09-20-18 RFP-AMEND

RFP # 33501-268001 – Amendment # 3 Page 1 of 4

STATE OF TENNESSEE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INSURANCE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS # 33501-268001

AMENDMENT # 3

FOR THE REVIEW, CONSULTATION, AND FORMAL

WRITTEN OPINIONS OF HOME INSPECTOR REPORTS

FOR THE TENNESSEE HOME INSPECTOR LICENSING

PROGRAM

DATE: December 3, 2025

RFP # 33501-268001 IS AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:

1. This RFP Schedule of Events updates and confirms scheduled RFP dates. Any event, time, or date containing revised or new text is highlighted.

EVENT

TIME

(Central Time Zone)

DATE

(all dates are State business days)

1. RFP Issued October 8, 2025

2. Disability Accommodation Request Deadline 2:00 p.m. October 15, 2025

3. Notice of Intent to Respond Deadline 2:00 p.m. October 17, 2025

4. Written “Questions & Comments” Deadline 2:00 p.m. October 22, 2025

5. State response to written “Questions & Comments” October 28, 2025

6. RFP Response Deadline 2:00 p.m. November 14, 2025

7. State Completion of Technical Response Evaluations December 2, 2025

8. State Opening & Scoring of Cost Proposals 2:00 p.m. December 3, 2025

9. Negotiations December 4-10

10. State Notice of Intent to Award Released and RFP Files Opened for Public Inspection 2:00 p.m. December 11, 2025

11. End of Protest Period December 18, 2025

12. State sends contract to Contractor for signature December 19, 2025

13. Contractor Signature Deadline 2:00 p.m. December 22, 2025

RFP # 33501-268001 – Amendment # 3 Page 2 of 4

2. Delete RFP Section 5 (Evaluation & Contract Award) in its entirety and insert the following in its place (any sentence or paragraph containing revised or new text is highlighted):

5. EVALUATION & CONTRACT AWARD

5.1. Evaluation Categories & Maximum Points

The State will consider qualifications, experience, technical approach, and cost in the evaluation of responses and award points in each of the categories detailed below (up to the maximum evaluation points indicated) to each response deemed by the State to be responsive.

EVALUATION CATEGORY MAXIMUM POINTS POSSIBLE

General Qualifications & Experience (refer to RFP Attachment 6.2., Section B) 20

Technical Qualifications, Experience & Approach (refer to RFP Attachment 6.2., Section C)

Cost Proposal (refer to RFP Attachment 6.3.) 30

5.2. Evaluation Process

The evaluation process is designed to award the contract resulting from this RFP not necessarily to the Respondent offering the lowest cost, but rather to the Respondent deemed by the State to be responsive and responsible who offers the best combination of attributes based upon the evaluation criteria. (“Responsive Respondent” is defined as a Respondent that has submitted a response that conforms in all material respects to the RFP. “Responsible Respondent” is defined as a Respondent that has the capacity in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements, and the integrity and reliability which will assure good faith performance.)

5.2.1. Technical Response Evaluation. The Solicitation Coordinator and the Proposal

Evaluation Team (consisting of three (3) or more State employees) will use the RFP Attachment 6.2., Technical Response & Evaluation Guide to manage the Technical Response Evaluation and maintain evaluation records.

5.2.1.1. The State reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request Respondent clarification of a Technical Response or to conduct clarification discussions with any or all Respondents. Any such clarification or discussion will be limited to specific sections of the response identified by the State. The subject Respondent must put any resulting clarification in writing as may be required and in accordance with any deadline imposed by the State.

5.2.1.2. The Solicitation Coordinator will review each Technical Response to determine compliance with RFP Attachment 6.2., Technical Response & Evaluation Guide, Section A— Mandatory Requirements. If the Solicitation Coordinator determines that a response failed to meet one or more of the mandatory requirements, the Solicitation Coordinator will review the response and determine whether:

a. the response adequately meets RFP requirements for further evaluation;

b. the State will request clarifications or corrections for consideration prior to further evaluation; or,

c. the State will determine the response to be non-responsive to the RFP and reject it.

RFP # 33501-268001 – Amendment # 3 Page 3 of 4

5.2.1.3. Proposal Evaluation Team members will independently evaluate each Technical

Response (that is responsive to the RFP) against the evaluation criteria in this RFP, and will score each in accordance with the RFP Attachment 6.2., Technical Response & Evaluation Guide.

5.2.1.4. For each response evaluated, the Solicitation Coordinator will calculate the average of the Proposal Evaluation Team member scores for RFP Attachment 6.2., Technical Response & Evaluation Guide, and record each average as the response score for the respective Technical Response section.

5.2.1.5. Before Cost Proposals are opened, the Proposal Evaluation Team and the

Solicitation Coordinator will review the Technical Response Evaluation record and any other available information pertinent to whether or not each Respondent is responsive and responsible. If the Proposal Evaluation Team or the Solicitation Coordinator identifies any Respondent that does not meet the responsive and responsible thresholds such that the team or the Solicitation Coordinator would not recommend the Respondent for Cost Proposal Evaluation and potential contract award, the team members or the Solicitation Coordinator will fully document the determination.

5.2.2. Cost Proposal Evaluation. The Solicitation Coordinator will open for evaluation the Cost

Proposal of each Respondent deemed by the State to be responsive and responsible and calculate and record each Cost Proposal score in accordance with the RFP Attachment 6.3., Cost Proposal & Scoring Guide.

5.2.3. Clarifications and Negotiations: The State reserves the right to award a contract on the basis of initial responses received, therefore, each response shall contain the Respondent’s best terms and conditions from a technical and cost standpoint. The State reserves the right to conduct clarifications or negotiations with one or more Respondents.

All communications, clarifications, and negotiations shall be conducted in a manner that supports fairness in response improvement.

5.2.3.1. Clarifications: The State may identify areas of a response that may require further clarification or areas in which it is apparent that there may have been miscommunications or misunderstandings as to the State’s specifications or requirements. The State may seek to clarify those issues identified during one or multiple clarification rounds. Each clarification sought by the State may be unique to an individual Respondent, provided that the process is conducted in a manner that supports fairness in response improvement.

5.2.3.2. Negotiations: The State may elect to negotiate with one or more Respondents by requesting revised responses, negotiating costs, or finalizing contract terms and conditions. The State reserves the right to conduct multiple negotiation rounds or no negotiations at all.

5.2.3.3. Cost Negotiations: All Respondents, selected for negotiation by the State, will be given equivalent information with respect to cost negotiations. All cost negotiations will be documented for the procurement file. Additionally, the State may conduct target pricing and other goods or services level negotiations. Target pricing may be based on considerations such as current pricing, market considerations, benchmarks, budget availability, or other methods that do not reveal individual Respondent pricing. During target price negotiations, Respondents are not obligated to reduce their pricing to target prices, but no Respondent is allowed to increase prices.

RFP # 33501-268001 – Amendment # 3 Page 4 of 4

5.2.3.4. If the State determines that it is unable to successfully negotiate terms and conditions of a contract with the apparent best evaluated Respondent, the State reserves the right to bypass the apparent best evaluated Respondent and enter into terms and conditions contract negotiations with the next apparent best evaluated Respondent.

5.2.4. Total Response Score. The Solicitation Coordinator will calculate the sum of the Technical Response section scores and the Cost Proposal score and record the resulting number as the total score for the subject Response (refer to RFP Attachment 6.5., Score Summary Matrix).

5.3. Contract Award Process

5.3.1 The Solicitation Coordinator will review the Proposal Evaluation Team determinations and scores for consideration along with any other relevant information that might be available and pertinent to contract award.

5.3.2. The Solicitation Coordinator will determine the apparent best-evaluated Response using the scoring provided by the Proposal Evaluation Team. To effect a contract award to a Respondent other than the one receiving the highest evaluation process score, the Solicitation Coordinator must provide written justification and obtain the written approval of the Chief Procurement Officer and the Comptroller of the Treasury.

5.3.3. The State will issue a Notice of Intent to Award identifying the apparent best-evaluated response and make the RFP files available for public inspection at the time and date specified in the RFP Section 2, Schedule of Events.

NOTICE: The Notice of Intent to Award shall not create rights, interests, or claims of entitlement in either the apparent best-evaluated Respondent or any other Respondent.

5.3.4. The Respondent identified as offering the apparent best-evaluated response must sign a contract drawn by the State pursuant to this RFP. The Contract shall be substantially the same as the RFP Attachment 6.6., Pro Forma Contract. The Respondent must sign the contract by the Contractor Signature Deadline detailed in the RFP Section 2, Schedule of Events. If the Respondent fails to provide the signed Contract by this deadline, the State may determine that the Respondent is non-responsive to this RFP and reject the response.

5.3.5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the State may, at its sole discretion, entertain limited terms and conditions or pricing negotiations prior to Contract signing and, as a result, revise the pro forma contract terms and conditions or performance requirements in the State’s best interests, PROVIDED THAT such revision of terms and conditions or performance requirements shall NOT materially affect the basis of response evaluations or negatively impact the competitive nature of the RFP and contractor selection process.

5.3.6. If the State determines that a response is non-responsive and rejects it after opening Cost

Proposals, the Solicitation Coordinator will re-calculate scores for each remaining responsive Cost Proposal to determine (or re-determine) the apparent best-evaluated response.

3. RFP Amendment Effective Date. The revisions set forth herein shall be effective upon release. All other terms and conditions of this RFP not expressly amended herein shall remain in full force and effect.