ESBD_File_340067_CIO-24-157 Fundraising and CRM Platform.pdf

THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

Office of Procurement and HUB Program

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NUMBER: RFP01-CIO-24-157

FUNDRAISING AND CRM PLATFORM

PROPOSAL MUST BE RECEIVED PRIOR TO:

2:00 P.M. Central time (CST) on November 20, 2023

EMAIL RFP RESPONSES TO:

soprocurement@tamus.edu

Subject Line: CIO-24-157 – Fundraising and CRM Platform

NOTE: Proposal responses must be received by The Texas A&M University System Office of Procurement and HUB Program before the date and time specified for receipt of proposal in Section 2.3.

After the due date and time, only the names of respondents will be made public.

REFER INQUIRIES TO:

Jeff Zimmermann, Executive Director Procurement and Business Services | HUB Program

The Texas A&M University System soprocurement@tamus.edu

All proposals shall become the property of The Texas A&M University System and the state of Texas upon receipt.

Proposals may be subject to public review after contracts have been executed. Refer to Section 5G for more information regarding confidential and proprietary information.

mailto:soprocurement@tamus.edu mailto:Soprocurement@tamus.edu

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 2 of 36

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION _________________________________________________________________ 3

1.1 Scope

1.2 Background

1.3 Priorities/Expectations

1.4 Pre-proposal Conference

1.5 Calendar of Events

1.6 Performance Period

SECTION 2. INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONDENTS __________________________________________________ 5

2.1 General Information

2.2 Examination of the Request for Proposal

2.3 Submittal Instructions

2.4 Proposal Components

2.5 Inquiries and Interpretations

2.6 Selection Process

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK ________________________________________________________________ 9

3.1 General

3.2 Background

3.3 Requirements

3.4 Technology and Integrations

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL RESPONSE ___________________________________________________________ 12

4.1 Company Profile

4.2 Technical Proposal

4.3 Demonstration Plan ............................. …………………………………………………………………………………………12

4.4 Proof of Concept

4.5 Implementation Approach

4.6 Licensing, Support and Subscription Model

4.7 Vendor Qualifications

4.8 Pricing Proposal

4.9 Accessibility

4.10 Historically Underutilized Business Requirements

SECTION 5. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS ________________________________________________ 19

Exhibit A – Execution of Offer

Exhibit B – Non-Collusion Affidavit

Exhibit C –Insurance Requirements

Exhibit D –Software as a Service Agreement – Draft

Attachment A – VADSIR

Attachment B – PDAA

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 3 of 36

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope

The Texas A&M University System (“A&M System”) is seeking proposals from qualified companies to provide and implement a cloud-based constituent relationship management software platform. This platform will include the ability to do analytics, data enrichment, merchant services, financial transaction management, award management, donor management, and alumni engagement.

It is the intent of A&M System to establish a master services agreement (“Agreement”) with one or more companies (also referred to as “Respondent” or “Vendor”) to meet the needs of its universities and agencies (“Members”) per the requirements listed in Section 3.

By submitting responses, each Respondent certifies that it understands this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) and has full knowledge of the scope, nature, quality, and quantity of the work to be performed, the detailed requirements of the services to be provided, and the conditions under which the services are to be performed. Each Respondent also certifies that it understands that all costs relating to preparing and responding to this RFP will be the sole responsibility of the Respondent.

1.2 Background

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $7.2 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus, the A&M System educates more than 152,000 students and makes more than 24 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceed $1 billion and help drive the state’s economy. More information about The Texas A&M University System and all of its Members can be found at the A&M System About page.

1.3 Priorities/Expectations

Respondents should note the following priorities and expectations with regard to the possibility of the A&M System establishing a contractual relationship with any Respondent:

(a) Ensuring a Quality Level of Service. This priority encompasses the quality of the level of service that can be provided to all Members in a timely, cost-effective manner. The A&M System is seeking a Respondent that will ensure the provision of such quality in its delivery of service through proven training techniques and established metrics.

(b) Level of Experience and Expertise. Respondent must demonstrate its capabilities in providing the utmost level of experience and expertise to ensure a successful implementation as determined by the A&M System.

(c) Delivery Efficiency as it Relates to Total Costs. Respondent must demonstrate its ability to deliver the required platform and related services in a cost-effective and timely manner while not sacrificing the quality required by the A&M System.

1.4 Pre-proposal Conference

A virtual pre-proposal conference is scheduled for October 23, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. CDT. Attendance is NOT mandatory at this conference, however it is highly encouraged that interested parties attend. Please send an email of interest to soprocurement@tamus.edu. The virtual meeting information will be sent to all those that email their interest in attending.

http://www.tamus.edu/about/

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 4 of 36

1.5 Calendar of Events

Activity Date

Release of Request for Proposal October17, 2023

Pre-Proposal Conference October 23, 2023

Deadline to Submit Questions October 30, 2023

Release of Addendum (if applicable) November 3, 2023

Responses Due November 20, by 2:00 p.m. CST

Presentation/Demonstrations (if applicable) TBD

Selection of Respondent(s) TBD

The A&M System will make every effort to adhere to the above schedule. The schedule, however, is subject to change. This may be in the event that further clarification of responses or terms of contract are in the best interest of the A&M System and/or in the event the A&M System requires more time to assure that the selection of the Respondent is in accordance with its policies, rules and regulations, as well as actual timing needs.

1.6 Performance Period

Should the A&M System, in its sole discretion, enter into an Agreement with a successful Respondent(s) as a result of this RFP, the Agreement shall be effective upon execution for a period of three (3) years. The resultant Agreement may be extended at the option of the A&M System for up to two additional two (2) year terms, provided the parties mutually agree in writing on the extension. Any extension shall be at the same terms and conditions plus any approved changes to be determined by the A&M System and negotiated in writing with the successful Respondent.

Note that length of terms is negotiable, and Respondent may propose an alternate length for both the initial period and any renewal.

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SECTION 2 – INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONDENTS

2.1 General Information

The A&M System is seeking proposals from qualified companies that can provide the platform and related services as specified and listed in Section 3 of this RFP. While it is the intent of the A&M System to effectively establish an Agreement with one or more qualified companies, there is no guarantee that an award will be made, or a contract executed.

Submittals are to be in accordance with the outline and specifications contained herein, are to remain in effect a minimum of 120 days from the date of submission and may be subject to further extensions as negotiated. A statement to this effect should be contained in the Respondent's cover letter.

This RFP contains specific requests for information. Respondents are encouraged to examine all sections of this RFP carefully, in that the degree of interrelationship between sections is critical. In responding to this RFP, Respondents are encouraged to provide any additional information they believe relevant.

Clause headings appearing in this RFP have been inserted for convenience and ready reference. They do not purport to define, limit or extend the scope of intent of the respective clauses. Whenever the terms “must” “shall" "will" "is required” or "are required” are used in the RFP, the subject being referred to is to be a required feature of this RFP and critical to the resulting submittal.

In those cases where mandatory requirements are stated, material failure to meet those requirements could result in disqualification of the Respondent's response. Any deviation or exception from RFP specifications must be clearly identified by the Respondent in its submittal.

Expenses for developing and presenting proposals shall be the entire responsibility of the Respondent and shall not be chargeable to the A&M System.

2.2 Examination of the Request for Proposal

Before submitting, each Respondent will be held to have examined A&M System requirements outlined in Section 3 and satisfied itself as to the existing conditions under which it will be obligated to perform in accordance with the specifications of this RFP.

No claim for additional compensation will be allowed due to unfamiliarity with the specifications and/or existing conditions. It shall be understood that the Respondent has full knowledge of all the existing and/or revised conditions and accepts them "as is."

2.3 Submittal Instructions

All proposals must be received by the A&M System no later than 2:00:00 p.m. CST, November 20, 2023 electronically via email to soprocurement@tamus.edu with the subject line of “RFP01 CIO-24-157 – Fundraising and CRM Platform”. The sent time indicated within the A&M System email server shall be used for the receipt and acceptance of the response. A file sharing tool may be used to submit the proposal response if large file sizes are an issue. If opting to use a file sharing tool it is recommend to send a test file prior to the due date.

It is each Respondent’s responsibility to ensure that the entire submittal response is received by the A&M System by the deadline stated above regardless of submission method. Late submittals will not be considered under any circumstances.

Submittal File Format: Submission shall be saved as two (2) separate files in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) according to the items listed below and named as such: I) “company name – Proposal” and II) “company name – Forms”.

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2.4 Proposal Components

The following documents and all requirements from noted sections are to be returned as part of Respondent’s proposal submittal. Failure to include these documents may be basis for response disqualification.

I. Proposal

✔ Cover Letter to include a brief introduction with interest and capability of the Respondent.

✔ Table of Contents

✔ Proposal Response, to include responses to Sections 4.1 – 4.8.

II. Forms

✔ Signed Execution of Offer (Exhibit A)

✔ Non-Collusion Affidavit (Exhibit B) – signed and notarized

✔ Accessibility documentation (Section 4.9)

✔ HUB Subcontracting Plan (Section 4.10)

Proposal format: The proposal response shall be presented in the order listed above with sections noted accordingly for easy reference. The Table of Contents shall provide page numbers for each section of the proposal.

Note: Additional information regarding the Execution of Offer and Non-Collusion Affidavit.

● Execution of Offer: The signature in the Execution of Offer within the electronic copy shall serve as the official signature of record. Signature can be done electronically with DocuSign, Adobe or another similar tool.

● Non-Collusion Affidavit: The Respondent signature on this document may be done electronically with DocuSign, Adobe or another similar tool. An agreement may not be executed with the awarded Respondent until this document is fully signed and notarized.

2.5 Inquiries and Interpretations

All technical questions concerning this RFP are to be directed, in writing, to Jeff Zimmermann, Executive Director, Procurement and Business Services to soprocurement@tamus.edu. Respondent may not contact other individuals at the A&M System to discuss any aspect of this RFP, unless expressly authorized by the Procurement Office to do so.

Questions regarding the RFP, including questions for more data or information beyond that included in this RFP and any attachment, should be presented in writing. Deadline for submission of questions is October 30, 2023.

Responses to inquiries which directly affect an interpretation or change to this RFP will be issued in writing by addendum/amendment and posted to the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD) according to the schedule in Section 1.5. CLICK HERE for the posting to obtain all documents related to this RFP. You may also copy and paste the following link (http://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd) into your browser and input Agency Number “710” and select “Posted” for the Status.

All such addenda/amendments issued by the A&M System prior to the time that proposals are received shall be considered part of the RFP, and the Respondent shall consider and acknowledge receipt of such within Exhibit A. Addendums issued and not acknowledged by the Respondent shall be considered mailto:soprocurement@tamus.edu http://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd/filter=T&agencyNumber=710&solStatus=1 http://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 7 of 36 accepted. Only formal written addenda issued by the A&M System in response to an inquiry shall be binding. Oral and other interpretations or clarification will be without legal effect.

2.6 Selection Process

The evaluation of the proposals shall be based on the information provided that the A&M System deems to represent the best value to the A&M System. The RFP provides the information necessary to prepare and submit proposals for consideration by the A&M System. All properly submitted proposals will be reviewed, evaluated, and ranked by the A&M System. The A&M System will rank the Respondents in the order that they provide the overall “best value” to the A&M System based on an evaluation of the responses to the RFP.

The A&M System will base its choice on criteria to include, but not be limited to, the following:

demonstrated competence, knowledge, and qualifications of the Respondent in respect to the platform and services offered; the capability of the platform offered to include, but not be limited to, factors such as functionality and ease of use; the demonstration of good faith efforts made by the Respondent to contract with a HUB(s) to perform work, supply commodities, or contribute toward completing the scope of work;

and on the reasonableness of the proposed fee for the platform and related services.

The Respondent selected will be the one whose experience and qualifications, as presented in response to this RFP, establish them, in the opinion of the A&M System, as well qualified and offering the greatest benefits, experience and value to the A&M System. The A&M System may cancel this RFP or reject proposals at any time prior to an award and is not required to furnish a statement of the reasons why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most advantageous. Should the A&M System determine in its sole discretion that only one Respondent is fully qualified, or that one Respondent is clearly more highly qualified than the others under consideration, a contract may be negotiated and executed with that Respondent.

The contract will be an agreement incorporating by reference all the requirements, terms and conditions of the solicitation and the Respondent’s proposal as negotiated.

The most qualified Respondents as determined by the A&M System may be required to present the platform proposed to the evaluation committee before the final selection. Presentations/demonstrations will be presented virtually using webinar software selected and coordinated by the A&M System. The A&M System will not provide compensation to Respondents for any expenses incurred by the Respondents for proposal preparation, evaluations or demonstrations that may be made.

Submission of proposals indicates Respondent's acceptance of the evaluation techniques and the recognition that subjective judgments must be made by the A&M System during the evaluation process.

The selection of the successful proposal may be made by the A&M System on the basis of the proposals initially submitted, without discussion, clarification, or modification. In the alternative, selection of the successful proposal may be made by the A&M System on the basis of negotiation with any of the Respondents. The A&M System shall not disclose any information derived from the proposals submitted by competing Respondents in conducting such discussions.

All proposals must be complete and convey all of the information requested to be considered responsive.

If a proposal fails to conform to the essential requirements of this RFP, the A&M System alone will determine whether the variance is minor enough to consider the proposal acceptable, and therefore a candidate for further consideration, or significant enough to consider the proposal not acceptable, and therefore not considered for award.

The A&M System may perform reference checks and seek further information, as needed from all Respondents whose proposals the A&M System, at its discretion, considers viable, based on the initial evaluations. The Respondent’s response to this requirement officially authorizes the A&M System to contact these organizations to discuss the services and other considerations which the Respondent has

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 8 of 36 provided to such organizations and authorizes the organizations to provide such information to the A&M System, and Respondent shall and hereby does release and hold harmless the A&M System, the state of Texas, and such organization of any and all liability whatsoever, in connection with providing and receiving all such information. Any negative responses received from reference checks may be grounds for disqualification of the proposal.

The A&M System reserves the right to accept or reject any or all offers, to waive informalities and technicalities, to accept the offer considered most advantageous, and/or to make the award to the most responsive Respondent.

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SECTION 3 – SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 General

The platform offered must meet the requirements as described in section 3. Respondent must indicate if the platform can fulfill the requirement with current functionality, and if it cannot be fulfilled with current functionality, whether the platform can meet the requirements with future functionality or by other means.

3.2 Background – A&M System Constituent Relationship Management Tool Use

Currently, Texas A&M System members use a variety of solutions, integrations, and apps to accomplish constituent relationship management and fundraising. A recent review of the needs of the A&M System concluded all 11 members would best be served by consolidating the needs of all the system members and pursuing a master agreement to enable as-needed use of a selection of vendors who fulfill the requirements as noted in this request for proposal.

3.3 Requirements

3.3.1 The Texas A&M University System is looking to source a Cloud based constituent relationship management platform that at a minimum has the following required functionalities, or can accomplish the following primary tasks and subtasks:

A. Engage with and manage member institutions’ constituents. In doing so, the platform shall have the ability to:

o Facilitate multichannel engagement strategies o Provide donor insight and personalization tools o Provide campaign reporting o Contain integrated multichannel communication tools o Automatically process online donations and payments through member institutions’ websites o Contain personalization tools for tailored alumni engagement emails o Provide metrics for volunteers, members, events, and campaigns o Track donor retention and acquisition o Be used to facilitate customizable email campaigns o Contain built-in portfolio dashboards o Manage dashboard and portfolios built around outreach initiatives, campaigns, work-based roles, etc.

o Facilitate email and marketing campaigns o Manage constituent profiles o Import and export data across multiple dashboards/databases/etc if necessary o Allow data plug-ins and integrations o Report on email statistics o Provide change of address and address standardization with USPS o Integrates between Banner and Award Management o Manages planned gifts o Within individual records and organizational records, the ability to provide an alert to the use advising them of anything pertinent regarding a donor o The ability to batch multiple constituent records and gifts o Conduct queries to group records for various reports and purposes o Generate reports which can be sent in PDF format to fundraisers

B. Guided fundraising through scalable and personalized donor solicitation

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C. Provide direct marketing analytics to facilitate the acquisition of new constituents and donors.

D. Provide Data Enrichment Services, including:

o Ability to provide and/or validate mailing addresses o Acquire, verify, and filter phone numbers o Assist in obtaining and managing demographic information of constituents o Provide email addresses through a permission-based service(s) o Ability to identify employers of donors

E. Includes a Merchant Services/Financial Transaction Management system, app, or integration which includes:

o An end-to-end payment processing system o Real-time transaction information and reports o Supports multiple currencies o Allows donors to set up recurring gifts o Provides pledge payment reports and reminders o Secure mobile payment o Processes multiple gift sources (cash, check, stock, debit, wire transfer, donor advised, donor directed)

F. Facilitates simple, efficient, and effective award management via:

o Donor stewardship applications o Providing donors the ability to see the impact of their grants/philanthropy o The ability to efficiently navigate and manage scholarship applications o Provides analysis on fund utilization

3.3.2 In addition to the required functionalities listed in section 3.3.1 above, preference may be given to any solution that has the following optional functionalities, or can accomplish the following tasks and subtasks:

• Linkedin Integration

• Has an activity change log

• Option for quarterly data updates

• Provides incremental and full data backups/restore without occurring any additional costs

• All data fields and tables are available for export

• Convert any donation pledges to recurring, and recurring pledges to one-time donations

• Flexibility to move gifts between constituents (individual to individual; corporation to individual)

• Allow users to take training a la carte and skip unnecessary user prerequisites

• Contains a membership portal for members/alumni to manage information

3.4 Technology and Integrations

3.4.1 Architecture and Security

A. The Respondent should describe the underlying technology to include:

• Openness and availability of the data and functions of the platform via API or other direct access methods

• Storage, capacity, or compute limits that come with the proposed platform

B. The Respondent should describe their approach to securing, encrypting, and protecting data of the A&M System:

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 11 of 36

• Describe how data is encrypted in transit and at rest by the platform

• Describe how the platform is hosted

• Describe the platform’s backup, restore, and Disaster Recovery (DR) procedures

• Provide any relevant recent security audits or results from third party penetration tests

• Describe security auditing capabilities for users and application activity

C. The Respondent’s solution must provide annual SSAE-18 reports.

D. The Respondent’s solution must allow for app integrations, to include at a minimum:

• ImportOmatic

• Microsoft Power Platform o Power Apps o Power Automate o Power BI

• Touchnet integration

3.4.2 User Interface and Authentication

The platform must provide a web-based user interface with authentication provided via a Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) 2.0 logon.

3.4.3 Access Controls and Authorization

The platform must allow for the ability to provide and limit access and authorizations

3.4.4 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

A. The Respondent should describe and summarize their options for software delivery and support.

B. The Respondent should describe the process for software version updates and all supported delivery models

3.4.5 A&M System Members in Scope

The A&M System Member universities and agencies in scope for this RFP are listed here.

Universities Agencies Prairie View A&M University Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service Tarleton State University Texas A&M Agrilife Research Texas A&M International University Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Texas A&M University Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service Texas A&M University - Central Texas Texas A&M Forest Service Texas A&M University - Commerce Texas A&M Transportation Institute Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Texas A&M University Health Science Center Texas A&M University - Kingsville Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory Texas A&M University - San Antonio Texas Division of Emergency Management Texas A&M University - Texarkana The Texas A&M University System Texas A&M University at Galveston West Texas A&M University

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SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL RESPONSE

The Respondent recognizes that in its selection process the A&M System will rely, in part, on the answers provided in response to this Section. Accordingly, Respondent warrants to the best of its knowledge that all responses are true, correct and complete.

4.1 Company Profile

4.1.1 Provide a contact name for this RFP response, including title, address, telephone number and email address.

4.1.2 Provide the following information:

• Number of Years in Business: _______

• Number of Employees: ______(company-wide)

• Annual Sales Volume: _____________________________(company-wide)

4.1.3 State that you will provide a financial rating of your company and any documentation (such as a Dunn and Bradstreet Analysis) which indicates the financial stability of your company, if requested by the A&M System.

4.1.4 Is your company currently for sale or involved in any transaction to expend or to become acquired by another business entity? If yes, please explain the impact both in organizational and directional terms.

4.1.5 Provide any details of all past or pending litigation or claims filed against your company that would negatively impact your company’s performance under an agreement with the A&M System.

4.1.6 Is your company currently in default on any loan agreement or financing agreement with any bank, financial institution, or other entity. If yes, specify date(s), details, circumstances, and prospects for resolution.

4.2 Technical Proposal

Respondent should describe how their platform can address the needs and requirements of the A&M System as described in SECTION 3 – SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS AND SCOPE OF WORK.

In responding to these requirements Respondent:

• Must provide narrative in response addressing all items and requirements described in each sub-section of Section 3.

• May provide product and solution documentation that supports their ability to meet the requirements of the A&M System.

• May provide other documentation and information to demonstrate the overall value of the platform.

4.3 Demonstration Plan

Respondent shall provide a high-level demonstration plan that will allow the A&M System to see the proposed platform and its ability to meet the requirement of the A&M System. The A&M System expects to schedule platform demonstrations with a short list of Respondents.

4.4 Proof of Concept

Respondent shall discuss the terms and possibility of engaging in a proof of concept (POC) with the A&M

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System prior to the execution of any resultant final agreement.

4.5 Implementation Approach

The Respondent must describe their implementation approach by providing responses to the following:

• Does the Respondent have authorized third-party implementation partners, or will the Respondent provide the implementation services if needed?

• Provide a high-level estimate of the size, scope, and time for an A&M System implementation (if applicable)

• Describe key technical resources or talent that the Respondent may assign to an A&M System implementation

• Describe planned use of sub-contractors

4.6 Licensing, Support, and Subscription Model

Respondent shall provide a response to the following items:

• Provide an overview of Respondent’s software licensing model on which costs have been based (i.e.

number of users, institution size, and data capacity). Exact number users of the platform is to be determined.

• Describe the proposed maintenance and support plan, including general service-level commitments offered under Respondent’s support agreement.

• Describe any discounts Respondent extends to educational organizations or to state government agencies and provide a published price per sheet for Higher Education/State Government solutions

- if one exists.

Note: Do not provide actual or estimated prices (dollar amounts) in this section (dollar amounts should be provided in Section 4.8).

4.7 Vendor Qualifications

Respondent shall provide a response to the following items:

A. Respondent must furnish at least three references from clients from the past three years for a software solution similar in scope, size, and complexity to the platform described in this RFP. If possible, the A&M System requests that two of the references come from institutions of Higher Education and/or other public sector entities.

● Company/Agency name & address

● Contact person name & title

● Contact phone number

● Contact email address

● Summary of software solution provided

B. Has Respondent worked with the A&M System in the past five years?

● If yes, provide the specific member of the A&M System, point of contact (name, title, phone number, and email address), and a brief description of the work performed.

● If no, provide as a reference within sub-section 4.7 (A) above, indicating whether Respondent’s proposed platform has been deployed in production at an institution of Higher Education or at an

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 14 of 36 organization of similar size and complexity as the A&M System. Provide a list of those institutions/organizations (no more than 5).

C. Describe Respondent’s core product and service lines, and any optional services Respondent offered.

4.8 Pricing Proposal

Respondent shall provide a pricing proposal for the platform offered to include the following items as applicable.

• Provide tiered pricing based on the proposed and all available license models.

• Provide all one-time costs associated with implementation of the platform, including implementation professional services.

• Describe all discounts that may be available to the A&M System, including, educational, federal, state and local discounts.

• Describe ongoing subscription, support and maintenance costs that will be assessed in the first year and all subsequent years of the agreement.

• Provide terms of payment for the platform.

4.9 Accessibility

Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) accessibility requirements and technical standards from Texas Administrative Code, Title 1, Chapter 206, Chapter 213 and in the Worldwide Web Consortium WCAG 2.1 AA technical standards as applicable have been determined to apply to this RFP.

Accordingly, all Respondents must provide the following accessibility documentation:

A. For each commercial product (also referred to as commercial off the shelf or COTS), and service products such as Software as a Service (SaaS)., Platform as a Service (PaaS), and any other managed services that include a user interface, a completed Accessibility conformance Report (ACR) or the URL to view the ACR online.

B. For non-product offerings (such as IT related development services, services that include user interfaces, managed services, online components, etc.), a Vendor Accessibility Development Services Information Request (VADSIR), which documents Respondent’s capability or ability to produce or customize accessible EIR (also referred to as Information and Communications Technology (ICT). See Attachment A for detailed requirements.

C. The Policy Driven adoption for Accessibility (PDAA) for Vendor Self-Assessment. See Attachment B for detailed requirements.

D. Responses with missing or incomplete required accessibility documentation will receive a failing score for the EIR accessibility evaluation and may be disqualified.

ACR Submission and Review

A. All Respondents must provide ACRs created using the applicable sections of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®) Revised Section 508 Edition (version 2.4) or provide links to ACRs located on manufacturer(s)’ websites (where available) for every product (as defined above) or product family (as applicable). Instructions on how to complete this document are included in the template itself. ACRs based on earlier versions of the VPAT ® template will be accepted if such completed ACRs already exist, and there have been no changes to the product or services since April 18, 2020.

B. Respondents claiming that a proposed product or family of products is exempt from accessibility

The Texas A&M University System RFP01 CIO-24-157 Page 15 of 36 requirements must specify the product(s) as such in “Notes” located in the product information section of the VPAT v2.4, or as an additional note in the product information section of older VPAT versions of the form, specifying each exempt product or product family with a supporting statement(s) for this position.

C. Respondents that do not already have accessibility documentation should complete the form included in the bid package or may obtain the form located here: http://www.itic.org/public-policy-accessibility. Resellers should obtain an ACR(s) form the manufacturer or provide links to the manufacturer’s accessibility documentation.

D. The A&M system will review a sample of ACRs for credibility and completeness.

E. Respondents that submit incomplete ACRs or unable to provide or obtain ACRs for products it manufactures or for products from manufacturers it represents, may be required to submit a letter (Accessibility Statement) stating that some or all product(s) accessibility documentation may be missing, product accessibility is untested, and an explanation of alternate accommodation.

VADSIR Submission and Review

A. Respondents must ensure that EIR and ICT accessibility criteria are integrated into key phases of the development lifecycle including but not limited to planning, design, development functional testing, user acceptance testing, maintenance; and report accessibility status at key project checkpoints as defined by A&M system.

B. Respondents must complete a VADSIR Questionnaire to document the Respondent’s capability or ability to produce accessible EIR and ICT if the response includes one or more of the following offerings:

1. Website development services

2. Custom development services as part of an integrated solution

3. Client based software application development services

4. Other software development services containing one or more user interfaces (end user, administrative, etc.)

C. VADSIRs will be evaluated by A&M System for credibility and completeness.

PDAA Submission and Self-Assessment Score

A. All Respondents must complete the PDAA Self-Assessment Questionnaire for responses that include EIR or ICT. The PDAA generates a self-assessment score which is an indicator of the extent to which a Respondent’s organization has implemented accessibility best practices within operations and integrated accessibility criteria into all phases of a product life cycle. The PDAA is an organizational assessment not an assessment of products or services.

B. PDAA score will be included in the evaluation and a missing or blank PDAA will receive a score of 0 (fail) and may disqualify the Response.

Pass/Fail Criteria

A. Compliance with Texas Government Code 2054, subchapter M, TAC 206, TAC 213, and W3 WCAG

2.1 AA technical standards, as applicable. Respondents may fail this selection criterion for any of the following reasons:

1. Missing or incomplete ACRs for products listed on the itemized price sheet;

2. Missing or incomplete VADSIR for proposed development services on the itemized price sheet or;

http://www.itic.org/public-policy-accessibility http://www.itic.org/public-policy-accessibility

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3. Missing or blank PDAA self-assessment.

Scoring Criteria for Electronic and information Resources (EIR) and information and Communications Technology (ICT) Accessibility in solicitation Responses.

Score Response

0 The Response is missing required accessibility documentation and credibility cannot be determined, or the Response has incomplete accessibility documentation and provides minimally credible evidence. The response may be disqualified for a score of zero or for a missing PDAA.

1 The Response provides completed and minimally credible accessibility documentation as determined by any combination of the following:

1. Reviewed ACR(s) for one or more products do not support Revised Section 508 or Section 255 Standards or WCAG 2.1. AA guidelines (unless there is an approved exception per

TAC 213.17).

2. VADSIR for development services provides limited information to understand accessibility policy, processes, testing, or corrective actions.

3. PDAA with limited policies and practices to support accessible EIR (score < 25).

2 The Response provides completed and partially credible accessibility documentation as determined by any combination of the following:

1. Reviewed ACR(s) for one or more products demonstrating reasonable support of Revised Section 508 or Section 255 Standards and WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines.

2. VADSIR for development services describing accessibility activities, training, tools, corrective actions, and alternate methods to support accessibility.

3. PDAA scores demonstrating accessible policies and practices are being implemented within the organization (score of 25 – 50 points).

3 The Response provides completed and credible accessibility documentation as determined by the following:

1. Reviewed ACR(s) for one or more products that mostly support Revised Section 508 or Section 255 Standards and WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines.

2. VADSIR for development or customized services that details processes for accessibility activities, training, accessibility tools, corrective actions, alternate methods for accessibility, and includes samples of accessible work.

3. PDAA scores demonstrating established accessibility policies and practices are practiced within the organization (score greater than 50 points).

Only proposals which contain adequate information to document their responsiveness to the EIR accessibility requirements (VPATs and supporting documentation including test documentation) will be eligible for consideration.

4.10 Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Requirements

It is the policy of the State of Texas and the A&M System to encourage the use of Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) both directly and indirectly in prime contracting and subcontracting efforts. The goal of the HUB Program is to promote equal access and equitable opportunity in the A&M System contracting and purchasing activities.

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A subcontracting opportunity is defined as any portion(s) of the scope contracted with a vendor to work, supply commodities for, or contribute towards completing work for a governmental entity.

The Respondent is required to submit either a completed HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) form or a HUB Goal Achievement Plan detailing how they will conduct a good faith effort to attract and incorporate State of Texas HUB- certified vendors to perform a percentage of the scope of work defined within this RFP.

The HUB participation goal for this RFP is 15% and the Respondent is required to conduct a good faith effort to achieve this goal through subcontracting opportunities, mentor protégé relationships, or other means of meaningful business relationships to increase the capacity and utilization of HUB firms.

Maximizing meaningful opportunities to HUBs is of the utmost importance to The Texas A&M University System.

The Respondent is required to complete and submit either a HUB Goal Achievement Plan or HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) form. Failure to submit a comprehensive, acceptable HUB Goal Achievement Plan or HSP form will be considered a material failure to comply with the requirements of this RFP and may result in rejection of the response. Refer to Section 2.6 for details on the A&M System’s selection process.

HUB Goal Achievement (HUBA) Plan

If the Respondent elects to complete and submit a HUBA Plan, the plan is required to include details which outline and accurately represent the company’s strategy, procedures, and steps to incorporate HUB certified companies in the performance of this scope.

Within this plan, the Respondent is required to address the following items:

1. The Respondent shall state whether it is a Texas certified HUB vendor.

2. The Respondent shall state its commitment to conduct a good faith effort to include HUB vendors in this engagement.

3. The Respondent shall discuss the method in which it will identify subcontracting opportunities related to the scope(s) of work within this RFP.

4. The Respondent shall describe the method in which it solicits HUB vendors regarding the subcontracting opportunities identified.

5. The Respondent shall discuss its existing relationships within the HUB community, including those with HUB-certified vendors, HUB-focused organizations, and non-HUB companies doing business with HUB-certified vendors. The Respondent shall also provide details on how these relationships will support their plan to connect with and invite HUB certified companies to bid on the subcontracting opportunities defined in Item 4 above.

6. If not already stated, the Respondent shall provide a list of the trade organizations or development centers that it intends to work with to inform and solicit HUBs to bid on the subcontracting opportunities identified in Item 4 above. Examples of these can be found at the following site:

https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub/resources.php.

HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP) Form

If the Respondent elects to complete an HSP form, the Respondent is required to review and complete the A&M System HSP form.

In all cases, the Respondent is required to:

i. Complete Section 1, Section 2, and Section 4 of the HSP form.

https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub/resources.php https://www.tamus.edu/business/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2021/01/FY21-HSP-fillable-form.pdf

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ii. Determine whether it is probable that they will subcontract any portion of the scope within this

RFP.

iii. Complete either Method A, Method B, or Section 3 as applicable based on the response to Section 2.

If the Respondent determines it is probable that they will subcontract any portion of the scope within this RPF, the applicable HUB participation goal for this RFP is 15%, and the Respondent is required to conduct and demonstrate a good faith effort to achieve this goal and list all anticipated subcontracting opportunities in Section 2b of the HSP form. Note: In all cases, the HUB goal stated within this RFP takes precedence over the HUB goal stated on the downloaded HSP form.

Please contact Ms. Porschia Tolbert, A&M HUB Program Director, at SO-HUBProgram@tamus.edu or (979) 458-3265 for assistance with completing the requirements of this section. Respondents can submit a draft of their HUB Goal Achievement Plan or HSP form prior to submittal of their response to the RFP for review by Ms. Tolbert. All drafts must be submitted at least five business days prior to the RFP due date.

Awarded Respondent(s)

Any Respondent awarded an Agreement as a result of this RFP will be expected to comply with all good faith effort requirements. The HUB plan submitted with the proposal response will be included within the Agreement and the A&M System will monitor compliance and progress with all requirements. Per Texas Government Code 2161.253(d), if a determination is made that the Vendor failed to implement the plan in good faith, the A&M System, in addition to any other remedies, may bar the Vendor from further contracting opportunities with the A&M System.

mailto:SO-HUBProgram@tamus.edu

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SECTION 5 - GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The A&M System reserves the right to accept, reject, modify, and/or negotiate any and all submittals received in conjunction with this RFP. It reserves the right to waive any defect or informality in the submittals on the basis of what it considers to be in its best interests. Any submittal which the A&M System determines to be incomplete, conditional, obscure, or which has irregularities of any kind, may be rejected. The A&M System reserves the right to award to the company, or companies, which in our sole judgment, will best serve our long-term interest.

This RFP in no manner obligates the A&M System to the eventual purchase of any products or services described, implied, or which may be proposed, until confirmed by written agreement, and may be terminated by the A&M System without penalty or obligation at any time prior to the signing of a contract.

The Respondent must include a formal copy of any Respondent terms and conditions applicable to this transaction. Evaluation and acceptance and/or modification of these terms and conditions by the A&M System Office of General Counsel are essential prior to execution of any resultant Agreement. In the event the Respondent does not supply terms and conditions with their submittal, A&M System terms and conditions will govern this transaction.

B. GOVERNING LAW: Respondent agrees that, in the event of a dispute, laws of the State of Texas will prevail.

C. NON-DISCRIMINATION: The parties agree that in the performance of any contract they shall not discriminate in any manner on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, genetic information, veteran status or disability protected by law. Such action shall include, but is not limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation. By submitting a submittal, Respondent certifies that it will conform to the provisions of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.

D. CIVIL RIGHTS REQUIREMENTS: All Respondents must comply with applicable civil rights laws.

E. IMMIGRATION REFORM AND CONTROL ACT OF 1986: By submitting a proposal, the Respondent certifies that it does not, and will not, during the performance of any resultant Agreement, employ illegal alien workers or otherwise violate the provisions of the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as amended.

F. DEBARMENT STATUS: By submitting a proposal, Respondent certifies that it is not currently debarred from submitting submittals on contracts nor is it an agent of any person or entity that is currently debarred from submitting bids on contracts.

G. PUBLIC INFORMATION: Respondent is hereby notified that the A&M System strictly adheres to all statutes, court decisions, and the opinions of the Texas Attorney General with respect to disclosure of public information. The A&M System may seek to protect from disclosure all information submitted in response to this RFP until such time as the resultant Agreement is executed. Upon execution of the resultant Agreement, the A&M System will consider all information, documentation, and other materials requested to be submitted in response to this RFP to be of a non-confidential and non-proprietary nature and therefore subject to public disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 552. Respondent will be advised of a request for public information that implicates its materials and will have the opportunity to raise any objections to disclosure to the Texas Attorney General.

H. ALTERNATE PROPOSALS: A&M System reserves the right to consider alternate proposals submitted by Respondents. Alternate proposals shall be clearly marked “Alternate” with the proposed alternates clearly defined and all pricing/cost advantages included, if applicable.

I. ANTITRUST: Respondent hereby assigns to the A&M System, any and all claims for overcharges associated with any contract resulting from this RFP which arise under the antitrust laws of the United States 15

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U.S.C.A. Section 1, et seq. (1973) and which arise under the antitrust laws of the State of Texas, Texas Business and Commercial Code Ann. Sec. 15.01, et seq. (1967).

J. EXECUTIVE HEAD OF A STATE AGENCY AFFIRMATION: In accordance with Section 669.003 of the Texas Government Code, relating to contracting with the executive head of a…