CRM+RFP.docx

STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

600 E BOULEVARD AVE

BISMARCK, ND 58505

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

RFP Title: Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) System for the North Dakota Office of the Governor RFP Number: 110.7-25-097 Issued: December 1, 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 -Cost Proposal

Attachment 2 -Proposal Evaluation Worksheet

Attachment 3- Technology Contract

SECTION ONE – INSTRUCTIONS

1.0 Purpose of the RFP

The State of North Dakota, acting through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on behalf of the Office of the Governor, is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to provide a Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) System.

The purpose of this RFP is to obtain a secure and configurable CRM solution to improve how the Governor’s Office manages constituent communications, correspondence, scheduling, and case tracking.

1.1 Definitions

For the purposes of this RFP, the acronyms and defined terms are as follows:

1.2 Procurement Officer Contact Information

The Procurement Officer is the point of contact for this RFP. Offerors shall direct all communications regarding this RFP to the Procurement Officer. Please do not add the Procurement Officer to any distribution list.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER: Chad Keech EMAIL: ckeech@nd.gov

PHONE: 701-328-2767

TTY Users call: 7-1-1

A person or firm interested in submitting a proposal should ensure all communications related to the procurement are only with the designated point of contact. This section does not restrict communication with state officials or any member of the legislative assembly unless the state official or member of the legislative assembly is involved directly with the procurement for which the person is interested or has submitted a bid or proposal (N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-01.1).

Engaging in unauthorized communication or seeking to obtain information about an open solicitation with any state employee or official other than the responsible Procurement Officer or designee is sufficient grounds for suspension or debarment. [N.D.A.C. § 4-12-05-04(7)] 1.3 cooperative purchase This contract is a cooperative purchasing contract established pursuant to North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) section 54-44.4-13. This contract is made available to State entities, institutions under the jurisdiction of the State Board of Higher Education, other government entities (including counties, cities, townships, public primary and secondary educational entities, governmental boards and commissions), nonprofit entities established on behalf of public entities, tribal agencies, transportation providers under N.D.C.C. chapter 39-04.2, and the International Peace Garden. Participation in this open-ended contract is not mandated; therefore, the estimated volume of this contract is not known.

1.4 RFP Schedule

Deadline for Submission of Questions and Objections

December 10, 2025 @ 5:00 PM, C.T.

1.5 Assistance to Individuals with a Disability

Contact the Procurement Officer, as soon as possible, if an individual with a disability needs assistance with the RFP including any events in the RFP schedule so reasonable accommodations can be made.

1.6 Secretary of State Registration Requirements

The North Dakota Secretary of State has registration requirements for individuals and businesses transacting business in North Dakota. If the successful Offeror is determined to have a registration requirement with the North Dakota Secretary of State, they must be registered before the contract award and registration must remain active for the duration of the contract period (N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-09.1)

· See the OMB Guidelines to Vendor Registry for more information.

Visit the Secretary of State's Vendor Registration webpage for information on registration requirements and fees. Visit FirstStop, the Secretary of State's business and licensing software, for online form options.

· Check the Business Records database to see if a business is registered.

· Contact Secretary of State's office by email or call 701-328-2900 (choose menu item 2, then option 1).

· If you need to register, fees apply.

· Vendors may need to obtain businesses licenses. See the list of licenses required of businesses in the State of North Dakota. The link includes information on who to contact, application fees, renewal dates, and the legal reference.

1.7 BIDDERS LIST REGISTRATION

Individuals or business entities desiring to be notified of bidding opportunities may apply to be placed on the Bidders List. (N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-09) Bidders Lists are used to notify vendors when solicitations are issued on the State Procurement Office Online system (SPO Online). Placement on the Bidders List does not guarantee a vendor will receive notice of every solicitation (N.D.A.C. § 4-12-05-01). There are no fees to register as a bidder. The online application form requests contact information for the receipt of solicitation notices. The Bidders List application and SPO Online system use commodity codes to identify categories of goods, services, and information technology.

The commodity codes used for this solicitation are: 918, 920

Visit the OMB website for instructions and the online Bidders List Application:

Bidders List Registration Website

For assistance with Bidders List Registration, contact State Procurement Help Desk at 701-328-1728 or infospo@nd.gov.

1.8 State Procurement Website – Spo Online

https://intranetapps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/login.htm This RFP and any related amendment and notices will be posted on the North Dakota Office of Management and Budget website - State Procurement Online system. Offerors are responsible for checking this website to obtain all information and documents related to this RFP: https://apps.nd.gov/csd/spo/services/bidder/main.htm. Select “Recent Solicitations”. Recent Solicitations are listed by close date.

Notices related to this RFP will be sent to the Bidders List for the needed commodity or service and other known potential offerors.

Offerors not having completed the Bidders List registration may request to receive notices related to this RFP by contacting the Procurement Officer in writing with the following information: RFP title, business name, contact person, mailing address, telephone number, and email address.

1.9 Deadline for Questions and objections

Offerors should carefully review the RFP including all attachments. Offerors may ask questions to obtain clarification, request additional information, or object to material in the RFP. Questions and objections must be submitted to the Procurement Officer in writing by the deadline identified in the RFP schedule. The Procurement Officer may elect to respond to questions received after the deadline. If no deadline is specified, questions or objections must be received at least seven days prior to the proposal receipt deadline – Solicitation Closing.

Questions and objections should include a reference to the applicable RFP section or subsection. Email is the preferred method of submission with the RFP number cited in the email subject line.

Responses to questions and requests for clarifications will be distributed as a solicitation amendment, unless the question can be answered by referring the offeror to a specific section of the RFP.

1.10 Preproposal Conference or Site Inspection

The STATE will not hold a preproposal conference or site inspection for this RFP.

1.11 Offer Held Firm

Offerors must hold proposals firm for at least 180 days from the deadline for receipt of proposals (Solicitation Closing). The STATE may send a written request to all offerors to hold their offer firm for a longer time period.

1.12 Offeror Responsible for Costs

Offeror is responsible for all costs associated with the preparation, submittal, and evaluation of any proposal including any travel and per diem associated with demonstrations and presentations.

All proposals and other material submitted become the property of the STATE and may be returned only at the STATE's option.

1.13 Taxes

The STATE is not responsible for and will not pay itemized local, state, or federal taxes. Purchases of tangible personal property made by a state government agency is exempt from sales tax. The state sales tax exemption number is E-2001, and certificates will be furnished upon requested by the purchasing agency. The contractor must provide a valid Vendor Tax Identification Number as a provision of the contract.

The purchasing agency will determine if services provided under this contract are 1099 reportable. The purchasing agency may require the contractor to submit a W9.

The state tax exemption number should not be used by contractors in the performance of a contract.

A contractor or service provider performing any contract, including service contracts, for the United States Government, State of North Dakota, counties, cities, school districts, park board or any other political subdivisions within North Dakota is not exempt from payment of sales or use tax on materials, tangible personal property, and supplies used or consumed in carrying out contracts. In these cases, the contractor is required to file returns and pay sales and use tax just as required for contracts with private parties. Contact the North Dakota Tax Department at 701-328-1246 or visit its website at https://www.nd.gov/tax/tax-resources/ for more information.

A contractor performing any contract, including a service contract, within North Dakota is also subject to the corporation income tax, individual income tax, and withholding tax reporting requirements, whether the contract is performed by a corporation, partnership, or other business entity, or as an employee of the contractor. In the case of employees performing the services in the state, the contractor is required to withhold state income tax from the employees' compensation and remit to the state as required by law. Contact the North Dakota Tax Department at 701-328-1248 or visit its website for more information.

1.14 Solicitation Closing – Late Proposals rejected

An offeror is responsible for ensuring its proposal is received by the STATE prior to Solicitation Closing identified in the RFP schedule. A solicitation amendment will be issued if the proposal receipt deadline is changed. An offeror may contact the Procurement Officer to inquire whether its proposal has been received. Proposals delivered late will be rejected pursuant to N.D.A.C. § 4-12-08-13.

1.15 Amendment and withdrawal of proposals

Offeror may amend, supplement, or withdraw proposal prior to the Solicitation closing deadline. No changes will be accepted after the Solicitation closing deadline. After the Solicitation closing deadline, Offeror may make a written request to withdraw proposal and provide evidence that a substantial mistake has been made, and the STATE may permit withdrawal.

1.16 Proposal Opening

This is an informal Request for Proposal (RFP) process that does not require formal sealed proposals or a public opening. A public opening will not be held.

1.17 Proposals subject to North Dakota Open Record Law

All proposals and other material submitted become the property of the STATE and may be returned only at the STATE's option. All proposals and related information, including detailed cost information, are exempt records and will be held in confidence until an award is made, in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-10(2).

Offerors may make a written request that trade secrets and other proprietary data contained in proposals be held confidential. Material considered confidential by the offeror must be clearly identified, and the offeror must include a brief statement that sets out the reasons for confidentiality. See the North Dakota Office of the Attorney General website for additional information.

After award, proposals will be subject to the North Dakota open records law. Records are closed or confidential only if specifically stated in law. If a request for public information is received, the Procurement Officer, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, will determine whether the information is an exception to the North Dakota open records law, and the information will be processed appropriately.

1.18 News Releases

Offerors shall not make any news releases related to this RFP without prior approval of the STATE.

1.19 Conflict of Interest

Under state laws and rules, a state employee or official shall not participate directly or indirectly in a procurement when the state employee or officials knows of a conflict of interest. Potential conflicts of interest include state employees or their immediate family members employed by the firm, seeking employment with the firm, or with a financial interest in the firm. Potential conflicts of interest will be addressed in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-04., N.D.C.C. § 12.1-13-03.

Persons employed by the State of North Dakota, or within one year thereafter, may be prohibited from acquiring a pecuniary interest in a public contract or transaction. Offerors should review N.D.C.C. § 12.1-13-02 to ensure compliance and avoid such conflict(s) of interest.

1.20 Attempt to Influence Prohibited

Offerors must not give or offer to give anything to a state employee or official anything that might influence or appear to influence procurement decisions. Suspected attempt to influence will be handled in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-04-05.

1.21 Collusion Prohibited

Offerors must prepare proposals independently, without collusion. Suspected collusion will be handled in accordance with N.D.A.C § 4-12-04-06.

1.22 Protest and Appeal

An interested party may protest a solicitation pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-01. When a solicitation contains a deadline for submission of questions and objections, protests of the solicitation will not be allowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the Procurement Officer before the specified deadline.

An offeror that has submitted a response to a solicitation and is aggrieved may protest an award or notice of intent to award pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. § 4-12-14-02. The protest must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Officer during the protest period, which is seven calendar days beginning the day after the notice of intent to award is issued.

The protestor may appeal the decision of the Procurement Officer to the Director of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within seven calendar days after receiving notice of the decision pursuant to N.D.C.C. § 54-44.4-12 and N.D.A.C. §4-12-14-03.

1.23 specifications prepared by non-state personnel When a purchasing agency has specifications prepared by someone other than a state employee or official on behalf of the state, that person or business entity must be excluded from submitting bids or proposals in accordance with N.D.A.C. § 4-12-06-06.

1.24 Supplier Registration (Payee)

The successful Offeror will be required to complete Supplier Registration, if not already registered as a Supplier. Any individual or business who will be receiving payment from a state agency or higher education institution must complete a registration process to collect important financial and taxpayer information. Payments are generally made by check or automatic clearing house (ACH), and taxpayer information must be collected in compliance with IRS requirements. The State and North Dakota University System (NDUS) have separate financial systems and vendor registration processes.

SECTION TWO – BACKGROUND

Background Information The North Dakota Office of the Governor receives and responds to a high volume of communications from citizens, legislators, agencies, and external partners through multiple channels, including email, phone, web forms, mail, and in-person requests. These interactions are currently managed through manual processes using outlook, excel tracking sheets, and shared folders, which limits efficiency, reporting accuracy, and real-time visibility across the team.

To address these challenges, the Governor’s Office intends to implement a modern CRM system that centralizes constituent correspondence, scheduling, and case tracking in a single, secure platform. The desired solution will enable users to log and route communications, manage cases and tasks, generate reports, and integrate with existing Microsoft 365 tools such as Outlook and Teams.

The Governor’s Office staff of approximately seventeen users will utilize the system to improve response times, enhance coordination across functional areas, and maintain consistent records for open records and archival purposes. The system must comply with Information Technology Department (ITD) security standards and support the state’s goals of efficiency, transparency, and responsive service delivery.

Budget The funds for payment of this contract are already appropriated and identified.

Technical Architecture Overview North Dakota State Government Technical Environment In overview North Dakota's technical environment consists of Windows based desktops and a variety of server platforms connected via an IP based network. Desktop support is provided by the individual state agencies with the ITD providing the statewide network and support for most of the server platforms.

Desktop Environment The desktop standard is an Intel platform running Windows 10 or higher. End User support is provided through a central help desk; this service is available 24x7x365.

Network Services As specified in ND Century Code Chapter 54-59-02, ITD is directed to provide network access to government, K12, higher education, and political subdivisions. The statewide network is known as the North Dakota Statewide Technology Access for Government and Education network (STAGEnet). Within state government, ITD provides full network services to the desktop. Entities located in larger cities are served with dark fiber metro networks, while other sites are connected with either provider Ethernet Transport Services (ETS) or broadband with VPN, with speeds varying from 50 megabit to 10 gigabits. The core of STAGEnet consists of a 100 Gigabit Ethernet ring between Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot. STAGEnet also provides both 802.1x authenticated Wi-Fi as well as open guest Wi-Fi in many locations throughout the state.

Additionally, STAGEnet provides full layer 7 IDS/IPS capabilities, including malware detection, sandbox detonation, and various other network-based security defenses. All user traffic passes through an IDS/IPS gateway before communicating with any other site in STAGEnet or the internet.

The STAGEnet datacenters are built using zero trust methodology, in that no server can communicate with any other device without an explicit security policy in place to allow it. ITD uses a combination of cloud-hosted and on-premises datacenters.

Directory Services/Authentication ITD provides a single Microsoft Active Directory network domain that provides agencies with a single network sign-on. All agency computers utilizing the State’s Active Directory are members of the state forest, NDGOV. Each agency comprises an Organizational Unit (OU) within NDGOV. ITD provides the necessary Domain controllers and Global Catalog servers for authentication services. State user accounts are synchronized with an Azure Active Directory (AAD) instance providing a centralized identity provider service for State users and supports OpenID Connect, OAuth2, and SAML integrations. ITD also utilizes Microsoft conditional access with multi-factor, utilizing smartphone-based authentication where possible.

In addition, for public user authentication ITD provides a federated identity provider service backed by Azure B2C. The service provides public users the ability to create and maintain their own identities and supports single sign on (SSO) across State services via the standard OpenID Connect integrations.

Hosting Services Most state agencies receive hosting services from ITD. ITD utilizes both MS Windows server as well as Red Hat Linux server operating systems. MS SQL server is the preferred database platform, with limited Oracle and MySQL DB deployments also available.

ITD in addition to on-premises hosting, ITD utilizes Microsoft Azure Commercial and Microsoft Azure Government services.

Productivity/Unified Communications Environment The State of North Dakota leverages all components of the Microsoft productivity suite, including but not limited to Exchange online, Teams voice, SharePoint, Power BI, and OneDrive.

SECTION THREE – SCOPE OF WORK

1. Scope of Work The purpose of this solicitation is to acquire and implement a CRM system that meets the operational, technical, and security requirements of the North Dakota Office of the Governor.

The Offeror shall provide a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or software-as-a-service (Saas) solution that can be configured—without custom development—to support the governor’s office constituent communication, scheduling, and case management needs.

The resulting contract will include all professional services necessary for a successful deployment, including project management, configuration, data migration, integration, training, and post-implementation support.

At a high level, the work under this contract will include:

1. Providing a secure, configurable CRM platform capable of managing constituent communications, case tracking, correspondence, and scheduling.

2. Integrating with existing Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.

3. Supporting dashboards and reporting tools for workload management, response tracking, and trend analysis.

4. Ensuring compliance with ITD security standards, data ownership, and records-retention requirements.

5. Providing implementation planning, configuration, user training, and ongoing maintenance and support throughout the contract term.

Detailed functional, technical, and security requirements are outlined in the following sections of this RFP.

0. Applicable Directives This information technology project is subject to the following:

· N.D.C.C. § 54-10-28 related to the state auditor’s authority to conduct information technology compliance reviews.

· N.D.C.C.§ 54-59 related to the Information Technology Department

Functional Requirements (General)

The proposed CRM solution must provide functionality to manage all aspects of constituent correspondence, casework, and scheduling activities within the Governor’s Office. The solution must be intuitive for users, configurable to State workflows, and capable of managing multiple communication channels and case types from a centralized platform.

At a minimum, the solution must include:

1. Case and Workflow Management

a. Ability to create, assign, route, and track cases and correspondence.

b. Configurable workflow automation (e.g., routing, approval, task assignment, escalation).

c. Customizable statuses and categories aligned with the Governor’s Office processes.

d. Role-based task views and dashboards for workload management.

2. Constituent and Contact Management

a. Centralized constituent and organization database with configurable fields and search filters.

b. Ability to associate multiple records (contacts, cases, communications) under one constituent profile.

c. Real-time updates and audit trails of all interactions.

3. Communication Tracking

a. Ability to record and track correspondence received through multiple channels (email, phone, web form, mail, and in-person).

b. Integration or synchronization with Microsoft Outlook for inbound and outbound email management.

c. Ability to attach supporting documentation and maintain full correspondence history.

4. Scheduling and Event Management

a. Calendar management for meetings, events, and requests involving the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and staff.

b. Integration with Microsoft Outlook and Teams calendars.

c. Tracking of scheduling requests, confirmations, holds, and declines.

5. Reporting and Dashboards

a. Configurable dashboards for case volume, turnaround times, and constituent engagement.

b. Standard and ad-hoc reporting with export capabilities.

c. Ability to generate summaries for legislative, policy, and public-service reporting needs.

6. Records Management

a. Built-in archiving, search, and retrieval functions for compliance with open records and records-retention standards.

b. Support for document tagging, metadata, and secure storage.

7. Ease of Use

a. Modern, browser-based interface accessible from standard devices without specialized software.

b. User-friendly navigation, consistent design, and minimal training requirements.

Offeror Response:

Offerors must describe how their proposed solution satisfies each of the functional areas identified in this section, including case and workflow management, constituent tracking, communication management, scheduling, reporting, records management, and ease of use. Responses should clearly indicate whether functionality is native, configurable, or requires integration with other systems.

Information Technology Solution

1.

Any data provided by the STATE must be accessible to the STATE at any time through secure and documented methods such as an API, SQL interface, or batch export format. The solution must ensure the STATE retains full ownership of all data.

Offeror must describe how the solution enables secure data access, export, and interoperability with other State systems, and identify any limitations on data retrieval.

Offeror must describe how ongoing configuration changes are made by administrators or designated business users and what tools are provided to manage the initial system set-up and customization.

Offeror must describe how the proposed system integrates with Microsoft 365 tools, the methods used (API, plug-in, synchronization), and any licensing or technical prerequisites required.

7.

Offeror must describe the hosting environment, uptime guarantees, and disaster recovery architecture.

Offeror must describe how the proposed system scales and the process for adding users or modules after initial implementation.

Offeror must describe how audit data is recorded, accessed, and retained.

Offeror must describe the supported browsers, system prerequisites, and any limitations to web-based access.

Offeror must describe the design and layout of the user interface, including how it supports usability, accessibility, and ease of navigation for end users.

Offeror must describe the system’s standard reporting tools, available templates, customization options, export capabilities, and included standard reports.

Offeror must describe how the solution manages user access, security roles, and permissions, and how administrative controls are configured and monitored.

D. Enterprise IT Standards

Offeror must describe how the proposed solution will comply with the STATE's State Entity Authentication standard.

Offeror Response:

Offeror must describe how the proposed solution will comply with the STATE's Public Authentication standard.

Offeror Response:

Offeror must describe how the proposed solution will comply with the STATE's Domain Name standard.

Offeror Response:

E. Architecture

a. Include the technology stack, including the software products used to create the solution

b. Include the network architecture, including security levels, connectivity points, and capacity

c. Include the storage architecture, including security controls (i.e. encryption)

d. Include related architectural diagrams

Offeror Response:

a.

b.

c.

d.

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F. Data

Offeror must describe how the proposed solution ensures the STATE can access all provided data anytime (API, SQL, batch export, etc.) and detail data export options (formats, ETL, encryption, required software) for portability evaluation by the STATE.

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G. Artificial Intelligence

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H. Security

If no, are there plans to seek authorization?

SaaS solutions containing Federal Tax Information, Social Security Administration, or Criminal Justice Information must be FedRAMP authorized.

Offeror Response:

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I. Non-State Hosted Solutions. State law, N.D.C.C. § 54-59-22 requires ITD or an ITD approved vendor host all information technology systems unless a hosting exemption is granted. If the hosting exemption is not approved, the STATE will reject the proposal as being not responsive to this hosting approval requirement.

a. The hosting location

b. If the hosting locations distributed geographically

c. If hosted by a third party list the name of hosting party

Offeror Response:

a.

b.

c.

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The Offeror will provide the STATE with all applicable licenses related to the proposed solution.

The STATE seeks the following professional services to achieve the objectives of this project:

The STATE has identified the following deliverables which are significant work products or milestones in the project. The STATE requests these deliverables be addressed in the Contract Schedule, as a minimum. The following deliverables may be modified based on Offeror’s implementation strategy. These deliverables will be identified within the Scope of Work in the Technology Contract – Attachment Insert number.

The Offeror shall develop an estimated schedule for accomplishing the Scope of Work, including these specific deliverables. The STATE and Offeror will agree upon expectations and acceptance criteria for deliverables.

Upon award, the successful offeror’s proposed project schedule will be reviewed and refined during the planning phase.

2. Planning

a. Integrated project management plan

b. Integrated project schedule

3. Gap analysis/design

4. Application configuration

5. Reports

6. Data Conversion

a. Data Conversion plan

b. Conversion of data

7. Interfaces

a. Interface plan

b. Interface implementation

8. Installation, system setup and configuration

9. Testing

a. Testing plan

b. System testing

c. User acceptance

d. Security

e. Performance

f. Data conversion testing

g. Interface testing

h. Regression testing

10. Training

a. Training plan

b. End user training

c. Train the Trainer

d. End User manuals

e. Application administration training

f. System and application administrator manuals

11. System documentation

12. Implementation: Estimated: June 1, 2026

13. Closing - Post Implementation Report Offeror must submit a draft schedule that addresses the deliverables and milestones specifically described in the Scope of Work. The proposed schedule may incorporate other deliverables, work products, milestones, or work breakdown that the offeror feels are significant in the project.

The draft work schedule will cover both offeror and the STATE tasks and responsibilities. Describe any expectations from the STATE related to each deliverable or milestone.

The draft schedule must contain:

1. A timeline in the number of days or weeks with start and stop dates for deliverables;

2. The number of STATE staff required to perform work in proposed schedule.

RMF follows NIST 800-37R2 and provides business, IT, vendors, and risk management visibility into all stages of the project. The seven-step process includes collaboration from all stakeholders on the following:

1. Preparing the system (roles and responsibilities)

2. Categorize the system (Low, Moderate, High)

3. Select controls to reduce risk

4. Implementation of controls

5. Assess controls

6. Authorize system by the business owner (authorization official)

7. Continuous monitoring of system controls post go-live Artifacts required:

1. Network diagram

2. Data flow diagram Offeror must acknowledge that they understand the STATE's Risk Management Framework and will assist with documentation on vendor-owned controls to ultimately assist STATE with creating a System Security Plan.

Offeror Response:

The proposed solution may include value-added features. Value-added features include any functionality, products, services, optional modules, or upgrades that are not part of the IT requirements in this RFP. Describe any additional functionality, products, optional modules, upgrades or services that you offer and are not a part of the RFP requirements that you believe would add value to your proposed work on this project.

1. Offeror shall list the cost of value-added features separately in the cost proposal.

2. The STATE shall not consider these costs as part of cost evaluation scoring.

3. The STATE reserves the right to include value-added features from the proposals during contract negotiations.

Offeror Response:

Product Support and Customer Service Requirements All items listed this section are product support and customer service requirements. If the offeror is successful, the offeror agrees that it shall comply with all product support and customer service requirements throughout the full term of the contract.

CONTRACTOR must provide a minimum 30-day warranty for the proposed solution. The Technology Contract – Attachment 3 includes provisions related to warranties. The STATE will consider options for additional warranty coverage.

The STATE requires Offeror to provide software maintenance support. Describe in detail how software maintenance is handled.

The Technology Contract – Attachment 3 includes provisions related to Software Support – Service Level Requirement. The STATE will consider options for additional levels of technical support. Describe in detail your technical support options, including training, documentation, support staff and location, and problem resolution process.

The STATE requires Offeror to provide customer service and sales support. Describe in detail the related customer service and sales support your firm provides, including ongoing product updates and account representative experience with the product.

Experience and qualifications All items listed this section are experience and qualification requirements.

1. The solution must be a Commercial off-the-shelf solution or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) that has been commercially available for a minimum of two years and has been successfully implemented for a minimum of three customers.

2. Offeror must have performed similar work for a comparably sized government entity within the previous two years.

3. Offeror must have successfully implemented the proposed solution for at least one government entity and satisfactorily performing for at least six months.

4. Offeror must have at least three years professional experience performing similar IT consulting.

Provide a statement how your company meets the mandatory items listed above.

Describe the number of years the offeror has provided the type of work requested in this RFP. Describe specific experience of their firm in completing similar projects. Provide a description of the project, approximate time frame of the project, and contact information for the customer.

Offeror must provide a designated executive level contact that will act as a point of contact for any issues that need escalation or to discuss the needs of the STATE. This point of contact will be required to participate in any requested demonstration or presentation requested during the RFP process. They will discuss how the contract will be supported and how the Offeror and STATE will work together to ensure a successful outcome.

Offeror Response:

Provide a narrative or organizational chart that describes the organization of the proposed project team. Provide information for key project team members, including:

1. Description of anticipated work they will perform and approximate estimated hours;

2. Resume or description of the relevant education, training, experience, skills and qualifications;

3. If the offeror has vacant positions, identify the job description and minimum qualifications for staff members to be recruited;

4. Subcontractors. If an offeror intends to use subcontractors, the offeror must identify in the proposal the names of the subcontractors and the portions of the work the subcontractors will perform. Provide a statement that the offeror will ensure that the subcontractor has or will obtain any required licenses and registrations, including registration with the North Dakota Secretary of State; and

5. Joint Venture. If submitting a proposal as a joint venture, offeror must submit a copy of the joint venture agreement that identifies the parties involved and its rights and responsibilities regarding performance and payment.

Offeror Response:

Provide three references for similar projects the offeror has completed. Offerors must include the name of a contact person, address, email, and telephone number. Offerors are instructed to notify the reference that the STATE will be contacting them. Evaluation will be impacted if the STATE is unable to contact the reference or the reference does not timely provide the requested information.

Offeror Response:

SECTION FOUR – PROPOSAL

1. Proposal Preparation The STATE discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. An offeror must prepare its proposal using the prescribed proposal format and provide all the requested information; this will enable the proposal to be evaluated…