ESBD_411778_1744903220427_RFP-285.pdf

17 April 2025

Merchant Card Services at TSTC Merchant Card Services at TSTC

17 April 2025

Open 4/17/2025 10:00 AM CDT Type Request for Proposal Close 5/8/2025 2:00 PM CDT Number 285 Currency US Dollar

Sealed Until 5/8/2025 2:00 PM CDT

17 April 2025

Contacts Catherine Lopez cslopez121749@tstc.edu

Phone +1 254-867-3734 ext. 13734

Glendoris Wynn garchie@tstc.edu

Phone +1 254-867-3757

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NIGP Commodity Code NIGP Commodity Code Description 20880 *Software, Microcomputer (Not Otherwise Classified) 20811 *Application Software, (Not Otherwise Classified), Microcomputer 20832 *Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM), Microcomputer 20865 *Point of Sale Software, Microcomputer

20866 *Professional: Computer Training, E-learning, Hospital/Pharmacy, Legal, etc.

Software, Microcomputer

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TSTC Background

Texas State Technical College ("TSTC") is a coeducational two-year institution of higher education offering courses of study in technical vocational education for which there is demand within the State of Texas.

TSTC is mandated to contribute to the educational and economic development of the State of Texas by offering occupationally oriented programs with supporting academic course work, emphasizing highly specialized advanced and emerging technical and vocational areas for certificates or associate degrees.

Our mission, “to place more Texans in great paying jobs,” drives our institution. TSTC is pushing the boundaries in education, making outcomes the driving metric of success. We currently have 11 campuses across the state, with another new campus recently approved by the State Legislature that should be built and operating in the next few years. For more information about TSTC, go to http://tstc.edu/about.

Purpose:

Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is issuing this RFP to solicit service providers for merchant card processing services to support TSTC's Bookstore, Café, Culinary, and Student Accounting departments.

This Request for Proposal (“RFP”) aims to select a merchant card services provider that will ensure seamless, secure, and efficient payment processing that integrates with TSTC’s existing systems.

Failure to submit a SIGNED Execution of Offer could result in disqualification (please make sure forms are signed when document is uploaded). TSTC does not anticipate the contract to exceed $100,000 and will not require that a HUB Subcontracting Plan be submitted. In the case that a HUB Subcontracting Plan is required, suppliers are not required to meet the State of Texas HUB goals. However, TSTC requires that all suppliers make a good faith effort in achieving those goals.

This agreement is valid for a period of two years, with the option to extend for three more one-year terms.

Prices are fixed for the first two years, and any increases in the annual percentage rate during the renewal periods must receive prior approval from TSTC.

Demo/Interview: TSTC reserves the right to conduct demo/interviews to further assess the most qualified candidates and best fit for the college. Time and date to be determined.

Please see "Buyer Attachments" tab for Scope of Service.

General Notes:

Q&A Board Message: If you have any questions concerning the project, please submit them through the Q&A Board. Note that once the Q&A session concludes, no further questions will be accepted. The Q&A Board is specifically for inquiries related to this project and is not intended for general questions about TSTC operations. Only suppliers interested in contracting with TSTC should use the Q&A Board. Suppliers not looking to respond to solicitations can direct their inquiries to the TSTC Records Management Officer.

For more details, please visit www.tstc.edu.

Confidentiality: If a supplier desires to submit information to TSTC which is considered as confidential, the supplier should mark the information "CONFIDENTIAL".

Uploading: Any issues uploading or submitting bids, suppliers must contact TSTC Sourcing Department at the moment that the issues occurred via email with screenshots. Failure to notify will affect any remedy that could have been applied.

Zero Balance: Please be aware that your submitted bid will show a zero balance.

Email Communication: To ensure that all email communication is received, suppliers must "safelist" procurementservices@sciquest.com. TSTC will not be responsible if emails are not received.

Technical Issues: For password reset or log-in assistance, contact JAGGAER at 1-800-233-1121, and select the following options:

Description http://tstc.edu/about

* 1 - (if English is your choice)

* 1 - Supplier

* 0 - Operator

Required to View Event

Prerequisites Required to Enter Bid

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1. Rsolution System Overview - "How To Navigate"

2.

Please upload your completed proposal in this designated section. Submitting your proposal through this section is crucial to ensure that it is properly reviewed and considered. It is important that all requirements are met for each section of your document. When addressing each criterion, title each section clearly to reflect the specific focus or requirement.

3.

Please make sure the form is signed when the document is uploaded. The undersigned, in submitting this Proposal and endorsement of same, represents that he/she is authorized to obligate his/her firm, that he/she is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate with regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability; that he/she will abide by all the policies and procedures of TSTC; and that he/she has read the entire RFP package, is aware of the covenants contained herein, and will abide by and adhere to the written requirements in ALL sections of the RFP. Failure to sign and submit this form with the proposal may result in rejection at TSTC’s discretion.

4. Please review and confirm the TSTC Non-Collusion statement.

5.

The undersigned FIRM, and each person signing on behalf of the FIRM, certifies under penalty of perjury that to the best of their knowledge and belief, no member of Texas State Technical College, nor any employee, or person whose salary is payable, in whole or in part, by Texas State Technical College, has a direct or indirect financial interest in the award of this Proposal, in the services to which this Proposal relates, or in any of the profits, real or potential, thereof, except as otherwise noted herein.

6.

If the undersigned Firm intends to deviate from the Specifications listed in this RFP document or Contract, all such deviations must be listed on this page, with complete and detailed conditions and information included or attached.

TSTC will consider any deviations in its RFP award decisions, and TSTC reserves the right to accept or reject any response based upon any deviations indicated below or in any attachments or inclusions.

In the absence of any deviation entry on this form, the Firm assures TSTC of his/her full compliance with the Terms and Conditions, Specifications, and all other information contained in this RFP document.

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Buyer Attachments

1. Scope of Services.pdf

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Questions Required Questions

Group 1.1: General Information Instructions:

1.1.1

TSTC Solicitation Requirements: Any exceptions to terms, conditions, and requirements in the Scope of Service including the sample contract(s) specifically the Sample Service Agreement (SEE LINK PROVIDED IN ATTACHED DOCUMENT), must be made in writing and listed on the Deviation/Compliance Signature Form in "Prerequisites" tab.

1.1.2 Are you an active registered Texas Historically Underutilized Business?

1.1.3 Are you a Minority Business Enterprise/Women Business Enterprise Supplier?

1.1.4 If you are not currently a HUB supplier and are interested in becoming one, please feel free to visit the link below for details on how to register as a Texas certified HUB supplier and apply for the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL). Participation is entirely optional. For more information, click here: https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub/certification-process.php

Group 1.2: Payment and Delivery Information Instructions:

1.2.1 TSTC recommends Electronic Funds Transfers (EFT), including ACH, Wire Transfer, Virtual Card and Check as the preferred payment methods. Could you please share which payment method you are able to utilize? TSTC reserves the right to select a payment method that is the most efficient to process at time of payment.

1.2.2 A separate invoice is required for each location that a good or services is being provided. Additionally, coordination between TSTC staff and the supplier is essential prior to any delivery to ensure smooth processing (if applicable).

Group 1.3: Security Requirements (Mandatory) Instructions:

1.3.1 The application must implement SSL sitewide, including login pages, client pages, and administrative pages.

1.3.2 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply.

1.3.3 The application must include the ability to implement granular access controls for users, groups, and administrators. Access controls will be maintained by TSTC.

1.3.4 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply.

1.3.5 The application must have full logging and auditing capability for operations performed by the software.

1.3.6 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply.

1.3.7 In the event that the system will be a hosted solution, the proposer must UPLOAD evidence of relevant security controls/standards or independent audit. This may include internal policies, procedures, or third party audits or security reviews. If not able to comply, then UPLOAD a statement with a detailed explanation.

1.3.8

In the event that the system will be a hosted solution handling sensitive or regulatory information of employees, students, or other individuals, a Service Organization Controls 2 report (SOC2), ISO27001, or similar third party audit report must be UPLOADED. Sensitive or regulatory protected information includes, but is not limited to: (A) Sensitive Personal Information (social security numbers, government issued identification numbers, driver’s license number, banking account numbers) (B) Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) protected data (C) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protected data (D) More information regarding a SOC 2 report can be found at:

https://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/FRC/AssuranceAdvisoryServices/Pages/ServiceOr ganization%27sManagement.aspx

1.3.9 The proposer must UPLOAD appropriate documentation and assurance for all subcontractors handling TSTC data. A SOC2, ISO27001 report or similar will be required for subcontractors handling sensitive or regulatory protected information.

**Note: If an NDA is needed, please upload the document for signature.

1.3.10 TSTC retains sole ownership and remains the custodian of all institutional records stored in the proposers system. Proposer will not access these records without TSTC’s written consent. The need for accessing records must be identified on the request.

1.3.11 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply.

1.3.12 Upon termination, cancellation, expiration or other conclusion of the Agreement, Service Provider shall return all TSTC data to TSTC and destroy any and all TSTC data within 30 days. A notification of data destruction must be provided to TSTC.

1.3.13 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply

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1.3.14

TSTC uses Okta to provide identity management, SSO, and MFA. The application must support SSO via SAML or OIDC if the application will contain sensitive or confidential information and allow TSTC to control MFA through Okta. Addition consideration will be given to applications that support enhanced usage of SAML/OIDC (ex. group provisioning/permissions, etc.). While some limited exceptions may be made for on-premise applications that interface directly with Active Directory, cloud/hosted solutions shall comply with the above. If a proposer is unable to comply with TSTC's authentication requirements, please specify the method that will be used for user maintenance and administration.

1.3.15 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply.

1.3.16 For the purpose of application administration, the application should allow TSTC staff access to the proposers system electronically via a tiered permissions system. Local access control would be granted by TSTC.

1.3.17 Proposer must UPLOAD a statement on why they cannot comply.

1.3.18 If a cloud computing system or service is proposed, do you have a TX-RAMP certification per the State of Texas Risk and Authorization Management Program? The program is outlined at:

https://dir.texas.gov/texas-risk-and-authorization-management-program-tx-ramp

1.3.19 When do you expect to obtain a TX-RAMP certification?

1.3.20 What level of TX-RAMP certification do you currently have?

1.3.21 If proposer will have access to a TSTC computer system or database, Proposer represents and warrants that it will comply with the requirements of Section 2054.5192 of the Texas Government Code relating to cybersecurity training and required verification of completion of the training program.

Group 1.4: Electronic and Information Resource Instructions:

1.4.1

Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education are responsible for procuring accessible electronic information resources. This includes reviewing information provided in proposer accessibility documentation to assist the organization in determining the availability of commercial IT products that support accessibility. For each electronic and information resource (EIR) product or service included in solicitation responses subject to Texas Administrative Codes 1 TAC 206 and 1 TAC 213 (which include the US Section 508 technical specifications), the proposer shall provide documentation of how each requirement or specification is met. See attachment for instruction.

1.4.2

It is the proposer’s responsibility to maintain the integrity of any accessibility documentation provided to DIR of Texas state agencies / institutions of higher education. Any documentation shall be considered a self-attestation unless expressly affirmed otherwise. If the proposer plans to provide commercial off the shelf (COTS) software as part or all of a solicitation response, the Vendor shall provide a completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for each COTS product offered. For third party COTS products, the proposer must obtain and submit VPATS or links to them from the third party as part of the solicitation response.

1.4.3 Upload a VPAT or a document with a link to the VPAT.

1.4.4 Please provide a statement of non- compliance with a detailed explanation. ** Note:

Award could be contingent upon compliance

Group 2.1:

Instructions:

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Product Line Items Product Line Items

There are no Items added to this event.

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Service Line Items Service Line Items

There are no Items added to this event.

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