ESBD_File_355497_01-3202400138 Credential Engine Library Subscription and Maintenance Support Services.pdf

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)

AGENCY INVOICE ADDRESS REFER ALL INQUIRIES TO:

TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION

Accounts Payable Email: APPO@twc.state.tx.us

TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION

Name: Jennifer Tram, CTCD, CTCM Email: vendorproposals@twc.texas.gov

PROCUREMENT NUMBER BID OPENING

3202400138 Date: April 22, 2024

Time: 10:00AM Central Time

VENDOR NAME:

*DBA (If Sole Owner):

VENDOR MAILING ADDRESS:

VENDOR BILLING ADDRESS: (If different from mailing)

CITY, STATE, ZIP CODE

VENDOR CONTACT PHONE NUMBER:

VENDOR CONTACT E-MAIL ADDRESS:

VENDOR TEXAS IDENTIFICATION

NUMBER: (issued by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts)

VENDOR FEDERAL EMPLOYER

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:(issued by the Internal Revenue Service)

*If you are a Sole Owner or Individual Recipient, enter your Social Security Number:

TWC only accepts emailed bids. If a hard copy of the bid is submitted, it will not be screened and not returned. Bids received after the submission deadline will be disqualified.

These specifications are being advertised under Section 2155.067 of the Texas Government Code. Only bids on items conforming exactly to these specifications, which include proposing only the brand name(s), make and model number(s) specified, will be considered in determining an award.

FAILURE TO SIGN WILL DISQUALIFY BID – SIGNATURE MUST BE IN INK

By signing below, Bidder acknowledges receipt of all TWC Terms and Conditions in the IFB – including Attachment 1, agrees to provide the items/services described in this IFB, and agrees to abide by all TWC Terms and Conditions as specified in this IFB and in any Contract resulting from an award.

SIGNATURE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO MAKE THIS AGREEMENT:

DATE:

PRINTED NAME OF PERSON SIGNING ABOVE:

Check below to claim a preference under Statute:

Goods produced or offered by a Texas bidder that is owned by a Texas resident service-disabled veteran.

Goods produced in Texas or offered by a Texas bidder that is not owned by a Texas resident service-disabled veteran.

Agricultural products grown in Texas.

Agricultural products offered by Texas bidder.

Services offered by a Texas bidder that is owned by a Texas resident service-disabled veteran.

Services offered by a Texas bidder that is not owned by a Texas resident service-disabled veteran.

Texas Vegetation Native to the Region.

USA produced supplies, materials or equipment.

Products of persons with mental or physical disabilities.

Products made of recycled, remanufactured, or environmentally sensitive materials including recycled steel.

Energy Efficient Products.

Rubberized asphalt paving material.

Recycled motor oil and lubricants.

Products produced at facilities located on formerly contaminated property.

Products and services from economically depressed or blighted areas.

Vendors that meet or exceed air quality standards.

Recycled or Reused Computer Equipment of Other Manufacturers.

Foods of Higher Nutritional Value.

Vendors should carefully study all specifications, terms and conditions prior to submitting a bid.

LINE

NO.

NIGP

CLASS

& ITEM

DESCRIPTION

TOTAL

PRICE*

1.

715-35, 920-45

Credential Engine Library Subscription and Maintenance Support Services Initial Term Year 1

2. 715-35, 920-45

Credential Engine Library Subscription and Maintenance Support Services Optional Renewal Year 1

Total Price (Initial Term including 1 Optional One-Year Renewal) $

*Please note the following:

Bidder to provide detail for total price for Line No. 1 in Section 8.5 Deliverables,

8.5.1.1 Initial Term Pricing Summary.

Bidder to provide total price for Line No. 2 based on pricing for similar deliverables for Optional Renewal Year 1.

1. INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE

1.1. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) is seeking bids for Credential Engine Library Subscription and Maintenance Support Services.

1.2. Credential Engine Library Subscription Services provides access to Credential Engine’s centralized national database, a national credential registry, which collects current information about credentials, including to the degree possible, the provider and owner, competencies, costs, quality indicators, occupation and industry alignment, education and career pathways, transfer values, outcomes, and links to job skills.

1.3. Credential Engine Maintenance Support Services supports the continued development and maintenance of the Texas Credential Library, a statewide publicly accessible web-based credential library, which is part of the Tri-Agency initiative, per Texas Government Code § 2308A.007.

2. GENERAL INFORMATION

2.1. The individual listed below may be emailed for clarification of this Solicitation and the response submission process. No authority is intended or implied that the specifications may be amended, or alternates accepted prior to submission deadline without written approval of TWC.

Purchaser: Jennifer Tram, CTCD CTCM

Email: vendorproposals@twc.texas.gov

2.2. Communication with any TWC personnel regarding this IFB other than the Authorized Procurement Contact listed is prohibited. Failure to follow this provision may be grounds for disqualification. Respondents desiring further information or interpretation of this IFB (including clarification of discrepancies or omissions) must submit questions in writing to the Authorized Procurement Contact. Telephone inquiries will not be acceptable.

2.3. You must submit your bid electronically by email to

VendorProposals@TWC.TEXAS.GOV. Reference the Title and IFB No. and the submission deadline date and time, in the subject line. Hard Copies received will not be accepted or reviewed.

a. Bids received after the submission deadline will be disqualified.

b. TWC is not responsible for bids emailed late, illegible, incomplete, or otherwise considered disqualified due to failure of electronic equipment or operator error.

2.4. Bids are due no later than April 22, 2024, at 10:00AM Central Time

(CT).

3. PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

3.1. The following table includes critical pre-award events for the procurement. All dates are subject to change at TWC’s discretion.

Event Date

IFB release date April 8, 2024

Bids due April 22, 2024, 10:00AM CT

Anticipated Contract start date upon Contract Execution, or June 15, 2024, whichever is later.

4. CONTRACT TERM

4.1. The initial Contract Term will commence on the date the Contract is signed, or June 15, 2024, whichever is later, and expire on June 14, 2025. At the end of the initial Term, TWC will have the sole option to renew the Term of the Contract for one (1) additional one-year term.

4.2. This Contract is contingent upon the continued availability of funding.

If funds become unavailable through lack of appropriations, legislative budget cuts, amendment of the Appropriations Act, TWC consolidation of offices, or any other disruption of current appropriations, provisions of the Termination Article in the Contract shall apply.

4.3. Form of Contract

This Contract will be a firm, fixed price Contract.

4.4. Terms and Conditions

a. The final Terms and Conditions of any agreement (Contract) resulting from this Solicitation shall be agreed upon during negotiation. TWC’s Terms and Conditions shall be included in any awarded Contract (see Attachment 1). Many of the Terms and Conditions contained in Attachment 1 are required by Texas law, which shall be the governing law for any Contract.

b. Bidders must use the signature block at the top of page 2 of this IFB Solicitation document to acknowledge TWC Terms and Conditions.

c. TWC reserves the right to make changes to the TWC Terms and Conditions if it is in the best interests of the State to do so. Should this occur prior to the award of any Contract, Bidder(s) selected for negotiations will be notified.

5. CONTRACT AMENDMENTS

5.1. The Contract may be amended only by written agreement signed by both the successful Bidder and TWC.

6. OFFER PERIOD

6.1. Bids shall be binding for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days after the submission due date. A Bidder may extend the time for which its Bid will be honored. Upon Contract execution, prices agreed upon by the Successful Bidder(s) are an irrevocable offer for the term of the Contract and any Contract renewals or extension(s). No other costs, rates, or fees shall be payable to the successful Bidder unless expressly agreed upon by TWC.

7. DESCRIPTION OF PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND ELIGIBLE BIDDERS

7.1. Eligible Bid: TWC will only consider for award those bids that are complete and received by the submission deadline date and time.

7.2. Eligible Bidder: TWC posts notice of the Solicitation by emailing the IFB to all potential vendors identified in the Class/Item Category:

715-35: *Electronic Publications: Directories, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, etc.

920-45: *Software Maintenance and Support Services and Updates and Data Hosting Services.

on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (CPA) Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL) and by posting the Solicitation on the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD), which can be accessed at https://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd (the entire IFB and addendums can be found at this site).

7.3. Withdrawal of Bid: A bid can be withdrawn by the Bidder at any time after submission but prior to the due date by emailing the Authorized Procurement Contact identified in the IFB.

7.4. Amendment of Bid: A bid can be amended by the Bidder at any time after submission but prior to the due date by emailing the Authorized Procurement Contact identified in the IFB.

8. STATEMENT OF WORK

Annual Credential Engine Library Subscription and Maintenance Support Services include:

8.1. Access to Credential Engine’s centralized database: Bidder must provide access to their centralized national database which collects current information about credentials.

Credentials are understood to include diplomas, digital badges, certificates, apprenticeships, certifications, licenses, and degrees of all types and levels.

Information about such credentials includes, to the degree possible, the provider and owner, competencies, costs, quality indicators, occupation and industry alignment, education and career pathways, transfer values, outcomes, links to job skills, etc.

8.2. Credential Engine Credential Registry Instance: Bidder must provide a specific Instance of Credential Engine’s Credential Registry for the Texas Credential Library at no additional cost to TWC.

8.3. Maintenance of Credential Library data in the Credential Registry: Bidder must maintain credential library data in the Credential Registry.

8.4. Providing continued support for the Tri-Agencies’ planning, stakeholder engagement, integration and implementation related to credential transparency utilizing the Credential Transparency Description Language (CTDL), Credential Engine publishing tools, Credential Registry and data consuming service options:

a. Bidder must develop, maintain, and manage a work plan and its milestones for implementing the credential and related data infrastructure.

b. Bidder must explore and identify additional sources of credential and related data currently available in Texas and strategies for publishing across agencies, sectors, and credential providers. This could include, but is not limited to, Adult Education and Literacy (AEL), Career and Technical Education (CTE), Registered Apprenticeship programs and occupational licensure.

c. Bidder must support publishing against Tri-Agency benchmark data policies for organizations, credentials and learning opportunities, such as accreditation, outcomes and pathways.

d. Bidder must develop an application programming interface (API) for publishing eligible training provider list credentials and learning opportunities.

e. Bidder must publish industry-based certifications (IBCs) and other nationally recognized credentials valued by Texas employers into the Texas Credential Library’s Instance of the Credential Engine’s Credential Registry.

f. Bidder must support work in one (1) to two (2) targeted regions in the state, as defined by TWC, to publish additional information about providers, programs, and credentials in the Texas Credential Library, such as, but is not limited to: additional credentials, pathways or information describing credentials and the organizations who offer them, as well as publishing other providers, programs and credentials from those regions into the Texas Credential Library’s Instance of the Credential Engine’s Credential Registry that are not under state oversight.

g. Bidder must engage stakeholders to develop publishing workflows, pathways, frameworks and identify relevant competencies and credentials. Stakeholders include but are not limited to:

postsecondary institutions, community-based organizations, state agencies, certification bodies and employers.

h. Bidder must participate in technical team meetings and also participate with project phases to provide technical input and support, including architecture and data model design and implementation.

i. Bidder must provide credential and related data consuming and integration options via the Credential Registry for the Agencies and project partner tools and integration support.

j. Bidder must provide data quality requirements, checklists and reviews for CTDL data.

k. Bidder must determine any CTDL gaps and determine how they can be addressed.

8.5. Deliverables:

8.5.1 Initial Term Pricing

8.5.1.1 Initial Term Pricing Summary

ID# Due Date Total Price

1 1-4 months

2 4-10 months

ID# Due Date Total Price

3 4-10 months

4 6-10 months

5 10-12 months

8.5.1.2 Initial Term Deliverables Detail:

ID# Deliverables/Activities Staffing Due Date

1 Successful Bidder must:

a. Identify priority benchmark data for inclusion in the Texas

Credential Library.

b. Map priority benchmark data to Credential Transparency

Description Language (CTDL), including but not limited to:

1. Outcome data such as employment and earnings and pass rates,

2. Quality assurance indicators such as accreditation,

3. Evidence of use by, endorsement by, recognition by employers or industry / employer associations,

4. Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), Standard Occupation Codes (SOC), Industry Codes (NAICS), or other codes such as military occupations,

5. Connections to industry-recognized credentials published to the Registry, and

6. Eligibility for federal and public or other financial assistance opportunities.

c. Identify additional sources of credential and related data currently available in Texas and strategies for publishing across agencies, sectors, and credential providers. This could include, but is not limited to, AEL, CTE, Registered Apprenticeship programs, and occupational licensure.

d. Develop data publishing workflows to support expanded publishing via bulk upload or API.

e. Publish IBCs and other nationally recognized credentials valued by Texas employers into the Texas Credential

Successful Bidder Staffing:

-Project Lead -Chief Technology Services Officer

(CTSO)

Tri-Agency Staffing:

-Project Lead -Data Owners

1-4 months

Date

Library.

2 Successful Bidder must:

a. Provide access and support to Credential Registry publishing methods:

1. Develop bulk upload templates, data mapping, and

2. Provide technical assistance to bulk upload additional data identified in months 1-4.

b. Develop data publishing workflows and planning documents for API.

c. Define a data maintenance and update strategy to include updates to the data by:

1. Providing continued maintenance and support to keep organizational and credential data updated through manual processes as API is developed, tested and deployed; and

2. Providing documentation of the CTDL family of specifications.

d. Achieve successful API publishing to the Credential

Registry by:

1. Providing comprehensive technical assistance to test

API publishing in Sandbox environment, and

2. Providing an API testing checklist.

Successful Bidder Staffing:

-Project Lead -Technical Team -Accounts & Publishing Lead

-CTSO

Tri-Agency Staffing:

-Project Lead -Agency technical teams

4-10 months

3 Successful Bidder must support work in two (2) targeted regions in the state to both publish additional information about providers, programs and credentials in the Texas Credential Library, such as, but is not limited to additional credentials, pathways or information describing credentials and the organizations who offer them, as well as publishing other providers, programs and credentials from those regions into the Texas Credential Library that are not under state oversight by:

a. Providing support for publishing credential, provider, competency, and related data based on publishing

Successful Bidder Staffing:

-Project Lead -Technical Team -Accounts & Publishing Lead

-CEO

Tri-Agency Staffing:

-Project Lead

4-10

Date workflow document;

b. Providing support for state and/or third-party work to engage employers to determine processes for signaling use, endorsements and recognition of credentials;

c. Providing general guidance and technical assistance to state agencies, systems, institutions, and providers as they publish to the Credential Registry following the agreed upon publishing workflow and supporting the state’s minimum and benchmark data policies; and

d. Providing strategy and documentation to support the implementation and use of CTDL and Credential Registry data by regional stakeholders.

-Regional stakeholders (e.g., organizations, institutions, employers)

4 Successful Bidder must:

a. Advise on use of Credential Registry data through state and/or 3rd party training and job search tools, navigation and pathway services, digital Learning and Employment Records (LERs) or credential wallets, and other tools;

b. Provide documentation and technical assistance to support consumption of Credential Registry data in state and/or 3rd party tools;

c. Provide technical assistance and documentation for data integration by providing:

1. Support, as appropriate, the description, and transparency of outputs from derived data as agreed upon by the Tri-Agency Project Team; and

2. Evidence that incoming data from state sources is published to the Registry through Credential Finder and widgets.

d. Deliver access to an interoperable cloud-based CTDL Credential Library of all Texas credentials.

Successful Bidder Staffing:

-Project Lead

-CTSO

-Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) -Technical Team -Credential Lead

Tri-Agency Staffing:

-Project Lead

6-10

Date

5 Successful Bidder must develop a roadmap document for implementing additional use cases and provide planning documents for future phases of work.

Successful Bidder Staffing:

-Project Lead

-CTSO

-CSO

Tri-Agency Staffing:

+Project Lead +Steering Committee

10-12

8.6. Liquidated Damages:

In submitting a bid, the successful Bidder agrees that the measure of damages in the event of a default or breach by successful Bidder may be difficult or impossible to calculate. In the event successful Bidder fails to perform services or complete the obligations under the Contract in a timely manner, TWC may require successful Bidder to pay, as liquidated damages and not as a penalty, an amount equivalent to two percent (2%) of the total cost for services.

TWC may impose, but is not obligated to impose, these liquidated damages in lieu of any other monetary damages available to TWC under the Contract or applicable law.

9. BID TABULATION

9.1. Bids to an IFB are to be evaluated solely on objective criteria. Bids must be tabulated when opened, but there are times when this is not practical. The bid tabulation is prepared within a maximum of three

(3) business days from the bid due date.

10. BID REQUIREMENTS

10.1. Bidders will submit the following as part of their bid:

a. Bid information on Pages 1 – 3, 7 & 8 of IFB; Page 2 must be signed and dated.

b. TWC Substitute W-9 and Direct Deposit Form (Attachment 2).

c. HUB Subcontracting Plan (HSP): TWC HUB has determined there are no HUB subcontracting opportunities. Bidder is not required to submit a HSP with its Bid.

11. DEFINITIONS

Award-The act of accepting an offer, thereby forming a contract between the State and a vendor.

Bid-An offer to contract with the State, submitted in response to an IFB.

Bidder-An individual or entity that submits a bid. The term includes anyone acting on behalf of the individual or entity that submits a bid, such as an agent, employee and representative.

Bidder’s List-A list of vendors that have expressed an interest in doing business with the State. See Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL)

Bid Tabulation-The recording of bids and bid data submitted in response to an IFB. The bid tabulation is used for comparison, analysis, and record keeping.

Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL)-An online directory, maintained by SPD, containing contact information and product categories of vendors registered to receive procurement opportunities from public entities.

Contract-A legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties.

Contract Term-The period of time during which the Contract will be effective from begin date to end, or renewal date. The Contract Term may or may not be the same as the budget period.

Due Date-Established deadline for submission of a document or deliverable.

Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD)-An online application, administered by SPD, that publishes solicitations for the purpose of informing vendors of procurement opportunities and provides public notice of contract awards.

Invitation for Bid (IFB)-A written solicitation requesting the submission of bids; also referred to as a bid invitation.

Late Response-A response that is received after the date and time established for receipt of responses to a solicitation.

Liquidated Damages-A specified contract provision that entitles the State to demand a set monetary amount determined to be a fair and equitable repayment to the State for loss of service due to contractor’s failure to meet contract requirements.

Opening Date-The date and time that bids are due in response to an IFB.

Used interchangeably with the term “Closing Date.”

Solicitation-A document such as an IFB requesting bids from vendors to provide specified goods and services. The term also refers to the process of obtaining responses from vendors to provide specified goods and services.

Specifications-The “line item” descriptors within a solicitation that define the good or service that the vendor must offer to be considered for award.

State-The State of Texas.

Statement of Work-A statement that defines specific services to be performed.

Texas Bidder-For the preference to resolve tie bids, “Texas Bidder” means a business (1) incorporated in Texas, (2) that has its principal place of business in Texas, or (3) that has an established physical presence in Texas.

Texas Resident Bidder-For purposes of reciprocal preference law, “resident bidder” refers to a person whose principal place of business is in Texas, including a contractor whose ultimate parent company or majority owner has its principal place of business in Texas.

TWC-Texas Workforce Commission.

TWC Data-Any organization and credential data TWC provides to Credential Engine and/or the Credential Registry.

Vendor-A potential provider of goods or services.