86-2024-008 Class Scheduling Software RFP.pdf

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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, 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: TELEPHONE NUMBER: TOLL FREE TEL. NO

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING: FAX NUMBER:

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: DATE: E-MAIL:

Offer valid for ninety (90) 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 Central Carolina Community College 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 PURCHASING AGENCY USE ONLY

Offer accepted and contract awarded this date , as indicated on attached certification, by

(Authorized representative of Central Carolina Community College).

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 86-2024-008

Central Carolina Community College Offers will be opened: 04/12/2024

Issue Date: 03/26/2024 Refer ALL inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Brandi Hernandez, bhernandez@cccc.edu Jonathan White, jwhite@cccc.edu

Commodity Number: 432315 Business Function Specific Software

Description: Class Scheduling Software

Purchasing Agency: Central Carolina Comm. College mailto:bhernandez@cccc.edu mailto:jwhite@cccc.edu

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Table of Contents

1.0 ANTICIPATED PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

2.0 PURPOSE OF RFP

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Contract Term

2.3 Contract Type

2.4 Agency Background

2.5 Problem Statement

3.0 RFP REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 General requirements and Specifications

3.2 Security Specifications

3.3 Enterprise Specifications

3.4 Business and Technical Requirements/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

Attachment A: Definitions Attachment B: Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions Attachment C: Agency Terms and Conditions Attachment D: Description of Offeror Attachment E: Cost Form

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Attachment F: Vendor Certification Form Attachment G: Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor Attachment H: References Attachment I: Financial Review Form

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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 03/26/2024

Written Questions Deadline Potential Vendors 04/03/2024

Agency’s Response to Written Questions/ RFP Addendum Issued

Agency 04/05/2024

Offer Opening Deadline Vendor(s) 04/12/2024

Offer Evaluation; Selection of Finalists Agency 04/26/2024

Product Demonstrations by Finalists Selected Vendors 05/10/2024

BAFO & Negotiation Period Ends; Contract Award Agency 05/24/2024

Protest Deadline Responding Vendors 15 days after award

2.0 PURPOSE OF RFP

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit offers for a cloud-native SaaS room scheduling and catalog solution and implementation services to deploy that solution.

2.2 CONTRACT TERM

A contract awarded pursuant to this RFP shall have an effective date as provided in the Notice of Award. In the event the selected solution takes the form of Software as a Service or of a license, the term of the contract shall be for one

(1) year from the effective date with two (2) one-year options to renew. In the event the selected solution takes the form of Software as a Product, the term of the contract shall expire ninety (90) days after successful implementation of the software.

2.2.1 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.

2.3 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; or where more than one supplier is needed to provide the contemplated specifications as to quantity, quality, delivery, service, geographical areas; and where other factors are deemed to be necessary or proper to the purchase in question.

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2.4 AGENCY BACKGROUND

Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) offers a wide variety of programs at its three campus locations and multiple instructional locations throughout Chatham, Harnett, and Lee counties in North Carolina. Within these programs, students can earn associate degrees or college transfer credits, diplomas, or certificates. In addition, CCCC offers courses in such areas as short-term job training, college and career readiness, personal enrichment, business and industry customized training, and emergency services training. The solution is needed for curriculum class scheduling and to provide a college catalog.

2.5 PROBLEM STATEMENT

CCCC has determined the need to implement a comprehensive academic and event scheduling system comprising both the operational and logistical activities around scheduling courses and facilities. Because of our multitude of locations, a scheduling system is needed to optimize course offerings, space allocation, and faculty schedules across a tri-county service area. We have also seen a need for an electronic catalog to replace our current PDF versions which are difficult to maintain and search.

3.0 RFP REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

3.1.1 REQUIREMENTS

Means, as used herein, a function, feature, or performance that the system must provide.

3.1.2 SPECIFICATIONS

Means, as used herein, a specification 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.

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3.1.5 ENTERPRISE LICENSING

RESERVED.

3.2 SECURITY SPECIFICATIONS

3.2.1 SOLUTIONS HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

RESERVED.

3.2.2 SOLUTIONS NOT HOSTED ON STATE INFRASTRUCTURE

The Room Scheduling and Catalog Software will be required to receive and securely manage data that is classified as medium risk. 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 Medium Risk (Restricted) or High Risk (Highly Restricted) data.

(a) Vendors shall provide a completed Vendor Readiness Assessment Report Non-State Hosted Solutions (“VRAR”) at offer submission. This report is located at the following website:

https://it.nc.gov/documents/vendor-readiness-assessment-report

(b) Upon request, Vendors shall provide a current independent 3rd party assessment report in accordance with the following subparagraphs (i)-(iii) prior to contract award. However, Vendors are encouraged to provide a current independent 3rd party assessment report in accordance with subparagraphs (i)-(iii) at the time of offer submission.

(i) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification, SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, or HITRUST are the preferred assessment reports for any Vendor solutions which will handle data classified as Medium Risk (Restricted) or High Risk (Highly Restricted).

(ii) A Vendor that cannot provide a preferred independent 3rd party assessment report as described above may submit an alternative assessment, such as a SOC 2 Type 1 assessment report.

The Vendor shall provide an explanation for submitting the alternative assessment report. If awarded this contract, a Vendor who submits an alternative assessment report shall submit one of the preferred assessment reports no later than 365 days of the Effective Date of the contract.

Timely submission of this preferred assessment report shall be a material requirement of the contract.

(iii) An IaaS vendor cannot provide a certification or assessment report for a SaaS provider UNLESS permitted by the terms of a written agreement between the two vendors and the scope of the IaaS certification or assessment report clearly includes the SaaS solution.

(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 such additional security documentation upon request by the State during the term of the contract.

3.3 ENTERPRISE SPECIFICATIONS

3.3.1 ENTERPRISE STRATEGIES, SERVICES, AND STANDARDS

Agencies and vendors should refer to the Vendor Resources Page for information on North Carolina Information Technology enterprise services, security policies and practices, architectural requirements, and https://it.nc.gov/document/statewide-data-classification-and-handling-policy https://it.nc.gov/documents/vendor-readiness-assessment-report

Page 7 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01 enterprise contracts. The Vendor Resources Page can be 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.

3.3.2 ARCHITECTURE DIAGRAMS DEFINED

The State utilizes architectural diagrams to better understand the design and technologies of a proposed solution. These diagrams, required at offer submission, can be found at the following link:

https://it.nc.gov/architectural-artifacts.

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.

3.3.3 VIRTUALIZATION

The State desires the flexibility to host Vendor’s proposed solution in a virtualized environment, should it determine in the future that virtualized hosting for such solution would be more economical or efficient. The State currently utilizes server virtualization technologies including VMware, Solaris and zLinux. The Vendor should state whether its solution operates in a virtualized environment. Vendor also should identify and describe all differences, restrictions or limitations of its proposed solution with respect to operation, licensing, support, certification, warranties, and any other details that may impact its proposed solution when hosted in a virtualized environment.

3.3.4 IDENTITY AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT (IAM)

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#identity-access-management

Describe how your solution supports the above protocols as well as making them available for application integration/consumption.

3.4 BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS/SPECIFICATIONS

Describe your proposed solutions conformity with each of the following specifications, detailing how the proposed solution meets, partially meets, or does not meet each specification outlined below, including capabilities, features, or limitations of the solution. As applicable, describe any configurations or customizations needed for the solution to meet a particular specification.

The business and technical specifications are prioritized into Tier One (1) Core Specifications and Tier Two (2) Enhancement Specifications.

Vendor proposals should exhibit substantial conformity to the Tier One (1) Core Specifications. Tier Two (2) Enhancement Specifications are optional specifications.

3.4.1 TIER ONE CORE SPECIFICATIONS

The following are function(s), feature(s), or performance that the Vendor must meet. Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be considered non-responsive and ineligible for award.

General Requirements:

● Allows multiple users who can search for and request rooms on multiple campuses

○ Possible solutions include, but are not limited to, open search/view mechanism with request form and limited users (up to 20) who manage registrations or a system where unique users request rooms (user base of 500)

● Scalable with regard to number of users and number of rooms

● Allows users to request space for an event on single or multiple dates or recurring dates or random dates https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources https://it.nc.gov/vendor-engagement-resources https://it.nc.gov/architectural-artifacts https://it.nc.gov/services/vendor-engagement-resources#identity-access-management

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● Allows users to request resources (such as audio/visual equipment) needed for each date

● Manages meeting spaces as well as classrooms (conference rooms, possibly civic center)

● Tracks availability of rooms and resources

● Allows multiple users (up to 20) who can confirm room reservations

● Identifies room/space characteristics:

○ Capacity

○ Equipment

○ Accessibility

○ Maps/Floor plan/Pictures

○ Furniture

○ Security (door, building)

○ Restriction type (user, department, lab, etc.)

○ Room type (lab, fixed seating, tiered, etc.)

○ Room restrictions (no eating, no drinking, etc.)

○ Availability (hours)

● Indicates room conflicts and suggest available rooms through both course building and room reservation modules

● Easily shows a room schedule, even to non-schedulers (like deans, department chairs, maintenance, others at the college)

● Provides a graphic calendar showing when and where rooms are available

● Provides the ability to assign and/or respond to room-related tasks, which may include photos and diagrams

● Has customizable forms for room reservations

● Has custom branding features

● Automatically populates classroom assignments back to Colleague

● Allows administrators to approve or reject updates and deny/change/update/cancel room requests/reservations/assignments as needed

● Automatically sends confirmation upon approval of reservation; confirmation may be printed

● Automatically alerts building administrator responsible for approving requests of room reservation requests

● Does not allow double-booking

● Provides room conflict resolutions/alternative rooms

● Provides online product help, extensive user training, and product setup

● If scheduling software does not include catalog software, it must be able to integrate with 3rd party catalog software

Academic Scheduling Requirements:

● Links courses from different departments, as needed

● Allows for a master schedule feature for chairs to see all the courses being offered at a specific time or location

(room, building, campus)

● Assigns and tracks course preferences, for example: Room type (lab, fixed seating, computer lab), AV and other technology for synchronous online classes, capacity, etc.

● Allows for cross-listed courses to be scheduled in the same room

● Matches faculty or department room requests to available rooms

● Allows for rolling (copying) course preferences and requirements from term to term

● Provides flexibility for different room scheduling for exams or other needs within the term

● Provides flexible scheduling that is not limited to terms - a course can start before a term or after a term or any time within the term (HCI, BLET)

● Accommodates courses that span across terms (HCI, BLET)

● Allows for overriding restrictions

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Technical Requirements:

● Integrates with Ellucian Colleague/Banner with Unidata database, bi-directional

■ Needs to be able to populate faculty assignments and room numbers back to Colleague.

● Integrates with CCCC’s SSO/SAML (single sign on, so we can use our CC credentials)

● Web-based and compatible with multiple browsers

● Technical and training support during college business hours (M/Th: 7:45-5:00; F: 7:30-3:30)

● Technical support accessible via support tickets and telephone

● WCAG 2.2 complaint

● Easy to use, intuitive interface that adapts to different screen sizes and devices

● Full implementation within 6 months

Report Requirements:

● Provides strong reporting capabilities (canned & customizable)

● Allows for reporting with filters on days/times/campus/building/faculty/courses

● Provides space utilization reports

● Exports to Excel

● Provides printer-friendly versions of web viewable reports

● Provides reports to show courses that could be eliminated based on low-enrollment

● Provides reports to show courses that could be added based on trend demand

● Allows for filtering by divisions, departments, campuses, programs, etc.

Performance Analytics:

● Provides Analytics: predictive and historical for courses, course sections, number of students, modality; make suggestions based off of resource availability, including rooms, waitlist information, and instructors; optimize rooms/space and faculty

● Predicts students who will take classes in an upcoming term and the number of courses needed for various student populations (transfer at Chatham, CCP, etc.)

● Identifies critical courses that must be offered to meet the needs of those students who require a particular course at a certain time (i.e., MAT-110 must be offered to allow required number of students to graduate this term)

● Distinguishes between a course elective vs a required course

● Accounts for both students who are following their program plans as well as those who are off-plan due to transfer, failing classes, withdrawing, etc.

● Assists with refining course offerings based on student course needs

● Identifies subpopulations of active students who are likely to take classes in an upcoming term

● Handles new/transfer students who are likely to take classes in an upcoming term

● Estimates course load for various student populations

● Aggregates course demand based on student progress and degree rules (including pre-reqs, co-reqs, substitutions, waivers)

● Indicates where more space is needed or where classes can be relocated

● Determines the most effective combination of classroom space utilization and classroom assignment

Catalog Requirements:

● Meets same technical requirements as required for scheduling software (above)

● Allows for course, program, keyword searching

● Allows for multiple users w/ edit functions

● Has audit and approval controls with workflow notifications

● Allows for custom branding

● Allows for photo and video integration

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● Allows for printing and downloading PDF files of pages, sections, or entire catalog

● Archives prior years in user-friendly format

● Provides robust text editing

● Has built-in accessibility features / Is ADA compliant

● If catalog software does not include scheduling software, must be able to integrate with 3rd party scheduling software

3.4.2 TIER TWO ENHANCEMENT SPECIFICATIONS

Tier 2 enhancement specifications are optional specifications.

● Invoicing module

● Publishing to online calendars (Google) and digital displays (e.g., tablets outside of rooms, monitors, etc.)

● Online payment system (for civic center)

● Integration with other systems (Slate, Self-Service, Blackboard, Google, Intelliboard, etc.)

4.0 COST OF VENDOR’S OFFER

4.1 OFFER COSTS

The Vendor must list, itemize, and describe any applicable offer costs which may include the following:

Hosting service fees Implementation costs (system configuration, customization) Service Costs Technical Support Training (Technical and/or Customer) Software License fees or SaaS Subscription Costs Maintenance

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 in a two phase process. All vendors will be ranked in Phase One based upon how well they meet the stated evaluation criteria; the top three vendors will be invited to perform demonstrations of their solutions, which will again be ranked 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

Page 11 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01 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 Sanford, 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. The following Evaluation Criteria are listed in Order of Importance.

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,

8) 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.

9) Risks associated with Vendor’s offer.

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.

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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 their 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.

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6.1.5 E-PROCUREMENT

This is an E-Procurement solicitation. See Attachment B, paragraph #33 of the attached North Carolina Department of Information Technology Terms and Conditions.

The Terms and Conditions made part of this solicitation contain language necessary for the implementation of North Carolina’s statewide E-Procurement initiative. It is the Vendor’s responsibility to read these terms and conditions carefully and to consider them in preparing the offer. By signature, the Vendor acknowledges acceptance of all terms and conditions including those related to E-Procurement.

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

b) Within two days after notification of award of a contract, the Vendor must register in NC E- Procurement @ Your Service at the following website: http://eprocurement.nc.gov/Vendor.html

c) As of the RFP submittal date, the Vendor must be current on all E-Procurement fees. If the Vendor is not current on all E-Procurement fees, the State may disqualify the Vendor from participation in this

RFP.

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. 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

Protests of awards exceeding $25,000 in value must be submitted to the issuing Agency at the address given on the first page of this document. Protests must be received in the purchasing agency’s office within fifteen

(15) calendar days from the date of this RFP award and provide specific reasons and any supporting documentation for the protest. All protests are governed by Title 9, Department of Information Technology (formerly Office of Information Technology Services), Subchapter 06B Sections .1101 - .1121.

6.2 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR VENDOR

6.2.1 SITE VISIT OR PRE-OFFER CONFERENCE

Reserved.

6.2.2 QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE RFP

All inquiries regarding the solicitation specifications or requirements are to be addressed to the contact person listed on Page One of this solicitation via the Ariba Sourcing Tool’s message board. 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 April 3, 2024 at 4:00 pm Eastern Time.

They must be submitted to the Jonathan White at jwhite@cccc.edu. Please enter “Questions Solicitation 86- 2024-008” as the subject for the message. Questions should be submitted in the following format:

REFERENCE VENDOR QUESTION

RFP Section, Page Number

6.2.3 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 http://eprocurement.nc.gov/ http://eprocurement.nc.gov/Vendor.html https://evp.nc.gov/ mailto:jwhite@cccc.edu

Page 14 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01 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 these Addenda. It is important that all Vendors bidding on this RFP periodically check the State’s Ariba Sourcing Tool for any and all Addenda that may be issued prior to the offer opening date.

6.2.4 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.

6.2.5 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 determined to be non-responsive by the State.

6.2.6 ALTERNATE OFFERS

The Vendor may submit alternate offers for various levels of service(s) or products meeting specifications.

Alternate offers must specifically identify the RFP specifications and advantage(s) addressed by the alternate offer. Any alternate offers must be clearly marked with the legend as shown herein. Each offer must be for a specific set of Services or products and offer at specific pricing. If a Vendor chooses to respond with various service or product offerings, each must be an offer with a different price and a separate RFP offer. Vendors may also provide multiple offers for software or systems coupled with support and maintenance options, provided, however, all offers must satisfy the specifications.

Alternate offers must be submitted in a separate document and clearly marked “Alternate Offer for ‘name of Vendor’” and numbered sequentially with the first offer if separate offers are submitted.

6.2.7 MODIFICATIONS TO OFFER

An offer may not be unilaterally modified by the Vendor.

6.2.8 BASIS FOR REJECTION

Pursuant to 9 NCAC 06B.0401, the State reserves the right to reject any and all offers, in whole or in part; by deeming the offer unsatisfactory as to quality or quantity, delivery, price or service offered; non-compliance with the specifications or intent of this solicitation; lack of competitiveness; error(s) in specifications or indications that revision would be advantageous to the State; cancellation or other changes in the intended project, or other determination that the proposed specification is no longer needed; limitation or lack of available funds; circumstances that prevent determination of the best offer; or any other determination that rejection would be in the best interest of the State.

Page 15 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01

6.2.9 NON-RESPONSIVE OFFERS

Vendor offers will be deemed non-responsive by the State and will be rejected without further consideration or evaluation if statements such as the following are included:

● “This offer does not constitute a binding offer”,

● “This offer will be valid only if this offer is selected as a finalist or in the competitive range”,

● “The Vendor does not commit or bind itself to any terms and conditions by this submission”,

● “This document and all associated documents are non-binding and shall be used for discussion purposes only”,

● “This offer will not be binding on either party until incorporated in a definitive agreement signed by authorized representatives of both parties”, or

● A statement of similar intent

6.2.10 VENDOR REGISTRATION WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE

Vendors do not have to be registered with the NC Secretary of State to submit an offer; however, in order to receive an award/contract with the State, they must be registered. Registration can be completed at the following website: https://www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business

6.2.11 VENDOR REGISTRATION AND SOLICITATION NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

The NC electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) allows Vendors to electronically register with the State to receive electronic notification of current procurement opportunities for goods and Services available at the following website: https://evp.nc.gov.

This RFP is available electronically on the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP) at the following website:

https://evp.nc.gov.

6.2.12 VENDOR POINTS OF CONTACT

CONTACTS AFTER CONTRACT AWARD:

Below are the Vendor Points of Contact to be used after award of the contract.

VENDOR CONTRACTUAL POINT OF CONTACT VENDOR TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT

[NAME OF VENDOR]

[STREET ADDRESS]

[CITY, STATE, ZIP]

Attn: Assigned Contract Manager

[NAME OF VENDOR]

[STREET ADDRESS]

[CITY, STATE, ZIP]

Attn: Assigned Technical Lead

6.3 INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFER SUBMISSION

6.3.1 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OFFER

Vendors are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following general instructions in order to bring clarity and order to the offer and subsequent evaluation process:

a) Organize the offer in the exact order in which the specifications are presented in the RFP. The Execution page of this RFP must be placed at the front of the Proposal. Each page should be numbered. The offer should contain a table of contents, which cross-references the RFP specification and the specific page of the response in the Vendor's offer.

b) Provide complete and comprehensive responses with a corresponding emphasis on being concise and clear. Elaborate offers in the form of brochures or other presentations beyond that necessary to present a complete and effective offer are not desired.

https://www.sosnc.gov/Guides/launching_a_business https://evp.nc.gov./ https://evp.nc.gov./

Page 16 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01

c) Clearly state your understanding of the problem(s) presented by this RFP including your proposed solution’s ability to meet the specifications, including capabilities, features, and limitations, as described herein, and provide a cost offer.

d) Supply all relevant and material information relating to the Vendor’s organization, personnel, and experience that substantiates its qualifications and capabilities to perform the Services and/or provide the goods described in this RFP. If relevant and material information is not provided, the offer may be rejected from consideration and evaluation.

e) Furnish all information requested; and if response spaces are provided in this document, the Vendor shall furnish said information in the spaces provided. Further, if required elsewhere in this RFP, each Vendor must submit with its offer sketches, descriptive literature and/or complete specifications covering the products offered. References to literature submitted with a previous offer will not satisfy this provision.

Proposals that do not comply with these instructions may be rejected.

f) Any offer that does not adhere to these instructions may be deemed non-responsive and rejected on that basis.

g) Only information that is received in response to this RFP will be evaluated. Reference to information previously submitted or Internet Website Addresses (URLs) will not suffice as a response to this solicitation.

6.3.2 OFFER ORGANIZATION

Within each section of its offer, Vendor should address the items in the order in which they appear in this RFP. Forms, or attachments or exhibits, if any provided in the RFP, must be completed and included in the appropriate section of the offer. All discussion of offered costs, rates, or expenses must be presented in Section 4.0. Cost of Vendor’s Offer.

The offer should be organized and indexed in the following format and should contain, at a minimum, all listed items below.

a) Signed Execution Page

b) Table of Contents

c) Description of Vendor Submitting Offer Form (Attachment D)

d) Vendor Response to Specifications and Requirements. Response is limited to twenty five (25) pages.

e) Security Vendor Readiness Assessment Report (VRAR)

f) Architecture Diagrams

g) Cost Form of Vendor’s Offer (Attachment E)

h) Schedule of Offered Solution

i) Signed Vendor Certification Form (Attachment F)

j) Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor Form (Attachment G)

k) References (Attachment H)

l) Financial Statements (Attachment I)

m) Errata and Exceptions, if any

n) Vendor's License and Maintenance Agreements, if any

o) Supporting material such as technical system documentation, training examples, etc.

Page 17 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01

p) Vendor may attach other supporting materials that it feels may improve the quality of its response. These materials should be included as items in a separate appendix.

q) All pages of this solicitation document (including Attachments A, B, and C)

6.3.3 OFFER SUBMITTAL

Due Date: April 12, 2024 Time: 4:00 PM Eastern Time

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is the Vendor’s sole responsibility to upload their offer to the Ariba Sourcing Module by the specified time and date of opening. Vendor shall bear the risk for late electronic submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay, including but not limited to internet issues, network issues, local power outages, or application issues. Vendor must include all the pages of this solicitation in their response.

Sealed offers, subject to the conditions made a part hereof, will be received until 4:00 pm Eastern Time on the day of opening and then opened, for furnishing and delivering the commodity as described herein.

Offers must be submitted via eVP with the Execution page signed and dated by an official authorized to bind the Vendor’s firm. Failure to return a signed offer shall result in disqualification.

Attempts to submit a proposal via facsimile (FAX) machine, telephone, email, email attachments, or in any hardcopy format in response to this Bid SHALL NOT be accepted and will automatically be deemed Non-Responsive.

a) Submit one (1) signed, original electronic offer through eVP.

b) All File names should start with the Vendor name first, in order to easily determine all the files to be included as part of the vendor’s response. For example, files should be named as follows: Vendor Name-RFP 86-2024 008.

c) File contents SHALL NOT be password protected, the file formats must be in .PDF, .DOC or .XLS format, and shall be capable of being copied to other sources. Inability by the State to open the Vendor’s files may result in the Vendor’s offer(s) being rejected as Non-Responsive.

d) If the vendor’s proposal contains any confidential information (as defined in Attachment B, Section 1, Paragraph #17), then the vendor must provide one (1) signed, original electronic offer and one (1) redacted electronic copy.

For Vendor training on how to use eVP to view solicitations, submit questions, develop responses, upload documents, and submit offers to the State, Vendors should go to the following site:

https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Questions or issues related to using eVP itself can be directed to the North Carolina eProcurement Help Desk at 888-211-7440, Option 2. Help Desk representatives are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST

7.0 OTHER REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIAL TERMS

7.1 VENDOR UTILIZATION OF WORKERS OUTSIDE OF U.S.

In accordance with N.C.G.S. §143B-1361(b), the Vendor must detail the manner in which it intends to utilize resources or workers in the RFP response. The State of North Carolina will evaluate the additional risks, costs, and other factors associated with such utilization prior to making an award for any such Vendor’s offer.

Complete ATTACHMENT G - Location of Workers Utilized by Vendor and submit with your offer.

https://eprocurement.nc.gov/training/vendor-training

Page 18 of 46 Ver. 2023.08.01

7.2 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The Vendor shall provide evidence of financial stability by returning with its offer 1) completed Financial Review Form (Attachment I), and 2) copies of Financial Statements as further described hereinbelow. As used herein, Financial Statements shall exclude tax returns and compiled statements.

a) For a publicly traded company, Financial Statements for the past three (3) fiscal years, including at a minimum, income statements, balance sheets, and statement of changes in financial position or cash flows. If three (3) years of financial statements are not available, this information shall be provided to the fullest extent possible, but not less than one year. If less than 3 years, the Vendor must explain the reason why they are not available.

b) For a privately held company, when certified audited financial statements are not prepared: a written statement from the company’s certified public accountant stating the financial condition, debt-to-asset ratio for the past three (3) years and any pending actions that may affect the company’s financial condition.

c) The State may, in its sole discretion, accept evidence of financial stability other than Financial Statements for the purpose of evaluating Vendors’ responses to this RFP. The State reserves the right to determine whether the substitute information meets the requirements for Financial Information sufficiently to allow the State to evaluate the sufficiency of financial resources and the ability of the business to sustain performance of this RFP award. Scope Statements issued may require the submission of Financial Statements and specify the number of years to be provided, the information to be provided, and the most recent date required.

7.3 FINANCIAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT, QUALITY ASSURANCE, PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY

RESERVED.

7.4 VENDOR’S LICENSE OR SUPPORT AGREEMENTS

Vendor should present its license or support agreements for review and evaluation.