AELS_BOA_LCS.RFP_Final_5.19.26.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

INVITATION TO NEGOTIATE (ITN)

MNIT/MN Board of AELSLAGID (AELS) & MN Board of Accountancy (BOA) Licensure and Compliance System (LCS)

SWIFT Event #2000018382

Date Posted: May 27, 2026

• Responses must be received not later than 2:00 PM Central Time, June 22, 2026.

• Late responses will not be considered

• As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 39, Article 2, Sec. 45.

SPECIAL NOTICE: This is a request for proposal. It does not obligate the State of Minnesota to award a contract or complete the proposed program, and the State reserves the right to cancel this solicitation if it is considered in its best interest.

Minnesota’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

The State of Minnesota is committed to diversity and inclusion in its public procurement process. The goal is to ensure that those providing goods and services to the State are representative of our Minnesota communities and include businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. Creating broader opportunities for historically under-represented groups provides for additional options and greater competition in the marketplace, creates stronger relationships and engagement within our communities, and fosters economic development and equality.

To further this commitment, the Department of Administration operates a program for Minnesota-based small businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, and those with substantial physical disabilities. For additional information on this program, or to determine eligibility, please call 651-296-2600 or go to the Office of Equity in Procurement home page, at www.mn.gov/admin/oep.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2025/0/Session+Law/Chapter/39/ http://www.mn.gov/admin/oep http://www.mn.gov/admin/oep

Table of Contents

SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

SECTION 2 – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

SECTION 3 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE

SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL CONTENT

SECTION 5 – EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA

Solicitation Attachments

• Attachment A: Responder Declarations

• Attachment B: Exceptions to State's Terms and Conditions

• Attachment C: Cost Detail

• Attachment D: Responder Form o Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Page

▪ Workforce Certificate Information Form

▪ Equal Pay Form (if applicable)

• Attachment E: Functional Requirements and Self-Assessment

• Attachment F: Accessibility

Sample Contract

• Exhibit A: Contract Terms

• Exhibit B: Insurance Requirements

• Exhibit C: Specifications, Duties, and Scope of Work

• Exhibit D: Pricing

SECTION 1 – INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDERS

Invitation to Negotiate

Steps for Completing Your Response

This solicitation is an Invitation to Negotiate (ITN). An ITN begins with an evaluation of proposals and results in an invitation to the highest-scoring Responders to negotiate proposals with the State.

Follow the steps below to complete your response to this Solicitation:

Step 1: Read the solicitation documents and ask questions, if any Step 2: Write your response Step 3: Submit your response

Incomplete Submittals

A response must be submitted along with any required additional documents. Incomplete responses that materially deviate from the required format and content may be rejected.

STEP 1 – READ THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT & ASK QUESTIONS, IF ANY

How to Ask Questions

The contact person* for questions is:

Tee Yang, Contract Manager Minnesota Department of Information Technology Services

Tee.Yang@state.mn.us

Questions should be emailed to the contact by June 12, 2026, 2:00 PM CST.

All questions must include the following in the subject of the e-mail:

[Vendor Name] - Questions on RFP ITN MN AELS/BOA LCS 2-18382 *Other personnel are not authorized to answer questions regarding this Solicitation.

STEP 2 – WRITE YOUR RESPONSE

The Proposal Content section is in Section 4.

Prepare a written response and supply all requested content.

Responses should address the requested information and documents detailed in Section 4.

DO NOT INCLUDE Non-Public/Trade Secret data (as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.37).

Review, sign, and include the Responder Declarations with your response.

STEP 3 –SUBMITTING YOUR RESPONSE & SCHEDULE

Where to Send Your Response

All responses to this solicitation (termed an “Event” within SWIFT) must be submitted through SWIFT using the Supplier portal (https://mn.gov/supplier). Training and documentation on how to submit your response is available through the Supplier portal link above.

Fax, e-mail, and printed responses will not be accepted or considered. Responses received after End Date above will not be considered, even if errors or delays were caused by issues outside of responders’ control. If you need assistance, please contact the SWIFT Vendor Assistance Helpline at 651-201-8100, Option 1, and then Option 1.

All costs incurred in responding to this solicitation will be borne by the responder.

By submitting a response, your company is making a binding legal offer for the period of time set forth below in Section 6, Conditions of Offer.

mailto:Tee.Yang@state.mn.us https://mn.gov/supplier

This Solicitation requires proposals to be submitted through the SWIFT Supplier Portal. Please note the security changes below that may impact responders from submitting a timely response.

SWIFT SUPPLIER PORTAL SECURITY CHANGES

There are new security measures that the Minnesota Management and Budget implemented on October 16, 2022. It is a new multi-factor authentication (MFA) to enhance the security of the State of Minnesota Supplier Portal. MFA is an authentication method that requires bidders and suppliers provide two verification factors to log into the SWIFT Supplier Portal. The goal of MFA is to create a layered defense that makes it more difficult for unauthorized system access to occur.

For information about these changes, please refer to the SWIFT Supplier Portal Multi- Factor Authentication FAQ document.

If you have not done so already, please make sure to log into the SWIFT Supplier Portal as soon as possible to get this authentication set up early so there are no issues when submitting a response to an RFP.

You are strongly encouraged to set your MFA during business hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Central Time, Monday through Friday. You may experience delay setting your MFA after hours.

https://guest.supplier.systems.state.mn.us/psc/fmssupap/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?& https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/swift/training/trainingguides/swift-sup-portal-mfa.pdf https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/documents/swift/training/trainingguides/swift-sup-portal-mfa.pdf

SECTION 2 – PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

2.1 Anticipated Contract Term

The term of this contract is anticipated to be from July 2026 to June 2027, with the option to extend up to an additional four (4) years in increments determined by the State.

2.2 Question and Answer Instructions

All questions should be submitted no later than the date and time listed in Section 1, Instructions to Responders. The State is not obligated to answer questions submitted after the question due date and time.

Only personnel listed above are authorized to discuss this solicitation with responders. Contact regarding this solicitation with any personnel not listed above could result in disqualification. This provision is not intended to prevent responders from seeking guidance from state procurement assistance programs regarding general procurement questions.

If a Responder discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in the solicitation, please immediately notify the contact person detailed above in writing of such error and request modification or clarification of the document.

2.3 Additional Tasks or Activities

Responders are encouraged to propose additional tasks, activities, or goods above and beyond the scope of what is requested in this solicitation if they will substantially improve the results of this procurement. Any costs associated with these additional tasks, activities, or goods should be clearly marked and separated from costs associated with the tasks, activities, or goods specifically requested under this solicitation. Because cost is a factor in the evaluation of responses to this solicitation, failure to separate costs for additional tasks, activities, or goods may result in those costs being included in a responder's cost proposal and result in a lower cost score for that proposal.

SECTION 3 – SUMMARY OF SCOPE

3.1 Procurement Overview

The Minnesota Department of Information Technology Services (MNIT) partnering with two professional regulatory boards, the Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID or AELS) and Board of Accountancy (BOA) (collectively the two boards are Boards) is seeking a replacement of their licensing and compliance system (LCS) with a cloud-based, vendor managed, hosted, SaaS licensing system (System or Solution) to modernize the management of licensing and compliance enforcement services using one secure platform supporting the life-cycle of the administration of licensure, certification, and compliance in eight professional fields.

3.2 Background

The Boards serve Minnesota’s public community of estimated 40,000 applicants and licensees, by 12 staff and 30 appointed board members. The administration of licensure, certification, and compliance for firms and individuals consist of eight professional fields. End users of the current system are staff, licensees/applicants, firms, board members, and the public.

The current processes are largely manual with paper driven administration throughout the life-cycle of licensing and compliance. The Solution will alleviate the burden of the manual processes and modernize system features and create efficiencies meeting all applicable State security and accessibility standards.

Below are the current core and supportive functionalities of our Board’s workflow and processes:

3.2.1 Core Functionalities

o Application intake: New applications are manually accepted, validated, and routed from individuals and firms through to decision/issuance without a single system of record for both Boards.

o Renewals: Renewals are manually processed offline with manual compliance checks, payment processing, and status updates.

o Reinstatements: Reinstatement requests are manually processed with requested documentation from the applicant, manually gathered, reviewed, and processed for reactivation.

o Firm licensing and Renewals: Firm applications and renewals are manually processed alongside individual licenses with no consistent rules and tracking.

o CE/PDH/CPE tracking & audits: Continuing‑education (CE)/Personal Development Hours (PDH)/Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements are manually tracked, and audits are manually conducted, with manual evidence capture and disposition.

o Complaints, Investigations, and Orders: Complaints are manually received and managed through inconsistent evidence-based investigations with any necessary orders issued manually.

3.2.2 Supportive Functionalities

o Board Support: Board materials are manually assembled, routed, and tracked through approvals.

o Staff and Public Portals: Portals are not role-based hindering supporting staff operations and public self‑service lifecycles.

Payments & Treasury Reconciliation: Payments are manually processed (including voids/refunds), manually reconciled, with no reporting or audit capability.

o Data Management: Data quality control with updates and corrections is not currently possible.

o Reporting and Public Roster: Currently there are no reports which inhibit the maintenance of an accurate, up‑to‑date public roster with current professional status.

3.3 Our Solution Goals

We seek to replace the legacy WinForms/.NET application with a secure, modern, and accessible LCS which serves the Boards and all user groups through role‑appropriate portals while covering the full licensing and compliance life cycle and integrations with partner systems.

The unified platform of record for the Boards will cover application intake, renewals, reinstatements, firm licensing, CE/PDH/CPE tracking and audits, complaints and investigations, and board workflows;

role‑appropriate staff and public portals; configurable rules and queues; document generation; notifications;

and an accurate, current public roster.

The new System is anticipated to be deployed by June 30, 2027. The respondents’ proposed timeline should consider the anticipated deployment date.

3.4 Sample Deliverables

The Boards’ modernization vision is for an adaptable, next-generation LCS which delivers clear, human-centered value for Minnesotans, staff, and both Boards—meeting today’s digital standards while scaling seamlessly for future needs. This section outlines the tangible tasks and deliverables to fulfill the Boards’ modernization vision for a unified, secure, and adaptable System.

Each deliverable represents a functional operational component of the Solution—ensuring compliance with State standards, alignment with Board objectives, and sustainable value for Minnesotans, staff, and Boards.

3.4.1 Application Intake: Individuals and firms use the System for submission, validation, and routing of new license applications. The State’s preferred solution will intake applications electronically for different user types, validate and route, submissions and provide real-time status for administrative end-users.

3.4.2 Renewals: Renewals are electronically processed with Continuing Education/Continuing Professional Education and Secretary of State validations, payment processing, and status updates. The Solution should intake renewal applications electronically for different user types, validate and route, submissions and provide real-time status for administrative end-users.

3.4.3 Reinstatements: Reinstatement requests are electronically processed with requested documentation from the applicant electronically gathered, reviewed, and processed for reactivation. The Solution will intake reinstatement application requests electronically for different user types, validate and route, submissions and provide real-time status for administrative end-users.

3.4.4 Individual/Firm licensing and Renewals: Individual/firm licensing applications and renewal requests are electronically processed, validated and routed with providing real-time status for administrative end-users.

The Solution will be able to intake and process these requests electronically for different user types, validate and route, submissions and provide real-time status for administrative end-users.

3.4.5 Payments & Treasury Reconciliation: Payments are electronically processed (including voids/refunds) interfacing seamlessly with the State’s approved merchant payment/gateway, reconciled, with reporting or audit capabilities. The Solution’s payment and reconciliation should have the following:

o allow users to make credit card, debit card, and e-check payments and request refund.

o allow for real-time payment confirmation via the State’s approved merchant payment processor/gateway, enabling payments and refunds without delays or errors.

o configurable and customizable to interface with the State’s approved merchant payment processor/gateway.

o process, store, or transmit Cardholder Data shall comply with the most recent version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) promulgated by the PCI Security Standards Council, currently available online. Addition o Payment and refund transaction status and history should be logged and readily accessible in the proposed solution for reporting, reconciliation, and auditing purposes.

o handle payment issues (e.g., insufficient funds) directly utilizing the features in the State’s approved merchant payment processor/gateway.

3.4.6 Complaints, Investigations, and Orders: Complaints are electronically processed and managed through evidence-based investigations with any necessary enforcement orders issued by the system. The Solution will intake complaints electronically, track the complaint workflow, provide the ability to upload evidence to support investigations and issue any enforcement orders for all end-users.

3.4.7 CE/PDH/CPE tracking & audits: The System should have the ability for continuing‑education requirements and rules to be defined in the system and electronically tracked and validated per the licensure rules for each user, with electronic evidence submission and disposition with the ability to process and track audits on the workflow. The Solution will have the ability to validate board specific CE/PDH/CPE rules (e.g., rolling periods, ethics), confirms evidence submission, supports audit selection and reviewer workflows.

3.4.8 Communications: The Solution should provide the ability for internal and external system user notification and electronic messaging which integrates with our preferred Microsoft Outlook vendor.

3.4.9 Document & Record Management: Documents are version controlled in the preferred System, and legacy permits are digitized and stored within the preferred Solution’s data repository. The Solution will provide disaster recovery of documents to maintain business continuity if a disaster arises.

3.4.10 Data Migration: Full migration of core data entities with full data quality which includes data mappings, reconciliation processes, cutover and rollback plan, and auditing of results. The Solution will deliver a full migration of core entities (e.g., people, licenses, firms, orders, statuses, documents) with shared vs.

partitioned data domains; validated mapping and data quality rules; reconciliation; cutover and rollback plan;

and a migration audit package with signoffs. Selected vendor will include data lineage documentation, metadata registry, and PII protection controls. Additionally, the Solution must support data retention policies and allow for data purging consistent with those data retention policies. The selected vendor will provide a disaster recovery plan for the migrated data residing in the selected vendor’s data repository.

3.4.11 Reporting and Public Roster: The Solution should provide users with standardized reports and the ability to create reports and queries, create and edit a public roster with current professional status, and create role-based dashboards.

3.4.12 System Configuration and Template Management: The Solution will have the ability to configure rules, fees, forms, templates, and workflows without code, with structured governance, version control, and change-management practices which allow policy and rule updates without system disruption. The Solution should have the ability for administrators to update rules, fees, forms, templates, and workflows without code— covering versioning, approvals, rollback, and auditability.

3.4.13 Integrations: Provide integrations between the solution and external State and payment systems. The Solution will support the external integrations with applications and agencies listed:

• Integrate with State of MN LoginMN enterprise SSO/MFA.

• Integrate with external payment gateway (US Bank).

• Integrate with Commerce department to send Treasury batch reports.

• Integrate with Management & Budget (MMB) for compliance reporting.

https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/document_library/ https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/document_library/

• Integrate with Secretary of State for firm ownership registrations.

3.4.14 User Account & Profile Management: The System will provide users external facing self-service for applicants/licensees/firms—profile/contact updates, address validation/standardization, name change with documentation, communication preferences, firm affiliations—with inline validations, confirmations, audit logs, and a consistent mobile/desktop. Users will authenticate with a seamless single sign-on with multi-factor authentication. The selected vendor and their Solution application will maintain digital accessibility compliance with State and WCAG 2.2 AA standards so every user can participate fully.

3.4.15 Post Launch Hypercare, Training & Onboarding Support: The selected vendor will have a post-launch support system, training of new users in the system, and onboarding of State users into the system and provide the following:

o adoption plan with role‑based training, knowledge base/SOPs, and knowledge transfer to State.

o post–go‑live hypercare, followed by sustainable operations and maintenance with clear service level agreement (SLA) (e.g., response < 8 hours, resolution < 2 days for priority incidents). The selected vendor will work with the State to establish a service level agreement for services.

3.4.16 Performance, Scalability & Reliability: The selected vendor will Implement a system providing responsive performance, scalability for the number of users and system performance as described in the selected vendor’s service level agreement. The Solution should maintain responsive performance, scales to handle concurrent users, and achieves required uptime and recovery objectives, and provide monitoring and incident response support for continuous system availability. For reliability, the selected vendor should perform data backup, replication, and recovery across geographically distinct regions. Additionally, the selected vendor should provide application testing frequency, recovery time objectives, and evidence of system reliability.

3.4.17 Security: GovRAMP. For the purposes of this section, “High Risk Data” means Data that is highly sensitive and/or protected by law or regulation. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Data that is subject to and intended to be protected under the following laws, regulations, and standards:

• Federal Tax Information/IRS Publication 1075 (“FTI”) or (“IRS 1075”)

• Criminal Justice Information Services (“CJIS”)

• Payment Card Information Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”)

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (‘HIPAA”)

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”)

• Social Security Administration (“SSA”)

• Government issued ID Numbers (e.g., Social Security Numbers, Driver’s license numbers / State ID Card numbers, Passport Numbers)

• Bank account numbers excluding State-owned bank account numbers.

If the selected responder will be providing Cloud Services that process, store, or transmit High Risk Data or could impact High Risk Data directly or via third party, the selected responder will be expected to comply with the following requirements:

• The selected responder will be expected to demonstrate compliance with National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Special Publication 800-53 (Revision 5 or latest version) at the Moderate Impact

Level, and obtain GovRAMP Snapshot no later than 60 days after the execution of this contract. If the

Snapshot Score is below 100%, the selected responder will be expected to enroll in the GovRAMP

Progressing Snapshot Program and remain in the program until a 100% Snapshot Score is achieved.

• Within 60 days following the execution of a resulting contract, the selected responder will be expected to submit either proof of current GovRAMP Authorization at Moderate Impact Level status in the form of a GovRAMP Letter, or GovRAMP Snapshot Score in the form of a GovRAMP letter to vsrm@state.mn.us.

• The selected responder will be expected to achieve GovRAMP Authorization at Moderate Impact Level status no later than April 1, 2027. Once achieved, the selected responder will be expected to maintain

GovRAMP Authorized status for the duration of the contract.

• The selected responder will be responsible for all costs associated with meeting these requirements. The selected responder will be expected to grant State visibility and access through GovRAMP for progress reviews as requested.

• The selected responder will be expected to authorize State access to the selected responder’s GovRAMP

Snapshot, GovRAMP Progressing Snapshot and GovRAMP Authorization at Moderate Impact Level status throughout the life of the resulting contract. The State will reserve the right to request and review all

Third-Party Assessment Organization (“3PAO”) audits, risk assessments, vulnerability assessments, and penetration tests of the selected responder’s environment. The selected responder will be expected to respond to all noncompliance issues discovered by providing a mutually agreed upon timeframe to resolve the issue and implement a compensating control.

FedRAMP Authorization: Alternatively, the State will accept a selected responder’s FedRAMP Authorization

Rev. 5 Moderate or High; however, the selected responder will be expected to enroll in the GovRAMP continuous monitoring program within 12 months of contract execution. This requirement will ensure the

State has appropriate visibility into ongoing security audits and reports, which are otherwise restricted under

FedRAMP’s continuous monitoring packages and accessible only to federal government entities.

The selected vendor will provide integration with MNIT Constituent Identity and Access Management for Single Sign On/Multi-Factor Authentication; role‑based access controls; encryption and audit logging;

monitoring and alerting; penetration testing, vulnerability management cadence, evidence of compliance with Enterprise Information Security Policies & Standards, and artifacts supporting the State’s Authority to Operate process.

This selected vendor will be expected to ensure a high level of security to protect sensitive information in compliance with the State of Minnesota Enterprise Information Security Policies & Standards. Additionally, the selected responder will demonstrate compliance to GovRAMP security requirements for their SaaS solution to show the highly sensitive government data is compliant with National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Special Publication 800-53 (Revision 5 or latest version).

3.4.18 Accessibility. The selected vendor will implement software and portals conforming to State standards, supported by VPAT/ACR/WCAG 2.1 A and AA sections and provide documentation and a credible roadmap to reach the State’s target conformance level.

3.4.19 Financial Management. The selected vendor will establish and provide secure integrations (e.g., U.S.

Bank) and processes for payment acceptance, voids, and refunds; reconciliation to control totals; complete audit trails; and reliable settlement and remittance reporting aligned with State financial services.

3.4.20 Data Configuration. The selected vendor will provide configuration over code wherever feasible, with structured governance, version control, and change-management practices which allow policy and rule updates without system disruption.

mailto:vsrm@state.mn.us https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/security/

SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL CONTENT

Please answer all questions and provide requested information for all items in Section 4 – Proposal Content.

Answers for this section should NOT list cost details. If cost details are included in this section of your proposal, the State may disqualify the proposal as non-responsive.

Please submit the proposal documentation in a Word/PDF or Excel format as applicable:

4.1 Work Plan

Purpose. This section establishes the responder’s approach for delivering an outcome-driven and measurable plan that aligns fully with the Boards’ modernization objectives (Work Plan). The Work Plan will demonstrate a clear understanding of scope and deliverables outlined in Section 3. The Work Plan will show how each deliverable will be achieved, and connect all tasks and deliverables into one coherent, traceable framework.

Instructions. In the Work Plan, respondents should describe their methods and approach to meeting the deliverables described in Section 3, detailing major tasks to be accomplished. Responders should provide a statement of the objectives, goals, and tasks to show or demonstrate the responder's view and understanding of the nature of the contract, and what makes the respondent uniquely suited for this work. Describe in the Work Plan a scheduling and managing tool, and a basis for invoicing. The Work Plan should include any visual aids such as timelines, Gantt charts, RACIs, or risk heat maps where they enhance clarity.

The project timeline for the new System is estimated to be deployed by June 30, 2027. Any timelines offered in the respondents’ proposal should consider this deployment date. Include the goals and deliverables outlined in this RFP when presenting a timeline for consideration.

This document should NOT list cost detail. If cost detail is included in this document, the State may disqualify the proposal as non-responsive.

4.2 Cost Detail (Attachment C)

Complete and submit Attachment C, “Cost Detail,” attached to this solicitation.

4.3 Functional Requirements and Self-Assessment (Attachment E) Purpose. To demonstrate the Responder meets the Business Requirements of the State’s protocols.

Instructions. Respondents should complete and submit Attachment E (Excel workbook) to describe how their product meets the Board’s functional and non-functional requirements. When referencing an exhibit (diagram, screenshot, sample report), cite it by page/figure in Attachment E.

4.4 Qualifications & Experience

Purpose. Confirm your firm and key personnel have successfully delivered projects of similar scope and complexity.

Instructions. Describe your company’s past qualifications and experience relevant to this project. Provide an outline of background and experience with examples of similar work relevant to the sample tasks and deliverables of this solicitation. Provide a list of roles and responsibilities regarding who will conduct the project, detailing their training and work experience (names are optional). Please highlight any previous work with other state agencies or comparable organizations with same/similar outcomes to the scope in this RFP.

Sample resumes or other information about project personnel should not, if possible, contain personal telephone numbers, home addresses, or home email addresses. If it is necessary to include personal contact information, please clearly indicate in the response personal contact information is being provided.

Summarize relevant corporate and staff certifications (e.g., SOC 2/ISO status, accessibility credentials, cloud certs) and any applicable State security clearances.

The selected Responder is desired to have three (3) or more project examples leading, implementing and administering a similar solution with other comparable government institutions or private organizations, of the same or similar size with project outcomes which are similar in nature to the scope of this RFP. Please include the client’s name(s) and dates (MM/YYYY - MM/YYYY) for each engagement and any relevant details, including:

• Contact Name, Address, Email, Phone Number:

• Description of project(s) scope and outcomes.

• What went well with the project(s) and what could have gone better with the project(s)?

• Were the project(s) completed on budget? If not, please explain.

• Were the project(s) complete on time? If not, please explain.

The State reserves the right to verify the information submitted before an award is made. The State reserves the right to contact the references listed in the project experiences and examples. The solicitation response will be rejected if the State, in its sole discretion, receives information indicating the responder is non-responsible or non-responsive.

4.5 Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Purpose. To explain how you will ensure deliverable quality, aligned to this RFP’s outcomes.

Instructions. Responder should provide a description of the activities and processes ensuring the quality of deliverables. Responder should also provide information on how they verify quality and identify deliverables which are sub-standard.

A. Describe your quality management and test plan to deliver a fully functional solution, complete with any options for customizations or enhancements. Include standard technical, functional, and integration test cases if applicable.

B. Describe how you will verify the integrations listed below:

i. Integration with State of MN LoginMN enterprise SSO/MFA.

ii. Integration with external payment gateway (US Bank).

iii. Integration with Commerce department to send Treasury batch reports.

iv. Integration with Management & Budget (MMB) for compliance reporting.

v. Integration with Secretary of State for firm ownership registrations.

C. Describe how you will verify the full data migration of core entities (e.g., people, licenses, firms, orders, statuses, documents) to include validated mappings and data‑quality rules; data purge prior to migration;

mock runs; reconciliation to control totals; cutover and rollback plan; and a migration audit package with sign‑offs.

D. Describe how MNIT/the Boards will participate in the testing and quality review processes and estimates of levels of involvement.

E. Describe how defects will be tracked, managed, escalated, resolved and retested

F. Describe how you will incorporate the State’s current accessibility standards as success criteria to ensure all features are tested to meet accessibility standards (refer to “Attachment F: Accessibility),” attached to this solicitation.

G. Describe how you will address performance and speed concerns to optimize loading times and ensure a smooth uninterrupted user experience.

Support and Maintenance:

a. Describe the customer support systems and services that will be available to end users of the new Solution, including differences (if any) for support for system administrators versus other user types.

b. What are your customer service support hours?

c. Describe what technologies and resources are available for your proposed solution for customer support engagement (for example, web portal, in-app feature, live chat, text, phone, e-mail, dedicated support team, help center, or other support options). State whether each resource is available to all users or whether the resource is limited to certain user roles.

d. Describe any Service Level Agreements (SLAs) applicable.

e. Describe the customer support available for your proposed solution related to system performance, updates, upgrades, and general administration/maintenance.

f. Will any costs be involved for any system required updates, or for any system required upgrades? If yes, provide those costs on the “Cost Detail” attachment (Attachment C to this solicitation).

g. Describe your troubleshooting and defect triage process and defect resolution timeline.

h. Describe how you will handle defects and other system problems, regardless of severity, immediately after production implementation.

i. Once the system is implemented and live in production, if any issue is found within the first 60 days it is expected that any issues will be fixed immediately regardless of the severity. Describe any post-production warranty.

j. Describe how you will keep the proposed solution up to date to ensure it continues to interface seamlessly with newer versions of State data on an on-going basis to achieve interoperability with legacy systems.

4.6 Accessibility of Services or Products (VPAT/ACR Submission) (Attachment F) The responder should complete, in an accessible format, a VPAT® 2.5 INT (November 2023) for all software, hardware, and websites (as applicable) as proposed in response to the solicitation. Vendors can use the VPAT form from the ITIC VPAT site. Vendors should complete the Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 A and AA sections. The

EN 301 549 section can be left blank or deleted. For systems with multiple interfaces (such as an admin and user interface), report on each interface whether in the same or separate VPATs. These documents may be scored according to the solicitation evaluation.

Responders are encouraged to reference the Vendor VPAT Guidance in the “Products” tab on the Accessible IT

Procurement page for information and instructions on completing the VPATs. Respondents should also review the related guidance documents on the same site for solicitation reviewers to understand expectations. The responder is strongly encouraged to provide remarks and explanation that both support compliance and detail any deficiencies, as even if you claim “supports” unless there are remarks and explanations, you may score low.

In addition, responders must complete and submit “Attachment F: Accessibility,” attached to this solicitation.

4.7 Sample Transaction Documents

Prior to award, a potential successful Responder must submit samples of any transaction documents proposed for use under the resulting contract. The State will review the transaction documents to ensure they contain sufficient detail and to review additional terms and conditions contained therein, if any. The State reserves the right to request additional details in the transaction documents or to reject additional terms and conditions within transaction documents. Once approved by the State, Contractor may not materially change transaction https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.itic.org%2Fpolicy%2Faccessibility%2Fvpat&data=02%7C01%7Cjay.wyant%40state.mn.us%7C73956bd300d64f1e225508d8027f2988%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637262092459148011&sdata=TRG1W1u4WaX27gn2qiiiuQqx%2FtAhl6VL19foRYlli5E%3D&reserved=0 https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp#3 https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/accessibility/it-procurement.jsp documents unless a change has been approved in writing by the Commissioner of Administration, as delegated to the Office of State Procurement. Any terms and conditions included in transaction documents but not approved by the State are voidable by the State. Any terms and conditions which are in conflict with Minnesota law or in conflict with the terms of the State Contract are void. Failure to void a non-approved term or condition included in a transaction document does not waive the State’s right to void any non-approved term or condition. Sample transaction documents will not be scored as part of the evaluation process.

4.8 License Agreements, Maintenance Agreements, or Other Terms and Conditions Responder should provide any license agreements, maintenance agreements, or any other terms and conditions relevant to the work under a resulting contract. Review and approval by the State will be required prior to contract execution. In the event Responder fails to comply with this provision, Responder agrees it will not seek to enforce terms and conditions of any such agreement against the State. Further, failure to provide any of the pertinent documents upon request may result in the State not agreeing to sign any additional documents, rejecting your response, or cancelling the award.

Submit all requested documentation, including, but not limited to, the following documents:

1. Attachment A: Responder Declarations

2. Attachment B: Exceptions to State's Terms and Conditions

3. Attachment C: Cost Detail

4. Attachment D: Responder Forms

a. Workforce and Equal Pay Declaration Page (Workforce portion required if the anticipated contract and all extensions exceed $100,000; Equal Pay Certificate Form (required if the anticipated contract and all extensions exceed $500,000)

5. Attachment E: Functional Requirements and Self-Assessment

6. Attachment F: Accessibility

SECTION 5 – EVALUATION PROCEDURE AND CRITERIA

The State will conduct an evaluation of responses to this Solicitation. The evaluations will be conducted using a two-tier scoring methodology described below.

TIER 1

Phase 1: Responsiveness and Pass/Fail Requirements The State will determine if each proposal is responsive. Pass/Fail is based on proposal received by the due date and time.

Mandatory Requirements. The following will be considered on a pass/fail basis:

• Responses must be received by the due date and time specified in this RFP.

Phase 2: Evaluate Responses Only responses found to have met Phase I criteria will be considered in Phase II.

Proposals in Tier 1 will be evaluated on the following factors and weights:

Work Plan (Section 4, item 4.1) – 350 points

Functional Requirements and Self-Assessment (Attachment E) – 300 points

Qualifications and Experience (Section 4, item 4.4) – 100 points

Quality Assurance & Quality Control (Section 4, item 4.5) – 50 points

Accessibility (Attachment F) – 100 points

Cost Detail (Attachment C) – 100 points

Total – 1,000 points

Preference Points (if applicable) – +120 points (added after the 1,000-point scoring)

Phase 3: Shortlist: Each Responder will be ranked based on each Responder’s Tier 1 total score. The State will shortlist the highest scoring Responders by determining the natural break in Responders’ scores. Only the highest scoring Responders in Tier 1 will advance to Tier 2.

TIER 2

Phase 1: Evaluate Responders. All Responders’ scores will be re-set to zero prior to beginning Tier 2

Tier-2 scoring will be evaluated on the following factors and weights:

Interviews – 250 points

Demonstration – 350 points

Cost Detail (Attachment C) – 400 points

Total – 1,000 points Preference Points (if applicable) – +120 points (added after the 1,000-point scoring)

Phase 2 - Shortlist. Each Responder will be ranked based on its Tier 2 total score. The State will shortlist the highest scoring Responder(s) by determining the natural break in Responders’ scores. Only the highest scoring Responder(s) in Tier 2 will be invited to the Invitation to Negotiate stage.

Invitation to Negotiate

The State will invite the highest-scoring Responder(s) (“Finalist(s)”) to negotiate based on best value as determined by this evaluation process. The State will engage Finalist(s) in individual negotiations to determine which finalist provides the best value to the State.

The State and a Finalist may negotiate any aspect of a Finalist’s proposal. The State may terminate negotiations with a Finalist at any time if in its sole discretion the Finalist’s proposal does not provide best value to the State.

At the conclusion of negotiations, if more than one Responder was advanced to ITN, the State will document its rationale and make an award to the Finalist whose negotiated proposal represents the best value to the State. The rationale will at a minimum consider cost, technical capabilities/quality, security, risk, timeframe, and accessibility.

The State reserves the right to award to multiple Finalists if in the best interest of the State.

SECTION 6 – SOLICITATION TERMS

6.1 Unenforceable terms

As of July 1, 2025, certain terms are unenforceable in state contracts. See Session Laws, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 39, Article 2, Section 45.

(a) A contract entered into by the state shall not contain a term that:

(1) requires the state to defend, indemnify, or hold harmless another person or entity, unless specifically authorized by statute;

(2) binds a party by terms and conditions that may be unilaterally changed by the other party;

(3) requires mandatory arbitration;

(4) attempts to extend arbitration obligations to disputes unrelated to the original contract;

(5) construes the contract in accordance with the laws of a state other than Minnesota;

(6) obligates state funds in subsequent fiscal years in the form of automatic renewal as defined in section 325G.56; or

(7) is inconsistent with chapter 13, the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

(b) If a contract is entered into that contains a term prohibited in paragraph (a), that term shall be void and the contract is enforceable as if it did not contain that term.

6.2 Solicitation Terms

1. Content and Form of Solicitation

By submitting a response to this solicitation, Responder consents to the form and content of this solicitation.

2. Competition in Responding

The State desires open and fair competition. Questions from responders regarding any of the requirements of the Solicitation must be submitted in writing to the Solicitation Administrator listed in the Solicitation before the due date and time. If changes are made the State will issue an addendum.

Any evidence of collusion among responders in any form designed to defeat competitive responses will be reported to the Minnesota Attorney General for investigation and appropriate action.

3. Addenda to the Solicitation

Changes to the Solicitation will be made by addendum with notification and posted in the same manner as the original Solicitation. Any addenda issued will become part of the Solicitation.

4. Data Security - Foreign Outsourcing of Work is Prohibited

All storage and processing of information shall be performed within the borders of the United States. This provision also applies to work performed by subcontractors at all levels.

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2025/0/Session+Law/Chapter/39/

5. Joint Ventures

The State allows joint ventures among groups of responders when responding to the solicitation. However, one responder must submit a response on behalf of all the others in the group. The responder that submits the response will be considered legally responsible for the response (and the contract, if awarded).

6. Withdrawing Response

A responder may withdraw its response prior to the due date and time of the Solicitation. For solicitations in the SWIFT Supplier Portal, a responder may withdraw its response from the SWIFT Supplier Portal. For solicitations done any other way, a responder may withdraw its response by notifying the Solicitation Administrator in writing of the desire to withdraw.

After the due date and time of this Solicitation, a responder may withdraw a response only upon showing that an obvious error exists in the response. The showing and request for withdrawal must be made in writing to Solicitation Administrator within a reasonable time and prior to the State’s detrimental reliance on the response.

7. Rights Reserved

The State reserves the right to:

• Reject any and all responses received;

• Waive or modify any informalities, irregularities, or inconsistencies in the responses received;

• Negotiate with the highest scoring Responder[s];

• Terminate negotiations and select the next response providing the best value for the State;

• Consider documented past performance resulting from a State contract may be considered in the evaluation process;

• Short list the highest scoring Responders;

• Require Responders to conduct presentations, demonstrations, or submit samples;

• Interview key personnel or references;

• Request a best and final offer from one or more Responders;

• The State reserves the right to request additional information ; and

• The State reserves the right to use estimated usage or scenarios for the purpose of conducting pricing evaluations. The State reserves the right to modify scenarios, and to request or add additional scenarios for the evaluation.

8. Samples and Demonstrations

Upon request, Responders are to provide samples to the State at no charge. Except for those destroyed or mutilated in testing, the State will return samples if requested and at the Responder’s expense. All costs to conduct and associated with a demonstration will be the sole responsibility of the Responder.

9. Responses are Nonpublic during Evaluation Process

All materials submitted in response to this Solicitation will become property of the State. During the evaluation process, all information concerning the responses submitted will remain private or nonpublic and will not be disclosed to anyone whose official duties do not require such knowledge. Responses are private or nonpublic data until the completion of the evaluation process as defined by Minn. Stat. § 13.591. The completion of the evaluation process is defined as the State having completed negotiating a contract with the selected responder.

The State will notify all responders in writing of the evaluation results.

10. Trade Secret Information

10.1 Responders must not submit as part of their response trade secret material, as defined by Minn. Stat.

§ 13.37.

10.2 In the event trade secret data are submitted, Responder must defend any action seeking release of data it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the State, its agents and employees, from any judgments awarded against the State in favor of the party requesting the data, and any and all costs connected with that defense.

10.3 The State does not consider cost or prices to be trade secret material, as defined by Minn. Stat.

§ 13.37

10.4 A responder may present and discuss trade secret information during an interview or demonstration with the State, if applicable.

11. Conditions of Offer

Unless otherwise approved in writing by the State, Responder’s cost proposal and all terms offered in its response that pertain to the completion of professional and technical services and general services will remain firm for 180 days, until they are accepted or rejected by the State, or they are changed by further negotiations with the State prior to contract execution.

12. Award

Any award that may result from this solicitation will be based upon the total accumulated points as established in the solicitation. The State reserves the right to award this solicitation to a single Responder, or to multiple Responders, whichever is in the best interest of the State, providing each Responder is in compliance with all terms and conditions of the solicitation. The State reserves the right to accept all or part of an offer, to reject all offers, to cancel the solicitation, or to re-issue the solicitation, whichever is in the best interest of the State.

13. Requirements Prior to Contract Execution

Prior to contract execution, a responder receiving a contract award must comply with any submittal requests. A submittal request may include, but is not limited to, a Certificate of Insurance.

14. Targeted Group, Economically Disadvantaged Business, Veteran-Owned and Individual Preference

Unless a greater preference is applicable and allowed by law, in accordance with Minn. Stat.