ESBD_517743_1779198427726_2026-1185 Enterprise Education Cloud Implementation.pdf

Request for Proposal

Request for Proposal ("RFP") Number:

RFP Name:

RESPONSES MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE:

4:00 PM Central, Click or tap to enter a date.

s must be submitted in TechBid at the following address:

https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=TexasTech

2026-1185

Enterprise Education Cloud Implementation

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 2 of 26

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: SCOPE OF WORK

1.1 Objectives

1.2 Project Details

1.3 Alternate Proposals

SECTION 2: PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Mandatory Requirements/Conditions

2.2 Preferred Qualifications

2.3 Quality Measures/Future State

2.4 Proposal Submittal Requirements

SECTION 3: EVALUATION PROCEDURES

3.1 Evaluation Process

3.2 Proposer's Acceptance of Evaluation Methodology

3.3 Evaluation Method

3.4 Evaluation Criteria and Weights

3.5 Scoring Methodology

3.6 Consideration of Additional Information

3.7 Oral Presentations and Interviews

3.8 Award Process

3.9 Best and Final Offer

3.10 Protest Procedures

3.11 Contract Documents

3.12 Not Exclusive

SECTION 4: ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Primary Contact

4.2 Event Information

4.3 References

4.4 Licenses

4.5 Term of Award

4.6 Historically Underutilized Business ("HUB") Firms

4.7 HUB Subcontracting Plan

4.8 Right to Modify, Rescind, or Revoke the RFP

4.9 Right to Review and Award

4.10 Signature and Certification of Proposer

4.11 Compliance with Applicable Laws, Regulations, Ordinances, TTU System Regents' Rules, and TTU Operating Policies and Procedures

4.12 Compliance with RFP Requirements

4.13 Binding Effect of Proposal

4.14 Use and Disclosure of Information

4.15 Group Purchase Authority

4.16 E-commerce

4.17 Withdrawal or Modification

4.18 Risk of Loss, Damage, or Delay

4.19 Digital Signature

4.20 Proposer Registration

4.21 Insurance Requirements

4.22 Compensation and Fees

4.23 Invoicing and Payment

APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 3 of 26

SECTION 1:

SCOPE OF WORK

1.1 Objectives

Texas Tech University (“TTU”) seeks Proposals from qualified Salesforce implementation partners to support the consolidation of our current multi-org Salesforce ecosystem into a single, fully functioning Education Cloud org. This project includes strategy, migration, re-architecture, integration, and change management to support a modern, unified digital experience for prospective students, current students, faculty, and staff.

TTU’s target end state is a robust Education Cloud environment with:

1. Data Cloud

2. Student Experience Cloud with multiple audiences

i. Undergraduate Students (Must Have)

ii. Graduate Students (Must Have)

iii. TTU Vet School (Nice to Have)

iv. TTU Online (Must Have)

3. Education Cloud Student Success

4. Marketing Cloud

5. CRM Analytics

6. Blackthorn Events

7. Native Education Cloud Rules Engine

8. Application portals for the following populations

i. Raider Connect - Domestic UG

ii. Graduate Applicant Porta (GR Lubbock Campus and Non-TTU Online programs)

iii. Clark Scholars - Rising Senior Research Program Application)

iv. Thoma (Thoma Foundation Application for Full Ride Scholarship)

v. Honors College – Application for Honors College Program

vi. Compass – Application for Concurrent Enrollment of high ability High School students.

vii. Counselor Portal –Access for high school counselors to review list of their school applicants and submit documents.

viii. TTU Online Application – Application for TTU Online UG and GR programs.

i. Will need to include application for current TTUISD students to apply to TTU Online as a Non Degree seeking students.

ii. Also need to have an application for Non-TTUISD students to also apply for TTU Online as a non degree seeking students.

9. Consolidation of third-party vendors and tools necessary for supporting these Salesforce environments

10. TTU K-12

11. AI / Agentforce – explicitly including information – specify to vendor the Agents – field agent features, proper journeys – Hari and Team. Adding student experience customizations?

12. Red Raider - this is student facing living in Raider success HUB (launching in May 2026)

13. Success Specialist Agent - This is employee facing living in CRM. mostly we give basic user access to it (currently in Refinement)

14. Masked Raider - this is student facing living in ttu.edu (In Progress)

15. <Admission&Recruitment Agent> - this is student facing living in TargetX sites (currently in Refinement/Discovery)

16. <Processing Agent> - this is employee facing living in CRM. Our processing staff will have access to it (currently in Refinement/Discovery).

17. RSH – RFP - RSH Feature Prioritization https://texastechuniversity-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/alexandra_shelton_ttu_edu/IQDgGyiEg38vSp119Kg7Pm1uATl8jSvP22yMf21X7t_u6l8?e=JHpQbb

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 4 of 26

1.1.2 Project Goals

1. TTU seeks a partner to guide us through a full architecture redesign and consolidation plan toward a single Education Cloud org.

2. Develop a target-state architecture aligned with Salesforce best practices.

3. Build a roadmap for full consolidation – with possible phasing if necessary.

4. Address all orgs (Main, Graduate School, and Education Cloud)

5. Outline the decommissioning of redundant or legacy systems

TTU requests vendor recommendations based on our current environment and architecture, with specific focus on considerations such as multi-licensing, organizational structure, and scalability.

Provide guidance on best practices, potential risks, and optimization opportunities within our existing setup.

The vendor must explicitly outline how K-12 will be incorporated into the broader university roadmap. TTU K-

12 does not currently utilize a legacy CRM system requiring an API integration; therefore, the vendor must scope the K-12 migration as a structured historical data import (flat files/CSV). The vendor must provide the necessary data mapping templates and execute the secure import of these records, outlining their validation process to ensure these records map correctly to the new Household architecture and remain strictly segregated from Higher

Education data.

1.2 Background and Current Salesforce Landscape

Texas Tech University – Salesforce Org Overview

TTU’s Enrollment Management Salesforce instance is a multi-cloud, enterprise CRM ecosystem supporting

Recruitment, Admissions, and Student Success operations. Implemented in 2017, the org is built on Salesforce

Education Data Architecture (“EDA”) and includes both the TargetX (Recruitment & Admissions) and Student

Success Hub managed packages. Since go-live, the platform has expanded to serve undergraduate, international, online, and special-population student groups across their full lifecycle.

1. Recruitment & Admissions Capabilities

The Salesforce org supports end-to-end admissions processes for Undergraduate Admissions, including:

i. Recruitment & Territory Management: Comprehensive prospect management, counselor assignment, travel planning, event tracking, and communication workflows.

ii. Application Management: Processing, evaluation, committee review, and workflow automation for multiple application types, including:

a. Undergraduate applications

b. International applications

c. TTU Online programs

d. Several special-population application pathways

e. Graduate School applications

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 5 of 26

iii. Marketing & Communications: Automated multichannel campaigns for recruitment, nudges, inquiries, and applicant engagement.

iv. Visitor Center & Campus Experiences: Students and families can register for campus tours and events through Salesforce, with integrated tracking and follow-up communications.

v. Student Applicant Community: A branded Experience Cloud site where applicants can view their admission status, submit required documents, track outstanding items, and access curated content.

vi. Counselor Portal: High school counselors can submit materials, track student progress, and communicate with admissions staff through a dedicated Experience Cloud portal.

Student Success & Retention Capabilities

The same Salesforce org also houses the Student Success Hub package, enabling coordinated care and retention-focused operations for current students.

Key functionality includes:

i. Student Success Portal: A central Experience Cloud site for current students to access advising information, success resources, and service requests.

ii. Advisor Tools: Staff can set up availability, manage student caseloads, schedule appointments, and track interventions.

iii. Automated Alerts & Early Notifications: Rule-based alerts that flag academic or behavioral concerns and route them to appropriate advisors.

iv. Custom LWC Integrations: Lightning Web Components surface real-time student data from Banner, enhancing advisor decision-making and reducing tool-swapping.

v. Analytics & Dashboards: CRMA (Tableau CRM) dashboards provide advanced reporting on recruitment pipelines, admissions performance, advising activity, and retention trends

vi. Technical Architecture & Integrations

The Salesforce ecosystem integrates deeply with TTU’s enterprise systems. Major integrations include:

i. Banner (SIS): Student, academic, and financial data exchanged via Informatica and custom APIs.

ii. Informatica: Primary ETL for data flows into and out of Salesforce.

iii. TargetX: Recruitment and admissions components including forms, events, and yield workflows.

iv. Marketing Cloud: Used for EM communications, Advancement communications, and Grad School campaigns (via MC Connect).

v. Data Cloud: Utilized for unification, segmentation, and activation (future state expansion planned).

vi. Experience Cloud: Multiple communities (applicants, students, counselors).

vii. CRMA: BI layer for analytics and dashboards.

viii. SSO: Authentication via university identity management.

Graduate School – Salesforce Org Overview

TTU’s Graduate School Salesforce org supports Recruitment, Admissions, and Fellowship award tracking.

Implemented in 2018, the org is built on Salesforce EDA.

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 6 of 26

Graduate Recruitment and Admissions

The Salesforce org supports Graduate recruitment and admissions:

i. Prospect Management: Lead management and event tracking

ii. Application Portal: Experience Cloud site based on a customized version of the EASY Application. Allows applications to apply to over 400 graduate programs with differing requirements and deadlines across programs.

iii. Application Management: Processing, evaluation, and departmental reviews across 170 different departments.

iv. Fellowship awarding and tracking: Experience Cloud site that allows for fellowship recipients to submit and track requirements.

TTU currently operates across three Salesforce orgs, each supporting different parts of the student lifecycle. As of now, we have about 3800 users, most of which are instructors of record which don’t log into the systems but are there as success team members for student records.

Our primary users include:

1. External:

Prospective and current students High School Counselors

TTU K-12 Audience For the K-12 environment, the vendor must scope based on approximately 40 active internal staff members, distributed as follows:

i. Support Center: 15 (Note: These users already have Salesforce access for Grad and Undergrad, requiring role/profile updates rather than net-new consolidated licenses)

ii. Advisors: 10

iii. Recruiters: 5

iv. Reporting/Analytics: 2

v. Other Administrative: 7

vi. Lead Volume: Prospective student usage counts and system architecture must support an inbound pipeline of 5,000 to 10,000 new leads annually.

2. Internal:

Faculty

Advising Staff and Student Support Staff Recruitment and Admissions Staff Marketing Staff TTU Online Staff Student Workers Graduate School Staff Application Reviewers and Recommenders

1.2.1 Internal Salesforce Team Overview

1. The Salesforce team at TTU is housed within the Division of Enrollment Management and is led by a Managing

Director of CRM, reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Enrollment Analytics and Technology.

2. The team provides centralized support and ongoing management of Salesforce across TTU and has experience partnering with external vendors on Salesforce implementation and migration projects.

3. TTU has an established internal Salesforce team that will actively participate throughout the project, including requirements validation, design reviews, testing, and deployment preparation. A key objective of this engagement

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 7 of 26 is knowledge transfer to ensure the internal team can fully assume ownership and ongoing support of the platform following project completion.

1.2.2 Data Integration Overview

1. The CRM team is responsible for managing integrations between Salesforce and the institution’s Student Information System (Banner), leveraging tools such as Informatica, Axiom, and Constituo.

2. Informatica serves as our primary integration tool for data movement between Banner and Salesforce. It supports ongoing data synchronization, including importing enrolled student populations, maintaining up-to-date contact records, and integrating key data points such as academic programs, registration status, holds, financial aid awards, and related tracking objects.

3. Axiom is used to support inbound data integration from Salesforce to Banner at the point of application submission. This includes transmitting contact data, application details, test scores, and enrollment history into the SIS.

4. Constituo has been recently implemented and is currently used to process and import ApplyTexas applications into Salesforce. Common Application data is integrated through Informatica workflows.

5. Rules Engine / Student Success Assignment: We utilize Open Rules as a rules engine to support the assignment of student success populations. Banner data extracts, processed through Informatica, are used to evaluate assignment logic and populate Success Team records within Salesforce (Student Success Hub). This enables automated assignment of advisors and support staff based on defined business rules.

6. We are seeking recommendations through this RFP for scalable, efficient, and maintainable data integration solutions that can support increasing data volumes, simplify architecture, and enhance real-time or near real-time data capabilities across systems.

7. The current CRM team consists of approximately 10 staff members who will collaborate closely with the selected vendor.

1.2.3 Main Org (RR360 / EDA Service Cloud)

This primary org contains:

1. EDA Service Cloud

2. TargetX –

a. TargetX Student Portals

b. Admissions Territory Assignments

c. Geopointe

d. Campaign Builder – Admissions Counselors Sending Email Campaigns

e. TargetX Events

i. Host large recruitment events like Texas Tech preview and also tracking events like high school fairs.

f. TargetX Print

i. Document creation for Campus Visit labels

g. TargetX Telemarketing

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 8 of 26

h. TargetX Application Reviews

i. Freshmen Reviews

ii. Freshmen Admin Reviews

iii. Academic College Reviews

iv. Grad Online+ Reviews

v. Special Program Reviews

3. Service Cloud

4. Student Success Hub (SSH)- TTU_RSH_Technical_Spec_v1.2.pdf

5. Prospective Student Experience Cloud

6. Current Student Experience Cloud for graduate, undergraduate, and online students

7. CRM Analytics

8. Other Installed Packages

a. Cloudingo for Duplicate Management

b. Geopointe for Territory Planning

c. SMS Magic for SMS with R&A

d. Modern Campus for SMS for Student Success

This org houses most advising, recruitment, retention, case management, and outbound communication structures.

1.2.4 Graduate School Org -

A separate org supporting:

1. Graduate recruitment

2. Admissions workflows

3. Graduate student case management

4. Fellowship and award tracking

5. College-level communications

Education Cloud Org

This separate org includes:

1. Education Cloud

2. Data Cloud

3. Blackthorn

This environment has been used to begin exploring Education Cloud functionality but is not yet scaled for enterprise use.

This is the new home org that would be utilized for the single, fully functional Education Cloud org.

https://texastechuniversity.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/RFPEnterpriseEduCloudImplementation/IQA0R3ntWfOFQ6vTyiejuxErAdRtxPkvmxsGiLkT1lDcFIk?e=tZoqER

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 9 of 26

1.2.5 Migration & Consolidation

1. Migration of data, metadata, automations, and integrations

2. UI and UX of multiple Experience Clouds into Student Experience Cloud with multiple audiences connected to the new Education Cloud single org.

3. Integration or migration of TargetX with Education Cloud

4. Harmonization of student records in Data Cloud

a. Native Salesforce Implementation

The partner must:

1. Rebuild audience logic, segmentation, eligibility, and trigger conditions

2. Redesign the Marketing Cloud data feed so it flows directly from the consolidated Education Cloud org rather than the RR360 org

3. Ensure functionality meets or exceeds current communication logic and orchestration

4. Implement a solution for assignment of populations for Admissions, Advisors, Success Team members, and any special populations.

5. Replace Graduate Admissions Application with native Education Cloud solution

1.2.6 Implementation of Key Salesforce Tools

The partner must provide expertise in:

1. Education Cloud

2. Data Cloud (unification, identity resolution, join/harmonization, activation)

3. Student Success Hub

4. Student Experience Cloud

5. Marketing Cloud

6. CRM Analytics

7. Blackthorn Integrations with Banner, Canvas LMS, and other systems as needed.

1.2.7 Change Management & Enablement

Support must include:

1. Change management strategy for academic and administrative units

2. Training, documentation, and enablement plans

1.2.8 Post-Implementation Support

2. Hypercare support options

3. Long-term managed services

4. Availability for ongoing optimization and enhancement

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 10 of 26

1.3 Alternate Proposals

TTU may consider alternate Proposals submitted by Proposer that expand or differ from these specifications.

Proposers submitting alternate Proposals should (i) clearly identify any exceptions taken to the Specifications set forth in this RFP and (ii) include a detailed description of the alternative(s) proposed. The Proposer may suggest additions to the specifications set forth in this RFP, and all such suggestions must be clearly defined. Alternate Proposals should be submitted as attachments to the Proposal. Alternate Proposals shall meet the same mandatory requirements and shall be in the same format as the Proposal’s base format.

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 11 of 26

SECTION 2

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Mandatory Requirements/Conditions

Proposal Deliverables:

Vendors should address:

• Current-state assessment

• Target-state architecture

• Recommended migration strategy

• Implementation roadmap

• Change management and training

• Staffing model, timeline, and cost structure

• Recommendation for integration solutions between Salesforce and SIS (Banner) recommended: and all desired integrations listed in section 1.4.13 - 1.4.20

2.2 Preferred Qualifications

Proposers must demonstrate:

• Proven success in multi-org consolidation

• Deep experience with Education Cloud + Data Cloud

• Experience in integration of TargetX (preferred) into Education Cloud

• Higher education client portfolio

• Expertise with Marketing Cloud, CRM Analytics, Student Success Hub, and Experience Cloud

• Ability to collaborate effectively in a decentralized university environment

2.3 Quality Measures/Future State

2.3.1 Quality for the Salesforce migration will be defined by the successful, secure, and accurate transition of data, configurations, integrations, and business processes from the existing environment to the new Salesforce environment, with minimal disruption to users.

2.3.2 Quality Standards and Success Criteria

The success of migration will be measured against the following criteria:

i. Data accuracy and completeness, including validation of migrated records against source systems

ii. Functional parity, ensuring all critical business processes operate as expected post-migration

iii. System performance and stability, including acceptable response times and system availability

iv. Security and access controls, aligned with institutional and Salesforce best practices

v. User readiness and adoption, supported through training and documentation

2.3.3 Measurement and Progress Tracking

Progress and quality will be monitored throughout the project using:

i. Defined project milestones and deliverables

ii. Regular status updates and review meetings

iii. Sprint-based development and validation cycles

iv. Issue tracking with documented resolution and remediation plans

2.3.4 Quality Assurance and Testing Methodology

A structured quality assurance approach will be used throughout the migration, including:

i. Data mapping and migration testing with reconciliation checks

ii. Unit testing and system testing of migrated configurations and customization

iii. Integration testing with connected systems

iv. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with business stakeholders prior to go-live

v. Regression testing to ensure existing functionality remains intact

2.3.5 Validation and Post-Migration Review

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 12 of 26

Final acceptance will be based on:

i. Successful completion of UAT and stakeholder sign-off

ii. Verification that all critical integrations and automations are functioning as intended

iii. Post-go-live monitoring and issue resolution during a defined stabilization period

iv. Documentation of lessons learned and recommendations for ongoing optimization

This approach ensures the migration meets quality, performance, and usability expectations while minimizing risk and disruption to campus operations.

2.4 Proposal Submittal Requirements

2.4.1 By submitting a Proposal, the Proposer certifies an understanding of this RFP and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, quality, and quantity of the work to be performed, the detailed requirements of the Goods or Services to be provided, and the conditions under which the Goods or Services are to be performed. The Proposer also understands that all costs relating to preparing and responding to this RFP will be the sole responsibility of the Proposer. If selected for an award by TTU, the Proposer will notify TTU immediately of any material change in any matters about which the Proposer has made a statement or representation or provided information.

Proposers are cautioned to read the information contained in this RFP carefully and to submit a complete Proposal to all requirements and questions as directed.

2.4.2 Submittal Instructions for TechBid Proposals

TTU requires that all Proposals be submitted in the TechBid system at (https://bids.sciquest.com/apps/Router/PublicEvent?CustomerOrg=TexasTech).

Proposers must submit Proposals online no later than the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Events.

TTU recommends that the Proposer submit the Proposal at least twenty-four (24) hours before the submission deadline to accommodate any technical issues. If the Proposer encounters ANY issues with submitting a Response, the Proposer must contact the Primary Contact before the deadline.

In order to be considered responsive, the following items must be submitted in TechBid:

i. Proposer’s Response Form

ii. Signed Affirmation and Conflict of Interest

iii. IT Questionnaire

iv. Pricing Model

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 13 of 26

SECTION 3

EVALUATION PROCEDURES

3.1 Evaluation Process

TTU will utilize a Contract Review Team (“CRT”) the evaluation of the responses to this RFP. All Contracts will be awarded based on the Proposal judged to be in the best interest of TTU, and the judgment in this regard shall be considered final. Any Contract resulting from this Solicitation shall be awarded to the Proposer or multiple Proposers providing the Best Value to TTU.

Under §51.9335 of the Texas Education Code, in determining what the Best Value is, TTU may consider:

3.1.1 The purchase price;

3.1.2 The reputation of the Contractor and of the Contractor’s Goods or Services;

3.1.3 The quality of the Contractor’s Goods or Services;

3.1.4 The extent to which the Goods or Services meet the TTU’s needs;

3.1.5 The Contractor’s past relationship with TTU;

3.1.6 The impact on the ability of TTU to comply with laws and rules relating to Historically Underutilized

Businesses and to the Procurement of Goods or Services from Persons with disabilities;

3.1.7 The total long-term cost to the institution of acquiring the Contractor’s Goods or Services;

3.1.8 Any other relevant factor that a private business entity would consider in selecting a Contractor; and

3.1.9 The use of material in construction or repair to real property that is not proprietary to a single vendor unless TTU provides written justification in the request for bids for use of the unique material specified.

3.2 Proposer’s Acceptance of Evaluation Methodology

Submission of a Proposal indicates the Proposer’s acceptance of the evaluation method and the Proposer’s recognition that subjective judgments must be made by the CRT and TTU leadership during the awarding of evaluation criteria points.

3.3 Evaluation Method

The CRT, appointed by the Primary Contact will evaluate the Proposals and make a recommendation to the Assistant Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer. Evaluations will be made based upon the submitted Proposal, clarification, questions and answers, the Best and Final Offer, references, past performance, and any presentation given.

Proposals must first be reviewed by the Primary Contact to verify that they are responsive and meet any minimum requirements. The evaluation of responsive Proposals shall then be completed by the CRT, which will determine the ranking of Proposals based on the evaluation criteria. Proposals will be evaluated strictly in accordance with the requirements set forth in this Solicitation, including any addenda or interpretations that are issued. Proposers are strictly prohibited from contacting any CRT members during the process.

The evaluation of Proposals will include consideration of responses to the list of criteria in Section 3.4. Proposers must specifically address all criteria in their Proposal. Any deviations or exceptions to the specifications or requirements, including any contract terms, must be described and justified in a transmittal letter. Failure to list such exceptions or deviations in the transmittal letter may be considered sufficient reason to reject the Proposal.

TTU will evaluate Proposals as submitted and will not notify Proposers of deficiencies in their responses. The Contract awards and non-awards will not be notified until a fully executed Contract(s) is complete.

A Proposal may be rejected if it is conditional or incomplete in the judgment of TTU.

3.4 Evaluation Criteria and Weights

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 14 of 26

Each Proposal shall be evaluated on the ability to meet TTU’s requirements in the RFP and provide the Best Value to TTU. The Proposal shall be awarded points based on each of the following evaluation criteria.

The evaluation will be based on the following:

1. Financial Value and Total Cost of Ownership – 30% Evaluation of the overall financial value of the Proposal, including:

• Total implementation costs (one-time)

• Total cost of ownership over a multi-year period (including licensing, support, and maintenance)

• Pricing structure transparency and flexibility

• Cost optimization strategies (e.g., licensing efficiency, consolidation savings)

• Ongoing operational and support costs

• Any additional financial benefits (e.g., discounts, value-added services, or financial incentives)

2. Technical and Functional Capability – 25% Evaluation of the Proposer’s ability to deliver a scalable, secure, and high-performing solution, including:

• Proposed target-state architecture aligned with Salesforce Education Cloud best practices

• Data model design and approach to multi-org consolidation

• Integration strategy with Banner SIS and other enterprise systems

• Data migration methodology, including data quality, validation, and reconciliation

• Security, compliance, and alignment with institutional and regulatory requirements (e.g., FERPA, TxRAMP)

• Performance, scalability, and system reliability considerations

3. Vendor Experience and Staffing – 15% Evaluation of the Proposer’s qualifications and experience, including:

• Demonstrated experience with higher education institutions of similar size and complexity

• Proven success with Salesforce multi-org consolidation and Education Cloud implementations

• Experience with TargetX migration or replacement (preferred)

• Qualifications, certifications, and experience of proposed project team members

• Availability and continuity of key personnel throughout the project

• Past performance, including references and project outcomes

4. Implementation Approach and Project Management – 10% Evaluation of the Proposer’s delivery methodology and project execution plan, including:

• Implementation methodology (e.g., Agile, hybrid approach)

• Clarity and feasibility of the implementation roadmap and timeline

• Project governance structure and communication plan

• Risk identification and mitigation strategies

• Coordination with TTU internal teams and stakeholders

• Knowledge transfer approach to ensure TTU long-term ownership of the platform

5. Change Management, Training, and Adoption – 8% Evaluation of the Proposer’s ability to support user adoption and organizational readiness, including:

• Change management strategy for a decentralized university environment

• Training approach for various user groups (faculty, staff, administrators)

• Communication plan and stakeholder engagement approach

• End-user documentation and enablement resources

• Strategies to promote adoption and minimize disruption during transition

6. Innovation and Value-Added Services – 7% Evaluation of the Proposer’s ability to deliver innovative and forward-looking solutions, including:

• Use of advanced capabilities such as AI, automation, and analytics (e.g., Agentforce)

• Enhancements to student experience and engagement

• Recommendations for process optimization and continuous improvement

• Value-added services beyond the minimum requirements of the RFP

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 15 of 26

7. Quality Assurance and Risk Management – 5% Evaluation of the Proposer’s approach to ensuring quality and minimizing project risk, including:

• Testing methodology (unit, system, integration, and user acceptance testing)

• Data validation and reconciliation processes

• Post-go-live support and stabilization (“hypercare”)

• Service level commitments and performance monitoring

• Issue resolution and continuous improvement processes

3.5 Scoring Methodology

Each CRT Voting Member will evaluate the Proposals utilizing the Evaluation Criteria identified in Section 3.4 and will assign each criterion a subjective score of 0 -10, with 10 being the highest. This score is multiplied by the criterion’s weight, which will produce a weighted value for the criteria. The weighted values for all criteria will be summed up and then ranked to determine a high-to-low Proposer ranking. The ranking may be used to determine an initial pool of Proposers who will be invited for presentations or to inform a final award determination for one or more Proposers.

3.6 Consideration of Additional Information

Consideration may also be given to any additional written information and comments that may serve to clarify the Proposal information to TTU. This includes online research, references, presentations, Best and Final Offers, and other information gained during the process.

3.7 Oral Presentations and Interviews

Upon completion of the initial review and evaluation of the Proposals submitted, selected Proposers may be invited to participate in oral presentations. Oral presentations and interviews are an option of the Contract Review Team and may or may not be conducted; therefore, Proposals must be complete when submitted. Presentations may only be requested from the top-selected proposers from the initial evaluation process. Upon completion of the oral presentations, the CRT may reevaluate the Proposers based on the new information.

3.8 Negotiations and Award Process

During the Proposal Opening, Proposals will be acknowledged publicly to identify the Proposers, but will be afforded sufficient security to preclude disclosure of the Proposal contents, including prices or other information, prior to award. After the Proposal Opening, an Award may be made based on the Proposals initially submitted, without discussion, clarification, or modification, or on the basis of Negotiation with any of the Proposers or, at TTU’s sole option and discretion, TTU may discuss or negotiate all elements of the Proposal with selected Proposers representing a competitive range. For Negotiation purposes, a competitive range of acceptable Proposals may be established, comprising the highest-rated Proposals based on the evaluation criteria. TTU may also negotiate additional Goods and/or Services during the Negotiation process if deemed in TTU’s best interest. TTU will award the Contract or multiple Contracts to the responsible and responsive Proposer(s) whose Proposal(s) is/are determined to be the most advantageous to TTU, considering the evaluation factors outlined in this RFP.

3.8 Best and Final Offer

When deemed appropriate by the Contract Review Team, after the submission of Proposals but before the final selection of the successful Proposal(s), TTU may permit Proposers to revise their Proposals in order for TTU to obtain a best and final offer. TTU is not bound to accept the best and final offer if it does not represent the Best Value to TTU as determined by the Contract Review Team. Upon review of the Best and Final Offers, the CRT may reevaluate the Proposers based on the new information.

3.9 Protest Procedures

Any actual or prospective Proposer who believes they have been aggrieved in connection with the Solicitation, Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 16 of 26 evaluation, or Award of a Contract may formally protest to the Assistant Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer.

https://www.depts.ttu.edu/procurement/resources/training-and-work-aids/documents/purchasing/Vendor-Protest- Procedures-2022.pdf

3.10 Contract Documents

The Contract entered into by the parties shall consist of the RFP, the Proposal, specifications (if applicable), and a written Contract (if applicable). When an expenditure is required, the Purchase Order terms and conditions will also apply. All of which shall be referred to collectively as the Contract documents.

3.11 Not Exclusive

The Proposer acknowledges and agrees that the Contract with TTU is non-exclusive and TTU has the right to engage with other proposers for similar or identical scopes of work, and to purchase similar or identical Services from other proposers. Any term or provision in the Proposer’s terms indicating the Contract is exclusive is expressly rejected and is null and void.

https://www.depts.ttu.edu/procurement/resources/training-and-work-aids/documents/purchasing/Vendor-Protest-Procedures-2022.pdf https://www.depts.ttu.edu/procurement/resources/training-and-work-aids/documents/purchasing/Vendor-Protest-Procedures-2022.pdf

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 17 of 26

SECTION 4

ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Primary Contact ("Primary Contact")

Lauren Barta lauren.barta@ttu.edu

Texas Tech University

TTU Plaza Suite # 408

Box 41094

Lubbock, TX 79409-1094

4.1.1 All communication relating to this RFP must be submitted in writing by the date indicated in the Schedule of

Events. Questions and Addenda issued related to the RFP, if any, will be posted on the TechBid website.

Only those replies to questions made by formal written Addenda shall be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarification will be without legal effect. Note: It is the responsibility of the Proposer to review

TechBid for any Addenda posted. For any TechBid system issues, please email solicitations.purchasing@ttu.edu.

Questions must be submitted in TechBid prior to the question deadline.

4.1.2 Except as provided in this RFP (e.g., designated Primary Contact) and as otherwise necessary for the conduct of existing TTU business operations, Proposers are expressly and absolutely prohibited from engaging in communications with TTU personnel who are involved in any manner in the drafting of the RFP, in the review or evaluation of the Proposals, in the selection of a Contractor, Negotiation, or formalization of a Contract. If any Proposer engages in conduct or communications that

TTU determines is contrary to the prohibitions outlined in this section, TTU may, at its sole discretion, disqualify the Proposer and remove the Proposal from consideration.

4.2 Event Information

4.2.1 Schedule of Events

TTU intends to follow the timeline below for evaluating, negotiating, and issuing a Contract:

Schedule of Events

Event Date Time Notes

Distribution of RFP May 12, 2026

Deadline for Submission of Written Questions

June 5, 2026

1:00 PM

Central

TTU will collect all questions and respond after the Submission Deadline through an Addendum to the RFP, which will be distributed via the TechBid System.

Proposal Due Date June 23, 2026

4:00 PM

Central

Online Proposal Opening June 23, 2026

4:00 PM

Central

INSERT TEAMS LINK

Evaluation of Proposals July – September 2026 mailto:lauren.barta@ttu.edu mailto:solicitations.purchasing@ttu.edu

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 18 of 26

* All dates are tentative and subject to change.

4.2.2 Solicitation Conference

A Solicitation Conference will not be conducted for this RFP.

Online Proposal Opening

A public Proposal Opening will be conducted via an online meeting on the date and time shown in the

Schedule of Events. At this time, the names of the Proposers will be read aloud, and the meeting will be terminated. No pricing or other information will be discussed at this meeting.

For convenience, Proposers may request a list of Proposals received by contacting the TTU Primary Contact after the opening. All submitted Proposals become the property of TTU after the RFP submission deadline and will not be returned.

In the event of a change in the time, date, access information, or location of the Proposal Opening, notification will be provided via an Addendum to the RFP and distributed through the TechBid System.

4.3 References

The Proposer must submit a list of three (3) applicable clients and contact information for whom similar Goods and

Services have been provided. These clients will be contacted by TTU, and the information received will be used during the evaluation and assessment of the Proposer's performance.

4.4 Licenses

Proposers must submit verification that the Proposer has all licenses (including, but not limited to, software licenses) necessary for the Goods and Services contemplated under this RFP, as applicable, e.g., business licenses, business certifications, professional licenses, third-party software licenses, if applicable, etc. Licenses may be verified during the evaluation process.

4.5 Term of Award

The maximum term for an awarded Contract under this RFP is anticipated to begin the date of the last signature, and to expire four (4) years from that date. Unless terminated earlier pursuant to the Contract terms, the Contract may automatically renew for up to four (4) one (1) year renewal terms unless either party provides written notice of its intent not to renew the Contract at least sixty (60) days prior to the end of the initial or then current renewal term.

The parties may negotiate and mutually agree on an alternate term.

In accordance with Regents' Rule 07.12, any resulting Contract will require a termination without-cause provision of one hundred and eighty (180) days or less, or the Contract may not exceed five (5) year’s total term with renewals.

4.6 Veteran Heroes United in Business ("HUB") Firms

TTUS endeavors to promote full and equal opportunity for businesses to supply TTUS with Goods or Services necessary to support TTUS's educational mission. In this regard, TTUS commits to selecting Respondents in accordance with (i) TTUS needs, (ii) TTUS resources, (iii) guidelines established by the Texas legislature and Texas

Procurement and Support Services ("TPASS"), and (iv) TTUS Operating Policies and Procedures for contracting with

HUBs. Respondents shall provide TTUS full access to documentation relating to the HUB program and any HUB

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 19 of 26

Subcontracting Plan. Failure to comply with any provision of the State or TTUS's HUB regulations may result in rejection of any Response or immediate cancellation of any Contract.

TTUS is relying upon Respondent's expertise to fully identify subcontracting opportunities that best align with the

TTUS organization and this RFQ. Respondents who intend to subcontract are responsible for identifying all areas that will be subcontracted.

4.7 VETHUB Subcontracting Plan (“HSP”)

TTUS has determined that there are subcontracting opportunities in the performance of the Scope of Work of this

Solicitation, and/or any resulting Contract is anticipated to exceed $100,000.00 over its term, including all renewals and extensions. The Respondent must include a completed HSP, and any supporting documentation required per the

HSP (e.g., proof of Good Faith Effort) with the Response submission. Respondents must submit a completed HSP regardless of the Respondent’s HUB status, the intent to subcontract, or the intent to self-perform.

VETHUB Resources

4.8 Right to Modify, Rescind, or Revoke the RFP

TTU reserves the right to modify, revoke, or cancel this RFP in whole or in part at any time before the date on which

TTU executes a Contract with the selected Proposer(s).

4.9 Rights of Review and Award

TTU reserves the right to accept or reject any and all Proposals or any part of a Proposal and waive informalities, technical defects, and minor irregularities in the Proposals received. Further, TTU reserves the right to make a single award, split awards, make multiple awards, or make no award, whichever is in the best interest of TTU. This RFP does not commit TTU to select a Proposer or to award a Contract to any Proposer.

TTU reserves the right to reissue this RFP to solicit additional competitive Proposals. If TTU reissues this RFP, any

Proposer who has submitted a Proposal, may elect to resubmit the original Proposal.

A Proposal consisting of only alternate Goods or Services (i.e., a Proposal that offers Goods or Services different from those requested by this RFP and is not otherwise invited) may be considered non-responsive by TTU and is subject to rejection. TTU shall reject a Proposal if the financial Proposal was not arrived at independently, without collusion, consultation, communication, or agreement with any other potential Proposer on any matter relating to such prices. Proposals that are qualified with conditional clauses, revised clauses, alterations, or items not called for in the RFP, or irregularities of any kind, are subject to disqualification by TTU, at its option, regardless of the time of detection. TTU shall consider any of the foregoing prohibited actions to be grounds for Proposal rejection or

Contract , and termination may result in debarment of the Contractor from future TTU Solicitations.

TTU reserves the right to evaluate Proposals against any governmental agency, institution of higher education, or purchasing cooperative contract to determine Best Value.

4.10 Signature and Certification of Proposer

The Proposal must be signed and dated by a representative of the Proposer who is legally authorized to bind the

Proposer to the terms and conditions contained in this RFP and can ensure compliance with the terms of the submitted Proposal. Each Proposer submitting a Proposal certifies to (a) the completeness and accuracy of the information provided in the Proposal and (b) the authority of the individual whose signature appears on the

Affirmation and Conflict of Interest to bind the Proposer. Proposals submitted without the required signature will be https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub/resources.php

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 20 of 26 disqualified.

4.11 Compliance with Applicable Laws, Regulations, Ordinances, TTU System Regents’ Rules, and

TTU Operating Policies and Procedures

By submitting a Proposal, the Proposer agrees to and shall comply with all applicable local, State, and federal laws and regulations, as well as all applicable regulations and the Operating Policies and Procedures of TTU. TTU Operating

Policies and Procedures may be accessed at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/, and TTU System Regents’ Rules may be accessed at http://www.texastech.edu/board-of-regents/regents-rules.php. TTU System regulations may be accessed at https://www.texastech.edu/offices/cfo/regulations.php.

4.12 Compliance with RFP Requirements

By submitting a Proposal and by signing the Affirmation and Conflict of Interest, the Proposer agrees to be bound by the requirements set forth in this RFP, TTU’s General Terms and Conditions contained in the RFP, as well as the

TTU Purchase Order terms and conditions, all of which will be incorporated into any Contract awarded by TTU. If the Proposer takes exception to any of the terms or cannot agree to be bound by all terms, TTU, at its sole discretion, may review and, if deemed in TTU’s best interest, disqualify the Proposal from consideration.

4.13 Binding Effect of Proposal

Unless otherwise agreed in writing signed by the Assistant Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, or their designee, each Proposer agrees to and shall be bound by the information and documentation provided with the

Proposal, including prices quoted for Goods or Services. Proposals shall be valid for TTU’s acceptance until the award of the Contract(s) to allow time for evaluation, selection, Negotiations, and any unforeseen delays. Proposals, if accepted, shall be incorporated into the executed Contract and remain valid for the duration of the Contract.

4.14 Use and Disclosure of Information

Proposers acknowledge that TTU is an agency of the State of Texas and is therefore required to comply with the

Texas Public Information Act Texas Government Code Chapter 552. If a Proposal includes proprietary data, trade secrets, or information the Proposer wishes to except from public disclosure, then the Proposer must specifically label such data, secrets, or information as follows: "PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL – PROPRIETARY

INFORMATION." To the extent permitted by law, information labeled by the Proposer as proprietary will be used by TTU only for purposes related to or arising out of the (a) evaluation of Proposals, (b) selection of a Proposer or

Proposers pursuant to the RFP process, and (c) Negotiation and execution of a Contract, if any, with the Proposer(s) selected.

If the Proposer marks the entire Proposal or substantive portions of the Proposal as confidential, TTU, in its sole discretion, may declare the Proposal non-responsive and reject it.

By submitting a Proposal, the Proposer grants a limited license to reproduce the Proposal to conduct an evaluation and to comply with any legal requirement, including, but not limited to, the Texas Public Information Act and Texas

Legislative Budget Board requirements.

TTU reserves the right to contact references or contact names listed below and shall be free from any liability to

Proposer for conducting such inquiry.

4.15 Group Purchase Authority

Texas law authorizes institutions of higher education (defined by §61.003, Education Code) to use the group purchasing procurement method (ref. §51.9335, Education Code). Other institutions of higher education, local, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opmanual/ http://www.texastech.edu/board-of-regents/regents-rules.php https://www.texastech.edu/offices/cfo/regulations.php https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.61.htm https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.51.htm

Rev. January 1, 2026 Page 21 of 26 county, and other quasi-governmental entities, independent school districts, and State of Texas agencies may also elect to enter into a contract with the successful Proposer under this RFP based upon any awarded Contract. The Proposer should also note that TTU may procure Goods or Services for itself or on behalf of any TTU System component institution. When submitting a Proposal in response to this RFP, the Proposer should consider proposing pricing and other commercial terms that take into account higher volumes and other expanded Best Value opportunities that could result from the eventual inclusion of TTUS, its other component institutions, and other institutions, governments, and State agencies in the Goods or Services requested in this RFP.

4.16 E-commerce

TTU utilizes the Jaggaer e-commerce platform to issue purchase orders and process invoices. The Proposer agrees to comply with any TTU requirements for participating in electronic commerce.

4.17 Withdrawal or Modification

No Proposal may be changed, amended, or modified after it has been submitted or filed in response to this Solicitation, except for obvious errors or as part of the Negotiation process approved in writing by the Assistant Vice President and

Chief Procurement Officer. However, a Proposal may be withdrawn and resubmitted at any time prior to the set time for

Proposal receipt. Modifications will be allowed on the TechBid website until the deadline for Proposal submittals. No

Proposal may be withdrawn after the submittal deadline without approval by TTU, which shall be based on the Proposer’s submittal in writing of a reason acceptable to TTU.

4.18 Risk of Loss, Damage, or Delay

Proposer acknowledges and agrees to release and hold harmless TTU, its campus components, Board of Regents, officers, employees, agents, and personnel, from and against any and all claims, liability, damages, and costs, including court costs and attorneys' fees, arising out of or pursuant to a failure to successfully submit or deliver the Proposal to

Procurement Services at TTU, as detailed in this RFP.

4.19 Digital Signature

Proposers must sign documents and correspondence using software approved by the TTU. To be approved by TTU, a signature software platform must: (1) be compliant with the ESIGN Act of 2000,…