REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

GMU-SM0615-26

ISSUE DATE: July 14, 2026

TITLE: Bar Examination Preparation and Support Platform

QUESTIONS/INQUIRIES: Submit all inquiries through George Mason’s Bonfire Portal, no later than 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) on July 22, 2026. All questions must be submitted through George Mason’s Bonfire portal. Only submit one question per entry. Do not include your name or the name of your firm/company in the Question Subject/Title or the Question Description. For assistance with technical questions related to Bonfire, contact support.procurement@eunasolutions.com or visit Bonfire’s Help Forum. Responses to questions will be posted to George Mason’s Bonfire portal and by 5:00 PM ET on August 05, 2026.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME: August 19, 2026 @ 2:00 PM ET. ATTENTION: PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL, MAIL, THROUGH eVA OR IN PERSON. SEE SECTION XII.A.1 FOR DETAILS ON ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL SUBMISSION.

IMPORTANT! All communication with Offerors will take place in Bonfire, to include negotiations. George Mason can only message individuals at your organization that have interacted in Bonfire for this specific RFP. Please ensure the appropriate person to handle negotiations and other RFP communication has individually logged into the system and either downloaded documents, submitted your proposal or asked a question.

In Compliance With This Request For Proposal And To All The Conditions Imposed Therein And Hereby Incorporated By Reference, The Undersigned Offers And Agrees To Furnish The Goods/Services In Accordance With The Attached Signed Proposal Or As Mutually Agreed Upon By Subsequent Negotiations.

Name and Address of Firm:

Legal Name: Date:

DBA:

Address:

By:

Fax No. Title:

Email: Telephone No.

SWaM Certified: Yes: No: (See Section VII. SWaM CERTIFICATION for complete details).

SWaM Certification Number:

Check the box next to the option that applies to your proposal submission. See section IV. Final Contract for additional information.

Purchasing Department 4400 University Drive, MS 3C1, Fairfax, VA 22030 Phone: 703.993.2580; http://fiscal.gmu.edu/purchasing/

☐ Option 1: Full Acceptance:

1. We have reviewed George Mason’s Standard Contract and all related documents.

2. We have no proposed changes.

3. We understand that if we are advanced to negotiations, no contract exceptions, redlines, vendor documents, or additional terms will be considered, unless proposed by George Mason.

☐ Option 2: Proposed Exceptions and/or Additional Documents Submitted:

1. We have reviewed George Mason’s Standard Contract and all related documents.

2. We have included a list of proposed exceptions and/or redlined contract documents with our proposal.

3. We understand that if we are advanced to negotiations, no additional contract exceptions, redlines, vendor documents, or additional terms will be considered beyond what has been submitted with our proposal, unless proposed by George Mason.

This public body does not discriminate against faith-based organizations in accordance with the Governing Rules, § 36 or against a Bidder/Offeror because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other prohibited by state law relating to discrimination in employment.

OFFEROR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Offerors responding to this RFP should use this checklist to ensure all requested documents are completed and submitted with their proposal.

· RFP Cover Page, accurately filled in and signed with checked off box confirming your proposal contains any exceptions to George Mason’s Standard Contract and all terms and conditions or subsequent Statements of Work that could apply over the life of any resulting contract.

· All addenda, if any were issued and a signature line is included.

· Attachment A - Small Business Subcontracting Plan. This is a requirement for all Offerors.

· Attachment B - Standard Contract. Submit in a Word document with tracked changes contract exceptions (if any) for George Mason’s consideration. Note: no additional contract exceptions, redlines, or additional terms will be considered beyond what has been submitted with the Offeror’s proposal, unless proposed by George Mason.

· Any Statements of Work or supplemental document(s) George Mason may be required to sign or that could potentially be incorporated into a final contract or apply during the term of a resulting contract.

· Any agreement that George Mason would be required to sign with a third party.

· State your payment preference as required in Bonfire. Only select one payment option.

· If your proposal contains proprietary information, you must submit a second copy in accordance with Section XII.A.1. General Requirements and Section XII.A.2.d. that outlines the specific submission format.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GMU-SM0615-26

SECTION DESCRIPTION PAGE

I. PURPOSE 4

II. PURCHASING MANUAL/GOVERNING RULES 4

III. COMMUNICATION 4

IV. FINAL CONTRACT 4

V. ADDITIONAL USERS 4

VI. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION 5

VII. SWaM CERTIFICATION 5

VIII. SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN 5

IX. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE 5

X. BACKGROUND 5

XI. STATEMENT OF NEEDS 5

XII. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 7

XIII. INITIAL EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SUBSEQUENT AWARD 11

XIV. ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS REVIEW BOARD (ASRB) REQUIREMENTS 11

XV. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 12

XVI. PAYMENT TERMS/METHOD OF PAYMENT 12

XVII. SOLICITATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS 12

XVIII. RFP SCHEDULE 13

ATTACHMENT A SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN 14

ATTACHMENT B STANDARD CONTRACT 16

ATTACHMENT C SAMPLE INVOICE FORMAT 29

I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals to establish a contract through competitive negotiations with one or more qualified vendors to provide a Comprehensive Bar Support Platform and Extended Bar Preparation Courses for the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University. George Mason University (herein after referred to as “George Mason,” “Mason,” or “University”) is a public institution of higher education and agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

II. PURCHASING MANUAL/GOVERNING RULES: This solicitation and any resulting contract shall be subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and their Vendor's, and any revisions thereto, and the Governing Rules, which are hereby incorporated into this contract in their entirety. A copy of both documents is available for review at: https://vascupp.org

III. COMMUNICATION: Communications regarding the Request for Proposals shall be formal from the date of issuance until a contract has been awarded. Unless otherwise instructed offerors are to communicate with only the Procurement Officers listed on the cover page. Offerors are not to communicate with any other employees of George Mason.

IV. FINAL CONTRACT: ATTACHMENT B to this solicitation is George Mason’s standard two-party contract. It is the intent of this solicitation to base the final contractual documents off of George Mason’s standard two-party contract and George Mason’s General Terms and Conditions as outlined in Attachment B – Standard Contract. Any exceptions to our standard contract and General Terms and Conditions must be denoted in your RFP response. Other documents may be incorporated into the final contract, either by way of attachment or by reference, but in all cases this contract document and George Mason’s General Terms and Conditions shall jointly take precedence over all other documents and will govern the terms and conditions of the contract.

As a public institution of higher education and agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, George Mason cannot agree to any of the following terms in any documents:

A. An express or implied waiver of sovereign immunity.

B. An agreement to indemnify, defend or hold harmless any entity.

C. An agreement to maintain insurance.

D. An agreement providing for binding arbitration.

E. An agreement providing for the payment of attorneys' fees, costs of collection, or liquidated damages.

F. Waiver of jury trial.

G. Choice of law or venue other than the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Contracts will only be issued to the FEI/FIN Number and Firm listed on the signed cover page submitted in your RFP response. Joint proposals will not be accepted.

Note: The Offeror must include any and all terms and conditions, additional documents, and/or statements of work that could potentially be incorporated into a final contract or apply during the term of a resulting contract. As outlined in Attachment B – Standard Contract, Statements of Work (“SOW”) for specific engagements may only include the work to be performed during scope of the specific engagement. Additional terms and conditions will not be accepted on any SOW submitted during the course of the contract. All SOW’s must be on a form approved by George Mason prior to the start of the contract.

In addition to the above note, the Offeror must submit with their proposal any agreement that George Mason would be required to sign with a third party.

V. ADDITIONAL USERS: It is the intent of this solicitation and resulting contract(s) to allow for cooperative procurement. Accordingly, any public body, public or private health or educational institutions, or affiliated corporations may access any resulting contract if authorized by the contractor.

Participation in this cooperative procurement is strictly voluntary. If authorized by the Contractor(s), the resultant contract(s) will be extended to the entities indicated above to purchase goods and services in accordance with contract terms. As a separate contractual relationship, the participating entity will place its own orders directly with the Contractor(s) and shall fully and independently administer its use of the contract(s) to include contractual disputes, invoicing and payments without direct administration from the University. No modification of this contract or execution of a separate agreement is required to participate; however, the participating entity and the Contractor may modify the terms and conditions of the contract to accommodate specific governing laws, regulations, policies, and business goals required by the participating entity. Any such modification will apply solely between the participating entity and the contractor.

The University may require the Contractor provide semi-annual usage reports for all entities accessing the contract. The University shall not be held liable for any costs or damages incurred by any other participating entity as a result of any authorization by the Contractor to extend the contract. It is understood and agreed that the University is not responsible for the acts or omissions of any entity and will not be considered in default of the contract no matter the circumstances.

Use of the resulting contract(s) does not preclude any participating entity from using other contracts or competitive processes as needed.

VI. eVA BUSINESS-TO-GOVERNMENT VENDOR REGISTRATION: The eVA Internet electronic procurement solution, website portal www.eVA.virginia.gov, streamlines and automates government purchasing activities in the Commonwealth. The eVA portal is the gateway for vendors to conduct business with state agencies and public bodies. All vendors desiring to provide goods and/or services to the Commonwealth shall participate in the eVA Internet eProcurement solution by completing the free eVA Vendor Registration. All bidders or offerors agree to self-register in eVA and pay the Vendor Transaction Fees prior to being awarded a contract. Registration instructions and transaction fees may be viewed at: https://eva.virginia.gov/

VII. SWaM CERTIFICATION: Vendor agrees to fully support the Commonwealth of Virginia and George Mason’s efforts related to SWaM goals. Upon contract execution, eligible vendors (as determined by George Mason and the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity) shall submit all required documents necessary to achieve SWaM certification to the Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity within 90 days. Vendors currently SWaM certified agree to maintain their certification for the duration of the contract and shall submit all required renewal documentation at least 30 days prior to existing SWaM expiration. https://www.sbsd.virginia.gov/

VIII. SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN: All potential offerors are required to fill out and submit Attachments A with their proposal.

Note: Invoices shall only be submitted to George Mason by the entity awarded a contract. Subcontractors cannot submit invoices to George Mason under any resulting contract.

IX. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: One (1) year from Effective Date of contract with six (6) successive one-year renewal options (or as negotiated).

X. BACKGROUND: George Mason University is a leading public research university committed to advancing knowledge, expanding opportunity, and preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing world. Our work strengthens communities, drives innovation, and contributes to a more just and prosperous society. To achieve our goals at the highest level, we engage with vendors who bring expertise, creativity, and excellence to help George Mason meet our mission. Visit gmu.edu/about for more information about the university.

The information below is provided for historical reference purposes ONLY and is not indicative of future spending or budget. Nothing herein shall be construed as a commitment or obligation of minimum spend. Individual engagements will be awarded on an as-needed basis, and forecasts of future tasking/need cannot be provided. A copy of the contract listed below is available on George Mason’s Contract Portal. See below approximate spend for the previous contract.:

XI. STATEMENT OF NEEDS: George Mason University (the “University”), Antonin Scalia Law School, seeks a contractor to provide a comprehensive bar examination preparation, academic bar related skills development, assessment, and learning analytics solution in support of:

· The Legal Fundamentals credit-bearing course, and

· The Law School’s extended bar preparation programming, including support for LL.M. students and foreign-trained attorneys pursuing U.S. bar licensure.

The contractor should be capable of delivering instructional services, digital platforms, assessment tools, analytics systems, and academic support services designed to improve students’ bar examination performance.

The University recognizes the diverse structure of the marketplace and explicitly encourages both integrated and modular solutions.

The University will consider a contractor that provides services under one or more of the following models:

A. Comprehensive Bar Support Platform (bar exam preparation services platform to support its 3-credit Legal Fundamentals course). Services should include, without limitation:

1. Online instructional modules including Instructor lecture materials (for both Legacy and NextGen UBE);

2. Bar exam-style multiple-choice, essay and MPT assessments (for Legacy UBE); Bar exam-style multiple-choice, integrated question sets and MPT assessments (for NextGen UBE);

3. Performance-based bar-styled writing exercises;

4. Learning analytics and progress tracking;

5. Instructor access to student performance data;

6. Timed assessment functionality;

7. Student self-assessment tools;

8. Course administration support;

9. Supplemental academic support resources designed for law students preparing for bar examinations. The services must integrate both asynchronous online learning and in-person classroom instruction; and

10. Grading capability of students’ weekly assignments throughout the course.

a. Required Functional Capabilities in the Online Learning Platform:

i. Secure online access for students and faculty;

ii. Asynchronous instructional modules (for Legal Fundamentals NextGen UBE for Spring 2027);

iii. Weekly assignments and digital course materials.

b. Assessment Tools Including, without limitation:

i. Multiple-choice assessment functionality and bank of multiple-choice questions for additional practice;

ii. Essay-writing (for Legacy UBE) and Integrated Question Sets (for NextGen UBE) assessment capability and bank of essays and integrated question sets for additional practice;

iii. Multi-State Performance Test assessment capability (for both Legacy and NextGen UBE) and bank of MPTs for additional practice;

iv. Timed testing environment;

v. Immediate scoring functionality for objective assessments;

vi. Ability to administer diagnostic tests and skills retention quizzes;

vii. Essay and Integrated Question Sets grading capability;

viii. Midterm and Final Exams taking and grading capability, if needed.

c. Skills Reinforcement Resources:

i. Subject-specific learning modules;

ii. Reinforcement exercises;

iii. Legal analysis and writing exercises;

iv. Practice assessments aligned with bar examination formats.

d. Faculty Analytics and Reporting:

i. Student progress tracking;

ii. Assignment completion monitoring;

iii. Reporting dashboards;

iv. Exportable performance reports;

v. Technical and customer service support for Midterm and Final Exams;

vi. Identification of student strengths and weaknesses.

e. Administrative Support:

i. Student onboarding assistance;

ii. Technical support services;

iii. Faculty support, instructional materials and training;

iv. Ability to accommodate law school course schedules and deadlines.

f. Instructional Alignment - Content aligned with bar examination skills and competencies, including:

i. Reading comprehension;

ii. Issue spotting; Rule application;

iii. Legal analysis; Essay and Integrated Question Sets writing;

iv. Multiple-choice strategies; and Performance-test style exercises.

g. Accessibility and Compatibility:

i. Web-based access;

ii. Compatibility with common learning management systems;

iii. Compliance with accessibility standards;

iv. Secure user authentication.

B. Extended Bar Preparation Course with a minimum of 6 months in length that supports foreign lawyers seeking licensure in the United States. Key elements of the program:

a. Mostly asynchronous and accessible worldwide;

b. Offer monthly coaching sessions and student opportunities for one-on-one coaching meetings;

c. Offer graded practice essays for MEE and MPT problems;

d. Offer at least one (1) simulated live exam;

e. Willing to cooperate on data sharing to improve program performance and track bar passage rates.

XII. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

A. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. RFP Response: In order to be considered, Offerors must submit a complete response to George Mason's Purchasing Office prior to the due date and time stated in this RFP. Offerors are required to submit one (1) signed copy of the entire proposal including all attachments and proprietary information. If the proposal contains proprietary information, then submit two (2) proposals must be submitted; one (1) with proprietary information included and one (1) with proprietary information removed (see 2.d. below for details on how to submit a redacted proposal). The Offeror shall make no other distribution of the proposals.

At the conclusion of the RFP process proposals with proprietary information removed (redacted versions) shall be provided to requestors in accordance with Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act. Offerors will not be notified of the release of this information.

An Offeror may not request any of the following be proprietary and/or confidential in their proposal:

a. Pricing or any calculation used to determine pricing;

b. A notation or footer on the bottom of every page with “proprietary and confidential;”

c. Entire contents of company history or executive summary;

d. A case study, social media post, or billboard already available to the public;

e. Name of company or firm listed as a reference;

f. Any resulting Statement of Work (SOW), Order Form, or Invoice.

ELECTRONIC PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: ATTENTION: PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL, MAIL, THROUGH eVA, OR IN PERSON. George Mason will only accept electronic proposal submissions via Bonfire for this Request for Proposals.

The following shall apply:

a. You must register with Bonfire and submit your proposal, and it must be received prior to the submission deadline, by submitting through the online Bonfire portal at https://gmu.bonfirehub.com.

b. The Offeror must ensure the proposals are uploaded and submitted through Bonfire sufficiently in advance of the proposal deadline. Plan Ahead: It is the Offeror’s responsibility to ensure that electronic proposal submissions have sufficient time to make its way through Bonfire’s submission portal. George Mason recommends you submit your proposal the day prior to the due date.

c. Submissions by other methods will not be accepted. Minimum system requirements: Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, or Mozilla Firefox. JavaScript and browser cookies must be enabled.

d. Offerors should contact Bonfire at support.procurement@eunasolutions.com or visit for technical questions related to submission or visit Bonfire’s Help Forum.

e. Submission materials should be prepared in the file formats listed under Requested Information for this opportunity in the Bonfire Portal. The maximum upload file size is 1000 MB. Documents should not be embedded within uploaded files, as the embedded files will not be accessible or evaluated.

f. All solicitation schedules are subject to change.

g. Go to George Mason’s Bonfire Portal for all updates and schedule changes. https://gmu.bonfirehub.com

h. All communication with Offerors will take place in Bonfire, to include negotiations. George Mason can only message Offerors that have interacted with this specific RFP. Please ensure the appropriate person to handle negotiations and other RFP notifications has submitted the Offerors proposal in Bonfire.

2. Proposal Presentation:

a. Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Offeror. All information requested must be submitted. Failure to submit all information requested may result in your proposal being scored low.

b. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirement of the RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.

c. Proposals should be organized in the order in which the requirements are presented in the RFP. All pages of the proposal should be numbered. Each paragraph in the proposal should reference the paragraph number corresponding section of the RFP. It is also helpful to cite the paragraph number, sub letter and repeat the text of the requirement as it appears in the RFP. The proposal should contain a table of contents which cross references the RFP requirements. Information which the Offeror desires to present that does not fall within any of the requirement of the RFP should be inserted at the appropriate place or be attached at the end of the proposal and designated as additional material.

A WORD version of this RFP will be provided upon request.

d. Except as provided, once an award is announced, all proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be open to inspection by any citizen, or interested person, firm or corporation, in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Trade secrets or proprietary information submitted by a firm prior to or as part of its proposal will not be subject to public disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act only under the following circumstances: (1) the appropriate information is clearly identified by some distinct method such as highlighting or underlining; (2) only the specific words, figures, or paragraphs that constitute trade secrets or proprietary information are identified; and (3) a summary page is supplied immediately following the proposal title page that includes (a) the information to be protected, (b) the section(s)/page number(s) where this information is found in the proposal, and (c) a statement why protection is necessary for each section listed. A statement simply noting “trade secret” is not a sufficient reason for redaction. The firm must also provide a separate attachment of the proposal with the trade secrets and/or proprietary information redacted. If all of these requirements are not met, then the firm’s entire proposal will be available for public inspection.

IMPORTANT: A firm may not request that its entire proposal be treated as a trade secret or proprietary information, nor may a firm request that its pricing/fees be treated as a trade secret or proprietary information, or otherwise be deemed confidential. If after given a reasonable time, the Offeror refuses to withdraw the aforementioned designation, the proposal will be rejected.

3. Oral Presentation: Offerors who submit a proposal in response to this RFP may be required to give an oral presentation/demonstration of their proposal/product to George Mason. This will provide an opportunity for the Offeror to clarify or elaborate on their proposal. Performance during oral presentations may affect the final award decision. If required, oral presentations will be scheduled at the appropriate time.

George Mason will expect that the person or persons who will be working on the project to make the presentation so experience of the Offeror’s staff can be evaluated prior to making selection. Oral presentations are an option of George Mason and may or may not be conducted; therefore, it is imperative all proposals should be complete.

B. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS: Proposals should be as thorough and detailed as possible to allow George Mason to properly evaluate the Offeror’s capabilities and approach toward providing the required services. Offerors should submit the following items as a complete proposal. Proposals should be 11-point font or larger and should not exceed 20 pages in length, including the executive summary and resumes/bios, but excluding the procedural information listed in B.1.

1. Procedural information:

a. Return signed cover page and all addenda, if any, signed and completed as required.

b. Return Attachment A - Small Business Subcontracting Plan.

c. Exceptions (if any) to George Mason’s Standard Contract, Attachment B. A Word version is provided if you intend to take any exceptions. Contract exceptions must be submitted as a Word document with tracked changes through Bonfire.

d. Submit any SOW or supplemental document George Mason may be required to sign. See section IV. Final Contract

e. State your payment preference as required in Bonfire. (See section XVI.)

f. Answer the below questions with your proposal submission through Bonfire, as required.

· Are you and/or your subcontractor currently involved in litigation with any party?

· Please list any investigation or action from any state, local, federal or other regulatory body (OSHA, IRS, DOL, etc.) related to your firm or any subcontractor in the last three years.

· Please list all lawsuits that involved your firm or any subcontractor in the last three years.

· In the past ten (10) years has your firm’s name changed? If so, please provide a reason for the change.

2. Executive Summary: Submit an executive summary at the beginning of the proposal response not to exceed 2 pages. The Executive Summary shall clearly describe the Offeror’s proposed solution(s), including whether the proposal addresses:

a. The Comprehensive Bar Support Platform,

b. The Extended Bar Preparation Course, or

c. Both models;

3. Qualifications and Experience: Describe your experience, qualifications, and success in providing the services described in the Statement of Needs to include the following:

a. Background and brief history of your company.

b. Names, qualifications, and experience of personnel to be assigned to work with George Mason, Relevant qualifications, credentials, and experience, including:

i. Experience in legal education, bar preparation, or academic support services;

ii. Experience supporting instructional delivery, coaching, or student performance analytics.

c. Relevant Experience and Performance Outcomes: Describe comparable engagements performed within the past five (5) years, including measurable outcomes such as student performance improvements, bar passage rates, and retention or repeat enrollment metrics (particularly for LL.M. or foreign-trained students).

d. No fewer than three (3) references that demonstrate the Offeror’s qualifications, preferably from other comparable higher education institutions your company is/has provided services with and that are similar in size and scope to that which has been described herein. Include a contact name, contact title, phone number, and email for each reference and indicate the length of service.

4. Specific Plan (Methodology): Explain your specific plans for providing the proposed services outlined in the Statement of Needs. Responses shall demonstrate an integrated, scalable solution that combines instructional delivery, assessment, analytics, and student support to improve bar examination readiness and academic outcomes. At a minimum, responses shall address the following:

a. Instructional Approach and Pedagogical Model

i. Methodology: Describe the Offeror’s approach to bar exam preparation and legal skills development, including support for reading comprehension, issue spotting, rule application, legal analysis, and legal writing.

ii. Audience Adaptation: Explain how the instructional model is structured to support J.D. students in course-based programs and LL.M. students and foreign-trained attorneys, including any differentiated or tailored methodologies.

iii. Exam Alignment: Describe how the program adapts to evolving bar examination formats, including alignment with the NextGen UBE.

b. Service Delivery Model

i. Delivery Approach: Describe how services will be delivered, including asynchronous instruction, multi-jurisdictional approach, and integration with in-person or course-based delivery.

ii. Coaching model: Describe the structure, frequency, and availability of one-on-one and group coaching.

c. Implementation and Onboarding

i. Student onboarding (orientation, assessments, program introduction);

ii. Faculty and administrator training; and

iii. Implementation timeline, including major milestones.

d. Student Performance Monitoring and Intervention

i. Methods for tracking engagement, assignments, and assessments;

ii. Visibility into student progress;

iii. Identification of at-risk students; and

iv. Academic bar support and intervention strategies.

e. Reporting, Analytics, and Outcomes Tracking

i. Identify the key performance indicators tracked (Assessment results, engagement, and course completion)

ii. Data tracking for LL.M. and foreign-trained students;

iii. Describe data tracked specifically for LL.M. students and foreign-trained attorneys, including (if available):

· Retention and completion rates

· Repeat enrollment or course re-take rates

iv. Ability to share data with the University for program evaluation.

f. Technical Support and Training

i. Technical support services provided to students, faculty, and administrators;

ii. Support availability, response times, and escalation procedures;

iii. Training resources and ongoing support for platform use and program delivery.

g. Solution Integration, Flexibility, and Scalability

i. Integration of instructional content, assessments, analytics, and faculty support;

ii. Scalability across enrollment levels and student populations;

iii. Adaptability to evolving requirements and multi-jurisdictional approach; and

iv. Support for improved student outcomes.

5. Proposed Pricing: Offerors shall provide a clear, complete, and transparent pricing proposal for all services described in the Statement of Needs. All pricing must be inclusive of all costs necessary to perform the services, and no undisclosed or additional fees will be accepted. Any fees not specifically contemplated in this RFP must be included in the proposal. George Mason will not accept undisclosed fees added to invoices.

a. Pricing Structure: Offerors shall provide pricing consistent with the applicable service model(s):

i. Comprehensive Bar Support Platform

· Annual institutional subscription pricing and/or licensing fees;

· Per-student pricing, if applicable;

· Any implementation or training costs;

· Ongoing support and maintenance fees.

ii. Extended Bar Preparation Course

· Per-student enrollment pricing;

· No minimum enrollment requirements;

· No upfront or initiation fees; and

· Scalable pricing based on enrollment.

b. Pricing Requirements

i. All costs must be clearly itemized, including optional services;

ii. Pricing must include student and faculty access where applicable;

iii. Any volume-based or tiered pricing must be identified; and

iv. The University will not accept undisclosed fees; or post-award add-ons not included in the proposal.

Rates must include travel-related expenses if contractor is traveling within a 50-mile radius of George Mason's Arlington campus. If the contractor is traveling from outside a 50-mile radius of the Arlington Campus, travel can only be invoiced on a reimbursement basis in accordance with George Mason's polices, http://fiscal.gmu.edu/travel/, and GSA per diem rates. Additional hourly rates for travel will not be considered.

Provide a Provide a sample invoice demonstrating a clear and acceptable cost breakdown for the proposed services. At a minimum, submissions must fully itemize all pricing elements consistent with the service model, including subscription or licensing fees, per-student costs (if applicable), implementation or training charges, ongoing support, and any other applicable fees. Pricing should clearly reflect totals per engagement, project, or enrollment, and identify any scalable, tiered, or volume-based structures.

XIII. INITIAL EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SUBSEQUENT AWARD:

A. INITIAL EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals shall be initially evaluated and ranked using the following criteria:

Description of Criteria Maximum Point Value

1. Quality of products offered and suitability Assesses how well the solution meets functional and programmatic requirements 25

2. Qualifications and experience of offeror in providing Assesses vendor capability, staffing, and demonstrated success 20

3. Methodology & Implementation Plan Assesses how effectively the solution will be delivered and operated 25

4. Price Offered Assesses cost transparency, competitiveness, and compliance 20

5. Offeror is certified with Virginia SBSD at the proposal due date & time. 10 Total Points Available: 100

B. AWARD: Following the initial scoring by the evaluation committee, at least two or more top ranked offerors may be contacted for oral presentations/demonstrations or advanced directly to the negotiations stage. If oral presentations are conducted George Mason will then determine, in its sole discretion, which offerors will advance to the negotiations phase. Negotiations shall then be conducted with each of the offerors so selected. Price shall be considered, but need not be the sole determining factor. After negotiations have been conducted with each offeror so selected, George Mason shall select the offeror which, in its sole discretion, has made the best proposal, and shall award the contract to that offeror. When the terms and conditions of multiple awards are so provided in the Request for Proposal, awards may be made to more than one offeror. Should George Mason determine in writing and in its sole discretion that only one offeror has made the best proposal, a contract may be negotiated and awarded to that offeror. George Mason is not required to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous (Governing Rules §49.D.).

XIV. ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS REVIEW BOARD (ASRB) REQUIREMENTS: After conclusion of negotiations/Best and Final Offer (BAFO) but prior to award of a contract (and/or release of funding to procure your solution) your solution/system will be submitted to George Mason’s Architectural Standards Review Board (ASRB). The ASRB will review your system for security, accessibility (508 compliance), ease/ability to integrate with existing systems, etc. The contractor must agree to submit their product/system/software to ASRB and submit any requested information to assist in the review process. ASRB approval is required prior to contract award or funding being released to procure the system/product. The contractor should be prepared to submit any of the following items including but not limited to:

· Data Dictionary identifying the data elements available for use in the product;

· Data integration documentation;

· Architecture diagrams;

· Security documentation, including but not limited to the vendor’s SOC 2 Type (preferred) and/or your third-party hosting vendor’s SOC 2 Type II (or other equivalent security audit). If you cannot provide this documentation for your organization and/or your third-party hosting vendor, please clearly state as such in your offer. If you have a SOC 2 Type II for your organization (or other equivalent security audit) and/or your third-party hosting vendor but require an NDA in order to release it please state as such in your offer and clearly define which organization (you or your third-party vendor) you can provide a SOC 2 Type II (or other equivalent security audit) for and a copy of your NDA. If you are providing an equivalent security audit (not a SOC 2 Type II) please clearly define what type of audit you are submitting.

· VPAT, and a useable software demo or “sandbox” for accessibility testing;

· And any single sign-on documentation;

· Additional documentation or items may be requested as needed during the review process;

· The contractor may be asked to answer ASRB questions verbally or in writing.

It is imperative that the contractor comply with these requests in a timely fashion as any delay will result in a delay of contract award. Failure to provide documentation or extended delay may result in negotiations concluding, your offer being rejected or an award being rescinded.

XV. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION: Upon award of the contract, George Mason shall designate, in writing, the name of the Contract Administrator who shall work with the contractor in formulating mutually acceptable plans and standards for the operations of this service. The Contract Administrator shall use all powers under the contract to enforce its faithful performance. The Contract Administrator shall determine the amount, quality and acceptability of work and shall decide all other questions in connection with the work. All direction and order from George Mason shall be transmitted through the Contract Administrator, or their designee(s) however, the Contract Administrator shall have no authority to approve changes which shall alter the concept or scope of the work or change the basis for compensation to the contractor.

XVI. PAYMENT TERMS / METHOD OF PAYMENT:

PLEASE NOTE: THE VENDOR MUST REFERENCE THE PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER ON ALL INVOICES SUBMITTED FOR PAYMENT.

Option #1- Payment to be mailed in 10 days-George Mason will make payment to the vendor under 2%/10 Net 30 payment terms. Invoices should be submitted via email to the designated Accounts Payable email address which is acctpay@gmu.edu.

The 10-day payment period begins the first business day after receipt of proper invoice or receipt of goods, whichever occurs last. A paper check will be mailed on or before the 10th day.

Option #2- To be paid in 20 days. The vendor may opt to be paid through our Virtual Payables credit card program. The vendor shall submit an invoice and will be paid via credit card on the 20th day from receipt of a valid invoice. The vendor will incur standard credit card interchange fees through their processor. All invoices should be sent to:

George Mason University Accounts Payable Department 4400 University Drive, Mailstop 3C1 Fairfax, VA 22030 Voice: 703.993.2580 | Fax: 703.993.2589 e-mail: AcctPay@gmu.edu

Option#3- Net 30 Payment Terms. Vendor will enroll in Paymode-X where all payments will be made electronically to the vendor’s bank account. To sign up for electronic payments, please contact the Paymode-X Enrollment Team at 1-800-331-0974 or email enrollment@paymode-x.com. The enrollment team can assist you with any questions about the enrollment process and setting up the membership.

Please state your payment preference in your proposal response.

XVII. SOLICITATION TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

A. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AWARD: Upon the award or the announcement of the decision to award a contract over $200,000, as a result of this solicitation, George Mason will publicly post such notice on the DGS/DPS eVA web site (https://eva.virginia.gov/) for a minimum of 10 days.

B. BEST AND FINAL OFFER (BAFO): At the conclusion of negotiations, the offeror(s) may be asked to submit in writing, a best and final offer (BAFO). After the BAFO is submitted, no further negotiations shall be conducted with the offeror(s).

C. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: By submitting a proposal, the contractor warrants that they have fully complied with the Virginia Conflict of Interest Act; furthermore, certifying that they are not currently an employee of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

D. DEBARMENT STATUS: By submitting a proposal, offerors certify that they are not currently debarred by the Commonwealth of Virginia from submitting bids or proposals on contracts for the type of goods and/or services covered by this solicitation, nor are they an agent of any person or entity that is currently so debarred.

E. ETHICS IN PUBLIC CONTRACTING: By submitting a proposal, offerors certify that their proposal is made without collusion or fraud and that they have not offered or received any kickbacks or inducements from any other offeror, supplier, manufacturer or subcontractor in connection with their proposal, and that they have not conferred on any public employee having official responsibility for this procurement transaction any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything of more than nominal value, present or promised, unless consideration of substantially equal or greater value was exchanged.

F. LATE PROPOSALS: To be considered for selection, proposals must be received in George Mason’s Bonfire Portal by the designated date and hour. The official time used in the receipt of proposals is the proposal due date and hour in George Mason’s Bonfire Portal. Proposals submitted after the due date and time has expired will not be accepted nor considered. George Mason is not responsible for any delays related to Bonfire’s website or vendor registration process. It is the responsibility of the offeror to ensure that their proposal is submitted by the designated date and hour.

G. MANDATORY USE OF GEORGE MASON FORM AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Failure to submit a proposal on the official George Mason form provided for that purpose may be a cause for rejection of the proposal. Modification of or additions to the General Terms and Conditions of this solicitation may be cause for rejection of the proposal; however, George Mason reserves the right to decide, on a case-by-case basis, in its sole discretion, whether to reject such a proposal.

H. OBLIGATION OF OFFEROR: It is the responsibility of each offeror to inquire about and clarify any requirements of this solicitation that are not understood. George Mason will not be bound by oral explanations as to the meaning of specifications or language contained in this solicitation. Therefore, all inquiries must be in writing and submitted as instructed on page 1 of this solicitation. By submitting a proposal, the offeror covenants and agrees that they have satisfied themselves, from their own investigation of the conditions to be met, that they fully understand their obligation and that they will not make any claim for, or have right to cancellation or relief from the resulting contract because of any misunderstanding or lack of information.

I. QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFERORS: George Mason may make such reasonable investigations as deemed proper and necessary to determine the ability of the offeror to perform the services/furnish the goods and the offeror shall furnish to George Mason all such information and data for this purpose as may be requested. George Mason reserves the right to inspect the offeror’s physical facilities prior to award to satisfy questions regarding the offeror’s capabilities. George Mason further reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigations of, such offeror fails to satisfy George Mason that such offeror is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the resulting contract and to provide the services and/or furnish the goods contemplated therein.

J. RFP DEBRIEFING: In accordance with §49 of the Governing Rules George Mason is not required to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous. However, upon request we will provide a scoring/ranking summary and the award justification memo from the evaluation committee. Formal debriefings are generally not offered.

K. TESTING AND INSPECTION: George Mason reserves the right to conduct any test/inspection it may deem advisable to assure goods and services conform to the specifications.

XVIII. RFP SCHEDULE (Subject to Change): Go to George Mason’s Bonfire Portal for all updates and schedule changes. The schedule notated below is tentative and subject to change. Note that all Addendums, Question and Answers, and any other documentation or RFP updates will be posted and made available in Bonfire (https://gmu.bonfirehub.com) In the event of a conflict between the dates listed in this RFP and in Bonfire, the dates listed in Bonfire shall take precedence.

RFP Schedule (Subject to Change)

ATTACHMENT A

SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN

TO BE COMPLETED BY OFFEROR

Offerors must advise any portion of this contract that will be subcontracted. All potential offerors are required to include this document with their proposal in order to be considered responsive.

Small Business: "Small business (including micro)” means a business which holds a certification as such by the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD) on the due date and time for proposals. This shall also include DSBSD certified women- owned and minority-owned businesses and businesses with DSBSD service disabled veteran owned status when they also hold a DSBSD certification as a small business on the proposal due date. Currently, DSBSD offers small business certification and micro business designation to firms that qualify.

Certification applications are available through DSBSD online at www.SBSD.virginia.gov (Customer Service).

Offeror Name:

Preparer Name: Date:

Who will be doing the work: ☐ I plan to use subcontractors ☐ I plan to complete all work

Instructions A. If you are certified by the DSBSD as a micro/small business, complete Section A of this form.

B. If the “I plan to use subcontractors” box is checked, complete Section B of this form. For the proposal to be considered and the offeror to be declared responsive, the offeror shall identify the portions of the contract that will be subcontracted to any subcontractor, to include DSBSD certified small business for the initial contract period in relation to the offeror’s total price for the initial contract period in Section B.

Section A If your firm is certified by the DSBSD provide your certification number and the date of certification.

Certification Number: Certification Date:

Section B If the “I plan to use subcontractors” box is checked, populate the requested information below, per subcontractor to show your firm's plans for utilization of any subcontractor, to include DSBSD-certified small businesses, in the performance of this contract for the initial contract period in relation to the offeror’s total price for the initial contract period. Certified small businesses include but are not limited to DSBSD-certified women-owned and minority-owned businesses and businesses with DSBSD service disabled veteran-owned status that have also received the DSBSD small business certification. Include plans to utilize small businesses as part of joint ventures, partnerships, subcontractors, suppliers, etc. It is important to note that these proposed participation will be incorporated into the subsequent contract and will be a requirement of the contract. Failure to obtain the proposed participation dollar value or percentages may result in breach of the contract.

Plans for Utilization of Any subcontractor, to include DSBSD-Certified Small Businesses, for this Procurement Subcontract #1

Description of Work:

Subcontract #2

Description of Work:

Subcontract #3

Description of Work:

Subcontract #4

Description of Work:

Subcontract #5