Addendum 2 08/17/26

August 17, 2026

Dear Sir/Madam:

Enclosed please find Addendum No. 2 to SEPTA’s RFP No. 26-00142-AHAC Management Consulting Services for Curricula Development

Addendum No. 2 must be acknowledged by signing the attached Acknowledgement sheet and including that sheet as part of your technical proposal.

The new proposal due date and time is Thursday, August 27, 2026 by 4:30PM

All inquirers pertaining to this request for proposal must be sent to Heather Casullo at hcasullo@septa.org or 215-580-7421.

Sincerely, Heather Casullo

Sr. Contract Administrator

Procurement, Supply Chain Management Dept.

mailto:hcasullo@septa.org

ADDENDUM ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHEET

RFP No. 26-00142-AHAC Management Consulting Services for Curricula Development

The attached addendum to the Contract Documents is hereby part of the same and is incorporated in full as part of the Project. Proposer shall acknowledge Addendum No. 2 by signing and returning this Acknowledgement Sheet with the Technical Proposal.

FIRM NAME (typed or printed) ______________________________

AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE _______________________________

TITLE _________________________________

NAME (typed or printed) ___________________________________

DATE_____________________

ADDENDUM NO. 2 INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

1. Questions and Answers

2. Revised Price Proposal Form

3. Revised Scope of Work

Management Consulting Services for Curricula Development

RFP 26-00142-AHAC

Q1. Do any departments anticipate a need for consulting or training services in the following areas: If so, could you please advise which departments would utilize these services and whether they fall within the scope of this solicitation?

• Construction Project Management; Healthcare Construction Project Management;

• Construction Risk Management; Builder’s Risk Inspections; Construction Site Risk Assessments; Construction Progress Inspections; Owner’s Representative Services

• Capital Project Planning and Oversight; Construction Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC); Construction Compliance and Safety Consulting

A1. Any department at SEPTA would be able to leverage this RFP including, but not limited to, engineering, maintenance and construction, maintenance of way, railroad operations, bus operations, human resources, government affairs, safety and environmental management, accident and incidents, etc.

Q2. The RFP mentions Pennsylvania resources must be state certified and qualified. What does that mean? 6.a. Only Professionally Qualified Employees to Perform Services All of Contractor/Consultant’s personnel providing services under the Contract shall be technically qualified to perform the services required hereunder and, unless otherwise provided herein, as required by the nature of the services, will be fully licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and authorized in conformity with all state licensing requirements and all governmental statutes, ordinances, and other provisions dealing with the services provided by such personnel. We are a out of state company - does this impact the on-the-ground PA team we are planning to hire?

A2. Consultant shall hold the appropriate certifications and licenses, if required.

Q3. Have competencies and skills already been mapped to each of the Job roles at SEPTA?

A3. Yes.

Q4. Attachment 2, Scope of Services for Management Consulting Services for Curricula Development, Task 4 states: “Define the training delivery and operating model, including roles, governance, and launch.” Can SEPTA clarify whether the consultant is expected to define an operating model for SEPTA's overall training program, for each individual training curriculum developed under the contract, or both?

A4.For each individual training curriculum.

Q5. Domain level expertise. How important is this? For example, we see that a SME / Advisor should have 10+ years' experience. Given the wide variety of roles at SEPTA, how should we best determine the areas of expertise for this SME (and other staff members). Please let us know if general Transportation expertise fits the requirement.

A5. It is important that the team has a wide pool to draw from. SEPTA does have a variety of roles and the areas of expertise needed will vary depending on the task order.

Q6. We understand that SEPTA is seeking a University style dynamic for learners. Is certification part of the expectation? Final exams, badging, etc.

A6. We are working to develop SEPTA U as a world-class training facility that supports ongoing role-based training. Certification is not part of the expectation.

Q7. Will you please let us know what is expected from the Senior Administrative Support resource? Administering LMS and learning tech platforms?

A7. We do not need someone to administer our LMS system. We are looking to you to tell us why that person would be important on your team.

Q8. What do you expect from the Analyst role? (Is an Instructional Strategist / Analyst or Writer an Analyst?)

A8. We are looking to you to tell us why that person would be important on your team.

Q9. Please clarify this request in the RFP:

SubmissionofProfessional qualifications, specialized experience and technical competence of th e Project team, and key personnel. Resumes detailing educational and experience background for key personnel should be submitted." Our team members are Communications and Learning Services experts in adult learning, information dynamics, project leadership, proofreading and editing, etc. Will you expect to see resumes of this type for the contract's fulfillment?

A9. Yes, all resumes for potential key personnel to work on the project or task order.

Q10. What is NAECFTEC?

A10. It represents the internal naming convention of the document.

Q11. Since there are no goals on this RFP, there is no need to fill out the DBE forms?

A11. There are no DBE goals, however if you are utilizing a subcontractor that is a DBE firm the Office of Business Advancement and Engagement still capture the information for data reporting.

Q12. Which departments or operating divisions are the highest priority for curriculum development and modernization?

A12. Our bus and rail operating departments are priorities. See A1 as well.

Q13. Are there specific workforce or operational challenges that are driving this initiative?

A13. Our focus it the unification of training materials and curricula to launch SEPTA as a world-class training capability.

Q14. What do you see as the biggest gaps in the current training program?

A14. It varies across all areas but one of our main goals is consistency across all our trainings.

We are also looking to utilize varied learning strategies to best meet the needs of our employees.

Q15. Are there regulatory, safety, operational, or technology changes that are creating an immediate need for updated curricula?

A15. All of the above.

Q16. Is SEPTA's primary objective to standardize training across the organization, improve workforce readiness, modernize instructional delivery, or all the above?

A16. All of the above.

Q17. Are there any performance measures or desired outcomes that will define success for this project?

A17. To be determined and scoped by each task order.

Q18. Are there any lessons learned from previous training initiatives that you believe proposers should understand as we develop our approach?

A18. This is a new initiative.

Q19. The Scope of Services states that SEPTA's Training Department will deliver the training.

Can SEPTA clarify whether future Task Work Authorizations may include the development of digital learning assets (e.g., eLearning modules, videos, simulations, and other multimedia referenced in the Scope of Services), or whether task orders are expected to primarily focus on curriculum design and supporting instructional materials for delivery by SEPTA?

A18. It’s possible that future task orders would include the need for development of digital learning assets.

Q19. The contract is a non-minimum, task-order retainer with a $4.8M three-year ceiling. Can SEPTA provide an anticipated annual task-order volume (or estimated number and size of task orders in Year 1), and identify which business units are the priority for the initial task orders?

A19. Not known. See A12.

Q20. The Background notes that task orders may require third-party support to "infuse subject matter expertise." To what extent will SEPTA provide its own subject-matter experts from the relevant business units, versus expect the firm to supply SMEs for the technical and operational disciplines?

A20. SEPTA can provide SMEs from our relevant business units where applicable.

Q21. The Price Proposal Form provides a single fully loaded hourly rate per labor category. Are those rates fixed for the full three-year term, or is annual escalation permitted? Will SEPTA consider a rate adjustment for the optional six-month extension?

A21. Annual escalation is permitted.

Q22.How are travel and out-of-pocket expenses handled for a firm located outside the Philadelphia region — reimbursed at actual cost with prior approval, consistent with the "Miscellaneous Expenses" line on the Price Proposal Form? Approximately how much on-site presence is anticipated per task order, and is remote performance of design and development work acceptable between the per-task-order scope review meetings?

A22.See revised price proposal form. On-site presence is variable depending on the area of training and task order needs.

Q23. Is there a current or incumbent vendor performing this work? Since the firm will be "building upon SEPTA's current offerings," may proposers review samples of the existing curricula and materials?

A23. There is no current vendor. This is a new initiative for SEPTA.

Q24. The Background states that "SEPTA's Training Department will be delivering the content," while Scope of Services item 1 refers to the firm developing "and delivering" competency-based training curricula. Please clarify the firm's role: is it limited to curriculum design and development, or is facilitation and delivery ever within the scope of a task order? Is train-the-trainer preparation included?

A24. Firm’s role is curriculum design and development. Train-the-trainer is possible for some task orders.

Q25. What Learning Management System(s) does SEPTA use, and are there authoring-tool or content-packaging standards the deliverables must meet (e.g., SCORM/xAPI version, Articulate Storyline/Rise, editable source-file delivery)?

A25. Yes - Authoring tool and/or content packaging standards must meet (SCORM/xAPI, AICC).

We would need to be able to edit content so Articulate 360 source compatibility to essential.

Q26. Must courseware and training materials conform to Section 508 and/or WCAG accessibility standards? If so, which conformance level (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA)?

A26. It must conform to all rules and regulations as applicable to the task order.

Q27.For the multimedia, simulation, and gamification elements, is the firm expected to develop and host these components, and are there platform, tool, or SEPTA brand-standard constraints?

A27.Yes there are SEPTA brand-standards to consider. Possible that the firm would be expected to develop but not to host.

Q28. What are the planned investments in LMS, content management, or knowledge management platforms that may influence our response?

A28.None at this time.

Q29. What licenses will SEPTA provide for use of their LMS, instructional design software (e.g., Articulate Rise), or delivery platforms?

A29. The firm will work closely with SEPTA staff who manage the LMS.

Q30. Does SEPTA allow staffing of consultants who are based outside of the US?

A30. Yes.

Q40. Regarding references, what information is SEPTA seeking for the vendor to provide as part of the response?

A40. References should include the firms work and where it was provided before in a similar manner.

Q41. Can SEPTA clarify the specific departments or business units expected to require curricula development support during the contract term?

A41. See answer 1.

Q42. Are there priority training areas, operational topics, or compliance requirements that SEPTA expects the selected contractor to address first?

A42. See A12.

Q43. Will curricula development focus primarily on new training programs, updates to existing materials, or both? If both new training programs and updates to existing programs are in scope, can you provide the percentage for each?

A43. Mainly updates to existing materials but new training programs are possible.

Q44. Does SEPTA have an existing competency framework, learning strategy, or training standards that the contractor must align with?

A44. Yes. SEPTA maintains established training policies, operating procedures, safety requirements, and performance expectations that any contractor would be expected to align with.

While specific competency frameworks and training may vary by department and job function, all training solutions must support SEPTA's operational, safety, regulatory, and customer service standards.

Contractors will be expected to collaborate with SEPTA stakeholders to ensure training programs, curricula, instructional design, learning objectives, delivery methods, and assessment strategies are consistent with SEPTA's existing practices and business needs. Training materials should also support workforce readiness, operational excellence, and compliance with applicable industry and regulatory requirements.

In addition, contractors should be prepared to work within SEPTA's established training governance processes and adapt their approach to support ongoing initiatives, organizational priorities, and evolving workforce development needs.

Q45. For the Price Proposal Form, we have multiple Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who each have different direct rates, however there is only one line for the fully-loaded hourly rate. How should multiple staff members within a single Discipline Category who have differing hourly rates be accounted for in the Price Proposal Form?

A45. Fully loaded blended rate for SME in that discipline category.

Q46. Can we add lines to or modify the price proposal form when adding multiple people within an individual discipline.

A46. No.

Q47.Will this be a Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee contract at the Task Order level? If not, what will be the method of payment?

A47. No. Task order, based on the hourly rates and level of effort.

Q48.For the Miscellaneous Direct Expense sum in the Price Proposal, will this be considered a not-to-exceed amount, or an estimated value? This is a challenging item to price because it is very dependent on the nature of awarded task orders.

A48. Line removed. See revised price proposal form. Will be priced in individual task orders.

Q49. Can SEPTA confirm if the consultant's Project Manager will be expected to be physically located in the Philadelphia area where they are in close proximity to SEPTA's offices and satellite facilities?

A49. Teams should be capable of being on site within 1-2 business days.

Q50. Will RRPL insurance be required for this contract?

A50. See required insurance at section 24 of the contract documents.

Q51. The RFP states that "The successful Respondent will identify in their proposal the complete breadth and depth of support services the Respondent is qualified to provide, highlighting the application of those qualifications for similar transportation organizations and/or agencies of comparable size, scope, and operational complexity. It is recommended that Respondents provide recommendations from these organizations and/or agencies to support assertions of technical qualifications." If the Respondent's team has provided directly applicable services to SEPTA in the recent past, would a recommendation from SEPTA be permitted as one of the recommendations provided?

A51. See revised language. Vendor to provide, description, name of agency, and contact information.

Q52. Can SEPTA provide examples of expected deliverables, such as instructional design documents, facilitator guides, participant guides, e-learning modules, assessments, job aids, or implementation plans?

A52. No.

Q53. What are the review and approval processes will SEPTA use for curriculum deliverables?

A53. It will vary depending on the task order.

Q54.Are there specific quality standards, accessibility requirements, or branding guidelines that all training materials must follow?

A54. Yes there are branding guidelines and any additional standards and accessibility requirements will be shared with the selected proposer.

Q55. How will SEPTA determine whether a curriculum package is complete and acceptable?

A55. The deliverable expectations will be part of the task order and could vary depending on the task order.

Q56. Can SEPTA confirm if Roadway Worker training should be included in anticipated direct expenses?

A56. If a firm’s employee needs Roadway Worker training for a task order, that training will be provided by SEPTA. Time and travel will be reimbursed if necessary, as part of the task order.

Q57. Will work be assigned through individual task orders, work authorizations, or another formal mechanism?

A57. Task orders Q58. What information will SEPTA provide when issuing each task assignment, such as scope, schedule, estimated level of effort, stakeholders, and required deliverables?

A58. Scope, schedule, stakeholders, deliverables and estimated cost are all part of the task order process.

Q59. Can SEPTA clarify whether this procurement will result in a master services agreement contract under which individual task orders will be issued?

A59. No, it will not be a master services agreement.

Q60. Is there an incumbent contractor currently performing these services? If yes, please provide the incumbent company name, contract number, contract value, and period of performance.

A60. No Q61. Is the incumbent contractor eligible to submit a proposal for this RFP?

A61. N/A Q62. Will SEPTA disclose historical spend, average annual usage, or the number and value of task orders issued under the prior or current contract, if applicable?

A62. Not applicable to this RFP.

Q63. Are the staffing roles listed in the RFP intended to be mandatory labor categories, suggested roles, or examples of anticipated support?

A63. Mandatory.

Q64. Can SEPTA clarify whether proposed key personnel must be available at contract award or at a task order level?

A64. Proposed key personnel are not required to be exclusively available at contract award.

However, offerors should identify qualified key personnel who are anticipated to support the contract. Availability and assignment of specific key personnel will be confirmed and evaluated at the task order level, based on the requirements and timing of each task order.

Q65. Are there minimum qualifications, certifications, or years of experience expected for instructional designers, subject matter experts, project managers, and analysts?

A65. Refer to the price proposal.

Q66. Other than the Project Manager, which roles are considered key personnel for proposal evaluation and contract performance?

A66. Offerors should identify any additional personnel they consider to be key to the successful performance of the contract. Offerors should clearly designate these individuals in their proposal and provide qualifications, experience, and expected roles and responsibilities.

Q67. Which labor categories are considered key personnel?

A67. Vendor to identify Key Personnel as part of their proposal.

Q68. Why is the Project Manager identified as key personnel if the RFP also includes Program Manager labor categories? Please clarify the distinction between the Project Manager and Program Manager roles.

A68. The Project Manager is identified as key personnel because this individual will serve as the primary point of accountability for overall contract management and client coordination. The Program Manager labor category is intended for use in the performance of specific task orders when the scope of work requires program-level management services.

Q69. Does SEPTA use a learning management system or digital content platform that the contractor must design for or integrate with?

A69. Yes. SEPTA uses SAP SuccessFactors Q70. Are e-learning modules required to follow a specific technical standard, such as SCORM, xAPI, or another format?

A70.Yes, our e-learning modules require SCORM, xAPI, and AICC formats.

Q71. Will training delivery be in person, virtual, blended, self-paced, or determined separately by task order?

A71. Determined within the scope of a task order and will vary.

Q72. Will SEPTA provide source files, templates, existing training assets, and access to subject matter experts as needed?

A72. Yes Q73. Can any portion of the work be performed from offshore locations, including India, if the contractor complies with all confidentiality, cybersecurity, export control, and data protection requirements?

A73. Yes, dependent on the task order.

Q74. What is the expected place of performance for this contract?

A74. Dependent on the task order.

Q75. Can work be performed remotely?

A75. Yes, dependent on the task order.

Q76. The Technical Evaluation Criteria mentions that the SEPTA will evaluate the Project approach in interpreting the Project objectives, and the Scope of Services. But the RFP does not define Project Objectives.

A76. The purpose of the Professional Services Contract is to serve as a strategic resource for various curricula initial design, development, updating and implementation for all areas of SEPTA’s training needs.

Q77. Please define Project Objectives to provide detailed approaches for each of them.

A77. The purpose of the Professional Services Contract is to serve as a strategic resource for various curricula initial design, development, updating and implementation for all areas of SEPTA’s training needs.

Q78. What is the difference between evaluation factors (D) Firm Qualifications and experience in performing the Scope of Services and (D) Past performance and references on other projects/contracts with SEPTA, other government agencies, and private industry? Both factors relate to experience. Please clarify that how should we provide the narrative for these factors A78. Firm qualifications focus on the offeror’s overall capabilities and expertise. Part performance focuses on the quality of the offeror's performance on previous projects.

Q79. Does SEPTA accept digital signatures on proposals, or must the hard copy be signed in ink?

A79. For the technical proposal submission digital signature is acceptable.

Q80. Should pricing be submitted by labor category, fixed price by deliverable, blended hourly rate, or another structure?

A80. See A45.

Q81. Are travel costs, software licenses, media production costs, printing, or translation services expected to be included in proposed pricing?

A81. Travel costs are to be billed at FTA per diem rates. All other items listed will be on a task order basis and included in the task order.

Q82.We understand that there is no mandatory DBE participation is required. Please confirm. If required, what is the percentage?

A82. There is no mandatory DBE participation. See Attachment 6.

Q83. Will SEPTA permit electronic submission, or are hard-copy and electronic media submissions required?

A83. See Instructions IV.A.

Q84. The contract stipulates a total time of performance of 1,095 calendar days (3 years) from the Notice to Proceed. Are the labor rates submitted in the Attachment 3 Price Proposal expected to remain fixed for the entire 3-year duration, or does SEPTA permit the inclusion of annual escalation percentages to account for cost-of-living/inflation adjustments?

A84. See revised price proposal form.

Q85. To ensure our pricing does not inadvertently exclude required costs (which would render it non-responsive under Section II.B), please clarify if direct expenses such as travel, lodging, and reproduction of materials for on-site SEPTA sessions are to be billed as distinct reimbursables, or if they must be fully loaded into our hourly billing rates.

A85. See revised price proposal form. See answer A 81.

Q86. WHAT LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (LMS) DOES SEPTA CURRENTLY UTILIZE?

A86. SAP SuccessFactors

Q87. DOES SEPTA HAVE AN INVENTORY OF EXISTING TRAINING AND A NOTE ON WHICH ONES THE

SELECTED VENDOR WOULD NEED TO BUILD FROM SCRATCH?

A87. Yes SEPTA has an existing training program to build from. To be determined which trainings would be new to SEPTA.

Q88. APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS, DIVISIONS, OR BUSINESS UNITS ARE EXPECTED

TO PARTICIPATE DURING THE LIFE OF THE CONTRACT?

A88. All departments at SEPTA will have access to this contract.

Q89. CAN SEPTA PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO MAY ULTIMATELY

BE IMPACTED BY THE CURRICULA DEVELOPED UNDER THIS CONTRACT?

A89. All SEPTA employees will likely be impacted by curricula developed under this contract.

Q90. DOES SEPTA ANTICIPATE SEPARATE LEARNING PATHWAYS BASED ON EMPLOYEE ROLE,

TENURE, CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, OR CAREER PROGRESSION?

A90. Yes

Q91. DOES SEPTA HAVE A PREFERRED INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY OR

CURRICULUM-DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK THAT VENDORS SHOULD ALIGN WITH?

A91. No

Q92. WILL SEPTA REQUIRE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER SERVICES AS PART OF THE ENGAGEMENT?

A92. It is possible that train-the-trainer services will be needed.

Q93. WHAT BALANCE DOES SEPTA ANTICIPATE BETWEEN INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING, VIRTUAL

INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING, SELF-PACED E-LEARNING, BLENDED LEARNING, AND EXPERIENTIAL

LEARNING APPROACHES?

A93. That will vary depending on the curriculum.

Q94. HOW DOES SEPTA PLAN TO ENCOURAGE ADOPTION AND UTILIZATION OF NEWLY

DEVELOPED CURRICULA ACROSS DEPARTMENTS?

A94. Departmental collaboration during curriculum development, ensuring content reflects the needs of different business units and increases stakeholder buy-in.

Q95. WHICH SEPTA DEPARTMENTS OR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS WILL SERVE AS SPONSORS AND

DECISION-MAKERS FOR THIS EFFORT?

A95. Curricula governance is currently being developed.

Q96. ARE THERE SPECIFIC KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS) THAT PROPOSERS SHOULD

ADDRESS IN THEIR METHODOLOGY?

A.96. No we are looking to the proposer to describe their approach and methodology.

Q97. WOULD SEPTA BE WILLING TO IDENTIFY ANY LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OR CURRICULUM INITIATIVES THAT SHOULD INFORM PROPOSER

APPROACHES?

A97. No

Q98. DOES SEPTA HAVE, OR WILL IT CREATE, A MASTER CALENDAR OF TRAINING EVENTS AND

ACTIVITIES?

A98. Curricula governance is currently being developed and with that will include an update schedule to trainings. There is a calendar of trainings currently offered.

Q99. WHERE WILL/MAY TRAINING TAKE PLACE (IDEALLY TO IDENTIFY LOCAL TRAINING

RESOURCES)?

A99. SEPTA’s classroom training takes place in Center City (currently at 1234 Market and will move to the Wanamaker Building this fall/winter. On the job training occurs across our system.

Q100. ARE THERE ANY NON-NEGOTIABLES PROVIDERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF WHICH MAY

RESULT IN AUTOMATIC DISMISSAL FROM BEING SELECTED?

A100. No.

Q101. Over the prior comparable contract term, approximately how many task orders were issued per year, and what was the typical and maximum dollar value and duration of a single task order?

A101. This is a new initiative and no prior contract.

Q102. What is SEPTA's anticipated or budgeted annual spend against the $4.8M ceiling (e.g., roughly even across three years, or front-loaded)? Is there any guaranteed minimum spend or is the entire value discretionary?

A102. Anticipated to spend evenly across three years. There is no minimum spend. The entire value is discretionary.

Q103. Approximately how many distinct curricula or courses does SEPTA expect to be developed or updated over the term, and what is the rough split between net-new development versus updating existing content?

A103. That is undetermined. We will begin with updating current curriculum.

Q104. How many employees (headcount) and how many distinct job classifications / roles will the curricula ultimately serve across the listed departments? Are there approximate learner-population sizes per department?

A104. All SEPTA employees will likely be impacted by curricula developed under this contract.

Q105. Which departments are expected to generate the majority of demand in Year 1 (Training, Operations, Maintenance of Way, Engineering, HR, System Safety, Communications, etc.), and are any large curricula initiatives already identified for immediate task orders at Notice to Proceed?

A105. It is anticipated that front line employee training will generate the majority of year 1 demand.

Q106. What is the expected concurrency - how many task orders should the firm expect to execute simultaneously at peak? The scope references the ability to run "multiple tasks at the same time."

A106. That will vary depending on the capacity of the firm selected. The firm should speak to capacity in their response.

Q107. Please confirm the precise boundary of responsibility: is the firm responsible only for curriculum design, instructional design, and content authoring, with SEPTA's Training Department performing all live/virtual delivery and facilitation? Is the firm ever expected to deliver or facilitate training directly?

A107. We do not anticipate the firm to be delivering training directly.

Q108. For a typical curriculum, what final deliverable format is expected - e.g., facilitator guides and participant workbooks, fully built eLearning (SCORM/xAPI packages), storyboards only, video/multimedia production, or a mix? Who is responsible for media production (video, animation, simulation build)?

A108. At a minimum, facilitator guides and participant workbooks. Depending on the task order, other materials and resources may be needed. Responsibilities would be discussed at the task order level and scoped.

Q109. Is the firm expected to conduct the training needs assessment / job-task analysis for each curriculum, or will SEPTA provide completed needs analyses as task-order inputs?

A109. There have been some needs assessments completed already. That information will be shared with the contracted firm.

Q110. Does "end-to-end instructional design ... through evaluation and continuous improvement" require the firm to build assessment instruments, measure post-training effectiveness (e.g., Kirkpatrick levels), and iterate - and if so, does the firm collect the evaluation data or does SEPTA?

A110. SEPTA would collect the assessment data.

Q111. The scope lists "define the training delivery and operating model, including roles, governance, and launch." Is this a one-time organizational/operating-model consulting deliverable, or repeated per curriculum? Roughly what is its expected scale?

A111. This would be per curriculum as training delivery for example will vary.

Q112. Will SEPTA provide existing source content, SME access, standards, and current course materials as task-order inputs, and within what timeframes? What is the expected level of SME availability from SEPTA per task order?

A112. Yes, SEPTA will provide existing content, etc. SME availability will be scoped out for each task order but all the right SEPTA players will be made available as needed.

Q113, Are there required instructional standards, accessibility standards (e.g., Section 508 / WCAG for digital learning), branding, or style guides the curricula must conform to?

A113. Yes there are branding guidelines and any additional standards and accessibility requirements will be shared with the selected proposer.

Q114. What Learning Management System (LMS) / learning platform does SEPTA use, and must delivered content be authored to deploy on it (e.g., SCORM/xAPI conformance, specific versions)? Will the firm publish/upload content into the LMS or hand off packages?

A114. SAP SuccessFactors. Authoring tool and/or content packaging standards must meet SCORM/xAPI, AICC. Firm will hand off packages.

Q115.Which authoring tools, if any, is the firm required or expected to use (e.g., Articulate Storyline/Rise, Adobe Captivate)? May the firm use its own licensed toolchain, and does SEPTA require native source files delivered at the end?

A115. Authoring tool and/or content packaging standards must meet (SCORM/xAPI, AICC).

Articulate 360 source compatibility is essential.

Q116.Confirm that Trimble Unity Construct is used solely for task-order request/authorization workflow (not for content hosting or delivery), and that SEPTA provides all necessary licenses and training for it at no cost, as stated.

A116. Confirm. Trumble Unity Construct is used solely for task-order authorization and processing invoices.

Q117. Does SEPTA maintain a content repository / version-control expectation for curricula, and are there data-handling or hosting-location requirements for any SEPTA data the firm processes?

A117.Sharepoint

Q118. Are the fully-loaded hourly rates fixed and firm for the entire three-year term (plus the six-month extension), or is annual escalation permitted? If escalation is allowed, is there a cap or a required index?

A118. See revised price proposal.

Q119. How should travel and reimbursable expenses be handled? The form has a lump-sum "miscellaneous expenses" line "subject to prior approval." Are travel/expenses reimbursed at cost (e.g., per FTA/GSA rates) separately, or must they be built into the loaded hourly rates?

A119. See revised price proposal. See answer 81.

Q120. For the fixed discipline list on the price form, may proposers add roles not listed (e.g., eLearning developer, multimedia/media producer, LMS specialist, accessibility QA) that are essential to curriculum production but absent from the form? How should those be priced?

A120. No. Cannot add roles but may indicate on the line next to it a similar role with a different title. See revised price proposal.

Q121.Will task orders be issued as firm-fixed-price (not-to-exceed) per task, time-and-materials against the hourly rates, or a mix? The Scope describes not-to-exceed task authorizations -please confirm the default task-order pricing mechanism.

A121. Task orders are priced not-to-exceed.

Q122. Is there a separate rate schedule or markup mechanism for subconsultants, and are subconsultant rates evaluated against the same fully-loaded discipline table? Is any markup on subconsultant labor permitted?

A122. No separate rate schedule for sub consultants. The subconsultant agreement is between the firm and the sub consultant.

Q123.Given the CPPC prohibition, please confirm that a fixed hourly-rate (fully burdened) model with not-to-exceed task ceilings is fully compliant, and clarify how profit is expected to be represented within the loaded rate.

A123. Confirmed. The loaded rate shall be fully burdened and include the hourly labor rate, overhead and profit. It is not expected to be represented separately.

Q124. Is this proposal only open to DBE entities (in compliance with DOT’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise requirements, 49 CFR, Part 26) or is it open to all vendors, including non-

DBE?

A124. It is open to all. There is not a specified DBE goal associated.

Q125. Is there any annual breakdown of the $4.8M do-not-exceed amount or any requirement for it to be evenly distributed across all three years?

A125. Anticipated to spend evenly across three years.

Q126. What types of delivery modalities does SEPTA currently use for training? For example, in-person, online, or hybrid?

A126. Typically either in-person or online.

Q127. What types of training content delivery does SEPTA currently use? For example, synchronous, self-paced, asynchronous, or a mix?

A127. A mix

Q128. What types of delivery modalities and training content delivery does SEPTA seek to use in the future?

A128. That would be part of the proposers approach.

Q129. Does SEPTA have examples of any existing training curricula or materials it could share?

A129. Yes SEPTA will share all the material with the selected proposer.

Q130. Does SEPTA have an estimation of how much instructional content would be created from scratch versus how much would be built on existing content - whether with minimal modifications or fully refreshed and updated?

A130. No. To be determined which trainings would be net new to SEPTA.

Q131. Does SEPTA have a Learning Management System (LMS) or specific platform that it uses for instruction? If so, which platform(s) are used?

A131. SAP SuccessFactors

Q132. Does SEPTA have personnel who deliver educational trainings, and if so, do those personnel need facilitator materials to support delivery?

A132. That would be part of the proposers approach.

Q133. Responsibility documentation (Section 1.III): The firm must furnish responsibility documentation within five calendar days of a written request. Please confirm the expected document set so we can pre-assemble it (financials, org, past performance, licensing).

A133. All of the elements contained in the Section 1 III.

Q134. What is the anticipated Notice to Proceed date and expected ramp expectation at start (e.g., team mobilized within X days)? Are any task orders expected to launch immediately upon

NTP?

A134. We anticipate this award going to our Board in October or November. NTP would be issued following the Board award. Task orders are developed collaboratively and with the selected firm.

Q135. The RFP requires submission of hard-copy originals plus PDF thumb drives, delivered to 1234 Market Street, 11th Floor by 4:30 PM ET on August 20, 2026. To guard against postal or courier delays, would SEPTA accept an emailed PDF copy of the Technical and Price Proposals (sent to the Contract Administrator by the same deadline) as a protective backup, in addition to the mailed hard-copy submission? If email is acceptable, please confirm the correct address and any file-size or formatting constraints; if not, please confirm that only the physical submission will be considered so we can plan delivery logistics accordingly.

A135. No email submissions are permitted.

Q136. Is there a page limit or required format/section order for the Technical Proposal? The RFP specifies required content but does not state a page limit.

A136. There is no page limit.

Q137. Will SEPTA conduct oral presentations/interviews for the competitive range, and if so, approximately when? Presentations are referenced as possible in Section 2.

A137. Possibly, and weeks’ notice will be provided.

Requested Contract Modifications

Q1. Section 24.G.1(b) – General Liability Insurance, Products-Completed Operations: Is the 12-year Products-Completed Operations requirement applicable to this professional services engagement? If not, may this requirement be deleted from the contract?

A1. See revised insurance requirement. Removed.

Q2.Section 24.G.4 – Cyber/Privacy Liability: Please confirm whether cyber/privacy liability coverage is required if the consultant will not host or process SEPTA personal data, or whether this requirement may be waived under those circumstances.

A2. See revised insurance requirement.

Q3.Please confirm the types of SEPTA data the consultant will access under this contract, including whether the consultant will have access to any personally identifiable information or other sensitive data. Please also clarify how access will be provided—for example, through SEPTA-hosted systems and logins, secure file transfer, or on-site review.

A3. No the selected proposer would not have access to any personally identifiable information.

Q4. Section 23 – Indemnification: requests that its indemnification obligations be limited to claims “to the extent arising from the negligence or willful misconduct of the Contractor” and that language requiring the contractor to indemnify SEPTA for SEPTA’s own negligence be deleted.

A4.Accepted.

Q5. Section 23 – Indemnification: requests the addition of the following limitation-of-liability provision:

“Except for the Contractor's indemnification obligations for third-party claims and its confidentiality obligations, (a) neither party shall be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including lost profits, arising out of or relating to the Contract; and (b) the Contractor's aggregate liability under the Contract shall not exceed the total fees paid to the Contractor under the applicable Task Order(s) giving rise to the claim in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.”

A5. Not accepted

Q6. Sections 12–13 – Intellectual Property and Confidentiality: requests the addition of the following provision:

“Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Contractor retains all right, title, and interest in its pre-existing materials, methodologies, tools, templates, and general know-how, and grants SEPTA a perpetual, non-exclusive license to use such items solely as incorporated in the deliverables.”

A6. Accepted

Q7. Professional Liability / Errors & Omissions coverage is referenced in the additional-insured provisions (§24.C) but does not appear in the Insurance limits schedule (§24.G). Is Professional Liability/E&O required, and if so, at what limit?

A7. Not required.

Q8. The Automobile Liability requirement and the 12-year Products/Completed Operations requirement (§24.G) appear oriented to construction contracts. Will SEPTA waive or scale these for a professional-services firm that uses no project vehicles and delivers no physical product?

A8. Automobile coverage if the service is completely remote and the contractor does not even need to visit a SEPTA site in person, we can omit and treat like we do for software-type services. If there is incidental travel, we could alternatively accept Hired & Non-owned Auto Liability, either standalone or possibly as part of General Liability. Products completed requirement has been removed.

Q9. Will SEPTA consider a mutual limitation of liability and a narrowing of the indemnification provision (§23), which as written requires the Contractor to indemnify SEPTA even where loss arises from SEPTA's own negligence?

A9. See Answer 4.

Q10. RFP Part III, Contract for Management Consulting Services for Curricula Development Section 10 Exception: Slalom respectfully requests clarity regarding the clause “in whatever form maintained.” Slalom is happy to provide copies of books, reports and other data, but as a general practice, in order to protect the confidentiality and integrity of information we may possess related to other clients, Slalom is cautious about the degree of access to our systems that we provide to clients. If system access is required, we would need advance notice.

Proposed Revision: Add the following clause: “SEPTA and any governmental funding agency providing financial assistance for the Project, including the United States Department of Transportation, the Office of the Comptroller General of the United States, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation may review copies of such records upon reasonable notice and during Contractor’s normal business hours.”

A10. Accepted

Q11. RFP Part III, Contract for Management Consulting Services for Curricula Development Assumption/Exception: The contract does not presently have a clause addressing use of AI.

We propose the clause below.

Proposed Revision: Contractor may use artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools to enhance and accelerate performance of the Services, provided that such use complies with the confidentiality and data protection obligations in the Agreement, and no less than a reasonable degree of care.

A11.Denied. Potential for discussion/negotiation with the awardee.

Q12.Indemnification (Contract Para 23): The clause requires the contractor to indemnify SEPTA "even if SEPTA is negligent in whole or in part," and includes an express waiver of the contractor's statutory protection under Sec. 303 of the PA Workers' Compensation Act. We request that indemnification be limited to claims arising from the contractor's own negligent or wrongful acts, and that the Sec. 303 waiver be removed or narrowed.

A12. Accepted removal of SEPTA’s negligence. But the removal of Sec. 303 waiver is not accepted.

Q13.Insurance mechanics (Contract Para 24): Please confirm the required A.M. Best rating ("A- " or greater is stated), the SIR cap ($50,000 stated), the additional-insured and primary/non-contributory endorsements, and whether Professional Liability (E&O) is required and at what limit (it is referenced as excluded from additional-insured but a limit is not clearly stated).

A13. See answer 1.

Q14.Limitation of Liability: The Agreement contains no limitation-of-liability provision, exposing the consultant to potentially unlimited liability. We request inclusion of a liability cap. Suggested verbiage: "Except for liabilities arising from gross negligence, willful misconduct, fraud, breach of confidentiality, or intellectual property infringement, the consultant's aggregate liability under this Agreement shall not exceed the total fees paid or payable under the Agreement."

A14. Not accepted.

Q15.Consequential damages: Consequential damages are expressly included within the indemnity obligations. We request that consequential, indirect, special, and punitive damages be mutually excluded under the Agreement (except where arising from fraud, willful misconduct, or IP infringement).

A15. Accepted

Q16. IP Infringement indemnity (Contract Para 19): This clause imposes a broad, uncapped IP-infringement indemnity on the consultant, including consequential damages, even where a claim may arise from SEPTA-provided materials or SEPTA's modification/unauthorized use of deliverables. We request it be limited as follows: "The Consultant's IP infringement indemnity shall be limited to third-party claims arising from consultant-developed deliverables and shall exclude claims resulting solely from SEPTA-provided materials, modifications, or unauthorized use of the deliverables."

A16. Accepted with the edit in italic and underlined.

Q17.Continued performance during disputes / Changes (Contract Para 18 & 31): The contractor must continue performing even while a change's price and schedule impact is still being negotiated or disputed. Please confirm the mechanism and timeframe for equitable adjustment, and that continued performance does not waive the consultant's right to recover the agreed cost/time impact of a directed change.

A17. Nothing in the Contract waives any rights by continued performance.

Q18. Contract modifications posture (Section 1.IV.E): SEPTA states it will not modify the contract and that objections raised after the Q&A window may make a proposal non-responsive. Please confirm the mechanism and deadline for submitting proposed redlines, and confirm that reasonable, good-faith clarifications to insurance and indemnity language will be considered without prejudicing responsiveness.

A18. Redlines were to be submitted with the questions and answers period as stated. Minor modifications can be discussed with the awardee.

Q19. Intellectual property (Contract Para 13): All data, notes, and works become SEPTA's sole property and the contractor waives copyright/patent claims. Please confirm the firm may retain and reuse its pre-existing methodologies, templates, tools, and proprietary frameworks (background IP), with only SEPTA-specific deliverables (foreground IP) vesting in SEPTA.

A19. See answer 6.

Q20. Key personnel (Section 1.II.A.2 & Contract Para 6): Key personnel cannot be changed or reduced after award without SEPTA's written approval, and SEPTA may reject proposed personnel. Over a 3.5-year term, please confirm a reasonable substitution process for attrition/unavailability with equally-qualified replacements.

A20. Awardee is to submit the qualifications for the replacement of key personnel to the PM and copy the Contract Administrator for approval. It should be completed prior to the change.

Q21. BAFO 120-day irrevocability (Section 1.IV.D): Each BAFO must remain firm for 120 days with liability for SEPTA's damages on withdrawal. Please confirm the expected award timeline so we can gauge how long our pricing (and any subconsultant/insurance quotes) must be held firm.

A21. Earliest award time November 2026 -January 2027.

Q22.Confidentiality survival (Contract Para 12): The clause restricts employees and former employees from accepting assignments "which use any of the information developed" for three years post-services. Please confirm this is limited to SEPTA's confidential/proprietary information and not general instructional-design know-how, which would be an unreasonable restraint.

A22. Agreed.

Q23.Termination for convenience (Contract Para 21): Recovery is limited to costs and profit on work performed, excluding anticipatory profit and consequential damages. Please confirm that costs of demobilization and non-cancellable commitments (e.g., subconsultant obligations) incurred in good faith are recoverable termination costs.

A23. Termination costs are set forth in 48 CFR Subpart 31.

Q24.Section 889 / covered telecom (Contract Para 47) and Buy America (Para 45) / Steel Products (SR-6): These read as construction/equipment provisions. Please confirm which, if any, apply to a professional-services curriculum-development contract, and what certification/reporting is actually expected of the firm.

A24. This is a task order based contract so the task orders have not yet been issued. It is not anticipated for these to apply but the contactor must comply if they are applicable or become applicable.

Scope of Services for

Professional Services for Curricula Development

BACKGROUND

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) plans to engage a Professional Services firm for a three (3) year period to provide various professional services on a non-minimum retainer, task order, as-needed basis. The total dollar value for all task orders in aggregate shall not exceed $4.8 million for three years. The contract will also include a six (6) month no-cost time extension, contingent upon availability of funds remaining within the contract, to be exercised at SEPTA's sole discretion under the direction and written authorization of SEPTA's Contract Administrator.

The purpose of the Professional Services Contract is to serve as a strategic resource for various curricula initial design, development, updating and implementation for all areas of SEPTA’s training needs.