32701-25-416_FTC_Database_Amendment_3-Q_and_A_Responses.pdf

RFP # 32701-25-416 Amendment # 1

STATE OF TENNESSEE

Department of Environment and Conservation

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # 32701-25-416

AMENDMENT # 3

A COMMERCIAL OFF-THE-SHELF STATE

CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING PROGRAM

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

DATE: September 26, 2025

RFP # 32701-25-416 IS AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

1. This RFP Schedule of Events updates and confirms scheduled RFP dates. Any event, time, or date containing revised or new text is highlighted.

EVENT

TIME

(central time zone)

DATE

1. RFP Issued August 27, 2025

2. Disability Accommodation Request Deadline 2:00 p.m. September 2, 2025

3. Pre-response Conference 10:00 a.m. September 3, 2025

4. Notice of Intent to Respond Deadline 2:00 p.m. September 4, 2025

5. Written “Questions & Comments” Deadline 2:00 p.m. September 9, 2025

6. State Response to Written “Questions & Comments”

September 26, 2025

7. Response Deadline 2:00 p.m. October 10, 2025

8. State Completion of Technical Response Evaluations

November 4, 2025

9. State Schedules Respondent Oral Presentation or Field Test

November 12, 2025

10. Respondent Oral Presentation or Field Test November 20, 2025 – November 21, 2025

11. State Opening & Scoring of Cost Proposals 2:00 p.m. November 24, 2025

12. Negotiation December 1, 2025

13. State Notice of Intent to Award Released and RFP Files Opened for Public Inspection

2:00 p.m.

December 4, 2025

14. End of Protest Period 4:30 p.m. December 11, 2025

15. State sends contract to Contractor for signature

December 12, 2025

16. Contractor Signature Deadline 2:00 p.m. December 17, 2025

2. State responses to questions and comments in the table below amend and clarify this RFP.

Any restatement of RFP text in the Question/Comment column shall NOT be construed as a change in the actual wording of the RFP document.

RFP

SECTION

Page #

QUESTION/COMMENT STATE RESPONSE

1.1 3 1. What is the estimated funding source, or budget for this project?

For the initial implementation, the maximum liability is estimated to be $500,000.

2. Has funding been secured, or is that expected to take place at a later date?

Funding is secured.

3. Is this a new requirement? Or is there an incumbent vendor providing these services? If so, what is the contract number, vendor name, and term of the contract?

This is a new requirement.

2.1 7 4. Is there a timeline for when this project must be started or awarded?

The anticipated Contract Signature Deadline is December 17, 2025. As such, the project start date would be January 2026.

5. We are not currently registered in the state of TN. is there a requirement that we be registered in TN prior to our RFP submission?

A Respondent must register with the State of Tennessee Edison system in order to receive an awarded contract. For more information on registering with the Edison system, please visit the following link:

Supplier Information .

6. Please outline the key functionality requirements and features you need in the LMS.

Please refer to pro forma section A.4.o.

C.6 28-29 7. What integration capabilities are required for the LMS?

Please refer to RFP section C.6. and pro forma section A.1.-A.16.

https://www.tn.gov/generalservices/procurement/central-procurement-office--cpo-/supplier-information.html

8. Can you provide an overview of your technical environment, including current systems and software?

TDEC is interested in implementing a new COTS solution for management of our training and certification needs. The current system will be replaced, as such the technical details are irrelevant.

1.1.2 3 9. Could you please confirm if the total number of licenses required would be 16000, i.e. 1000 internal and 15000 external?

Confirmed.

There will be an estimated 1,000 internal users across the State of Tennessee and 15,000 external users.

2.1 7 10. When do you plan to make a decision on the LMS vendor?

Please refer to RFP section 2 Schedule of Events.

11. What is your target date for having the new LMS live and accessible to users?

Tentatively, December 2026.

C.17 30 12. Is the LMS intended solely for internal workers, or will it be accessible to a broader audience?

The LMS will need to be accessible by both internal and external users.

13. What systems do you currently use for HRIS, performance management, ATS, etc.? Please provide the names of these systems.

The scope of this RFP/pro forma does not include performance management for internal TDEC resources.

C.6 28-29 14. What are your essential integration needs for the LMS?

Please refer to RFP section C.6. and pro forma section A.1.-A.16.

15. What is your plan for launching the LMS?

The LMS will need to be:

a) integrated into the CTMS

– OR –

b) provide access via redirect from the CTMS to the LMS

Please note that the CTMS and LMS are to operate in conjunction with one another.

16. Who will be responsible for ensuring the LMS is properly implemented? Do you have a dedicated LMS Administrator?

The responsibility will be shared by the selected vendor and the State.

17. How many team members will be involved in creating content, and do you have a designated administrator?

The State approximates up to 15 team members will be involved in creating content for the initial round of implementation. Each Program Area will have an administrator for their own implementation.

Please note, the number of team members will vary for future implementations.

18. Is pre-built content important to you? If so, what topics are of interest?

The State is interested in pre-built templates. However, all content is specific to the State and will be managed by each program area.

19. Who will be responsible for creating company-specific content?

Each TDEC Program Area will be responsible for overseeing the creation and management of content.

20. How many years of historical data need to be migrated?

Approximately how many courses need to be migrated from your current system?

TDEC has data that dates back to the 1950s.

The State does not currently have an LMS.

As such, no courses will need to be migrated.

21. Who will be our primary contact for this RFP?

Please see the contact information in RFP Section 1.4.2.1.

Andrew Martin Central Procurement Office 312 Rosa L. Parks Ave, 3rd Floor Nashville, TN 37243 Phone: 615-532-7367 Andrew.Martin@tn.gov

22. Who will be in charge of the LMS implementation on your team?

A TDEC team member will be assigned after project kickoff.

23. How many team members are dedicated to this project?

There are two full-time and two part-time resources dedicated to the project for the initial implementation.

24. Will the LMS be managed by the HR or Operations team? Who will be the system owner?

The scope of this RFP/pro forma does not include employee or performance management for internal TDEC resources.

1.1 2 25. What are your main goals for the LMS platform?

Please refer to RFP section 1.1.

mailto:Andrew.Martin@tn.gov

26. Why are you looking to change your LMS at this time?

Currently, there is not an LMS in place.

Training management is a mostly manual process involving printed materials.

27. What are the top three issues you are currently facing that we can help address?

1) Account creation and management

2) Training and exam roster and waitlist management

3) Initial certification and renewal management and processing Please note, the contracted vendor solution must meet all requirements set forth in the RFP and pro forma.

28. What external authoring tools are you currently using? What has been your experience with them?

TDEC does not currently have an external authoring tool.

29. Are there any language requirements for the content?

All content is required to be published in English.

1.1 3 30. What is your budget for this LMS project?

For the initial implementation, maximum liability is estimated to be $500,000.

31. Are you currently using an LMS? If so, who is the vendor?

TDEC does not currently have an LMS tool.

32. What tools do you use for company communication (e.g., Slack, Teams, email)?

Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and Webex are the communication tools currently used by TDEC.

33. Do you have a document management system such as SharePoint? Where do you store important documents and SOPs?

TDEC currently has the ability to utilize Microsoft SharePoint and FileNet for document management. It should be noted that FileNet is the required document management system.

SharePoint is primarily used to store policy or other guidance documentation.

34. Are all employees on-site, or do you have a hybrid work model?

The scope of this RFP/pro forma does not include employee management for internal TDEC resources.

35. What is your current onboarding process for new hires? Do you want onboarding training incorporated in the LMS as part of this process?

The scope of this RFP/pro forma does not include employee or performance management for internal TDEC resources.

36. Do you have any coaching or mentorship programs as part of your learning initiatives?

The scope of this RFP/pro forma does not include employee or performance management for internal TDEC resources.

RFP 3.2.2.1

& 3.2.2.2.

9-10 37. We would like to request clarification on Section 3.2 of the RFP. It outlines both digital media (USB) and e-mail submission options. Could you please confirm whether respondents are required to submit proposals using both methods, or if submission by either method will be sufficient?

Respondents are able to submit their proposals either by digital media submission or by email submission.

38. Does the state want both Digital Media Submission AND E-mail submission or is this and either/or situation?

See the answer to question 37.

39. Could you please describe the state's current LMS or desired LMS? Does the state currently track class attendance?

Please refer to pro forma section A.4.o.

Currently, the State manually (in print and digital format) tracks class attendance.

1.1.2 3 40. How many TDEC users will access the system?

TDEC anticipates an estimated 1,000 users internally.

41. Does TDEC have a preferred timeline for initial system implementation? When ideally does TDEC want to have this system “go live”?

Within 12 months from contract signing for the initial implementation.

1.1 2 42. Is TDEC open to a phased implementation approach? If a phased implementation approach is acceptable, what is the desired order for which TDEC programs are to be implemented?

Please refer to RFP section 1.1 and pro forma A.7.

43. Please elaborate upon any timing considerations for when specific programs / areas / functions will need to be fully transitioned to the new solution.

Within 12 months from contract signing for the initial implementation.

Implementation timing for additional program areas will be determined as programs opt in.

44. What costs has TDEC incurred for the initial set up, ongoing maintenance, hosting, software licensing, support, and enhancements (i.e., “change orders”) over the lifetime of the current systems to be replaced by the new solution?

Total current system costs are unknown and has no bearing on this RFP.

Pro Forma A.4.h.

Pro Forma

C.3.

10-11

45. On Page 10 of the RFP Pro Forma Contract, one of the deliverables is the migration of the TDEC Training and Certification Management System. Can TDEC please describe the type of database, including the format, and size of the current data sets to be converted and migrated into the new system?

The FTC application uses Oracle Database version 19. The database size is around 2 GB.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.6.i.c.

28-29 46. Page 28 of the RFP lists integration with “FileNet or SharePoint” as an integration requirement. Our solution includes integrated document management throughout. However, this would require migrating documents from TDEC’s current FileNet or SharePoint solutions to our integrated document repository.

Is TDEC open to migrating documents from its current solution(s) to a document repository natively integrated with its new CTMS?

TDEC currently has the ability to utilize Microsoft SharePoint and FileNet for document management. It should be noted that FileNet is the required document management system.

SharePoint is primarily used to store policy or other guidance documentation.

RFP 1.1. 2-3 47. On page 3 of the RFP, TDEC states, “For the initial implementation, maximum liability is estimated to be $500,000. The estimated quantities in RFP Attachment 6.3.

reflect the initial implementation and usage as additional divisions and programs are onboarded.”

Does TDEC have a rough estimate of budget for implementation and ongoing subscription/support for the remaining 15 program areas?

Estimates for future implementations will be determined by each Program Area as those programs are onboarded.

48. What, if any, amount of the budget is subject to expire by a certain timeframe and when?

Please elaborate.

Funding is secured for the term of the contract. However, all funding is subject to funds availability as outlined in pro forma section D.4.

1.1 3 49. What amount is being budgeted for ongoing support, software licensing, hosting, and support of the new CTMS?

The initial implementation (including:

ongoing support, software licensing, hosting, and support of the new CTMS) will be for Fleming Training Center and has an estimated maximum liability of $500,000.

RFP 1.1.2. 3 50. Page 3, Section 1.1.2 Estimated Volume of Users states the following number of users: “1,000 users estimated across internal and 15,000 external users”. We have a few questions related to this passage:

Can TDEC confirm whether this total applies only to one program area (FTC), or whether it includes the remaining 15 program areas within TDEC?

If the former, please provide a rough breakdown of internal users by role, as well as a rough estimate of users across all program areas.

If the latter, please provide a rough breakdown of internal users by role.

The estimated user count is across all 16 program areas.

Internal user roles will be defined based on the capabilities of the selected system.

51. Does TDEC desire to have the option for staff to be trained in application administration to make changes, updates, and add new capabilities to the system after go-live? Or is TDEC anticipating the vendor to perform future updates and changes (such as addition of new certification types, form configuration, business rule changes, etc.) to the system?

TDEC would be open to both options.

52. Please provide an approximate number of standard email/letter templates that will be used by TDEC that are to be integrated and automated by the system.

Currently, Fleming Training Center (initial implementation) has approximately 75 templates in use. As the processes are streamlined through the implementation of the new system, we anticipate the number of templates will be reduced.

53. How many different or distinct certification and program application types will be supported in this solution? Please provide a comprehensive list.

There are currently 15 application types in use for Fleming Training Center. They include:

Wastewater Classifications Biological Natural Wastewater Treatment 1 Wastewater Treatment 2 Wastewater Treatment 3 Wastewater Treatment 4 Collection Systems 1 Collection Systems 2

Water Classifications Small Water System Water Treatment 1 Water Treatment 2 Water Treatment 3 Water Treatment 4 Distribution Systems 1 Distribution Systems 2

Cross Connection Control

C.5 C.6

28 54. Please identify ALL other systems that the new solution will need to “seamlessly integrate with” (i.e.

payment processor, other systems such as financial, etc.) along with an inventory of which interfaces will need to be whether a one-way (import or export) or two-way data exchange?

Please refer to RFP section C.5.-C.6. and pro forma section A.1.-A.16.

55. What is the merchant services approved payment processing provider for the State that will be used by TDEC?

Payment processing is not a requirement of the solution. The solution must integrate with the State of Tennessee’s FIS system. It should be noted that TDEC will be implementing World Pay Multipay during calendar year 2026.

RFP 1.7.

RFP

Amendme nt #1

RFP 2.1.

56. Which vendors attended the pre-proposal conference?

The Pre-Response Conference is for all prospective Respondents. The State already held the Pre-Response Conference on September 3, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m. CT. There was an amendment posted due to a clerical error on the original posting. It has been attached to this email.

57. What Learning Management Systems has TDEC evaluated for consideration for the CTMS project?

TDEC has not evaluated any solutions at this time.

58. Can TDEC provide an inventory of all the reports that need to be replicated within the new system?

Details for known reports will be provided during implementation. Future reports will be ad hoc and based on the capabilities of the selected system.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section B – Item Reference B.13.

3.1.1.2.

59. Requirement B.13 states, “Provide a personnel roster listing the names of key people who the Respondent will assign to meet the Respondent’s requirements under this RFP along with the estimated number of hours that each individual will devote to that performance. Follow the personnel roster with a resume for each of the people listed. The resumes must detail the individual’s title, education, current position with the Respondent, and employment history.” Do resumes count towards the 50 page limit for the response?

Resumes do not count toward the 50-page limit.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.6.i.d.

29 60. Requirement C.6 on Page 29 of the RFP states that integrations with the State’s Oracle Apex databases are required. Can TDEC please provide the scope of these integrations (i.e., what data is exchanged), the desired transfer format (e.g., JSON, CSV), and the frequency/timing of data transfers?

Details of the integration needs will be clarified during implementation.

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.6.i.f.

29 61. Requirement C.6 on Page 29 of the RFP describes the following required integration: ".Net applications used to facilitate seamless management of TDEC Program Area workflows and operations". What are these applications, what TDEC Program Areas do they support, and what are the available methods of integrating with these applications? Please describe the integration scope (i.e., what data is exchanged), the desired transfer format (e.g., JSON, CSV), and the frequency/timing of data transfers.

Details of the integration needs will be clarified during implementation.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.6.i.g.

29 62. Requirement C.6 on Page 29 of the RFP describes the following required integration: “Third party exam facilitation tool”. Please describe the integration scope (i.e., what data is exchanged), the desired transfer format (e.g., JSON, CSV), and the frequency/timing of data transfers.

Details of the integration needs will be clarified during implementation.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.6.i.h.

29 63. Requirement C.6 on Page 29 of the RFP describes the following required integration: “Form intake management system used for receiving customer data and reports, and public facing forms to gather data (nForm); or provide an alternate form management component capable of handling all form management tasks.” Our platform provides a native form management component capable of handling TDEC’s form management tasks. To properly scope the effort to implement these forms, can TDEC provide a comprehensive list of forms that will need to be deployed in the solution, or at least a rough estimate of the number of forms?

What workflows do these forms drive?

Details of the integration needs will be clarified during implementation.

t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.17.c.

30 64. Requirement C.17 on Page 30 reads, "c. User Access: Subject user accounts to authentication and authorization protocols including RBAC, MFA, and AD or an Identity and Access Management solution (specifically, Pink's (formerly ForgeRock) Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution)." Is use of Pink mandatory for this bid, or can vendors provide their own IAM solution?

The State prefers to use Pink’s IAM; however, the vendor may propose other solutions for consideration which will be reviewed by the State’s security team.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C - Item Reference C.35

33 65. Requirement C.35 on Page 33 states, "Provide a link and login for a sandbox/demo environment to be used as part of the evaluation process. Please describe what type of sandbox/demo environment will be provided to the State during the implementation once the contract has been awarded." Can the State confirm that both a sandbox environment and oral presentation are in scope of this proposal response?

Yes, a sandbox environment and oral presentation are a part of this RFP.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section B - Item Reference B.4.

25 66. Regarding Section B of attachment 6.2, specifically item B.4, what minimal experience is that State desiring?

This RFP does not have a specific requirement outlined for experience.

67. If a respondent has not provided a system that supports Training Program Management, yet has a platform that could be configured to do so, will that respondent’s offer not be considered?

The solution must meet all requirements outlined in the RFP and pro forma documents.

RFP 1.1 2 68. Can the State provide more details on the initial implementation focus and expected expansion to other divisions? And, what is the timeline and specific user counts for the expansion to each division?

Please refer to RFP section 1.1. and pro forma A.7.

t 6.2.

Section A – Item Reference A.4.

Pro Forma E.11.

30-31

69. What are the specific State requirements for securing personally identifiable information (PII) and financial data? Can TDEC provide the user PII data that is expected to store?

Requirements are outlined in pro forma sections E.4. and E.11.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section A – Item Reference A.6.

23 70. Can the State provide a list of the existing State systems that the solution will be required to integrate with and the purpose of each system?

Please refer to RFP section C.6. and pro forma section A.1.-A.16.

RFP

Section 1.1

2 71. Can the State provide an example of the data and information expected to be exchanged, aggregated, and compiled related to certification and training? Are there outbound and inbound data feeds needed for each of these integrations? Please explain.

Please refer to RFP section 1.1.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.4.

28 72. Can you clarify the expectations for demonstrating scalability and efficiency in the proposed solution?

TDEC expects the solution to demonstrate the ability to apply to all 16 program areas within TDEC with Fleming Training Center being the pilot.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.5.

28 73. Can the State provide who the Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Active Directory (AD) vendors are?

The State uses Microsoft for AD and Azure AD.

The State anticipates the vendor application itself provides the different access control layers. Therefore, the desire is that the vendor solution provide this granular role based access capabilities.

t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.6.

28 74. What are the expectations for the LMS integration with third-party exam facilitation tools, and how should the LMS address these?

The LMS would not integrate with the third-party exam facilitation tool. This integration would occur between the CTMS and the third-party exam facilitation tool.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.13.

30 75. What is the use case for approved certification exposure for public search and consumption?

To create several online reports and a dataviewer showing certified operators, classes, etc. Details of the reports will be communicated during implementation.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.17.

30 76. Can you provide more details on the expected user roles and permissions, and how the LMS should accommodate these requirements?

The roles will be based on the capabilities of the system.

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.30.

33 77. Can you provide a list of integrations required with internal and external education providers?

What type of date is sent or received from the education providers?

There is no integration with external education providers. Education providers will be required to login to the system to submit information and materials.

RFP 2.1. 7 78. Would you consider a two-week period from when questions are answered until responses are due? The current calendar only allows for 5 working days.

Yes. Please see the updated Schedule of Events in Section 1 of this Amendment #2

RFP

Attachmen t 6.2.

Section C – Item Reference C.6.

28-29 79. What payment integrations are needed?

The solution must integrate with the State of Tennessee’s FIS system. It should be noted that TDEC will be implementing World Pay Multipay during calendar year 2026.

80. What is the total budget for the ongoing costs for licensing and system support? Has it been budgeted beyond the initial $500,000?

The initial implementation (including:

ongoing support, software licensing, hosting, and support of the new CTMS) will be for Fleming Training Center and has an estimated maximum liability of $500,000.

81. Training and Certification Database: The Solution shall be able to design and implement a database to explicitly address the migration and management of historical and current State training and certification program data. What is the total number and type of formats of the historical documents?

There are no historical documents that need to be migrated. There is historical data that will need to be migrated.

The FTC application uses Oracle Database version 19. The database size is around 2 GB.

Common extraction formats include Microsoft Excel and Text.

Pro Forma A.16.

9 82. Can you please confirm/clarify the following? Licensing Structure:

The Contractor must be able to accommodate a tiered licensing structure to adequately support enterprise usage of the Solution for the entirety of the contract.

Tier 1: 1 – 16,000 internal/external users.

Tier 2: greater than 16,000 (annual flat fee enterprise cost) internal/external users).

The vendor must be able to accommodate a licensing structure that covers licensing to support initial implementation usage (<16,000) as well as enterprise-wide usage (>16,000).

83. We understand that we can submit our response via mail and email. Do we select one submission method or does the State require a hard copy and an email copy?

See the answer to question 37.

RFP 1.1 2 84. Is your primary focus modernizing internal training workflows or expanding external/public training programs?

Please refer to RFP section 1.1.

85. Are you seeking a long-term workforce development platform or primarily focused on managing compliance training and certifications?

The scope of this RFP/pro forma does not include employee or performance management for internal TDEC resources.

86. Is FedRAMP or StateRAMP/GovRAMP compliance required in your final selection?

No, FedRAMP or StateRAMP/GovRAMP is not required.

87. How many different agencies or departments will need access to the platform—and will they need visibility into each other’s training data?

There is a total of 16 possible Program Areas within TDEC that will need access to the platform. TDEC enterprise-level access across Program Areas will be required.

88. Are you looking to support single sign-on (SSO) across all partner agencies or just for internal staff?

Please refer to RFP section A.15.

89. Do you require real-time dashboards or ad hoc report building for different roles (e.g., instructors, admins, directors)?

Yes.

90. Will the majority of your courses be instructor-led, online/self-paced, or a mix of both?

Courses will be a mix of both.

91. Do you plan to import existing SCORM/xAPI content, or will most content be developed in-house?

Most content will be developed in-house using the capabilities provided in the system.

92. Would you benefit from tools that automatically generate test questions, rubrics, and course structure from your existing content?

Yes, if automatic generation of questions, rubrics, and course structure is part of the

COTS.

93. Have you considered how important accessibility compliance (e.g., ADA, WCAG) will be across your user base?

The awarded contractor will be required to adhere with the Americans with Disabilities Act as described in pro forma section E.12.

94. Would your team benefit from a single platform for both content delivery and administrative operations (vs. stitching together point solutions)?

Either delivery option is acceptable.

3. RFP Amendment Effective Date. The revisions set forth herein shall be effective upon release. All other terms and conditions of this RFP not expressly amended herein shall remain in full force and effect.