Request for Proposals

City of Minneapolis Informational Technology

Election Management System RFP 2026-90 / Event #0000004321 Issue Date: October 28, 2026

Proposals Due by: December 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

(Minneapolis Time)

Table of Contents

RFP General Information Page

I. Invitation II. Proposal Submittal III. Proposal Format IV. Evaluation of Proposals – Consultant Selection V. Schedule VI. Contract VII. Department Contact/Request for Clarification VIII. Rejection of Proposals IX. Addendum to the RFP X. Data Practices

Attachment A - Terms and Conditions for RFP Attachment B – Scope of Services Attachment C – Functional Requirements Attachment D – Technical Requirements Attachment E - Solution Category Identification Attachment F – Cost/Fee Template Attachment G – Data Privacy Attachment H – References Attachment I – Q&A Submittal Form

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR

Election Management System

I. INVITATION

It is the intention of the City of Minneapolis (the City) to solicit proposals for a turn-key Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for the Elections & Voter Services that provides a secure, reliable, flexible cloud SaaS solution to improve election worker lifecycle management, polling place management, inventory and chain-of-custody tracking, reporting, Single Sign-on (SSO), and user experience.

The City of Minneapolis (the City) makes this Request for Proposals (the RFP) in order to select a qualified Software Consultant to provide a secure, reliable, flexible cloud SaaS solution that improves election worker lifecycle management, polling place management, inventory and chain-of-custody tracking, reporting, SSO, and user experience. The Project is generally described in the “Scope of Services” (Attachment B), contained within this RFP, including descriptions of roles, responsibilities and relationship of the Consultant, City, and other parties involved in the Project.

II. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

All proposals must be submitted electronically through the eSupplier Portal. If you are already a City Supplier you should have received an email containing your eSupplier User ID and Password. If you do not remember your password, click on the “Forgot Password” tile to enter your User ID and a new password will be emailed to you. If you are not already a city supplier, click on the eSupplier link below and then click on the “Bidder/Payee Registration” tile to register. If you need further assistance with eSupplier, please send an email to eprocurement@minneapolismn.gov.

eSupplier Portal – Electronic Proposal Submission https://comet-fs.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/psc/supplier

NOTE: Late Proposals will not be accepted.

III. PROPOSAL FORMAT

The Consultant shall provide the appropriate information in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the evaluation criteria has been satisfied as specified in the Section titled “EVALUATION OF

PROPOSALS”.

To allow for easier comparison of proposals during evaluation, proposals should contain the following sections and appendices and be arranged in consecutive order.

1. Executive Summary - The Executive Summary should include a clear statement of the Consultant’s understanding of the RFP including a brief summary of the Scope of Work.

Include, at a minimum, an outline of the contents of the proposal, an identification of the proposed project team, a description of the responsibilities of the project team, and a summary of the proposed services.

2. Scope of Services - Describe in detail how services will be provided. Include a detailed listing and description of tasks and deliverables.

3. Experience and Capacity - Describe background and related experience demonstrating ability to provide required services. Indicate if company expansion is required to provide service.

mailto:eprocurement@minneapolismn.gov https://comet-fs.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/psc/supplier https://comet-fs.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/psc/supplier mailto:eprocurement@minneapolismn.gov

4. References - List references from contracts similar in size and scope.

5. Personnel Listing - Show involved individuals with resumes and specific applicable experience.

Sub-consultants should also be listed, including the identification of any that are certified in the City of Minneapolis Small & Underutilized Business Program.

6. Cost/Fees - Indicate proposed cost of service including a description of how costs were determined; hourly rates and minimum billing increments, if any; direct costs and payment billing schedule; list of charges per classification of employee; cost breakdown for each year of service.

7. Company Financial Information - Proof of financial responsibility, any bankruptcy filings by the consultant, its principals, and officers during the previous seven years.

8. Completed Proposal Forms

• Attachment C – Functional Requirements – Complete and include a copy of the functional requirements document.

• Attachment D – Technical Requirements – Complete and include a copy of the technical requirements document.

• Attachment E – Solution Definition – Complete and include a copy of the solution definition document.

• Attachment F – Cost/Fee Template.

• Attachment G – Data Privacy – Complete and include a copy of the data privacy document.

9. Digital Schematic – Provide a digital schematic of the proposed architecture for the solution.

It must clearly show the software and hardware components involved, including any integrated systems or systems with which the solution would interface, and communications protocols.

Denote the relationship between these components as applicable.

10. Service Level Agreement – Provide a copy of your service level agreement, including remedies.

11. Provide any exceptions to Attachment A – City’s Terms and Conditions.

IV. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS – SELECTION OF CONSULTANT

Proposals will be reviewed by an Evaluation Panel made up of representatives of the City of Minneapolis, Department of Elections & Voter Services and other City staff assistance as they might require. The Evaluation Panel will select a "short list" of qualified Consultants who will be formally interviewed as part of the final selection, as deemed necessary by the City. Evaluations will be based on the required criteria listed in the Section titled “PROPOSAL FORMAT”, and the following:

A. Quality, thoroughness, and clarity of proposal.

B. Qualifications and experience of staff (includes a review of references).

C. How well the Scope of Services offered meets department objectives.

D. Financial responsibility and capacity of company including whether or not the company, any affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors have filed for federal bankruptcy protection within seven years of the date of this RFP.

E. Organization and management approach and involvement for a successful project.

F. Cost of services proposed.

G. Compatibility with existing infrastructure and hardware requirements.

H. Adherence to the City’s cybersecurity requirements.

- Consultant has obtained a SOC 2 Type 2 certification within the past 12 months.

I. Scalability of proposed solution.

J. Ease of implementation and requirements of city staff time.

K. Exceptions to the City’s terms and conditions.

A formal Presentation/Interview may be requested of the “short list” Consultant/s. Specifically, the City requests that the Consultant’s Project Manager assigned to the proposed project team lead the Presentation and that actual members of the project team (including any sub-consultants) participate in the formal presentation/interview.

The Presentation/Interview of the “short listed” Consultants may consist of the following elements:

• Discussion of the Consultant’s approach to providing services for this Project based upon the Scope of Services described herein.

• Overview of the Consultant’s experience as related to the Scope of Services, including qualifications and experience of assigned staff.

• A demonstration of the proposed system.

The Evaluation Panel may schedule and arrange for the presentations.

V. SCHEDULE: The following is a listing of key Proposal and Project milestones and duration:

RFP Release 10/28/26 Questions on RFP Due by 2:00 PM on 11/13/26 Responses to Questions posted by 2:00 PM on 11/25/26 Proposals due by 2:00 PM on 12/22/26 Estimated Consultant selection 1st Quarter 2027

VI. CONTRACT

The contracting parties will be the City of Minneapolis and the Consultant selected to provide the services as described herein. The selected proposal, along with the RFP and any counter proposal will be incorporated into a formal agreement after negotiations. It is the intent of the City to award a single contract for a term of three (3) years with an option to extend the contract on an annual basis, at the sole option of the City, for two (2) additional years.

VII. DEPARTMENT CONTACT/REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION: The Consultant’s primary interface with the City will be with the Contract Manager who will act as the City’s designated representative for the Project. Prospective responders shall direct inquiries/questions in writing only to:

Contract Manager: Mohammed Walji, Contract Administrator Email: mohammed.walji@minneapolismn.gov

Responses to the questions will be posted to the current event in the eSupplier Portal – Contracting Opportunities.

mailto:mohammed.walji@minneapolismn.gov mailto:mohammed.walji@minneapolismn.gov

The Contract Manager is the only individual who can be contacted regarding the Project before proposals are submitted. The Contract Manager cannot vary the terms of the RFP.

VIII. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

The City does not promise to accept the lowest cost proposal and specifically reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any formal proposal requirements, to investigate the qualifications and experience of any Consultant, to reject any provisions in any proposal, to obtain new proposals, to negotiate the requested services and contract terms with any Consultant, or to proceed to do the work otherwise. Incomplete proposals and proposals not sufficiently detailed or not in acceptable form may be rejected by the City.

IX. ADDENDUM TO THE RFP: If any addendum is issued for the RFP, it will be posted as an attachment to the current event. The City reserves the right to cancel or amend the RFP at any time.

X. DATA PRACTICES: Data you provide in response to this RFP will be subject to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and may be available to the public. Minn. Stat. 13.591 classifies Business Data and subdivision 3specifically addresses data submitted in response to an RFP. If you are submitting specific data which you believe meets the definition of trade secret data as defined in Minn. Stat. 13.37, please indicate this on the documents containing the data. The City may ask you to establish that the data meets all of the conditions set forth in Minn. Stat. 13.37, subdivision 1(b).

ATTACHMENT A

TERMS & CONDITIONS

City of Minneapolis Terms and Conditions for Professional Services Contracts Over $175,000 (Revised: May 6, 2026) - Election Management System RFP

The General Conditions are terms and conditions that the City expects its Contractors and Consultants (“Contractor”) to meet. The Contractor agrees to be bound by these requirements unless otherwise noted in any Proposal to which these terms are attached. Some negotiation is possible to accommodate the Contractor’s suggestions.

1. General Compliance The Contractor agrees to comply with all applicable Federal, State and local laws and regulations governing the services performed and funds provided under the Contract.

2. Equal Opportunity Statement The Contractor agrees to comply with applicable provisions of federal, state and city regulations, statutes and ordinances pertaining to the civil rights of and non-discrimination in the application for and employment of applicants, employees, subcontractors and suppliers of the Contractor. The federal, state and city statutes and ordinances to which the Contractor shall be subject under the terms of this Contract include, without limitation, Minnesota Statutes, Section 181.59 and Chapter 363A, Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Chapter 139, 42 U.S.C. Section 2000e, et. seq. (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), 29 U.S.C. Sections 621-624 (the Age Discrimination in Employment Act), 42 U.S.C. Sections 12101-12213 (the Americans with Disability Act), 29 U.S.C. Section 206(d) (the Equal Pay Act), 8 U.S.C. Section 1324 (the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986), and all regulations and policies promulgated to enforce these laws. The Contractor shall have submitted and had an “affirmative action plan” approved by the City prior to entering into a Contract.

3. Anti-Discrimination Statement The Contractor agrees to comply with applicable provisions of federal, state and city regulations, statutes and ordinances pertaining to the civil rights and non-discrimination in any provision of services contracted for under this Contract, such that the contracted services are provided without discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, gender identity, disability, age, marital status, status with regard to a public assistance program, housing status, justice-impacted status, height and weight, or any combination thereof.

4. Compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines The Contractor agrees that web content and mobile applications created pursuant to this Contract shall be compliant with the requirements and standards of the Americans with

Disabilities Act and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Version 2.1, Level AA unless a legal exception or exemption applies.

5. Insurance Insurance secured by the Contractor shall be issued by insurance companies acceptable to the City and admitted in Minnesota. The insurance specified may be in a policy or policies of insurance, primary or excess. Such insurance shall be in force on the date of execution of the Contract and shall remain continuously in force for the duration of the Contract.

Acceptance of the insurance by the City shall not relieve, limit or decrease the liability of the Contractor. Any policy deductibles or retention shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

The City does not represent that the insurance requirements are sufficient to protect the Contractor’s interests or provide adequate coverage. Evidence of coverage is to be provided on a current ACORD Form, Insurance Declaration. A thirty (30) day written notice is required if the policy is canceled, not renewed or materially changed. The Contractor shall require any of its sub-contractors, if sub-contracting is allowable under this Contract, to comply with these provisions.

The Contractor and its subcontractors shall secure and maintain the following insurance:

a) Workers Compensation insurance that meets the statutory obligations with Coverage B- Employers Liability limits of at least $100,000 each accident, $500,000 disease -policy limit and $100,000 disease each employee.

b) Commercial General Liability insurance with limits of at least $2,000,000 general aggregate, $2,000,000 products - completed operations $2,000,000 personal and advertising injury, $300,000 each occurrence fire damage and $5,000 medical expense any one person. The policy shall be on an “occurrence” basis, shall include contractual liability coverage and the City shall be named an additional insured. The amount of coverage will be automatically increased if the project amount is expected to exceed $2,000,000 or involves potentially high-risk activity.

c) Commercial Automobile Liability insurance covering all owned, non-owned and hired automobiles with limits of at least $1,000,000 per accident.

d) Professional Liability Insurance or Errors & Omissions Insurance providing coverage for 1) the claims that arise from the errors or omissions of the Contractor or its subcontractors and 2) the negligence or failure to render a professional service by the Contractor or its subcontractors. The insurance policy should provide coverage in the amount of $2,000,000 each claim and $2,000,000 annual aggregate. The insurance policy must provide the protection stated for two years after the expiration of the contract.

e) Cyber Liability for the duration of this agreement providing coverage for, but not limited to, Technology and Internet Errors & Omissions, Security and Privacy Liability, and Media Liability. Insurance will provide coverage against claims that arise from the disclosure of not public information from files including but not limited to: 1) Intentional, fraudulent or criminal acts of the Contractor, its agents or employees. 2) Breach of the City’s not public data, whether electronic or otherwise. The insurance policy should provide minimum coverage in the amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate. If written on a Claims-Made basis, the policy must provide an extended reporting period and have a retroactive date that on or before the date of this Contract or the date Contractor commences work, whichever is earlier.

6. Indemnity and Hold Harmless The Contractor will defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City and its officers and employees from all liabilities, claims, damages, costs, judgments, lawsuits and expenses, including court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees regardless of the Contractor’s insurance coverage, arising directly from any negligent act or omission of the Contractor, its employees, agents, by any sub-contractor or sub-consultant, and by any employees of the sub-contractors and sub-consultants of the Contractor, in the performance of work and delivery of services provided by or through this Contract or by reason of the failure of the Contractor to perform, in any respect, any of its obligations under this Contract. If a Contractor is a self-insured agency of the State of Minnesota, the terms and conditions of Minnesota Statutes, section

3.732 et seq. shall apply with respect to liability bonding, insurance, and liability limits. The provisions of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 466 shall apply to other political subdivisions of the State of Minnesota.

Where the Services provided by the Contractor to the City are “design professional services” as described in Minnesota Statutes, Section 604.21, then, the Contractor will not be obligated to defend the City as required above.

7. Subcontracting The Contractor shall not sub-consult or sub-contract any services under this Contract unless authorized in writing by the City. The Contractor shall provide written notice to the City and obtain the City’s authorization to sub-contract any work or services to be provided to the City pursuant to this Contract. As required by Minnesota Statutes, Section 471.425, the Contractor shall pay all subcontractors for subcontractor’s undisputed, completed work, within ten (10) days after the Contractor has received payment from the City.

8. Assignment or Transfer of Interest The Contractor shall not assign any interest in the Contract, and shall not transfer any interest in the same either by assignment or novation, without the prior written approval of the City which will not be withheld or delayed unreasonably.

9. Performance Monitoring The City will monitor the performance of the Contractor against goals and performance standards required herein. Substandard performance as determined by the City will constitute non-compliance with this Contract. If action to correct such substandard performance is not taken by the Contractor within a reasonable period of time to cure such substandard performance after being notified by the City, contract termination procedures will be initiated.

All work submitted by Contractor shall be subject to the approval and acceptance by the City Department Contract Manager designated herein. The City Department Contract Manager designated herein shall review each portion of the work when certified as complete and submitted by the Contractor and shall inform the Contractor of any apparent deficiencies, defects, or incomplete work, at any stage of the project.

10. Prior Uncured Defaults Pursuant to Section 18.110 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, the City may not contract with persons or entities that have defaulted under a previous contract or agreement with the City and have failed to cure the default.

11. Independent Contractor Nothing contained in this Contract is intended to, or shall be construed in any manner, as creating or establishing the relationship of employer/employee between the parties. The Contractor shall at all times remain an independent Contractor with respect to the work and/or services to be performed under this Contract. Any and all employees of Contractor or other persons engaged in the performance of any work or services required by Contractor under this Contract shall be considered employees or subcontractors of the Contractor only and not of the City; and any and all claims that might arise, including Worker’s Compensation claims under the Worker’s Compensation Act of the State of Minnesota or any other state, by or on behalf of said employees or other persons while so engaged in any of the work or services to be rendered or provided herein, shall be the sole obligation and responsibility of the Contractor.

12. Accounting Standards The Contractor agrees to maintain the necessary source documentation and enforce sufficient internal controls as dictated by generally accepted accounting practices (GAAP) to properly account for expenses incurred under this Contract.

13. Retention of Records Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 138.17 and Section 15.17, the Contractor shall retain all records pertinent to expenditures incurred under this Contract in a legible form for a period of six years commencing after the later of contract close-out or resolution of all audit findings.

Records for non-expendable property acquired with funds under this Contract shall be retained for six years after final disposition of such property.

14. Audit Requirements for Cloud-Based Storage of City Data If the Contractor’s services include the storage of City data using a cloud-based solution, then the Contractor agrees to secure the data as though it were “private data” as defined in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13. The Contractor shall provide the City with the annual copy of the Federal Standards for the Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) No. 18 or the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) No. 3402. The Contractor agrees to provide a .pdf copy to the City’s Contract Manager, upon the Contractor’s receipt of the audit results.

15. Data Practices The Contractor agrees to comply with the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13) and all other applicable state and federal laws relating to data privacy or confidentiality. The requirements of Minnesota Statutes, Section 13.05, subdivision 11 apply to companies or individuals who perform under a government contract. The Contractor and any of the Contractor’s sub-consultants or sub-contractors retained to provide services under this Contract shall comply with the Act and be subject to penalties for non-compliance as though they were a “governmental entity.” The Contractor must immediately report to the City any requests from third parties for information relating to this Contract. The City agrees to promptly respond to inquiries from the Contractor concerning data requests.

The Contractor agrees to hold the City, its officers, and its employees harmless from any claims resulting from the Contractor’s unlawful disclosure or use of data protected under state and federal laws. The Contractor’s duty to comply with Minn. Stat. Chap. 13 and all other applicable federal and state laws relating to the protection of data will continue past the expiration of this contract. The requirements of this paragraph shall apply regardless of the location of the data.

16. Cardholder Data and Security Standards Should the Contractor collect revenue on behalf of the City through the acceptance of credit cards offered by cardholders to pay for services offered under the terms of this Contract, then Contractor represents and acknowledges that the Contractor will comply with Payment Card Industry (PCI) regulatory standards including the Data Security Standards (DSS). Contractor represents that it will protect cardholder data. Contractor will be annually certified as a PCI compliant service provider and agrees to provide evidence of said certification to the City upon request. Contractor agrees at reasonable times to provide to the City or to its assigns, the audit rights contained herein for all physical locations, systems or networks that process credit cards on behalf of the City. Contractor also agrees to provide written notice to the City of any breach of a system owned, operated or maintained by the Contractor that contains cardholder data or information.

17. Inspection of Records Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 16C.05, all books, records, documents and accounting procedures and practices of the Contractor with respect to the matters covered by this Contract shall be made available to the City and the State of Minnesota, Office of the State Auditor or Legislative Auditor, as appropriate, or their designees upon notice, at any time during normal business hours, as often as the City deems necessary, to audit, examine, and make excerpts or transcripts of all relevant data.

18. Living Wage Ordinance The Contractor may be required to comply with the “Minneapolis Living Wage and Responsible Public Spending Ordinance” Chapter 38 of the City’s Code of Ordinances (the “Ordinance”). Unless otherwise exempt from the ordinance as provided in Section 38.40 (c), any City contract for services valued at $100,000 or more or any City financial assistance or subsidy valued at $100,000 or more will be subject to the Ordinance’s requirement that the Contractor and its subcontractors pay their employees a “living wage” as defined and provided for in the Ordinance.

19. Applicable Law The laws of the State of Minnesota shall govern all interpretations of this Contract without regard to conflict of law rules, and the appropriate venue and jurisdiction for any litigation which may arise hereunder will be in those courts located within the County of Hennepin, https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT2AD_CH38LIWAREPUSPRE https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT2AD_CH38LIWAREPUSPRE

State of Minnesota, regardless of the place of business, residence or incorporation of the Contractor.

20. Conflict and Priority If the Contract was awarded by RFP and in the event that a conflict is found between provisions in this Contract, the Contractor’s Proposal or the City’s Request for Proposals, the provisions in the following rank order shall take precedence: 1) Contract; 2) Proposal; and last

3) Request for Proposals.

21. Travel If travel by the Contractor is allowable and approved for this Contract, then Contractor travel expenses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the City’s Contractor Travel Reimbursement Conditions.

22. Conflict of Interest/Code of Ethics Pursuant to Section 15.250 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, both the City and the Contractor are required to comply with the City’s Code of Ethics. Chapter 15 of the Code of Ordinances requires City officials and the Contractor to avoid any situation that may give rise to a “conflict of interest.” A “conflict of interest” will arise if Contractor represents any other party or other client whose interests are adverse to the interests of the City.

As it applies to the Contractor, the City’s Code of Ethics will also apply to the Contractor in its role as an “interested person” since Contractor has a direct financial interest in this Agreement. The City’s Code of Ethics prevents “interested persons” from giving certain gifts to employees and elected officials.

23. Termination, Default and Remedies The City may terminate this Contract for any reason without cause upon thirty (30) days’ written notice. Both the City and the Contractor may terminate this Contract if either party fails to fulfill its obligations under the Contract in a proper and timely manner, or otherwise violates the terms of this Contract. The non-defaulting party shall have the right to terminate this Contract, if the default has not been cured after ten (10) days’ written notice or such other reasonable time period to cure the default has been provided. The City reserves the right to terminate this Contract without penalty, effective immediately, if circumstances arise which prevent the City from commencing or continuing the Contract, or if it is determined that the City was fraudulently induced to enter into the Contract. In such a situation, the City will issue a written notice to “stop work” and demand the Contractor mitigate any Contract-related expenses.

If termination shall be without cause, the City shall pay Contractor all compensation earned to the date of termination. If the termination shall be for breach of this Contract by Contractor, the City shall pay Contractor all compensation earned prior to the date of termination minus any damages and costs incurred by the City as a result of the breach

Notwithstanding the above, the Contractor shall not be relieved of liability to the City for damages sustained by the City as a result of any breach of this Contract by the Contractor.

https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/charter-and-code-of-ordinances/city-policies/overnight-travel-policy/documents/ https://www.minneapolismn.gov/government/charter-and-code-of-ordinances/city-policies/overnight-travel-policy/documents/

The City may, in such event, withhold payments due to the Contractor for the purpose of set-off until such time as the exact amount of damages due to the City is determined. The rights or remedies provided for herein shall not limit the City, in case of any default by the Contractor, from asserting any other right or remedy allowed by law, equity, or by statute. The Contractor has not waived any rights or defenses in seeking any amounts withheld by the City or any damages due the Contractor.

24. Ownership of Materials Unless otherwise expressly provided by the Contract, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, surveys, maps, models, photographs, reports or other materials resulting from this Contract, including summaries of data and derived data, shall become the property of the City upon the City’s payment for and final approval of the final report or upon payment and request by the City at any time before then. The City at its own risk, may use, extend, or enlarge any document produced under this Contract without the consent, permission of, or further compensation to the Contractor.

If the Contract is canceled or terminated, all finished or unfinished documents, data, studies, surveys, maps, models, photographs, reports or other materials prepared by the Contractor under this Contract shall, at the option of the City, become the property of the City, and the Contractor shall be entitled to receive just and equitable compensation for any satisfactory work completed on such documents or materials prior to the termination.

25. Intellectual Property All Work produced by the Contractor under this Contract is classified as “work for hire” and upon payment by the City to the Contractor will be the exclusive property of the City and will be surrendered upon demand to the City immediately upon completion, expiration, or cancellation of this Contract. “Work” covered includes all reports, notes, studies, photographs, designs, drawings, specifications, materials, tapes or other media and any databases established to store or retain the Work. The Contractor may retain a copy of the work for its files in order to engage in future consultation with the City and to satisfy professional records retention standards. The Contractor represents and warrants that the Work does not and will not infringe upon any intellectual property rights of other persons or entities.

Each party acknowledges and agrees that each party is the sole and exclusive owner of all right, title, and interest in and to its services, products, software, source and object code, specifications, designs, techniques, concepts, improvements, discoveries and inventions including all intellectual property rights thereto, including without limitations any modifications, improvements, or derivative works thereof, created prior to, or independently of the contract, during the terms of this Contract. This Contract does not affect the ownership of each party’s pre-existing, intellectual property. Each party further acknowledges that it acquires no rights under this Contract to the other party’s pre-existing intellectual property, other than any limited right explicitly granted in this Contract.

26. City Open Data Policy The City has adopted an Open Data Policy (“Policy”). The City owns all Data Sets as part of its compliance with this Policy. Data Sets means statistical or factual information: (a) created by the Contractor and contained in structural data sets; and (b) regularly created or maintained by or on behalf of the City or a City department which supports or contributes to the delivery of services, programs, and functions. The City shall not only retain ownership of all City Data Sets, but also all information or data created through the City’s use of the software and /or software applications licensed by the Contractor (or any subcontractor of sub-consultant of the Contractor) to the City.

The City shall also retain the right to publish all data, information and Data Sets independently of this Contract with the Contractor and any of Contractor’s subcontractors or sub-consultants involved in providing the Services, using whatever means the City deems appropriate.

The City shall have the right to access all data, regardless of which party created the content and for whatever purpose it was created. The Contractor shall provide bulk extracts that meet the public release criteria for use in and within an open data solution. The Contractor shall permit and allow free access to City information and Data Sets by using a method that is automatic and repeatable. The Data Sets shall permit classification at the field level in order to exclude certain data.

27. Artificial Intelligence Technology Use

i) Definitions. For the purposes of this Section: “AI Tool” means any and all machine learning, deep learning, and other artificial intelligence (“AI”) technologies, including statistical learning algorithms, models (including large language models), neural networks, and other AI technology or methodologies, all software implementations of any of the foregoing, and related hardware or equipment [capable of generating various types of content (including text, images, video, audio, or computer code) based on user-supplied prompts.

ii) Disclosure on Use of AI tools. Contractor must notify the City of any work product, as defined by the scope of services in this agreement, which was created in whole or in-part by the use of AI tools.

iii) Prohibition on Use or Input of Privileged, Confidential and Not-Public Data into an AI tool. Except with the express written approval by the City or pursuant to express terms of this agreement, Contractor will not, and will not permit any Person to, input or use any privileged or confidential and not-public data, pursuant to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, into any AI tool, including:

(i) to develop, train, retrain, tune, validate, modify, update, or otherwise improve any AI

Tool; or

(ii) in prompts for any AI Tool.

iv) Use of AI Features and AI Contractor Output. Contractor is solely responsible for: (a) evaluating suitability of AI tools for delivering on scope of services in this agreement ; (b) Contractor’s use and operation of the AI tools in accordance with relevant standards, including ensuring human oversight and monitoring; (c) evaluating (including by human review) AI Tool output for accuracy, completeness, lawfulness (including for trademark and copyright violation), and other factors relevant to Contractor’s use before delivering work to the City; and (d) Contractor’s decisions, actions, and omissions in reliance or based on the use of any AI Tool.

28. Equal Benefits Ordinance Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, Section 18.180, relating to equal benefits for domestic partners, applies to each Contractor and subcontractor with 21 or more employees that enters into a “contract”, as defined by the ordinance that exceeds $175,000. The categories to which the ordinance applies are personal services; the sale or purchase of supplies, materials, equipment, or the rental thereof; and the construction, alteration, repair or maintenance of personal property.

The categories to which the ordinance does not apply include real property and development contracts.

Please be aware that if a “contract”, as defined by the ordinance, initially does not exceed $175,000, but is later modified so the Contract does exceed $175,000, the ordinance will then apply to the Contract. It is the Contractor’s and subcontractor’s responsibility to review and understand the requirements and applicability of this ordinance.

29. Small & Underutilized Business Program (SUBP) Requirements

I. Overview The City of Minneapolis’ policy is to provide equal opportunities to all businesses, with an effort to redress discrimination in the City’s marketplace and in public contracting against Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBEs) and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBEs). The SUBP, as detailed in the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances Chapter 423.40, applies to contracts in excess of $175,000. SUBP goals are set on contracts based on project scope, subcontracting opportunities, and availability of qualified MBEs/WBEs.

II. SUBP Goals There are no SUBP goals on this contract. However, if there are subcontracting opportunities, Contractor is encouraged to afford MBEs and WBEs full and fair opportunities to compete on this contract and resulting subcontracts.

III. Certified MBEs/WBEs The SUBP only recognizes MBEs/WBEs certified through the Central Certification Program (CERT). To locate certified MBEs/WBEs, please visit the CERT online directory.

30. Miscellaneous Provisions

1. Successors and Assigns – This Contract shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the City and of the Contractor.

2. Severability – If any provision of this Contract is held invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision, and this Contract shall be construed and enforced as if such invalid or unenforceable provision had not https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT2AD_CH18PU_18.180EQBEPRCO https://cert.smwbe.com/FrontEnd/searchcertifieddirectory.asp been included.

3. No Partnership or Joint Venture – Neither the City nor the Contractor is an agent, partner, or joint venturer of the other for any purpose or has any authority to bind the other.

4. No Third-Party Beneficiaries – This Contract does not create any third-party beneficiary rights in any individual or entity that is not a party to this Contract.

5. Waiver – Failure to enforce any provision of this Contract does not affect the rights of the parties to enforce such provision in another circumstance. Neither does it affect the rights of the parties to enforce any other provision of this Contract at any time.

6. Amendments – This Contract may only be modified or changed by written amendment signed by authorized representatives of the City and the Contractor.

7. Electronic Signatures and Counterparts – This Contract may be executed in counterparts, each of which has the effect of an original. An electronic signature will be deemed an original signature.

8. Entirety of Contract – This Contract and the Attachments/Exhibits thereto, constitute the entire and exclusive Contract of the parties.

ATTACHMENT B

SCOPE OF SERVICES

It is the intent of this document to outline a general description of the Project, the extent of services required, and the relationship of this Project to other work, and the agencies or other parties that will interact with the Consultant. The contents of this document are considered representative of the Project as a whole, but are by no means conclusive.

BACKGROUND

The Election Management System project will replace or modernize the City of Minneapolis election management platform through a formal RFP, vendor selection, contract execution, SaaS implementation, data migration, testing, training, and operational readiness process. The schedule is intentionally anchored to the need for a new system ahead of the March 2028 election cycle.

The project proposal identifies unresolved gaps including configurability, browser support, mobile user experience, GIS integration, inventory reporting/exporting, and payroll/integration limitations. The future-state goal is a secure, reliable, flexible cloud SaaS solution that improves election worker lifecycle management, polling place management, inventory and chain-of-custody tracking, reporting, SSO, and user experience.

OBJECTIVES

• Modernize and expand EMS capabilities by transitioning to a flexible, scalable vendor SaaS platform that retains existing functionality while addressing current system gaps and supporting future election needs.

• Strengthen election worker lifecycle management across recruitment and application, onboarding, temporary access, assignments, messaging, training, certification, required documentation, performance history, event reporting, and potential future payroll integration for a workforce of 2,000+ election workers for every election events among 20,000+ (and growing) election worker profiles to manage as part of the overall lifecycle management.

• Improve polling place and election event management through dynamic site activation and assignment capabilities, support for emergency and backup locations, non-typical election events, partner organization coordination, and election-day call management.

• Enhance equipment, material, and supply-chain management with comprehensive inventory controls, chain-of-custody tracking, delivery and logistics management, and barcode and/or RFID-ready capabilities to address current tracking gaps.

• Strengthen security and access management through role-based access controls, single sign-on (SSO), secure temporary user access, auditability, and controls appropriate for election-related data and operations.

• Improve usability and accessibility through a device-adaptive, browser-based user experience that supports mobile users, accessibility requirements, and City branding while reducing administrative and election-worker friction.

• Improve reporting and data management through configurable reporting, data exports, historical records, and improved visibility into election workers, polling places, equipment, materials, assignments, and election events.

• Support secure and efficient implementation and migration through comprehensive data migration, integration assessment, technical evaluation, security review, testing, onboarding, and transition planning that minimizes operational disruption when initiating new elections on the replacement platform.

• Provide comprehensive project and implementation support encompassing PMO/project management, business analysis, technical and security evaluation, integration coordination, vendor management, contract coordination, and stakeholder support throughout implementation and transition.

SYSTEM/APPLICATION

1. Software System - The Consultant must provide all software necessary for a system that meets the specifications in this RFP and supports all City needs. The System must be fully functioning and fully integrated at the time of implementation. Refer to Attachment C Functional Requirements and Attachment D Technical Requirements for more details.

2. Support and Maintenance - The City expects the Consultant to provide the corrective and preventive support and maintenance needed to keep the Services functioning in a normal operational state. A normal operational state will be defined by the future contract agreement between the Consultant and the City, and by any future agreements pertinent to this definition between the Consultant and the City. The City expects the Consultant to maintain the system proactively, to include:

Corrective support and maintenance including activities for responding, diagnosing and repairing software or equipment failures so that Services can return to normal operational state.

Preventive support and maintenance including activities to systematically inspect, detect and make pro-active repairs to prevent failures before they occur.

In addition to corrective and preventive support and maintenance, the City expects the Consultant to provide adaptive maintenance toward continuous improvement in products and services.

Adaptive support and maintenance including activities to monitor the City’s changing business needs and/or technology innovation and evolution for opportunities to improve, or add new, features, functions and services.

The Consultant will be responsible for all resources needed to deliver the corrective, preventive and adaptive support and maintenance for its products and services.

3. Incident Management - The Consultant is expected to participate in incident management and response activities. The Consultant will provide contact information for the City to contact in the event of an incident requiring assistance. Priority levels and response times should follow the basic framework outlined here:

a. Priority Level Definitions Priority Level 1: Any problem or incident relating to the System or Services that (i) prevents the City from using or receiving the output of a Service with no work-around, or (ii) does or may likely materially affect the City's business functions. The City may escalate as a Priority 1 Event any problem or incident if the City deems it critical.

Priority Level 2: Any problem or incident relating to the System or Services that (i) adversely impacts the use or receipt of the output of a Service but that does not completely prevent such use or receipt of output, or for which a reasonable work-around exists. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the failure of any portion of a high-availability, redundant or fault tolerant System, such that the System continues to operate normally but the failure has rendered unavailable some or all of the redundancy or fault tolerance, shall be deemed a Priority 2 Event.

Priority Level 3: Any problem or incident relating to the System or Services that is not a

Priority 1 Event or Priority 2 Event.

b. Incident Response Expected Service Levels

Priority Response Time Resolve Time Priority Level 1 15 minutes 4 hours Priority Level 2 30 minutes 8 hours Priority Level 3 4 hours 3 business days

4. Hours of Service - The City expects the Consultant to have support staff available during the normal Monday-Friday workweek to respond to Priority Level 1 incidents. Support needed to help the City understand and use the Services must be available between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. Also, vendor to provide extended or off-hours support when needed, particularly during periods immediately before, during, or after an election.

5. Change Management - The Consultant is expected to participate in and abide by the City’s Change Management policies and procedures to the degree relevant to the System or Services. The Consultant will not perform any Changes to its environments or operations that would affect the System or Services without notifying and receiving approval from the City. The Consultant will provide appropriate input for planning, scheduling, executing and closing Change Requests related to the System or Services even if the changes are not executed by the Consultant. The Consultant will coordinate with the City to plan Scheduled Maintenance Changes to minimize the likelihood of conflicting Changes or disruption of critical business operations.

6. Problem Management - The Consultant is expected to engage with City Problem Management teams to investigate and identify root cause and permanent repairs for issues that cause Priority Level 1 Incidents OR that are identified by the City as recurring events or incidents traceable to the System or Services.

7. Consultant Relationship Management - The Consultant is expected to maintain a responsive relationship with the City to ensure timely and effective resolution of service quality and contract compliance issues. The Consultant will provide names and contact information for appropriate people in its organization to establish these relationships and provide a path for escalation when issues are not being dealt with to the City’s satisfaction.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

1. Implementation - The Consultant must perform all tasks required to implement the System, including all configuration, testing, and training. The Consultant must provide direction and resources necessary to complete the implementation of integrations and interfaces as outlined in Attachment C – Functional Requirements and Attachment D – Technical Requirements.

2. Project Management - The Consultant will be responsible for applying project management methodologies in the areas of project planning, resource management, project monitoring, production control, configuration management, quality assurance, test planning and execution, training plan, implementation methodology, change management and business process re-engineering, post-implementation support and documentation. The Consultant must present a comprehensive project schedule and Statement of Work showing time and resources required to accomplish the tasks.