TEAMING AGREEMENT

 

EXHIBIT 10.12

 

 

                                TEAMING AGREEMENT

 

THIS TEAMING AGREEMENT  ("Agreement"),  made and entered into as of this 9th day

of July 2004, by and between AccuPoll, Inc., a Delaware corporation (hereinafter

"AccuPoll"),  with offices located at 15101 Red Hill Ave., Suite 220, Tustin, CA

9278, and Alternative Resources Corporation, a Delaware corporation with offices

located at 600 Hart Road,  Suite 300,  Barrington,  IL  60010-2654  (hereinafter

"Partner").

 

                                    PREMISES

 

         AccuPoll  and  Partner   believe  they  will  benefit  from  a  teaming

arrangement to develop the best management and technical  approach for proposals

to be submitted to various customers.

 

         AccuPoll  and Partner  have agreed to assign  responsibilities  for the

work on each  proposal  and  the  work to be  performed  for  each  customer  in

Opportunity  Plans to be  negotiated by the parties and  incorporated  into this

Agreement as set forth below.

 

         In consideration of the mutual promises in this Agreement,  the parties

agree as follows:

 

                                    AGREEMENT

 

1.     An  "Opportunity"  is a sales  opportunity.  The  parties  may  agree  to

       initiate a single  Opportunity or multiple  Opportunities with each other

       covering work for one or more customers.  Neither party will be obligated

       to the other under this Agreement until their authorized  representatives

       execute a separate written  "Opportunity  Plan" for the each customer and

       Opportunity.  Each  executed  Opportunity  Plan will be  attached  to and

       incorporated  into this Agreement as an Exhibit.  Each  Opportunity  Plan

       will designate one of the parties as the prime  contractor  (the "Prime")

       and the other party as the subcontractor  (the  "Subcontractor")  for the

       Opportunity  and will  apportion  the work and  responsibilities  for the

       Opportunity between the two parties.

 

2.     The Prime will submit the proposal to the  customer  for the  Opportunity

       and subject to any conditions  set forth in the  Opportunity  Plan,  will

       include the other party as a proposed  subcontractor.  In designating the

       Prime for each  Opportunity,  the management of the parties will consider

       such factors as the relationship  with the customer,  the role of each in

       project  management,  and the  relative  size  and  importance  of  their

       respective scopes of work.

 

3.     Each party will use its best efforts to produce proposals that will cause

       the selection of the Prime for the  Opportunity and the acceptance of the

       Subcontractor  for the work assigned to it. Each party will  negotiate in

       good faith the contracts or subcontracts that result from the proposals.

 

4.     In any  proposal and in all  discussions  with the  customer,  each party

       will:

 

          o    Identify the other party as its team member

 

          o    State  the  relationship  of the  parties  as set  forth  in this

               Agreement

 

          o    Describe the scope and  responsibility of each party as set forth

               in the Opportunity Plan.

 

 

5.     Each party will furnish all proposal  material  pertinent to its scope of

       work as defined in the Opportunity Plan attached as an Exhibit, including

       but not limited to,  manuscripts and art works.  The parties will furnish

       qualified personnel who will cooperate in drafting a proposal.

 

6.     The  Subcontractor  will  assist  the  Prime  as  reasonably   requested,

       including  without   limitation,   providing   management  and  technical

 

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       personnel   for   discussions   and   negotiations   with  the  customer.

       Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties, as between themselves,  shall

       be deemed to be independent  contractors,  and the employees of one shall

       not be deemed to be the employees of the other.

 

7.     Each party will bear all costs, risks and liabilities  incurred by it and

       arising out of its  obligations  and efforts under this Agreement  during

       the pre-proposal and proposal  periods,  which are defined as the periods

       up to an award of a prime  contract  and  subcontract.  The Prime will be

       responsible for the graphic arts,  printing,  binding, and delivery costs

       of the proposal. Neither party shall have any right to any reimbursement,

       payment or  compensation  of any kind from the other during the period up

       to the award of a prime contract and subcontract.

 

8.     The Prime will have the sole right to decide the form and  content of all

       documents submitted to the customer;  however,  the Prime will afford the

       Subcontractor  the  opportunity to review the form and the content of the

       proposal   and  will  make   reasonable   efforts  to  ensure   that  the

       Subcontractor's information is appropriately presented. The Subcontractor

       will offer the Prime its advice and aid, and will prepare the substantive

       content  of  its  area  of  the  proposal  and  other  documents.  Before

       submitting  the  proposal,  the Prime will  provide the  Subcontractor  a

       reasonable opportunity to review the proposal and provided comments.

 

9.     If a prime contract  ("Contract")  is awarded as a result of the proposal

       submitted to the  customer,  the Prime will,  to the extent  permitted by

       customer's  rules,  regulations and applicable law, enter into good faith

       negotiations with the Subcontractor for a subcontract for the subcontract

       work set forth in the  Opportunity  Plan.  The  subcontract  work must be

       performed  in  accordance  with  the  Contract   schedule  and  technical

       specifications  at a mutually  agreed  price.  Agreement on a subcontract

       must be reached within such time as the Prime deems necessary to meet the

       requirements of the Contract. The terms and conditions of the subcontract

       will be  generally  consistent  with  the  terms  and  conditions  in the

       Contract, including any contract provisions required by the Customer. The

       subcontract terms and conditions will not conflict with customer rules or

       policies or applicable laws and regulations.

 

10.    The customer may direct the Prime to place the work  contemplated  as the

       Subcontractor's responsibility to another source or direct that such work

       be  competitively  bid.  In either  case,  the Prime will comply with the

       customer's   direction  and  will  have  no  further  obligation  to  the

       Subcontractor  with  respect  to  that  particular  proposal,  except  as

       regarding the  protection  of  proprietary  data.  The Prime will take no

       action that would cause or tend to cause the customer to  disapprove  the

       Subcontractor.

 

11.    The Prime will be the primary  contact  with the  customer  concerning  a

       proposal.  If it becomes  desirable for the  Subcontractor to contact the

       customer  concerning  the proposal,  the contact shall be approved by the

       Prime to ensure  coordination of efforts and understanding of commitments

       prior to such  contact.  The Prime's  approval will not  unreasonably  be

       withheld.

 

12.    Although  the Prime is the  primary  interface  with the  customer on the

       Opportunity,  the  Subcontractor  may have continuing  relations with the

       customer  and in the  course  of such  relations  may  receive  inquiries

       concerning the Opportunity.  Such communications by the customer directly

       with the  Subcontractor  concerning the Opportunity shall not be a breach

       of this Agreement,  provided the  Subcontractor  timely informs the Prime

       about the contact.

 

13.    If the  Prime  is to make  presentations  to the  customer  concerning  a

       proposal,  the Prime will inform the  Subcontractor of the content of the

       presentations,  subject to any  prohibitions  or  restrictions  which the

       customer may impose.  If a  presentation  relates to the  Subcontractor's

       scope of work,  the  Subcontractor  will  support it as  requested by the

       Prime.

 

14.    Any  news  release,  public  announcement,   advertisement  or  publicity

       released by either party  concerning  this  Agreement,  or any proposals,

 

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       resulting  contracts,  or  subcontracts,  will be  subject  to the  prior

       approval of the other  party,  except that this  Agreement  and the terms

       thereof may be made known to a customer.  Any such  publicity  shall give

       due credit to the contribution of each party.

 

15.    Each  party will  designate  in writing  one or more  individuals  as its

       representative(s) responsible for performance of the party's obligations.

 

16.    "Confidential  Information"  means any and all  non-public  technical  or

       business  information,  including third party  information,  furnished or

       disclosed by one party (the  "Disclosing  Party") to the other party (the

       "Receiving  Party") that, if in a tangible  medium,  the Disclosing Party

       has marked as  "confidential,"  "proprietary" or similarly at the time of

       disclosure and that, if disclosed orally,  the Disclosing Party indicates

       as   confidential   or   proprietary   at  the  time  of  disclosure  and

       subsequently,  within  twenty  (20)  days  after  the  date of such  oral

       disclosure,  confirms as confidential or proprietary in a writing sent to

       the Receiving  Party that  describes the  information  that is to be kept

       confidential.  Each party will maintain all  Confidential  Information it

       receives  from the  other in  confidence  using  commercially  reasonable

       standards  and no less care than it uses  with its own  information,  and

       will use and  disclose  such<