77-0001328 ABTCC RFP FEMA Training.pdf

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Request for Proposal #: 77-0001328

FEMA Training

Date of Issue: 8/10/2026

Proposal Opening Date: 8/24/2026 At 2:00 PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Carmalita Fortenbery

Purchasing Agent

Email: carmalitafortenberry@abtech.edu

Phone: 828-398-7151 mailto:carmalitafortenberry@abtech.edu

Ver: 11/2025

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Request for Proposal #

77-0001328

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 athttps://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation.

https://evp.nc.gov/SignIn

Proposal Number: 77-0001328 Vendor: __________________________________________

Ver: 11/2024

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Carmalita Fortenberry, Purchasing Agent carmalitafortenberry@abtcc.edu 828-398-7151

Request for Proposal #: 77-0001328 Proposals will be publicly opened: 8/24/2026 & 2:00PM

Using Agency: Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Commodity No. and Description: 861322 Specialized Educational Services

Requisition No.: TBD

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.

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College mailto:carmalitafortenberry@abtcc.edu

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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:

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________ day of __________, 20____, as indicated on

The attached certification, by ____________________________________________________________________.

(Authorized Representative of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College)

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Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

2.2 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

2.3 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE

2.5 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS

2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

2.7 PROPOSAL CONTENTS

2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 METHOD OF AWARD

3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION

3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

3.5 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 PRICING

4.2 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.3 REFERENCES

4.4 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.5 PERSONNEL

4.6 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

4.7 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

4.8 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

4.9 SUBCONTRACTORS

4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

5.2 SPECIFICATIONS

5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

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5.5 TECHNICAL APPROACH

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 CUSTOMER SERVICE

6.2 INVOICES

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.4 FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE

6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.6 CONTRACT CHANGES

6.7 INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: SPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT PRICING

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

8.0 APPENDIX

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1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (ABTCC) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide in-person, instructor-led FEMA certification training. The proposed training schedule can be found in Appendix 8.0.

ABTCC shall have the option to cancel any class due to low enrollment within 14 calendar days of the scheduled class resulting in no charge to ABTCC. In the event of emergency cancellation, vendor agrees to work with ABTCC to reschedule the class at no additional cost.

Vendor will work with ABTCC Director of Fire Services on scheduling and coordination of classes.

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

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have a term of eighteen (18) months, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”) or 9/1/2026, whichever is later. The Vendor shall begin work under the Contract within thirty (30) business days of the Effective Date.

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 E-PROCUREMENT FEE

ATTENTION: The E-Procurement fee may apply to this solicitation. See the paragraph entitled ELECTRONIC PROCUREMENT of the North Carolina General Terms and Conditions.

General information on the E-Procurement Services can be found at: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/.

2.3 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 State determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum.

The State 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 State 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).

http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

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The State 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.

2.4 RFP SCHEDULE

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

Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue RFP State 8/10/2026

Submit Written Questions Vendor 8/14/2026 @ 5:00 PM

Provide Response to Questions State 8/18/2026 @ 5:00 PM

Submit Proposals Vendor 8/24/2026 @ 2:00 PM

Contract Award State Upon Approval

2.5 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 carmalitafortenberry@abtech.edu by the date and time specified above.

Vendors should enter “RFP # 77-0001328: 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 State’s response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the State 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 State 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.

2.6 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Late bids, regardless of cause, will not be opened or considered, and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. Vendor shall bear the sole risk of late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to ensure its proposal has been received as described in this RFP by the specified time and date of opening. The time and date of receipt will be marked on each proposal when received. Any proposal or portion thereof received after the proposal deadline will be rejected.

If applicable to this RFP and using eVP, all proposal responses shall be submitted electronically via the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP). Additional information can be found at the eVP updates for Vendors link:

https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors.

https://evp.nc.gov/

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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.

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.

2.7 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 State rejecting Vendor’s proposal, in the State’s sole discretion.

Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and attachments, which shall be arranged in the following order:

a) Completed and signed version of all EXECUTION PAGES, along with the body of the RFP.

b) Signed receipt pages of any addenda released in conjunction with this RFP.

c) Company description and instructor bios must include qualifications to teach FEMA curriculum. See sections 5.4 & 5.5.

d) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP. Specifically, sections: 4.7, 4.10, 5.2, 6.1.

e) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

2.8 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Unless provided otherwise in this RFP, Vendor may submit alternate proposals for comparable Goods, various methods or levels of Service(s), or that propose different options. Alternate proposals must specifically identify the RFP requirements and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate proposal. Any alternate proposal, in addition to the marking described above, must be clearly marked with the legend: “Alternate Proposal #___ [for ‘name of Vendor’]”. Each proposal must be for a specific set of Goods and Services and must include specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various offerings, each must be offered with a separate price and be contained in a separate proposal document. Each proposal must be complete and independent of other proposals offered.

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2.9 DEFINITIONS, ACRONYMS, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Relevant definitions for this RFP are provided in 01 NCAC 05A .0112 and in the Instructions to Vendors found below which are incorporated herein by this reference.

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 State 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 State’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 State 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 State to do so.

The State 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 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 procurement lead 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 procurement lead 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.

The State will conduct a One-Step evaluation of Proposals:

Proposals will be received according to the method stated in the Proposal Submittal Section above.

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All proposals must be received by the issuing agency 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 State 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 State.

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 are 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.

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 State:

BEST VALUE: "Best Value" procurement methods are authorized by N.C.G.S. §§143-135.9 and 143B-1350(h). The award decision is made based on multiple factors, including: total cost of ownership, meaning the cost of acquiring, operating, maintaining, and supporting a product or service over its projected lifetime; the evaluated technical merit of the Vendor's offer; the Vendor's past performance; and the evaluated probability of performing the specifications stated in the solicitation on time, with high quality, and in a manner that accomplishes the stated business objectives and maintains industry standards compliance. The intent of "Best Value" procurement is to enable Vendors to offer and the Agency to select the most appropriate solution to meet the business objectives defined in the solicitation and to keep all parties focused on the desired outcome of a procurement.

A ranking method of source selection will be utilized in this procurement using evaluation criteria listed in order of importance in the Evaluation Criteria section below to allow the State to award this RFP to the Vendor(s) 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.

EVALUTION METHOD: Narrative and by consensus of the evaluating committee, explaining the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal and why the recommended awardee(s) provide the best value to the State.

All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and award made based on considering the following criteria listed in descending order of importance, to result in an award most advantageous to the State:

1. Vendor Technical Approach (Section 5.5)

2. Vendor Qualifications (Section 5.2)

3. Vendor Experience (Section 4.3)

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4. Vendor References (Section 4.5 and Attachment E)

5. Pricing (Section 4.1 and Attachment A)

3.5 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 State; 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 State will take into consideration the degree to which Vendors have proposed or failed to propose solutions that will satisfy the State’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 State 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 State 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 State for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges for handling, transportation, administrative and other similar fees. Complete ATTACHMENT A: PRICING FORM and include in Vendor’s proposal. The pricing provided in ATTACHMENT A, or resulting from any negotiations, is incorporated herein and shall become part of any resulting Contract.

INVOICES MAY NOT BE PAID UNTIL AN INSPECTION HAS OCCURRED AND THE GOODS OR SERVICES ACCEPTED.

4.2 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 State. 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.

4.3 REFERENCES

Vendor shall provide at least three (3) references, using ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM, for which it has provided Services of similar size and scope to those proposed herein. References shall not be from the same company or from the soliciting State entity. In addition, Vendor shall provide references for and identify other government contracts it has received, for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope. The State may 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 may be considered in the evaluation of the Proposal.

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4.4 BACKGROUND CHECKS

Any personnel or agent of Vendor performing Services under any Contract arising from this RFP may be required to undergo a background check at the expense of the Vendor, if so requested by the State.

4.5 PERSONNEL

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 State. 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 State will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. The State may, in its sole discretion, terminate the Services of any person providing Services under this Contract. Upon such termination, the State may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract Services provided by such personnel.

4.6 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 State 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 telecom-munications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

4.7 QUESTIONS TO VENDORS

Vendor shall respond to each of the following questions. Vendors are requested to keep responses concise and relevant and should not include generic marketing materials. Responses will be reviewed as part of the evaluation process.

Please answer the following questions and include supporting materials with your bid submission.

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Describe how you ensure consistent, high-quality instruction across all courses and instructors, including curriculum compliance, instructor oversight, and student feedback.

Describe your capacity to deliver multiple courses, including number of instructors, scheduling process, and contingency plans for cancellations or staffing issues.

4.8 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 $1,000,000.00

☐ Contract value in excess of $1,000,000.00

4.9 SUBCONTRACTORS

No portion of the work shall be subcontracted without prior written consent of the State. In the event that the Vendor desires to subcontract some part of the work specified herein, the Vendor shall furnish with their bid the names, qualifications, and experience of their proposed subcontractors. The Vendor shall, however, remain solely and fully liable and responsible for the work done by its subcontractor(s) and shall assure compliance with all the requirements and specifications of the contract.

4.10 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

Prior to entering into a contract with the State, the awarded Vendor(s) must complete registration with the NC Secretary of State. Upon notification of award, the selected Vendor(s) must furnish evidence of filing within 10 business days. Failure to provide this documentation may result in the disqualification of the Vendor(s) bid from further consideration for the award. No purchase orders shall be issued prior to confirmation of completed registration with the Secretary of State.

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A contract award under the above-referenced solicitation, and the resulting purchase orders, will produce repeated orders and transactions in North Carolina and will constitute “transacting business” in the State, which requires a certificate of authority from the North Carolina Secretary of State as provided in G.S. §55-15-01 (corporations) or §57D- 7-01 (LLCs). Please go to: https://www.sosnc.gov/ to register.

Vendor registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State: Yes☐ No ☐

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (ABTCC) seeks proposals from qualified vendors to provide specialty FEMA training classes. This includes printing training materials and facilitating pre-designed courses in accordance with the proposed training schedule in Attachment: A. ABTCC shall have the option to cancel any class due to low enrollment within 14 calendar days of the scheduled class resulting in no charge to ABTCC. In the event of emergency cancellation, vendor agrees to work with ABTCC to reschedule the class at no additional cost.

5.2 SPECIFICATIONS

The specific items and any specifications that the Procurement Entity is seeking are listed below. Items offered by the Vendor must meet or exceed the listed Specifications to be considered for award.

Specifications Product/Service Offered Meets

Specification

Instructor Credentials: Instructors must be certified through the FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and listed on the national instructor database.

YES NO

Course Materials: Deliverables must utilize the official, latest version of the EMI All-Hazards curriculum.

YES NO

Student Documentation: The vendor must issue official FEMA course certificates upon successful student completion.

YES NO

5.3 TASKS/DELIVERABLES

ABTCC Fire and Rescue Training Program in cooperation with Buncombe County, NC Emergency Services has provided the following course descriptions and objectives. Vendors are required to meet the minimum course objectives during instruction outlined below:

Course ID Course Title

E0950 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Incident Commander Course

E0952 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Public Information Officer Course

E0954 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Safety Officer Course

E0956 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Liaison Officer Course

VENDOR’S RESPONSE

https://www.sosnc.gov/

Ver: 11/2025 14

E0958 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Operations Section Chief Course

E0960 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Division/Group Supervisor Course

E0962 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Planning Section Chief Course

E0964 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Situation Unit Leader Course

E0965 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Resources and Demobilization Unit Leaders Course

E0967 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Logistics Section Chief Course

E0969 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Communications Unit Leader

E0970 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Supply Unit Leader Course

E0971 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Facilities Unit Leader Course

E0973 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Finance/Administration Section Chief Course

E0975 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Finance/Administration Unit Leader Course

E0984 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Task Force/Strike Team Leader

USFA O-305 U.S. Fire Administration

L449 ICS 100-400 Train the Trainer – Prerequisites Required

NC Local IMT Course

G-191 Incident Command Systems/Emergency Operations Center Interface

5.4 PROJECT ORGANIZATION

Vendor shall describe the organizational and operational structure it proposes to utilize for the work described in this RFP and identify the responsibilities to be assigned to each person Vendor proposes to staff the work.

5.5 TECHNICAL APPROACH

Vendor’s proposal shall include, in narrative, outline, and/or graph form the Vendor's approach to accomplishing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. A description of each task and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included.

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

All Contract Administration requirements are conditioned on an award resulting from this solicitation. This information is provided for the Vendor’s planning purposes.

6.1 CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Vendor shall be required to designate and make available to the State for customer service. The customer service point of contact shall be the State’s point of contact for customer service-related issues (define roles and responsibilities).

Customer Service Point of Contact

Name:

Office Phone #:

Ver: 11/2025 15

Mobile Phone #:

Email:

6.2 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the Procurement Entity. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor shall provide the Procurement Entity with an invoice for each order. Invoices shall include detailed information to allow Procurement Entity to verify pricing at point of receipt matches the correct price from the original date of order. The following fields shall be included on all invoices, as relevant:

Vendor’s Billing Address, Customer Account Number, NC Contract Number, Order Date, Buyer’s Order Number, Manufacturer Part Numbers, Vendor Part Numbers, Item Descriptions, Price, Quantity, and Unit of Measure.

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The State encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost the State. A continuous improvement effort consists of various ways to enhance business efficiencies as performance progresses.

6.4 FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE

Any Contract may include terms ensuring a Vendor's performance such as: (1) a bond, or similar assurance; (2) liquidated damages; (3) a percentage of the Contract value held as a retainage; (4) withholding final payment contingent on acceptance of the final deliverable; and (5) any other provision that assures performance of the Vendor. The parties agree that the Vendor shall be subject to the following faithful performance requirements:

6.5 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

During the performance of the Contract, the parties agree that it is in their mutual interest to resolve disputes informally. Any claims by the Vendor shall be submitted in writing to the State’s Contract Manager for resolution. Any claims by the State shall be submitted in writing to the Vendor’s Project Manager for resolution. The Parties shall agree to negotiate in good faith and use all reasonable efforts to resolve such dispute(s).

During the time the Parties are attempting to resolve any dispute, each shall proceed diligently to perform their respective duties and responsibilities under this Contract. The Parties will agree on a reasonable amount of time to resolve a dispute. If a dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties within the agreed upon period, either Party may elect to exercise any other remedies available under the Contract, or at law. This provision, when agreed in the Contract, shall not constitute an agreement by either party to mediate or arbitrate any dispute.

6.6 CONTRACT CHANGES

Contract changes, if any, over the life of the Contract shall be implemented by contract amendments agreed to in writing by the State and Vendor. Amendments to the contract can only be made through the contract administrator.

6.7 INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (ABTCC) intends to establish an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for these services, issued through a blanket purchase order. All quantities mentioned in this RFP are estimates based on Buncombe County Emergency Management’s anticipated requirements. ABCC is under no obligation to purchase the estimated quantities or any minimum quantity and reserves the right to order more or less than the amounts indicated.

Ver: 11/2025 16

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

Ver: 11/2025 17

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: SPECIALIZED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT PRICING

LINE COURSE TITLE EA QTY STUDENTS EXTENDED

1 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Incident Commander Course $ 2 $ 2 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 3 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Public Information Officer Course $ 2 $ 4 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 5 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Safety Officer Course $ 2 $ 6 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 7 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Liaison Officer Course $ 2 $ 8 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 9 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Operations Section Chief Course $ 2 $

10 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 11 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Division/Group Supervisor Course $ 2 $ 12 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 13 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Planning Section Chief Course $ 2 $ 14 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 15 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Situation Unit Leader Course $ 2 $ 16 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 17 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Resources and Demobilization Unit Leaders Course $ 2 $ 18 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 19 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Logistics Section Chief Course $ 2 $ 20 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 21 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Communications Unit Leader $ 1 $ 22 Instruction Materials $ 24 $ 23 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Supply Unit Leader Course $ 2 $ 24 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 25 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Facilities Unit Leader Course $ 2 $ 26 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 27 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Finance/Administration Section Chief Course $ 2 $ 28 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 29 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Finance/Administration Unit Leader Course $ 2 $ 30 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 31 NIMS ICS All-Hazards Task Force/Strike Team Leader $ 2 $ 32 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 33 U.S. Fire Administration $ 1 $ 34 Instruction Materials $ 40 $ 35 ICS 100-400 Train the Trainer $ 1 $ 36 Instruction Materials $ 24 $ 37 NC Local IMT Course $ 2 $ 38 Instruction Materials $ 48 $ 39 Incident Command Systems/Emergency Operations Center Interface $ 1 $ 40 Instruction Materials $ 24 $

Total Extended Cost $

Ver: 11/2025 18

Additional Comments:

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

RETURN THE ATTACHMENTS WITH YOUR RESPONSE

FOLLOW THE LINKS TO ACCESS EACH ATTACHMENT

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

The Instructions to Vendors, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/north-carolina-instructions-vendors-1-2025/open

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

The North Carolina General Terms and Conditions, which are incorporated herein by this reference, may be found here:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/north-carolina-general-terms-and-conditions-5-2025/open

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

Complete and return the Customer Reference Form, which can be found at the following link:

https://www.doa.nc.gov/media/15503/open

*** Failure to Return the Required Attachments May Eliminate Your Response from Further Consideration *** https://www.doa.nc.gov/pandc/north-carolina-instructions-vendors-1-2025/open https://www.doa.nc.gov/north-carolina-general-terms-and-conditions-5-2025/open https://www.doa.nc.gov/media/15503/open

Ver: 11/2025 19

8.0 APPENDIX

EOC Proposed Class Schedule – Subject to Change

Sept 2026

- Resource Unit Leader

- Finance Unit Leader

Oct 2026

- Facilities Unit Leader

- Finance Section Chief

Nov 2026

- Liaison Officer

- PIO

- Logistics Section Chief

Dec 2026

- ICS/EOC Interface

Jan 2027

- Strike Team/Task Force

- Situation Unit Leader

Feb 2027

- Operations Section Chief

- Planning Section Chief

Ver: 11/2025 20

March 2027

- NC Local IMT Course

- USFA 0-305

April 2027

- Supply Unit Leader

- Communication Unit leader (COML)

May 2027

- Situation Unit Leader

June 2027

- Planning Section Chief

July 2027

- Resource Unit Leader

- Finance Unit Leader

August 2027

- Facilities Unit Leader

- Finance Section Chief

September 2027

- Liaison Officer

- PIO

October 2027

- Logistics Section Chief

- NC Local IMT Course

November 2027

- Incident Commander

- Supply Unit Leader

December 2027

- Safety Officer

- All Hazards Division Supervisor

Jan 2028

- Situation Unit Leader

Feb 2028

- Planning Section Chief