Fri 16 Jan '26 CNX - Tech Lead 32FS+2 wks 37 Procure Cellular Data Plans & SIM Cards 2 hrs Fri 16 Jan '26 Fri 16 Jan '26 SLO - Proj Lead 36 38 SIM Card Shipping 5 days Fri 16 Jan '26 Fri 23 Jan '26 Cellular Provider 37 39 Vehicle Cellular Data Plans & SIM Card Shipping - Complete 0 days Fri 23 Jan '26 Fri 23 Jan '26 38 40 Vehicle Hardware Configuration, Testing & Shipping 14 days Fri 16 Jan '26 Thu 5 Feb '26 41 Vehicle Cellular Router Hardware Configuration & Testing (0.5 * 17 Vehicles) 8.5 hrs Fri 23 Jan '26 Mon 26 Jan '26 CNX - Tech Support 39,34 42 Vehicle Cellular Router Wi-Fi Configuration & Testing (0.5 * 17 Vehicles) 8.5 hrs Mon 26 Jan '26 Tue 27 Jan '26 CNX - Tech Support 41 43 Vehicle VLU Hardware Configuration & Testing (1 hr * 19 Vehicles) 19 hrs Tue 27 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 CNX - Tech Support 53,42,158 44 Router & VLU Packing (0.5 hr * 19 Vehicles) 9.5 hrs Fri 30 Jan '26 Mon 2 Feb '26 CNX - Tech Support 43 45 Vehicle Cabling Hardware Packaging (1.25 hr * 19 Vehicles) 19 hrs Fri 16 Jan '26 Tue 20 Jan '26 CNX - Workshop Assistant 34 46 Vehicle Hardware Shipping 24 hrs Mon 2 Feb '26 Thu 5 Feb '26 Courier 41,43,44,45 47 Vehicle Hardware Configuration, Testing & Shipping - Complete 0 hrs Thu 5 Feb '26 Thu 5 Feb '26 46 48 Vehicle Procurement, Configuration, Testing, & Shipping - Complete 0 hrs Thu 5 Feb '26 Thu 5 Feb '26 34,39,47 Page 349 of 764 55 | P a g e 49 System Installation, Configuration, & Testing 22.47 days Wed 17 Dec '25 Mon 2 Feb '26 50 Dispatch Cloud & ITS System Install 2.5 days Wed 17 Dec '25 Mon 5 Jan '26 51 Build Hosting Environment, ITS Core Installation, Configuration & Testing 20 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Mon 5 Jan '26 CNX - Snr Dev 28 52 Vehicle & GPS Cell Server Setup 4 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 18 Dec '25 CNX - Snr Dev 1 28 53 Dispatch Cloud & ITS System Install - Complete 0 hrs Mon 5 Jan '26 Mon 5 Jan '26 51,52 54 UTA Integration Configuration, & Testing 0.25 days Mon 5 Jan '26 Mon 5 Jan '26 55 UTA Integration Configuration & Testing 2 hrs Mon 5 Jan '26 Mon 5 Jan '26 UTA,CNX - Snr Dev 51 56 UTA Integration Configuration & Testing - Complete 0 days Mon 5 Jan '26 Mon 5 Jan '26 55 57 Public Website & Eng/Span Language Configuration & Testing 7 days Mon 5 Jan '26 Wed 14 Jan '26 58 Public Website Configuration & Testing 32 hrs Mon 5 Jan '26 Fri 9 Jan '26 CNX - Snr Dev 1 53 59 English/Spanish Language Translation Configuration & Testing 24 hrs Fri 9 Jan '26 Wed 14 Jan '26 CNX - Snr Dev 1 58 60 Public Website & Eng/Span Language Configuration & Testing - Complete 0 days Wed 14 Jan '26 Wed 14 Jan '26 59 61 Stops, Routes, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration 20.41 days Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 29 Jan '26 62 Send Stop & Route Data 8 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 18 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Lead 28 63 Import Stop & Rout Data 4 hrs Mon 5 Jan '26 Mon 5 Jan '26 CNX - Snr Dev 56,62 64 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Booking 0.25 hrs Tue 6 Jan '26 Tue 6 Jan '26 SLO - Proj Lead,CNX - Trainer 63 Page 350 of 764 56 | P a g e 65 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Work 15.13 days Thu 8 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 66 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Wo 2 hrs Thu 8 Jan '26 Thu 8 Jan '26 SLO - Proj Lead,CNX - Trainer,SLO - Pl a64FS+2 days 67 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Wo 1 hr Thu 15 Jan '26 Thu 15 Jan '26 CNX - Trainer,SLO - Planners 66SS+1 wk 68 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Wo 1 hr Thu 22 Jan '26 Thu 22 Jan '26 CNX - Trainer,SLO - Planners 67SS+1 wk 69 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Wo 1 hr Thu 29 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 CNX - Trainer,SLO - Planners 68SS+1 wk 70 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Training Workshop - Complete 0 days Thu 29 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 69 71 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration 3 wks Thu 8 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 SLO - Planners[20%] 70FF 72 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Support & QA 15 hrs Tue 27 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 CNX - Trainer 71FF 73 Stop, Route, Stop Announcements & Schedule Configuration Complete 0 hrs Thu 29 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 72 74 SMS System Setup, Configuration, & Testing 1.03 days Thu 29 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 75 Send GTFS & GTFS-RT Feed Links 0.25 hrs Thu 29 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 CNX - Project Manager 73 76 SMS System Setup, Configuration, & Testing 8 hrs Thu 29 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 Alesig 75 77 SMS System Setup, Configuration, & Testing - Complete 0 days Fri 30 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 76 78 Way Sine Signage Integration Configuration 1.03 days Thu 29 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 79 Send GTFS & GTFS-RT Feed Links 0.25 hrs Thu 29 Jan '26 Thu 29 Jan '26 CNX - Project Manager 75 80 Configure GTFS & GTFS-RT Links 8 hrs Thu 29 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 Way Sine 79 81 Way Sine Signage Integration Configuration 0 days Fri 30 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 80 82 System Installation, Configuration, & Testing - Complete 0 days Fri 30 Jan '26 Fri 30 Jan '26 53,73,56,60,77,81 83 Milestone 3 Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Fri 30 Jan '26 Mon 2 Feb '26 SLO - Accounts 82 Page 351 of 764 57 | P a g e 84 Full Fleet Installation & Testing 26.56 days Thu 22 Jan '26 Fri 27 Feb '26 85 Full Fleet Installation Planning & Bookings 0.13 days Thu 22 Jan '26 Thu 22 Jan '26 86 Full Fleet Installation Planning & Bookings 1 hr Thu 22 Jan '26 Thu 22 Jan '26 SLO - Proj Lead,CNX - Project Manage 48FS-2 wks 87 Full Fleet Installation Planning & Bookings - Complete 0 days Thu 22 Jan '26 Thu 22 Jan '26 86 88 Full Fleet Vehicle Installation, Testing & Sign-off 10.63 days Thu 5 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 89 Field Tech On-site Induction & Prep 8 hrs Thu 5 Feb '26 Fri 6 Feb '26 CNX - Lead Field Tech 87,48FS+4.5 hrs 90 Fixed Route Vehicle Cellular Router Installation & Testing - 2 Hrs Per Vehicle * 17 Vehicles = 34 hrs 17 hrs Fri 6 Feb '26 Tue 10 Feb '26 CNX - Lead Field Tech,CNX - Field Tech 1 89 91 Fixed Route Vehicle Installation & Testing - 6 Hrs Per Vehicle * 19 Vehicles = 114 hrs - Core + Options Install = 8 Hours Per Bus Installation 57 hrs Tue 10 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 CNX - Field Tech 1,CNX - Lead Field Tech 90 92 Existing Cradlepoint Cellular Router Configuration - 2 Hrs Per Vehicle * 2 Vehicles = 4 Hrs 2 hrs Fri 20 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 CNX - Lead Field Tech,CNX - Field Tech 1 91 93 Existing Cradlepoint Cellular Router Wi-Fi Configuration - 0.5 Hrs Per Vehicle * 2 Vehicles = 1 Hrs 1 hr Fri 20 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 CNX - Tech Support 92 94 Full Fleet Vehicle Installation Inspection & Road Test Sign-off 19 hrs Wed 18 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 SLO - Lead Mech 93FF 95 Full Fleet Vehicle Installation, Testing & Sign-off - Complete 0 days Fri 20 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 90,92,94 96 Full Fleet Hardware Installation Test Reports 1.38 days Wed 25 Feb '26 Thu 26 Feb '26 97 Full Fleet Hardware Installation Test Reports Compilation & Submission 3 hrs Wed 25 Feb '26 Wed 25 Feb '26 CNX - Project Manager 95FS+3 days 98 Full Fleet Hardware Installation Test Reports Approval 8 hrs Wed 25 Feb '26 Thu 26 Feb '26 SLO - Proj Lead 97,95 99 Full Fleet Hardware Installation Test Reports - Complete 0 days Thu 26 Feb '26 Thu 26 Feb '26 98 Page 352 of 764 58 | P a g e 100 Full Fleet Installation & Testing - Complete 0 days Thu 26 Feb '26 Thu 26 Feb '26 95,87,99 101 Milestone 4 Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Thu 26 Feb '26 Fri 27 Feb '26 SLO - Accounts 100 102 System Training 24.63 days Thu 22 Jan '26 Wed 25 Feb '26 103 Training Prep 1.66 days Thu 22 Jan '26 Mon 26 Jan '26 104 Training Plan Creation & Submittal 3 hrs Thu 22 Jan '26 Thu 22 Jan '26 CNX - Trainer 87 105 Training Plan Approval & Trainee Confirmation 8 hrs Thu 22 Jan '26 Fri 23 Jan '26 SLO - Proj Lead 104 106 Support Desk Setup 0.25 hrs Fri 23 Jan '26 Fri 23 Jan '26 CNX - Tech Support 105 107 Make Bookings for Training & Set-up Trainees 2 hrs Fri 23 Jan '26 Mon 26 Jan '26 SLO - Proj Lead,CNX - Project Manager 106 108 Training Prep - Complete 0 days Mon 26 Jan '26 Mon 26 Jan '26 107,104,105,106 109 Training Workshops 7.19 days Fri 13 Feb '26 Tue 24 Feb '26 110 Operator (Dispatcher and Supervisor) Core System User Training – On-site 3 hrs Fri 13 Feb '26 Mon 16 Feb '26 CNX - Trainer,SLO - Trainees 108,89FS+5 days 111 Agency Core System User Training – On-site 1 hr Mon 16 Feb '26 Mon 16 Feb '26 CNX - Trainer,SLO - Trainees 110 113 Training Go-live Support – On-site 8.5 hrs Mon 16 Feb '26 Tue 17 Feb '26 CNX - Trainer 112 114 SMS System Live Training & Configuration - Remote 1.5 hrs Mon 16 Feb '26 Mon 16 Feb '26 Alesig,SLO - Trainees 112 115 Report & Analysis Training - Remote 1 hr Tue 24 Feb '26 Tue 24 Feb '26 CNX - Trainer,SLO - Trainees 113FS+1 wk 116 Vehicle System Installation Overview & Maintenance Training – On- site 1 hr Fri 20 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 SLO - Maintenance Team,CNX - Lead 95 117 UTA APC Report Training – Remote 4 hrs Tue 24 Feb '26 Tue 24 Feb '26 UTA Trainer,SLO - Trainees 115 Page 353 of 764 59 | P a g e 118 UTA Ride-along Validation Training - Remote 1 hr Fri 20 Feb '26 Fri 20 Feb '26 UTA Trainer,SLO - Trainees 116 119 Training Workshops - Complete 0 days Tue 24 Feb '26 Tue 24 Feb '26 110,111,113,115,11 120 System Training - Complete 0 hrs Tue 24 Feb '26 Tue 24 Feb '26 119 121 Milestone 5 Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Wed 25 Feb '26 Wed 25 Feb '26 SLO - Accounts 120 122 System Operations Support, Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval, & Project Closu 15.38 days Tue 17 Feb '26 Tue 10 Mar '26 123 System Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval 11 days Tue 17 Feb '26 Wed 4 Mar '26 124 System Burn-in Testing 2 wks Tue 17 Feb '26 Tue 3 Mar '26 SLO - Operations Team 113 125 System Burn-In Testing Support & Issue Investigation 8 hrs Mon 2 Mar '26 Tue 3 Mar '26 CNX - Proj Team 124FF 126 System Burn-in Testing Approval & GO-LIVE 8 hrs Tue 3 Mar '26 Wed 4 Mar '26 SLO - Proj Lead 124,120,100 127 System Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval - Complete 0 days Wed 4 Mar '26 Wed 4 Mar '26 126 128 Project Closure 3.38 days Wed 4 Mar '26 Mon 9 Mar '26 129 Project Closure Meeting Prep 8 hrs Wed 4 Mar '26 Thu 5 Mar '26 CNX - Project Manager 127 130 Confirm Requirements Compliance, SMA & BAU Support Process, & Hardware Warranty List 1 hr Fri 6 Mar '26 Fri 6 Mar '26 CNX - Project Manager,SLO - Proj Lead 129FS+1 day 131 Submit Project Acceptance Certificate 2 hrs Fri 6 Mar '26 Fri 6 Mar '26 CNX - Project Manager 130 132 Project Acceptance Certificate Approval 8 hrs Fri 6 Mar '26 Mon 9 Mar '26 SLO - Proj Lead 131 133 Project Closure - Complete 0 hrs Mon 9 Mar '26 Mon 9 Mar '26 132 134 System Operations Support, Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval, & Project Closure- Complete 0 days Mon 9 Mar '26 Mon 9 Mar '26 133 135 Milestone 6 Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Mon 9 Mar '26 Tue 10 Mar '26 SLO - Accounts 134 Page 354 of 764 60 | P a g e 136 SMA Invoice Payment Processed 8 hrs Mon 9 Mar '26 Tue 10 Mar '26 SLO - Accounts 134 137 Journey Planner Integration 56.06 days Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 19 Mar '26 138 Google Transit Integration 56.06 days Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 19 Mar '26 139 Send Google Transit Account and Feed Info 4 hrs Wed 17 Dec '25 Thu 18 Dec '25 SLO - Proj Lead 28 140 Google Transit Account Access 0.5 hrs Thu 18 Dec '25 Thu 18 Dec '25 CNX - Project Manager 139 141 GTFS Static Integration & Google Transit Validation 1 wk Thu 29 Jan '26 Thu 5 Feb '26 Google Transit 73,140 142 GTFS- Realtime Integration & Google Transit Validation 3 wks Thu 26 Feb '26 Thu 19 Mar '26 Google Transit 141,100 143 Google Transit Integration Support 3.5 hrs Thu 19 Mar '26 Thu 19 Mar '26 CNX - Dev 3 141,142FF 144 Google Transit Integration - Complete 0 days Thu 19 Mar '26 Thu 19 Mar '26 143 145 Apple Maps Integration 2.13 days Thu 26 Feb '26 Mon 2 Mar '26 146 Send GTFS Links to Apple Maps 1 hr Thu 26 Feb '26 Thu 26 Feb '26 CNX - Project Manager 100,113 147 CNX GTFS Data Setup 16 hrs Thu 26 Feb '26 Mon 2 Mar '26 Apple Maps 146 148 Apple Maps Integration - Complete 0 days Mon 2 Mar '26 Mon 2 Mar '26 147 149 TransitApp/Moovit Integration 0.63 days Thu 26 Feb '26 Fri 27 Feb '26 150 Send GTFS Links to TransitApp/Moovit 1 hr Thu 26 Feb '26 Fri 27 Feb '26 CNX - Project Manager 146 151 CNX GTFS Data Setup 4 hrs Fri 27 Feb '26 Fri 27 Feb '26 Mob App Resource 150 152 TransitApp/Moovit Integration - Complete 0 days Fri 27 Feb '26 Fri 27 Feb '26 151 153 Journey Planner Integration - Complete 0 days Thu 19 Mar '26 Thu 19 Mar '26 144,148,152 Page 355 of 764 61 | P a g e Issue, Risk, and Change Management Processes The CNX Implementation Methodology is built on a foundation of quality and includes formalized processes for managing risks, issues, and change. An overview of these processes is provided in this section to demonstrate our structured and proactive approach to project delivery. Risk Management Process Connexionz defines a risk as an uncertain event that, if it occurs, could impact one or more project objectives. Our Risk Management Plan outlines: • Roles and responsibilities for risk ownership and mitigation. • Stakeholder and team engagement in proactive risk management. • The structured process for identifying, evaluating, and responding to risks. • Criteria for classifying and prioritizing risks . We categorize risks into two types: • Threats – Potential events with negative impacts on the project. • Opportunities – Potential events that could positively influence project outcomes. To ensure early identification and effective mitigation, our Project Manager will present the Risk Management Plan during the Project Kick-off Meeting. A dedicated risk workshop will also be conducted to collaboratively identify and document potential risk s in the Risk Register. Risks will be continuously monitored and reported through regular Project Update Meetings and Status Reports. Issue Management An issue is defined as an event that has already occurred and is impacting on the project’s ability to meet one or more objectives. Issues may include: • Requests for change. Image - Overview of our Risk Management Process. Page 356 of 764 62 | P a g e • Off-specification defects or bugs. • Operational problems or concerns. Our Issue Management Plan, presented during the Project Kick-off Meeting, defines: • Roles and responsibilities for issue resolution. • Stakeholder engagement during issue management . • The process for logging, assessing, and resolving issues. • Criteria for evaluating and prioritizing issues. When an issue arises, it is logged in the Issues Register by the Project Manager. The issue is then assessed in collaboration with the project team, prioritized, and resolved. Outcomes and progress are communicated through Project Update Meetings and Status Reports. Change Management Changes typically arise from issues identified as off -specification or from evolving project needs. The Change Management Process, introduced during the Project Kick-off Meeting, governs how changes are assessed, approved, and implemented throughout the project. Key principles include: • Not all changes result in additional cost—some may be cost-neutral or result in a credit (e.g., removing vehicles from scope). • All change requests are logged in the Issues Register and discussed with the client before investigation. • If a change is deemed necessary, a formal Change Request will be submitted for client approval before implementation. Each Change Request will include: • A clear description of the proposed change. • The rationale and potential impact. Image - Overview of our Risk Management Process. Page 357 of 764 63 | P a g e • Cost implications (if any). • Consequences of not proceeding with the change . This structured approach ensures transparency, accountability, and alignment with project goals. Project Quality We believe that ensuring quality during the project is not just about meeting minimum standards. It is about delivering the best possible outcome for stakeholders, customers, and the City of SLO. The benefits of quality extend beyond the completion of the project and contribute to long -term success and growth. Connexionz uses various strategies to ensure quality during the project, including: • Conducting internal Project Quality Assurance reviews, to audit that the approved project implementation methodology is being followed appropriately. • Formalized project artifacts and processes – see the project “Implementation Plan” and “Communication and Documentation Deliverables” sections for information on these aspects. • Providing project phase acceptance certificates to you for approval and using them as a stage gate to confirm phase acceptance before progressing to subsequent project phases. • Holding a Project Kick-off Meeting to discuss and approve the following: o Project Charter – to confirm the logical, technical, hardware, and integration scope, assumptions, out-of-scope items, roles and responsibilities, project budget, and payment schedule. o Project Schedule – to confirm the tasks required to deliver the project, the resources required to deliver each task, the effort involved to complete each task, and the estimated timeframe to deliver each phase. o Risk Management Plan – review and confirm the plan and related process. o Issue Management Plan – review and confirm the plan and related process. o Change Management Process – review and confirm the process. Image - Overview of our Change Management Process. Page 358 of 764 64 | P a g e • Providing a set of identified baseline risks for review and discussion. • Conducting a Solution Configuration and Integration discovery workshop, documenting the findings, and reviewing it with you before submitting it for approval. • Conducting vehicle surveys to confirm all hardware installation requirements, documenting the findings, submitting the document for approval, and then holding a workshop to explain the document and answer questions. • Completing hardware configuration testing before shipping hardware to you for installation. • Completing vehicle pre-installation testing and Connexionz system post-installation testing on all vehicles, documenting the results, collating the supporting evidence, and reviewing it with you before submitting it for approval. • Creating a Training Plan to capture all training requirements and submitting it to you for approval. • Completing on-site training in the live environment, so it is meaningful to trainees. • Staying on-site after the training workshops when users first start using the system , so Connexionz resources are available to support go-live activities and answer “how” type questions. • Submitting a Project Acceptance Certificate to you for approval before closing the project. ➢ Communication and Documentation Deliverables We will create the following project documentation during the project and deliver it in electronic format to your project team: • Draft and Final Project Plan (PMP) / Schedule – project management schedule and work task breakdown structure detailing start and end dates, resources, duration, dependencies, and status. • Draft and Final Project Charter– defines the project's logical, technical, hardware, and integration scope, assumptions, out-of-scope items, roles and responsibilities, project budget, and payment schedule. • Weekly Meeting Minutes and Actions – weekly meeting minutes and notes for current and up-and-coming tasks, action item assignments and due dates, and decisions. • Project Phase Acceptance Certificates – certificates submitted to the customer for approval at the end of each project phase that matches a payment milestone. Once an acceptance certificate is approved, it signifies the end of the phase and the start of the next (where applicable) and triggers the creation of the related phase payment milestone invoice. • Issue, Risk, and Change Management Plans – plans on how issues, risks, and changes will be managed for the duration of the project. This document includes how to record, classify, report, and manage all issues, risks, and changes that may occur throughout the life of the project. • Issues, Risk, and Change Registers/Logs – registers to record all project issues, risks, and changes, which are recorded, classified, assigned, managed, etc., in line with the approved plans. • ITS Solution Configuration and Integration Specification – includes all customer-specific system technical information, including integrations, configurations, and customizations; vehicle build of materials/hardware lists and installation schematics. • Hardware Installation Test Reports – the results of the installation testing related to each installed vehicle. These reports include pre-installation tests and outcomes, and post- Page 359 of 764 65 | P a g e installation ITS functional tests and outcomes for each vehicle, including all supporting evidence. • Training Plan – a plan that details what, how, who, and when for all Connexionz-led training included in the project. This document includes the approach, training schedule, contact details, roles and responsibilities, and the agenda for each training work shop, including the intended audience, required equipment, prerequisites, workshop topics and durations, and trainer details. • Training Materials – training manuals for each training workshop. • Hardware Warranty Certificates – certificates that detail of all hardware (serial numbers, etc.) including spares and all installed hardware. • Support and Maintenance Agreement – details on how to access support, contact details, and the related process. This document includes details on the duration of the support agreement, how incident and support request priorities are set, the target response time for each priority type, the supported system functionality and hardware, and support exceptions. Page 360 of 764 66 | P a g e What Happens After Systems Implementation? The Proven Connexionz Strength The success of our project implementation is built on the strength of our collaborative and flexible approach, efficient and effective management systems, and clear and concise communications. We recognize that every project is unique and that project management cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. We tailor delivery to each project’s specific requirements, taking time and care to understand the functional needs and aspirational goals. But even better – it is our Support and Service Throughout the Years, which is the bellwether Indicator, and why our customers remain with us for decades. Technical Support Connexionz provides comprehensive customer support, available 24/7/365 via toll-free phone, email, or our web-based Support Portal. The Support Portal serves as the central repository for all support activity and is considered the authoritative source for incident tracking and resolution. All support requests—regardless of how they are initiated—are logged in the Support Portal, which automatically generates a support ticket using our Jira (Atlassian) system. This ensures consistent tracking, transparency, and accountability throughout the support lifecycle. Upon ticket submission, a Customer Support Technician will triage the incident to determine its priority and classification. If the issue can be resolved during initial triage, the technician will proceed accordingly. If further investigation is required, the ticket will be escalated to a Level 2 or Level 3 support resource for resolution. Throughout the process, Connexionz will provide regular updates, ensuring your team remains informed of progress, next steps, and estimated resolution timelines. Your team will have full access to the Support Portal, where ticket status and history —including all communications—are visible in real time via the comments log. This structured and transparent support process ensures timely resolution and continuous visibility for all stakeholders. Service & Maintenance Agreement As part of the Project Closure, a Service & Maintenance Agreement is provided to your agency, which defines the incident types, priority levels, timeframes for a response, and target resolution time. The Service & Maintenance Agreement is reviewed yearly to capture additional assets purchased. We have included five (5) years of Support & Maintenance, and Hardware Warranty. Sample Service Level Agreement Below is a sample of the Incident Types, Priorities, and Service Level Response Times within our standard support and maintenance agreement. You will review and approve them during the Project Closure phase, and once the project is approved, they will become part of our business-as-usual support and maintenance processes. All SLAs and terms will be considered when negotiating the final contract. Page 361 of 764 67 | P a g e Incident Types & Priority Levels (SAMPLE) Priority Incident Type Sample Description of Incident High 1 Connexionz Core Connection to a hosted solution is completely unavailable. Complete system is unreachable by the Customer’s users. API’s Customer Web Portal, or GTFS data is unreachable by users. Onboard Hardware / Software Failure of Onboard Hardware / Software impacting greater than 30% of the fleet e.g. X vehicles or more vehicles experiencing issues or not working. Urgent 2 Connexionz Core A hosted solution is unavailable. Major or partial system failure causing malfunction and impacting the Customer’s users. API’s Customer Web Portal or GTFS data is unreachable or does not render the map and/or routes. Onboard Hardware / Software Failure of Onboard Hardware / Software impacting between 5% and 30% of the vehicle not functioning. e.g.: Between X and Y vehicles experiencing issues or not working. Normal 3 Connexionz Core A limited number of customer users or non-critical functions affect the system. API’s Limited functions within the Customer Web Portal or GTFS data are not available. Onboard Hardware / Software Limited failure of Hardware / Software impacting - Less than 5% of the vehicle fleet unavailable or experiencing issues. Low 4 Connexionz Core Minor bugs impacting Customer’s users. API’s Minor bugs impacting Customer Web Portal or GTFS data. Onboard Hardware / Software Any functionality that does not does not impact critical business functions. Target Response Times (Sample) Incident management targets: All timings are calculated from the moment the support request is received by Connexionz or a third-party contractor's support function. PRIORITY CATEGO RY DESCRIPTION OF INCIDENT RESPONSE TIME (from the time that Incident is logged) TARGET RESOLUTION TIME “SUBJECT TO SITE AND HARDWARE ACCESS” 1 Such an Incident will have one or more of the following characteristics: o Outage on all Systems o Operations are interrupted or halted. < 60 Minutes Continuing until reinstatement or until a workaround is provided. Page 362 of 764 68 | P a g e o Critical deadlines are threatened. 2 Such an Incident will have one or more of the following characteristics: o Normal operations are interrupted and may be restricted but User is able to continue working. o The problem affects only 1 (one) User. < 4 Hours Within X business hours 3 Such an Incident will have one or more of the following characteristics: o Temporary workaround can be found. o Fault does not adversely impact on normal operations. (Non-critical stock spares can take from 6-12 weeks lead time) Next business day Within X business days 4 Such an Incident will have one or more of the following characteristics: o Minor cosmetic issues o General questions or information requests Next business day Within mutually agreed timeframes Weekly/Bi-Weekly/Monthly Meetings The Connexionz Customer Success Team will maintain proactive engagement with your agency through regularly scheduled meetings. These sessions are designed to: • Review all open tickets and confirm the next steps. • Review all closed tickets to confirm they have been successfully resolved, and review the actions taken to resolve them. • Discuss any issues, concerns, or matters that have not been logged as a ticket • Discuss short and long-term strategic priorities that influence passenger experience and operational performance, Our collaborative approach ensures continuous alignment between Connexionz and your agency. Active participation in these meetings strengthens communication, enhances support responsiveness, and enables both teams to anticipate and mitigate potential chall enges. This partnership fosters a shared understanding of strategic developments and ensures the delivery of optimal technology solutions. To support these discussions, Connexionz provides structured reporting and visual materials tailored for weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings. Representative slides and dashboards are included below to illustrate the types of insights and updates typically shared. Page 363 of 764 69 | P a g e Image - Example of Monthly Customer Report For Santa Clarita Transit. Image - Example of Monthly Support Report for Santa Clarita Transit. Page 364 of 764 70 | P a g e The Finest Training Immediate Impact, Enduring Commitment With over two decades of experience training transit agencies, Connexionz ensures your team will gain confidence and proficiency in using Connexionz Core. Our Customer Success Team will work closely with your agency to tailor training that meets your operational needs and supports your staff effectively. All training is delivered by Connexionz employees. Each module incorporates practical learning methods, including instructor-led overviews, interactive system use, and real-world operational scenarios where applicable. For optimal learning outcomes, we recommend class sizes of 6 to 8 participants. Smaller groups consistently lead to better knowledge retention and increased confidence among trainees. Connexionz On-site Training Needs For successful on-site training for the Agencies, Connexionz will require: • A room that is large enough to support the staff who are being trained. • Comfortable seats for all staff and trainers. • A room with HDMI-based projection is preferred. • A Wi-Fi connection should be made available. • For Dispatch and software training – It’s helpful to have supervisors bring their own laptops so they can “watch and try”. For Hardware Installation and Maintenance Training, an operating vehicle (not in service) is required with all hardware installed, tested, and in working order. Training Plan Our Trainer will create a Training Plan and submit it to the City of SLO for approval before training is conducted. The Training Plan will include: • Approach. • Schedule. • Contact details and roles and responsibilities. • Training workshop to training guide reference. • Agenda for each training workshop, including the intended audience, required equipment, prerequisites, workshop topics and durations, and trainer details. Training Schedule Our Trainer will work with you to develop a specific training schedule that suits trainee availability and any other operational constraints we need to work with - below is an example of a training schedule that will be produced: Page 365 of 764 71 | P a g e Training Workshop Workshop Total Time (Hours) Trainees Required Trainee Attendance Time (Hours) Start Time End Time Day 1: Dec-13-2022 Dispatch 5.5 Dispatchers 5.5 8:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Operations and Agency Management Connexionz Support Portal 0.5 Operations and Agency Management 0.5 2:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. Route & Schedule Maintenance 1 Planners / Schedulers 1 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Operations and Agency Management 3:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Day 2: Dec-14-2022 Vehicle MDT & Onboard Systems 4.25 Drivers 1.5 8:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Operations and Agency Management 4.25 8:30 a.m. 12:45 p.m. Mobile App & Public Website 0.5 Drivers 0.5 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. Customer Attention / Services personnel Operations and Agency Management Analysis & Reporting 1.5 Operations and Agency Management 1.5 2:30 p.m. 4:00 p.m. Bus Hardware Installation & Maintenance Overview 1 Maintenance personnel 1 8:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Training Agenda Training Agendas provide a more detailed view of each functional and technical training workshop, so trainees know what to expect and can prepare appropriately; include the following: • Workshop Overview. • Participants/Intended Audience. • Duration. • Trainer Details. • Training Approach. • Prerequisites. • Materials Required. • Training Topics. Our Trainer will work with you to develop a specific training agenda that suits resource availability and any other operational constraints we must work with. Below is an example of the training agendas that will be produced: Page 366 of 764 72 | P a g e Image - Example of a Connexionz training agenda. Page 367 of 764 73 | P a g e Price Proposal Connexionz - City of San Luis Obispo - CAD/AVL - Price Proposal Item Unit of Measure Estimated Quantity Unit Price Total Price Implementation Resources & Expenses Project Initiation One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $8.68 $165.00 Discovery & Design One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $580.26 $11,024.86 Procurement, Configuration, Testing, & Shipping One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $299.61 $5,692.55 System Installation, Configuration, & Testing One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $489.58 $9,301.96 Full Fleet Installation & Testing One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $1,530.30 $29,075.73 System Training One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $169.53 $3,221.08 System Performance & Burn-in Testing, Support, & Approval, & Project Closure One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $82.50 $1,567.51 Project Hardware Medius VLU One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $1,482.50 $28,167.50 Cellular Router Kit One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 17 $622.25 $10,578.25 Cellular Router Integration Kit One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 2 $99.75 $199.50 Network Kit One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $42.75 $812.25 Next Stop Sign Integration One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $38.00 $722.00 CNX Native APC Integration Cable One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 17 $47.50 $807.50 IRIS APC Integration Cable One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 2 $99.75 $199.50 Headsign Integration One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $80.75 $1,534.25 Speaker Integration One-Time Fee ($) per Vehicle 19 $9.50 $180.50 Project One-Off Charges APC Software - UTA Hosted – Web Based Reporting (NTD Certification) One-Time Fee 1 $21,825.00 $21,825.00 Initialization Fee One-Time Fee 1 $250.00 $250.00 Vehicle Hardware Freight One-Time Fee 19 $68.75 $1,306.25 Page 368 of 764 74 | P a g e Support & Maintenance Year 1 Breakdown: CNX Support Services Annual Fee ($) 1 $10,846.64 $10,846.64 CNX Preventative Maintenance Services Annual Fee ($) 1 $4,337.75 $4,337.75 CNX Hosting Annual Fee ($) 1 $6,670.51 $6,670.51 CNX Core License Annual Fee ($) 1 $13,239.20 $13,239.20 CNX Passenger Experience License Annual Fee ($) 1 $3,819.00 $3,819.00 CNX Vehicle License Annual Fee ($) 1 $4,455.50 $4,455.50 CNX Hardware Warranty Annual Fee ($) 1 $2,056.56 $2,056.56 UTA APC Software Annual Support (Year 1) Annual Fee ($) 1 $11,103.13 $11,103.13 Alesig - RideText - 60,000 SMS Messages Per Years/5,000 SMS Messages Per Month Annual Fee ($) 1 $2,847.63 $2,847.63 Support & Maintenance Year 2 Total Annual Fee ($) 1 $59,660.67 $59,660.67 Support & Maintenance Year 3 Total Annual Fee ($) 1 $59,973.91 $59,973.91 Support & Maintenance Year 4 Total Annual Fee ($) 1 $60,318.48 $60,318.48 Support & Maintenance Year 5 Total Annual Fee ($) 1 $60,697.49 $60,697.49 Grand Total $426,657.68 Connexionz - City of San Luis Obispo - CAD/AVL - Base Project Footnote Assumptions Any changes in pricing for Annual Support & Maintenance, and Warranty, from years 2 onwards will be calculated based on actual CPI that is determined via a methodology agreed during project contract negotiations. Assumes prices are not impacted by changes in tariffs or tariff amendments. Pricing included is for a 19 bus system. Future fleet expansions or reductions would be subject to price adjustments. We assume the supplied 3 in 1 antenna will be sufficient and can be used on a Pepwave to provide Wi -Fi coverage inside the bus. We assume City of SLO will provide cellular data plans for the term of the contract. We assume the SLO provided routers are installed and running (i.e. powered), and are available inside the ITS cabinet ready to be plugged into the CNX Medius. We assume the buses are clean and ready for installation and will be made available for installations in line with our installation plan. SLO will take responsibility for maintaining the existing routers installed on the buses and assist CNX remote resources to troubleshoot issues if they arise. The hardware replacement warranty only covers the Connexionz-provided hardware. Page 369 of 764 75 | P a g e Tax and duties are excluded from pricing - we have assumed the SLO is either tax exempt or will pay any applicable taxes outside of the contract. SLO will take responsibility for the procurement of any required third-party trip planning applications e.g. Transit App. The existing licensing with Waysine for the existing streetside signage will remain the responsibility of the City of SLO. We have provided five (5) years of support, maintenance, and warranty for both Connexionz and the UTA option. Additional years can be made available upon request. For English-to-Spanish translation, up to 200,000 translation requests are included per month. Additional charges may apply if this limit is exceeded or translation services are disabled. Flexible upgrade options are available to accommodate higher translation volumes if required. We have included RideText (Alesig) SMS pricing for 60,000 messages per year, but can alternative pricing for increased volumes if required upon request. Additional charges may apply if this limit is exceeded. We assume that drivers microphone integration for AVA is not required. We assume your Headsigns and Next Stop Signs are J1708 compatible and in working order. City of SLO will take responsibility for all NTD APC audit ride-along activities in accordance with UTA's certification plan. Ridealong training will be provide as part for the project. We can provide pricing for UTA completing the NTD/APC Manual Ridechecks/Ridealongs at request. We have included calibration of the APCs to ensure accurate passenger counts but have assumed they are in working order and powered - and integrate via ethernet. If they are not we can assess the requirements and provide you with ad-hoc pricing to remediate any identified issues. Page 370 of 764 Level 1 Building 2, 1 Show Place PO Box 9001, Tower Junction Addington, Christchurch, New Zealand Ph +64 (3) 339 4536, Fax +64 (3) 339 4537 www.connexionz.com Page 371 of 764 Page 372 of 764 Connexionz - - City of SLO TRANSIT CAD/AVL - Price Proposal - TIPS 250503 MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations of Facilities and Grounds) Supplies, Equipment, Tool Rental, Sales, and Services October 29th 2025 ROW Product Name Product # Description Units MSRP or Catalog Pricing % Discount TIPS Price Quantity Total Implementation of Resources & Expenses 16 Project Initiation CNX-I- 001 Project Initiation hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 4.19 $ 553.01 17 Discovery & Design CNX-I- 002 Discovery & Design hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 46.88 $ 6,188.60 18 Hardware Procurement & Shipping CNX-I- 003 Hardware Procurement & Shipping hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 54.97 $ 7,256.16 19 Hardware Installation & Testing CNX-I- 004 Hardware Installation & Testing hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 73.41 $ 9,689.92 20 Burn-in, Support, & Approval, & Project Closure CNX-I- 005 Burn-in, Support, & Approval, & Project Closure hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 289.95 $ 38,273.41 21 Onsite Preventative Maintenance Resources CNX-I- 006 Onsite Preventative Maintenance Resources per hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 27.34 $ 3,609.08 22 Support Resources CNX-I- 007 Support Resources per hour $165.00 20.00% $132.00 14.81 $ 1,955.52 68 Website SSL Certificate 7516 Website SSL Certificate Units $ 312.50 20.00% $250.00 1 $ 250.00 Project Hardware ROW Product Name Product # Description Units MSRP or Catalog Pricing % Discount TIPS Price Quantity Total 111 Medius VLU 2132 Medius VLU Unit per bus $3,706.25 20.00% $2,965.00 $1,482.50 19 $28,167.50 112 Headsign Integration 2206 Headsign Integration Unit per bus $ 106.25 20.00% $ 85.00 $ 80.75 19 $ 1,534.25 116 Speaker Integration 2210 Speaker Integration Unit per bus $ 12.50 20.00% $ 10.00 $ 9.50 19 $ 180.50 117 Cellular Router Kit 2211 Cellular Router Kit Unit per bus $ 819.00 20.00% $ 655.20 $ 622.25 17 $ 10,578.25 118 Cellular Router Integration Kit 22111 Cellular Router Integration Kit Unit per bus $ 124.70 20.00% $ 99.76 2 $ 199.52 119 MDT Kit 2628 MDT Kit Unit per bus $ 1,968.75 20.00% $ 1,575.00 $ 1,358.50 19 $ 25,811.50 120 Network Kit 2212 Network Kit Unit per bus $ 53.43 20.00% $ 42.74 19 $ 812.25 121 Next Stop Sign Integration 22122 Next Stop Sign Integration Unit per bus $ 45.60 20.00% $ 38.00 19 $ 722.00 123 CNX Native APC integration Cable 22144 CNX Native APC integration Cable Unit per bus $ 57.00 20.00% $ 47.50 19 $ 807.50 124 IRIS APC Integration Cable 22145 IRIS APC Integration Cable Unit per bus $ 119.70 20.00% $ 99.75 19 $ 199.50 Page 373 of 764 Third Party ROW Product Name Product # Description Units MSRP or Catalog Pricing % Discount TIPS Price Quantity Total 138 Vehicle Hardware Freight Vehicle Hardware Freight Units $1,632.81 20.00% $1,306.25 1 $ 1,306.25 143 UTA - Public Transit Configuration (Includes NTD Certification) 5106 UTA - Public Transit Configuration (Includes NTD Certification) Units $27,281.25 20.00% $21,825.00 1 $ 21,825.00 Support and Maintenance ROW Product Name Product # Description Units MSRP or Catalog Pricing % Discount TIPS Price Quantity Total 168 Support and Maintenance Costs YEAR #1 SUP Support and Maintenance Costs SMA $80,669.36 20.00% $ 64,535.49 1 $ 64,535.49 168 Support and Maintenance Costs YEAR #2 SUP Support and Maintenance Costs SMA $82,953.06 20.00% $ 66,362.45 1 $ 66,362.45 168 Support and Maintenance Costs YEAR #3 SUP Support and Maintenance Costs SMA $85,320.55 20.00% $ 68,256.44 1 $ 68,256.44 168 Support and Maintenance Costs YEAR #4 SUP Support and Maintenance Costs SMA $87,776.59 20.00% $ 70,221.27 1 $ 70,221.27 Grand Total $429,295.27 Page 374 of 764