DCF RFP 2627 014 ADD No 02.pdf

Addendum No. 02 with Written Inquiry Responses

DCF RFP 2627 014

Child Care Training Curriculum and Exam Services Office of Licensing

PMT-08 1 Rev. January 30, 2024

Solicitation Number: DCF RFP 2627 014 Solicitation Title: Child Care Training Curriculum and Exam Services Response(s) Due Date: October 13, 2026 Addendum Number: 02 Addendum Date: September 25, 2026

FAILURE TO FILE A PROTEST WITHIN THE TIME PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 120.57(3),

FLORIDA STATUTES, OR FAILURE TO POST THE BOND OR OTHER SECURITY REQUIRED

BY LAW WITHIN THE TIME ALLOWED FOR FILING A BOND SHALL CONSTITUTE A WAIVER

OF PROCEEDINGS UNDER CHAPTER 120, FLORIDA STATUTES.

DCF RFP 2627 014 is hereby amended as follows, all other terms and conditions of the solicitation remain in effect. All additions are highlighted in yellow, and words stricken are deletions:

Change No. 1

Standard Contract Part 2, Exhibit C, C.1.2 – Course and Exam Development and Maintenance

The Provider shall develop, update, and maintain the Department-sponsored Child Care Training Curriculum modules, Competency Exams, systems, and processes. Course and exam development shall be consistent with statute and policy. The Provider shall deliver Training Curriculum and Competency Exams to the Department’s hosted servers via a file transfer program.

All databases and web applications maintained by the Provider as part of this Contract must be hosted on the Department’s servers.

The Child Care Training Application and Department maintained data shall remain hosted on the Department’s servers. The Provider may host the course delivery learning management system, progress monitoring databases, and related web applications on secure Provider controlled infrastructure, including secure university infrastructure, provided that the Provider maintains seamless API communication with the Child Care Training Application and complies with all applicable Contract requirements for information security, data access, records retention, public records, and transition.

PMT-08 2 Rev. January 30, 2024

Response to Written Inquiries:

Question

Vendor Name

Solicitation Section Question Department Response

1 Blender Education

DCF RFP 2627 014

GENERAL

1. Subcontracting / Technology Partner Role Please confirm that an eligible Florida State University or Florida College System institution may utilize a private-sector technology company as a subcontractor to provide substantial portions of the technology-related services required by the Contract, including platform technology, systems integration, hosting, content/document management, assessment technology, reporting, and technical support, with the eligible institution

Yes. An eligible Respondent may propose a subcontractor to perform technology related services, subject to the Department’s prior written approval. The Respondent remains responsible for all Contract obligations, including service tasks, deliverables, minimum performance measures, and financial consequences. Refer to Standard Contract Part 1, Section 4.6, and page 36 of the Standard Contract Part 2, Section C.2.4.

2 Blender Education

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

2. Use of Subcontractor Experience in Evaluation May the relevant qualifications, experience, prior projects, technology capabilities, and performance history of a proposed subcontractor be presented and considered in evaluating the Respondent's Service Capability, Core Team Qualifications, and Prior Similar Projects, provided the Response clearly identifies the respective roles and responsibilities of the Respondent and subcontractor?

Yes. A Respondent may describe the qualifications, experience, prior projects, technology capabilities, and performance history of a proposed subcontractor when responsive to the applicable Section 4 requirements. The Response must clearly identify each subcontractor’s proposed role and responsibilities. The Respondent remains responsible for all Contract performance.

3 Blender

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

3. Current Technology Environment Please describe the current technology environment supporting the Child Care Training Curriculum, competency examinations, CCRAIN, and related systems and processes, including the principal applications, hosting environment, interfaces or APIs, data exchanges, and

The process works through a series of coordinated exchanges between two systems using APIs. First, a student signs up and completes an initial action in the main system, which then sends basic information about the student and the selected courses to a secondary system called the course delivery system.

PMT-08 3 Rev. January 30, 2024

Question

Vendor Name

Solicitation Section Question Department Response other systems with which the selected Respondent will be expected to integrate.

When the student begins the course, the material is presented in a seamless manner. Upon finishing the course, the course delivery system sends back confirmation to the main system. The same back-and-forth communication happens when the student completes course activities such as assessments. The results are sent to the main system, which updates the student’s record.

The course delivery system contains interconnected applications using CSS, JavaScript, JSON and HTML code. The applications include a course foundation platform for course functionality, a content management system supporting multiple languages, an activity API, student databases to track courses and other information, and a user-management interface to access individual records and reports. These applications run on a Windows server at a local data center.

The technological environment is expected to facilitate the efficient and seamless delivery and administration of course materials and exams in a similar form.

4 Blender Education

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

4. Existing Environment vs.

Modernization Is the Department's intent that the selected Respondent maintain and enhance the existing technology environment, or may a Respondent propose a modernized or alternative technology platform that meets or exceeds the requirements while preserving or integrating with Department systems and data that must remain authoritative?

The selected Respondent must maintain and enhance the existing technology environment. The Department is not seeking a replacement or alternative technology platform through this solicitation.

PMT-08 4 Rev. January 30, 2024

Vendor Name

Solicitation Section Question Department Response

5 Blender Education

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

5. Current-State Volume and Scale Please provide available current-state sizing information needed to design and price the technology solution, including the approximate number of active users and annual training participants, number of online and instructor-led courses, annual competency-exam volume, number or volume of CCRAIN resources/documents, anticipated concurrent-user levels, historical data to be retained or migrated, and current technical-support volumes.

The Department’s system currently supports 801,858 active end users, and this number increases as new users register and engage with Department services.

There are currently 55 courses already developed.

The primary focus under this agreement is to update and maintain these existing courses, in accordance with Exhibit C, Section C.1.2.4, which outlines the Provider’s responsibilities for revising existing online and instructor-led courses.

However, per Sections C.1.2.1 and C.1.2.2, the Department may also direct the development of new online or instructor-led courses if additional training needs are identified by the Office of Licensing.

The number of requests received from course participants using the toll-free technical support line and email in SFY 2024-25 was 5,476; this averages to approximately 456 per month.

The Department does not have additional verified information available for the remaining requested measures, including annual training participant volume, competency exam volume, CCRAIN resource or document volume, concurrent-user levels, and historical data volume. Respondents should base their Responses on the information provided in the solicitation and this addendum.

6 Blender Education

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

6. Technology and Service Requirements Please identify the Department's required or preferred technology, hosting, cybersecurity, authentication, accessibility, disaster-recovery, availability/uptime, data-retention, and service-level requirements

Except as clarified by Change No. 1 below, Respondents must comply with the applicable technology, information security, records retention, service support, and performance requirements in Standard Contract Part 1 and Standard Contract Part 2. Relevant provisions include Standard Contract Part 1, Sections 5.1 through 5.2;

Standard Contract Part 2, Exhibit A, Section

PMT-08 5 Rev. January 30, 2024

Vendor Name

Solicitation Section Question Department Response applicable to systems or platforms used to perform this Contract.

1.6.1.3.1.8; Exhibit C, Sections C.1.2 and C.1.5;

and Exhibit E. The Department does not prescribe a particular technology platform, authentication tool, or alternative platform beyond the requirements stated in the solicitation documents and this addendum. Refer to Change No. 1.

7 Blender Education

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

7. Intellectual Property and Licensing Please clarify the intellectual-property and licensing requirements applicable to technology used in performance of the Contract. Specifically, may a Respondent or subcontractor retain ownership of its pre-existing proprietary software, platform, architecture, tools, and intellectual property while providing the Department the rights or licenses necessary to use the solution during the Contract term?

Yes. Intellectual property not developed as a work made for hire remains unaffected; however, intellectual property developed through performance of the Contract is subject to Standard Contract Part 1, Section 4.10, including the State’s applicable ownership or license rights. All required licenses, royalties, and fees must be included in the Respondent’s proposed pricing.

8 Blender

DCF RFP 2627 014

SECTION 4

8. Pricing of Technology Platform Services Appendix V provides pricing categories for course and exam development, assessment maintenance, translation coordination, technical support, and project planning, but does not appear to provide a separate category for technology platform licensing, configuration, implementation, hosting, integrations, or data migration. If a Respondent proposes such technology as part of its approach, where should those costs be included in Appendix V?

All costs associated with the technology platform, including licensing, configuration, implementation, hosting, integrations, and data migration, must be included in the applicable Appendix V task price or subtotal. The Department will not add a separate pricing category for those costs. The Respondent may explain its pricing allocation in the Cost Proposal narrative or other supporting documentation, but no cost may be charged separately unless expressly authorized by the Contract.

9 FCIM/FSU

2026 DCF RFP

2627 014, Sections

F.2.1.2, F.2.2.2, F.2.3.2, pg 25-34

Regarding Task C.1.2 (Course Development) in the Appendix V Cost Proposal, for sections F.2.1.2, F.2.2.2, F.2.3.2, the exact combination and volume of tasks will be directed by the Department

The Department will not provide estimated annual task volumes. Respondents must complete the applicable short, medium, and long course pricing fields and propose a Course Development Subtotal

PMT-08 6 Rev. January 30, 2024

Vendor Name

Solicitation Section Question Department Response post-award. Without knowing the expected task volume, respondents will not be able to calculate the 'Course Development Subtotal Not to Exceed' uniformly. Will the Department provide a baseline schedule of estimated annual development tasks so that cost proposals can be evaluated on a standardized basis? If not, should respondents list all remaining available budget for each FY in this section after other costs are determined?

Not to Exceed for each fiscal year under Appendix V, Sections F.2.1.2, F.2.2.2, and F.2.3.2.

Respondents must not use the remaining available budget as the basis for the Course Development Subtotal Not to Exceed.

10 FCIM/FSU

2026 Standard Contract Part 2, pg

And

2026 Standard Contract Part 2, Section A.1.1 supplement to

1.6.1.3.1.5, pg 25

Section C.1.2 states that all databases and web applications maintained by the Provider must be hosted on the Department’s servers. However, Section

1.6.1.3.1.5 describes an API architecture where the Provider maintains a course delivery and progress-monitoring system that connects via API to CCTA endpoints.

Could the Department please clarify whether the Provider may host its course-delivery LMS and progress-monitoring databases on secure university infrastructure while communicating with CCTA via API, or whether all application code and databases must physically reside on the Department’s servers?

Refer to Change No. 1.

The Provider may host the course delivery learning management system and progress monitoring databases on secure Provider controlled infrastructure, including secure university infrastructure, while communicating with the Child Care Training Application through the API. The Provider remains responsible for compliance with all applicable information security, data access, records retention, and transition requirements.