59-P2383 - Call Center Services_Final_4.2.2024.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina A&T State University

Request for Proposal #: 59-P2383

Call Center Services

Date of Issue: April 3, 2024

Proposal Opening Date: April 24, 2024

At 3:00 p.m. ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Martinique “Nikki” Williams

Director of Procurement Services

Email: mcwilli2@ncat.edu

Ver: 11/2023

Request for Proposal #

59-P2383

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 at https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login https://vendor.ncgov.com/vendor/login

Proposal Number: 59-P2383 Vendor: __________________________________________

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Martinique “Nikki” Williams mcwilli2@ncat.edu

Request for Proposal #: 59-P2383

Proposals will be publicly opened: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Commodity No. and Description: 80000000 / Management and Business

Professionals and Administrative Services

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:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY & STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO:

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: FAX NUMBER:

North Carolina A&T State University

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least sixty 60 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____________, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of Director of Procurement Services)

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

1.1 Purpose

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (“University”) is seeking proposals from qualified firms for Call Center Services in accordance with the Scope of Work specified in this Request for Proposal (RFP). The University desires to partner with a company to provide in bound telephone, chat, text, outbound campaigns, and e-mail support services to handle calls for Student Support Services. Proposals should address these areas. While the above-named services are separate, functional areas within the university, require transparent Student Support Services call support for anyone requesting assistance. Services are required to support students, faculty and staff. The University is looking for a tiered business model that will include clear escalation policies, knowledge management, service level agreements, data analytics, metrics and extended hours of support. Service providers should expect specific services to be selected on an if needed, as needed basis; and volume of call support cannot be guaranteed.

For the purpose of this RFP, Student Support Services includes but is not limited to the following areas: Financial Aid Department, Treasurer Department (Accounts Receivable), Admissions Office, Registrar (Records) Office, and the Center for Academic Excellence – Advising Office. Because of the nature of financial aid processing, accounts receivable services and general student services, there is a large number of calls presented, handled and abandoned (Refer to Section 5: Scope of Work), and a significant overlap in questions handled by a call support center. (Refer to SAMPLE QUESTIONS). For purposes of this RFP, the Financial Aid, Student Services and Accounts Receivable Service functions are to be considered as one functional area for call support

1.2 Background

Longitudinal data indicates N.C. A&T peaks in phone volume are seasonal in nature. The largest spikes fall within four (4) specific periods:

a) August and September – opening of the fall semester;

b) October and/or November – spring semester registration

c) January – opening of the spring semester

d) April – priority registration for fall/end of the academic year

During the month of May 2023, Student Support Service Offices, received 29,188 phone calls. This call volume number does not include the IT Help Desk, the campus main number, offices located in Student Affairs (Housing) or Campus Enterprise (Bookstore).

The student experience for both current and prospective students is adversely affected because the volume of calls received exceeds the current capacity.

Most of these departments have employees that are hired to complete daily operational tasks; not related to answering telephone inquiries. A snap shot below provides a summary of the phone calls from May 1 thorough May 31, 2023.

Table 1: Summary of Phone Calls from May 1 through May 31, 2023

Dept: Calls Placed Calls Answered Calls Abandoned % of Calls Handled

Registrar 7594 5454 2140 72%

Admissions 10133 6081 4052 60%

Treasurer 4026 2850 1176 71%

Financial Aid 7158 5468 1690 76%

CAE 277 155 122 56%

University Impact

On average 31% of the calls were abandoned in a one-month period, current students, prospective students, parents, and alumni within the 31%, did not receive the information they were seeking, had to spend more of their time to call back or write an email, and did not have a good “Aggie Experience”. If their concern was an unresolved problem, the inability to speak with someone exasperates the issue.

Table 2: Call Volume by Student Support Area – November 19, 2023

Application Name

Called Number Calls

Presented

Flow- In

Flow- Out Calls

Handled

Avg

Calls

Handled

Avg Speed Of Answer

Avg

Talk Time

Avg

Work Time

Calls

Abandoned

Avg

Calls

Abandoned

Avg

Abandoned

Time

Admissions 3055180699 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 54932 65 0 5 65 100% 0:02:13 0:02:15 0:00:29 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 54140 20477 0 2355 8085 39% 0:02:37 0:02:17 0:00:26 12392 61% 0:02:36

Admissions 47595 26 0 2 26 100% 0:02:41 0:02:22 0:00:27 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 8602053354 1 0 0 1 100% 0:02:04 0:04:46 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 54931 279 0 14 278 100% 0:03:26 0:03:05 0:00:26 1 0% 0:00:32

Admissions 7043919631 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 47195 7 0 0 7 100% 0:09:03 0:02:23 0:00:46 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 1 1 0 0 0% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 1 100% 0:06:53

Admissions 47946 105846 1 15966 53666 51% 0:02:27 0:02:19 0:00:26 52180 49% 0:02:28

Admissions 918647720453 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 47721 2 0 0 2 100% 0:09:19 0:41:11 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 54933 4 0 0 4 100% 0:00:06 0:02:34 0:00:20 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 47973 84 0 0 84 100% 0:02:28 0:02:51 0:00:26 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 54053 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:08 0:00:01 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 919122246000 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:03 0:03:14 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Admissions 7043719772 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:02 0:01:45 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

CAE 54932 1 0 1 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

CAE 47855 2708 0 667 1632 60% 0:00:25 0:04:48 0:01:22 1076 40% 0:01:02

CAE 54068 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

CAE 47595 2 0 0 2 100% 0:00:17 0:05:23 0:01:08 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 54933 8 0 0 8 100% 0:05:27 0:06:33 0:00:07 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 52849 41395 0 0 11748 28% 0:07:34 0:05:05 0:00:25 29647 72% 0:05:15

Financial Aid 54109 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 9108539518 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:08 0:08:23 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 47195 2 0 0 2 100% 0:10:48 0:02:41 0:00:15 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 47721 40 0 0 40 100% 0:02:36 0:07:11 0:00:26 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 12593 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 54015 13 0 0 2 15% 0:00:08 0:04:45 0:00:30 11 85% 0:00:08

Financial Aid 9105847164 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:03 0:02:27 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 912402537805 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 47500 17 0 0 0 0% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 17 100% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 8602053354 1 0 0 1 100% 0:04:26 0:00:44 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 3369297675 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:01 0:02:30 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 914109215613 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:05 0:07:00 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 3173459355 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:03 0:02:59 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 54931 7610 6722 0 4449 58% 0:03:01 0:04:31 0:00:26 3161 42% 0:03:48

Financial Aid 4439831580 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:11 0:03:54 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 913362548447 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 913365496609 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 47595 3 0 0 3 100% 0:00:03 0:08:00 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 54932 5 0 0 5 100% 0:02:05 0:04:09 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 47973 33804 48 0 24001 71% 0:02:44 0:04:35 0:00:27 9803 29% 0:03:04

Financial Aid 912029149476 1 0 0 1 100% 0:22:28 0:00:58 0:00:13 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 913474662861 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 918034793963 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:06 0:00:03 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 47946 26 0 0 26 100% 0:00:52 0:05:15 0:00:28 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 8048730716 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:02 0:02:18 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 53818 5 0 0 5 100% 0:00:01 0:08:57 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 54060 1 0 0 1 100% 0:01:21 0:01:02 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Financial Aid 54070 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:10 0:17:45 0:00:08 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 9193955985 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 912024871365 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 913362107724 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:20 0:01:27 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 912816247967 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 47973 47 0 1 47 100% 0:01:19 0:03:37 0:00:23 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 917575817304 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 54071 2 0 0 2 100% 0:00:03 0:00:45 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 913477570669 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 4144297392 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:02 0:01:46 0:00:21 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 53818 2 0 0 2 100% 0:01:08 0:05:28 0:00:17 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 47195 5 0 0 5 100% 0:03:24 0:04:47 0:00:48 0 0% 0:00:00

Registrar 913363825769 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:12 0:01:58 0:00:18 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 54932 7736 7100 298 4209 54% 0:01:00 0:02:34 0:00:23 3527 46% 0:01:1

Registrar 52850 28250 0 1153 17876 63% 0:01:03 38:35:32 0:00:22 10374 37% 0:01:1

Registrar 54931 97 0 2 97 100% 0:01:17 0:03:18 0:00:24 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 47721 8 0 0 8 100% 0:03:18 0:03:37 0:00:25 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 54070 1 0 0 1 100% 0:01:27 0:01:17 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 47595 33232 74 313 23958 72% 0:01:08 0:03:03 0:00:24 9274 28% 0:01:1

Registrar 913366018103 1 0 0 1 100% 0:04:12 0:03:00 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 54447 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:07 0:01:48 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 54933 3 0 0 3 100% 0:01:32 0:03:07 0:00:15 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 47946 45 0 0 45 100% 0:00:43 0:03:58 0:00:24 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 917577767355 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 913366921237 1 0 0 1 100% 0:01:54 0:01:09 0:00:04 0 0% 0:00:0

Registrar 5166684532 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:02 0:09:09 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 54931 84 0 0 84 100% 0:01:26 0:03:03 0:00:26 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 4048619361 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 47595 12 0 0 12 100% 0:00:16 0:02:20 0:00:26 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 47973 149 0 0 148 99% 0:00:48 0:02:50 0:00:25 1 1% 0:00:0

Treasurer 54933 1576 1546 0 966 61% 0:01:12 0:02:26 0:00:11 610 39% 0:01:4

Treasurer 9514903428 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:16 0:15:05 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 4438032310 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:12 0:06:37 0:00:17 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 9102864859 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 919803180387 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:10 0:01:21 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 915713347462 1 0 0 1 100% 0:00:41 0:01:04 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 47721 30555 19 0 18992 62% 0:01:31 0:02:43 0:00:24 11563 38% 0:01:3

Treasurer 54932 8 0 0 8 100% 0:01:13 0:03:09 0:00:21 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 912488423898 1 0 0 1 100% 0:02:26 0:03:59 0:00:30 0 0% 0:00:0

Treasurer 47946 11 0 0 11 100% 0:01:56 0:05:04 0:00:18 0 0% 0:00:0

314299 15511 20777 170661 54% 143638 46%

The intent of this solicitation is to award an University Contract.

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of three (3) years, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”).

The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within sixty (60) business days of the Effective Date.

At the end of the Contract’s initial term, the University shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to three (3) additional one-year terms. The University will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than sixty (60) days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the University reserves the right to extend the Contract after the last active term.

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 PROPOSAL 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 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 the University determines that any changes will be made because of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. The University 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, the University 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).

The University 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.

2.3 RFP SCHEDULE

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

Event Responsibility Date and Time

Issue RFP University Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Hold Pre-Proposal Meeting/Site Visit University N/A

Submit Written Questions Vendor Friday, April 12, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET

Provide Response to Questions University Wednesday, April 17, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. ET

Submit Proposals Vendor Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. ET

*Oral Presentations Vendor TBD

Response Evaluation Complete University Friday, May 17, 2024

Contract Award University June 1, 2024

Note 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. If presentations are requested, vendors will be notified via email with an invitation to attend a presentation. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the

2.4 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 mcwilli2@ncat.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP #59-

P2383: 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:

Reference Vendor Question

RFP Section, Page Number Vendor question …?

Questions received prior to the submission deadline date, the University’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the University 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 University 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.

2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal Bonfire.

BONFIRE INSTRUCTIONS

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the responsibility of the Vendor to have the signed quote physically in Bonfire by the specified time and date of opening. This is an absolute requirement. Bonfire will not allow the response to be submitted after the specified date and time.

All proposal responses shall be submitted electronically at Bonfire using the link below. WE WILL NOT ACCEPT PAPER

RESPONSES.

https://ncat.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

- For Technical Information Contact: Bonfire Support by 1-800-354-8010 Ext. 2 Support by phone and email is available Monday – Friday from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM ET.

- 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 proposing on this RFP periodically check the State’s eVP website for any Addenda that may be posted regarding this solicitation.

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.

https://evp.nc.gov/

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.

2.6 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 the

University rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the University’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 – responses to areas that require vendor input.

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

g) Completed version of ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

h) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

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

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

k) Completed version of ATTACHMENT H: COMPANY EXPERIENCE

l) Completed version of ATTACHMENT I: STAFFING AND TRAINING

m) Completed version of ATTACHMENT J: SERVICE

n) Completed version of ATTACHMENT K: METRICS AND REPORTS

o) Completed version of ATTACHMENT L: QUALITY ASSURANCE

p) Completed version of ATTACHMENT M: TECHNOLOGY

q) Completed version of ATTACHMENT N: PROJECT PLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION

r) Complete the questions in Bonfire related to CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

s) Completed and signed version of CERTIFICATION FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS, LOANS, AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS and

OMB STANDARD FORM LLL

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 University 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 the University’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.

While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s) to a single Vendor, the University reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more line items, to not award one or more line items or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the University to do so.

The University 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 the Paragraph 29 of the Instructions to Vendors entitled

COMMUNICTIONS 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 purchaser 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 purchaser 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.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the requirements set forth in the RFP. Responsive proposals shall be reviewed and evaluated by representatives of various areas of the University. Each committee member will individually review and evaluate the information provided in a bidder’s response, and based on the criteria below, may award up to the maximum available points for each category.

The University 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 University 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 offers, not an offer or request to contract, and the University 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 the University.

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 is 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.

Upon completion of the evaluation process, the University will make award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to the University’s eVP website under the RFP number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the University.

The University reserves the right to negotiate with one or more vendors, or to reject all original offers and negotiate with one or more sources of supply that may be capable of satisfying the requirement, and in either case to require Vendor to submit a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) based on discussions and negotiations with the University.

3.4 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 the University:

Technical Category

Criteria Maximum Points

Available

Company: Background and Experience 20

Methodology in providing service, including the ability to meet minimum service level standards as described in the RFP.

Metrics and Report 40

Quality Assurance 20

Technical Capabilities 20

Implementation plan and timeframes 30

Staffing 20

Contract Management 20

References 5

Technical Category Maximum Available Points 215

Price Category

Criteria Maximum Available

Points

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

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

35 points x the cost of the lowest cost proposal the cost of the cost proposal being evaluated

Price Category Maximum Available Points 35

Category Maximum

Available

Points

Technical 215

Price 35

Total Maximum Available Points 250

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the University 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 the University:

a) Total cost to the University

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

d) Protection of the University’s information and intellectual property

e) Availability of pertinent skills

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

g) Particular risk factors such as the security of the University’s information technology

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

This RFP serves two functions: (1) to advise potential Vendors of the parameters of the solution being sought by the University;

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, the University will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the University’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 the University 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 University 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 the University for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including implementation (planning, service design, training, etc.), ongoing Tier 1 call center support (per call, per minute, and all other costs such as software licensing, ADA/foreign language speaking services, transportation, handling administrative and other similar fees, etc.) Unless requested by the evaluation committee, any costs and expenses not clearly identified as part of the proposal may not be considered at a later date. Bidders should provide complete costing for individual

Student Support Services. Optional costs should be clearly identified as such separately. Complete the PRICING Table in Bonfire..

The pricing submitted in Bonfire, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting

Contract.

4.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the University. The standard format for invoicing shall be single invoices (e.g., monthly quarterly or annually) for call cost. If there are additional costs, depending on an agreement of such, the University shall agree on the frequency of the invoice. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow the University to verify pricing that matches the correct price from a contract. The following fields shall be included on all invoices, as relevant:

Vendor’s Billing Address, University Customer Account Number, Invoicing Period, University Purchase Order Number, Service/Product Descriptions, Price, Quantity, and Unit of Measure.

Vendor shall submit all invoices in accordance to the Bill To information on the purchase order:

By Email: NCAT.Invoices@trustflowds.com (invoice must be attached to the email)

Or

By Mail: Accounts Payable North Carolina A&T State University PO Box 3986 Scranton, PA 18505

4.3 PURCHASE ORDERS

The University shall issue a purchase order(s) for the services rendered. The Vendor shall be responsible for ensuring the appropriate purchase order number is on each invoice submitted to the University for payment processing.

4.4 FINANCIAL STABILITY

As a condition of contract award, the Vendor must certify that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue to perform its obligations under the Contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into a Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction.

Each Vendor shall certify it is financially stable by completing ATTACHMENT G: CERTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL CONDITION. The

University is requiring this certification to minimize potential issues from contracting with a Vendor that is financially unstable.

From the date of the Certification to the expiration of the Contract, the Vendor shall notify the University within thirty (30) days of any occurrence or condition that materially alters the truth of any statement made in this Certification. The Contract Manager may require annual recertification of the Vendor’s financial stability.

4.5 HUB PARTICIPATION

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute G.S. 143-48, it is University policy to encourage and promote the use of small, minority, physically handicapped, and women contractors in purchasing Goods and Services. As such, this RFP will serve to identify those

Vendors that are minority owned or have a strategic plan to support the University’s Historically Underutilized Business program by meeting or exceeding the goal of 10% utilization of diverse firms as 1st or 2nd tier subcontractors. Vendor shall complete

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION.

4.6 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

In its Proposal, Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public and/or private sector clients with similar or greater size and complexity to the University. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person.

mailto:NCAT.Invoices@trustflowds.com

4.7 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) current references and three (3) former references, using ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER

REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. The University 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.

4.8 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Vendor and its personnel are required to provide or undergo background checks at Vendor’s expense prior to beginning work with the University. As part of Vendor background, the following details must be provided to the University within twenty-four hours

(24) if requested:

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 University 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 University or federal regulatory agencies of which Vendor has knowledge or a statement that there are none.

e) Any civil litigation, arbitration, proceeding, 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 University 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.

4.8.1 BACKGROUND CHECK LIMITATIONS

Any individual representing the Vendor, who:

a) In his/her lifetime, has been adjudicated as a habitual felon as defined by GS 14-7.1 or a violent habitual felon as defined by

GS 14-7.7, shall not be allowed to work in buildings occupied by University Government employees.

b) During the last seven (7) years has been convicted of any criminal felony or misdemeanor sexual offense or a crime of violence shall not be allowed to work in buildings occupied by University Government employees.

c) At any time has an outstanding warrant or a criminal charge for a crime described in (b) above shall not be allowed to work on University property.

d) The Vendor must ensure that all employees have a responsibility to self-report to the Vendor within twenty-four (24) hours any arrest for any disqualifying offense. The Vendor must notify the Contract Administrator within twenty-four (24) hours of all details concerning any reported arrest.

e) Upon the request of the Contract Administrator, the Vendor will re-screen any of its employees, agents, representatives, and subcontractors during the term of the Contract.

f) Vendor’s responses to these background check requests shall be considered a continuing representation, and Vendor’s failure to notify the University within thirty (30) days of any criminal charge, 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.

g) If there are problems or delays with performance associated with the completion and compliance with this background check requirements, any Vendor’s performance bond could be used to complete these Services.

4.8.2 DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Required documentation to be submitted to the University (if requested) for Services shall include:

a) A cover letter by the Vendor on company letterhead with a list of the full names matching a required government issued photo

ID, addresses, and birth dates of each person representing the contracting company.

b) Vendor shall also provide a photocopy of the required State or Federal government issued picture ID or Driver License.

c) A letter on company letterhead is not acceptable proof, but can be used to further clarify information on the criminal background check submitted. All documentation shall be submitted at the same time. Submit documents which are clear and legible.

d) Background checks consisting of:

1. Original unaltered criminal background check from the organization providing the background check.

2. The background check provider’s company name, company mailing address, and contact phone numbers.

3. The full name of the individual, which matches the government issued photo ID.

4. The current address of individual being checked.

5. The date the criminal background check search was conducted.

4.8.3 VENDOR BACKGROUND CHECK AGREEMENT

Vendor agrees to conduct a criminal background check per the specifications above in this section on all employees proposed to work under this Contract, at its expense, and provide the required documentation to the University in order to perform Services under this Contract: YES NO

4.9 PERSONNEL/ STAFFING

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 the University. 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. The University will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The University may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the

University may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.10 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 University 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 all of 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.

4.11 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…