3-RFP-26306, Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Solutions for Local Government.docx

Michigan Municipal Services Authority

RFP-26306

Request for Proposals For:

Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Solutions for Local Government

Proposal Due Date and Time:

March 31, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET

Section One - RFP Overview I. Introduction

The Michigan Municipal Services Authority (Authority) is soliciting competitive proposals through this Request for Proposals (RFP) to provide the Authority or participating Public Agencies with Digital Transformation and Cybersecurity Solutions. This solicitation package is being posted for potential respondents on the Indigo Procurement Portal (https://indigo.bonfirehub.com). Only electronic proposal submissions will be accepted through the Indigo Procurement Portal.

The Michigan Municipal Services Authority (Authority) is a Michigan public body corporate created by an interlocal agreement (Interlocal Agreement) between the City of Grand Rapids and the City of Livonia under the Urban Cooperation Act of 1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, as amended, MCL 124.501 to 124.512 (Cooperation Act). The Interlocal Agreement empowers the Authority to exercise the common powers, privileges, and authorities of each Public Agency that is party to the Interlocal Agreement to engage in cooperative activities with other Public Agencies consistent with the Interlocal Agreement. The Authority may do all of the following:

a. perform, or perform within another person or entity, any power, privilege, or authority relating to intergovernmental cooperation that the parties to the Agreement share in common and that each may exercise separately to the fullest extent permitted by the Cooperation Act;

b. exercise other powers of a public body corporate created under the Cooperation Act permitted by section 5 of the Act, including determining the manner in which purchases will be made and contracts entered into by the Authority;

c. exercise other powers of a public body corporate created under the Cooperation Act permitted by section 7 of the Act, including making and entering into contracts;

d. enter into contracts with other Public Agencies; and

e. enter into contracts with other persons or entities.

This request for proposals (RFP) was authorized by the executive committee of the Authority and is issued by the Authority on behalf of the Authority and participating Public Agencies. As used in this agreement, “Public Agency” means that term as defined in section 2(e) of the Cooperation Act, MCL 124.502(e).

The Authority intends to award multiple contracts to ensure sufficient coverage for participating Public Agencies. The resulting contracts will be awarded by the Authority and made available for use through a cooperative purchasing program administered by the Alliance for Innovation (AFI).

AFI is a nonprofit association of local governments dedicated to fostering innovation, foresight, and collaboration across the public sector. AFI administers a portfolio of cooperative contracts to assist participating public agencies in their purchasing efforts by providing access to competitively solicited contracts intended to enhance efficiencies and reduce costs.

Awarded vendors will enter into master agreements under standardized terms and conditions. Contracts will have an initial three-year term, with the option to renew annually for a total potential term of up to five years. There is no guarantee of minimum spend or volume under this solicitation. Contract awards do not obligate the Authority or any participating Public Agency to issue purchase orders or make purchases.

II. Summary of Key Dates & Milestones

The following timeline is only an illustration of the RFP process. Some dates are binding as described within this document and others are subject to change. At the conclusion of the evaluation process, all respondents will be informed of the award.

III. Scope of Services

The Authority invites proposals from vendors delivering cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise technology solutions that improve digital infrastructure resilience. Respondents will demonstrate how their services drive measurable savings, improve uptime, or reduce exposure to cyber threats. Solutions may include network security, identity management, data recovery, cloud migration, or managed technology services.

Outcome focus of the resulting cooperative contracts: Strengthen digital infrastructure, security, and interoperability across local government systems.

Outside the Intended Scope: Hardware-only offerings or single-function tools not part of an integrated modernization or security strategy are excluded.

IV. Communication, Questions & Answers Period

All questions must be submitted through the Messages section of the RFP posting on the Indigo Procurement Portal by the deadline listed in the Summary of Key Dates and Milestones. The public Q&A feature is enabled which means all responses will be posted directly within the project on the portal for all potential respondents to review. Only written responses posted in the system are considered official and binding.

Potential respondents seeking verbal communication or a response to a question after the deadline passes, the respondent must contact the person listed in the Indigo Procurement Portal directly via email. Respondents may not rely on verbal communications, informal conversations or information obtained from media or social media sources. If any revisions or clarifications to this RFP are required, an Addendum will be issued through the procurement portal. The Authority may extend the proposal deadline if necessary to accommodate the release of new information.

V. Proposal Due Date & Time

Respondents must submit a response before the proposal due date and time outlined in the Summary of Key Dates and Milestones. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Indigo Procurement Portal. Proposals not submitted by the deadline cannot be considered; nor will sending it via email or hand delivery be viable alternatives. The Authority accepts no obligations for costs incurred by respondents in anticipation of being awarded.

Section Two - RFP Preparation & Submission

I. Proposal Submission Requirements – Requested Information

Respondents must submit a complete proposal through the Indigo Procurement Portal by the deadline listed in the Summary of Key Dates and Milestones. Late submissions will not be considered. Costs incurred in the submission of responses to this RFP or in making studies, designs, estimates, or other preparation of responses are the responsibility of the responder, not the Authority.

All files must be submitted in the electronic formats requested within the portal; if no specific format is listed, vendors are encouraged to use commonly accepted file types such as PDF or Microsoft Office.

A response submitted to the Authority is a public document subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Any confidential information must be clearly marked and submitted only through the designated “Confidential Information” upload field. The Authority is not responsible for disclosing information that is improperly labeled or uploaded elsewhere in the system.

Technical Proposal The Technical Proposal must clearly demonstrate the Respondent’s ability to deliver the objectives, outcomes, and scope of work described in this solicitation and to successfully perform for public sector clients under a cooperative master agreement. Proposals should be concise, well-organized, and focused on solution capabilities, delivery approach, and demonstrated results. The technical proposal should be no longer than 20 pages, excluding the cover letter. At a minimum, proposals must include the following sections:

Cover Letter

· A brief statement of interest and why your firm would be a strong value partner for the Authority and participating Public Agencies.

· A statement confirming acceptance of the Authority’s and AFI’s standard contract terms and conditions, or a clearly identified list of any requested exceptions or redlines.

· Primary contact name, email address, and phone number for this solicitation.

· Contact name, email address, and phone number responsible for contract negotiation, if different.

· Name and title of the authorized signatory for contract execution, if different.

· Disclosure of any pending or recent legal, regulatory, or contractual actions that could materially impact the Respondent’s ability to perform.

· Understanding of the objectives of this solicitation, the intended outcomes of the resulting cooperative contracts, and the challenges public sector agencies face that this solicitation is intended to address.

Company Overview and Public Sector Experience

· Years in business, size, ownership structure, headquarters location, and geographic service area.

· Core lines of business and how they relate to the objectives of this solicitation.

· Demonstrated experience serving public sector clients, including at least three (3) examples of state or local government or other public sector entities that have implemented solutions similar in nature to those proposed.

· For each example, briefly describe:

· The client type

· The problem or need addressed

· The solution provided

· The outcomes or results achieved

Proposed Solution and Functional Capabilities

· The solution(s) you are proposing and how they address the objectives and scope of this solicitation.

· The core functional capabilities of your solution and how they align to the desired outcomes

· How your solution supports public sector requirements such as governance, compliance, accessibility, data security, and risk management (as applicable to the scope).

· What differentiates your solution from other approaches in the market.

Delivery, Implementation, and Adoption Approach

· How public agencies will engage with you under the cooperative contract (e.g., assessment, scoping, pilot, rollout, project execution, etc.).

· Your approach to implementation, deployment, or solution delivery.

· Your approach to change management, training, and user adoption.

· Typical timelines and major phases of engagement (high level) for your solution.

Support, Account Management, and Ongoing Success

· Your customer support and account management model.

· How issues are handled, escalated, and resolved.

· Any service level commitments or success management practices you provide.

Risk Management, Compliance, and Data Protection

· Key risks associated with your solution and how they are mitigated.

· Your approach to data privacy, cybersecurity, accessibility, and regulatory compliance (as applicable to this scope).

· Any relevant certifications or compliance frameworks you follow.

Pricing Proposal Because this solicitation will result in the award of one or more cooperative master agreements with no minimum purchase requirements, and because the specific scope, size, and complexity of individual projects, services, and solutions will vary by participating Public Agency, Respondents are not required to submit a single fixed price list.

Instead, each Respondent must provide a clear and detailed narrative describing its pricing methodology, commercial structure, and how pricing will be established, quoted, and governed under the resulting contract(s). The Authority and participating Public Agencies will use this information to evaluate overall value, transparency, and fairness of the proposed pricing approach.

At a minimum, the Pricing Narrative must address the following:

· Pricing Structure and Methodology Describe how your pricing is structured (e.g., rate cards, fixed-fee by scope, not-to-exceed pricing, tiered pricing, subscription pricing, markup models, discount-from-list, etc.). Explain how pricing is developed for individual projects, services, or solutions and how your approach ensures fair, reasonable, and competitive pricing for participating Public Agencies.

· Basis of Pricing and Benchmarking Explain the basis for your pricing (e.g., commercial list, government schedule, cost-based, market-based, or other) and how pricing offered under this contract will be benchmarked or validated to remain competitive in the public sector.

· Discounts, Fees, and Commercial Terms Clearly identify any applicable discounts, tiered pricing, volume-based incentives, or preferred pricing structures available to participating Public Agencies. Disclose any minimum order requirements, shipping or handling charges, implementation fees, pass-through costs, or other surcharges. Public sector entities are tax exempt; pricing shall not include sales tax.

· Pricing Adjustments and Updates Describe how often pricing may change, under what circumstances, and how any pricing updates will be requested, justified, reviewed, and approved under the master agreement. Include any caps, limits, or controls on price increases.

· Quoting Process Under the Master Agreement Explain how participating Public Agencies will request quotes, statements of work (SOWs), or proposals under the master agreement and how those quotes will be derived from and tied back to the approved pricing structure, rate cards, discount schedules, or other contractual pricing mechanisms.

Section Three - Proposal Evaluation & Award I. Proposal Evaluation Overview

This solicitation is intended to result in the award of cooperative contracts to multiple qualified solution providers offering different approaches to addressing the objectives and scope of this RFP. Proposals will be evaluated and scored relative to one another based on how effectively each proposed solution addresses the stated scope, delivers the intended outcomes, and provides overall value to participating Public Agencies.

Although proposed solutions may differ in approach, architecture, or delivery model, all proposals will be evaluated within a single competitive field and ranked in order based on the published evaluation criteria. The Authority anticipates making multiple awards and will determine the number of contracts to award based on the quality, diversity, and coverage of solutions needed to create a robust cooperative portfolio of options for participating Public Agencies.

The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, and to waive informalities or minor irregularities in any proposal. The Authority may request additional information or written clarifications from any respondent and will ensure that all such requests are handled fairly and consistently. This RFP does not constitute a binding offer. Any clarifications or supplemental information provided by a respondent shall become part of the respondent’s official proposal.

II. Evaluation Process & Criteria

A complete review of all information submitted in response to this RFP will be conducted to determine whether each proposal is responsive and whether the respondent is a responsible Respondent capable of performing the work described in this solicitation. Only proposals determined to be responsive and responsible will be considered for further evaluation.

The Authority may utilize advisory evaluators or subject-matter experts, including experienced former or current public sector professionals, to assist in the review and evaluation of proposals and to provide input and recommendations. Any such advisory support shall be used solely to inform the Authority’s evaluation process. The Authority retains full and final authority over all evaluation, ranking, and award decisions.

Responsive and responsible proposals will be evaluated and scored based on the published evaluation criteria, including the Technical Proposal and the Pricing Proposal, for a total possible score of 100 points. Proposals will be ranked in descending order based on their total combined scores.

The Authority anticipates making multiple awards from this solicitation. The ranked results will be used to determine which Respondents are selected for award in order to establish a cooperative portfolio of qualified solution providers that, taken together, provide sufficient coverage, diversity of approaches, and value for participating Public Agencies. The Authority reserves the right to determine the number of awards based on the results of the evaluation and the needs of the cooperative program.

The Authority may, at its discretion, establish a competitive range or “shortlist” of the highest-ranked Respondents for the purpose of conducting discussions, requesting clarifications, or inviting oral presentations or demonstrations. One or more rounds of discussions may be conducted. Following any such discussions, the Authority may request revised proposals and may re-score and re-rank proposals prior to making final award decisions.

Michigan law governs the activities of the Authority under this RFP and any adversarial proceeding arising out of this RFP.

III. RFP Award & Contracting Overview

Following completion of the evaluation process, the Authority will determine the highest-ranked Respondent(s) selected for award and will submit the award recommendation for approval by the Authority’s governing body or its authorized designee, as applicable. Upon receipt of all required approvals, the Authority will issue a formal Award Notice, which shall constitute the final award determination and will be posted on the Indigo Procurement Portal.

The Authority’s role under this solicitation is limited to conducting the competitive procurement process and making award determinations. The Alliance for Innovation (AFI) is not a party to this solicitation but will serve as the contracting entity and cooperative program administrator for the resulting agreements.

Following issuance of the Award Notice, each awarded Vendor will be required to execute a master cooperative agreement with AFI. Awarded Vendors must complete all required contractual, compliance, and onboarding documentation and electronically execute the applicable agreement(s) prior to performing any work or accepting any orders under the cooperative program. No work may commence, and no purchases may be made, until all required agreements have been fully executed.

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