STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

Guilford Technical Community College

Request for Proposal #: 99-JD25018

Industry & Trades Training Classes

Date of Issue: Monday, April 20, 2026

Proposal Opening Date: Monday, May 11, 2026

At 3:00PM ET

Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to:

Jamie Doom Senior Buyer

Email: jedoom@gtcc.edu Phone: 336-334-4822 x 50311

Ver: 11/2025

Request for Proposal #

99-JD25018

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

Ver: 11/2024

Refer ALL Inquiries regarding this RFP to:

Jamie Doom, Senior Buyer

Request for Proposal #: 99-JD25018 Proposals will be publicly opened: May, 11, 2026 at 3:00PM ET

Contract Type: Open Market Commodity No.: 861000 Description: Vocational Training Requisition No.: PR12973832

EXECUTION

In compliance with this Request for Proposals (RFP), and subject to all the conditions herein, the undersigned Vendor offers and agrees to furnish and deliver any or all items upon which prices are bid, at the prices set opposite each item within the time specified herein.

By executing this proposal, the undersigned Vendor understands that false certification is a Class I felony and certifies that:

this proposal is submitted competitively and without collusion (G.S. 143-54), none of its officers, directors, or owners of an unincorporated business entity has been convicted of any violations of Chapter 78A of the General Statutes, the Securities Act of 1933, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (G.S. 143-59.2), and it is not an ineligible Vendor as set forth in G.S. 143-59.1.

Furthermore, by executing this proposal, the undersigned certifies to the best of Vendor’s knowledge and belief, that:

it and its principals are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal or State department or agency.

As required by G.S. 143-48.5, the undersigned Vendor certifies that it, and each of its sub-Contractors for any Contract awarded as a result of this RFP, complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the NC General Statutes, including the requirement for each employer with more than 25 employees in North Carolina to verify the work authorization of its employees through the federal E-Verify system.

As required by Executive Order 24 (2017), the undersigned vendor certifies will comply with all Federal and State requirements concerning fair employment and that it does not and will not discriminate, harass, or retaliate against any employee in connection with performance of any Contract arising from this solicitation.

G.S. 133-32 and Executive Order 24 (2009) prohibit the offer to, or acceptance by, any State Employee associated with the preparing plans, specifications, estimates for public contracts; or awarding or administering public contracts; or inspecting or supervising delivery of the public contract of any gift from anyone with a contract with the State, or from any person seeking to do business with the State. By execution of this response to the RFP, the undersigned certifies, for Vendor’s entire organization and its employees or agents, that Vendor is not aware that any such gift has been offered, accepted, or promised by any employees of your organization.

By executing this proposal, Vendor certifies that it has read and agreed to the INSTRUCTION TO VENDORS and the NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS incorporated herein. These documents can be accessed from the ATTACHMENTS page within this document.

Failure to execute/sign proposal prior to submittal may render proposal invalid and it MAY BE REJECTED. Late proposals shall not be accepted.

COMPLETE/FORMAL NAME OF VENDOR:

STREET ADDRESS: P.O. BOX: ZIP:

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

PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS ADDRESS IF DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE (SEE INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS ITEM #21):

PRINT NAME & TITLE OF PERSON SIGNING ON BEHALF OF VENDOR:

VENDOR’S AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE*: DATE: EMAIL:

Guilford Technical Community College

Proposal Number: 99-JD25018 Vendor: __________________________________________

Ver: 11/2025 2

VALIDITY PERIOD

Offer shall be valid for at least one hundred and twenty 120 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 Guilford Technical Community College)

Ver: 11/2025 3

Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

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 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

4.0 REQUIREMENTS

4.1 PRICING

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY

4.3 HUB PARTICIPATION

4.4 VENDOR EXPERIENCE

4.5 REFERENCES

4.6 BACKGROUND CHECKS

4.7 PERSONNEL

4.8 VENDOR’S REPRESENTATIONS

4.9 AGENCY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS MODIFICATION

4.10 SUBCONTRACTORS

4.11 SECRETARY OF STATE REGISTRATION

4.12 INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINTE QUANTITY CONTRACT

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

5.2 REQUIREMENTS

5.3 SCOPE OF WORK

5.4 TECHNICAL APPROACH

6.0 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

6.1 INVOICES

6.2 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

6.4 DISPUTE RESOLUTION

6.5 CONTRACT CHANGES

7.0 ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT A: COST PROPOSAL

ATTACHMENT B: INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDORS

ATTACHMENT C: NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION

ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

Ver: 11/2025 4

1.0 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide primarily in-person professional development facilitation for its Industry & Trades Program’s clients during the 2026 – 2027 fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Facilitation to include printing of training materials and instruction of pre-designed courses as outlined herein.

GTCC’s I&T Program offers professional development training courses to businesses located in Guilford County, North Carolina.

Each training course is built upon HRDQ and DiSC digital content, tailored to each business’ technical and interpersonal skills training requirements.

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

1.1 CONTRACT TERM

The Contract shall have an initial term of one (1) year, beginning on the date of final Contract execution (the “Effective Date”).

At the end of the Contract’s initial term, the State shall have the option, in its sole discretion, to renew the Contract on the same terms and conditions for up to two (2) additional one-year terms. The State will give the Vendor written notice of its intent to exercise each option no later than thirty (30) days before the end of the Contract’s then-current term. In addition to any optional renewal terms, and with the Vendor’s concurrence, the State reserves the right to extend the Contract after the last active term.

Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto.

2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

This RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award, which are incorporated herein by reference.

2.2 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).

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 http://eprocurement.nc.gov/

Ver: 11/2025 5 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 Monday, April 20, 2026 Submit Written Questions Vendor Monday, April 27, 2026 Provide Response to Questions State Monday, May 4, 2026 Submit Proposals Vendor Monday, May 11, 2026, at 3:00 OM ET Contract Award State TBD

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 jedoom@gtcc.edu by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter “RFP # 99- JD25018 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.

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.

mailto:jedoom@gtcc.edu https://evp.nc.gov/ https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors https://eprocurement.nc.gov/news-events/evp-updates-vendors

Ver: 11/2025 6

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 should 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, if required to be returned.

c) Vendor’s Proposal addressing all Specifications of this RFP. Specifically, sections 4.6.1, 4.11, and 5.2 in addition to the attachments listed below.

d) Completed version of ATTACHMENT A: PRICING

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

f) Completed version of ATTACHMENT E: CUSTOMER REFERENCE FORM

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

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.

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.

Ver: 11/2025 7

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.

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.

Ver: 11/2025 8

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

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

3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA

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

2. Vendor Qualifications

3. Vendor Experience

4. Pricing

3.5 PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

Vendor shall complete ATTACHMENT F: LOCATION OF WORKERS UTILIZED BY VENDOR. In addition to any other evaluation criteria identified in this RFP, the State may also consider, for purposes of evaluating proposed or actual contract performance outside of the United States, how that performance may affect the following factors to ensure that any award will be in the best interest of the State:

a) Total cost to the State

b) Level of quality provided by the Vendor

c) Process and performance capability across multiple jurisdictions

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

e) Availability of pertinent skills

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

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

h) Relations with citizens and employees

i) Contract enforcement jurisdictional issues

Ver: 11/2025 9

3.6 INTERPRETATION OF TERMS AND PHRASES

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

4.1.1 Import Tariff Temporary Surcharge

Pricing shall be exclusive of any pending tariffs or temporary tariff surcharge. Vendor may request a temporary tariff surcharge in ATTACHMENT A: PRICING SUBMITTAL WORKBOOK as a charge separate from the contract price. Any temporary tariff surcharge(s) associated with purchases shall be provided by way of a percentage tariff surcharge. All tariff surcharges proposed are intended to be temporary and based on current tariff implications specific to related commodities with evidence of submitted documentation of affected MSRP products. Vendor understands that the agency may request additional justification. Any temporary tariff surcharge percentage will be negotiated and mutually agreed upon. The state is not obligated to accept any proposed import tariff surcharge. Proposed tariff surcharges may be used as a factor for evaluation and award.

4.2 FINANCIAL STABILITY

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

4.3 HUB PARTICIPATION

Pursuant to North Carolina General Statute G.S. 143-48, it is State policy to encourage and promote the use of small, minority, physically handicapped, and women contractors in purchasing Goods and Services. As such, this RFP will serve to identify those Vendors that are minority owned or have a strategic plan to support the State’s Historically Underutilized Business program by meeting or exceeding the goal of 10% utilization of diverse firms as 1st or 2nd tier subcontractors. Vendor shall complete

ATTACHMENT D: HUB SUPPLEMENTAL VENDOR INFORMATION.

4.4 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.

Ver: 11/2025 10

4.5 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.

4.6 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.

At a minimum, GTCC requires Statewide Criminal, National Criminal, Social Security and Residency background checks and awarded Vendor will be required to provide appropriate documentation upon request.

4.6.1 VENDOR BACKGROUND CHECK AGREEMENT

Vendor agrees to conduct a criminal background check, if so requested by the State, of all employees proposed to work under this Contract, at its expense, and provide the required documentation to the State in order to perform Services under this Contract:

YES NO

4.7 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.

4.8 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 telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and/or other Deliverables.

Ver: 11/2025 11

4.9 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

4.10 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.

4.11 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.

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 ☐

4.12 INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINTE QUANTITY CONTRACT

Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) will establish an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for these services, issued in the form of a blanket purchase order. Any quantities listed in the RFP are estimates based on the GTCC’s anticipated needs. GTCC shall not be obligated to purchase more than amount represented by the estimated quantities contained herein or any other quantities.

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

https://www.sosnc.gov/

Ver: 11/2025 12

5.0 SPECIFICATIONS AND SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 GENERAL

Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide professional development instruction for its Industry & Trades (I&T) Program. Instructions include printing of training materials and facilitation of pre-designed courses as outlined in the Scope of Work.

5.2 REQUIREMENTS

The specific items and any requirements that the Purchasing Agency is seeking are listed below. Items offered by the Vendor must meet or exceed the listed Requirements to be considered for award.

Item # Requirements Product/Service Offered Meets Specification

1 Provide four (4) hours (or more) of instruction per course YES NO

2 Vendor must provide all printed instructional materials and supplies per student for each course YES NO

3 Vendor must meet or exceed course objectives provided in section

5.3 Scope of Work YES NO

5.3 SCOPE OF WORK

GTCC’s I&T program has provided the following course descriptions and objectives. These courses are built upon HRDQ and DiSC content, which will be provided by I&T staff. Course descriptions and objectives are intended to outline the minimum instructional expectations for each course. Vendors are expected to deliver content that is consistent with the course title, description, and stated objectives and may incorporate related topics as appropriate to support effective learning outcomes.

BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEWING:

Course includes how to choose qualified candidates among applicants, interviewing processes and mistakes interviewers make. Along with reference checking, what are the law guidelines and how to sell your organization to top choices.

Course Objectives:

• Use competencies to develop behavioral-based questions.

• Recognize the characteristics of and effectively develop behavioral-based questions.

• Explore useful techniques for reviewing resumes.

• Identify the elements to look for in candidates’ answers to behavioral-based questions.

• Follow a structured method for evaluating candidates objectively.

BUSINESS WRITING:

This course includes email etiquette and guidelines, and how to compose and organize the document. Also, covering the top 12 email mistakes, 10C’s of effective business writing, proofreading, Punctuation, comma rules and multiple proofreading exercises.

Course Objectives:

• Implement techniques to effectively write all types of business documents

• Utilize outlining to plan documents

• Follow acceptable e-mail protocol

• Edit and proofread for complete and professional documents

VENDOR’S RESPONSE

Ver: 11/2025 13

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:

Defining what communication is and how you should communicate with others along with hints on how to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Also, include discussions on what communication filters are, how different personality types communicate and how to build rapport with others. Other topics to include are electronic communications and how to write business documents successfully.

Course Objectives:

• Identify the characteristics of assertive behavior and include them in your interactions.

• Ask directly for what you need without being aggressive.

• Confront problem behaviors successfully.

• Create equitable compromises with employees and peers.

• Hold others accountable.

• Manage conflicts to achieve productive outcomes.

• Deal with difficult people effectively.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT / PROBLEM SOLVING:

Discussions on topics of understanding conflicts and basic steps of resolution, listening & communication skills needed for handling specific situations along with how to handle challenging personalities.

Course Objectives:

• Bounce back from adversity

• Build your self-esteem as a foundation of resilience

• Make and maintain connections to build resilience

• Accept and embrace change

• Use flexible thinking to overcome obstacles

• Implement stress management and relaxation strategies to maintain resilience

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Customer Service will include discussions on what is extraordinary customer service. What are returns of service investments? How to set service standards and building customer rapport are important along with how to be an influential communicator and keeping cool when the customer is hot.

Course Objectives:

• Recognize the components of customer service

• Identify the roles of a customer service representative

• Practice techniques for taking control of the call

• Learn to handle angry customers

• Implement strategies for staying motivated

DELEGATION:

This course discusses the purpose of delegation of tasks and when you should delegate, also information on how to prepare to use the steps of delegation. Along with what mistakes can be made during delegation and best practices for handling missteps and failures.

Course Objectives:

• Recognize delegation as a tool for employee growth (not just as a way to lighten your own workload)

• Prepare yourself to delegate effectively

• Assess your employees to determine their delegation needs

• Match employees and projects appropriately

• Identify barriers to delegation and overcome them

• Apply the steps to delegating effectively

• Handle mistakes, missteps, and failures as learning opportunities

Ver: 11/2025 14

DISC & MANAGEMENT STYLES:

DiSC is personality assessment questionnaire and matched together with the management styles course you will learn about the different styles of communications and the differences between personality types. Along with getting tips on how to be assertive when handling other/different personality types from your own and how to work together with them for a common goal.

Course Objectives:

• Self-discovery of your own style’s strengths and weaknesses.

• Learning about other personality styles and how to co-exist with them.

• How to avoid actions that may lead to conflict.

• Learn techniques for effective communication.

• Helps build relationships and promote teamwork.

DIVERSITY, BIAS & INCLUSION:

Diversity, Bias & Inclusion will review examples of primary & secondary dimensions of diversity, describe trends & history of the American workplace, and discuss how diversity affects business & workplace. Identify various preferences, styles & perceptions and how to unlearn stereotypes.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the subtle ways that bias occurs.

• Identify instances of devaluing others through small, subconscious behaviors and microinequities.

• Establish a framework to increase inclusion at the organizational level.

• Recognize different ways of conveying respect.

• Address conflict productively and respectfully.

• Lead by example and be part of the solution.

DIVERSITY, BIAS & INCLUSION – SPANISH (Same as above, except delivered in Spanish language):

Diversity, Bias & Inclusion will review examples of primary & secondary dimensions of diversity, describe trends & history of the American workplace, and discuss how diversity affects business & workplace. Identify various preferences, styles & perceptions and how to unlearn stereotypes.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the subtle ways that bias occurs.

• Identify instances of devaluing others through small, subconscious behaviors and microinequities.

• Establish a framework to increase inclusion at the organizational level.

• Recognize different ways of conveying respect.

• Address conflict productively and respectfully.

• Lead by example and be part of the solution.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE:

This course is an introduction to emotional intelligence that discusses topics on how to manage yourself in a variety of situations, how to work well with others and how to set action plans.

Course Objectives:

• Manage your emotions by recognizing how thoughts and emotions are connected.

• Improve your self-control by identifying physical cues that indicate your emotions may be taking over. • Discover how emotional intelligence can help you develop more positive relationships at work and a more optimistic outlook.

• Learn how to use assertive communication to express your needs and feelings appropriately.

• Explore how to use emotional intelligence to bounce back from setbacks.

Ver: 11/2025 15

LEADING THROUGH CHANGE:

This course includes topics of the effects of change in the workplace, why organizational alignment is important, and how to communicate and reinforce the changes during all phases. Also includes discussions on how personnel respond to changes and how to avoid change resistance, along with how you can be a leader during and how anchoring change matters.

Course Objectives:

• Understand why change initiatives fail and how to ensure their success.

• Implement a framework to actively lead change efforts.

• Plan for the success of future change through close evaluation of the current initiative.

• Identify, acknowledge, and manage resistance to ensure an efficient transition.

• Apply techniques for increasing and gaining commitment to the change.

MANAGING STRESS:

This course will help you identify your stressors, understanding the stress cycle and how your mood/stress levels affect your work performance. Also includes best practices on how to manage stress physically, set boundaries, and on how to say “no”. All to help you Rise above the stress.

Course Objectives:

• Identify key characteristics of leaders

• Build trust and confidence with employees

• Avoid behaviors that undermine leadership

• Promote teamwork and esprit de corps

• Act decisively

• Demonstrate leadership in a crisis

TEAM BUILDING:

Team Building will include information on laying the groundwork for improving communication skills and how to transform conflict into cooperation through several team building exercises.

Course Objectives:

• Determine the fundamentals for establishing a team

• Develop a team charter and project plan

• Clarify team roles and personality types

• Define leadership responsibilities and functions

• Understand how to lead through coaching

• Facilitate team meetings effectively

• Make decision-making beneficial

• Handle conflict appropriately

TIME MANAGEMENT:

This course includes a personalized approach to time management and different time management styles, with discussions on what are traditional approaches to time management, how do you eliminate procrastination and hints on managing yourself/people. Also includes how to manage paper.

Course Objectives:

• Identify your personal time management style.

• Increase personal effectiveness by using techniques that fit your personality style.

• Establish which time management technique is best for various situations.

• Customize a time management approach that blends the strengths of the four different styles.

• Designate your priorities for a balanced life.

• Overcome procrastination.

• Apply time-saving techniques.

• Interact effectively with people, manage interruptions, delegate, and maintain a support network.

Ver: 11/2025 16

5.4 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 INVOICES

Vendor shall invoice the Procurement Entity. The standard format for invoicing shall be Single Invoices meaning that the Vendor should 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.

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

6.2 POST AWARD BUSINESS REVIEW MEETINGS

The Vendor, at the request of the State, shall be required to meet periodically with the State for Business Review meetings. The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, discuss Vendor and State performance, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics.

6.3 CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

The State encourages the Vendor to identify opportunities to reduce the total cost the State.