4-RFP 26-005.pdf

Tarrant County College District Purchasing Department

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) INVITATION

Inbound Financial Aid Call Center Services

RFP# 26-005

Tarrant County College District outlines the following schedule:

RFP Release Date: April 24, 2026 Deadline for Questions May 6, 2026, Wednesday at 5:00 PM CT Bid Submission Deadline: May 19, 2026, Tuesday at 2:00 PM CT

Tarrant County College District (TCCD) has implemented a new e-Procurement platform called Bonfire. It is preferred that All RFP submissions be uploaded electronically to https://tccd.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Hard copy proposals are not preferred but will be accepted. If responding to this solicitation without utilizing the eBidding system, all required documentation must be sealed and delivered to the Tarrant County College Purchasing Office located at 300 Trinity Campus Circle, Fort Worth, TX 76102 Building Trinity River East Fork, Room 3217 no later than the deadline stated above. Late responses will not be considered. All proposals and accompanying documentation will become the property of TCCD and may not be returned. Late proposals will not be accepted, nor will additional time be granted to any individual Vendor.

For a quick tutorial on how to upload a submittal, visit: Creating and Uploading a Submission to Bonfire

Preamble:

The Tarrant County College District is a public institution of higher education that provides academic, occupational, general, and continuing education opportunities, as well as lifelong learning for all people in its District and contiguous service area. The College is committed to provide a high-quality learning experience for its students at a reasonable cost and to serve as a good steward of public funds.

This request for proposals implies no obligation on the part of the Tarrant County College District.

The College reserves the right to accept the proposal that it believes most nearly meets the requirements, based on “best value” and not necessarily, the lowest price offered.

Tarrant County College District

RFP # 26-005

Tarrant County College District

Purchasing Department

Attn: Eric Johnson, Buyer II 300 Trinity Campus Circle Fort Worth, Texas 76102-6599

Introduction

1. Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to procure inbound Financial Aid Call Center Services that provide responsive, accurate, secure, and compliant support for student financial aid inquiries across a multi-campus college environment.

The College is seeking proposals from qualified vendors with a demonstrated track record in higher education environments. Proposed services must align with the scope of work and operational requirements included in this RFP, support District-approved systems and workflows, and provide cost-effective, measurable service delivery that enhances student support and institutional responsiveness.

2. Background of Tarrant County College District

Tarrant County College District (“TCCD,” “the College,” or “College”) is a two-year college district comprised of five physical and one online campus plus five learning, training, and administrative centers. All are located in the Fort Worth metropolitan area.

The College’s mission is to serve as the guiding star for accessible, high-quality educational experiences that drive lasting impact. TCCD provides quality teaching and learning through a clearly defined set of programs, services, and partnerships that include:

University transfer programs Workforce education programs Technical programs Customized training Developmental courses

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Purchasing Department

Adult literacy courses Lifestyle and community learning, including continuing education

With a vision to be the leader for academic excellence, student success, and economic impact, the Tarrant County College District is committed to priorities outlined in Trailblazing Together:

2030, TCCD’s multiyear strategic plan. This plan guides the path forward with attention to student completion, dual credit, workforce development, high-demand careers, and four-year school transfers. TCCD employees approach their work through strategies for five goals:

Enhance access and support for student success Elevate educational quality for optimal student outcomes Promote excellence in community engagement Ensure responsible stewardship of resources Transform lives and communities through education

Core values underscore everything TCCD does and guide decision-making to inform the College’s vision: Commitment to Excellence, Connection for Belonging, Opportunity in Engagement, Transformation with Innovation, and Trust through Integrity.

Submission Instructions

Schedule of Key Events Issuance of RFP April 24, 2026

Deadline for Written Questions May 6, 2026, Wednesday at 5:00 PM CT

Answers to Questions Posted May 8, 2026, Wednesday at 5:00 PM CT

Proposal Submission Deadline May 19, 2026, Tuesday at 2:00 PM CT

Reserved for Vendor Demonstrations June 8-12, 2026

Note: This schedule of events is for planning purposes only and may be changed at the sole discretion of TCC.

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Purchasing Department

Submission Deadline TCC will accept proposals submitted in response to this RFP until the date and time established in the final solicitation package (the “Submittal Deadline”).

Submission Requirements The College requests that each of the three documents (Proposal and Attachment 1 Cost Proposal) be uploaded into Bonfire in two formats as follows:

Proposal: PDF

Attachment 1 Cost Proposal: MS Excel

Pre-Bid Questions Proposers are welcome to submit questions concerning the proposal and submission requirements by the written questions deadline. Questions must be submitted in writing and uploaded to the Bonfire system using the following link:

https://tccd.bonfirehub.com/projects/190254/opportunityQAndA.

The College will be bound only to the College’s written answers to questions. It is TCC’s intent to respond to all appropriate questions and concerns; however, TCC reserves the right to decline to respond to any question or concern.

Answers to questions will be posted via addendum to this RFP in the Bonfire system with all registered vendors receiving notification once the Addendum is posted.

TCC Contact and Questions Any questions shall be submitted in writing using the Bonfire platform no later than the written questions deadline listed above. Questions submitted after the deadline will not be answered.

Proposers should rely only on written statements issued through the Bonfire platform.

The College specifically instructs all interested parties to restrict all contact and questions regarding this RFP to written communications submitted through the Bonfire platform.

Proposal Validity Period Each proposal must state that it will remain valid for TCC’s acceptance for a minimum of 180 days after the Submittal Deadline, to allow time for evaluation, selection, and any unforeseen

Tarrant County College District

Purchasing Department delays. Should circumstances arise that require an extension to this period, TCC reserves the right to provide extensions at its discretion.

Group Purchase Authority Texas law authorizes institutions of higher education to use the group purchasing procurement method (ref. Sections 51.9335, 73.115, and 74.008, Education Code). Additional Texas institutions of higher education may therefore elect to enter a contract with the successful Proposer(s) under this Section. Should another institution exercise this option the resulting contract and obligations shall be between that institution and the vendor with TCC incurring no obligation as a result thereof.

Evaluation Criteria

An evaluation team from TCC will evaluate proposals. The evaluation of proposals and the selection of Contractor will be based on the information provided by Proposer in its proposal.

Proposers should address, within the response, each of the criteria listed in this section. Failure to respond to these criteria may result in your proposal receiving a negative rating or being considered non-responsive. Proposers should note that TCC is not required to award to the lowest bidder or to even select a supplier.

The criteria to be considered by TCC in evaluating proposals and selecting awardee(s) and their weighting, will be the following factors.

Firm Qualifications and Relevant Experience Comparable higher education work, years in business, references, and organizational capability.

15%

Technical Approach and Scope Response Understanding of requirements, workflows, escalation, verification support, and overall service design.

25%

Staffing, Training, and Service Delivery Model Adequacy of staffing model, training plan, language support, and supervisory controls.

10%

Performance Standards, Reporting, and Quality Assurance Strength of proposed SLAs, KPI monitoring, reporting quality, and corrective action framework.

10%

Data Security and Compliance PII controls, FERPA posture, incident response, and remote-agent safeguards.

10%

Pricing 30%

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Cost completeness, reasonableness, transparency, and alignment with requirements.

Purchase price – shall be evaluated for completeness and reasonableness. The proposals will be evaluated and those deemed acceptable will be assigned points as follows:

The total lowest qualified cost proposal will receive Maximum points on a 0-10 grading scale (i.e., the lowest price will receive a score of 10)

Low-cost proposal will get maximum points allowed for pricing criteria. All others will get proportion of the points assigned using the formula as follows: (Low cost/proposed cost)*10 Points.

Example: The Price Scoring range on a 0-10 scale and you have 3 bidders as follows:

Bidder 1: $100,000 Score=10 Bidder 2: $110,000 (100,000/110,000)*10 Score =9.09 Bidder 3: $140,000 (100,000/140,000)*10 Score =7.14

The relative weight assigned to the price is calculated within the Bonfire system once points are assigned (0-10) within Bonfire.

Term

The agreement will be for an initial two (2) year period, with the options to extend for three (3) additional one (1) year terms upon mutual agreement by both parties. At the end of the initial contract period, both parties can request a contract review to discuss functions, features, enhancements, and pricing. The college reserves the right to extend the agreement term on a month-to-month basis, at the then current monthly rate, not to exceed three (3) months.

All proposers must be prepared to show the following proof of their ability to perform under this contract. Failure to meet any of the requirements and qualifications will be sufficient cause for rejection of any or all proposals.

Scope of Work – Inbound Financial Aid Call Center Services

1. District Environment and Service Objective Tarrant County College District seeks a qualified provider to operate an inbound Financial Aid Call Center that supports District students and other authorized callers with responsive, accurate, secure, and compliant service.

Tarrant County College District

Purchasing Department

For planning and proposal preparation purposes only, the District provides the following operational information: Fall 2025 Total TCC Enrollment – 49,449; 2024-2025 FAFSA Applications – 53,394.

TCC expects to receive approximately 70,000 inbound financial aid-related phone calls annually.

Estimated monthly distribution of annual volume is as follows: August 20%; January 13%;

September 11%; May through July 9% each month; February through April 5% each month; and October through December 5% each month.

2. Hours of Operation The Contractor shall provide service coverage during the District’s required operating hours unless otherwise approved in writing by the District.

Non-Summer Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time;

Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Summer Hours: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time, generally from mid-May through the end of July, or as otherwise directed by the District.

Peak-Term Saturday Coverage: Up to two Saturdays per fall term and up to two Saturdays per spring term, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central Time.

3. Service Delivery Requirements The Contractor shall receive and respond to inbound financial aid-related calls routed through campus lines, the Information Center, automated financial aid lines, and other District-approved intake methods.

The Contractor shall provide accurate responses to routine and moderately complex financial aid inquiries using District-approved scripts, business rules, escalation workflows, and operating procedures.

Caller identity must be verified before discussing any protected student information or record-specific details.

The Contractor shall identify, document, and escalate calls that cannot be resolved at first contact.

Non-financial aid calls shall be routed in accordance with District-approved procedures without creating unnecessary transfers or delays for the caller.

The Contractor shall document call activity, resolutions, callbacks, escalations, suspected record discrepancies, and unresolved issues in a format approved by the District.

The Contractor shall support operational use of District-approved systems, including Ellucian Colleague, to the extent required for service delivery.

The Contractor shall provide management oversight, quality assurance monitoring, compliance review, and continuous improvement support.

4. Verification-Related Coordination Because verification processing may be performed by the District, a District designee, or an outsourced verification processing provider, the Contractor shall support verification-related call handling in accordance with District-approved workflows.

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Purchasing Department

The Proposer shall demonstrate experience supporting call environments in which verification processing is performed by a separate team or third-party processor.

The Proposer shall demonstrate how verification-related inquiries are triaged, documented, routed, and escalated, how staff distinguish between questions that may be resolved at first contact and questions that must be referred to the District or verification processor, and how record issues, missing documentation, conflicting information, or unresolved verification questions are communicated to the appropriate party.

The response shall include at least one example from a comparable client environment.

5. Proposal Requirements The Proposer shall provide clear, evidence-based responses demonstrating its ability to perform the required services. Narrative-only responses are discouraged.

The response shall identify all call center locations, including primary, secondary, backup, overflow, and remote service locations, and shall demonstrate business continuity coverage for each location.

The response shall demonstrate years providing financial aid call center services, number of higher education clients served, scope and scale of comparable engagements, and at least three examples of comparable implementations.

The response shall include a current client list with contact information and identify which clients are most comparable in size, complexity, volume, and system environment to

TCCD.

The response shall demonstrate the qualifications of the proposed project team, including organizational structure, account leadership, escalation roles, supervisory coverage, implementation responsibilities, and relevant experience supporting financial aid operations.

The response shall demonstrate how changes to regulations, processing rules, business practices, scripts, and systems are controlled, communicated, implemented, and quality checked.

The response shall demonstrate whether bilingual operator support is available and identify supported languages, including Spanish and Vietnamese.

The response shall demonstrate, with actual client performance data where available, its ability to meet or exceed expected service delivery performance, including average speed of answer, abandoned-call rates, first-contact resolution, escalation timeliness, call recording capability, retention controls, and District access where applicable.

6. Staffing Requirements The Proposer shall demonstrate its hiring and screening process, including recruiting standards, employee screening, background checks, confidentiality requirements, and minimum qualifications for personnel handling student information.

The District expects the Contractor to maintain adequate staffing to meet required service levels throughout the contract term, including peak enrollment, FAFSA, verification, and disbursement periods.

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The response shall demonstrate typical daily staffing levels proposed for TCCD, peak-period staffing strategy, availability of trained backup staff, whether staffing is dedicated, shared, or hybrid, supervisory coverage model, and how service levels are maintained during surges, absenteeism, outages, or turnover.

The response shall include at least one example showing how peak-volume conditions were successfully managed for a comparable client.

The Proposer shall demonstrate how staff are trained, tested, monitored, and re-evaluated for knowledge of federal and Texas financial aid regulations, processes, FERPA requirements, customer service expectations, and, where applicable, Ellucian Colleague workflows.

7. Training Requirements The Contractor shall provide structured implementation, operational, and update training sufficient to support accurate and compliant service delivery.

The response shall demonstrate how training will be delivered, training location and format, who will be trained, number of TCCD representatives to be trained, duration of training, materials and job aids provided, knowledge validation methods, and ongoing refresher and update training processes.

The Proposer shall also demonstrate how its personnel will be trained on TCCD-specific business practices, escalation workflows, student service expectations, and financial aid processing requirements.

8. Performance Standards and Reporting The District expects the Contractor to meet defined performance standards appropriate for a high-volume student financial aid environment.

At a minimum, the Contractor shall be prepared to answer at least 80 percent of inbound calls within 60 seconds and maintain an abandoned-call rate not to exceed 5 percent, excluding District-approved short abandons.

The Contractor shall maintain service quality during peak periods, provide timely escalation of unresolved, sensitive, or record-specific issues, maintain high standards of accuracy, professionalism, and compliance in student interactions, and provide timely reporting and management visibility into call performance, escalations, trends, and unresolved issues.

Reporting shall support visibility into total calls received, calls answered, calls abandoned, average speed of answer, average handle time, hold time, first-contact resolution, escalation volume and rate, staffing levels, quality assurance results, record issue trends, verification-related routing and escalation activity, recurring student-impact issues, performance trends, and corrective actions.

9. Security and Confidentiality The Proposer shall demonstrate the controls it uses to protect student records, District data, and Personally Identifiable Information in a live call center environment.

Tarrant County College District

Purchasing Department

The response shall include, at a minimum, FERPA compliance controls, role-based access controls, password and authentication standards, logging and monitoring practices, incident response procedures, remote agent security controls if applicable, call recording security controls if applicable, restrictions on local storage, printing, and unauthorized access, record retention and destruction procedures, and secure handling of paper and electronic records.

Minimum Qualifications Proposing vendors must meet or exceed the following minimum qualifications to be considered responsive. Proposals must clearly demonstrate how the vendor satisfies each of the criteria below, either through narrative, documentation, sample reporting, or service demonstration.

1. Experience in Higher Education At least three (3) years of experience providing inbound student service or financial aid call center services to institutions of higher education or similarly complex service environments.

Demonstrated success supporting multi-campus or multi-location service environments.

2. Regulatory Compliance Ability to comply with FERPA and applicable privacy, security, and data retention requirements.

Ability to protect District data and student information through documented operational controls.

3. Staffing and Operational Continuity Ability to provide qualified staff, supervisory oversight, continuity planning, and surge support during peak periods.

Ability to maintain service levels during staffing disruptions, outages, or volume spikes.

4. System Support Capabilities Ability to support operations involving Ellucian Colleague or equivalent student information system environments.

Ability to support documented workflows, escalation handling, and reporting visibility for

District operations.

5. Reporting and Quality Assurance Functionality Ability to provide measurable service-level reporting, quality assurance controls, escalation management, and corrective action support.

Ability to provide sample reports, metrics, and comparable client performance evidence.

6. Implementation and Training Support Ability to provide a structured implementation plan including timeline, roles, training, and deliverables.

Ongoing support and refresher training options must be clearly defined.

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7. Demonstration Requirements Finalist vendors must be prepared to provide a live demonstration or presentation addressing service workflows, reporting, escalation handling, staffing model, training approach, and relevant system support capabilities.

INFORMATION / REQUIREMENTS / PROCESS

1. Note that “bid,” “submission,” and “proposal” for purposes of this RFP, have the same basic meaning. Further, references to “vendor,” “supplier,” “firm,” “contractor,” and / or “bidder” have the same meaning in singular or plural.

2. The proposal must meet all requirements as delineated herein. Failure to follow detail may result in disqualification.

3. Conditional clauses in the submitted proposal are not accepted.

4. If selected, suppliers will need to register with TCCD online at http://www.tccd.edu. Click on

“Business and Community” then “Vendor Application” under the section “Doing Business with TCCD”. Registration is not to be construed as a commitment by TCCD to enter a business arrangement.

5. Specifications and scopes of work that may refer to brand names and manufacturers are not intended to restrict competition but are meant to indicate the quality of goods or services sought. Suppliers may bid an equivalent(s) provided the deviation(s) is clearly identified in the bid response. The final determination of equivalency lies solely with TCCD. It is not the intent of any instruction, term/condition, and scope of work or specification to prohibit a supplier from submitting a proposal.

6. The supplier must provide complete descriptive literature of the products or services proposed.

7. Upon release of this RFP, all Vendor communication must be done using the Bonfire Platform.

Unauthorized contact with TCCD staff regarding the RFP may result in disqualification. Any oral communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding to TCCD.

8. Questions shall be submitted in writing using the Bonfire platform no later than the written questions deadline. Questions submitted after the deadline may not be answered. Proposers should rely only on written statements issued through Bonfire platform.

9. All disputes, claims, or lawsuits, if any, that may result from this RFP shall be addressed in Tarrant County, TX, without exception.

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Purchasing Department

10. The supplier shall be in compliance with all relevant requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as it applies to performance under this RFP. By submission of a bid, the supplier acknowledges it intends to comply with the ADA. If the supplier does not comply with the ADA, TCCD reserves the right to suspend or cancel any such work under this RFP and shall only be financially responsible for products delivered or services rendered up to any such suspension or cancelation.

11. The supplier represents and warrants that all products and/or services furnished under this RFP shall comply with applicable federal, state and local laws, rules, regulations and ordinances. The supplier shall, at supplier's expense, give all required notices and secure all required permits necessary for performance hereunder.

12. TCCD is not required to award to the lowest bidder or to even select a supplier.

13. TCCD’s Executive Director of Procurement or a designated purchasing representative will open all RFP submissions.

Selection of a supplier(s) may or may not be made depending upon the results received and the overall requirements and needs of TCCD; the selection timeframe will vary depending upon the RFP and its complexity.

TCCD reserves the right to select a supplier from a purchasing program recognized by the State of Texas (Interlocal Agreements) as already satisfying the competitive bidding requirements (e.g. TXMAS, DIR, BuyBoard). If Proposer is has a Cooperative contract, provide a reference to those contract numbers.

TCCD may or may not opt to pursue a subsequent formal sealed RFP (two-step process).

Final tabulations or information regarding the RFP will not be shared until TCCD has made a formal selection and only then by written request.

In the event of a price or total cost calculation errors, the unit price as submitted will be considered for computation and calculation totals.

14. Acceptance of a proposal/bid for consideration implies no obligation on the part of TCCD nor does the silence of TCCD imply approval or rejection of a bid.

15. TCCD reserves the right to reject any bids submitted and waive any formalities and conditions.

TCCD is not obligated to advise those suppliers who are not selected for an RFP.

16. TCCD reserves the right to award to a single supplier, multiple suppliers, or no supplier at all.

17. TCCD reserves the right to award by unit pricing, quantity pricing, package pricing, or by total pricing, whichever is deemed necessary to accommodate budgetary, operational, and/or specification requirements. In doing so, TCCD may separate and accept or reject an item(s) as deemed necessary. If a supplier does not wish for its bid to be split in this manner, the supplier must state in the RFP response that the proposal is submitted as an “all or nothing” bid.

Tarrant County College District

Purchasing Department

18. A proposal/bid award, if any, will be through the issuance of a TCCD purchase order (PO) or blanket purchase order (BPO) and shall be governed by the general terms and conditions of purchase outlined on the TCCD PO/BPO document unless such terms and conditions are superseded by the content of this RFP or contract. If terms conflict, the terms of the RFP will take precedence.

19. The final authority to approve or disapprove delivered products and/or services lies with TCCD.

20. In the event products and/or services are delivered that do not meet specifications or do not perform as specified in this proposal, the supplier will replace the items, at no additional cost to TCCD, on or before the promised date of delivery.

21. The supplier shall be responsible for all claims against the manufacturer for manufacturing defects.

22. The supplier shall not sell, assign, transfer or convey this contract, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of TCCD.

23. Any correspondence regarding a TCCD PO, specifically an invoice, must include the PO number to ensure correct and timely processing. Invoices must reference TCCD’s PO number.

24. TCCD will not be responsible for products delivered or services rendered in advance of a supplier’s receipt of a TCCD PO.

25. TCCD may require bank account information should an electronic payment system be employed to facilitate the method of payment.

26. In the event of breach or default, TCCD reserves the right to enforce performance in any manner prescribed by law or deemed to be in the best interest of TCCD.

27. In the event the supplier fails to deliver the products and/or services as and when promised in the bid, TCCD reserves the right to proceed in any one or combination of the following ways:

Cancel all or any part of the PO/BPO Return all or any part of the products and/or services delivered to date and charge the supplier for any loss or cost incurred as a result of the failure to deliver as promised.

Purchase all or any part of the products and/or services at the current market price and charge the supplier the difference between the total of the market price, freight, and the supplier's bid price

28. The supplier must notify TCCD immediately once it is known that products and/or services will not be delivered/rendered as promised.

29. The supplier must make every effort to protect property, personnel, students, and visitors in the delivery of products and/or services on any TCCD campus. Any personal injury or damage to property, on a TCCD campus, caused by the supplier's delivery of products and/or services must be reported to the applicable campus police department immediately. The supplier will

Tarrant County College District

Purchasing Department be held responsible for all damages for injury and loss resulting from the supplier's delivery of products and/or services.

30. If TCCD, in the exercise of its best judgment, determines the supplier's process for the delivery of products and/or services is unsafe or hazardous to life or property, TCCD will suspend the process until the supplier takes corrective action. If this does not occur, or cannot occur, TCCD reserves the right to perform as indicated in section 31 herein.

31. Hazardous material(s) delivered to a TCCD campus for TCCD or supplier use must be preceded or accompanied by a current manufacturer's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). TCCD reserves the right to refuse delivery of products and/or services for which an MSDS is not available.

32. No allowance will be made for a supplier’ waste, loss, breakage, damage, or difficulties.

33. Trash or refuse generated as a result of the operations or activities of the supplier delivering products and/or services will be properly disposed of by the supplier, at the supplier’s expense.

34. The supplier shall be responsible for all claims against a carrier for freight and/or damage.

35. TCCD reserves the right to terminate the contract for any reason with a thirty (30) day written notice to the vendor. Payments will be made for invoices covering products or services through the termination date. No settlement costs are due whether for termination for convenience or termination for cause.

36. TCCD considers all information, documentation, and other materials requested to be submitted in response to this solicitation to be of a non-confidential and/or non-proprietary nature, and therefore, shall be subject to public disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act (Texas Government Code, Chapter 552.001, et seq.) (“the Act”) after a contract, if any, is awarded. If the proposer considers any information submitted in response to this request for the proposal to be confidential under law or constitute trade secrets or other protected information, the proposer must identify such materials in the proposal response.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the identification of such materials would not be construed or require TCCD to act in contravention of its obligation to comply with the Act and the proposer releases TCCD from any liability or responsibility for maintaining the confidentiality of such documents.

37. Validity Period: Proposals are to be valid for TCCD’s acceptance for a minimum of 180 days for the submittal deadline date to allow for evaluation, selection, and any unforeseen delays.

Proposals, if accepted shall remain valid for the life of the Agreement.

38. Term and conditions: The TCCD Standard Terms and Conditions shall govern any purchase order/contract issued as a result of this solicitation (RFP), you can review: The TCCD Standard Terms and Conditions are also part of the Bonfire platform for your agreement.

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39. Force Majeure - Neither Firm nor the District shall be responsible or deemed to be in fault of its obligations to the other to the extent any failure to perform or delay in performing its obligations under this RFP is caused by events or conditions beyond the reasonable control of that party and are not due to the negligence or willful misconduct of such party. For purposes of this RFP, Force Majeure events shall include, but not be limited to, acts of God or public enemy, war, riot or civil commotion, conditions due to governmental law, regulations, ordinances, an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, executive decree or order. However, in the event of such delay(s) or nonperformance, the party so delayed shall furnish prompt written notice to the other party (including the date of inception of the Force Majeure event and the extent to which it will affect performance) and shall undertake all efforts reasonably possible to cure the delay or nonperformance and mitigate its effects or to otherwise perform. The District shall not be responsible for payment for any product or service delayed or foreclosed by any Force Majeure event unless and until such delayed or foreclosed product or service is provided. The provisions of the section shall not preclude the District from canceling or terminating any resulting award (or any order for any goods or services included herein) or from revising the scope of work, as otherwise permitted under this RFP.

40. Inter-local/Cooperative Purchase

The proposer agrees that any agreement inclusive of pricing resulting from this solicitation is extended to other public entities (e.g., a state agency, local government, State of Texas educational institutions) authorized by State law to participate under cooperative procurement contracts or Interlocal Agreements with the following understandings:

Unless specifically stated otherwise, any volume of products or services stated in this RFP document reflects only products or services to be purchased by TCCD and does not include potential purchases by other entities;

The awarded bidder shall establish a direct relationship with each entity concerning the placement of orders, issuance of the purchase order, contractual disputes, invoicing, payment, and all other matters relating or referring to such entity’s access to the agreement;

TCCD shall not be held liable for any costs; damages, or other obligations incurred by any participating entity;

It is the entity’s decision whether to enter into an agreement with the awarded bidder/proposer; and

Any purchases made by an entity shall be in accordance with each entity’s Procurement policy and procedures.

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As permitted under Inter-local Cooperation Act C Texas Government Code, Chapter 791, other governmental entities may wish to also participate under the same terms and conditions contained in this contract. If this solicitation does not specifically list additional entities, each entity wishing to participate must have prior authorization from Tarrant County College and the vendor. If such participation is authorized, all purchase orders will be issued directly from and shipped directly to the entity requiring the goods or services. Tarrant County College shall not be held responsible for any orders placed, deliveries made, or payment for goods or services ordered by the entities. The proposer is to state their willingness to allow other governmental entities to participate in this contract if awarded.

44. Eligibility for Award

For a proposer to be eligible to be awarded a contract, the proposal must be responsive to the solicitation and TCCD must be able to determine that the proposer is responsible and has the resources and capacity to perform the resulting contract satisfactorily.

A. Responsive.

Responsive proposals are those that comply with all material aspects of the solicitation, conform to the solicitation documents, and meet the requirements outlined in this solicitation. Proposals, which do not comply with all the terms and conditions of this solicitation, will be rejected as non-responsive

B. Responsible.

Responsible proposers, at a minimum, must meet the following requirements:

Have adequate financial resources, or the ability to obtain such resources as required during the performance of any resulting contract;

Be able to comply with the required performance schedule, taking into consideration all existing business commitments;

Have a satisfactory record of past performance;

Have necessary personnel and management capability to perform any resulting contract;

Be qualified as an established firm regularly engaged in the type of business necessary to fulfill the contract requirements;

Certify that the firm is not delinquent in any tax owed to the State of Texas under

Chapter 171, Tax Code; and is not delinquent in taxes to the TCCD; signing and submitting the proposal is so certifying to such non-delinquency; and

Be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive an award under applicable laws and regulations.

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C. Proposers may be requested to submit additional written evidence verifying that the firm meets the minimum requirements described. Failure to provide any requested additional information may result in the proposer being declared non-responsive and the proposal being rejected.

D. A person is not eligible to be considered for award of this solicitation, or any resulting contract, or to be a subcontractor of the proposer or prime contractor if the person assisted in the development of this solicitation or any part of this solicitation which such participation would give the person special knowledge that would give that person an unfair advantage over other proposers.