68-SOCTT0926.pdf

August 5, 2026

OFFER

The Purchasing Agency solicits offers for Services and/or goods described in this solicitation. All offers and responses received shall be treated as Offers to contract as defined in 9 NCAC 06A.0102(12).

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposal (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned offers and agrees to furnish any or all Services or goods upon which prices are offered, at the price(s) offered herein, within the time specified herein.

Failure to execute/sign offer prior to submittal shall render offer invalid. Late offers are not acceptable.

OFFEROR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

CITY, STATE & ZIP: PHONE:

NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: E-MAIL:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE:

Offer valid for one hundred twenty (120) days from date of offer opening unless otherwise stated here: ____ days

ACCEPTANCE OF OFFER

If any or all parts of this offer are accepted, an authorized representative of The University of North Carolina shall affix its signature hereto and any subsequent Request for Best and Final Offer, if issued. Acceptance shall create a contract having an order of precedence as follows: Best and Final Offers, if any, Special terms and conditions specific to this RFP, Specifications of the RFP, the Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions, and the agreed portion of the awarded Vendor’s Offer. A copy of this acceptance will be forwarded to the awarded Vendor(s).

FOR UNIVERSITY USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded this date, , as indicated on attached certification, by (Authorized representative of The University of North Carolina).

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 68-SOCTT0926

University of North Carolina Contract Name: Credit Transfer Technology

Bid Opening Date: October 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. EDT

Refer ALL inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Bob Myers 68-SOTT0926 Questions rbmyers@northcarolina.edu

Issue Date: September 15, 2026 Commodity Code: 43231513 – Student Administration Software Purchasing Agency: University of North Carolina

Requisition No.:

https://forms.gle/RmE1MLtzidnoQSjM7 mailto:rbmyers@northcarolina.edu

Table of Contents

1.0 ANTICIPATED Procurement Schedule

2.0 Purpose of RFP

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Agency Background

2.3 SUMMARY OF PROBLEM Statement

2.4 Contract Term

2.5 Effective Date

2.6 Contract Type

3.0 RFP requirements and Specifications

3.1 General requirements and Specifications

3.2 Security Specifications

3.3 Enterprise Specifications

3.3.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS

3.3.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP

3.3.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT

3.3.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH

3.3.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

3.3.6 DATA MIGRATION

3.3.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

3.3.8 ACCESSIBILITY

3.4 Business and Technical Requirements

3.5 Business and Technical Specifications

4.0 Cost of Vendor’s Offer

4.1 Offer Costs

4.2 Payment Schedule

5.0 Evaluation

5.1 Source Selection

5.2 Evaluation Criteria

5.3 Best and Final Offers (BAFO)

5.4 POSSESSION AND REVIEW

6.0 Vendor Information and Instructions

6.1 General Conditions of Offer

6.2 General Instructions for Vendor

6.3 Instructions for Offer Submission

7.0 Other Requirements and Special Terms

7.1 Vendor Utilization Of Workers Outside of U.S

7.2 Financial Statements

7.3 Financial Resources Assessment, Quality Assurance, Performance and Reliability

7.4 Vendor’s License or Support Agreements

7.5 Resellers

7.6 DISCLOSURE OF LITIGATION

7.7 CRIMINAL CONVICTION

7.8 Security and Background Checks

7.9 Assurances

7.10 Confidentiality of offers

7.11 Project Management

7.12 Meetings

7.13 Recycling and Source Reduction

7.14 Special Terms and Conditions

7.15 AGENCY Terms and Conditions

Attachment A: Definitions Attachment B: Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions Attachment C: Description of Offeror Attachment D: Cost Form Attachment E: Vendor Certification Form Attachment F: Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor - Disclosure Statement Attachment G: References Attachment H: Financial Review Form

1.0 ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

The Agency Procurement Agent will make every effort to adhere to the following schedule:

Action Responsibility Date

RFP Issued Agency 9/15/2026

Written Questions Deadline Potential Vendors 10/2/2026 at noon EDT

Agency’s Response to Written Questions/ RFP Addendum Issued

Agency 10/7/2026

Offer Opening Deadline Vendor(s) 10/14/2026

Contract Award Agency TBD

Protest Deadline Responding Vendors 15 days after award

2.0 PURPOSE OF RFP

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The University of North Carolina (“UNC” or “University”) System seeks student credit transfer services that will support a statewide transfer ecosystem, which will support students as they pursue pathways to graduation. A solution that will serve all students in the State and support the transfer of credits among and between institutions, reducing the time it takes to earn a degree and reduce costs. This RFP is being conducted by the UNC System Office, which seeks to build a statewide transfer ecosystem, that includes community colleges and private/independent institutions.

2.2 AGENCY BACKGROUND

The University of North Carolina is a public, multi-campus university dedicated to the service of North Carolina and its people. It encompasses the 17 diverse constituent institutions and other educational, research, and public service organizations. Each shares in the overall mission of the University. That mission is to discover, create, transmit, and apply knowledge to address the needs of individuals and society. This mission is accomplished through instruction, which communicates the knowledge and imparts the skills necessary for individuals to lead responsible, productive, and personally satisfying lives; through research, scholarship, and creative activities, which advance knowledge and enhance the educational process; and through public service, which contributes to the solution of societal problems and enriches the quality of life in the State. In the fulfillment of this mission, the University shall seek an efficient use of available resources to ensure the highest quality in its service to the citizens of the State.

2.3 SUMMARY OF PROBLEM STATEMENT

The UNC System’s Strategic Plan explicitly calls for improved transfer student services that will reduce the time required to earn a degree post-transfer and reduce the overall cost for the degree. Through the many transfer and student success-focused projects across the state, the UNC System remains dedicated to improving the transfer student experience, increasing transfer credit mobility and applicability, and increasing degree completion for transfer students by addressing lost credits, pre-transfer advising, inconsistent transfer planning processes, and interinstitutional data operability.

Currently, most institutions of higher education possess the tools and technology to support their currently enrolled students from application to enrollment to graduation. This often includes inputting data into student information systems, connecting student progress to degree plans, and using data to support student advising through graduation. This is an effective system when students arrive at the institution having earned no prior academic credit and do not matriculate at any other institutions. The changing dynamics and demographics in postsecondary education, however, clearly show that students are choosing to attend more than one postsecondary institution and accumulate academic credit from a variety of sources. What has followed is significant struggles in credit loss and credit applicability towards graduation—some credits are indeed transferred, but many are not applied towards a degree of study and count only as elective credits. This loss of credit applicability can be as detrimental to student progress as limits on credit transferability.

The concept of interoperable data systems to better serve students in their decision-making is not new and has been a core element of the state’s pursuit of its educational attainment goal. In 2023, the North Carolina State Legislature commissioned a report on interoperable data systems and their viability to support the state’s educational attainment goal. The report calls for, among other things, ways to increase pathway visibility, reduce transfer inefficiencies that lead to excessive manual efforts by institutions, and improve available technology to reduce the loss of credits and time-to-degree for students hoping to move between institutions.

From that report, the UNC System Office utilizes two working definitions to guide our data-related transfer efforts:

1. Interconnected data systems: the ability to share data seamlessly and with limited manual effort across sources and systems.

2. Interoperable data systems: supports the design of business processes to respond to interconnected data systems, enabling improve coordination and collaboration across organizational boundaries.

This RFP looks for technology solutions that support interoperable data systems to facilitate the transfer of academic credit across institutions of higher education in North Carolina. This approach is two-fold, looking at solutions for UNC System universities as well as students, families, and professionals involved in transfer student success. All responses should include appropriate data governance, privacy, and consent requirements common to projects involving student and institutional data.

For UNC System constituent institutions, the University seeks solutions that address three specific needs (please respond to one, two, or all requirements, detailing how they might operate individually or collectively):

1. Expedite transfer credit evaluation

a. Modernize and expand institutional transfer equivalency databases

b. Create workflows for transfer credit review by faculty

c. Store equivalencies determined by institution to reduce re-review of same coursework

d. Reduce manual transfer credit data entry

2. Integrates with existing degree audit systems and student information systems to provide accurate transfer credit evaluations and planning, across multiple institutions (that are connected to this project)

3. Dramatically improve the current reverse transfer system, resulting in automatic processing of student transcripts and automatic identification of earned credentials.

These three needs are viewed as part of two phases of academic journeys which the UNC System looks to support students, advisors, and institutions.

1. Pre-Transfer Technology that allows students to:

a. Upload student transcripts/documentation of prior learning and extracts, receives, or exchanges university-earned credit data through approved APIs or other institution-approved integration methods

b. View and compare established equivalencies at all UNC institutions

c. Create preliminary degree plans that show how transfer credits apply within a specific major

i. Compare degree plans for different majors AND at different UNC institutions

d. Clearly see how transferring with the protections of an articulation agreement applies to their university degree plan

e. Review “if/then” scenarios (in terms of university, major, credits in progress, associate degree completion, etc.)

2. Post-Transfer Technology that:

a. Identifies eligible Reverse Transfer students upon transfer to UNC institutions

b. Electronically transfers university-earned credits back to appropriate NC Community College without official transcript request (operating under appropriate privacy protections)

c. Establishes a data-exchange workflow between universities and NC community colleges

d. Reduces manual labor at community colleges – automatically receives university credits into student information systems, identifies community college equivalencies, and applies credit to student’s former course of study

i. Or identifies other potential credentials

e. Identifies earned or near-earned credentials based not only on program of study but from every available credential at an institution.

2.4 CONTRACT TERM

A contract awarded pursuant to this RFP shall have an effective date as provided in the Notice of Award.

The term shall be one (1) year, from November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2027, unless otherwise stated in the Notice of Award, or unless terminated earlier. The State retains the option to extend the Agreement for one (1) one-year period at its sole discretion.

2.5 EFFECTIVE DATE

This solicitation, including any Exhibits, or any resulting contract or amendment shall not become effective nor bind the State until the appropriate State purchasing authority/official or Agency official has signed the document(s), contract or amendment; the effective award date has been completed on the document(s), by the State purchasing official, and that date has arrived or passed. The State shall not be responsible for reimbursing the Vendor for goods provided nor Services rendered prior to the appropriate signatures and the arrival of the effective date of the Agreement. No contract shall be binding on the State until an encumbrance of funds has been made for payment of the sums due under the Agreement.

2.6 CONTRACT TYPE

Definite Quantity Contract - This request is for a close-ended contract between the awarded Vendor and the State to furnish a pre-determined quantity of a good or service during a specified period of time.

The State reserves the right to make partial, progressive or multiple awards where it is advantageous to award separately by items; where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated specifications as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; or where other factors are deemed to be necessary or proper to the purchase in question.

3.0 RFP REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1.1 REQUIREMENTS

Requirement means, as used herein, a function, feature, or performance that the System must provide. If the offer can not meet the requirements, they will not be evaluated.

3.1.2 SPECIFICATIONS

Specification means, as used herein, a detailed description that documents the function and performance of a system or system component.

The apparent silence of the specifications as to any detail, or the apparent omission of detailed description concerning any point, shall be regarded as meaning that only the best commercial practice is to prevail and that only processes, configurations, materials and workmanship of the first quality may be used. Upon any notice of noncompliance provided by the State, Vendor shall supply proof of compliance with the specifications. Vendor must provide written notice of its intent to deliver alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or other Deliverables. Alternate or substitute Services, products, goods or Deliverables may be accepted or rejected in the sole discretion of the State; and any such alternates or substitutes must be accompanied by Vendor’s certification and evidence satisfactory to the State that the function, characteristics, performance and endurance will be equal or superior to the original Deliverables specified.

3.1.3 SITE AND SYSTEM PREPARATION

Vendors shall provide the Purchasing State Agency complete site requirement specifications for the Deliverables, if any. These specifications shall ensure that the Deliverables to be installed or implemented shall operate properly and efficiently within the site and system environment. Any alterations or modification in site preparation, which are directly attributable to incomplete or erroneous specifications provided by the Vendor and which would involve additional expenses to the State, shall be made at the expense of the Vendor.

3.1.4 EQUIVALENT ITEMS

Whenever a material, article or piece of equipment is identified in the specification(s) by reference to a manufacturer’s or Vendor’s name, trade name, catalog number or similar identifier, it is intended to establish a standard for determining substantial conformity during evaluation, unless otherwise specifically stated as a brand specific requirement (no substitute items will be allowed). Any material, article or piece of equipment of other manufacturers or Vendors shall perform to the standard of the item named. Equivalent offers must be accompanied by sufficient descriptive literature and/or specifications to provide for detailed comparison.

3.1.5 ENTERPRISE LICENSING

In offering the best value to the State, Vendors are encouraged to leverage the State’s existing resources and license agreements, which can be viewed here:

https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/statewide-it-contracts

a) Identify components or products that are needed for your solution that may not be available with the State’s existing license agreement.

b) Identify and explain any components that are missing from the State’s existing license agreement.

c) If the Vendor can provide a more cost effective licensing agreement, please explain in detail the agreement and how it would benefit the State.

3.2 SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.2.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

Reserved.

https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/statewide-it-contracts

3.2.2 SOLUTIONS NOT HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

The Agency (named on page one (1)) has designated this solicitation to receive and securely manage data that is classified as:

Agency has selected:

Restricted - Restricted data represents the highest risk to the State, State Agencies, and constituents if it is disclosed or compromised. This information is likely to be regulated by State or Federal law, and access to it is restricted to a limited audience (e.g., State and Federal Tax Information [FTI], Payment Card data, Protected Health Information [PHI], Criminal Justice Information [CJI], Social Security Administration provided information, etc.)

Confidential - Includes information that is limited to a small audience with a need-to-know or legitimate business case (e.g., State employee personnel records, trade secrets, student records, sensitive public security information, etc.). If exposed to unauthorized parties, data from this category will cause high impact consequences such as regulatory fines, inability to recruit talent, loss of confidence, and/or damage to vendor relationships. This is not a complete list and is subject to legislative changes.

Internal - This is information typically used within the agency and not for public sharing. Most documents are classified as Internal within the organization, and most State employees would have access. This type of data, if exposed to unauthorized parties, would have a very limited impact on an agency’s reputation, compliance requirements or ability to achieve strategic goals.

Internally classified data does not contain direct identifiers. Often, the effects of the loss of data can be recognized in very subtle ways and may not lead to clear negative consequences causing confusion due to lack of context or minor reputational harm.

Public - Data that is open to public inspection according to state and federal law, or readily available through public sources.

Refer to the North Carolina Statewide Data Classification and Handling policy for more information regarding data classification. The policy is located at the following website:

https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy.

To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, State agencies are required to perform annual security/risk assessments on their information systems using NIST 800-53 controls.

This requirement additionally applies to all Vendor-provided, agency-managed Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions which will handle data classified as Internal, Confidential, or Restricted.

(a) To comply with the State’s Security Standards and Policies, cloud products are required to comply with applicable FedRAMP or GovRAMP security requirements, including but not limited to, continuous monitoring, incident response, and data classification as outlined in GovRAMP documentation.

(b) To streamline and standardize this requirement the State has adopted GovRAMP which is a Risk and Authorization Management Program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. GovRAMP’s security verification model is based on NIST 800-53 Rev. 5 (or current).

(c) The required GovRAMP verified status will depend on the sensitivity of the data and processes supported by the solution as defined in the Statewide Data Classification and Handling Policy.

(d) For purposes of this solicitation, in accordance with the North Carolina Department of Information Technology Statewide Information Security Manual, a GovRAMP verified status of Ready is required. At offer submission, if the protected system does not currently hold a validated GovRAMP status, the Vendor will be required to provide their GovRAMP Security

X https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy

Snapshot Score and upon request, the complete Snapshot Matrix. If awarded the contract, Vendor shall have an interim period from the effective date of the contract to achieve the verified GovRAMP status outlined above. The interim time periods for each data classification that requires a verified status are further described below. The Vendor shall provision access to the State to their continuous monitoring packages at a [standard] or [elevated] access level within fourteen (14) days of contract award, and seven (7) days of any subsequent GovRAMP status changes. If a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is required by the Vendor, a copy of the NDA must be uploaded with the response and executed by the Vendor and the State at the time of contract award.

o Public - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Public data, the Vendor must submit an updated score for the product annually throughout the contract duration that meets or exceeds the original score at time of contract award. Products with GovRAMP Core, Ready, Authorized or Provisionally Authorized statuses or FedRAMP Rev. 5 authorization also satisfy the security requirement.

o Internal - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Internal data, the Vendor must either achieve the status of GovRAMP Core prior to award, or agree to achieve GovRAMP Core status within an interim time period, no later than twelve (12) months from the effective date of the contract.

o Confidential - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Confidential data, the Vendor must either achieve a status of GovRAMP Ready, or agree to achieve GovRAMP Ready status no later than fifteen (15) months from the effective date of the contract.

o Restricted - For third-party cloud services where the highest category of information to be processed is Restricted Data, the Vendor must either achieve a status of GovRAMP Authorized, or agree to achieve GovRAMP Authorized status no later than twenty-one (21) months from the effective date of the contract.

Upon contract award, Vendor’s who submitted a GovRAMP Security Snapshot Score will be required to enroll in the GovRAMP Progressing Snapshot program prior to any data being transferred, stored or processed. The Vendor must complete their first Progressing Snapshot within ninety (90) days of award, with the expectation that progress will be made on a quarterly basis and access to progress reports must be provisioned to the State.

Products must maintain their participation in the Progressing Snapshot program and continued access to progress reports must be provisioned to the State until such time that they have achieved the minimum verified status outlined above. The State will review the Vendor’s progress on a quarterly basis and, in its sole discretion, may determine that the Vendor is not making satisfactory progress in the Progressing Snapshot program.

Satisfactory progress shall be a material requirement of the contract.

(e) If the Vendor holds a FedRAMP Rev. 5 authorization at time of award, this authorization can be accepted in lieu of a GovRAMP authorization. Authorizations obtained via the FedRAMP 20x Pilot Program will not be permitted.

If the Vendor’s cloud product currently holds a FedRAMP Authorized designation, at the time of award, the State may require the Vendor to initiate and actively pursue, within thirty

(30) days of award, the GovRAMP Fast Track Process, to achieve a GovRAMP Provisionally Authorized or Authorized status in order to satisfy Statewide continuous monitoring requirements.

(c) Additional Security Documentation. Prior to contract award, the State may in its discretion require the Vendor to provide additional security documentation, including but not limited to, vulnerability assessment reports and penetration test reports. The awarded Vendor shall provide additional security documentation upon request by the State during the term of the contract.

Refer to: https://it.nc.gov/documents/statewide-glossary-information-technology-terms for descriptions of the Application Criticality categories.

Refer to: http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.199.pdf for descriptions of NIST system confidentiality, integrity, and availability categories.

3.3 ENTERPRISE SPECIFICATIONS

3.3.1 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS

The State utilizes architectural diagrams to better understand the design and technologies of a proposed solution. The two diagrams are the Network Architecture and Technology Stack. Details on these diagrams can be found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192

The provision of these two diagrams is a requested at offer submission. If they are not supplied at that time, the State will formally request them of the Vendor and if they are not supplied within seven (7) calendar days, the Vendor’s offer will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated.

There may be additional architectural diagrams requested of the vendor after contract award. This will be communicated to the vendor by the agency as needed during the project.

3.3.2 SOLUTION ROADMAP

A Solution Roadmap defines the vision and strategic elements of the solution. The Solution Roadmap is a plan of action for how a Solution will evolve over time. The minimum content should include:

• Vision for the solution

• High-level functionality expected for each solution release into production environment

• High-level timeline

• Description of how customer feedback is collected and incorporated into solution enhancements

Describe the solution roadmap for your product. Include content on release strategies for functionality, roadmap for technical architecture, how scalability of solution is planned.

3.3.3 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT

The proposed solution must externalize identity and access management. The protocols describing the State’s Identity and Access Management can be found at the following link:

https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-IdentityAccessManagement-1241 Describe how your solution supports the above protocols, as well as making them available for application integration/consumption.

3.3.4 INTEGRATION APPROACH

Describe proposed solution capabilities to interoperate with other solutions. Identify the standards supported, integrations platforms, adaptors, APIs, and the like.

3.3.5 DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

Describe the proposed solution capabilities related to the following areas:

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) – describe how proposed solution supports Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) metrics.

System Backup – describe backup plan capabilities.

Disaster Recovery Testing – describe the frequency and test procedures for end-to-end disaster recovery testing. Business Continuity Plan (BCP) – describe capabilities proposed solution can provide in support of agency’s continuity of operations and incident responses.

https://it.nc.gov/documents/statewide-glossary-information-technology-terms http://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/FIPS/NIST.FIPS.199.pdf https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192 https://it.nc.gov/resources/statewide-it-procurement/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-Architecture-1192 https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#Tab-IdentityAccessManagement-1241

3.3.6 DATA MIGRATION

Describe approaches available for data conversion and/or data migration to load current data into proposed solution.

3.3.7 APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

Describe how the proposed solution monitors and reports the metrics on system performance.

Describe how the proposed solution manages user administration.

Describe the audit capabilities of proposed solution related to management of the application.

3.3.8 ACCESSIBILITY

Describe how the proposed solution complies with industry accessibility standards.

Provide product documentation that demonstrates how the proposed solution is digitally accessible or if not fully accessible, provide the roadmap with timeline for remediation.

Standards include:

• State of North Carolina Digital Accessibility & Usability Standard

• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1:

https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

• Section 508: https://www.section508.gov/

• Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®):

https://www.itic.org/policy/accessibility/vpat

ENTERPRISE, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

Vendors should refer to the Vendor Resources Page for information on North Carolina Department of Information Technology regarding architecture, security, strategy, data, digital, identity and access management and other general information on doing business with state IT process.

The Vendor Resources Page found at the following link: https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources. This site provides vendors with statewide information and links referenced throughout the RFP document. Agencies may request additional information.

3.4 BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

3.4.1

Preference will be given to solutions that address more than one requirement, i.e., a single system through which students can view their records and plan for transfer.

REQUIREMENTS (YES/NO)

1. Solutions must have the ability to integrate student academic records, academic requirements for all credentials offered by participating institutions, degree audit tools, display transferable credits and major applicable credits across participating institutions, automatically identifies students who have completed or are close to completed requirements for a degree or credential that has not been awarded (reverse transfer)

2. Solutions must be customizable in terms of individual university and community college branding

3. Solutions must allow users to compare multiple institutions and provide dashboard-like functionality

4. Solutions should produce preliminary transfer credit evaluations and degree audits and allow students to create and save transfer plans identified during usage.

5. Solutions must include “what if” transfer planning scenarios, including requirements from various statewide transfer agreements as it relates to credit waivers, transfer protections, and other https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.nc.gov%2Fdocuments%2Fdigital-accessibility-usability-standard%2Fopen&data=05%7C02%7Candrea.pacyna%40nc.gov%7C6ff711c554904ca4fefe08dea07c8d50%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C639124653982102920%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HoeiBL%2FHUIvvm3mFXH37dt6au5cZMhXaQn2%2FRa7cq3k%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fit.nc.gov%2Fdocuments%2Fdigital-accessibility-usability-standard%2Fopen&data=05%7C02%7Candrea.pacyna%40nc.gov%7C6ff711c554904ca4fefe08dea07c8d50%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C639124653982129428%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oeGml%2FBan%2FQSTWo8MqssmpzMBvwzpHSpw6av66p4rIA%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2FTR%2FWCAG21%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463390497%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=e02p3b8aB5KB1xe2s6LB3ksZyRtoo09MCHTXDzO5E6Q%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.section508.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463398992%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=pzgUTV7chyDcngdl6SvQJ3tAIz7RLJvSY02jf8A4SRg%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2Fpolicy%2Faccessibility%2Fvpat&data=05%7C02%7Cstarr.christen%40nc.gov%7C3737b44528934d4e45f508dc3a2fddad%7C7a7681dcb9d0449a85c3ecc26cd7ed19%7C0%7C0%7C638449224463405831%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5PxuYxDYvzebQ0oJ4qLv%2BXmBS25YhqJa3ms9L3r8c8c%3D&reserved=0 https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources related information, allowing for the identification of an optimal transfer pathway, such as “what if I change my major?” or “what if I transfer prior to graduating with an associate’s degree?”

REQUIREMENTS (PREFERENCES)

1. Solutions should allow for administrative access to review technology usage, identify user experiences, view course and equivalency patterns based on user inquiries

2. Preference will be given to solutions that will Create preliminary degree plans, showing how transfer credits apply within a specific major.

o This includes Clearly see how transferring with the protections of an articulation agreement applies to their university degree plan

3. Preference will be given to solutions that:

o Automate the reading of student transcripts and integrating read data into the institution’s Student Information System, expediting the credit evaluation process.

o Modernize and expand institutional transfer equivalency databases o Create workflows for transfer credit review by faculty o Store equivalencies determined by the institution to reduce re-review of coursework o Reduce manual transfer credit data entry o Dramatically improve the current reverse transfer system, resulting in automatic processing of student transcripts and automatic identification of earned credentials.

3.5 BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

3.5.1

Please answer the following questions as part of your response.

1. Describe how the solution generates recommendations for future transfer planning based on a student’s academic progress up to a point in time and program requirements in external institutions’ degree audit systems.

2. Explain how the solution identifies which courses will apply directly to an intended program of study as opposed to general transfer credit or elective credit.

3. Describe the “what if” capability of the solution for alternative programs of study, transfer pathways, and course choices.

4. Describe the search capabilities of the solution across its multiple functions, including securing user access.

5. Describe how the solution will build and expand its equivalency information and transfer pathway programming over time.

6. Describe how the solution integrates with multiple institutions and different Student Information Systems and degree audit systems.

7. Describe how the solution supports reverse transfer, not only for associate degrees but other credentials as well.

8. Describe the typical technical support roles and approximate staffing resources needed for a participating institution, including the data access needs, software and hardware needed for installation and usage, approximate number of personnel hours needed, etc.

9. Describe any other features not addressed elsewhere that supports transfer student and transfer program success.

10. Describe how this solution will improve the importing of transfer credits from external transcripts, expedite the transfer credit evaluation process, and improve transfer credit evaluation workflows for participating institutions.

11. Describe how the solution will improve the exchange of student course data between NC Community Colleges and UNC System institutions.

12. Describe how the solution offers opportunities to integrate with existing UNC System technology projects, specifically the Military Equivalency System and Common Numbering System.

13. Detail how the solution will be designed as a web-enabled, accessible (WCAG 2.2), mobile-first tool

14. Detail how the solution will interact with existing institutional software and systems, such as whether it is a SaaS-based solutions that aggregates data from existing on-campus systems, allowing institutional users to continue using their existing software from where data will be extracted and aggregated, as opposed to being reliant on database extracts to feed a system

15. Describe how the solution will support standards such as data governance, privacy, consent, PESC transcript formats, and other related modern learner record standards.

4.0 COST OF VENDOR’S OFFER

4.1 OFFER COSTS

The Vendor must list, itemize, and describe any applicable offer costs in ATTACHMENT D: COST

FORM.

4.2 PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The Vendor shall propose its itemized payment schedule based on the content of its offer. All payments must be based upon acceptance of one or more Deliverables.

5.0 EVALUATION

5.1 SOURCE SELECTION

A trade-off/ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor providing the Best Value and recognizing that Best Value may result in award other than the lowest price or highest technically qualified offer. By using this method, the overall ranking may be adjusted up or down when considered with or traded-off against other non-price factors.

a) Evaluation Process Explanation. State Agency employees will review all offers. All offers will be initially classified as being responsive or non-responsive. If an offer is found non-responsive, it will not be considered further. All responsive offers will be evaluated based on stated evaluation criteria. Any references in an answer to another location in the RFP materials or Offer shall have specific page numbers and sections stated in the reference.

b) To be eligible for consideration, Vendor’s offer must substantially conform to the intent of all specifications. Compliance with the intent of all specifications will be determined by the State.

Offers that do not meet the full intent of all specifications listed in this RFP may be deemed deficient. Further, a serious deficiency in the offer to any one (1) factor may be grounds for rejection regardless of overall score.

c) The evaluation committee may request clarifications, an interview with or presentation from any or all Vendors as allowed by 9 NCAC 06B.0307. However, the State may refuse to accept, in full or partially, the response to a clarification request given by any Vendor. Vendors are cautioned that the evaluators are not required to request clarifications; therefore, all offers should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms. Vendors should be prepared to send qualified personnel to Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss technical and contractual aspects of the offer.

d) Vendors are advised that the State is not obligated to ask for, or accept after the closing date for receipt of offer, data that is essential for a complete and thorough evaluation of the offer.

5.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Evaluation shall include best value, as the term is defined in N.C.G.S. § 143-135.9(a)(1), compliance with information technology project management policies as defined by N.C.G.S. §143B-1340, compliance with information technology security standards and policies, substantial conformity with the specifications, and other conditions set forth in the solicitation.

1) How well the Vendor’s offer conforms with the specifications

2) How each Vendor’s offer compares with other Vendors’ offers

3) Total Cost of Ownership

4) Illustration(s) and/or explanations of adherence to Section 3.3 Enterprise Specifications

5) Adherence to Section 3.2 Security Specifications

6) Vendor Schedule / Timeline for completing work

7) Strength of references relevant or material to technology area(s) or Specifications and Vendor

Past Performance (The Vendor may be disqualified from any evaluation or award if the Vendor or any key personnel proposed, has previously failed to perform satisfactorily during the performance of any contract with the State, or violated rules or statutes applicable to public bidding in the State.)

8) Risks associated with Vendor’s offer which can include Vendor errata and exceptions

5.3 BEST AND FINAL OFFERS (BAFO)

The State may establish a competitive range based upon evaluations of offers, and request BAFOs from the Vendor(s) within this range; e.g. “Finalist Vendor(s)”. If negotiations or subsequent offers are solicited, the Vendor(s) shall provide BAFO(s) in response. Failure to deliver a BAFO when requested shall disqualify the non-responsive Vendor from further consideration. The State will evaluate BAFO(s), oral presentations, and product demonstrations as part of the Vendors’ respective offers to determine the final rankings.

5.4 POSSESSION AND REVIEW

During the evaluation period and prior to award, possession of the bids and accompanying information is limited to personnel of the issuing agency, and to the committee responsible for participating in the evaluation. Vendors who attempt to gain this privileged information, or to influence the evaluation process (i.e. assist in evaluation) will be in violation of purchasing rules and their offer will not be further evaluated or considered.

After award of contract the complete bid file will be available to any interested persons with the exception of trade secrets, test information or similar proprietary information as provided by statute and rule. Any proprietary or confidential information, which conforms to exclusions from public records as provided by N.C.G.S. §132-1.2 must be clearly marked as such in the offer when submitted.

6.0 VENDOR INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

6.1 GENERAL CONDITIONS OF OFFER

6.1.1 VENDOR RESPONSIBILITY

It shall be the Vendor’s responsibility to read this entire document, review all enclosures and attachments, and comply with all specifications, requirements and the State’s intent as specified herein. If a Vendor discovers an inconsistency, error or omission in this solicitation, the Vendor should request a clarification from the State’s contact person.

The Vendor will be responsible for investigating and recommending the most effective and efficient solution. Consideration shall be given to the stability of the proposed configuration and the future direction of technology, confirming to the best of its ability that the recommended approach is not short lived. Several approaches may exist for hardware configurations, other products and any software. The Vendor must provide a justification for their proposed hardware, product and software solution(s) along with costs thereof. Vendors are encouraged to present explanations of benefits and merits of their proposed solutions together with any accompanying Services, maintenance, warranties, value added Services or other criteria identified herein.

6.1.2 RIGHTS RESERVED

While the State has every intention to award a contract as a result of this RFP, issuance of the RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the State of North Carolina, or the procuring Agency, to award a contract. Upon determining that any of the following would be in its best interests, the State may:

a) waive any formality;

b) amend the solicitation;

c) cancel or terminate this RFP;

d) reject any or all offers received in response to this RFP;

e) waive any undesirable, inconsequential, or inconsistent provisions of this RFP;

f) if the response to this solicitation demonstrate a lack of competition, negotiate directly with one or more Vendors;

g) not award, or if awarded, terminate any contract if the State determines adequate State funds are not available; or

h) if all offers are found non-responsive, determine whether Waiver of Competition criteria may be satisfied, and if so, negotiate with one or more known sources of supply.

6.1.3 SOLICITATION AMENDMENTS OR REVISIONS

Any and all amendments or revisions to this document shall be made by written addendum from the Agency Procurement Office. If either a unit price or extended price is obviously in error and the other is obviously correct, the incorrect price will be disregarded.

6.1.4 ORAL EXPLANATIONS

The State will not be bound by oral explanations or instructions given at any time during the bidding process or after award. Vendor contact regarding this RFP with anyone other than the State’s contact person may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer. Agency contact regarding this RFP with any Vendor may be grounds for cancellation of this RFP.

6.1.5 E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

6.1.6 ELECTRONIC VENDOR PORTAL (EVP)

The State has implemented the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) that allow the public to retrieve award notices and information on the Internet at https://evp.nc.gov. https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/ Results may be found by searching by Solicitation Number or agency name. This information may not be available for several weeks dependent upon the complexity of the acquisition and the length of time to complete the evaluation process.

6.1.7 PROTEST PROCEDURES

When a Vendor wants to protest a Contract awarded by the UNC System Office, the University and Vendor shall comply with the following:

1. The Vendor shall submit a written request for a protest meeting to the Director of Purchasing and

Strategic Sourcing within 30 calendar days from the date of the Contract award. The Vendor's request shall contain reasons why it has a concern with the award and any supporting documentation. If the request does not contain this information, or if the System Office determines that the protest is meritless so that a meeting would serve no purpose, then the System Office may, within 10 calendar days from the date of receipt of the request, respond in writing to the Vendor and refuse the protest meeting request.

2. If the protest meeting is granted, the System Office shall schedule the meeting within 30 calendar days after receipt of the request, unless mutually agreed otherwise. The meeting may be conducted in-person or virtually by video conference. Within 10 calendar days from the date https://evp.nc.gov/ https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips/ of the protest meeting, the System Office shall respond to the Vendor in writing with the executive officer’s decision and appeal rights under Article 4 of G.S. 150B.

6.2 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR VENDOR

6.2.1 QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RFP

All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements must be addressed to the contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation 68-SOTT0926 Questions.

Vendor contact regarding this Solicitation with anyone other than the contact person listed on Page One of this Solicitation may be grounds for rejection of said Vendor’s offer.

Written questions concerning this Solicitation will be received until October 2, 2026, at noon Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDENDUM TO RFP

If a pre-offer conference is held or written questions are received prior to the submission date, an addendum comprising questions submitted and responses to such questions, or any additional terms deemed necessary by the State shall become an Addendum to this RFP and provided via the State’s Ariba Sourcing Tool. Vendors’ questions posed orally at any pre-offer conference must be reduced to writing by the Vendor and provided to the Purchasing Officer as directed by said Officer. Oral answers are not binding on the State.

Critical updated information may be included in any Addenda. It is important that all Vendors bidding on this RFP periodically check the State’s Sourcing Tool for all Addenda that may be issued prior to the offer opening date.

6.2.2 COSTS RELATED TO OFFER SUBMISSION

Costs for developing and delivering responses to this RFP and any subsequent presentations of the offer as requested by the State are entirely the responsibility of the Vendor. The State is not liable for any expense incurred by the Vendors in the preparation and presentation of their offers.

All materials submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the State and are to be appended to any formal documentation, which would further define or expand any contractual relationship between the State and the Vendor resulting from this RFP process.

6.2.3 VENDOR ERRATA AND EXCEPTIONS

Any errata or exceptions to the State’s requirements and specifications may be presented on a separate page labeled “Exceptions to Requirements and Specifications”. Include references to the corresponding requirements and specifications of the Solicitation. Any deviations shall be explained in detail. The Vendor shall not construe this paragraph as inviting deviation or implying that any deviation will be acceptable. Offers of alternative or non-equivalent goods or services may be rejected if not found substantially conforming; and if offered, must be supported by independent documentary verification that the offer substantially conforms to the specified goods or services specification. If a vendor materially deviates from RFP requirements or specifications, its offer may be determined to be non-responsive by the State.

Offers conditioned upon acceptance of Vendor Errata or Exceptions may be…