103-2627-01-JSCC-RPF - Presidential Search Consulting Firm - Final.docx

Proposal Number: RFP 103-2627-01 Vendor: __________________________________________

Proposal Number: RFP 103-2627-01 Vendor: __________________________________________

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

James Sprunt Community College Request for Proposals #: 103-2627-01 Presidential Search Consulting Firm Date of Issue: October, 27 2026

Proposal Opening Date: November 12, 2026 At 03:00 PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Patty Oates Director of Purchasing, Equipment & Construction Email: poates@jamessprunt.edu Phone: (910) 275-6126

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Request for Proposal # 103-2627-01 For internal State agency processing, including tabulation of proposals, provide your company’s eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal) Number. Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10(b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection.

This page shall be filled out and returned with your proposal.

Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection.

Vendor Name Vendor eVP# Note: For a contract to be awarded to you, your company (you) must be a North Carolina registered Vendor in good standing. You must enter the Vendor number assigned through eVP (Electronic Vendor Portal). If you do not have a Vendor number, register athttps://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.

Ver: 09/2026

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Division of James Sprunt Community College

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

poates@jamessprunt.edu Request for Proposals #: 103-2627-01

Proposals will be publicly opened: November 12, 2026 @ 3:00 PM ET

801116 – Temporary Personnel Services

Requisition No.: N/A

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

· this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54),

· none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and

· it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

· it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least one hundred and twenty 120 days from date of bid opening, unless otherwise stated here: ____ days, or if extended by mutual agreement of the parties in writing. Any withdrawal of this offer shall be made in writing, effective upon receipt by the agency issuing this RFP.

ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL

If your proposal is accepted, all provisions of this RFP, along with the written results of any negotiations, shall constitute the written agreement between the parties (“Contract”). The NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS are incorporated herein and shall apply. Depending upon the Goods or Services being offered, other terms and conditions may apply, as mutually agreed.

FOR STATE USE ONLY: Offer accepted and Contract awarded this________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of James Sprunt Community

Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to seek competitive proposals from highly qualified national executive search firms to identify, recruit and assist in the search for a new President for James Sprunt Community College Board of Trustees (JSCC Trustees).

JSCC is a member of the North Carolina Community College System and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Established in 1964, James Sprunt Community College’s mission is to respond to the individualized educational and workforce development needs of the community by increasing accessibility, providing innovative teaching, and expanding community partnerships.

JSCC is a comprehensive two-year college with campuses in both Kenansville, NC and Warsaw, NC. JSCC has an “open door” admissions policy and serves a large, diverse student population. JSCC covers a variety of associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates in programs of study across curriculum and continuing education academic departments. Workforce development and workforce readiness are priorities of the College with numerous programs and course offerings directed at improving basic skills, advancing economic development, customized industry training, Small Business Center activities, and personal enrichment courses. JSCC offers seamless dual enrollment opportunities to qualifying high school students through its Career and College Promise (CCP) program, in addition to our onsite early college high school program. The intent of this solicitation is to award an Agency Contract.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of one (1) year, beginning on the date of final Contract execution by the JSCC Board of Trustees. The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within seven (7) business days of the Effective Date.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS DOCUMENT

This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 ePROCUREMENT FEE ATTENTION: The eProcurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the eProcurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read the Instructions to Vendors, the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors are also responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP.

If Vendors have questions or issues regarding any component of this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in the PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Section. If JSCC determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. JSCC may also elect to leave open the possibility for later negotiation of specific provisions of the Contract that have been addressed during the question-and-answer period, prior to contract award.

Other than through the process of negotiation under 01 NCAC 05B.0503, JSCC rejects and will not be required to evaluate or consider any additional or modified terms and conditions submitted with Vendor’s proposal or otherwise. This applies to any language appearing in or attached to the document as part of the Vendor’s proposal that purports to vary any terms and conditions or Vendors’ instructions herein or to render the proposal non-binding or subject to further negotiation. Vendor’s proposal shall constitute a firm offer that shall be held open for the period required herein (“Validity Period” above).

JSCC may exercise its discretion to consider Vendor proposed modifications. By execution and delivery of this RFP Response, the Vendor agrees that any additional or modified terms and conditions, whether submitted purposely or inadvertently, shall have no force or effect, and will be disregarded unless expressly agreed upon through negotiation and incorporated by way of a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). Noncompliance with, or any attempt to alter or delete, this paragraph shall constitute sufficient grounds to reject Vendor’s proposal as nonresponsive.

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE

The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. The State will make every effort to adhere to this schedule.

2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process, Vendors shall submit any such questions by the “Submit Written Questions” date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum.

Written questions shall be emailed to poates@jamessprunt.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP # 103-2627-01 Questions” as the subject for the email. Question submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section and be submitted in the format shown below:

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the JSCC’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by JSCC will be posted in the form of an addendum to the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov, and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any JSCC personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in the RFP and an addendum to this RFP.

2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delays. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each proposal when received. Any proposal or portion thereof received after the proposal deadline will be rejected.

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Additional information can be found at the eVP updates for Vendors link: eVP Updates for Vendors | NC eProcurement If confidential and proprietary information is included in the proposal, also submit one (1) signed, REDACTED copy of the proposal. Such information may include trade secrets defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-152, and other information exempted from the Public Records Act pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. §132- 1.2. Vendor may designate information, Products, Services or appropriate portions of its response as confidential, consistent with and to the extent permitted under the statutes and rules set forth above. By so redacting any page, or portion of a page, the Vendor warrants that it has formed a good faith opinion, having received such necessary or proper review by counsel and other knowledgeable advisors, that the portions determined to be confidential and proprietary and redacted as such, meet the requirements of the Rules and Statutes set forth above. However, under no circumstances shall price information be designated as confidential.

If the Vendor does not provide a redacted version of the proposal with its proposal submission, the Department may release an unredacted version if a record request is received.

Failure to submit a proposal in strict accordance with these instructions shall constitute sufficient cause to reject a Vendor’s proposal(s). Vendors are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to upload proposals.

Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors responding to this RFP periodically check the State’s eVP website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto.

2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Failure to provide all required items, or Vendor’s submission of incomplete items, may result in JSCC rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in JSCC’s sole discretion.

Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:

a) Cover Letter, which must contain the following: (i) a statement that confirms that the proposer has read the RFP in its entirety, including all links, and all Addenda released in conjunction with the RFP, (ii) a statement that the Vendor agrees to perform in accordance with the scope of work, requirements, and specifications contained herein; and (iii) Vendor’s agreement to comply with all instructions, terms and conditions, and attachments.

b) Title Page: Include the company name, address, phone number and authorized representative along with the Proposal Number.

c) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

d) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP, if required to be returned.

e) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP.

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT: PRICING

g) Completed version of ATTACHMENT: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

h) Completed version of ATTACHMENT: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

i) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

j) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT: CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

k) Completed and signed version of ATTACHMENT: DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Unless provided otherwise in this RFP, Vendor may submit alternate proposals for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of Service(s), or that offer different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: “Alternate Proposal #103-2627-01 for ‘name of Vendor’.” Each proposal must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, each must be offered at a separate price and contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered.

2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this RFP are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below which are incorporated herein by this reference.

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

North Carolina G.S. 143-52 provides a general list of criteria the State shall use to award contracts, as supplemented by the additional criteria herein. The Goods or Services being procured shall dictate the application and order of criteria; however, all award decisions shall be in JSCC’s best interest. All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the specific RFP Specifications and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below.

JSCC reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received.

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

While this RFP is under evaluation, the responding Vendor, including any subcontractors and suppliers, is prohibited from engaging in conversations intended to influence the outcome of the evaluation. See Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled COMMUNICATIONS BY VENDORS.

Each Vendor submitting a proposal to this RFP, including its employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, subsidiaries and affiliates, is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency; issuing agency; other government agency office or body (including the procurement lead named above, any department secretary, agency head, members of the General Assembly and Governor’s office); or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor’s proposal or qualifications, the content of another Vendor’s proposal, another Vendor’s qualifications or ability to perform a resulting contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals, the award of a contract, or both.

Any Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from evaluation and award. A Vendor’s proposal may be disqualified if its subcontractor and/or supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement until the date of contract award or cancellation of the procurement). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or inquiries directed to the procurement lead named in this RFP regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission) or the status of the award (after submission) are excepted from this provision.

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

Only responsive submissions will be evaluated.

JSCC will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

All proposals must be received by the issuing agency not later than the date and time specified in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for proposals, not an offer or request to contract, and the JSCC reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of JSCC.

At the date and time provided in the RFP SCHEDULE Section above, unless modified by Addendum, the proposal from each responding Vendor will be opened publicly and all offers (except those that have been previously withdrawn, or voided bids) will be tabulated. The tabulation shall be made public at the time it is created. When negotiations after receipt of bids are authorized pursuant to G.S. 143-49 and 01 NCAC 05B.0503, only the names of offerors and the Goods and Services offered shall be tabulated at the time of opening. If negotiation is anticipated, cost and price shall become available for public inspection at the time of the award. Interested parties are cautioned that these costs and their components are subject to further evaluation for completeness and correctness and therefore may not be an exact indicator of a vendor’s pricing position.

At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

In addition to the general criteria in G.S. 143-52 which may or may not be relevant to this RFP, all qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to JSCC:

Process for evaluating price.

The lowest price receives the maximum points, and each other proposal receives a percentage of the maximum, based on a comparison of that proposal price with the lowest price.

Example: The State will determine low cost by normalizing the scores as follows:

The proposal with the lowest cost will receive a score of 20. All other competing proposals will be assigned a portion of the maximum score using the formula:

the cost of the cost proposal being evaluated

3.4 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, JSCC may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of JSCC:

a) Total cost to the JSCC

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of JSCC’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

f) Ability to understand the JSCC’s business requirements and internal operational culture

g) Risk factors such as the security of JSCC’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFP serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by JSCC; and (2) to provide (together with other specified documents) the terms of the Contract resulting from this procurement. The use of phrases such as “shall,” “must,” and “requirements” are intended to create enforceable contract conditions. In determining whether proposals should be evaluated or rejected, JSCC will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy JSCC’s needs as described in the RFP. Except as specifically stated in the RFP, no one requirement shall automatically disqualify a Vendor from consideration. However, failure to comply with any single requirement may result in JSCC exercising its discretion to reject a proposal in its entirety.

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

This Section lists the requirements related to this RFP. By submitting a proposal, the Vendor agrees to meet all stated requirements in this Section as well as any other specifications, requirements, and terms and conditions stated in this RFP. If a Vendor is unclear about a requirement or specification or believes a change to a requirement would allow for the JSCC to receive a better proposal, the Vendor is urged to submit these items in the form of a question during the question-and-answer period in accordance with the Proposal Questions Section above.

4.1 PRICING

Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to JSCC for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees. Complete ATTACHMENT: PRICING and include Vendor’s proposal. The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT: PRICING or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.2 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

The Vendor's proposal shall clearly demonstrate its experience and expertise in conducting presidential and executive searches for community colleges. The Vendor shall identify the professional personnel assigned to the project and document their qualifications and relevant experience. The proposal shall also include evidence of successful completion of comparable presidential and executive search engagements, accompanied by client references, and shall provide thorough responses to all questions outlined in Section 4.8 of this RFP.

4.3 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the soliciting State entity. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope. JSCC may contact these users to determine whether the Services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and whether Vendor’s performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained shall be considered in the evaluation of the Proposal.

4.4 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Vendor and its personnel are required to provide or undergo background checks at Vendor’s expense prior to beginning work with the State. As part of Vendor background, the following details must be provided to the JSCC:

a) Any criminal felony conviction, or conviction of any crime involving moral turpitude, including, but not limited to fraud, misappropriation or deception, by Vendor, its officers or directors, or any of its employees or other personnel to provide Services on this project, of which Vendor has knowledge, or provide a statement that Vendor is aware of none;

b) Any criminal investigation for any offense involving moral turpitude, including, but not limited to fraud, misappropriation, falsification or deception pending against Vendor of which it has knowledge, or provide a statement Vendor is aware of none;

c) Any regulatory sanctions levied against Vendor or any of its officers, directors or its professional employees expected to provide Services on this project by any state or federal regulatory agencies within the past three years or a statement that there are none. As used herein, the term “regulatory sanctions” includes the revocation or suspension of any license or certification, the levying of any monetary penalties or fines, and the issuance of any written warnings;

d) Any regulatory investigations pending against Vendor or any of its officers, directors or its professional employees expected to provide Services on this project by any state or federal regulatory agencies of which Vendor has knowledge or a statement that there are none.

e) Any civil litigation, arbitration, proceedings, or judgments pending against Vendor during the three (3) years preceding submission of its proposal herein or a statement that there are none.

Vendor’s response to these requests shall be considered a continuing representation, and Vendor’s failure to notify the JSCC within thirty (30) days of any criminal litigation, investigation or proceeding involving Vendor or its then current officers, directors or persons providing Services under this Contract during its term shall constitute a material breach of contract. The provisions of this paragraph shall also apply to any subcontractor utilized by Vendor to perform Services under this Contract.

4.5 PERSONNEL

Vendor warrants, that, qualified personnel shall provide Services under this Contract in a professional manner. “Professional manner” means that the personnel performing the Services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s) that may be approved by JSCC. Names of any third-party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor’s obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s).

Should the Vendor’s proposal result in an award, the Vendor shall be required to agree that it will not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of the Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall further agree that it will notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor’s recommended substitute personnel. JSCC will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. JSCC may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, JSCC may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.6 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

If Vendor’s Proposal results in an award, Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of the State under the Contract. If any Services, deliverables, functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this solicitation are required for Vendor’s proper performance, provision and delivery of the Service and deliverables under a resulting Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such Service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the Contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the Contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

4.7 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

Vendors shall respond to each of the following questions. Vendors are requested to keep responses concise and relevant and should not include generic marketing materials. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process.

1. What is your firm’s history and specialization in this type of executive search?

2. Can you provide examples of successful placements in similar industries or roles?

3. What is your approach to understanding our organization and the role?

4. How do you source and assess candidates?

5. What tools or platforms do you use for candidate identification and evaluation?

6. What behavioral/personality assessments do you use?

7. How do you ensure confidentiality throughout the search process?

8. How many candidates do you typically present for a role?

9. Do you conduct initial interviews for assessments before presenting candidates?

10. What is your typical timeline for executive searches?

11. Do you offer any guarantees for replacement policies if a placement doesn’t work out?

12. Are you currently engaged in any similar searches that might present a conflict or potential conflict of interest?

13. Are there any additional costs we should be aware of?

4.8 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

A. Default Insurance Coverage from the General Terms and Conditions applicable to this Solicitation:

☐ Small Purchases ☒ Contract value in excess of the Small Purchase threshold, but up to $1,000,000.00 ☐ Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00

4.9 SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent from JSCC. If the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall ensure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the JSCC, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State. Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) bid from further consideration for the award.

No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute “transacting business” in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. §55-15-01 (corporations) or §57D-7-01 (LLCs). Please go to: https://www.sosnc.gov/ to register.

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

The James Sprunt Community College Board of Trustees seeks to contract with a qualified consultant firm to search for a new President.

The Vendor must be effective in recruiting candidates for a presidential position for colleges or universities with a preference for and experience with community colleges. The successful vendor will serve as a liaison between the Board of Trustees, the College’s Search Committee, and the candidates.

5.2 SCOPE OF WORK

The selected vendor shall provide assistance, support, guidance, and direction to the JSCC Trustees in all aspects of the JSCC Trustees’ national search for a President, including but not limited to, working with the Search Committee to establish minimum candidate qualifications, placing advertisements announcing the position, recruiting candidates, reviewing applications, assisting in the recommendation of the final candidates for the Search Committee to interview, and conducting background checks on the final candidates.

5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES

1. Search Strategy Document.

2. Position Profile / Job Description.

3. Weekly Progress Reports.

4. Candidate Slates with Evaluation Summaries including behavioral/personality assessment tools.

5. Reference Check Reports.

6. Offer Management & Negotiation.

7. Assist with offer development, negotiation, and acceptance.

8. Final Placement Report.

9. Post-Placement Follow-Up Summary.

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Vendor shall describe the organizational and operational structure it proposes to utilize for the work described in this RFP and identify the responsibilities to be assigned to each person Vendor proposes to staff the work.

5.5 TECHNICAL APPROACH

Vendor shall demonstrate and execute a comprehensive, proactive executive search strategy that fully addresses the following operational factors: implement rigorous passive candidate sourcing mechanisms, leveraging and extensive and established network to access high-performing college presidents, provosts, deans, and non-traditional leaders who are not actively seeking new employment; Be able to deploy efficient vetting and analytical tools including structured competitive rubrics, executive presence screening, and verified track record assessments to objectively evaluate all candidates; utilize proven, intentional strategies to source and construct a diverse candidate pool spanning race, gender, and multi-dimensional professional backgrounds through partnerships with national leadership associations and affinity groups; And possess the capability to collaborate closely with institutional stakeholders to customize a bespoken leadership profile and prospectus that accurately reflects the institution’s current strategic needs, operational challenges, weaknesses, and core strengths to attract elite national talent.

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

All Contract Administration requirements are conditioned on an award resulting from this solicitation. This information is provided for the Vendor’s planning purposes.

6.1 CONTRACT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Vendor shall be required to designate and make available a contract manager to JSCC. The contract manager shall be the JSCC’s point of contact for Contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling, and service.

Contract Manager Point of Contact

Name:

Office Phone #:

Mobile Phone #:

Email:

The Vendor shall be required to designate and make available to JSCC for customer service contact. The Customer Service contact shall be JSCC’s point of contact for customer service-related issues.

Customer Service Point of Contact

Name:

Office Phone #:

Mobile Phone #:

Email:

6.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the Procurement Entity. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor shall provide the Procurement Entity with an invoice for each order. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow Procurement Entity to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order. The following fields shall be included on all invoices, as relevant:

Vendor’s Billing Address, Customer Account Number, NC Contract Number, Itemized description of each service being billed, and Invoice due date.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED

6.3 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS

The Vendor, at the request of JSCC, shall be required to meet weekly with JSCC for Business Review meetings. The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, discuss Vendor and State performance, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics.

6.4 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

JSCC encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost to JSCC. A continuous improvement effort consists of various ways to enhance business efficiencies as performance progresses.

6.5 PERIODIC WEEKLY REPORTS

The Vendor shall be required to provide Implementation Management Reports to the designated Contract Lead on a weekly basis. This report shall include, at a minimum, information concerning the work accomplished during the reporting period; work to be accomplished during the subsequent reporting period; problems, real or anticipated, and notification of any significant deviation from previously agreed upon work plans and schedules. These reports shall be well organized and easy to read. The Vendor shall submit these reports electronically using the format required by the Procurement Entity. The Vendor shall submit the reports in a timely manner and on a regular schedule as agreed by the parties.

Within fifteen (15) business days of the award of the Contract, the Vendor shall submit a final work plan and a sample report, both to the designated Contract Manager for approval.

6.6 ACCEPTANCE OF WORK

Performance of the work and/or delivery of Goods shall be conducted and completed at least in accordance with the Contract requirements and recognized and customarily accepted industry practices. Performance shall be considered complete when the Services or Goods are approved as acceptable by the Contract Manager.

JSCC shall have the obligation to notify Vendor, in writing ten (10) calendar days following completion of such work or delivery of a deliverable described in the Contract that it is not acceptable. The notice shall specify in reasonable detail the reason(s) it is unacceptable. Acceptance by the State shall not be unreasonably withheld; but may be conditioned or delayed as required for reasonable review, evaluation, installation, or testing, as applicable to the work or deliverable. Final acceptance is expressly conditioned upon completion of all applicable assessment procedures. Should the work or deliverables fail to meet any specifications, acceptance criteria or otherwise fail to conform to the Contract, the State may exercise any and all rights hereunder, including, for Goods deliverables, such rights provided by the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted in North Carolina.

6.7 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

During the performance of the Contract, the parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. Any claims by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to JSCC’s Contract Manager for resolution. Any claims by JSCC shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall agree to negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s).

During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. The Parties will agree on a reasonable amount of time to resolve a dispute. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within the agreed period, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under the Contract, or at law. This provision, when agreed in the Contract, shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute.

6.8 CONTRACT CHANGES

Contract changes, if any, over the life of the Contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the JSCC and Vendor. Amendments to the contract can only be made through the contract administrator.

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

7.0 ATACHMENTS

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

RETURN THE REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS WITH YOUR RESPONSE

FOLLOW THE LINKS TO ACCESS EACH ATTACHMENT

ATTACHMENT: PRICING

Complete and return the Pricing associated with this RFP, which can be found at the table below:

JSCC Presidential Search

ATTACHMENT: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

The Instructions to Vendors, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/north-carolina-instructions-vendors/open

ATTACHMENT: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/north-carolina-general-terms-and-conditions-5-2025/open

ATTACHMENT: CUSTOMER REFERENCE TEMPLATE

Complete and return the Customer Reference Template, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/attachmentcustomer-reference-template/open

ATTACHMENT: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR

Complete and return the Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/attachmentlocation-workers-utilized-vendor/open

ATTACHMENT: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

Complete, sign, and return the Certification of Financial Condition, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/attachmentcertification-financial-condition/open ATTACHMENT: CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS Complete, sign, and return the Certification for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/attachment-certification-contracts-grants-loans-and-cooperative-agreements/open

ATTACHMENT: DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

Complete, sign, and return the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/onlineforms/attachment-disclosure-lobbying-activities/open

*FAILURE TO RETURN THE REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS MAY ELIMINATE YOUR RESPONSE FROM FURTHER CONSIDERATION*

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